Being There

It’s a lot easier to procrastinate on a Best Films of 2009 list since a few of these didn’t come out until around Christmas anyway. Some of the ones on the list are movies I didn’t technically see until 2010, and I still haven’t seen Avatar and The Hurt Locker, but the longer I put off this list, the longer I wait to start posting actual new reviews of actual new movies. So here goes nothing!

10. A Single Man (dir. Tom Ford)

Colin Firth and Julianne Moore in A Single Man

A Single Man is an unlikely film by an unlikely screenwriter/director (fashion designer Tom Ford) and co-screenwriter (government lawyer David Scearce). The film, based on Christopher Isherwood’s novel of the same name, tells the simple tale of a man who’s convinced he is permanently heartbroken beyond repair after the death of his lover. George Falconer (Colin Firth) has friends who love him (namely Julianne Moore’s Charley) and students who respect and idolize him, but cannot shake this feeling of loneliness and isolation he feels.

Visually, A Single Man hearkens back to classic Hitchcock films of the 1940s and 1950s. Ford tips his hat to Hitchcock in one particular scene, which finds Falconer pulling up his car up to a giant billboard ad for Psycho. Firth delivers the performance of a lifetime and is a shoo-in for an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

9. The Hangover (dir. Todd Phillips)

Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Mike Tyson and Bradley Cooper in The Hangover

Look, Mom, a mainstream comedy that’s actually funny! Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Bradley Cooper play a three guys who travel to Las Vegas to celebrate the Bachelor Weekend of their soon-to-be-married friend Doug. After a wild night of God knows what (the viewer isn’t privvy to this information and the guys can’t remember a thing), Stu (Helms) wakes up with a missing tooth, Alan (Galifianakis) with a baby and Phil (Cooper) with a stolen police car. Also, no Doug.

Over the course of the film we learn more and more about what exactly happened, culminating in a fantastic slideshow that runs through the closing credits.

8. Up In The Air (dir. Jason Reitman)

Anna Kendrick and George Clooney in Up In The Air

Jason Reitman has had a good run so far with Thank You For Smoking and Juno. This year he directed George Clooney in Up In The Air. The film tells the story of a man paid to fly around the country and fire people. He’s happy with his on-the-go, no-baggage-added lifestyle, until he meets someone he actually sees settling down with. Of course, Jason Reitman as a screenwriter isn’t afraid to take risks, so the story isn’t as conventional as your typical romantic comedy in the slightest. Great supporting performances by Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick to boot.

7. Julie & Julia (dir. Nora Ephron)

Stanley Tucci and Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia

Julie & Julia tells the true story of Julia Child and her early years as a budding French chef and juxtaposes it against the true story of a struggling writer who decides to blog about her attempts to cook her way through Child’s Mastering The Art of French Cooking in her tiny Queens apartment. Meryl Streep is fantastic as Julia Child, managing to be true to the real person without pushing her over the top. For my wife and I, the story of Julie Powell (Amy Adams) was just as engaging, since we also happen to blog about food and have a reputation among our friends and family for being overly ambitious when it comes to the kitchen.

6. Up (dir. Pete Docter & Bob Peterson)

Edward Asner in Up

When it comes to the visuals and technical accomplishments, Pixar continues to outdo themselves and their long list of great animated features. Up arrived in stunning 3D and literally took us on a trip across the globe with its elderly widower Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner), a man who decides to attach thousands of balloons to his house and take it to South America. Like any Pixar movie, we meet a whole host of characters along the way (including, as always, one voiced by John Ratzenberger).

5. (500) Days Of Summer (dir. Marc Webb)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel in (500) Days Of Summer

(500) Days Of Summer takes the romantic comedy and turns it on its ear. Boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happier ever after. Right? Nope. Yes, Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is immediately taken with Summer (Zooey Deschanel), and she does a good job of indulging these feelings and genuinely seems to enjoy hanging out with him. But as we see throughout she ultimately just doesn’t see him in the same way that he sees her.

Marc Webb and writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber shake things up by presenting the film in non-sequential order, showing us good times and bad and just how much the two sometimes overlap. Mentally, we’re forced to try to piece things in order in our attempts to understand whether or not Summer and Tom’s relationship ever made sense in the first place.

4. A Serious Man (dir. Joel & Ethan Coen)

Adam Arkin and Michael Stuhlbarg in A Serious Man

After the celebrity-overloaded Burn After Reading, it was nice to see the Coen Brothers return with a film whose most famous actors include Richard Kind and Adam Arkin. Although far from autobiographical, A Serious Man is set in the 1960s Minnesota of the Coens’ childhood and seems to draw from some of their life experiences.

Larry Gopnick (Michael Stuhlbarg) has plenty of reasons to be happy. He’s on the road to tenureship in his post as physics professor and his son is about to be Bar Mitzvah’d. Trouble is, his wife is cozying up to family friend Sy Ableman and wants a divorce; one of his students it trying to bribe him for better grades; his daughter is stealing money from his wallet; and his son is becoming an incessant pot smoker. Even as things start to turn around for Gopnick, we see other aspects of his life dip into even further turmoil. Life, as it turns out, can never be perfect, no matter how hard we might try.

3. Where The Wild Things Are (dir. Spike Jonze)

James Gandolfini and Max Records in Where The Wild Things Are

Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book is brought to life by director/screenwriter Spike Jonze and screenwriter Dave Eggers, but be warned: like the book, Where The Wild Things Are proves to be more about kids than for kids. The large and aggressive creatures (lovingly voiced by everyone from James Gandolfini and Forest Whitaker to Catherine O’Hara and Lauren Ambrose) may prove too much for the faint at heart, younger viewer. But the film is beautifully shot and well-scored (by Carter Burwell and Karen O), and Max Records does a fantastic job in his first proper film role.

2. Fantastic Mr. Fox (dir. Wes Anderson)

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Wes Anderson spent a long time crafting his first animated feature, and it’s clear from watching it how much attention was paid to even the smallest of details. Based on Roald Dahl’s children’s book, Fantastic Mr. Fox, the story is pretty simple: Mr. Fox (George Clooney) wants to steal various goods from three factory farmers (Boggis, Bunce and Bean), and the three farmers seek to exact revenge by eradicating the nearby animals altogether. The story is easy enough to follow for children, but it’s the music, the witty dialogue and the overall feel of the movie that makes it a thoroughly Wes Anderson experience that adult fans of Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums are sure to enjoy.

1. Inglourious Basterds (dir. Quentin Tarantino)

Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds

I didn’t think Tarantino could top Kill Bill, but he did it this past year with Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino takes a stab at historical fiction, exploring an alternate reality where a motley crew of Jewish-American soldiers take out Hitler and other top Nazis, thereby winning the war. Every single piece of this film works, but it’s the foreign actors American audiences had never really seen before that really shine. Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) is an extremely strong-willed character who plots revenge after watching the rest of her family get massacred. The Oscar for Best Supporting Actor should definitely go to Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa. The scene in which he faces Dreyfus as an adult in her secret life with a new name sealed the deal for me. It’s never clear as to whether or not Landa knows who he is facing, but we are on the edge of our seat all the same.

Well, friends, this is one of those lists that I should have posted a month ago. But by now my procrastination is clear. New Year’s Resolution: Get these best of 2009 lists out of the way and start focusing on new stuff, like the latest Vampire Weekend album.

10. The List, Rosanne Cash

Johnny Cash interpreted everyone from Hank Williams to Trent Reznor in his six-decade music career, but a special place in his heart and mind was always reserved for the songs that mattered to him the most. When Johnny’s daughter, Rosanne Cash, was 18, he handed her a handwritten list of “100 Essential Country Songs” and said “This is your education.”

The List could easily have been entitled The List, Vol. 1 since it barely scratches the surface of Johnny’s list. Rosanne faithfully interprets songs by Bob Dylan, Merle Haggard and The Carter Family, and one can only imagine how daunting it must have been knowing that her versions would be compared to those recorded by her father throughout his own career. Thankfully, she does a great job and has a few big names on hand to help her out: Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Rufus Wainwright and Jeff Tweedy.

Key cuts: “Sea of Heartbreak” (with Bruce Springsteen), “Long Black Veil” (featuring Jeff Tweedy), “She’s Got You”

9. Yours Truly, The Commuter, Jason Lytle

I hadn’t heard the name Jason Lytle before I went to see Neko Case at Massey Hall in 2009. Dazzling as Neko was, her opening act definitely left me with a good impression, and I immediately sought out his debut album Yours Truly, The Commuter. As it turned out, Lytle had been writing songs and playing music for more than a decade with Grandaddy. A solid debut with some fantastic songs.

Key cuts: “Ghost Of My Old Dog,” “Birds Encouraged Him,” “You’re Too Gone”

8. Friend of a Friend, Dave Rawlings Machine

Friend Of A Friend by Dave Rawlings Machine

For years, Dave Rawlings has served as Gillian Welch’s proverbial right-hand man. He’s co-written her songs, sung her backing vocals, and played some great guitar to go along with it. Dave Rawlings Machine shakes things up by placing Rawlings at the forefront and Welch at his side. On Friend of a Friend, Rawlings’ debut as a frontman, they’re joined by members of Old Crow Medicine Show, Bright Eyes, as well as Benmont Tench from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. Rawlings proves his worth throughout, as a singer, songwriter and performer.

Key cuts: “Ruby,” “Sweet Tooth,” “Bells of Harlem”

7. Live in London, Leonard Cohen

Live in London by Leonard Cohen

After a fifteen year absence from live performance, Leonard Cohen embarked on an extensive tour of Canada and Europe in 2008. Those of us lucky enough to attend one of these concerts were able to experience a 75-year-old Cohen who was at the top of his game. Cohen’s crack band of ace players and singers provided the perfect backing to a wonderful evening.

Those who were there on Cohen’s tour and those who were not will find equal pleasure from Live In London, which was recorded at the O2 Arena on July 17, 2008 and has a running time of more than two and a half hours. Not a single phase of Cohen’s career goes under-represented by the set, with songs like “Bird On A Wire” and “Suzanne” taking their place alongside “First We Take Manhattan” and “Take This Waltz.”

Key cuts: “Everybody Knows,” “Hallelujah,” “If It Be Your Will”

6. The Fall, Norah Jones

The Fall, Norah Jones

The Fall isn’t quite like anything Norah Jones has released before. Sure, her distinctive voice is there and as effective as usual, but what’s different is the sound and tone of a lot of the material. Producer Jacquire King, who engineered Tom Waits’ Mule Variations album, along with accomplished session musicians like Marc Ribot and Joey Waronker, help get Norah out of her comfort zone and the results are dazzling throughout.

Key cuts: “Chasing Pirates,” “It’s Gonna Be,” “Back To Manhattan”

5. The Atlantic Ocean, Richard Swift

The Atlantic Ocean, Richard Swift

Richard Swift’s early releases are a bit of a throwback to vaudeville and early jazz, while the more recent Dressed Up For The Let Down incorporated some more modern influences like The Beatles and Harry Nilsson. The Atlantic Ocean cosmically jettisons Richard Swift into the future. The songs seem to came from the same vintage as Swift’s earlier work, but the trumpets and saxophones of yore are replaced with a wide array of keyboards and synthesizers. Elsewhere, Swift channels vintage soul and does so with an uncanny ability that you’ll swear you’re listening to the real thing.

Key cuts: “The Atlantic Ocean,” “Bat Coma Motown,” “Lady Luck”

4. Monsters of Folk by Monsters of Folk

Monsters of Folk

Monsters of Folk are the indie rock equivalent of a supergroup, pitting Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James and M. Ward in a studio together for an album’s worth of songs. The results are delightful and tend to keep things on the fun side (taking an obvious cue from another supergroup, The Traveling Wilburys). Although Oberst, James, and Ward each have their moments in the spotlight, the album’s best tracks, like “Say Please,” find each of the singer-songwriters trading verses. Not one of these talents dominates, which is part of what makes the album so strong.

Key cuts: “Say Please,” “The Right Place,” “Man Named Truth”

3. Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, Elvis Costello

Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello appreciates so many different types of music, it’s hard to know what style he’ll surface with when he comes out with a new album or tour. Since 2000, he’s released two rock ‘n’ roll records, a jazz record, a classical record, a country-rock record and an R&B record. Last year, Costello released Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, an album deeper steeped in folk and country than anything he has ever done. Although reviews were polarized, I found this to be a fantastic collection of songs, extremely well-performed by Costello and a crack band that featured T-Bone Burnett, Jeff Taylor, Mike Compton, Dennis Crouch, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan and Jim Lauderdale. No drums anywhere to be found. Better luck next time, Pete Thomas!

Key cuts: “Down Among The Wines and Spirits,” “Sulphur To Sugarcane,” “The Crooked Line”

2. Wilco (The Album), Wilco

Wilco (The Album), Wilco

Being a Wilco fan is pretty easy. The band tours frequently, so you always know they’ll be in town before too long to deliver a great performance. More importantly, you come to expect that a new studio album will surface every few years and that it will be awesome. Wilco (The Album) is no exception. Even though the band is distancing themselves from a lot of the avant garde influences prominent on albums like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born and continuing to veer into pop territory, their songs remain strong and unique, despite being some of the most accessible of their career. Side-note, Wilco (The Album) enters the canon of Greatest Album Covers of All-Time with its “camel at a birthday party” theme.

Key cuts: “Wilco (The Song)”, “You Never Know,” “You and I”

1. Middle Cyclone, Neko Case

Middle Cyclone, Neko Case

Neko Case began her career steeped in Americana, but over the past few albums she has incorporated more and more musical influences to a point where it’s hard to classify her music. Songs like “People Got A Lotta Nerve” wouldn’t sound out of place on a Smiths record. One thing remains clear on Middle Cyclone, and that’s that Neko Case has some of the best pipes in the business. Her amazing voice, paired with some of the best songs I’ve heard all year, made Middle Cyclone my pick for Top Album of 2009.

Key cuts: “This Tornado Loves You,” “People Got A Lotta Nerve,” “Don’t Forget Me”

This was an extremely difficult list to put together. I have listened to and enjoyed many albums over the past decade, but these are the ones that tended to stay put on my iPod. When it came down to it, that was my criteria for at least getting my list down to a manageable number. If it’s an album I’d miss if it weren’t on my iPod, chances are it’s one of my favorites.

There’s no Radiohead, no Arcade Fire and no Kanye West – not because I don’t think any of those artists are deserving of their accolades (except maybe Kanye, but I won’t get into that here), but because they simply didn’t keep me coming back for more.

So here it is, my Top 20 Albums of the 00s. Some choices are obvious. Others may be albums you’ve never heard of by artists you’ve barely heard of. Each one gets my seal of approval.

20. Raising Sand, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss (2007)

Raising Sand by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

The past decade has seen a lot of unusual collaborations. On paper, this is one of them. But to be fair, Robert Plant has been singing songs stemmed in folk, country and blues since Led Zeppelin’s first couple of records. The big difference here is that he does so in more of a traditionalist manner with someone who is used to such a traditional approach.

Of course, producer T-Bone Burnett wasn’t going to keep things that simple for Alison Krauss. Songs by the likes of Little Milton, Tom Waits and The Everly Brothers were brought in and while Plant sings softer and more tenderly than he ever has on one track, Krauss is rocking out on the next. In interviews around the time of the release of Raising Sand, Krauss remarked that she had never sung with drums before. At its most effective, Raising Sand finds these two very different voices singing together. “Killing The Blues” is hands-down one of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard in the last decade and thankfully the rest of the record is about just as good.

Key cuts: “Killing The Blues,” “Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On),” “Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson”

19. Feast of Wire, Calexico (2003)

Feast of Wire by Calexico

Tuscon-based Calexico take their name from a California town on the Mexican border and their fourth (and best) album Feast Of Wire borrows heavily from the rich textures of the country’s tejano and mariachi music. “Across The Wire” is the embodiment of this influence, kicking off with drums and accordion before a burst of trumpets storm in. Songs like “Guero Canelo” and “Dub Latina” are characterized by their unique sense of rhythm, while an occasional straight-ahead folk song like “Not Even Stevie Nicks” breaks things up quite nicely.

I don’t even remember how I came upon this album, but I’m sure glad I did.

Key cuts: “Sunken Waltz,” “Not Even Stevie Nicks,” “Across The Wire”

18. Meaningless, Jon Brion (2001)

Meaningless by Jon Brion

Most people know Jon Brion as either a producer/arranger who has worked with the likes of Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright and even Kayne West, or a film composer (Magnolia, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind). What a lot don’t realize is that Brion is also an accomplished singer-songwriter with an album of his own. It’s virtually impossible to find it in stores, but Meaningless is a fantastic record with a sound that will be instantly recognizable to people who have heard Brion’s film work or the songs he has worked on by other artists. Originals like “Ruin My Day” and “I Believe She’s Lying” are instantly catchy, but it’s the 7-and-a-half minute version of Cheap Trick’s “Voices” that closes the album that gives the listener a sense of what Jon Brion (and his live sets at Los Angeles’ Largo) are all about.

Key cuts: “Walking Through Walls,” “Trouble,” “Voices”

17. The Crane Wife, The Decemberists (2006)

The Crane Wife by The Decemberists

When I first heard Picaresque, I wasn’t sure if I bought into the hype surrounding Colin Meloy and his band of merry Decemberists. Then I heard The Crane Wife and it knocked my socks off. The album is lyrically sophisticated but still manages to deliver accessible, catchy pop songs. Meloy is quickly establishing himself as one of his generation’s best songwriters with a knack for unconventional subject matter (“Shankhill Butchers” is about a group of Northern Irish Protestant militants from the 1970s who abducted 30 random Catholics and murdered them in the middle of the night).

Key cuts: “Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then),” “Shankill Butchers,” “The Crane Wife 1 & 2″

16. Transfiguration of Vincent, M. Ward (2003)

Transfiguration of Vincent by M. Ward

Listening to M. Ward is like taking a journey through time. Somehow in the space of a single song, he can transport us back to to 1965, 1955, 1945 and 1935, only to throw in some lyrical reference that is inherently 21st century. Ward has made a lot of great records this decade, including Post-War, Transistor Radio and Hold Time, but Transfiguration of Vincent is the one that holds up the best to repeated listens.

Key cuts: “Vincent O’Brien,” “Sad, Sad Song,” “Helicopter”

15. Back To Black, Amy Winehouse (2007)

Back to Black by Amy Winehouse

Personal problems, erratic live performances and overall obnoxiousness aside, Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black is a fantastic pop record with its roots planted firmly in 1960s and 1970s soul. “Rehab” was the album’s breakthrough hit, but songs like “Me & Mr. Jones” and “Wake Up Alone” are even more dazzling. Let’s hope that Winehouse cleans up her act enough to make another album as good as this one.

Key cuts: “Rehab,” “Me & Mr. Jones,” “Love Is A Losing Game”

14. Scar, Joe Henry (2001)

Scar by Joe Henry

I discovered Joe Henry and his album Scar in September 2001. Little did I realize that this would be one of the albums, along with Jeff Buckley’s Grace and Elvis Costello’s All This Useless Beauty, that helped me get through the grief of 9/11. “Richard Pryor Addresses A Tearful Nation” seemed eerily appropriate and the album as a whole had an inherently New York feel to it. As slow and brooding as the title track is, Scar isn’t all doom and gloom. “Stop” is a fascinating reinterpretation of “Don’t Tell Me,” a hit by Henry’s sister-in-law Madonna, and elsewhere things get particularly funky on “Rough and Tumble” and “Nico Lost One Small Buddha.” The instrumentalists Henry recruited for this album are some of the best in the business, including Brad Mehldau, Brian Blade, Meshell Ndegeocello and Ornette Coleman.

Key cuts: “Richard Pryor Addresses A Tearful Nation,” “Stop,” “Edgar Bergen”

13. Once Soundtrack (2007)

Once Soundtrack

The film Once centres on two musicians whose backgrounds are worlds apart but who unite in a shared love of music. “Guy,” as he is credited in the film, is Glen Hansard, who some already were familiar with from his work in The Frames. In Once, Hansard is a busker who works in vacuum cleaner repair to make ends meet but puts all of his heart and soul into his songwriting and performing on the streets of Dublin. “Girl” is Markéta Irglová, a Czech immigrant who sells flowers. “Girl” is immediately drawn to “Guy” and his songs and the two ultimately embark on a musical collaboration.

These songs are the basis of Once’s soundtrack and what is now a full-scale collaboration with the pair touring and releasing albums as The Swell Season. Without any doubts, the standout highlight of Once is “Falling Slowly,” which won Best Original Song at the Academy Awards. But there’s a number of other songs here that are really strong. Some are just Hansard, some just Irglová, and those are good – but when the two voices mix is where the real magic lies.

Key cuts: “Falling Slowly,” “When Your Mind’s Made Up,” “Lies”

12. 1972, Josh Rouse (2003)

1972 by Josh Rouse

To acknowledge his 30th birthday, singer-songwriter Josh Rouse recorded 1972, a musical tribute to the year he was born. The title track lyrically references everything from Carole King to David Bowie and the album largely draws from the smooth sounds of 1970s pop radio, even if you’d expect Rouse to have gone more in the direction of Neil Young or The Rolling Stones. These heavily stylized pop songs are extremely catchy and deserved a ton of radio play back in 2003. But alas, such are the times we live in that the catchy songs with substance are so overlooked.

Key cuts: “1972,” “Love Vibration,” “Comeback (Light Therapy)”

11. American IV: The Man Comes Around, Johnny Cash (2002)

American IV: The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash

Although Johnny Cash’s catalogue stretches as far back as his 1950s sessions for Sun Records, the albums he recorded in the final years of his life for Rick Rubin and American Recordings are undoubtedly some of the best he ever made. Although American Recordings and Unchained featured a Johnny Cash that was still full of energy and wild spirit, illness soon took hold of him. The Cash featured on American III: Solitary Man sounded short of breath and seemed to have a difficult time with the material.

Thankfully by American IV: The Man Comes Around, Rubin and Cash had a better handle on what sorts of songs he could perform. It seems fitting that the last album Cash would release during his lifetime (American V would follow posthumously, and American VI is due in early 2010) should end with an inspired “We’ll Meet Again.” I put on this album and cried when The Man In Black finally left us to join his beloved June in heaven.

Key cuts: “Hurt,” “I Hung My Head,” “We’ll Meet Again”

10. “Love and Theft”, Bob Dylan (2001)

I had it marked in my calendar. September 11, 2001. It would be the date Bob Dylan would release his 31st studio album. I was excited to see how Dylan would follow Time Out Of Mind, an album I still cherish as my favourite since Blood On The Tracks.

Of course, something absolutely tragic happened on September 11. I heavily debated as to whether or not it would be appropriate for me to stop by Sam The Record Man to pick up a copy regardless. I went for it, and although it took me some time to get into it (songs like “Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum” aren’t exactly meant to help someone overcome their grief), I eventually fell in love with it. Something that had been missing from Dylan’s original songs for some time was the witty wordplay from the days of Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited. “Love and Theft” has a ton of it, set mostly to really catchy beats and melodies.

Key cuts: “Bye and Bye,” “High Water (For Charley Patton),” “Po’ Boy”

9. Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes (2008)

Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes

In this age of auto-tuning everyone’s vocals (it seems even Simon & Garfunkel are using it), it’s refreshing to hear remarkably strong voices coming out of a young band. Fleet Foxes’ self-titled LP is without a doubt the best debut album I’ve heard in years. Not only does it offer an extremely strong collection of songs, it’s an astounding vocal accomplishment. “White Winter Hymnal” is almost choirlike, with its soaring four-part harmony. Elsewhere, lead singer/songwriter Robin Pecknold dazzles with his powerful pipes on “Meadowlarks” and “Oliver James.” The music, largely acoustic, borrows from the folk tradition but once the drums kick in can get quite loud.

Having seen Fleet Foxes’ stage show, I was amazed to hear vocal harmonies that were just as tight as those on the album. I can’t wait to hear what these guys have up their sleeve for their second album.

Key cuts: “White Winter Hymnal,” “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song,” “Blue Ridge Mountains”

8. The Greatest, Cat Power (2006)

The Greatest by Cat Power

In Chan Marshall’s voice we hear her years of struggle with depression and addiction, and the sensuality and sultriness of her singing undoubtedly comes partly from cigarettes and booze. But when it comes to emotion, nobody evokes sadness, anger, hope and strength like her.

All of these emotions are at play on The Greatest, the seventh album released under Marshall’s stage name of Cat Power. Musically, her source of inspiration is primarily vintage soul, and that combined with the album’s sleek production makes this album the most accessible of her career. The Greatest was recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis, where Sam & Dave, The Staples Singers and Isaac Hayes (not to mention Big Star and Led Zeppelin) all made music history in the early 1970s.

An extremely talented group of musicians, including Leroy “Flick” Hodges and Mabon “Teenie” Hodges (who both were integral parts of Al Green’s band), back Cat Power on an extremely strong set of originals. “Living Proof” kicks off with a bar of upbeat drums, before guitar, bass, piano and horns all kick in to provide a soulful backing to Marshall. “Lived in Bars” is slow and brooding until one point when you could close your eyes and swear you’re listening to a girl group from the early 1960s. In a strange way, it kind of reminds me of that part of Joni Mitchell’s “This Flight Tonight” where she has headphones turned up high (They’re playing “Goodbye baby, Baby Goodbye, Ooh, ooh, love is blind”). The song takes on a brief transformation that transports the listener to somewhere else. Beautiful

Key cuts: “Living Proof,” “Lived in Bars,” “Love & Communication”

7. Illinois, Sufjan Stevens (2005)

Illinoise by Sufjan Stevens

For a time, indie sensation Sufjan Stevens had the entire musical world convinced he would record an album devoted to each one of the 50 U.S. states. In 2003, he released Greetings from Michigan, a diverse, well-research ode to the Great Lake State. After releasing Seven Swans the following year, Stevens returned to this mythological project of his, releasing Illinois to momentous critical acclaim. Musically, it’s a stronger album than Greetings from Michigan, drawing once again on a huge amount of subject matter – everything from Superman and the World’s Fair to serial killer John Wayne Gacy.

In this digital age where individual track downloads trump the full album, it’s nice to hear something that gives us that epic, album-length experience. For almost 75 minutes, Stevens gives us an entertaining and emotional tour of Illinois, and each time we want another spin, all we have to do is hit “play” again.

Key cuts: “John Wayne Gacy Jr.,” “Chicago,” “Casimir Pulaski Day”

6. Rainy Day Music, The Jayhawks (2003)

Rainy Day Music by The Jayhawks

Sometimes it doesn’t matter how talented you are. A band can work hard, tour constantly and put out fantastic records, but unless they manage to convince their record label that they are an artist worth promoting, they can keep going and receive very little recognition every step of the way. The Jayhawks released Rainy Day Music in 2003, seventeen years after their debut, but despite the positive response from fans and critics, it ultimately served as their final album.

So many artists on this list fail to receive the recognition they deserve, but it’s an especially sad case with The Jayhawks. So many of the songs on Rainy Day Music are catchy, melodic and accessible. One has to wonder what might have happened if, after so many years of neglect, The Jayhawks were finally recognized for their talents. Would they have kept going? Of course, the occasional reunions at music festivals and in their hometown of Minneapolis have done plenty to keep fans’ ears up for a potential reunion.

Key cuts: “Save It For A Rainy Day,” “Tailspin,” “Angelyne”

5. SMiLE, Brian Wilson (2004)

Smile by Brian Wilson

Prior to its release in 2004, Brian Wilson’s SMiLE was one of the most heavily bootlegged albums of all time. After 1966’s astounding Pet Sounds, Wilson set out immediately to try to further push the envelope of musical production. Many fragments of SMiLE were written and recorded throughout 1966, but by early 1967 the project was scrapped as Wilson’s behaviour and drug use became more problematic. Other Beach Boys, particularly Mike Love, did not care for SMiLE and were also factors in its eventual fate. “Good Vibrations” was released and became a huge hit, but Smiley Smile, the half-assed attempt at getting some of the other abandoned songs released, did not go over particularly well.

Over the years, many people have favored bootlegs of the incomplete SMiLE sessions over Smiley Smile, and as Brian Wilson became more comfortable and confident as a performer, he expressed interest in reuniting with Van Dyke Parks (his collaborator on the original sessions) and finishing the job. On February 20, 2004, a fully-crafted SMiLE was performed at the Royal Festival Hall in London, and a few months later the album was recorded for a proper studio release.

Thirty-seven years after its inception, a classic was born.

Key cuts: “Heroes and Villains,” “Wonderful,” “Surf’s Up”

4. Bachelor No. 2, Aimee Mann (2000)

Bachelor No. 2 by Aimee Mann

Although it’s Jon Brion’s imaginative score that provides the soundtrack for much of Paul Thomas Anderson’s film Magnolia, the songs of Aimee Mann also feature quite prominently. One pivotal scene even features Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy and other actors singing along to her song “Wise Up.”

Anderson has cited Mann’s music as an important influence to the writing of Magnolia, so it’s not a huge surprise that Bachelor No. 2 serves as something of a companion piece to the film. Although only a small number of the songs (“Driving Sideways,” “You Do,” “Nothing Is Good Enough”) feature in both the film and the album, the style and tone is very similar.

To her credit, Mann has never sounded as good as she does on Bachelor No. 2. On “How Am I Different,” she deals with heartbreak and betrayal with an angry tone, delivering one of the most cutting lyrics ever written (“Just one question before I pack, when you fuck it up later do I get my money back?”). By “Nothing Is Good Enough,” her emotions are bared and we can feel the vulnerability in the high notes towards the end of the song (Mann tends to stick to a limited range, so it’s always effective when she pulls out those rare high notes)

The songs on Bachelor No. 2 are as fragile as the characters in Magnolia, but they’re different because they are universally applicable to anyone who has ever asked themselves the tough questions about life, love and happiness.

Key cuts: “How Am I Different,” “Driving Sideways,” “Deathly”

3. Time (The Revelator), Gillian Welch (2001)

Time (The Revelator) by Gillian Welch

It’s not uncommon for mediocre songs to be made to sound amazing by layers of strings, horns, keyboards, drums, or whatever else is available. But when you strip a song down to its core, it’s hard to fool the listener into thinking what they are hearing is a great song; unless of course it is. For me, that’s what’s so great about Gillian Welch’s Time (The Revelator). Every song on the album features two voices and two string instruments (just Welch and her usual collaborator David Rawlings), but they are as engaging and enthralling as any orchestration or horn overdub.

Welch draws her influence from the rich tradition of country, folk and Americana, but is eager to keep things up-to-date and contemporary. “My First Lover” may be the only banjo song to ever make reference to the Steve Miller Band (“I do not remember any goin’ wrong, just a record playin’ that old Steve Miller song, Quicksilver Girl, Quicksilver Girl”). In the 1960s, folk traditionalists made their hatred of rock ‘n’ roll clear. Gillian Welch and David Rawlings embrace their love of it, joyously chanting “I wanna sing that rock and roll, I wanna ‘lectrify my soul.” They manage to just that while sticking to their acoustic instruments and vocal harmonies.

Key cuts: “Revelator,” “I Want To Sing That Rock And Roll,” “Elvis Presley Blues”

2. Don’t Give Up On Me, Solomon Burke (2002)

Don't Give Up On Me by Solomon Burke

Although not as well-known as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett or Marvin Gaye, Solomon Burke is one of the great soul voices of the 1960s. But as is the case with most of the artists of his generation, Burke eventually fell into relative obscurity, recording forgettable albums and appearing on oldies circuits.

That all changed with 2002’s Don’t Give Up On Me, which teamed Burke with producer Joe Henry. A call was put out for songwriters to put forth songs they hadn’t released themselves. Among those who came forward with material were Dan Penn, Van Morrison, Tom Waits, Brian Wilson, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan and Nick Lowe. One can’t help but wonder about all those songs that didn’t make the cut (Wilco’s “The Thanks I Get” was later revealed to be one of such songs).

“Don’t Give Up On Me” is a fantastic opening track for the album, beginning with a finger-picked acoustic guitar before the organ, bass and drums kick in. Joe Henry’s production is extremely stripped down throughout the album (we rarely hear horns, and even the backing vocals are very sparse). But the important thing is Burke’s voice, which has not shown any signs of wear and tear throughout his 40 years as a recording artist.

Key cuts: “Don’t Give Up On Me,” “Diamond In Your Mind,” “None Of Us Are Free”

1. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco (2002)

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco

Many theories exist as to how and when the music industry as we know it imploded. Certainly the Internet has a lot to do with the changes that have come about over the past decade, but the story behind Wilco’s fourth studio album is a fascinating case study in label/artist relations.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was completed in 2001 but flatly rejected by Reprise Records after it was deemed not commercial enough. A&R representatives monitored the album’s progress during the recording and post-production process and suggested changes, but when Wilco refused to make these changes they were told their album would not be released.

Wilco took the album with them and began shopping around for a label to release it. In the meantime, MP3s of the album began circulating online and eventually a stream was made available on the band’s website.

Fans went wild. And why wouldn’t they? The album was a revelation – songs would slowly build into a frenzy, only to be stripped down to their core again. The most surprising aspect of the album was how radio-friendly some of the songs were! How anybody could listen to “Heavy Metal Drummer” or “I’m The Man Who Loves You” and not hear single all over them is beyond me. Nonesuch finally came through for Wilco in a big way, releasing Yankee Hotel Foxtrot on April 23, 2002. The album peaked at #13 on the Billboard album charts, received widespread critical acclaimed, and more importantly ushered in a new era for Wilco that would continue on A Ghost Is Born a few years later.

For a great film of the making of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, check out Sam Jones’ terrific documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart.

Key cuts: “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart,” “Heavy Metal Drummer,” “I’m The Man Who Loves You”

Over the past few months, we’ve seen a large number of “Best of the 00s” lists appear on blogs, in magazines and newspapers, on the radio and television, and pretty much everywhere else. So I thought I’d get our own lists going with my own personal Top 20 Films of the 2000s. I put my name on it because I don’t necessarily expect Being There’s long list of occasional and regular contributors to agree with my choices. There have been dozens of remarkable films in the past decade; some have been huge blockbuster hits… others indie films that made a splash on the festival circuit.

Here’s my personal Top 20. There is a big handful of titles I would have liked to include and some important directors who I overlooked, but this is the best I could come up with. You’ll notice not a single non-English language film appears on this list. That challenge would have opened up another can of worms altogether and I wasn’t comfortable going down that road.

Anyway, onto the list!

20. Knocked Up (dir. Judd Apatow, 2007)

Seth Rogen & Harold Ramis in Knocked Up

I simply can’t overlook the contributions of Judd Apatow to the mainstream comedies of the early part of the 21st century. After several years of cutting his teeth on cult TV shows like Freaks & Geeks and Undeclared, Apatow broke into feature films with the very entertaining The 40 Year Old Virgin. Since then, his name has been attached, either as a writer, director, or producer, to a huge list of films, including Pineapple Express, Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Knocked Up, Apatow’s second film as a director, was a breakout hit for Seth Rogen in his first leading role. The film is enhanced by great supporting performances by Jason Segel, Harold Ramis (perfectly cast as Rogen’s father), Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd, among many others. At every turn, we struggle as viewers as to whether or not we should side with Ben (Rogen), who inherently wants to do good by his mistake and Alison (Katherine Heigl), who wants to give him the benefit of the doubt but is dubious about the prospect of his being a good father.

19. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (dir. Michel Gondry, 2004)

Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

Like Judd Apatow, the early part of Charlie Kaufman’s career included writing gigs for semi-obscure TV comedies like Ned & Stacy and The Dana Carvey Show. Then came Being John Malkovich, an incredible undertaking for Kaufman and director Spike Jonze that turned reality on its side and posed all sorts of philosophical questions. In many ways, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind poses similar questions about an altered reality, namely what happens to a relationship that has gone sour if you give the couple the opportunity to erase their memories and essentially start from scratch. Jim Carrey, someone who most of us film snobs like to write-off outright, delivers a fantastic performance in this film, as does Kate Winslet. The film really is about the Gondry’s stunning visuals, Kaufman’s script, and Winslet and Carrey.

18. Bowling for Columbine (dir. Michael Moore, 2002)

Michael Moore in Bowling For Columbine

Although Michael Moore has been the thorn in the side of corporate America since his 1989 debut Roger & Me, it was really in the 2000s that he became the No. 1 public enemy as far as Republicans were concerned. Moore released five films in the 00s, including Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko and most recently, Capitalism: A Love Story. For me, 2002’s Bowling For Columbine was the most effective of the bunch, tackling America’s gun culture in a sympathetic-yet-humorous way. We cry because of the tragic events Moore shares with us, but laugh at the absurdity of people’s decisions. This has become the framework for every Michael Moore film since. His methods might be flawed, but they sure get the dialogue going.

17. Into The Wild (dir. Sean Penn, 2007)

Emile Hirsch in Into The Wild

Visually stunning and devastatingly heartbreaking, Sean Penn’s Into The Wild (based on a book by Jon Krakauer) tells the true story of Christopher McCandless, a middle class university graduate who decides to do away with all of his material possessions and trek north to Alaska. The viewer knows what’s waiting for McCandless at the end of his journey, but that doesn’t help us from finding his experiences inspiring. Emile Hirsch is fantastic in the leading role, but it’s really the beautiful scenery and songs by Eddie Vedder that bring this film to life. Honourable mention goes to Hal Holbrook, who delivers one of the film’s most memorable supporting performances as one of the many friendly and supportive characters McCandless meets along his way.

16. I’m Not There (dir. Todd Haynes, 2007)

Cate Blanchett in I'm Not There

It’s a tale of six Bob Dylans, teetering between the real and the mythological. Of course, Dylan has remained such an enigma that you’re never really sure which is which. The most uncanny interpretation is Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of 1965/1966-era Dylan, whose explosive performance of “Maggie’s Farm” at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival sent shockwaves through the audience. The most sympathetic is Heath Ledger’s mix of an actor portraying a Bob Dylan type character and the man himself, in the midst of a dissolving romance (a la Blood On The Tracks). Those seeking out a straight Bob Dylan biopic may be left confused and disappointed by I’m Not There, but the soundtrack and images alone will make it a worthwhile viewing experience for those brave viewers who give it a chance.

15. A Mighty Wind (dir. Christopher Guest, 2003)

Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara in A Mighty Wind

Christopher Guest’s third mockumentary as a director was almost twenty years in the making. Harry Shearer, Michael McKean and Guest had famously played the roles of heavy metal rockers Spinal Tap for a few years when they first appeared on Saturday Night Live as The Folksmen, a mock folk trio, to perform “Old Joe’s Place” in 1984. Later, they would occasionally re-emerge as an opening act on Spinal Tap live performances. In 2003, they were joined by Mitch & Mickey (Eugene Levy & Catherine O’Hara) and The New Main Street Singers (Parker Posey, Jane Lynch and John Michael Higgins, among others) in A Mighty Wind.

Many films and television series, all the way back to The Monkees, have created fake musical groups. The brilliance of A Mighty Wind was that the musical talent was actually genuine. Guest, Shearer and McKean had already proven themselves to be accomplished musicians and songwriters with This Is Spinal Tap, but here we see them working in a much different musical genre. Furthermore, who knew that Eugene Levy could actually write songs, play guitar and sing!? Parker Posey learned to play the mandolin for her role and John Michael Higgins wrote the intricate vocal arrangements for The New Main Street Singers. A Mighty Wind is laugh out loud funny to be sure, but it also managed to deliver some genuinely great songs. “A Kiss At The End Of The Rainbow” was nominated for an Academy Award but sadly lost out to “Into The West” from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of The King.

14. The Wrestler (dir. Darren Aronofsky, 2008)

Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler

Mickey Rourke won a Golden Globe award for his portrayal of Randy “The Ram” Robinson, an aging wrestler who struggles with a body that simply won’t put up with his career any longer, in 2008’s The Wrestler. Those of us who grew up watching Hulk Hogan, Rowdy Roddy Piper and Macho Man Randy Savage certainly had the frame of reference to understand the appeal of these colourful characters and their “fake wrestling.” But this film helps us realize that even fake wrestling takes its physical toll. Robinson’s life story is heartbreaking and, though fictional, probably mirrors that of many other professional wrestlers.

13. Rachel Getting Married (dir. Jonathan Demme, 2008)

Anne Hathaway and Rosemarie DeWitt in Rachel Getting Married

Everything I had read about Rachel Getting Married focused on Anne Hathaway’s performance as Kym, a woman who is released from drug rehab to attend her sister’s wedding. But honestly, as great as her performance was, it was the other characters that left a lasting impression on me. All I could think of while watching the early scenes, particularly the rehearsal dinner, was “Wow, I wish my friends and family were this awesome.” Of course, I think that’s part of the point. One self-destructive character thrown into an otherwise positive mix bears certain consequences. Above all else, I was really struck by this film’s unique sense of realism. Even the musical score is played live alongside the actors by the wedding musicians. This is extremely rare practice, but works marvelously.

12. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (dir. Woody Allen, 2008)

Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem and Scarlett Johansson in Vicky Cristina Barcelona

There are few things more beautiful than Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson. Except maybe Barcelona. The four work together, along with the brilliant mind of Woody Allen, to help make Vicky Cristina Barcelona one of Allen’s best and most unique films in years. An American narrator tells us the story of Vicky and Cristina, two American women who spend the summer in Barcelona. They meet a Spanish artist, who romances the both of them. And later we meet his unstable ex-wife, Maria Elena. In some ways the film doesn’t feel like a Woody Allen film at all, which in some ways is a huge accomplishment. But the sense of wit and timing is thoroughly Woody Allen, and so we can proudly proclaim it as one of his high-points as an auteur.

11. WALL-E (dir. Andrew Stanton, 2008)

Wall-E

Pixar has been on the cutting edge of CGI animated films since 1995’s Toy Story and filmgoers continue to be amazed as every one of their films surpassed the previous one’s technical accomplishments. 2008’s Wall-E is not only a huge artistic achievement, it also takes the whole concept of storytelling to a new level. There is very little dialogue in the film, especially early on, and this forces us to focus on the visuals even more. More than this, the film is a commentary on the whole culture of garbage and waste, set in a distant future where Earth has become so overloaded that humans have abandoned it. Those who write off anything animated as being for kids only are urged to check Wall-E out immediately.

10. There Will Be Blood (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007)

Dillon Freasier and Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood

Who knew that “I drink your milkshake!” would become something of a catchphrase after the release of Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood. Daniel Day-Lewis delivers an incredible performance as Daniel Plainview, an oil man eager to expand his wealth in any way possible. Stunning visuals, an unusual score by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, and a fantastic supporting performance by Paul Dano (playing two very different twin brothers) helped to make this film one of the very best of 2007. If it hadn’t been for No Country For Old Men, this film very likely could’ve won an Oscar for Best Picture.

9. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (dir. Quentin Tarantino, 2004)

David Carradine and Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, Vol. 2

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 was the first Quentin Tarantino movie I really enjoyed. To be perfectly honest, I had very low expectations going in. I had seen Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction but counted myself among the few of my friends who simply didn’t enjoy them.

That all changed with Kill Bill: Vol. 1. I was completely captivated by Uma Thurman, the visuals and the music. I had little frame of reference when it came to martial arts movies, but it didn’t matter – to me the story and the characters were thoroughly accessible. The film left me wanting more, but thankfully I knew Vol. 2 would follow just six months later.

In terms of style and substance, Kill Bill: Vol. 2 picks up precisely where Vol. 1 left off. For me, two big differences give Vol. 2 the edge. One is The Bride’s training with Pai Mei, a very old martial arts master. These scenes are completely unrealistic and over-the-top, but I found them to wildly entertainment. Reason two is the late David Carridine as Bill, a character largely absent from the first volume. Pure cinematic candy for the eyes and ears.

8. Inglourious Basterds (dir. Quentin Tarantino, 2009)

Brad Pitt in Inglourious Basterds

I didn’t think Tarantino could top Kill Bill, but he did it this past year with Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino takes a stab at historical fiction, exploring an alternate reality where a motley crew of Jewish-American soldiers take out Hitler and other top Nazis, thereby winning the war. Every single piece of this film works, but it’s the foreign actors American audiences had never really seen before that really shine. Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) is an extremely strong-willed character who plots revenge after watching the rest of her family get massacred. The Oscar for Best Supporting Actor should definitely go to Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa. The scene in which he faces Dreyfus as an adult in her secret life with a new name sealed the deal for me. It’s never clear as to whether or not Landa knows who he is facing, but we are on the edge of our seat all the same.

7. Best In Show (dir. Christopher Guest, 2000)

Christopher Guest in Best In Show

Like A Mighty Wind, Best In Show took one of the best ensemble comedy casts (Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, Catherine O’Hara, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Bob Balaban, Michael Hitchcock, Fred Willard, Larry Miller, John Michael Higgins, Jane Lynch and Jennifer Coolidge to name a few) and had them stage a mockumentary about the built-up to a dog show. Every single character has its own set of quirks and eccentricities: Hitchcock and Posey play extremely uptight yuppies, Guest a ventriloquist from the south, McKean and Higgins a gay couple and O’Hara/Levy as an unusual married couple. Although their lifestyles are different, each one of them is bonded by the fact that they place their dog above all other priorities. One thing to bear in mind as you watch is that the bulk of this film is improvised. For comic genius at work, watch this movie.

6. High Fidelity (dir. Stephen Frears, 2000)

John Cusack in High Fidelity

Seeing High Fidelity was a turning point for me. This was my life, put on a big screen. Or so I thought. Even though Rob Gordon (John Cusack) and I share certain quirks and an all-encompassing love for music, I have since proven myself to be better at the whole relationship thing. Gordon’s one downfall is that he’s kind of an asshole, but he’s the first to admit it. A fantastic soundtrack and supporting performances by Joan Cusack, Tim Robbins, Lisa Bonet and Jack Black bring a lot of life to this reinterpretation of Nick Hornby’s novel.

5. No Country For Old Men (dir. Joel & Ethan Coen, 2007)

Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men

After the relatively forgettable Intolerable Cruelty and a sub-standard remake of The Ladykillers, many of us Coen Bros. fans thought they’d finally lost their motivation as filmmakers. Then came No Country For Old Men, a dark, brilliant take on Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same name. Although Josh Brolin is effective in the leading role of Llewelyn Moss, it’s Javier Bardem who helps bring to life one of the scariest villains in the history of cinema. Anton Chigurh is often expressionless, but you can see the evil in his eyes. His killing seems to be a game and more often than not, his weapon of choice is the captive bolt pistol used to kill cows before slaughter. Javier Bardem won a well-deserved Best Supporting Actor Oscar, and No Country For Old Men also took home Academy Awards for Best Directing, Best Screenplay and Best Picture.

4. Lost In Translation (dir. Sofia Coppola, 2003)

Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in Lost In Translation

Bill Murray. Not exactly who you’d expect as a leading man in 2003, but apparently he was exactly who Sofia Coppola had in mind for Lost In Translation, her film about two Americans who meet in Tokyo. Murray is Bob Harris, an aging American actor in Tokyo to film whisky commercials. Scarlett Johansson plays Charlotte, a woman accompanying her mostly-absent photographer boyfriend. Despite being 30-odd years apart in age, Bob and Charlotte form a special bond that never quite becomes romantic, but sure seems close at times. A third character of the film may as well be Tokyo, and all through the film we as viewers share in the main characters’ sense of jatlag and disorientation. But, you know, in a good way.

3. Sideways (dir. Alexander Payne, 2004)

Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church in Sideways

I was lucky enough to see Alexander Payne’s Sideways at the Toronto International Film Festival months before anyone seemed to know anything about it. This was the film that elevated Paul Giamatti from “Hey! It’s That Guy” status to a recognizable face in Hollywood.

The story itself is rather simple, which is part of what makes the film so great. Two men embark on a weekend getaway to wine country. The groom Jack (Thomas Haden Church) has little more than a passing interest in wine but is eager to let loose (and get laid). His friend Miles (Paul Giamatti) wants to break away from his dreary day-to-day life as a failed writer and drink some good wine. Alexander Payne takes us through the day-to-day journey of the two, which gets particularly interesting when they meet Maya (Virginia Madsen), a waitress who Miles has had his eye on, and Stephanie (Sandra Oh), a winery employee who knows nothing of Jack’s impending nuptials. These four actors have incredible chemistry to the point that certain scenes seem documentary-like, but it’s really Giamatti’s hour (or two?). Many of us had already marveled over his performance the previous year in American Splendor, but Sideways achieved much wider acclaim. It even sent Pinot Noir sales through the roof to the point that wine store owners had a hard time keeping bottles from California on their shelves.

2. The Royal Tenenbaums (dir. Wes Anderson, 2001)

Luke Wilson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Gene Hackman, Ben Stiller, Anjelica Huston, Danny Glover and Kumar Pallana in The Royal Tenenbaums

A cast featuring Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson, Danny Glover and Bill Murray would be impressive enough to begin with. The fact that Wes Anderson cast them as members of the same, wacky family is even better. Hackman is Royal Tenenbaum, an eccentric patriarch who decides he’d like to reunite with his estranged family by faking an illness. Richie (Wilson) loves his Dad and is probably too young to remember whatever horrible things he may have done over the years. Margot (Paltrow) is adopted and doesn’t really seem to care either way. Etheline (Huston), Royal’s estranged wife, is sympathetic to his supposed illness but has her sights set on Henry Sherman (Glover), the new man in her life. It’s really Chas (Stiller), the oldest of the Tenenbaum children, who seems to have an axe to grind with his father.

The Royal Tenenbaums is a huge twist on the portrait of an American family. Some may Anderson for crafting the Tenenbaums as so off-the-wall that there couldn’t possibly be a family that’s actually like this. As for me? I kind of hope there is.

1. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (dir. Joel Coen, 2000)

John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson and George Clooney in O Brother Where Art Thou?

It was the movie that kick-started a 21st century folk music revival, but it was also an extremely witty Depression Era retelling of Homer’s Odyssey. George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson play a trio of escaped convicts who journey in search of a hidden treasure, meeting all sorts of colorful characters along the way. In their own way, the Coen Bros. tackle poverty, racism, morality and family values. It’s their ability to do this while entertaining us that make them the finest filmmakers around. Some films lead to toys, video games and other collectables. With O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the soundtrack (lovingly overseen by T-Bone Burnett) sent shockwaves through the music industry. Not only it take home the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2002, it also led to a successful tour called Down From The Mountain. Is O Brother Where Art Thou? a better film than No Country For Old Men? Maybe. Maybe Not. But the multimedia sensation that erupted out of this movie and the fact that I can watch it repeatedly and still get something new out of it made it pretty hard to pick anything else.

We’re down to just over a week to go until Christmas and Hanukkah is already here, so hopefully by now you don’t need our help coming up with great gift ideas. In the first volume of our gift guide, we looked at the recent Beatles remasters as well as Beatles Rock Band. Vol. 2 focused on live albums. This time we’ll take a quick peek at some of the recent DVD and Blu-Ray titles that have hit store shelves over the past few months.

Saturday Night Live: The Complete Fifth Season

Saturday Night Live: The Complete Fifth Season

The 1979-1980 season of Saturday Night Live marked a turning point of sorts. From the get go, viewers had to get used to the fact that Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi had left the show. Of the seven original Not Ready For Primetime Players, only Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Laraine Newman and Garrett Morris were left, along with Bill Murray, who had joined partway through the second season.

Harry Shearer was brought in as a new cast member for Season 5 and a number of writers, including Al Franken and Don Novello, made more appearances in sketches. One thing that didn’t change was the wide variety of talented hosts and musical guests who appeared on the show. These included Steve Martin, Blondie, Eric Idle, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Rodney Dangerfield and David Bowie, among many others.

Many SNL insiders, including Lorne Michaels, thought Season 5 would be the show’s last. Who knew that thirty years later it’d still be going? However, when SNL returned on November 15, 1980 for its sixth season, the cast consisted entirely of newcomers. Lorne Michaels and the writers had also left.

The Hangover (Unrated Two-Disc Special Edition)

The Hangover (Blu-Ray pictured)

The Hangover features Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis as a trio of friends who travel to Las Vegas with a friend to celebrate his bachelor weekend. Who knows what kind of trouble these guys found themselves in, but we get to share with them the confusion of what they’re left with (whether it be a missing tooth, a baby or better still, a missing groom). Out Tuesday on DVD and Blu-Ray, this “Unrated” package includes a wide variety of bonus features, including nonstop improv from the scene-stealing Ken Jeong.

Inglorious Basterds (2-Disc Special Edition)

Inglorious Basterds

Inglorious Basterds is undeniably one of Quentin Tarantino’s finest films, posing the question of “What if a bunch of Jewish American soliders had taken things into their own hands and won the war?” Some have criticized Tarantino’s treatment of the subject matter as sensationalist. After all, we’re still dealing with a relatively touchy subject that happened in our grandparents’ lifetimes. However, there’s something very satisfying about poetic justice. And we get it with this film, now available in a two-disc special edition on both Blu-Ray and DVD.

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with… [Season One]
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As the Sundance Channel in the U.S. and CTV in Canada get set to air a second season of Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…, viewers at home can now experience the fantastic first season on this 4-disc Blu-Ray or 5-disc DVD set. Episodes included feature such luminaries as Smokey Robinson, Lou Reed, Tony Bennett and Elton John, as well as relative newcomers like Jenny Lewis, She & Him, Jakob Dylan and Rufus Wainwright. Each one of these episodes has been extended to include performances not televised, as well as behind the scenes footage.

Being There also recommends:

Up (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition)
Dexter: The Complete Third Season
Julie & Julia
(500) Days of Summer (available Dec. 22/09)
Gimme Shelter: The Criterion Collection [Blu Ray]

Expressions by Music Go Music (Secretly Canadian, 2009)

The debut LP from Music Go Music is a collection of their three previously released EPs. This LA trio is able to capture what pop music does at its best: have fun. Borrowing heavily from disco, and infusing it with a sense of modern-pop, Music Go Music is addictively fun.

I first found them when Carrie Brownstein who writes NPR’s Monitor Mix blog posted a few of their videos.

The nine songs on this LP are all so upbeat, one cannot help but smile when singing along to these songs. “Explorers of the Heart” is the perfect example. If it had been released thirty years ago, this song would’ve been playing in all the dance clubs throughout North America.

“Just Me” is an unbeatable pop song, delivering everything one might want in a good pop song. An extremely catchy chorus, slower verses, allowing the song to build up once more for the chorus, a catchy riff and Gala Ball’s beautiful voice.

Expressions borrows heavily from the past, but Music Go Music add their distinct stamp making this album hugely enjoyable.

London, Ontario’s Raised by Swans will be releasing their album No Ghostless Place on Friday at Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern. Their record is a spacey mix of modern-Radiohead and Snow Patrol hiding in background as ambient music. Raised by Swan’s work is a perfect soundtrack, it’s no wonder their songs have been featured in numerous television shows and films, such as Atom Egoyan’s Adoration.

Raised by Swans will be joined by folk-rockers Bellewoods, synth-heavy rockers Old World Vultures and indie pop darlings The Cheap Speakers at the Horseshoe Tavern on Friday December 11, 2009.

While the live album often pales in comparison to actually having been there, sometimes it’s about as close as you’re going to get to the experience. Whether the tour or concert was before your lifetime, out of geographic or economic reach, or if you’re just eager to re-live the moment, here are some recent live releases that Being There fully endorses for the holiday season.

Glitter and Doom Live by Tom Waits

Glitter and Doom Live, Tom Waits (Anti-, 2009)

Tom Waits doesn’t tour frequently, and when he does he typically only visits a handful of cities. So for those of us not lucky enough to live in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Tulsa, Knoxville, Milan, Jacksonville, Paris, Atlanta or Columbus, this 17-track collection gathers some knock-out performances from Waits’ Glitter & Doom tour dates in those cities. The eclectic mix includes tracks from Rain Dogs, Mule Variations and Real Gone as well as a selection of rarities from the fantastic Orphans collection. A second disc, “Tom’s Tales,” collects 36 minutes of Waits’ wacky stage banter.

Live Anthology by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

The Live Anthology, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (Warner/Reprise, 2009)

Priced at just $20.99 on Amazon.com for 4 discs of music, it’s hard to beat the value of this new package from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, which collects live performances from 1978 through to 2007. Not only do you get versions of hits like “Here Comes My Girl,” “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” and “Free Fallin’,” but you also get to sample some of the covers the band has peppered their setlist with through the years, including “Friend of the Devil” (The Grateful Dead), “Mystic Eyes” (Van Morrison) and even “Green Onions” (Booker T. & The MGs). You can’t go wrong with this box set for any Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers fan.

Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 by Leonard Cohen

Live at the Isle of Wight 1970, Leonard Cohen (Sony/Legacy, 2009)

So much attention has been on Leonard Cohen’s remarkable comeback tour and live album Live from London. This critical acclaim is well-deserved, but in October, Columbia/Legacy put out Live at the Isle of Wight 1970, a CD/DVD package of Cohen’s appearance at a UK festival that also featured The Who and Jimi Hendrix as headliners. It’s cool to see Cohen, 35, taking the stage at 2 a.m. and wowing the sleepy crowd with renditions of songs like “Famous Blue Raincoat” and “Suzanne.” It’s worth noting that this package is also available in Blu-Ray and audio-only incarnations.

Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out [40th Anniversary Edition] by The Rolling Stones

Get Yer Ya Ya's Out, The Rolling Stones (Abkco, 2009)

In 1970, The Rolling Stones – at the height of their artistic achievements and sounding as good as they ever did – released Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out, a live album compiled from a pair of shows the group performed in November 1969 at Madison Square Garden. Despite fan demand, the album has maintained its 10-track running time for years. Finally, fans get a little more of a taste of what the shows must have been like, thanks to 3 CDs and 1 DVD in the package. Disc 1 consists of the original album, remastered using the latest technology, while Disc 2 contains five previously unreleased Rolling Stones tracks from the concert, including “Under My Thumb,” “I’m Free” and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Disc 3 is an interesting document of the other acts on the bill, with B.B. King occupying tracks 1-5 and Ike & Tina Turner tracks 6-12.

The DVD features some more of the footage of these shows that fans may already be familiar with from the Maysles Bros. documentary Gimme Shelter; five tracks in all.

Some other recent live releases of note:

Live at Reading, Nirvana
Dreamin’ Man Live 92, Neil Young
Good Evening New York City, Paul McCartney

Up In The Air (dir. Jason Reitman)

Rating:

Whether you work for a small business of fifteen employees or a multinational corporation of thousands, chances are that the current economic climate has led to some unfortunate personnel changes. This is precisely the backdrop of Jason Reitman’s third feature film, Up In The Air. The film centers on Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), a man who flies around the United States to tell people that their “position is no longer available.” In other words, he fires people for a living. But more than that, he is checking in and out of airports, staying in airport hotels and flying in airplanes.

Some people would find this lifestyle exhausting, but not Bingham. He finds it exhilarating. His dream is to become the seventh person to ever hit the 10 million mile mark. When he’s not firing people, he’s giving motivational speeches entitled “What’s In Your Backpack?” He encourages people to make the same decisions as he has by not overloading themselves with mortgages, possessions and even friends, family and acquaintances.

Bingham claims he doesn’t feel isolated because he’s constantly surrounded by people. This changes when he meets Alex (Vera Farmiga), a fellow frequent flyer. The two share travel tips, compare loyalty program membership cards and fall for each other pretty quickly. Parting ways is tough for both of them, and they scramble to coordinate their busy schedules so they can meet again in a different city.

Meanwhile, Bingham’s lifestyle is being put at risk by the fresh ideas of Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), a young new hire at Bingham’s company who has come up with a streamlined system of firing people via online chat windows, all from their physical office in Omaha. Ryan’s boss Craig Gregory (Jason Bateman) is all for the idea and the cost savings associated with it. Bingham doesn’t like it one bit, but takes Keener under his wing and shares his experiences with her.

Some of the most memorable scenes in the film are the reactions of the various people getting fired. Some are young, but many are older people who have been at their company for many years. Some take it calmly, while others are hysterical. Bingham and Keener have clearly been trained to position themselves as coaches who are going to help these people find new careers. They do their research. During one of these firings, Bingham reminds someone (J.K. Simmons) of their interest in culinary arts and their promise as a young chef.

With Thank You For Smoking, Juno and now Up In The Air, Jason Reitman is positioning himself as one of the first auteurs in a new generation of filmmakers. His filmmaking is distinctive, featuring great visuals and a wonderful script. Just as you expect the storyline to take a predictable turn, Up In The Air manages to surprise the viewer by offering something a bit different than what they might have expected.

With the holiday season quickly approaching (Christmas is now less than three weeks away and Hanukkah even sooner), we thought we’d spare everyone the blank stares and head scratching by providing a number of our own gift suggestions. Throughout the week we’ll be sharing a number of items we feel the ultra music/film nerd would appreciate. Now, the music/film geek is prone to buy a lot of this sort of stuff for him or herself, so be sure to grab a gift receipt on your way out.

Today we’ll focus on a plethora of new Beatles stuff available in stores, starting with the long-awaited Beatles remasters.

The Beatles remastered catalogue

The Beatles Stereo Box Set

A little backstory for those of you who haven’t read up on the Beatles remasters that came out on 9/09/09. Back in 1987, when compact discs were still a relatively new technology, the entire Beatles catalogue was made available on that format for the first time. Over the years, it’s become clear that these CDs were not doing the music justice. Since about 1996 or 1997, when people first realized just how good this music could sound based on the release of Anthology, Beatles fans around the globe had been hoping and hoping for a remastered catalogue.

The serious, Beatles purists had an even deeper hope: that when the Beatles catalogue finally would be reissued, mono mixes would be made available. In 1987, the first four albums were made available in mono, but everything from Help! onward was mastered for CD in stereo. In reality, George Martin, Geoff Emerick and The Beatles actually spent most of their time mixing the Beatles albums up to and including the White Album in mono. Stereo was usually an afterthought for the benefit of the few audiophiles who invested in stereo systems in the 1960s.

On 9/09/09, the Beatles fan eager to upgrade was faced with three options:

#1 was to buy the stereo remasters individually. Admittedly, this was the road I went down as I felt it to be the most economically prudent. I was able to rediscover each of these classic albums individually, enjoying the sonic upgrades (especially noticeable in the vocals, drums and instruments like strings and horn sections) and then watching the mini-documentaries included on each disc.

#2 was to purchase the stereo box set. This would give you the same results as the individual purchases, only instead of the mini-documentaries being included on each disc in QuickTime format, they are actually compiled onto a DVD.

#3 was to purchase the highly-limited (at least at first) mono box set. This would prove to be the holy grail for Beatles fans. Every Beatles album ever mixed in mono (essentially everything except for Abbey Road and Let It Be) is included, in some cases with both mono and stereo mixes on a single disc. Bonus! You also get a slightly amended Mono Masters album, which includes many of the Beatles tracks that wound up on Yellow Submarine (not included) in mono.

So where does that leave you as the gift buyer. Chances are if the Beatles fan in your family or group of friends was going to buy these remasters for themselves, they would have gone with buying the individual discs. Next time you’re over at their place, try to have a glance for yourself and see if there any gaps to fill. Otherwise, one of the two box sets is definitely the way to go. The question is mono or stereo?

The best illustration of the differences between the mono and stereo mixes of the Beatles catalogue was provided by NPR shortly after the remasters first came out. You can read about it here.

In my humble opinion, having heard both the mono and stereo mixes of most of these albums, I think the stereo sounds better. This may sound sacrilege to Beatles purists, but I think most people want to hear the music really pop and jump out of the speakers, and that’s what you get from the stereo mixes. There’s a lot of room for atmosphere. By comparison, the mono mixes sound great – but flat. I think the stereo mixes are what you’ll find yourself listening to most often, and you might occasionally decide to put on the mono mix for novelty. The mono mix of Sgt. Pepper in particular is quite different an experience than the stereo, down to some of the vocal effects used in songs and even the pitch/speed in which the song is played back. Plus the stereo box gives you all of the albums whereas the mono box does not. So there’s that.

The Beatles Rock Band

Beatles Rock Band

9/09/09 also marked the release of something very exciting for Beatles fans who also happened to own video game consoles. The Beatles Rock Band is a true-to-life retelling of The Beatles story, from their early days in the Cavern Club, through to their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, the concerts at Shea Stadium and The Budokan and finally onto the years after they gave up touring to spend more time in the studio. Unlike other games in the Rock Band series, you actually perform as John, Paul, George and Ringo. You have the option of playing drums, bass, guitar or singing; and for the first time singing can include up to three-part vocal harmony if you’ve got the right number of microphones.

Beatles Rock Band is available in three separate configurations for Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360. Those who already have Rock Band can purchase the standalone game, which retails for about $55 and is compatible with most existing Rock Band and Guitar Hero controllers. The step up from that is the $150 “value” pack that comes with your standard Rock Band guitar, microphone and drums. Finally, if you’re willing to fork over $250, you get the Limited Premium Bundle which includes a Beatles replica drumkit, a microphone and mic stand, a Hofner bass replica controller and the game.

Sold separately are Gretsch and Rickenbacker replica guitars that retail for about $100 a piece.

The other important thing to know about Beatles Rock Band is that it comes pre-loaded with 45 songs. This includes hits like “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Hello Goodbye” and “Here Comes The Sun,” moderately known tracks like “Dear Prudence” and “Getting Better,” as well as unlikely but fun choices like “Good Morning Good Morning” and “Hey Bulldog.”

Two downloadable content (DLC) packs have also been made available. The first filled out all of the missing gaps of the Abbey Road album, including the two medleys that make up Side B (Xbox 360 and PS3 allow you to play these medleys as a whole, while the Wii version forces you to break them up). Last month, the remaining tracks off of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band were made available, including “Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite,” “Lovely Rita” and “A Day In The Life.” In a few weeks, Rubber Soul will be available for download. You can actually buy Wii Points as a gift, so if you know someone who has Beatles Rock Band that hasn’t bothered to purchase any of the DLC available yet, that would actually be a thoughtful gesture.

Not satisfied by the CDs or the video game? Other Beatles items new to the market include Beatles Trivial Pursuit and A Hard Day’s Night (the film) on Blu-Ray