Sunday, December 24, 2006

Adam's end of the year wrap up

Adam’s End of the Year Wrap Up

My tops of 2006

I can’t really say it has been a long year because this year has flown by for me. I’m not a 16 year old sophomore, with a license and all As and Bs in school which I’m happy about.

My top 25 played

1. Death Cab – Lack of Color (99 plays)
2 & 3 Snow Patrol – Chocolate and How To Be Dead

The rest includes a lot of Ben Folds Five, John Mayer, Stills and Thrills, one song each by Jack Johnson and Sufjan Stevens, some Coldplay, Rooney and Postal Service.

New favorite indie band

Honestly I have two favorites, Cold War Kids and Tapes ‘n Tapes

I saw Tapes live though, and they were spectacular, awkward yelps and guitar slashes dragged out into keyboards pulsing or maybe a tuba sounding, all over one of the most beautiful rhythm sections I have had the opportunity to play live. Just Drums is probably the key track to Tapes. With Cowbell and the Insistor these key tracks pushed Tapes into immediate stardom, becoming the press babies of Rolling Stone magazine.

What’s cool about Cold War Kids is that they actually added me on myspace. Now they are also getting tons of coverage from Rolling Stone and Spin, Key tracks – Hang Me Up To Dry, Hospital Beds and We Used To Vacation

My new woman

Maggie Glynehal gets the crown handed to her from Sienna Miller

Too much press

Deadboy and the Elephantmen

I have the album, and I just don’t think its that good. There really is a point that you can reach where there is just too much indie. They tried to blend punk with indie and yelps and it didn’t work, the blend just came out bland. Their best song is most definitely Stop I’m Already Dead, but that isn’t worth buying their album for.

And also avoid – The Grates (unless you are into really shitty Le Tigre wannabe bands) and how can I blog without saying how much the new Killers album really just doesn’t cut it. Sorry Brandon, you’re just too much of a douche bag these days

Too early forgotten

The Gameboy SP

Not the gameboy DS, which unfolds and has a touch screen, the SP is the older version of a small laptop that opens up with a screen on one side and the buttons on the other and the screen is appropriately lit up. It is very occupying and its just a lot of fun, if you have to play gameboy games go Zelda, Metroid and Pokemon, And of course my favorite of the moment, Castlevania (specifically - the Circle of the Moon) A very simple cute device that provides hours upon hours of fun. It even has a wall charger like a cell phone, this thing is all you need, plug it into the power strip with your cell phone and ipod before you go to bed and you are good to go for the next day.

Ah the cinema

I watched Donnie Darko this year and all the Frank the rabbit is the scariest thing I have seen in my 16 years of existence on this planet and the movie made no sense it was still good and had a good soundtrack (high point – the scene where my new favorite 80s song is playing – Head Over Heels by Tears for Fears) I also got to see I heart Huckabees, with Jason Schwartzman (fun fact – he is the brother of the lead singer from Rooney) and Little Miss Sunshine seriously is good, hard to explain, just see it. In the actual theatres the best of the year was definitely the new James Bond – Casino Royale, the comedy drama (dramedy?) Stranger That Fiction starring Will Ferral and my favorite new sexy goddess of the year, Maggie Gylenhal (also in Donnie Darko) and of course the new Zach Braff movie with an soundtrack to rival Wicker Park and Garden State, the slight chick flick from the heart of a 30 year old man with the hots for Rachel Bilson, The Last Kiss.

I want my TV

I started watching Nip/Tuck this year and I found out what I was missing, a ridiculous show but absolutely amazing. I stopped watching Greys Anatomy, and not because my favorite character George ended up being gay in real life or the real life drama going on between the cast, but it just got repetitive and annoying, and the soundtrack was becoming just too girly, you can only take so much Cat Power and Rilo Kiley. The OC still reigns supreme in my book, still with the best soundtrack out there (being trailed closely by Nip/Tuck and Scrubs) but the New Port crew losing momentum and the beauty of the cast, Mischa Barton, in season 3, they are now cutting out all the stops for season 4, and I like it. Too bad for the real life split of my favorite people Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson. Scrubs is still my favorite show, hilarity with a point, you can’t beat it, and Zach Braff is just genius.

Top 3 dudes I respect

John Mayer, Zach Braff and Adam Brody. Mr. Brody might fall off the scale to be replaced with Ben Folds or Ben Gibbard soon if he makes another mistake anywhere near the travesty of loosing Rachel Bilson.

They’re not lying – that song Smile by Lily Allen really isn’t bad
They’re lying – Gnarls Barkley is getting really old

New to the circuit

Some of my favorite newbie bands of the year include The Long Winters, Guillemots (DL Made Up Lovesong #43 immediately) Ben Kweller, The Rapture, John Legend, Marvin Gaye (the whole What’s Going On album) Kevin Devine (props to this guy I met at a matt pond PA show who is really good and really nice, matt pond is still awesome but he is still a douche bag) Sound Team, French Kicks (those last two put on an amazing show and props for them being really nice), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Elliott Smith, Rogue Wave (their drummer is a douche) Electric President and Damien Rice. I rediscovered Blur this year, so now with the Gorillaz Damon Albarn is climbing the charts for respect in my book. Blur beats Oasis any day.

So all and all

Best show – Spinto Band, Art Brut and We Are Scientists, amazing show, even though I got sprayed with beer it was even worth skipping out on a third Stills show for the year.

Best album - The Long Winters – Putting The Days To Rest

Best new band – tie between Tapes and the CW Kids

Best game – Castlevania – Circle of the Moon

Best movie – Little Miss Sunshine

Best cologne – Gio Armani

Best lotion – Cocoa Butter

Best sport – Swim

Best car – Kia

Best friends – Sam and Ron

Best experience – learning how to really party hardy


I love you all, so to all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year