Favorite Albums of the Decade

So after much thought and a lot of careful listening and re-visiting, I have compiled a list of my favorite albums of this past decade. Please note these are not necessarily what I think are the "best" albums of the decade or albums that have had the most influence on the music industry...this is merely a list of 50 albums from that past ten years that I have personally enjoyed listening to the most. Here are numbers 50 - 11:

50. In Between Dreams (2005) – Jack Johnson
49. Toxicity (2001) – System of a Down
48. Deloused in the Comatorium (2003) – The Mars Volta
47. It's Never Been Like That (2006) – Phoenix
46. Wincing the Night Away (2007) – The Shins
45. Death Magnetic (2008) – Metallica
44. Bleed American (2001) – Jimmy Eat World
43. Destination: Beautiful (2003) – Mae
42. Rockin' the Suburbs (2001) – Ben Folds
41. Elevator (2005) – Hot Hot Heat
40. In Rainbows (2007) – Radiohead
39. White Blood Cells (2001) – The White Stripes
38. Lupe Fiasco's The Cool (2007) – Lupe Fiasco
37. American Idiot (2004) – Green Day
36. Places You Have Come to Fear the Most (2001) – Dashboard Confessional
35. Funeral (2004) – Arcade Fire
34. Say It Like You Mean It (2002) – The Starting Line
33. A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) – Coldplay
32. Give Up (2003) – The Postal Service
31. Illinois (2005) – Sufjan Stevens
30. What People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006) – Arctic Monkeys
29. We Don't Need to Whisper (2006) – Angels & Airwaves
28. Battle Studies (2009) – John Mayer
27. Black Holes & Revelations (2006) – Muse
26. A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005) – Panic! At the Disco
25. Vampire Weekend (2008) – Vampire Weekend
24. Almost Here (2005) – The Academy Is...
23. Only By the Night (2008) – Kings of Leon
22. Plans (2005) – Death Cab For Cutie
21. Commit This To Memory (2005) – Motion City Soundtrack
20. The Eminem Show (2002) – Eminem
19. Mr. A to Z (2005) – Jason Mraz
18. Ocean Avenue (2003) – Yellowcard
17. Try! (2005) – John Mayer Trio
16. From Under the Cork Tree (2005) – Fall Out Boy
15. Hybrid Theory (2000) – Linkin Park
14. Blink-182 (2003) – Blink-182
13. All Killer No Filler (2001) – Sum 41
12. The Black Album (2003) – Jay-Z
11. Graduation (2007) – Kanye West

And without further ado, here are my Top 10 Favorite Albums of the Decade:

10. Hot Fuss (2004) – The Killers
9. ...Is a Real Boy (2004) – Say Anything
8. By the Way (2002) – Red Hot Chili Peppers
7. Take This to Your Grave (2003) – Fall Out Boy
6. Late Registration (2005) – Kanye West
5. Is This It (2001) – The Strokes
4. Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001) – Blink-182
3. The Blueprint (2001) – Jay-Z
2. Continuum (2006) – John Mayer
1. The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) – Eminem


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A couple weeks ago I asked some friends of mine to compile lists of their own. Here is what they came up with!

[GUEST CONTRIBUTORS]

BEN MARTIN
[in no particular order]
Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) - Coldplay
Narrow Stairs (2008) - Death Cab for Cutie
Pretty. Odd. (2008) - Panic at the Disco
Bleed American (2001) - Jimmy Eat World
Stadium Arcadium (2006) - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Hopes and Fears (2004) - Keane
Continuum (2006) - John Mayer
Eyes Open (2005) - Snow Patrol
Hot Fuss (2004) - The Killers
Good News For People Who Love Bad News (2004) - Modest Mouse

CHRIS RICE
10. Discovery (2001) - Daft Punk
9. Welcome Interstate Managers (2003) - Fountains of Wayne
8. A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005) - Panic! at the Disco
7. The Sunrise (2008) - Love Me Electric
6. American Idiot (2004) - Green Day
5. !Viva la Cobra! (2007) - Cobra Starship
4. Santi (2007) - The Academy Is...
3. Take This To Your Grave (2003) - Fall Out Boy
2. Commit This To Memory (2005) - Motion City Soundtrack
1. Rise or Die Trying (2007) - Four Year Strong

KEVIN MATELA
10. Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009) - Dream Theater
9. Lateralus (2001) - Tool
8. III (2006) - Stanton Moore
7. Weathered (2001) - Creed
6. Faceless (2003) - Godsmack
5. Shogun (2008) - Trivium
4. One Day Remains (2004) - Alter Bridge
3. Ashes of the Wake (2004) - Lamb of God
2. Death Magnetic (2008) - Metallica
1. 10,000 Days (2006) – Tool

TIM LEE
[in order of year]
Hybrid Theory (2000) - Linkin Park
Places You Have Come to Fear the Most (2001) - Dashboard Confessional
The Used (2002) - The Used
North (2003) - Something Corporate
Sung Tongs (2004) - Animal Collective
From Under the Cork Tree (2005) - Fall Out Boy
This Is a Stick Up... Don't Make It a Murder (2006) - Hit the Lights
Rise or Die Trying (2007) - Four Year Strong
Carry Me Home (2008) - Archie Star
Aim and Ignite (2009) - fun.

MICHAEL MURRAY
10. Picaresque (2005) – The Decemberists
9. Riot on an Empty Street (2004) – Kings of Convenience
8. Elephant (2003) – The White Stripes
7. Chutes Too Narrow (2003) – The Shins
6. The Cool (2007) – Lupe Fiasco
5. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006) – Arctic Monkeys
4. Electric Version (2003) – The New Pornographers
3. Sea Change (2002) – Beck
2. Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs (2005) – Andrew Bird
1. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002) - Wilco

TOM PATTERSON
10. By the Way (2002) - Red Hot Chili Peppers
9. Blue Scholars (2004) - Blue Scholars
8. Absolution (2004) - Muse
7. The Clarence Greenwood Recordings (2004) - Citizen Cope
6. The Cool (2007) - Lupe Fiasco
5. Graduation (2007) - Kanye West
4. Speak For Yourself (2005) - Imogen Heap
3. Comfort Eagle (2001) - Cake
2. White Blood Cells (2001) - The White Stripes
1. Is This It (2001) - The Strokes

Music of 2009

Alright so here is my recap of the year in music. I got a little lazy and decided to skip writing little blurbs about each song or album so I apologize in advance...however, I did provide a neat little playlist after each list, so be sure to check that out. Anyway, feel free to share your thoughts on this years music and make any suggestions / recommendations!

Favorite Songs of 2009
Here are ten songs from the year that I just couldn't stop listening to. If you haven't heard any of these songs before, I highly suggest you check them out ASAP.

10. "Walkabout" - Atlas Sound (feat. Noah Lennox)
9. "Make Her Say" - Kid Cudi (feat. Kanye West & Common)
8. "Live Like We're Dying" - Kris Allen
7. "New Perspective" - Panic! At The Disco
6. "Two Weeks" - Grizzly Bear
5. "I've Got Friends" - Manchester Orchestra
4. "Perfectly Lonely" - John Mayer
3. "1901" - Phoenix
2. "Sleepyhead" - Passion Pit
1. "Empire State of Mind" - Jay-Z (feat. Alicia Keys)

Guilty Pleasure Songs of 2009
Here are some popular hits of this year that I am slightly ashamed of actually liking.

10. "I Love College" - Asher Roth
9. "Right Round" - Flo Rida
8. "Bad Romance" - Lady Gaga
7. "Kiss a Girl" - Keith Urban
6.. "Dead and Gone" - T.I. (feat. Justin Timberlake)
5. "Party in the U.S.A." - Miley Cyrus
4. "You Belong With Me" - Taylor Swift
3. . "I Gotta Feeling" - Black Eyed Peas
2. "Cowboy Casanova" - Carrie Underwood
1. "My Life Would Suck Without You" - Kelly Clarkson

Most Annoying Songs of 2009
If you've never heard some of these songs...do yourself a favor and keep it that way!

5. "Best I Ever Had" - Drake
4. "Hoedown Throwdown" - Miley Cyrus
3. "Birthday Sex" - Jeremih
2. "Tik Tok" - Kesha
1. "Fireflies" - Owl City

Favorite Albums of 2009
And finally, here are five albums of this year that I could listen to straight through over and over again.

5. Manners - Passion Pit

Favorite Tracks: Sleepyhead, The Reeling, Little Secrets

4. Mean Everything to Nothing - Manchester Orchestra

Favorite Tracks: I've Got Friends, I Can Feel a Hot One, Shake It Out

3. The Blueprint 3 - Jay-Z

Favorite Tracks: D.O.A. [Death of Auto-Tune], Empire State of Mind, Young Forever

2. Battle Studies - John Mayer

Favorite Tracks: Half of My Heart, Perfectly Lonely, Friends Lovers or Nothing

1. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Phoenix

Favorite Tracks: Lisztomania, 1901, Girlfriend

Movies of 2009

Hey everyone, I know it's been a long time since I've updated but I'm back for good! 2009 is just about over, so I thought I would look back at this year's movies that I've seen and put a little something together. So here is a list of my ten favorite movies of the year, movies I still really need to see, movies that disappointed me, and upcoming movies that I am really excited to check out. But FIRST, let's start things off with a much more fun list:

Hottest Movie Stars of 2009

[Actresses]

5. Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer)


4. Malin Akerman (Watchmen, The Proposal, Couples Retreat)


3. Rashida Jones (I Love You, Man)


2. Kate Beckinsale (Whiteout, Everybody's Fine)


1. Megan Fox (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Jennifer's Body)


[Actors]

5. Taylor Lautner (New Moon)


4. Hugh Jackman (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)


3. Chris Pine (Star Trek)


2. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra)


1. Ryan Reynolds (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Proposal)


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Favorite Movies of 2009

10. The Blind Side

Probably the best 'feel-good' film of the year. The Blind Side features an outstanding cast of talented actors including Sandra Bullock in possibly the best performance of her career. Though the film may come across as your typical inspirational movie, it proves to be a highly entertaining portrayal of an incredibly compelling true story.

9. Away We Go

A fantastic little indie comedy from Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road) about a hilarious, yet heartfelt journey of an expecting couple struggling to find themselves. Away We Go features very impressive performances from John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph, two actors best known for their roles on TV.

8. I Love You, Man

Despite having a rather simple premise, the film is driven by hilarious performances from Jason Segel and Paul Rudd as well as the great supporting cast. I Love You, Man is filled with awkward situations, heartfelt relationships, hilarious one-liners, and non-stop laughs.

7. Sugar

An incredibly powerful independent film that captures the struggles of Dominican baseball players aspiring to make it to the big leagues. Sugar succeeds at being an atypical sports-flick mixed with raw human drama thanks to an outstanding breakthrough performance by its unknown star, Algenis Perez Soto.

6. The Hangover

Without a doubt, the summer's biggest surprise hit. Even without a cast of well-known actors or a previously existing franchise for support, The Hangover proved that a funny and original R-rated comedy film can still appeal to mass audiences.

5. Where the Wild Things Are

Spike Jonze's film adaptation of the classic children's book, Where the Wild Things Are is a beautifully innovative work of art. Jonze successfully maintains the spirit of the book while still adding his own artistic visions. Though Wild Things is certainly not your typical 'family film,' people of all ages can appreciate the film in one way or another, whether it's the breathtaking visuals, outstanding acting, or Max's wild and emotional journey.

4. Up

Yet another wonderful piece of work from the guys at Disney/Pixar. Much like previous Pixar films, Up includes a perfect blend of comedy, action, and powerful emotional themes and succeeds at turning a rather simple story into one incredibly heartfelt adventure.

3. Star Trek

Forget Transformers. Forget Terminator. J.J. Abrams's reboot of this classic science-fiction franchise perfectly demonstrates exactly what a summer action flick should be. The film features outstanding acting performances from its young, rather unknown cast and breath-taking action sequences that don't solely rely on massive explosions and CGI. But what really makes Star Trek an incredible film is its ability to appeal to hardcore "Trekkies" as well as those of us who are just looking for a solid sci-fi action film.

2. (500) Days of Summer

Unlike typical 'romantic comedies', (500) Days of Summer separates itself from the genre through its honest, sometimes painful, depiction of real-life relationships and its intelligently unique story structure. It strives at being both charming and witty as well as emotionally powerful thanks to the brilliant performances from its two young stars, Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. This is a fantastic little indie gem that is definitely worth checking out.

1. Avatar

Probably the most anticipated film of the year...and fortunately, it lives up to all the hype. James Cameron proves yet again to be one of the only filmmakers in Hollywood to effectively make use of an extremely large budget and ground-breaking technology. Despite following a somewhat familiar storyline, the film basically revolutionizes the possibilities of what can be done in a movie. Avatar excels all across the board from its outstanding acting performances and brilliant directing to its stunning visual effects and heart-racing action sequences. This could very well be the 'Star Wars' of a new generation.

[Honorable Mentions]
Fantastic Mr. Fox
District 9
The Informant!

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Please note: There are still a TON of critically acclaimed films that I haven't seen yet that would have probably had a good chance of making my top 10...Here is a list of some of the movies that I REALLY NEED TO SEE:

The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Up in the Air
Crazy Heart
Sin Nombre
Brothers
An Education
Invictus
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Sherlock Holmes
Nine
A Serious Man
Zombieland
Julie & Julia
A Single Man

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Most Disappointing Movies of 2009
Public Enemies
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
X-Men Origins: Wolverine

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Most Anticipated Movies of 2010

10. Clash of the Titans (March 26, 2010)

Fresh off the success of Avatar, Australian actor Sam Worthington stars in this remake of the 1981 film loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus. With Terminator Salvation and Avatar under his belt, Worthington seems to be on the verge of becoming the next big Hollywood action star.
[View Trailer]

9. Grown Ups (June 25, 2010)

A comedy featuring a stacked ensemble that includes Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade. Basically a Saturday Night Live cast reunion (+ Kevin James...)
[View Trailer]

8. Robin Hood (May 14, 2010)

Highly acclaimed director Ridley Scott teams up with Russell Crowe yet again in an epic re-imagining of the legendary story of Robin Hood. If this film is as good as Scott and Crowe's previous work together (American Gangster, Body of Lies, Gladiator), then it is sure to be a big hit.
[View Trailer]

7. The Expendables (August 20, 2010)

A blockbuster action film written and directed by Sylvester Stallone. Features a stacked cast of action veterans such as Stallone himself, Dolph Lundgren, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jet Li, and Bruce Willis as well as Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke and 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin. With basically every big name action star of the past three decades, I have some rather high expectation for this one...let's hope Sly delivers!
[View Trailer]

6. Date Night (April 9, 2010)

An action-comedy starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell. Also features appearances by Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, James Franco, Ray Liotta, Mark Ruffalo, and Kristen Wiig. Can't wait to see some great comedy chemistry between Fey and Carell, two of my favorite comedy actors.
[View Trailer]

5. Iron Man 2 (May 7, 2010)

Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as Tony Stark in the sequel to the 2008 blockbuster hit. Gwyneth Paltrow also returns as "Pepper" Potts and is joined by Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Sam Rockwell, and Samuel L. Jackson. Let's see if they can top the success of the first Iron Man and keep the hype going for The Avengers film planned for 2012.
[View Trailer]

4. Shutter Island (February 19, 2010)

Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio team up for the forth time in a row in this dark, psychological thriller. This will be Scorsese's first feature film since The Departed in 2006. I'm really excited to see Scorsese's take on the horror / suspense genre.
[View Trailer]

3. Toy Story 3 (June 18, 2010)

Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, and the rest of the gang reprise their roles in the third installment of the Toy Story series. And of course, it will be in 3-D this time...Let's just hope it will be just as good as the first two (though that is not an easy task at all).
[View Trailer]

2. Inception (July 16, 2010)

A sci-fi action thriller directed by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, The Prestige, Memento). Stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Here's to hoping this will lessen our anxiety for the next Batman film...
[View Trailer]

1. Alice in Wonderland (March 5, 2010)

Tim Burton's highly anticipated interpretation of a classic fantasy novel. Mia Wasikowska plays the role of Alice, alongside Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as The Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as The White Queen, and Crispin Glover as The Knave of Hearts. This is by far the film I am most excited to see in 2010.
[View Trailer]


Well that's all for now guys. Feel free to share your thoughts on the films of 2009 or films you are excited to see next year! Please check back soon for my 'Best (and Worst) Music of 2009 list.'

Acoustic cover of "Party in the USA"

Check out this sweet music video of my group, The Little Brown Brothers, doing an acoustic cover of "Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus.

Movie Review: Clerks (1994)

CLERKS. (1994)

Director / Writer: Kevin Smith
Producers: Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier
Director of Photography: David Klein
Dante... Brian O’Halloran
Randal...Jeff Anderson
Veronica...Marilyn Ghigliotti
Caitlin...Lisa Spoonhauer
Jay...Jason Mewes
Silent Bob...Kevin Smith
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 92 minutes

Rating: 4 out of 4 stars

Despite being made for only about $27,000 and being funded by family donations, paychecks from a local convenience store, and money made from selling a comic book collection, writer/director Kevin Smith's debut film, Clerks proves that you don’t need a big budget or high-profile actors to produce a great film. Thanks to Smith's knack for writing clever, off-color dialogue and his remarkable ability of mixing profane, yet intelligent humor with raw and authentic human drama, Clerks helped transform Kevin Smith from a film school dropout to a well-established indie auteur.

The film centers on a 22-year-old Quick Stop clerk named Dante (Brian O'Halloran) who is called into work on his day off. To make matters worse, he deals with angry, agitated, and sometimes bizarre customers, gets into a heated argument about his girlfriend, Veronica’s (Marilyn Ghigliotti) sexual history and then finds out that his ex-girlfriend Caitlin (Lisa Spoonhauer) is engaged. To help pass the time, Dante is constantly visited by his openly sarcastic best friend Randal (Jeff Anderson), who works at the video store next door. Much of the film follows Dante and Randal as they interact with customers, debate about Star Wars, play a game of hockey on the roof, get kicked out of a funeral, and discuss the dilemma in Dante's love life.

Due to Smith's extremely modest budget, Clerks was shot in black and white with a 16mm camera over the course of 21 days. Because of these limitations, the film certainly has a few flaws including the film's rough editing and some noticeably amateur acting performances. However, these minor flaws are easy to overlook thanks to Kevin Smith's inventive and wildly hilarious screenplay. Smith's use of shockingly explicit dialogue and politically incorrect humor feel authentic and natural when delivered by the characters in the film, and the use of pop culture references help make the film hip and relevant without ever over-doing it.

With its hilarious one-liners and bawdy sex jokes, it is easy to misinterpret Clerks as a one-dimensional "raunch-comedy." However, Smith brilliantly manages to incorporate serious underlying messages about love, friendship, and self-determination into the film without altering its overall tone. Much like the film itself, there's more than meets the eye with the film's two protagonists. Despite the rough-edge exterior of Dante and Randal, there is actually much heart underneath the surface. Though Dante may initially come across as an overly dramatic down-on-his-luck slacker, he's really just a frustrated romantic attached to his past relationship. And while Randal may seem like an uncaring wise-ass, he proves to be a protective companion genuinely devoted to helping out his best friend. Despite being rather unseasoned actors, Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson display great on-screen chemistry and perfectly capture the boredom and frustration of life as a store clerk.

Overall, Clerks is a raw and intelligent indie comedy that proves to be an impressive debut from an inexperienced filmmaker. Over the years, Clerks has reached cult-classic status and is now considered a staple in independent film-making.

Trailer:

Movie Review: Dude, Where's My Car?

DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR? (2000)

Director: Danny Leiner
Writer: Philip Stark
Jesse...Ashton Kutcher
Chester...Seann William Scott
Wanda...Jennifer Garner
Wilma...Marla Sokoloff
Christie Boner...Kristy Swanson
Nelson...David Herman
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 83 minutes

Rating: 1 out of 4 stars

Often times you will hear people make the argument that a movie was "so stupid that it was funny." While this concept may be true for some movies, it is much more likely that the movie was just plain stupid. Such is the case with the horrendously unfunny comedy, Dude, Where’s My Car? While the filmmakers were fully aware of the film's outrageous plot, they were unable to capitalize on the slightest potential of its absurd humor and ultimately failed to deliver anything worthwhile.

Ashton Kutcher (TV's That 70's Show) and Seann William Scott (American Pie) star as two senseless stoner buddies named Jesse and Chester. After a night of hardcore partying, Jesse and Chester wake up with no recollection of what happened the night before. After realizing that Jesse's car is missing, the two stoners go on a quest to retrace the events of the previous night and retrieve the missing car. Along the way, the guys find themselves on a crazy adventure involving a pot-smoking dog, violent ostriches, nerds in bubble-wrap jumpsuits, and teams of strange aliens in search of a mysterious device known as the "Continuum Transfunctioner."

Despite being only 83 minutes long, Dude, Where's My Car still seems to drag on for way too long. Parts of the film seem more suitable as a 2-minute SNL skit or as a scene from a TV sitcom, but even in those formats they would fail to deliver laughs. Even with a PG-13 rating, the film manages to be overly crude and distasteful. Throughout the film we encounter an array of offensive stereotypes including obnoxious Asians, manipulative "hot chicks", a perverted blind boy, power-hungry jocks, an angry transsexual stripper, dumb, donut-loving cops, twins who speak in unison, and of course two brainless potheads. Writer Philip Stark seems to have no motivation or underlying purpose for including such characters other than an attempt at scoring a handful of cheap laughs.

In what is supposed to be one of the funniest scenes of the film, the guys discover each other's back tattoos (one says "dude" while the other says "sweet") and proceed to get into an angry back-and-forth banter of confusion about what their respective tattoo says. Rather than making me laugh out loud, this scene made me honestly fear that this scene will go down as our generation's unfunny, half-baked derivative of Abbott & Costello's classic "Who's on First?" routine.

On a brighter note, Kutcher and Scott do display great on-screen chemistry throughout the film. Unfortunately, this is likely because both actors have mastered the art of playing the exact same loud-mouthed moron in virtually everything they are in. Unlike the well-executed films of this type of comedy (i.e Wayne's World or Dumb and Dumber), the two protagonists of Dude Where's My Car are neither funny nor likable. As viewers, we can't help but ask, "Why should I care about these two pathetic losers?"...or better yet, "Why did I just sit through this god-awful movie?"

Trailer: