Top 30 Albums of 2009

I'll spare you the usual paragraph at the beginning of my posts and just say here are my 30 personal favorite albums of what I thought was one of the best years for music in a long, long time.

30. The xx - xx



This band of childhood friends came out of left field this year. The first time I heard a description of them, the term R&B was brought up so I just passed them off. A few months later, after Jonathan was obsessing over them, I decided to give them a shot. The first three songs are incredible and although their routine slightly tires after the halfway mark, it's still an amazing feat for a first album.

29. Volcano Choir - Unmap



I'm sure quite a few of you know who Justin Vernon is, or at least are aware of his band Bon Iver. This side-project teams up Vernon with the Wisconsin-based Math Rock band Collections Of Colonies Of Bees. Although loops and noises replace the acoustic guitars and simple drums of his previous work, there's still the sense of isolation and cabin fever.

28. Beirut - March Of The Zapotec/Realpeople Holland



Zach Condon released these two very different EP's as one album. March Of The Zapotec is influenced by a trip Condon took to Mexico, and fittingly consists of horns, accordions and crash cymbals. Realpeople Holland has layers of synth and pulsing drums and must have been influenced by a trip to outer space.

27. Castanets - Texas Rose, The Beasts And The Thaw



Castanets is Raymond Raposa. One of the pioneers of the freak folk movement. A mountain man (probably not) with a deep, unnerving voice and songs about snow, churches and countless other things. I love folk music but there reaches a point when it all starts to sound the same. Well, not here.

26. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart



The first album from this New York City band was one of the many albums to come out in 2009 that sounded like it belonged to 1986. With heavy snare hits, poppy synths and vocals about teenagers falling in love, it sounds like I'm describing the soundtrack to Sixteen Candles. Get out your neon pink headbands.

25. Fever Ray - Fever Ray



Fever Ray is the solo project of The Knife's Karen Dreijer Andersson. Almost every song was released as a single, and that perfectly sums up how good it actually is. There's rarely a low point here. Using synths (not in the traditional sense) and dark, creepy vibes, she created a mysterious album that I don't recommend listening to alone at night.

24. Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Vs. Children



Equipped with a rough, low voice and old school electronics, Owen Ashworth explores the concept of children. Bearing them, raising them, aborting them and leaving them and your wife home alone on Christmas while you make a living as a traveling salesman. With catchy, sometimes humorous lyrics one moment and heart-wrenching confessions the next.

23. Au Revoir Simone - Still Night, Still Light



Three girls who would look fitting behind a desk at a library, vintage synthesizers, film director David Lynch's favorite band, beautifully woven music with many textures of smooth synths and angelic voices. The best album so far from one of the better up and coming bands of late.

22. David Bazan - Curse Your Branches



The first full-length from David Bazan since he broke up his Pedro The Lion moniker. He's always been a religious man and has expressed that in his previous releases, well I don't know what happened but his opinions have changed. "Wait just a minute/You expect me to believe/That all this misbehaving/Grew from one enchanted tree?" Over the past few years Bazan battled alcoholism and after breaking free from that, he released one of his best albums to date and definitely his most controversial. Whether you agree with what he sings about or not, it's a man being honest with what he is going through and it's more intimate than most other musicians would dare to get.

21. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic



For a band who has been around for more than twenty five years, it's incredible that they can still release an album that feels different and fresh. They scrapped the over-production that plagued At War With The Mystics and approached a more simple technique to recording these songs. It almost feels as if you are standing with them in a worn basement as they run though these loud tracks. It's a perfect blend of the sonic psychedelia of their recent releases and the raw power of their early work. One of my favorite albums is The Soft Bulletin by The Flaming Lips and I came to the realization that they would never top it. No, they still haven't but they got pretty damn close.

20. Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Summer Of Fear



Miles Robinson released his first, self-titled album as a CD-R to distribute amongst friends and family. It was produced by Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio and Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear and it must have gotten in the right hands at some point because it became pretty well known in the indie market. His second album Summer of Fear produced by Malone again, plays out as a screenplay, shuffling between scenes depicting hard times, broken hearts and skinned knees. The title describes the vibe of the album very well. It's not a happy one folks, but it's an amazing sophomore album nonetheless.

19. J. Tillman - Vacilando Territory Blues



Usually when members of bands release solo albums, they aren't very good. Especially if they're the drummer. Well J. Tillman, who provides drums for the amazing Fleet Foxes is the exception, and this is the first of two albums he released this year alone. Almost anyone can pick up an acoustic guitar, learn a few chords and sing a song. It takes more than that to create something worthwhile. This batch of songs, as simple as they are, contains whatever that is.

18. The Dodos - Time To Die



This duo blew my mind with their previous album Visiter and although Time To Die isn't as good, it's still a great album and if they keep releasing catchy folk songs with ridonkulous percussion and well written melodies like these, they'll stay ahead of the game.

17. Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms



There have been a lot of electronic albums this year and a lot of them have been beautifully produced with layers and layers of synths, new and interesting ideas, incredible loops etc. Well Alan Palomo turned that shit around and released a bunch of lo-fi songs using old synthesizers I'm sure no one would dare to even play. No, it's not groundbreaking or fresh and they aren't particularly amazing tracks but it's fun damn it and that's why it's so charming.

16. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!



Karen O has had a great year. With a guest appearance on The Flaming Lips Embryonic, the score for Where The Wild Things Are and this amazing third album from her band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. There was talk of a style change with It's Blitz! and that had me worried. It's Blitz! is more approachable than their previous releases and focuses more on perfectly produced electronics and layers than their raw vibes of Fever To Tell. Such significant changes aren't usually a good thing but even though they completely abandoned the sound they were known for, it actually worked and succeeded most people's expectations.

15. Memory Tapes - Seek Magic



The Neon Indian album was a lot of fun, but when I talked about albums with beautiful synth textures and layers, I had Seek Magic in mind. The production is amazing enough to send chills down your back. There are so many gorgeous parts and perfectly planned out chords and moments that make up this album. It's by far the best full blown electronic album of the year.

14. Foreign Born - Person To Person



Grizzly Bear front man Ed Droste raved about these guys a lot so I decided to give them a listen and was more than impressed. What could have been your average run of the mill rock album, turned out to be something much more due to brilliant song writing and great production. The standout track Vacationing People isn't very long but it feels like fifteen minutes because it's packed with great verses choruses and bridges, like most of the tracks on the album. Very few tracks fall short of amazing.

13. St. Vincent - Actor



I didn't think Annie Clark, a one woman band would appeal to me. After the second or third track I was completely hooked. The wide array of instruments and the delicate approach to recording them is what makes the album so unique and fresh. It's pop music at it's best.

12. Woods - Songs Of Shame



I guarantee most of you would probably hate Woods. It sounds as if it was recorded...well...in the woods, the singer has a high-pitched wailing voice, it's just not appealing for most ears I'm sure. I on the other hand, fell in love with the bareness of it. If you strip away good production and the safety net of normal vocals, you're left with just the music and the point is, it's incredible here. The melodies and minimalist song structures are what make this album. I'm sure if these same songs were recorded by a different (and more approachable) band, then everybody would love them. I'm glad they weren't though.

11. Real Estate - Real Estate



I don't know if it's because I first heard this album in the middle of a terrible winter storm or what but I already feel nostalgic about it. I can already tell that in a few years when I listen to it again, I'm going to get a certain feeling. I can't put my finger on what that feeling is but it'll be there. Like Woods, this album was produced on a very low budget and it's the songwriting that really stands out. It's a batch of great songs and that's simply all you need sometimes.

10. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix



I'll keep it simple. A perfect blend of rock, pop and electronic music. It's the catchiest album of the year and if you don't believe me just watch the Cadillac SRX car commercial.

9. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion



This is pretty much every one's favorite album of the year. If you look at any music magazine or blogs year end list I'm positive this is at the top. It's an incredible album and definitely their most accessible. It would have broken the top five for me if they had replaced a few songs which I just couldn't get into. There are more than a handful of amazing songs though and if you're looking for a band that creates their own genre and is unlike anything else you've heard, I suggest you check them out if you haven't already.

8. Antlers - Hospice



Concept albums are hard to get right. The Decemberists tried it earlier this year with Hazards Of Love and failed (sorry Jonathan and Michael), it's hard to keep the listener interested in the same idea or story for forty plus minutes. I don't know, maybe I have a short attention span. Well Antlers have not only succeeded in creating one of the best concept albums, but one of the most heartbreaking albums I have had the privilege to hear. The story is simple. A man who works at the hospice wing of a hospital falls in love with a beautiful patient who has cancer. He's cursed to watch her die in front him. Add beautiful music produced with a unique approach and you have Hospice. I'll be back later, I'm going to adapt this into a film (can you say Academy Awards?)

7. Atlas Sound - Logos



I reviewed this album in depth below so I won't dive too deep into it again. There's usually an isolated lo-fi feel to Bradford Cox's music which is fitting considering he records it mostly in his bedroom on a laptop. Logos, his sophomore album features a few guest musicians yet still maintains that vibe. The songs range from hauntingly creepy to exciting. Sometimes at the same time.

6. Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer



Spencer Krug has well over five bands at the moment. He's an entrepreneur. I'm sure that will be his next bands name. Sunset Rubdown holds a candle close to Krugs original band Wolf Parade. For having only eight songs, this album is epic. It's called Dragonslayer for fucks sake. And do you want to know the fun of it? I'm not sure if he means Dragon Slayer or Dragons Layer. Pretty deep hmm?

5. Cass McCombs - Catacombs



Gotta love wordplay right? McCombs is clever with writing his lyrics, composition and naming his albums. Catacombs is a very American album. It's folk, classic rock, piano ballads, everything. Cass McCombs is who Ryan Adams wishes he could be. I think Pitchfork said that. It doesn't matter. It's a great album. Listen to it.

4. Bowerbirds - Upper Air



Upper Air is getting panned by critics and I can't even begin to understand why. Maybe because they all live in cities and can't comprehend the connection Bowerbirds make to nature. They sing songs about the woods, birds and trees yet they don't push it in our faces. They aren't tree hugging hippies that blame other people. They just acknowledge the fact nature exists and that it's a beautiful thing. Perfect harmonies, folky guitars, old pianos and minimal drums make up the majority of these songs from one of the purest bands out there today.

3. Papercuts - You Can Have What You Want



Every song on You Can Have What You Want is nostalgic in both lyrics and instrumentation. The guitars are vintage, the organs are fuzzy and dreamlike and the lyrics are mostly about the past and regret. It sounds like the 60's music I remember my dad listening to when I was a kid yet it sounds brand new. It's another album that wasn't well received and that's fine with me because it's more personal that way.

2. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca



Dirty Projectors are weird. Think Talking Heads on peyote. Band leader Dave Longstreth, a Yale dropout, creates very unique music I'll describe as Abstract African Psychedelic Pop Folk Rock. It's not for everyone, hell I didn't love it at first but it grew on me. A lot. This isn't just your normal guitar chords and 4/4 drum beats. There's parts in Bitte Orca I didn't think were possible live. I thought they were studio tricks but then I watched some live videos and it's for real. I'm sure the band has to practice at least four hours every day to accomplish whatever it is that's going through Longstreth's crazy mind. The man is a musical genius, even if it's not apparent to everyone just yet.

1. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest



I love Grizzly Bear. I praise them a lot and I'm sure it's starting to get on every ones nerves. I was actually hoping for there to be a better album than Veckatimest so it didn't look like they're all I care about. Unfortunately that prayer wasn't answered. Too bad! The song About Face is my least favorite track and it's better than most songs released this year. I've been following them for a few years now and have had the chance to see them live and they are simply just a group of nice, modest, talented guys. I've already expressed my love for them thousands of times before and if you haven't listened to me and checked them out yet, you probably won't so I'm not going to waste our time anymore. Veckatimest is my favorite album of 2009 and luckily for you guys, they probably won't be releasing anything in 2010 so I'll put them back on the shelf for a year.

Thanks a lot for listening. It was a fantastic year for music. I'm already twenty plus albums deep in 2010 and it's shaping up to be just as good if not better. Some friends were kind enough to write up their favorite albums of the year as well and they are posted below.

Thanks again!

Jonathan Ioviero:

10. Volcano Choir - Unmap
9. Passion Pit - Manners
8. The xx - xx
7. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
6. Au Revoir Simone - Still Night, Still Light
5. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains
4. Antlers - Hospice
3. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
2. Mew - No More Stories...
1. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Kyra Clark:

5. Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King
4. Regina Spektor - Far
3. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
2. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
1. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

Tyler Fox:

5. Converge - Axe to Fall

This album was one of the best hardcore/metal albums I have heard in a long fucking time. I always thought Converge was a typical noise hardcore band, but this proved that they are extremely talented. Some songs are fairly simple, but the guitarist has taken on more responsibilities for singing, adding another dimension to their sounds.

4. Hammer No More The Fingers - Looking for Bruce

I heard this CD when it came through the radio station last semester and I reviewed it. For my first spin, I didn't think this album was fantastic. But boy, I was wrong. They take indie/alt in the vain of The Casket Lottery and Jawbox, but apply a 90's alternative spin to it (Mushrooms). Songs like "Radiation" and "Fall Down, Play Dead" are musically moving and extremely fun.

3. Small Brown Bike - Composite, Vol. 1

This one is a no brainer for me. Small Brown Bike is in my top 5 for favorite bands of all time, and they got back together in early October and by the end of October, they had already written, recorded and released a 2 song 7" on No Idea records. I think that is all I really need to say. Classic Small Brown Bike.

2. Two Tongues - Two Tongues

Another CD I got and reviewed for the station. The lead singer of Say Anything and lead singer of Saves The Day, this is an emo kids dream! But for real, it wasn't an emo album for the most part (musically that is). Really cool, straight forward rock with the beautiful dual vocals battling. I was really happy to see that Max Bemis of Say Anything hasn't completely lost his musical talent.

1. Cursive - Mama, I'm Swollen

This may seem like another bias pick because they are another favorite, but this was a fantastic album. Their last album, "Happy Hollow" SUCKED! So to see this CD was actually good gave it that many more brownie points. But this was proof of how the band matured but was still able to have fun with writing and recording. I was lucky enough to sit down with Tim Kasher this summer and he explained that writing and recording has become second nature to them, so this album they decided to take a little bit longer in order to make it perfect. And I think it's pretty damn close.

Adam Wakefield:

In no particular order.

Propagandhi – Supporting Caste
Flaming Lips – Embryonic
John Frusciante – The Empyrean
Silversun Pickups – Swoon
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band – Outer South
Coworkers – S/T Demo (www.myspace.com/coworkersrights)
Sonorous Gale – Two’s a Crowd (www.myspace.com/sonorousgale)
The Mars Volta – Octahedron
Mountain Goats – The Life of the World to Come
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – S/T

Pete Zamniak:

Wilco - Wilco (The Album) and Flaming Lips - Embryonic. Bam!

Top 20 Songs of 2009

I love lists and ranking things. I don't know why, I just do. I understand my opinions are different than everyone else's but I love doing it anyways. So here are my personal top 20 favorite songs that were released this year. I thought it was a fantastic year for independent music and the sub-genres it consists of. You'll find everything from haunting piano music to epic 13-minute long synth jams here. I only put one song per band on here, although a lot of bands had more than a few amazing tracks, I just put what I thought was their best. The list is followed by a playlist with all of the songs on it. Enjoy!

20. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - A Teenager In Love

This song would fit in the films of the late, great John Hughes. Although it was written in 2009, it doesn't sound a thing like it. For anyone that enjoys 80's songs that will break your heart, give this one a listen.

19. Destroyer - Bay Of Pigs

I don't know where to begin with this track. It's some of the most unusual music I've ever heard. Consisting of eerie synths, ambiance and vocals by Dan Bejar which borders more on narration than actual singing. It almost seems boring at first, but when the drums and pulsing keyboards kick in you realize that the beginning is just the calm before the storm. At 13 minutes, not one second is wasted.

18. Girls - Laura

This band came out of nowhere a few months ago with a back story that is almost unbelievable (check it out on your own, it would take awhile to describe here). Laura is one of the better tracks on the album (fittingly named Album) Their sound can only be described as 60's sunshine pop/punk? I think? Just take my word for it. Oh, and they released one of the most controversial music videos I've ever seen for their song Lust For Life. It's definitely not safe for work so check it out at your own risk. You were warned!

17. The Dodos - The Strums

The Dodos consist of two members, a guitarist/vocalist and drummer who goes to extreme lengths to get certain sounds and beats produced (like taping tambourines to his feet). Although their album Visiter was better than this years Time To Die, there are a few songs that really stick out. The Strums is very catchy and simple and sometimes that's all you need.

16. Peter Bjorn and John - Nothing To Worry About

I had a lot of trouble deciding which song was better, this or Lay It Down. I recommend both but this song has been around since late 2008 and is still stuck in my head. They have a habit of doing that (Young Folks anybody?).

15. Sunset Rubdown - Apollo And The Buffalo And Anna Anna Anaa Oh!

Sunset Rubdown is one of Spencer Krugs side-projects. For a man who has at least 4 different bands, he never runs out of great songs or ideas. Not only do I highly recommend listening to Dragonslayer by Sunset Rubdown but listen to his other bands Wolf Parade and Swan Lake. Apollo... is one of the highlights of one of my favorite albums of the year.

14. Woods - Rain On

Some of you will like Woods and most of you will hate them. Their album Songs of Shame was simple, produced with poor equipment and the singer has a very distinct high pitched voice which would make a lot of you cringe, but there's something about them that I love. Rain On is a well written song and that's all it comes down to.

13. Neon Indian - Terminally Chill

Jon hates Neon Indian. Neon Indian is a guy who uses old school synths and makes poppy, trippy music that you can dance to. Only cool people can enjoy Neon Indian so I guess that explains why he doesn't. You better listen to it below if you don't want to be a loser like Jon.

12. Foreign Born - Vacationing People

Grizzly Bear front man Ed Droste praised Foreign Born a lot earlier in the year and when I got around to listening to their album Person To Person, I was impressed. Vacationing People consists of a great verse with fuzzy bass, a call and response chorus and an incredible bridge with beautiful slide guitar. I never get tired of listening to it from start to finish.

11. Papercuts - The Machine Will Tell Us So

I'm not going to lie. I love every song on this album equally. It came down to what ones were available for me to use on the playlist below. Their music relies on organ, simple but effective drums and is drenched with nostalgia. Listening to Papercuts is like looking at an old photo you are in, but you can't quite remember it being taken.

10. Bear In Heaven - Lovesick Teenagers

Another song about teenagers that sounds like it was written in 1986? Well, okay!

9. Bowerbirds - Crooked Lust

Bowerbirds are usually associated with nature. Their songs are mostly about trees and animals. The two vocalists are a couple, and their songs reflect the love for nature and each other. Crooked Lust is full of plucking acoustic guitars, out of tune pianos and beautiful harmonies. So basically every Bowerbirds song.

8. Cass McCombs - Lionkiller Got Married

I had heard a lot about McCombs the past few years and finally decided to check him out. His album Catacombs (gotta love wordplay) is one of the better I've heard this year and although it holds a few great tracks that were released as singles, it's Lionkiller that stuck out for me most. It has the same chords and melodies throughout it's whole running time and is incredibly repetitive but there's something about it that I love. It's one of the only tracks this year where the words jumped out and grabbed my attention. His style is simple but unique and he approaches his lyrics in a humorous way like no one else I've ever heard.

7. Bat For Lashes - Daniel

A fun, but dark love song about Daniel LaRusso from Karate Kid. Do I have to say anything else?

6. The Antlers - Kettering

Kettering is one of the most heart wrenching songs I have ever heard. The Antlers Hospice is an album about a hospice worker who falls in love with one of his patients who is dying of bone cancer. Needless to say, it's dark. It's sad. It's one of the best concept albums I've heard. At the same time though, it's brilliant and beautiful.

5. Here We Go Magic - Fangela

I had the privilege to see these guys (and girls) open for Grizzly Bear in June, and I was blown away. They are one of the better opening acts I've seen and they released a great first album this year. Fangela is a fantastic song that sounds as though it was produced on an old computer in a shady basement. I heard it's about a baby vampire but I don't quite get that from the lyrics. Anyways, it's a lot of fun and will be stuck in your head for an uncomfortable amount of time.

4. Animal Collective - My Girls

If you've been following other music sites and blogs as much as I have (you haven't) then you should know that Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion is towards the top of everyones list this year. And for a good reason. After years of experimentation they've finally made an album that's approachable for most audiences. My Girls is a fun song with great call and response from singers Avey Tare and Panda Bear, great harmonies and amazing production (make sure you listen to it with the bass turned up). I first heard it well over a year ago and I still find little things I love about it, and it still feels fresh to me.

3. Atlas Sound - Shelia

Bradford Cox is the front man of the band Deerhunter and Atlas Sound is his solo project. His first album consisted of a lot of noise and ambiance which divided people in half as to whether they liked it or not. His followup Logos was put together much better and is more accessible. There are three standout tracks. Walkabout, Quick Canal and Shelia. Shelia is very simple with a loop of the same three chords, sloppy percussion and a repetitive chorus but it gets under your skin. It's a love story, sort of, about being with someone because it's better than dying alone. "Shelia, we'll die alone together." is what Cox expresses as the song fades to nothing.

2. Dirty Projectors - Useful Chamber

My favorite Beatles song is Happiness Is A Warm Gun. There are very few songs that consist of different segments, tempos and feels, and even fewer that succeed. Useful Chamber is one of those songs. It has a hypnotic verse with shifting oohs by the girls in the group while Dave Longstreth bears his soul. The first chorus consists of beautiful acoustic guitar and perfect, minimal drums. The bridge has an electronic drum loop while Longstreth speaks/raps. Then everything explodes into the second chorus as he shouts BITTE ORCA ORCA BITTE! Don't ask me what it means, something about whales. There's another bridge of amazing harmonies from the girls, then back to the beautiful acoustic guitar part and finally it wraps up with the Bitte Orca part again. It's a perfect song? No. Crazy? Yes. Listen to it.

1. Grizzly Bear - While You Wait For The Others

If you know me, you know that I praise and love Grizzly Bear. And for a good reason. They are one of the better bands out there today and people are starting to catch on to them due to the amazing song Two Weeks being plastered everywhere. I first heard While You Wait For The Others live on Conan Obrien a year and a half ago and I'll always remember it. I had heard them a few times at that point but never really sat down and paid much attention. I re-listened to their first few albums and instantly fell in love with them. Their 2006 album Yellow House is my favorite of the decade and their new album Veckatimest is incredible. While You Wait For The Others has Daniel Rossen on lead vocals with his rough vocals. He sings over simple toms and reverb drenched guitar throughout the verse. It's soothing, and relaxing but then the chorus comes in. Exploding three part harmonies over Daniel's questioning "And what was left? / The perfect cleft / We all fall through." At that point I didn't think it could get much better but the bridge holds incredible harmonies and a great build up to Ed Droste's oohs. The chorus comes in again and fades out on a beautiful note. It's a powerful song and the highlight of their already amazing career.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

"Why a fox? Why not a horse, or a beetle, or a bald eagle? I'm saying this more as, like, existentialism, you know? Who am I? And how can a fox ever be happy without, you'll forgive the expression, a chicken in its teeth?"

Wes Anderson has a way of making you feel like a kid. Although his films deal with serious topics such as teenage boys in love with their 30-something teachers, dysfunctional families and coming to terms with what your life has become, he creates these playful and interesting worlds that you can't help but want to be a part of.

His signature consists of a certain color scheme, 60's British invasion music, perfectly awkward dialogue and countless other things. You'd be able to spot one of his films a mile away because they're unlike anything else. When I heard that his next feature was to be an animated film based on the book by Roald Dahl, I was disappointed because I felt that he would get rid of his certain weirdness and charm. Well like usual, I was completely wrong.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is entirely a Wes Anderson film. Maybe more so than his previous efforts. Instead of using computers and expensive technology, he resorted to stop motion animation which allowed him to be as unique as he wanted to be. Pixar movies have taken the Best Animated Feature award for the past few years but I think Up better watch it's back.

Anderson's usual cast is present. Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson and more, but it's the addition of George Clooney that makes this movie. Let's face it, Clooney is pretty fucking suave. He brings his usual charm and then some. In most animated films it's hard to relate to the characters because they are pretty two dimensional (HA!), but every major character is well developed here. There were many instances where I completely forgot that I was watching an animated film. I'll also mention Schwartzman who played Mr. Fox's son. His lines were spot on and had me laughing extremely loud which was quite embarrassing because I was surrounded by five year olds.

Let me touch on that for a minute here, this is definitely a film for adults. I think the humor would just confuse most kids as it's very dry. Most of the children in the theater looked pretty bored, yet it made me feel like a kid again. I don't know. Forget this paragraph even exists.

The animation also provides a lot of laughs. It's just so different than everything else that's been out lately. There's a sequence at the beginning of Mr. and Mrs. Fox running through a farm and it's simply amazing. Within the first few minutes I already had a huge smile plastered on my face.

The story is very well written. I haven't read the book, but I'm assuming Anderson added a lot of material which works very well. The few subplots keep you interested and like I mentioned earlier, the dialogue is perfect. His usual choice of music is present with tracks by The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones and a hilarious cameo by Jarvis Cocker.

I'm not a huge fan of animated films but this is definitely one of the best movies of the year. I recommend seeing it if you want a feel-good comedy and especially if you liked any of his other films.

9.5/10

Top Ten Christmas Movies

Oh, hello. I didn't see you there. It's that special time of the year again, so I think it's about time to put together a list of my personal favorite Christmas movies. I try to watch these ten films every year, I usually don't succeed but irregardless. Here they are. Enjoy!

10. A Christmas Story



I wasn't going to put this on here, because it's overplayed to the point of being annoying, but every time I actually watch it I am not disappointed. I can see why it holds the status that it does.

9. Silent Night Deadly Night



Yeah yeah, I'm a horror fan so expect a few on this list. It's my list not yours, remember! Anyway, this movie is hilarious and fun and even though there's a lot of blood and killing, it is in fact a full blown Christmas movie and you can't help but enjoy it.

8. Home Alone/Home Alone 2



These movies hold a special place in my heart and probably anyone's heart who grew up with them. I can't even begin to guess the number of times I have watched them. It's rare to find movies that you loved as a kid and still love to this day whenever they are on.

7. Puppet Master vs. The Demonic Toys



Christmas is a time of sharing and friendship. So what's better than a couple of friends getting together and sharing a few laughs at one of the most ridiculous Christmas movies ever made? I watched this on TV a few years ago with a group of people and we had a great time. It's terrible and hilarious and I'll delve into it much deeper later on in the month as it's the first movie to be featured in our Terribly Great section.

6. Elf



What can I say? It's one of the only modern Christmas movies that I think already holds a classic status. One that children and adults can enjoy every year.

5. It's A Wonderful Life



I don't think I need to really say much about this one. If you haven't seen it, then you're wrong and if you won't because it's old and black and white then you're also stupid.

4. Die Hard



Yes. Bruce Willis kicking ass and taking names and Carl Winslow from Family Matters eating a bunch of donuts. All in the spirit of Christmas.

3. Black Christmas



One of the only horror films that is truly well-made. It avoids bad acting, terrible effects and stupid plot. Instead it's full of suspense and realistic danger. I'm obviously talking about the original, not the remake.

2. Christmas Vacation



I watch this every year, and am never disappointed. Chevy Chase is perfect as Clark "Sparky" Griswold in the best installment of the Vacation series, and one of the best comedies of all time.

1. Gremlins



This film has everything you need. It's a truly heartwarming Christmas movie, it's hilarious, sometimes scary, the characters are surprisingly relatable and it has one of the greatest and most adorable creatures I've ever seen. I'm obviously talking about Corey Feldman. It's one of my favorite movies of all time and definitely my favorite Christmas movie.

Honorable Mention: The Star Wars Holiday Special. It's almost impossible to get your hands on it but I hear it's horrible!

I recommend checking out any of these if you aren't a heartless jerk who hates joy, because joy is what all of these films will bring you. Except the ones about murder. So about half of these. Thanks!

Merry Christmas!