THE 100 BEST FILMS of 2000-2009:

FILM #12: 'Persepolis' (2007--08)

Directed by Marjane Satrapi and based on her own memoirs, this witty animated film loudly presents a perspective of Iran most Westerners would be seeing for the first time. Clearly the title character--like Miss Satrapi--is from the upper educated class but that doesn't make the writing less authentic. In an age where Pixar is defining the way 3D animation can be juxtaposed to great story-telling, its heartening to see the old 2D stuff still holding its own.

More stunning though is the in-depth analysis of life in Iran. What Satrapi makes clear is that the lives of the youngsters are the same anywhere they are and that it takes more than a revolution to alter that. Her story is also caustic and brilliant in the satire juxtaposed to the comedic interference of divinity in the state of things and sexual tension. References to other cultural icons (Michael Jackson, 'Che' Guevera ect) and the suppression of the Western life is explored exquisitely throughout the ninety-plus minutes that we watch Persepolis grow up to the point of becoming her own woman and, finally, our headstrong feminist hero.

THE 100 BEST FILMS of 2000-2009:

FILM #11: 'United 93' (2006)

Nearly ten years after the horrific events that brought down the Twin Towers, Paul Greengrass' film feels just as fresh and disturbing. I still feel this was the best film released in 2006 because Greengrass' signature tension makes watching the action almost unbearable. Utilizing real aviation personnel and relatives of those who perished adds authenticity but the sequential order that he assembles is simultaneously non-judgmental and sacrosanct.

THE 100 BEST FILMS of 2000-2009:

FILM #10: "Amores Perros" (2000)

Jagged in its flashbacks and with obvious homage to Pulp Fiction, Amores Perros consistently and brilliantly challenges film convention. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's direction is simply sublime as he tackles three interlinked vignettes that explore cause and effect, greed and envy, ambition and family life. It also deals with consequences of actions that touch not just your own situation but the lives of others. Inarritu's style is disjointed , poetic and captures the perfect Latino, smarmy ethos that has come to be expected: blood stir-fries into a frying pan, ect.

The first vignette slyly deals with family strife so intense that the brothers end up clobbering each other, in essence over a woman. The second vignette centers of Valeria (Goya Toleda), a supermodel who is having an affair with a married man. Opposite the apartment where they live is a giant poster of her leggy beauty but this soon becomes a curse after a car crash leaves her in a wheelchair. The third vignette deals with El Chivo (Emilio Echevarria) and his abandonment of society. All three stories are brutal in the depiction of human life yet stunningly tender towards dogs...

THE 100 BEST FILMS of 2000-2009:

FILM #9: No Country for Old Men (2007)

Adapted from the Cormac McCarthy novel, the film settles into its 1980 West Texas landscape poetically and, in the form of the local sheriff, Ed Tom Bell (the ever solid Tommy Lee Jones) philosophically. Brilliantly directed by the Coen brothers (Joel & Ethan), ‘No Country for Old Men’ is a thrilling expose on the changing value of violence and the slow realization of such. The attention to detail is sheer poetic and, like the film itself, volatile: Chigurh shoots Carson Wells (Woody Harrelson) while the telephone rings and then speaks to Moss mindful to lift his legs as Wells’ blood spreads thickly on the floor. The beauty of the film though lies in its conviction that one repudiates violence at one’s own peril and that we have to acknowledge its presence as a way of life. Sheriff Bell realizes the enormity that faces him and has no option but to admit openly that the level of crime is beyond his handling. Chigurh is the killer of a new time, one that can walk away unscathed to fight new battles or at least pay his way out of complicity. He, not the law, is the one with his hand on the pulse of this new world. That makes ‘No Country for Old Men’ frighteningly real and a modernistic take on the evolutionary process of crime that will likely smudge our paranoid lives, one way or the other.

THE 100 BEST FILMS of 2000-2009:

FILM #8: 'Moulin Rouge' (2001)

With 19th century Paris and its nightlife as the backdrop, Moulin Rouge perfectly captures the essence of human need versus desire. Nicole Kidman earned her first real critical recognition as Satine,the ambitious courtesan. She clearly wasn't ideal for such a role but as the film progresses we literally see her coming into her own. Baz Luhrmann's dizzy direction subdues its wow factor after an hour but it is afterwards that the love story takes true shape and starts to unspool. The songs are chaotic, loud and non-traditional but its lovely energy and a huge plus. BUt it is Kidman that rises most effectively especially when required to take duplicitous action. The scene where she lashes out at Zidler (the ever excellent Jim Broadbent)is stunning and shows how quickly her ambition turns to love.

Unlike most musicals, Moulin Rouge risks everything by segueing into real drama. Not content to be faithful to source material, Luhrmann earns full marks for presenting something fresh and contemporary. We get to see the various characters as complicated human beings they really are and not just mere one-dimensional products for the audience's amusement. No other musical in the decade dared to keep its ethos so firmly rooted in reality.

THE 100 BEST FILMS of 2000-2009:

FILM #7: 'The Dark Knight' (2008)

Undoubtedly the best comic book adaptation ever and forever immortalized Heath Ledger as the sadistic Joker. Don't be fooled though that his masterful performance is the only brilliant thing about the film. Critics have raved about it because of Christopher Nolan's impeccable direction of this moralistic tale. The peformances are uniformly great: Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent (aka Two-face) is an underrated yet sublime performance. Whereas previous Batman films were merely comedic and not too designed towards real menace,Dent is allowed to violently transform by loss then rage into the very monster he sets out to rid Gotham City of. Gary Oldman loses himself as Commissioner Gordon, a man who sacrifices much and often to meager returns. Then there is Ledger of course, as the Joker, a cautionary reference about what can go so very wrong in a non-caring society. A deserving Oscar winning role for a timeless performance and a great film that shows that comic adaptation can work just as well as anything else out there.

THE 100 BEST FILMS of 2000-2009:

FILM #6: "The Hours" (2002)

Based on Michael Cunningham's Pulitzer Prize winning book, the film basically shows the effect of the novel 'Mrs. Dalloway' has on three women (including the author Virginia Woolf). A tremendous task in print but translated succinctly unto screen without as much as a glitch. As Woolf, Nicole Kidman transforms into a dowdy unrecognizable entity and delivers, through a scene at train-side, some stunning work. Julianne Moore's aesthetics works wonderfully as tormented 1950s housewife Laura Brown and then there's the peerless Meryl Streep as the modern woman who keeps everything together as Clarissa Vaughan. The acting is top notch, especially Ed Harris as Richard, a writer dying of AIDS.

Stephen Daldry directs the interconnecting scenes with such mastery and punctuates it all with a thrilling score by Phillip Glass. Armed with this juxtaposition the film demands a sort of intimate attention from viewers. It's all interlinked by several factors but the resonant point is that we all have surges of despair, hopelessness and even self-doubt. The sadness of how all three main characters deal with these personal tragedies can be heartbreaking but also one can choose happiness and carry on. A hard choice to be sure but one that is as vital as breath.

THE 100 BEST FILMS of 2000-2009:

FILM #5: "Pride & Prejudice" (2005)

The film that made Keira Knightley a star and what a revelation she was as Jane Austen's heroine Elizabeth Bennett. Austen's novel has been adapted several times before but what this film manages to juxtapose so superbly is the state of relations in 18th century England to how things are currently. The nuances of the characters are very familiar especially surrounding the issue as marriage. The issue of love and its choice though is wonderfully creased in Knightley's performance and in stark contrast to that of her mother, Mrs Bennet (played with great frivolity by Brenda Blethyn).

The film also shows the awkwardness associated with the stern austerity of the times and how characters steel themselves or rebel against what is expected from them. There is a winning out of the heart and not the strictly sane choices one must make. Beneath its formality and even Judi Dench's awesome and small role as Lady Catherine de Bourgh is a reality that the love of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy (Matthew MacFadyen)must face and overcome. In the end, the story is timeless and a winning formula to make a great film. The adaptation though isn't afraid to shed its starchy inclination to look beneath personalities to reveal the living, breathing thing that is hidden beneath.

THE 100 BEST FILMS of 2000-2009:

FILM Four:Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

The film is pretty much akin to 'American Beauty' in theme and style but 'Sunshine' manages to gather towards a collective likeness of characters and a sympathethic centre. Acceptance here is won the hard way. This is because the Hoover family, despite all their flaws, is pretty damned likable. The scope of the acting brilliantly manages to make this possible. Breslin absolutely shines and there's hardly a female lead that can charge into physical despair as ungainly or quickly as Collette. Kinnear has the look of a man desparately trying to remain calm while his fears slowly consume him.

The most sublime aspect though is the pageant itself. After barely just registering Olive in the show, even Steve realises the error of doing so. The pageant has a talent section but centres mostly on physical beauty. As the decidely imperfect audience claps on their perfect, doll-like girls parading in swim-wear and gowns, "Little Miss Sunshine" hits its darkest cues. When Olive dedicated her dance routine to her grandfather, the emcee asks of his location, Olive matter-of-factly replies that 'he's in the trunk of our car'. Of course grandpa had died the night before of a drug overdose and they had 'kidnapped' the body from the hospital and stored it in the back of the van. Olive hasn't yet learned shrewdness on this level. Sh'e more astute with her competition however: sensing her chance of winning slipping, Olive does an astonishing dance/strip routine to MC Hammer's 'U Can't Touch This' record. The moment, while totally humorous, presents a challenge to so many societal norms and raises impertinent questions but doesnt dwell on them. All these instances involve Olive as the main reason of change but it's a change of idealism for the others, not for her. Her desire to win or at least to be the most competitive she can be finally rips through the crafted fabric of confliction that surrounds her childhood. To this end, all parties directly involved in her life recognise the blame they share and accept it humbly. They realise how confusing their secular actions have been on her all along. The film tries to patch this issue up by having Steve finally choosing to support his kid, and by extension his flawed family unit over his own blinding and selfish ambition. What it isn't able to band aid however is how greatly the damage to Olive has already manifested.

THE 100 BEST FILMS of 2000-2009:

FILM THREE: "4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days" (2008)


Winner of the prestigious 2007 Palm d'Or, the film which tackles teenage abortion was directed and produced by Cristian Mungiu. Set on the dying days of Communist Romania, "4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days" achieves perfectly what one is to expect from a foreign-language film: a mirror into the soul that links us all. In Otilia (Anamaria Marinca) we are introduced to the thinking mind of a young woman who becomes her friend's (Gabita) only hope out of an abortion. Both actresses shine as naive yet tough-thinking women trapped in a circumstance that is new to them and one that will have dire consequences even if it cements their complicated friendship.

Through it all though, Olitia has grown up and starts to envision a future whereas Gabita retreads into herself. We see the naked truth lurking through actions and Mungiu lays it all on the line in a non-judgmental way. Yet, one cannot watch this masterpiece and view the issue of abortion the same again nor view the grimy contacts and values being eroded as merely essential to build this plot. No, we're witnessing the lives of millions of women around the world and the pain and ultimate personal price being paid.

The Wolfman (2010)

Fight Test

Every director dreams of updating their favorite old neglected movies. Universal’s 1941 horror film, The Wolf Man invokes such sentiment for many Hollywood types because the sad tale of Lawrence Talbot has never really stuck despite several recurring features about the character. I’m not sure if this remake is a dream pitch for Joe Johnson (Jumanji, Honey I Shrunk the Kids) because he only got involved after Mark Romanek left the project. Then again, I doubt this matters much to a man who knows how to dumb down any film and make big bucks in the process with one simple formula: bigger, faster, dumber.

We first encounter Lawrence (Benicio Del Toro) as he returns home to Talbot Hall because of his brother’s gruesome death. He isn’t readily recognized by the manservant and his father, Sir John (Sir Anthony Hopkins) eyes him rather suspiciously. Lawrence is also back to meet his brother’s wife Gwen (Emily Blunt) who asks him to investigate the manner of the death. It is rumored to be an animal killing and the locals are frenzied with panic. That is in contrast with the calm of his father’s mansion, which mirrors the state of their relationship: run down and left carelessly attended. Sir John doesn’t outwardly seem to mind the state of things and from the start we almost suspect why. But the state of Lawrence’s mind remains closed to us and, unfortunately, remains so for much of the film.

In the midst of this family strife Lawrence becomes the victim of a wolf bite and the indifference that the town was treating him with turns into outright aggression. Only his noble family name keeps them in check but finally, after much tension, his father yields and he is locked up for fear he will become a werewolf when the moon is full. Here the film encroaches upon classicism by in one hand having Sir John defend his son then in another betraying him to psychiatric evaluation. In this interplay, Sir John is in control up to the point where he visits Lawrence in his cell and, finally, reveals all. It is a calculation meant to break his son’s mental resolve but The Wolfman literally lets off its leash when it doesn’t. This leads into a series of events that begin with the obligatory beast transformation scene. It’s neatly done with ghoulish effects but once Lawrence is away from any moral constraint we begin to lose interest in him. He becomes that monster, an uncouth beast that strays away from the classicism that he was brought up in.

This leads to what sinks The Wolfman: its determination as to when Lawrence should exude bestial behavior and when he should not. Johnson doesn’t patiently dwell on either scenario though because there is action to dish out. And, sure enough, there is no other type of night in the village so we get to rush straight to all the gore and heavy innuendo. And, as no one apparently remembered that there was a man-killing beast before Lawrence got bitten, the lack of awareness of the townspeople plays out expectantly. This doesn’t include the Gypsies though, who, of course, get the xenophobic blame.

This being a Joe Johnson film, The Wolfman swerves into patented goofiness instead of blossoming into an adult thriller. The writing of the film—courtesy of David Self and Andrew Kevin Walker—is shockingly wooden. This is disappointing because both are responsible for two good films that The Wolfman tries hard to be all at once: Road to Perdition and Sleepy Hollow. There are shades of Poe’s novel, The Fall of the House of Usher thrown in as well. A lot of this feels like filler though, especially the scenes where townspeople are involved because you already know they’re not integral to the plot. Lawrence’s beastly destruction is expanded emptily upon them. So as they flee before him--ensnared in his pointless rage--we patiently wait for the inevitable outcome.

Which-- when the film finally centers on it, starts to unravel tangibles that go beyond the average horror flick. The film builds upon the issue of familial tension but once there, Johnson leaks the air out with less-than-convincing gaffes as well as Lawrence’s psychological issues. Benicio Del Toro doesn’t translate well into this character. Here, buried under Thriller-like make-up, we don’t feel his torture. Neither can Hopkins light any spark with scenes involving other characters. As Gwen, Emily Blunt is a fresh revelation. She is easily the most believable character trapped in the dire circumstances here. She stands between the family and sure ruin, eviscerating pain superbly as a woman grieving for a dead husband while battling growing sexual tension for his brother. The final scene, when his need literally has caught up to her own, is cheese-free only because of the silent terror Blunt is able to convey with her painted face, giving greater credence to the terror that courses through her body.

For therein she comes to the pivotal moment of The Wolfman: confrontation with the beast. It is an all-too obvious bloodlust that she realizes must be handled. As the terror creeps up on her incrementally Johnson’s close-ups are far more effective than at any other point in the film, a telling indicator that he’d been plodding down the wrong path all along. As Gwen arrives at her conclusion, Lawrence is ever so gently betrayed again. ‘Look at these eyes, you know who I am’, Gwen tell him as he closes in. The words are empty because the moon is full and her voice thick with resignation and panic. The Wolfman thus revolves around choices and the quickness of them. If his father has realized this at the earliest stage of the film then it is left up to Gwen to arrive to such a conclusion lastly and most decisively. Alas, between both controllers of his fate, Lawrence gets irretrievably lost. So too does the film; no matter how hard he tries to reach out to be included.

5/10

THE 100 BEST FILMS of 2000-2009:

FILM TWO: "Gangs of New York" (2002)

Though it's tempting to forget it now the fact is that if this Scorcese effort had landed a Best Picture Oscar then we'd all be singing its praise. Nonetheless, time has been kind to its vision. Sure, the design now seems a bit cartoonish and the writing scripted too tightly for significance but amid all this lies some of the best acting done by all principals involved. Jack Nicholson may have cost Daniel Day-Lewis an Oscar but as Bill Cutting he is in his element...it's a seminal performance. The ever excellent Jim Broadbent plays the sleezy politician (Mr. Tweed) and even Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz shine uniformly.

Of course, this is a Scorcese film so it questions its own motives even as it invites examination of 19th century America: what is stood for and how it went about achieving its immortality. As well as how quickly all that can be dissolves in the space of a mere few minutes.

THE 100 BEST MOVIES of 2000-2009:

FILM ONE

"Ratatouille" (2007)


A superb Disney/Pixar animated film that juxtaposes smart, innovative (art) direction with a big heart. The story centers on Remy, a rat who can cook. He learns the culinary art among other things from Gusteau, a famous French chef who returns from the grave to inspire Remy when he becomes separated from his colony and washes up under Paris, near Gusteau's once-famous restaurant. Remy sneaks into the restaurant and eventually helps Linguini transform it into the toast of the city again.

Under Brad Bird's superlative direction every scene gives way to another breath-taking one, especially those of Remy avoiding detection in the restaurant and while being chased by the dastardly de facto chef, Skinner. Bird takes us on an enthralling journey that forgoes the usual sentimental approach while maintaining a firm story. It's effective with both dramatic and comedic moments. The best scene no doubt features the self-important critic Anton Ego, brilliantly voiced by Sir Peter O'Toole, who literally gets an eye-opening meal that takes him back to warm memories. As his pen falls to the ground in slow motion, the moment is superbly documented for us to be at one with his joyous surprise

Odd Blood (Yeasayer) (2010)

Dirty Whirl


Though most musicians hate the idea of online leaks, they realise that it is one of the best gauges of popularity. Yeasayer’s debut, All Hour Cymbals went largely ignored through such a process. Hailing from Brooklyn, which has been rivalling Jamaica as the hottest location for creative music, this slight was extremely odd. However, once they began touring with MGMT and Beck, the word got out about them and the end result was Odd Blood, their sophomore, leaking two whole months before its official release date.

Expectations thus are high so what does the band do…well, they stymie us first track up: The Children has much more in common with the arcane sounds of The Knife than anything on All Hour Cymbals. The beat reverberates with an organic feel that spits out warbled vocals within its haunting context. It’s a declarative prop; one that couldn’t have been useful anywhere else and the band know they’re trying our patience early. The pay-off comes next though with the brilliant lead single, Ambling Alp, which opens up with crunchy pop beats (wtf?!) of all things juxtaposed to Chris Keating’s vocals. It’s about-- get this, a boxer but the less thought on that will increase your appreciation for the track. Madder Red flirts briefly with their build up of tension only to release it with a huge musical flourish, but even that dissolves into pop too.

It becomes clear that Odd Blood is a heavy departure by the band from what everyone presumed would’ve been their career template. All Hour Cymbals exploited the rustic nature of rock with a consistency that—while not always great—did produce the goose bump-inducing Wait for the Summer and 2080. Their sense of communal, western chant music was derivative of pop but who knew Keating planned to bring techno and house beats to this new project? While the jury is still out on what brought about this change, the tracks on Odd Blood simply either work themselves out or dissolve trying hard to. O.N.E is particularly delightful, with its steel pans and booming pop appeal and is sure to bring Vampire Weekend comparisons...trying hard to be all things to everyone.

Therein lays Yeasayer’s main crime throughout Odd Blood: indecision. Too many songs are ripped to experimental shreds before reaching bliss. O.N.E is snatched away from greatness right at the end with a weird, intrusive solo overlapping the band’s brilliant chorus. I Remember—with its lyrics their clearest yet—is kept frustratingly in check by piano-based bridges, when it was clear Keating threatened to run its emotional levels to new heights. Love Me Girl opens up with a decidedly underground techno vibe (again, wtf?!) then unwisely morphs into 80’s dance/pop then morphs into the delicious techno again before—you guessed it, back to pulling the curtain down with more 80’s pop. Synths run wild throughout the track until it resolves to end, leaving one dizzy in the ears.

An uncomplicated highlight is Mondegreen, where the spectre of TV on the Radio manifests itself. Here the band gleefully unleashes frantic beats and staccato horns juxtaposed to sped-up dance music. It’s a wild experiment that works because they’re not weighed down by the same great expectations that seem to have caught Tunde Adebimpe around the knees. The album ends with Grizelda, the sole track that would’ve fit snugly on All Hour Cymbals. It’s not more than a few words but it proves that Keating’s decision to turn away from his comfort zone is less than final.

In all this genre-testing though Yeasayer has still not committed totally to one vision and that can be a test of fan appreciation. Thus, there will be hardly any opinion, neither for nor against, that will settle as decisive. Which is the same state the band’s music is in. Credit the band though for yet again nicely tethering on the edge of a breakthrough. Once they decide to stick to a plan they’ll get closer to the inevitable masterpiece that is on the cards. As Keating repeatedly sings on the uneven Rome, ‘it’s just a matter/ just a matter/ just a matter of time’.

RATING: 7.5/10

THE 100 BEST ALBUMS of 2000-2009:

Arular (M.I.A) (2005): the beginning of an amazing career.

THE 100 BEST ALBUMSS of 2000-2009:

Happy New Year...


St. Elsewhere (Gnarls Barkley) (2006): insane clownish fun, especially the brilliant opener Go Go Gospel Gadget.

2009 ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

...and the winner is


Animal Collective


Seriously, could there be any other choice? Whether you like Animal Collective or not, they have given us the year's most talked about album in "Merriweather Post Pavillion", which, in case you've been in a cave, was arguably the best release and definately the most influential of the past twelve months. From as early as Christmas 2008 various leaks of the album presented fans with the first glimpses of the wonderful album but when it was officially released all the praise was justified. I need not go into that praise to prove the importance of "MPP" but the mere fact that every critic---detractors and those who build the hype unnecessarily--had something to say about it. That is impact. Even those who heatedly can't stand it go to great lengths to decry the seeming 'conspiracy' to hype the album. Don't believe me....then go on any music review site and see for yourself how many more comments are attached to "MPP" than to any other release this year.

But, what ultimately differs "MPP" from their canon is the fact that it will be imitated to death. Already, of the many 2010 leaks, quite a few (I'll single out the engaging Toro Y Mi) have been influenced by a little "MPP" magic. The merger of indie and pop has now reached a climatic stage, one where bands who we love fiercely because they don't conform now can impliment R&B, bubblegum pop,ect into their ideas and manage not to sell out. Animal Collective are very much at the forefront of this revolution and "MPP" isbut yet another step in their remarkable evolution.

The Top 30 ALBUMS of 2009: 1--10

The finale...








10: The Fiery Furnaces
I’m Going Away

Here is rambling poetry juxtaposed with bar-hopping piano pop as only Matthew & Eleanor Friedberger can do. This is for the sophisticated, drunk on their own excess but the Brooklyn duo has broadened their bar act into a full-blown revue: Keep me in the Dark jazzes up things with a spiked guitar of all things. Ditto Charmaine Champagne, which interrupts its own flow with rambling Beat-like prose. Ultimately though, Eleanor lifts the bar with her lovelorn use of vocals, especially when the lights and her emotions get dark (Cut the Cake, Even in the Rain). It’s an ambitious turn around of musical direction but if accessibility encroaches on their art like this then they should unfurl even more.






9: The Sandwitches
How to make Ambient Sadcake

From its opening track, the deceiving Back to the Sea, one deduces that the alternative country genre has gotten a pleasant new addition, just not one to trouble the critics but that would be terribly wrong. By track three--- the bluesy The Revisionist---the band’s already drawing out intent with lines like, ‘God ain’t no friend of mine.’ The last half bites harder: Fire, a folk delight, recalls Fleetwood Mac in full flight while Marry Me one-ups St. Vincent’s recent effort with more feminine urgency. But the real impressive notion The Sandwitches explore here is that alternative-country can be exciting yet conform. In the process, through stompers like Wicked Inger, they’ve reminded Kathleen Edwards and even Nekko Case why we loved them in the first place: daredevils in this field are appreciated greatly.





8: Tanya Morgan
Brooklynati

For their third album the members of Tanya Morgan (Von Pea, Donwill and Illyas) have retreated to a fictitious city. This is a location where phat beats are built upon concepts of other MCs without fear of imitation being limited to flattery. More important is the absence of modern swagger and in its stead is a holler back to a time when rap was concerned about its image. This allows the guys to bare their skills without obfuscation. There it is full blown yet playful on Never Enough and Blu. Another feature of the album is the sampling skill involved. The beats are not as outsized as Outkast but they cut nearly as deep. If I had to single out any track then it would be So Damn Down, where the band reaches a level of hypnotic groove that makes it impossible not to nod your head off.






7: Patrick Wolf
The Bachelor

The opening track, Hard Times sums up in its pristine production and steely lyrics the state of Wolf’s mind and the recording industry at large (we have grown to ignore/ mediocrity applauded/ show me some revolution/ this battle will be won). One track in and we are welcomed to the world Wolf inhabits and the showman and dramatist in him shines superbly. The Bachelor, though over-reaching at times, is very much an epic statement, the type of artistic bravura that has almost vanished from pop music ever since the start of this decade. Swinging from personal politics to depression to falling in love, The Bachelor is an immediate indie experience.





6: FrYars
Dark Young Hearts

Garrett’s geeky pop sensibility has years-worth of intuition, even here on the reworking of this album that eliminated nine of the original tracks. This is as fresh as pop music has been on an intellectual level lately as old standards have sadly descended into having nothing much to say (right, Pink?). Garrett brings a nerdy-level to his queer context, not the sappy sentimentality of an old queen (right, Antony Hegarty?). His outlook of music superbly blends pessimism and reality. For all the changes this is still a meticulously crafted yet subtle album that proves the process of growing up is fraught with self-loathing and questioning yourself endlessly but also that ultimate tool of triumph: reinvention. The best new artist of the year.





5: Atlas Sound
Logos

Rapidly revolutionizing shoegaze, Bradford Cox’s solo output culminates here with an impressive array of sounds because there’s more craft here than experimentation. There’s no shortage of shoegaze talent but while a promising act like Tickley Feather still hasn’t pulled it together, Cox sits atop this mountain and he is seemingly alone. Tracks like Quick Canal and Washington School simply shimmer with his beautiful 80s arrangement far more effectively than his debut last year. The production is intricate yet refined to the point of resembling nothing else coming from the genre; a sure sign of Cox’s emerging genius. An Orchid is spare but notice how the guitars loudly lulling everything in place. The two stand-outs are nestled right beside each other, Criminal and the pop-laced Walkabout which features Animal Collective’s Panda Bear. A tremendous album because here at last the genre has found its master.




4: Japandroids
Post-Nothing

Brian King sings the line, ‘so we can french-kiss the French girls’, on Wet Hair with such a teenager’s supercharged energy that it’s frightening. That’s my first and continuous impression of this excellent album. Along with David Prowse, King presents broad chords stewed in mid-90s fuzz as far as sonically different from say, The Smashing Pumpkins yet expressing the same exhilarating glee. It’s catchy stuff too without trying self-consciously to be so. Sovereignty exerts it mojo with punishing guitars and a dense wall of sound while I Quit Girls uses the same tactics to retread from itself. Quite a decent trick from a punk band that’s just as ease baying at the moon or in the basement alone, drowning out the rest of us.






3: Bear in Heaven
Beast rest forth Mouth

It seems every year unearths a new band with a fantastic album that I’ve never heard before. This year it’s Bear in Heaven and their sophomore opus that, literally, rocks. The band sifts the Mid-western aura like sand. Casual Goodbye, the ender, swallows its spastic sonic glow with the assuredness of a grandmaster. Deafening Love employs power keg beats and bleeding vocals to great effect.This wholesome Americana texture is akin to bands like Yeasayer and Blitzen Trapper, especially the scope of the former and vocal nuance of the latter. It’s a winning combination to be sure and it’s made even surer by the uncompromising length detail. Lead vocal Jon Philpots manages to stay on track with his ideas and not, like other sound merchants, taper of with blurry instrumentals.





2: Grizzly Bear
Veckatimest

Ed Droste and Daniel Rossen create the type of chorale music that sounds heavenly. The harmonies on Veckatimest are spun so tightly, so cleverly crafted that it leaves one gasping for breath afterwards. While You Wait for the Others, the centrepiece, reels out a steady brilliance that precedes even more of the same stuff. It’s not easy to attain such a level, a fact that most critics have put down to the long gestation of the album but it is this fanatic attention to detail that delights. Droste and Rossen play around each other while Christopher Bear connects whatever few seams that spill. You hear that guitar riffs lulling Two Weeks into precision, the jazzy undercurrents of Southern Point as well as the tenderness of All We Ask. Not to mention the beautiful, poetic lyrics that indicate the creative process involved on this project which, for all its fanciness, remains a chamber pop opus of the simplest order.





1: Animal Collective
Merriweather Post Pavillion

In the end it wasn’t close because with the release of MPP Animal Collective has topped all expectation and given us the most ideal embodiment of the freak/folk movement that has defined the decade in indie music. The trio has also now hit the rarefied air few bands ever find: becoming the standard of a particular genre. Witness their raw sound now morphed into headphone statements like the opening two tracks, In the Flowers and My Girls. Note the water-logged choruses of the Beach Boys-aping Bluish and Guys Eyes. What impresses mostly about MPP though is the variance of the style used. Whereas most bands in the genre cannot yet differentiate solid ideas on record, Avery Tare and Panda Bear are now at the point of looking back on the wealth of experience their creativity has afforded them. This is, therefore, their grown-up record, one where the personalities are no longer getting in the way but segueing with ease.