Category: PERSONAL

best of 09. part II

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(These last few days have been crazy! Sorry for the extreme delay)

So my list of albums from 2009 are not necessarily albums that were released in 2009 (most released in 2008), but the albums that I listened to/enjoyed the most in 2009. My taste in music is kind of all over the place, so bear with me.

Music

  • Kate Voegele, A Fine Mess : So I discovered Kate Voegele back before she became more well known, and when she released her new album, I was afraid that Hollywood had gotten to her… Not in the slightest. “A Fine Mess” is full of clever lyrics and the right mix of slower songs and more upbeat tunes. The only letdown on the album for me is “Talkin’ Smooth”, where she tried to infuse a bit of country. Earth to Kate: please do not try this again. It was a fail. Tracks to check out >> Angel, Sweet Silver Lining, Forever and Almost Always.
  • Rosi Golan, The Drifter and the Gypsy : This is the absolute perfect album for a long drive. The songs are mellow but have the right amount of beats and razzmatazz to not make you fall asleep. I discovered Rosi Golan from One Tree Hill, where three of her songs were featured. I’m a sucker for melancholy and sad music, so this album is definitely up my alley, definitely worth your money. Tracks to check out >> Come Around, Been A Long Day, Hazy.
  • Taylor Swift, Fearless : Okay, so it is common knowledge that I despise country in all shapes and forms. But ever since Taylor Swift took the world by storm, I have slowly been warming up to the “pop” side of country. I still can’t handle twangy hick country and I doubt I ever will, but to even be able to stomach a country album is a huge improvement for me. I would suggest the platinum edition of Fearless, some of Taylor’s new songs (“Jump Then Fall”) are great. Tracks to check out >> Love Story, You Belong With Me, Forever & Always.
  • Lady GaGa, The Fame : We all think it, Lady GaGa is a freak of nature. Maybe so, but there is no denying that the girl (she is a girl, right?) can sing. Her outfits range from classy to “what the hell was she thinking?”, her music video to “Bad Romance” has haunted my nightmares, and her over-sexual nature has been under the public eye for months now. Despite it all, her album still remains a personal favorite of mine. Her attempt at a ballad, “Brown Eyes”, was admittedly a flop, but she shines on the typical night club tracks like “Just Dance” and “Poker Face”. “Boys, Boys, Boys” has very weak lyrics, but is a guilty pleasure of mine. I can’t help it. GaGa rocks. Tracks to check out >> Paparazzi, Telephone, Bad Romance.

best of 09. part I

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So here we are, another year is coming to a close. I have compiled lists of the best in television and film in 2009. And because I enjoyed making the list, I also have the worst films of 2009. Here’s how it goes: yes, my choices are biased, which is pretty easily identifiable. I know what I like, and I like what I know. For criteria it’s pretty basic: actual acting talent, the actors, and originality in storylines.

TELEVISION:

3. One Tree Hill : Compared to the epicness that was Seasons One-Six, this season of One Tree Hill has been a bit downgrade. No Lucas aka Chad Michael Murray. No Peyton, which at first I thought was a plus, but it seems she brought more to the program than I thought. That pains me to say. Season Seven got to a somewhat rocky start but now that we have been fully introduced to the new characters, its been steadily improving. What the series has always has going for it is spontaneity in storylines. From a psycho nanny on a killing spree to a medic-dog eating Dan Scott’s heart for transplant, One Tree Hill has never let me down in that department. I have always thought the acting level on OTH is great and Sophia Bush has become one of my favorite actresses.

2. So You Think You Can Dance : As a reality program, So You Think You Can Dance obviously has different criteria, but this ranking is honestly because of bias. I’m a dancer, I like watching dance. Season Five (5Alive) which aired during the summer, easily trumped the fall season, Season Six (Season Sick). Season Five had much better choreography, more memorable routines, and in my opinion, a higher caliber of dancers. The best thing about SYTYCD is that at the end of the season, it’s amazing to see how much the final dancers have grown, for a fellow dancer, it’s pretty inspiring. And because I need to reiterate this, in terms of the winners of the two seasons, Jeanine > Russell. Auditions for Season Seven begin in January 2010 and Season Six also goes on tour sometime in 2010.

1. Lost : I think I should get major props here for choosing Lost as my number 1, as it is not my absolute favorite program on television. But taking in account all of the criteria and actual quality of the programs, it really was no contest. Lost owns. I can think of no other series that has me so utterly confused that I need to scour Lostpedia after each episode to make sure I fully understand what was going on, and yet completely enjoy the episode at the same time. Usually large ensemble casts annoy me because I feel like we never get to connect enough with each character, but because of Lost’s clever flashback/flashforward/time continuum episode style, we are constantly being given more information about the characters, plus the acting is superb. Lost begins its sixth and final season on February 2, 2010, and more than anything, I am hoping that it gets the proper send-off the show deserves…and Jack/Kate to be endgame. Thanks.

Runner Up:

  • Friday Night Lights : Seriously one of the most underrated shows ever. Check it out, it’s awesome.

>> part II : films of 2009. coming soon.