Favorites of the Year

As 2004 draws to a close, I'll list mine, you comment and add yours.

Favorite Albums (no particular order)
U2, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
At some point I'm going to write a proper review of this album, but for now I'll just say that 3 weeks into listening, I'm still listening and hearing more and more, and loving each song more. There is such a maturity here, such inspiration. It makes me want to be a better man.

Morrissey, You are the Quarry
I'm an unapologetic Smiths and Morrissey fan, and it was very gratifying to see Morrissey return to writing sardonic relevant brooding music as only he can. Some of his lyrics are just priceless. My favorite is probably "And I will die with both of my hands untied." or "So close your eyes and think of someone you physically admire and let me kiss you." (That last line because it's just so quintessentially self-hating Morrissey.

Jimmy Eat World, Futures
I'm amazed at the mixed reviews this album has received. I hear it and I just hear a bunch of well-written, well-crafted, catchy songs that stick with you. I might even like it more than Bleed America at this point.

Boy Sets Fire, Untitled Next Album
Weighing in at 26 songs and not technically a release in 2004, it is something I've listened to a whole lot over this last year, and it's excellent. Mixing enough rage-filled heaviness to keep their hard-cores happy with a generous portion of gorgeous melodic stuff to keep people like me interesting, they've written a collection of songs that deserves commercial and critical acclaim. Will they get it? I guess that depends on whether their label does it's job. Compared to their previous work, this feels like a step forward to me, with songs that rival My Life in the Knife Trade and After the Eulogy in their strength.

Mindy Smith, One Moment More
Kind of country (in a good bluegrass way) but with the edge of acoustic rock, Mindy Smith's songs have such a startingly vulnerability to them that by the end of the first listen, one feels like you know her very well. And they are just so beautiful. The lyrics, the melodies, her voice, the guitar. It'll ache your heart in a good way.

MUSE, Absolution
It's incredible. If you haven't bought it yet, do it!

Favorite Movies of the Year
Spiderman 2
He has always been my favorite superhero, and I love that his movies are in very good hands with the acting and the directing. I actually liked this one more than the first, and it taught me something on a moral level. It was one of those things that you hear and it seems so obvious and clear, but you never really had realized it before. Well what was it, you ask? It was the theme that just because something is your dream and what you've always wanted, that doesn't mean it's the right thing and it might not be particularly good if that dream comes true. Good film.

Eternal Subshine of the Spotless Mind
I want to make films like this!!!! I love the final message of this film . .in other words, yeah things might be painful and hard and difficult, by in the end Love is worth all of the pain and you should always choose Love even if some pain comes along with it. It's worth it.

The Incredibles
Pixar has yet to make a film that I didn't love, and this was one of my favorites so far (I put it below Toy Story 2 and above the rest). I love how they make such smart, clever films that manage to entertain kids AND adults without bodily emission jokes. They create characters that you care about, which is actually ashame because they are pretty much against making sequels (Disney forced them to make TS2).

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Maybe I'll do books and tv shows at some point too.