Papercuts: Future Primitive.

Last night I lost a family member.

(I took this photo 3 weeks ago.)

Thank you for 15 1/2 years of nothing but friendship and love, Boo. As a dog, you'd never understand the joy you brought to our lives, and that is something we will carry in our hearts forever.

Caught in an underlie.

Disclaimer: Let it be known that I don't post this to pass any judgment. Well, that's entirely false. But, what I mean by that is, that I mean no harm to the parties involved.

Fact: I've never watched one single episode of Glee.

This is a badge I wear with honor. It's true; I was/am a theatre geek myself (seeing as I acquired one of my undergrad degrees in said subject), even musical theatre, as much as it pains me to admit. However, I feel like a good bit of theatre is more or less identifiable as "fluff" and I really have no interest in anything that exists solely for the purpose of my mindless entertainment. (I appreciate the reality that most people don't feel this way.) There have been times where I have been moved in inexplicable ways by certain theatrical "acts" so to speak, even musical ones - depending on which ones we're referring to - therefore, I know firsthand that something seemingly vapid can have layers of depth hidden between it's foundational cracks. Yet, I find myself consistently resistant to the pop-cultural trend that is Glee, and therein lies the true answer to my resistance. I'm much more apt to remove myself from anything (or anyone) that appeals to the masses, for (lack of a better quality) a self-admittedly sense of superiority in taste. This is not to say that reaction is always well deserved - in fact, I'm fully aware that it's probably to my own disadvantage - and very well may be the case in my case of Pundit VS. Glee.

As luck would have it, one of the facets of my job landed me face to face with an interview that one of my co-workers did with a Glee cast member at last night's Golden Globes.

I felt like everything about this particular interview embodied my ongoing distaste with this show that I, as I stated before, have never seen one episode of.

I will not name the actor, not only out of respect for partial-anonymity, but also because I don't have the slightest freaking clue who this kid is, anyway. All I know about him is that someone coached him on how to answer in sound-bytes, instead of speaking in complete thoughts, and that he was too much of a piece of shit to take off his pink-rimmed hipster sunglasses while answering questions about his Award winning show.

Actor: “Well I think there’s a lot of basic um, ideas that Glee really celebrates and that is sort of all-inclusiveness and acceptance, and then you throw on the garnish of songs, and music and dance which transcends language and ideology and I um think it’s a worldwide success because people really respond with this very carnal celebration of life and basic values, so uh, I think it’s really great that people have responded well to it because that tells me that the world’s in a really cool place."

Listening to it was probably worse than reading it, or at least that's what my initial reaction of horror makes it seem like, before I - to my own surprise- settled in to listen more closely. I liken it to like walking into a dirty bathroom stall where the walls are covered in crap stains smeared on top of Nietzsche quotes. His response was not well-delivered and his point was not well made, but if you swim through the sea of structural sludge, you can clearly uncover the meaning of what he is saying. It's a good reminder to myself that just because something comes in a personally objectionable package, that perhaps it doesn't deserve to be dismissed.

Perhaps I'll watch an episode of Glee. Or perhaps I'll at least consider it.

RIP Trish Keenan.

Filed in my cabinet...

Under "shit to see." It's actually quite a crowded little place but everyone knows these guys don't take up much room.

By far my most anticipated film of the upcoming year.

Sorry suitors, but this heart belongs to Terrence Malick.

Sometimes stepping back is the only way to move forward.

2010: Hear in Review.

In a year of phenomenal album releases such as --

High Violet (The National)
The Suburbs (Arcade Fire)
Teen Dream (Beach House)
Astro Coast (Surfer Blood)
Gorilla Manor (Local Natives)
Sigh No More (Mumford & Sons)
The Winter of Mixed Drinks (Frightened Rabbit)
The Violent Blue (Electric President)
I Learned the Hard Way (Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings)
Disconnect from Desire (School of Seven Bells)
The Orchard (Ra Ra Riot)
and so many more...

-- it's an incredibly difficult feat trying to narrow down the best album of the year. I don't envy editors having to publish their pick by this weekend's deadline. That being said, the past few years, I've challenged myself into compiling a mixtape of my top song picks for the entire year, which has ended up being a much bigger pain in my butt than I care to unload in this space. But, I've finally narrowed down my top 16, with one slot to spare, in preparation for distributing the mixtape amongst my dearest pals (and any others who've requested their own cherished copy.)

It was beyond hard to make the final selections, but alas, it has arrived.

Track Listing (in no particular order-though the order will be finalized before the mixtapes are signed, sealed and delivered):

1. Norway - Beach House
2. Heat & Hot Water - Arms
3. Old Man - Harry's Gym
4. Numbers Don't Lie - The Mynabirds
5. Rococo - Arcade Fire
6. Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National
7. Mouthful of Diamonds - Phantogram
8. Wide Eyes - Local Natives
9. Bullfighter Jacket - Miniature Tigers
10. Promises - Morning Benders
11. Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons
12. Windstorm - School of Seven Bells
13. World Sick - Broken Social Scene
14. Majik Marker - Mini Mansions
15. Twenty Two - Wakey! Wakey!
16. Blue Blood - Foals
17. **TBD**

Honorable Mentions go to:

- Little Golden Age (Wolf Parade)
- Barlights (Fun.)
- Pittsburgh (We Are Scientists)
- The Ghost Inside (Broken Bells)
- On the Line (In Grenada)
- Willis (Sea of Bees)
- Ambling Alp (Yeasayer)
- Safe and Sound (Electric President)
- On Trees and Birds and Fire (I am Oak)
- Phenomenons (Twin Sister)
- Walking Through That Door (Future Islands)
- Kids (Sleigh Bells)
- Mr. Peterson (Perfume Genius)
- Black Crow (Angus & Julia Stone)
- Curves of The Needle (Field Music)
- Journal of Ardency (Class Actress)
- The Curse (Josh Ritter)

Of course, there was an immeasurable amount of incredible music released this year, and I can only skim the tip of the iceberg here.

Can't wait to see what 2011 has in store. My ears eagerly await.

C.

You probably won't see this. I probably will.

Steven Soderbergh directs a compelling new documentary based on actor Spalding Gray's performances of his own life experiences.

"From the first time he performed Swimming to Cambodia - the one-man account of his experience of making the 1984 film The Killing Fields - Spalding Gray made the art of the monologue his own. Drawing unstintingly on the most intimate aspects of his own life, his shows were vibrant, hilarious and moving. His death came tragically early, in 2004; this compilation of interview and performance footage nails his idiosyncratic and irreplaceable brilliance." (Written by Edinburgh International Film Festival)

Watch the trailer for "And Everything is Going Fine" here:
http://screenslam.com/index.php?vid=N3YWZ2MTpF_ymdDPeK-eHM-QinhYNgNh

Michel Michel

Amoeba Music sits down with director and creative sensationalist, Michel Gondry, as he discusses his band, visual effects, and more.

And on a personal note.

Just because he's my big brother, doesn't mean I can't be proud of him.

He put together a wonderfully directed promo for his new wine bar, Red Red Wine, opening in Annapolis this May.

Your New Wine Bar ... from Red Red Wine Bar on Vimeo.

Not to mention, the Washington Post did a spread on his career as a DC news anchor and newly found entrepreneur: http://wapo.st/cjB2e4

Cutting cookies, copying carbons.

The new Arcade Fire music video for The Suburbs, directed by Spike Jonze, was released today.

Also, read this: Why Does Hollywood Hate the Suburbs?

Some things only get better.

100 from Justin Baez on Vimeo.