Skillcrane Bloodlust!
So for some reason, this is the second year in a row I'll be posting my year-end lists on January 21st. Thing is, I've had most of these lists largely completed around the more timely time of January 1, but I kept feeling like I had more catching up to do. I still do, but I gotta post these at some point. It'll be just lists for now, but I may posts blurbs later if I'm so inclined. For the time being, though, feel free to start some shit in the comments and I'll be sure to respond. I kinda went all out this year. It was probably the most I've ever been invested in TV, but I still feel like I didn't see enough full series to merit a top 25, so I did a top 15 series, with 10 unranked stand-out episodes from shows that didn't make my list. I've felt generally out of the loop, music-wise, all year, since this is the first year in a long while I haven't been writing reviews either for the radio station or the Examiner or both, but I wound up playing a lot of catch-up at the end of the year. As far as movies go, I'll always feel like I haven't seen enough, but I went to the movies a hell of a lot this year, though considering it was mostly partaking in Rochester's offerings, I'm sure a bunch of more obscure and yet-to-make-it-here films that would otherwise land on here are missing. And just to squeeze in more entertainments, along with honorable mentions, I included a really specific category for each medium to give recognition to stuff I needed a place for but didn't really feel right sticking in the regular lists (and I cheated with a tie in my TV list). This is what happens when I have pretty much nothing to do for a whole year. (Oh yeah, I should write stuff about my life on here sometime.) Anyway, here are my picks for the best 2010 movies, TV, and music that I experienced:
Movies:
Honorable Mention:
The Crazies
How to Train Your Dragon
The Last Exorcism
The Other Guys
Please Give
Top 25:
25. Cropsey
24. Never Let Me Go
23. Buried
22. I Love You, Philip Morris
21. Tangled
20. Carlos
19. No One Knows About Persian Cats
18. The Ghost Writer
17. The Town
16. Winter's Bone
15. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
14. The Fighter
13. The Kids Are All Right
12. The American
11. Catfish
10. Inception
9. Fish Tank
8. True Grit
7. The Social Network
6. Shutter Island
5. Dogtooth
4. Greenberg
3. Exit Through the Gift Shop
2. Black Swan
1. Toy Story 3
Special Award for Legitimately Great Performances in Mediocre Movies: Russell Brand, Get Him to the Greek; Emma Stone, Easy A
TV:
Standout Episodes from Shows Not in the Top 15:
30 For 30, “June 17, 1994”
Children's Hospital, “Hot Enough For You?”
Chuck, “Chuck vs. the Other Guy”
Futurama, “The Late Philip J. Fry”
How I Met Your Mother, “Blitzgiving”
Justified, “Fathers and Sons”
Modern Family, “Hawaii”
Saturday Night Live, “Jon Hamm/Michael Buble”
United States of Tara, “Torando”
The Walking Dead, “Days Gone By”
Top 15 Shows:
15. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
14. Men of a Certain Age
13. Archer
12. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
11. The Pacific
10. Better Off Ted/Cougar Town (tie to lump together excellent ABC comedies with horrible titles)
9. 30 Rock
8. Party Down
7. Terriers
6. Community
5. Louie
4. Parks and Recreation
3. Mad Men
2. The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
1. Breaking Bad
Special Award for Two Shows That Are So Good Year In and Year Out That They'd Wind Up Near the Top Every Year and Would Result in Really Boring List-Making: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report
Music:
Albums (I linked to streams if I could find 'em):
Honorable Mention:
The Black Keys, Brothers
Blood Red Shoes, Fire Like This
Grinderman, Grinderman 2
Robyn, Body Talk
Sufjan Stevens, The Age of Adz
25. Dr. Dog, Shame Shame
24. Belle and Sebastian, Write About Love
23. Lucky Soul, A Coming of Age
22. Gorillaz, Plastic Beach
21. Hot Chip, One Life Stand
20. Sleigh Bells, Treats
19. Yeasayer, Odd Blood
18. Surfer Blood, Astro Coast
17. Superchunk, Majesty Shredding
16. The Drums, The Drums
15. Big Boi, Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son of Chico Dusty
14. The Walkmen, Lisbon
13. Fang Island, Fang Island
12. The New Pornographers, Together
11. Wolf Parade, Expo 86
10. Spoon, Transference
9. Janelle Monáe, The ArchAndroid
8. Broken Social Scene, Forgiveness Rock Record
7. Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
6. Vampire Weekend, Contra
5. Free Energy, Free Energy
4. LCD Soundsystem, This Is Happening
3. Los Campesinos!, Romance Is Boring
2. Titus Andronicus, The Monitor
1. Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
Special Award for the Album I'll Probably Wind Up Listening to More Than Most Albums on This List, But Is Really Hard to Evaluate on the Same Level: Girl Talk, All Day
Songs:
50. Delta Spirit, "Golden State"
49. Battles, "The Line"
48. Young Galaxy, "Peripheral Visionaries"
47. Jenny and Johnny, "Scissor Runner"
46. The Gaslight Anthem, "American Slang"
45. Grinderman, "Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man"
44. The-Dream, "Yamaha"
43. Let's Wrestle, "We Are the Men You'll Grow to Love Soon"
42. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, "The Mighty Sparrow"
41. Blood Red Shoes, "Heartsink"
40. Sufjan Stevens, "I Want to Be Well"
39. Late of the Pier, "Best in the Class"
38. Belle and Sebastian, "The Ghost of Rockschool"
37. Big Boi (ft. Cutty), "Shutterbugg"
36. The Hold Steady, "Hurricane J"
35. Cee-Lo Green, "Fuck You"
34. The Radio Dept., "Heaven's on Fire"
33. The Indelicates, "Anthem for Doomed Youth"
32. Superchunk, "Crossed Wires"
31. Hot Chip, "Brothers"
30. Robyn, "Cry When You Get Older"
29. Gorillaz, "On Melancholy Hill"
28. Lykke Li, "Get Some"
27. Avi Buffalo, "Remember Last Time"
26. Lindstrøm & Christabelle, "Lovesick"
25. Lucky Soul, "Up In Flames"
24. Girls, "Carolina"
23. The Walkmen, "Angela Surf City"
22. Spoon, "I Saw the Light"
21. The Drums, "Forever and Ever Amen"
20. Broken Bells, "The High Road"
19. Dr. Dog, "Shadow People"
18. Yeasayer, "Ambling Alp"
17. Vampire Weekend, "White Sky"
16. Caribou, "Odessa"
15. The New Pornographers, "Valkyrie in the Roller Disco"
14. Fang Island, "Daisy"
13. Das Racist (feat. Chairlift), "Fashion Party"
12. Broken Social Scene, "Water in Hell"
11. Los Campesinos!, "Romance Is Boring"
10. Free Energy, "Free Energy"
9. The Black Keys, "Howlin' For You"
8. Kanye West (Feat. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj & Bon Iver), "Monster"
7. Wolf Parade, "Cave-O-Sapien"
6. Sleigh Bells, "Ring Ring"
5. LCD Soundsystem, "Dance Yrself Clean"
4. Japandroids, "Younger Us"
3. Arcade Fire, "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)"
2. Janelle Monáe (Feat. Big Boi), "Tightrope"
1. Titus Andronicus, "A More Perfect Union"
Movies:
Honorable Mention:
The Crazies
How to Train Your Dragon
The Last Exorcism
The Other Guys
Please Give
Top 25:
25. Cropsey
24. Never Let Me Go
23. Buried
22. I Love You, Philip Morris
21. Tangled
20. Carlos
19. No One Knows About Persian Cats
18. The Ghost Writer
17. The Town
16. Winter's Bone
15. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
14. The Fighter
13. The Kids Are All Right
12. The American
11. Catfish
10. Inception
9. Fish Tank
8. True Grit
7. The Social Network
6. Shutter Island
5. Dogtooth
4. Greenberg
3. Exit Through the Gift Shop
2. Black Swan
1. Toy Story 3
Special Award for Legitimately Great Performances in Mediocre Movies: Russell Brand, Get Him to the Greek; Emma Stone, Easy A
TV:
Standout Episodes from Shows Not in the Top 15:
30 For 30, “June 17, 1994”
Children's Hospital, “Hot Enough For You?”
Chuck, “Chuck vs. the Other Guy”
Futurama, “The Late Philip J. Fry”
How I Met Your Mother, “Blitzgiving”
Justified, “Fathers and Sons”
Modern Family, “Hawaii”
Saturday Night Live, “Jon Hamm/Michael Buble”
United States of Tara, “Torando”
The Walking Dead, “Days Gone By”
Top 15 Shows:
15. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
14. Men of a Certain Age
13. Archer
12. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
11. The Pacific
10. Better Off Ted/Cougar Town (tie to lump together excellent ABC comedies with horrible titles)
9. 30 Rock
8. Party Down
7. Terriers
6. Community
5. Louie
4. Parks and Recreation
3. Mad Men
2. The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
1. Breaking Bad
Special Award for Two Shows That Are So Good Year In and Year Out That They'd Wind Up Near the Top Every Year and Would Result in Really Boring List-Making: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report
Music:
Albums (I linked to streams if I could find 'em):
Honorable Mention:
The Black Keys, Brothers
Blood Red Shoes, Fire Like This
Grinderman, Grinderman 2
Robyn, Body Talk
Sufjan Stevens, The Age of Adz
25. Dr. Dog, Shame Shame
24. Belle and Sebastian, Write About Love
23. Lucky Soul, A Coming of Age
22. Gorillaz, Plastic Beach
21. Hot Chip, One Life Stand
20. Sleigh Bells, Treats
19. Yeasayer, Odd Blood
18. Surfer Blood, Astro Coast
17. Superchunk, Majesty Shredding
16. The Drums, The Drums
15. Big Boi, Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son of Chico Dusty
14. The Walkmen, Lisbon
13. Fang Island, Fang Island
12. The New Pornographers, Together
11. Wolf Parade, Expo 86
10. Spoon, Transference
9. Janelle Monáe, The ArchAndroid
8. Broken Social Scene, Forgiveness Rock Record
7. Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
6. Vampire Weekend, Contra
5. Free Energy, Free Energy
4. LCD Soundsystem, This Is Happening
3. Los Campesinos!, Romance Is Boring
2. Titus Andronicus, The Monitor
1. Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
Special Award for the Album I'll Probably Wind Up Listening to More Than Most Albums on This List, But Is Really Hard to Evaluate on the Same Level: Girl Talk, All Day
Songs:
50. Delta Spirit, "Golden State"
49. Battles, "The Line"
48. Young Galaxy, "Peripheral Visionaries"
47. Jenny and Johnny, "Scissor Runner"
46. The Gaslight Anthem, "American Slang"
45. Grinderman, "Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man"
44. The-Dream, "Yamaha"
43. Let's Wrestle, "We Are the Men You'll Grow to Love Soon"
42. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, "The Mighty Sparrow"
41. Blood Red Shoes, "Heartsink"
40. Sufjan Stevens, "I Want to Be Well"
39. Late of the Pier, "Best in the Class"
38. Belle and Sebastian, "The Ghost of Rockschool"
37. Big Boi (ft. Cutty), "Shutterbugg"
36. The Hold Steady, "Hurricane J"
35. Cee-Lo Green, "Fuck You"
34. The Radio Dept., "Heaven's on Fire"
33. The Indelicates, "Anthem for Doomed Youth"
32. Superchunk, "Crossed Wires"
31. Hot Chip, "Brothers"
30. Robyn, "Cry When You Get Older"
29. Gorillaz, "On Melancholy Hill"
28. Lykke Li, "Get Some"
27. Avi Buffalo, "Remember Last Time"
26. Lindstrøm & Christabelle, "Lovesick"
25. Lucky Soul, "Up In Flames"
24. Girls, "Carolina"
23. The Walkmen, "Angela Surf City"
22. Spoon, "I Saw the Light"
21. The Drums, "Forever and Ever Amen"
20. Broken Bells, "The High Road"
19. Dr. Dog, "Shadow People"
18. Yeasayer, "Ambling Alp"
17. Vampire Weekend, "White Sky"
16. Caribou, "Odessa"
15. The New Pornographers, "Valkyrie in the Roller Disco"
14. Fang Island, "Daisy"
13. Das Racist (feat. Chairlift), "Fashion Party"
12. Broken Social Scene, "Water in Hell"
11. Los Campesinos!, "Romance Is Boring"
10. Free Energy, "Free Energy"
9. The Black Keys, "Howlin' For You"
8. Kanye West (Feat. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj & Bon Iver), "Monster"
7. Wolf Parade, "Cave-O-Sapien"
6. Sleigh Bells, "Ring Ring"
5. LCD Soundsystem, "Dance Yrself Clean"
4. Japandroids, "Younger Us"
3. Arcade Fire, "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)"
2. Janelle Monáe (Feat. Big Boi), "Tightrope"
1. Titus Andronicus, "A More Perfect Union"