Top Tens and That's It

Top Tens 

What can I say about 2018? I'm still single and my new pair of white pants didn't have a chance. Still a student at 31; bought 5 middrifts in December. Got a cat from my parents, named her Frankie. Pierced my ears and wore more gold than usual.

What's been a constant thought for 2018? --- Was my cat ever neutered or did my dad lie to me again?

Why am I looking forward to 2019? --- Dollywood season pass.

2018 has been an exceptionally good year for movies. So many interesting flicks that pushed the envelope of cinema in times when movies are being written by algorithms. Netflix and opt-out tactics from social media platforms might just kill all good ideas with distractions. Luckily, some directers/writers have used their blood money and outlets for good, making films that challenge an audience. As long as that audience is not sucked into another melodramatic television show. As for music, the shoegaze/dreampop scene was good, but not as good as last year.  So many good EPs and singles this year that I had to add four of them and pretend like I didn't make a top 12. Thus I'm expecting big things from next year's full albums like Chromatics and super group Piroshka. Pedro the Lion has already graced us with their new album. But for now, let's get back to 2018 with my top tens.

     Movies

1. Roma
2. Susperia
3. The House that Jack Built
4. Hereditary
5. The Favorite
6. Mandy
7. First Reformed
8. Creed II
9. Leave No Trace
10. A Star is Born

Disclaimer: I didn't get to see Sorry To Bother You, Shoplifter, Burning, Eighth Grade, and Spiderman

     Music

1. Adam Faucet - It Took the Shape of a Bird
2. Lavender Blush - Lavender Blush / Blushing - Weak
3. Drug Church - Cheer
4. Sobs - Telltale Signs
5. Lowtide - Southern Mind
6. Blush Response - Hearts Grow Dull
7. Hatchie - Sugar & Spice / Pure Ghost - There Is No Heaven Left in Me
8. Tanukichan - Sundays
9. Bloody Knives - White Light Black Moon
10. Ovlov - TRU

Top Tens and Winter

Top Tens

This year has been a pretty busy one with the first half being a juggling act of four jobs and the second half getting knee deep into some fairly new science.   It's been a great, challenging year with a lot of long-term goals finally being realized, but not without the sacrifice of some closely held loves (e.g. music festivals, cinema, traveling, and late-night karaoke).  I'm ready to embrace the new year and replay some of the mistakes from last year.  Yes, I believe that you can learn from past mistakes, but I'd hate to go through life without them. Cheers.

Top Ten Albums

1. The National: Trouble Will Find Me
2. My Bloody Valentine: mbv
3. RVIVR: The Beauty Between
4. Flyying Colours: Flyying Colours EP
5. Disclosure: Settle
6. Iron Chic: The Constant One
7. Daft Punk: Random Access Memories
8. Postiljonen: Skyler
9. No Joy: Wait To Pleasure
10. Let it Go: Modern Atlas

Top Nine Movies (I could probably make a better Top Ten Worst Movies list)

1. Before Midnight
2. Spring Breakers
3. Gravity
4. Wolf of Wall Street
5. Blue Jasmine
6. The Way Way Back
7. Upstream Color
8. Much Ado About Nothing (Whedon)
9. This is the End

Haven't seen a lot this year (these all have potential): Her, 12 Years of Slave, The Spectacular Now, American Hussle, Nymphomaniac: Volume 1, Nebraska, Blue is the warmest color, the great beauty, Francis Ha, Monsters University, Inside Llewyn Davis, About Time, Rush, The Lone Ranger.

Winter

Winter has struck with summer love's residual heat quickly fading, leading to warmth and comfort presenting itself with the bold, helpless word WANTED.  This may come in the form of food, whisky, movies or a warm body.  If winter fantasies exist, mine would be under the cover sharing a handle of bourbon or watching The Twilight Zone with a french dip sandwich.  It's strange; winter brings the worst out of me.  I get so lost in its solace or lack of that I start thinking dating might be a good idea.  That spending some quality time with someone who is not a cat might be worthwhile.  I imagine making pillow talk about subjects with short answers or long stories with no purpose but to keep talking.  Like popping bubbles, these thoughts materialize as quickly as they fall apart, and I'm back to thinking its near-sighted and stupid.  Sitting alone in my apartment, I fight back winter's cool breeze by forecasting a storm.  It's an annual battle in an ongoing war where both sides deserve to win.

Top Tens and A Twist of Fate

Top Tens
I know I'm a little late to this party, but here's my top tens.  If it makes you feel better, I wrote them up several weeks ago and have been carrying them around in my right coat pocket along side an eye-patch, chapstick, and loose coffee beans.

Movies
1. The Master
2. Silver Linings Playbook
3. Anna Karenina
4. Beast of the Southern Wild
5. Skyfall
6. Looper
7. Life of Pie
8.Project X
9. Prometheus
10. Moonrise Kingdom
Still need to see: Les Miserables, The Session, Holy Motors, Beyond the Black Rainbow, To The Wonder

Music
1. Mixtapes
2. Wild Nothing
3. Hot Chip
4. Eternal Summers
5. Japandroids
6. Ravonettes EP + Dum Dum Girls EP (I know this is cheating, but go fuck yourself)
7. Chairlift
8. Ice Choir
9. Teenage Botttlerocket
10. Title Fight

Honerable Mention: Gaslight Anthem, Menzingers, Cheap Girls, Titus Adronicus, Fidler, Tamaryn, Frankie Rose

Favorite song playlist:
http://open.spotify.com/user/kingfunk/playlist/7r3JhMimgXhW6fygEuKltP


A Twist of Fate

I've never understood it, but one word can completely change a situation (or warp it).  For some, one word makes outcomes become switchable, actions seem tangible, and motives logical.  Maybe cinema is the one to blame, where hours are stressed to come up with that one heart-throbbing phrase.  I think people blur the line between fantasy and reality.  I think people expect too much.  Not all humans are created equal. Our differences are what make our species unique.  Some stay focus, while some digress.  Some talk fast and on-queue, and other's best ideas are moments behind their time.  It's the total package that should matter, not the wrapping paper.  Don’t fall in love with someone by the twist of their tongue; fall in love with someone by the sum of their parts.

Romance and World Music

What happened to romance?  Did it die, or do I still misunderstand it?  I feel like today's romance is a drunk girl in a bar.  I want more.  Maybe I listen to too much shoegaze; I do.  Maybe I watch too many sappy romance flicks, check.  I'm sorry, but I want what these mediums portray.  A happy couple, through good and bad, living together, leaning together, and talking through the difficult parts.  A tub of popcorn and a cheesy movie, that's my kind of date night!  Sex gets old, real quick.  Sometimes I'd rather just jack off; I know myself better than anybody.  Every time I date a girl, I grow farther and farther apart from this so called "romance".  I'm losing touch, and that scares me.  I don't want to become apathetic, I want to feel something real.  I don't mind crying, but I haven't done it in years.  I'm feeling a bit empty.  A bit deserted.  I've never told a girl I love her, and I'm scared I won't be able to when I find her.

Indie folk, world music, whatever the fuck people call it, sucks real bad live.  I'm talking about those bullshit bands that show up at a photo shoot with a ukulele and some African tribe getup.  Beurit or Gogol Bordello are good examples.  I've seen both live at Bonnaroo, and it was just as I expected.  Slow, boring and pretentious.  "No, our band is far better and more advant-garde than any other band in the land, and we'll prove it with an overabundance of brass and tambourine players."  These bands also seem to be a callout, or maybe it was the triangle dinner-bell they were playing, to all the hippies at the festival.  Here they come, with their hula-hoops and dirty skirts, marching away from their nesting tree in an unbathed routine that can only be described as communal.  Yeah, all a hot summer day needs is more stinky people.  As soon as this gathering arrives they move from foot to mexican blankets, unknowingly knitted by kids in a factory.  During one show, a girl looks at me and notices my grim disposition. "Aren't they great?"  No chick, they are not great I explain.  No chick, they only sound good cause you're on drugs, I explain.


I probably shouldn't be writing to the internet when I get real drunk alone.

Picture of day and new favorite meme.