Monday, December 22, 2008

27. Sid and Nancy



"But Sidney's more than a mere bass player. He's a fabulous disaster. He's a symbol, a metaphor, he embodies the dementia of a nihilistic generation. He's a fuckin' star."

Note: Until I get to the top ten...most of the films will seem a bit rushed, but this is to finish the project by the new year. I will mainly give details on the highlights, but will be happy to discuss the finer details of several films along the way. On with the show though...

Sid and Nancy is a difficult film to love. It is loud, chaotic, painful, and full of sorrow. It was as if director, Alex Cox, was attempting to make the least likable film possible, but it is from the above descriptions that we find a connection often missed by film: that of the human variety.

Sid Vicious (played by the always brilliant Gary Oldman), of the Sex Pistols, and Nancy Spungen offer a stark contrast to the lovers of generations past. It is their mistakes and descent into misery that one finds something truly human in their interactions. Of course, this is not an ideal situation, few would argue that, but this is a situation that seems far more real than those often portrayed in most love tales (not to knock any, as I have a special place in my heart for films like Love Actually and Bridget Jones's Diary).

What adds to the appeal of the film is the fact that I love music and its history. To say the least, the Sex Pistols have been rather important for the development of punk since their inception in the 1970s. To put it simply, this is the finest film about a music artist I've seen (although Control comes at a close second...if only for the fact that I like Joy Division quite a bit more).

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Best musical moments of the year!

Top 30 albums of 2008:
1. Spiritualized- Songs in A & E
2. Los Campasinos!- Hold Now Youngster...
3. Portishead- Third
4. TV on the Radio- Dear Science
5. Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes
6. Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago
7. Beck- Modern Guilt
8. Okkervil River- The Stand-Ins
9. Death Cab for Cutie- Narrow Stairs
10. The Roots- Rising Down
11. m83- Saturdays=Youth
12. Aimee Mann- @#%&*! Smilers
13. Bloc Party- Intimacy
14. No Age- Nouns
15. Lupe Fiasco- Lupe Fiasco's The Cool
16. Girl Talk- Feed the Animals
17. Jenny Lewis- Acid Tongue
18. Kanye West- 808s & Heartbreaks
19. Department of Eagles- In Ear Park
20. Coldplay- Viva la Vida
21. Islands- Arm's Way
22. Santogold- Santogold
23. Burial- Untrue
24. Nine Inch Nails- The Slip
25. The Raveonettes- Lust Lust Lust
26. Cat Power- Jukebox
27. My Morning Jacket- Evil Urges
28. Lil Wayne- Carter III
29. Flying Lotus- Los Angeles
30. Hot Chip- Made in the Dark

Best Concerts:
1. Radiohead
2. The Swell Season, Iron & Wine
3. Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Rhianna, N.E.R.D
4. Rilo Kiley, Sea Wolf