I’m not usually one to give into making an obligatory end-of-year “best of” list, but I thought I’d give it a go for once.
Best Album: MGMT Oracular Spectacular
The New York duo MGMT exploded in 2008 with their debut on Columbia/Sony Records. They have a great vibe and can smoothly swing between indie rock and synth pop. I gotta admit that “Time to Pretend” has been played out after appearing in heavy rotation lists and so many TV shows and movies. But ya know what, I still love that track. “Kids” is also a manic bomb that hasn’t lost a bit of luster for me. Between the ambiguous yet catchy lyrics, pulsing synth bass, and thumping beat, this track has continually been in my playlists. “Electric Feel” is down right chillin, funky goodness. Other tracks like “The Youth”, “The Handshake”, and “Weekend Wars” recall a retro psychedelic feel without sounding recycled. Whether MGMT can follow Oracular with a second quality record remains to be seen, but they have certainly left their mark.
Best Concert (that I saw): The Faint @ Southgate House
For me this was a really weak year for attending shows. So many acts just don’t make it here, and for a change I didn’t chase any down. I missed Lolla (again) and all the reunion dinosaurs on tour this year. Jonathan Coulton was certainly a blast earlier in the year, but the recent show The Faint put on was just crazy.
Best Movie: The Dark Knight
I neither intend to be on the fan wagon nor pick the most obvious choice, but quite simply I paid to see this twice within a couple weeks of its release, and that NEVER happens. It’s not a perfect flick, but it was a great, gritty turning point for comic-based movies. As everyone knows Heath Ledger put in a heck of a performance that was both funny and fearful, but there were other quality moments. Hearing Michael Caine say how “some men just want to watch the world burn” was classic. And let’s not forget the visual effect masterpiece in the tumbler turned bat-pod sequence.
Best Video Game: Rock Band 1&2
A real tough call here, but I gotta give the nod to a game I don’t even own. No other game quite redefined Friday and Saturday nights throughout the year like this one. Rock Band forever changed the face of rhythm games as it brought more people into the jam session. It also reminded me that playing drums (even silly plastic ones) is a hullava good time. From fearing “Run to the Hills” and closing with “Still Alive” to rocking the endless setlist – 1 3/4 times – the Dubya Oh had a blast in 08.
