2009: The Best

The Gaslight Anthem- "The '59 Sound"

The Gaslight Anthem’s 'The '59 Sound' might be my #1 anything of 2009. I kept hearing about The Gaslight Anthem, so I downloaded their album for free (illegally, of course). It has stayed in rotation ever since. Their extremely catchy Americana wouldn’t let go of me and the lyrics surely resonated. The comparisons to Springsteen are pretty accurate. I want to also note that after downloading the album, I not only turned as many people as I could on to The Gaslight Anthem but I went to see them live. This is a perfect example of building a (paying) audience from free music.

Precious

If there ever was a film worthy of all accolades, Precious is it. My mind was blown at how amazingly Gabourey Sidibe and Mo’Nique handled their roles. Precious is shocking, tragic, humorous-at-times, and endearing. You should see it!

Tumblr

Tumblr is like a cross between Flickr and Twitter which sounds kinda lame but it isn’t. I enjoy the connected-ness of all the Tumblr blogs as they “reblog” things all with links back to the source. Like all good things on the internet, Tumblr is fantastic for porn.

The Girlfriend Experience

I realized that I primarily go to disappointing movies based on fanboy content of which I am a fan of. The Girlfriend Experience was like a welcome shock to my senses. I loved this film. The format, visuals, and score were all fresh and enjoyable. I loved how the topic of prostitution (both sexual and legal wage slavery) was handled. Plus, let’s face it- Sasha Grey is hot.

AFI- "Crash Love"

If I made a worst list or biggest disappointment list for 2009, 'Crash Love' would also make that list. However, I can’t deny that I was really waiting for this. It is a catchy album and it beats Decemberunderground. It is more simplistic in every way and I wonder how much producer issues played into that end product. I don’t know if everyone is sold on AFI’s new non-glam simplistic pop incarnation but if you measure it on its own and not against older AFI, it is quite enjoyable.

Remington R-15

This rifle type is as popular as it fucking gets right now. As soon as I shot Remington’s R-15, I loved it and knew I needed one!

Blacklisted- "No One Deserves To Be Here More Than Me"

I may regret adding this to my top list as new as it is but I am betting that it will hold up. This album came out of nowhere and sounded fresh. Blacklisted went from an American Nightmare clone in my mind to this incarnation that blends Every Time I Die, Guns N Roses, and Death In June with rockin HC. If I had any criticism of the album, it would be the lack of variation in the vocals. Talk to me in 6 months and see if I still love this album. Good thing Blacklisted didn’t breakup.

American Idiot

I had never been to a musical before (despite being a huge fan of musicals in film). American Idiot was fun and amazing. You can read my full review HERE. I did go see it a 2nd time which says a lot. Hopefully, this show continues on to bigger things.

Lady Gaga

Everything about Lady Gaga makes my top list. I can’t get enough of her. Take parts of my favorite dance artists (Fischerspooner, Peaches), add some flair of Grace Jones, and mix heavily with pop… How could you go wrong?! She slowly built my interest and then exploded with Paparrazzi. Fame Monster and the video for Bad Romance were enough to have me hooked for sure.