Slumdog Millionaire by Danny Boyle. uplifting tale of tale of young indian slumboy who finds love and money in an engrossing picture of corruption and passion.
The Wrestler. Mickey Rourke makes a comeback and it's a stellar performance. the movie itself kinda sucks. wasn't gritty or degenerate enough for me and the plot is pretty lightweight, but worth the price of admission to se MR.
Wall-e. 2 robots fall in love and change the world. amazing computer animation. even more compelling considering there is almost no dialogue for the first 30 min.
Synecdoche, NY. some "critics" love it, others hated it. i thought it was great multi-layered story of love, death, birth,existence and everything else in between. overly ambitious, but captivating. Phillip Hoffman Seymour is probably the best character actor today. bar none.
Vicky Christina Barcelona. Woody Allen's latest and best since Match Point. overated performance by watsername?....oh, yeah,penelope cruz, but great stuff by Scarlett Johannson who is dynamite as usual.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Julian Schnabel. true story of a frenchman who is overcome with "locked-in syndrome" paralyzed yet aware, and writes a book about his experience. depressing, yet fascinating to watch.
Lou Reed's Berlin.(also by Schanbel). simple visuals, but nice production of Reed's Berlin, the story of Jim and Caroline who go to Hell and don't come back. Lou plays some killer guitar.
Best Documentary: Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson. brilliant mind wasted by drinking and drugs. drinking and drugs. drinking and drugs. blew his brains out at 66. said the last 16 years weren't needed or wanted. did i mention drinking and drugs?
Thalia Zedek Band - Liars and Prayers Wire - Object 47 The New Year - The New Year Mudhoney - The Lucky Ones Philip Jeck - Sand Retribution Gospel Choir - Retribution Gospel Choir The Human Bell - The Human Bell Audrey - The Fierce and the Longing Black Francis - Svn Fngrs Mogwai - The Hawk is Howling Chris Brokaw - Canaris Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig! Nisennenmondai - Neji / Tori Yaneka - Roots Bilge Pump - Rupert the Sky Einsturzende Neubauten - The Jewels Giant Sand - Provisions Calexico - Carried to Dust Last Harbour - Dead Fires and the Lonely Spark The Sontaran Experiment - The Sontaran Experiment Moha! - One-Way Ticket to Candyland
was hoping to add The Damned to the following list, but last week's show was cancelled due to illness. (all shows were in nyc except Lou Reed @ The Paramount, Asbury Park NJ.):
WIRE put on an amazing set @ South St Seaport. great show and always a bit more of a thrill when you haven't seen a band in a long time.
LOU REED @ The Paramount. somewhat short set, but i enjoyed every minute of it. lou at 66 was as fluid and animated as i've ever seen him. "set me free" and "original rapper" were a couple of highlights. sweet version of "guardian angel". extended version of "halloween parade" with a nice doo-wap finish.
RAY DAVIES @ The Hammerstein. totally enjoyable show. classic songs. consummate showman. new stuff was quite good as well.
i saw 2 of RANCID's 5 show residency @ Irving Plaza. these were easily 2 of the sickest shows of the year. more like a street fight than a rock concert. high spirits all around. probably the most tuneful punk band out there.
CARBON/SILICON @ Irving PLaza. a bit of a short set as well, but for only $20 well worth it. the more i listen to their stuff the more i like it. looking forward to their new release.
LOU REED @ The Poisson Rouge. all electronic, no songs. also joined by John Zorn and Mike Patton.
MISSION of BURMA + NEPTUNE @ The Bowery Ballroom. MoB was just tearing thru shit, absolutely killing it.
JOHN ZORN and MARC RIBOT debut zorn's new piece The Dreamers. not a big fan of avant jazz, but MR is simply an amazing guitar player. (@ St. Ann's Warehouse)
LOU REED, MOBY, DAVID BYRNE and others @ St ANN's for an anti-war benefit. good show, but i could have done without the speakers/ activists preachy nonsense between sets.
WIRE + NEW TIMES VIKING @ Irving Plaza. 2X in one year. rare treat.
CMJ Music fest @ Poisson Rouge. a lot of new bands from the Paw Tracks label. I like EXCEPTER the best. honorable mention to Rings and Ecstatic Sunshine.
O'DEATH @ Sound Fix. loud, nasty set of hillbilly country punk.
THESE ARE POWERS + NEPTUNE @ Death by Audio. raw, electronic anarchy.