9.15.08 My Top Ten Right Now

1. ALBUM Philip Glass “The Book of Longing”
I absolutely love Philip Glass.  I also find his work can be redundant (rolling chords can only change so much over forty years).  This recent collaboration with Leonard Cohen, however, captures some of the original fire.  Cohen’s boom-y bass pops up for narration, four singers transform Glass’ music and Cohen’s words into sheer beauty, the combined effect is a meditation in intelligent thoughts, beautiful noise and moving prose.

2. TV Family Guy, Episode: “Airport 07”
My TIVO records pretty much every Family Guy episode that plays which I generally skip over, having seen them too many times.  But a special little smile spreads across my face whenever this episode appears in my Now Playing list.  It includes a fantastic fart joke from Stewie about living with Marlee Matlin, a doctored photo of Peter getting out of a car without his underwear, a-la so many a celeb-u-tard.  But the true pinnacle of hilarity is the Busby Berkley-esque musical number “Prom Night Dumpster Baby,” in which a crooning naked newborn uses his umbilical cord as a dancing cane.  Priceless…

3. ALBUM Jenny Scheinman “Crossing the Field”

Coming out October 14th, this instrumental album from jazz violinist Jenny Scheinman is ridiculously gorgeous (and this coming from someone who doesn’t like jazz).  The tracks alternate between upbeat rhythmic numbers to lushly orchestrated mood pieces that could be mistaken for the strains of Debussy or some excellent movie soundtrack.  And for it to be all focused around a violin feels very fresh!  Let’s just say this is definitely not a Stephane Grappelli knockoff…

4. BOOK “Revolutionary Road” by Richard Yates
This book destroyed me. It captures the slow boiling drama of a couple trying to fight a suburban future in the ‘50s.  The weight of decisions, of life events become so heavy with each page turn until it explodes, and boy does it ever.  Let’s just hope Sam Mendes doesn’t turn this into crap for the movie in December.

5. FOOD Socarrat
This tiny Chelsea restaurant offers up delicious small plates that can serve as appetizer or a meal, as well as a series of delicious paella, including black squid ink noodles with assorted seafood.  Economizing on space, the place is literally one large communal table, which I normally would hate (ew, socializing with people I don’t know!), but I actually find fun in this environment.  Just be sure to come by five, because starting around six it’s packed until closing.

6. ALBUM Justin Nozuka “Holly”
Yes, I know it will surprise everyone that I like yet another singer/songwriter guitar player, but this very young guy (currently 20) has put together an intelligent and catchy album that is both mature in sound without attempting to be mature beyond his years in tone, especially impressive considering two tracks were written when he was 15.  Take a listen to “Golden Train” and “Criminal” and try to tell me that you aren’t hooked.

7. TV Anna Paquin on “True Blood”
This show is truly average to the point that I can’t believe I’ve made it through two episodes already.  Yeah, I get it, vampires as allegory for injustice in the modern world.  But Anna Paquin, as she does with most anything she appears in, elevates the crap dialogue from Alan Ball and mundane plot lines.  She is truly captivating, it almost makes you believe that one day we wont question her Oscar win.  There’s also a nice performance from Rutina Wesley, coming off her well reviewed turn in “How She Move.”

8. SONG “The Supine” by Andrew Bird
At only 58 seconds it’s more an interlude than a song.  But every time it pops up on my iPod, its aural beauty overwhelms me.  Alternating between deep moody strings and sublime pizzicato, it tingles the senses and reminds me why I find his music in general so appealing.

9. TV “Fringe”
In my hopes for another X-Files type show, I tuned in for the premiere (an hour and half long with limited commercials no less) and found myself alternately confused and engrossed.  It has way too much self-referential mythology for its own good and is a complete rip-off of the BBC’s “Torchwood,” but I think I will continue to give this show a chance to prove itself worthy of devotion.

10. DIRECTOR Mel Brooks, right now and forevermore
Brooks’ has the type of humor that normally doesn’t do it for me, but he somehow hits my funny bone every single time (as a child I found it hilarious to run around yelling “Hump the Queen!”).  Throwing everything he can up against a wall, it’s remarkable how much actually sticks.  Despite the varying quality of his films, I think “Young Frankenstein” is an incredible movie in its own right. And the Broadway musical adaptation is actually pretty enjoyable, even if critics panned it (mostly I think as backlash from the overwhelming commercial success of the ultimately bland “Producers”).  At the end of the day, I’m always happy to sit through one of his creations.