9.8.08 My Top Ten Right Now

1. MUSEUM “Polaroids: Mapplethorpe” at the Whitney, NYC
Nestled in the mezzanine of the Whitney, there is a single room filled with the most beautiful polaroids by Robert Mapplethorpe.  Dating from the 70s, this work demonstrates the very early signs of what would soon become his shocking seminal works of the 80s.  Never have I seen such an incredibly deft use of instant photography, he truly captures something that only he could see.

2. MOVIE  Frozen River (2008)
The movie is fairly simple and contains some truly substandard acting from the bit players, but I challenge anyone not to be completely captivated by Melissa Leo’s thought provoking and difficult performance.  It captures a level of desperation in life I hope never to reach.

3. ALBUM “Days are Mighty – Demo Version” by Jeb Loy Nichols

This quiet and moody companion album to Nichols’ new album is actually way more compelling. Stripped of the backup that tends toward smooth jazz, his smoky vocals ring loud and clear.  And come on, how can you not love the oddity of an album that includes a folk-guitar cover of “Lazy Afternoon” from the Broadway show The Golden Apple?

4. WEB Stephen King’s “N.” on barnesandnoble.com
This isn’t much more than a flashy marketing campaign bringing to life a soon to be released short story in animated comic book fashion, but like pretty much any thing Stephen King touches, you find yourself instantly intrigued and always craving more.  There are now 5 webisodes posted, a full 25 in the series, and I can’t wait to find out what the hell is going on.

5. ALBUM “This Storm” by Sonya Kitchell
I was a definite fan of Kitchell’s 2006 album, “Words Come Back To Me,” and was a little taken aback with the more pop-oriented sound of her latest effort.  After a couple of listens, I was totally sold.  Her music writing ability still shines through; her vocals are getting better without losing their edge (thankfully distinguishing herself from husky-voiced acts like Joss Stone).  All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable listen and I definitely recommend purchasing the B&N special version with two extra tracks.

6. MOVIE Southland Tales (2006)
Next to Richard Kelly’s first film, Donnie Darko, this movie is pure crap.  But I can’t deny that in the theater, and now on DVD, I was transfixed.  It was a total mess and made only some sense (or maybe none at all, I haven’t decided).  But I would much rather see a mess like this on screen a hundred times over than some of the other no-thinking-required crap Hollywood has churned out.  And you can never argue with Justin Timberlake’s musical number set to The Killers “All These Things That I’ve Done.”

7. ALBUM “Ode to Sunshine” by Delta Spirit
This CD was a pleasant surprise that appeared on my desk one day.  Instantly sing-able, a bit of a throw back to the British Invasion of the 60s in the orchestrations, throw in some excellent piano and guitar riffs and you got yourself a little hipster party!  Take a listen to “People C’mon,” it’ll remind you of the days when Franz Ferdinand was the only thing that radio played.

8. TV “Eli Stone”
I was absolutely hooked on this show and am so happy to now have all of season one on DVD.  From the George Michael musical numbers to the fine line it walks between comedy and drama, I couldn’t help but become emotionally invested in these characters and the lofty moralistic themes the show tackled, successfully for the most part.  It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I drink it up heartily.

9. SONG “Rock Me Sexy Jesus” from Hamlet 2
Gosh, this week is feeling very musical number-centric.  While I found the movie as a whole pretty close to worthless, I had a very soft spot for this one musical number that truly deserves being dubbed, “infectious pop.”  Please enjoy the link above to the sing-a-long version…

10. ARTIST Sufjan Stevens, right now and forevermore
What a wunderkind! The lyrics, the orchestrations, the sheer volume of things going on in a single track, in a single measure even, it all overwhelms the senses in the best way.  His songs take what I love from modern composers like Philip Glass, John Adams, etc. and distill it into a completely original sound.  And his work on covers of Joni Mitchell’s “Free Man in Paris” and Dylan’s “Ring Them Bells” is worthy of the term “genius.”  When it comes to Sufi, I have only one question, when is the next album coming!?!