10.13.08 My Top Ten RIGHT NOW

1. ALBUM Hello…X Tristan Prettyman
Another excellent female singer/songwriter! I know, shocking for me, and you ask when will it stop, and I say NEVER! Her songs are catchy without being redundant; the sound has a bit of twang without digressing into coffee shop boredom. Her vocals smoky and intriguing, similar in tone to Sonya Kitchell with a bit more maturity behind it and a little of Melissa Ferrick’s phrasing thrown in for kicks. Take a listen to “Handshake” and my personal favorite, “California Girl,” with its blues-style slow burn into an excellent hook that keeps you singing right along.

2. ALBUM Strange Attractor Mercury Rev
Mercury Rev has delivered an all-instrumental electronic soundscape composition that made me sit up and take notice, which is pretty difficult considering I’m not the biggest fan of the electronic genre when it’s not mixed in with other things. But here the combination of soft constant pulses up against harsher beats kept me interested throughout. The sound production, lavish and all encompassing, avoided a sleazy lounge feel. All in all, worth a listen, and even more worth the listen because it’s available as a free download from their website (see link above). And free music always makes the listening experience that much better.

3. TV Brothers & Sisters on ABC
Sure, this is just a standard nighttime soap, but there is such an emotional core thanks to the excellent performances from Sally Field, Calista Flockhart, Rachel Griffiths and Patricia Wettig. Over the summer I found myself wondering what was happening with the Walker clan, and every week, I just can’t wait to come home on a Sunday night and find my TiVo has recorded another bit of deliciousness. And come on, those family fight scenes are so well scripted and staged, to the point where I would say it rivals the dysfunction displayed every night on Broadway at performances of August: Osage County (which, by the by, should also be on this list).

4. MOVIE Anjelica Huston in Choke (2008)
Anjelica Huston’s performance in the film was remarkable. She allowed herself to be ugly and did so in the most beautiful way. She plays the deranged mother that is the heart and soul of the sex-addict crisis that is the lead character, Victor (portrayed nicely by Sam Rockwell). She acts with such grace that it serves as a reminder what a real movie star can do in a movie of any quality. As far as the film as a whole, it was strangely true to the book, yet took all of Palahniuk’s edge off in favor of a very sentimental look at sex addiction, which I would have thought impossible on many levels.

5. SONG “Above the Clouds” by Slightly Stoopid
I am obsessed with this song. It opens with a bit of electronica mixing in sitar with a strong backbeat. Vocals pop in, incoherent but completely entrancing just floating over all that excellent music. And then the horns come in, and you know you’re sunk, as it continues to build and build without ever losing the epic cool it started from. Its one of those cosmic songs that can make any white boy, such as myself, feel the groove.

6. SONG “Elephants” by Rachael Yamagata
This is a beautiful and simple ballad. Yamagata whispers over piano chords comparing the end of a love affair to the natural needs and desires of animals. The song builds, adding strings, drums and backup vocals but never losing the simplicity and heartbreak. The video is worth a look, it matches the intensity of the song with the desolate and destroyed setting, well shot and framed. Unfortunately the “filmic” gimmick gets tired and almost induces a seizure distracting from the song itself.

7. MOVIE Purple Violets (2007)
Edward Burns movies all tend to be more or less the same love poem to NYC and the neurotic inhabitants but without the humor and edge that Woody Allen has brought to this city time and again. Violets doesn’t stray too far from that, but is bolstered by a lovely quartet of actors: Selma Blair, Debra Messing, Patrick Wilson and Edward Burns himself. While the story kept me involved, it didn’t overwhelm and the romantic core of it was quite moving if better filmed than written. Actually, the movie really made me want to see these four brought together on the big screen but with completely different results.

8. MUSIC VIDEO Val Emmich “Get On With It”
This video is all about heart. Clearly filmed with no budget and a bunch of friends, it holds itself together thanks to the endearing performance by Emmich (you’ll remember him as Jaime on 30Rock and Betty’s new neighbor on Ugly Betty). The concept is fairly adorable, one man’s quest to meet a girl becomes a high school competition involving many odd sports such as a slip ‘n’ slide, hurdles and chess. And I do appreciate the lack of lip-syncing in favor of exposition. Despite some clichés this video feels very fresh, and I do really like the catchy song.

9. SONG “Keep on Walking” by Jem
I am always a sucker for a gospel choir and well, this song has that in spades. As usual, Jem offers up something catchy in the way of a melody (so consistent with her talent that it borders on boring) but the combination of her dark sweet vocals, often tripled creating an interesting harmony within itself, up against the strength of the choir makes for an interesting combination that is just a wee bit addictive. Mark my words, this song will be co-opted by Grey’s Anatomy in the not too distant future

10. SONGWRITER Ben Folds (back then and right now)
I was originally going to include Folds on this list for his new album, Way to Normal, until I decided that I really just like him in general and that even a less than stellar album from him still makes me very happy. Taking on the mantle of piano man, his songwriting abilities are remarkable, intelligent and witty. I of course enjoyed him with the Five, I think Rockin’ the Suburbs is an incredible album (the song “The Luckiest” is in my top ten of all time best piano ballads). And his new entry is worth a few listens as I actually can hear him maturing and changing his musicality. Definitely download his fantastic duet with Regina Spektor, “You Don’t Know Me.” It’s kind of shocking the first time you hear it in the most splendid of ways, some odd combo of light hip hop, Queen and Elton.