Music

dirty projectors – bitte orca
micachu and the shapes – jewellery
grizzly bear - veckatimest
lightning dust – infinite light
animal collective – merriwether post pavilion
tegan and sara – sainthood
the yeah yeah yeahs – it’s blitz!
st. vincent – actor
tune-yards – bird-brains
fever ray – fever ray

honorable mention: sunset rubdown – dragonslayer, mos def – the ecstatic , the gossip – music for men, neko case – middle cyclone, the fiery furnaces – I’m going away, YACHT – see mystery lights, the xx – xx, vivian girls – everything goes wrong

09 albums I’m currently listening to but haven’t listened to enough to judge: girls – album, japandroids – post-nothing, rihanna – rated r, alicia keys – the element of freedom, the dream – love vs. money

Movies

The Landlord*
Fantastic Mr. Fox
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Beeswax
Bright Star
Goodbye Solo
Medicine for Melancholy
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Beaches of Agnes
The Messenger

*this was my favorite movie I’ve seen all year, but it came out in 1970, so it’s technically disqualified

might make the list but haven’t seen yet: Gomorrah, Summer Hours, In the Loop, Precious, Sugar, 35 Shots of Rum, Mammoth, Broken Embraces, Inglorious Basterds

Other random 2009 pop culture enjoyments/discoveries: This American Life Seasons 1 and 2, Radiolab, Super Mario Bros for Wii, Beatles Rock Band, A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore, Susan Sontag – Reborn: Journals & Notebooks 1947-1963, Smashburger, printmaking class/wood engraving tools, Mad Men, Parks and Recreation, Bored to Death, banana chocolate chip muffins from Blue Line, pub quiz victory, smartwool socks

Independently Intimate Directors is an interesting article, written by Dennis Lim, on two writer/director/producers, So Yong Kim and Bradley Rust Gray, whose work I’m interested in and admire. They also happen to be married to each other, and they work very closely on each other’s films. I really hope that I will be able to see both Treeless Mountain and The Exploding Girl in the very near future.

I’ve been missing L.A. a lot lately. It doesn’t help that I consistently get e-mails for great events that are happening there - Albert Maysles, Michel Gondry, Dave Eggers/Vendela Vida/Sam Mendes/Maya Rudolph, Mike Mills, etc. I haven’t been back in awhile, and I’m sure these films will be opening there before getting to Omaha, so one more reason to get out there sometime soon.

I finally saw it.  I loved it.  Perhaps more to come later on this film.  Until then, here’s a related article by A.O. Scott in yesterday’s NY Times Magazine titled Neo-Neo Realism. The article focuses on a handful of American directors, including Kelly Reichardt, making films in the neo-realist tradition. I was really excited to see this article because I love many of these films. I was also reminded that I really want to see Treeless Mountain. Wendy and Lucy, and now this article, have gotten me thinking and inspired to start on the project that has been germinating in my brain for awhile now. I must start writing.

As you probably have noticed, I have moved my blog. I love this new format and design, but one thing I miss was my consistent updating of my blogger profile with movies I’ve seen, ones I want to see, music I’m listening to, and current faves and interests. I always like reading what other people are reading, listening to, and watching, and it’s a good way for me to keep tabs on what I’m into at a certain moment in time and also remember the movies I want to see or music I want to hear. So I think I will try to give updates on a pretty regular basis; perhaps weekly or bi-monthly. Should these updates have a name? Any ideas?

Reading: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, The New Yorker, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath

Listening to: Dark Was the Night compilation, Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It’s Blitz! (I know, but I will buy the album), Justin Townes Earle - Midnight at the Movies, Neko Case - Middle Cyclone, The Show is the Rainbow - Wet Fist

Recently Read: Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, Reborn: Journals and Notebooks, 1947-1963 by Susan Sontag, edited by David Rieff

Recently watched: Synechdoche, NY, Snow Angels, Opening Night, Sunshine Cleaning, The Wackness

Recently bought: Pierrot le Fou Criterion DVD, You Can Count on Me DVD

Looking forward to: Wendy and Lucy, I’ve Loved You So Long, Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest, Marianne Faithfull covers album, March Madness