So I attempted to write down my top ten movies of 2008. Here is my attempt:

1. Billy the Kid
2. Rachel Getting Married
3. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
4. The Flight of the Red Balloon
5. Reprise
6. Ballast
7. Trouble the Water
8. American Teen
9. The Pleasure of Being Robbed
10. Happy-Go-Lucky

There are a whole bunch of other films of 2008 that could possibly make the list once I see them. These include but are not limited to: Wendy and Lucy, Revolutionary Road, Tell No One, I’ve Loved You So Long, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Edge of Heaven, Synecdoche, New York, The Last Mistress, A Christmas Tale, Frozen River, Man on Wire, The Visitor, The Wrestler and Milk.

Thoughts? Issues? Suggestions?

What may or may not amount to my favorite 20 songs of 2007. The only ones that will likely not change under any circumstances are #1 and #2.

I really love/hate year-end lists. Here they are, anyway, in descending order:

20. Grand Ole Party - Look Out Young Son
19. Ryan Adams - Two
18. Marnie Stern - Every Single Line Means Something
17. The White Stripes - Rag and Bone
16. Thunder Power!!! - Sleep, Not Violence
15. Caribou - Melody Day
14. Architecture in Helsinki - Heart it Races
13. Baby Walrus - Red Horses
12. Kanye West - Can’t Tell Me Nothin’
11. Rilo Kiley - Smoke Detector and Fifteen (tied)
10. Panda Bear - Comfy in Nautica
9. The New Pornographers - Myriad Harbour and Go Places (tied)
8. Grizzly Bear - Knife
7. The Gossip - Your Mangled Heart
6. St. Vincent - Jesus Saves, I Spend
5. Feist - 1234
4. Arcade Fire - Antichrist Television Blues
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Down Boy
2. Beyoncé - Irreplaceable
1. M.I.A. - Paper Planes

I love lists, so I couldn’t resist. However, there are too many movies and albums to think about and this list is much more fun to make, so here it is

My top ten favorite shows of 2007*:

1) Marianne Faithfull at the House of Blues, Anaheim, California
2) St. Vincent, Scout Niblett at The Waiting Room, Omaha, Nebraska
3) Bright Eyes, Simon Joyner at The Waiting Room, Omaha, Nebraska
4) The Gossip at The Knitting Factory, New York, New York
5) Girl Talk, Dan Deacon at The Echo, Los Angeles, California
6) Tilly & the Wall, Baby Walrus, Bear Country at Slowdown, Omaha, Nebraska
7) Rilo Kiley at First Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Gossip at the Troubadour, Los Angeles, California
9) M. Ward, Yo La Tengo, and Bright Eyes at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, California
10) Wilco, Andrew Bird at the Orpheum, Omaha, Nebraska

Runners up (in order):

Neko Case, Porter Wagoner/Billy Bob Thornton at Henry Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles, California
The Faint at Sokol, Omaha, Nebraska
St. Vincent, The National at Slowdown, Omaha, Nebraska

Please remind me of any shows I have attended that you think could make the list that I may have forgotten. My memory doesn’t seem to stretch back to the beginning of the year…

*note: amended 12/11/07 10:25 pm