Or what the dog and I enjoyed in 2011
The dog and I were hoping for a walk, but it’s raining. I just drank my last eggnog latte of the season (well maybe not), the presents under the tree have been unwrapped, I’ve had way too much rich food and it’s nearly time to resolve to eat healthy and exercise, for a couple of weeks any way...
In the headphones:
Bon Iver – Bon Iver
A fuller sound than For Emma.
Death Cab – Codes and Keys
Ben and the boys whip up some more tasty tunes.
Foster the People – Torches
If MGMT had embraced the sound that made them popular, the sound that people liked, then this is what the follow-up to Oracular Spectacular would have sounded like.
Grateful Dead – Europe ’72, Vol. II
In 2011 the surviving members dug into the archives and offered all 22 shows from their 1972 tour of Europe on 60 CDs, but at nearly $500 for the set it’s reserved for the more committed Deadhead. Europe ’72 is one of the best live albums of the 70s whose only drawback is that it didn’t include Dark Star. Vol. II corrects that oversight and then some.
The Head and the Heart - The Head and the Heart
While technically a 2010 release, Subpop remastered the Seattle Folk-Rockers tunes and re-released it in 2011. Do something nice for your ears and buy this disc.
Mayer Hawthorne – How Do You Do
Cardigan and Buddy Holly glasses aside, this guy can sing and leads the Nu Soul movement.
Raphael Saadiq – Stone Rollin’
Another solid Nu Soul effort from Raphael and every bit as good as The Way I See It.
Rolling Stones - Brussels Affair
Live, download-only version of the Brussels show from the 1973 European tour and a steal at $4.99.
Trombone Shorty – For True
Two shows at Bumbershoot including the soundcheck and KEXP show at the children’s theater, these guys come to the game ready to play.
Vetiver – The Errant Charm
Named for a perennial grass native to India. Saw ‘em twice at B-shoot 2011, another creat collection of tunes from Andy Cabic and Co
White Denim - D
ZZ Top meets King Crimson. Especially pleasing, intricate guitar work, with nice harmonies and toe-tapping beats. White Denim is one of my new favorite groups.
Visuals: Big Screen
Cedar Rapids
Directed by Miguel Arteta, starring Ed Helms, John C. Reilly and Anne Heche
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Directed by Glenn Ficarra & John Requa, starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Julianne Moore
Harry Potter and the End of the Series, Part II
Directed by David Yates, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint
Midnight In Paris
Directed by Woody Allen, starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates
Super 8
Directed by J.J. Abrams, starring Elle Fanning, Amanda Michalka and Kyle Chandler
Water For Elephants
Robert Pattinson shows he's more than a sparkling vampire glamoring winey teens on the edge of the Northwest rain forest.
Win, Win
Directed by Thomas McCarthy, starring Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan and Jeffrey Tambor
Visuals: Tube
Good Wife Season Three
A cuckolded Chicago politician’s wife makes her way in the world and a name for herself as a partner-tracked lawyer.
Modern Family Season Three
Best cast and writing in a sitcom since Seinfeld.
Sons of Anarchy Season Four
The trials and tribulations of a group of motorcycle enthusiasts from northern California makes for an interesting spin on the story of Hamlet.
Treme Season One
From the creators of The Wire, Post-Katrina New Orleans with an amazing soundtrack.
Walking Dead Season Two
The zombie apocalypse is upon us.
Visuals: Revisits
Friday Night Lights
Life and football in a Texas high school.
Star Trek Deep Space Nine
Gene Rodenberry's legacy lives on in my favorite of the Star Trek series.
The Wire
Balitmore cops wrestling with bureaucracy, nepotism and petty differences while trying to catch bad guys.
On the nightstand:
The Financial Lives of the Poets by Jess Walter
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Ship Breaker (book 1 of 2) by Paolo Bacigalupi
The Hunger Games (book 1 of 3) by Suzanne Collins
