Again, in no particular order...
Top TV Shows
Top Chef season 6 - After a subpar season 5, the most recent season was plain awesome. It was a real pleasure to watch the top echelon of chefs compete throughout the season, with the top 4 taking home every Elimination Challenge, and 3 worthy challengers for the crown (Kevin with the most elimination wins, Bryan 2nd most elimination wins and never being in the bottom, and Michael with the 3rd most elimination wins, most quickfires, and most times in the top 3). I can only hope that future seasons will continue to attract high quality talent, and that Bravo will eventually stream episodes online.
Lost season 5 - Lost, and the next show on this list, should serve as an inspiration to TV show creators to write out a tight narrative for the entire story arc of a show before putting it to film. Ever since planning out the end, every week has been must-see TV. Can't wait for the season opener on Groundhog's Day to see what effect the nuke had on the mythology and characters.
The Wire (seasons 1-5) - After high recommendations from Shally's brother Sam, my college buddy Danny, and about every TV critic out there, we decided to give this HBO show a shot on DVD, and quickly became hooked into the gritty, raw, personable depiction of life in inner-city Baltimore. One reviewer said, of the series, that "The Wire" is like the "Great Expectations" of the 21st century American city - a story that becomes the quintessential example for future generations. I wouldn't be surprised to see this show being watched in classrooms years from now to discuss sociology, poverty, ethics, politics, and justice.
30 Rock (seasons 1-2) - Sometimes you want something light and humorous to watch, and after exhausting "Simpsons" and "Friends" reruns, we decided to take a chance on this critically acclaimed series and quickly became fans of the sharp writing and memorable characters. Jack Donaghy is awesome. And it doesn't hurt that Liz Lemon is a Star Wars geek ("I will slice you open like a tauntaun!").
Top Movies
Star Trek (theater) - I wouldn't say I'm a JJ Abrams fanboy, but he's certainly had a hand in a lot of quality material that is just entertaining. Next Spielberg? Really enjoyed Sylar as Spock, and the DVD's humor/outtakes video is hilarious.
Up (airplane) - Dug is my favorite supporting character of all the Pixar movies. "Oh boy! A BALL! I will go get it, and then I will bring it back!"
Namesake (DVD) - Starring the guy better known as "Kumar," this was a thought-provoking movie about the story of many of my friends' families - our parents coming over from the mother country (in this case India) to work in the tech industry and create a "better life" for the next generation. Made me want to ask my parents what it was like coming here from Taiwan all those years ago.
Children of Men (DVD) - Good sci-fi movie about a dystopian future where mankind can no longer reproduce.
Top Games
Gears of War 2 - The campaign was more of the same, but what made this memorable in 2009 was the addition of Horde mode - being able to play cooperatively with 3 or 4 friends against ever-increasing numbers of foes made for extremely enjoyable gaming parties, plotting strategies and then executing them.
Modern Warfare 2 - The closest that I'll ever come to starring in a Michael Bay movie. If only it had a Horde or Zombie mode - co-op Spec Ops is pretty good, but not quite as fun as teaming up with a bunch of friends.
Portal - The most inventive game I played this year. Shally often watched and made suggestions on how to defeat the puzzles, until the later levels where constantly-changing gravity made her motion-sick.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Super Mario Galaxy - Shally and I enjoy playing through games together in co-op mode, or in adventure games with good stories and puzzles that we can solve together (with me usually doing the execution of our strategies and all the fighting). We went through both of these on the Wii this year.
Set - Not a video game but a card game, Shally introduced me to it while at the Great Barrier Reef in between snorkeling exhibitions, and it's now an occasional pasttime for us. Basically, it involves looking at 12 cards with varying values in each of 4 categories: number of items, shapes, colors, and fills, and the goal is to get as many "sets" as possible where each category is either all the same, or all different. Very compact game, easy to transport, and we even got my parents into it.
Showing posts with label journals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label journals. Show all posts
Sunday, January 17, 2010
2009 Retrospective: Top Books
I was surprised to look at my book log and see that I read 35 books in 2009. Being married to a librarian definitely has its perks, as I can put things on hold and she can pick them up for me at work. In no particular order...
Non-fiction
"Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. My favorite of his major releases, as the studies and insights into what goes into success was actually quite interesting, insightful and also somewhat applicable. For example, his theories about the Asian immigrant work ethic (in short - rice paddies can be worked year-round while traditional crop fields need to be left alone to regain nutrients) kicked off other thoughts about whether this would impact Asian spirituality, and Christianity in particular.
"The Emotionally Healthy Church" by Peter Scazzero. With the drama that our English service went through in 2009, with our longtime English pastor resigning and several members leaving for other churches, my spirit was suffering a little bit. It was very timely to be able to read this book from the lead pastor at New Life Fellowship in Queens to be able to understand how to integrate Christian spirituality with the day-to-day and moment-to-moment human emotions and issues I deal with in work, church, family, and at home.
Fiction
Lots of sci-fi and fantasy this year...
"A Song of Ice and Fire" series by George R.R. Martin. I heard about this epic fantasy series from a column by Doc Jensen at the Entertainment Weekly website about "Lost." It took a while to get into, but now I'm hooked into the characters, grim storylines, action, politics/manipulations, and everything else. Even though each book is 1000+ pages, they're hard to put down because the characters are so well fleshed out. Although I think the reputation of Martin as "the American Tolkien" isn't quite accurate, this series was still my favorite find of the year. Waiting for the 4th book to come from the library now.
"Ender's Shadow" by Orson Scott Card. I also re-read Ender's Game this year, and then the companion book about Ender's subordinate but intellectual equal, Bean. I couldn't quite get into the post-Battle School books like "Speaker for the Dead," however.
"Old Man's War" series by John Scalzi. Very neat sci-fi universe where human consciousness can be transferred into a genetically engineered body created with your own DNA, so human armies are composed of old people about to die who enlist and then are given a new lease on life in prime physical health.
"Watchmen" by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Better than the movie, although I wasn't fond of the whole pirate sub-story.
"Allegiance," "Outbound Flight," and "Survivor's Quest" by Timothy Zahn. I read through the most recent three books written by my favorite Star Wars author, and while they weren't as memorable as some earlier work, he never disappoints.
Re-read:
"The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien. How could I not re-read the classics after visiting Middle-Earth?
"Starship Troopers" by Robert Heinlein. Since it's been so long since I read this, my most recent memory of the story came from the so-bad-it's-awesome movie. Re-reading the book reminded me that it is nothing like the movie.
Non-fiction
"Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. My favorite of his major releases, as the studies and insights into what goes into success was actually quite interesting, insightful and also somewhat applicable. For example, his theories about the Asian immigrant work ethic (in short - rice paddies can be worked year-round while traditional crop fields need to be left alone to regain nutrients) kicked off other thoughts about whether this would impact Asian spirituality, and Christianity in particular.
"The Emotionally Healthy Church" by Peter Scazzero. With the drama that our English service went through in 2009, with our longtime English pastor resigning and several members leaving for other churches, my spirit was suffering a little bit. It was very timely to be able to read this book from the lead pastor at New Life Fellowship in Queens to be able to understand how to integrate Christian spirituality with the day-to-day and moment-to-moment human emotions and issues I deal with in work, church, family, and at home.
Fiction
Lots of sci-fi and fantasy this year...
"A Song of Ice and Fire" series by George R.R. Martin. I heard about this epic fantasy series from a column by Doc Jensen at the Entertainment Weekly website about "Lost." It took a while to get into, but now I'm hooked into the characters, grim storylines, action, politics/manipulations, and everything else. Even though each book is 1000+ pages, they're hard to put down because the characters are so well fleshed out. Although I think the reputation of Martin as "the American Tolkien" isn't quite accurate, this series was still my favorite find of the year. Waiting for the 4th book to come from the library now.
"Ender's Shadow" by Orson Scott Card. I also re-read Ender's Game this year, and then the companion book about Ender's subordinate but intellectual equal, Bean. I couldn't quite get into the post-Battle School books like "Speaker for the Dead," however.
"Old Man's War" series by John Scalzi. Very neat sci-fi universe where human consciousness can be transferred into a genetically engineered body created with your own DNA, so human armies are composed of old people about to die who enlist and then are given a new lease on life in prime physical health.
"Watchmen" by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Better than the movie, although I wasn't fond of the whole pirate sub-story.
"Allegiance," "Outbound Flight," and "Survivor's Quest" by Timothy Zahn. I read through the most recent three books written by my favorite Star Wars author, and while they weren't as memorable as some earlier work, he never disappoints.
Re-read:
"The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien. How could I not re-read the classics after visiting Middle-Earth?
"Starship Troopers" by Robert Heinlein. Since it's been so long since I read this, my most recent memory of the story came from the so-bad-it's-awesome movie. Re-reading the book reminded me that it is nothing like the movie.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
2007 recap - entertainment
Some faves from the past year...
MUSIC (2007 Music Journal)
Favorite albums I listened to for the first time in 2007 (not necessarily released in 2007)...
"Accelerate", Testimony A Capella - Shally and I got some free tickets to a local concert where this Stanfurd a capella group performed. I wasn't expecting much, but afterwards I ended up purchasing the album - their harmonies were on point and they had someone to do beatbox percussion.
"In Between Dreams", Jack Johnson - one of the most relaxing albums that I own.
"Glo", Delirious - I didn't get into this band aside from their modern worship stuff until I took a chance on this album. They've done a great job continuing to grow their sound into modern atmospheric rock a la U2.
"Recollection", Nichole Nordeman - her debut Wide-Eyed is one of my favorite albums. This best-of collection has a pretty good cross-section of the rest of her catalog.
"Rodrigo y Gabriela", Rodrigo y Gabriela - unique, Latin/flamenco/metal inspired acoustic rock. It's like nothing else I've ever heard.
"Better Questions", Todd Agnew - surprisingly smart songwriting from this musician, best known for his single "Grace Like Rain" that had success on Christian radio. This album didn't have anything as radio-ready as that CCM hit, but did a pretty good job posing questions to God that many Christians face.
"Mute Math", Mute Math
"Cities", Anberlin
- straight up modern rock
BOOKS (2007 Book Journal)
Favorite books...
Pleasure reading:
Various books, Lee Child - Mike L introduced me to this thriller/action writer and I ended up devouring 4-5 of his novels about his hero, Jack Reacher, over the course of 2007.
Various books, Bill Watterson - I also had the chance to re-discover my love and enjoyment of the Calvin and Hobbes comic book series. Shally was cool enough to check out from the library a few of the compilations I hadn't read before, and now I have the full compilation on my bookshelf as a Christmas gift from her!
Christian stuff:
"Practicing God's Presence", Brother Lawrence - this was a theme for myself and many folks in the church for much of this year - being able to experience God in day-to-day life and not just in "church" stuff. The text of this classic can be found here.
"Authentic Christianity, Ray Stedman" - I also got turned on this year to the teaching of the late Pastor Ray Stedman from PBC. I find his stuff a good combination of practical, relatable teaching and theological complexity. This online book provided several insights into living an authentic faith in words that I hadn't necessarily considered before.
"Leading Congregational Change", Jim Herrington
"Communicating for a Change", Andy Stanley
- reading for church leadership purposes
Personal development and other non-fiction:
"Tipping Point", Malcolm Gladwell - fun read about how trends begin and are sustained
"Now Discover Your Strengths", Marcus Buckingham & Donald Clifton - learned a lot this year about how people are wired and uniquely created by God - strengths, weaknesses, personality, spiritual gifts, etc. This was a good handbook on the idea of unique strengths and helped me discover and clarify some of my own.
FILMS (2007 Film Journal)
Favorite films first viewed in 2007 (not necessarily released in 2007)...
"Ratatouille" (theater, DVD) - takes the top spot. I ended up watching this 3 times.
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (theater) - storyline and script was better than the first two. Much easier to follow.
"The Simpsons Movie" (theater) - Spider-pig, spider-pig...
"Amazing Grace" (DVD)
"Blood Diamond" (DVD)
- watched the two of these within the space of 3 days... both were surprisingly moving, not just for the story they told but also for the social justice causes that formed the backdrop for each movie - the English slave trade and diamond mining/child warfare in Africa.
"Serenity" (DVD) - bring back Firefly!
TV
24 - disappointing season 6. Was hoping for a bounceback season 7, but looks like that won't be happening any time soon.
Lost - boring 1st half, awesome 2nd half. The first 8 eps of this season should help sway public opinion to the side of the screenwriters in the strike.
Top Chef - my bro turned me on to this reality show, which was surprisingly fun to watch as much for the personalities of the chefs as the mouth-watering culinary creations.
Sports
2007 marked a wonderful turnaround for one of my teams and the cementing of a legacy for another.
For the Warriors, the revamp of the team from the lovable-yet-frustrating losers of the last decade to the tough, fun, still-occasionally-frustrating team of today was immensely gratifying to watch. Warriors fans are perhaps the best in the NBA - enthusiastic and knowledgeable even for midseason games. SJax provides toughness and surprising versatility. Biedrins has grown into a surprisingly effective inside player, Monta can score from anywhere, and Baron holds everything together. Man, it feels good to be respectable.
For the Spurs... I guess the 2007 championship is kind of like business as usual for one of the classiest and most successful organizations in sports.
Video Games
Edited this post to add this section... figured I might as well highlight all the gaming I did in 2007. The following games got a lot of play in Chris' XBox360, my PS2, and just in my general social circle:
Guitar Hero II (PS2) - my bro gave me his old copy, I bought a second guitar off Amazon, and ever since Shally and I have been enjoying rocking out.
Lego Star Wars I and II (PS2) - two bastions of my childhood combine to form a surprisingly entertaining game that I played through with both Shally and Chris.
Gears of War (XBox360) - this dominated evenings after community group in the first half of 2007. Ladies were especially put off by the "chainsawing bad guys in half" sound effect. Being able to play co-op and using cover made for more interesting gameplay than typical first-person shooters.
Rainbow Six: Vegas (XBox360) - IMO, a better game than Gears, but it didn't quite catch on outside of the Kittoe household. Still has a lot of replay value. Nothing more satisfying than ducking out of cover into heavy fire, sniping a terrorist, and sliding back into cover.
Rock Band - Drums, guitars, and vocals may dominate the next year or so. Talk about a cool drum learning tool!
MUSIC (2007 Music Journal)
Favorite albums I listened to for the first time in 2007 (not necessarily released in 2007)...
"Accelerate", Testimony A Capella - Shally and I got some free tickets to a local concert where this Stanfurd a capella group performed. I wasn't expecting much, but afterwards I ended up purchasing the album - their harmonies were on point and they had someone to do beatbox percussion.
"In Between Dreams", Jack Johnson - one of the most relaxing albums that I own.
"Glo", Delirious - I didn't get into this band aside from their modern worship stuff until I took a chance on this album. They've done a great job continuing to grow their sound into modern atmospheric rock a la U2.
"Recollection", Nichole Nordeman - her debut Wide-Eyed is one of my favorite albums. This best-of collection has a pretty good cross-section of the rest of her catalog.
"Rodrigo y Gabriela", Rodrigo y Gabriela - unique, Latin/flamenco/metal inspired acoustic rock. It's like nothing else I've ever heard.
"Better Questions", Todd Agnew - surprisingly smart songwriting from this musician, best known for his single "Grace Like Rain" that had success on Christian radio. This album didn't have anything as radio-ready as that CCM hit, but did a pretty good job posing questions to God that many Christians face.
"Mute Math", Mute Math
"Cities", Anberlin
- straight up modern rock
BOOKS (2007 Book Journal)
Favorite books...
Pleasure reading:
Various books, Lee Child - Mike L introduced me to this thriller/action writer and I ended up devouring 4-5 of his novels about his hero, Jack Reacher, over the course of 2007.
Various books, Bill Watterson - I also had the chance to re-discover my love and enjoyment of the Calvin and Hobbes comic book series. Shally was cool enough to check out from the library a few of the compilations I hadn't read before, and now I have the full compilation on my bookshelf as a Christmas gift from her!
Christian stuff:
"Practicing God's Presence", Brother Lawrence - this was a theme for myself and many folks in the church for much of this year - being able to experience God in day-to-day life and not just in "church" stuff. The text of this classic can be found here.
"Authentic Christianity, Ray Stedman" - I also got turned on this year to the teaching of the late Pastor Ray Stedman from PBC. I find his stuff a good combination of practical, relatable teaching and theological complexity. This online book provided several insights into living an authentic faith in words that I hadn't necessarily considered before.
"Leading Congregational Change", Jim Herrington
"Communicating for a Change", Andy Stanley
- reading for church leadership purposes
Personal development and other non-fiction:
"Tipping Point", Malcolm Gladwell - fun read about how trends begin and are sustained
"Now Discover Your Strengths", Marcus Buckingham & Donald Clifton - learned a lot this year about how people are wired and uniquely created by God - strengths, weaknesses, personality, spiritual gifts, etc. This was a good handbook on the idea of unique strengths and helped me discover and clarify some of my own.
FILMS (2007 Film Journal)
Favorite films first viewed in 2007 (not necessarily released in 2007)...
"Ratatouille" (theater, DVD) - takes the top spot. I ended up watching this 3 times.
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (theater) - storyline and script was better than the first two. Much easier to follow.
"The Simpsons Movie" (theater) - Spider-pig, spider-pig...
"Amazing Grace" (DVD)
"Blood Diamond" (DVD)
- watched the two of these within the space of 3 days... both were surprisingly moving, not just for the story they told but also for the social justice causes that formed the backdrop for each movie - the English slave trade and diamond mining/child warfare in Africa.
"Serenity" (DVD) - bring back Firefly!
TV
24 - disappointing season 6. Was hoping for a bounceback season 7, but looks like that won't be happening any time soon.
Lost - boring 1st half, awesome 2nd half. The first 8 eps of this season should help sway public opinion to the side of the screenwriters in the strike.
Top Chef - my bro turned me on to this reality show, which was surprisingly fun to watch as much for the personalities of the chefs as the mouth-watering culinary creations.
Sports
2007 marked a wonderful turnaround for one of my teams and the cementing of a legacy for another.
For the Warriors, the revamp of the team from the lovable-yet-frustrating losers of the last decade to the tough, fun, still-occasionally-frustrating team of today was immensely gratifying to watch. Warriors fans are perhaps the best in the NBA - enthusiastic and knowledgeable even for midseason games. SJax provides toughness and surprising versatility. Biedrins has grown into a surprisingly effective inside player, Monta can score from anywhere, and Baron holds everything together. Man, it feels good to be respectable.
For the Spurs... I guess the 2007 championship is kind of like business as usual for one of the classiest and most successful organizations in sports.
Video Games
Edited this post to add this section... figured I might as well highlight all the gaming I did in 2007. The following games got a lot of play in Chris' XBox360, my PS2, and just in my general social circle:
Guitar Hero II (PS2) - my bro gave me his old copy, I bought a second guitar off Amazon, and ever since Shally and I have been enjoying rocking out.
Lego Star Wars I and II (PS2) - two bastions of my childhood combine to form a surprisingly entertaining game that I played through with both Shally and Chris.
Gears of War (XBox360) - this dominated evenings after community group in the first half of 2007. Ladies were especially put off by the "chainsawing bad guys in half" sound effect. Being able to play co-op and using cover made for more interesting gameplay than typical first-person shooters.
Rainbow Six: Vegas (XBox360) - IMO, a better game than Gears, but it didn't quite catch on outside of the Kittoe household. Still has a lot of replay value. Nothing more satisfying than ducking out of cover into heavy fire, sniping a terrorist, and sliding back into cover.
Rock Band - Drums, guitars, and vocals may dominate the next year or so. Talk about a cool drum learning tool!
Saturday, January 05, 2008
2008 Film Journal
Updated 2008/06/17
Recent films
"Quantum of Solace" (2008/11/16, theater)
"Kung Fu Panda" (2008/11/12, DVD)
"Casino Royale" (2008/10/25, DVD)
"The Empire Strikes Back" (2008/10/07, DVD)
"Star Wars: A New Hope" (2008/09/19, DVD)
"PS I Love You" (2008/09/10, DVD)
"Enchanted" (2008/09/03, DVD)
"Dark Knight" (2008/07/26, theater)
"Roman Holiday" (2008/06/30, theater)
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008/06/18, theater)
"Children of Men" (2008/06/04, DVD)
"Jumper" (2008/05/29, plane flight)
"I Am Legend" (2008/05/21, plane flight)
"The Fellowship of the Ring" (2008/05/12, DVD)
"27 Dresses" (2008/05/10, DVD)
"Iron Man" (2008/05/05, theater)
"District B13" (2008/04/27, DVD)
"Heroes Season 1" (2008/04/07, DVD))
"American Gangster" (2008/04/05, DVD)
"A Better Tomorrow" (2008/03/04, Youtube)
"Hard Boiled" (2008/02/24, Youtube)
"The Kingdom" (2008/02/06, DVD)
"Juno" (2008/01/23, theater)
2007 Film Journal
2006 Film Journal
Recent films
"Quantum of Solace" (2008/11/16, theater)
"Kung Fu Panda" (2008/11/12, DVD)
"Casino Royale" (2008/10/25, DVD)
"The Empire Strikes Back" (2008/10/07, DVD)
"Star Wars: A New Hope" (2008/09/19, DVD)
"PS I Love You" (2008/09/10, DVD)
"Enchanted" (2008/09/03, DVD)
"Dark Knight" (2008/07/26, theater)
"Roman Holiday" (2008/06/30, theater)
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008/06/18, theater)
"Children of Men" (2008/06/04, DVD)
"Jumper" (2008/05/29, plane flight)
"I Am Legend" (2008/05/21, plane flight)
"The Fellowship of the Ring" (2008/05/12, DVD)
"27 Dresses" (2008/05/10, DVD)
"Iron Man" (2008/05/05, theater)
"District B13" (2008/04/27, DVD)
"Heroes Season 1" (2008/04/07, DVD))
"American Gangster" (2008/04/05, DVD)
"A Better Tomorrow" (2008/03/04, Youtube)
"Hard Boiled" (2008/02/24, Youtube)
"The Kingdom" (2008/02/06, DVD)
"Juno" (2008/01/23, theater)
2007 Film Journal
2006 Film Journal
2008 Book Journal
Updated 2009/04/11
Recent books read
"Outbound Flight," Timothy Zahn
"The Bourne Identity," Robert Ludlum
"Simpsonology," Tim Delaney
"The Protector," David Morrell
"Dark Victory," Jeph Loeb
"Deep Six," Clive Cussler
"Echo Burning," Lee Child
"Blue Like Jazz," Donald Miller
"Moneyball", Michael Lewis
"The Complete Calvin and Hobbes - Book Two", Bill Watterson
"Bad Luck and Trouble", Lee Child
"One Shot", Lee Child
"The Enemy", Lee Child
"I Am America (And So Can You!)", Stephen Colbert
Recent books re-read
2007 Book Journal
2006 Book Journal
Recent books read
"Outbound Flight," Timothy Zahn
"The Bourne Identity," Robert Ludlum
"Simpsonology," Tim Delaney
"The Protector," David Morrell
"Dark Victory," Jeph Loeb
"Deep Six," Clive Cussler
"Echo Burning," Lee Child
"Blue Like Jazz," Donald Miller
"Moneyball", Michael Lewis
"The Complete Calvin and Hobbes - Book Two", Bill Watterson
"Bad Luck and Trouble", Lee Child
"One Shot", Lee Child
"The Enemy", Lee Child
"I Am America (And So Can You!)", Stephen Colbert
Recent books re-read
2007 Book Journal
2006 Book Journal
2008 Music Journal
Updated 2009/04/11
Recent albums
* "The Blue Album", Weezer (2008/09/02)
* "Echoes", Testimony A Cappella (2008/04/15)
* "The Ringing Bell", Derek Webb (2008/03/12)
* "Salvation in Lights", Mike Farrirs (2008/03/05)
* "Wait For Me", Rebecca St. James (2008/03/03)
* "Tell Me What You Know", Sara Groves (2008/03/01)
* "Roaring Lambs", Various Artists (2008/02/26)
* "Mmhmm", Relient K (2008/02/20)
* "Overdressed", Caedmon's Call (2008/02/20)
2007 Music Journal
2006 Music Journal
Recent albums
* "The Blue Album", Weezer (2008/09/02)
* "Echoes", Testimony A Cappella (2008/04/15)
* "The Ringing Bell", Derek Webb (2008/03/12)
* "Salvation in Lights", Mike Farrirs (2008/03/05)
* "Wait For Me", Rebecca St. James (2008/03/03)
* "Tell Me What You Know", Sara Groves (2008/03/01)
* "Roaring Lambs", Various Artists (2008/02/26)
* "Mmhmm", Relient K (2008/02/20)
* "Overdressed", Caedmon's Call (2008/02/20)
2007 Music Journal
2006 Music Journal
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
2007 Film Journal
Updated 2008/01/05
Recent films
"Stranger Than Fiction" (2007/12/25, DVD)
"Fearless" (2007/12/24, DVD)
"Blood Diamond" (2007/12/23, DVD)
"Knocked Up" (2007/12/19, DVD)
"Amazing Grace" (2007/12/15, DVD)
"No Country For Old Men" (2007/11/29, theater)
"Ratatouille" (2007/11/17, DVD)
"Transformers" (2007/10/21, DVD)
"Evan Almighty" (2007/10/11, DVD)
"Over the Hedge" (2007/09/13, DVD)
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (2007/08/28, theater)
"The Simpsons Movie" (2007/08/08, theater)
"Ratatouille" (2007/07/17, theater)
"Invincible" (2007/07/11, DVD)
"Transformers" (2007/07/08, theater)
"Ocean's 13" (2007/06/23, theater)
"Dreamgirls" (2007/06/20, DVD)
"Happy Feet" (2007/05/31, DVD)
"Men in Tights" (2007/05/06, DVD)
"Spiderman 3" (2007/05/05, theater)
"Serenity" (2007/04/28, DVD)
"Napoleon Dynamite" (2007/04/21, DVD)
"Talladega Nights" (2007/04/08, DVD)
"300" (2007/03/10, theater)
"Corpse Bride" (2007/03/01, DVD)
"The Prestige" (2007/02/17, plane)
"Pretty Woman" (2007/01/21, DVD)
"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (2007/01/07, DVD)
2006 Film Journal
Recent films
"Stranger Than Fiction" (2007/12/25, DVD)
"Fearless" (2007/12/24, DVD)
"Blood Diamond" (2007/12/23, DVD)
"Knocked Up" (2007/12/19, DVD)
"Amazing Grace" (2007/12/15, DVD)
"No Country For Old Men" (2007/11/29, theater)
"Ratatouille" (2007/11/17, DVD)
"Transformers" (2007/10/21, DVD)
"Evan Almighty" (2007/10/11, DVD)
"Over the Hedge" (2007/09/13, DVD)
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (2007/08/28, theater)
"The Simpsons Movie" (2007/08/08, theater)
"Ratatouille" (2007/07/17, theater)
"Invincible" (2007/07/11, DVD)
"Transformers" (2007/07/08, theater)
"Ocean's 13" (2007/06/23, theater)
"Dreamgirls" (2007/06/20, DVD)
"Happy Feet" (2007/05/31, DVD)
"Men in Tights" (2007/05/06, DVD)
"Spiderman 3" (2007/05/05, theater)
"Serenity" (2007/04/28, DVD)
"Napoleon Dynamite" (2007/04/21, DVD)
"Talladega Nights" (2007/04/08, DVD)
"300" (2007/03/10, theater)
"Corpse Bride" (2007/03/01, DVD)
"The Prestige" (2007/02/17, plane)
"Pretty Woman" (2007/01/21, DVD)
"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (2007/01/07, DVD)
2006 Film Journal
2007 Book Journal
Updated 2008/01/05
Recent books read
The Imitation of Christ, Thomas Kempis - suspended
The Teeth of the Tiger, Tom Clancy
Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell
Authentic Christianity, Ray Stedman
Now Discover Your Strengths, Marcus Buckingham & Donald Clifton
Leading Congregational Change, Jim Herrington
Communicating for a Change, Andy Stanley
Executive Orders, Tom Clancy
Calvin and Hobbes, Bill Watterson
The Hard Way, Lee Child
The Giver, Lois Lowry
Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book, Bill Watterson
The Persuader, Lee Child
Running Blind, Lee Child
Tripwire, Lee Child
Red Rabbit, Tom Clancy
The Trojan Odyssey, Clive Cussler
The Bear and the Dragon, Tom Clancy
Now I Can Die In Peace, Bill Simmons
The Case for Christ, Lee Strobel
Practicing God's Presence, Brother Lawrence
Recent books re-read
Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons, Bill Watterson
Debt of Honor, Tom Clancy
Scientific Progress Goes "Boink", Bill Watterson
The Cardinal of the Kremlin, Tom Clancy
Patriot Games, Tom Clancy
The Fifth Profession, David Morrell
Tales of the New Republic, various authors
Tales of the Bounty Hunters, various authors
Tales of the Empire, various authors
Tales of the Mos Eisley Cantina, various authors
2006 Book Journal
Recent books read
The Imitation of Christ, Thomas Kempis - suspended
The Teeth of the Tiger, Tom Clancy
Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell
Authentic Christianity, Ray Stedman
Now Discover Your Strengths, Marcus Buckingham & Donald Clifton
Leading Congregational Change, Jim Herrington
Communicating for a Change, Andy Stanley
Executive Orders, Tom Clancy
Calvin and Hobbes, Bill Watterson
The Hard Way, Lee Child
The Giver, Lois Lowry
Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book, Bill Watterson
The Persuader, Lee Child
Running Blind, Lee Child
Tripwire, Lee Child
Red Rabbit, Tom Clancy
The Trojan Odyssey, Clive Cussler
The Bear and the Dragon, Tom Clancy
Now I Can Die In Peace, Bill Simmons
The Case for Christ, Lee Strobel
Practicing God's Presence, Brother Lawrence
Recent books re-read
Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons, Bill Watterson
Debt of Honor, Tom Clancy
Scientific Progress Goes "Boink", Bill Watterson
The Cardinal of the Kremlin, Tom Clancy
Patriot Games, Tom Clancy
The Fifth Profession, David Morrell
Tales of the New Republic, various authors
Tales of the Bounty Hunters, various authors
Tales of the Empire, various authors
Tales of the Mos Eisley Cantina, various authors
2006 Book Journal
2007 Music Journal
Updated 2008/01/05
Recent albums
"Facing Future", Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (2007/12/26)
"Colorblind", Robert Randolph (2007/12/07)
"Real", Jake Smith (2007/11/29)
"Better Questions", Todd Agnew (2007/11/21)
"Love and Thunder", Andrew Peterson (2007/11/16)
"Take 6", Take 6 (2007/11/12)
"Divine Discontent", Sixpence None The Richer (2007/11/08)
"The Eleventh Hour", Jars of Clay (2007/11/04)
"A Liturgy, a Legacy, and a Ragamuffin Band", Rich Mullins (2007/10/30)
"Why Should The Fire Die", Nickel Creek (2007/10/25)
"Rodrigo y Gabriela", Rodrigo y Gabriela (2007/10/18)
"Divine Invitation", Something Like Silas (2007/10/12)
"The Evolution of HipRockSoul", 4th Avenue Jones (2007/10/08)
"Nothing Is Sound", Switchfoot (2007/10/04)
"All Right Here", Sara Groves (2007/10/01)
"Lay It Down", Jennifer Knapp (2007/09/27)
"Songs 2", RIch Mullins (2007/09/20)
"Long Line of Leavers", Caedmon's Call (2007/09/13)
"Cities", Anberlin (2007/09/07)
"Oh! Gravity", Switchfoot (2007/08/27)
"Recollection", Nichole Nordeman (2007/08/14)
"Glo", Delirious (2007/08/02)
"Mute Math", Mute Math (2007/07/29)
"Room Noises", Eisley (2007/07/25)
"The Everglow", Mae (2007/07/19)
"40 Acres", Caedmon's Call (2007/07/17)
"Who We Are Instead", Jars of Clay (2007/07/01)
"Achtung Baby", U2 (2007/06/24)
"Beautiful Lumps of Coal", Plumb (2007/06/22)
"Divine Discontent", Sixpence None The Richer (2007/06/20)
"The Beautiful Letdown", Switchfoot (2007/06/18)
"Hymned", Bart Millard (2007/06/13)
"Caedmon's Call", Caedmon's Call (2007/06/06)
"Illuminate", David Crowder Band (2007/06/03)
"Good Monsters", Jars of Clay (2007/05/26)
"Accelerate", Testimony (2007/05/21)
"Lights of Madrid", Phil Keaggy (2007/05/17)
"Turn Around", Jonny Lang (2007/05/09)
"All Right Here", Sara Groves (2007/05/02)
"Wide-Eyed and Mystified", Downhere (2007/04/26)
"The Jesus Record", Rich Mullins (2007/04/18)
"Sixpence None the Richer", Sixpence None the Richer (2007/04/09)
"Come Now is the Time to Worship Disc 1", Various Artists (2007/04/06)
"I Could Sing of Your Love Forever Disc 2", Various Artists (2007/03/30)
"Abel Bedoya", Abel Bedoya (2007/03/22)
"Qosqomanta", Qosqomanta (2007/03/18)
"The Legend of Chin", Switchfoot (2007/03/15)
"Conspiracy No. 5", Third Day (2007/03/11)
"Unplugged", The Kry (2007/03/09)
"Upstairs", Shane and Shane (2007/03/03)
"The Best of U2: 1980-1990", U2 (2007/03/01)
"Jars of Clay", Jars of Clay (2007/02/27)
"This Side", Nickel Creek (2007/02/24)
"In Between Dreams", Jack Johnson (2007/02/21)
"The House Show", Derek Webb (2007/02/08)
"The Chess Hotel", The Elms (2007/02/05)
"Accelerate", Testimony A Capella (2007/01/28)
"Nothing Left To Lose", Mat Kearney (2007/01/25)
"Illuminate", David Crowder Band (2007/01/18)
"Psalms", Shane and Shane (2007/01/07)
"Divine Invitation", Something Like Silas (2007/01/01)
2006 Music Journal
Recent albums
"Facing Future", Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (2007/12/26)
"Colorblind", Robert Randolph (2007/12/07)
"Real", Jake Smith (2007/11/29)
"Better Questions", Todd Agnew (2007/11/21)
"Love and Thunder", Andrew Peterson (2007/11/16)
"Take 6", Take 6 (2007/11/12)
"Divine Discontent", Sixpence None The Richer (2007/11/08)
"The Eleventh Hour", Jars of Clay (2007/11/04)
"A Liturgy, a Legacy, and a Ragamuffin Band", Rich Mullins (2007/10/30)
"Why Should The Fire Die", Nickel Creek (2007/10/25)
"Rodrigo y Gabriela", Rodrigo y Gabriela (2007/10/18)
"Divine Invitation", Something Like Silas (2007/10/12)
"The Evolution of HipRockSoul", 4th Avenue Jones (2007/10/08)
"Nothing Is Sound", Switchfoot (2007/10/04)
"All Right Here", Sara Groves (2007/10/01)
"Lay It Down", Jennifer Knapp (2007/09/27)
"Songs 2", RIch Mullins (2007/09/20)
"Long Line of Leavers", Caedmon's Call (2007/09/13)
"Cities", Anberlin (2007/09/07)
"Oh! Gravity", Switchfoot (2007/08/27)
"Recollection", Nichole Nordeman (2007/08/14)
"Glo", Delirious (2007/08/02)
"Mute Math", Mute Math (2007/07/29)
"Room Noises", Eisley (2007/07/25)
"The Everglow", Mae (2007/07/19)
"40 Acres", Caedmon's Call (2007/07/17)
"Who We Are Instead", Jars of Clay (2007/07/01)
"Achtung Baby", U2 (2007/06/24)
"Beautiful Lumps of Coal", Plumb (2007/06/22)
"Divine Discontent", Sixpence None The Richer (2007/06/20)
"The Beautiful Letdown", Switchfoot (2007/06/18)
"Hymned", Bart Millard (2007/06/13)
"Caedmon's Call", Caedmon's Call (2007/06/06)
"Illuminate", David Crowder Band (2007/06/03)
"Good Monsters", Jars of Clay (2007/05/26)
"Accelerate", Testimony (2007/05/21)
"Lights of Madrid", Phil Keaggy (2007/05/17)
"Turn Around", Jonny Lang (2007/05/09)
"All Right Here", Sara Groves (2007/05/02)
"Wide-Eyed and Mystified", Downhere (2007/04/26)
"The Jesus Record", Rich Mullins (2007/04/18)
"Sixpence None the Richer", Sixpence None the Richer (2007/04/09)
"Come Now is the Time to Worship Disc 1", Various Artists (2007/04/06)
"I Could Sing of Your Love Forever Disc 2", Various Artists (2007/03/30)
"Abel Bedoya", Abel Bedoya (2007/03/22)
"Qosqomanta", Qosqomanta (2007/03/18)
"The Legend of Chin", Switchfoot (2007/03/15)
"Conspiracy No. 5", Third Day (2007/03/11)
"Unplugged", The Kry (2007/03/09)
"Upstairs", Shane and Shane (2007/03/03)
"The Best of U2: 1980-1990", U2 (2007/03/01)
"Jars of Clay", Jars of Clay (2007/02/27)
"This Side", Nickel Creek (2007/02/24)
"In Between Dreams", Jack Johnson (2007/02/21)
"The House Show", Derek Webb (2007/02/08)
"The Chess Hotel", The Elms (2007/02/05)
"Accelerate", Testimony A Capella (2007/01/28)
"Nothing Left To Lose", Mat Kearney (2007/01/25)
"Illuminate", David Crowder Band (2007/01/18)
"Psalms", Shane and Shane (2007/01/07)
"Divine Invitation", Something Like Silas (2007/01/01)
2006 Music Journal
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
2006 Book Journal
Updated 2006/12/31
Currently reading:
Tales of the Mos Eisley Cantina, Various Authors
The Case for Christ, Lee Strobel
Life, the Universe, and Everything, Douglas Adams
Books read:
Die Trying, Lee Child
The Killing Floor, Lee Child
The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman
For Women Only, Shaunti Feldham
Anne of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
For Men Only, Jeff and Shaunti Feldham
Valhalla Rising, Clive Cussler
Spiritual Leadership, J. Oswald Sanders
Cracking Da Vinci's Code, James Garlow and Peter Jones
The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Douglas Adams
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
The Servant, James C. Hunter
Boundaries in Dating, Henry Cloud and John Townsend
Books re-read:
Tales of the Bounty Hunters, Various Authors
Vision of the Future, Timothy Zahn
Spectre of the Past, Timothy Zahn
The Sum of All Fears, Tom Clancy
Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster
Starfighters of Adumar, Aaron Allston
Without Remorse, Tom Clancy
Clear and Present Danger, Tom Clancy
The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy
Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton
Raise the Titanic, Clive Cussler
Cyclops, Clive Cussler
Shock Wave, Clive Cussler
===================
Post to track the new books I read and the old books I re-read this year, along with any memorable quotes or short thoughts.
Currently reading:
Tales of the Mos Eisley Cantina, Various Authors
The Case for Christ, Lee Strobel
Life, the Universe, and Everything, Douglas Adams
Books read:
Die Trying, Lee Child
The Killing Floor, Lee Child
The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman
For Women Only, Shaunti Feldham
Anne of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
For Men Only, Jeff and Shaunti Feldham
Valhalla Rising, Clive Cussler
Spiritual Leadership, J. Oswald Sanders
Cracking Da Vinci's Code, James Garlow and Peter Jones
The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Douglas Adams
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
The Servant, James C. Hunter
Boundaries in Dating, Henry Cloud and John Townsend
Books re-read:
Tales of the Bounty Hunters, Various Authors
Vision of the Future, Timothy Zahn
Spectre of the Past, Timothy Zahn
The Sum of All Fears, Tom Clancy
Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster
Starfighters of Adumar, Aaron Allston
Without Remorse, Tom Clancy
Clear and Present Danger, Tom Clancy
The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy
Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton
Raise the Titanic, Clive Cussler
Cyclops, Clive Cussler
Shock Wave, Clive Cussler
===================
Post to track the new books I read and the old books I re-read this year, along with any memorable quotes or short thoughts.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
2006 Film Journal
Updated 2006/12/31
Recent films:
Mission Impossible 3 (sometime in 2006, DVD)
===================
Firefly (throughout 2006, DVD)
===================
March of the Penguins (2006/12/28, DVD)
===================
Little Miss Sunshine (2006/12/23, DVD)
===================
An Inconvenient Truth (2006/12/07, DVD)
===================
Casino Royale (2006/12/02, theater)
===================
The Producers (2006/11/25, DVD)
===================
The Departed (2006/10/22, theater)
===================
End of the Spear (2006/10/05, DVD)
===================
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2006/09/18, DVD)
===================
The Sentinel (2006/09/04, DVD)
===================
Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest (2006/08/05, theater)
===================
Phone Booth (2006/07/25, TV)
===================
Iron Monkey (2006/07/09, DVD)
===================
Superman Returns (2006/07/08, theater)
===================
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2006/05/29, DVD)
===================
Wedding Singer (2006/05/29, DVD)
===================
X-Men 3: The Last Stand (2006/05/29, theater)
===================
The Big Hit (2006/05/21, DVD)
===================
Emperor's New Groove (2006/05/20, DVD)
===================
50 First Dates (2006/05/07, DVD)
===================
Inside Man (2006/04/15, theater)
Thoughts: Unusual movie, but pretty entertaining and well made. Denzel turned on all his charm, playing a detective with ambiguous morals. Jodie Foster played an unusually confident, sleazy role as a high-powered NYC lawyer who can make things happen behind the scenes. Poor Clive Owen had to do almost all of his acting behind sunglasses and a mask, but still managed to come across as a pretty solid villain. This wasn't a classic heist movie, and the twists were clever but not especially surprising. However, Spike Lee still manages to get a few editorial comments about the diversity of NYC (a scene where Denzel asks the crowd to identify an obscure foreign language and immediately gets a response) as well as stereotypes of American black culture (a disturbingly amusing video game that a young black boy is playing on his PSP). Worth seeing once, but wait for it to hit DVD so you can discuss it with people.
===================
Spaceballs (2006/04/02, DVD)
Memorable quotes (click here for a longer list:
Dark Helmet: So, Lone Star, now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb.
Dark Helmet: Before you die there is something you should know about us, Lone Star.
Lone Starr: What?
Dark Helmet: I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate.
Lone Starr: What's that make us?
Dark Helmet: Absolutely nothing! Which is what you are about to become.
===================
X2: X-Men United (2006/04/01, TV)
===================
A History of Violence (2006/03/19, DVD)
Thoughts (mouse over to read): Probably one of the more unusual movies I've ever seen, not so much from the technical standpoint (like "Memento"), but more from the storytelling style. The pacing is very different from the standard Hollywood fare. Some scenes may go on longer for no immediately apparent reason, characters will pause for a confusingly long time in between lines of dialogue, etc. This is a movie that requires thought, and perhaps some help from more well-versed critics to identify the load of themes that made this one of 2005's most critically-acclaimed films. Basically, this is intended to be an essay of sorts on the source and impact of violence in American life, by showing us the results. For example, Hollywood has glamorized violence (the hero is the one who uses violence to beat down the bad guys) - so in a "heroic" moment in the film, we see the antagonist gruesomely drawing his last breaths through a face shattered by a bullet. The audience goes from Hollywood-style cheering to revulsion in an instant. We see similar takes on this theme in the impact of violence on sex, family, and identity. I'd recommend seeing this movie in a smaller group and spending time afterward talking about it.
===================
Big Trouble in Little China (2006/02/05, DVD)
Thoughts: Now I know who "Lo Pan" is in the Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny music video. Plus, this movie was a lot of fun to MST3K-style comment on . Classic B-movie flick, worth seeing once to see what the cult status is all about, and that's about it.
===================
King Kong (2006/01/02, Theater)
Thoughts (mouse over to read): Surprisingly touching. You wouldn't expect a movie about a 25-foot tall ape to reduce Joyce, Joy, and Maria to tears by the end, but they were apparently sobbing the entire time from when Kong first arrives in NYC to his eventual denouement. Peter Jackson does a wonderful job making us care about the central relationship between Kong and Ann Darrow, played by a wonderfully expressive Naomi Watts (since they can't talk to each other, the communication is almost completely through facial expression). We really don't care about everyone else in the movie, from Adrien Brody's playwright and Jack Black's slightly insane moviemaker to the entire crew of the ship (although I could have done without the entire insect attack scene... seeing a crewmember get gobbled down by a toothed leech is one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen on film).
Andy Serkis does an amazing job portraying a gorilla's movements - much props to his preparation for his role, studying video of real ones in order to mimic them for the computer animation folks. Kong is computer-generated marvel - he looks and acts real. His facial expressions are believable, even while remaining firmly entrenched in the "animal kingdom" (at no point do we think it's human), and I particularly liked the effect of his eyes clouding over as life slips away on top of the Empire State Building.
Top-notch blockbuster movie. Could have been shorter, but seeing Kong take on 3 T-Rex's is worth the price of admission alone.
===================
Bruce Almighty (2005/12/25, DVD)
Click here for a more comprehensive review of this surprisingly thoughtful comedy.
Some golden quotes:
Bruce: [being overwhelmed with hearing prayers] Give me a break!
[Bruce is instantly transported to meet with God]
God: Really something, isn't it?
Bruce: Is this heaven?
God: No, this is Mount Everest. You should flip on the Discovery Channel from time to time. But I guess you can't now, being dead and all.
[pause]
Bruce: I'm *dead*?
God: Naw, I'm just messing with ya.
Bruce: That's not funny, Man! That is *not* funny.
Bruce: There were so many. I just gave them all what they want.
God: Yeah. But since when does anyone have a clue about what they want?
God: Bruce, you have a divine spark. You have a gift for bringing joy and laughter to the world. I know, I created you.
Bruce: Quit bragging.
God: No matter how filthy something gets, you can always clean it right up.
Bruce: How do you make somebody love you without affecting free will?
God: [scoffs] Welcome to my world, son.
Bruce: Lord, feed the hungry, and bring peace to all of mankind. How's that?
God: Great... If you wanna be Miss America.
God: Grace. You want her back?
Bruce: No. I want her to be happy, no matter what that means. I want her to find someone who will treat her with all the love she deserved from me. I want her to meet someone who will see her always as I do now, through Your eyes.
God: Now THAT'S a prayer.
===================
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005/12/18, Theater)
Thoughts (mouse over to read): Having recently read the book, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect going into the movie. The filmmakers did a pretty good job, I think. While the commercials might have you believe that it's "Lord of the Rings Lite," the battle scene at the end was really not all that important in the grand scheme of the movie. They did a good job transporting the viewer through the wardrobe to the magical world of Narnia. The little girl playing Lucy did a marvelously natural job expressing wonder and delight (according to reviews, they actually blindfolded her and brought her onto the snowy Narnia set, capturing her honest astonishment on camera after taking off the blindfold). Some parts of the movie were awkward or unintentionally funny, at least to an adult viewer, but overall it did a good job of capturing the feel of an intelligent childlike fantasy, with some Christian symbolism. They did inexplicably leave out my (and many others') favorite line of dialogue from the book: "Is (Aslan) safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he is good. He's the king, I tell you." I'd give the film a solid B to B+ - certainly worth seeing in the theater, but not worth seeing more than once in the theater like the LOTR movies were.
On a related note, if you haven't seen the SNL Chronicles of Narnia rap yet, you really should take some time to do so. One of the funniest satires on "gangsta rap" that I've ever heard.
===================
Simple post to keep track of the films I watch in 2006, along with short reviews and rankings.
Recent films:
Mission Impossible 3 (sometime in 2006, DVD)
===================
Firefly (throughout 2006, DVD)
===================
March of the Penguins (2006/12/28, DVD)
===================
Little Miss Sunshine (2006/12/23, DVD)
===================
An Inconvenient Truth (2006/12/07, DVD)
===================
Casino Royale (2006/12/02, theater)
===================
The Producers (2006/11/25, DVD)
===================
The Departed (2006/10/22, theater)
===================
End of the Spear (2006/10/05, DVD)
===================
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2006/09/18, DVD)
===================
The Sentinel (2006/09/04, DVD)
===================
Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest (2006/08/05, theater)
===================
Phone Booth (2006/07/25, TV)
===================
Iron Monkey (2006/07/09, DVD)
===================
Superman Returns (2006/07/08, theater)
===================
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2006/05/29, DVD)
===================
Wedding Singer (2006/05/29, DVD)
===================
X-Men 3: The Last Stand (2006/05/29, theater)
===================
The Big Hit (2006/05/21, DVD)
===================
Emperor's New Groove (2006/05/20, DVD)
===================
50 First Dates (2006/05/07, DVD)
===================
Inside Man (2006/04/15, theater)
Thoughts: Unusual movie, but pretty entertaining and well made. Denzel turned on all his charm, playing a detective with ambiguous morals. Jodie Foster played an unusually confident, sleazy role as a high-powered NYC lawyer who can make things happen behind the scenes. Poor Clive Owen had to do almost all of his acting behind sunglasses and a mask, but still managed to come across as a pretty solid villain. This wasn't a classic heist movie, and the twists were clever but not especially surprising. However, Spike Lee still manages to get a few editorial comments about the diversity of NYC (a scene where Denzel asks the crowd to identify an obscure foreign language and immediately gets a response) as well as stereotypes of American black culture (a disturbingly amusing video game that a young black boy is playing on his PSP). Worth seeing once, but wait for it to hit DVD so you can discuss it with people.
===================
Spaceballs (2006/04/02, DVD)
Memorable quotes (click here for a longer list:
Dark Helmet: So, Lone Star, now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb.
Dark Helmet: Before you die there is something you should know about us, Lone Star.
Lone Starr: What?
Dark Helmet: I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate.
Lone Starr: What's that make us?
Dark Helmet: Absolutely nothing! Which is what you are about to become.
===================
X2: X-Men United (2006/04/01, TV)
===================
A History of Violence (2006/03/19, DVD)
Thoughts (mouse over to read): Probably one of the more unusual movies I've ever seen, not so much from the technical standpoint (like "Memento"), but more from the storytelling style. The pacing is very different from the standard Hollywood fare. Some scenes may go on longer for no immediately apparent reason, characters will pause for a confusingly long time in between lines of dialogue, etc. This is a movie that requires thought, and perhaps some help from more well-versed critics to identify the load of themes that made this one of 2005's most critically-acclaimed films. Basically, this is intended to be an essay of sorts on the source and impact of violence in American life, by showing us the results. For example, Hollywood has glamorized violence (the hero is the one who uses violence to beat down the bad guys) - so in a "heroic" moment in the film, we see the antagonist gruesomely drawing his last breaths through a face shattered by a bullet. The audience goes from Hollywood-style cheering to revulsion in an instant. We see similar takes on this theme in the impact of violence on sex, family, and identity. I'd recommend seeing this movie in a smaller group and spending time afterward talking about it.
===================
Big Trouble in Little China (2006/02/05, DVD)
Thoughts: Now I know who "Lo Pan" is in the Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny music video. Plus, this movie was a lot of fun to MST3K-style comment on . Classic B-movie flick, worth seeing once to see what the cult status is all about, and that's about it.
===================
King Kong (2006/01/02, Theater)
Thoughts (mouse over to read): Surprisingly touching. You wouldn't expect a movie about a 25-foot tall ape to reduce Joyce, Joy, and Maria to tears by the end, but they were apparently sobbing the entire time from when Kong first arrives in NYC to his eventual denouement. Peter Jackson does a wonderful job making us care about the central relationship between Kong and Ann Darrow, played by a wonderfully expressive Naomi Watts (since they can't talk to each other, the communication is almost completely through facial expression). We really don't care about everyone else in the movie, from Adrien Brody's playwright and Jack Black's slightly insane moviemaker to the entire crew of the ship (although I could have done without the entire insect attack scene... seeing a crewmember get gobbled down by a toothed leech is one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen on film).
Andy Serkis does an amazing job portraying a gorilla's movements - much props to his preparation for his role, studying video of real ones in order to mimic them for the computer animation folks. Kong is computer-generated marvel - he looks and acts real. His facial expressions are believable, even while remaining firmly entrenched in the "animal kingdom" (at no point do we think it's human), and I particularly liked the effect of his eyes clouding over as life slips away on top of the Empire State Building.
Top-notch blockbuster movie. Could have been shorter, but seeing Kong take on 3 T-Rex's is worth the price of admission alone.
===================
Bruce Almighty (2005/12/25, DVD)
Click here for a more comprehensive review of this surprisingly thoughtful comedy.
Some golden quotes:
Bruce: [being overwhelmed with hearing prayers] Give me a break!
[Bruce is instantly transported to meet with God]
God: Really something, isn't it?
Bruce: Is this heaven?
God: No, this is Mount Everest. You should flip on the Discovery Channel from time to time. But I guess you can't now, being dead and all.
[pause]
Bruce: I'm *dead*?
God: Naw, I'm just messing with ya.
Bruce: That's not funny, Man! That is *not* funny.
Bruce: There were so many. I just gave them all what they want.
God: Yeah. But since when does anyone have a clue about what they want?
God: Bruce, you have a divine spark. You have a gift for bringing joy and laughter to the world. I know, I created you.
Bruce: Quit bragging.
God: No matter how filthy something gets, you can always clean it right up.
Bruce: How do you make somebody love you without affecting free will?
God: [scoffs] Welcome to my world, son.
Bruce: Lord, feed the hungry, and bring peace to all of mankind. How's that?
God: Great... If you wanna be Miss America.
God: Grace. You want her back?
Bruce: No. I want her to be happy, no matter what that means. I want her to find someone who will treat her with all the love she deserved from me. I want her to meet someone who will see her always as I do now, through Your eyes.
God: Now THAT'S a prayer.
===================
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005/12/18, Theater)
Thoughts (mouse over to read): Having recently read the book, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect going into the movie. The filmmakers did a pretty good job, I think. While the commercials might have you believe that it's "Lord of the Rings Lite," the battle scene at the end was really not all that important in the grand scheme of the movie. They did a good job transporting the viewer through the wardrobe to the magical world of Narnia. The little girl playing Lucy did a marvelously natural job expressing wonder and delight (according to reviews, they actually blindfolded her and brought her onto the snowy Narnia set, capturing her honest astonishment on camera after taking off the blindfold). Some parts of the movie were awkward or unintentionally funny, at least to an adult viewer, but overall it did a good job of capturing the feel of an intelligent childlike fantasy, with some Christian symbolism. They did inexplicably leave out my (and many others') favorite line of dialogue from the book: "Is (Aslan) safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he is good. He's the king, I tell you." I'd give the film a solid B to B+ - certainly worth seeing in the theater, but not worth seeing more than once in the theater like the LOTR movies were.
On a related note, if you haven't seen the SNL Chronicles of Narnia rap yet, you really should take some time to do so. One of the funniest satires on "gangsta rap" that I've ever heard.
===================
Simple post to keep track of the films I watch in 2006, along with short reviews and rankings.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
2006 Music Journal
Updated 2006/12/31
Currently listening:
Recent albums:
Carried Along, Andrew Peterson (2006/12/14)
Achtung Baby, U2 (2006/12/02)
Timothy Keller lecture on JRR Tolkien (2006/11/28)
Everlasting, Sovereign Grace Ministries (2006/11/03)
The Best of 1980-1990, U2 (2006/10/29)
OK Computer, Radiohead (2006/10/25)
Kaleidoscope Superior, Earthsuit (2006/10/11)
Good Monsters, Jars of Clay (2006/10/04)
This Side, Nickel Creek (2006/10/01)
The Everglow, Mae (2006/09/28)
Dreaming Through the Noise, Vienna Teng (2006/09/18)
Come on! Feel the Illinoise!, Sufjan Stevens (2006/09/06)
This Beautiful Mess, Sixpence None the Richer (2006/08/26)
Much Afraid, Jars of Clay (2006/08/22)
Waking Hour, Vienna Teng (2006/08/14)
A Place Where You Belong, The Normals (2006/08/09)
Arriving, Chris Tomlin (2006/08/05)
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill (2006/07/31)
War, U2 (2006/07/26)
Kansas, Jennifer Knapp (2006/07/20)
Live at Luther College, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds (2006/07/09)
Share the Well, Caedmon's Call (2006/07/06)
Central Park Concert, Dave Matthews Band (2006/06/21)
Caedmon's Call, Caedmon's Call (2006/06/16)
Warm Strangers, vienna Teng (2006/06/11)
"With Abandon", Chasing Furies (2006/06/02, 2006/12/08)
"White Flag", Shaun Groves (2006/05/25)
"The Jesus Record demos", Rich Mullins (2006/05/24)
"Redemption Songs", Jars of Clay (2006/05/20)
"Divine Discontent", Sixpence None the Richer (2006/05/08)
"Room Noises", Eisley (2006/04/29)
"Feels Like Home", Norah Jones (2006/04/25)
"Nothing is Sound", Switchfoot (2006/04/16, 2006/11/25)
Short review: The follow-up to "The Beautiful Letdown", which catapulted this San Diego rock band to superstardom in the mainstream, is pretty solid but doesn't break much new ground for them. They do rock out more - indeed, the first half of the album is chock full of chunky guitar riffs and is probably quite fun in concert. Plus, frontman Jon Foreman's musings on the meaningless of life, materialism, politics, and everything else without God in the picture are still spot on. However, we've heard many of these musings before. I know I'm not the only fan who'd like to see them branch out a little bit in their subject matter. Also, while it's a pretty solid album all the way through, the second half is less memorable than the first, and overall doesn't quite have the unique sound I associate with the band primarily from their "Learning to Breathe" days. However, they still have a clear gift for melody - I was singing their songs to myself in the lab at work for days. Favorite tracks: Lonely Nation, Stars, Happy is a Yuppie Word, The Shadow Proves The Sunshine, Easier Than Love. Click here for a more detailed review by an outside reviewer.
"Jars of Clay", Jars of Clay (2006/04/10)
Short review: One of my favorite album of all time, and hands-down the most influential thus far in my music fandom life. This was the first album I purchased that was written from a faith-based perspective - I borrowed both this album and a Michael W. Smith album from Eva our freshman year at Cal, and this one, with its rhythmic acoustic guitar strumming, tight harmonies, and poetic lyrics, captured my imagination and proceeded to shape my listening habits all the way up till now. Jars still remains my favorite band, through experimentation with different musical and lyrical styles. This album kicked everything off. I was listening to this in preparation for singing "Worlds Apart" on Easter, which happens to be my favorite song of all time and encapsulates neatly a good portion of my testimony. Other favorites include "Faith Like A Child", "Art in Me", and "Liquid" (the combination of violins, mandolin, harmonizing vocals, and a Gregorian chant in the intro are all indelibly etched into my memory).
(online) Fine Classics (2006/02/23)
"Sixpence None The Richer," Sixpence None The Richer (2006/03/26)
Short review: Millions of people bought this album for the hit songs "Kiss Me" and "There She Goes." Unfortunately, Sixpence (which disbanded in 2004) became known for these songs, the latter of which they didn't even write, and thus were stamped as one-hit wonders and a fluffy girl pop band. Pity, because for those who actually took the time to listen to Matt Slocum's complex, whimsical lyrics, the delicate acoustic-electric arrangement, and Leigh Nash's lilting voice, the discerning listener would find a superb band writing spectacular songs far better than their "hits." On this album, most of the songs were less poppy, but much more interesting in their lyrical and musical approach. For example, "Puedo Escribir" merges at least two time signatures, some Spanish fiddle, and lyrics from a poem by Pablo Neruda to put together one of the most interesting songs I've ever heard. They also depart from the happy-go-lucky tone of "Kiss Me" on "Anything", detailing the struggle of artists trying to balance between the desire to stay true to their art and the commercial realities of trying to make a living. There's some Biblical imagery, like the burning bush that gave direction to Moses, God as the Harvester planting new seeds in people, and a few other ones. For the patient listener, there is much to unearth on this album, and while I found "This Beautiful Mess" more consistently listenable and "Divine Discontent" to be perhaps their best combination of pop sensibility and sublimie lyrics, their self-titled shows the band at its most experimental. Favorite tracks: Puedo Escribir, Love, I Can't Catch You, The Waiting Room, Anything.
"downhere", downhere (2006/03/16)
Short review: One of my favorite debut albums. This Canadian pop/rock band puts together a good mix of music ranging from straight ahead rockers to thoughtful ballads, along with a few mid-tempo numbers, and embellishes everything with inventive electric guitar work, piano melodies, and harmonizing vocals from the two lead singers. The harmony work is quite pleasant because the two have distinct voices that reside in different registers (one sounds an awful lot like Kevin Max from the former dc Talk), which makes it easy and fun to practice singing harmony in the car. Lyrically, they explore topics from severe struggle, the greatness of God, the need for peacemakers, and other musings on life and faith. My favorite track, "Making Me", starts muted before crashing in on the pre-chorus. The bridge then has a short rapid-fire almost-rap section before shifting time signatures and going into a dark electric guitar solo, before coming back to the chorus again. Very tasty arrangement. Be sure to listen for 3 minutes on track 12 (it's not all empty space) for the funniest hidden track I've ever heard. Favorite songs: Making Me, Great Are You, Calmer of the Storm, Protest to Praise, Breathing In, Rock Stars Need Money.
"Drunkard's Prayer", Over the Rhine (2006/03/12)
Short review: The critically-acclaimed husband-and-wife folk duet that comprises Over the Rhine found themselves having marital problems a few years ago, that was only being exacerbated by being on tour all the time. So, they ended up cancelling their tour in an effort to save their marriage, and throughout the long process of healing was able to write the songs that comprise this wonderfully vulnerable album about love, sacrifice, and not knowing what you have until you almost lose it. Musically, this is very sparse (no driving drum beat or wall of sound here), but vocalist Karin Bergquist's sultry voice is complemented nicely by Linford Detweiler's multi-instrumental virtuosity on piano, guitar, Wulitzer, bass, and percussion. The style ranges from their standard Americana folk to smokey jazz numbers, and the lyrics speak honestly about the struggles they've been through and how their marriage has been strengthened by working through the struggles together. With my recent foray into jazz, I found this album very appealing. Favorite tracks: Born, Little Did I Know, Firefly, My Funny Valentine. Click here for a more detailed review by an outside reviewer.
"In the Reins EP", Calexico and Iron & Wine (2006/03/09)
Short review: Nice, short set of 7 songs from a well-respected folk songwriter and an instrumental band. The music runs the gamut from folk-rock to jazz to Americana to country, but the shifts never become too jarring. I didn't listen to this EP enough times to get a good feel for the poetry of the lyrics, but the music is all high-quality and an enjoyable listen.
"Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall" (2006/03/05)
Short review: Smooth jazz set, recorded live, with two of the acknowledged legends in the field playing together. As a jazz novice, it was helpful to listen to the audience response to identify sections of the music that were particularly worthy of applause (and so learn more about what's "good"). On the whole, however, I didn't find the album as memorable as Coltrane's "Blue Train" album.
"No Name Face" - Lifehouse (2006/02/28)
Short review: Contains one of 2003's most-played radio hits ("Hanging by a Moment"). This is an excellent modern rock debut album by a band that got its start in a Vineyard church in Southern California, with clever instrumentation (including some non-standard "rock" instruments like mandolin) and strong songwriting on topics ranging from romantic love to worship to struggle with sin. Jason Wade's gravelly baritone can really soar when he wants to. Unfortunately, after a decent sophomore album, the band hasn't really been able to maintain artistic or commercial momentum, but this one is a solid listen all the way through. Favorite tracks: Hanging by a Moment, Breathing, Trying, Everything. See here for a more comprehensive review by an outside reviewer.
"Jill Paquette" - Jill Paquette (2006/02/15)
Short review: High quality folk-pop album from a relative unknown. Lyrically and stylistically, probably the closest comparison would be a cross between Bethany Dillon (instrumentally), Nichole Nordeman (lyrically), and Sarah McLachlan (vocally). It took many listens for the music to sink in - the first 3 or 4 times, while I could tell it was quality music, it didn't really catch my attention that much, but afterwards, I began noticing particular lyrical turns of phrase and musical flourishes (mostly on the acoustic guitar) that were memorable (for example, from "Lift My Eyes": "I've seen light lost to darkness, but You made a promise" and from "Forget": "Ignorance is no excuse for something I've known all along.") Her website has the lyrics and litte introductions to each song, which adds valuable context. Top songs: One of These Days, Lift My Eyes, Forget, Free (Take My Life).
"Dixieland Gumbo"(2006/02/07)
"Stereo: The Evolution of HipRockSoul" - 4th Avenue Jones (2006/02/03)
Short review: Click here.
"Bluebird Blues Radio" (2006/01/26)
"The Far Country" - Andrew Peterson (2006/01/27)
Short review: Click here.
"Conspiracy No. 5" - Third Day (2006/01/16)
Short review: Third Day at its most modern-rock-ingest. After the southern-fried rock of their debut and before the turn to mellower worship-oriented stylings like what they do now, the band stretched its creative wings with this project, with a heavy sound and emphasis on stellar electric guitar work. While I don't think it achieves the sublime blend of high-energy southern rock and mellower vertical music that they get on their next album "Time", this disc has perhaps the best instrumental work, and the most diverse set of subject matter lyrically, ranging from a diatribe against popular music to a heartfelt apology. While this is not the sound that has made Third Day a big name in "church music", many original fans wish they would go back to these days of instrumental and lyrical creativity. Top tracks: Peace, Alien, My Hope is You, Who I Am.
"Hymned" - Bart Millard (2006/01/15)
Short review: Awesome album. 5 years ago I wouldn't have enjoyed this CD at all, with its wide variety of styles ranging from Southern gospel, pop, rock, R&B, country, and soul, but as my musical horizons have broadened, I've grown to love the mishmash. Recorded with an expressed desire to pay tribute to the singer's grandmother's influence in singing hymns to him as he was growing up, here are 10 relatively familiar hymns that are beautifully arranged, creatively spiced up or stripped down, and either belted out with a gospel wail or crooned with a soulful tone by Millard. I like pretty much every track on this album, but "Sweetest Name I Know" stands out as my favorite, with a too-fun-for-words upbeat arrangement with an upright bass thumping along, drums, steel guitar, flute, and some things I can't quite identify. Plenty of guest musicians lend their talents on this one, and Millard (best known for MercyMe's "I Can Only Imagine") shows surprising vocal versatility. Overall, one of my favorite albums from the last half year. Click here for a more detailed review by an outside reviewer.
"A Collision" - David Crowder Band (2006/01/04, 2006/04/03, 2006/10/18)
Short review: Not as straightforward as "Illuminate", with much more of electronic rock influence. This album took longer to grow on me, but it turns out that I enjoy it for different reasons that the previous album. Enjoyable mishmash of genres that actually works, including straightforward pop/rock, slow-burning electronica, hyperactive punk, and out-of-nowhere bluegrass. Doesn't transition as smoothly between tracks (the interludes don't flow that well, including one wholly unnnecessary recorded telephone conversation that I always skip). Some lyrical improvement from the previous album, with musings upon death and depravity, but most of these songs aren't necessarily "congregational worship" type - and I think that it's a good thing. Let Tomlin and others write the easily listenable melodies, the DCB is more on the creative/unusual/unexpected side of things. Overall, another above-average album whose best tracks are better than on "Illuminate", but doesn't flow as well. Favorite songs: Be Lifted or Hope Rising, Do Not Move, Come Awake, You Are My Joy, Our Happy Home. Click here for a more detailed review by an outside reviewer.
"Illuminate" - David Crowder Band (2006/01/01, 2006/03/20)
Short review: Top-notch instrumentation, including Dave Matthews-like acoustic riffs on several song intros. Creative use of violin and a turntable to accompany standard acoustic / electric / piano / bass / drums mix. Mostly upbeat sound. Lyrics tend towards the simpler side, sometimes awkward and occasionally cheesy. Overall, an above-average record, very catchy. Top songs: O Praise Him (All This For A King), Open Skies, Intoxicating, All Creatures #2. Click here for a more detailed review by an outside reviewer.
===================
I'm what you would call a "close" listener of music. On receiving a new album, I'll typically listen to it three times before passing judgment - the first time to get an overall feel of the album, the second to listen to the musical mix, and the third to listen to the lyrics. This is one of the reasons why I don't typically have music on in the background, at work or at home - I would focus on it too much.
I intend to update this post throughout the year with the different albums that I listen to (usually over the course of several days in the car). As the journal gets larger, I'll begin writing short reviews and ranking the new albums throughout the year so by the end, I'll have a list of my favorite ones from 2006. The current album I'm listening to will always be listed to the right in the "About Me" section of the blog, with a link back to this post, so visit often!
Currently listening:
Recent albums:
Carried Along, Andrew Peterson (2006/12/14)
Achtung Baby, U2 (2006/12/02)
Timothy Keller lecture on JRR Tolkien (2006/11/28)
Everlasting, Sovereign Grace Ministries (2006/11/03)
The Best of 1980-1990, U2 (2006/10/29)
OK Computer, Radiohead (2006/10/25)
Kaleidoscope Superior, Earthsuit (2006/10/11)
Good Monsters, Jars of Clay (2006/10/04)
This Side, Nickel Creek (2006/10/01)
The Everglow, Mae (2006/09/28)
Dreaming Through the Noise, Vienna Teng (2006/09/18)
Come on! Feel the Illinoise!, Sufjan Stevens (2006/09/06)
This Beautiful Mess, Sixpence None the Richer (2006/08/26)
Much Afraid, Jars of Clay (2006/08/22)
Waking Hour, Vienna Teng (2006/08/14)
A Place Where You Belong, The Normals (2006/08/09)
Arriving, Chris Tomlin (2006/08/05)
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill (2006/07/31)
War, U2 (2006/07/26)
Kansas, Jennifer Knapp (2006/07/20)
Live at Luther College, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds (2006/07/09)
Share the Well, Caedmon's Call (2006/07/06)
Central Park Concert, Dave Matthews Band (2006/06/21)
Caedmon's Call, Caedmon's Call (2006/06/16)
Warm Strangers, vienna Teng (2006/06/11)
"With Abandon", Chasing Furies (2006/06/02, 2006/12/08)
"White Flag", Shaun Groves (2006/05/25)
"The Jesus Record demos", Rich Mullins (2006/05/24)
"Redemption Songs", Jars of Clay (2006/05/20)
"Divine Discontent", Sixpence None the Richer (2006/05/08)
"Room Noises", Eisley (2006/04/29)
"Feels Like Home", Norah Jones (2006/04/25)
"Nothing is Sound", Switchfoot (2006/04/16, 2006/11/25)
Short review: The follow-up to "The Beautiful Letdown", which catapulted this San Diego rock band to superstardom in the mainstream, is pretty solid but doesn't break much new ground for them. They do rock out more - indeed, the first half of the album is chock full of chunky guitar riffs and is probably quite fun in concert. Plus, frontman Jon Foreman's musings on the meaningless of life, materialism, politics, and everything else without God in the picture are still spot on. However, we've heard many of these musings before. I know I'm not the only fan who'd like to see them branch out a little bit in their subject matter. Also, while it's a pretty solid album all the way through, the second half is less memorable than the first, and overall doesn't quite have the unique sound I associate with the band primarily from their "Learning to Breathe" days. However, they still have a clear gift for melody - I was singing their songs to myself in the lab at work for days. Favorite tracks: Lonely Nation, Stars, Happy is a Yuppie Word, The Shadow Proves The Sunshine, Easier Than Love. Click here for a more detailed review by an outside reviewer.
"Jars of Clay", Jars of Clay (2006/04/10)
Short review: One of my favorite album of all time, and hands-down the most influential thus far in my music fandom life. This was the first album I purchased that was written from a faith-based perspective - I borrowed both this album and a Michael W. Smith album from Eva our freshman year at Cal, and this one, with its rhythmic acoustic guitar strumming, tight harmonies, and poetic lyrics, captured my imagination and proceeded to shape my listening habits all the way up till now. Jars still remains my favorite band, through experimentation with different musical and lyrical styles. This album kicked everything off. I was listening to this in preparation for singing "Worlds Apart" on Easter, which happens to be my favorite song of all time and encapsulates neatly a good portion of my testimony. Other favorites include "Faith Like A Child", "Art in Me", and "Liquid" (the combination of violins, mandolin, harmonizing vocals, and a Gregorian chant in the intro are all indelibly etched into my memory).
(online) Fine Classics (2006/02/23)
"Sixpence None The Richer," Sixpence None The Richer (2006/03/26)
Short review: Millions of people bought this album for the hit songs "Kiss Me" and "There She Goes." Unfortunately, Sixpence (which disbanded in 2004) became known for these songs, the latter of which they didn't even write, and thus were stamped as one-hit wonders and a fluffy girl pop band. Pity, because for those who actually took the time to listen to Matt Slocum's complex, whimsical lyrics, the delicate acoustic-electric arrangement, and Leigh Nash's lilting voice, the discerning listener would find a superb band writing spectacular songs far better than their "hits." On this album, most of the songs were less poppy, but much more interesting in their lyrical and musical approach. For example, "Puedo Escribir" merges at least two time signatures, some Spanish fiddle, and lyrics from a poem by Pablo Neruda to put together one of the most interesting songs I've ever heard. They also depart from the happy-go-lucky tone of "Kiss Me" on "Anything", detailing the struggle of artists trying to balance between the desire to stay true to their art and the commercial realities of trying to make a living. There's some Biblical imagery, like the burning bush that gave direction to Moses, God as the Harvester planting new seeds in people, and a few other ones. For the patient listener, there is much to unearth on this album, and while I found "This Beautiful Mess" more consistently listenable and "Divine Discontent" to be perhaps their best combination of pop sensibility and sublimie lyrics, their self-titled shows the band at its most experimental. Favorite tracks: Puedo Escribir, Love, I Can't Catch You, The Waiting Room, Anything.
"downhere", downhere (2006/03/16)
Short review: One of my favorite debut albums. This Canadian pop/rock band puts together a good mix of music ranging from straight ahead rockers to thoughtful ballads, along with a few mid-tempo numbers, and embellishes everything with inventive electric guitar work, piano melodies, and harmonizing vocals from the two lead singers. The harmony work is quite pleasant because the two have distinct voices that reside in different registers (one sounds an awful lot like Kevin Max from the former dc Talk), which makes it easy and fun to practice singing harmony in the car. Lyrically, they explore topics from severe struggle, the greatness of God, the need for peacemakers, and other musings on life and faith. My favorite track, "Making Me", starts muted before crashing in on the pre-chorus. The bridge then has a short rapid-fire almost-rap section before shifting time signatures and going into a dark electric guitar solo, before coming back to the chorus again. Very tasty arrangement. Be sure to listen for 3 minutes on track 12 (it's not all empty space) for the funniest hidden track I've ever heard. Favorite songs: Making Me, Great Are You, Calmer of the Storm, Protest to Praise, Breathing In, Rock Stars Need Money.
"Drunkard's Prayer", Over the Rhine (2006/03/12)
Short review: The critically-acclaimed husband-and-wife folk duet that comprises Over the Rhine found themselves having marital problems a few years ago, that was only being exacerbated by being on tour all the time. So, they ended up cancelling their tour in an effort to save their marriage, and throughout the long process of healing was able to write the songs that comprise this wonderfully vulnerable album about love, sacrifice, and not knowing what you have until you almost lose it. Musically, this is very sparse (no driving drum beat or wall of sound here), but vocalist Karin Bergquist's sultry voice is complemented nicely by Linford Detweiler's multi-instrumental virtuosity on piano, guitar, Wulitzer, bass, and percussion. The style ranges from their standard Americana folk to smokey jazz numbers, and the lyrics speak honestly about the struggles they've been through and how their marriage has been strengthened by working through the struggles together. With my recent foray into jazz, I found this album very appealing. Favorite tracks: Born, Little Did I Know, Firefly, My Funny Valentine. Click here for a more detailed review by an outside reviewer.
"In the Reins EP", Calexico and Iron & Wine (2006/03/09)
Short review: Nice, short set of 7 songs from a well-respected folk songwriter and an instrumental band. The music runs the gamut from folk-rock to jazz to Americana to country, but the shifts never become too jarring. I didn't listen to this EP enough times to get a good feel for the poetry of the lyrics, but the music is all high-quality and an enjoyable listen.
"Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall" (2006/03/05)
Short review: Smooth jazz set, recorded live, with two of the acknowledged legends in the field playing together. As a jazz novice, it was helpful to listen to the audience response to identify sections of the music that were particularly worthy of applause (and so learn more about what's "good"). On the whole, however, I didn't find the album as memorable as Coltrane's "Blue Train" album.
"No Name Face" - Lifehouse (2006/02/28)
Short review: Contains one of 2003's most-played radio hits ("Hanging by a Moment"). This is an excellent modern rock debut album by a band that got its start in a Vineyard church in Southern California, with clever instrumentation (including some non-standard "rock" instruments like mandolin) and strong songwriting on topics ranging from romantic love to worship to struggle with sin. Jason Wade's gravelly baritone can really soar when he wants to. Unfortunately, after a decent sophomore album, the band hasn't really been able to maintain artistic or commercial momentum, but this one is a solid listen all the way through. Favorite tracks: Hanging by a Moment, Breathing, Trying, Everything. See here for a more comprehensive review by an outside reviewer.
"Jill Paquette" - Jill Paquette (2006/02/15)
Short review: High quality folk-pop album from a relative unknown. Lyrically and stylistically, probably the closest comparison would be a cross between Bethany Dillon (instrumentally), Nichole Nordeman (lyrically), and Sarah McLachlan (vocally). It took many listens for the music to sink in - the first 3 or 4 times, while I could tell it was quality music, it didn't really catch my attention that much, but afterwards, I began noticing particular lyrical turns of phrase and musical flourishes (mostly on the acoustic guitar) that were memorable (for example, from "Lift My Eyes": "I've seen light lost to darkness, but You made a promise" and from "Forget": "Ignorance is no excuse for something I've known all along.") Her website has the lyrics and litte introductions to each song, which adds valuable context. Top songs: One of These Days, Lift My Eyes, Forget, Free (Take My Life).
"Dixieland Gumbo"(2006/02/07)
"Stereo: The Evolution of HipRockSoul" - 4th Avenue Jones (2006/02/03)
Short review: Click here.
"Bluebird Blues Radio" (2006/01/26)
"The Far Country" - Andrew Peterson (2006/01/27)
Short review: Click here.
"Conspiracy No. 5" - Third Day (2006/01/16)
Short review: Third Day at its most modern-rock-ingest. After the southern-fried rock of their debut and before the turn to mellower worship-oriented stylings like what they do now, the band stretched its creative wings with this project, with a heavy sound and emphasis on stellar electric guitar work. While I don't think it achieves the sublime blend of high-energy southern rock and mellower vertical music that they get on their next album "Time", this disc has perhaps the best instrumental work, and the most diverse set of subject matter lyrically, ranging from a diatribe against popular music to a heartfelt apology. While this is not the sound that has made Third Day a big name in "church music", many original fans wish they would go back to these days of instrumental and lyrical creativity. Top tracks: Peace, Alien, My Hope is You, Who I Am.
"Hymned" - Bart Millard (2006/01/15)
Short review: Awesome album. 5 years ago I wouldn't have enjoyed this CD at all, with its wide variety of styles ranging from Southern gospel, pop, rock, R&B, country, and soul, but as my musical horizons have broadened, I've grown to love the mishmash. Recorded with an expressed desire to pay tribute to the singer's grandmother's influence in singing hymns to him as he was growing up, here are 10 relatively familiar hymns that are beautifully arranged, creatively spiced up or stripped down, and either belted out with a gospel wail or crooned with a soulful tone by Millard. I like pretty much every track on this album, but "Sweetest Name I Know" stands out as my favorite, with a too-fun-for-words upbeat arrangement with an upright bass thumping along, drums, steel guitar, flute, and some things I can't quite identify. Plenty of guest musicians lend their talents on this one, and Millard (best known for MercyMe's "I Can Only Imagine") shows surprising vocal versatility. Overall, one of my favorite albums from the last half year. Click here for a more detailed review by an outside reviewer.
"A Collision" - David Crowder Band (2006/01/04, 2006/04/03, 2006/10/18)
Short review: Not as straightforward as "Illuminate", with much more of electronic rock influence. This album took longer to grow on me, but it turns out that I enjoy it for different reasons that the previous album. Enjoyable mishmash of genres that actually works, including straightforward pop/rock, slow-burning electronica, hyperactive punk, and out-of-nowhere bluegrass. Doesn't transition as smoothly between tracks (the interludes don't flow that well, including one wholly unnnecessary recorded telephone conversation that I always skip). Some lyrical improvement from the previous album, with musings upon death and depravity, but most of these songs aren't necessarily "congregational worship" type - and I think that it's a good thing. Let Tomlin and others write the easily listenable melodies, the DCB is more on the creative/unusual/unexpected side of things. Overall, another above-average album whose best tracks are better than on "Illuminate", but doesn't flow as well. Favorite songs: Be Lifted or Hope Rising, Do Not Move, Come Awake, You Are My Joy, Our Happy Home. Click here for a more detailed review by an outside reviewer.
"Illuminate" - David Crowder Band (2006/01/01, 2006/03/20)
Short review: Top-notch instrumentation, including Dave Matthews-like acoustic riffs on several song intros. Creative use of violin and a turntable to accompany standard acoustic / electric / piano / bass / drums mix. Mostly upbeat sound. Lyrics tend towards the simpler side, sometimes awkward and occasionally cheesy. Overall, an above-average record, very catchy. Top songs: O Praise Him (All This For A King), Open Skies, Intoxicating, All Creatures #2. Click here for a more detailed review by an outside reviewer.
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I'm what you would call a "close" listener of music. On receiving a new album, I'll typically listen to it three times before passing judgment - the first time to get an overall feel of the album, the second to listen to the musical mix, and the third to listen to the lyrics. This is one of the reasons why I don't typically have music on in the background, at work or at home - I would focus on it too much.
I intend to update this post throughout the year with the different albums that I listen to (usually over the course of several days in the car). As the journal gets larger, I'll begin writing short reviews and ranking the new albums throughout the year so by the end, I'll have a list of my favorite ones from 2006. The current album I'm listening to will always be listed to the right in the "About Me" section of the blog, with a link back to this post, so visit often!
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