Chimpomatic

Best Of 2008

BC

Looking down my list of the best albums of the year it seems that with the exception of Black Mountain, this year has been all about the debut album. Some fine releases from the likes of Calexico, Okkervil River and Deerhoof but it was the new boys who really stepped up. All the surprises for me came from a very healthy US underground indie/punk scene with No Age heading the lot. The highlight of the year would have to be meeting and interviewing David Berman of Silver Jews, a true artist and someone I could have talked to for hours. With the steady and inevitable decline of the Western World to look forward to next year I am hopeful that some new musical talent will rise from the ashes to guide us through it all.

Albums

Black Mountain - In The Future
We've had this so long it almost seems like last year that this rocked my world. It's had a solid road testing for 12 months and is still as mighty as it's first play. A comprehensive delivery of all that was promised on the first record.

No Age - Nouns
This record really lit a fire in me this year and started a frenzied search into the context from which it sprung. It's a furious and unbridled blend of hazy shoegaze, garage rock and dirty punk and is all delivered with remarkable ease.

White Denim - Workout Holiday
A ramshackle chaotic work of genius that treads a fine line between electrifying soul infused garage punk and utter shambles.

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
The whole conception of this debut in total isolation in deepest Wisconsin gave it a great angle to get the critics chattering but since its release earlier this year it has risen from that chatter as utterly captivating and has introduced Justin Vernon as one of the most beguiling voices of the year.

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
It's been a tough old year for everybody and this 4 piece from New York has brought nothing but warmth and cheer to it from the start. Even way back in January it was obvious that this would feature in this list.

Close seconds
Tindersticks - The Hungry Saw
Four Tet - Ringer EP
Flight Of The Conchords - Flight Of The Conchords
Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
The Cave Singers - Invitation Songs

Songs
Tindersticks - Intro
TV On The Radio - DLZ
Portishead - The Rip
Bon Iver - Skinny Love
Black Mountain - Stormy High

Gigs
Bruce Springsteen - Emirates Stadium
Silver Jews - ULU
No Age - Electric Ballroom
Black Mountain - Scala
Radiohead - Victoria Park

Movies
The Orphanage
No Country For Old Men
In Bruges

TV
Summer Heights High
The Wire - Season 5

Biggest Disappointment
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges. I really have nothing good to say about this album. I think I'm done with these guys sadly.

Links

BUY!

Tags

#BC
#Music

19th Dec 2008 - Tweet - Tumblr

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Jimmy P (Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian)

Amateur direction and abysmal acting sink this painfully slow turkey.

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18th May 2013

Heli

Boring, drawn out drug cartel anecdote, with occasional ultra-violence.

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18th May 2013

The Outsiders

The Complete Novel

Despite Coppola's tinkering, this melodramatic 80s classic still stands up well.

Halliwell says: Oddball youth melodrama, a curious choice for a director with big successes behind him.

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13th May 2013

Prometheus

Shoddy prequel that leaves less unanswered questions on second viewing and a bigger sense of vacuousness.

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11th May 2013

The Double

Bog-standard predictably tricksy spy thriller. Richard Gere in neutral.

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10th May 2013

The Raid

If you like never-ending punch-ups, you'll love this.

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7th May 2013

Ted

Base humour. Wahlberg should know better. Even the funny bits from the trailer were drawn out here.

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6th May 2013

The Aviator

Solid, but totally unremarkable Brit relationship weepy.

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5th May 2013

Having You

Solid, but totally unremarkable Brit relationship weepy.

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4th May 2013

Star Trek Into Darkness

Phasers set for fun again, Benedict Cumberbatch a decent grudgematch foe. Warp-level lens flare.

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4th May 2013

The Hunter

Patient, confident Australian environmental thriller that builds up to a decent climax.

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28th Apr 2013

Blow

Forget I'd seen this occasionally enjoyable, sub Scorcese coke-fest. The true-story backbone is the big problem.

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27th Apr 2013

Emmanuel and the Truth About Fishes

Mis-cast drama, with a touch of horror and a serious case of student filmitis.

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26th Apr 2013

In A World

LOL-packed comedy set in the competitive world of the voice over artist, with a nicely handled subtext.

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26th Apr 2013

The Five Year Engagement

Lazy Hollywood dross that telegraphs its every move and hides no surprises.

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21st Apr 2013

Flashbacks of a Fool

Stylish but unnecessarily drawn out faded movie star film. Should have ditched the flashbacks.

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14th Apr 2013

Snow White and the Huntsman

Beautifully shot, restrained fairytale summer tent pole. If only #LOTR was this classy.

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13th Apr 2013

Oblivion

Tom Cruise patrols empty earth in big bucks sci-fi with style. Borrows from classics but a satisfying ride.

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10th Apr 2013

The Amazing Spider-man

Solid, but essentially pointless remix that doesn't really add anything new to cinema.

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8th Apr 2013

Rock of Ages

Nostalgic music choices, but yes - it is an actual musical.

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6th Apr 2013

On the Beach

Atmospheric, somber, slow-burning, post-apocalyptic drama that fails to ignite.

Halliwell says: Gloomy prophecy which works well in spasms but is generally too content to chat rather than imagine. A solid prestige job nevertheless.**

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6th Apr 2013

Lockout

Hideously mis-cast, B-grade Euro-blockbuster, with Luc Besson's sticky fingers all over it.

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4th Apr 2013

Ill Manors

Well-handled urban crime drama, that deals with the same old boring cliches.

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3rd Apr 2013

Mudhoney

Vanishing Point

It was 1988 when Mudhoney put their super fuzz and big muff pedals together for first single 'Touch Me I'm Sick'…a cocky, snotty finger to the man, casting the band as full-time, half-cut losers just in it for the rock n roll. 25 years and 8 albums later, who would have guessed that they would be one of the last survivors in an industry more disposable than ever?

Since 2002 they've been back on Sub Pop, where it all began, and Vanishing Point keeps the finger raised and flag flying for noisy distortion and punk rock riffs. Drummer Dan Peters kicks off opener Slipping Away, with a reminder as to why he once kept Nirvana's drum stool warm for Dave Grohl. His pounding rolls are soon joined by Steve Turner's drunken lead and the unmistakable whine of Mark Arm. A sound perfected in '88 and not tweaked since.

On first single I Like It Small, Arm sings of the ambition that never saw them scale the heights "I've got big enough balls to admit I like it small" but is probably the reason they are still together and making music. Chardonnay is a 90 second love/hate song to "The crate that launched a thousand strippers" and I Don't Remember You is a fuck you to faces from back in the day. A day that Mudhoney, unlike most of their peers, survived. That they did so without changing their attitude or sound along the way is a small victory for those of us that don't feel that different from how we did 25 years ago either.

Killer Track: The Only Son of the Widow From Nain.

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1st Apr 2013 - Add Comment - Tweet

Brave

Decent fairytale about a highlands princess who can't bear tradition. Looks great, but lacks pure Pixar magic.

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31st Mar 2013

American Psycho

Overblown, vacuous satire that is hampered further by Christian Bale's near-slapstick performance.

Halliwell says: A daft, elegant portrait of a self-obsessed, fashionable, design-conscious man descending into psychosis as a result of his obsessions.**

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25th Mar 2013

The Omega Man

Charlton Heston cruises an empty NYC by day, dodges albino mutants by night. Good start, lacks tension.

Halliwell says: "Realistic" version of a novel which was about vampires taking over, and was previously filmed unsatisfactorily as The Last Man On Earth. This nasty version rises to a few good action sequences but is bogged down by talk in between.*

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24th Mar 2013

On The Beach

Cary Grant and Ava Gardner wait months for lethal atomic radiation to arrive down under. Apocalypse slow.

Halliwell says: Gloomy prophecy which works well in spasms but is generally too content to chat rather than imagine. A solid prestige job nevertheless.**

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23rd Mar 2013

Last Days

Unrevealing, uninvolving, dull meander through the last days of a Kurt Cobain-esque grunge star.

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23rd Mar 2013

Peace, Love & Misunderstanding

Uptight Catherine Keener reconnects w Woodstock mum Jane Fonda. No surprises, good vibes.

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23rd Mar 2013

Men In Black 3

Big, brash, glitzy summer blockbuster - that's surprisingly lean, well rounded and entertaining.

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22nd Mar 2013

I'm So Excited!

Almodovar reworks Airplane! as a wild mescaline-fuelled mile-high business class satire. Mucho fun.

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18th Mar 2013

We Bought A Zoo

Low-effort, cookie cutter sentimental drama that has some merit.

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17th Mar 2013

House of Cards

Classy drama, expanding the original show to fill the Washington landscape, with added David Fincher style.

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15th Mar 2013

Any Given Sunday

Glitzy, predictable NFL movie that wishes it had Michael Mann in charge instead of Oliver Stone.

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14th Mar 2013

Margin Call

Taut, economical thriller with a strong cast filling out some juicy roles as the financial bubble bursts.

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12th Mar 2013

Margin Call

Taut Wall St meltdown. Zachary Quinto spots black hole in his firm's numbers, passes it up the food chain.

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10th Mar 2013

Ice Cold In Alex

Classic WW2 desert rats adventure with John Mills dying for a Carlsberg in the Sahara.

Halliwell says: Engrossing desert adventure with plenty of suspense sequences borrowed from The Wages Of Fear; long, but very well presented.**

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10th Mar 2013

Chronicle

Decent enough superhero flick that paints itself into the usual shapeless, found-footage corner.

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8th Mar 2013

Houdini

Tony Curtis gets a wriggle on in this short, functional, not particularly magical biopic.

Halliwell says: Superficial biopic with more attention to romance than to interesting detail. Some zest in the playing is killed by claustrophobic studio sets.*

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7th Mar 2013

Bones Brigade An Auto biography

Decent, surprisingly moving doc about the radical neon superheroes of sk8. Lance wins.

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6th Mar 2013

Detachment

Depressing, stylish exploration of the perils of supply teaching from @TonyKaye.

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2nd Mar 2013

The Decline of Western Civilization

Essential, but hilariously dated state-of-the-union doc of LA's 80s punk scene.

Halliwell says: Quirky and fascinating study of some of the unlovelier aspects of youthful rebellion; it makes an interesting companion piece to the director's first feature film, Suburbia.*

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28th Feb 2013

Witness

Brilliantly written and directed thriller that weaves through many classic tropes, plus carpentry.

Halliwell says: As much about the meeting of cultures as about cops and robbers, this is one of those lucky movies which works out well on all counts and shows that there are still craftsmen lurking in Hollywood.***

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28th Feb 2013

Jeff Who Lives At Home

Mumblecore goes main stream (ish), as quirky suburban comedy meets unexpected drama.

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24th Feb 2013

Red Riding Hood

My what big plot holes you have...

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24th Feb 2013

Cloud Atlas

Genre-surfing, century-hopping oddity. The more things change, the more wigs/makeup/accents Tom Hanks gets.

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24th Feb 2013

Battleship

Independence Day meets Pearl Harbour, in one of the best movies-based-on-a-toy ever.

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23rd Feb 2013

To The Wonder

The lights are on but nobody's home, as Terence Malick's stylish tone poem comes close to self-parody.

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22nd Feb 2013

Purple Rain

50% less acting than I remembered, but Prince's epic self-centred pop promo holds up surprisingly well.

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22nd Feb 2013