The Wild Things fur-covered edition
Dave Eggers new novel based on Where The Wild Things Are from McSweeneys comes in a gorgeous gray furred cover. Another immaculate McSweeneys product.
Where The Wild Things Are (movie)
It’s getting a lot of hype and attention, but I just want to say the book was not an important part of my childhood the way it was for others. I have no personal connection with the work besides respecting Sendak’s illustrative style. I went into this movie being a Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers fan and was not disappointed. The most child-like movie I’ve ever seen. It’s an imaginative boyhood captured in film.
Curse Your Branches by David Bazan
Never a self-acclaimed Christian musician, Bazan was nevertheless lumped into that category due to his personal faith. While most of his past work are fictional vignettes, this is a deeply personal record that is dealing directly with his struggling faith and place in the world. There are some verses that will break your heart.
Strange Suspense: The Steve Ditko Archives Vol. 1
Picked this one up a few weeks early at SPX and have been drooling over it since. There’s an imagination and playfulness to these horror and romance comics that pre-dated his co-creation of Spider-Man. A true American cartooning master.
Sunny Day Real Estate reunited at the 930 Club (9/30/09; Washington, DC)
Like a vivid memory. They played like perfection and made this boy very happy.
This year I am forgoing my tradition of a top 25 records list and will make things really easy and narrow down to just one. Hands down, my favorite record of the year was Portishead’s “Third.” It sounds like it was made on a different world. Actually, I think that’s what ties them with Radiohead for me (hmm… two “head” bands…) is that they seem to be making music from the not too distant future. Like it’s just a few years ahead of it’s time. The best jam/I-don’t-want-this-song-to-end song of the year is a tie between Portishead’s “We Carry On” and Deerhunter’s “Nothing Ever Happened.” There. Now the music critic part of me is satisfied for another year.