Tightrope

My favorite song of 2010.

- Joel

Janelle Monae - "Tightrope"

Favorite Albums of 2010

I like to sum up my favorites from the year's music. Here are my top nine for 2010. There were a lot of others that I enjoyed, but none that I felt strong enough to put in a Top 10 list.

- Joel

1. Beach House - Teen Dream

"Walk In the Park"

2. Sleigh Bells - Treats

"Run the Heart"

3. The Walkmen - Lisbon

"Victory"

4. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz

"Vesuvius"

5. The National - High Violet

"Conversation 16"

6. The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt

"Love Is All"

7. Vampire Weekend - Contra

"White Sky"

8. Best Coast - Crazy For You

"Our Deal"

9. Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

"Teenage Dream"

**yep, I know. I don't claim to be an advocate of Katy Perry, but I have to admit that no other top 40 record had me tapping my feet like this one.

Honorable Mention

The Black Keys - Brothers

Girl Talk - All Day

Glasser - Ring

Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid

**"Tightrope" was my favorite song of the year.

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Laura Veirs - July Flame

The Morning Benders - Big Echo

The Radio Dept. - Clinging To A Scheme

Spoon - Transference

Taylor Swift - Speak Now

The Beatles

The all-time best.

- Joel

James Stewart

Jimmy Stewart is my favorite actor of all time. The man had one of the greatest careers Hollywood has ever seen, starring in legendary films such as It's A Wonderful Life, Rear Window, and Vertigo. Yet, some of my favorites find Stewart roaming the wild West. A quick did-you-know; did you know Jimmy Stewart served in WWII eventually earning the rank of Colonel in the Army Air Corps? He even continued on in the Air Force Reserve after the war ultimately becoming a Brigadier General. In light of the scandal-prone nature of Hollywood today, Stewart stands as a beacon of class and sophistication.

- Joel

KD

No better superstar in the NBA right now than Kevin Durant. Authentic. Humble. Loyal. He gets it.

- Joel

Happy 4th of July

© Joel Thomason

It's been a good day. No better way to finish it off than to listen to my all time favorite 4th of July song, Ray Charles' rendition of "America the Beautiful".

- Joel

Ray Charles - "America The Beautiful"

Outside of photographs in history books, my experience with the Sistine Chapel has been limited. Then I stumbled upon this interactive website created by the Vatican and now I really know what the fuss is about.

Michelangelo killed it (as if you didn't already know).

- Joel

Interactive Sistine Chapel

Dried Up

I saw a feature about this film on last night's local news. Dried Up was created by Jeremy Casper, Stuart Bury, and Isaiah Powers, graduates of the Kansas City Art Institute and native Kansas Citians. The film's original music was created by Max Justus, a local musician who puts on an interesting show should you have the opportunity to see him live. The film won a Student Academy Award, presented by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Science, for Best Animated Film. This 6 minute stop motion film took more than 8 months to create. I think you'll find that the months of work show through in the quality of the film. It's not often the Art Institute gets press coverage around the city. I was excited to see such stunning work coming from our very own arts community.

- Joel

John Wooden

The world has lost a coaching legend. John Wooden, UCLA's legendary basketball coach, died at the age of 99 last night. The man, known affectionately by his players as "Coach", brought small town values to the bright lights and big stage of college basketball in Los Angeles. For years, players have swapped Wooden-stories like trading cards with reverence rarely seen in the sporting world; like the time Wooden told Bill Walton they'd take the team picture without him unless he shaved his beard; or the fact that Wooden began the first practice of every season by teaching his players how to put on their socks and shoes.

John Wooden strove to teach his players the limitations of a life devoted to basketball. Ironically perhaps, the man who never saw basketball as the ultimate became the most successful coach the game has ever seen. Wooden won ten National Championships while at UCLA, including seven in a row from 1967 to 1973. He led UCLA to an NCAA record 88 game winning streak and coached 4 teams who finished the regular season undefeated (30-0). On the eve of the 1975 NCAA Championship game (which UCLA won), he announced his retirement, walking away after winning his tenth championship in twelve years. The man clearly knew what he was doing.

John Wooden's humble disposition became a breath of fresh air as the world of basketball became increasingly ego-centric. Coach's "team first" lessons stand in stark contrast to a sport now characterized by individual expression, statistics, and notoriety. Still, his wisdom and clever anecdotes will extend Wooden's influence long after his death. Maybe it is because I am heartless, but it isn't often that the death of someone I never knew, celebrity or otherwise, affects me emotionally. However, I can honestly say that, as I think on Wooden's death, I am melancholy. A few months ago I posted a video of John Wooden speaking about his definition of success. I've posted it again below. May John Wooden's message of faith in Jesus, humility, and teamwork live on.

- Joel

Union Station

© Joel Thomason

My favorite building in Kansas City is Union Station. One of the city's most historic sites, Union Station came into being after a flood wiped out Kansas City's railroad station, located in the West Bottoms, at the turn of the century. Upon completion in 1914, Union Station become one of the nation's busiest railroad stations. During World War II, as soldiers crisscrossed the country, it saw more traffic than any other station in the world. However, as railroad travel declined in the 1970's, Union Station became more dilapidated, ultimately losing all passenger traffic in 1985 and shutting it's doors completely in 1989. Yet, a 1990's public campaign helped raise $250 million to restore its once ornate condition and historic prominence. Union Station reopened in 1999. Today, it stands as a crown jewel in Kansas City's rich tradition.

I was reminded of my love for Union Station this evening when more than 50,000 people gathered in it's shadow to watch the Kansas City Symphony perform patriotic favorites in honor of our soldiers for Memorial Day. This outdoor concert, known as Celebration at the Station, has become a popular way for our citizens to kick off the summer season. The fireworks show over Liberty Memorial adds a nice touch to the festivities. No matter the season, Union Station stands in magnificence, it's intricate ceiling dazzling above lavish decorations. I may not always live in Kansas City, but Union Station will always be my favorite building in the United States.

- Joel

© Joel Thomason

© Joel Thomason

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of the greatest leaders in our nation's history. His persistent vision, unending resolve, indefatigable grace, and compelling style of communication gave rise to a movement of love and equality that drastically impacted, and still does impact, our country. In honor of his birthday, I am posting a video of his "I Have A Dream Speech" here on the blog. You can also read the text of that speech here.

- Joel

Favorite Albums of '09

From an album perspective, I didn't find 2009 to be a superlative year for music. Quite a few albums possessed one or two gems, but few, if any, were good from top to bottom. As a result, I have limited my Best Of list to only 5 albums, with some honorable mentions thrown in for good measure.

- Joel

Honorable Mention

Washed Out - Life of Leisure

Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP

Warpaint - Exquisite Corpse

Discovery - LP

Yim Yames - Tribute To EP

5. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

You get the feeling that every note in the entire album was charted with a specific purpose. My ears were set ablaze the moment I heard the opening keys of "Two Weeks". Still, maybe the highlight of the album for me is in the middle, the two low-key jams ("Ready, Able" and "About Face"). This is an exquisite collection of songs, though, if you are like me, you may need to be in a certain mood to really appreciate them.

4. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

For most of the year, the only track from this album I listened to was "People Got A Lotta Nerve" - and that only because I found it on a free music sampler. Fortunately, I finally gave the album a shot. Amidst the country twang, this album highlight's one of the more powerful voices in the indie world today. Listen to "Magpie To The Morning" and you'll see what I mean.

3. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

This album dropped in January, and I spent the entire year searching for the perfect analogy to summarize Animal Collective's sound. I think I've found it. AC is the Jackson Pollock of the music world. At first listen, it might seem like a hodge-podge of sound, thrown together without purpose. Yet, upon closer inspection, the music comes to life, and you realize that what makes it special is that no one ever thought to try it. Go see a Pollock painting and you'll have the same experience.

2. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Phoenix is my band of the year. They had put out two of the best singles. They had maybe the best performance I've ever seen on Saturday Night Live. They performed super cool renditions of their hits on the streets of Paris. But, I'll admit, that I didn't spend much time in this album beyond the first three tracks. Still, those three tracks were powerful enough to land this album in the number two spot.

1. Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career

This isn't a cool pick. But top to bottom, I listened to this album more than any other this year. I love Tracyanne Campbell's voice. I love the band's vintage sound. I love the strings that so delicately adorn each song. It's my album of the year.

My 25 Tracks of 2009

Here are my 25 favorite songs from the year 2009. I don't boast a thoroughly exhaustive music catalog, but I do try to listen to as much as I can across as many genres as possible. From an album standpoint, I was disappointed with this year of music. But there are some great tracks. Click on most of the titles to listen/download the song.

- Joel

25. The National - "So Far Around The Bend"

24. Matt & Kim - "Daylight"

23. Washed Out - "Feel It All Around"

22. Vampire Weekend - "California English Pt. 2"

21. Dead Man's Bones - "My Body's A Zombie For You"

20. Telekinesis! - "Tokyo"

19. White Antelope - "False Knight on the Road"

18. Kid Cudi - "Dat New 'New'"

17. Discovery - "Can You Discover?"

16. Camera Obscura - "Honey In the Sun"

15. Bon Iver & St. Vincent - "Roslyn"

14. Warpaint - "Billie Holiday"

13. Neko Case - "People Got A Lotta Nerve"

12. Mute Math - "Spotlight"

11. Temper Trap - "Sweet Disposition"

10. Animal Collective - "What Would I Want? Sky"

9. Mr. Hudson - "Supernova feat. Kanye West"

8. Bon Iver - "Woods"

7. Taylor Swift - "You Belong With Me"

6. Jay-Z - "Empire State of Mind feat. Alicia Keys"

5. Camera Obscura - "French Navy"

4. Phoenix - "1901"

3. Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"

2. Phoenix - "Lisztomania"

1. Animal Collective - "My Girls"

Home Alone

Home Alone is not just my favorite holiday movie. As lame as it may be to admit this, Home Alone is my favorite movie of all-time. In the 19 years since this movie was first released (by the way I can still remember seeing it in theaters over Thanksgiving in Dodge City, Kansas back in 1990), I have learned 99% of the lines in the movie. Below is the Home Alone theme, composed by the incomparable John Williams, as well as a montage of some of Kevin's best booby traps from Home Alone 1 & 2. Enjoy.

- Joel

christmas_-_john_williams_-_home_alone_soundtrack_-_main_title_somewhere_in_my_memory.mp3

Found at: http://www.filestube.com

Grizzly Bear

Lots of activity surrounds the release of Grizzly Bear's upcoming album, Veckatimest, set to drop this Tuesday (May 26th).  This album will undoubtedly wind up on "Best of 2009" lists, so grab it on Tuesday.  You won't regret it.

- Joel

Check out their performance of "All We Ask" for Live on the Black Cab Sessions here.

Check out their performance of a few new tracks featured on NPR here.

Check out the fan video for the song "Two Weeks"

Check out their performance of "While You Wait for Others" on Live With Jools Holland.

Narnia

My girlfriend loves The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.  As a result, I decided to discover just what I'd been missing out on my entire life.  I had read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe a few times, but there were six other novels to explore.  One month later, I have finished the entire series.  Clearly to finish six novels in four weeks speaks to the quality of this series - or at least it speaks to my opinion of the quality of this series.  After a month bouncing around Narnia, exploring Calormen, sailing to the ends of the ocean, burrowing into the Underland, and soaking up various other adventures, I have fallen in love with The Chronicles of Narnia as well.  I'd go so far as to say this series is literary genius - compelling plots, witty narration, endearing characters, imaginative setting, and worthwhile lessons.  If you haven't read these books, I'd recommend them.  Beyond The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, my favorite was The Voyage of The Dawn Treader.

To rescue some of my coolness here, I've added SNL's take on the Chronicles of Narnia below, which I also love.

- Joel

Reminder

This is my favorite song so far this year.

- Joel

Animal Collective

Panda Bear (aka Noah Lennox, one of the members of Animal Collective) put out my second favorite album of 2007 in Person Pitch.  The highlights of the new Animal Collective album, Merriweather Post Pavillion, sound a lot like Person Pitch.  And that's a good thing.  I have yet to make it all the way through the album, but the song "My Girls" is the standout so far.  This track will probably be near the top of most indie-music lovers "Best of 2009" lists.  

Check out the "My Girls" music video below. 

- Joel

Live Bon Iver

I'm pretty far behind on this, but I thought it was pertinent because Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago made so many Best Of '08 lists.  So go here and you can freely download. Bon Iver's live set for Myspace Transmissions.  Below is an example of what you'll find in the set.  I already posted this in my Best Of '08 list.

- Joel

Bon Iver - "For Emma" from MySpace Transmissions

Favorite Songs of 2008

It's always so hard to pick my favorite songs of the year, because what I listen to is determined so often by what mood I am in. Plus, who's to say that one song is better than the other? But here are my favorite songs of the year. I would like to think that I give any genre a fair shot.

- Joel

33. The O's - You've Got Your Heart
32. Fly Golden Eagle - Orangitango
31. N.E.R.D. - Everyone Nose (Official Remix featuring Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, & Pusha T)
30. The Republic Tigers - Buildings & Mountains
29. Lil Wayne - Let The Beat Build
28. Hercules And Love Affair - Hercules Theme
27. The Welcome Wagon - Up On A Mountain
26. The Cool Kids - Gold And A Pager
25. Little Joy - Brand New Start
24. Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
23. Usher featuring Young Jeezy - Love In This Club
22. Beach House - Used to Be
21. Ben Folds featuring Regina Spektor - You Don't Know Me
20. Bon Iver - Re: Stacks
19. The Walkmen - On the Water
18. Cut Copy - Lights & Music
17. Kanye West - Love Lockdown
16. Department of Eagles - No One Does It Like You
15. Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal
14. Vampire Weekend - M79
13. The Submarines - You, Me, and the Bourgeoisie
12. The Walkmen - Red Moon
11. Estelle featuring Kanye West - American Boy
10. Lil Wayne - A Milli
9. Ben Rector - The Kill
8. Cut Copy - Out There On the Ice
7. Kidz In The Hall - Drivin' Down The Block Remix (featuring Pusha T, Bun B, & The Cool Kids)
6. The Dodos - Fools
5. Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown - No Air
4. Coldplay - Viva La Vida
3. Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma
2. The Walkmen - In The New Year
1. Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love