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Best of the Decade
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The votes are in: CL's Top 10 Albums of the Decade
Posted by Leilani Polk on Thu, Jan 14, 2010 at 11:25 AM
The time has finally come. After some discussion and much input from the rest of our contributing staff, we have narrowed down the top 10 selections of our 100 Best Albums of the Decade.
Before we reveal the winners, let's take a quick look at the albums that didn't quite make the cut or that fell through the cracks for whatever reason, but are still deserving of some props.
Bryan (aka Autopsy IV) and Nicole (elawgrrl) felt we were missing some Lucero (2005’s Nobody's Darlings was mentioned by both). Nicole also felt we should have included Jets To Brazil, Four Cornered Night (2000), The Postal Service, Give Up (2003) and The Shins’ Oh, Inverted World (2001).
Some contributors agreed with an artist selected for the list, but felt another album was stronger. Shawn was down with Radiohead’s inclusion, but felt 2001's Amnesiac was the most deserving album, not 2000's Kid A; Nicole thought Modest Mouse’s Good News for People Who Love Bad News (2004) was a better choice than 2000’s The Moon and Antarctica; Joel would have traded out Mastodon's 2002 album, Remission, for 2004’s Leviathan; and new contributor Brad Tilbe liked Kings of Leon, but felt 2008’s Only by the Night was more worthy than Aha Shake Heartbreak (2004).
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Creative Loafing's 100 Best Albums of the Decade
Posted by Leilani Polk on Wed, Dec 30, 2009 at 2:10 PM
A select group of CL music contributors – Eric Snider, Scott Harrell, Joel Weiss, Evan Tokarz and Shawn Goldberg – helped me put together this well-rounded list of the decade’s best albums from 2000 to the present. Here’s the top 100 in no specific order. We'll be ranking these from 1-100 on Jan. 13 and you can help! Enjoy! Offer your top 10s (plus some of your favorites not listed here from the past 10 years) in the comments section below.
Solomon Burke, Don't Give Up on Me (2002) The legendary soul singer made a remarkable comeback with this Joe Henry-produced platter of minimally arranged, heartfelt R&B, including songs by Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello and others. –ES
The Lawrence Arms, Oh, Calcutta! (2006) With apologies to fans of this fun, thoughtful Chicago act's more frenetic early work, it was on the outspoken trio's third full-length for legendary imprint Fat Wreck Chords that everything -- the brains, the balls, the ADD'ed-out riff shifts, the back-and-forth vocals, the unapologetic editorializing -- came together flawlessly. It's a fierce, original and gleefully bridge-burning diamond set in a not-so-rough landscape of homogenized radio-punk. –SH
Here's The Lawrence Arms' "The Devil's Taking Names" from OH! Calcutta!.
The Decemberists, The Crane Wife (2006) Not many listens necessary before you’ll find yourself singing along with 10-minute epics like “The Island” or tapping your toes to “The Perfect Crime #2” and “O, Valencia!” The Crane Wife marks The
Elliott Smith, Figure 8 (2000) Even before Smith’s death solidified his transcendent status, Figure 8’s pop kaleidoscope swirled on its own merits, creating a blend of Beatlesque memories and folk sensibilities that towered alongside those masterpieces he echoed. –SG
Modest Mouse, The Moon & Antarctica (2000) The record that put Modest Mouse on the mainstream map – their fourth full-length and major label debut – mixes spare indie rock moments with bright sonic backdrops, pop-sensible melodies and the pristine production skills of Brian Deck. –LP
Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002) The Lips evolution reaches an electrophantasmic psychedelic alt rock peak in their 10th studio effort, Wayne Coyne’s longing warble pondering love, hate, existence and transience via a loose, sci fi storyline about a karate-chopping heroine and her evil pink nemeses. –LP
Outkast, Stankonia (2000) Outkast, where art thou? The Atlanta group set the hip-hop gold standard with this epic of wit, social conscience, catchiness, fun and groove. Andre 3000 and Big Boi deftly merged their contrasting muses, which grew further and further apart as the decade wore on. –ES
Here's the video for their hit single from the album, "Bombs Over Baghdad."
The top 10 phenomena in visual art in 2000-2009
Posted by Megan Voeller on Wed, Dec 30, 2009 at 7:32 AM
Certainly any top 10 list about the most memorable events over the past decade in the visual arts must include mention of the economic bubble — felt in auction houses (where bids were wildly up, then way down) as well as institutions (where philanthropy has ebbed dramatically since the onset of the recession). However, a few other sea changes crept in amid the financial furor, including the emergence of technology as a major form of outreach and engagement. Here are 10 reasons why the visual arts continued to thrill existing audiences, and reach new ones, in the first chapter of the 21st century.
1. JERRY SALTZ ON FACEBOOK
Maybe the quirkiest signal that art has officially entered the 21st century has arisen from art critic Jerry Saltz’s avid and unconventional use of Facebook as a boisterous conversational platform. Adept at devising debate-spurring status updates that routinely spiral into insightful and hilarious free-for-alls (including a recent offer to pay $10,000 to anyone who can prove that painting is dead), Saltz has emerged as an unexpected master of the social networking platform. Instead of tuning in (yet again) to find out what your friends ate for lunch, try clicking on the New York-based critic’s page for a conversation around contemporary art with attitude and (at least some semblance of) substance.
2. INSTITUTIONS EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY
While art museums remain sites primarily of quiet contemplation, the ’00s ushered in a period when visitors are not only expected but encouraged to use cell phones and portable computing devices to supplement their visits. Dial a local number to hear a given work’s “audio label,” recorded by an artist or curator (in Tampa Bay, both the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, and the University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum use the technology), or download a podcast to listen to as you roam from gallery to gallery. Why stop there? Follow your favorite museum on Twitter, friend it on Facebook or check out its collection online (in the case of the Louvre or the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for example).
3. AUCTIONS GONE WILD
Eye-popping post-auction headlines created the most transparent sign of an economic bubble in the art world. At their high points in 2006 and 2007, the record-breaking sales led New York Times reporter Carol Vogel to compare the spending spree to a game using play money.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Top ten food events of the decade, part 2: Tampa Bay Edition
Posted by Brian Ries on Tue, Dec 29, 2009 at 3:25 PM
(See part 1 of the Top Ten Food Events: The Big Picture.)
In 2002, the local farmers' market scene was limited, to say the least. Then a little market started on the streets of downtown St. Petersburg. Since then, the Saturday Morning Market has boomed, becoming the largest one-day-a-week market in the southeast U.S., with almost 10,000 customers browsing the stalls each week.
Much of that success lies with the make-up of the market. Although it does feature a few actual farmers, and some non-farm produce stands, the sheer breadth of vendors is astounding. Listen to live music, buy veggies, eat breakfast and shop for Christmas, all in the parking lot of Al Lang Field.
2. Valencia Gardens Closes
This June, a padlock showed up on the door of iconic Tampa restaurant Valencia Gardens. After over 80 years in business -- all int he same location -- the iconic Cuban restaurant was closing up shop.
Besides being a neighborhood landmark, for decades Valencia was a must-visit spot for Tampa's political power-brokers. As former CL editor Wayne Garcia said: "It was THE place to be and be seen in Tampa politics, for fundraisers and just to see who is chatting up who at lunch. Now, the Valencia Garden tradition of political intrigue is over. (And I need a new spot for a lunch date I had set for there next Tuesday.)"
The building was purchased from Valencia owner David Agliano by the University of Tampa as part of its ongoing expansion.
The best movies of the decade (2000-2009)
Posted by Joe Bardi on Tue, Dec 29, 2009 at 3:10 PM
In spite of what it says up there in the headline, I think we can all agree that what follows is most definitely NOT the definitive list of the best films of the aughts decade. In truth, it is impossible to produce such a list. I am but an individual, and though I spent an absurd amount of time in the last 10 years watching, talking and writing about movies, your opinion and mine are equally valid when it comes to judging art.
That being said, I dig my list. It’s the best list this 34-year-old white male with expansive-though-mainstream tastes could produce, and I’ll be happy to defend it in the comments section. And stay tuned to Daily Loaf for my thoughts on the best films of this past year — which I’ll decide once I’ve caught up with all the contenders in early 2010.
1. ALMOST FAMOUS (2000)
I spent most of my college years obsessed with ’70s hard rock (Led Zeppelin in particular). Cameron Crowe’s delightful Almost Famous captures that era through the eyes of a 15-year-old high school kid (Patrick Fugit) who talks his way into a gig writing for Rolling Stone. Sounds like fantasy, but Crowe based the film on his own experiences as a teen tailing The Eagles, The Allman Brothers and the mighty Zeppelin itself. That Crowe also included a warts-and-all portrait of his warring sister (Zooey Deschanel) and mother (Francis McDormand, more perfect than usual) is just icing. This entire movie is an acting clinic, featuring wonderful supporting turns from Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jason Lee, Billy Crudup and the single best performance Kate Hudson will ever give. Even Jimmy Fallon shows up — and he’s good! Yes, you can argue that Almost Famous glosses over the the seedy underbelly of the drugs and groupie scene so prevalent in the ’70s (and now, probably), but that’s missing the point. Crowe was there, and he’s choosing to remember mostly the good times. Watching Almost Famous, you can see why.
The top 10 plays of the decade: Wild Party, Cloud Nine and more
Posted by Mark E. Leib on Tue, Dec 29, 2009 at 2:06 PM
The fact is, there have been 40 or 50 terrific productions in the Tampa Bay area over the last decade, some of which will stay in memory for decades to come. But if I have to pick 10, then I think they’re these:
2. CLOUD NINE (Jobsite Theater, 2003). It was with Caryl Churchill’s Cloud Nine that Jobsite burst from its erratic past into a splendid future, repeatedly marked by top-notch productions. This dizzying examination of gender roles started off in Victorian-era Africa, then moved on to London a century later. But the characters who figured in both acts only aged 25 years, and a man played a woman, an adult played a child, a white man played a black man, straight and gay couples proliferated, and everyone tried vainly to hold on to a life that refused to be grasped. It was also hilarious.
Creative Loafing's 100 Best Albums of the Decade, Part III: Amy Winehouse, The Strokes, Wilco, Buddy Guy, Muse, The Ditchflowers and more
Posted by Leilani Polk on Tue, Dec 29, 2009 at 12:00 AM
A select group of CL music contributors – Eric Snider, Scott Harrell, Joel Weiss, Evan Tokarz and Shawn Goldberg – have helped me put together this well-rounded list of the decade’s best albums from 2000 to the present. So far, I’ve revealed Part I and Part II. Here's the next bunch of 25, in no specific order; our choicest selections will be presented at the climactic end (Part IV) tomorrow. Enjoy! And feel free to offer some of your favorites from the past 10 years in the comments section below..
Click here to read Part I; click here to read Part II.
2. Hot Water Music, Caution (2002) They spent five years defining the visceral sonic grit of Gainesville punk 'n' roll, then they spent a couple more expanding on it with the more experimental A Flight And A Crash. The group's penultimate studio release (so far) brought both sides of Hot Water's volatile character together to stunning, anthemic effect. –SH
3. Regina Spektor, Begin to Hope (2006) The Soviet-American songstress dishes out a perfect album of sticky, quirky, piano-driven soul-pop, her fourth studio effort revealing an unselfconscious poet and confident singer with a broad vocal range and an alluring inflection. –LP
Regina Spektor's "On the Radio"
Monday, December 28, 2009
Top ten food events of the decade, part 1: The big picture
Posted by Brian Ries on Mon, Dec 28, 2009 at 10:05 AM
At the beginning of 2006, Michael Pollan was known as a prolific and respected writer of thoughtful magazine articles and introspective non-fiction books. He'd made a name for himself in some food circles, especially with his book Botany of Desire, which detailed the interconnected relationship between plants and people. But Omnivore's Dilemma was another thing entirely.
In Omnivore, Pollan pointed a thoughtful and unalloyed eye on the dysfunctional food system that had developed in the United States over the past century. Many of those issues had been bandied about by food activists and scientists in previous years, but never before in such a user-friendly and understandable way: The role of corn in shaping both our foods and our health; how industrialization has turned animals into products; how government policy took a wrong turn 50 years ago and never looked back; and much, much more.
The real power of Omnivore came not from the laundry list of shocking problems, but how it was presented. Pollan wove science, philosophy, history and narrative into a coherent, often beautiful, and always compelling package that made it difficult for readers to shy away from the knowledge presented. In the process, he sold a lot of copies to mainstream America. Well, the part of mainstream America that still reads long, non-fiction books.
Creative Loafing's 100 Best Albums of the Decade, Part II: Kings of Leon, The Mars Volta, Spoon, U2, Common, The White Stripes and more
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mon, Dec 28, 2009 at 8:45 AM
A select group of CL music contributors – Eric Snider, Scott Harrell, Joel Weiss, Evan Tokarz and Shawn Goldberg – have helped me put together this well-rounded list of the decade’s best albums from 2000 to the present. So far, I've revealed the first 25; over the few days, I’ll be revealing the rest in bunches of 25, in no specific order, but with our choicest picks presented at the climactic end (Part IV). Enjoy! And feel free to offer some of your favorites from the past 10 years in the comments section below.
Click here to read Part I.
2. Gogol Bordello, Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike (2006) The NYC collective’s third full-length brings a manic, multicultural party to your eardrums and succeeds where many bands fall short – they capture a frenetic live performance in a recording studio. If “I Would Never Wanna Be Young Again” or “Forces of Victory” don’t get you moving, you should check your pulse. –JW
3. Animal Collective, Feels (2005) The experimental electro rock ensemble produced a sixth album of wholly unconventional love songs, Feels as a whole maintaining a unique sort of appeal with choruses of whoops and shrieks that come off as melodious, and quirky cute, barely intelligible lyrics like in “The Purple Bottle”: “I like it when I bump you an accident's a truth gate.” –LP
Here's the video for the song "Grass."
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Creative Loafing's 100 Best Albums of the Decade, Part I: Caribou, PJ Harvey, The Roots, M. Ward, The Riverboat Gamblers, and more (with video)
Posted by Leilani Polk on Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 4:04 PM
A select group of CL music contributors – Eric Snider, Scott Harrell, Joel Weiss, Evan Tokarz and Shawn Goldberg – have helped me put together this well-rounded list of the decade’s best albums from 2000 to the present. Over the next week, I'll be revealing the albums we've selected in four bunches of 25 for your fingernail-biting pleasure, in no specific order, but with our choicest picks presented at the climactic end. Enjoy! And feel free to offer some of your favorites from the past 10 years in the comments section below.
2. Al Green, Lay it Down (2008) It wasn’t until his third album of the 2000s that the Rev. Al rediscovered his early ’70s secular form, and it took leaving former producer Willie Mitchell and falling in with youngblood ?uestlove. Lay It Down has an off-the-cuff flavor -- Green glides in and out of falsetto and improvises with carefree ease. Arrangements are spare, always in service of that amazing voice. –Eric Snider
3. Do Make Say Think, You, You're a History in Rust (2007) With Rust, DMST displaced its generalized inclusion as just another one of Canada’s endless instrumental rock bands, and veered beyond expectation, sending their unique choral crescendos into unpredictable and emotionally disarming territories. –Shawn Goldberg
Here's the official music video for the last song on the album, "In Mind."
