"I said goodbye December, I'm leaving you behind." ~kid lightning

I was going to post Counting Crows' "A Long December," but it just seemed too obvious. And then AD shared this one, and it's a good one.

Check out this playlist for the new year. I contributed to it. Are you surprised by my submission? :D That'll be my song on tomorrow's blog post. I submitted more, but that's the one that got chosen.

Happy New Year!

"How you are my hero, how you're never here, though. Remember times when you put me on your shoulders, how I wish it was forever you would hold us." ~glasvegas



We're back to a Chuck song tonight. I thought this Glasvegas song was used in such a beautiful way on the show.

I have a new list today. It's not as detailed as the last one, mostly because I've already posted reviews and trailers of these films.

Claire's Favorite Films of 2010

2010 was a really good year for new movies. I'm glad the Oscars now have 10 nominees for best picture, because there are just so many deserving films this year. These are my favorites.

I can only judge movies that I've seen. There may be some great movies I haven't seen yet that I obviously can't put on my list now (Toy Story 3, Rabbit Hole, Blue Valentine, and Somewhere all come to mind as ones that could potentially be added once I see them).

These are in order of my current preference. I change my mind a lot, so who knows what order I'd place them in tomorrow (or what I'm forgetting).

The link attached to each one will take you to the trailer (control click and select 'open in a new window'):

1. True Grit
2. The Kids Are All Right
3. 127 Hours
4. Black Swan
5. The King's Speech
6. The Social Network
7. The Fighter
8. Inception
9. The Town
10. Never Let Me Go

I know the nominees haven't been announced and it's months away, but right now I'm betting on The Social Network winning the Oscar for Best Picture. Of course that can easily change. Hollywood is fickle. We'll see. You can see it's not my first choice, but I did enjoy it. Seriously, it's a crazy-good year for movies.

"Maybe this Christmas will mean something more. Maybe this year love will appear, deeper than ever before." ~ron sexsmith

"Like Christmas stays with you, walk through the darkened streets as we lay true, lights from your heart lead me to you." ~leona naess


I couldn't decide which song to use today, so I used both. They weren't on Chuck, but they were both on The O.C., another Josh Schwartz show. Merry Christmas, everyone! Watch this amazing video based on a poem by the brilliant Neil Gaiman:

39 Degrees North: Christmas Card 2010 from 39 Degrees North on Vimeo.

"Heaven is whenever we can get together, sit down on your floor and listen to your records. Heaven is whenever we can get together, lock your bedroom door and listen to your records." ~the hold steady

2010 is just about over, which means it's time for my Favorite .... of 2010 lists. Today it's my favorite albums of 2010. Please note that this is NOT a "Best Of" list. I think it's impossible for anyone to decide what's "best." These are just my favorites. This year was nearly impossible. Usually I have a hard time coming up with 10 stellar albums, but this year I had way too many favorites from which to choose. Many of my favorite artists released new albums this year, and I was introduced to some new great bands. I have more to say about the ones I love most, and of course I have positive things to say about them all (which makes me afraid of sounding redundant by the end). This is a countdown leading up to my absolute favorite. Anyway, without further ado, here we go (click on the album artwork for a link to the album on amazon):

Claire's Favorite Albums of 2010

Honorable Mentions: Deerhunter (Halcyon Digest), Broken Social Scene (Forgiveness Rock Record), She & Him (Volume 2), LCD Soundsystem (This Is Happening), The Black Keys (Brothers)


10. Beach House - Teen Dream

You'll see this one on a LOT of "Year's Best" lists. It's great songwriting.

Song sample: Silver Soul



9. MGMT - Congratulations

They're just so much fun. I don't mind the lack of singles, and I think this album is even better than Oracular Spectacular. I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

Song sample: Congratulations



8. Broken Bells - Broken Bells

These two musicians (Danger Mouse and The Shins' James Mercer) are incredibly talented, so hearing them together is really special. I hope they continue to collaborate.

Song sample: The High Road



7. Frightened Rabbit - The Winter of Mixed Drinks

Not as good as Midnight Organ Fight in my mind (not as unified or emotional), but it's still absolutely beautiful. Go listen to it; it'll have you hooked immediately.

Song sample: The Loneliness and the Scream



6. Bruce Springsteen - The Promise

Oh, Bruce. You're constantly making me so, so proud to be from New Jersey. Seriously. What a gorgeous album.

Song sample: The Promise



5. - Band of Horses - Infinite Arms

I love their album Cease to Begin so much that I figured it would be nearly impossible for them to top it in my mind. I'm still deciding which album of theirs I like best now (Cease to Begin might still have the edge), but this one certainly is wonderful and magical.

Song sample: Blue Beard



4. The Hold Steady - Heaven Is Whenever

What a rich celebration of rock. I'm echoing what I said about Band of Horses; I wasn't sure how this record could possibly top their previous record (Stay Positive). Again, I'm not sure that it does, but it comes pretty darn close. I love how the album celebrates music (the chorus of "We Can Get Together," in which Craig sings, "Heaven is whenever we can get together, sit down on your floor and listen to your records" is just perfect). There's quite a bit of variety. "Hurricane J" is one of my favorite songs and it's the band's classic guitar rock, but there are also some gorgeous, softer songs like "The Sweet Part of the City" and "Soft in the Center." Check out the whole album and see how fabulous it is.

Song sample: The Sweet Part of the City



3. - The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

This album is another fabulous example of range. It's got a classic rock feel, but it's infused with punk and soul and pop and I can't stop listening to it. It's one of the few albums that I always listen to straight through without skipping a single song. I love all of it. It starts with a bang with "American Slang," "Stay Lucky," and "Bring It On" and doesn't really slow down until the end. It makes me want to dance around. Seriously, it's so, so good.

Song sample: The Diamond Church Street Choir



2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

This doesn't top Funeral, but it's definitely better than Neon Bible. What is there to say about it? What positive adjectives are left? Can I say it's majestic? It's complicated and emotional and a solid album. These songs are even better live.

Song sample: Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)



1. The National - High Violet

Was there ever any doubt in your mind that The National would have my favorite album of the year once again? I can't get enough of The National. I've seen them live nine times and I'm in love. Do I love this album more than Boxer? I don't know. I can't choose. It's like choosing a favorite child (I imagine). I do know that this album is absolutely brilliant. Matt's baritone somehow manages to reach deep inside me and wring my heart. Seriously, how does he do that? Thisis another album that I can listen to straight through without skipping any songs. I could start naming the ones I love and why, but I'd end up listing every song. I think the lyrics are revelatory. The melancholy of the music simultaneously haunts and comforts me. Folks, it doesn't get any better than this.

Song sample: Lemonworld

"Out with a whimper, it's not a blaze of glory. You look down from your temple as people endeavor to make it a story and chisel a marble word. But all is lost if it's never heard." ~mgmt



This was a really busy weekend, but I'm completely finished with my Christmas shopping (I only had my brother left and I got him done today) and I feel like I don't have that much left to do before I leave for Colorado on Thursday.

Today, exactly as I was walking up the steps at the Washington Square subway station, the Counting Crows' song "Washington Square" came up on my iPod (I had it on shuffle). What are the odds that, out of the approximately 10,000 songs I have, that one would pop up at that moment? It was fate. And it was cool. It's fun to listen to that song in Washington Square. Washington Square looks beautiful, by the way. I love all the city's decorations around the holidays.

Check out my friend Roseann's Christmas gift to me:
She definitely knows me well. This is a dangerous one; I'll have to use my willpower ration it well.

So I have a couple movie reviews for you. Both of these are serious Oscar contenders and I loved them both.

Black Swan
This year's race for Best Actress is between Natalie Portman and Annette Bening (in The Kids Are All Right). Both have been nominated before but have never won (poor Annette Bening has lost twice to Hilary Swank). I'll be happy for either one. I feel like Ms. Bening is overdue, but Ms. Portman is just so, so good in Black Swan. She's absolutely devastating (in a good way). She broke my heart. Darren Aronofsky has directed a beautiful, emotionally intense thriller. Go see it. It's definitely not your feel-good holiday movie, but it's a great film.


The Fighter
Right now, my money's on Christian Bale to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. He's that good. Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo (who will most likely get her second Oscar nom) are also wonderful. I didn't care much about the boxing part of it (although those scenes, particularly the final match, were very well shot), but I still loved the movie. It's the relationships that make it interesting. So it's another one to go see.