The Stanford Prison Experiment - On Ice!

[alexsarll]

Oh, Internet, I really thought we had something! In spite of the slash and the spoilers and the people on the BBC's Have Your Say pages, I liked you, and part of that was because you always told me about the new stuff first. But the news that Pixar are doing a John Carter of Mars trilogy? Well yes, you can give me a link now, but I learned about this from some dead trees! What do you have to say for yourself?
What's that? You have some spoiler-free mini-episodes of The Wire?
Oh, dear Internet - how could I ever have doubted you?

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland didn't leave me feeling massively festive, but I think the weather may have been to blame for at least part of that - rainy but warm is surely the antithesis of all that is meteorologically christmassy? I was more impressed by the impromptu excursion afters to Itsenaisyyspaiva which if you didn't know, and I didn't, was the 90th anniversary of Finnish independence. Good night; global warming, Eschaton and Putin permitting, the centenary should be awesome.

An edited Torchwood transmission for the tinies? This strikes me as a bad idea. Either you're saying that the adult content is tacked-on - a few swears and breasts thrown in to spice up a Doctorless Who spin-off - or you're going to end up with disjointed stories that don't make any sense, like those godawful teatime transmissions of Angel on Channel 4. Neither is good.

Those of you on the SB board will already have seen this, but for the benefit of everyone else - my albums of the year. There was some really good stuff out, but nothing as OMG THIS IS AMAZING as the top albums of last year, where stuff like Amy Winehouse, The Long Blondes, Muse and Neil Diamond genuinely startled me with sheer radiant magnificence.

1. Year Zero - Nine Inch Nails
2. The Magic Position - Patrick Wolf
3. The Regional Variations - Swimmer One
4. Super Taranta! - Gogol Bordello
5. Blackout - Britney Spears
6. Robyn
7. It's A Bit Complicated - Art Brut
8. In The Salpetriere - Paris Motel
9. Giant - Herman Dune
10. Two Gallants
11. Grinderman
12. Stardom Road - Marc Almond
13. Tangled Up - Girls Aloud
14. Retox - Turbonegro
15. The Good, The Bad & The Queen
16. In Our Bedroom After The War - Stars
17. Galore - Dragonette
18. Good Girl Gone Bad - Rihanna
19. Girls And Weather - The Rumble Strips
20. Cookies - 1990s
21. Profit In Your Poetry - Butcher Boy
22. Lady's Bridge - Richard Hawley
23. Finding Forever - Common
24. Prayer for the Weekend - The Ark
25. The Cost Of Loving - Jason Webley
26. Forward March! - The Strange Death of Liberal England
27. I'll Sleep When You're Dead - El-P
28. The London Book Of The Dead - (The Real) Tuesday Weld
29. Eat Me, Drink Me - Marilyn Manson
30. Home Again - Edwyn Collins
31. The Crane Wife - The Decemberists
32. Magic - Bruce Springsteen
33. Boxer - The National
34. Challengers - The New Pornographers
35. Gaslight - Readers Wifes
36. Volta - Bjork
37. Narcissus Road - The Hours
38. This Fool Can Die Now - Scout Niblett
39. Cosmos - Murcof
40. Our Love To Admire - Interpol

This year also brought a lot of albums which I was expecting to be a lot better than they were, and which baffled me by convincing most people that they'd managed it - I'm thinking about the samey New Young Pony Club effort, LCD Soundystem's deeply patchy Sound of Silver (three great songs, but taken as a whole it's not even the best LCD Soundsystem album of the year - that was 45'33"), and Siouxsie - which wasn't a new departure, or more personal, or anything but a particularly dull Banshees record. Or maybe even more, one of the late Creatures ones which were neither quite Banshees nor Creatures proper, nor necessary.

And remember, kids - last Black Plastic of the year tomorrow - don't miss out! Or get sufficiently drunk and engrossed in Graham Greene beforehand that you end up in a small home counties station which later investigation suggests doesn't actually exist!

Comments

[darkship.livejournal.com]

I personally think there's a lot of Emperor's New Clothes about New Young Pony Club, and that 'Eat Me, Drink Me' was, outside of 'Heart-Shaped Glasses', a pretty lame effort. Sad to hear that the Siouxsie solo album isn't any good, given what a big fan of the Banshees I am. Your #1 and #2 will both be in my Top 5, however, so we're agreed on something.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

NYPC did release a couple of really good singles - sadly they released them about five times each because they realised the rest of the album was unlikely to impress many people outside East London.

I was really impressed with the Marilyn Manson album as an artistic achievement - it would probably be higher up the list if it weren't so offputting. His Measure for Measure, perhaps...

YMMV when it comes to the Siouxsie album, a lot of people do seem to love it.

[suicideally.livejournal.com]

I couldn't name 40 albums I liked this year. Isn't that sad? (Though my short attention span means I don't really listen to albums much anyway, only songs - although I did listen to two Cranes albums all the way through last night, but that's an unusual case)

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to think of 5 songs! I can only ever remember stuff that's currently on my mp3 player anyway!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing yours will be Cobra Starship, some Japanese boy bands, and did HMHB have an album this year?

(I would never be able to think these up on the spot - I keep a running tally in my email drafts throughout the year. Hell, I already have one entry for 2008)

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

Who the hell are Swimmer One by the way? There's been an undercurrent of the same people always going to see them on several people on my friends list so I am guessing one of your mates bands, I am guessing also they are probably Britpop, am I right?

Pacific - I really like it (and in fact I discovered the other day NEWS have overtaken B&S on my last.fm OMG), yes it would probably be there - no in fact it's definitely there by virtue of the amazing Code. The Cobra alBUM isn't out yet apparently! I heard their first alBUM, it's nowhere near as good as Viva La Cobra. What other alBUMS have I heard? Aly & AJ, I dunno, I don't feel it so much. Britney is up there definitely. Kanye, Lil Wayne, and I don't HAVE the new Pinback alBUM yet but if it sounds like how they performed it live I'll put it up there because it was practically jaunty. Definitely MIA. But I would still rather nominate songs from these albums rather than albums as a whole (apart from Britney where yes have the whole album, also my kidneys).

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

Oh also Infinity On High! Of course!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

www.swimmerone.co.uk

They are from Scotland! I have only ever met them at their shows! I don't know how charlybubbles first encountered them but they are ace, and do also seem to have done a fairly good job of winning over the mainstream press, especially the Independent. Britpop? Not really. I would think you might even like them, they are more like Stars than they are like anyone else of whom I can think.

Is Viva La Cobra really not out? It only just missed my list! Anyway, I'm sure I have seen it reviewed in proper places (well, DIS, anyway).

Aly & AJ I can't decide if I like or not. That doesn't happen to me often, and is always quite stressful. I think I would probably end up going with your assessment, and rating songs of it but not the whole. But then, there are lots of albums where that applies. If something has more than one dud (hi, last track of Britney!) then it can't really be eligible as a good album, though it may still have some awesome stuff on it.

MIA annoys me.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

They're totally an albums band though, aren't they? Music to sink into and luxuriate in, like a bath. Albeit maybe one in which you've slit your wrists.

I don't imagine I'd make 40 either if I had to buy or DL everything myself, so I wouldn't worry about that.

[suicideally.livejournal.com]

Yeah, definitely - it's like sitting down to watch a film, rather than putting something on in the background.

[sbp.livejournal.com]

I couldn't name 40 albums I *heard* this year, especially ones released this year.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

And that's the joy of media life. The downside being, I could probably also do a 40 Worst - I've heard some horrors. And The Horrors, but that was OK.

[publicansdecoy.livejournal.com]

Last year I got the Long Blondes Album on your recommendation. Perhaps I should buy this NIN one now.

-x-

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but you didn't much like it, did you? And if anything I would think you're less likely to go for this one...

[publicansdecoy.livejournal.com]

I didn't much like it at first. but it grew on me, like a cyst.

-x-

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Oh, I didn't know that, but I am glad. Still not entirely sure the NIN would be your cup of tea, though I suppose given it's all about the depressing geopolitics it would fit right in with the direction of AotY.

[rentaghost31.livejournal.com]

I've been thinking about buying the Richard Hawley album. D'you think I'd like it?

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

If you liked the last one, you'll like this one. And I don't mean that as a diss, though if he makes another five like this, I might start to feel I have enough.

[dreamingofme.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I like bits of the NYPC album, but some of it is quite dull.

I don't think i've even listened to 40 new albums this year!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure there's any reason most people should have done. And certainly, looking at that list, there are plenty which I haven't yet had chance to give the attention they deserve, so it's not necessarily a good thing to have this constant influx.

[dreamingofme.livejournal.com]

I think i've listened to a whole...two! on your list. Patrick Wolf and Girls Aloud...I've been really uninspired by new music lately.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Easily done, particularly when so much of the stuff hogging the limelight is utter dross or at best horribly overpraised.

[darkmarcpi.livejournal.com]

I've only heard six of those albums, though there are a few others I want.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there are plenty of others I'd like to hear but so far haven't - Kylie, Mika, Felix da Housecat.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

You enormous goth :)

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Not compared to last year, where half my top 10 had the word 'black' in the title (http://barrysarll.livejournal.com/337614.html#cutid1). This time only Number One is even remotely goth! Most of the rest of the top 10 is well pop.

[my-name-is-anna.livejournal.com]

"Either you're saying that the adult content is tacked-on - a few swears and breasts thrown in to spice up a Doctorless Who spin-off "

That is exactly what it was though! It was so naff.
And the shagging was so naff!
I watched an episode on BBC3 the other day, Mr Guppy out of Bleak House was bonking a woman from the 1950s, with an all serious look on his face. It was so silly.
If they cut out all the over-serious shagging scenes and focussed on the actual story (and some of the stories were quite good) then that would be a good idea.

Thinking about it though, I still don't think they could make that many of them suitable for younger children because the themes aren't suitable - eg: that one were all the people in the village are eating each other, or the one with the little girl who has some pet fairies, where there is child abuse involved in the plot.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Oh no, the fifties episode was one of the best! And, one of the ones which was most thoroughly and intrinsically 'adult', as opposed to sniggeringly and pointlessly naughty. Try to make that kid-suitable and you'd gut it. And yes, how exactly would you make 'Countrycide' kid-suitable? You can't. So either the kids get a disjoined show, or the parent series is compromised. Neither seems desirable.

It was more that the faeries had a pet little girl...

[my-name-is-anna.livejournal.com]

There was not one sex scene in Torchwood that didn't look contrived and thrown in to 'adult' it up, I thought.
And all of them were silly, not sexy.
Eg: that bit where the fighter pilot bloke gets a snog off Jack (OK I know it's not a 'sex' scene as such, but anyway) and all his squadron stand up and start clapping. How unlikely.

[my-name-is-anna.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh and the annoying Welsh woman starts having the affair with Mr Guppy and they all stomp about the place looking all serious about it. I'd forgotten how annoying I found Touchwood!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I thought it started very badly but then improved a great deal, so until this news I had high hopes for the second series.

[my-name-is-anna.livejournal.com]

Oh no now I've remembered how annoying it was! I used to sit on the sofa almost biting my fist because it was so embarrassing. Sad thing is I will most likely watch the new series too, just to check!

Spooky / alien things happen, then this Scooby Doo gang turn up, (in a flipping SUV!) run about looking all important and serious, occasionally stop to have sex with each other / themselves / other species / alien races, of course save the day then go home to brood about why alien swatting isn't turning out to be a fulfilling career / why they can't die / why their marriage isn't working etc... OMG I can't discuss it anymore! It's just too silly!

[sbp.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a good summary. I watched most of the first series and tailed off towards the end.

[stu-n.livejournal.com]

And then the last episode was utter bollocks, unfortunately.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

It was a bit too Buffy but there was good stuff in there too.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

That was a little silly, but perhaps not *as* silly as a lot of people complained it was. Some of the others, though, I thought worked really well - expressed character, moved plot forward, occasionally were even a bit sexy with it.

[my-name-is-anna.livejournal.com]

I can't think of any bit of shagging in it which actually needed to be there for plot purposes.
Even when they didn't actually do it it was still really embarrassingly done eg: Jack and the Welsh looking bloke discussing how they were going to use a stopwatch in presumably a w@nking race or something? Yuk!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

The whole dynamic of Gwen feeling increasingly alienated from boyfriend and drawn into team in spite of on some level hating it would have been impossible to get across without her sex (or about-to-sex) scenes with Owain.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I know that name. Why do I know that name?

The top two have been swapping positions on a fairly regular basis; I meant to make mention of that above, but forgot. Basically, it depends whether I'm in a good mood which one wins out. I posted this having made but not yet drunk the day's first cup of tea, or it could have been the other way around.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

No, for me it is Happy Album Time!

Although I do like albums which have light and shade - hence my favourite ever being the emotional rollercoaster that is Promenade by The Divine Comedy.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I'm always iffy about stuff like that - I don't think I included the Associates' Glamour Chase when that finally came out.

I can see Paris Motel's stories and the early Divine Comedy taking place in the same grand house, but they'd be different segments of the same portmanteau film, shot by different directors.