So good

WTF is this S?

Evidently my beloved Twins(TM) have traded Johan Santana for a bucket of balls. Well, not literally--but what a disappointing haul. (I had really looked forward to seeing Jacoby Ellsbury man centerfield.)

That said, what's everyone doing April 8? That should be the best pitcher in baseball's first home start for his new team. See you there.

(For better coverage, check out MetsBlog, Gleeman, and the incomparable LEN 3.)

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Election roundup: Rudy sounds done, McCain goes by Mac now, and Romney just referred to "countries like Asia." (Looks like I'm not the only one who heard it.) I won't tell you how to vote, but you should vote for this guy.

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Also, tonight this guy dug my beard.

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And look who's posting again. Welcome back, champ. (The Shins? Really?!)

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Finally, new Yacht Rock! (Via Stereogum.)

"You weasel!": The new "I drink your milkshake"?

Probably not, but the first short film from Rick and Adam of MagneticMediaFed is pretty brilliant, in spite of my cameo. Check it below, then give them their propers here.

Trophy time!

Back by popular (?) demand, it's my guaranteed, 100-percent accurate picks for the Oscar nominations. I'm pretty much in line with conventional wisdom, except I don't think The Diving Bell and the Butterfly will do as well as some do. (Best Picture? Really?)

I guess we'll find out tomorrow morning, or you can take what follows as gospel. (I recommend option two.) Oh, and my tentative picks for winners are in bold.

Best Actor
Mathieu Amaric | The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
George Clooney | Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis | There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp | Sweeney Todd
Viggo Mortensen | Eastern Promises

Best Actress
Julie Christie | Away From Her
Marion Cotillard | La Vie en Rose
Angelina Jolie | A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley | Atonement
Ellen Page | Juno

Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck | The Assassination of Blah Blah Blah
Javier Bardem | No Country for Old Men
Paul Dano | There Will Be Blood
Philip Seymour Hoffman | Charile Wilson's War
Tom Wilkinson | Michael Clayton

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett | I'm Not There
Ruby Dee | American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan | Atonement
Amy Ryan | Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton | Michael Clayton

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson | There Will Be Blood
Ethan and Joel Coen | No Country for Old Men
Tony Gilroy | Michael Clayton
Sidney Lumet | Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Joe Wright | Atonement

Best Original Screenplay
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Juno
Knocked Up
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille

Best Adapted Screenplay
Charlie Wilson's War
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
No Country for Old Men
Into the Wild
There Will Be Blood

Best Picture
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Mountaintop, etc.

An earnest post, but it's still relevant.

2007: That's how it starts

My final five are mostly predictable, but it was that kind of year. A few people were dropping some next-level shit, and it didn't take a genius to hear it. But in case you missed anything, here they are.

1. LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver

Anchored by the best three-song sequence of the year ("North American Scum," "All My Friends," "Someone Great"), Sound of Silver serves as a rejoinder to anyone who thinks dance music can't have a soul (or vice versa). Basically, it's perfect for anyone who was waiting for a hip-shaker about getting older, dealing with stereotypes while abroad, or watching a loved one die. And, let's face it, we all were.



2. M.I.A.: Kala

I don't feel informed enough to say she's the only mainstream(-ish) musician who both reflects and embodies the way people consume music now, but, hey, why not. Not only that, it's is the best punk-rock album of the year, and not (only) because of the Clash samples. Girl knows how to get it done, as on "Paper Planes," which had the most exciting / frightening chorus, like, ever.



3. Radiohead: In Rainbows

And then, suddenly, it was on the Internet: A drop-dead gorgeous collection of ten songs from the era's best band. No bullshit*, just brilliance. Good to have ‘em back.

(*Okay, some bullshit, but their webcasts reward the patient and/or dedicated, as you can see below.)



4. PJ Harvey: White Chalk

My fondness for eccentric female singer-songwriters is pretty well documented, but I think PJ is the best writer of them all. (Sorry, Chan.) That's abundantly clear here, thanks to both PJ's charisma and the arrangements (or lack thereof), which match the intimate subject matter. (Family, loss, the usual.) How the hell she got on The Tonight Show with this stuff, I'll never now.

(Also: Big Love chic?)

5. The Arcade Fire: The Neon Bible

Well, they pulled it off: This one is both overhyped and underrated. But when you get past all the nonsense, you're left with an impressive, passionate set of songs – a more than worthy sequel to Funeral. Also, I thought Paul Dano was convincing as Win Butler in There Will Be Blood.

Oh, and this is the YouTube video of the year. "Oh my god," indeed, dude.

2007: A noun, a verb, and 9/11

Let's get to this: A not-at-all-overdue list of the best albums of 2007. Hey, some people still have their Christmas decorations up ...

Anyway, with apologies to Jens Lekman (whose record I haven't fully digested), Rilo Kiley (who made seven-tenths of a terrific album), Beirut (who do one thing very, very well), Grinderman (anyone want to hook a brother up?), and the White Stripes (who I might be taking for granted), here's part one of my YouTube-powered ten favorite records of the year.

6. Wilco: Sky Blue Sky

They tried to make him go to rehab, and Jeff Tweedy said "yes, yes, yes." And it must have worked: This easily ranks as the most optimistic set of tunes his band has ever recorded. But those who dismissed it as a song cycle about fresh sheets and clean dishes, missed how uneasy this supposed contentment is. "I survived," Tweedy says in the title track. "That's good enough for now." Sounds like the theme of 2007.

Oh, and what am I gonna do with all these Volkswagens?



7. Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

On which a bedheaded wunderkind gets political, discovers Motown horns and economy (only ten songs! only a half-hour long!), records two stone-cold classics ("The Underdog," "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb"), and manages to make it all sound effortless. That Britt Daniel's one consistent dude.

Also: He makes robots dance.



8. Animal Collective: Strawberry Jam

I finally get it: Brian Wilson-y arrangements and harmonies wed to off-kilter sounds and screaming. Good for them, and good for us. (Hey, anyone want to send me that Panda Bear album?)



9. Kanye West: Graduation

The first Kanye album I haven't pretended to like. Okay, I'm kidding (kind of), but it's certainly 2007's best record to include a song about Barry Bonds. It also has the year's best tune (not the one about the Giants' slugger).




10. Amy Winehouse:Back to Black
Mark Ronson: Version
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: 100 Days, 100 Nights

Best trend of the year: The rediscovery of Holland-Dozier-Holland grooves and snappy brass sections, all paired with modern beats and fantastic vocals. The worst trend of the year: Female singers spiraling out of control.

Still, it's worth remembering that Amy's voice and Ronson's production go together like peas and carrots, and that his work also included a terrific solo album and a lesser-known wonder by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. (At least I assume it's good—I never picked it up. But the video below suggests as much.)

How many roads, etc.

I've been reading the excellent (so far) Sweet Soul Music, by Peter Guralnick--for my money, the best chronicler of rock and roll around. As the subtitle accurately states, it covers the rise of southern r&b in the '50s and '60s, including Sam Cooke's rise to fame (something the author revisits in the bio Dream Boogie, which I'll read ... someday). Anyway, I have a shocking lack of Cooke's music on my iTunes, so I went to the YouTubes to find some. Here's what I dug up--a mind-blowing Dylan cover. The audio's a little out of sync, but I think you get the gist. Enjoy.