I really don't understand the hype surrounding Blitzen Trapper. I saw them at Holocene and wasn't impressed. I want to like them. I really do. Maybe they'll change my mind tonight at the Doug Fir.

Sent by Mel | 2:05 PM ET | 12-21-2007

i was waiting for a dan fogelberg mention. and only familiar with The Remarkable Objectivity of Your Old Friends which is freakishly appropriate -
We did right by your death and went out,
Right away, to a public place to drink,
To be with each other, to face it.
We called other friends???the ones
Your mother hadn't called???and told them
What you had decided, and some said
What you did was right; it was the thing
You wanted and we'd just have to live
With that, that your life had been one
Long misery and they could see why you
Had chosen that, no matter what any of us
Thought about it, and anyway, one said,
Most of us abandoned each other a long
Time ago and we'd have to face that
If we had any hope of getting it right.

wow. happy holidays.

Sent by mc | 2:52 PM ET | 12-21-2007

You keep me hip to all the new good movies. I saw No Country For Old Men soon after you mentioned it then got to tell all my friends how awesome it was when none of them had seen it. It seemed like I had my finger on the pulse when really it was all you. So, thanks.

And yeah that National joint is the bomb diggity.

Sent by Jaime | 3:26 PM ET | 12-21-2007

I had never heard of the Nationals before reading this blog. I decided to look them up, truly believing that I would hate them. I only say this because my musical tastes often differ from everyone else's and I expect the same (from you). I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked them...so thanks.

I would like to add albums (or whatever they are called now) I also liked from 2007 are:

MIA - Kala
Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Is Is
Blonde Redhead - 23

Not stating these are "the best" albums, but they are what I'm interested in and listened to this year. I do want to mention that REO Speedwagon had a new album out this year for all those interested. Oh and Ace of Base is back together. bleh.

Sent by Jaryn | 3:36 PM ET | 12-21-2007

This isn't music related, but I'm glad to see you're an Ian McEwan fan... Atonement is a great book. I haven't made it out to see the movie yet. I'm kind of scared and hoping they didn't turn it into too much of a chick flick because of Keira Knightly, but we'll see, I guess.

Sent by Nick in the Midwest | 5:46 PM ET | 12-21-2007

Best New Blogger, 2007: Carrie Brownstein.

Sent by Steven | 6:20 PM ET | 12-21-2007

Thanks, Carrie, for making this blog a stimulating read. Have a good holiday.

Sent by Meagan | 6:54 PM ET | 12-21-2007

Albums:
Person Pitch - Panda Bear
Beyond - Dinosaur Jr

Television:
30 Rock
Weeds
Man vs. Wild

Film:
Superbad
Ratatouille

Books:
Nothing of his came out new this year, but I really got into Charles Bukowski. Ham on Rye (novel) and Love is a Dog from Hell (poetry) are the best things I've read in a long time.

Happy Christmas

Sent by Jake | 7:34 PM ET | 12-21-2007

I made my own best-of list recently and I initially had "Boxer" as my most overrated album of the year. I listened to it as I wrote about it so I could give an accurate assessment, and then a funny thing happened. As I wrote and listened, I really started to like it. "Boxer" is a very weighty album. You have to be willing to carry it. I still say "Random Spirit Lover" by Sunset Rubdown is album of the year, followed closely by "The Stage Names" by Okkervil River. "Boxer" gets a strong honorable mention.

That Blitzen Trapper album is pretty f***ing amazing.

Have a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hannukah, a Kwazy Kwanza, a Tip-top Tet, and a solemn, dignified Rammadan.

Sent by Nick L. | 7:38 PM ET | 12-21-2007

Dan Fogelberg dead?! Where have I been? I'm breaking out The Innocent Age on vinyl as I type. Why has it been so long since I've listened to this? Oh, yes, it makes me feel like my father.

Sent by Elizabeth | 8:01 PM ET | 12-21-2007

Oh, and I second MIA's Kala for one of the best albums of the year.

It makes me want to dance and be a better human.

Sent by Elizabeth | 8:03 PM ET | 12-21-2007

Ian McEwan! Excellent. Not to diminish the excellence of this blog so far-- every post has been a real joy to read and think about and share with others-- but I'm hoping for some more book talk in the new year! I'm usually too busy trying to catch up with all the 20th century classics I haven't read yet to keep up with new material.

By the way, I happen to be watching Vh1's "Best Songs of the 1990s" right now, and one of the commentators is Collective Soul. Ha!

Happy holidays!

Sent by nikki | 8:44 PM ET | 12-21-2007

the wire season 4 is the best thing that happened to television..

Sent by carrie n | 9:24 PM ET | 12-21-2007

I hear you, Jaryn - that Yeah Yeah Yeahs EP isn't getting a huge amount of year-end attention, perhaps because it's just an EP, or perhaps because music journalists assume (not incorrectly) that everybody kind of knows about them by now. But it's five songs and 15 minutes of solid Awesome.

I've got this theory that all of us, even the most manly - especially the most manly - would have made out with Robert Plant pretty readily in 1974.

Sent by Patrick Caldwell | 1:56 AM ET | 12-22-2007

Happy 2008. My own best of....

Music -- Beruit - The Flying Cup Club, MIA - Kala, PJ Harvey - White Chalk, PsuedoSix - Self Titled, Marissa Nadler - Songs III: Bird on the Water

TV -- I am totally smitten with Flight of the Conchords and The Dog Whisperer

Film -- I'm Not There, Sunshine

Books -- Most of what I read was not written this year. I finally read "The Hours", wow. I'm on a Dan Savage book kick at the moment.

Sent by Setya | 2:59 AM ET | 12-22-2007

Just in case 185 comments were not enough for you:

1. my nose ring hole (ringless since 1985) still hasn't closed entirely. What's wrong with my cartilage?

2. My dear, look at my face, I've been waiting for you in the same old place.
I've got a long time for love. Jewels could spill from my cup. But it's all locked down, and I'm all locked up.
I've got a long time for love.
A woman is not a girl. I could show you a thing or two. I've got a long time for love. Come on let's go to the mat.
Hit the floor honey, let's battle it out. I've got a long time for love

Sent by nomad | 5:50 AM ET | 12-22-2007

My favourites this year were

1. Marnie Stern - In Advance of the Broken Arm
2. Future of the Left - Curses
3. Holy Fuck - Holy Fuck
4. Jeffrey Lewis - 12 Crass Songs
5. Rilo Kiley - Under The Blacklight (yes, I know you all hate it and I don't care!)

Have a great break over the holidays Carrie (and everyone). It's been a pleasure to read this blog over recent weeks, here's to much more in 2008 and world peace too of course.

Sent by Julia | 9:32 AM ET | 12-22-2007

I feel obliged to help beat the drum for The Wire - it sounds dumb but that show has helped me understand more about crime, poverty and class than any part of my education. And Season 5 starts in a couple weeks!!!

Also yay for Denis Johnson. That might be the best book I bought in 2007 but will not actually read until sometime in the next few years, though there are several contenders there. But DJ has never let me down yet.

Glad you took on this gig Carrie - thanks! Looking forward to 08 -

Sent by Greg | 11:29 AM ET | 12-22-2007

According to the internet, you were born in 1974--and an infant making out with Robert Plant is pretty gross, sorry.

Sent by john | 7:14 PM ET | 12-22-2007

A couple of years ago I taught a survey course in American Literature. We read stuff like Gatsby. I also assigned the first three episodes of The Wire. Hey, it's literature, it's American, whattya want?

Sent by Steven | 9:02 PM ET | 12-22-2007

Have you heard Alligator yet?
Geese of Beverly Road was one of my favorite tracks.
Micah P. Hinson is another artist I enjoyed this year--I think his latest is 2006, though. I'd highly recommend his it, Micah P. Hinson and the Opera Circuit. Don't Leave Me Now/Diggin a Grave/Jackeyed are the tracks I found myself listening to most on that album. Both of these artists epitomized my fall.

Books: Shteyngart's Absurdistan, Sokolov's A School For Fools

Happy Holidays.

Sent by Sam | 4:18 AM ET | 12-23-2007

Music:
1.The National-Boxer might be my favorite record of all time!
2.Soulsavers-It's Not How Hard You Fall, But How You Land
3.Battles-Mirrored
4.QOSTA-Era Vulgaris
5.Dillinger Escape Plan-Ire Works

TV:
1.Weeds
2.House

Film:
1.Superbad
2.Transformers-Yes, made me feel like a kid again.
3.Pursuit of Happyness

Sent by mikemzoso | 11:49 AM ET | 12-24-2007

I knew something seemed wrong. Led Zep didn't tour during 1974, and Physical Graffiti came out in 1975. Which means your fantasy isn't a run-of-the-mill gross backstage session, but you and Bob are making out in studio to the outtakes, with the family just a few miles down the country road. Groovy.

Books: I get most of my books from the library, so I never read them the year they come out. Suite Francaise deserves to be on the 2007 list. It was written in 1941 anyway. Denis Johnson has a new book? To think I finally got to Jesus Son in 2007. It was good too.

Can we add new categories while our hostess is on break?

Didn't buy any books in 2007

Bought only diet books last year

Belongs to more than one gym

Has never owned a passport

Has never been out of state

Own more than 4 cats or 2 dogs

Forgot how to drive

Allergic to sushi

Sleeps backwards

Is on indefinite hiatus

Sent by Renata | 2:13 PM ET | 12-24-2007

Faves this year

Fiery Furnaces - Widow City
Jets Overhead - Bridges
Land of Talk -Applause,cheers,boo,hiss
The Hedrons - One more won't kill us
The Ponys - Turn out the lights

Have a good hol, so happy Xmas & new year to all.

Sent by Tim | 5:23 PM ET | 12-24-2007

Excuse the rambling, but here goes...

A few years ago my fave local record store, knowing of my love for bands like the Tindersticks, recommended The National. So I bought Alligator and I thought it was decent but, you know, no Tindersticks, no siree. Being the obsessive music buyer I am, I went back and bought an earlier one - same reaction, okay, but not really doing it for me. And now this year rolls around, hype building, patient man that I am (or just stupid) I go out and buy the new one. And yet again, like it, but not love. Soon after the record came out I went and saw them play at the Bowery Ballroom. I guess it was the hype but somehow they sold out like 5 nights. And guess what? You know how sometimes after seeing a band live that you weren't sure about, it all clicks and you end up loving them? Sadly, didn't happen for me. After seeing them live I pretty much decided that they are just a plain old mediocre band. This fall I sold off my National cds. Oh well. (I also got rid of the 2 Radiohead cd's I owned)

The record I listened to and enjoyed the most this year was The Thermals latest. I know it came out in '06 but so be it. I also got a lot of pleasure this year listening to the Everly Brothers. Not really sure what my favorite new records were from this year but my two favorite shows were Caetano Veloso and Nick Lowe - a good year for the old guys.

Now about the Wire... Season 4 was so amazing. The most beautiful and compelling season of tv I think I've ever seen. It was like getting your heart broken every week...

And yeah, I'm thinking No Country was the best movie I saw all year. On the DVD front, the release of Chris Marker's sublime Sans Soleil is truly reason to rejoice. It is the most amazing work - a mediation on time and memory. Every time I've seen it I come away with something new.

Book - Aya by by Marguerite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie

Carrie - I really love the blog (and the radio stuff and the comedy stuff) but maybe sometime in 2008 you could get back to the day job? Or maybe 2009...

cheers.

Sent by -pgc. | 9:04 PM ET | 12-24-2007

Music: Rilo Kiley, Tegan & Sara, Lily Allen, Coconut Records, The Affair, The Pipettes, Amy Winehouse, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Frank Black, Imperial Teen, White Stripes, Modest Mouse, Pylon (reissue), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Arcade Fire

Television: 30 Rock, Flight of the Conchords

Film: Factory Girl, Paris Je T???Aime, Broken English, Into the Wild, Margot at the Wedding, American Gangster

New Books: No One Belongs Here More Than You

Old books read this year: The Glass Castle, Dry, Into the Wild

Sent by Peg | 10:32 PM ET | 12-24-2007

Top 5 Albums:

1. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
Run, don't walk, out and buy this album.
2. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
3. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
4. Robert Palmer / Alison Krouse - Raising Sand (have you HEARD his voice on this record? AMAZING!) And if you've never heard Alison Krouse's voice before, it's like never tasting honey.
5. Burial - Untrue - this one will blow your mind.

Happy New Year everybody! Thanks for the space Carrie!!!

Sent by Chad Bly | 11:47 AM ET | 12-27-2007

Spellchecker (heretofore stumped on this blog) notes a misspelling of "Fogelberg". Happy New Year MM!

Sent by Spellchecker | 12:34 PM ET | 12-27-2007

"Boxer" is a mysterious, sexy record that burrows deeper and deeper in my head the more I listen to it. And like you, I listened to it more than any other record this year.

And there was no better film than "No Country for Old Men", no matter the market.

Also - with 20 bucks and a leap of faith, the first season DVD of "Friday Night Lights" can astound and move you, if you let it. It's the best, truest and smartest TV show about small town life I've seen.

Sent by KG | 9:15 AM ET | 12-28-2007

I was totally on the No Country For Old Men kick as best movie of 2007 until just this week I saw The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Beautiful movie, excellently shot, very French but oh so enjoyable. It's okay if you cry during it, I won't tease you for it.

Sent by Melissa | 1:05 PM ET | 12-28-2007

Excellent choices. "Boxer" was tied for my fave album of the year too (the other being "I'm Not There" soundtrack). And my fave movie so far is "No Country for Old Men," but it's way too soon to make the call.

Shameless plug for all my year-end lists: http://www.heresyourwater.com

Sent by Stacia | 1:22 AM ET | 12-29-2007

hi, i'm going to be playing all of my favorite albums of 2007 on my radio show today. it will be 2 hours of what i consider to be the "best of 2007" in music within my show's format (the format of my show features bands with women in their line up). i'm also going to play my favorite album of the year in its entirety. i have it narrowed down to 3. it will either be jenny hoyston's -isle of, or jana hunter's -there's no home, or pj harvey's -white chalk. i'm writing to tell you and other readers this not to be obnoxious, but because it's something i would want to listen to myself! there were so many great things that came out in 2007 that people may have missed! wevl.org 2 pm -4 pm central xo

Sent by lea | 12:07 PM ET | 12-30-2007

I was really not that impressed with 2007's stuff. Couldn't really get into the National either. Another one people are going on about is Spoon's new one. Yeah, it's a good album, but I can only take the 70s AM radio-style stuff so much (though I admit Georgie James is pretty great). Battles is slowly growing on me. The new Radiohead is pretty good, but not their best.

My favorites did not hit any of the critic's lists: Les Savy Fav and Ted Leo both came out with great albums, and are about the only new albums that have enjoyed heavy rotation on my CD player/mp3 player. Most of the other stuff I've been listening to this year is at least 20 years old.

Sent by Joel | 9:30 AM ET | 01-02-2008

In re: Blitzen Trapper.
Anything that reminds me of the Dead (as this did immediately, within 5 seconds of first listen) is O-U-T. Yuck.

Sent by Carbonarator | 5:38 PM ET | 01-09-2008