Liftingfaces

(TO FALL ASLEEP TO)

5. Great Lake Swimmers - Mp3 - A relatively new band, Great Lake Swimmers have mastered the whole acoustic-guitars-in-a-barn-silo-with-no-audience-save-for-the-crickets subgenre of folk music. All of this works, in large part because of lead singer Tony Dekker’s vocals, which sound as much like another instrument as Thom Yorke’s at his finest. I’m not saying Tony can outsing Thom (few can), but his voice certainly serves his own band perfectly.

4. Richard Hawley - Mp3 - He has a timeless voice, a strange blend of Frank Sinatra, Roy Orbison and Morrissey. Hawley evokes dream-like imagery every time I listen to him. Sometimes his songs shimmer and swell, other times they’re just quiet ballads to relax to, but always his voice pierces through.

3. Stars of the Lid - Mp3 - The ambient beauty these guys create is so soothing, it’s hard to stay awake through an entire album. Which is why I play them while I’m working, just to find out what that last track sounds like. And with album titles like “December Hunting For Vegetarian Fuckface,” it’s clear there’s more than one level to appreciate this band on.

2. Low - Mp3 - Their early material built in layers at a glacial pace, and as the pioneers of a sadcore subgenre from Duluth, Minnesota, this husband/wife team have put out some of the most laid back, haunting, and beautiful songs ever recorded. Mimi Parker’s voice is one of a kind, and Alan Sparhawk only serves to compliment her with mellow, minor key vocals of his own.

1. Red House Painters - Mp3 - Mark Kozelek tops my list for sheer consistency. I originally put his band’s entire catalog in a CD changer and just let it shuffle (something I rarely do). It took me several weeks to figure out which songs belonged on which album, and that was a good thing. It was like I kept rediscovering their music every night. His voice is usually mixed back with the instrumentation (esp. the older material), which serves the songs well. It’s hard to pick one song or even one album when I want to listen to them, which is what puts Red House Painters safely at the top for me.

(SINCE THE YEAR 2000)

5. Robin Pecknold (of Fleet Foxes) - Beard - Voice
This band has blossomed this year, but they have fast become one of the most talked about indie groups to come along in a while. Pecknold sounds a touch like Jim James oddly enough, though with a little less of the Kermit the Frog vibe. His isn’t the most intense beard on this list, but a beard it is.

4. Jim James (of My Morning Jacket) - Beard - Voice
Jim’s beard is a little bit Amish, so extra points for that. He’s been with his band since 1998, and he’s had his beard ever since. He may rely on reverb to create the tone of his music, but he’s got one of the more distinct voices in the genre.

3. Will Oldham (aka Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy) - Beard - Voice
I know, I know he sometimes sports only his forest-thick mustachio, but for the most part Oldham is bearded. He has a sort of psychopathic-anorexic-pirate vibe about him, but that’s what makes his music even more dark and sinister.

2. Devendra Banhart - Beard - Voice
Despite his hipster status as Natalie Portman’s latest fling, Banhart has put out some solid albums at a very young age, and he’s the only guy on this list who has paired his beard with a bedazzled gypsy bikini. A true bearded lady, and his songwriting is (for the most part) brilliant.

1. Sam Beam (of Iron and Wine) - Beard - Voice
Pound-for-pound, the best singer, songwriter, and beard on this list. He hasn’t put out a bad record yet. He also used to teach at a film school, which might have swayed me just a little bit. Despite all of this, his music under the Iron & Wine moniker has danced at the top of many year-end lists from the top critics, and for good reason.

(WHO CAN RUIN A FILM JUST BY BEING IN IT)

5. Rosie O’Donnell - She rounds out the top 5 because since A League of their Own, I’ve had no desire to watch any movies with her in them. I think I find her smug delivery a little unbecoming, though admittedly she hasn’t been in many films.

4. Angela Bassett - I know she was in Contact, but man, I can’t even muster up the will power to watch Akeelah and the Bee. I think she kind of epitomizes what I dislike about cultural films (films like Soul Food). She’s sort of like the Diane Keaton of ethnic dramas.

3. Paris Hilton - I’m proud to say I have yet to see a film with Paris Hilton in it, though if I ever DO see one, it will most likely be on accident, or if Kubrick came back from the grave and cast her in his film.

2. Rob Schneider - He’s like a crappy David Spade stand in, and David Spade ALMOST made this top 5 (but I did find Tommy Boy to be funny). That alone should say enough about why Deuce Bigalow is number two on this list.

1. Laura Linney - This one is highly personal and may be controversial (for I hear a lot of people like this overacting woman). I swear, I fast-forwarded through several of her scenes in John Adams, and I would have liked Truman Show more if she weren’t in it. There are highly acclaimed films like The Savages which I have no interest to see because of her inclusion in them. She has two expressions: psychotic sarcastic half smile, and wide-eyed startled sobbing, and I loathe both of them.

(WITH SURPRISING VOICES)

5. Jonathan Meiburg (Shearwater) - Image / Voice

4. Kristian Matsson (Tallest Man On Earth) - Image / Voice

3. Andrew Bird - Image / Voice

2. Thomas Dybdahl - Image / Voice

1. Ray Lamontagne - Image / Voice

(WHOSE NAMES CONJURE DEATH)

5. Dead Meadow - Fuzzed out rock band, harkens to the 60’s without the nostalgic pomp.

4. Death From Above 1979 - Bad ass two-man dance-punk band from Toronto, now defunct, made famous again by CSS a year ago.

3. Death Cab For Cutie - Ben Gibbard and team continue to pump out catchy pop songs and ballads that stay in your head for longer than you like.

2. Sun Kil Moon - Okay, so “kill” is misspelled in this band name, but that can’t stop Mark Kozelek from entering this Top 5. He could probably find a way to make it into every one of my lists.

1. Dead Can Dance - Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard used to be married, and used to live in an Irish castle, and used to make some of the best music ever.

(WHO ARE, AT THE TIME OF THIS POST, STILL ALIVE.)

 

5. Hugo “Hurley” Reyes - He is the most naturally funny character on the island, and you can tell the writers enjoy writing for his character. He plays an integral role, and manages to stay clueless for the most part. For that reason, he is number 5 and not higher. But he is definitely responsible for several of my favorite scenes.

 

4. Daniel Faraday - At first, I just thought he was remixing Brad Pitt’s character in 12 Monkeys. And I still think he is, to a degree. But the writers have made him into a highly likable character, new to the show for season 4, but feels like he’s been a part of the team all along. There’s a scene where he indicates a bond with someone on the island that really intrigued me. I hope they follow up on this.

 

3. Desmond Hume - “See you in another life, brother.” Still one of my favorite lines of the entire series (right behind Jack’s “There’s a glass?” line). His accent and his demeanor resonate with me. He is somewhat of a rebel, and I like how important his connection to Penny and her father is becoming with every episode. I see exciting things for his future in the show.

 

2. Benjamin Linus - I had the same gripe about Faraday as I did about Ben, in that his character still feels like a reincarnation of Kevin Spacey’s role in the film “Seven”. But it is also for this reason that he is my favorite character to watch. The only thing holding me back from a number 1 spot for him would have to be his affinity for whining, juxtaposed to his borderline psychotic ramblings. For a guy who reads Tolstoy recreationally, he sure is an interesting character.

 

1. John Locke - To me, Locke embodies everything LOST has to offer a new viewer. He is easy to root for, and carries the most enigmatic qualities of the survivors. There are times you want to choke him yourself, and other times you are rooting for him with your fist in your mouth. Also, he comes off as the most distinctive superhero, a quality that personifies LOST in a lot of ways. And who knows how the guy keeps his head shiny bald episode after episode. Props to Locke.

(PAST AND PRESENT)

5. Cinnamon Toast Crunch - A solid staple in any cupboard.

4. Cookie Crisp – Cookies and milk, I mean, come on.

3. Trix – Trix are for kids, adults, and when I’m a senior citizen.

2. S’Mores – They changed the recipe, but they used to be irresistible.

1. Count Chocula – It’s like Lucky Charms, but with a gothic twist.

(WITH THE WORD “BLACK” IN THEIR NAME)

5. The Black Keys - Mp3

4. Black Swans - Mp3

3. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Mp3

2. The Black Angels - Mp3

1. Black Heart Procession - Mp3

(PAST AND PRESENT)

5. Shock G

4. JT the Bigga Figga

3. E40

2. Spice1

1. Too Short

(THAT GO REALLY GOOD TOGETHER. TRY IT.)

5. “Rain” - Bishop Allen

4. “Sugar Baby” - Samamidon

3. “Graveyard Girl” - M83

2. “Lost Verses” - Sun Kil Moon

1. “The Hot Hot Rays” - Fleet Foxes