The buzz band leaders of the new chillwave movement rocked Late Night with a brilliant performance of “Terminally Ill” and current single “Ephemeral Artery”.

La Cinema Paramount by Germaine Krull (c. 1930)

The Daily Beast has a nice gallery and write-up pertaining to a new exhibition at the International Center of Photography titled “Twilight Visions: Surrealism, Photography, and Paris”; the display focuses on the work of photographers such as Jacques-André Boiffard, Brassaï, Ilse Bing, André Kertész, Germaine Krull, Dora Maar, and Man Ray during the 1920′s and ’30s in the French capital.  The exhibition includes over 150 photographs, film reels, and periodicals and runs until May 9th, so definitely worth checking out if you’re in New York sometime over the next few months.

10. Sonic Youth – Confusion is Sex

The band’s first full-length album is an appropriately lo-fi barrage of dissonance, guitar screeches, and vocal yelps, with each song heightening the creepiness factor. This is guitar rock at its core, with Thurston Moore providing the melodic drive of the album. The songs on Confusion is Sex are not easy to love; they are often tonally difficult and some are borderline inaccessible to most listeners. That being said, the album is important not only for being the band’s debut, but also for the thrilling ways it subverts the rock conventions of its time.

9. Elvis Costello & the Attraction – Punch the Clock

While not Costello’s best work, Punch the Clock does find the always-acerbic Brit Rocker streamlining his sound with more synths and horns, and some background singers, with mostly successful results. The album’s big hit “Everday I Write the Book” is the best example of this. Most of the rest of the album is comprised of fun, uptempo tracks like “Let Them All Talk” and “TKO (Boxing Day)”, which, though hardly breaking ground for Costello, are still effortlessly listenable.

8. Cocteau Twins – Head Over Heels

The Scottish group’s sophomore album is a thing of almost otherworldly beauty, a piece of sublime dream-pop and atmospheric sound. It encompasses all of the elements that made the band so influential: Elizabeth Fraser’s ethereal (and often indecipherable) vocals, Robin Guthrie’s dark guitar work, and the dramatic and eerie production. While definitely not poppy, the album also stops short of being overwhelmingly melancholy; songs like “In the Gold Dust Rush” and “In Our Angelhood” feature driving melodies and are borderline danceable.

7. David Bowie – Let’s Dance

As it’s title suggests, this album finds the chameleonic rock god embracing his funkier side. It definitely fits in with the new wave synth-pop of it’s era, though the songs definitely bare Bowie’s unique stamp. The album alternates between rollicking dance anthems (“Modern Love”, “Let’s Dance”) and downtempo synth-ballads (“China Girl”, “Without You”), with nary a false note. The best track on the album, though, happens to be the “rockiest” cut of the bunch: “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)”, which is just as explosive and dramatic as it sounds.

6. U2 – War

Long before Bono became the overblown celebrity that he is today, he was busy belting out some of the best rock anthems of all-time. The band’s third album War was their first overtly political one, though it manages to not be a pretentious downer. On the contrary, it features such fist-pumpers as “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “Two Hearts Beat As One”, with the former being one of the best songs of the entire decade. Despite being so early in the band’s career, it is apparent that they are quickly perfecting the blend of social awareness and sweeping sound that makes them so prolific today.

5. REM – Murmur

The band’s first album, often credited with inventing modern-day alternative rock, showcased their moody sound and the haunting vocals of lead singer Michael Stipe. Taking cues from folk rock, jangle-pop, and the post punk movement (particularly Gang of Four), the foursome crafted an album that is both inventive and aesthetically pleasing. The album alternates between ballads (“Perfect Circle”) and tracks that verge on the danceable (“Moral Kiosk”), while never risking sonic cohesiveness. In fact, Murmur may very well be one of the few albums without a single weak song; each is just as good as the last.

4. Shonen Knife – Burning Farm

Sounding like the female Japanese Ramones, Shonen Knife’s Burning Farm is a work of complete and unbridled joy. The album is, from start to finish, comprised some of the catchiest compact pop songs I’ve ever heard (which is all the more impressive since it is all in Japanese). They are far from being the most accomplished band skill-wise, though this actually contributes to the album’s giddy sense of fun. Pop-punk doesn’t get any sweeter or more easily digestable than this. It’s easy to see why they have such high-profile fans, like Sonic Youth and Nirvana.

3. Echo and the Bunnymen – Porcupine

A highly-charged and emotional piece of post-punk disturbia, the British band’s third outing almost didn’t receive a stateside release. Thankfully it did, because it proves to have some of the best songs of the genre, like the frenetic “Back of Love” and the brooding title track. The album is marked by intricate lyrics and production, as well as the amazingly expressive work of lead vocalist Ian McCulloch. His contribution to the album’s artistic success can not be overstated enough; he adds the just the right amount of melodrama to the proceedings.

2. Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes

Ever wonder what it would sound like if punk went acoustic? Enter Violent Femmes with their self-titled debut album. Actually that statement might be oversimplifying the band; they definitely owed their almost adolescent sense of rebellion and angst to punk rock, though they had a style all their own… They were folk rock with an edge. There is a reason why songs like “Blister in the Sun” and “Gone Daddy Gone” are considered modern-day classics; clever lyrics, raw vocals, and carefree instrumentation all contribute to the lasting power of this album.

1. New Order – Power, Corruption and Lies

Out of the tragic ashes of Joy Division was born New Order, and by this, their second album, they had effectively moved out of the tall shadow of the late Ian Curtis to forge their own distinct blend of dance-pop and alternative rock. The album actually bears little resemblance to the gloomy post-punk of Joy Division; songs like “The Village” and “Ecstacy” are ready-made for the dancefloor, while “Age of Consent” (arguably one of the band’s very best songs) is propulsively joyous. Taking inspiration from synth-rock, techno, and even early hip-hop, Power, Corruption and Lies is both grandiose and intimate, and undoubtedly one of the defining works of the band’s career and the era itself.

Honorable Mentions:

-Daniel Johnston, Yip! Jump Music

-Cyndi Lauper, She’s So Unusual

-Eurythmics, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These)

-The Ramones, Subterranean Jungle

-Elton John, Too Low For Zero

Alison Goldfrapp

So I guess I’m a little late on this one since we’re already a month into the new year/decade, and several noteworthy albums have already been released (Vampire Weekend, Beach House, Owen Pallett, Yeasayer, Toro y Moi and Spoon are all contenders for my Top 10 of the year). Nonetheless, I present to you the upcoming albums I can’t wait to buy from my local record store Best Buy:

• David Byrne and Fatboy Slim – Here Lies Love.  It’s set to be released February 23rd, and from the two songs I’ve heard (the title track featuring Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine, and “Please Don’t” with Santigold), this highbrow concept album (about the life of former Filipino first lady Imelda Marcos) is going to be  a refreshingly funky take on pop music.  Also making guest appearances are St. Vincent, Nicole Atkins, Tori Amos, Cyndi Lauper, Martha Wainwright, Sharon Jones, and Sia, as well as a host of other female artists (and one male – Steve Earle).
• Broken Bells – Broken Bells. This collaboration between The Shins’ James Mercer and Danger Mouse (scheduled to be released on March 9th) should prove to be one of the more interesting projects of the year. Though I don’t know too much about it, when Danger Mouse is involved it can only be good. Lead single “The High Road” is currently streaming on their Myspace site, and if this is any indication of the rest of the album we’re in for a treat.
• Goldfrapp – Head First. The fifth album for the electro-pop duo finds them taking greater inspiration from disco and 80s synth-pop than their previous works. As lead single “Rocket” can attest, the album is much poppier and uptempo than their last effort Seventh Tree.  It is set to reach shelfs and iTunes on March 23rd.  On a side note, I’m also really looking forward to hearing some of her work with Christina Aguilera’s forthcoming album.
• She & Him – Volume Two. I’m a HUGE fan of the first album of the Zooey Deschanel/ M. Ward collaboration, and the one song I’ve heard (“In the Sun”) is more perfectly poppy 70s AM-Gold bliss.  Can’t wait to hear the other 12 tracks on the album! (It’s also due out March 23rd).

Other albums I have mild interest in: The Streets – Computers and Blues (out February 23rd); Joanna Newsom – Have One on Me (out February 23rd); The Radio Dept. – Clinging to a Scheme (out February 23rd); Little Boots – Hands (out March 2nd); Frightened Rabbit – The Winter of Mixed Drinks (out March 9th); The Kissaway Trail – Sleep Mountain (out April 6th)

Forget any other comedy from 2009; In the Loop is the most hilarious film of the year.  Based on the British TV series “The Thick of It”, the film deftly details the inner workings of both American and British bureaucracy with an almost immeasurable amount of wit and offensiveness (largely courtesy of the comedic virtuoso performance of Peter Capaldi as crude Scottish spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker).  Though it takes place in an arena that most filmgoers know little to nothing about (that of the world of foreign policy-making), the film manages to refrain from talking down to the viewer, while also keeping things relatively easy to understand and follow.  And who would have ever thought that the dull halls of the State Department would be such a gold mine for hilarity?

The ensemble cast works brilliantly together, with no one turning in anything less than a stellar performance. The aforementioned Capaldi is simply gold here, and I also particularly liked Mimi Kennedy, Gina McKee, and Tom Hollander as well.  With a dialogue as instantly classic as this (sample: “Climb the mountain of conflict? You’re like a Nazi Julie Andrews!”), and actors game for anything, In the Loop proves to be one of the most satisfying and laugh-inducing film experiences of the year. The Hangover who?

****1/2

-How’d I Do? : 9/10; missed “The Blind Side” for “(500) Days of Summer”

-Thoughts: At least “Invictus” and “Nine” were snubbed, though the inclusion of “The Blind Side” is fairly ridiculous. ANY other film would have been better.

Best Director
James Cameron, “Avatar”
Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”
Lee Daniels, “Precious”
Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”

-How’d I Do? : 5/5; this category has been locked in for awhile now

-Thoughts: Can’t really complain here. It would have been nice to see Lone Scherfig surprise with a nomination, but at the expense of whom?

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney, “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner, “The Hurt Locker”

-How’d I Do? : 4/5; I went out on a limb and predicted Mortensen for “The Road” in place of Freeman.

-Thoughts: In such a strong year, it’s a shame that they went for such a default nominee/performance as Freeman in “Invictus”.

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren, “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious”
Meryl Streep, “Julie & Julia”

-How’d I Do? : 4/5; missed Mirren for Saoirse Ronan in “Lovely Bones”

-Thoughts: Again, can’t really complain. This has been the line-up for awhile now, though it would’ve been nice to see Swinton surprise.

Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, “Invictus”
Woody Harrelon, “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer, “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”

How’d I Do? : 4/5; missed Damon for Anthony Mackie in “The Hurt Locker”

Thoughts: Damon’s nomination is a total throwaway, but at least Plummer finally got recognition.

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, “Nine”
Vera Farmiga, “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal, “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique, “Precious”

-How’d I Do? : 3/5; missed Gyllenhaal and Cruz for Diane Kruger in “Inglourious Basterds” and Julianne Moore in “A Single Man”

-Thoughts: the Moore snub isn’t that surprising, though I didn’t expect Gyllenhaal to take her place. Aside from the Cruz nomination, this is a solid category.

Best Adapted Screenplay
“District 9”
“An Education”
“In the Loop”
“Precious”
“Up in the Air”

-How’d I Do? : 5/5; I’m quite proud of myself on this one, since it was one of the few categories that could have gone any number of ways.

-Thoughts: This is probably the most solid category overall. LOVE the “In the Loop” nomination!

Best Original Screenplay
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“The Messenger”
“A Serious Man”
“Up”

-How’d I Do? : 4/5; missed “The Messenger” for “(500) Days of Summer”

-Thoughts: The “(500) Days of Summer” snub really hurts, thought at least it didn’t happen at the hands of “Avatar” or “The Hangover”

Best Animated Feature Film
“Coraline”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“The Princess and the Frog”
“The Secret of Kells”
“Up”

-How’d I Do?: 4/5; missed “The Secret of Kells” for “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs”

-Thoughts: Again, a very solid category. “The Secret of Kells” nomination comes as a shock, though I’ve heard it’s definitely deserving.

Best Foreign Language Film
“Ajami” (Israel)
“The Milk of Sorrow” (Peru)
“A Prophet” (France)
“The Secret in Their Eyes” (Argentina)
“The White Ribbon” (Germany)

-How’d I Do?: 4/5; missed “The Milk of Sorrow” for “Samson & Delilah”. Did pretty well considering this was mostly guesswork

-Thoughts: N/A

Best Art Direction
“Avatar”
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”
“Nine”
“Sherlock Holmes”
“The Young Victoria”

-How’d I Do?: 1/5; yikes, only got “Nine” right

-Thoughts: A bit surprised by the “Inglourious Basterds” snub, and the inclusion of “Imaginarium” (did anyone even see that film?)

Best Cinematography
“Avatar”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”
“The Hurt Locker”
“The White Ribbon”

-How’d I Do? : 3/5; missed “Harry Potter” and “White Ribbon” for “Nine” and “Where the Wild Things Are”

-Thoughts: Not a bad set of nominees by any means, though I would have liked to see “WtWTA” get in over, say, “Avatar”

Best Costume Design
“Bright Star”
“Coco Before Chanel”
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”
“Nine”
“The Young Victoria”

-How’d I Do?: 3/5; missed “Imaginarium” and “Coco Before Chanel” for “An Education” and “Inglourious Basterds”

-Thoughts: The costume branch often passes over worthy Best Picture nominees for smaller films, so this isn’t too much of a surprise. Again, I was not expecting this much support for “Imaginarium”

Best Film Editing
“Avatar”
“District 9”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious”

-How’d I Do?: 4/5; missed “Precious” for “Up in the Air”

-Thoughts: This should point to how far “Up in the Air” has fallen in terms of the Best Picture race (which this category usually mirrors)

Best Makeup
“Il Divo”
“Star Trek”
“The Young Victoria”

-How’d I Do?: 1/3; only predicted “Star Trek” correctly

-Thoughts: N/A

Best Music (Original Score)
“Avatar”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Sherlock Holmes”
“Up”

-How’d I Do?: 2/5; only predicted “Avatar” and “Up” correctly

-Thoughts: Nice to see “Fantastic Mr. Fox” included, though a nomination for “The Informant!” would have been nice

Best Music (Original Song)
“Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog”
“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog”
“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36″
“Take it All” from “Nine”
“The Weary Kind” from “Crazy Heart”

-How’d I Do?: 2/5; only guessed “Down in New Orleans” and “The Weary Kind” correctly

-Thoughts: The best song of the year (that’d be “All Is Love” from “Where the Wild Things Are”) gets left off for a song from the little-seen “Paris 36″? Oh well, at least Leona Lewis’ horrid song from “Avatar” was snubbed as well.

Best Sound Editing
“Avatar”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Star Trek”
“Up”

-How’d I Do?: 4/5; missed “Inglourious Basterds” for “District 9″

-Thoughts: N/A

Best Sound Mixing
“Avatar”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Star Trek”
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”

-How’d I Do?: 3/5; missed “Transformers 2″ and “Inglourious Basterds” for “Up” and “Nine”

-Thoughts: N/A

Best Visual Effects
“Avatar”
“District 9”
“Star Trek”

-How’d I Do?: 3/3; this was a fairly easy category to call though

-Thoughts: N/A

Best Documentary Feature
“Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country”
“The Cove”
“Food, Inc.”
“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers”
“Which Way Home”

-How’d I Do?: 3/5; missed “Most Dangerous Man” and “Which Way Home” for “Beaches of Agnes” and “Under Our Skin”

-Thoughts: N/A

Best Documentary Short
“China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province”
“The Last Campaign of Booth Gardener”
“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant”
“Music by Prudence”
“Rabbit a la Berlin”

Best Short Film (Animated)
“French Roast”
“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty”
“The Lady and the Reaper”
“Logorama”
“A Matter of Loaf and Death”

Best Short Film (Live Action)
“The Door”
“Instead of Abracadabra”
“Kavi”
“Miracle Fish”
“The New Tenants”

Here are my predictions for tomorrow’s early morning Oscar nominations… I fully expect to be incredibly disappointed by them.

BEST PICTURE:
(500) Days of Summer
An Education
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

-alternates: Invictus, Nine

-wishful thinking: In the Loop

BEST DIRECTOR:
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Lee Daniels, Precious
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

-alternates: Lone Scherfig, An Education; Coen Bros, A Serious Man

-wishful thinking: Spike Jonze, Where the Wild Things Are

BEST ACTOR:
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Viggo Mortensen, The Road
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

-alternates: Morgan Freeman, Invictus; Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

-wishful thinking: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (500) Days of Summer

BEST ACTRESS:
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Saoirse Ronan, The Lovely Bones
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

-alt: Helen Mirren, The Last Station; Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria

-wishful thinking: Tilda Swinton, Julia

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

-alt: Matt Damon, Invictus; Alfred Molina, An Education

-wishful thinking: Peter Capaldi, In the Loop

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Diane Kruger, Inglourious Basterds
Mo’Nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man

-alternates: Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds; Samantha Morton, The Messenger

-wishful thinking: Mimi Kennedy, In the Loop

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
(500) Days of Summer
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
A Serious Man
Up

-alternates: The Messenger, Avatar

-wishful thinking: Summer Hours

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
An Education
District 9
In the Loop
Precious
Up in the Air

-alternates: Star Trek, Crazy Heart

-wishful thinking: Coraline

BEST EDITING:
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Up in the Air

-alt: (500) Days of Summer, Precious

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Nine
Where the Wild Things Are

-alternates: Bright Star, Public Enemies

BEST ART DIRECTION:
An Education
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Inglourious Basterds
Nine
Where the Wild Things Are

-alternates: Sherlock Holmes, Avatar

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:
An Education
Bright Star
Inglourious Basterds
Nine
The Young Victoria

-alternates: Coco Avant Chanel, A Single Man

BEST MAKE-UP DESIGN:
District 9
The Road
Star Trek

-alternates: Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, Drag Me to Hell

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:
Avatar
Coco Avant Chanel
The Informant!
A Serious Man
Up

-alternates: Sherlock Holmes, The Last Station

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:
“All is Love”, Where the Wild Things Are
“Cinema Italiano”, Nine
“Down in New Orleans”, The Princess & the Frog
“I See You”, Avatar
“The Weary Kind”, Crazy Heart

-alternates: “Winter”, Brothers; “Almost There”, The Princess & the Frog

BEST SOUND EDITING:
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Star Trek
Up

-alternates: Nine, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

BEST SOUND MIXING:
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Nine
Star Trek
Up

-alternates: District 9, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

-alternates: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, 2012

BEST ANIMATED FILM:
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess & the Frog
Up

-alternates: Ponyo, Monsters vs. Aliens

BEST FOREIGN FILM:
Ajami (Israel)
A Prophet (France)
Samson and Delilah (Australia)
The Secret of Her Eyes (Argentina)
The White Ribbon (Germany)

-alternates: Winter in Wartime – Netherlands, Kelin – Kazakhstan

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
Beaches of Agnes
Burma VJ
The Cove
Food, Inc.
Under Our Skin

-alternates: Mugabe and the White African, Every Little Step

PREDICTED TALLIES:
9 – Inglourious Basterds, Avatar, The Hurt Locker

7 – Up in the Air

6 – District 9, Up

5 – Precious, An Education, Nine

4 – Star Trek

3 – A Serious Man, Where the Wild Things Are

2 – (500) Days of Summer, Crazy Heart, A Single Man, The Road, The Lovely Bones, The Princess & the Frog

1 – The Blind Side, Julie & Julia, The Messenger, The Last Station, In the Loop, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Bright Star, The Young Victoria, Coco Avant Chanel, The Informant!, Coraline, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Ajami, A Prophet, The White Ribbon, Samson and Delilah, The Secret of Her Eyes, Beaches of Agnes, Burma VJ, The Cove, Food Inc, Under Our Skin

Coca Cola Polaroid 2 by EnigmaticEntity

Alexandra Hope – “Whatever You Want”

Fionn Regan – “Protection Racket”

The Temper Trap – “Science of Fear”

Thao with the Get Down Stay Down – “Know Better Learn Faster”

Toro y Moi – “Blessa”