jack mcdoer's annual year in review

it was a bad year in music, a bad year in movies, and tv writers are on strike. still, however, jack mcdoer's best of lists must go on ...

TOP 10 RECORDS

1 - spoon - ga ga ga ga ga - their best since girls can tell is also 2007's best. by a lot.

2- the arcade fire - neon bible - so much for a sophomore slump.

3 - flight of the conchords - the distant future - despite only having one (obsessed) fan and an inexperienced, albiet dedicated, band manager, lol, this new zealand duo secured a second season on HBO and a record deal with sub pop.

4 - the national - boxer - even better than alligator.

5 - blitzen trapper - wild mountain nation - a whole lotta pavement, a little bitta phish.

6 - dr. dog - we all belong - who cares if they rip off the beatles? doesn't everybody?

7 - grinderman - grinderman - nick cave can still rock.

8 - mark olson - salvation blues - after leaving the jayhawks for victoria williams 15 years ago, mark olson accidentally ran over her dog, had a fling with an ex-girlfriend, and their marriage ended. this album is him picking up the pieces.

9 - dinosaur jr. - beyond - sounds just like 1992.

10 - okkervil river - the stage names - 3 great albums in a row.

honorable mention - elliott smith - new moon; qui - love's miracle - the shins - wincing the night away; foo fighters - echoes, silence, patience & grace; josh rouse - country mouse, city house.

TOP 10 SONGS

1 - flight of the conchords - the most beautiful girl in the room
2 - blitzen trapper - country caravan
3 - black francis - threshold apprehension
4 - spoon - you got yr cherry bomb
5 - okkervil river - our life is not a movie or maybe
6 - the white stripes - you don't know what love is (you just do as you're told)
7 - lcd soundsystem - all my friends
8 - the arcade fire - keep the car running
9 - son volt - the picture
10 - grinderman - no pussy blues

TOP 5 MOVIES

1 - lars and the real girl
2 - superbad
3 - no country for old men
4 - the bourne ultimatum
5 - juno

TOP 5 TV SHOWS

1 - the sopranos
2 - the hills
3 - the office
4 - flight of the conchords
5 - curb your enthusiasm

good news, bad news

the good news is that we are having a baby! (there, i finally said it! it's been killing me to keep it a secret for so long! i didn't think i could do it much longer!)

the bad news is that the baby has a strong resemblance to radiskull! really! we were having our first sonogram today (which, by the way, was the best thing that's ever happened to me!), and everything was going great. the baby had two arms, two legs, and a big head like its dad! anyway, the nurse/sonogrammer was trying to get some important baby measurements, and the baby on the screen all of a sudden went from a side profile view to looking directly at us, and my wife and i almost screamed! i didn't know if it was me or her, but one of us said that the baby had the face of evil, and hilarity ensued! the nurse/sonogrammer wasn't real thrilled, though, because the baby was moving all over the place, kicking, waving its arms, even bobbing its head, because my wife couldn't stop laughing! i couldn't either! the baby really does look like radiskull!

but, yeah, things are changing. i'm gonna be a dad! it's so exciting, and so scary at the same time! also, just to let you know, my wife's feeling great! the baby's due in june! and yeah, i have plenty to write about now!