Year-End List Caboosery (But What A Caboose)

First, two more (two last) year-end lists from elsewhere that get their own post, and don't get rudely crammed into another, lengthier post (sorry, others. New Year's resolution #2: Organize thoughts). J over at Heart on a Stick's top ten is cranky as per usual, but also clear and varied and more interesting to read and download than most other lists (I still need to ck out Shiina Ringo). Particularly read his well-elaborated explanation of Stars of the Lid (#1-spoiler!) and his Passionate Defense of Arcade Fire (I still don't buy it, but it's probably the most concise explanation of the sort of appreciation for that album I'll never have). Also, because he's who he is, there's Local H!

I think he'll admit that Amy at Shake Your Fist may have us both beat, though, with her top 20. There are the token me! too! inclusions (Caribou, Siobhan Donaghy, Spoon). As usual though, the price of admission pays for the stuff that I only associate with her site (Frightened Rabbit, the Voyces, Shanghai String Band), as well as, you know, the way she writes---take the M.I.A. (#1--spoiler 2.0!) piece for instance: incisive political/textural/musicological connections to Love and Joanna Newsom that feel as natural as the consistently name-dropped OMG Pixies/Jonathan Richman OMG elsewhere? Yes, please. I'll be printing this one out and reading it while I eat lunch.

Both of them really like Miranda Lambert, too! Time to give that one another pass.

Okay finally, a couple news items of my own, buried at the bottom here in a display of false modesty. Over the last two weeks I've gotten notice that I'll be presenting a paper (mostly based around this, but updated and fleshed out) at the Exploring New Media Worlds snooty academic conference at Texas A&M at the end of February, so let me know if you can recommend anything to do there during the evening. Secondly, I'm going to have a review of this book (which if you're at all interested in the topic and want something more than Boing Boing kneejerkery, you should read) published in New Media and Society sometime before I die, I'm told.