Two things I really like about the end of the year–making comprehensive mixes of the music of the last 12 months, and giving cheap presents. This is a way for me to do both. Well, here they are–the first two products of about two weeks (off and on, mind you) of narrowing my year-end favorites [...]

Laura Veirs‘ bittersweet brand of singer/songwriter-ness is a little too Starbucks-y for my tastes, but her video for “Galaxies” (Terri Timely) is funny and very well-crafted.
Xiu Xiu’s video for “Muppetface” (Chris Cruse) probably should have made the top 20. It’s bizarre, disturbing, and challenging–in other words, the perfect complement to Xiu Xiu’s music.
Okkervil River’s [...]