Top 25 Albums of 2007

I first heard The Warning in early 2007 on a record store listening station. There was no hype around the band at the time and, when I put the headphones on, I had no pre-conceived notions regarding what I was about to hear. It was not very impressive. Their synthetic, quirky pop was fun, but not exciting and its simplicity prevented me from taking the album seriously. So, when I put my headphones on, prepared to listen to Hot Chip’s third release, Made in the Dark , knowing all th... more

It had been three years since Johnny last cried. He had the tendency to incarcerate his emotions, which, unfortunately, exacerbated the heartache he incurred in times of crisis. Lily died three years ago and the effect of this loss was incomprehensible to those around him for, to them, she was just a dog, an animal, and their relationship seemed to be inhuman. But, in Johnny’s eyes, Lily was a friend, a companion, and their relationship carried as much weight as that of his family. So, ... more

I made a cameo in a recent Vampire Weekend video and it has inspired me to become an actor. I’ve hired Carl Weathers as my acting coach and it was only $1100! Universe, you’ve done it again! Check out a live performance of Vampire Weekend at Other Music in NYC during CMJ ’07. Plus, get some interesting info about the band in a backstage (behind the counter) interview. _uacct = "UA-3146421-1"; urchinTracker(); ... more

Oftentimes, film score composers forgo complexity and opt for simplicity, which may even be a requirement by filmmakers so as not to overshadow the visual component of the film. Due to this simplicity, some may argue that film scores play second fiddle to other forms of classical music, particularly because they seem to be remnants of other periods of classical music and, as mere pieces of early works, they lack the grandiosity that is common throughout the history of the genre. Many scores... more