AMP

I realize I’m a little late on the list-train, but I thought I’d chip in my two cents regardless. Here’s what I think are the best albums from the last decade, in chronological order. If you missed out on any of these, you best retrace your steps. For reference, I’m a white male pushing 30.

Grandaddy – The Sophtware Slump (2000)
Badly Drawn Boy – The Hour of Bewilderbeast (2000)
Microphones – The Glow Pt. 2 (2001)
Sparklehorse – It’s a Wonderful Life (2001)
The Postal Service – Give Up (2002)
The Wrens – The Meadowlands (2003)
The Streets – A Grand Don’t Come For Free (2004)
Cut Copy – Bright Like Neon Love (2004)
Vitalic – OK Cowboy (2005)
Junior Boys – So This Is Goodbye (2006)
The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America (2006)
Dinosaur Jr. – Beyond (2007)
Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? (2007)
LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver (2007)
Shocking Pinks – Shocking Pinks (2007)
Nouns – No Age (2008)

I haven’t listened to any new music in the past year I guess, so I’ve got some catching up to do. Recommendations?

After all this hard work on my new spot, I’m excited to hibernate for the winter. One thing I’m definitely going to do is sign up for Netflix–I find it satiates my desire to receive stuff I actually care about in the mail. Another way to feed the need: magazines. Here is a list of my current subscriptions and wanna-be-subscriptions.

Blind Spot – If you’re an artist/photographer, this should just be a given. Waaaaay more consistent than Aperture (though Aperture is good, too) and more aligned with my tastes. The issue Jason Fulford guest edits is amazing.

Photo-eye – Alec got me into this one, along with photobook-nerdom in general. Generally the reviews are decent, but their on-going articles (how to make/market your own book, etc.) are where this publication shines. The significant downfall is that it makes you want to spend a LOT of money on books.

Cabinet – I really like this magazine. Maybe too much—like, I kind of have a crush on it. Each issue is on a different theme like magic, or shadows, and the articles are varied and well-written. Plus, when I alerted them of my new address, I received this heart-warming message:

Dear Eric,

Cabinet Subscriptions

Make – Perfect airport read. I don’t think I’ve ever made any of the projects in this magazine, but one day, when I’m retired and I have a little basement-workshop on my farm in the middle of nowhere, I’ll re-read these magazines and keep myself busy until I die.

Tema Celeste – I prefer this magazine to other contemporary art magazines for two reasons: very little advertising makes it portable and less wasteful (unlike the ad-heavy + phonebook sized Artforum), and it helps me work on my Italian. One note: It’s actually more expensive to subscribe to this magazine in the states, so I recommend picking it up at newstands.

New York Times (Sundays) – Both ‘T’ and the NYT Magazine are good reads–I’m guessing they’re my version of Reader’s Digest. They usually hang out on top of the toilet tank.

The Week – The Week is a great source for news and information from around the globe. It seems like one of the fairest news outlets out there.

Lotus – another fantastic Italian magazine–but this one is prohibitively expensive. Go to your nearest University’s architecture library to check out – the $90 cover price is a tad steep for most people. A good mix of art, architecture, and urban planning in a large, slickly designed tome.

King Cat – My vice. I simply love John Porcellino’s drawing style and simple stories. Deeply personal and completely universal, John self-publishes this comic/zine about four times a year and they always make me glow.

I love lists. Not only does it satisfy my somewhat-obsessive-compulsive desire for organization, but there is a certain kind of pleasure one receives when you are able to tick something off a list–it’s a simple gesture, but it represents the conquering of a task, the acquisition of something desired, or the reaching of a goal. This list achieves none of those things, but rather sums up my favorite things from the year ‘07.

So without further ado, I bring you the Top Eleven of 2007:

360° room for all colours by Olafur Eliasson

Olafur Eliasson @ SFMOMA – I think this is in the ‘top 3 art experiences in a museum setting of all-time’. Sort of a retrospective, but also just a solid art exhibition, this show reminded me that museums are more than just buildings with white walls to hang pictures on. This show also walked the fine line of being part-science exhibit, but I think the aesthetics and framing of our experiences prevents it from being seen/experienced as such.

Stuff I Gotta Remember Not to Forget by Darin Mickey

J&L Books – Several strong releases from the young publisher and a really great guest editorial in Blindspot this year make Jason Fulford’s imprint a new favorite. Regardless of the content, I almost want to buy all their stuff cause I know it will look cool on my bookshelf.

Les Savy Fav Let’s Stay Friends – This is just a solid record, and one that I’ll keep listening to years from now. No super amazing tracks and not a single dud. These guys are insane, too. Well, Tim is.

Chicago – I was lucky enough to go to this city a handful of times over 2007 and I don’t think I could ever get sick of it. Sure, the weather sucks, but I’m from Minneapolis, so whatever–don’t talk to me about shitty weather. Between Quimby’s, Chicagraphers, Earwax, Restless, MOCP, the El, and all the great parks, there is little not to love about this city.

Summer Therapy – This was the summer of excess–Too Much Love, too much drinking, too much skinny-dipping. I’ll never forget it, though. This summer also marked the beginning of the weekly Town Talk pilgrimage. Stop in any Wednesday evening and expect to see myself along with anywhere from 5-15 other dudes saddled up at the bar causing a general ruckus.

photo by Tucker Gerrick

503 1st Avenue NE, Minneapolis, MN – My new home. The only place I know of where I can record live drums, skate the miniramp, project some pictures, bake cookies and fall asleep all under one roof. I don’t think I’ll be leaving except to go to work, get food, and make pictures.

Tucker Gerrick – Aside from being the source of 75% of my blog traffic, this guy rocked two solid art shows this year (one of drawings, the other photographs), was a banging travel buddy, ran the biggest/dopest skateshop in the Midwest and was an overall BFF. I’ve known him since 8th grade, and we’re FINALLY living together. Anyway, he’s a cool dude and he blogs a lot. You should probably check him out.

West Coast – I was lucky enough to travel out to both coasts several times over the year, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I like the West Coast better. So, for those of you keeping tabs on my regional rankings, it goes as follows:

#1 – Midwest
#2 – West Coast
#3 – New Jersey
#4 – East Coast
#5 – The South

Not Being a Student – For the first time in my life, I am not a student. When I see students, they now occupy that sphere of ‘otherness’ that I do not belong to. I had no idea it would be so refreshing. I get to go the library and leisurely browse through books that I want to read. What an amazing concept. And it gets better–I can write on things that interest me! Don’t get me wrong–it’s not like I went through school studying things I didn’t care about, it’s just that the other shit always got in the way of my passions. Well, now my passions have become my life, and I can’t think of any better way of living it.

The Professor Brothers by Brad Neely

Brad Neely – This guy has created two of the greatest cartoon series I’ve ever seen. The Professor Brothers is based around two brothers who teach at the same university, and for some reason or another, have not gotten fired for the crazy shit they try to teach their students. Babycakes is a diaristic philosophy of the world through a drunken man-baby. I simply cannot get enough. The best part is that as funny as these cartoons are (and trust me, they’re capable of inducing dirty-pants-syndrome), they actually are capable of communicating tender truths at the same time. Ok, maybe not at the same time, but at least in the same episode. Check him out at Superdeluxe and Creased Comics.

Photo by Daniel Corrigan

Dan Deacon @ The Triple Rock – What a crazy show. It was a Sunday night and there was barely anyone there–Video Hippo opened with a pretty strong set and then Deacon created the aural and visual equivalent of an extremely sloppy and hilarious orgasm over the next hour. Stage presence means nothing to this guy, since he never stepped on the stage. Crowd control is more his steez.

Did I forget something?