I saw TRON: Legacy last night and I have to say that Rotten Tomatoes, for once, got it wrong. Well, they're not always right, but they're usually better than most one-off sites. IMDB used to be pretty reliable too, but lately I've seen some pretty dire rankings. I mean jeez, Inception was a good-ish movie, but number six of all time? Let's get real here. These are, of course, merely reflections of several votes and critics, but still. You'd think that in the end the good reviewers would balance out the rubbish ones. A ying-and-yang good-vs-evil kind of thing right?
Back to the point. I thought TRON was pretty good. Sure, the story was lacking, just like Avatar, but the acting was decent enough, the visuals were spectacular, and the music! Step aside John Williams, there are two new score sheriffs in town, and they have sweet robot helmets. With Jonny Greenwood and Trent Reznor also doing film scores recently, are we beginning to see something of a crossover trend here?
Check it out, it's worth seeing on the big screen. The IMAX 3D was awesome again. I'm not a fan of the 3D in general, but for certain films it works brilliantly. Just don't go buying one of those stupid televisions just yet.
Right, now where were we... ah yes, here we go...
#15
Michael Cassette
Temporarity
Oddly enough, I actually came across this album thanks to a post by Deadmau5 in November, and what a find! Ironically Joel's album didn't make this list, but this great album by Finnish duo Erkka Lempiäinen and Matti Heininen did. They go by the pseudonym Michael Cassette, all sneaky like, but don't be fooled! This is the work of two similarly inspired artists just beginning to show the world their wares.
Drawing largely from '80s synth pop, and surely Lifelike and Giorgio Moroder, they melt into your mind with dreamy moog riffs and uplifting themes. "Ghost In The Machine" is the single that grabbed my attention, and the album hooked me in. There's a cover of Jan Hammer's "Crockett's Theme" of Miami Vice fame as well that isn't as good as the original, but is still pretty unique. It's an album that probably isn't for everyone, but I give it two thumbs up.
Kilimanjaro
Magenta Sunset
Nevermore
#14
Coheed & Cambria
Year Of The Black Rainbow
Those who know me probably know that Coheed & Cambria are one of my favourite bands. They always rock the house, and this album is no exception. That said, I personally feel it's their weakest album to date, but it still easily makes it into my best of list. These guys are always kind of hit and miss with people, as Claudio has a distinct voice that takes some getting used to. Give it some time, though, and you'll find that these guys are not your run-of-the-mill punk metal band.
My complaints from this album stem mostly from what I feel is overproduction on some songs. If they stripped out some of electronic noise and replaced some of the drum machines with live drums I think it would sound better, but it's still pretty fantastic. "Here We Are Juggernaut" is an amazing song that I posted in acoustic style here. "World Of Lines" is another, and then there's... well just scroll down a little! Simply an awesome band who I can't say enough good things about.
The Broken
Far
Pearl Of The Stars
#13
Janelle Monáe
The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe is one of the finds of the year. What I love about her is that even though she's on a major label she can actually sing and has real talent. Almost as soon as the album came out it was talked about as one of the best of the year, and for good reason. It's just filled with great vibes and oozes energy.
Look beyond "Tightrope", easily one of the songs of the year, and there are more than enough great songs on here to justify putting this one on repeat. There's something for everyone on here, whether you're into chilled out grooves, dancy beats, and flat out funk. Her varied style and tight production reminds me a lot of K-Os, which is definitely a good thing. Her music also carries a message, best embodied in the first track below. You'll see some great stuff from this one in the future, you can bet on that.
Cold War
Dance Or Die
Neon Valley Street
BONUS BEATS!
Ante Perry vs Tube & Berger - Ever Never
Part 4 comin' atcha tomorrow.
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