Wednesday, January 6 2010
The Best Male Film Performances of 2009
Certainly, the multi-millionaire boy's club represented here is heavy on the dramatics and light on the more 'amusing' fare. But if you really give this list a meaningful perusal you'll see a few genre and jokester surprises along the way.
The Best Female Film Performances of 2009
Some in the media would have you think it was a sparse year for women on the silver screen. One peak at this amazing list of 20 girl power performances will have you giving said sentiments a specious second look.
The Best TV Performances of 2009
It would have been easy to miss most of this year's best, with all the distractions -- Rihanna and Chris, Taylor and Kanye, Adam and his same-sex drummer, Tiger and, well, who knows, and, ugh, Jon and Kate.
What’s Past Is Prologue: The Best Comics of the Past Decade?
Could Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca have produced six perfect comics pages in the recent "Counting Up from Zero" issue of The Invincible Iron Man?
Tuesday, January 5 2010
The Guilty Pleasure Films of 2009
Someone, the same old suspects show up on this list - cheesy horror films, goofy gross out comedies, and the occasional certified WTF title. Lucky for us, 2009 was no different when it came to culpable schlock.
Boring the World to Death
The green movement is boring. Should environmentalism become less empirical and more emotional?
Monday, January 4 2010
The Guilty Pleasure TV of 2009
It's here where you will find those unmentionable entertainments that keep us suckling at the glass teat for much longer than we need to. It’s not for mental nourishment or relaxation. It’s like an addiction, and going cold crappy TV turkey is just not an option.
David Meets Goliath: An Interview With Devendra Banhart
Devendra Banhart gladly dismantles any notions of relinquishing creative control to his new major label bosses, explores the biological evolution of mushrooms, and shares a surprising connection to Neil Young.
Friday, December 18 2009
The Best 60 Albums of 2009
PopMatters presents our 60 best albums of 2009, highlighted by a bevy of American indie rock juggernauts, the return of a hip-hop master, and a couple of the finest voices on the planet.
The Best Singles of 2009
PopMatters kicks off our annual two-week-long best music of the year feature with the 50 best singles of 2009, highlighted by a trio of American indie rock headliners.
The Best Re-Issues of 2009
PopMatters presents our 20 best re-issues of 2009, highlighted by the long overdue remastering of the Beatles oeuvre, a number of '80s and '90s classics, and one of the most storied catalogues in electronic music.
Best Actor: Ben Foster Delivers in ‘The Messenger’
This year's best independent film happens to contain three of the year's finest performances. The unlikely trio of Samantha Morton, Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster shine in this war-themed drama.
Thursday, December 17 2009
The Best Live Albums of 2009
This has been a year teeming with one of the most robust outputs of live recordings in recent memory.
The Best R&B of 2009
In this increasingly stratified musical climate, only a handful of albums revealed sound artistic strides while meeting critical and commercial success. Here is the very best of 2009, a year where some of the brightest luster shone from the hidden gems.
A Chance to be Uncanned: An Interview with Melody Gardot
Melody Gardot talks about how she got switched from classical to jazz, why she decided to cover "Over the Rainbow", and how a "lust for comfort destroys the passion of the soul".
Wednesday, December 16 2009
The Best Americana of 2009
This year saw a flood of plaid-shirted indie-roots bands building on the beardy throwbacks who gained country-rock traction in 2008. And while mainstream country music continued its evolution into '80s pop metal, plenty of roots acts turned the other direction with back-to-basics records.
The Best Country Music of 2009
Country music purists may be stockpiling vinyl and dry goods for the Swiftocalypse, but all things considered, 2009 was a pretty good year for country music.
Good Memories of Bad Times: Wolverine Under the Boardwalk
Under the Boardwalk taps hidden micro-genre in Wolverine, reaffirming the inexhaustible inventiveness of the character, and delivering hard comment on the need for human resilience.
Tuesday, December 15 2009
The Best Hip-Hop of 2009
2009 was the Year of the Comeback, filled with powerful storytelling, dense lyricism, and sprawling departures.
The Best Jazz of 2009
This was a great year for melding innovation and tradition. The trend continues of piano trios playing boldly, creating a new language for this venerable jazz form. And other kinds of groups have been equally inventive, particularly in working through what it means to be a jazz group -- a notion that has evolved beyond trumpet-saxophone-piano-bass-drums.
