Essential 2012

ESSENTIAL VIEWING THIS YEAR:

1. Beasts of the Southern Wild
Benh Zeitlins first feature film is a clear standout of the year. A raw and emotional look at childhood, family and fate that is bound to shake your bones and melt your heart. A truly wonderful piece of extraordinary cinema, and the best film of the year.

2. Rampart
This brilliant film from Oren Moverman (only his second feature) is a true gem that deserved to reach a much larger audience. Carried by a towering performance from Woody Harrelson, perhaps the best of his career, this is gritty and honest filmmaking without any fear or hesitation.

3. Shame
Michael Fassbender provides this year’s strongest bit of acting in Steve McQueen’s intimate look at addiction and human dissolution. At times shocking and hard to watch, but in the end highly rewarding and emotional.

4. The Dark Knight Rises
The conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s trilogy might not match the second installment, but nevertheless this is another tremendous piece of blockbuster entertainment. Featuring one of the year’s most memorable villains in Tom Hardy and a highlight for Christan Bale’s take on the dark knight.

5. Moonrise Kingdom
Since his debut Bottle Rocket in 1996, director Wes Anderson has managed to create his own genre within independent American cinema. This is another enjoyable fable exploring family and first love, featuring some of the finest youngster performances in years.

Top three runners-up: Beginners – The Guard – Killing Them Softly

ESSENTIAL LISTENING THIS YEAR:

1. Dry the River – Shallow Bed
The first album from these Londoners is a smart and irresistible collection of folk and rock tracks, with delicate arrangements and poetic lyrics. Despite walking in familiar indie footprints they come off sounding both fresh and original, and for a debut album this is nothing less than tremendous. The best album of the year and a mouthwatering taste of what’s to come.

2. Sigur Rós – Valtari
The sixth studio album from Icelands finest band proved to be one of their best so far. With a modest eight tracks they provided the perfect soundtrack for this autumn. Their music has always been complicated, but at the same time easily moving and highly emotional. With Valtari Sigur Rós prove how far they have come without losing any of their original magic.

3. Regina Spektor – What We Saw From the Cheap Seats
With her sixth album Spektor has proven herself as not only one of, but at the moment the American singer / songwriter. Her skills on the piano should almost be enough, but as always she offers so much more. Both catchy and melodic and with a strong sense of purpose, this is perhaps the finest example of Spektors abilities as a songwriter.

4. Daughter – The Wild Youth EP
A simple four track EP is perhaps not considered worthy of a spot on an album chart, but the impact this record had on this writer throws every rulebook out of the window. This is only the second release (both EPs) from this British trio so one can only imagine what a full-on album will be capable of. But for now, these four modest tracks are some of the finest bits of melancholy to come out this year, and the track Youth is a strong contender for song of the year.

5. Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball
It is tempting for the average record buyer to dismiss Springsteen in 2012, with all the new music and exciting sounds being released. But one can’t change the fact that the 63-year old Boss from New Jersey is still the finest producer of old school rock music, and after forty years in the business still manages to be the truest voice of the American audience. Wrecking Ball is a rock solid collection, with its title track in particular standing out as long-living anthem proving that the finest music to come from Springsteen might still be ahead of us. Really.

Top three runners-up: Rival Sons, Head Down – The Shins, Port of Morrow - Mumford & Sons, Babel

Roll on 2013.

"Adam"

adam always locks the door
keeps his feet off the cold linoleum floor
these streets always had it in for him
no other choices but to sink or swim

adam wanted to start a band
the unsung hero in a private wasteland
the pills in the cupboard all taste the same
he knows how many but can't pronounce their names

adam needs to leave his mark
easier to convince with a bite than a bark
an unsigned birthday card is pinned to the wall
where he sleeps to get away from it all

adam has been told that all is well
mom or dad could never tell
somewhere tonight someone told a lie
adam knows that even good men die