018 - Ten films which if I inadvertently stumble upon on late night TVI cannot help but watch til the very end

1. Tremors
2. Black Hawk Down
3. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
4. Forrest Gump
5. Independence Day
6. Catch Me If You Can
7. Dances With Wolves
8. Time Cop
9. The Running Man
10. The Departed

017 - My Top 10 Songs of 2011

1. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
2. Bombay Bicycle Club - Shuffle
3. Thrice - Yellowbelly
4. The Horrors - Still Life
5. Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall
6. Team Me - Kennedy Street
7. Radiohead - Codex
8. The Belle Brigade - Losers
9. Alex Ebert - Truth
10. Mutemath - Odd Soul

016 - My Top 10 Films of 2011

1. Super 8
2. Rango
3. Drive
4. Take Shelter
5. Hugo
6. Insidious
7. Tintin
8. True Grit
9. 50/50
10. X Men First Class

015 - My Top 17 Records of 2011

I know my 2010 list was a mere few posts ago. So I don't post regularly. And what?

1. Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
2. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
3. Death Cab For Cutie - Codes And Keys
4. Blink 182 - Neighborhoods
5. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
6. Thrice - Major/Minor
7. Foster The People - Torches
8. Little Comets - In Search Of Elusive Little Comets
9. Mute Math - Odd Soul
10. Bombay Bicycle Club - A Different Kind Of Fix
11. Blindside - With Shivering Hearts We Wait
12. Ryan Adams - Ashes & Fire
13. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math
14. Switchfoot - Vice Verses
15. Childish Gambino - Camp
16. Bright Eyes - The People's Key
17. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

And a special mention goes to the self-titled record from The Gabe Dixon Band which, whilst released way back in 2008, has received constant attention from my iTunes library.

014 - top 10 songs to soundcheck a PA by

1. Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer
2. Jeff Wayne - Eve Of The War
3. The Dears - Sinthtro/Ticket To Immortality
4. U2 - Where The Streets Have No Name
5. Danny Breaks - Duck Rock
6. Sigur Ros - Svefn-G-Englar
7. Limp Bizkit - Take A Look Around
8. Roots Manuva - Witness (1 Hope)
9. Simian Mobile Disco - Sleep Deprivation
10. Skrillex - Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites

013 - my top 10 music videos

1. U2 - Where The Streets Have No Name
2. At The Drive-In - One Armed Scissor
3. Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer
4. The Chemical Bros - Star Guitar
5. Johnny Cash - Hurt
6. Foo Fighters - Learn To Fly
7. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
8. Beastie Boys - Sabotage
9. The White Stripes - The Hardest Button To Button
10. Weezer - Buddy Holly

(there's a LOT of Spike Jonze in this list....)

012 - top ten SNL skits (of my limited SNL knowledge)

Although an American comedy institution and television staple, the show 'Saturday Night Live' has never made it across the pond to the British Isles.  We've seen plenty of its stars in other projects, even tried our hand at our own version (Saturday Live) in the 1980's, but it didn't take, at least not in such a way as the original American version (now in its 36th season).


I've always been aware of the series, and as a fan of American pop culture have had to kind of fill-in-the-blanks when a lot of the sketches and characters alluded to things going on in the land of the free.  However, it's only in the last three years or so that I've actually bothered to watch full episodes of the show, illegally downloaded from wherever.  In this time, I've found the show's comedy to be very hit-and-miss (from a British point of view and sense of humour anyway), but of the panoply of skits and characters there have been several stand-outs from young pioneers of new comedy that have had me in stitches.  Some examples, in no particular order, follow:


1 - Garth and Kat


Introducing the supreme comedy talents of Kristen Wiig and Fred Armisen -  there's something insanely funny about a musical duo who make up their songs on the spot, causing one member to have to sing a duet to the other one's crazy made-up lyrics in real time. It's a miracle they didn't crack up more...

2 - What Up With That


Keenan Thompson (known only to UK viewers from 90s kids show 'Keenan and Kel') plays an irreverent and hyperactive talkshow host who doesn't talk to his guests so much as he performs alongside a number of other regular background characters, including the hilarious Bill Hader as Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. Amazingly funny.


3 - Nicholas Fehn
Couldn't find a video, but basically Fred Armisen plays a conspiracy theorist news pundit who never really manages to finish a sentence. I once saw a preacher give a sermon like this; I couldn't keep a straight face.


4 - Kickspit Underground Rock Festival


SO MANY LOLZ in this video.  Mrs Potato Dick, viruses, and of course Ass Dan. Little did I know that skit was actually a parody of a real rock festival infomercial....


5 - Stefon

Bill Hader plays a....well....I don't really know what he is........it's that thing of where midgets have dreadlocks and lay down on the floor.......but it's so awfully funny..........




6 - Judy Grimes (the Just Kidding lady)

The inimitable Kristen Wiig plays Judy Grimes, a lady who is incredibly socially awkward.... just watch.....




7 - Ambiguously Gay Duo

SO many rude lolz.....




8 - Gillie
It's probably becoming increasingly obvious that I'm gay for Kristen Wiig. I wish she were my comedy wife. Watch here.




9 - Bedelia (the girl who thinks her parents are cool)
The beautiful Nasiam Pedrad plays a brilliantly original character, a teenage girl whose best friends are her parents, in particular her cool mother, and is oblivious to their attempts to distance themselves from her for her own personal development.  It's funny.


10 - Scared Straight

This thing would be funny even without Tracy Morgan in it. Hahah, penis noire........


Honourable mentions go to:

Angie Tempura, Celebrity Blogger (Bitch, pleeze)
Bill Hader's creepy-assed Keith Morrison impersonation

011 - ten films that 'lads' think are epic

Top Gun
300
Rocky
The Hangover
Goodfellas
Gladiator
American Pie
Scarface
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Braveheart

010 - My top 10 records of 2010

1. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
2. Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People EP
3. Ben Folds and Nick Hornby - Lonely Avenue
4. Everything Everything
5. Foals - Total Life Forever
6. Beach House - Teen Dream
7. We Are Scientists - Barbara
8. The National - High Violet
9. Daft Punk - Tron Legacy OST
10. The Futureheads - The Chaos

009 - 10 fictional characters I have fallen in love with

(in no particular order)


1. Liz Lemon
2. Kim Pine
3. Erin Silver
4. Juno McGuff
5. Claire Colburn
6. Anna Stern
7. Jordan McDeere
8. Joey Potter
9. Sloane Peterson
10. Rory Gilmore