MY FAVORITE _____ OF 2014
it's that time of the year for me. as the current year draws to a close and the upcoming year beckons with possibilities, i start reflecting on the year that was -- what went well, what i'd like to do better, and what i'd like to do more of (and less of). part of my self reflection process also includes a look back on things that influenced the year. and that's the purpose of the list below, a list of my favorite things from 2014. I'll add to this in the coming days, so check back!
MY FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2014
MY FAVORITE SONGS1 OF 2014
- Flight Facilities - Clair De Lune (feat. Christine Hoberg) [Motez Remix]
- St. Lucia - Closer than This
- Ben Howard - Time is Dancing
- First Aid Kit - A Long Time Ago
- Tangerine Sky - Rare Candy
- James Vincent McMorrow - Red Dust
- Foo Fighters - Outside
- Miner - Hey Love
- Porter Robinson - Lionhearted (feat. Urban Cone) [Arty Remix]
- Jose Gonzalez - Every Age
for me, 2014 was not the year of the LP (or even EP). i still buy music (as opposed to stream) and i bought a lot of songs, but few entire albums, which is why the album list is so short. I have to give an honorable mention to the Foo Fighters' newest album, Sonic Highways. The album is good but what i really liked was the HBO series of the same name that coincided with the album release. if you appreciate music, then this series is a must watch.
In terms of my favorite songs, i'm relying on play counts to determine this -- i figure the more i play a song, the more i must like it and it removes subjectivity, else i'm sure this list would have been much longer.
MY FAVORITE MOVIES2 OF 2014
i tend to like watching movies (and reading fiction) that tell a narrative around the human condition -- they can be cerebral or highly emotional stories, it doesn't much matter. conversely, movies that rely on a lot of CGI rendered action (cough, cough, transformers) are much less appealing to me. 12 Years a Slave was a difficult story to watch as it really tugged at my emotions. the tension in Captain Phillips kept me leaning forward the entire movie. her was beautiful, thoughtful, and quirky. mistaken for strangers was entertaining, rough around the edges and a bit of "where is this going?," but ultimately it came together. Lastly Short Term 12 stood out for its cinematography, strong characters, and emotional storyline about neglected youth.
NOTES:
1. Based on iTunes plays
2. I rarely see a movie in the theater so this list is compiled based on movies that were released on DVD in 2014 (not based on on the box office release date)
All thumbnails via iTunes
