My Best of the Year Awards
Celebrating the best things this year!
Movies! TV! Music! Things!
BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR
They Want My Soul, Spoon
Nothing even came close. Ten perfect tracks on one perfect record. What’s the best track? Is it “Do You?” Is it “Rainy Taxi”? Is it “Outliers”? Is it “Knock Knock Knock”? Is it “Let Me Be Mine”? Is it “Inside Out”?
The answer is yes.
THE TOP 3 CONCERTS I SAW THIS YEAR
- Spoon, Governor’s Ball, 06/07/14. Prior to this, the last (and only) time I had seen Spoon live was in the spring of 2010 at a packed show at the House of Blues next to Fenway Park. I spent four years waiting for this set and it was great! If Spoon had been the only band I saw at Gov Ball, it would have been more than worth the price of admission.
- Spoon, The McKittrick Hotel, 08/03/14. This show was in the weird-ass Sleep No More hotel, but I was like one-person back from the edge of the stage, which was at ground level. I got a lot of good facetime with Britt and the gang. They were all having fun and I had fun too.
- Spoon, Central Park, 09/10/14. One thing I particularly loved about this concert — besides everything — was the mirrored stalactite that cast light around the stage. They also did some cool stuff with silhouettes onstage.
BEST FILM OF THE YEAR
They Want My Soul, Spoon
A tour de force. Spoon released an album so good it is also the best film of the year.
Runner-Up
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Screw it, we’re doing this. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a mix of narrative daring, technical wizardry, and exceptional choreography that constantly exceeded my expectation. I’m still thinking about it months later. It’s one thing to make a slow, contemplative, action-light postapocalyptic movie on a small indie budget — it’s quite another thing to do it under everyone’s nose as a tentpole summer release.
Honorable Mentions: The Lego Movie, Captain America, Snowpiercer, Boyhood, Edge of Tomorrow, Whiplash, Big Hero 6
BEST TV SHOW OF THE YEAR
They Want My Soul, Spoon
There was an episode of The Flash that used “Do You” in one episode so this counts.
Runners-Up
Broad City Very good!
Hannibal It is astounding that this show is on network television and it is astounding that it was granted a third season.
Bob’s Burgers Bless this show.
BoJack Horseman “Note the letters B.H. on all hand towels and linens. That stands for ‘Boreanaz House.’”
You’re The Worst Fun show!
Trophy Wife Bert!
Transparent Jeffrey Tambor seems sweet!
Rick & Morty I hate Dan Harmon but I like this show!!
Under The Dome The best show on television somehow got better in season two.
Selfie R.I.P.!!!!
Nashville I am one of three people on earth that watches this show and I love it!
BEST BOOK I READ THIS YEAR
They Want My Soul, Spoon
One of the weird thing about the press narrative surrounding this album is that it recast Transference as a bad album, but that’s not true. It’s also a great album. I just listened to an interview where Britt Daniel said the reaction to Transference was muted because it wasn’t really an album you could dance to, and I think that’s correct. You can really cut a groove to They Want My Soul, however, and I recommend doing so.
Runners-up
A Naked Singularity This book has a subplot in which a guy slowly morphs into Ralph Kramden. That’s like the best thing I’ve ever heard (aside from They Want My Soul).
Wolf In White Van This was a very good and very sad book and I got to talk to John Darnielle on the phone about it and he’s like the nicest dude in the world, I think.
Station Eleven Postapocalypse + aging celebrities trying to make up for past mistakes + many interweaving plotlines. That’s a book formula created in a lab just for me.
The Bone Clocks The second-best David Mitchell book released this year! (The joke is that Station Eleven was the first-best.)
BEST VIDEO GAME OF THE YEAR
They Want My Soul, Spoon
I played this a lot.
Runners-Up
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Look, I didn’t play a lot of video games this year and the ones I did play were mediocre but boy oh boy A Link Between Worlds— released last year — is a delight. Probably one of the best games I’ve ever played. Just wonderful.
Assassin’s Creed I am a neanderthal and I’m easily entertained, so I still very much enjoy the Assassin’s Creed games. I played three of them this year (but I did not play Unity).
