I'm not quite prepared to commit to my top ten albums of the year, but here are my top ten shows:

1. Pitchfork Music Festival -- Chicago, IL - July 13, 14 and 15
2. Jens Lekman -- Bloomington, IN - October 23, '07
3. Magnolia Electric Co. -- Bloomington, IN - August 23, '07
4. A Place to Buy Strangers -- Indianapolis, IN - October 14, '07
5. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings -- Indianapolis, IN - November 18, '07
6. The Avett Brothers -- Indianapolis, IN - July 10, '07
7. Ryan Adams -- Indianapolis, IN - October 24, '07
8. Will Johnson -- Champaign, IL - April 21, '07
9. The Besnard Lakes -- Indianapolis, IN - November 27, '07
10. Menomena -- Seattle, WA - September 1, '07

It's certainly not fair to list a whole festival as number one, but I don't really care...

films, here we go(in no order)

1)Sicko
2)The King Of Kong
3)Juno
4)No End in Sight
5)Eastern Promises
6)No Country for Old Men
7)American Gangster
8)Wristcutters,Alove Story
9)Adam's Apples
10)Eagle vs Shark

Speaking of movies not out for a while, Chris, what's your take on the upcoming "There Will Be Blood", the new P.T. Anderson movie? The early buzz has been astoundingly good.

Without spoiling too much (because I'm still lobbying to get my Top 10 in INtake!), I agree with Chris in that The Kite Runner is right up there.

And that there are still a lot of movies still to see! :)

What's the over/under on Will Smith saying "You did NOT just..." and/or "Aw, hell naw!" at some point in I Am Legend?

Top 10 in-studios (not in order and no disrespect to those omitted--I loved them all). Check the archive at www.myoldkentuckyblog.com or www.917weem.org.

Sea Wolf

The Blakes

Ha Ha Tonka

The Eames Era

Josh Rouse

Nada Surf

Tim Williams

John Vanderslice

The Dodos

The Mudkids

MOVIES:

1. The Girl Next Door - I love Elisha Cuthbert
2. Beverly Hills Cop
3. Superbad
4. Batman Begins
5. Coming To America
6. A Night At The Roxbury

top ten records:

**paul duncan - above the trees/ **band of horses - cease to begin/ **loney, dear - loney, noir/ **jens lekman - night falls over kortedala/ **dr.dog - we all belong/ **bonnie 'prince' billy - ask forgiveness/ **ola podrida - s/t/ **phil durl - durl mcvaye/ **the loose salute - tuned to love **scout niblett - this fool can die now

1. jens lekman - night falls over kortedala
2. magnolia electric co. - sojourner
3. bonnie 'prince' billy - ask forgiveness
4. animal collective - strawberry jam
5. band of horses - cease to begin
6. little wings - soft pow'r
7. dr. dog - we all belong
8. okkervil river - the stage names
9. joan as police woman - real life
10. david vandervelde - the moonstation house band

These are my favorite albums of the year, precisely in this order. Click on one to be taken to a page where you can hear music by each band.

1. "Boxer" The National

Astonishingly beautiful, spectral, moody pop songs with amazing drumming and lyrics that alternately cradle you like a baby and cut you like a knife.

1. "Emerald City" John Vanderslice

Lovingly crafted, expertly produced pop by one of America's most under-recognized songwriters.

1. "Wincing the Night Away" The Shins

Just as good if not better than anything they've done, but the music press is too busy playing with its newest toys to pay any mind.

1. "Night Falls over Kortedela" Jens Lekman

Contains my favorite single of the year, "A Postcard to Nina."

1. "Cease to Begin" Band of Horses

Rousing anthems and stirring ballads from Georgia that shimmer with simple southern beauty.

1. "Tones of Town" Field Music

Pop so smart and pitch-perfect that it sounds like it was made by a super-computer designed to produce smart, pitch-perfect pop.

1. "All Hour Cymbals" Yeasayer

TV On the Radio might have met their match in these druggy, neo-prog rockers.

1. "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" Spoon

Put on "Don't You Evah" or "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb" and try not to dance.

1. "Drums and Guns" Low

Low are not-so-quietly making some of the most immediate and intense music of their long career.

1. "Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?" Of Montreal

Kevin Barnes is in Prince/Bowie mode through a good deal of this album, which has the most bewildering lyrics I heard anywhere, all year long.