Lost Sock: Start Drawing

This site is absolutely amazing. It sells itself as "drawings by Asians." Well hot damn these Asians can draw. I look at this site and am amazed what can be done with the human hand. Take some time to check out several of the sections on this page.

Lost Sock: Bon Iver & The Dodos

I have been renewed in my love for acoustic singer/songwriters thanks to Bon Iver and The Dodos. I had pretty much given up on the genre until I heard both these acts.

Bon Iver sounds like early Iron & Wine by the way of Jeff Buckley's wounded vocals and Akron/Family's do it yourself naturalism. His album For Emma, Forever is a sad lament on love gone never to return. Check out "Skinny Love" at http://www.myspace.com/boniver.

The Dodos are apart of the too often used label "Freak Folk." Although I don't know a better way to describe this duo who has a pension for psych-out moments, I don't think it covers all sides of the band. This guitarist and drummer create more sound than should be capable for just two people. They make me listen to the acoustic guitar in a new way. Check them out at http://www.myspace.com/thedodos

Lost Sock: Sight And Sound Website

Sight and Sound is my personal favorite film magazine around. The only problem is that its tough to find actual copies of it in America. The magazine is printed in Britain and features some of the most educated and in depth criticism of film currently available. Thank god for their website that features some selected articles from each issue of the publication. Check out a fine interview with Sydney Lumet talking about last year's "Before The Devil Knows You're Dead," a completely overlooked masterpiece. And make sure to check out the article about the Indiewood/Fratpack movement in film. http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/

Lost Sock: Vampire Weekend

I am really diggin' this Cape Cod band who is being described as African pop. I don't really think that term fits them although it is clear these boys have listened to Paul Simon's The Rhythm of the Saints a few hundred times. The quirky, witty lyrics mixed with the bands catchy music makes for one of the most listenable albums since The Shin's first album. Check out some of their videos.

Lost Sock: Video "Neon Bible" in an elevator

This video is not new or anything. I have seen it a bunch since early last year but I revisited and it still holds a special place. The performance is both kitschy and intimate. I wish more bands were this creative with promotional materials.

Lost Sock: Who Can Kill a Child?

This 1976 British horror gem has finally been released in the States on DVD. In this surprisingly well shot film, a young couple's holiday becomes a trip into terror when they travel to a remote Spanish island. It doesn't take the film long to move to the chills and thrills as the couple realizes the island is run by a demonic gang of children. The children make a game out of killing any adult visitors on the island. One particularly great scene involves a morbid and bloody game of "Hit The Pinata" which will change how you think that game should be played. The film has a eerie overall tone with some equally hysterical and horrific scenes. This is one of those forgotten gems that have slipped into moratorium until now. The film's real strength is the cinematography which reveals the Spanish coast line in beautiful but strangely quiet, empty images and its pacing which is deliberate but never slow allowing the viewer time to think about the "what if's" of the situation.

Lost Sock: Best Films of 2007

I will say this year was the year of American film makers. I believe all of the films in my list are by American directors except three, a first for me. The films are listed in order. "There Will Be Blood" is hands down the best film of the year. Paul Thomas Anderson has made an American classic here. Daniel Day Lewis hits some new level of acting as Daniel Plainview, an oilman with a vengeful drive. Anderson crafts a tale of religion and capitalism, transforming the dream of oil into a terrifying vision of the coming century in America. This is Anderson’s masterpiece. His usual flights into daring territory have been honed and crafted. There is not a single unimportant frame in the film. Every shot and scene pulses with blood. There are images in "There Will Be Blood" that haunted me for days after seeing it. The other films listed are equally unique and amazing. All the films on this list exemplified a unique voice and vision.

There Will Be Blood
No Country For Old Men
I’m Not There
Ratatouille
Control
The Diving Bell and The Butterfly
Michael Clayton
Zodiac
Juno
Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead
Once
Knocked Up
Superbad
Across the Universe
Sweeny Todd