Lists.

Word up, Gs.

As it's nearly the end of the year it's time for me to blog shamelessly in a good old review of the year kind of way. Because I've always loved lists. My favourite magazines of the year as a teenager were the end-of-year editions of NME / Kerrang / Empire / C&VG and so on - thus setting me on the path to nerdishness that I now tread most firmly on a daily basis.

Anyway, these are my lists. Tell me yours, oh Facebook friends! Because I'll read them and either nod with my chin cupped in my hand... or tut like an irked librarian.

Lets get on it.

TOP 5 ALBUMS OF 2008

1: "Angles" - Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip
2: "Glasvegas" - Glasvegas
3: "The Hawk is Howling" - Mogwai
4: "Third" - Portishead
5: "Sunday at Devil Dirt" - Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan

I'll be honest, I nearly said the Kings of Leon album, because that's ace. But just missed out. I know that they'll be gutted, of course. I tried to dislike them for years, I really did. But they're quite good. Angles is the best album in years, I reckon. More people need to own it.

TOP 5 SONGS OF 2008

1: "Letter From God to Man - Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip
2: "Evil Urges" - My Morning Jacket
3: "Revelry" - Kings of Leon
4: "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" - She and Him
5: "Wayfaring Stranger" - Jamie Woon (Burial Remix)

I really like "Handlebars" by Flobots, but if I listed it here I'd be stoned to death by the music chauvanist illuminati. I spent most of 2008 listening to every song from "Untrue" by Burial, but as that was released in 2007 I can't bloody choose any of it. Bah.

TOP 5 GAMES OF 2008

1: Fallout 3
2: GTA IV
3: Soulcalibur IV
4: Super Street Fighter 2 HD Remix
5: Saints Row 2

Look at all the sequels. Saints Row 2 is bloody good fun (and Amelia likes stealing cars and respraying them pink, so who am I to argue?), SSF2HDR is an amazing update of arguably the greatest game ever (and apt after the tattoos I've had this year), SC4 is awesome and GTA4 was worth the wait, just about. However, Fallout 3 is one of the greatest games that I've ever played. And I've wasted a lot of my life. My Xbox got the red ring of death when I was 30 hours in and I nearly cried. If you don't own it, buy it. Seriously. Words fail me. It's amazing.

TOP 5 GIGS OF 2008 (Watched)

1: Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip (Manchester Academy 3)
2: Radiohead (Old Trafford CC)
3: Those Dancing Days (Summer Sundae, Leicester)
4: Cadence Weapon (Manchester Academy 3)
5: Laura Marling (Manchester Academy 3)

Not many gigs this year, but what I did see ruled. Didn't think that after a 15 year wait to watch Radiohead that they would be topped by a beardy bloke in a hat and a fat bloke with a laptop doing a pretend business presentation in a basement in Manchester.

TOP 5 FILMS OF 2008

1: In the Valley of Elah
2: Cloverfield
3: Persepolis
4: Juno
5: Mad Detective

I didn't watch many films this year. And I know that #1 has no proper ending, #2 is daft, #3 is black and white, #4 is overrated and #5 is mental.

TOP 5 THINGS I'VE BOUGHT IN 2008

1: The girls (on my arm, not whores)
2: All the trainers
3: My phone, which now works remotely well
4: Fallout 3
5: iPod bracket for my car

My arm rules. You knows it.

TOP 5 GIGS OF 2008 (Performed at)

1: February 12th, Bambu, Leicester - First ever hour long solo show
2: October 21st, Student Union, Leicester - I love mental students
3: December 20th, Lonestar Comedy, Folkestone - Last pre xmas gig, was lovely
4: September 16th, Cheeky Monkeys, Birmingham - Fun MCing times
5: July 5th, Jumping Jaks, Bournemouth - Crazy gig with me delirious from 6hrs of tattooing

RESOLUTIONS FOR 2009...

1: Global domination
2: Eat less cake
3: Have more tattoos
4: Finish the book
5: Stop playing Fallout 3

That's it. Now swear at my lists! Have a lovely 2009, everyone.

Jim x