Years after its release, I gave this album a listen and wow. Lauryn Hill provides a top notch R&B/hip-hop fusion that sounds like a soundtrack to growing up in the rough neighborhood. The songs are mostly love songs, but the running theme is the classroom. The question of whether or not this makes sense didn’t need answering after a few tracks in, when the songs take on a life of their own. What makes Miseducation so timeless is the retro vibe she invokes the whole time. Lauryn Hill has one of those voices that can really make you feel joy or sadness depending on the inflection of each note. And then she’ll start rapping, which she does sparsely across the record, and you’ll feel like the hot, tough chick on the street is just having a conversation with you about the way things really are. Miseducation is one of those albums that makes you want to really know the artist. It’s a star-driven hip-hop disc in the vein of Tupac, only Lauryn Hill doesn’t bother with the posturing. She’s simply telling a series of stories and sharing ideas.

It’s hard to list individual tracks, but the entire mid-section of the album, tracks four through eleven, really hit me hard.

This movie was surprisingly hilarious. I was hooked right from the build up. These guys sell caffeinated energy drinks to children at school. From there, the wacky hijinks continues. From cursing children to adults who play dress up, this brings the laughs in some creative ways. Top notch comedy.

I love Wolverine. He is my favorite X-Men character and, because the X-Men are my favorite comic book superteam, Wolverine is my favorite superhero. What this movie attempted to do was reveal the mystery behind Wolverine.

From the credit sequence, this movies plot fell apart like a house of cards. I am not even sure where to start. There were too many characters. The action sequences seemed too unfathomable, even for a comic book movie. The plot was complicated and had too many holes in it.

In the end, this movie gives Wolverine’s entire back story. Any attempt to reveal a mysterious characters history is doomed to failure, but this was ridiculous.

Flogging Molly is a band with a formula. I understand why they would be great to see live. They sound like a Pogues cover band with a distortion pedal, which could be someone’s dream come true. But in all seriousness, if you’ve heard one Flogging Molly song, you’ve heard them all.

Gladwell’s latest does not disappoint! Outliers is possibly my favorite of his already. I’m a fan of Gladwell because he explains complex (and debatable) social theories through anecdotes. He writes simply and matter-of-fact-ly for the lowest common denominator, but the ideas are HUGE.

A friend of mine was afraid to read this book, believing Gladwell’s hypothesis (that certain conditions give certain people unfair advantages, allowing them to achieve greatness with greater ease that the rest of us) had a defeatist tone. It does not.

Gladwell’s explanation gives hope for us all and lessons for our futures, like how to raise our children for success and, of course, how to succeed. There is hope for everyone and Gladwell’s personal anecdote at the end capped it off (and surprised me). Outliers might be a non-fiction book, but its more of a collection of short stories with an overarching theme. The stories just happen to be true. HIGHLY recommended.

Wow! Easily the best movie of the year! First off, I’ll express my biases: I love New Jersey, pro wrestling, strip clubs and tragic heroes. The Wrestler had all of the above.

The story was gut wrenching and the character was portrayed in a strange light: was he a hero? Or just a fool?

I dig the ambiguity. I only wish I’d seen this movie sooner.

Mastadon could be the best thing metal has going these days. Certainly the best metal to come out since System of a Down. “Crack the Skye” follows some convoluted storyline about a Russian czar (I think). But the music is what’s so captivating. Mastodon rings out the metal cliches with surprises and weirdness (hence the SOAD comparison). I really want to delve more into their older albums, though. Some of the ten minute-plus songs can be tedious. Divinations is my favorite by far.

For me, this album was a great intro to The Pogues. Any band who has ever made Irish music rock owes it to these guys. It’s traditional Irish music, no doubt about it. But Shane McGowan brings a subtle drunk/punk edge to it that makes it fun. This album will be a St. Patty’s day staple for me.

The premise of this movie is genius. Jim Carey plays a bummed out “no” man who changes his life with the power of “yes.” Sure, there’s a lesson to be learned about when “yes” is a bad idea, but, overall, the message is still about being positive and getting out of your shell. There are plenty of laughs and it stands on its own as a comedy, but this movie has had a profound effect on how I approach life.

“Lonesome Crowded West” is one of Modest Mouse’s earlier works. It has an edge that, to me, says “we’re trying to find our sound.”

“Heart Cooks Brain” and “Polar Opposites” really stand out for me. This album makes a good listen all the way through. It’s a dirty, rough-around-the-edges work from the band that, in my opinion, defined indie rock in the ‘00s.