The End #1 by Anders Nilsen. This was his contribution to the international Ignatz series. It might be the best thing he’s ever done…which is saying a lot. It’s an incredibly sad, fractured story that somehow manages to be abstract and painfully honest at the same time. Another issue was slated to be released, but I heard in an interview that he has no plans to finish it. Considering the subject material (the death of his fiancée), I can’t say I blame him. Link.

“Vicious” by Lou Reed. I’ve had Transformer since high school, but I started listening to this song obsessively last week. I also think a lot about what it would sound like if the Pixies covered it. Listen.

Waltz with Bashir. It may have lost the Oscar, but it certainly wins for “Most Depressing Animated Film I've Ever Seen” (barely edging out Grave of the Fireflies). The animation is occasionally cheap and underwhelming, but the storytelling more than makes up for it. Link.

“Knots” by Pete & the Pirates. I’m not sure I like this band, but even a blind pirate occasionally writes a catchy shanty. Listen.

Everybody Is Beautiful & Who You Want Them To Be When They Sleep by Alex Barry. I bought this zine today at Million Year Picnic. It is strange and absolutely hilarious. I don’t even know where you can get it, but check out his Myspace, anyway. For fans of David Shrigley and Paper Rad (I think it’s better than either). Link.

Coraline in 3-D. I was very disappointed with how boring the cinema parking lot was after seeing this movie. I guess you know something is visually effective when it makes the real world shitty by comparison. Link.

“The Kitten Song” by Steven Wright. This is track 5 on I Still Have A Pony. I just like it because it sounds like a really weird Smog song. Listen.

Found this today walking dogs in Central Square. Your guess is as good as mine.

I found these in an antique print shop on Charles Street. I forget the name. They had a lot of beautiful things, but most of them were too expensive. Lucky for me, they had a bargain bin.

Synechdoche, NY. Like most obsessive film nerds, I’ve always admired Charlie Kaufman’s stuff. That being said…I somewhat resisted seeing this movie. This is mostly because I heard from several respectable and otherwise trustworthy people that it was pretentious and depressing and an overall grueling movie experience. Then I watched Adaptation on television and decided that there is no way the person responsible for that movie could write something that isn’t worth seeing. So I saw it. And I thought it was amazing. I’m reasonably certain that Criterion will re-release it in 30 years and it will be widely considered a masterpiece. It is sad and at times incomprehensible, but it’s also original and thought-provoking and probably funnier than people give it credit for. It also doesn’t follow a traditional narrative structure at all, and it is “emotionally unsatisfying” as a result. That’s sort of why I like it. Link.

Wired.com Interview with Charlie Kaufman. This uncut interview was recorded (poorly...on a dictaphone) in a restaurant and lasts several hours. It covers a wide range of topics and completely made my day. It also features a lengthy bathroom break and the sound of Charlie quietly chewing (which is somehow oddly appropriate). Listen.

Proust Was A Neuroscientist by Jonah Lehrer. I have not finished this book, but it is excellent to this point and so deserves a spot on the list. Lehrer contributes to the NPR mindfuck Radiolab (also highly recommended). The premise is that he profiles artists who indirectly predicted or otherwise illustrated previously unknown neurological realities through their work. It is very readable and makes me feel slightly better about wasting all my time on art projects. Link.

“An Ugly Death” by Jay Reatard. This is maybe the most upbeat song ever about a person killing themselves. I disregarded this person for a while because of his dumb name…but this song almost makes up for that lapse in judgment. Listen.

Tom Scharpling’s Spectacle Play-by-Play. This requires some explanation, but I will do my best. Spectacle is a musical talk show on the Sundance Channel hosted by a floundering Elvis Costello. The episode in question included all three members of The Police and at one point involves the term “punk tango.” Tom Scharpling is the host of a radio show / podcast called “The Best Show on WFMU.” It’s a combination call-in / long form improv show. It takes a few weeks of listening to understand all the in-jokes and recurring characters, but it is something I get excited about every Friday (even though it airs on Tuesday). This particular segment (from the show dated 1/20/09) features Tom replaying and commenting on clips from the episode and I was trying not to look ridiculous cracking up on the sidewalk. Listen.

Jeremiah Johnson. A film directed by Sidney Pollack and starring Robert Redford as an aspiring “mountain man.” I like it mostly because the moral (as I understand it) appears to be the following: Don’t help Christians or your family will be murdered. Also…stay out of Indian burial grounds. Can’t say it enough. Link.

“Our Amazing Future” by Andrew Daly. The best track on Daly’s first comedy record Nine Sweaters (a collection of monologues by different fictional characters). This particular section features the Incredible Blasco…a desperate Futurist trapped in a failed, emasculating marriage. Link.

“Face Like Summer” by Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci. A beautiful, sadly hopeful song by an under-appreciated band. The build is very subtle and cool. Listen.