"Mr. President, we must not allow a mineshaft gap!"

I was born to blog and then after much vacilating I decided that reading fiction might be a better waste of time.

I would love to be friends on Goodreads.

The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.

I'll be back with extreme resoluteness in mid June.

On Repeat 1 (Penny and the Quarters - You and Me)

Critical mass has been reached. Dana Stevens described Blue Valentine as "shattering". Matty on Filmspotting related how his girlfriend broke up with him 20 minutes after they saw it, saying that he was the Ryan Gosling character right down to his "big forehead". I listened to the Culture Gabfest rave about it today, and for their outro they played this, the couple's song. Wow, the Eccentric Soul series wins again. I assume Gorilla vs. Bear's 5/17/07 posting is largely responsible for it ending up in the film; here for more. It's great movie in a normally worthless genre, however, I can't say you should actually watch it.

Seriously, Watch This TV Show Promo "I'm going to ask you just one more time"

Carrie Brownstein is super wry when she drops in on All Songs Considered, and every one of the clips for this show are gut busters. Here's hoping they stay wordy, and away from bits that could be saved for the last half hour of a SNL episode. The pilot is supposedly already viewable on Hulu, but it was bog city when I tried.

On Repeat 1 (The Altered Beast - Ghost Train Poka 2010 Remix)

Oh yeah. Here's the link to download a better version that incorporates Jay-Z.

Strong Buy: Grimbergen Double Ale

Last Wednesday night a stranger/typical New England jerk slapped me on the shoulder and sawing forward with his Belgian goblet said "Man you have to get this, it's the number two beer in world, well it's at least in the top ten." My general willingness to act on low risk recommendations given with gusto and the specifics of his entreaty made it my next call. Very rarely do things live up to the hype but six out of six pals agree that this does. Surprisingly good from the tap or bottle, it's the new number one here.

Downton Abbey 4/5

Bam! The heirs to the family's insane estate sink with the Titanic and suddenly everything is flipped upside down. The writer of Gosford Park, my #9 film of the past decade, created the most expensive British TV series ever, which is presumably why the first season is only seven hours long. Those two facts explain why This Recording rightly called it "the ideal Mad Men replacement". My face also zagged when I read such ridiculous praise, but after we polished off the season in exactly one week I was concurring hard. If you aren't craving more after the first episode you can probably quit, and while it may be tame the capital "D" drama cranks up fast after that.

Slimish Blue Oxford Rundown

Epiphany is a little strong, but that's what I had after reading the unrefindable blog of some gent who was setting off on a two week trip to Singapore, Thailand and other places I've never been to, and was limiting his shirt battery to four blue oxfords and one white. I think I'd been unconsciously disposed to the blue oxford, and the calm, pleasing, and, when cut properly, flattering statement it makes. However, I was only just starting to get my four year old Banana one back into the out and about rotation and like an aging DH its retirement is long overdue. Enter the Brooks Brother's Extra Slim Fit line and the Blind Oxford Tasting post on The Trad's blog and I'm almost a full blown enthusiast. The aforementioned posts mainly focused on $80-$149 shirts that seemed to come in too wide so I thought I would go after less pricey slimmer types. The following is what's not pictured below.

J. Crew only has white, sun-faded and rounded point collar versions, Banana Republic also only has white (as of last week there's a blue one that's "just in" and looks great but...), not that it's worth going into, but I'm trying to be comprehensive so; The Gap restricts itself to short sleeved and Express/AE have none for males. The overly blog hyped revival of Land's End proves empty again with its offering of a shirt whose weave is far too tight and blue dominated, already reviewed here, and taste may be a matter of taste but their "Canvas" edition's collar is way too "re-proportioned". Ralph's were either ponied, puntered (Rugby) or "distressed" all marks that violate the semi-discreet aspect I entered as part of the criteria. Band of Outsiders and Thomas Pink were more spendy than I spend. J. Press for some reason wasn't sought out, we'll say it was assumed to be too wide, yes that's it. Dickies and American Apparel were complete yuck, i.e. beyond horrible, the latter's fabric giving new meaning to cheap looking even if it wasn't also cling-wrap thin.


Done. Note,this post is riddled with links, it's immediately clear that this is the first time I've photographed clothes, and yes those are the same shirts under tweaked iPhone camera settings. Now, the entrants.

L.L. Bean - Trim Fit Classic Oxford Cloth Shirt - $29.50

I spent too much time paging through their catalogue when I was in grade school so even though the "new trim fit" diagram showed this was only slightly less billowing than than the standard version I crossed fingers put it in my cart. This was a mistake, as a pair of socks could be made from the excess fabric and back/sides would still mushroom like crazy at the waist. French Blue is the color I should have ordered as the Bean's "blue" was light. The cloth here was definitely the most rigid and while the detailing was agreeable this shirt shows why oxfords fell so out of favor with general populace. Freeport didn't merit a snapshot and has instead been placed under the other shirts to demonstrate relative width. Here and with the big winner I'm a 17-34. The rest are mediums.

Value 5th - Cut 5th - Weave 5th - Color N/A - Overall 5th

Bonobos - Bentham Blue - $80.00

As the name of this oxford hints at, Bonobos is an enlighten company. Go here to get $50 off your first order of more than $100. Not wanting to scare away the average bro they only mention that Bentham's fit is "not too boxy and not to slim" when it reality it's the most contoured of the five, however, the manner in which this is achieved is so clandestine that your friends and mother won't be able to pin down why you look so sharp. I think the button on the back of the collar is a superfluous detail that shows a lack of confidence on the part of the designer, but the collar is spot on and the big weave and color are great after a very short getting to know you period.

Value 4th - Cut 1st - Weave 3rd - Color 2nd - Overall 3rd

Brooks Brothers - Classic All-Cotton Extra-Slim Fit Supima Oxford Dress Shirt- $79.50

Critics, click here, are right. There is no extra about this slim, but it's still very flattering while raising even less an eye than the Bentham. Apparently men's style forum haunters are divided on its grayer blue color but that and the overly white weave have my number seven times over. Notice I unknowingly ordered the Supima as opposed to the Original. They are both the same price. The BB ESF also sports the healthiest collar collar in the contest. Here's The Trad experts point/counterpoint on the same.

Value 2nd - Cut 3rd - Weave 1st - Color 1st - Overall 1st

American Living - Solid Oxford Shirt - $24.99

According to Valet this JCPenney house brand is designed by Ralph Lauren, and I'd say it shows. The weave, collar, and fit are pretty darn good and personally I like the flag carrying eagle even if its head and neck are a little goosey. That logo does prompt a lot of questions so be prepared to say "JCPenney" or come up with a fun lie, also there's some pink accents that have been inexplicably put on the shirt tails.

Value 3rd - Cut 4th - Weave 2nd - Color 3rd - Overall 4th

Uniqlo - Oxford Long Sleeve Shirt - $19.50

The Brooks Brother's 34 inch sleeve lands just above the base of my thumb and this lone foreign entry's medium is just as long but cut very high and so narrowly that they feel shorter. Toss in the much trimmer trunk and our slimmest contender is almost disqualified for buckling during deep breaths/given points for making me feel busty. Hopefully it's evident from the photos at the very top, but the weave was tighter than some, smaller but nicely collared, and the quality of that fabric didn't raise any concern. Not having access to there sole U.S. location in SOHO I took the leap and placed my first email order that some how got pared down to the this lone oxford. Info is here. I paid $7 for shipping.

Value 1st - Cut 2nd - Weave 4th - Color 4th - Overall 2nd

On Repeat 1 (Meco - Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band 12" Disco Mix)

I often go through lulls where I'll be convinced that I'm not owned by Star Wars , but then I'll see the book cover below or this track will start playing out of the blue in some obviously inspired coffee shop and I'm pulled in even deeper. Now some are saying "Disco + Star Wars, this should be in your wheel kitchen house bag. Why only now?" The answer is I heard a botched version when Episode I came out, and subsequently stayed away far far away film theme remixes. A happy accident brought me back and now I'm making up for lost time.

Top Ten Albums of 2010

1. Beach House - Teen Dream

You: Boo, boring, go home! I agree and don't like it any better, but this will be the year's first album that I'll come back to and repeatedly play in 2016, it can single-handedly spin my mood in a positive direction, and it consistently glides through to a clean and fulfilling conclusion while never tempting the skip forward hair trigger. The disc, like their studioesque sounding concert, which the Philistines and I gave an A+, inspires no affinity, but more than enough respect and anticipation.

2. Tallest Man on Earth - Wild Hunt

Considering my enthusiasm for groping under rocks in the singer/songwriter desert it's disconcerting that I recently my need for the snake bite kit has been so rare. This Swede stunned me with the first three tracks and kept re-burying the fangs on subsequent listens with new and already ipod starred songs. Your well meaning but backwards friend might recoil at the sound of tall guy's voice, but tell him that while M. Buble has his time and place The Swede is worth a second listen because Nick Cave is a more interesting person than songwriter and for all that Dylan still is he isn't 27 and doesn't banjo.

3. Free Energy - Stuck on Nothing

The only reason this isn't number one is because their myspace page and EP made them my top/fav/bestest band of 2009 and by last July I'd already thrown two rods (simultaneously I assume) in this ride and been thumbing for hours. If you hate the equation Rock+Fun=Awesome don't bother with number three. Not that it matters, because I only care how a band sounds in my buds, but their live shows burn venues to the ground.

4. The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme

I'll cop to it. I haven't heard any of their other stuff and this was a tenth hour addition made possible only by the shuffling a 2010 albums playlist. How I listened to just half of the album before ejecting last spring only to play it for ten hours straight some weeks ago I'll never be able to reconcile. That I didn't know they were from Lund before I signed up for the fan club newsletter made the connection even more satisfying.

5. She and Him - Volume Two

Volume One was great, Two is too. I hope they keep it up or at least show another duo how to make it look so easy.

6. Surfer Blood- Astro Coast

I can't understand how a person wouldn't fully enjoy at least a couple of these tracks, if not the whole thing, the first time through so I would agree that these aren't heady sounds but there's still a lot to grow in to and gain appreciation for on repeated passes. Toss out the wonderful lyrics that squared off permanent quarters in my brain and you still have an arrangement that is all the more compelling because they aren't using any instruments or samples you with which you aren't already on a hugging basis.

7. jj - jj n°3

As I said back in my Q1 report this jj record benefited from a degree of latitude that my limited mental faculties are rarely able to dole out. When it finally worked for me the price of all that marching seemed like a tremendous deal in my favor.

8. Yeasayer - Odd Blood

This album was the second biggest revelation of the year. Ambling Alp, O.N.E, Madder Red, and Rome are just knock down drag out fun that reverberate like not much else.

9. Magic Kids - Memphis

Upon first meeting them one might become concerned that this band is just straight alitame (a Pfizer developed sweetener I just google/wiki'd whose sugar punch is 2000 times greater than sucrose), but with the exception of their "sailing is back in style" lyric they do sugar so well that I completely bought into their teeny bopper, is any buddy going to moonlight skate with me m.o./aura.

10. Twin Shadow - Forget

I like Toro's stuff, which is probably more layered and complex, but he never hooked my ear like this bro of Sammy Sosa. Maybe that's because the lyrics are more audible on Forget. Again I think there's aspects here to enjoy on the first and the twenty-fifth time through.

Those get an honorable mention. Here's last year's top ten and consider dialing in the same Bat Channel for a rundown of the Top 25 Songs.

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