Best of 2007

Geir Arne Brevik, January 3 2008:

It’s the end of the year as we know it, and I feel fine. Like last year, there’s a soundtrack to this hyperlinked reading experience, and it’s listed above.

While we’re on to music…

Albums I’ve played on repeat more than twice

Radiohead: In Rainbows – Ten years after OK Computer comes an album that got more hype for how it was distributed than it’s musical qualities. Don’t get me wrong, the “we ditched our record company, you can pay if you want”-thing is very interesting, but that’s not why I’ve been listening to the album again and again.
Wilco: Sky Blue Sky – The best concert I saw this year was Wilco at Kongsberg jazzfestival (side note: second on that list was Gillian Welch on Down on the farm), where Jeff Tweedy’s songs grasped my heart and the whole crowd standing outside in the rainy Norwegian summer. I might have been extra receptive, since at the time, the only files on my 2 gig iPod were the 12 songs from Sky Blue Sky.
AIR: Pocket Symphony – This is an album I’ve listened to in all kinds of moods through the year, and it’s nearly always a perfect fit. Also highly recommended: It’s sibling albums, Darkel and 5:55.

Honorable mention: Allison Krauss and Robert Plant: Raising Sand I just got this for Christmas, and it’s awesome.

Movies I’ve wanted to see more than once in a movie theatre

Superbad – I can say so many good things about this movie, as I just love it. But if I was to pick out one thing, it must be the comedic genius of Michael Cera.

American Gangster – How can a movie that in one way is a cheesy 70’s New York The Wire-wannabe movie, still be one of the year’s best movies? It’s certainly not because American Gangster is a bad movie.

The Bourne Ultimatum – Even though Julia Stiles could loosen up a bit, this is the movie that made me believe again in the spy-action-thriller genre again. Made me see the two previous Bourne films (yeah, I know, I’m a loser), and the honor of being mentioned here goes out to the whole trilogy. Bet you’re pretty happy now, Mr. Damon? Being mentioned on a half obscure Norwegian blog, knocking out The Last King of Scotland, eh?

Even though these (and a couple of others) were really good, 2007 wasn’t that much of a movie year, I think. Luckily, next year is looking so much better.

Best websites

Facebook – This really is Website of the year, if there ever was one. I mean, how could it not be? It changes peoples lives, with a good, well-crafted web 2.0-esque approach; sensible navigation, subtle use of AJAX and an impressive API. The only thing about Facebook that is not so web 2.0 is the walled garden approach, but maybe your friend list is exactly the kind of information you want to build walls around?
That said, Facebook might not be Website of the year 2008. They have really messed up their consumer relations by saying that sharing data with advertisers was opt-in, while in reality it wasn’t even opt-out. But the biggest challenge for Facebook is the social awkwardness that occurs when my parent’s friends, my teenage nephews and the guy that beat me up in school all are joining the same party.
Apple – I might be fanboy-ish, but hear me out on this one: After this year’s redesign, apple.com is finally on par with the company’s products. Very good information architecture, copywriting that is to the point, stunning photography and smart use of ajax effects (try the upper right search!). But what really makes this site stand out in the competition, is that they tailor-make their product pages, instead of churning them through a template engine. It’s all about an attention to detail that is too rare to find in an age where it’s cheaper to make ten thousand identical things than two uniquely different.
The New York Times – They didn’t do somehting new this year, they just stopped doing something: They stopped locking their readers out. By removing the previous paywall, NYT is now an online resource that is not only written about, but also linked to. Kottke show you where to start, when exploring the paper’s extensive archive
Ffffound – Flickr’s favorites and interestingness features meets designer community with a bookmarklet. May also be described as 33% Helvetica posters, 33% artsy photos of sexy models and 33% copyright issues. Very to the point and very well executed by Tha (home company of the ActionScript samurai Yugo Nakamura).

Best Norwegian website

YR – A really good service from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK providing weather reports from every conceivable location in Norway – with everything available through an API. Not that this is especially unique, but together with NRK beta, it’s a very good sign of things to come from NRK. How about an API for that radio and tv archive? Or at least the program guide?

Most impressive advance in technology

iPhone – Not that I have one, but I do have an iPod touch, and it seems like a pretty good idea to combine that with a phone. It’s not every year that brings along a new OS with a new interface, that not only is new, but also feels totally new. And not only new, but dramatically better as well. Kottke said it best: “The design of the iPhone is such that all other mobile phones, including those released after the iPhone, look not only old but antiquated and even defective.”

Ads I not only forwarded, but actually talked about afterwards

One beautiful and catchy, the other absurd and awesome.

Uniqlo: Uniqlock
Cadbury: In The Air Tonight

Best (not necessarily music-) video

Unavoidable, although not watchable nor linkable: The one with the girls and a cup (no I won’t even link to the Wikipedia entry, you can look that one up yourself, you sick, sick, sick bastard)

Best Craigslist post

M&M Survival of the fittest

Best podcast

This American Life – I don’t easily cry, but this radio show have brought me to tears. It wasn’t this episode, though, but still it’s my favorite moment of radio in 2007: Break up, including the story about Dr. Phil, as in Phil Collins.

Best Norwegian podcast

Radioresepsjonen – I samme ånd som, og på sitt beste på høyde med, Tazte priv. Fikk meg til å spise mye mer taco enn jeg gjorde før.

Best TV show

The Office – This fall’s episodes haven’t been that strong, but season 3 was one of the funniest things I’ve seen on tv.
Entourage – The guys are nothing like me, and I don’t want to be like them, no matter how much money or how many dates with intriguing women they get. But still, Ari Gold is nothing but a hero. He’s one of the best characters on TV.
Flight of the Conchords – The third or forth best novelty musicians from New Zealand, the world’s worst manager and the world’s most creepy fan.
Curb Your Enthusiasm just have to be mentioned. It was heartbreaking to watch the last season and know that this was the end, as it’s a pretty-pretty-pretty-pretty-pretty good show.

Best TV show of 2008

The Wire, season 5 The Wire is really my pick for the best show of 2007 as well, since, I’ve spent quite a few hours watching the whole series again, leading up to this January. Even though the prequels on Amazon was kinda crappy, I just can’t imagine season 5 NOT being awesome. I have just one prayer: Please don’t let anything happen to Bubbles.

Best blogpost

The Nerd Handbook
Fashion tips for women from a guy who knows dick about fashion
Understanding web design by Jeffrey Zeldman. This should be (if it’s not already) mandatory reading for anyone in the web business. Which is my business, which is why I think this is one of the most important blogposts from 2007.

Honorable mention: This quote from Overheard in New York and The erotic appeal of the Lands’ End catalog