Wordless (mostly) Graphic Novels

So, there are a bunch of wordless Graphic Novels out now with Shaun Tan's timeless tale, The Arrival leading the way. Here are a couple of others:

Robot Dreams by Sara Varon

There is not a lot I can say about the plot because I do not want to ruin it, but this is an incredible book. Varon writes about a dog who has a robot, but doesn't realize what could happen when he takes his robot to the beach. Things then change drastically for the two in this touching GN. The art is simple and I can't say enough about this wonderful book.

A.L.I.E.E.E.N by L. Trondheim

This is for those of us who still laugh at poopy jokes and the like. Trondheim has found what alien kids read and put this out for us to read. Actually, it isn't really wordless, but I don't know their alilen language so it is basically wordless. Aparrently, alien children really dig cutsey drawings who do disguting things and wade in disgusting things, which doesn't make for that great of a GN, but it is funny.

More Best of '08

6. Blonde Redhead – 23

Their lush sound is calmed down a little bit, but jangly guitars and some subtle electronic influences create a really cool vibe. This is a great disc with brooding lyrics and some diverse musical styles. Fans of The Arcade Fire will dig this as well.

5. Iron and Wine The Shepherds’ Dog

Yes, I kind of miss the stripped down sounds of early Iron and Wine CDs. But, yes, this is still cool and great. There are some artsy escapes here that may be somewhat unnecessary, but Sam Beam gets a bunch of musicians to fill out their sound with great results. This does solidify Iron and Wine's place in the indie-folk world and I imagine they will be there for a long, long time.

More Top Ten Music

8. These Friends of Mine by Rosie Thomas

Rosie's latest album includes help from greats like Damien Jurado, T.W. Walsh, Sufjan Stevens and Denison Witmer. This is a quiet, thoughtful album from Thomas that proves to be quite interesting especially on the REM cover, The One I Love.







7. In the Bedroom After the War by Stars


While this is less of an Indie-Rock/Pop album than Set Yourself on Fire, In the Bedroom After the War is a theatrical take on relationships. This album is not as good as the previous one, but it is still one of the best of '08. Which really shows how good this band is. Stars creates an awesome, layered and laid-back sound and are good storytellers as well.

More Top Ten Music

9. Neon Fire by Arcade Fire

The follow up to 2004's Funeral is not a disappointment in any way. The Montreal band reverts to more balladry and it make take a few listens to really appreciate it. Even so, the band melds hope and angst, laid-back tunes and anthemic bombast for another good album.

10. The Reminder by Feist

I'm a bit confused about what I think about this album because while it is quite good, I know that she could do better. The Reminder, stylistically, pretty much follows Let it Die, though it is even more jazzy. Lyrically, it is not as potent as Let it Die and that is my main concern. However, The Reminder is a great, quirky collection and proof that she will keep making timeless pop.

Best Music of 2007 -- The Best that didn't Make the Final Ten

End of the year Best of lists are the funnest things ever, so I can't resist doing my own again. I will post my Top 10 later, but here is my Not Quite the Top 10 but Pretty Good in 2007 list.

Wincing the Night Away by The Shins

They had a lot of pressure put on them to come up with a brilliant album, so I'm impressed that they even released a decent album. The Shins did make a poppier album this go around, which at first seems a bit calculated and maybe it is. However, there are still the cool little moments and experiments that make this a Shins album and a darn good one.

Armchair Apocrypha by Andrew Bird

Singer-songwriter Andrew Bird presents more of his weirdly Gothic and sometimes humorous lyrics. The buzzy guitars, heavy keyboards and steady rhythms nicely complement Bird's crooning voice. Bird has been around for a while, but this well-produced disc seems to be giving him some deserved notoriety.

Boxer by The National

There is not a lot of difference between Boxer and many of its predecessors. The band just keeps doing what it does best which is a lightly adorned blues-rock accompaniment to Matt Berninger's vocals and the band's literary lyrics. This is a very good disc, which some are calling the album of the year.

Flight Vol. 4

Type: Short Story Collection
Published: Villard, 2007

These are absolutely brilliant. This is the fourth volume which includes a couple of great Graphic Novelists. A ton of writers and artists with styles from all over the map contribute to these collections. Yeah, some are weird, a couple are boring, but some of the best are genius, so I recommend all four of these titles.

Good as Lily by Derek Kirk Kim

Type: Contemporary Fiction
Published: Minx, 2007

I am mostly reviewing this to note that the titles from Minx (a DC imprint) seem to be getting worse with each release. The Plain Janes was really good and Re-gifters was solid, but Confessions of a Blabbermouth and Good as Lily are just run-of-the-mill contemporary GNs.

This is not to say, however, that Good as Lily is terrible. It takes an interesting premise in 18-year old Grace, who meets and has to deal with three versions of herself at different ages. The intriguing plot does not lead to a real deep story and this is its undoing. Readers of the previous Minx titles will probably enjoy this (and Confessions of a Blabbermouth), but that is the end of its appeal.