Vocabularious #1

2009-03-12T18:34:00.000-07:00

This is a first in an ongoing series of neologisms, paleologisms, obscurios, and other logosophical awesomeness. I had never seen before today, but I was immediately struck by its power and prescence and the sense of the world that it conveyed. It was the inspiration for this new feature.

Today's feature word is cognoscenti, the use of which in this article brought tears to my eyes.

*****

2009: The Year That Is...

2009-01-01T08:24:00.000-08:00

There was a lot a bad in 2008: the complete financial/economic meltdown, ridiculously high gas prices, M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening...but 2008 was a great year politically, a great year for music and movies, and gas is cheap again for now (Thanks, global recession!). So as we begin the new year, for the next several installments of Hot Fountain Pen, we will be taking a look back at the year that was, starting with my Top Ten Albums of 2008 (as of 12/16/08):

Curumin, Japan Pop Show
Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes
The Raconteurs, Consolers of the Lonely
Gnarls Barkley, The Odd Couple
My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges
Jenny Lewis, Acid Tongue
C.R.A.C., The Piece Talks
Dungen, 4
Jakeone, White Van Music
She and Him, Volume One

Honorable Mention (in no particular order):

J-Live, Then What Happened?
Santogold, Santogold
Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend
Nas, Nas
The Walkmen, You & Me
TV on the Radio, Dear Science
Mariah Carey, E=MC²
Ne-Yo, Year of the Gentleman
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!

Hott Traxxx:
Fujiya & Miyagi, “Uh,” from Lightbulbs
The Decemberists, “A Record Year for Rainfall,”
from Always the Bridesmaid vol. 3
Lil Wayne, “A Milli,” from Tha Carter III
Estelle, “American Boy,” from Shine
P!nk, “Sober,” from Funhouse
Producer of the Year: Danger Mouse
(Gnarls Barkley, The Black Keys, Beck, etc.)

Artist(s) I would be remiss if I did not mention:
Duffy
Kanye West
Elvis Costello
Ray LaMontagne
Jamie Lidell
of Montreal

Artist(s) to watch in 2009:
Florence and the Machine

*****