The 50 Best Albums of the Decade (2000-2009)
We had dozens of critics vote for the best new albums, and then we argued some more until we'd focused our spotlight onto the very best music created during the aughts. read more
The 10 Best Internet Memes of the Decade (2000-2009)
Richard Dawkins minted the term "meme" to explain the movement of information... read more
The 25 Best Horror Movies of All Time
Few people recognize horror films for what they truly are: a form of education... read more
The 25 Best Worst Horror Movies of All Time
Paste prides itself on the embrace of signs of life in music, movies and culture, but that's not to say that we don't enjoy some irony-flavored cinema kryptonite now and then. Whereas tomorrow we'll look at some of the most refined entries in the horror category, here are the features so woefully underproduced and botched that they almost transcend their badness into something subversively genius. Or not.While the following might not guarantee you any legitimate scares, they are sure to offer you some derisive enjoyment at the expense of their hackneyed acting, barely-there direction and dear-god-who-thinks-of-these-things plots. Let us know your... read more
Ten Reasons to Stay at the Ace Hotel
My brand new husband and I went to Palm Springs for our honeymoon last week. We stayed at the super fabulous, vintage-themed Ace Hotel. They also have locations in Portland, Seattle and New York City, so next time you plan a vacation, check out the Ace. You’ll love it.... read more
The Year's Greatest Musical Obscurity
We make no secret about our affection for the music of Sweden. And lately, one artist in particular has been making us giddy. The “band,” or whatever, is called JJ and we know almost nothing about him/it/them, though we prefer to imagine the act as a boy-girl duo like the Eurythmics. In any event, JJ’s 2009 album jj n° 2 (whatever that means!) is probably the year’s greatest obscurity. There are at least nine reasons to buy this album, because there are nine songs, none of them bad. So join us as we go track-by-track in an attempt to persuade... read more
The 10 Best Bands We Discovered at CMJ 2009
On any given night in New York, there’s some great, young, undiscovered band playing their hearts out for a small crowd. But during the CMJ Music Marathon, there are several each hour. It’s a perfect time to hop from club to club in search of your new favorite artist (or the Best of What’s Next, as we like to say), and this year, that search was particularly rewarding. Here are our 10 favorite new discoveries:... read more
The 20 Worst Sequels to Good Movies
Lest we forget that movie-making is a business, and a lucrative one at that, all we need to do is look at the list of terrible sequels that have been made to cash in on the success of good movies. There are a lot of them. In fact, a good sequel is such a rarity that it’s an easier critical task to cite the ones that worked as opposed to the long list of those that don’t. Here, we list the 20 worst sequels that followed up good (or, at least, entertaining) original films, and there are literally dozens more... read more
Ten Delightfully Creepy Etsy Finds for Halloween and All Year 'Round
With less than one week until Halloween, our minds are turning to tricks and treats—but really, why shouldn't we be able to keep a bit of this holiday's spirit in our lives all year? In the bleak mornings of January, the pollen-heavy afternoons of March and the sweltering evenings of July, couldn't we all use a little more mischief and mayhem in our lives? If you play it right, every day can boast a little of the eerie, late-October weirdness of Halloween—and here are ten delightfully creepy Etsy finds to help.... read more
Ten Songs Inspired by Movies
Movies are inspiring. Not just to the average Joe on the street, but also to the average (and not-so-average) songwriter. Here is a list of songs inspired by elements by the cinema:... read more
20 Most Awesomely Bad Moments in the "We Are the World" video
When all these music superstars got together, their hearts were in the right place, their cause as sound as ever, and, over the years, their epic song has raised over $63 million to aid Africa. But that doesn't mean we can't make fun of them... read more
Kanye West is Dead, Long Live Kanye West: Is 2009 the Year of the Celebrity Death Hoax?
Rumors of Kanye West’s death by car crash began spreading online just hours after he, followed by label Island/Def Jam, took down a public stream of We Were Once A Fairytale, a Spike Jonze short film starring the rapper himself.... read more
Songs For Sweater Weather
Sweater weather is upon us! Here, a list of songs to wear whilst bundling up for those blustery fall days.... read more
Ten Photographers to Follow on Twitter
If a picture is worth a thousand words, than photographers have an unfair advantage to those of us limited to 140 characters. The photographers listed here don’t just Tweet images, but when they do they’re worth the click. They also Tweet all about photography and link to stories to help aspiring photographers. All rights to all photos I’ve included here belong to the photographers. Here are some of the best photographers on Twitter:... read more
Five Great (and Strange) Musical Origin Stories
At a recent Decemberists show in Athens, Ga., Colin Meloy explained how he, in fact, created R.E.M. The epic tale went like this: Meloy was tirelessly working to complete a song entitled "Dracula's Daughter." Upon finishing the track, he realized it was the worst song that had ever been written. Apparently agreeing with Meloy, God himself wept a single tear—a tear that fell over Athens, Ga. in the form of torrential downpour. Caught without an umbrella, young Peter Buck and Michael Stipe rushed into a nearby record emporium to take cover, where they soon made each others acquaintance. And that... read more
Ten Stunning Fan-Made Music Videos
Back in the hale 1990s, when MTV and VH-1 played less music videos than they once did but still more than they play today, names like Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze and Dayton/Faris were synonymous with glorious, three-to-four-minute masterpieces set to song. These days, those directors have moved on to bigger screens, but their legacy lives on—if not in pockets like Subterranean and mtvU then definitely online, where the work of professionals and amateurs alike have near-equal standing on sites like YouTube and Vimeo. So eat your heart out, McG—here are ten stunning fan-made music videos. Have a favorite not listed... read more
Fifteen Balloons Falcon Was Also Not In
Poor Falcon Heene. You gotta feel for the kid who made news headlines on Thursday and Friday, even vomiting on live television, simply for not being in a balloon. But rather than dwell on the fact that his life has probably been irrevocably changed by a silly event it’s pretty clear his almost-certainly-skeezy parents cooked up to rekindle the special kind of fame one gets from appearing on Wife Swap, let’s try to look at this from a positive point of view. For instance, did you ever notice how much balloon-themed art there is in the world? It’s crazy! Here... read more
10 Songs I Sang in the Barrow County Jail
I’ve spent the night in jail once. Which—given my long history of juvenile delinquency and general tendency to disregard most laws except those pertaining to capital offenses—is a small miracle. So what heinous crime was I finally pinched for that night back in early ’08? Arson? Aiding & abetting? Assault & battery? Nope. Late at night, on the way from Athens, Ga., to Atlanta, I was pulled over and hauled in for “driving on a suspended registration.” It was news to me. I tried to explain to the Barrow County sheriff that I had no idea what he was talking... read more
Five Great TV Weddings
I’m getting married on Saturday! Jim and Pam’s wedding was very exciting for me, since like most brides, I have an unhealthy obsession with studying other people’s weddings—even televised fictional ones. Here are some of my favorites.... read more
Eight TV Shows That Hung On Too Long
Yesterday, our esteemed colleague Josh Jackson listed the 15 Best TV Shows That Were Canceled Too Soon. (He left off Kings, but anyway.) Today we flip over the coin to comment on a few shows that maybe went on just a tiny bit too long. Or a lot too long. And in case anyone’s wondering how to end a show right, how to strike exactly the right note before the final credits roll—this is how.... read more
The 20 Best Gadgets of the Decade…
The 17 Best Romantic Comedies This Decade
The 25 Best Movie Performances of the…
Blind Pilot - The Story I Heard
Kim Taylor - Days Like this
Gregory Alan Isakov - The Moon Song
Punch Brothers - Punch Brothers at CMJ
Anya Marina - Whatever You Like
David Bazan - Hard To Be
