Okay, not better, but hopefully a bit different than most lists out there. 2009 was not my favorite year for music or for Jennifer Garner/Matthew McConaughey romcoms, but we’ll save that hot-button topic for another day. For the most part, the belles of the blog ball left this cranky old fella yawning, not fawning — [...]

What Are Words For? Vampire Weekend’s new wordless banner ad showing just a polaroidish photo of a very cute preppy girl is pretty darn brilliant and quite effective. I clicked it and like you, I don’t usually click anything (unless its animated or has something to do with fungus). See a sample of the less-is-more ad on www.fluxblog.org. The alluring, 80s-tinged photo makes me want to reread a Jay McInerney or Bret Easton Ellis novel… and score some coke. It doesn’t however, make me want to listen to Vampire Weekend, but then again, no ad could.