Give the Gift of Excellence

 A years worth of our Filtered Excellence recommendations, all on one page.  Use it as a gift guide or just to look back at the great year that was 2012.  If you have friends who appreciate greatness, or would like to learn, you’ll find something perfect here.

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WATCH THIS:

MONEYBALL, PORTLANDIA, THE FLAMING LIPS: THE SOFT BULLETIN, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, 50/50, IDES OF MARCH, CORIOLANUS, TRUE GRIT, MALCOLM X ON BLU RAY, THUNDER SOUL (DOCUMENTARY), BROOKLYN BOHEME, THE UNION (CAMERON CROW on ELTON JOHN AND LEON RUSSELL),  PROJECT NIM (DOCUMENTARY), THE INTERRUPTERS (DOCUMENTARY), LIFE’S TOO SHORT (GERVAIS), NORTH BY NORTHWEST ON BLURAY, DRIVE, EAST BOUND AND DOWN, CHICO AND RITA, SMASH HIS CAMERA (DOCUMENTARY), ATTENBERG, THE ANNOUNCEMENT (NELSON GEORGE ABOUT MAGIC JOHNSON), MISFITS, 4:44 LAST DAY ON EARTH, MIRAL, FOOTNOTE (ISRAELI FILM), JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI (DOCUMENTARY), I MELT WITH YOU, MARLEY (DOCUMENTARY), TALKING HEADS: CHRONOLOGY, THE RICKY GERVAIS SHOW, BERNIE, SOUND OF MY VOICE, JASON BECKER I’M NOT DEAD YET (DOCUMENTARY), LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD: GEORGE HARRISON (DOCUMENTARY), GOD BLESS AMERICA, ELENA (FOREIGN), MY PERESTROIKA (DOCUMENTARY), POLISSE (CANNES WINNER), MOONRISE KINGDOM, OSLO AUGUST 31ST, CORIOLANUS, PAUL WILLIAMS STILL ALIVE (DOCUMENTARY), DARK HORSE, SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED, THE WRECKING CREW (DOCUMENTARY), MEATBALLS ON BLU RAY, THE INTOUCHABLES (FOREIGN),  PINK FLOYD: THE STORY OF WISH YOU WERE HERE, NATE AND MARGARET, TAKE THIS WALTZ, NEIL YOUNG JOURNEYS DIRECTED BY JONATHAN DEMME, LOUIE, BALLPLAYER: PELOTERO (JOHN LEGUIZAMO), SALUTE (DOCUMENTARY), BREAKING BAD, FAMILY PORTRAIT IN BLACK AND WHITE, MARINA ABRAMOVIC, THE ARTIST IS PRESENT (DOCUMENTARY), TODD BARRY SUPER CRAZY COMEDY SPECIAL, KILLER JOE,  FAT KID RULES THE WORLD, CSN 2012, SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN (DOCUMENTARY),  CHILDRENS HOSPITAL, FULL METAL JACKET BLU RAY, JAWS ON BLU RAY/DVD, TREME,  COMPLIANCE,  SLEEPWALK WITH ME MIKE BIRBIGLIA, LAWLESS, DETROPIA (DOCUMENTARY),  LIBERAL ARTS (JOSH RADNOR), PARKS AND RECREATION, DEXTER, PRINCESS BRIDE ON BLU RAY, HOMELAND,  SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS: THE VERY LOUD ENDING OF LCD SOUNDSYSTEM, DOG DAY AFTERNOON ON BLU RAY, DL HUGHLEY THE ENDANGERED LIST,  ROSEMARY’S BABY, THE CRITERION COLLECTION DVD, THE COMEDY (TIM HEIDECKER), MEL BROOKS DVD SET,  WAGNER AND ME (DOCUMENTARY).

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LISTEN TO THIS:

FLAMING LIPS/YOKO ONO COLLABORATIVE EP, FALLEN EMPIRES (SNOW PATROL); BOX SET (NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL); THE LITTLE WILLIES: FOR THE GOOD TIMES, TAGO MAGO (40TH ANNIVERSARY); MIREL WAGNER; CLEAR HEART FULL EYES (CRAIG FINN); OLD IDEAS ( LEONARD COHEN); FREE AGAIN: THE 1970 SESSIONS (ALEX CHILTON); CHIMES OF FREEDOM: SONGS OF FREEDOM (HONORING 50 YEARS OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL); MR. P (PATRICE O’NEAL); BAD WEATHER (SYLVIA GORDON); BLUES FUNERAL (MARK LANEGAN BAND); BLACK SESSION: PARIS 10 MAY 2011, (WIRE); MAKING IT (THE NEGRO PROBLEM);
PARALYTIC STALKS (OF MONTREAL); LOVE, PEACE AND SOUL (THE DON BYRON NEW GOSPEL QUINTET); GO FLY A KITE (BEN KWELLER); NEW MULTITUDES (WOODY GUTHRIE SONGS); MR. M (LAMBCHOP); DO YA THING (GORILLAZ FEAT ANDRE 3000 AND JAMES MURPHY); RELEASE ME (LYLE LOVETT); HAPPY PILLS (NORAH JONES); LOVE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (THE MAGNETIC FIELDS); OPEN YOUR HEART (THE MEN); BREAK IT YOURSELF (ANDREW BIRD); VOICE OF AGES (THE CHIEFTANS); PORT OF MORROW (THE SHINS); COVERED (MACY GRAY); RADIO MUSIC SOCIETY (ESPERANZA SPAULDING); BETWEEN THE TIMES AND THE TIDES (LEE RANALDO); DISPOSSESSION (MIKE WEXLER); A FAITHFUL MAN (LEE FIELDS AND THE EXPRESSIONS); ROXY MUSIC: THE COMPLETE STUDIO RECORDINGS: 1972-1982; LIVE AT ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL (TRIXIE WHITLEY); MY HEAD IS AN ANIMAL (OF MONSTERS AND MEN); LOCKED DOWN (DR. JOHN); SLIPSTREAM (BONNIE RAITT); BOYS & GIRLS (ALABAMA SHAKES); BEFORE TURNING THE GUN ON HIMSELF (DOUG STANHOPE); WOMEN & WORK (LUCERO); SPOOKY ACTION AT A DISTANCE (LOTUS PLAZA); OLDER THAN MY OLD MAN NOW (LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III); BLUNDERBUSS (JACK WHITE); A WASTELAND COMPANION (M. WARD); WHAT KIND OF WORLD (BRENDAN BENSON); THE MONEY STORE (DEATH GRIPS); OUT OF THE GAME (RUFUS WAINWRIGHT); LITTLE BROKEN HEARTS (NORAH JONES); FEAR FUN (FATHER JOHN MISTY); MASTER OF MY MAKE BELIEVE (SANTIGOLD); SUN MIDNIGHT SUN (SARAH WATKINS); DEATH DREAMS (PS I LOVE YOU); OFF (PUNK QUARTET), AUFHEBAN (BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE); BLOOD ORANGE (COASTAL GROOVES); HEROES (WILLIE NELSON); SHAPE SHIFTER (CARLOS SANTANA); .YA KNOW? (JOEY RAMONE); TRUTH TO POWER (THE STONE RAIDERS); HERE (EDWARD SHARP AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROS); HOME AGAIN (MICHAEL KIWANUKA); NOT YOUR KIND OF PEOPLE, (GARBAGE); THE ONLY PLACE (BEST COAST); HOPE IN DIRT CITY (CADANCE WEAPON); THIS IS PIL (PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED); CELEBRATION ROCK (JAPANDROID); HEAVEN (THE WALKMEN); BANGA (PATTI SMITH); SPECTRUM ROAD (JACK BRUCE); THE IDLER WHEEL……(FIONA APPLE); CLASS CLOWN SPOTS A UFO (GUIDED VOICES); THE BRAVEST MAN IN THE UNIVERSE (BOBBY WOMACK); BIG STATION (ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO); THE CHERRY THING (NENEH CHERRY AND THE THING); DEBO BAND (DEBO BAND); OSHIN (DIIV); SWING LO MAGELLAN (DIRTY PROJECTORS); UNSOUND (MISSION OF BURMA); CHANNEL ORANGE (FRANK OCEAN); MUTATIS MUTANDIS (NONA HENDRYX); REBIRTH (JIMMY CLIFF); TRANSMISSIONS (MARK LESSERAUX); TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS (THE BEATLES); BLUR 21 COLLECTORS SET, JUST TELL ME THAT YOU WANT ME: A TRIBUTE TO FLEETWOOD MAC, THE GLORIOUS DEAD (THE HEAVY); WOODY AT 100: THE WOODY GUTHRIE COLLECTION, SUN (CAT POWER); THE CARPENTER (THE AVETT BROTHERS); LOVE THIS GIANT (DAVID BYRNE AND ST VINCENT); THE SINGER (ART GARFUNKEL); DOWNTOWN ROCKERS (TOM TOM CLUB); TEMPEST (BOB DYLAN); THE SOUNDS OF THE LIFE OF THE MIND (BEN FOLDS FIVE); CHARMER (AIMEE MANN); LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY (PAUL SIMON); SHIELDS (GRIZZLY BEAR); TOMORROWLAND (RYAN BINGHAM); 3 PEARS (DWIGHT YOAKEM); THE DEVIL YOU KNOW (RICKIE LEE JONES); BABEL (MUMFORD AND SONS); THANKFUL N THOUGHTFUL (BETTYE LAVETTE); MEND (STRIP DARLING); BORN TO SING: NO PLAN B (VAN MORRISON); TRAVELING ALONE (TIFT MERRITT); SING THE DELTA (IRIS DEMENT); GLAD ALL OVER (THE WALLFLOWERS); POUR UNE AME SOUVERAINE: A DEDICATION TO NINA SIMONE (MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO); COME HOME TO MAMA (MARTHA WAINWRIGHT); DEPT OF DISAPPEARANCE (JASON LYTLE); FORMER LIVES (BENJAMIN GIBBARD); TOUR REHEARSAL TAPES EP (THE BLACK KEYS); UNFINISHED BUSINESS (WANDA JACKSON); SUNKEN CONDOS (DONALD FAGEN); LOCAL BUSINESS (TITUS ANDRONICUS); LANDING ON A HUNDRED (CODY CHESTNUTT); BLAK AND BLU (GARY CLARK JR.); THE HAUNTED MAN (BAT FOR LASHES); TALKING BOOK (MACY GRAY); PSYCHEDELIC PILL (NEIL YOUNG AND CRAZY HORSE); 2 (MAC DEMARCO); HANDS OF GLORY (ANDREW BIRD); ABOUT TO DIE (THE DIRTY PROJECTORS); THE BEATLES ON VINYL, KING ANIMAL (SOUNDGARDEN); INTO THE FUTURE (BAD BRAINS); CELEBRATION DAY: LED ZEPPELIN; THE EVENS (THE ODDS); THE JAZZ AGE (BRYAN FERRY ORCHESTRA); XX (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE).

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READ THIS:

THE BIPPOLO SEED AND OTHER LOST STORIES BY DR. SEUSS, THE LAST HOLIDAY: A MEMOIR BY GIL SCOTT HERON, RAYLAN BY ELMORE LEONARD, THE 50TH FUNNIEST AMERICAN WRITERS (ACCORDING TO ANDY BOROWITZ), HEFT BY LIZ MOORE, DAMN GOOD ADVICE (FOR PEOPLE WITH TALENT) BY GEORGE LOIS, A NATURAL WOMAN, CAROLE KING, 2030 BY ALBERT BROOKS, MY CROSS TO BEAR BY GREGG ALLMAN, MY EXTRAORDINARY, ORDINARY LIFE BY SISSY SPACEK, IN ONE PERSON, JOHN IRVING, WHEN I LEFT HOME: MY STORY BY BUDDY GUY, AN AMERICAN STORY BY PHOTOGRAPHER ETHAN RUSSELL, AMERICA YOU SEXY BITCH: A LOVE LETTER TO FREEDOM BY MICHAEL IAN BLACK AND MEGAN MCCAIN, HOT WIRE GUITAR: THE LIFE OF JEFF BECK BY MARTIN POWER, CANADA BY RICHARD FORD., I GOT A NAME: THE JIM CROCE STORY, MERCURY: AN INTIMATE BIOGRAPHY OF FREDDIE MERCURY, YOU’LL KNOW WHEN YOU GET THERE: HERBIE HANCOCK AND THE MWANDISHI BAND BY BOB GLUCK, MORTALITY BY CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS, TELEGRAPH AVENUE BY MICHAEL CHABON, I’M YOUR MAN: THE LIFE OF LEONARD COHEN BY SYLVIE SIMMONS, A WILDERNESS OF ERROR BY ERROL MORRIS, THE GOOD SON: THE LIFE OF RAY BOOM BOOM MANCINI BY MARK KREIGEL,  CYNDI LAUPER: A MEMOIR, MY MOTHER WAS NUTS PENNY MARSHALL, WAGING HEAVY PEACE NEIL YOUNG, ONE LAST STRIKE BY TONY LARUSSA, THE TUCCI COOKBOOK BY STANLEY TUCCI, THE JOHN LENNON LETTERS BY JOHN LENNON AND EDITED BY HUNTER DAVIES, LYRIC & PROSE BY RIC OCASEK, WHO AM I BY PETE TOWNSHEND, EVERY DAY IS AN ATHEIST HOLIDAY BY PENN JILLETTE