‘Indy’ Staff Picks

Before we look forward to 2020, we wanted to glance back at the films, television, books, and albums — and a few other media — that captured our attentions during 2019. While the Indy staff who participated has a range of tastes, there were several mentioned repeatedly, such as Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, songstress Lana Del Rey’s Norman Fucking Rockwell!, and the Amazon Prime TV series Good Omens. Read on for more of our most memorable media of 2019 (mostly). 

Tobi Feldman, Accounting Administrator

Books
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Film
Brittany Runs a Marathon, SBIFF offerings: Transit, Prosecuting Evil, Quiet Storm, Shoplifters
Albums
Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?; Lana Del Rey, Norman Fucking Rockwell!

Terry Ortega, Calendar Editor

Books
The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine Weiss
Live Performance
Kristin Chenoweth at the Granada
Theater
Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn at the Rubicon
Film
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, The Irishman 
Albums
Lizzo, Cuz I Love You, Deluxe Version; FKA Twigs, Magdalene

Caitlin Fitch, Creative Director

Books
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan; Terra Nullius by Claire G. Coleman; The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern; Unfollow by Megan Phelps-Roper; The Collected Schizophrenias by Esmé Weijun Wang; Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton
Albums
Kevin Morby, Oh My God; Brittany Howard, Jaime; Solange, When I Get Home; Anderson Paak, Ventura; Lizzo, Cuz I Love You
Film
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
TV
Good Omens
Biggest Letdown of the Year
Game. Of. Thrones (Yes, that WAS this year … I know you blocked it out.)

Matt Kettmann, Senior Editor

Books
Hungry by Jeff Gordinier; Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of Cannabis, from Dispensaries to Dinner Parties by Lizzie Post
Albums
Jungle Brown, Full Circle; Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (preferably in a Maserati); Andrew Bird, My Finest Work Yet

Tessa Reeg, Copy Editor

Albums
Lana Del Rey, Norman Fucking Rockwell!; Tinashe, Songs for You; Ariana Grande, thank u, next
Books
Lock Every Door by Riley Sager; Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco; Dreyer’s English by Benjamin Dreyer; When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

Ricky Barajas, Graphic Designer

Books
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi; Kindred by Octavia Butler; Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James; The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma; Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse 
Film
Booksmart, Us, Avengers: Endgame, Midsommar, Spider-Man: Far from Home
Albums
Solange, When I Get Home; Yola, Walk Through Fire; Moonchild, Little Ghost; Tyler, the Creator, Igor; Ari Lennox, Shea Butter Baby
TV
Euphoria; Love, Death & Robots; Los Espookys; Watchmen; Rhythm + Flow

Emily Cosentino, Marketing and Promotions Manager

Books
Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid; On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Charles Donelan, Executive Arts Editor

Books
Kudos by Rachel Cusk; This Storm by James Ellroy; Mr. Know-It-All by John Waters; Bad Gateway by Simon Hanselmann
Albums
Jennifer Koh, Limitless; Danish String Quartet, Prism II; Prince, 1999 Super Deluxe Edition; Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Camerata Bern, Time & Eternity

Esperanza Carmona, Graphic Designer

Albums
Tory Lanez, Chixtape 5; Summer Walker, Over It; H.E.R., I Used to Know Her; Post Malone, Hollywood’s Bleeding; J Balvin and Bad Bunny, Oasis
Film
Pain and Glory
TV
Russian Doll, Insecure, The Good Place, Sex Education, Friends from College

Ava Talehakimi, Production Designer

Books
I’m Writing You from Tehran by Delphine Minoui; Know My Name by Chanel Miller 
TV
Tuca & Bertie, Sex Education, Good Omens
Albums
Billie Eilish, When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?; Ariana Grande, thank u, next; Lizzo, Cuz I Love You

Roger Durling, Contributor

Film
Pain and Glory, Parasite, The Irishman, Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood, Little Women

Josef Woodard, Contributor

Live Music
Santa Barbara Symphony, Julia Wolfe, Fuel for string orchestra (film by Bill Morrison); Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, Ari Benjamin, Kunsthalle fur Musik; Ojai Music Festival, Gerard Grisey, Quatre chants pour franchir le seuil; Van Morrison, Santa Barbara Bowl; Cat Power, Lobero
Film
The Irishman, Pain and Glory, Parasite, Amazing Grace, Us 
Albums
Joe Lovano, Trio Tapestry; Wilco, Ode to Joy; Lana Del Rey, Norman Fucking Rockwell!;Bill Frisell, Harmony; Bill Frisell and Thomas Morgan, Epistrophy; Art Ensemble of Chicago, We Are on the Edge

Jackson Friedman, Associate Editor

TV
Barry, PEN15, Fleabag, The Good Place, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Dead to Me, Our Planet, Schitt’s Creek, The Mandalorian, Watchmen, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Hot Ones
Book 
Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool by Emily Oster
Film
The Irishman, Midsommar, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far from Home
Album
Vampire Weekend, Father of the Bride

Michelle Drown, Senior Editor

TV
Line of Duty, Mr. Robot, The Keepers, Bad Blood
Books
Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe; Crusaders by Dan Jones; The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy; Mythos by Stephen Fry; She Said by Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor
Film
Parasite, Avengers: Endgame, Yesterday, Ford v Ferrari, The Joker
Albums
Calum Scott, Only Human (Special Edition); Lana Del Rey, Norman Fucking Rockwell!;Twenty One Pilots, Trench