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Dive’s top local albums, National albums & movies

The end of a year generally means a time for reflection. We go over the year’s highs and lows, remembering the good, bad and everything in between that the past year brought. For Dive, this time of year means remembering our favorite albums and films. We picked our favorite five national releases, local records and movies — all of which make super gifts for the music or movie nerds you’re shopping for. And for once, whether you’ve been naughty or nice doesn’t matter. Everyone deserves these treats.

Top 5 local albums

1. Megafaun, Megafaun: With more folk than freak, a mature, alt-country feel and just one banjo, Megafaun’s eponymous release delivered a record that no one expected, but everyone loved.

2. Haste Make/Hard Hearted Stranger, Mandolin Orange: A double album wasn’t a problem for this duo. Each half has its own harmonies that will stick with you for a while.

3. Mount Moriah, Mount Moriah: Heather McEntire’s vocals prove their versatility with a beautifully haunting tale of fitting into the South. “Lament” is the clear catchy sing-along standout.

4. All Eternals Deck, The Mountain Goats: From crackly boombox recordings to the precision of a standard rock trio, John Darnielle places lyrics at the forefront of The Mountain Goats.

5. Loud Planes Fly Low, THE ROSEBUDS: With simple syncopation and pop-rock rhythms, The Rosebuds prove that even after its two leaders divorced, music can keep people together.

Second opinion: “My favorite of this year would be Black Shark by Hammer No More the Fingers. I heard it when they finished it last year, so almost two years ago at this point, and I loved it… when it finally came out, I had almost forgotten that it had been released, and I bought it and listened to it a million times again.” -Joe Mazzitelli, I Was Totally Destroying It

Top 5 National Albums

1. Bon Iver, Bon Iver. As his former bandmates in Megafaun did, Justin Vernon also released a record that no one expected, one that speaks beautifully to both heartbreak and hope.

2. Burst Apart, The Antlers. Stepping in a more electronic direction from its breakthrough, Hospice, Burst Apart is both meditative and chaotic in its unscripted approach.

3. hurry up, we’re dreaming, m83. This album is 80 minutes of solid, highly catchy ‘80s-influenced electronic jams. It’s ambitious, and each moment of music on it has its rewards.

4. 4, Beyoncé. You probably didn’t expect this here, but hey, what can we say? No diva has the vocal talent and general fierceness that Beyoncé does. This record is today’s pop music at its peak.

5. Helplessness blues, Fleet Foxes. On its second record, Fleet Foxes delivers its signature swelling vocal harmonies on richly textured instrumental backgrounds. It’s autumn in an album.

Second Opinion: “Obviously Bon Iver, Bon Iver is f—king awesome, please put that in there. It’s just the most beautiful record in the entire world. My favorite song is ‘Towers,’ but it changes a lot. Kind of the first song was ‘Towers,’ I like that one. ‘Wash.’ is pretty good, too.” -Phil cook, Megafaun

Top 5 Movies

1. SUPER 8. Following a kid, his friends and his camera, Super 8 pulls off an excellent balance between exciting action and an engaging story.

2. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS. A man finds solace in his nightly walks in the City of Light, discovering both its history and himself. It’s technically a romantic comedy, but lacks the cheese that so often plagues the genre.

3. THE HELP. Based on a 2009 novel, “The Help” paints a poignant picture of the relationships between white society women and the hired help in the 1960s South, focusing on one girl trying to tell their story.

4. DRIVE. Ryan Gosling plays a stuntman and getaway driver in this intense action film. But when he agrees to one job, he gets a whole lot more than what he bargained for with a heist gone wrong.

5. THE DESCENDANTS. Set against a beautiful Hawaiian backdrop, a workaholic must come to terms with his wife’s infidelity while she’s unconscious, as well as keep himself and his two daughters from falling apart.

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Second Opinon: “Ooh, I don’t really know. I’ve seen so many movies this year. I saw ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ on an airplane, that was pretty good. ‘Big Momma’s House 3: Like Father, Like Son.’ Favorite movie of all time, and it came out in 2011. Martin Lawrence still got it!” -Duncan webster, Hammer No More the Fingers

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