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mearnsblog · 4 years ago

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"The Emperor's New Groove" (2000)

As previously mentioned, the turn of the century was not an especially enthralling era for the Disney Animation Studios. It was already a big drop in quality from the sensational "Mulan" to the just-fine "Tarzan," and neither "Fantasia 2000" nor "Dinosaur" turned out to have any lasting power. Most of the next several films after this one were not game-changers either.

Thankfully, "The Emperor's New Groove" is an exception in that it is exceptional in every sense of the word. What a fun movie! Sometimes, you don't have to think too hard to produce a quality animated film.

Such praise is somewhat ironic though. Behind the scenes of "Emperor's New Groove" was a vast story in its own right. It was originally planned as a classic Disney musical titled "Kingdom of the Sun" and would have featured a "Prince and the Pauper"-esque storyline with songs featuring Sting (like Phil Collins in "Tarzan"). There's a whole documentary about what happened to transform the film, but the short version is that Disney producers didn't like what was being made and told the team that they needed to overhaul almost everything. (Vulture recently did a great oral history on the whole process.)

So instead of a musical, we got a buddy comedy with two characters who look nothing like each other and a new story altogether. The funny thing is that the scramble to change everything (complete with a new director) worked like a charm. I would've been fascinated to see "Kingdom of the Sun," but I have no problems whatsoever with "Emperor's New Groove."

*A couple songs did sneak in, and they do work for what the movie actually turned out to be.

2000 was about the peak of David Spade's brand of sarcastic humor, and it's top-notch here as Kuzco. I've made my love of arrogant bastards known here before, and he works as a great antagonist of his own story in the first half of the movie. Yzma's a great villain, too! Eartha Kitt was an incredible get for this role, and while her song was cut since it no longer made much sense in the revised story, it's very good. There's a fine line to walk to be a standout Disney villain, and comedy is key. Both Spade and Kitt excel.

On the other side of the main cast, John Goodman is instantly likeable as Pacha and makes for a a fine audience surrogate to bear the brunt of frustration with Kuzco. You spend so much of the first 40 minutes or so of the movie furious that Kuzco won't stop being an asshole for just one minute and help the decent guy out! Of course when Kuzco finally gets humbled, it's rewarding to see their bond develop. I like that Pacha sets boundaries, too. He does everything he can to change Kuzco's behavior but finally does have to throw up his hands at one point and acknowledge that Kuzco must improve on his own. And he does!

Patrick Warburton? Patrick Warburton. Thank you for Kronk, Patrick Warburton. Nothing else needs to be said.

For simply being a straightforward, great movie, "Emperor's New Groove" gets a lofty spot on this list, and the only reason it doesn't place higher is that the movies above it are just elite. They take bigger swings and hit monster home runs. "Emperor's New Groove" is like a leadoff triple. No one's going to complain about it! Homers are just better.

It might be the Disney animated of its kind anyway. It'd be hard to top the pure comedy. BOOM, BABY.

Updated ranking

1. “Beauty and the Beast” (review) 2. “The Lion King” (review) 3. “The Little Mermaid” (review) 4. “Cinderella” (review) 5. “Mulan” (review) 6. “Sleeping Beauty” (review) 7. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (review) 8. “Aladdin” (review) 9. “The Emperor’s New Groove” 10. “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” (review) 11. “The Jungle Book” (review) 12. “The Great Mouse Detective” (review) 13. “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (review) 14. “Fantasia” (review) 15. “The Rescuers Down Under” (review) 16. “Tarzan” (review) 17. “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” (review) 18. “Alice in Wonderland” (review) 19. “Lady and the Tramp” (review) 20. “Pinocchio” (review) 21. “Robin Hood” (review) 22. “Oliver & Company” (review) 23. “Hercules” (review) 24. “Pocahontas” (review) 25. “The Rescuers” (review) 26. “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad” (review) 27. “Bambi” (review) 28. “The Aristocats” (review) 29. “Fantasia 2000″ (review) 30. “Dumbo” (review) 31. “Peter Pan” (review) 32. “Fun and Fancy Free” (review) 33. “The Fox and the Hound” (review) 34. “The Sword in the Stone” (review) 35. “The Three Caballeros” (review) 36. “Make Mine Music” (review) 37. “Dinosaur” (review) 38. “The Black Cauldron” (review) 39. “Saludos Amigos” (review) 40. “Melody Time” (review)

#disney

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alexanderking · 4 years ago

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Another top 20 albums of 2020

...So I’ve had a really hard time finding a number one this year...It’s likely’ I’ll choose which album I revisited the most although it may not have been my favourite...ANYWAY!!!!...

“...And have I left anything out?” – Albums of 2019

Thank You Scientist – Terraformer: I was going through the “liner notes” of DJ Jazzy Jeff’s ‘The PLAYlist’ project and clicked on the saxophonist Sam Greenfield as I’d recognised his name from a favourite of 2018. I saw that he had played on this ‘Prog Rock’ album. Having dabbled in rock over the years, I jumped on Thank You Scientist’s ‘Bandcamp’ page and pushed ‘Play’...and I’m so glad I did!!! This band for me is ‘Dream Theater’ meets ‘The Mars Volta’ in how explorative the music can become. I also found myself head nodding along like a madman. While the album does peak at its centrepiece, the amazing 10 minute instrumental ‘Chromology’, it does pick up again from ‘Life of Vermin’, not at the dizzying heights of earlier on, but enough for a satisfying conclusion. I think would made number 3 of last year’s list...

Alexander Claffy – Claffy II: ...Somehow I missed this despite loving this group’s 2016 album ‘Claffy’, which focused on a romantic break-up. This project feels like a continuation with what sounds like a new love interest coming into the picture. Toward the end of the 5-track project it sounds like Alexander is lamenting his previous partner. Will he be able to fully move on to pastures new? This would probably have made my honourable mentions...

Emmavie – Honeymoon: Towards the end of December, I was in the most AMAZING Neo-Soul room on ‘Clubhouse’ (thank you Shaniss and Shey!!!!), where I not only got to share a few tracks, but was thoroughly schooled with the amount of artists I had yet to check out, or in this case, revisit. Not only were shout outs aplenty for Emmavie, but she also shared a few tracks as well...anyway! This prompted me to check out the ‘Honeymoon’ album. This project for me progresses the UK Soul genre forward by utilising some elements of Broken Beat, a tiny hint of 80s Synth and a spot of Hip-Hop. I love that the interludes go harder than some of the main tracks. This may have made 19...

BlaqueStone – Full Circle: This was shared in THAT Clubhouse room by ‘S. Sweet’, ‘bassist and bandleader for the Neo-Soul outfit ‘Black Folks Don’t Swim?’. ‘Full Circle’ sucked me into that deep, rich Neo-Soul that I still visit every so often. Any tracks that didn’t really stand out for me were MORE THAN MADE UP FOR by the standouts on here. My favourites are ‘Peace of Mind’, ‘Find A Way’ and ‘Only Way Out’. This would’ve got a 16...

Danny Brown – uknowhatimsayin¿: ...I played myself by not checking this out when it released (sometimes I feel cheated by how short albums are these days that I take a while to get to them...). Strong production, great flows and feels like a much lighter note than ‘Atrocity Exhibition’. This might have made 13...

Blue Lab Beats – Voyage: And AGAIN!!!! -_- I missed the EP and the album, both which I thoroughly enjoyed and for me is a strong progression from ‘Xover’. From the airy optimism of tracks like ‘Voyage’ and ‘On & On’, to the soulful hip-hop stylings of ‘Next (Wake Up)’ and ‘What R U Here 4?’, to that insane horn cypher on ‘Stand Up’, ‘Voyage’ peaks time and time again. This may possibly have made my top 3!

Yakul – Getting Late EP: I wasn’t familiar with this group until the group leader James Berkeley featured quite heavily on Incognito’s latest project. My sister had played one of their singles from 2020, ‘Streetlight’, which caused me to look for more of their music. To which I found this 6-track EP. ‘Thoroughly enjoyed and looking forward to more! ‘Past Tense’ and ‘Blossoming’ are standouts for me...

Alfa Mist – Structuralism: Yep! I missed this too...literally JUST AFTER having shared my 2019 list...’Structuralism’ ventures as deep into the keys as its predecessor ‘Antiphon’, but this feels like the stronger project for me. I think I just enjoy the instrumentals more...This may have made 15...

...2020:

20) Dominic J Marshall – Nomad’s Land:

After a number of more beat-based projects, musician Dominic J Marshall returns with more of a Jazz-led body of work. This time around however, there is a fair amount of singing and freestyle rapping, which doesn’t always work for me. Fortunately the compositions saves and in some cases enhances the singing et al. My favourites are ‘Herb-Lady’, ‘Feeling’, ‘On Time’ and ‘Hypernormalised’...

19) Run The Jewels – RTJ4:

‘Run The Jewels’ released this project for free! Production-wise, El-P bounces between head-nodding, almost backpacker hip-hop and more synth-led sounds. While I haven't really taken much of the subject matter in (apart from ‘A Few Words For The Firing Squad’), I’m feeling the flows, features and of course, the production. My favourites are ‘Out of Sight’, ‘Goonies vs. ET’ and ‘Never Look Back’...

18) Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes – What Kinda Music:

I’ve been looking forward to more music from Tom Misch since hearing ‘Geography’. The teaming up with Yussef Dayes has a lot of the tracks feel more explorative; The first half of the album particularly has me picturing spacious landscapes, the drumming bringing visions of some kind of quest to be fulfilled. I haven't revisited this album a lot this year, but it gets stronger for me every time I play it...

17) Mark de Clive-Lowe – Dreamweavers:

This project is the brainchild of drummer Tommaso Cappellato, features bassist Andrea Lombardini and allows multi-instrumentalist Mark de Clive-Lowe to revisit his musical roots as well as a few of his earlier compositions. A lot of the music on here offers moments of reflection, although it takes moments to bring quite high energy in tracks like ‘Volta Ao Mundo’ and elevation in tracks like ‘Dreamweavers’ and ‘Masina’s World’ (if you got the additional tracks). I loved the cover of ‘Motherland’...

16) Royce Da 5′9″ – The Allegory:

The idea behind this project is that most of (if not all) the tracks contain a hidden story or meaning. While a few of the messages went over my head (that or I didn't necessarily agree), I really enjoyed Royce’s flows and rhyme schemes, the features and the production, most of which was handled by Montgomery himself! My favourites are ‘I Don't Age’, ‘Pendulum’ and ‘FUBU’...

15) Duckwrth – SuperGood:

I checked this out based on a share from Gia from Twitter (I get a fair few recommendations from her...). Hearing ‘Kiss U Right Now’ prompted me to watch the visual album, which REALLY enhanced the experience of the project! ‘SuperGood’ is effectively an opportunity to reflect on those moments in life...where everything is cool (-_-). This doesn’t mean to ignore the stresses life throws at us but to appreciate the good regardless. I feel quite uplifted after playing this album. My favourites are ‘New Love Song’, Super Bounce’, ‘Weekend?’ and the optimistic closer ‘Find A Way’...

14) Nubya Garcia – SOURCE:

The first minute of the title track on here initially didn’t draw me in to hear more. But when that break came in...I was pretty much hooked. ‘SOURCE’ showcases Nubya’s growth as both a player and a writer/composer, as well as further cementing her place as a standout in this wave of contemporary UK Jazz artists. My favourites are ‘The Message Continues’, ‘Inner Game’ and ‘Boundless Beings’...

13) Ivan Ave – Double Goodbyes:

I wasn’t privy to this release until much later in the year. I checked this out having really enjoyed 2017′s ‘Every Eye’. The first three tracks felt like a departure from the aforementioned. The slightly stripped down sound wasn’t one I was particularly feeling, but the album picked up for me with ‘Triple Double Love’ onwards. I really related to the subject matter on ‘Guest List Etiquette’ and some of ‘Doobie’s Shout Outs’...

12) Georgie Sweet – Misunderstood:

My relationship with the Futuristica label is kind of like my relationship with ‘WWE’. I’m really deep into them for a while, then I leave for a while...’then I return. 2020 has been a year where I’ve perused the Futuristica projects deeper than I have in several years. I heard ‘What Have I Done’ and liked the hip-hop tinged Neo-Soul sound enough to check out the full album when it came out. I found the first few tracks pleasant enough and then ‘Sorry’ kicked in! The album then peaked again for me with ‘Half Human’ and stayed pretty consistent until the end. I’d definitely be interested in hearing more from Georgie Sweet in the future...

11) Ego Ella May – Honey For Wounds:

What a joy to see Ego Ella May return to music over the past few years!! I loved her EPs from the mid 2010s!! ‘Honey for Wounds’ shows a strong progression from her earlier work, taking on a more jazzy element this time around. The album covers themes of current events, love (self- and interpersonal), belonging and self-healing to name a few. ‘Honey For Wounds’ is a fitting album for these times, but will most certainly play well when on mellow, relaxed, or reflective moods...

10) KinKai – A Pennies Worth:

This was a recommendation from Dan. I’d kind of liked his feature on the Blue Lab Beats album ‘Voyage’ but I didn’t really pay attention until checking this album out. I will say that the soulful hip-hop production sucked me in initially. The production compliments KinKai’s flows and bars really well...

9) Nick Hakim – WILL THIS MAKE ME GOOD:

This was another share from Gia from Twitter. I would best describe this album as ‘Trippy Soul’. The music remains at a slow, almost sleepy pace, but with some welcome progressions. The longer tracks give me the opportunity to get lost in the instrumentals as Hakim’s vocals wane in and out during the vamps and ad-libs. My favourites are ‘BOUNCING’, ‘QADIR’, ‘GODS DIRTY WORK’ and ‘WHOO’...

8) Marie Dahlstrom – Like Sand:

This was a recommendation from Zoe, who was also in THAT clubhouse room! This album showcases the current direction that the Neo-Soul genre has been going in for a while, crossing over with some RnB elements and pushing that blunt delivery from time to time. ‘Like Sand’ stays at a relatively mellow pace, that for me is great to walk/drive to in the evening. My favourites are ‘Time’, ‘A Loveletter - And improvisation’, ‘I Want You’ and ‘Lullaby’...

7) Deborah Jordan – See In The Dark:

Deborah Jordan’s third solo album (I think it’s her 7th or 8th album overall) could possibly be her, dare I say it, magnum opus. ‘See In The Dark’ stays generally in the realm of Soul, but ventures into acoustic, hip-hop, broken beat and lo-fi genres. The subject matter covers self-belief, self-doubt, love, the pace of life and loss. The closing track ‘I’ll See You Again’ has become a personal standout for me...

6) Katalyst – Nine Lives:

I wasn’t privy to this band until World Galaxy Records said to check this out via Bandcamp. ‘Nine Lives’ is a welcome addition to the ever-growing slate of contemporary west coast Jazz albums coming out. This album for me stays at quite an optimistic tone, although the pace varies here and there to allow for the whole band, but particularly the horn section to showcase their versatility. My favourites are ‘BBB’, ‘The Leimert Suite’ and ‘Fitted’...

5) Thundercat – It Is What It Is:

This album title is easily the most used phrase of 2020 and that was before the handling of the current pandemic (specifically in the West). ‘It Is What It Is’ continues in a similar vein to Thundercat’s previous work ‘Drunk’. The subject matter stays particularly quirky, touching on trying to impress a love/lust interest, friendship and acceptance to name a few. The first third of the album does hint at the more focused direction that Thundercat could move on to. There are still the odd short tracks that don’t quite feel fully fleshed out. This has been a grower for me...

4) Quelle Chris & Chris Keys – Innocent Country 2:

Quelle Chris returns with previous collaborator Chris Keys to bring us the second season of ‘Innocent Country’. This album is more about the production for me although (again) I’m feeling the bars, flows and features. I particularly enjoyed the celebration of black culture toward the mid-portion of the album...

3) Kev Choice – Social Distancing:

The effects of the current pandemic inspired musician/emcee Kev Choice to write, record and release this time capsule of a project in the space of a little less than four weeks! ‘Social Distancing’ documents disappointment in the government’s response to the virus (specifically in the states), panic shopping, the effects on families, the self-reflection that time alone at home has offered and messages of staying positive despite everything. Standouts for me are ‘Morning Prayer’, ‘Be Still’, ‘Take Me To Your Leaders’ and ‘Break Me Down’...

2) Derrick Hodge – COLOR OF NOIZE:

Freda had shared the music video of ‘Heartbeats’, which prompted me to check out this album. Although Hodge on bass is clearly running the show, ‘COLOR OF NOIZE’ features two pianists and two drummers throughout the project. The music for me is like going on a long walk, my thoughts and emotions ranging from guilty, to angry, ultimately to hopeful, all while not really paying attention to how my surroundings have changed until the end...

1) Butcher Brown – #KingButch:

While this might not necessarily be my favourite of the year, it was (probably) the one I revisited the most. The band’s Trumpeter and (kind of) frontman Marcus Tenney takes on a fair amount of pretty well delivered emceeing throughout ‘#KingButch’. The first third is a funk affair, easing into Jazz after the mellowed out ‘Gum In My Mouth’, those tinges of funk do come and go in the latter thirds though. This was another project I really enjoyed driving to. The closing track ‘IDK’ is one of my favourite tracks of the year...

Honourable Mentions:

Nathan Thomas – Still Water: ‘Another Futuristica release. This project is also on the soulful side but makes the guitar more present on a lot of the songs on here. I did think this would make the list but (as always) there ended up being projects I enjoyed more so...

Samii – Figuring it Out: The 2000Black camp bring singer/songwriter Samii to the forefront for this 4-track EP. Tatham, Mensah, Lord & Ranks bring their signature genre-bending sounds and chord progressions as per...

Mike Blankenship – Living For The Future: This was released in 2015...

Cherise – Paradise (EP): My unofficial favourite project of 2017 was ‘Trope’s 5ive’ by the band ‘Trope’, which Cherise (Adams-Burnett) fronts. So I was quite pleased to find that this had been released. Throughout this 4-track EP, Cherise vocalises over quite a romantic soulful piece, a fairly traditional acoustic track, a grandiose jazz piece, ending with a stripped down orchestral number. The opener is my favourite...

Tatham, Mensah, Lord & Ranks – 6th: 2000Black doing what they do and still doing it well...

Bree Runway – 2000AND4EVA: Bree Runway elevates to Pop star status with her debut high-energy mixtape. This project flows so well; from the head nod energy of ‘Apeshit’, into the burst of electric guitar on ‘Little Nokia’, bringing us back to the poppy hip-hop sounds of ‘ATM’ and beyond. Hopefully we can get our act together by the summer and the music on here can be played where it’s SUPPOSED to be!!!...

Nate Smith – Light and Shadow: While waiting for the release of the next ‘Kinfolk’ project, Nate Smith gives us this short, cinematic collection of pieces, those elements of Jazz, Soul and Hip-hop ever present in Smith’s drumming and all around production. I can play this whole thing through pretty easily...I wonder if this is my unofficial favourite of 2020?...

Bluey – Tinted Sky: This is mostly more of the same from Bluey and (some of) the Incognito camp. I tend to like of a lot of the music they write and play. I do want to shout out the mid-portion of the album and Bluey’s disillusionment with how the UK has handled this pandemic so far was resonant...

Kamaal Williams – Wu Hen: The flow on this project is INSANE!!!! ‘Wu Hen’ realises what Kamaal Williams has been doing with his more recent live shows in such a coherent way!...

Andrew Ashong & Kaidi Tatham – Sankofa Season: Vocalist Andrew Ashong teams up with legend Kaidi Tatham on the music to give us a 30-minute project, covering looking back, love, positivity and encouragement for change...

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jonathantaylorthomas · 5 years ago

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18. London Boy

There are plenty of heavy moments on Lover, but "London Boy" bursts with cheeky joy, an homage to a transatlantic romance with a Idris Elba/James Corden snippet at the top and lines like “You can find me in the pub, we are watching rugby” to prove Swift’s U.K. bona fides. “London Boy” is knowingly silly, and while it never quite pulls off its premise, it’s also entertaining enough as an indulgence on the track list.

17. ME!, feat. Brendon Urie

With or without the “Spelling is fun!” line, the lead single of Lover now sounds fairly removed from the album’s general tone, especially considering how prominently Panic! at the Disco’s Brendon Urie is featured as a duet partner. Toss on “ME!” when you need a blast of kid-friendly euphoria.

16. Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince

With cheerleader chants punctuating her despair, Swift grasps at straws and a fractured U.S. reality: “American glory, faded before me, now I’m feeling hopeless, ripped up my prom dress,” she sings as the percussion lurches forward ominously. “Miss Americana” and its political subtext makes for the album’s most ambitious moment, and while the result isn’t quite pristine, it’s a fascinating pose for Swift to try and hit.

15. I Think He Knows

“I Think He Knows” finds Swift reaching into her bag of tricks and grabbing everything that will result in giddy fun, from pre-chorus rapping to sexual overtones to a falsetto-driven chorus to whiffs of funkiness. “Hand on my thigh/ We could follow the sparks, I’ll drive,” she declares with an alluring wink, pulling off the song’s primary objective.

14. I Forgot That You Existed

Feeling “in my feelings more than Drake” on the album opener, Swift spends the intro track shrugging off -- and literally giggling at -- her haters. The minimal, elastic production reinforces the playful mood and allows Swift’s personality to shine through.

13. Afterglow

“Why’d I have to break what I love so much,” Swift laments, as the drums widen and “Afterglow” barrels toward an epic chorus that echoes the most shimmering moments of 1989. Swift’s vocal take conveys an urgency that juxtaposes the sumptuous production, on a song that doesn’t bloom at first but arrests the listener after a few listens.

12. The Man

This biting look at gender dynamics within both the pop industry and celebrity-driven culture scores points for its wry humor and honest perspective; it’s also just a complete jam, with Joel Little co-writing another song with a rumbling beat and crackling synths. “The Man” will draw attention for its searing subject matter, but it’s also one of Lover’s most complete productions.

11. Paper Rings

Antonoff’s fingerprints are all over tambourine-shaker, which kicks off with the line “The moon is high, like your friends were the night that we first met” and races through a happy-go-lucky bubblegum vibe from there. With an electric guitar snaking through and a showy hook, “Paper Rings” is going to be an absolute blast on Swift’s next tour.

10. The Archer

“I’ve been the archer, I’ve been the prey,” Swift sings, referencing romantic ordeals but also nodding to the times in her public life that she’s been the target of derision, and other times where she’s had to strike back. Distant and melancholy, “The Archer” sounds even more effective in the context of the full-length.

9. Death by a Thousand Cuts

Swift sounds defeated as voices echo, bits of production whir around her and she shrugs during this aching breakup song “I get drunk, but it’s not enough.” Standard post-relationship fare for Swift, although there is a notable level of maturity -- even jadedness -- injected into lines like, “My heart, my hips, my body, my love/ Trying to find a part of me that you didn’t touch.”

8. Cornelia Street

Projecting a tiny moment of compassion onto a wide screen, Swift creates a classic story-song and allows her vulnerabilities to breathe. “Cornelia Street” peaks when the production drops out and the song morphs into a momentary piano ballad, creating one of the album’s most powerful moments.

7. You Need to Calm Down

Can we collectively admit that “You Need To Calm Down” is a knockout Taylor Swift single? Although some of the pro-LGBTQ lyrics feel like overreaching, the intent is pure and the words are meaningful; meanwhile, the hook packs a wallop, and the song title has already entered the cultural lexicon.

6. Soon You’ll Get Better, feat. Dixie Chicks

Intimate and blindingly sorrowful, “Soon You’ll Get Better” meditates on sickness by describing the shards of reality around it, from the harsh light of a doctor’s office to the feelings of selfishness that inevitably come with prolonged grief. The Dixie Chicks help with harmonies in a nifty bit of country-pop synergy, but this song is so personal it almost feels like eavesdropping to listen to it.

5. Lover

The title track is true to its name, all wide-eyed romance in a bewitching waltz buoyed by guitar strums. As a pre-release track, “Lover” is significantly different than singles like “ME!” and “You Need to Calm Down,” but its attention to detail and confidently expressed emotion recalls some of the early highlights of Swift’s career.

4. It’s Nice to Have a Friend

Distant harmonies, steel drums, vocals from the Regent Park School of Music and a story of the way simple gestures and schoolyard infatuations can morph into everlasting bonds mark one of the most original songs in Swift’s entire catalog. Short and sweet, “It’s Nice to Have a Friend” could potentially unlock new avenues for Swift as a songwriter moving forward; for now, it’s a poignant reminder of what she can accomplish as a writer.

3. False God

A Taylor Swift slow jam? Yes, please. This sultry faux-R&B track features saxophone blasts, pinpoint lyrical passages and an absolutely killer beat drop near the midway point. “False God” feels like both new territory for Swift and a major mood; keep this on repeat, because it’ll go down smooth every time.

2. Cruel Summer

With Annie Clark, better known as St. Vincent, providing a co-write and some guitar work, this standout is constructed around a massive, dreamy chorus that Swift handles expertly. “I’m drunk in the back of the car, and I cried like a baby coming home from the bar,” she declares on a provocative bridge that recalls “Out of the Woods,” another Jack Antonoff co-production.

1. Daylight

A grand finale that encapsulates much of what precedes it, “Daylight” is overpowering as a self-referential coda (“I once believed love would be burning red/ But it’s golden, like daylight,” she sings) and an exaltation to the healing power of love. Although there are strands of “Daylight” throughout Lover, this is one of the most successful instances of Swift’s maximalist pop sound to date.

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jmsa1287 · 6 years ago

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A Year in Review: The 15 Best Albums of 2018

More than the past few years, 2018 proved to be a year of consensus when it comes to music. There were a handful of artists who released must-hear albums, many of which were lauded. Ariana Grande, Troye Sivan, Drake, Beyonce and Jay Z, Kanye West and many more dropped albums we all had to stop and listen to. Some of those records appear on the list below, some don't.

I’ve never had this short of a list in the 11 years I’ve been thinking and writing about music. Maybe it’s due to my age but despite a handful of gems, the landscape has been pretty dreadful over the past few years.

15. MGMT - Little Dark Age

14. Beach House - 7

13. Now, Now, - Saved

12. Rita Ora - Phoenix

11. Oneohtrix Point Never - Age Of

10. Cat Power - Wanderer

Six years after her last album, singer-songwriter Chan Marshall a.k.a. Cat Power returned this year with the stripped down, raw and politically charged album "Wanderer." It's an effortless album that finds Marshall at her most minimal while she makes some of her biggest swings. The whispery "Woman," which features cooing from Lana Del Rey, is a hauntingly confidant song where their two voices create powerful layered sound. Marshall also adds Rihanna's ballad "Stay" to her lineup of covers and her take on the track is one Marshall's best takes on a pop song she's ever done.

09. Yumi Zouma - EP III

Although their newest EP only has four songs, Yumi Zouma's latest effort, aptly titled "EP III," is one of the year's best collection of songs. The New Zealand band have put a steady stream of their brand of shimmering dream pop. Single "In Camera" is a dazzling disco thumper that finds Yumi Zouma at the top of their craft. "Powder Blue / Cascine Park" is another highlight, a cool and slinky jam that comes with a soaring chorus. Yumi Zouma have two LPs under their belt but they seem to function best with EPs, offering small bursts of blissful musical sunshine.

08. Troye Sivan - Bloom

Troye Sivan's sophomore album "Bloom" is a radical shift for the out singer. It signaled a more mature and sophisticated sound, which fans noticed with his first single, the George Michael inspired "My My My!" a confidant explosion of love. The album's title track is radical queer expression — one not really heard in pop music before. Bluntly put, it's about bottoming, so says Sivan. More than that, it's a catchy bop. The same goes for the electrifying "Lucky Strike" and "Dance to This," which features Ariana Grande. "Bloom" also tender moments like the stellar "The Good Side" and the moving ballad "Postcard," featuring Gordi.

07. Ariana Grande - Sweetener

No doubt that Ariana Grande ruled 2018, easily one of the most talked about celebs thanks to her whirlwind engagement and breakup with "Saturday Night Live" star Pete Davidson, the tragic death of her ex-boyfriend rapper Mac Miller and, of course, "Sweetener," her fourth album. Though her most successful song of the year, "Thank U, Next," is from her upcoming fifth album, "Sweetener" is a powerful and emotional journey. It finds Grande working through her emotions about the Manchester Arena Bombing, her relationship with Miller and the highs of her romance with Davidson. With top-line producers (Pharrell, Max Martin, Hit-Boy and more), "Sweetener" has the confessionalism of a Taylor Swift album but the soul of Grande.

06. Sophie - Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides

Sophie's debut album "Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides" is a departure of sorts. The producer and musician previously released amped up pop songs — so sugary it would instantly give you a toothache. That glossy pop sound that sounds like music processed through a whacky funhouse mirror is found rarely found on Sophie's album. Instead, it's a deeply personal experimental effort that finds Sophie at her most venerable, like the raw balled "It's Okay to Cry," a queer anthem about self-acceptance. "Is It Cold in the Water?" is an atmospheric and painful ballad that flows and erupts with anger. "Ponyboy" is Sophie's sexiest song and the intense "Faceshopping" is another powerful song about identity. "Oil..." is an album that defies expectations and is incredibly rewarding.

05. Let’s Eat Grandma - I’m All Ears

The British duo Jenny Hollingworth and Rosa Walton made one of the most vibrant and impressive albums of the year. Under the name Let's Eat Grandma, "I'm All Ears" is a fantastical experimental record, that's both playful and fascinating. Skewering pop music with electrifying songs like "Hot Pink," "Falling into Me" and LP highlight "It's Not Just Me." Closing the album is the stirring ambient ballad "Ava" and the 11-minute "Donnie Darko," bonkers and epic synthy ride that solidifies Let's Eat Grandma as the future of pop music.

04. Mariah Carey - Caution

Mariah Carey's 15th album "Caution" may be her worst-selling albums since "Glitter," but it happens to be one of her best efforts in years. The compact 10-track album (a departure for most pop stars who usually offer an exhausting 15-20 tracks) is solid from front-to-back. Working with fresh producers, ranging from Poo Bear, DJ Mustard, Ninteen85, Blood Orange and even Skrillex, and veterans (Timbaland!), "Caution" is a sexy R&B album that finds Carey, who gets writing and producing credits on every track, figuring out the latest phase of her career. She never strains her vocals or even bothers for those iconic high-range Mimi notes: "GTFO" is a hilarious and sultry breakup song, "A No No" is another sexy and funny standout as is "The Distance," featuring Ty Dolla $ign.

03. The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

The British band the 1975's third album "A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships" is their most ambitious and sprawling offering yet. Though it takes on a number of heavy topics, like lead singer Matty Healy's rehab and addiction as well as global issues like Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, the death of Lil Peep and so much more, "A Brief Inquiry" is beautifully positive; a glowing piece of music that offers hope in a chaotic and messed up world. The band does this while drawing on some of the best music ever made ranging from Radiohead's "acoustic" album "The Bends," the sophistipop U.K. band the Blue Nile, Kanye West, electro dubstep musician Burial, the Talking Heads, Justin Bieber, Michael Bolton and so much more. "I Love it if We Made it" is a hopeful anthem for a generation and the thesis of "A Brief Inquiry," an album that tells us the world is shit but there's still light at the end of the tunnel.

02. Robyn - Honey

Robyn's last album "Body Talk" from 2010 contained some of the best music of the 21st century, namely "Dancing On My Own." There were plenty of other highlights ("Hang with Me," "Call Your Girlfriend") but looking back eight years later, it's a flawed album. "Honey" is the inverse of "Body Talk." From start to finish there isn't one skippable song. The highs are higher on "Body Talk" and Robyn doesn't even bother trying to top "DONMO." Instead, the Swedish pop star unleashed a beautiful dance album that's sexy and emotional. On "Body Talk," she told fans she was a femmebot. On "Honey," she's a "Human Being" — a stunning and hypnotic song finding Robyn at her most personal. Elsewhere, "Because it's in the Music" is a shimmering nu-disco banger about a broken romance, "Beach 2k20" is a novelty song that sounds like it's the theme for a TV show about a cruise ship that sails across the universe. Closer "Ever Again" is a pulsating and glittery jazzercize-like jam where Robyn is at her most venerable and confessional: "Never gonna be brokenhearted / Ever again / (That shit's out the door) / I'm only gonna sing about love / Ever again."

01. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour

Kacey Musgraves' third album "Golden Hour" finds the country singer at her peak. Always a clever songwriter, Musgraves outdid herself here, penning some of the best songs of her career, including the breakup ballad "Space Cowboy" and the disco-country bop "High Horse." "Golden Hour" is a record, that sounds like it was inspired by Beck's iconic breakup album "Sea Change," that finds Musgraves going big and small, contemplating life, love and her relationships. The melancholy "Lonely Weekend" strums along until she hits you with the lyric: "I got a million things to do, but I haven't done a single one, no / And if my sister lived in town, I know that we'd be doin' something fun." The interlude "Mother," is a small devastating song that packs the biggest punch on "Golden Hour." "I'm just sitting here thinking 'bout the time that's slipping / And missing my mother, mother / And she's probably sitting there / Thinking 'bout the time that's slipping / And missing her mother, mother." Still, she makes room on the album to sing about drinking, doing drugs but infuses every second on "Golden Hour" with humanity that's earth-shatteringly touching.

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makistar2018 · 5 years ago

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Every Song Ranked on Taylor Swift's 'Lover': Critic's Picks

8/23/2019 by Jason Lipshutz

First thing’s first: Taylor Swift’s seventh studio album, Lover, is 18 tracks long, and none of the tracks are bad. It’s a testament not only to Swift’s skill as a songwriter and curator of different sonic approaches, but of the album’s ability to avoid huge missteps, or even slow stretches.

Upon its release, Swift fans have been exploring the long-awaited new full-length and deciding on which songs are their favorites. We offer our own humble opinion in this practice.

18. London Boy

17. ME!, feat. Brendon Urie

16. Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince

15. I Think He Knows

14. I Forgot That You Existed

13. Afterglow

12. The Man

11. Paper Rings

10. The Archer

9. Death by a Thousand Cuts

8. Cornelia Street

7. You Need to Calm Down

6. Soon You’ll Get Better, feat. Dixie Chicks

5. Lover

4. It’s Nice to Have a Friend

3. False God

2. Cruel Summer

1. Daylight

Billboard

#taylor swift #lover #ts7 #billboard #review #2019.08.23

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a-toast-to-my-real-friends · 5 years ago

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LOVER RANKINGS

Alright, y’all may or may not know, I’m a Taylor Swift fan. Chad Willard posted his Rankings and Reasons for her newest album, Lover, and it inspired me to do the same. So, for the two of you who care about my personal Taylor opinions: here they are.

I haven’t sat with Lover long enough yet to really figure out where I am with it. Speak Now is my peak Taylor Swift album. I love the honesty and vulnerability on all those songs. My emotions oftentimes seem overwhelming, irrational, and illogical, and I feel like a crazy person because I tell myself, “Johnathan, you shouldn’t feel this way, so and so hasn’t done anything wrong, if anybody knew you were THIS upset about THIS situation, they’d all laugh and tell you to relax and calm down and that you were acting crazy.” And oh buddy, if I weren’t acting crazy before, best believe I’d act crazy after.

Speak Now makes me feel like it’s OK to be overwhelmed by my feelings, and Taylor does such a great job of saying exactly how I feel.

So I say all that to say, I’ll probably compare every Taylor album to Speak Now. Does Lover make me feel the same way Speak Now does? Yes and no.

I like Lover a lot. To be fair, I have listened more to the first half than the last, only because by the time I get to “Death By a Thousand Cuts” I want to go back and listen to “I Forgot that You Existed” again. I’m going to agree with what Chad said that Hannah said: “our enjoyment of her songs oftentimes stems from where our current relationship status is.” I’m so happy that Taylor is in such a healthy, great place emotionally, and that she’s so deeply in love – and the songs she’s made are SO GOOD; but I think I’m having a difficult time enjoying them the way I would if I were in a solid, committed, tried and true relationship. I listen to “I think he knows” and “Paper Rings” and “Lover” and instead of being all glowy and glittery I just feel – sad, I guess. Which maybe explains why I like Speak Now so much, because a lot of those are sad and Overwhelmingly Emotional.

Anyway, TO THE RANKINGS!

18: False God. I just think it’s sonically boring. It’s not fun to sing along to, and the lyrics don’t do enough for me to raise it any higher. I’m gonna give it a little bit longer, maybe it’ll eventually grow on me, but it’s dangerously close to becoming a skip.

17: Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince. I’m going to get dragged for this, but it’s got the same chord progression as “So it Goes” from REPUTATION, and tbh, that one is a skip for me too. Maybe I’m not deep enough or politically educated enough to see all the brilliance behind it, but I’ll give it points for the line “It’s you and me, that’s my whole world,” though.

16: It’s Nice To Have a Friend: Meh. This just seems like a list of unrelated things she’s done with Joe. Again, maybe I’m not deep enough to understand the brilliance, but what is she trying to say? And the song is so repetitive, it doesn’t keep my interest. All this snow, ya know?

15: The Man. It’s a fun song, good beats, fun to sing along to. But as a white male, the content is unrelatable to me. Which is the point, I suppose. The song isn’t meant for me. I appreciate it, for sure, and I think it’s important, but I just don’t feel the way she feels, so it’s just strange to sing along to it. I don’t wonder if I’d get there faster if I was a man, because I am a man.

14: Soon You’ll Get Better. OK, I LOVE this song, to be clear. It’s so sad, so relatable, so pretty to listen to. Hello Dixie Chicks, glad to have you back. I cried the first time I heard it, because I’ve followed along with her mom’s struggle with cancer, and I’ve two really close friends who have lost parents recently to sickness, and the thought of them feeling this way just breaks my heart. The only reason it’s so low on my list is because I like the other songs so much. Here’s where it starts to get difficult for me.

13: London Boy. This one is a lot of fun, it’s fun to sing along to, and I like the fast rappy bridge. Gotta work on getting those lyrics down. I also like the small details about the steps that we all take in relationships, specifically meeting all of his best mates and listening to his stories from uni.

12: ME!. Brendon Urie come through with those vocals. I think I’m a little biased towards this one, just because of the video, and the excitement that always surrounds a new Taylor era. It was the first thing we saw post REPUTATION era, snakes into butterflies, all the bright colors in the video, the peppy catchy chorus. I also strongly relate to “I know that I’m a handful baby…but I promise that nobody’s gonna love you like me.”

11: Daylight. Highly relatable content here. I always say Taylor knows exactly where I am and what I’m going through. Speak Now, I was living in New York, struggling in every aspect, and spent a lot of that era feeling pretty lonely and crazy, broken, losing friends and missing them but not knowing how to say any of that to them. Red was a carry-over. 1989 I had moved to Orlando, was living in the Wolf Den with a bunch of doods that I loved, everything felt neon and electric and exciting. Reputation I had been kicked out of my house and betrayed and felt very snake like, unforgiving, and hard-hearted. And February of this year, I moved into a house I had found, picked amazing people to move in with, and felt in control of my life again. And if you happen to follow Taylor culture, that’s the same month she posted the picture with the seven palm trees to her instagam, which kicked off the whole Lover era. I say all that to say, it was time for me to step into the daylight and let it all go. To be defined by the things that I love, not the things I hate, or haunt me in the middle of the night. I only want to see daylight and think of that that special person, you know?

10: Afterglow. Hello Speak Now. It’s all me, in my head. I’m the one that burned us down, but it’s not what I meant. I don’t want to do this to you, and I don’t want to lose this with you. It’s the perfect example, IMHO, of unconditional love. Here’s all my crazy. Here’s all my insecurities. They’re going to rear their ugly head, will you please love me even with those? Here’s what I need from you in those moments of temporary emotional insanity: Tell me that you're still mine, tell me that we'll be just fine, even when I lose my mind. Tell me that I'm all you want even when I break your heart. And when you do that, I’ll say “I’m sorry that I hurt you.” What a beautiful picture of loving and being loved in return.

9: You Need To Calm Down. I dunno how closely y’all follow my antics on Facebook, but when this video dropped, I casually posted it because I liked the message. As a believer in Christ, I feel the Christian community has done a HORRIFIC job of loving the LBGTQ community, and my simple post BLEW UP, proving my point. Sidebar, I also link the first listen of this song to being in Toy Story Land with Topher, Jessica, and Leslie, huddling around my phone under the giant Christmas lights for our second dive into New Taylor.

8: Paper Rings. Ok now it’s starting to get super hard narrowing it down. We’ve entered my True Jams™ section. The only reason this is at the bottom of my True Jams™ section is because I ain’t in love like this, so where I want to feel like glitter is exploding inside of me, I just feel like dried glue the glitter was meant to stick to. I love how deeply personal it is, I love the specificity, and the song is a BOP. Standout lyrics: “I’m with you even if it makes me blue,” and “I want your complications too, I want your dreary Mondays…”

7: I Think He Knows. A Bop. Fun. Sexy. Coy and flirtatious, while also owning her power. The rappy bits. I’ve never felt a longing for somebody’s body just by the way they hold a cold glass, but boy, does this song make me want to. What specifics, what detail. Also – “I want you, bless my soul.” HONESTLY. BLESS IT LORD.

6: The Archer. Giving me those Speak Now vibes. All my heroes die alone – I jumped from the train, I ride off alone. The LONGING. The wanting to be wanted. Knowing you’re good enough, knowing you have a lot to offer – but also knowing that it’s so much that maybe nobody can handle it all. I’ve got so much to offer, who could ever leave me? I’m too much to handle – god, who could put up with all of it?

5: Cornelia Street. My God can I relate to this. I’m ALWAYS looking for the ending, for someone I love to tell me they’re leaving because being with me is too much. I always prepare for the worst case scenario. And only recently have I started to believe that maybe the worst case won’t always happen? Maybe somebody will stay? But man, my natural impulse, my knee-jerk reaction, will always be to get as far away from any and all memories of the good times. I don’t want to be reminded of the beauty and joy and greatness because it will just keep reminding me that I don’t have it anymore, and there’s nothing I could do to get it back.

4: Death by a Thousand Cuts. Ahhh, yesss, Taylor. Speak to me of being left and of the heartbreak that brings. Also, make it a bop. I constantly find myself looking through the boarded up windows of past relationships, and I see the chandelier still flickering and see all the beautiful moments, though they may have lost the radiance they once had. Saying goodbye is the worst, endings are the worst, new beginnings mean something else ended stale. Also being given up like I was a bad drug – reminds me of a line from “Better Man”: “You pushed my love away like it was some kind of loaded gun.” Pure Taylor and I’m here for it.

3: I Forgot that You Existed. On repeat. Will dance and sing to this endlessly. Also always here for a good snarky twist of the kinfe.

2: Lover. Again, the longing. The vulnerability. Asking the questions that are scary to ask, that people would think you are insane for asking someone. Loving somebody so much that you put everything else aside, and all you want is to ask, ��Can I go where you go?” Clingy. Needy. Co-dependent. As brave as it would be to ask a question like that, the fear of being seen as any of these things will keep most from doing it. Which probably hinders more than it helps, because if somebody loves us, truly loves us, we should be able to ask that without any fear of anyone or anything. But I’ll sing it and pretend.

1: Cruel Summer. SO. SINGABLE. I love the chorus. It gets stuck in my head. I love the lyrics. The frailty. A relationship that started as friends with benefits, her saying “it’s cool, no rules,” when secretly she’s falling in love and fears saying it, because she thinks it’d be the worst thing he’s ever heard. Yeah, OK, please stop reading my diary, girl. But the best part is, IMHO, he feels the same way about her, and also has feared speaking up, which is why he’s grinning like a devil, because he’s so happy because he feels the same way. 10/10 cant’ stop listening.

And there you have it, folks. Time may change my rankings, relationships may change my rankings, but from where I sit, 10 days in, these are my thoughts. If you made it this far, I’d love to know what you think of the album, and your rankings!!! As if I’ll ever pass up a chance to talk about/listen to someone talking about Taylor Swift. Sound off!

#TAYLOR SWIFT #lover #swiftes #swifty #taylurking

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filmaficionerdo · 6 years ago

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Best Films of 2018

2018 was not the year for prestige pictures by a long shot. Film this year was at its best when it came to superhero movies, and as much as I prefer those over most any other entertainment, that shouldn’t be the case, and that’s not what got me into film in the first place. As happy as I am to see my favorite comic book characters come to life, I got into film because of daring, bold, and outspoken artists who didn’t need a franchise to speak their minds. Too many mid-range films went to Netflix or other streaming services and they’re mostly of poor quality with a few exceptions. I miss the days when film studios took risks, but now they only look for the largest IP with the largest net-profits. It’s sad. I love Marvel movies more than anyone I know but they shouldn’t be the only reason I look forward to going to the theater. But this year also sparked a personal change for me because I moved away from the movie mecca of Hollywood to mid-Michigan, where there aren’t any arthouse theaters nearby during peak awards season so I missed more films than I would’ve liked (even though it’s been the most emotionally rewarding experience I’ve ever had) so I hope that helps explain why this list is so late. I’ve been catching up on independent films via online rentals as soon as I can and still have many left unseen. So maybe I missed something during 2018, but I can’t help but be letdown by the lack of inspiration I look to when I try to experience the medium I’m most passionate about. With that being said, I was still able to conjure a list of my favorite 25 films of the year. So, here goes:

25. Halloween

This was way better than I would’ve expected, especially coming from the guys who brought us Your Highness. Director David Gordon Green and writer Danny (Eastbound & Down) McBride delivered the first worthy Halloween sequel that’s ever existed. Their updated and timely subversion elevated this homage-y sequel while adding more fun than this franchise has ever seen. John Carpenter’s contribution and the opening credits sequence hit hard with me.

24. Ready Player One

Haters be damned, I really enjoyed this movie. Of course, I never read the book so that discredits me somewhat but what I got was a rousing Spielbergian experience that we haven’t witnessed since Minority Report. If you hate this movie, but you loved Hook, there’s something fundamentally wrong with what you think a Spielberg movie is supposed to be about. Ready Player One was a toybox of fun ideas and intellectual properties sewn together for a generation hung up on video games and nostalgia. It’s definitely not his best but I love seeing a veteran director who still has the ability to dust off his old toys and make pretend. The Shining sequence was an absolute standout of appreciation and love for another director’s craft.

23. Sorry to Bother You

Boots Riley’s debut was strong and weird as hell. This felt like Spike Lee meets David Cronenberg. It’s funny, nuanced, and insightful. Riley’s new voice was energetic and angry in the best way. I saw this later in the year than I wanted to, but I have a feeling that repeat viewings will enhance this films relevance and my appreciation.

22. You Were Never Really Here

Lynne Ramsay is one of the best and most unpredictable working directors today. I always look forward to her work, but this semi-Taxi Driver remake was remarkably accessible for her and more powerful than it had any right to be. If you haven’t seen it, seek it out. It’s a crisp 88 minutes long and it’s riveting as well as heartbreaking. There was a uniqueness to the short runtime, violence, and poignant urgency that she handled with deftness. Joauquin Phoenix was remarkable, brute, and subtle all at once.

21. Ant-Man & The Wasp

Go ahead and agree that this wasn’t the strongest Marvel output in a while, but just like the previous Ant-Man, it’s a palette cleanser from a previous Avengers film. Ant-Man & The Wasp is maybe the most child friendly film they’ve ever released and it was still enjoyable as hell. It’s not important. It’s simple fun. And I love that Marvel still knows how to craft something that doesn’t want or need to reach for the fences. Sometimes an inside the field hit is just what we need. Ant-Man & The Wasp is a damn good bunt.

20. The Incredibles 2

Now that I hang out with a toddler on the reg, watching this movie never gets boring. I’d know, because she’s watched it with me five times. Incredibles 2 was long overdue and it’s maybe not quite so worthy of such a long wait considering the original was my favorite film of 2004, but its sequel was still full of exceptional animation. That sequence with Jack Jack and the raccoon still fills me with joy.

19. A Star is Born

Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut was surprisingly strong. Filming everything in close-ups was an intimate and innovative way to express a rising star’s personal journey to stardom. Even though we can all agree that the first half of the film is vastly superior to the tear-turkey-jerky second half, it’s still an important film and a worthy update of a timeless classic. The music, performances, cinematography, and sound are all exceptional.

18. BlacKkKlansman

Spike Lee felt reborn with BlacKkKlansman. Do The Right Thing will always be one of the all time greatest films; no question. BlacKkKlansman might be his best since. John David Washington just established himself as a commanding lead, and Adam Driver further cemented himself as a phenomenal actor. The poetic-ness combined with the satirical edginess made this one significantly heartbreaking watch while being entertaining and iconic all at the same time.

17. The Death of Stalin

I saw The Death of Stalin early in 2018 and it never left me. Writer/Director Armando Iannucci is a certifiable genius and the controversial nature of a film like this was one of the most refreshing voices of the year. This is one of the darkest political satires I’ve ever seen but it’s so goddamn funny. Laughing at something so atrocious and maddening is one of the only ways we, as a society, can heal from dark times in history. I fully believe it takes the power away from the people who committed such heinous crimes. It takes time and a brilliant voice, but it holds a mirror to the ridiculousness we’re currently subjected to, and hopefully with time, we can make fun of our situation too.

16. Leave No Trace

Debra Granik finally followed up her outstanding Winter’s Bone debut and she did not suffer from the sophomore slump that so many other filmmakers have. Leave No Trace is the saddest love letter to veterans that I’ve ever seen even though it’s beautiful and full of hope. Granik definitely should’ve gotten a Best Director nomination this year for her delicate and heartfelt look at a father struggling with PTSD while living with his daughter in the woods, away from society. Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie are stunning. This film stayed with me for weeks after I watched it. It’s a small but hugely important film.

15. Annihilation

Alex Garland previously made his directorial debut with Ex Machina after an incredible script writing filmography. He’s established himself as one of the smartest and most important voices in science fiction cinema after Annihilation. This is a heady sci fi film that scared the shit out of me. I felt uneasy the second the group of women walked into The Shimmer. Garland adapted the book it’s based on after only reading the book once, but he created something so frighteningly ethereal that it’ll be talked about for years. The score for this was off the charts good. Going from an acoustic instrumental to something electronic was what struck me the most as a stroke of genius.

14. Shoplifters

For a film I saw so recently, very few films this year have had such an emotional impact on me. Shoplifters is a small “family” film from Korean director Hirokazu Kore-eda, but it packs a punch that I wasn’t expecting. All I knew was that critics loved it and it was up for a Best Foreign Language Oscar. It’s a powerhouse of social status and what it means to be a family that defies language and cultural relevance.

13. First Man

First Man hit me hard on a personal level. I’d sort of written off Damien Chazelle as a director after La La Land underwhelmed me so much, but this film reinvigorated my appreciation in him because the filmmaking here was profoundly beautiful. The acting is impeccable. The cinematography was breathtaking. Seeing this in IMAX (as my last film in LA) was a jaw-dropping cry-fest. I left the theater shook. I doubt this film will shake as many as it did me, especially if you missed it in IMAX, but this was the theater experience of the year. At least recognize that Justin Hurwitz’s musical score was the most overlooked snub at this years Academy Awards.

12. Suspiria

This was another film I’d sorely missed in theaters, but when I finally got a chance to witness it I was blown away. Luca Guadaninio’s follow-up to my favorite film of last year, Call Me By Your Name, was a worthy successor. This was less a horror film, and more of an art-house homage to Dario Argento’s original 70s classic. It’s still a haunting film, but in a beautifully macabre way. Thom Yorke’s score is absolutely outstanding, as well as the subversively drab look, completely deviating from the originals color saturated visual palette. It’s a film that has to be watched more than once. Even though it’s 2.5 hours long, I was completely transfixed the entire time. It’ll depend on your mood or taste, but if you enjoy artistic, visual, and auditory enhanced horror, Suspiria is among the best.

11. Mandy

Throw up the horns. Mandy is here. Pasmos Cosmatos cerebral horror film is full of the best revenge porn I’ve ever seen. Nicolas Cage is unhinged (as he should be) in his best performance in ages. He’s the Cage we’ve been dreaming of since the 90s. The first half of this film belongs to Andrea Riseborough and underrated character actor Linus Roache, but the second half is all Rage Cage in full gory glory. Mandy is a film unlike anything you’ve ever seen, but yet somehow it’s still completely accessible. The title cards for each chapter are something straight out of a Heavy Metal comic book, and the hauntingly beautiful score by the late-genius Jóhann Jóhannsson is simply gorgeous. Mandy is a film meant to be laughed at and with. It’s a fever-dream of ideas that work brilliantly as a whole. It’s a hard one to recommend but if you know, you know.

10. Eighth Grade

Bo Burnham just burst onto the directorial scene with this film about the awkwardness of being a thirteen year old girl. Not something you’d expect from a male standup comedian in times like these, especially when it’s handled so delicately and with so much heart, but it feels so important to young kids who’ve been thrown into subjectivity amongst their peers within the digital age. Eighth Grade can, at times, make you so uncomfortable, and at other times it’ll completely tear your heart out and make you want to hug your dad. I know, because I saw it in the theater with my dad. He was like, you’re still the eighth grade girl you’ve always been. Thanks, dad.

9. Aquaman

I know there isn’t a ton of hate for this film, but there isn’t a ton of high praise for it either. Aquaman was exactly the film James Wan set out to make. It’s one of the most comic book-y films since Age of Ultron except it’s dumb as hell, and for that, I absolutely LOVED it. This was a throwback comic book film ripped from the pages that was corny as hell and never took itself too seriously. Aquaman is a damn hard character to adapt so it’s unbelievable that he got this big of a budget that included over-the-top actors like Willem Dafoe and Dolph Lundgren. Patrick Wilson chews the scenery as Ocean Master and I don’t give a damn what people think of Black Manta; he’s completely awesome. You could’ve easily cut this film down, but I was happy to live in its oceanic cheesball world for hours. Aquaman was the comic book movie of the year that was as ridiculous as it was awesome. I laughed so hard at how stupid it could be, but I couldn’t help but be entertained by how insane it was.

8. Mission: Impossible Fallout

I don’t know how these films keep getting better, but they do. This was THE action film of 2018. As much as I love Fast & Furious 5-7, Mission: Impossible 4-6 has been the best run of a long running action franchise ever. Fallout brought one of the best villains yet in a story that barely makes sense, but I couldn’t care less. This film was big in that edge-of-your-seat way that rarely comes along. Thrilling doesn’t begin to describe it. The IMAX presentation was fantastic. I live for movies like this. It harkens back to 80s and 90s action films but presents itself for a whole new era of practical effects extravaganza. It’s the best action film since Mad Max: Fury Road.

7. Black Panther

There are a lot of people questioning this film’s entry as a Best Picture Nominee, but it absolutely deserves all of the recognition it’s getting. Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther is both culturally and politically significant as it is cinematically. This film is a culmination of what Marvel has been growing to. The Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t simply about story progression, it’s about cultural progression. These films represent societal beacons of the times we live in through decades old comic book prisms. The lore and spirit of the comics are still present, as well as relevant, and the socio-political themes have been injected into them effortlessly.

A character like Black Panther can be a leader of change within his own cinematic universe. Marvel’s created something that transcends blockbuster cinema. Black Panther is now an icon of cultural appreciation that can inspire real change in the real world. He’s an optimistic embodiment of what we should strive to achieve as a society. We should share with the world our hope for change. Comic Book’s have never been so relevant. Black Panther has never been so important.

6. Roma

Director Alfonso Cuarón’s intimate portrayal of life as a housemaid was one of the most vibrantly affecting films I’ve ever seen. Every single shot wasn’t just a landscape; it was a mural. I’ve never seen direction take this angle and provide so much while saying so little. Some people might’ve felt emotionally disconnected from his style but Cuarón’s masterful direction captivated me like very few films this year had. There are multiple layers to his visual representation that effect more of what’s seen than what’s said. It’s not an easy watch and perhaps that’s part of why it was released by Netflix. Unfortunately, I had to watch this at home instead of in theaters, but I still felt the impact of the themes and presentation. It’s one of the few Best Picture nominees that truly belong in the category that’ll stand the test of time.

5. Paddington 2

This was one of the earliest releases of 2018 and it never escaped my mind throughout the year. Paddington 2 advances upon the original’s tone to encapsulate something that is pure joy. Paul King directed the bejeezus out of this movie. I felt like I was watching Wes Anderson meets Harry Potter. I saw Paddington 2 in theaters with just one mother and daughter couple and it never felt weird. The only thing that’s weird is that more people haven’t seen this film. I had a smile from ear to ear the entire time. This movie is magic. Like the Harry Potter films, all of the best British actors are present, and Hugh Grand and Brendon Gleeson give their best performances in years, if not ever. Hugh Grant should’ve been nominated for Best Supporting Actor. If you haven’t seen this hidden gem yet, do your soul a favor and seek it out immediately.

4. The Favourite

Yorgos Lanthimos is on a roll. This nutty Greek director began his career with the insane film, Dogtooth, and hasn’t let up since. But he’s also learned and built from his previous work. What started as something of a cultish followed career has expanded into prestigious and innovative filmmaking. I’d nearly missed this film in theaters until I drove across the state to see this with my parents in Ann Arbor, and although it might be one of the worst movies to see with your parental units, we all could agree that this was a uniquely hilarious and thought-provoking experience. At first, I wasn’t sure what to think because I was too busy trying to avoid talking to my mom and dad about Emma Stone jerking somebody off, but The Favourite stayed with me for weeks and I loved dissecting all of its themes and nuances. The Favourite is both entertaining and timely. It’s another one of the films this year that absolutely belong with (and should’ve won) the Best Picture nominations.

3. Widows

Steve McQueen’s Widows was vastly underseen and underrated. Here’s a director who usually only does vague, cerebral drama, but working with Gillian Flynn as a screenwriter adapting Lynda LaPlante’s 1983 novel about wives finishing the heist their husbands failed to complete before their untimely deaths, is about as pulpy and as timely as you can get. There are a lot of stories woven into Widows epic crime saga and some critics have faulted the film’s narrative for it, but look at Heat; one of the most prolific crime sagas of all time, which has more subplots than you could imagine, yet it’s still widely regarded as one of the best films ever made. Widows is the best film of its kind since Heat in 1995. It still carries the acting heavyweights and still compelled me more than nearly any other film in 2018.

2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Into the Spider-Verse is one of the few films in 2018 that has the power to influence cinema for the future. Not only is it extraordinarily entertaining, but it’s also innovative in terms of style and theme. No other film in 2018 was this inventive and groundbreaking. I was definitely excited to see this as a lifelong Spider-Man fan, but based on Sony’s mishandling of the character for years, it had me extremely cautious. Thanks to Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s impeccable screenplay, I got more than the Spider-Man I’ve always wanted to see. This is a Spider-Man for a new generation. He’s not my Spider-Man, he never was. This film is for everyone, and I mean EVERYONE. The cell-shaded animation and soundtrack elevated this film into bonafide classic territory. I couldn’t even comprehend it after I first saw it, because I wasn’t ready for something so new. Months after I watched this film, I could not stop thinking about it. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is so nerdy for the fans and so accessible to the newcomers. It feels like I’m living in an alternate universe where good movies in 2018 DO exist.

1. Avengers: Infinity War

The *Snap* heard ‘round the World...

Marvel has a good history of taking formulas from other genres and using them as a framing device for their superhero films; political thrillers, space operas, video games, heist films are all borrowed ideas that helped them keep the superhero genre from feeling stale. Avengers: Infinity War is Marvel’s fantasy epic. This is the Lord of the Rings of the MCU. The result is legendary. The Russo Bros. looked at their massive roster of heroes, who audiences have come to deeply care for over ten years, and came up with a way to tell one cohesive world-ending story centered around one villain; the mad titan, Thanos. They looked at Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, and they saw how well those were balanced, and they applied it to a superhero film. It’s unbelievably well executed. The big reason Infinity War works so cosmically well is Josh Brolin’s portrayal of Thanos. We couldn’t get behind another world-ending event in these movies unless we believed and understood the villain that was behind it all. Brolin gave Thanos both menace and pathos. From the moment the movie starts, the stakes feel real. None of the characters are safe because we believe Thanos is capable of anything from the very beginning. There aren’t many epics where we spend this much time with the villain. Thankfully, Marvel knows we already care about the heroes, so after building up a ten year rapport between audiences and protagonists it was finally time to focus on the Big Cheese who’s behind all the conflict. This movie is so comic book/fantasy it’s ridiculous. I loved every second of it and could not wipe the smile off my face nor the tears from my eyes. I felt like my ten year old self, alone and engrossed in the most epic comic book I’ve ever read. I was shaken when I left the theater. I turned around and watched it again just 30 minutes after my first viewing, and I couldn’t believe how captivated I was the second time, third time, forth viewing, fifth, sixth, and so on... Nothing could’ve prepared me for this film and I’m so thankful it exists.

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donheisenberg · 7 years ago

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Top 20 TV Shows of 2017:

So this is the bit where I talk about how difficult it is to write a top 20 list because of peak TV, yada, yada, yada. If you are into TV criticism you have read it all before several over the last few years, the thing is while it might feel like a cliche it is totally true and with every year it become more true. Trying to watch everything out there is impossible and trying to then narrow down what you have watched to a list of 20 is almost as difficult. Every show on this list had an outstanding year as shown by some of the shows I left off of the list. In any other year the likes of Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Americans would be givens even if they just had middling seasons but not this year. It was truly a great year for TV and here are my top 20 shows of 2017.

Shows I Did Not Get Around to Watching/Completing That May Have Made My List: The Deuce The Handmaid’s Tail (to watch) Legion (to watch) Better Things Search Party Difficult People

Honorable Mention: Rick and Morty (season 3): Shout out to Review as well, which was excellent but just had to few episodes for me to really count it. In terms of Rick and Morty it was often in the news (or at least the twitter news) for the wrong reasons this year as a group of its fans decided to act like complete dickheads for a period of time. All of which deflected from the fact it had its best season ever. I’ve always had issues with the show and basically how pro-Rick and his asshole behavior Harmon and co seem to be and this year didn’t necessarily dissuade me of that but on a week to week basis it was crafting, ambitious and well thought out stories, at a rate the show had never before.

No 20: Fargo (season 3): As many observed this was not Fargo’s finest year and it maybe took a while to get going. It is also the case that 3 seasons in it is tougher for a show as idiosyncratic as this one to surprise us. When a seemingly major character dies in episode 1 it is less of a shock than it should be because that is what happened in season 1. Yet at the same time I so enjoyed this season and the performances by the likes of Carrie Coon (more on her later), Ewan MacGregor and David Thewlis and you still had episodes as excellent as The Law of Non-Contradiction.

No 19) Veep (season 6): Similar to Fargo this was a just slightly below average year for Veep, but even then the quality of the ensemble is so far above any other comedy out there and the quality of the writing/jokes/insults is again just of the highest order. There are few shows I enjoy more than Veep.

No 18) Master of None (Season 2): In my review I did write about how aspects of MON did frustrate me. For it’s social awareness, it is a show that wants me to desperately feel sorry for the man with seemingly the nicest/most privileged life in the world. The extent to which the show is essentially lifestyle porn at times can be a problem and the extent to which the show never questions Dev’s actions can also be a little off-putting. Yet having said that the good outweighs the bad and then some. The show crafts so many beautiful fully realized episodes and months after watching it is episodes like Thanksgiving that stick with me, more than the show’s flaws.

No 17) The Young Pope (Season 1): I’m not sure I get The Young Pope. I love it but I’m not sure I get it. Even in this age of weird TV there is something truly odd about this show. So difficult to write about because it does not conform to any conventions or labels and that’s why it makes this list. Having said all of this I’m not quite sure the show ever hit the heights of its pilot (even if it remained excellent throughout) and that’s why it is not a little bit higher.

No 16) Brockmire (Season 1): Brockmire is exactly the sort of gem that can get lost in this golden age, but for those few of us who did see it we know that it was one of the most raucous, hilarious and endearing comedies out there. I don’t know or care about baseball at all but I do love Brockmire and can’t wait til it comes back.

No 15) Brooklyn Nine Nine (season 4/5): Just as Brockmire can get lost in a sea of amazing shows, B99 is the sort of show that you can take for granted so easily but 5 seasons in and it is still full of heart and brilliant gags. More than that though this year on a couple of occasions we saw the show break-out of its comfort zone with episodes about Terry being racially profiled and more recently Rosa coming out to her less than progressive parents. Those episodes showcased a different side of the show and demonstrated how B99 is not just a great sitcom but an important one. Nine Nine!

No 14) Preacher (Season 2): Parts of season 2 of Preacher were as good as anything on TV. The opening scenes of the first two episodes, as well as standout episode Sokosha plus a whole host of other moments, showed how Preacher could execute some of the most ambitious TV out there to near perfection. It was not all perfect and the season might have benefited from being 10 episode long rather than 12 but nonetheless I love this show and it seems to only go in one direction. Bring on season 3.

No 13) GLOW (Season 1): GLOW was sort of the perfect summer show. It was funny and likable and so binge-able. Netflix makes a lot of deeply serialized shows, designed to be consumed in one sitting so as you find out what happens next. Glow was not that. What GLOW was, was a show that quickly established an ensemble of distinct and interesting characters who you wanted to spend time with and for that it was a standout show.

No 12) Better Call Saul (Season 3): It pains me to put BCS at number 12, in any other year this could be a contender for my number 1 spot but here it does quite make the top ten. Part of the reason why it is a little lower than you might have excepted is that at this stage I don’t have to tell anyone how good this show is. Into it’s third season and BCS was possibly better than ever. Certainly episodes like the chilling Lantern and in particular Chicanery mark series high points and some of the finest TV I’ve seen all year.

No 11) American Vandal (Season 1): American Vandal is a curious show. It is ostensibly a parody, yet by the time you finish it you look back and think that was funny but not funny enough to be making this list necessarily. What it was though was the most engrossing show of the year. And it all centred on the question “who drew the dicks?” Yet for the silliness of the premise I could not have been more intrigued. AV found new ground for the most tired of sub-genres, the mockumentary and in the process delivered an absurd but in many ways tragic story of a stupid but well meaning kid in high school whose life goes array for reasons that have little to do with him. Defining the pleasures of the show may not be straight, but boy was it insanely watchable-the Netflix model at its best.

No 10 )Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Season 3): Similar to B99, UKS is the sort of consistent joke machine that you can take for granted, and that many have, but for me this year there were few shows enjoyed nearly as much as it. I thought the show delivered its best season. The work of Ellie Kemper and in particular Titus Burgess can match any comedic performers on TV. Again though amidst all the laughs is a very human character study piece of an abuse victim and maybe where the show’s genius thoroughly lies is in the way the show balances these two sides of itself.

No 9) Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Seasons 2/3): Rachel Bloom’s musical comedy/drama goes from strength to strength. Like many shows of this list it perfectly balances cartoonish sensibilities with discussions on mental health and never more so than in the first half of season 3. In addition to that though are the musical numbers. At times I’m just in awe of how spot on and clever their parodies, my favorite this year being “Let’s Generalize About Men” and for that it had to make my top ten.

No 8) Bojack Horseman (Season 4): In its 2nd and particularly 3rd seasons Bojack became a show that delivered some of the most outstanding individual episodes of television, possibly ever. Escape From LA, Fish Under Water and That’s Too Much Man are just incomparable half hours of TV. Season 4 did not deliver a single episode of quite that standard. What season 4 did do though is deliver quite possibly the show’s most consistent, revealing and hopefully season. Something we all needed at the end of the show’s previous season.

No 7) Catastrophe (Season 3): Okay it was only 6 episodes along, but I ask this question every year, is there a better written show on TV? There might be snappier dialogue out there, there might be more profound existential musings on some other show, but there is no show with more wonderfully naturalistic dialogue on now or possibly ever. Also there is not really a couple of TV I root for quite as much as Sharon and Rob and I really just want to watch the two of them on screen together as much as possible.Plus the final episode of season 3 was just the perfect send-off for Carrie Fisher and for that alone it deserves it place on my list.

No 6) Jane The Virgin (Season 3/4): Now four seasons in Jane the Virgin still has the power to surprise and hit me emotionally as much as just about any show on this list. I would go as far as to stay no episode of television this year hit me as hard as (spoilers) Michael’s death which was absolutely devestating. But when it comes to Jane the Virgin it is not just the big gut-punches that count, it is the smaller moments as well. The other scene that sticks with me most from its episodes this year is when Rogelio (often the show’s most comic presence) opens up to Xo about how he hasn’t been able to grieve properly for Michael, who was his best friend, because he knew he had to be strong for Jane while she was grieving. It is a comparatively small moment but every bit as resonant. I can take or leave all the intrigue concerning the Marbella but week after week the show delivers moments that really effect me, which even in this golden age can’t be said of too many show.

No 5) Twin Peaks (Season 3): It seems to me that Twin Peaks has either been number 1 or completely absent from every critics list. And I can understand both positions. Twin Peaks was fascinating in a way that television and art more generally rarely is. It was also incredibly and deliberately frustrating at times. I’m almost reluctant to point out how obviously frustrating parts of the revival were because I feel like I might be missing something. On the other hand because its Lynch and because he is a widely and rightly acknowledge genius I think some critics have been too forgiving of some pretty blatant narrative issues, that on another show they would have lambasted. Ultimately though it was the TV event of the year and nothing quite engaged me on a week to week basis like it did. More than anything though there were certain moments, particularly toward the end of the season, that were greater than anything else on TV this year. Moments I completely lost myself in, in ways that are quite difficult to explain and for that I won’t be forgetting the revival for a very long time.

No 4) Mr Robot (Season 3): If season 1 was clinically perfect, in a way no show since Breaking Bad has been, season 2 was an over-ambitious, definitely fascinating, mess. I was a bit of an apologist for the largely disliked second season-but even I was somewhat disappointed after the heights of season 1. Season 3 not only got the show back on track but it found a balance in the ensemble that neither season 1 (which was almost all Elliot) or season 2 (which felt like very little Elliot) had. It also starting making sense again and the show successfully battled the urge to be overly opaque or to have unnecessary twists. All of which meant that we got some of the show’s finest hours yet specifically the thrilling fifth and sixth episodes as well as the surprising and heart-warming eight hour, not to mention the finale which had a bit of everything. And for all its pessimism few shows made me happier this year, because I was so delighted to see this great show prove all the doubters wrong.

No 3) The Good Place (season 1/2): Michael Schur has secured himself a place in TV history with The Office, B99 and in particular Parks and Rec, already but with The Good Place he has gone one further. We all knew he could craft wonderfully funny and likable sitcoms, but here he has delivered a show as twisty and as engaged in huge philosophical issues as any prestige serialized drama. The Good Place is not necessarily a sad-com like many of the show’s on this list but it is possibly the most plot driven network sitcom ever. The thing is the plot has real stakes and is completely unpredictable as well. The huge twist at the end of season 1 showed that even in the age of Reddit you could pull out the rug from underneath your audience and I did not think that was possible. I don’t know how much longer they can continue it but as of now The Good Place is just about a perfect piece of television.

No 2) Halt and Catch Fire (Season 4): Without spoiling what is number 1 on my list, when it aired I thought nothing would come near it but Halt and Catch Fire came very very close. Back in its much derided first season Halt was a jukebox spitting one antihero cliche after another. In some ways it never strayed too far from the conventions of the antihero drama but what made it different was that at a certain point it just wasn’t about antiheroes. Sure all the characters were deeply flawed, none more so than Joe, but their constant strive for something more, for some kind of connection felt so human you could not help but love them. The final four episodes were TV drama at its best and when it ended I really struggled with the notion that I would not be spending more time with these characters, but if anything made it okay it was how well they stuck the landing. Speaking of which..

No 1) The Leftovers (Season 3): No show has ever made quite the impact in such a short space of time. The Leftovers conclude its mere 28 episode run this year, just 28 episodes yet about half of them are nothing short of masterpieces. That includes just about every episode in this final run. It’s tough in just a paragraph to breakdown what made The Leftovers such a transcendent piece of television-so to be glib I’ll say it took the ambition and phantasmagoria of Twin Peaks and combined it with the heart and focus on character of Halt and Catch Fire. LOST-one of my absolute favorite shows of all time-will define Lindelof’s career but The Leftovers is ultimately a more complete and mature piece of work. The writing, performances and direction coalesced to give us something often hilarious and surprising and always deeply powerful. There may never be a show like The Leftovers again and for those reasons it was always going to be my number 1.

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secretradiobrooklyn · 4 years ago

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SECRET RADIO | 10.3.20 & 10.10.20 Combo

Secret Radio | 10.3 & 10.10 | Hear it here.

Liner notes by Evan except *, artwork by Paige

1. The Modern Lovers - “Roadrunner”

Can there be, can there ever be, a better hittin’ the road song than this? Not to me, not to us. “I’m in love with modern moonlight… I’m in love with the radio on” This song brings everything that makes rock so fundamentally exciting: the straightforward beat, electric guitars, electric keys, that sense of complete freedom with your gang in the backseat singing the chorus.

2. Swell Maps - “Full Moon In My Pocket”

It pains me to admit that I cannot remember the name of the pasteup guy at the Rocket who used to tell me about the bands he loved, and that he thought I’d dig. I was so, SO into Pavement at the time, head over heels, and he did a great job of acquainting me with some of their precedents, handing off tape comps with songs from Young Marble Giants, Au Pairs, Swell Maps, and so much more. One of the tapes had this song, in two versions actually: this one, and an a cappella version, which sounds very poncey except it was the same take as this, bouncing with reverb and attitude. On our long drive from the woods to the city, a full moon hung in front of us like a carrot on a stick, and I started singing this song before I even realized it. Whatever the name of that super-awesome pasteup guy (Tom? I feel like it was Tom), I just want to tell him: I’m sorry, I’ve always been bad at remembering names, but I’ve never forgotten those tapes. Thank you.

3. Assa Cica - “Yokpo Wa Non Kpo Hami”

When we were first getting into Beninese rock, it was Antoine Dougbé who pulled us down the rabbit hole. I figured we couldn’t be alone — his songs are the standouts on “Legends of Benin.” But there’s practically nothing to be found. I eventually found myself at Discogs, marveling at the sheer number of names that T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo went by and sifting through music looking for signs of Dougbé. I eventually found this album, and not just the voice but the whole style of the band convinced me that Assa-Cica was somehow another name Dougbé went by. After some discussion, Paige and I bought our first Beninese record. In the weeks that it took to arrive, we learned a lot more about Dougbé, including the fact that he’s not actually the singer on those songs! But also I don’t think Assa-Cica is the singer on this song either! We did turn out to love every song on this record, but this one is my personal favorite, just a barnburner with disco roots. Every time I listen to it I try to imagine the cultural and personal forces that brought it into being, and it only gets more absorbing.

4. Eko Roosevelt - “Me To A De Try My Own”

T.P. Orchestre research also brought me to an album they did with Betti-Betti (or Beti-Beti), a Cameroonian singer whose tracks eventually led to Eko Roosevelt. I don’t get down with all of the music of his that I’ve heard, but this one just brings a smile to my face every time. I love the patois he sings in, where recognizable words rise suddenly out of the bubbling disco bass and the good-natured horn sections. I would never have guessed that hunting for African voodoo funk would eventually reveal a path to appreciating disco… but I’m glad that it has. I mean, I spent whole years of my life thinking that horns had no place in rock music, so what the hell do I know?

5. Jacqueline Taïeb - “Le coeur au bout des doigts”

6. T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - “Non Gbeto Do Mahu Tche”

This 7” is from that rich early period of T.P. Orchestre (this one is I think from ’72) where the arrangements are hand-drum heavy but the organ and guitar are funk. The vocal is — I don’t know what it is, it’s a genre I hadn’t heard until I heard this band in this period.

7. Los Wembler’s de Iquitos - “Llanto en la Selva”

8. Iggy Pop “The Passenger”*

I’ve always thought this was one of Iggy Pop’s finest outside of his work with Stooges. I think I also always liked it because I am most often the passenger. I really really don’t like driving. I really avoid it. I have a driver’s license but boy do I not like to use it. There aren’t really a lot of songs about riding in the passenger seat that are positive or cool that I can think of besides this one and Art Brut’s “I Love Public Transportation”.

This album also makes me think of Shena’s old place on Damen Ave. in Wicker Park Chicago. This record and of course Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”.

Hope you had a great birthday Shena!

9. Jacques Dutronc - “Les Gens Sont Flous”

The things that gets me about the song are: that single bass note that plunges every time in the verse, the shaker in the chorus, and that freakin triangle hit that happens on the coolest possible beat throughout the entire song. I fully intend to lift that idea into another song if I can find the right spot for it.

10. Jimi Hendrix - “Third Stone From The Sun”

This goes down as one of the greatest rock recordings in history. Every time I swoon at the guitar phrases, the bass line, the drums, the weird low chaos of his slowed down vocals. Truly a masterpiece, capped off by the final minute of beautiful noise that sounds like planets in motion.

11. Björk Gu∂mundsdóttir and tríó Guðmundar Ingólfssonar - Gling-Gló - “Bella Simamaer”

12. Ayalew Mesfin - “Gedawo (The Hero)”

The first 20 seconds of this song are crucial, because it establishes the 4/4 rhythm that’s coursing under the 3/4 handclap. That is such a killer rhythmic feel I can hardly stand it. I only wish they’d pull out the handclap in the middle, just for a handful of measures, and then bring em in again. Meanwhile, Mesfin’s vocal approach is so intense!

Entr’Acte - “Phantom of the Opera Entr’Acte”*

We figured we needed an Entr’Acte to denote the change in vibe from trying to stay alert and amped on the turnpike to being back home in Brooklyn. Half of this broadcast was made in the front seat of the van on our drive back to NY after our recent visit to the Midwest where we stayed in the woods the majority of the time with a couple of runs to St. Louis to pick up Banh Mi So and tofu Laap.

Evan and I have this thing we call “Disney Reptile Brain” but before that I should explain, Evan and I have this other thing we call “different high schools.” We have an age difference that we mostly don’t notice but every now and then there will be some cultural touchstone and one of us is like “What!? You don’t remember that!?” and we’re like “Ahh, different high schools!” So something like, the year 1994, Evan might remember it as when Kurt Cobain died, and I’ll remember it as the year “The Lion King” came out.

So, Evan missed all the of the major releases by Disney from that time – Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King, etc. – and thus he can see how ridiculously bad these remakes are in a way that I can’t. He says that you have to “Disney Reptile brain” to fully see the movie, that you have to have the animated version playing in your mind’s eye at the same time you're watching these “live action” remakes or they don’t make any sense. And it’s true, for me and lots of other people I know born between 1984 and 1990 we experience this when watching these films, like you already know it so well and know what’s going to happen it’s more like some sort of ritual, incantation, or reenactment of a feeling.

So, that’s Disney Reptile Brain. And if you’re like, wait, but this is Phantom of the Opera and that’s not Disney. You’re right, but it turns out Reptile Brain is a thing that can happen with musicals and ALW stuff is perfect for it. (Evita! Evita!) I am helpless when I hear this music which I got into around the same time that I was devouring Disney VHS, even though I hear it now and it’s SO. SILLY. But when I hear this melody, I’m like right there, on the boat with Christine and the Phantom. I’m like a cat picked up by the scruff and I’m just completely engrossed and I can’t unlearn that feeling. If you’ve seen Phantom at all recently, it is straight up hilarious kid stuff, like how it starts with an auction of lot #666, and the phantom is like this super moody broody guy who writes passive aggressive notes to everyone. I now can hear it as so funny and so square, but what you’re hearing on this track is my reptile brain in full effect.

Next time this music comes around, we’ll get into how Christine is Professor X and Magnito is the Phantom...

14. Sunny Blacks Band - “Holonon Die”

Ha! I said plenty about this song on air. Suffice it to say I’ve been getting obsessed with Meloclém and his performances. It’s really hard to find out anything about him, so this early track makes me really happy. I think this is sung in Fon.

15. Yo La Tengo - “False Alarm”

Alongside “Third Stone from the Sun,” another of my all-time favorite recordings ever. Yo La Tengo was a key protein in learning about rock music, starting with the album “Painful” and hitting a peak not just on this album but specifically this song. Alongside a vivid memory of Sean N., I helplessly air-keyboard to it, air-drum to it, dance my face off. By that final phrase I’m all worn out.

16. Meas Samon & So Savoeun - Hits Collection

We don’t really know anything about this song, including its title. It’s from a cassette called “Hits Collection.” We know Meas Samon from other sources, but I have no idea what they’re talking about and what is happening in this song, though I will say the tape warping on the entire fabric of the track is absolutely delicious.

17. Syna So Pro - “Fengyang Song”

I feel so proud of Syna So Pro and St. Louis introducing this track. The first time we saw her perform this song was live at El Leñador, and it was a knockout. She (they?) used a looping pedal situation to build this huge harmonic structure in real time. I believe she may be studying Chinese, but I know she’s studying Chinese music. There’s this and one other amazing Chinese song in addition to her many songs in English on her album “Vox.”

Nino Rota

18. Fela Kuti - “Open & Close”

I would listen to this whole song just for the Tony Allen solo in the early middle — but I also love how the song is so long that even a solo as particular as that one gets swallowed back up into the totality of the track (though he has many amazing passages throughout). The emotional equilibrium of the horns is cautiously optimistic. And I find myself thinking about the passage that goes “Let me tell you a story: open and close,” and how “open and close” is a narrative in action right there in three words. What was open has closed. It’s clearly a big change, a serious shift. Once open, now closed. Why? What changes as a result? Did anyone get hurt in the closing?

19. France Gall - “Celui Que J’aime”*

In the theme of “songs that got away” (see “Muxima”) this is one that I was thrilled to find again! I heard it on Jeff Hess’s show on KDHX many years ago. It set me on a France Gall odyssey. I bought albums and collections, and none of them had this song. I think her tone is probably my favorite female vocal tone, and she’s also one of my favorite singers in her delivery. This one is very different than some of the other stuff I associate with her but I think it’s still my favorite of hers.

20. Ely - “As Turbinas Estao Ligadas”

Now Again Records put out a collection called “Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas” and it’s got as much tone as the title boasts. Credit due to “vinyl archaeologist” Joel Stones for tracking down songs like these and putting them within reach. This is one among several favorites and a true hit.

21. Tulia - “Pali się (Fire of Love)”

Speaking of true hits: welcome to the world of EuroVision, where music is a medium for international competition. This song is Poland’s entry for 2019. We spent an amazing week with our friends Phil and Archie driving between Cambridgeshire and London singing along with all of the finalists of that year’s competition. It’s a fascinating idea, this vote-based international struggle turning into a final victor that somehow expresses the zeitgeist of ALL OF THOSE COUNTRIES TOGETHER — because it’s not just Europe, it’s Israel and Australia. Also amazing is that this isn’t just some scheme cooked up in the reality TV era: this has been going on for decades. In fact, France Gall was the EuroVision winner in 1965 — for Luxembourg!

22. Luigi Tenco - “Ciao Amore Ciao”

Likewise, this song was in international competition. It was sung by Egyptian-born French superstar Dalida. We saw an eponymous movie about her at the St. Louis International Film Festival in 2017 and she was a completely engrossing character. I’m not totally sold on this song as she sings it — but I love Luigi Tenco’s version. And man what a looker! He died young by his own hand, and she died too young by her own hand, and that is about as French as it gets.

23. Marijata - “I Walk Alone”

“This Is Marijata” is the sound of Ghana in 1976. I was talking about Marijata with Josh Weinstein recently, and he reminded me of this song and how much I dig it. It’s got that slow burn organ in the background, the slightly clumsy percussion in the foreground, those freighted vocals — but when it gets to the chorus, as the organ hook gives way to the horn hook, that’s when it truly hits its stride. And by the time we disappear into the fadeout, it has become fully epic.

24. Lijadu Sisters - “Life’s Gone Down Low”

To my ears it really feels like this song could have been released this year, rather than in 1976. What the hell was going on in West Africa that year? I feel like we could put together a great mix of songs just from that single year from Nigeria, Ghana, Benin and Ivory Coast. The Lijadu Sisters (Taiwo and Kehinde, actual identical twins) put out their first album in 1969; by their third album, “Danger,” the source of this song, they were huge stars in Nigeria and played with Ginger Baker, Art Blakey, and so on. They eventually moved to Harlem and lived together their whole lives, until Kehinde passed a little less than a year ago.

25. Os Kiezos - “Muxima”*

As mentioned, I heard this song in a video work by Alfredo Jaar at the Art Institute of Chicago. You can read about the piece here. I learned that “Muxima” is an Angolan folk song and in the video of the same title there are, I believe, 5 different versions of the song. One particular one – the one that pulled me into the room where the video was playing on loop – was a gorgeous vocal arrangement. I even tried shazaming it. No dice. So I wrote it down and started looking for the song, the particular arrangement. I bought a collection of Angolan music because I saw the song on it. That’s the one you heard on this broadcast and it is a recording that I now really love. I periodically keep looking for other versions of the song, hoping I’ll come across that missing version though. I thought I got close this week when I found Duo Ouro Negro’s version. (Worth checking out!) That one from the video though, still haunts me! It’s been 9 years now, I wonder if I would recognize it but I think I would. I guess the next thing I can try is a shot in the dark email to Alfredo Jaar. This is and one other song share the top spot of “songs that got away” the other one is some beautiful song that was coming from a small radio from a group of old Puerto Rican guys who were playing cards on the sidewalk on South 3rd street in Williamsburg. We were touring through and staying with our friend in that neighborhood and as we were moving the van I heard this beautiful song coming off the sidewalk. Those guys had great taste.

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trekkingplacebangalore · 4 years ago

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15 Best Trekking Places Near Bangalore

Look down to discover the absolute best treks close to Bangalore that should enjoy for an unequaled experience. Make a note of all the best ones you find.

Ramanagara – Trekking In The 'Silk Town'

Nandi Hills – Trek In Tipu Sultan's Summer Retreat

Skandagiri – Every Trekking Pro's Favorite

Anthargange – A Unique Little Place In Karnataka

Savandurga Hill – One Of The Largest Monoliths In Asia

Devarayanadurga – Amid Lush Green Forests And Caves

Makalidurga – Massive Granite Hillock To Climb On

Madhugiri – One Of The Least Explored Trekking Spots

Channarayana Durga – Swear By The Beauty Of The Surroundings

Kunti Betta – For Some Excitement And Thrill

Bilikal Rangaswamy Betta – See The White Rocks

Bheemeshwari – For Fishing Enthusiasts

Kumara Parvatha – The sixth Highest Peak In Karnataka

Mullayanagiri – Go For Mountain Biking

Tadiandamol – Second Highest Peak In Karnataka

1. Ramanagara – Trekking In The 'Silk Town'

Ramanagara—the shooting setting for unbelievable Hindi film 'Sholay', is a standout amongst other trekking places close to Bangalore. Celebrated for silk advertise and a grand trek, Ramnagara is well known among both ammeture trekkers and experts. It is additionally known for rock climbing, winged creature viewing, and the antiquated Pattabhi Rama sanctuary, a portion of the numerous things that make it an ideal spot for end of the week treks close to Bangalore.

2. Nandi Hills – Trek In Tipu Sultan's Summer Retreat

Situated at a height of 1478 m, Nandi slopes or Nandidurg is one of the most well known spots for trekking close to Bangalore. One can scale 1,200 stages to arrive at the mid year castle of Tipu Sultan situated on the top. It is a mesmeric area and offers amazing perspectives on the encompassing slopes and Amrita Sarovar. One can rehearse rock climbing and rappelling from Tipu's Drop – a renowned stone outcrop of Nandi Hills.

3. Skandagiri – Every Trekking Pro's Favorite

In Skandagiri, the trek begins from Papagani Temple that can be effectively gotten to from Bangalore, Nandi Hills, or Chikballapur town. One can discover two collapses the whole stretch. This is a genuinely extreme trek and for the most part taken by specialists. Otherwise called Kalavara Durga, this is one of the most excellent trekking places in Bangalore, particularly for late evening trekking around Bangalore. Pioneers arranging travels from Bangalore will adore this little bit of excellence.

4. Anthargange – A Unique Little Place In Karnataka

Volcanic rocks, stones, caverns, and little hillocks have made Anthargange one of the most every now and again visited trekking places around Bangalore. This path is a blend of trekking and cavern investigation. This is a 3-km long excursion that takes you through extreme, dubious path and the absolute most perfect vistas. Viewed as perhaps the best spot for solo trekking close to Bangalore, the trek is of any simple level and completely beautiful, which makes it probably the best trek close to Bangalore.

5. Savandurga Hill – One Of The Largest Monoliths In Asia

One of the most pleasant trekking places around Bangalore, Savandurga is ideal for nature devotees and experience darlings. There are two famous path in Savandurga: Karigudda and Billigudda. This is a progressively well known and testing trek through the deep rooted post of Kempe Gowda.

6. Devarayanadurga – Amid Lush Green Forests And Caves

With two sanctuaries, Bhoga Narsimha at the base and Yoga Narsimha at the top, the trekking of Devarayanadurga offer mesmeric perspective on the encompassing. The locale is dabbed with various regular springs and Namada Chilume is one of them. One will likewise locate a colossal cavern with symbols of Rama, Laxmana and Sita, in transit, which makes it one of the most beguiling trekking places close to Bangalore for travelers and experience searchers the same.

7. Makalidurga – Massive Granite Hillock To Climb On

This is a tolerably troublesome trek through stone hillocks, wild bushes, and other vegetation. Makalidurga gloats of its tranquility and seeing the demolished fortification at the top joys each trekker. A one day trek close to Bangalore, Makalidurga is trekked by experience lovers, particularly from September to February. Since it's just found 75 km away from Bangalore, it is one of the nearest trekking places close to Bangalore.

8. Madhugiri – One Of The Least Explored Trekking Spots

Madhugiri is the second-biggest solid stone after Savanagiri and among the most excellent strange places close to Bangalore. In transit, one can see Madhugiri Fort worked by Hyder Ali, which was pervaded with bumble bee provinces not long after it was assembled. Despite the fact that it's among the best trekking places close to Bangalore, the one and a half hours long trekking length can be very testing at certain stretches.

9. Channarayana Durga – Swear By The Beauty Of The Surroundings

To appreciate the rural magnificence of the slopes and the well established fortification, trek to Channarayana Durga. It is a moderate one day trek close to Bangalore and takes about a large portion of a day to climb and investigate the Maratha fortification, situated on. There are no appropriate sign loads up, so trekkers once in a while get mistook for the course. With such a great amount to offer, it's a standout amongst other trekking places close to Bangalore.

10. Kunti Betta – For Some Excitement And Thrill

With a mixed drink of geology of rough rocks, prairies, and stone outcrops, Kunti Betta is a standout amongst other trekking places close to Bangalore known for late evening trekking. Overnight trekking close to Bangalore in Kunti Betta is exciting and worth the torment you take to trek it. Individuals rise around evening time and appreciate the most photogenic dawn and shocking perspectives on the encompassing paddy fields, woodlands and a shining lake.

11. Bilikal Rangaswamy Betta – See The White Rocks

Bilikal Rangaswamy Betta in the Eastern Ghats is one of the most famous trekking places in Bangalore arranged close the popular Kanakapura town. It is likewise one of the most elevated slope towns in the region, hence making your trek all the all the more exciting. It is otherwise called Bilikal Betta once in a while which means white rocks. It's an amazing goal for short treks close to Bangalore in case you're more into simple level trekking. When you're at the top, you can lounge in the amazing perspectives and visit the sanctuary devoted to Lord Rangaswamy. You can likewise visit at the hour of the Rangaswamy sanctuary celebration at the top that local people celebrate there.

12. Bheemeshwari – For Fishing Enthusiasts

This is a modest community which is arranged at the Mandya area and mainstream among the angling aficionados. Bheemeshwari is likewise a home to the Mahseer angles which are known as the best game fish on the planet. In the midst of the quiet magnificence of nature, this spot is really heaven which is found only a couple of hours from Bangalore. Close by the widely varied vegetation, this spot is additionally popular for other experience exercises like drifting, trekking and outdoors. This spot is likewise home to a wide scope of winged animals and other natural life animals like panthers, crocodiles and wild pigs.

13. Kumara Parvatha – The sixth Highest Peak In Karnataka

Broadly called Pushpagiri, Kumara Parvatha is known to be the most noteworthy top in Pushpagiri untamed life haven. This additionally holds a record of being the sixth most elevated pinnacle of Karnataka. The Kumara Parvatha trek is one of the hardest and testing treks of South which takes around 2 days to finish. The absolute separation of the trek is 13 kms and it is situated at a tallness of 4000 feet. Arranged at the Subrahmanya town, this is one of the perfect treks to understanding by the experience addicts.

14. Mullayanagiri – Go For Mountain Biking

Resting at a tallness of 1930 ft above ocean level, Mullayanagiri is a delightful spot arranged at the Baba Budan Giri Range of Western Ghats. This is considered as the most elevated pinnacle which is situated between the Nilgiris and the Himalayas. Encircled by the excellent perspective on nature's best magnificence and field, this is one of the must visit places for experience darlings. This is a 4 km trek which begins from Sarpadhari and has a precarious path. There are other fun exercises like mountain biking and street biking which merits encountering.

15. Tadiandamol – Second Highest Peak In Karnataka

This is one of the most elevated mountain tops situated at Coorg resting at a height of 1748 m over the ocean level. Viewed as perhaps the best spot for trekking and climbing, this is likewise a perfect trek for apprentices. Known as the second most noteworthy top in Karnataka, the Tadiandamol trek is an extraordinary choice to invest energy in the midst of nature and appreciate an incredible time.

#trekking #banglore

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junker-town · 5 years ago

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Lamar Jackson will be back — with a little more help

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens got tripped up by the Titans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Jackson can lead Baltimore to the promised land ... as long as the Ravens can surround him with better skill players.

Lamar Jackson could do almost everything for the 2019 Ravens offense. He just couldn’t do it all.

Their Divisional Round loss to the Titans was a perfect storm of uncharacteristic mistakes, a plague of dropped passes, and nagging injuries that tore through an already shallow depth chart of skill players. In the end, Jackson was forced to drag a limited supporting cast back from the depths of an early deficit against a peaking Tennessee team. Even the presumptive MVP couldn’t dredge up enough horsepower to overcome those odds.

The final result was the end of a 14-game winning streak and a fifth straight year without a playoff win for Baltimore. The pungent smell of that loss will linger in Maryland through the offseason — but there’s a chance it sparks a run of prosperity rather than defines the ceiling of Jackson’s Ravens as “a great regular season team. End of list.”

While the Divisional Round pantsing at M&T Bank Stadium may have ended the franchise’s immediate Super Bowl hopes, it also gave team the blueprint needed to make sure that loss doesn’t happen again.

The Titans exploited some of the Ravens’ most fixable weaknesses

Jackson wasn’t on the top of his game after the Titans pressed him into a very un-Ravens kind of offense. Baltimore’s run-heavy offense was forced to throw the ball early and often after falling into a first-half hole against Tennessee. The end result saw Jackson set a career high in pass attempts with 59 — 16 more than his previous personal best.

This year’s breakout star didn’t wilt under this spotlight with a relatively unfamiliar gameplan, but he couldn’t will the Ravens back to life, either. He’d complete 31 of those passes and finish his day with three turnovers and a 63.6 passer rating that was more than 50 points below his regular season average.

To hang this all on Jackson would be a mistake. His stirring play throughout 2019 was flashy enough to distract from the other issues waiting to derail Baltimore’s postseason. In the end, the league’s top offense was a sparkling veneer atop a foundation in desperate need of reinforcement.

The Ravens were perilously thin when it came to non-Jackson playmakers. When injuries limited Pro Bowlers Mark Ingram and Mark Andrews (along with useful tight end Nick Boyle), offensive coordinator Greg Roman had to shuffle his approach away from three players who’d made up more than 36 percent of his total offense (by targets and carries combined).

That left an underwhelming supporting cast to pick up the slack. Rookie wideout Marquise “Hollywood” Brown was able to answer that call with a seven-catch, 126-yard performance that included one of the best plays of the postseason.

HOLLYWOOD ⭐️ What a catch by @primetime_jet on the throw from @lj_era8. #NFLPlayoffs : #TENvsBAL on CBS : NFL app // Yahoo Sports app Watch free on mobile: https://t.co/81PYwJcw9t pic.twitter.com/98jdNWOT9S

— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2020

The rest of the roster wasn’t nearly as ready. A group of wideouts featuring players like Willie Snead, Seth Roberts, and Miles Boykin had just 11 catches on 20 targets. The Ravens dropped at least six passes. Aside from a 19-yard Gus Edwards run in the first quarter, the team’s non-Jackson players ran for 23 yards on eight carries.

Baltimore needed help across the board to overcome the Titans. With its top options hurt, Jackson had few reliable weapons to provide backup. Fixing that will be general manager Eric DeCosta’s No. 1 priority this offseason.

A smart offseason can ensure this doesn’t happen in 2020

The Ravens have a young pair of playmakers at tight end and wide receiver. Andrews and Brown should improve after solid 2019 seasons. Ingram is 30 years old — typically not a good sign for non-Frank Gore or Adrian Peterson NFL running backs — but showed no signs of slowing down in a 1,018-yard season in which he averaged 5.0 yards per carry. All three are under contract for 2020.

That’s a good start, though DeCosta is going to have to buttress his roster with a combination of rising players and veterans capable of erasing any stigma that Baltimore chokes in the postseason. Fortunately for him, there will be plenty of opportunities to address that problem.

The Ravens have all of their picks through the first four rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft. They’ll also have the Patriots’ fourth-rounder (acquired in exchange for backup lineman Jermaine Eluemunor) and what will likely be third- or fourth-round compensatory picks after losing C.J. Mosley and John Brown in free agency.

That will give them several shots at a banner crop of wide receiver talent. Baltimore could pair Brown up with his former Oklahoma teammate CeeDee Lamb or dig into a class that may feature standouts like Laviska Shenault, Tee Higgins, K.J. Hamler, Justin Jefferson, or Jalen Reagor toward the end of Round 1 (the team’s first selection will come 28th overall). This year’s incoming player pool isn’t as deep at tailback, but college stars like D’Andre Swift, Jonathan Taylor, or Travis Etienne could each be groomed to take the reins from Ingram down the line.

Any of those players would give Jackson some extra help, but it seems unlikely the Ravens would stop there. Baltimore has an estimated $34 million in cap space to spend this offseason. Some of that room could be used up on pending defensive free agents like Jimmy Smith, Matthew Judon, and Patrick Onwuasor. It could also be used to turn a good unit — the Ravens ranked fourth in the league in defensive efficiency, per Football Outsiders’ DVOA — into a great one (ideally capable of stopping a workhorse like Derrick Henry) with a few new additions.

Starting center Matt Skura will also likely be re-signed, but even after that there will be money available to add a reliable set of hands to the team’s receiving corps.

Could some of that money be spent to lure A.J. Green across the AFC North? Would Emmanuel Sanders, Randall Cobb, or Danny Amendola provide the kind of reliable postseason presence to take some pressure from Jackson’s shoulders? Even if the free agent market is not as robust or exciting as this year’s draft class, there’s still value to be gleaned.

Lamar Jackson made his teammates better throughout the season, leaving defenses guessing behind his combination of often unstoppable running and accurate passing downfield. Every key member of the offensive line that kept him upright and built an innate understanding of his ability to tuck and run is under contract for 2020 except Skura, who will be imminently re-signable as a restricted free agent.

There’s reason to believe the Ravens can be every bit the regular season juggernaut they were in 2019 again next fall.

Turning around their recent playoff misfortunes will require more work. Baltimore needs to add more talent — both established and emerging — to elevate Jackson’s already-stellar game while ensuring a string of poorly timed injuries won’t leave a crater where a promising season once stood.

Fortunately for the Ravens, there should be plenty of capable options waiting for them this spring.

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biofunmy · 5 years ago

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25 best TV shows of the year, from ‘Fleabag’ to ‘Pose’

After 2019, TV will never be the same.

This year, TV got bigger than we ever could have imagined back when there were only three channels. Over 500 scripted series premiered new episodes, two major new streaming services (Apple TV+ and Disney+) debuted, “Star Wars” and Meryl Streep came to TV and “Game of Thrones” ended with massive ratings but disappointed fans. And yet we still are mostly talking about where we’ll be able to easily access reruns of “Friends.”

But there were some really fantastic TV series we hope some of you managed to watch between all the Twitter reactions and marathons of Disney animated movies. And spoiler alert: “Thrones” and its terrible ending didn’t make the cut.

You still have plenty of time before New Year’s Day to catch up on USA TODAY’s top 25 series of 2019.

Joe (Penn Badgley) stalks a new woman (Victoria Pedretti) in “You” Season 2. (Photo: Tyler Golden/Netflix)

25. ‘You’ (Netflix)

The soapy thriller starring Penn Badgley was a pleasant surprise in its original home on Lifetime, and became a sensation once it moved to Netflix, which will stream its second season Dec. 26. The second outing with self-aggrandizing stalker (and murderer) Joe is just as addictive as the first, if a little repetitive. But of all the current series that traffic in bad men doing bad things, “You” remains one of the few that asks interesting questions about its bad guy.

24. ‘Evil’ (CBS)

Akin to “The X-Files” for religion – in which a psychologist, a priest-in-training and a tech expert investigate claims of miracles and demonic possessions – “Evil” is a hard sell on paper, but a surprisingly coherent and gripping series. Created by Robert and Michelle King (“The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight”), it is thought-provoking as an investigation of organized, institutional religion and as a source of thrilling horror stories about exorcisms and evildoers.

23. ‘Living With Yourself’ (Netflix)

Paul Rudd is one of Hollywood’s most charming (and ageless) actors, and he does welcome double duty in this dark comedy about a man who ends up with a clone that is significantly better at living his life. Full of existential angst and pratfalls, the series neatly balances comedy and drama. It’s also a great showcase for Irish actress Aisling Bea, who turns in a breakout performance that isn’t overshadowed by Rudd’s star power.

22. ‘Country Music’ (PBS)

Ken Burns rarely disappoints. The legendary filmmaker turned his lens on the history of a uniquely American music genre for this 18-part documentary that traced its roots and rise. It may have also changed some minds about what country music really is and who it is for.

Sadie Sink, Noah Schnapp, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, and Caleb McLaughlin in Stranger Things 3 . (Photo: Netflix.)

21. ‘Stranger Things’ (Netflix)

After a disappointing and derivative second season, the ’80s-set supernatural series – Netflix’s most popular – returned with new episodes that took more risks and repeated fewer plot points. With the Soviets as new villains, new horror inspirations for the monsters and new relationships to explore – particularly the friendship between Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Max (Sadie Sink) – the series crafted a third season that was almost as captivating as its breakout first.

20. ‘Veronica Mars’ (Hulu)

In our current nostalgia-obsessed TV era, there are plenty of truly terrible reboots, remakes and revivals (“Fuller House”), but sometimes bringing back the original cast and creators years or even decades later results in good TV. The most successful attempt in recent years is “Veronica Mars,” the cult neo-noir series canceled by CW in 2003, revived in 2014 for a movie and brought back yet again for eight episodes by Hulu. Kristen Bell and creator Rob Thomas found a mystery worth Veronica’s talents, and room for the beloved-but-damaged detective to grow. Its shocker ending divided fans, but nothing about the new “Mars” felt cheap, forced or dated, and that’s a true achievement.

19. ‘A Black Lady Sketch Show’ (HBO)

If you missed this small but mighty new sketch comedy series in August, it’s worth catching up on all six episodes of the hilarious first season. Created by Robin Thede and produced by Issa Rae (“Insecure”), the series’ talented black women comedians excel in sketches that are unique to their experiences and universal in their humor.

Mj Rodriguez as Blanca, Billy Porter as Pray Tell on “Pose.” (Photo: Michael Parmelee/FX)

18. ‘Pose’ (FX)

FX’s groundbreaking LGBTQ drama became bigger and more intimate in its excellent second season, homing in on its best characters while making its stories more ambitious, tragic and complex. The season was more focused and compelling than its promising first year, with especially strong performances from Emmy-winning Billy Porter as Pray Tell, Mj Rodriguez as Blanca and Indya Moore as Angel.

17. ‘Stumptown’ (ABC)

There is nothing particularly revolutionary about this procedural drama starring Cobie Smulders, but it stands out among the new network offerings this year because of the thoughtful and fresh way the writers make age-old detective stories. Smulders shines as Dex Parios, a deeply caring if not always smooth private investigator, and her performance elevates “Stumptown” beyond just-another-network-cop-show.

16. ‘The Good Fight’ (CBS All Access)

Despite getting a little more fantastical every year, CBS All Access’ “Good Wife” spinoff is still the drama that best captures the current sociopolitical era. Its third season, with the addition of Michael Sheen as a Roy Cohn-inspired lawyer, was a little wacky without getting too weird, with smart scripts and great performances, most notably from Christine Baranski and Audra MacDonald.

15. ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ (Netflix)

This prequel to Jim Henson’s 1982 film manages to go above and beyond the beloved original. On aesthetics alone, the series is a huge achievement, but it also tells a fantasy story as lofty and politically complex as “Game of Thrones.” That “Crystal” manages to make fully-realized characters and plots through mesmerizing puppetry rounds out a superb epic.

Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II on “The Crown.” (Photo: Sophie Mutevelian/Netflix)

14. ‘The Crown’ (Netflix)

God save the Queen, whoever happens to be playing her. Netflix’s British royals drama proved it can go deep into the reign of Queen Elizabeth II by successfully swapping its original cast for an older set of actors, including Oscar winner Olivia Colman in the lead role (previously played by Emmy winner Claire Foy). The third season has a few bumps, and struggles to make Elizabeth the center of her own story, but the addition of a young Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor) and his romantic escapades makes up for Colman’s brief screen time.

13. ‘Superstore’ (NBC)

Like a cheap bottle of wine at Target, “Superstore” just gets better with age. NBC’s workplace comedy is smarter and funnier every season, and 2019 episodes represent the show at its peak. “Superstore” kept its stories and character dynamics fresh this year by promoting Amy (America Ferrera) to manager of the Cloud 9 big box store, changing her socioeconomic status in an instant and drastically altering her relationship with her co-workers, including boyfriend Jonah (Ben Feldman).

Kayvan Novak as Nandor and Harvey Guillen as Guillermo on “What We Do in the Shadows.” (Photo: John P Johnson/FX)

12. ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ (FX)

Based on the cult 2014 film from Jemaine Clement (“Flight of the Conchords”) and Taika Waititi (who directed “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Jojo Rabbit”), “Shadows” is the funniest show this year, an outright bacchanalia of vampiric failures, energy draining and nerdy virgins. The comedy moves its focus from hapless vampires in New Zealand to an even more inept clan in Staten Island, New York, with lofty goals such as taking over the world via city council meetings.

11. ‘The Good Place’ (NBC)

The philosophical afterlife comedy hasn’t been quite as brilliant in its fourth and final season, but even at 85% strength, “Good Place” is still smarter and funnier than most shows on TV. Nailing an ending to a series that asks questions as big as this one does (what does it take to be a good person?) is always tricky, and most crucially the series is staying true to its delightful characters.

10. ‘Shrill’ (Hulu)

At last, “Saturday Night Live” standout Aidy Bryant has a starring role worthy of her talents in Hulu’s “Shrill.” The actress finds a quieter side of her comedy in this Portland, Oregon-set series based on writer and fat-acceptance activist Lindy West’s memoir. It marks the best portrayal of life as a plus-size woman on TV, neither patronizing nor unrealistic, and tells stories beyond its protagonist’s weight on a scale. With just six hilarious episodes, it’s one of the few TV series that would have excelled if it had expanded.

Merritt Weaver, left, and Toni Collette play detectives who initially butt heads but learn to work together in Netflix miniseries “Unbelievable.” (Photo: Beth Dubber/Netflix)

9. ‘Unbelievable’ (Netflix)

True-crime stories can be many things: seedy, enthralling, vindicating, angering or satisfying. Based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning ProPublica article, “Unbelievable” is both infuriating and triumphant, highlighting the deep flaws in our criminal justice system while also celebrating the work of two genuinely heroic policewomen. With a stellar cast, “Unbelievable” tells the story of a rape victim (Kaitlyn Dever) who isn’t believed by police, and the two detectives (Toni Collette and Merritt Wever) who bring her attacker to justice years later – after he raped several more women.

8. ‘Undone’ (Amazon)

As deeply emotional and affecting as it is unsettling, Amazon’s animated series gets under your skin, in a good way. The series’ rotoscoping technique, in which animation is drawn over live footage, provides an eerie edge as it tells a magic-realist story of a stagnant 20-something woman (Rosa Salazar) who can travel in time and communicate with her dead father. But for every psychedelic trip Alma takes, she also takes a more grounded one as she tries to repair damaged relationships and plot her next course.

7. ‘Dead to Me’ (Netflix)

Christina Applegate gives her best performance in Netflix’s black comedy about a widow who unknowingly befriends the woman (the great Linda Cardellini) who killed her husband. Twisty but not gimmicky, “Dead” is addictive. The series has an abundance of acting talent, including James Marsden, who finally gets a role that takes the sheen off his perfect smile.

6. ‘Watchmen’ (HBO)

Although it started off a bit unsurely, HBO’s very loose adaptation of the graphic novel has blossomed into one of creator Damon Lindelof’s best series, and from the man behind “Lost” and “The Leftovers,” that’s some achievement. The series has a superb cast – including Regina King, Jean Smart, Jeremy Irons and Tim Blake Nelson – that elevates smart scripts that get better as the season progresses. Lindelof and his writers find surprising ways to bring the superhero story from the 1980s into today’s culture, helping “Watchmen” upend the comic book formula once again.

Asante Blackk in “When They See Us,” Ava DuVernay’s retelling of the Central Park Five. (Photo: NETFLIX)

5. ‘When They See Us’ (Netflix)

Ava DuVernay’s striking miniseries gives voice to the so-called Central Park Five, a group of five black and Latino youths wrongly convicted of assault in one of the biggest trials of the 1980s. With an extremely talented group of young actors as the falsely accused adolescents – Asante Blackk, Caleel Harris, Ethan Herisse, Emmy-winner Jharrel Jerome and Marquis Rodriguez – the series brings the story to the screen as a brutal, unrelenting tragedy.

4. ‘Back to Life’ (Showtime)

This British tragicomedy, starring and created by Daisy Haggard (“Episodes”), focuses on Miri, a woman who returns to her small seaside village after spending 18 years in prison for a crime that’s explained as the series progresses. Although Miri has left iron bars and jumpsuits behind, her small town is a prison of its own, where she is hated by all but her parents, her new boss and her kindly neighbor. Touching on themes of forgiveness and deception, the series is breathtaking in its emotional scope, despite the small story it tells over just six episodes.

3. ‘Chernobyl’ (HBO)

The brilliance of this historical miniseries, which chronicles the 1986 nuclear disaster at a power plant in Soviet Ukraine, creeps up on you as you watch its five episodes. Despite portraying so much death and despair, “Chernobyl” is never crass or exploitative, but rather it simply, anger-inducingly explains the failures and hubris that led to the disaster, and the people who tried to mitigate its consequences.

2. ‘Leaving Neverland’ (HBO)

Among 2019’s many true crime documentaries that made viewers question established media narratives and powerful people, this one – about two men who accused Michael Jackson of sexual abuse when they were children – stood out. Wade Robson and James Safechuck were given a platform to tell their harrowing stories, and director Dan Reed is unflinching as he captures the pain and suffering of the men and their families. Tough to watch, it’s also an eye-opening look at the lasting effects of abuse, and the way the media handles allegations against powerful men.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Fleabag in Amazon’s “Fleabag.” (Photo: Amazon)

1. ‘Fleabag’ (Amazon)

Could there be any other choice for No. 1? Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s dark comedy ran away with the 2019 Emmy Awards for good reason. Few series have ever been as emotionally affecting and brilliantly written as “Fleabag” in its second season. The story of a self-hating and self-destructive woman (Waller-Bridge) falling in love with a Catholic priest (Andrew Scott) was both a shocking sequel to the first and an exquisitely perfect ending to Fleabag’s tale. We’ll miss her dearly.

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nepalguide-blog · 5 years ago

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How is Mera Peak Climbing?

Mera Peak is one of the Highest Trekking Peaks in Nepal discovered south-east of Mount Everest. The trail for Mera Peak climbing in Nepal begins through the staggeringly Beautiful Hinku Valley with Nepal Guide Treks and Expedition.

This well-ensured and uninhabited Hinku valley underneath the Mera Summit is a standout amongst the wildest and ordinarily by and large fantastic. It has enormous moraines, crisp lakes and stunning mountain sees.

Like other climbing try to Everest region, we begin our journey to Mera peak with an invigorating excursion to Lukla airstrip. From Lukla we rise softly to the eastward, cross the Zatra La pass and accomplish the Mera La pass on the ninth day. Where we make our base camp for Mera Peak Expedition course of action.

Climbing Mera Peak is possible in a singular day from the base camp anyway we keep up a vital separation from the scramble for prosperity reason.

We license genuine rest and acclimatization and use high camp to ensure a 100 % summit accomplishment. During the climbing undertaking, we raise three summits of Mera Peak one after other.

From the Mera Peak summit, we will acknowledge the thoroughly astonishing and widely inclusive point of view on 5 of the world's 8000m apexes - Mount Kanchenjunga, Mount Makalu, Mount Lhotse, Mount Cho Oyu and Mount Everest.

This Mera Peak Trek can be dealt with both teahouse and full board outside reason. One can essentially pass on light day pack, yaks and our porters pass on the rest. The ordinary walking is 6 hours consistently.

Mera Peak Permit Cost Include:

Get and drop to and from Airport by private Car/Van/Bus as indicated by social event measure

3-night motel comfort in Kathmandu with Breakfast

Both way air ticket (KTM-LUKLA-KTM) for the Member and Guides including Airport charge

Adjacent Tax for trekking

Apex Climbing Permit

Sagarmatha (Everest) National park cost

Climbing equipment like ice ax, Ice gathering, snow bar, hooking rope

Fresh Meals on full board ( Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner) with Hot refreshments and Tea/Coffee

An English Speaking Local Trekking Guide/Climbing Guide, and imperative PortersAll relevant government obligations required in Nepal

Staff step by step remuneration, assurance, equipment, family unit airfare, sustenance and comfort

Cost of Mera Peak Tour Exclude:

Worldwide airfare

Lunch and Dinner during your stay in Kathmandu

Section charge while visiting in Kathmandu

Individual Trekking and Climbing equipment

Individual costs: phone call, garments, bar charges, battery resuscitate, mineral water and hot shower

Rescues, repatriation, meds, helpful tests and hospitalization costs

Attire gathering things or sacks, singular remedial unit

Tips for helpers and porters

Any additional staff other than decided

Mera Peak Permit Cost

A Short Intro about Mera Peak Itinerary:

Day 01: Arrival Kathmandu [1345m/4411ft] and move to a hotel.

Day 02: Sightseeing Kathmandu and getting ready for Trekking and Climbing

Day 03: Fly from Kathmandu to Lukla [2800m/9184ft] [45 minutes] and Trek to Chuang [3020m/9905ft]

[4-5 hrs Trek]

Day 04: Trek from Chhuthang to Tuli Kharka [4100m/13448ft] by methods for Zatrawala Pass [4600m/15088ft] [5-6 hrs Trek]

Day 05: Trek from Tuli kharka to Kothe [4182m/13716ft] [6-7 hrs Trek]

Day 06: Trek from Kote to Thangnak [4326m/14189ft] [4-5 hrs Trek]

Day 07: Trek from Thangnak to Khare [5000m/16400ft] [5-6 hrs Trek]

Day 08: Rest at Khare

Day 09: Trek to Mera Base Camp [5300m/17384ft] [3-4 hrs Trek]

Day 10: Trek to Mera High Camp [5700m/18696ft] [3-4 hrs Trek]

Day 11: Summit to Mera Peak [6461m/21192ft] dive to Khare [8-9 hrs Climb]

Day 12: Reserve day if there ought to emerge an event of awful atmosphere

Day 13: Trek yet again from Khare to Kothe [5-6 hrs Trek]

Day 14: Trek from Kothe to Tuli Kharka [5-6 hrs Trek]

Day 15: Trek from Tuli Kharka to Lukla by methods for Zatrawala Pass [6 hrs Trek]

Day 16: Flight yet again from Lukla to Kathmandu and move to a hotel

Day 17: Free day at unwinding

Day 18: International departure from Kathmandu

How Hard is it to climb Mera Peak?

The Altitude. 6476m isn't a joke and it might be a real test for your body to adjust to such ascent. All of the issues that go with high rise is reliably there while doing this outing.

Accordingly genuine and required Acclimatization is Key for Trekking to Mera Peak mentioned on various climbing Mera peak blog. Having a past climbing foundation of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp Trekking, and the Alps, more than 4000 m will constantly be at least a point for the people who are expecting attempt the climb.

You also Need to Know Mera Peak Route Map for an easy climbing procedure.

We have a couple of courses to reach Kote and after that Khare, the last town (Tea House) before we start our outside nights. The most constrained one is by methods for Zatra La Pass 4620m, trailed by Pangom, Ramailo Danda course and the course through Cholem, Kholakharka.

The courses we pick furthermore choose how well we can modify. Time term can be an issue for certain guests anyway for a most outrageous plausibility of making the summit we propose taking the required number of days to make this climb.

Your physical wellbeing and quality are critical. Would like to walk 7-8 Hours every day including the breaks. The trails are as comprehensively expressed, as a touch-up and a bit down and continually dazzling getting inside the Hinku Valley. The move from Mera La to Mera Peak High camp will go down as one of the critical highlights of your Trip.

Especially the summit attempt of Mera peak from high camp, which is a long walk as you've to walk around ice sheets for 6 – 8 hours. It will test your physical and mental quality also. The reward of a glorious point of view on the more than 8000-meter-mountains including Mt. Everest, 8848m, Mt. Lhotse, 8516m, Mt. Cho Oyu, 8201m, Mt. Makalu, 8463m, Mt. Kanchenjunga, 8586m, will make you cause you to neglect all of the fights and fortune your accomplishments.

Atmosphere condition and temperature is another noteworthy viewpoint that chooses the inconvenience level of climbing Mera peak Tour since the atmosphere up in the Himalayas is continually offbeat.

We keep our social events invigorated about latest atmosphere gauge. If the atmosphere gets unprecedented, their chances of doing the summit will be inconvenient. The breeze up there can be wild and rankled which may stay as a tangle among you and the summit.

Real pieces of clothing and apparatus are in like manner earnest. One should have fitting learning and should be OK with the individual mechanical assemblies, for instance, crampons, outfit, climbing boots and other basic climbing riggings to do this rising. Our Sherpa Climbing Guides will give planning at Khare required on the mountain.

With all said Mera zenith climbing is a troublesome yet repaying experience in the lower areas of the Himalayas. Our Local Sherpa Team will manage every one of the collaborations and make all of the game-plans during your Mera Peak climbing Trek.

All around arranged, experienced, proficient, qualified and reliably with a smile, is the kind of people working at Annapurna Foothills. Ensuring that most of our guests have a remarkable time in the Himalayas of Nepal with Annapurna Foothills Team.

Other Most Popular Peaks, you love to search for are:

Island Peak climbing

Lobuche Peak Climbing

Singu Chuli Peak Climbing

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