Special: 2021 Baseball Hall Of Fame

So I did one of these posts 2 years ago around this time, which you can find HERE I'm going to continue off that post since as per usual the Baseball Hall of Fame is a very slow moving process however 5 players on that ballot have since been voted in... Yay! So here are the returning votes:

Todd Helton: I've made no secret that I think Helton belongs in the Hall but voters hate guys that played in Colorado. Walker eventually got in on his last shot, Helton was less of a player than he was but hopefully with voter turnover Helton will get there one day.

Jeff Kent: Kent is on his 8th year on the ballot and hasn't really gained any notable ground. He is one of the best hitting 2B of all time, especially in the power department and has an MVP award with his name on it but it seems he'll be left on the outside looking in. I'll continue to check his name on my make belief ballot knowing he'll likely need a committee nomination to get in.

Scott Rolen: Unlike Kent, Rolen has seen some pretty nice gains since he was first included on the ballot and it seems he may actually get there one day, as he absolutely should. He was a quiet 3B that fielded everything cleanly and hit enough to be among the best of his era.

Omar Vizquel: Yikes, rough time for Vizquel to get some allegations against him. I definitely believe women and Vizquel was already a borderline case struggling to get support due to his lack of offence and now his ex-wife has claims domestic abuse. He'll stay on my ballot this year but expect him to drop off next year as soon as someone more deserving gets on.

Billy Wagner: He lacks the gawdy save totals the other relievers have in the hall, however the hall of fame is coming around on relievers and Wagner is as elite as they come so he should be given his due while he's still on the ballot.

Alright, let's check on the first year players:

Mark Buehrle
A.J. Burnett
Michael Cuddyer
Dan Haren
LaTroy Hawkins
Tim Hudson
Torii Hunter
Aramis Ramirez
Nick Swisher
Shane Victorino
Barry Zito

All these guys had fine careers but the only ones that really deserve a deep look are Buehrle, Hudson and Hunter. It'd be nice if these guys got the 5% they needed to stay on the ballot but no slam dunks here so I'll leave them off my ballot for now.

Now here's the other returnees I haven't touched on yet:

Bobby Abreu: When Abreu first hit the ballot last year he was in the same boat as the newcomers above I listed and he made it but unfortunately I'm not prepared to give him a spot on my ballot yet.

Barry Bonds: The roids and a loaded ballot kept him off my ballot in my 2019 write-up but with the ballot clearing class that year I added Bonds last year on my ballot and he stays on this year as he was likely a HOF without the roids he just wanted to be the best so he juiced like the other best players were doing.

Roger Clemens: See Bonds, Barry above. He gets my vote.

Andruw Jones: Jones was a borderline case for me in my last write-up as he had an absolute crazy peak of 5 years but not a whole lot outside of that. The loaded ballot clearing class of '19 also gave me the opportunity to add Jones on '20's ballot and he remains on this year as he's gotten some intriguing support as of late.

Andy Pettitte: In my last write-up I said I believed Pettitte was a HOF'er I just didn't have room on the ballot for him until this year with Jeter/Walker getting in last year. He was one of the last to get in because of the roids connection which may hold him back as he hasn't gotten much new support over the years but he still has time.

Manny Ramirez: Manny was a great hitter, but also a known roid user and was suspended for it multiple times even when it became illegal unlike the other known roid users on this list. I'm not completely shutting the door on voting Manny eventually but I just can't bring myself to drop anyone for a guy who failed several drug tests.

Curt Schilling: Racist asshole, working in his favour is he hasn't said or done anything stupid recently, he'll need to keep that up for another year as another year of silence may just get the writers to vote him in on his last chance on the ballot. But I can't see his name appearing on mine.

Gary Sheffield: Another one from my last write-up that I kinda glossed over due to the roid connection. He was a hell of a hitter and a hell of a bad defender. If he DH's consistently his numbers look great and he probably gets in. Unlike Manny he never failed a drug test once it became illegal and since I'm voting Pettitte, Bonds and Clemens I should have no problem adding Gary to the ballot so he'll take the other spot opened up from Jeter and Walker getting in.

Sammy Sosa: So based on the above I should vote for Sosa as well right? Well maybe. Like Manny I'm not closing the door on ever voting for him but I don't think any singular player was aided more by roids then Sammy. He went from likely being included in the "good career, but not a HOF'er" section to "The 600 homers say he should be in". 

That's all folks so to recap I'd be checking off 10 names on my ballot:

Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Todd Helton
Andruw Jones
Jeff Kent
Andy Pettitte
Scott Rolen
Gary Sheffield
Omar Vizquel
Billy Wagner

Top 10 Countdown: December 26, 2020

10. Against The Current - That Won't Save Us
Last week: NEW!

9. New Found Glory - Scarier Than Jason Voorhees At A Campfire
Last week: 5.

8. Mayday Parade - First Train
Last week: 9.

7. Seaway - Mrs. David
Last week: 8.

6. Bearings - Super Deluxe
Last week: 7.

5. Machine Gun Kelly Ft. Halsey - Forget Me Too
Last week: 6.

4. Seaway - Big Vibe
Last week: 1.

3. Seaway - Still Blue
Last week: 4.

2. Meet Me @ The Altar - Garden
Last week: 3.

1. Bearings - Sway
Last week: 2.

Special: Christmas CD 2020

2020 has been some kind of year but it's almost done so let's enjoy the holiday season with some holiday tunes. I've linked previous installments of my What's A Partridge? What's A Pear Tree? Compilations below. As always I claim no ownership to the music listed.

What's A Partridge? What's A Pear Tree? Volume 12:

1. Dallon Weekes - Sickly Sweet Holiday
2. blink-182 - Not Another Christmas Song
3. Patent Pending - Jingle Bells Mazel Tov (Dreidel Song)
4. Bowling For Soup - Father Christmas
5. Relient K - Silver Bells
6. Senses Fail - Donde Esta Santa Claus
7. Story Untold - Silent Night
8. Butch Walker - Last Christmas
9. Jonas Brothers - Like It's Christmas
10. Dropkick Murphys - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
11. Goldfinger - Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
12. New Found Glory - December's Here
13. We The Kings - The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting)
14. Reel Big Fish - Mele Kalikimaka
15. Taylor Swift - Christmases When You Were Mine
16. Good Charlotte - Let The World Be Still
17. Plain White T's - That Christmas Feeling
18. Dave Melillo - All I Want For Christmas Is You
19. MxPx - Punk Rawk Christmas
20. The Rocket Summer - O Holy Night

LINK

What's A Partridge? What's A Pear Tree? Volume 11:

1. Aly & AJ - Greatest Time Of Year
2. Goldfinger - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
3. Echosmith - Baby Don't Leave Me (All Alone At Christmas)
4. Panic! At The Disco - Feels Like Christmas
5. Butch Walker - Frosty The Snowman
6. I Don't Know How But They Found Me - Merry Christmas Everybody
7. Set It Off - This Christmas (I'll Burn It To The Ground)
8. Creeper - Fairytale Of New York
9. Plain White T's - Do You Hear What I Hear
10. Patent Pending - A Better New Year
11. Fight Fair - Going Nowhere
12. Relient K - O Holy Night
13. Bowling For Soup - Miss You Most On Christmas
14. Taylor Swift - Christmas Must Be Something More
15. Carousel Kings - We Wish You A Merry Christmas/Auld Lang Syne
16. The Rocket Summer - Elf Creep
17. The Summer Set - This Christmas
18. Broadside - Wish List
19. MxPx Ft. Emily Whitehurst & Pierre Bouvier - December
20. Reel Big Fish - Whatever U Celebrate

LINK

What's A Partridge? What's A Pear Tree? Greatest Hits Volume 1:

1. Anberlin - Baby Please Come Home
2. From The Top - Hot Chocolate Stains And Candy Canes
3. All Time Low - Fool's Holiday
4. A Change Of Pace - Christmas On The Coast
5. Plain White T's - Christmas Won't Be The Same Without You
6. Sunrise Skater Kids - 12 Days Of A Pop Punk Christmas
7. These Kids Wear Crowns Ft. Vital - You're My Mrs. Claus
8. Artist Vs. Poet - Airplanes And Candy Canes
9. Man Overboard - Decemberism
10. Unwritten Law Ft. Sum 41 - Unwritten Christmas
11. The Matches - December Is For Cynics
12. Relient K - Santa Claus Is Thumbing To Town
13. Divided By Friday - All I Want For Christmas Is You
14. The Summer Set - Love By Our Side
15. Bayside - Angels We Have Heard On High
16. Suckerpunch - This December
17. .fun. - Sleigh Ride
18. All These Lights - Christmas Wish
19. Hawk Nelson - Up On The Housetop
20. Good Charlotte - Last Christmas

LINK

Previous 10 Volumes

Top 10 Countdown: December 19, 2020

10. Architects - Animals
Last week: NEW!

9. Mayday Parade - First Train
Last week: 10.

8. Seaway - Mrs. David
Last week: NEW!

7. Bearings - Super Deluxe
Last week: 8.

6. Machine Gun Kelly Ft. Halsey - Forget Me Too
Last week: NEW!

5. New Found Glory - Scarier Than Jason Voorhees At A Campfire
Last week: 5.

4. Seaway - Still Blue
Last week: 4.

3. Meet Me @ The Altar - Garden
Last week: 3.

2. Bearings - Sway
Last week: 2.

1. Seaway - Big Vibe
Last week: 1.

Special: Godmothered, The Christmas Chronicles 2, LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special Mini-Reviews

Godmothered:

Synopsis: Set at Christmas time, "Godmothered" is a comedy about Eleanor, a young, inexperienced fairy godmother-in-training (Jillian Bell), who upon hearing that her chosen profession is facing extinction, decides to show the world that people still need fairy godmothers. Finding a mislaid letter from a 10-year-old girl in distress, Eleanor tracks her down and discovers that the girl, Mackenzie, is now a 40-year-old single mom (Isla Fisher) working at a news station in Boston. Having lost her husband several years earlier, Mackenzie has all but given up on the idea of "happily ever after," but Eleanor is bound and determined to give Mackenzie a happiness makeover, whether she likes it or not.

My thoughts: Godmothered is bound to get buried in the pile of simply average Christmas films over the years but it's still worth a watch. Bell and Fisher are equal parts charming with good chemistry even if the film itself is a formulaic paint by numbers Christmas film.

Final verdict: 3.5 Toboggans out of 5. 

The Christmas Chronicles 2:

Synopsis: Teenager Kate Pierce is reunited with Santa Claus when a troublemaker threatens to cancel Christmas -- forever.

My thoughts: Speaking of familiar stories, Christmas Chronicles 2 offers more of the same seemingly deciding to use the goodwill of the first installment, as well as the real life couple of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn as Mr. and Mrs. Claus in what was a fun cameo in the original they decided to stretch into the focal point of the sequel's narrative. In case it wasn't overtly apparent, the sequel lacks the charm of the original even if Kurt Russell may be this generations defining Santa Claus. Hopefully Netflix decides not to mail a future third installment which is definitely coming, likely in another 2 years when hopefully the original kids age out of the roles so they don't get pigeonholed as anything more than a cameo and new kids can take the reigns (ha!)

Final verdict: 3.5 angry elves out of 5.

LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special:

Synopsis: "The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special" reunites Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewie, Rose and the droids for a joyous feast on Life Day. Rey sets off on a new adventure with BB-8 to gain a deeper knowledge of the Force. At a mysterious Jedi Temple, she is hurled into a cross-timeline adventure through beloved moments in Star Wars cinematic history, coming into contact with Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Yoda, Obi-Wan and other iconic heroes and villains from all nine Skywalker saga films. But will she make it back in time for the Life Day feast and learn the true meaning of holiday spirit?

My thoughts: Definitely not what I would consider "essential holiday viewing" for anyone outside of die hard Star Wars fans. It's a fun enough romp that checks in at only 45 minutes with enough nods to the 70's special that will make OG fans chuckle.

Final verdict: 3.5 Wookies out of 5.

Top 10 Countdown: December 12, 2020

10. Mayday Parade - First Train
Last week: NEW!

9. Machine Gun Kelly Ft. Blackbear - My Ex's Best Friend
Last week: 3.

8. Bearings - Super Deluxe
Last week: NEW!

7. jxdn - So What!
Last week: 2.

6. Less Than Jake - Lie To Me
Last week: 6.

5. New Found Glory - Scarier Than Jason Voorhees At A Campfire
Last week: 8.

4. Seaway - Still Blue
Last week: 7.

3. Meet Me @ The Altar - Garden
Last week: 5.

2. Bearings - Sway
Last week: 4.

1. Seaway - Big Vibe
Last week: 1.

Special: Spotify Wrapped 2020

I'm pretty sure I did not discover this many artists this year. It's more likely that I listened to a bunch of artists for the first time on Spotify that I already knew and loved since this was the first year I really, really used Spotify. 

See above, I'm pretty sure I didn't branch out to that many new genres however I am still surprised I dabbled in that many though I'll be the first to admit I don't really know how Spotify categorizes things.

Pop punk doesn't surprise me at #1 neither does Dance Pop or Screamo at #2 and #3 respectively. If Machine Gun Kelly, jxdn and Mod Sun are considered pop rap then I suppose I could buy into that but again I'm really not sure what's categorized as what. I'm a little surprised normal Pop music didn't take a spot but I won't complain that Political Hip-Hop made the list.

I wouldn't have pegged this as my most streamed though I understand Wrapped gets capped on Halloween so maybe other songs didn't have a chance to catch up to the sum (heh) of streams I gave to Big Vibe as this was definitely my personal song of the summer. 

Sleeping In at #2 does not surprise me. Complicated is a solid tune that I don't really skip but I also don't go out of my way to listen to it. Chalk this one up to it's early 2020 release date so it had more time to rack up listens. Sway at #4 conversely just got released in September so I racked up the streams on that in September and October to get it on the list. Getaway Green is a surprise but again I think we can chalk this up to the early 2020 release date. Ones I was surprised didn't make it: Forget Me Too by Machine Gun Kelly and Halsey just didn't have the time to crack the top #5 with it's late release date I guess. Greatest of All Time by New Found Glory came out in late spring and I thought I listened to it a lot but I guess not enough.

Thanks to COVID I actually listened to podcasts this year. The Scrubs Rewatch podcast I have listened to every episode so it's unsurprising I guess that it's my #1 even though I'm working through a deep dive at the minute on a different one.

Alright so I just remembered the Halloween cut off so that played a role as I really didn't attack the deep dive until end of October so I now see based on this screen that Scrubs took up 80% of the podcasting this year.

So Lead Singer Syndrome is what I'm currently going through an with 5 years worth of content I think it'll keep me busy for a while and will account for most of my podcasting in 2021 Wrapped. Baseball BBQ I have started just recently (end of October I guess?) but since it's primarily a news podcast it's probably not worth doing a back catolog deep dive but worthy of listens going forward.

I'm going out on a limb here and guessing this happened in the last week of October since as previous mentioned the deep dive started pretty recently.

This is my pioneer badge! At first I thought this was Leave Me Alone by I Don't Know How But They Found Me and I was shocked. I now see it's Leave It Alone by Rarity. That's less shocking as I would not be shocked if that track didn't even have 50,000 streams yet.

I'm assuming this was outside of current decade which really isn't surprising. Neither is the banger of a song that was my most streamed as Hit The Lights' Drop The Girl off 2008's Skip School, Start Fights is among my favourite songs of all time so it definitely deserves the spot here.

Going in I figured Neck Deep would be my most listened to artist however when I saw tow All Time Low songs in my top 5 I expected that might take over but Neck Deep managed to hold on. Congrats to them and to me for being in their top 3% of listeners.

Just wanted to add this to say how shocked I am that I listened to that many different artists as I feel like I generally just listen to my pre-made playlists but good for me I guess!

So I already touched on Neck Deep and All Time Low above. Had you of told me Echosmith was on here I would've thought maybe they snuck in at #5 since there wasn't a lot to listen to at the beginning of the year yet. That being said I'm floored they made it to #3. The Used at #4 is another surprise though I guess their larger number of singles allowed them to sneak up. MGK at #5 isn't all that surprising as going in I thought he might be #1 but realized it was unlikely with the album not dropping until September, the singles wouldn't have been able to keep it afloat the rest of the year. I also expected Silverstein to make an appearance here but I guess because I bought the album I was less likely to listen on Spotify.

Background Songs:

Four Year Strong - Learn To Love The Lie
Echosmith - Love You Better
Neverkept - Complicated
Seaway - Big Vibe
All Time Low - Sleeping In
Machine Gun Kelly Ft. Halsey - Forget Me Too
Katy Perry - Smile
Protest The Hero - The Canary
Pvris - Deadweight
Rarity - Leave It Alone
Hit The Lights - Drop The Girl
Neck Deep - Lowlife
All Time Low - Getaway Green
You Me And Everyone We Know - F.I.N.E.
Courage My Love - Everybody's Lonely

Top 10 Countdown: December 5, 2020

10. Machine Gun Kelly - Drunk Face
Last week: 10.

9. Machine Gun Kelly - Concert For Aliens
Last week: 4.

8. New Found Glory - Scarier Than Jason Voorhees At A Campfire
Last week: NEW!

7. Seaway - Still Blue
Last week: 8.

6. Less Than Jake - Lie To Me
Last week: 7.

5. Meet Me @ The Altar - Garden
Last week: 6.

4. Bearings - Sway 
Last week: 5.

3. Machine Gun Kelly Ft. Blackbear - My Ex's Best Friend
Last week: 3.

2. jxdn - So What!
Last week: 1.

1. Seaway - Big Vibe
Last week: 2.

Special: The King Of Staten Island, Becky, Hubie Halloween Mini-Reviews

The King Of Staten Island:

Synopsis: An aimless slacker dreams of becoming a tattoo artist while living with his mother and hanging out with his friends in Staten Island, N.Y.

My thoughts: Coming of age stories usually don't involve this much chaos and people in their mid to late 20's however Pete Davidson's awkward charisma works in spades and humanizes the entire story. The movie was a little longer than it needed to be, the heart at the end packs a punch and makes the runtime more worthwhile but it's certainly still a flaw. Director Judd Apatow seems to have turned a corner lately focusing on older characters however I can't help but to feel that after the success of Trainwreck he decided to spin the story around to a male point of view for this. So although it's not totally original, it is better than Trainwreck. That being said this formula will get old quick and Apatow is better than that.

Final verdict: 4 Ruby Tattoosdays out of 5.

Becky:

Synopsis: Spunky and rebellious Becky tries to reconnect with her father during a weekend getaway at a lakefront house. But the trip soon takes a turn for the worse when convicts on the run, led by the merciless Dominick, suddenly invade the home.

My thoughts: Smells like teen spirit? I'd say so. Kevin James channels his inner neo-nazi serial killer in a dark turn which is incredible for those used to seeing his bumbling buffoon antics he has always done. Lulu Wilson is a breath of fresh air that is running amuck through the horror genre. It'll be nice to see her branch out, which she starts here starring as Becky which is equal parts horror and gore as well as action which she handles with ease. The pace could've been slown a bit more but I'm not one to complain much about a balls to the wall pace in an action centric movie.

Final verdict: 4 coloured pencils out of 5.

Hubie Halloween:

Synopsis: It's October 31st in Salem, Massachusetts, and a town's eccentric, devoted community volunteer and the good-natured object of his fellow citizen's derision and meanest pranks, finds himself in the midst of a real investigation, for a real murderer.

My thoughts: An Adam Sandler Netflix movie? What a trainwreck right? I mean, yeah. It's not great but it could've been a hell of a lot worse. Adam Sandler is playing himself basically which is as cringe as you'd think it is but the fact that it's a seasonal movie gives it a bit of leeway into buffooneries. Unlike the above Becky, Kevin James falls back into old habits of playing Sandler's #2 and in this one his rival which after watching Becky is a rough go. The writing is stale and predictable but again you expect that sort of thing in seasonal movies such as this. Some of the gags are good, some play up Sandler's cringe which fall flat. In the end it's not must see Halloween viewing but I can deal with watching it once a year around that time.

Final verdict: 3 bumbling buffoon antics out of 5.

Top 10 Countdown: November 28, 2020

10. Machine Gun Kelly - Drunk Face
Last week: NEW!

9. Neck Deep - Sick Joke
Last week: 5.

8. Seaway - Still Blue
Last week: 9.

7. Less Than Jake - Lie To Me
Last week: NEW!

6. Meet Me @ The Altar - Garden
Last week: NEW!

5. Bearings - Sway
Last week: 8.

4. Machine Gun Kelly - Concert For Aliens
Last week: 1.

3. Machine Gun Kelly Ft. Blackbear - My Ex's Best Friend
Last week: 4.

2. Seaway - Big Vibe
Last week: 3.

1. jxdn - So What!
Last week: 2.

Top 10 Countdown: November 21, 2020

10. You Me At Six - Beautiful Way
Last week: NEW!

9. Seaway - Still Blue
Last week: 10.

8. Bearings - Sway
Last week: 8.

7. Run The Jewels Ft. 2 Chainz - Out Of Sight
Last week: 7.

6. Our Last Night - Ignorance Is Bliss
Last week: 6.

5. Neck Deep - Sick Joke
Last week: 1.

4. Machine Gun Kelly Ft. Blackbear - My Ex's Best Friends

Last week: 5.

3. Seaway - Big Vibe
Last week: 4.

2. jxdn - So What!
Last week: 3.

1. Machine Gun Kelly - Concert For Aliens
Last week: 2.

Special: Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm, Secret Society Of Second Born Royals, Vampires Vs. The Bronx Mini-Reviews

Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm:

Synopsis: Released from prison for bringing shame to his country, Kazakh funnyman Borat risks life and limb when he returns to America with his 15-year-old daughter.

My thoughts: I remember seeing the original Borat movie and thinking it was hilarious at the time but as time went on and I didn't revisit it I wondered how it held up... Was it really that good or did I outgrow the comedy with age? I probably should've revisited that film first but I figured I remembered it well enough to dive into the sequel and I can now say it: Borat is still funny. There are lots of uncomfortable laughs that you'd expect from Sacha Baron Cohen. The underlining themes and the heart he and newcomer Maria Bakalova brings to them is undeniable as is their chemistry together throughout the film.

Final verdict: 4 shirt tucks out of 5.

Secret Society Of Second Born Royals:

Synopsis: A rebellious princess is stunned to learn that she has superpowers and belongs to a secret society with a longstanding tradition of covertly keeping the peace throughout the kingdom.

My thoughts: Disney owns Marvel yet they still went ahead and created their own superhero team. I'm not sure the general public will care about this film enough for it to become a franchise but it was a fun enough romp complete with powers, jumpsuits and high stakes action... Well high stakes for kids I guess. In a past life this would've been a Disney channel original that is quickly dismissed but in the age of streaming Disney could up the budget to make a better movie watching experience. The actors do well and will likely be the next wave of Disney kids (if they aren't already).

Final verdict: 3.5 crowns out of 5.

Vampires Vs. The Bronx:

Synopsis: A group of young friends from the Bronx fight to save their neighborhood from gentrification...and vampires.

My thoughts: Vampires Vs. The Bronx wasn't a bad movie. It certainly had big plans with the script tackling societal issues in a comedy-horror about Vampires. Unfortunately a lot of the jokes didn't work and since it's based on children the horror elements are pretty tame which throws this into B-Movie territory which looking at it through that lens, if intended, isn't that bad of a watch. The actors and directing throttles the line between over the top and playing it straight in an awkward fashion but the script itself is still a fun enough journey that you don't feel cheated or a waste of time even though you may not come back to this one on Netflix again.

Final verdict: 3 B-Movies out of 5.

Top 10 Countdown: November 14, 2020

10. Seaway - Still Blue
Last week: NEW!

9. Neck Deep - I Revolve (Around You)
Last week: 5.

8. Bearings - Sway
Last week: 9.

7. Run The Jewels Ft. 2 Chainz - Out Of Sight
Last week: 8.

6. Our Last Night - Ignorance Is Bliss
Last week: 7.

5. Machine Gun Kelly Ft. Blackbear - My Ex's Best Friend
Last week: 6.

4. Seaway - Big Vibe
Last week: 4.

3. jxdn - So What!
Last week: 3.

2. Machine Gun Kelly - Concert For Aliens
Last week: 2.

1. Neck Deep - Sick Joke
Last week: 1.

Special: First Listen Thoughts: Machine Gun Kelly "Tickets To My Downfall", The Menzingers "From Exile" and Mayday Parade "Out Of Here"

Machine Gun Kelly - Tickets To My Downfall

Label: Interscope Records

Press release: In 2019 MGK released his fourth studio album, Hotel Diablo, which ended with the track "I Think I'm Okay", a more rock-leaning song collaboration with Yungblud and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker. MGK, wishing to explore the sound further, booked a day in recording studio to work with Barker, to record what would become the song "Bloody Valentine". The session was so powerful to MGK that he asked Barker to set aside two months for them to collaborate on an entire studio album, to which Barker obliged.

My thoughts: This album has it's fair share of heat (Title Track, Forget Me Too, Jawbreaker) but the slower songs and the numerous interludes don't mesh as well for me after one listen. That being said the singles grew on me more and more as I listened to them so I have no doubt the album as a whole will as well. (Editor's note: After listening to this album more I can confirm I've come around on Lonely but I really still don't like the spoken word interludes which sucks because at the end of the Meagan Fox one the music is actually good but not worth listening to due to the conversation that starts it.)

The Menzingers - From Exile

Label: Epitaph Records

Press release: Philadelphia-based punk band, The Menzingers will release From Exile, a reimagined stripped down version of their 2019 release Hello Exile. From Exile was recorded from the band’s respective homes while in isolation during COVID-19 stay at home orders. The album will be released digitally on September 25 and on vinyl November 13.

My thoughts: I love The Menzingers. Not too many old punk bands can pull off the emotionally raw lyricism they can so this album should be right up their lane right? Not so. First off I'm disappointed they couldn't even give us one new song. Secondly with the exception of Anna and some of the strings on the record I didn't really feel like they did anything to these songs to warrant going back to. I think I'll just stick with Hello Exile going forward.

Mayday Parade - Out Of Here

Label: Rise Records

Press release: Alternative mainstay Mayday Parade has announced the release of Out of Here – a brand-new EP due out on October 16th, 2020 via Rise Records. In early March, Mayday Parade stepped into the studio with longtime collaborators Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount to record the EP which is the first new material for the band since their 6th studio album Sunnyland released in 2018.

My thoughts: With only 3 songs there's not much to say about this EP, though it is a strong listen, I can see myself going back to any of the 3 songs though I Can Only Hope started off a bit too dark for me it picked up and became an anthem by the end of the song. Mayday Parade have been a consistently positive band throughout their career and all 3 songs have the same theme of hope which is nice if you needed that little bit of positivity in your life. Just throw on this album and within 10 minutes you'll be in a better place.

Top 10 Countdown: November 7, 2020

10. I Don't Know How They Found Me - Leave Me Alone
Last week: 10.

9. Bearings - Sway
Last week: NEW!

8. Run The Jewels Ft. 2 Chainz - Out Of Sight
Last week: 9.

7. Our Last Night - Ignorance Is Bliss
Last week: 8.

6. Machine Gun Kelly Ft. Blackbear - My Ex's Best Friend
Last week: 7.

5. Neck Deep - I Revolve (Around You)
Last week: 1.

4. Seaway - Big Vibe
Last week: 5.

3. jxdn - So What!
Last week: 4.

2. Machine Gun Kelly - Concert For Aliens
Last week: 3.

1. Neck Deep - Sick Joke
Last week: 2.

Top 10 Countdown: October 31, 2020

10. I Don't Know How But They Found Me - Leave Me Alone
Last week: NEW!

9. Run The Jewels Ft. 2 Chainz - Out Of Sight
Last week: 10.

8. Our Last Night - Ignorance Is Bliss
Last week: NEW!

7. Machine Gun Kelly Ft. Blackbear - My Ex's Best Friend
Last week: 8.

6. New Found Glory - Stay Awhile
Last week: 1.

5. Seaway - Big Vibe
Last week: 6.

4. jxdn - So What!
Last week: 5.

3. Machine Gun Kelly - Concert For Aliens
Last week: 4.

2. Neck Deep - Sick Joke
Last week: 3.

1. Neck Deep - I Revolve (Around You)
Last week: 2.

Top 10 Countdown: October 24, 2020

10. Run The Jewels Ft. 2 Chainz - Out Of Sight
Last week: NEW!

9. Point North - No One's Listening
Last week: 9.

8. Machine Gun Kelly Ft. Blackbear - My Ex's Best Friend
Last week: NEW!

7. Knuckle Puck Ft. Derek Sanders (Mayday Parade) - Breathe
Last week: 2.

6. Seaway - Big Vibe
Last week: 7.

5. jxdn - So What!
Last week: 6.

4. Machine Gun Kelly - Concert For Aliens
Last week: 5.

3. Neck Deep - Sick Joke
Last week: 4.

2. Neck Deep - I Revolve (Around You)
Last week: 3.

1. New Found Glory - Stay Awhile
Last week: 1.

Special: Dolittle, Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons: The Movie, The Last Days Of American Crime Mini-Reviews

Dolittle:

Synopsis: Dr. John Dolittle lives in solitude behind the high walls of his lush manor in 19th-century England. His only companionship comes from an array of exotic animals that he speaks to on a daily basis. But when young Queen Victoria becomes gravely ill, the eccentric doctor and his furry friends embark on an epic adventure to a mythical island to find the cure.

My thoughts: Not nearly as bad as the critics made it out to be but still not great. I liked the idea of setting it in the past to further differentiate it from the popular Eddie Murphy versions from the 90's. It's humorous enough to be considered a successful family movie however it was all the bizarre dialogue and the generic plot that will leave this is the forgotten pile where you look back on it in 5 years and forget that it even happened until someone mentioned it and you go "oh yeah that was a thing".

Final verdict: 3 talking animals out of 5.

Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons: The Movie:

Synopsis: The assassin Deathstroke tries to save his family from the wrath of H.I.V.E. and the murderous Jackal.

My thoughts: You'll notice a step down in art style from the usual DC animated films standard, and yes I realize I said that about Superman: Man Of Tomorrow as well but that was an artistic choice they made that I just wasn't a fan of. Deathstroke: Knights & Demons started off as a series of shorts they cancelled half way through then decided to release the already released shorts and added on the end they were planning. So all that was a way of saying the art had a much smaller budget and therefore was less impressive. There was also the choppy nature of the first half of the film since they were originally episodic format. It wasn't all bad though, the action sequences were great and it was nice to finally peak behind the curtain at Slade Wilson's family life which made the story an interesting one to follow.

Final verdict: 3.5 assassins out of 5.

The Last Days Of American Crime:

Synopsis: In the not-too-distant future, two men and a woman plan the heist of the century before, as a final response to terrorism and crime, the U.S. government plans to broadcast a signal making it impossible for anyone to knowingly commit unlawful acts

My thoughts: This movie is too long for it's own good. Clocking in at 2.5 hours, the premise was interesting enough but the movie is simply a middle aged MMA Walmart brand wearing dude's wet dream. Full of sex, double crosses and tough guy moments. Don't waste your time on this and remove it from your Netflix Watchlist. 

Final verdict: 2 wannabee gangsters out of 5.

Top 10 Countdown: October 17, 2020

10. You Me At Six - MAKEMEFEELALIVE
Last week: NEW!

9. Point North - No One's Listening
Last week: NEW!

8. I Prevail Ft. Joyner Lucas - DOA
Last week: 3.

7. Seaway - Big Vibe
Last week: 8.

6. jxdn - So What!
Last week: 7.

5. Machine Gun Kelly - Concert For Aliens
Last week: 6.

4. Neck Deep - Sick Joke
Last week: 5.

3. Neck Deep - I Revolve (Around You)
Last week: 4.

2. Knuckle Puck Ft. Derek Sanders (Mayday Parade) - Breathe
Last week: 1.

1. New Found Glory - Stay Awhile
Last week: 2.

Special: First Listen Thoughts: 5 Seconds Of Summer "Calm", August Burns Red "Guardians", Taurids "EP"

5 Seconds Of Summer - Calm

Label: Interscope

Press release: 5 Seconds of Summer (5SOS) will release CALM – their fourth studio album and first for Interscope Records – on March 27. Says lead vocalist Luke Hemmings, “For a band to make it to four albums is no small feat in itself but to be reinventing and constantly pushing our songwriting and to come out with music that we’ve never been more proud of makes me so happy to be in 5 Seconds of Summer. CALM speaks on a journey through a young man’s life, for better or for worse. We are all human and all make mistakes, sometimes we hurt the ones we love and inevitably, ourselves in the process.

My thoughts: Calm shows that 5SOS have found their lane as they're able to perfectly combine their pop sensibilities that the label wants to see, along with the emo influences they grew up on and the sound experimentation that the boys are playing around with now. On one hand the guitars are grinding, the next the bass is thumping and then we get hit with some synth beats. Upon first full listen the singles seem to be the highlights but to be fair that makes up half the album thus far.

August Burns Red - Guardians

Label: Fearless Records

Press release: Guardians is the name of the new album. It's their eighth overall, and it's on target for an April 3 street date via Fearless Records. the group is calling it one of their most collaborative efforts to date. Guitarist JB Brubaker says, "Guardians is the culmination of a complete and total team effort. Dustin and I collaborated musically more than we ever have before. Jake and Brent collaborated vocally more than they ever have before. Matt bounced more drum ideas off of us than we could even comprehend. It was the most time we've ever spent in the studio on one album. We're all so proud of this record, and we can't wait to share it with the world."

My thoughts: Guardians first single Defender is by far the strongest track on this record. That's not to say that the rest of Guardians is subpar, ABR is by far one of the most consistent band in metalcore. The blastbeats are always strong, the breakdowns are intense and the shouts are always on point. The problem with consistency is that it leaves less room for growth. If you hear a random track from Guardians or from their first album with Jake Luhrs on vocals you'd think they'd be on the same album from the same place in time.

Taurids - EP

Label: Self-released

Press release: Singer Will Pugh of Cartel announced a new side-project today saying "I started writing this a long time ago and finished it last year. I’m so excited to share this with everyone now because it was gonna be a while before we released this. With the situation at hand, it seemed like the universe was telling me “now”. The lyrical content and the overall theme of this EP are suited for what we’re all going through.

My thoughts: Cartel was one of my favourite bands of all time, mostly on the strength of Will's vocals. I'm sad they autotuned him up on this despite the fact that that's where the industry is going I hoped it'd keep it clean. Down Here is the highlight as a mid tempo bop with a dreamy synth providing the backdrop along with the regular instrumentation and of course the closest we get to classic Will vocals.

Top 10 Countdown: October 10, 2020

10. All Time Low - Monsters
Last week: NEW!

9. Broadside - Heavenly
Last week: 4.

8. Seaway - Big Vibe
Last week: NEW!

7. jdxn - So What!
Last week: 8.

6. Machine Gun Kelly - Concert For Aliens
Last week: 7.

5. Neck Deep - Sick Joke
Last week: 6.

4. Neck Deep - I Revolve (Around You)
Last week: 5.

3. I Prevail Ft. Joyner Lucas - DOA
Last week: 1.

2. New Found Glory - Stay Awhile
Last week: 3.

1. Knuckle Puck Ft. Derek Sanders (Mayday Parade) - Breathe
Last week: 2.

Special: The Speed Cubers, Escape From Pretoria, Phineas And Ferb The Movie: Candace Against The Universe Mini-Reviews

The Speed Cubers:

Synopsis: Discover the special bond -- and uncommon competitive spirit -- shared by the world's Rubik's Cube-solving record breakers in this documentary.

My thoughts: Definitely not the strongest documentary I've seen this year but certainly still a strong entry. Clocking in at about 45 minutes I appreciate them not lengthening it out as I find often times docs stretch out the running time to get it considered a "full length doc" and you end up with a bunch of filler. The 45 minutes runtime was the perfect amount of time to learn about how Max Park, an autistic teenager beating his idol, Feliks Zemdegs, records one at a time and the growing friendship between the two as they navigate their different paths in life but that has one commonality, the cubing community. It's an inspiring story that's worth the shortened amount of minutes you'll need to watch it.

Final verdict: 3.5 world records out of 5.

Escape From Pretoria:

Synopsis: Sentenced to a South African prison for 12 years, anti-apartheid activist Tim Jenkin and his fellow inmates devise a daring plan to escape.

My thoughts: Escape From Pretoria is a throwback to old slow paced thrillers that doesn't involve a killer lurking behind a bush or a threatening individual holding another hostage. No, this was a tense escape movie with great acting and a true to form historical environment at play. That being said this movie wasn't all great. The pacing is slow... Like snaillike in places where the escape isn't happening. Which is 80% of the movie. This is the perfect example of a movie having a lot of ingredients for success but it doesn't get mixed together properly which hold back the dish from it's full potential. Radcliffe should definitely sign up for more of these roles.

Final verdict: 3 wooden keys out of 5.

Phineas And Ferb The Movie: Candace Against The Universe:

Synopsis: After Candace is abducted by aliens, Phineas and Ferb embark on a journey to rescue her from her captors.

My thoughts: This was my introduction to the world of Phineas and Ferb. I know it's odd to jump in after 4 seasons, 1 movie, 1 special and 1 crossover to jump in with the 2nd movie, but I'm honestly glad I did. It's such a smart series with ample piles of heart, comedy and adventure. In saying that it shows how good of a job the writers do setting up the characters for those of us that have no background of the show. The way they did that was an opening song which covered all the needs to know and it was catchy as hell as well as were most of the other songs they used. Count me as one of the people on board the Phineas and Ferb train. Choo Choo.

Final verdict: 4 aliens out of 5.

Top 10 Countdown: October 3, 2020

10. Run The Jewels Ft. Pharell Williams & Zach De La Rocha - Ju$t
Last week: NEW!

9. State Champs - Crying Out Loud
Last week: 5.

8. jxdn - So What!
Last week: 9.

7. Machine Gun Kelly - Concert For Aliens
Last week: NEW!

6. Neck Deep - Sick Joke
Last week: 8.

5. Neck Deep - I Revolve (Around You)
Last week: 7.

4. Broadside - Heavenly
Last week: 4.

3. New Found Glory - Stay Awhile
Last week: 3.

2. Knuckle Puck Ft. Derek Sanders (Mayday Parade) - Breathe
Last week: 2.

1. I Prevail Ft. Joyner Lucas - DOA
Last week: 1.

Special: Ranking New Found Glory's "New Found Glory"

By the time this blog goes live New Found Glory's Self-Titled album will have officially turned 20 years old on September 26, 2020. This wasn't the album I discovered them on as I like most my age found them on the Sticks & Stones cycle but this album quickly became not just my favourite NFG album but among my favourite albums of all time.

12. Vegas

I'm not sure why Vegas is at the bottom of the list. Maybe it's the lack of instrumentation that sets it apart from the middle of the pack tracks or the lack of lyrics especially the three line chorus that doesn't amount to much.

11. Black And Blue

I've said before I'm a fan of the double chorus and New Found Glory pulls it off here and it's also one of the punkier tracks on the album so it seems like a recipe for success right? Eh not really. The execution isn't as great as it could be.

10. Eyesore

New Found Glory has a history of doing ballads on their records, however on their major label debut this is as close as they get with this mid tempo banger of a track. What holds it back though is it's unoriginality in the chorus.

9. Second To Last

Second To Last is yet another bop that gets held back as a result of following Hit Or Miss in the tracklist especially given the similarities in the opening riff. So although it doesn't hold a candle to the hit track it's still worthy of a place on this great album in the middle section of this list.

8. All About Her

The math might not work out here but I'm considering this the end of the back half of the record. If this was a tier list that's how it would work out so I'm doing it here. All About Her is a catchy hook filled song that is below top tier but still pretty damn good.

7. Boy Crazy

"Some girls are crazy" preach NFG. This was one of the first songs I fell in love with from this album and although it's fallen to the bottom of this tier in years that passed mostly due to the juvenile lyrics and the soft opening.

6. Dressed To Kill

One of only two singles released from this album back in the days when single pushes took months instead of a days or weeks push we see now. Dressed To Kill is a solid tune that gets pushed down the list due to the many gems buried on this list which are all fan favourites to this day. 

5. Sucker

This chorus is so so good. Maybe even the best on this record. It's a bouncy fun tune about young romance which as a 31 year old... I can't relate to but it's fun to think back on which is how the band feels I'm sure playing this song 20 years after it was written.

4. Sincerely Me

Ah! From a song about young love to a song about young love breaking up. Sincerely Me is a letter to an ex-lover about the heartbreak of them leaving while still being angry enough to not name them and signing it with a sincerely me.

3. Ballad For The Lost Romantics

Truer words have never been spoken as the opening salvo of this closing track on the self-titled album. "I've grown sick, I've gotten older" screams 2020 even though it was penned in the year 2020. This is also sadly the only song from the top 7 on this list that I haven't seen live.

2. Hit Or Miss

As soon as the circus-like opening riff hits you know you're in for a good time. Hit Or Miss was NFG's breakthrough that got them a fan base, it's also a re-recorded version from their first album and this version nearly makes the original impossible to listen to in comparison.

1. Better Off Dead

This is a thrashy banger of a track with a thumping guitar and bombastic drums leading the song through the punchy verses and the high energy chorus to boot. Track one not only kicks off this album but it also is the best track on this album.