Special: 2017 In Review: Top 10 Music Videos of 2017

10. Roam - Playing Fiction


Why? Alright so at first glance I'll admit this video looks like a Furry's Fantasy. But that's not the case. Delve in deeper to the lyrical content and you'll realize the song is about gussying up life so it's like a fairytale... hence the song title "playing fiction". So Roam had a bunch of people dress like storybook characters as they roam (heh) through the city initially being weirded out but eventually coming to terms with it and joining in for the final act.

9. Courage My Love - Need Someone


Why? Sometime simplicity is all you need for a good video. This one almost didn't make the cut as I went back and forth but upon re-watching it months later I realized not only does this deserve a spot, but it's not just sneaking in at spot #10 either. The band acts there way through all the emotions with a song about being Friendzoned but still wanting to look out for that person. It's sad, it's fun, it's heartful and passionate. It's also #9 on this list.

8. Yellowcard - A Place We Set Afire


Why? Yellowcard is so much more than a band to me. The band may have announced their departure with the aptly named Rest In Peace but A Place We Set Afire is the song and video where we officially say goodbye. The video represents fond memories for any of us lucky enough to see Yellowcard live. A fitting goodbye, even though I still wasn't quite ready for it.

7. Ok Go - Obsession


Why? I don't fault anyone for putting this higher on their list, as far as production goes this probably deserves to be #1 on my list. The problem I have is Ok Go does these crazy videos so often that they are more famous for them than they are for their music and with every new video they come up it lags behind their earlier creations. Kudos for them for still entertaining us but this one probably ranks in the bank half of their videography.

6. All Time Low - Good Times


Why? Unfortunately discrimination is still prevalent in our society. Luckily now more than ever people have an outlet for their voice to be heard. Here All Time Low provide the lyrics that'll make you feel better, it's not all bad, one day you'll be able to leave and be appreciated, and when you do, don't forget the Good Times. I can be describing the song or the video here as they go hand in hand. In the video a middle eastern women is bullied and at the end on prom night she celebrates with her friends. It's a good time, and also a new beginning.

5. The Gospel Youth - Tired Eyes And Heavy Hearts


Why? The Gospel Youth released a few music videos this year but Tired Eyes is definitely their best. It's a sequel to their first single "Moods Like English Weather" which features a narrative similar to this with a man going through problems but also a performance piece from the band. Here, they ditched the performance piece and stuck with the narrative which also follows a man going through a tough time. At the end of the video he climbs a water tower, presumably to jump, just like in it's predecessor but when up there he runs into the man from Moods and both give each other strength. It's a look at the difficulties people may face but at the end of the day someone is always there to talk to and listen to you. They also provide the Suicide Hotline so anyone watching knows exactly where they can find an ear.

4. Fall Out Boy - Champion


Why? Fall Out Boy has made some really cool videos in the past, but it's been a while since they really had a good narrative to go along with the visuals. They knocked it out of the park with Champion though. It's a series of people using VR to pretend they are someone else. Some people want to be sexier, the sexy people want to be powerful, the powerful want to be rich and the rich want to be Pete Wentz. It's all connected!! Also ICU Jaden Smith.

3. Grayscale - Love Yourself


Why? So Grayscale is a pretty small band doing a cover of a Justin Bieber song, how the hell can they get ahead of bands like Fall Out Boy, Ok Go and All Time Low with a simple club performance piece? It's the message they get across. Justin was singing about Selina and her vanity. Grayscale took the song subject matter and turned it on it's head. They want everyone to truly love themselves, love their flaws, love their weakness', love their defects. The video was taken down shortly after going up (thanks Justin) but luckily went back up as the video spoke to me and was a joy to watch because of it.

2. The Summer Set - Jean Jacket


Why? I'm a huge movie fan so anything with a killer narrative catches my attention. The Summer Set went big for their last video from their last release (maybe ever?). I say maybe ever since the band is on hiatus so the singer can try out acting, something he should excel at given this video. Essentially the video is boy loves girl, girl gets kidnapped, boy has to save girl. But there are plenty of twists and turns along the way, including a surprise ending. The voiceover work (which usually annoys me in music videos) is surprisingly strong and the cinematography is top notch.

1. Run The Jewels - Legend Has It


Why? What Run The Jewels is doing for hip-hop is near unprecedented. What they are doing for the country IS unprecedented. El-P and Killer Mike make sure their voices are heard regardless of if they are trying to fix the country or smack down the corrupt leader of it. In the Legend Has It video they tackle the police and their racial profiling showing that all because someone acts a certain way doesn't make them criminals, often times it's the puppeteer pulling the strings behind the scenes that is. It's socially significant, it's well executed, it's my #1 video of 2017.

Special: Best of July 2017

Best Theatrical Film:

Atomic Blonde

I wouldn't say that this is a fantastic movie by any stretch but the reality is this is the only one I saw since I've been avoiding the theater this month since it's a long weekend in Canada this weekend which means four features at the drive-in and we always seem to have seen a film or two at each screen which makes us not want to go but this time we're prepared! (checks listings... Still seen at least 1 film on each screen... FUCK!!!)

Best Rental Film:

Kong: Skull Island

Again, not a fantastic film... But the best I've seen that has come out. I have yet to watch some that appear to be good (Free Fire, Resident Evil: Vendetta) but at the end of the day you have to go with what you've seen and this overgrown ape film was much better than Ghost In The Shell so it gets the nod... I've also mini-reviewed it so check that out if you wish!

Best Album:

Silverstein - Dead Reflection

At Warped Tour this year I was able to pick up 2 records the day before release, Silverstein's Dead Reflection and The Gospel Youth's Always Lose. Both are great records but Dead Reflection is approaching Record of the Year territory after a few listens so naturally it's more deserving of this spot but The Gospel Youth's debut deserves a tip of the hat and more for it's emo revival sound which is more back to the roots than the usual emo revival fare.

Best Graphic Novel:

A.D. After Death, by Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire

Two of comics’ biggest names collaborate on this twisty-turny science fiction story of a near-future world in which we’ve solved humankind’s oldest and most intractable problem: there’s a cure for death. Of course, things are never that simple, and living in a world in which death might not be the end requires a massive re-think. It’s a story that’s both epic and very personal, from the unique pairing of writer Snyder and artist Lemire.

Best Video Game:

Splatoon 2 (Nintendo Switch)

Special: Best of June 2017

Best Theatrical Film:

Wonder Woman

I'd really love to give this nod to Despicable Me 3 or Baby Driver, but there was just no beating Wonder Woman in June... The latter especially would've grabbed this spot had it of been released in any other month but that's just not the case here. I've already done a mini-review on Wonder Woman so I don't have much else to say but I we'll just leave it at it was a great ride for any comic book movie fan.

Best Rental Film:

The Lego Batman Movie

Really wanted to give this prize to John Wick but with Marvel sweeping both movie categories last month (Guardians and Logan) it seemed only fair that DC does this month especially considering the high quality film that was The Lego Batman Movie. Again I've done a mini-review on it so not much more to say than watch it... Regardless of age.

Best Album:

All Time Low - Last Young Renegade

This basically was a two horse race... Did I prefer Broadside's Paradise, an arguably more complete entry than All Time Low's Last Young Renegade, the other option which soars higher at points but lower at others. In the end the preference was that I'd rather listen to Renegade than Paradise but don't be surprised in the future if the latter becomes the favourite in time. The singles haven't been the greatest choices but All Time Low continues to mature and put out great music.

Best Graphic Novel:

Star-Lord: Grounded, by Chip Zdarsky and Kris Anka

Galaxy-traveling hero Peter Quill is trapped on Earth along with the rest of the team, but he’s not going to let that get him down: he’s going straight to work. As a bartender. And, of course, he immediately finds himself in trouble with the law, a sticky situation made stickier by the arrival of lawyer Matt Murdoch, aka Daredevil. Even with the brash hero trapped on Earth, Zdarsky and Anka capture everything that’s fun about Star-Lord—including an impossible number of ripped shirts.

Best Video Game:

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (PS4)

Special: Best of May 2017

Best Theatrical Film:

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

May was pretty good for movies overall as it normally is but this year one stood above the rest and that's the Guardians of the frickin' Galaxy (except he didn't say frickin'). It was fun, it was action packed, it was funny when it needed to be, and heart wrenching just to make you cry (you bastards!). Likely one of the best films of the year so far so you won't want to miss out on this one.

Best Rental Film:

Logan

I usually don't like putting films that have previously won "Best Theatrical Film" category in the rental film category but with May there was only 2 really good Movies, Logan and Resident Evil 5, although I could've given the nod to RE5 that just didn't seem right since Logan is the better film so against my best wishes I rolled with Logan but feel free to grab both when you go and rent movies at a Family Video near you.

Best Album:

blink-182 - California (Deluxe)

Sorry Paramore, I expected you to take this spot but after a few listens I'm just not into it as much as I thought I'd be and with blink debuting California before this column was a thing I felt it was appropriate to give California the nod it deserves for reminding us that blink still makes proper pop-punk records.

Best Graphic Novel:

Jessica Jones, Vol. 1: Uncaged!, by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos

Bendis and Gaydos, the creators behind Jessica’s original iconic series (on which the Netflix show is largely based), return to the character after a decade. A lot’s changed for the character and for the larger Marvel U, but Jessica is back behind the desk of Alias Investigations. She comes into possession of some potentially very damaging information about other Marvel heroes while facing down a killer with cannibalistic tendencies.

Best Video Game:

Injustice 2 (Xbox One & PS4)

Special: Best of April 2017

It recently came to my attention that I skipped over this during this busy month when Special's have been few and far between but I figured I should bang it out before May is up.

Best Theatrical Film:

Going In Style

Okay so this is a little unfair since April was  really bad month for me heading out to the multiplex but in saying that Going In Style is a movie I made a point to see and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There's just something about watching 3 geriatric's decide to rob a bank.

Best Rental Film:

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

This was a lot tougher to decide on then it usually is, first off the phenomenal new DCAU movie "Teen Titans: The Judas Contract" hit shelves, I decided against that having already featured a ton of DC Comics movies in this still pretty new column already. There was also some of the best movies of January come out with Underworld: Blood Wars and The Founder hitting as well as 2 of my favourite Oscar movies in Lion and Hidden Figures. But in the end Rogue One is definitely deserving of this spot seeing as it was a favourite of mine from last year.

Best Album:

New Found Glory - Makes Me Sick

Appologies to all the other deserving albums in April by The Flatliners, The Maine and any others but it's only once every 2 years I can focus on the greatest band in the world and I'm not passing it up. NFG seems to be in a cycle now where they put out an under performing record then release a bland record they know the fanbase will eat up. This can be traced back to 2006's Coming Home where they experimented and most did not approve, then came the Easycore heavy Not Without A Fight, which pleased fans but did little to stretch their career, they then put out Radiosurgery which certainly acts as a prequel to this album, but again it didn't fare well. Then came Resurrection, needing to prove they are still the same band without Steve Klein they again went back to their roots and released an album full of pop punk bangers with heavy riffs. Longtime fans loved it everyone else, not so much. Which brings us to Make Me Sick, again getting away from their roots but the early returns are strong as this is easily the best over Radiosurgery and Coming Home leading to the possibility that NFG finally discovered where they can live and mature without kicking up their roots.

Best Graphic Novel:

We Stand on Guard: Deluxe Edition, by Brian K. Vaughan, Steve Skroce, and Matt Hollingsworth.

Brian K. Vaughan (Saga, Paper Girls) has never shied away from politics, and We Stand on Guard is certainly no different. Set approximately 100 years from now, it’s the story of a brave band of Canadian freedom fighters who are tasked with defending their homeland from invasion by a powerful, technologically superior adversary with imperial aspirations: the United States. I’m certain that no offense will be taken by anyone. You can now get the whole series in a deluxe hardcover edition.

Best Video Game:

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Switch)

Special: Best of March 2017

Best Theatrical Film:

Logan

My fiance's choices largely dominated what I got to see in March, and sorry people going crazy over Beauty And The Beast... It just wasn't that great. The other choice for this spot was CHiPs which was better than expected but nowhere near as good as Logan was, which was the perfect swan song for Hugh Jackman's Wolverine.

Best Rental Film:

Moana

Fear not Disneyphiles, I won't shut out the company completely since Moana is by far the best film to hit movie rental shelves last month. Sing was another great Family option, if you're looking for something more adult I'd suggest the horror Incarnate or one of the many Oscar films to hit the shelves (Fences, Jackie, Passengers) along with a slew of big budget films that came out around Christmas that I mostly missed (Why Him?, Fantastic Beasts, Assasin's Creed).

Best album:

Raekwon - The Wild

Raekwon’s stamp on rap comes from his one-of-a-kind writing style, and his pen is still sharp on The Wild, more than 20 years into his career. His novelist-like attention to detail and his linguistic mastery are still one of a kind.

Best Graphic Novel:

Batgirl, Vol. 1: Beyond Burnside (Rebirth), by Hope Larson and Rafael Albuquerque

Batgirl’s reinvention as a younger, hipper hero began prior to DC’s latest reboot, and writer Hope Larson continues that here in a volume that’s simultaneously a good starting point for new readers and a continuation of the things that have been working so well for the character over the last few years. As the title implies, she’s stepping out of Gotham’s trendy Burnside neighborhood to train with some of the world’s greatest fighters in the far east. Of course, she finds enemies all along the way.

Best Video Game:

MLB: The Show 2017 (PS4)

Special: Best of February 2017

I know we're late with this but that's what happens when the March Madness Bracket takes up all the Sunday specials. Speaking of which in the final showdown everyone's favourite superhero archer took down a bunch of lawyers by only 2 votes leading to Arrow being the winner of this years bracket. On with the list!

Best Theatrical Film:

The Lego Batman Movie

February was a surprisingly strong month which featured surprise hit Get Out and surprise sequel to a hit John Wick: Chapter 2 but Lego Batman stole the spotlight from both those releases in my eyes. It's funny, it's beautifully animated and a mess of family friendly fun. It's the Batman spoof we didn't know we wanted for the hero we deserve.

Best Rental Film:

Justice League Dark

Sure there were lots of films released on DVD/Blu-Ray in February but I decided to give the nod to JLD in sticking with the DC Comics film theme. You really can't go wrong picking up one of the many Oscar nominated films to hit the shelves in February (Arrival, Manchester By The Sea, Moonlight, Hacksaw Ridge, Loving, Nocturnal Animals) or one of the big budget blockbusters (Trolls, Dr. Strange) but in the end the JLD was just a bit more likable.

Best Album:

The Menzingers - After The Party

Man this was the toughest category. Anyone who follows my Top 10 Countdown (posted on Saturday's - shameless plug) knows the kind of music I enjoy and knows that a lot of those bands released new music in February, including Carousel Kings, Less Than Jake and my favourite song writer Andrew McMahon (now "In The Wilderness"). But I have to give it to The Menzingers at this writing, maybe it's just because I spent more time with it being released the first week in February but this may be The Menzingers growing up and all that, After The Party puts an exclamation point on the band’s remarkable run of poignant and genre-defining punk rock and boldly catapults the band into the next chapter of their careers.

Best Graphic Novel:

Deadpool & the Mercs for Money, Vol. 1: Mo’ Mercs, Mo’ Monkeys, by Cullen Bunn and Iban Coello

Wade Wilson’s taken on a new job, this time as leader of a super-team. Which is a terrible idea. The team’s first paying job is an assignment to take out some radioactive villains, including Negasonic Teenage Warhead. Unfortunately, only Deadpool himself is immune to radiation. Details, details. I love Cullen Bunn, I love his Deadpool stuff even more. This is a must have for me and many other Deadpoolites.

Best Video Game:

Halo Wars 2 (PC & X-Box One)

Special: Best of January 2017

New segment here. We're going to look at some of the best media from January 2017 so let's do it!!

Best Theatrical Film:

Underworld: Blood Wars

Now as of this writing I've only seen 2, this and Monster Trucks. Underworld was definitely the better of the 2 but everyone and their mother seems to enjoy Split while The Founder and Patriots Day seem to be the most loved by critics despite the lack of Box Office receipts for both. And of course if you like Underworld odds are you're going to enjoy the 6th and final chapter in the Resident Evil saga.

Best Rental Film:

Jack Reacher 2: Never Go Back

Tough call between this and The Accountant but you really can't go wrong with either action/thriller however being a fan of the original Jack Reacher I went with the sequel given that you can binge watch the far superior original before diving into the sequel. Prefer a drama? How about Queen of Katwe from Disney. If you want something a little more kid friendly there's Middle School: The Worst Years Of My Life or the wrestling/penguin mash-up Surf's Up: Wavemania.

Best Album:

As It Is - Okay

No contest here. Sure there is The Early November Acoustic album Fifteen Years which is a great flashback of nostalgia but As It Is ruled January.

Best Graphic Novel:

Injustice: Year Two The Complete Collection, by Tom Taylor

It may sound like faint praise to say that Injustice is probably the best video game spin-off comic ever, but the book is still going strong almost four years after the release of the game that spawned it. In this collection, from the second year of the series, Batman and Superman are still at odds in a dystopian version of the DCU in which Superman’s loved ones were killed by the Joker, setting him off on an authoritarian rampage. The Green Lantern Corps is coming to put an end to Superman’s wrongdoing, but they won’t have an easy time of it.

Best Video Game:

Digimon World: Next Order (PS4)