2018 Top 10 Films

by AnalogJonesTOFJanuary 22, 2019

Listen to Matt and Steve’s 2018 Top 10 Films!

Steve’s Honorable Mentions
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Halloween 2018
BlackKklansman
Dead Ant
Annihilation
Black ’47

Matt’s Honorable Mentions
Cam
Strangers: Prey at Night
Soft Matter
Permission

Steve’s Top 10

10. Avengers Infinity War
The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.

9. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Ethan Hunt and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong.

8. Searching
After his 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a desperate father breaks into her laptop to look for clues to find her.

7. Hereditary
After the family matriarch passes away, a grieving family is haunted by tragic and disturbing occurrences, and begin to unravel dark secrets.

6. A Quiet Place
In a post-apocalyptic world, a family is forced to live in silence while hiding from monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing.

5. Revenge
Never take your mistress on an annual guys’ getaway, especially one devoted to hunting – a violent lesson for three wealthy married men.

4. Blindspotting
While on probation, a man begins to re-evaluate his relationship with his volatile best friend.

3. Deadpool 2
Foul-mouthed mutant mercenary Wade Wilson (AKA. Deadpool), brings together a team of fellow mutant rogues to protect a young boy with supernatural abilities from the brutal, time-traveling cyborg, Cable.

2. Upgrade
Set in the near-future, technology controls nearly all aspects of life. But when Grey, a self-identified technophobe, has his world turned upside down, his only hope for revenge is an experimental computer chip implant called Stem.

1. Sorry To Bother You
In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a universe of greed.

Matt’s Top 10

10. The Dark
An undead teenage girl befriends a blind boy that she meets in a forest she haunts and hunts in. Both have been victims of unimaginable abuse, and each finds solace in the other. There may be a chance of light at the end of their tunnel, but it will come with a body count.

9. Anna and the Apocalypse
A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven – at Christmas – forcing Anna and her friends to fight, slash and sing their way to survival, facing the undead in a desperate race to reach their loved ones. But they soon discover that no one is safe in this new world, and with civilization falling apart around them, the only people they can truly rely on are each other.

8. Overlord
A small group of American soldiers find horror behind enemy lines on the eve of D-Day.

7. Halloween (2018)
Laurie Strode confronts her long-time foe Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.

6. Eighth Grade
An introverted teenage girl tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth grade year before leaving to start high school.

5. Mega Time Squad
A small-town crim finds an ancient Chinese time-travel device that can help him pull off a heist and start a new life-but he may not survive the consequences of tampering with time. The Castle meets Looper, Mega Time Squad is a study in high-meets-low, combining elements of the sci-fi, the crime thriller and the comedy to make a comedy heist film with a time-traveling twist.

4. Mid90’s
Follows Stevie, a thirteen-year-old in 1990s-era Los Angeles who spends his summer navigating between his troubled home life and a group of new friends that he meets at a Motor Avenue skate shop.

3. Love, Simon
Simon Spier keeps a huge secret from his family, his friends and all of his classmates: he’s gay. When that secret is threatened, Simon must face everyone and come to terms with his identity.

2. A Simple Favor
Stephanie is a single mother with a parenting vlog who befriends Emily, a secretive upper-class woman who has a child at the same elementary school. When Emily goes missing, Stephanie takes it upon herself to investigate.

1. Upgrade
Set in the near-future, technology controls nearly all aspects of life. But when Grey, a self-identified technophobe, has his world turned upside down, his only hope for revenge is an experimental computer chip implant called Stem.

Matt and Steve’s Funny Bad

Gotti
The story of crime boss John Gotti and his son. Travolta is CREEPY!

Acrimony
A faithful wife, tired of standing by her devious husband, is enraged when it becomes clear she has been betrayed.

Do you disagree or agree with our list? Let us know on our Facebook group or email us at analogjonestof@gmail.com.

You can also listen to us on iTunes, Podbean, and Youtube!

Matt Kelly’s Top 10 Moments In Podcasting Of 2017!

by SaintmortDecember 15, 2017

It’s important to start this off by stating a few things up front. This is one of the most subjective lists imaginable. There are thousands (and thousands) of podcasts out there and it’s completely impossible to listen to everything. This is coming strictly from the 50+ shows that I listen to weekly, however I should also note I’m leaving off all Geekscape podcasts for a special awards portion at the end.

Now that I’ve got that out of the way, let’s tackle my top ten moments in podcasting for 2017!

10. ‘YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS’ – The Bela & Boris Series

YMRT is one of the very best podcasts out there. It’s always informative and captivating. In 2015 their series on the Charles Manson murders was one of the most compelling podcasting phenomenon this side of Serial. This year had three different series, and while all of them were great (Dead Blondes, Jean & Jane), it was the October series focusing on the careers of Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff that truly stood out among the pack. Insightful and informative, it’s definitely worth a listen, specifically for a horror fan.

9. The Debut Of ‘ADAM SANDLER PLEASE STOP’

There were a handful of great shows that debuted this year, and while this is the first one I’ll mention out of five shows, that doesn’t take away just how great the show is. In early episodes co-hosts Robert and Marie were trying to find their footing, but somewhere around The Waterboy it all clicked – the movies kept getting worse and their sanity kept being put into play. At this point they’ve finished watching every Adam Sandler movie (proving it can be done in a year so… get on that) and plan to keep the show going by focusing on other Happy Madison stars like Kevin James and Rob Schneider while waiting for future Sandler releases. They kept each episode a manageable drive time length and pack it with constant laughs. This might be the funniest podcast you’ve probably slept on.

8. ‘THE CRACKED PODCAST’
– Schmitty The Clam Takes Over As New Host

At one point The Cracked Podcast was one of the best shows out there. Over the years the show became fairly dark, focusing on our impending doom in the political world. While I consider this important, I didn’t go to The Cracked Podcast for that. If anything I listened to their show for an hour distraction from the darkness of the world. In June, then-host and editor-in-chief Jack O’Brien stepped down and Alex Schmidt (aka Schmitty the Clam) took over and brought the show back to conversations about pop culture. It’s given the show an entirely new breath of life.

7. The Debut Of ‘I ONLY LISTEN TO THE MOUNTAIN GOATS’

Fandom has never sounded better than
when Welcome To Night Vale’s Joseph Fink sits with John Darinelle of The Mountain Goats and breaks down the album All Hail West Texas track by track. It provides such incredible insight on the songwriting process, as well as Darinelle’s own perspective of himself. Even if you’re not a fan of the band, it’s an interesting listen for any music fan who’s curious about the songwriting process.

6. ‘SHOCK WAVES’ – The Day of the Woman Episode

Shock Waves is probably the best horror podcast from an informative standpoint. All four co-hosts bring such different perspectives that you’re always sure to discover a new movie to watch through the show. Prior to Shock Waves, ¾ of the team was doing the incredible Killer POV (episodes are still on iTunes and are essential listening for any horror fan). Picking a standout episode for this year is a little difficult but I feel like I have to shine a light on this episode specifically. When I heard that the main focus was going to be on women’s exploitation and rape I felt uncomfortable about the episode, however guest BJ Colangelo’s insight on the subject and the empowerment watching revenge films can provide really changed my perspective of the topic. I’ve recommended this to so many of my friends and everyone who checked it out felt the same. This was a truly powerful episode of horror podcasting.

5. The Debut Of ‘S-TOWN’

What more can be said about a show that has been discussed and dissected to death over the last year. I was late to the train – just two weeks ago I was working alone in my office with nothing to listen to so I decided to give Serial (which I had put off for a year or so) a listen. I loved the first season, but was starting to lose interest after season two. However, when I checked out S-Town I was totally hooked. A lot of people really were disappointed by the show, but I wanted more in the best possible way. It was touching, interesting, and genuine. It wasn’t a story like Serial that focused on one person in an extraordinary situation, this focused on very strange but very real people in a very common situation but it never stopped being engrossing. If you’ve avoided this due to people’s negative response to it, give it a shot. You may love it on the same level I did.

4. ‘ALL FANTASY EVERYTHING’ Finds Its Footing

All Fantasy Everything is quickly becoming my favorite podcast. I get beyond excited each time a new episode drops on Thursday Afternoon and I immediately listen to it when I leave work. The first few episodes started in the Fall of 2016 and while there are a handful of memorable discussions it really found its footing in 2017. The draft topics continued to become more insane and also more entertaining discussing things ranging from “Stuff To Do When You’re Drunk” and “Taco Bell Menu Items” to more bizarre topics like “Kanye West” and “Music Videos You Wish You Could Live In” or (my personal favorite) musical episodes like “TV Theme Songs” and “Soft Rock Ballads”. It’s also propelled three comedians not on my radar (Ian Karmel, Sean Jordan, David Gborie) to guys whose careers I want to follow and cheer on. If I had one goal in 2018, it’d be to get Horror Movie Night big enough that I’ll one day be invited to join these three for a draft (like, I don’t know … Scariest Scenes in Movies That Shouldn’t Be Scary).

3. The Debut Of ‘EAR HUSTLE’

This show absolutely captivated me for its brief first season run. In just 20-30 minutes each episode takes us into different stories of life behind the prison walls of San Quentin State Prison. It shines a nice light on these men and lets you get a rough idea of their day to day life. The show juggles a weird balance between making you hope that some of these people will one day get a second chance out the outside while also feeling like life behind bars is a slightly better life than they’d have on the outside (in a few cases). It is one of the most heartfelt and interesting podcasts in years. The Second Season starts in March so you have plenty of time to get caught up on the first season over the next few months.

2. The Debut Of ‘LABELLED: “THE STORIES, RUMORS & LEGENDS OF TOOTH & NAIL RECORDS”’

I grew up as a church kid. I love punk/ska music as well. This meant in my eyes the ultimate record label was Tooth & Nail Records. It was the best mix of bands and had arguably the biggest Christian label success with bands like MxPX, Underoath and Anberlin to name a few. The first season of Labelled focused on different bands, tour stories and topics that captivated me and really anyone who grew up listening to this music. I recommend starting with either the first episode about Further Seems Forever or the episode on the worst tour prank ever.

1. ‘THE ADVENTURE ZONE’ “Balance” Arc Wraps Up

I never expected to love a podcast as much as I loved The Adventure Zone. Every other Thursday the McElroy Brothers and their Father told the story of the Tres Horny Boys using D&D as the storytelling device. While the show is far from an accurate depiction of a real D&D campaign, it doesn’t stop it from telling a compelling story. As we grew to love the three adventurers as well as Griffin’s many NPCs, we started to dread the unavoidable conclusion when we would no longer hear the voices of Takko, Magnus, and Merle. The series wrapped up on a beautiful note leaving many listeners teary-eyed. If there was one podcast in this world that’s worthy of the time it will take up, it’s The Adventure Zone. If you’re a fan of storytelling than you owe it to yourself to listen to the full 69 episode run of the “Balance” arc and listen to the biggest evidence of podcasting’s capability to be more than just interviews and movie discussions.

GEEKSCAPE AWARDS:

Best Flagship Show – GEEKSCAPE
Best Podcast About Women Drinking Wine While Discussing Star Trek – SEVEN OF WINE
Best Boy Meets World Podcast – PLAYING WITH SQUIRRELS
Best New Podcast – THE OVER LEAGUE
Best Video Game Podcast – GEEKSCAPE GAMES
Best Show That Ended Too Soon – THE 90’S TV HOUR
Please Listen To My Podcast (Please) – HORROR MOVIE NIGHT

Saint Mort’s Top 10 Scream Factory Releases of 2015!

by SaintmortDecember 29, 2015

Scream Factory is easily my favorite DVD/Blu-Ray distributor out there. They put out these top-quality Collector’s Editions of incredible films from the past and present. Sometimes they’re releasing films we’ve all heard of and other times it’s forgotten hidden gems.   There are plenty of other companies that do this, but Scream Factory’s releases tend to have this extra special care put into them. I frequently purchase films from them, as well as get movies in the mail to review for this site.

I’ve compiled this little list of the Top 10 releases that Scream Factory brought us in 2015. All 10 of this are must haves in a horror buff’s collection.

#10 – Vampire’s Kiss/High Spirits

Vampire’s Kiss is pretty infamous for being a Nicholas Cage movie with Cage at his Cageiest (and trust me … it is), but it’s also a pretty decent movie. It plays out almost like a vampire version of American Psycho, where you can’t tell if this man is undead or just bored. However that is not the reason why I love this set, it’s actually because of the 2nd film, High Spirits. I had never heard of this haunted house/family film before and it was a real treat. Just a funny, sweet, and charming little forgotten flick.

#9 – New Year’s Evil

In the 80’s pursuit to make a slasher film out of every holiday there had to be at least one inspired by New Year’s. The film is a weird one; it’s not particularly good, and the kills aren’t anything to write home about, but yet I love it anyway. What the movie lacks in quality kills it more than makes up in an absurd premise, a killer soundtrack and a pretty bad-ass slasher mask.

#8 – Troll/Troll 2

As far as a great buy you will watch over and over again… this Troll double feature is a must have. Not only does it include both of the Troll films (including the infamously terrible sequel) but it comes with the amazing documentary Best Worst Movie.

We give a lot of attention to house truly insane the sequel is, but I think we over-look how equally bat-shit the original is. Take some time to revisit both (as well as one of the best documentaries about filmmaking).

#7 – The Sentinel

Scream Factory isn’t all about the shlock. The Sentinel is a 70’s masterpiece filled with good gore, a creepy premise, some fantastic make-up and an amazing performance from Burgess Meredith. It’s everything that made these atmospheric haunted house films from the 70’s so beautiful. This low-budget and tragically forgotten gem feels like a mix between Rosemary’s Baby and The Beyond. Few films on the rest of this list come more genuinely recommended than this one.

#6 – Cellar Dweller/Catacombs

Catacombs is a pretty decent movie and I know plenty of people who considered it the better of these two films, but I will always be thankful to Scream Factory for putting Cellar Dweller into my life. The whole movie is pretty great but the first 10 minutes featuring Jeffery Combs and a killer monster from a cartoon he drew is just good fun.

#5 – Mad Max

Hot on the heels of the sleeper hit that was Fury Road, Scream Factory was able to release and amazing Mad Max Blu-Ray. The original Mad Max is the slowest and least bonkers of the franchise. I didn’t like it when I first saw it… but Scream Factory’s beautiful transfer returns the film to the legendary status of it’s sequels.

#4 – Carrie/The Rage Carrie 2

Be warned… this is not the original Carrie film. It is a combination of a made-for-TV movie that is … interesting but not very good and the criminally underrated The Rage: Carrie II. I Put off seeing this sequel for years until Scream Factory forced my hand by sending me a copy to review. It is probably one of my favorite movies I discovered this year. It’s super 90’s and left me feeling nostalgia towards a film I’d never even seen. The deaths at the end are brutal and fun and the performances range from good to great. It’s never going to be better than the original but I don’t think it was ever trying to be.

#3 – The People Under the Stairs

Beyond all reason, this is my favorite Wes Craven movie. You can have your Freddy, you can watch The Last House on the Left, you can have Ghost-face and the clan from The Hills Have Eyes, I’ll keep my crazy rich people in S&M gear. I rented this movie as a kid because I thought it was a completely different film (It wasn’t until years later I found out the movie I was looking for was the borderline unwatchable Saturday the 14th Strikes Back) and was so confused by it. However I couldn’t stop watching it. When I heard that Scream Factory was putting it out on Blu-Ray I knew I had to own it. They didn’t disappoint in any way shape of form. This is a top quality Blu-Ray of one of the most bizarre films ever unleashed on society.

#2 – Blood & Lace

When I requested Scream Factory send me a review copy of this movie it was because I mistakenly thought it was Blood & Black Lace. I was moderately disappointed when I realized I had been mistaken, but immediately the disappointment washed away when I watched the movie. What impresses me the most about this movie is that it’s so unknown. It’s a slasher film from 1971 that has the “Killer POV” shot a good 3 years before Black Christmas and 7 years before Halloween made the shot a famous troupe. The film is far from perfect but it’s fun and contains one of the craziest endings in slasher history (up there with Pieces).

#1 – Class of 1984

Adam from Horror Movie Night loves this movie. One of my earliest memories of him was him getting me to watch this movie and being disappointed I didn’t adore it. I enjoyed it, I just… didn’t love it. Than I saw that Scream Factory had released it on Blu-Ray and decided to buy it and give it a second chance… I’m glad I did. This film is full of colors, 80’s punks, over the top violence, and pure insanity. It’s exploitation at its finest.

It looks like 2016 is going to be another great year for Scream Factory we can look forward to releases like a double feature of The Curse and The Curse 2, Disturbing Behavior, Cherry Falls, Death Becomes Her, Manhunter, Texas Chainsaw Massacre II & Return of the Living Dead (just to name a few). If I can offer some requests I’d love to one day see My Best Friend is a Vampire, Alligator & Alligator II: The Mutation, Mom and Dad Save the World and The Brian all eventually get the loving Scream Factory treatment.

Matt Kelly is one of the hosts of Horror Movie Night, has a daily blog called Every Damn DVD and thinks you should totally buy him something off his amazon wishlist.

Saint Mort’s Top 10 Movies That I Finally Saw In 2015!

by SaintmortDecember 28, 2015

I’m not known for seeing movies in theaters, and more often than not I end up seeing the films years (sometimes decades) after they’ve been released. Because of this I struggle to make “best of” lists. Instead of telling you about the top 10 movies of 2015 for Matt “Saint Mort” Kelly (which honestly most likely will contain 85% of the same films everyone else has in their list) I decided to discuss the Top 10 Movies I Discovered in 2015

10) Miami Connection (1987)

I wish I could explain anything about Miami Connection. It’s a confusing Kung-Fu Musical Comedy? That question mark is intentional. I’ve never been more confused by a movie. I remember I watched this with friends, I remember I loved every second of it but I struggle to be able to find a way to explain the plot in any way, shape or form. Just trust me… it’s incredible.

9) Paul Williams Still Alive (2011)

Paul Williams is probably one of your favorite songwriters and more likely than not you have no clue who he is. While this isn’t as great at the music documentary “Who is Harry Nilsson (And why is everybody talkin about him)” it is another fantastic look at an incredibly underrated singer/songwriter. A few years ago when I first saw Who is Harry Nilsson I became a massive Nilsson fan and started buying all his albums. Paul Williams was the Harry Nilsson of 2015 for me. I already liked a bunch of his songs (he even wrote Rainbow Connection my favorite song of all time) but this doc introduced me deeper into his discography. The film dabs in obsessive fan-fiction obsessionism but at the end of the day it’s about a man who choose the simple life instead of continuing to be a celebrity.

8) Commando (1985)

How the hell did I take 30 years to see Commando? This movie is what dumb action films were all about. It’s a fast-paced, fun and frantic action film packed with over the top violence and shitty one liners. Chances are I’m the last person on Earth to have seen this so I’m not going to waste too much time going any deeper than this.

7) The Final Girls (2015)

This is one of the few films released this year that I saw this year. It is a mega-meta horror film about a group of friends who get trapped in a shitty Friday the 13th knock-off film. It’s up to them to use their knowledge of slasher films to survive. While it’s not the love letter that Scream was, the movie is still hyper-self aware of the horror but also has the Wet Hot American Summer comedic touch. It’s not a perfect horror comedy, but it’s a very good horror comedy.

6) Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Every once and a while you watch a movie because you feel like you’re supposed to. Usually you go into the movie with low expectations and they absolutely blow you away. A few years ago Fame was that movie for me… this year it was Saturday Night Fever. I saw the film was available on Netflix and decided what the hell. I was blown away by not just the story but how amazingly cinematic it was. There were definitely downsides to this movie. The rape element of the story isn’t very necessary but beyond that it’s a great film.

5) Crimewave (1985)

I feel like of all the films on this list this might be the least well known of them, which is ridiculous. This is a film written by the Coen Brothers and directed by a post-Evil Dead pre-Evil Dead 2 Sam Raimi. It was one of the most unique and bizarre films I’ve ever seen. There aren’t words to properly summarize the plot-line. At it’s core… it’s a crime film but it plays like a Marx Brothers comedy mixed with live action cartoon. One of my all-time favorite movies is Freaked. I have no doubt in my mind that Alex Winter and Tom Stern were aiming to make their own Crimewave with their infamous 1993 comedy.

4) Hard Ticket to Hawaii (1987)

Every Thursday I host Weird Ass Movie Night at my house. It’s an event where a group of friends get together to watch a film together. Usually the movie comes from my horrible selection (I don’t have the moniker “Proprietor of all that is shit” for nothing) but every so often one of the movie night attendees steps up with a film. Hard Ticket to Hawaii came from my friend Cloar. I had heard legend of this movie, Paste Magazine named it the #1 “so bad it’s good” movie … they did not oversell that title. This film is bonkers. It follows a gang of female secret agents trying to find snakes injected with AIDS to stop them from infecting Hawaii… or something. There’s a ton of nudity, there’s ridiculous death scenes (including two internet famous scenes involving skateboarding with a blow-up doll & a razorblade frisbee) and there were at least two moments in the film where my entire basement gave the film a standing ovation. Buy this movie, call up some friends and have a great time.

3) Found (2012)

I first heard of Found through the Killer POV podcast, the premise grabbed my attention so I checked it out as soon as it was available on Netflix. I loved this movie. It left me feeling unsettled, which isn’t something many horror movies have done. It’s not the best film in history by a long shot. The acting is bad and the story goes a little long… but at the end of the day it’s a great concept that ends on one of the most unsettling final shots I’ve ever seen.

2) Electric Boogaloo: The Wild Untold Story of Cannon Films (2014)

I love documentaries about film. I fucking LOVE them. I’ve watched the 4 hour “Never Sleep Again” more times than I can count. I love weird “Behind the scenes” stories. That’s what Electric Boogaloo is… 90+ minutes of weird “Behind the Scenes” stories. Depending on your taste in cinema Cannon gave you some of your favorite … or your least favorite movies of all time. Ever want to find out how the hell movies like Superman IV, Lifeforce and Masters of the Universe were made? This film will answer it all (but quick spoiler alert … cocaine).

1) Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

Not only was Phantom of the Paradise my favorite film I discovered in 2015… it was also the film I watched the most this year. I made so many people watch this movie, it’s not even funny. I love this film, I quote this film, I listen to this films soundtrack on the reg. Phantom of the Paradise is a demented 70’s musical from Brian De Palma. It tells a rock-n-roll version of the Phantom of the Opera while mixing in elements of Faust and Portrait of Dorian Grey. It stars Paul Williams and features original music by him. It features a character named Beef who is legitamitely the greatest character in film history. That’s all I’m gonna give you. If you’ve seen it… you’re part of the legion of fans… if you haven’t it’s time you join our weird cult of Phantom fans!

Saint Mort’s Top 10 Albums Of 2013

by SaintmortDecember 31, 2013

While we’re all busy compiling our favourite things of 2013 (take a look at our top games here, with more to come), Matt Kelly has come up with his list of the top 10 albums of this past year.

Read on to learn his top picks, and be sure to let us know if you agree, and what your favourites were!

10. The Lonely Island: The Wack Album – The SNL trio has released their first album since leaving SNL and it’s arguably their best. The thing with comedy groups is relistenablity, and this is where Lonely Island manages to always shine. The jokes are funny all the time, but more importantly the beats are great and they’re solid rappers. Packed with great guest verses and bizarre concepts, this is a record you’ll listen to over and over again.

9. Chords for Cures Comp Volumes 2 & 3 – I’m not gonna lie, this is super biased. Chords for Cures is my charity organization. Twice a year I release a free “pay-what-you-want” comp featuring amazing musicians of all genres. Hit up our Bandcamp and discover a new favorite band. Sorry for my shameless advertisement (but for real, I love these bands and you should give them a shot).

8. Barenaked Ladies: Grinning Streak – When Steven Page left Barenaked Ladies I was kinda concerned. While I preferred Ed’s vocals. to me Barenaked Ladies was all about the various voices. Their first album without Steven was pretty good and I enjoyed it greatly, but Grinning Streak was the first album where I saw this band could survive without their lead singer. It was the soundtrack of my summer this year.

7. Streetlight Manifesto/Toh Kay: The Hands That Thieve – If there’s anything I’ve learned over the last 15 years it’s that Tomas Kalnoky hates writing new songs. This is mostly a shame for us because lyrically he’s one of the best in the business. When he does finally get around to pumping out 10-12 songs he’s proud of they’re always super satisfying. This year we got the same album twice the ska version of the songs and the acoustic folk versions from Toh Kay (or at least that was plan) In my personal opinion the Toh Kay versions were the superior versions but both are fantastic.

6. John Fogerty: Wrote a Song For Everyone – John Fogerty is one of America’s most legendary musicians. His group, Creedence Clearwater Revival was quite literally the soundtrack of the Vietnam war. For his first album is almost 5 years Fogerty recruited a group of musicians to cover those classic songs. The cameos range from Foo Fighters to Alan Jackson. Each artist does a fantastic job covering the songs with Fogerty and his two original songs actually are pretty good as well really showing off his songwriting skills all these decades later.

5. Eminem: The Marshall Mathers LP (Part 2) – I was very vocal in the past of my disappointment by Relapse and Recovery. I found both albums musically and lyrically disappointing compared to the incredible past of Slim Shady. Then in the summer I saw the music video for Bezerk. Immediately I started to think “this album is gonna be pretty amazing” and with the exception of one or two forgettable tracks it’s a fairly perfect album. That being said, I agree with the opinion of my younger brother “Eminem should definitely return now before he makes another album that makes us forget why we loved him.”

4. Queens of the Stone Age: …Like Clockwork – I never knew what to think of Queens of the Stone Age. All I knew was that they were bizarre and I liked it. This years album had them reunited with David Grohl (who drummed on arguably their best album, Songs for the Deaf) and was weirder and heavier than ever before. Queens of the Stone Age will never be a big name band but they will continue to have the massive cult following they’ve acquired over the years if they keep making albums like this.

3. Spose: The Peter Sparker Mixtape – Spose exploded onto the music scene because of a youtube video. The comedic video “I’m Awesome” helped propel him into the limelight and while Spose is still an indie artist (by his own choosing) it doesn’t make him less of a talented rapper. His free mixtape this year (one of two) was amazing filled with songs both serious and comedic.

2. Cossbysweater – This is a slighty biased pick (listen to my interview with Cossbysweater) but in all sincerity this album touched me on an emotional level. Cossbysweater is a weird musician who exists in a world of “comedy” while still being very touching and beautiful. While it’s easy to simply look at her song titles and write her off as a pop culture junkie comedian, the reality is that Allison Goertz (Cossbysweater) uses various pop culture icons as a way to express herself. While a few songs are genuinely funny it’s songs like “Good Kid” (inspired by Freaks and Geeks) or “Things Are Coming Up Milhouse” that open a door into Allison’s personal life and allows the listener to connect with her songs of lost love and being an outcast. Check out her BandCamp here.

1. Five Iron Frenzy: Engine of A Million Plots – I was so excited for the return of my all-time favorite band that there was a chance this would have been my number one even if it was unlistenable. Thankfully it was not. After 9 years of absence Five Iron Frenzy returned with a massive album following in the steps of their underrated FIF2: Electric Boogaloo album. This is not a ska album, this is a hard rock album with an amazing horn section and great backup vocals. Reese Roper proves again why he’s my all-time favorite singer/songwriter. It almost manages to be both their most spiritual and least christian album at the same time. If you were a fan of this band and you weren’t one of the people who helped them have one of the most successful music kickstarters of all time then you are missing out, if you never heard them before, perhaps it’s time to discover them.