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When Dave Kajganich graduated Miami and began grad school at the University of Iowa, he would not have imagined finding fulfillment writing for film.
Imagine that you're remaking a movie. It has an avid, if relatively small, fan base. It was made by a beloved director. The fans are unsure if this new version could ever live up to the original. What do you do?
Note: A PS4 review copy of this game was provided by Ubisoft. This in no way affects the writer's opinions or criticisms.
"Your grandfather died last night."
Fashion. Wealth. Drugs. Trap houses. Clubs. In reigning trap kings Migos' music, their old lives transform into their relatively newfound success, which has propelled the group to superstar status.
Not everything great is remembered forever, and what we remember forever isn't always great. This is true of pop culture in general and films in particular.
In 1961, country singer Jimmy Dean released a folk tune called "Big Bad John" about an antisocial, rough miner who sacrificed his own life to save others when the mine collapsed. Twenty years later, the cult classic slasher film "My Bloody Valentine" was released. In its opening scene, a man and woman in miner's garb head down into the tunnels, where they begin undressing and caressing each other. When the man, still in his mask, sees a heart-shaped tattoo on the woman, he goes into a fit of rage and kills her.
It's never easy to summarize an entire year of music in a few paragraphs. Or pages. Or hundreds of pages. This grows truer as more and more artists emerge on the internet, putting their own stamp on the art, whether they rise to stardom or fade into obscurity.
This is much more than a great punk-rock album. In fact, it takes the stereotype of angry British guys playing loud music, turns it on his head, and channels it in an immensely positive direction. Frontman Joe Talbot has a menacing voice and a heart of gold. In interviews and in song, he lays bare his anger issues, his mother’s paralysis and death, his past struggles with alcoholism and the stillborn birth of his daughter Agatha; how these things tormented him; and how they made him want to be a better man. The results? “Joy as an Act of Resistance,” a series of thundering post-punk anthems with lyrics that deride toxic masculinity and encourage honesty and vulnerability with yourself, and compassion for everyone else. “If someone talked to you the way you do to you, I’d put their teeth through,” Talbot snarls with his husky British accent. “Love yourself!” This threatening message of self-empowerment is just one of the charming moments on a very fun album that deserves to be taken very, very seriously. Key Tracks: “Colossus,” “Never Fight a Man with a Perm,” “June,” “Television”
Yes, “Make Me Feel” and several other tracks on “Dirty Computer” sound like Prince. Yes, it is sometimes clear who Janelle Monae is borrowing from. So what? What’s been accomplished here is far from a rehash of the old. Instead, Monae has taken the works of the trailblazers and combined them with modern society’s most urgent problems to create a confection of musical mastery and stunning vision. Monae truly is a star for a generation. Her confidence as a black, queer woman bleeds through every rap verse and soaring vocal note. Her desire to transform her life to obtain maximum joy is infectious. Add this lyrical mission to a package of pop perfection, and you have an rare album indeed: one that is both timely and timeless. Key Tracks: “Crazy, Classic, Life,” “Make Me Feel,” “PYNK,” “Americans”
Sometimes the beauty of an album is how it tackles a serious topic, or strikes a personal chord. But it can also be, quite simply, excellent music. For all its emotional depths, “Isolation” falls in the latter category. Blissful funk, retro soul, Latin pop, contemporary R&B, bubbly dream pop… Kali Uchis takes all of these, masters them, and puts her own stamp on it. Rarely is a record as thoroughly listenable from start to finish as “Isolation.” The list of features and producers is impressive, but make no mistake: Kali Uchis is the real star of the show, and she’ll keep you captivated until the last note. Key Tracks: “Tyrant,” “In My Dreams,” “After the Storm”
Pop has rarely sounded this exciting. From the strange, epic electro opener “Whitewater” to the glistening synth-pop single “It’s Not Just Me” to the ten-minute-plus closer “Donnie Darko,” this young duo seem keen on expanding their sound into every possible corner, all with a hint of the psychedelic. This bold breakthrough feels like a grand entrance of a major new voice in music. What does the future of Let’s Eat Grandma sound like? It’s hard to even say what they are now. Whatever it is, the world needs more. Key Tracks: “It’s Not Just Me,” “Falling Into Me,” “Ava”
This electronic producer and frequent Charli XCX collaborator has the air of someone who knows exactly how to make a great pop tune or dance track and wants absolutely nothing to with it. Her mind-bending debut is a nonstop rollercoaster between abrasive bangers, beautiful ambient tracks, and songs just a bit too left-field to be called “pop,” though the description doesn’t float far out of reach. You haven’t heard anything like this before, and that makes SOPHIE one of the few truly unique, trailblazing producers making waves in today’s scene. Key Tracks: “It’s Okay to Cry,” “Ponyboy,” “Immaterial”
Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers are talented singer-songwriters in their own right. But their supergroup boygenius proves the validity of the phrase “greater than the sum of its parts.” Each member’s unique take on indie rock blends into a fresh sound that is sentimental, turbulent and folksy all at once. Across its six tracks, “boygenius” offers a more fulfilling experience than most albums this year. Key Tracks: “Me & My Dog,” “Souvenir,” “Ketchum, ID”
Take note, Greta Van Fleet. There’s a way to use the sounds of classic rock without sounding like a tribute band who tours bars. Case in point, the new Parquet Courts record, which oozes post-punk nostalgia but could only have been released in 2018. The rebellious, finger-to-the-man spirit that embodied so many 70s and 80s groups lives on in the quick-witted, topical lyrics on “Wide Awake!” Production by Danger Mouse adds a level of polish that the group has never achieved before. This doesn’t stand on the shoulder of giants; it holds its own. Key Tracks: “Almost Had to Start a Fight/In and Out of Patience,” “Wide Awake!”
A warbling synth note, crescendoing into a massive chord and cut off, suddenly, by a delightful pop-funk beat. “Chris” opens on a high note and never goes down; but what’s to be expected from one of pop’s unsung champions? Hailing from France, Héloïse Letissier makes some of the finest tunes around, earnest and rhythmic and endlessly danceable. While each track is lovely in Christine and the Queen’s native tongue, the English versions supply fantastic lyrics that reward an attentive listener. Bristling with confidence and charisma, “Chris” supplies anthems for anyone lucky enough to hear it. Key Tracks: “Comme si,” “5 dollars,” “The walker”
Noname is one of the most provocative and exhilarating rappers working today. She has an otherworldly grasp of the phonetic connections between words and is unafraid to mess with them. Her playfulness gives her rapping a technical edge; the content itself gives her a lyrical edge; and the indelibly soulful and funky production gives her the musical edge. This is the best rap album of the year. Key Tracks: “Prayer Song,” “Ace”
Noname is one of the most provocative and exhilarating rappers working today. She has an otherworldly grasp of the phonetic connections between words and is unafraid to mess with them. Her playfulness gives her rapping a technical edge; the content itself gives her a lyrical edge; and the indelibly soulful and funky production gives her the musical edge. This is the best rap album of the year. Key Tracks: “Prayer Song,” “Ace”