2016 NBA Free Agency: Top 10 Players Available

NBA free agency officially gets underway at midnight EST tonight. The Kevin Durant sweepstakes may be (rightfully) garnering most of the headlines, but there are a number of other intriguing impact players available in this free agent class. Here's a look at who I believe are the 10 best players hitting the opening market this offseason.

Note: Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James and Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond are both technically free agents, but they're not being included on this list as they're not expected to negotiate with anyone outside of their current teams. 

10.Dirk Nowitzki, power forward (Most recent team: Dallas Mavericks)
At 38, Nowitzki may only have another 2 or 3 years left in him, but he's still a very productive offensive player (he averaged 18.3 points per game last season) and his leadership skills are invaluable. Look for him to garner a very lucrative short-term deal from an elite team if the Mavericks don't bring him back.
Possible Destinations: Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat

9.Kent Bazemore, shooting guard/ small forward (Most recent team: Atlanta Hawks)
For my money, Bazemore is a safer acquisition than Harrison Barnes, Chandler Parsons and the other stretch 2/3's that are generating a lot of buzz in this free agent class. Bazemore is a lock-down defender with a relentless motor and the added bonus of having a good bordering on great outside shot.
Possible Destinations: Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic

8.Bradley Beal, shooting guard (Most recent team: Washington Wizards)
Beal is by far the biggest high-risk, high-reward player in this free agent class. His lengthy injury history since he's been in the league is alarming, but his young age (23), elite 3-point shot (just shy of 40% for his career) and high-efficiency (17.4 PPG in the 55 games he appeared in last season) when he's healthy still makes him a very intriguing option for teams looking for a pure scoring 2-guard.
Possible Destinations: Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers
 
7.Dwyane Wade, shooting guard (Most recent team: Miami Heat)
Wade is no longer the untouchable superstar he was 4 or 5 years ago, but his reputation as a one-time dominant player and proven ability to still step up in pressure situations and deliver in the playoffs at age 34 will attract a number of suitors from around the league. 
Possible Destinations: Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks

6.Mike Conley, point guard (Most recent team: Memphis Grizzlies)
Conley would've likely been a max deal candidate if he didn't have his 2015-16 season shortened by a foot injury. Even coming off of a pretty bad injury and one of the weakest seasons of his 9-year career, Conley should be able to cash in on a solid deal given his status as the clear prize of a weak free agent point guard group. Conley is the type of proven, versatile point guard who can efficiently run an offense and play reliably solid defense that many teams on the cusp of being contenders desperately need. 
Possible Destinations: Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings

5.Al Horford, center (Most recent team: Atlanta Hawks)
Horford is being undeniably overrated prior to the start of free agency. At age 30, he's about to enter the back nine of his career and is coming off of his second consecutive solid albeit relatively unremarkable season. However, his elite defensive skills and ability to hurt opponents from anywhere on the court on offense still makes him a valuable asset. He'd be a nice addition to any contending or wannabe-contending team that needs a two-way frontcourt player.
Possible Destinations: Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers

4.Nicolas Batum, small forward (Most recent team: Charlotte Hornets)
I firmly believe that Batum is easily the most underrated player in this free agent class. He's not quite a superstar, but his impressive two-way skill set on the wing makes him a potential huge catch for teams looking for a highly productive complementary player.
Possible Destinations: Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks

3.Hassan Whiteside, center (Most recent team: Miami Heat)
Whiteside's character issues and concerns about his commitment to basketball has caused him to become one of the league's most polarizing players in personnel circles, but his status as one of the league's most dominant rim protectors and an improving low-post game makes him arguably the most coveted player on the market outside of Kevin Durant. Pure centers with Whiteside's blocking ability and rebounding prowess don't come along very often in the current stretch 5-obsessed era of the NBA, so I'd be shocked if any team that is willing to deal with his baggage wasn't highly interested in signing him to a max contract.
Possible Destinations: Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers

2.Demar DeRozan, shooting guard (Most recent team: Toronto Raptors)
DeRozan is an offensive spark plug that can finish at the rim, consistently sink mid-range jumpers, and set up his teammates better than a vast majority of the shooting guards currently in the NBA. His inconsistent play in the playoffs and spotty outside game raises a few questions about his ability to be a true superstar in the league, but DeRozan's production level and deep skill set still makes him worthy of a max deal.
Possible Destinations: Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets 

1.Kevin Durant, small/power forward (Most recent team: Oklahoma City Thunder)
I know it's a huge shocker to list one of the NBA's brightest talents and the only undisputed superstar hitting the open market this summer as the top player in the 2016 free agent class. Players of Durant's caliber don't often hit free agency often, so you can expect every single team that has the cap space to sign him to at least make a soft inquiry about him. Durant's landing spot is going to have a major ripple effect around the league regardless of whether he chooses to remain with the Thunder or go elsewhere. NBA fans across the globe are going to be watching with heavy interest to see how this saga plays out. 
Possible Destinations: Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers

Other Notable Free Agents:
Aaron Brooks, point guard (Most recent team: Chicago Bulls)
Al Jefferson, center (Most recent team: Charlotte Hornets)
Allen Crabbe, small forward (Most recent team: Portland Trail Blazers)
Anderson Varejao, center (Most recent team: Golden State Warriors)
Anthony Morrow, shooting guard (Most recent team: Oklahoma City Thunder)
Arron Affalo, shooting guard (Most recent team: New York Knicks)
Austin Rivers, point guard (Most recent team: Los Angeles Clippers)
Bismack Biyombo, center (Most recent team: Toronto Raptors)
Boban Marjanovic, center (Most recent team: San Antonio Spurs)
Brandon Bass, power forward (Most recent team: Los Angeles Lakers)
Brandon Jennings, point guard (Most recent team: Orlando Magic)
Chandler Parsons, small forward (Most recent team: Dallas Mavericks)
Cole Aldrich, power forward/center (Most recent team: Los Angeles Clippers)
Courtney Lee, shooting guard (Most recent team: Charlotte Hornets)
Darrell Arthur, power forward (Most recent team: Denver Nuggets)
David Lee, power forward (Most recent team: Dallas Mavericks)
David West, power forward (Most recent team: San Antonio Spurs)
Deron Williams, point guard (Most recent team: Dallas Mavericks)
Derrick Williams, small/power forward (Most recent team: New York Knicks)
Dion Waiters, shooting guard (Most recent team: Oklahoma City Thunder)
Dwight Howard, center (Most recent team: Houston Rockets)
Dwight Powell, power forward (Most recent team: Dallas Mavericks)
E'Twaun Moore, shooting guard (Most recent team: Chicago Bulls)
Eric Gordon, shooting guard (Most recent team: New Orleans Pelicans)
Evan Forunier, shooting guard/small forward (Most recent team: Orlando Magic)
Evan Turner, shooting guard/small forward (Most recent team: Boston Celtics)
Festus Ezeli, center (Most recent team: Golden State Warriors)
Gerald Green, shooting guard (Most recent team: Miami Heat)
Gerald Henderson, shooting guard (Most recent team: Portland Trail Blazers)
Harrison Barnes, small forward (Most recent team: Golden State Warriors)
Ian Clark, shooting guard (Most recent team: Golden State Warriors)
Ian Mahinmi, center (Most recent team: Indiana Pacers)
Ish Smith, point guard (Most recent team: Philadelphia 76ers)
J.R. Smith, shooting guard (Most recent team: Cleveland Cavaliers)
Jamal Crawford, shooting guard (Most recent team: Los Angeles Clippers)
Jared Dudley, small forward (Most recent team: Washington Wizards)
Jared Sullinger, power forward (Most recent team: Boston Celtics)
Jason Thompson, power forward (Most recent team: Toronto Raptors)
Jeff Green, small forward (Most recent team: Los Angeles Clippers)
Jeremy Lin, point guard (Most recent team: Charlotte Hornets)
Jerred Bayless, point guard (Most recent team: Milwaukee Bucks)
Joe Johnson, small forward (Most recent team: Miami Heat)
Joakim Noah, center (Most recent team: Chicago Bulls)
Jordan Clarkson, point guard (Most recent team: Los Angeles Lakers)
Jordan Hill, center (Most recent team: Indiana Pacers)
Josh Smith, power forward (Most recent team: Houston Rockets)
Kevin Martin, shooting guard (Most recent team: San Antonio Spurs)
Kris Humphries, power forward (Most recent team: Atlanta Hawks)
Lance Stephenson, shooting guard (Most recent team: Memphis Grizzlies)
Langston Galloway, point guard (Most recent team: New York Knicks)
Leandro Barbosa, shooting guard (Most recent team: Golden State Warriors)
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, power forward/center (Most recent team: Los Angeles Clippers)
Luis Scola, power forward (Most recent team: Toronto Raptors)
Luol Deng, small/power forward (Most recent team: Miami Heat)
Manu Ginobili, shooting guard (Most recent team: San Antonio Spurs)
Marcus Thornton, shooting guard (Most recent team: Washington Wizards)
Maresse Speights, power forward/center (Most recent team: Golden State Warriors)
Mario Chalmers, point guard (Most recent team: Memphis Grizzlies)
Marvin Williams, small/power forward (Most recent team: Charlotte Hornets)
Matt Barnes, small forwrd (Most recent team: Memphis Grizzlies)
Matthew Dellavedova, point guard (Most recent team: Cleveland Cavaliers)
Maurice Harkless, small forward (Most recent team: Portland Trail Blazers)
Miles Plumlee, center (Most recent team: Portland Trail Blazers)
Mirza Teletovic, power forward (Most recent team: Phoenix Suns)
Mo Williams, point guard (Most recent team: Cleveland Cavaliers)
Nene, power forward (Most recent team: Washington Wizards)
Norris Cole, point guard (Most recent team: New Orleans Pelicans)
O.J. Mayo, shooting guard (Most recent team: Milwaukee Bucks)
Pau Gasol, power forward (Most recent team: Chicago Bulls)
Rajon Rondo, point guard (Most recent team: Sacramento Kings)
Richard Jefferson, small forward (Most recent team: Cleveland Cavaliers)
Roy Hibbert, center (Most recent team: Los Angeles Lakers)
Ryan Anderson, power forward (Most recent team: New Orleans Pelicans)
Solomon Hill, small forward (Most recent team: Indiana Pacers)
Terrence Jones, power forward (Most recent team: Houston Rockets)
Timofey Mozgov, center (Most recent team: Cleveland Cavaliers)
Trevor Booker, power forward (Most recent team: Utah Jazz)
Tyler Johnson, shooting guard (Most recent team: Miami Heat)
Tyler Zeller, center (Most recent team: Boston Celtics)
Wesley Johnson, small forward (Most recent team: Los Angeles Clippers)
Zaza Pachuila, center (Most recent team: Dallas Mavericks)

Movie Review: The Fundamentals of Caring

Summer has officially started, which means the time has come for the obligatory wave of indie dramedys that premiered at January's Sundance Film Festival to hit theaters as counterprogramming to the endless barrage of blockbusters being rolled out this time of year. Streaming giants Netflix helped change up this unofficial tradition a bit by acquiring the distribution rights to this summer's first sentimental, sappy Sundance film with Rob Burnett's The Fundamentals of Caring, a film that manages to overcome its predictability and reliance on sappy melodrama to deliver a satisfying viewing experience.

The plot focuses on Ben (Paul Rudd), an out-of-work writer with a recently deceased child and an impending divorce who reluctantly becomes a caregiver to make ends meet. His first client Trevor (Craig Roberts) is a bitter and highly sarcastic 20-year old man with multiple sclerosis who recently moved from England to Washington with his single mother (Jennifer Elhe). After weeks of clashing with each other in the confines of Trevor's house, the two decide to embark on a road trip to see a series of bizarre roadside attractions Trevor had seen on TV and eventually start to bond and help each other get over their most crippling fears and personal insecurities.

Despite it's strict adherence to indie comedy/drama cliches, The Fundamentals of Caring is still able to skate by on its charm and the quality of its cast. The relationship between Rudd and Roberts feels very natural and the actors both play their parts wonderfully and while the handful of completely forced emotional scenes in the latter half of the film are somewhat cringe-inducing, the film's warmth is real and hard to resist. The Fundamentals of Caring won't go down with recent releases Me and the Earl and the Dying Girl and The Kings of Summer as standout films in the unofficial "Sundance dramedy" genre, but it's still worth watching if you're looking for a light, funny and touching movie.

3.5/5 Stars

Track-by-Track Album Review: Riff Raff-Peach Panther

After two long years and numerous delays, Riff Raff a.k.a Jody Highroller a.k.a The Neon Icon a.k.a The White Gucci Mane with a Spray Tan has finally dropped his second proper LP, Peach Panther. Is Peach Panther Riff Raff's magnum opus? Will it cause you to fall into a dream world full of Versace rainbows and codeine trees as far as the eye can see? Is Riff Raff human or is he dancer? All will be answered in this track-by-track review of 2016's most important musical release.

1. "Peach Panther (Freestyle)": Good lord does this do a good job of setting the tone for this album. The intro is a completely bizarre rant about how mankind is abandoning one another (complete with robot vocal effects!), the lyrics are funny as all hell and the beat is an absolute banger. If I were to pick a song from this album that encapsulates everything that Riff Raff is about, it would be "Peach Panther (Freestyle)".
Best Riffism: "Bring Bring, Who Is It? Collect Call from Bruce Jenner"

2."Carlos Slim": This shit is old news since it was released as the album's first single back in early April, but it still goes hard as a motherfucker. Riff Raff flows like the god damn Nile and drops non-stop lyrical bombs over this majestic, subwoofer-assaulting beat from Cash Fargo of 808 Mafia. One of Peach Panther's clear standout tracks and an instant classic for The Neon Icon.
Best Riffism: "Codeine Castle got a pool full of mermaids"

3."Only in America": Peach Panther's early hot streak continues with a song that should be the United States' new national anthem. Jody Highroller spends the entirety of this track boasting about the joys of living in America including eating duck sauce, installing Codeine water fountains next to your swimming pool and teaching your children how to become professional Snapchatters. Riff Raff is a real American that fights for the right of every man and don't you ever forget it.
Best Riffism: "Only Americans eat duck sauce"

4."4 Million": I love it when Riff Raff is in full preacher mode. This glorious, high-energy trap sermon is about how Riff Raff only made $4 Million last year. If you thought he was balling when he was raking in couch cushion money, wait until Jody Highroller starts making real mogul money. He's going to fuck around and buy a unicorn or some other magical shit, and it's going to be the most amazing to happen to the hip-hop world since the release of Shaq Diesel.
Best Riffism: "I don't ever ask for help/Shot more jumpers than Tony Delk" 

5."Chris Paul": This is a decent little pop rap tune that gives Riff a chance to show his competent singing voice on the hook and drop as many references to players on the Los Angeles Clippers (the basketball team that Paul plays for) as humanly possible in 3 minutes. My only issue with the song is that he shows that it was recorded a while ago by referencing Matt Barnes,who got traded to the Memphis Grizzlies immediately following the 2014-15 season, in his parade of Clipper name drops. "Shooting 3's like Wesley Johnson or Jamal Crawford" may not have the same ring to it, but at least it would've highlighted the shooting prowess of a player that actually played for the Clippers this past season.
Best Riffism: "Tint darker than coffee/my mouth look like ice hockey

6."Syrup Sippin Assassin": Of course Peach Panther's first real misstep has to be the song with the best title on the whole album. "Syrup Sippin Assassin" wastes a great beat on a song that features the same two sets of lines repeated for three minutes and literally no rapping from the Neon Icon. This is essentially Peach Panther's "VIP Pass to My Heart" and I really wish Riff Raff would stop trying to pretend to be a T-Pain clone once every album.
Best Riffism: N/A

7."All I Ever Wanted" (feat. Dolla Bill Gates): The momentum killed by the awful "Syrup Sippin Assassin" isn't really regained here. This is pretty much a throwaway song with no real standout lines, a mediocre chorus and below average guest verse from Dolla Bill Gates.
Best Riffism: N/A

8. "I Drive By" (feat. Gucci Mane and Danny Brown): The expectations I had for this song were unholy high. Riff Raff, Danny Brown and Gucci Mane on the same track is a gift from the hip-hop gods and it would be an unforgivable sin if this holy trinity failed to deliver a masterpiece. Thankfully, "I Drive By" managed to live up to its heavyweight billing. Riff spits nothing but certified Versace-tinged flames, Brown delivers one of his most frantic and inspired guest verses to-date and King Gucci drops a hook so beautiful it will make every bird currently living on Earth sing. It'll be a grand-scale travesty if this doesn't become the club anthem of summer 2016.
Best Riffism: "Cutting through the traffic/limousine Inspector Gadget"

9."Mercedes" (feat. G-Eazy and J.Doe): Well color me shocked this song is actually pretty damn good! The chorus from J. Doe is really catchy, the beat is a hardcore banger and best of all, G-Eazy-who is usually about as lively as a marathon of Antiques Roadshow- manages to be tolerable for once! Riff's merely decent verse is the only thing preventing this from being one of the album's standout tracks.
Best Riffism: "High School used to play sports/then I got fat and lazy/And luckily my pockets did too"

10."I Don't Like to Think" (feat. Problem): From the beat to the cadence Problem uses on the hook, this track reminded me of the Chief Keef/Riff Raff collab "Cuz My Gear". The hook is relatively catchy and Riff's verse features a number of flat-out hilarious lines, but the feeling of familiarity and borderline plagiarism prevented me from really digging it.
Best Riffism: "Versace Dennis the Menace/Rain dancing outside of Lenox

11."Shout Out to the Bay" (feat. King Chip): King Chip deserves a life sentence in a Punjabi Prison for ruining this otherwise wonderful slice of high-end hip-hop swag with his obnoxious flow and weak-ass lyrics that sound like they came out of a "How to Be a Generic Fuckboy Rapper 101" book. You can't put The Master of Disguise on before The Godfather and expect me not to notice. Fuck you King Chip.
Best Riffism: "I beg your pardon swing to Olive Garden/Now I'm with your daughter in the karma Aston Martin"


12."Betcha' Didn't Know" (feat. Lil Durk): This basically has the same issues as "Shout Out to the Bay". A great verse from Riff is brought down by a horrendous guest spot from grade-A trap rap clown Lil Durk and a piss-weak, autotune-driven chorus that sounds like it was hijacked from one of Future's lazy mixtape songs. Ending Peach Panther on such a lackluster note is a huge buzzkill.
Best Riffism: "I can Bill and Ted/got more ice than a sled"


Peach Panther is a solid albeit somewhat inconsistent return to Riff Raff's trap roots. It may lack the diversity/insanity and non-stop hilarity that Neon Icon had, but it's still a worthwhile album with a number of side-splitting highlights. The issues that plague this record (weak guest spots, repetitive sound) are easily correctable and I'm fully convinced that Jody Highroller's next effort could be a serious game-changer for the Versacecore genre.

3.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.I Drive By (feat. Gucci Mane and Danny Brown)
2.Carlos Slim
3.Peach Panther (freestyle)

The Best and Worst of Christoph Waltz

The "Best and Worst" series profiles the best and worst work of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week I take a look at the filmography of "The Legend of Tarzan" star Christoph Waltz.
Film starring Christoph Waltz that I've seen:
Inglorious Basterds
The Green Hornet
Water for Elephants
The Three Musketeers
Django Unchained
Muppets Most Wanted
Horrible Bosses 2
Big Eyes
Spectre

Best Performance: Django Unchained (2012)
This was an extremely difficult choice between both of Waltz's Oscar-winning roles, but I've got to give the slight edge to his turn as dentist-turned-slave liberator/bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz in Django Unchained. Waltz burns up the screen every time he appears and makes Schultz one of the most charismatic, interesting and noble characters to ever appear in one of Quentin Tarantino's films. In an era where the Academy royally screws up on a regular basis, Waltz's Best Supporting Actor trophy for this role marks one of the rare times where they actually got it right.

Worst Performance: The Green Hornet (2011)
I believe that The Green Hornet gets a far worse rap than it deserves and is actually a pretty entertaining albeit relatively dumb action-comedy. That being said, there's no universe in which I can defend Waltz's trainwreck of a performance. Waltz completely clashes against the film's goofy tone with an overly serious performance as Benjamin Chudnofsky -the film's "imposing" Russian mobster antagonist- that borderlines on embarrassing. 

Best Film: Django Unchained (2012)
Quentin Tarantino's filmography is full of gems and Django Unchained is one of the brightest. Tarantino is able to make a film that's tremendously entertaining and darkly hilarious while simultaneously shining an unfiltered light on the atrocities that were committed during slavery in the United States in a way that more serious films (12 Years a Slave, Amistad) failed to do. Django Unchained is the last film I gave a perfect score to and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it was another several years before another film resonates with me as strongly as this did.  

Worst Film: The Three Musketeers (2011) 
I'll admit that the The Three Musketeers wasn't the disaster I expected it to be when I found out Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil franchise, Alien vs. Predator) was directing it. However, it's still a completely forgettable film outside of a few impressive action setpieces. The tone is jarring, the dialogue is often unintentionally hilarious and the acting from everyone outside of Mila Jovovich and Ray Stevenson is really bad. In the seemingly endless sea of Hollywood blockbusters, The Three Musketeers is about as disposable as they come.

Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week, I'll take a look at the best and worst work of "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" star Anna Kendrick.  

2015 in Music: Revisited

In my eyes, Music is the artform that grows or fades on you the most over time. Re-visiting a song or an album can allow you to appreciate things didn't notice on past listen, grow sour on things you previously enjoyed, etc. Because of this phenomenon, I've made a tradition of revisiting the previous year's music at the halfway point of the following year to see how these albums have held up after deeper listens and further reflection. Even in just six months, there's been a lot of movement on my list of favorite albums of 2015. Below you'll find my modified list of 2015 albums ranked from worst to best and write-ups of the albums I've listened to since I posted my "2015 in Music: Year in Review" piece in early January. 

()=Ranking on my year-end recap
(new)=An album that I listened after posting my year-end recap

EP's

8.(8)Lil B x Chance the Rapper-Based Freestyle Mixtape (2.5/5)

7.(new)Slaughter to Prevail-Chapters of Misery (3/5)

Russia's Slaughter to Prevail sound like they've come out of a time machine. Their straightforward, breakdown-heavy brand of deathcore is a throwback to the days where B-grade bands like As Blood Runs Black, Molotov Solution and I Declare War were still making waves in the extreme metal scene. Chapters of Misery holds some value because of how competent the musicianship is all-around and the inevitable nostalgia that comes with releasing a pure deathcore album in late 2015, but it's far too generic and predictable to be anything more than a relatively enjoyable yet completely disposable listen.    

6.(6)Incubus-Trust Fall (Side A) (3/5)

5.(5)Rotting Out-Reckoning (3.5/5)

4.(4)Riff Raff-Trench Coat Towers (3.5/5)

3.(3)Entheos-Primal (3.5/5)

2.(2)Freddie Gibbs-Pronto (4/5)

1.(1)FKA twigs-M3LLI55X (4/5)

LP's

130.(122)Beach House-Depression Cherry (0/5)

129.(121)Title Fight-Hyperview (1.5/5)

128.(120)mewithoutyou-Pale Horses (1.5/5)

127.(119)Jay Rock-90059 (2/5)

126.(118)Faith No More-Sol Invictus (2/5)

125.(117)Meek Mill-Dreams Worth More Than Money

124.(116)The Sword-High Country

123.(115)Fetty Wap-Fetty Wap (2/5)

122.(new)Turnover-Peripheral Vision (2/5)

While indie rock has always been a polarizing genre for me, it seems like it's getting more and more stagnant by the day. Turnover's Peripheral Vision does nothing to stop this disheartening trend. The melodies are occasionally nice and vocalist Austin Getz has a pleasant enough voice, but for the most part Peripheral Vision is a repetitive, emotionless bore. 

121.(114)Coheed and Cambria-The Color Before the Sun (2/5)

120.(113)Tyler, the Creator-Cherry Bomb (2/5)

119.(112)Knuckle Puck-Copacetic (2.5/5)

118.(111)Native Construct-Quiet World (2.5/5)

117.(110)Defeater-Abandoned (2.5/5)

116.(106)Juicy J-100% Juice (2.5/5)

115.(107)Jamie xx-In Colour (2.5/5)

114.(108)Big Sean-Dark Sky Paradise (2.5/5)

113.(105)Enter Shakiri-The Mindsweep (2.5/5)

112.(104)Muse-Drones (2.5/5)

111.(103)Being as an Ocean-Being as an Ocean (2.5/5)

110.(102)Tame Impala-Currents (2.5/5)

109.(new)Sirens & Sailors-Rising Moon: Setting Sun (2.5/5)

This is a Sirens & Sailors album alright. The New York-based group take their hybrid of metalcore and djent to previously inconceivable levels of mediocrity on their third LP, Rising Moon: Setting Sun. This record couldn't even hold my attention for its very short 32-minute runtime and it completely exited my brain less than hour after I had finished listening to it. Unless they completely revamp their sound or actually put some diversity and interesting ideas into their compositions, I wouldn't even entertain the possibility of listening to this album or band ever again. 

108.(99)All That Remains-The Order of Things (2.5/5)

107.(100)Turnstile-Nonstop Feeling (2.5/5)

106.(109)Justin Bieber-Purpose (2.5/5)

105.(98)Freddie Gibbs-Shadow of a Doubt (2.5/5)

104.(96)Earl Sweatshirt-I Don't Do Shit, I Don't Go Outside (2.5/5)

103.(97)Parkway Drive-Ire (2.5/5)

102.(94)Between the Buried and Me-Coma Ecliptic (2.5/5)

101.(91)Terror-The 25th Hour (2.5/5)

100.(101)Selena Gomez-Revival (2.5/5)

99.(95)Miguel-Wildheart (2.5/5)

98.(new)Halsey-Badlands (2.5/5)

Badlands is the most frustrating pop record I've heard in ages. At its best, it's a beautiful and haunting slice of downbeat synthpop bliss. At its worst, it's a dull and pretentious pile of trash from an artist that's not nearly as deep or edgy as she think she is. Halsey's use of atmosphere and unique vocals give me hope that her future projects will be worthwhile, she just needs to shake her cringe-worthy lyrics and issues with consistency before she can live up to her immense potential.  

97.(93)Drake & Future-What a Time to Be Alive (2.5/5)

96.(90)It Prevails-Perdition (3/5)

95.(92)Stick to Your Guns-Disobedient (3/5)

94.(89)Vola-Inmazes (3/5)

93.(88)Future-DS2 (3/5)

92.(87)Father John Misty-I Love You, Honeybear (3/5)

91.(83)Juicy J-O's to Oscars (3/5)

90.(86)Gucci Mane-King Gucci (3/5)

89.(85)Marina and the Diamonds-Froot (3/5)

88.(84)Marilyn Manson-The Pale Emperor (3/5)

87.(80)Drake-If You're Reading This, It's Too Late (3/5)

86.(81)Fall Out Boy-American Beauty/American Psycho (3/5)

85.(79)Migos-Yung Rich Nation (3/5)

84.(70)Dark Sermon-The Oracle (3/5)

83.(78)Baroness-Purple (3/5)

82.(77)Logic-The Incredible True Story (3/5)

81.(82)Carley Rae Jepsen-E.MO.TION (3/5)

80.(60)Future-56 Nights (3/5)

79.(76)Slayer-Repentless (3/5)

78.(75)Veil of Maya-Matriarch (3/5)

77.(73)Ingested-The Architect of Extinction (3.5/5)

76.(72)Four Year Strong-Four Year Strong (3.5/5)

75.(71)Miss May I-Deathless (3.5/5)

74.(69)CZARFACE-Every Hero Needs a Villain (3.5/5)

73.(68)Napalm Death-Apex Predator: Easy Meat (3.5/5)

72.(67)Devil You Know-They Bleed Red (3.5/5)

71.(66)Nile-What Should Not Be Unearthed (3.5/5)

70.(65)I the Mighty-Connector (3.5/5)

69.(47)Big K.R.I.T.-It's Better This Way (3.5/5)

68.(new)Florence + the Machine-How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (3.5/5)

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful is the first time I've been exposed to Florence + the Machine's music at length and I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of it. The variety of the instrumentation is nice and the range and power of Florence Welch's vocals is thoroughly impressive. The drop off in quality from the first to the second half is pretty substantial and the vocals are sometimes way too over-the-top for the subtle arrangements the band specializes in, but it's still a well-constructed art pop album with a number of standout tracks.

67.(64)Crossfaith-Xeno (3.5/5)

66.(46)The Wonder Years-No Closer to Heaven (3.5/5)

65.(63)Demi Lovato-Confident (3.5/5)

64.(62)Blacklisted-When People Grow, People Go (3.5/5)

63.(61)Rae Sremmurd-SremmLife (3.5/5)

62.(59)Stray From the Path-Subliminal Criminals (3.5/5)

61.(new)Horrendous-Anareta (3.5/5)

Anareta epitomizes how detrimental underwhelming vocals can be to the quality of an album. The excellent instrumentation that effortlessly blends traditional, melodic and progressive death metal puts a rock-solid backbone in place only to be failed by the below-average vocals of Damian Herring, who frequently sounds like a bad Chuck Schuldnier impersonator. Anareta is still worth a listen for fans of old-school and modern death metal, it's just nowhere near as good as it could've been.  

60.(58)Hundredth-Free (3.5/5)

59.(new)Chon-Grow (3.5/5)

Chon has been one of the most buzzed-about instrumental bands in modern music and listening to Grow, it's easy to see why. The musicianship is extraordinary, their songs are short and catchy and they're mellow enough to make for a nice, relaxing listening experience. Grow is a must-listen for fans of Animals as Leaders, Explosions in the Sky and 65daysofstatic.

58.(55)Haste the Day-Coward (3.5/5)

57.(57)State Champs-Around the World and Back (3.5/5)

56.(54)Migos-Back to the Bando (3.5/5)

55.(74)Travi$ Scott-Rodeo (3.5/5)

54.(56)Joey Bada$$-B4.Da.$$ (3.5/5)

53.(53)Children of Bodom-I Worship Chaos (3.5/5)

52.(52)Palm Reader-Besides the Ones We Love (3.5/5)

51.(51)Julia Holter-Have You in My Wilderness (3.5/5)

50.(50)Northlane-Node (3.5/5)

49.(49)Steven Wilson-Hand.Cannot.Erase. (3.5/5)

48.(48)Sleater-Kinney-No Cities to Love (3.5/5)

47.(45)Strawberry Girls-American Graffiti (3.5/5)

46.(43)Elder-Lore (3.5/5)

45.(42)TesseracT-Polaris (3.5/5)

44.(27)Born of Osiris-Soul Sphere (3.5/5)

43.(41)Feed Her to the Sharks-Fortitude (3.5/5)

42.(39)Neck Deep-Life's Not Out to Get You (3.5/5)

41.(new)Michael Christmas-What a Weird Day (3.5/5)

My hometown of Boston isn't known for its hip-hop scene, so when somebody out of the city makes any sort of waves on the national level, I'm going to pay close attention. Michael Christmas is a quirky, self-deprecating rapper that is a more than worthy national ambassador for the Boston hip-hop scene. His first full-length What a Weird Day shows flashes of true brilliance and lays down a solid blueprint for future success. Everything from his lyrics to the production is greatly improved from his 2014 debut mixtape Is This Art? and the quality is pretty consistent throughout, despite having an imposing 18-track, 61-minute runtime. Christmas is exactly the unique and unapologetically goofy voice we need more of in the overly serious modern hip-hop climate.

40.(38)Black Fast-Terms of Surrender (3.5/5)

39.(40)Make Them Suffer-Old Souls (3.5/5)

37.(37)Juicy J-Blue Dream & Lean 2 (3.5/5)

36.(36)Royal Thunder-Crooked Doors (3.5/5)

35.(35)High on Fire-Luminiferous (3.5/5)

34.(31)Abiotic-Casuistry (3.5/5)

33.(34)Pusha T-King Push-Prelude: Darkest Before Dawn (3.5/5)

32.(33)Thy Art is Murder-Holy War (3.5/5)

31.(32)Scale the Summit-V (3.5/5)

30.(28)Death Grips-The Powers That B: Disc 2: Jenny Death (3.5/5)

29.(30)Purity Ring-Another Eternity (3.5/5)

28.(29)A$AP Rocky-At.Long.Last.A$AP (3.5/5)

27.(26)Cattle Decapitation-The Anthropocence Extinction (4/5)

26.(25)Lamb of God-VII: Sturm und Drang (4/5)

25.(44)Waka Flocka Flame-Flockaveli 1.5 (4/5)

24.(24)Cult Leader-Lightless Walk (4/5)

23.(23)Clutch-Psychic Warfare (4/5)

22.(22)Sylosis-Dormant Heart (4/5)

21.(21)Alustrium-A Tunnel to Eden (4/5)

20.(20)Counterparts-Tragedy Will Find Us (4/5)

19.(18)Intervals-The Shape of Colour (4/5)

18.(17)The Story So Far-The Story So Far (4/5)

17.(15)Soilwork-The Ride Majestic (4/5)

16.(16)While She Sleeps-Brainwashed (4/5)

15.(14)Mac Miller-GO: OD AM (4/5)

14.(13) iwrestledabearonce-Hail Mary (4/5)

13.(12)Action Bronson-Mr. Wonderful (4/5)

12.(11)Vince Staples-Summertime '06 (4/5)

11.(10)Rivers of Nihil-Monarchy (4/5)

10.(9)Lana Del Rey-Honeymoon (4/5)

9.(8)Dance Gavin Dance-Instant Gratification (4/5)

8.(7)Mutoid Man-Bleeder (4/5)

7.(5)Periphery-Juggernaut (Alpha + Omega)(4/5)

6.(19)The Weeknd-Beauty Behind the Madness (4/5)

5.(4)Kendrick Lamar-To Pimp a Butterfly (4/5)

4.(2)Battlecross-Rise to Power (4.5/5)

3.(6)Intronaut-The Direction of Last Things (4.5/5)

2.(3)The Black Dahlia Murder-Abysmal (4.5/5)

1.(1)August Burns Red-Found in Far Away Places (4.5/5)

Movie Review: Central Intelligence

How did it take Hollywood this long to cast Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson in a movie together? They've been two of the film industry's most charismatic actors and reliable scene-stealers for the past four or five years and have each demonstrated a knack for generating laughs, regardless of the quality of the material they're handed. Unsurprisingly, the two make a terrific on-screen pairing and their remarkable chemistry and comedic prowess makes Central Intelligence one of the most satisfying buddy movies to hit theaters in recent memory.  

The relatively generic spy plot basically just serves as an excuse to get Hart and Johnson into a series of ridiculous situations and run wild, which is completely fine because watching these two interact is absurdly fun and amusing. The script from Ike Barinholtz, David Stassen and Rawson Marshall Thurber (who also directed) is full of sharp one-liners and visual gags that keep the laughs coming and strongly utilizes the strong, natural rapport between Hart and Johnson. It was wise for the writers to put the story on the backburner and have the quality of the film largely hinge on the likability and talent of its two leads.

Best of all, Johnson and Hart are able to deliver top-notch performances while breaking free of the roles they've typically typecast in. Johnson's Bob Stone is a lovable goofball while Hart's Calvin Joyner is unassuming and even-keeled. There are bursts of their defining traits (Hart's live-wire energy and Johnson's deadpan delivery) sprinkled throughout, but for the most part these two spend the duration of this film proving that they don't need stick to their established niches to be funny. Central Intelligence is a top-notch, crowd-pleasing action comedy that serves as a perfect showcase for two of the brightest stars in Hollywood today.

4/5 Stars

The Best and Worst of Matthew McConaughey

The "Best and Worst" series profiles the best and worst work of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week I take a look at the filmography of "Free State of Jones" star Matthew McConaughey.

Films starring Matthew McConaughey that I've seen:
Dazed and Confused
Angels in the Outfield 
Larger than Life
Contact
Reign of Fire
Fool's Gold
Tropic Thunder
The Lincoln Lawyer
Mud
The Paperboy
Dallas Buyers Club
The Wolf of Wall Street
Interstellar 

Best Performance: The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
This performance marked the moment were I became completely sold on the McConaissance. In less than 15 minutes on screen, McConaughey manages to steal the entire movie from a cast that was almost exclusively made up of elite actors. McConaughey is hilarious and relentlessly sleazy as the stockbroker that introduces Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) to the sex, drugs and corruption-filled culture of Wall Street. As good as The Wolf of Wall Street was, I wished the film focused on McConaughey's character instead of Belfort.

Worst Performance: Fool's Gold (2008)
The 2000's was a dark time for McConaughey's career as he spent almost the entire decade starring in romantic comedies that were profitable, but almost universally panned by critics and audiences alike. If Fool's Gold-the only film from the aforementioned period that I've seen-is any indicator, I completely understand why McConaughey was viewed as one of Hollywood's biggest laughing stocks at that point in time. The humor is far too straight-laced to make use of his gift for perfectly performing insane, over-the-top comedy and not even an ounce of the charm or likability he showcased in films like Dazed and Confused and Reign of Fire is on display here. Hopefully McConaughey can continue his recent hot streak and not have to resort to making movies in this vein again.

Best Film: Tropic Thunder (2008) 
Tropic Thunder keeps popping up when I do these pieces and for good reason-it's an extremely funny and pretty underrated movie. Tropic Thunder features everything I look for in a satire. The script beautifully skewers Hollywood privilege and gritty war movies, the ensemble cast straight-up slays their respective roles and most importantly for a comedy, the laughs hold up on repeat viewings. 

Worst Film: Fool's Gold (2008)
How I end up seeing Fool's Gold can only be explained by a brief, dull anecdote. A few years ago, my Easter dinner was late going into the oven, so my aunt's boyfriend decided to put this movie onto pass the time. For whatever reason, I sat through the whole thing and proceeded to spend the rest of the day hating myself because of it. This was easily one of the most unfunny and insufferable romantic comedies I've ever seen. Not even a scantily-clad Kate Hudson and beautiful Caribbean setting (although most of the film was filmed in Australia) could make this shitfest tolerable. Watching full-scale cinematic disasters like this makes McConaughey's seamless transition into more serious material that much more impressive. 

Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week, I'll take a look at the best and worst work of "The Legend of Tarzan" star Christoph Waltz.