2024 in Music: A Year in Review

If nothing else, at least 2024's musical year made slightly more sense than 2023. Some great veteran artists returned to their roots and put out their best material in years (Jack White, Judas Priest, St. Vincent). The world embraced then quickly got infuriated by the birth of new pop icons (Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter). A certain pop superstar went into autopilot mode and still put up insane numbers on the charts. Katy Perry's efforts to mount a comeback failed in spectacular fashion. Kendrick Lamar ruined someone's career and fell back in love with making aggressive bangers. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard found yet another new musical avenue to travel down. Glass Animals strengthened the odds that How to Be a Human Being was a fluke by releasing another collection of lukewarm tracks designed to be half listened to in the frozen food section of your local grocery store. Metalcore's continued resurgence led to my top 20 albums once again being populated by releases from that genre.  

Below, you'll find a list of every 2024 EP and LP I heard ranked from worst to best (w/grades) along with a collection of superlatives and my picks for the year's top 50 songs. Hope you enjoy.

EP's:

8.Corpse Pile-Hardgore Deathmetal (B-)

7.Big Ass Truck-Big Ass Demo (B)

6.Frontierer-The Skull Burned Wearing Hell Like a Life Vest as the Night Wept (B)

5.Disembodied Tyrant-The Tower: Part One (B)

4.Tove Lo and SG Lewis-Heat (B)

3.Unearth-Bask in the Blood of Our Demons (B+)

2.Counterparts-Heaven Let Them Die (B+)

1.Greyhaven-Stereo Grief (B+)

LP's:

103.Taylor Swift-The Tortured Poets Department (D+)

102.Maya Hawke-Chaos Angel (C-)

101.Ice Spice-Y2K! (C)

100.Glass Animals-I Love You So F***ing Much (C)

99.The Ghost Inside-Searching for Solace (C)

98.Alkaline Trio-Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs (C)

97.Left to Suffer-Leap of Death (C)

96.GloRilla-Glorious (C)

95.Normani-Dopamine (C)

94.Sum 41-Heaven :x: Hell (C)

93.Clairo-Charm (C)

92.21 Savage-american dream (C+)

91.Don Toliver-Hardstone Psycho (C+)

90.Gatecreeper-Dark Superstition (C+)

89.Vomit Forth-Terrified of God (C+)

88.Melt-Banana-3+5 (C+)

87.Tinashe-Quantum Baby (C+)

86.Megan Thee Stallion-Megan (B-)

85.Neck Deep-Neck Deep (B-)

84.Linkin Park-From Zero (B-)

83.Make Them Suffer-Make Them Suffer (B-)

82.Body Count-Merciless (B-)

81.Michael Kiwanuka-Small Changes (B-)

80.Kacey Musgraves-Deeper Well (B-)

79.IDLES-TANGK (B-)

78.While She Sleeps-Self Hell (B-)

77.Party Cannon-Injuries Are Inevitable (B-)

76.Johnny Blue Skies (Sturgill Simpson)-Passage du desir (B-)

75.Mk.gee-Two Star & the Dream Police (B-)

74.Four Year Strong-Analysis Paralysis (B-)

73.Beyonce-Cowboy Carter (B-)

72.Zach Bryan-The Great American Bar Scene (B-)

71.Speed-Only One Mode (B-)

70.Wage War-STIGMA (B-)

69.Ariana Grande-Eternal Sunshine (B-)

68.Future-Mixtape Pluto (B-)

67.Spectral Wound-Songs of Blood and Mire (B-)

66.Chat Pile-Cool World (B-)

65.Maggie Rogers-Don't Forget Me (B-)

64.Childish Gambino-Bando Stone and the New World (B-)

63.Halsey-The Great Impersonator (B-)

62.Darkest Hour-Perpetual|Terminal (B)

61.Defeated Sanity-Chronicles of Lunacy (B)

60.Vampire Weekend-Only God Was Above Us (B)

59.Future and Metro Boomin-WE DON'T TRUST YOU (B)

58.Dealer-New Order of Mind (B)

57.Tommy Richman-Coyote (B)

56.Touche Amore-Spiral in a Straight Line (B)

55.Fleshgod Apocalypse-Opera (B)

54.Magdalena Bay-Imaginal Disk (B)

53.Underneath-From the Gut of Gaia (B)

52.Action Bronson-Johan Sebastian Bachlava the Doctor (B)

51.Anciients-Beyond the Reach of the Sun (B)

50.Intervals-Memory Palace (B)

49.Chelsea Wolfe-She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She (B)

48.Vale of Pnath-Between the Worlds of Life and Death (B)

47.The Smile-Cutouts (B)

46.Fit for an Autopsy-The Nothing That Is (B)

45.Many Eyes-The Light Age (B)

44.The Story So Far-I Want to Disappear (B)

43.Foreign Hands-What's Left Unsaid (B)

42.Kali Uchis-Orquideas (B)

41.Kublai Khan TX-Exhibition of Forgiveness (B)

40.Sabrina Carpenter-Short n'Sweet (B)

39.SZA-Lana (B)

38.Bring Me the Horizon-Post Human: NeX Gen (B)

37.NxWorries-Why Lawd? (B)

36.Dark Tranquility-Endtime Signals (B)

35.BRAT-Social Grace (B)

34.Candy-It's Inside You (B)

33.The Smile-Wall of Eyes (B)

32.Wristmeetrazor-Degeneration (B)

31.Dissimulator-Lower Form Resistance (B)

30.PeelingFlesh-The G Code (B)

29.Nile-The Underworld Awaits Us All (B)

28.Dua Lipa-Radical Optimism (B)

27.Tyler, the Creator-CHROMAKOPIA (B)

26.Alpha Wolf-Half Living Things (B)

25.Vince Staples-Dark Times (B)

24.Billie Eilish-HIT ME HARD AND SOFT (B)

23.ScHoolboy Q-Blue Lips (B)

22.JPEGMAFIA-I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU (B)

21.Poppy-Negative Spaces (B)

20.High on Fire-Cometh the Storm (B+)

19.Boundaries-Death is Little More (B+)

18.Within the Ruins-Phenomena II (B+)

17.Blood Incantation-Absolute Elsewhere (B+)

16.Jack White-No Name (B+)

15.The Black Dahlia Murder-Servitude (B+)

14.Denzel Curry-King of the Mischievous South Vol.2 (B+)

13.Judas Priest-Invincible Shield (B+)

12.Kendrick Lamar-GNX (B+)

11.Remi Wolf-Big Ideas (B+)

10.Ripped to Shreds-Sanshi (B+)

9.Undeath-More Insane (B+)

8.Charli XCX-Brat (B+)

7.SeeYouSpaceCowboy...-Coup de Grace (B+)

6.King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-Flight b741 (B+)

5.Job for a Cowboy-Moon Healer (B+)

4.200 Stab Wounds-Manual Manic Procedures (B+)

3.St.Vincent-All Born Screaming (A-)

2.Better Lovers-Highly Irresponsible (A)

1.Knocked Loose-You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To (A)

Awards/Superlatives:

Biggest Surprises:

1.Charli XCX-Brat

2.Poppy-Negative Spaces

3.Judas Priest-Invincible Shield

4.Undeath-More Insane

5.ScHoolboy Q-Blue Lips

Biggest Letdowns:

1.IDLES-TANGK

2.While She Sleeps-Self Hell

3.Ariana Grande-Eternal Sunshine

4.Halsey-The Great Impersonator 

5.21 Savage-american dream

Most Underrated:

1.SeeYouSpaceCowboy-Coup de Grace

2.Ripped to Shreds-Sanshi

3.Remi Wolf-Big Ideas

4.Alpha Wolf-Half Living Things

5.ScHoolboy Q-Blue Lips

Most Overrated:

1.Zach Bryan-The Great American Bar Scene 

2.Johhny Blue Skies-Passage du desir

3.Beyonce-Cowboy Carter

4.Chat Pile-Cool World

5.Defeated Sanity-Chronicles of Lunacy

Top Artists I Hope Drop an Albums in 2025 (Excluding Albums with Confirmed 2025 Release Dates):

1.Vein.fm

2.Deftones

3.Lorna Shore

4.Bad Omens

5.Emmure

Top 50 Songs (in Alphabetical Order by Artist):

200 Stab Wounds-Flesh from Within

200 Stab Wounds-Manic Manual Procedures

Alpha Wolf-Bring Back the Noise

Better Lovers-Drowning in a Burning World

Better Lovers-Future Myopia

Born of Osiris-Elevate

Boundaries-Scars on a Soul

Bring Me the Horizon-Kool-Aid

Chappell Roan-Good Luck, Babe!

Charli XCX-Sympathy is a Knife

Coheed and Cambria-Searching for Tomorrow

Denzel Curry-ULTRA SHXT (feat. Key Nyata)

Dua Lipa-Illusion

FKA twigs-Eusexua

Halsey-Lonely is the Muse

Jack White-Bombing Out

Job for a Cowboy-Into the Crystaline Crypts

Job for a Cowboy-The Sun Gave Me Ashes So I Sought Out the Moon

JPEGMAFIA-Sin Miedo

Judas Priest-Invincible Shield

Kacey Musgraves-Jade Green

Kendrick Lamar-Squabble Up

Kendrick Lamar-TV OFF (feat. Lefty Gunplay)

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-Field of Vision

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-Le Risque

Knocked Loose-Blinding Faith

Knocked Loose-Piece by Piece

Knocked Loose-Suffocate (feat. Poppy)

Kublai Khan TX-Darwinism

Kublai Khan TX-Darwinism

Luke Combs-Ain't No Love in Oklahoma

PEELINGFLESH-Shoot 2 Kill

Poppy-Negative Spaces

Poppy-Push Go

Remi Wolf-Cherries & Cream

Remi Wolf-Toro

Remi Wolf-Wave

Sabrina Carpenter-Taste

SeeYouSpaceCowboy-And the Two Slipped Into the Shadows

SeeYouSpaceCowboy...-Subtle Whispers to Take Your Breath Away

Spiritbox-Soft Spine

St. Vincent-Broken Man

St.Vincent-Sweetest Fruit

SZA-Saturn

The Black Dahlia Murder-Panic Hysteric

The Weeknd-Dancing in the Flames

Tommy Richman-Million Dollar Baby

Tove Lo-Let Me go OH OH

Undeath-Disputatious Malignancy

Undeath-More Insane

Top 10 Albums of 2024

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order by artist):

The Black Dahlia Murder-Servitude 

Denzel Curry-King of the Mischievous South Vol.2

Judas Priest-Invincible Shield

Kendrick Lamar-GNX

Remi Wolf-Big Ideas

10.Ripped to Shreds-Sanshi:

Buried deep on the roster of Relapse Records, San Jose-bred Ripped to Shreds is my personal choice for the unfortunate title of Most Exciting Upstart Extreme Metal Band That Basically No One Has Heard Of. They deftly combine a variety of styles (traditional death metal, melodeath, deathgrind) to create a blistering yet consistently unpredictable sound, Brian Do's frantic drumming hits like a fucking artillery attack and vocalist/guitarist Andrew Lee is doing some crazy David Davidson-esque shit with the way he's laying down blistering leads and an array of vile screams on every single track. If this sounds even remotely appealing to you, please go check out Sanshi ASAP. 

Top Tracks: 1.Cultivating towards Ascension 2.Feast of the Deceased 3.Force Fed

9.Undeath-More Insane:

Undeath's previous record It's Time... to Rise from the Grave took their old school death metal revival act a bit too far as it had production that was so muddy that it bypassed charming throwback and entered straight into "did they record this is in a sealed bank vault?" territory. Tweaking their sound to something cleaner and catchier on their 3rd LP More Insane proved to be a major win. Embracing something that more closely resembles an homage to Cannibal Corpse than the early Death and Obituary records they were drawing inspiration from previously really elevated their energy level and the volume of killer riffs/breakdowns they pack into these 10 tracks is frankly absurd. Hopefully this style isn't a just pit stop for them because More Insane sounds like a band that has finally found its identity after years of searching for it.     

Top Tracks: 1.Disupatious Malignancy 2.More Insane 3.Cramped Caskets (Necrology)

8.Charli XCX-Brat:

Sometimes humility is overrated. For damn near a decade, Charli XCX has been steadily operating on the outskirts of mainstream pop music while getting overshadowed and leapfrogged by a bunch of similar artists that were less seasoned than her. Brat is her way of seizing the stardom that has long alluded her and letting the whole world know that she no longer accepts being treated as anything less than one of the genre's most important artists. Her charmingly overt brashness is perfectly paired with the thumping electronic dance production from her longtime collaborator A.G. Cook and the streak of vulnerability she deploys on tracks like "Sympathy is a Knife", "Girl, So Confusing" and "Talk Talk" adds a surprising layer of raw honesty to this raucous collection of party anthems.     

Top Tracks: 1.Sympathy Is a Knife 2.365 3.Von Dutch

7.SeeyouSpaceCowboy...-Coup de Grace:

There's a certain degree of pain that comes with watching SeeYouSpaceCowboy... further distance themselves from the mathcore sound they had when they first gained national attention in the late 2010's. The good news is that sacrifice led to the creation of something that's also great as their further embrace of the post-hardcore/emo-pop sensibilities they introduced on 2021's The Romance of Affliction resulted in their best album to date in Coup de Grace. Make no mistake, there's still a lot of heavy shit present on Coup de Grace as the breakdowns and Connie Sgarbossa's screams remain as vicious as ever, they're just wonderfully juxtaposed with a lot of bouncy melodic riffing and huge sung hooks from guitarist Ethan Sgarbossa. Missing out on seeing these fun-ass songs live on their headlining tour last summer will haunt me for some time.     

Top Tracks: 1.Subtle Whispers to Take Your Breath Away 2.And the Two Slipped into the Shadows 3.Rhythm and Rapture (feat. Nothing, Nowhere)

6.King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-Flightb741

Flightb741 answers a question I previously never would've thought to ask: What would a ZZ Top record sound like if it was made by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard? These delightful Australian weirdos are having the time of their life laying down goofy, bluesy grooves and the kind of playful, southern fried-rock hooks that the world hasn't heard since The Dukes of Hazzard went off the air 40 years ago. The day they decide to explore this sound again 3-5 years down the line is going to be a great one.        

Top Tracks: 1.Le Risque 2.Field of Vision 3.Sad Pilot

5.Job for a Cowboy-Moon Healer 

The long-developing Job for a Cowboy comeback album proved to be well worth the 9+ year wait. Moon Healer marks a natural extension of their prior record Sun Eater as it takes an atmospheric approach to progressive death metal that takes great pride in establishing an unbreakable layer of lingering evil and dread. While it suffers a bit from lacking the show-stopping fireworks that filled Sun Eater, the more methodical songwriting that allows more space for the gloomy textures of the compositions to really flourish ultimately makes it a similarly rewarding listen.   

Top Tracks: 1.The Sun Brought Me Ashes So I Sought Out the Moon 2.Into the Crystaline Crypts 3.Beyond the Chemical Doorway

4.200 Stab Wounds-Manual Manic Procedures:

Are 200 Stab Wounds still too new to the game to be dubbed death metal royalty? Without question. However, their sophomore LP Manual Manic Procedures has them hurdling towards earning such a prestigious distinction at an impressive speed. The Cleveland-bred outfit cranks up the dynamism of their gritty old school sound by adding ambient synths, acoustic guitars and even the occasional prog (!) tinge to the mix without sacrificing the emphasis on punchy, riff-driven brutality that has allowed them to stand out among a sea of acts that harken back to the genre's gory glory days of the late 80's/early 90's.     

Top Tracks: 1. Manual Manic Procedures 2.Flesh from Within 3.Release the Stench

3.St. Vincent-All Born Screaming:

Nobody knows what the hell is going to come flowing out of the relentlessly experimental brain of Annie Clark when she sits down to make a new St. Vincent record. On her seventh LP, All Born Screaming she cooked up what just might be her most satisfying release to date. All Born Screaming is really just a glorious case of many of the most interesting sides of St. Vincent (industrial rock, neo-psychedelia, synthpop, alt-rock) converging into one anxious, somber beast of a record that delivers home run after home run over its perfectly conceived 41-minute runtime.  

Top Tracks: 1.Broken Man 2.Sweetest Fruit 3.Hell is Near

2.Better Lovers-Highly Irresponsible:

Better Lovers is no longer just the band that brought together ex-Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato, comically employed guitarist/producer Will Putney and 3/5 of Every Time I Die's final lineup. They're now their own standalone force delivering metalcore that has bite, soul and enough electricity flowing through their veins to power an entire fucking continent. Obliterating the novelty that comes with the dreaded "supergroup" tag so soon after their formation is an incredible feat and a testament to how well these guys work together. May they continue to deify the cliches that tend to plague bands that were birthed in similar manners for years to come.     

Top Tracks: 1.Drowning in a Burning World 2.Future Myopia 3.Everything Was Put Here for Me 

1.Knocked Loose-You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To:

Since their inception, Knocked Loose has been making exceptionally heavy music. Even with this established track record of heaviness, what they conjured up on their third LP You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To is astonishing to hear. This isn't run-of-the mill extreme metal anger, it's a concentrated attack of feral, uncompromising rage that has been boiling underneath the surface for years just waiting to be unleashed on the world in its full incendiary glory. Packaging so much intensity into just 10 tracks that run for approximately 27 minutes elevates the efficiency of this auditory onslaught to downright devastating levels. I'd like to thank the people who attended and preached at the Northern Kentucky churches the members of Knocked Loose attended growing up for helping put something so beautifully aggressive into the world.  The overwhelming disdain for organized religion and the people that use God as a tool to justify their hate-fueled worldview that fuels this record likely wouldn't exist if they hadn't spent so much time around people like you. Everyone who prays at the altar of Knocked Loose will be forever thankful for what you blessed them with.              

 Top Tracks: 1.Blinding Faith 2.Piece by Piece 3.Suffocate (feat. Poppy)

Top 10 Live Performances of 2024

Shows Attended:

6/1: Knocked Loose/Loathe/Show Me the Body/Speed, Roadrunner, Boston, MA

8/19: King Gizzard and the Lizard Ward/Geese, The Stage at Suffolk Down, Boston, MA

9/5: St.Vincent/Yves Tumor, MGM Music Hall at Fenway, Boston, MA

9/24: Remi Wolf/Lava La Rue, MGM Music Hall at Fenway, Boston, MA

10/28 Lorna Shore/Whitechapel/Kublai Khan TX/Sangsugabog, MGM Music Hall at Fenway, Boston, MA

11/2 The Black Dahlia Murder/Dying Fetus/Spite/AngelMaker/Vomit Forth, The Palladium, Worcester, MA

Honorable Mentions: Show Me the Body, Yves Tumor, Loathe

10.The Black Dahlia Murder:

This was the first chance I'd gotten to see Black Dahlia since Trevor Strnad's passing and unsurprisingly, they still bring it live. Brian Eschbach does a good job of keeping Trevor's spirit alive with both his vocal delivery and goofy stage presence and the whole alternating lead guitar dynamic that exists between Brandon Ellis and Ryan Knight is an absolute treat to watch. If the sound mix wasn't so muddy and they hadn't committed the painful crime of dropping "A Shrine to Madness" for "Utopia Black" since the Worcester show was after Halloween, this set probably would've been 1-2 slots higher.   

9.Dying Fetus:

Breathtakingly heavy and fun as all hell, Dying Fetus remains one of the most powerful live forces in death metal. All of the material from their latest record Make Them Beg for Death sounds terrific live and the heightened emphasis on cuts from 2012's Regin Supreme was much appreciated as that record remains their finest work in my eyes. 

8.Kublai Khan TX:

Outside of my top pick, there isn't a single set that I'll remember more from this year than Kublai Khan TX's 35-minute slot opening for Lorna Shore. The juxtaposition between their chunky, breakdown-happy beatdown hardcore/metalcore sound and vocalist Matt Honeycutt's-who sounds exactly like Stone Cold Steve Austin when he speaks-ramblings about things like what makes a great Texas breakfast (apparently it's eggs, bacon and a little bit of hot sauce) and insistence on referring to the crowd by names like "Babygirl" and "Darling" was oddly mesmerizing. Their delightfully loud drums and bass that I felt in my chest was the perfect cherry on top of this strange gem of a set.    

7.Spite:

Outshining standout veteran acts like The Black Dahlia Murder and Dying Fetus isn't easy to do, but Spite pulled it off. The Bay Area deathcore outfit eviscerated the stage with their relentless energy (particularly from vocalist Darius Tehrani) and uniquely hard-hitting sound that draws influences from nu and industrial metal in addition to the typical death metal/hardcore inspirations you see in the genre. I hope to get the chance to see them play a longer set in a smaller venue soon.    

6.Whitechapel:

My experiences seeing Whitechapel in the past have been all over the map, so it was awesome to see them absolutely locked in here. Phil Bozeman sounded as sharp as ever vocally and the band was consistently tight as they ripped through a cool career-spanning set that nicely blended their super heavy early material ("Prostatic Fluid Asphyxiation", "This is Exile") with the more melodic stuff they've made recently ("A Bloodsoaked Symphony", "Brimstone"). Anyone catching them on their headliner this spring with Brand of Sacrifice, 200 Stab Wounds and Alluvial should be in for a great time. 

5.Lorna Shore:

Seeing Lorna Shore lives comes in with some baked-in sound mixing problems brought on by their heavy use of symphonic instrumentation played off of tape. Personally, I'm willing to accept that because everything else about their show is so great. Will Ramos' rare vocal range somehow becomes even crazier in a live setting and getting the opportunity to see a modern deathcore classic in Pain Remains played in its entirety was just as gloriously epic as I'd hoped it would be.    

4.Remi Wolf:

In a just musical landscape, Remi Wolf would already be a superstar. She's got an incredible voice, endearingly goofy sense of humor and a completely distinct sound that fuses together pop, funk, R&B, indie rock and hip-hop elements. Her live show brings all of those things together in a joyous 90-minute blast of pure unadulterated vibrant fun that provides an infectious high that you don't want to ever come down from. Hopefully, we'll get one last crack to see her play in 5,000-capacity venues before she graduates to arenas or stadiums.       

3.King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard:

Shitty late summer nights full of pockets of rain and the constant threat of thunderstorms is one of the charms of living on the coast of Massachusetts. This was the finest one of those nights I've ever experienced as the soundtrack to standing in this wet, gray abyss was provided by none other than King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. While their epic nearly 3-hour set didn't carry quite the same high that their Boston Calling set from May 2023 did, it was still a magical tour through their dynamic discography. Among the highlights from this set were the infectiously goofy grooves of the tracks from their new record Flightb741-which had released 10 days prior to this show, the hypnotic manic jazz rock of "Magma" and an unplanned version of "Parhelion" that featured an audience member on lead guitar as a tribute to his late friend.         

2.Knocked Loose:

One of the main reasons Knocked Loose has risen to the top of the heavy music ranks is their ability to stay hyperfocused on delivering brutality in a lethally effective manner. This gift goes into overdrive in a live setting. The devastation they leave on the stage with their staggeringly visceral sound is simply magnificent and provides the kind of inspiration for wide-eyed young -core fans that will go on to make their own great music someday in the same way that bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge and Every Time I Die did for their generation.          

1.St. Vincent:

Honestly, Annie Clark is one of the only performers on the planet that could top the live shows of both Knocked Loose and King Gizz. Seeing her headline was something that I was eager to do after watching her burn up the stage at Boston Calling in 2018 and she somehow managed to obliterate that incredible performance here. Her vocal/guitar prowess, crisp sound mix, and hypnotic lighting choices created the kind of surreal euphoric atmosphere that you're chasing every time you go out to see a live show. It's easily among the most jaw-dropping live sets I've ever seen, and I'll cherish the memories from it for as long as I possibly can.        

10 Most Anticipated Albums of Winter/Spring 2025

10.The Halo Effect-March of the Unheard (Release Date: January 10)

9.Obscura-A Sonication (Release Date: February 7)

8.Killswitch Engage-This Consequence (Release Date: February 21)

7.Whitechapel-TBD (Release Date: TBD)

6.Mac Miller-Ballonerism (Release Date: January 17)

5.A$AP Rocky-Don't Be Dumb (Release Date: TBD)

4.Coheed and Cambria-Vaxis-Act III: The Father of Make Believe (Release Date: March 14)

3.Spiritbox-Tsunami Sea (Release Date: March 7)

2.The Weeknd-Hurry Up Tomorow (Release Date: January 24)

1.FKA twigs-Eusexua (Release Date: January 24)

Also Plan on Listening To:

Paleface Swiss-Cursed (Release Date: January 3)

Stick to Your Guns-Keep Planting Flowers (Release Date: January 10)

Architects-The Sky, the Earth & All Between (Release Date: February 28)  

Banks-Off with Her Head (Release Date: February 28)

Arch Enemy-Blood Dynasty (Release Date: March 28)

2024 NFL Power Rankings: Week 18

 ()=Previous Ranking

1.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (15-1) Week 18 opponent: Denver Broncos

2.(2) Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) Week 18 opponent: New York Giants

3.(3) Buffalo Bills (13-3) Week 18 opponent: New England Patriots

4.(4) Detroit Lions (14-2) Week 18 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

5.(5) Minnesota Vikings (14-2) Week 18 opponent: Detroit Lions

6.(7) Baltimore Ravens (11-5) Week 18 opponent: Cleveland Browns

7.(6) Green Bay Packers (11-5) Week 18 opponent: Chicago Bears

8.(8) Washington Commanders (11-5) Week 18 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

9.(10) Los Angeles Rams (10-6) Week 18 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

10.(11) Los Angeles Chargers (10-6) Week 18 opponent; Las Vegas Raiders

11.(9) Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) Week 18 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

12.(14) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) Week 18 opponent: New Orleans Saints

13.(12) Denver Broncos (9-7) Week 18 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

14.(17) Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) Week 18 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

15.(15) Seattle Seahawks (9-7) Week 18 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

16.(16) Miami Dolphins (8-8) Week 18 opponent: New York Jets

17.(13) Houston Texans (9-7) Week 18 opponent: Tennessee Titans

18.(18) Atlanta Falcons (8-8) Week 18 opponent: Carolina Panthers

19.(19) Dallas Cowboys (7-9) Week 18 opponent: Washington Commanders

20.(20) Arizona Cardinals (7-9) Week 18 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

21.(22) San Francisco 49ers (6-10) Week 18 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

22.(21) Indianapolis Colts (7-9) Week 18 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

23.(28) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12) Week 18 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

24.(30) Las Vegas Raiders (4-12) Week 18 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

25.(23) Carolina Panthers (4-12) Week 18 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

26.(24) New York Jets (4-12) Week 18 opponent: Miami Dolphins

27.(26) Cleveland Browns (3-13) Week 18 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

28.(25) New Orleans Saints (5-11) Week 18 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

29.(27) Chicago Bears (4-12) Week 18 opponent: Green Bay Packers

30.(32) New York Giants (3-13) Week 18 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

31.(29) New England Patriots (3-13) Week 18 opponent: Buffalo Bills

32.(31) Tennessee Titans (3-13) Week 18 opponent: Houston Texans

Week 17 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2024 Edition

Quarterback

MVP: Joe Burrow (Bengals)

Burrow was nothing short of incredible (412 YDS/3 TD's/4 CAR/25 YDS/TD) against a good Broncos defense as he carried the Bengals to a win in an OT thriller that kept their slim playoff hopes alive. Even with his modest rushing stats, the MVP-caliber season he put together in 2024 should make him a strong contender to be a top 3 QB off the board in 2025. 

Honorable Mentions: Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers), Jayden Daniels (Commanders), Brock Purdy (49ers)

LVP: C.J. Stroud (Texans)

Stroud delivered one final kick in the balls to his fantasy mangers this season as he put together yet another scoreless with an INT performance (185 YDS/INT, 7 Rushing YDS) against the Ravens in a deflating blowout loss on Christmas Day. This was one of the more alarming sophomore slump seasons we've seen in a while, and he seems like a strong candidate to slide down to the QB2 ranks in 2025 as a result.    

Dishonorable Mentions: Jordan Love (Packers), Matthew Stafford (Rams), Geno Smith (Seahawks)

Running Back

MVP: Jonathan Taylor (Colts)

Say hello to the 2024 consolation bracket MVP everyone! While his teammates were busy eating shit in one of the funniest losses of the season, Taylor was taking full advantage of playing such a helpless Giants defense-picking up 137 scrimmage YDS and 2 rushing TD's on 34 touches (32 carries, 2 receptions). Despite a 2024 campaign that was mostly disappointing prior to this late season explosion, Taylor's stranglehold on the backfield touches paired with the Colts ongoing QB troubles makes him a lock to be a top 20 pick next season.    

Honorable Mentions: Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions), Derrick Henry (Ravens), Bijan Robinson (Falcons)

LVP: De'Von Achane (Dolphins)

The absence of Tua Tagovailoa and Jaylen Waddle surprisingly didn't open things up at all for Achane as he gained 38 YDS on just 12 touches (10 carries, 2 receptions) against the Browns on Sunday. As legit as his two-way and explosive play capabilities are, his questionable durability and unpredictable volume makes him hard to trust as anything more than an RB2 at the moment.   

Dishonorable Mentions: Joe Mixon (Texans), Breece Hall (Jets), Rachaad White (Buccaneers)

Wide Receiver

MVP: Tee Higgins (Bengals)

Higgins picked a great time to have his best game of 2024. The 5th-year pro was Joe Burrow's favorite target against the Broncos, hauling in 11 passes for 131 YDS and 3 TD's on the afternoon. It's not a secret that Higgins will be hitting free agency in March and his value for 2025 will be completely tied to whether he wants to remain in Cincy as a WR2 or go elsewhere and become a WR1.

Honorable Mentions: Malik Nabers (Giants), DeVonta Smith (Eagles), Mike Evans (Buccaneers)

LVP: Terry McLaurin (Commanders)

This dud by McLaurin (1 REC/5 YDS) wasn't for a lack of targets as Jayden Daniels looked his way 7 times in the OT victory over the Falcons, he just had a really hard time getting open against A.J Terrell and Daniels failed to hit him on the rare occasions that he ran free. The ever-reliable McLaurin-who put together his 5th straight 1,000+ YD season and nearly doubled his previous career-high TD total with 12 scores in 2024-will be a solid WR2 option heading into next season.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Jayden Reed (Packers), DeAndre Hopkins (Chiefs), Zay Flowers (Ravens) 

Tight End

MVP: Trey McBride (Cardinals)

Look who finally scored a touchdown! McBride's maiden voyage into the endzone in 2024 was actually the only offensive points the Cardinals scored against the Rams last Saturday night as they suffered their 5th loss in their last 6 games, but their dismal showing wasn't from a lack of effort from McBride as he caught a game-high 12 passes for 123 YDS. Despite his lack of TD's, McBride's excellent yardage (1,081) and reception (104) totals made him the overall TE3 for this season. It would be a huge shock if he wasn't a top 60 pick in 2025. 

Honorable Mentions: Zach Ertz (Commanders), Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Sam LaPorta (Lions)

LVP: Hunter Henry (Patriots)

A glorious revenge game wasn't in the cards for Henry against the Chargers last Saturday as he failed to catch either of his targets on a day where the Patriots offense was embarrassingly limp even by their low standards. Henry's fantasy usefulness in 2025 will entirely depend on what the Pats WR room ends up looking like.   

Dishonorable Mentions: Cole Kmet (Bears), Jake Ferguson (Cowboys), Dalton Kincaid (Bills)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Eagles

What a redemption game for the Eagles after their rough day in Landover in Week 16. Vic Fangio's group got 4 takeaways (2 fumble recoveries, 2 INT's-1 of which was returned for a TD) and a sack while surrendering just 7 points to a Cowboys offense that was completely out of whack without CeeDee Lamb in the lineup. A DC change and total overhaul of the DB group completely returned the swagger to this unit after their pathetic finish to 2023. They should be one of the first D/ST's off the board next season.      

Honorable Mentions: Ravens, Bills, Chiefs

LVP: Colts

Kudos to the Colts for ruining the run of D/ST's obliterating the Giants in spectacular fashion by surrendering 45 POINTS to Drew Lock and co. in a Week 17 loss that eliminated them from playoff  contention. For reference purposes, the Giants had scored just 59 points in their previous 5 games. The Colts couldn't even a log or a sack or a takeaway! Regardless of whether or not the Colts elect to retain Shane Steichen, there's simply no way that Gus Bradley can return as DC in 2025. They've had a bottom 6 scoring defense in each of his 3 seasons on the job and this madness simply has to stop at some point.     

Dishonorable Mentions: Steelers, 49ers, Packers

10 Most Anticipated Films of Winter/Spring 2025

All of the focus on catching up with the holiday releases and awards contenders at the top of the calendar relegates the first crop of films actually releasing in the new year to second class status. While I'm not trying to pretend that the majority of the best film-watching experiences that are had during this time don't involve seeing movies that nobody outside of LA and NYC were able to see until after New Year's Day, this pretty widespread notion that the early months of the year are nothing more than a shallow dumping ground for the titles that couldn't cut as a prime summer or fall release is kind of ridiculous. In fact, a handful of my favorite films of 2024 (Challengers, Abigail, Civil War, Monkey Man, Snack Shack) were released in January-April and there's another 10-12 titles from this stretch of the calendar that I found to be quite enjoyable. And all of this came in a year where the release output was down as a residual effect from the strikes! 

When it comes to potential winners among the winter/spring 2025 slate, there's plenty to be found. There's some exciting original projects of varying scales (Sinners, Companion, Love Hurts), long-gestating sequels (Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, The Accountant 2, Paddington in Peru) to films that really resonated with audiences and the return of Bong Joon-Ho (Mickey 17) a full 5+ years after Parasite made Oscar history. Given all of the gaps in calendar that exist at the moment, there's also plenty of opportunities for this slate to beef up in the coming weeks-especially on the streaming side of the coin where next to no release dates beyond January have been revealed at this point. As of right now, here are the 10 films I'm most looking forward to watching from January-April.               

10.One of Them Days (January 17):

Friday-esque hangout buddy comedies have basically gone extinct over the past 10-15 years and the pairing of Keke Palmer and SZA-making her acting debut-as best friends scrambling around LA to make $1,500 in order to avoid eviction from their crappy apartment is one that feels like it could properly honor the easygoing roots of this classic subgenre.  

9.Novocaine (March 14):

A regular guy who can't feel pain (Jack Quaid) electing to put his life on the line when his girlfriend (Amber Midthunder) gets taken hostage by bank robbers is an inherently fun premise for an action comedy and Quaid getting the opportunity to lead a movie on his own is long overdue given his lengthy history of stealing scenes.   

8.Presence (January 24):

Neon is finally liberating Presence from their vault nearly a full year after they bought it out of Sundance following its buzzy premiere. While I'm not fully confident I'll be able to get on its wavelength, a haunted house movie shot from the POV of the ghost is a nutty, original idea and Steven Soderbergh movies are always worth rolling the dice on.     

7.The Monkey (February 21):

There are little slices of black comedy poking through all of the ominous dread in Longlegs and it's exciting that Osgood Perkins will be further examining those impulses with The Monkey. The campy splatter vibe that the trailer gives off is one that I can fully get behind and the clip that was released on Christmas Day provided further optimism that it's going to fully embrace that fun B-movie direction.     

6.Companion (January 31):

All of the rumblings I've heard online about this one over the past few months have been overwhelmingly positive and I love the fact that we're basically a month away from release and still know basically nothing about it other than it's a twisted love story at its core. 

5.Mickey 17 (March 7):

Look, this could end up being a huge of piece shit as its release date has been moved around 62 times over the past year. However, there are no amount of release date shuffles in the world that can deny the power of what Bong Joon-Ho and Robert Pattinson in full weirdo sicko mode are capable of when they're really cooking and the hope that brings is enough to solidify Mickey 17's spot on this list.     

4.Wolf Man (January 17):

Have the trailers for this been impressive? No, not particularly. But Leigh Whannell has earned too much good will from his past 2 directorial efforts (Upgrade, The Invisible Man) and the lead acting duo of Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner are too strong as performers to not give Wolf Man the benefit of the doubt. 

3.Love Hurts (February 7):

Jonathan Eusebio has been one of the most in-demand stunt coordinators in Hollywood for the better part of a decade now and with Love Hurts, he finally gets his crack at directing. This R-rated action comedy is also notable for being Ke Huy Quan's first lead role following his Oscar win for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Watching these two action movie vets finally get the chance to head up their own project is a true feel-good moment and I'm really excited to see what kind of madness they cooked up.     

2.Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (January 10):

Den of Thieves is one of the greatest January movies in recent memory as it provided Gerard Butler with the best role he's had in ages as sweaty, alcoholic dirtbag cop "Big" Nick O'Brien and reminded the world of just how good heist movies can be when they're executed with swagger and energy. 6 years later, Butler, O'Shea Jackson Jr. and writer/director Christian Gudegast are returning to this world-only this time O'Brien is joining up with Jackson Jr's team of thieves to rob the World Diamond Exchange in London. Having O'Brien flip sides is a genius sequel hook that also makes total sense for the character and Butler and Jackson Jr.-who had a great combative rapport in the original-sharing more scenes this time around opens the door for even more exhilarating hardo fireworks to be set off.     

1.Sinners (April 18):

An action horror flick about vampires terrorizing Jim Crow-era New Orleans shot completely on IMAX 65 mm film is a hell of a way for Ryan Coogler to return to original filmmaking after spending the last 8 years working in the safe confines of the MCU. While Coogler's inexperience in the horror genre naturally casts some doubt around the project, he's one of the finest filmmakers that's emerged in the past 15 years and I have enough faith in his skill to believe that he'll able to pull this off, especially with the fine group of actors (his longtime collaborator Michael B. Jordan in a dual role as twin brothers, Hailee Steinfield, Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Li Jun Li, Delroy Lindo, Omar Benson Miller, Lola Kirke) he's assembled to tell this story.      

Also Plan on Watching:

The Damned (January 3)

Back in Action (January 17)

Flight Risk (January 24)

You're Cordially Invited (January 30)

Dog Man (January 31)

Becoming Led Zeppelin (February 7)

Heart Eyes (February 7)

Captain America: Brave New World (February 14)

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movies (February 28)

Last Breath (February 28)

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl (March 7)

Black Bag (March 14)

Ash (March 21)

The Friend (March 21)

Magazine Dreams (March 21)

The Woman in the Yard (March 28)

A Working Man (March 28)

Freaky Tales (April 4)

The Amateur (April 11) 

Drop (April 11)

The Accountant 2 (April 25)

Until Dawn (April 25)

The assortment of 2024 titles that have yet to release in my area including Nickel Boys, The Brutalist, The Room Next Door, The Last Showgirl and Better Man