2013 NFL Midseason Awards

Here we are already sitting at Week 9 in the NFL season. In the first half, there's been plenty of intrigue, surprise and general chaos in the league. As the second half of the season officially kicks off tonight with the Bengals/Dolphins on Thursday Night Football, I figured it would be the appropriate time to hand out some awards for the first half of the season. Without further delay, here are my midseason award winners for the 2013 NFL season. 

MVP: Peyton Manning (Broncos)
Offensive Player of the 1st half: Peyton Manning (Broncos)
Defensive Player of the 1st half: Robert Mathis (Colts)
Offensive Rookie of the 1st half: Eddie Lacy (Packers)
Defensive Rookie of the 1st half: Sheldon Richardson (Jets)
Coach of the 1st half: Andy Reid (Chiefs)
Comeback Player of the 1st half: LeSean McCoy (Eagles)
Surprise team of the 1st half: Detroit Lions (I didn't expect the Chiefs to be 8-0, but I expected them to be a good, playoff-contending football team thus why they aren't my surprise team)
Disappointment of the 1st half: Atlanta Falcons

All-First Half Team:
QB: Peyton Manning (Broncons) BN: Drew Brees (Saints), Andrew Luck (Colts)
RB: LeSean McCoy (Eagles) BN: Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Frank Gore (49ers)
WR: Calvin Johnson (Lions), Dez Bryant (Cowboys) BN: A.J. Green (Bengals), Torrey Smith (Ravens)
TE: Jimmy Graham (Saints) BN: Vernon Davis (49ers), Jordan Cameron (Browns)
T: Nate Solder (Patriots), Trent Williams (Redskins) BN: Doug Free (Cowboys), Jason Peters (Eagles)
G: Evan Mathis (Eagles), Louis Vasquez (Broncos)  BN: Kevin Zeitler (Bengals), Larry Warford (Lions)
C: Alex Mack (Browns) BN: Nick Mangold (Jets)
DE: J.J. Watt (Texans), Mario Williams (Bills) BN: Robert Quinn (Rams), Muhammad Wilkerson (Jets)
DT: Jason Hatcher (Cowboys), Ndamuknong Suh (Lions) BN: Geno Atkins (Bengals), Gerald McCoy (Buccaneers)
ILB: Luke Kuchely (Panthers), Derrick Johnson (Chiefs) BN: NaVarro Bowman (49ers), Sean Lee (Cowboys)
OLB: Robert Mathis (Colts), Justin Houston (Chiefs) BN: Tamba Hali (Chiefs), Vontaze Burfict (Bengals)
CB: Richard Sherman (Seahawks), Joe Haden (Browns) BN: Aqib Talib (Patriots), Patrick Peterson (Cardinals) 
S: Earl Thomas (Seahawks), Eric Berry (Chiefs) BN: Troy Polamalu (Steelers), T.J. Ward (Browns)
K: Matt Prater (Broncos) BN: Dan Bailey (Cowboys), Stephen Gostkowski (Patriots)
P: Andy Lee (49ers) BN: Jon Ryan (Seahawks), Pat McAfee (Colts)
KR: Cordarrelle Patterson (Vikings) BN: Dwayne Harris (Cowboys)

Amended Projections for League Leaders at end of season:
Passing Yards: Drew Brees (Saints)
Passing Touchdowns: Peyton Manning (Broncos)
Rushing Yards: LeSean McCoy (Eagles)
Rushing Touchdowns: Frank Gore (49ers)
Receiving Yards: Calvin Johnson (Lions)
Receiving Touchdowns: Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
Sacks: Robert Mathis (Colts)
Tackles: Sean Lee (Cowboys)
Interceptions: Patrick Peterson (Cardinals)
Forced Fumbles: Robert Quinn (Rams)
Return Touchdowns: Cordarrelle Patterson (Vikings)

3 most under-the-radar playoff contenders:
1.Carolina Panthers
2.Arizona Cardinals
3.San Diego Chargers

3 bubble teams that are mostly like to have bubble burst in the 2nd half:
1.St. Louis Rams
2.New York Jets
3.Miami Dolphins

Top 20 Most Surprising Players of the 1st half:
20.Kyle Long (Bears)
19.Danny Trevathan (Broncos) 
18.Andy Dalton (Bengals)
17.Zac Stacy (Rams)
16.Michael Floyd (Cardinals)
15.Captain Munnerilyn (Panthers)
14.Larry Warford (Lions)
13.Geno Smith (Jets)
12.Phillip Rivers (Chargers)
11.DeSean Jackson (Eagles)
10.Brian Hoyer (Browns)
9.Terrance Williams (Cowboys)
8.Harry Douglas (Falcons)
7.Kiko Alonso (Bills)
6.Terrelle Pryor (Raiders)  
5.Muhammad Wilkerson (Jets)
4.Aqib Talib (Patriots)
3.Doug Free (Cowboys)
2.Julius Thomas (Broncos)
1.Jordan Cameron (Browns)
   
Top 20 Most Disappointing Players of the 1st half:
20.Tom Brady (Patriots)
19.Tavon Austin (Rams)
18.Carson Palmer (Cardinals)
17.Ed Reed (Texans)
16.Chris Johnson (Titans)
15.Dashon Goldson (Buccaneers)
14.Brian Orakpo (Redskins)
13.Jason Pierre-Paul (Giants)
12.Marques Colston (Saints)
11.Cameron Wake (Dolphins)
10.Matt Schaub (Texans)
9.Roddy White (Falcons)
8.Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguars)
7. Danny Amendola (Patriots)
6.Eli Manning (Giants)
5.Dwayne Bowe (Chiefs)
4.David Wilson (Giants)
3.C.J. Spiller (Bills)
2.Trent Richardson (Colts)
1.Ray Rice (Ravens)

Week 8 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
Even with relatively quiet days from Jimmy Graham (yards-wise, he still scored twice) and Marques Colston, Drew Brees massacred the Bills secondary for 332 yards and 5 TD's. Brees remains one of the highest quality options at quarterback from a fantasy standpoint because of the Saints inability to run and a number of very favorable matchups coming up for the rest of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Andy Dalton (Bengals), Matthew Stafford (Lions), Cam Newton (Panthers), Colin Kaepernick (49ers)

LVP: Robert Griffin III (Redskins)
Just when he was on the verge of a breakthrough, Robert Griffin III put up a very poor performance against the Broncos on Sunday. Griffin couldn't get much going through the air (132 yards, a touchdown and 2 INT's) and got buried when he tried to run (5 carries for a measly 7 yards.) Making matters worse for RG3 owners, he took a late-game shot from Broncos defensive tackle Terrence Knighton that resulted in him leaving for the rest of the game with a knee injury. Both the Redskins and Griffin himself insist he's fine, but it's still not a good thing watching someone coming off a major injury like him get knocked out of a game. RG3 has been looking better of late so as long as he's healthy, I expect him to put up good numbers most weeks for the rest of the year.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Patriots), Eli Manning (Giants), Matt Ryan (Falcons), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)

Running Back
MVP: Andre Ellington (Cardinals)
Andre Ellington made an extremely strong case for being the starting running back for the Cardinals on Sunday against the Falcons. With Rashard Mendenhaal out, Ellington split carries with Stepfan Taylor (who struggled mightily with 38 yards on 14 carries) and showed his extreme potential as a runner. Ellington burned the Falcons for 154 yards on 15 carries including an 80-yard touchdown. The rookie has looked far stronger than the rest of the Cardinals backfield and even when Mendenhaal returns, Ellington should get his fair share of carries and may even earn the starting job if he keeps up his high level of play.    
Honorable Mentions: Eddie Lacy (Packers), Frank Gore (49ers), Darren McFadden (Raiders), Knowshown Moreno (Broncos)

LVP: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks)
Monday Night Football has not been kind to superstar running backs the last couple weeks. A week removed from Adrian Peterson's underwhelming performance in primetime against a week run defense in the Giants, Marshawn Lynch did the exact same thing against a horrible Rams run D. Lynch somehow only got 8 touches for 23 yards on the night. This especially makes no sense since Russell Wilson was getting drilled all night and got sacked 7 times. Lynch has been one of the few brightspots at RB1 this year, so I expect him to return to form against a battered Buccaneers team on Sunday.
Dishonorable Mentions: LeSean McCoy (Eagles), Steven Jackson (Falcons), Darren Sproles (Saints), Joesph Randle (Cowboys)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Calvin Johnson (Lions)
Ladies and gentleman, Calvin Johnson. In yet another inhuman fate, Johnson gouged the Cowboys all game long for a near-record 329 yards on 11 receptions and a touchdown. What's even harder to comprehend is that he could've done even more if he didn't run out of gas on a 87-yard reception in the 1st quarter and get tackled twice at the 1-yard line. Johnson honestly isn't a human being and his fantasy owners will sorely miss his contributions this week while he's on bye.
Honorable Mentions: Marvin Jones (Bengals), Jordy Nelson (Packers), Josh Gordon (Browns), Dez Bryant (Cowboys)

LVP: Pierre Garcon (Redskins)
Pierre Garcon was a victim of RG3's poor showing, only managing 46 yards on a Broncos secondary that has been getting passed on all season. Garcon's big play ability has been silenced over the past few weeks, but he's bound to get back on-track with the amount of targets he gets. He's still an explosive receiver with WR2 ability, he's just currently slumping for no apparent reason. The Redskins face an inconsistent Chargers secondary this week, which makes this game a prime comeback contender for Garcon.
Dishonorable Mentions: Eric Decker (Broncos), Hakeem Nicks (Giants), Marques Colston (Saints), Anquan Boldin (49ers)

Tight End
MVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
Even on the weeks were Jimmy Graham is contained, he finds a way to establish fantasy value. Graham only had 37 yards on the afternoon, but pulled in a pair of touchdown grabs in the redzone in the Saints victory over the Bills. Graham is playing hurt at the moment with a foot injury he suffered against the Patriots a couple weeks back. He might not put up the insane numbers he did at the beginning of the year while's he playing through this injury, but is still a big scoring threat every single week.
Honorable Mentions: Vernon Davis (49ers), Tim Wright (Buccaneers), Jordan Reed (Redskins), Jordan Cameron (Browns)

LVP: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
A week after his glorious return, Rob Gronkowski faltered against the Dolphins on Sunday. He did have a touchdown revoked due to a penalty, but even with that the Dolphins did a good job slowing him down all game long. Gronkowski is the centerpiece of this otherwise wildly erratic Patriots receiving corps, so as long as Gronkowski is out there, he's going to get a ton of targets. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Julius Thomas (Broncos),  Jason Witten (Cowboys), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons), Jeff Cumberland (Jets)

Defense
MVP: Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals caught the Jets on a bad Geno Smith week and made them pay all game long. The Bengals managed 4 sacks and a pair of pick 6's on the day and provided one of the few bright spots on a pretty mediocre week for fantasy defenses.
Honorable Mentions: Denver Broncos, New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots

LVP: Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have been the top dogs amongst fantasy defenses all year long, but that didn't come out this week. They somehow managed to put up a rare stinker against a Browns offense that has gives the ball away non-stop managing only 1 sack and a fumble recovery on the afternoon. The Chiefs have a big chance to return to domination this week against the Bills, that just allowed 4 sacks and 3 turnovers to a inferior Saints defense on Sunday.
Dishonorable Mentions: Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions

Concert Review: The Black Dahlia Murder-- Pawtucket, RI-- October 27th, 2013

Last night kicked off a month chock-full of shows for me and I couldn't think of a better way to start off the festivities then with three of my favorite bands on the planet in The Black Dahlia Murder, Skeletonwitch and Fallujah at The Met in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

The timing of this show could not have worked out better. I had tickets to the New England Patriots/Miami Dolphins game and Gillette Stadium is located about a half-hour away from Pawtucket. When the tour was announced, my buddies and I decided to head down to Rhode Island after the game for the show since we were already really close. As I had anticipated, this was a brilliant choice and capped off an already amazing day on an even higher note.

After getting lost for a little bit (Pawtucket is incredibly poorly-marked and the sign for the venue was unlit and obstructed from the street,) my friends and I arrived at the show around 8:25. As we arrived, Noisem was finishing up their set. Clearly I didn't see enough to give a fair assessment, but they sounded sloppy as hell live with a horrible mix that made everything indistinguishable from each other. I just checked out their new record Agony Defined and I liked it, but the limited exposure I had to their live set was not very good at all.

San Fransisco progressive/technical death metal upstarts Fallujah were up next. I had been eagerly awaiting to see them perform since I first heard their debut album, The Harvest Wombs, early last year. Out of all the promising up-and-comers in the metal scene right now, these guys are the ones I'm most excited about. With the quality of their studio material, I set the bar for their performance very high and thankfully, they delivered the goods. The rich, textured atmospheres of their studio material came across beautifully live and the heavier sections had even more crunch. The whole band played everything flawlessly and vocalist Alex Hofmann sounded even more menacing in a live environment. From a setlist perspective, they played everything I wanted to hear from them in a 25-minute set with prime cuts from The Harvest Wombs and the two centerpiece tracks from their new EP Nomadic. Really the only knock I had on their set was the sound mix. The guitars cut out multiple times during the set (more often than not during the solos) which was annoying and took away from how impressive and massive the music is. They did finally fix this problem during set closer "Assemblage of Wolves", but I would've have definitely enjoyed their set more if this issue had been corrected sooner. Sound problems aside, Fallujah is an excellent live band and I was glad I finally got to see them on one of their first tours of the East Coast.

Skeletonwitch followed and really kicked up the energy levels in the building. This show marked my sixth time seeing these guys and they never fail to bring the room down. Their no bullshit, high-energy approach to a live show is just a blast to watch. They just tear through their material with relentless intensity only stopping to make a few quick jokes after every few songs before they promptly go back to ripping the audience's face off. The setlist was nice getting a good mix of all their records into their direct support set. The material from their new record, Serpents Unleashed, particularly resonated with me. All of the new tracks sparked memories of Beyond the Permaforst, which is my favorite Skeletonwitch album and made for some of the highest points of the set. I'm absoutley elated to finally check the new album out tomorrow. My only tiny complaint is that there is a couple of older songs I would've liked to hear that they didn't play, but any set containing "Upon Wings of Black", "Of Ash and Torment" and "Within My Blood" is more than fine with me. Skeletonwitch is one of the most consistent live acts in the entire realm of modern metal and I look forward to the next opportunity  I get to watch them destroy a stage.

The Black Dahlia Murder closed out the evening. As with Skeletonwitch, this was my sixth time seeing them and per usual, they were amazing. Bands like Skeletonwitch and The Black Dahlia Murder are amongst the most consistent and tightest live acts I've ever seen. You know no matter when or where the show is, they are going to come in and execute the playing of their music flawlessly and with relentless energy and passion. I will say that this performance was better than the last time I saw Black Dahlia because of the crowd. At Warped Tour in July, a lot of Black Dahlia's core fans stayed at home because of the lineup and this meant the energy level was way down compared what I'm accustomed to seeing at their shows. Thankfully last night since it was a proper headlining show, the energy in the room was electric. Trevor Strnad just brings it non-stop and the crowd gives every ounce of his fun intensity right back to him. With a good crowd and general atmosphere, this ended up being one of the strongest performances I've seen from Black Dahlia Murder. Their 75-minute set was loaded with tracks from their new record, Everblack, which all sounded amazing live. "Every Rope a Noose" and "Phantom Limb Masturbation" are easily two of the heaviest live songs in their catalog and "Goat of Departure" and "Into the Everblack" should be joining the immortal Black Dahlia set staples like "Everything Went Black" and "Statutory Ape" before long. The real surprise of the night was the presence of "Closed Casket Requiem" from their debut album Unhallowed. In all my years of seeing these guys live, I've never heard it live before and with it being one of my favorite songs of theirs, my eyes lit up when they played it and it ended up being one of the strongest songs of the night. The Black Dahlia Murder is a band that not only cemented themselves as modern legends of death metal through their studio material: They've garnered a reputation has one of the most unwaveringly impressive live acts in the whole scene and last night was no different. This tour is a must-see if you are fortunate enough to have it come through your city. All the bands involved destroy live and as far as I'm concered, are amongst the torchbearers for the genre at the moment.

Scores:
Fallujah 8.5/10
Skeletonwitch 9.5/10
The Black Dahlia Murder 9.5/10

Setlists:
Fallujah:
Cerebral Hybridization
Become One
The Dead Sea
Venom Upon the Blade
Assemblage of Wolves

Skeletonwitch:
Erased and Forgotten
This Horrifying Force (The Desire to Kill)
Reduced to the Failure of Prayer
Serpents Unleashed
Choke Upon Betrayal
Burned from Bone
Repulsive Salvation
Of Ash and Torment
Crushed Beyond Dust
Upon Wings of Black
Beyond the Permafrost
I Am of Death (Hell Has Arrived)
Within My Blood

The Black Dahlia Murder:
In Hell, Is Where She Waits for Me
Goat of Departure
Everything Went Black
On Stirring Seas of Salted Blood
Statutory Ape
Phantom Limb Masturbation
Moonlight Equilibrium
Every Rope a Noose
Unhallowed
Funeral Thirst
Closed Casket Requiem
Raped in Hatred by Vines of Thorn
Into the Everblack
Necropolis
Deathmask Divine
Map of Scars
I Will Return    

Album Review: Protest the Hero-Volition

Earlier this year, Canadian progressive metal act Protest the Hero were shown just how rabid their fans when announced they were releasing new material independently without the backing of a label. The band raised a remarkable $341,000+ from their crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo (they hit their goal of $125,000 in just over 24 hours) to create the album. The people who backed this album can feel accomplished because their money was well-spent on Volition, which is arguably the most complete and well-rounded album Protest the Hero has created to-date.

Volition can essentially be thought of as a "best of" album for Protest the Hero album. The grand scope of Keizia, the relentless chaos and brutality of Fortress and the beautiful melodies of Scurrilous are combined into one glorious package on Volition. These elements come together so organically and in typical Protest the Hero fashion, change drastically on a whim with spectacular results. One of the many examples of these different sides converging into one is the second track of the album "Drumhead Trial". "Drumhead Trial" starts off with a fast-paced yet melodic verse before descending into a crushing metalcore section at the halfway point before shifting gears again to an acoustic outro with Rody Walker switching off vocals with little-known singer Kayla Howran (I don't know what is it with this band but between Howran and frequent collaborator Jadea Kelly, the Protest guys always find amazing female singers to work with.) I'm not knocking Scurrilous because it's an excellent record, but there is a lot more diversity on Volition. Scurrilous had more of an enhanced focus on melody, here the band has a reawakening of their metal side with the return of the heavier riffing and screaming of their earlier material to the fold. The return of the metal elements is more than welcome as Rody Walker's devastatingly badass screams and groove-oriented riffing are two of the major things that initially drew me to Protest the Hero. The best part about the return of the heaviness is the fact that none of the other elements suffer because of it. The band still bangs out top-notch melodies and memorable choruses in spades, they are now just broken up a bit with bursts of hair-raising intensity.

However, the record isn't just a trip down memory lane, the band brings plenty of fresh ideas to the table to complement the returning elements. Songs like "Mist" and "Skies" sound like they nothing they've ever done before. "Mist" is one of the most emotional tracks they've ever made with passionate vocals from Walker, layered riffing that ranges from punk to post-rock and an almost classical outro featuring violins, acoustic guitar and a haunting piano section. "Skies" closes out the album with another successful trek into the previously uncharted waters for the band. "Skies" is easily the most progressive territory they've entered as a band with gorgeous riffing in the beginning and end of the song and an almost bluesy mid-section that took me completely by surprise. They've always been an act that likes to change things up and Volition sees them expanding their sound further than ever before.

Of course it wouldn't be Protest the Hero album without the mind-blowing instrumentation. I don't know if I'm imagining it, but it seems like the band has gotten even more technical on this record. Lead guitarist Luke Hoskin just annihilates the fretboards on every track and manages to leave the listener in awe with his abilities. Portions of  "Yellow Teeth", "Without Prejudice" and "Animal Bones" in particular are so fast that I almost found it hard to believe that a human being was playing them. Hoskin doesn't just play fast, he's a very well-round guitarist with a knack for mammoth groove-riffing (the aforementioned "Yellow Teeth" has the meatiest riff he's ever penned) and beautiful progressive sections. Hoskin is far from alone in the impressive instrumentation. The drumming on this album from Lamb of God's Chris Adler is absolutely immense. Adler doesn't normally play this style of chaotic, progressive metal but he does a great job adapting to the style. Playing material like this allows him to explore the punk side of his drumming, which is an awesome contrast from the stuff that he does with Lamb of God. The fills on "Without Prejudice" and "Underbite" are easily some of the craziest and most inventive I've ever heard him play. Adler is one of the best drummers in metal right now and it was a great decision by the guys in Protest the Hero to bring him in a session drummer for this record.

The instrumentation may be incredibly impressive but the biggest reason Protest the Hero's music resonates with me so much is the vocal work from Rody Walker. He is just such a powerful singer with a boundless range that never ceases to impress the hell out of me. Considering how much he ramped up his vocals on Scurrilous, I wasn't expecting him to top that effort here but he did just by a considerable margin. He pushes himself to the brink throughout the album and nails every note no matter high or low it is with a poignancy that you hardly ever see in this type of music. It really is amazing to see how much he's improved as a vocalist on an album-to-album basis. He continues to set the bar high on each record they release then proceeds to shatter it with each new release put out. You never hear Walker's name tossed around in the discussion of best modern metal vocalist, but as far as I'm concerned, he should be at least near, if not at the very top of the list.

Volition is pure metal bliss for 55 minutes. The record grips you right away and doesn't let go till it's over. Protest the Hero has never written something that is this catchy, powerful, technical or crushing before. This is a band with a clear vision who consistently makes records that are innovative without sacrificing the things that made them special in the first place. Really the only thing bad I can say about Volition is that I personally didn't support the funding of it. Volition is an album that will stay embedded in my head not only for this year, but for years to come.

4.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Yellow Teeth
2.Without Prejudice
3.Skies   

Week 7 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Andrew Luck (Colts)
Well Andrew Luck bounced back in just about the best possible way after a rough game against the Chargers last week. Luck was just about pitch-perfect in the biggest (regular season) game of his career overshadowing Peyton Manning's return to Indianapolis with a 4 TD (3 passing, 1 rushing) performance that was the catalyst behind a huge Colts victory on Sunday night. In reality and the fantasy game this year, Luck has proven his worth and paved his way into the upper-echelon of quarterbacks in the league.
Honorable Mentions: Andy Dalton (Bengals), Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Peyton Manning (Broncos), Matthew Stafford (Lions)

LVP: Nick Foles (Eagles)
So much for the Nick Foles craze in Philly. A week after torching the Buccaneers and threatening to take the Eagles starting quarterback job from Michael Vick, Foles put up a huge dud against a Cowboys secondary that has been very generous at allowing fantasy points to quarterbacks all season long. Foles put up a whopping 80 yards through the air and another 25 yards on the ground before getting concussed early in the 4th quarter and being forced to leave the game. Foles was all the waiver-wire rage last week and now with the concussion and this horrid performance, he'll be amongst the most dropped players this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Patriots), Tony Romo (Cowboys), Jay Cutler (Bears), Phillip Rivers (Chargers)

Running Back
MVP: Matt Forte (Bears)
With all the major injuries that happened to the Bears on Sunday against the Redskins, the Bears needed some kind of positivity to take away from an otherwise disastrous game and that much-needed positivity came from running back Matt Forte. After a slow start on the day, Forte put on the burners for 91 yards and 3 TD's. He didn't perform his typical dual-threat duties (He only had 16 receiving yards,) but his trio of touchdowns more than make up for that. Forte definitely put big smiles on the faces of his fantasy owners in another slow week for running back production.
Honorable Mentions: Frank Gore (49ers), Chris Johnson (Titans), Ryan Matthews (Chargers), Jaquizz Rodgers (Falcons)

LVP: Adrian Peterson (Vikings)
Chalk this is up as pure shock. In a game with a new starting quarterback that is still learning the system and playing a defense that can't stop a nosebleed, Adrian Peterson only had 12 carries for a horrible 28 yards. I don't what was going through the heads of head coach Leslie Frazier and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave when devising this game plan, but it's clear that it did not work. The team runs through Peterson and that should especially be the case when your quarterback just joined the team two weeks ago (On a related sidenote: Josh Freeman threw 51 times and in typical Freeman fashion, he underwhelmed mightily.) In a slight silver lining Peterson had his highest receiving total of the season (28 yards,) but that still doesn't make this performance any less disappointing. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Trent Richardson (Colts), DeAngelo Williams (Panthers), Alfred Morris (Redskins), Giovani Bernard (Bengals)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Calvin Johnson (Lions)
After a one-week reprieve from inhuman numbers, Calvin Johnson returned to his superhuman ways with 9 catches, 155 yards and 2 TD's on the day (one of which was a 50-yard bomb that Johnson caught in triple-coverage.) Just when you have a slight hint of doubt in Johnson's production, he comes out and destroys the competition. Johnson hasn't been quite as dominant in 2013 as he was last season, but he's still a lock at WR1 and one of the most consistent receivers in the realm of fantasy football.
Honorable Mentions: A.J. Green (Bengals), Vincent Jackson (Buccaneers), Eric Decker (Broncos), Harry Douglas (Falcons)

LVP: Josh Gordon (Browns)
You can tell it was a horrible weak for the Browns offense, when their biggest (and pretty much lone) weapon gets held to 21 yards on the day. This is the first game Gordon hasn't been exceptional since returning from suspension and since the offense runs through him and Jordan Cameron, Gordon remains a must-start every week.
Dishonorable Mentions: DeSean Jackson (Eagles), Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals), Justin Blackmon (Jaguars), Kenbrell Thompkins (Patriots)

Tight End
MVP:  Jermichael Finley (Packers)
This may be the last big performance of the season for Jermichael Finley, as he left Sunday's game with a spinal cord contusion. Prior to the injury, Finley was great catching all 5 of his targets for 72 yards and a touchdown. Definitely an unfortunate end to one of the better tight ends in the league's season (and hopefully it won't be his last given the severity of the injury.) Finley's fantasy owners should look to the wavier wire and pick up his replacement Andrew Quarless or if they are available, Jordan Reed, Jeff Cumberland or Delanie Walker immediately to fill in the huge void he leaves. 
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Cameron (Browns), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), Jordan Reed (Redskins), Delanie Walker (Titans)

LVP: Tony Gonzalez (Falcons)
With Julio Jones out for the year and Roddy White inactive, it looked like the perfect time for Tony Gonzalez to shine. Well that was not the case as Gonzalez finished the day with just 2 catches for a paltry 30 yards. With the uncertainty surrounding the Falcons passing game moving forward this year, Gonzalez owners are going to hope he can become more prevalent in the passing offense or make a trade for Harry Douglas if they want to find a way to benefit off of the Falcons passing game.
Dishonorable Mentions: Antonio Gates (Chargers), Vernon Davis (49ers), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Heath Miller (Steelers)

Defense
MVP: Carolina Panthers
Arguably the most underrated defense in the league thrived on Sunday picking up 4 sacks, 3 takeaways and a defensive touchdown against the Rams.
Honorable Mentions: Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, San Fransisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills

LVP: Kansas City Chiefs
This top 5 fantasy defense stumbled for the first time all season getting no takeaways against a team that has been serving them in spades all year long. They did manage 5 sacks on the day, but this is still a major disappointment for such a dominant defense against such a shaky offense.
Dishonorable Mentions: Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings   

Movie Review: Machete Kills

Who would've thought that Robert Rodriguez's fake trailer from Grindhouse would've spawned two full-length feature films? In what has to be the most unlikely sequel of the year, Machete Kills successfully offers up another round of Rodriguez's B-movie madness.

 This time, Machete (Danny Trejo) is hired by the President of the United States (Charlie Sheen) to track down a Mexican warlord/revolutionary (Demian Bichir), who has a nuclear bomb aimed at Washington D.C. Things go from bad to worse, as arms dealer Luther Voss (Mel Gibson) brings additional heat on Machete with his array of futuristic weapons and planned world destruction for a profit.

Machete Kills follows similar territory as its predecessor, but unfortunately doesn't reach the same heights. There is still plenty of cheap gore and depravity abound, just with not as fun being offered up while doing so. A lot of this can be attributed to Rodriguez outsourcing the scriptwriting to first-time screenwriter Kyle Ward. Ward definitely knows how to hurl a lot of ridiculous scenarios and disembodied bodies at the audience, it's just not done with the same clever, self-aware tone that Rodriguez did it with in the first installment. Ward tries to follow the blueprint the first film laid out but ends up coming up with a second-rate version of the same elements that made the original so special (Case in point, beating the originals "Machete Don't Text" line being beaten into the ground with about 15 "Machete" don't lines scattered throughout the film.) In addition to the screenwriting woes, some of the new casting additions don't really gel with the film's insane vibe. Sofia Vergara and Amber Heard stumble with the material, taking their respective characters too far on the corniness scale. Vergara, in particular, completely forced her performance and dragged down the film's quality every minute she was on-screen.

Machete Kills may not deliver the same level of B-movie thrills as the original, but it's also not completely devoid of them either. There is still a good amount of laughs and clever, insane kills that made the original such a pleasure to watch. The new sci-fi elements added in the final act added a whole new layer to the glorious camp of this film. If you thought the first had over-the-top kills, wait till you see what this film has in store with the addition of futuristic, alien-esque weaponry to the fold. Adding to the fun of the kills and exploitative vibe is a plethora of new faces to the series that are more-than-game for the bloody tomfoolery. The character of "El Chameleon", an assassin that reveals a new face each time someones sees them commit a crime, offers up a revolving door of cameos that are all hilarious. It was really fun to see which actor was going to be next line in when they pulled their face off to reveal their new disguise and made for a consistently interesting character (it's not really a major spoiler, but about half of the major actors billed in this film are attached to this role.)

Though El Chamelon is a entertaining side character,  the two primary antagonists of the film provide the most whacked-out thrills. Mel Gibson finally plays a role that matches his real-life craziness as a telepathic, zany arms-dealer with a penchant for outer space. Gibson hasn't brought this much charisma to a role since his glory days of the 80's and 90's and even though it's in such a wildly bonkers role, It's good to see Gibson getting fully into a performance for the first time in a long time. Demain Bachir is also properly prosperous and deranged as Mendez, a Mexican revolutionary with multiple personalities. The character changes on a whim and Bachir accentuates the madness of the character by either being believably psychotic or shockingly compassionate depending on whatever state of mind Mendez is in. While most of the film doesn't live up to original, Bachir's unpredictable, cracked-out performance is the best thing to appear in either Machete film. Machete Kills is certainly absurd, gory and loaded with bizzaro performances, but it isn't nearly as fun or creative in its B-movie lunacy as the original was.

3.5/5 Stars     
  

   

Album Review: A Day to Remember-Common Courtesy

The creation process of A Day to Remember's fourth full-length album, Common Courtesy, was about as tumultuous as you can get in the music industry. Their record label Victory Records refused to pay them royalties, which lead to the band filing a lawsuit against them. In response to the band's lawsuit, Victory refused to give them an advance for their new record. With Victory refusing to pay them and the whole album being written and ready to record, the band decided to fund the entire recording process themselves by building a recording studio in vocalist Jeremy McKinnon's house to produce the album. A Day to Remember then got sued by Victory for breaching their contract and recording an album on their own without the backing of the label. After months of messy court proceedings between the two parties, a judge ruled the band could release Common Courtesy on their own without Victory's blessing. After giving it a couple of spins, I can say without hesitation that the struggle to release Common Courtesy was well worth it.   

After their underwhelming last record What Separates Me from You strayed a bit from their typical musical direction, Common Courtesy sees the band returning to their roots. The energy that ruled their earlier material and was noticeably absent from What Separates Me from You returns with a vengeance on Common Courtesy. The effect of the legal dispute between them and their record label seems to have rekindled their fire as a band and put the emotion back into their music. Aside from ballads "I'm Already Gone", "I Surrender" and "End of Me",  this album gives you no time to breathe. The band bombards the listener with a series of whirlwind tracks and it makes for an absorbing, consistently fun listen throughout.

Album opener, "City of Ocala", is a blazing opener that sets the tone for the album: Big hooks, catchy riffs and a theme of not forgetting where you came from (the lyrics reflect the band's hometown and their origin as a band.) "City of Ocala" serves as the perfect metaphor for Common Courtesy: This is a band that has become very popular, but amidst that popularity haven't forgotten where they started from and the type of music that got them to where they are currently as a band.  The energetic spark that fuels that record becomes further evident on tracks like "Sometimes You're the Hammer, Sometimes You're the Nail" and "The Document Speaks for Itself", which is a direct shot at Victory for violating the terms of their record contract. These tracks mark the points where the energy level goes from high to downright unfathomable. Both of these songs are absolute forces of nature with their intensity and colossal sound that is sure to incite mosh pits and sing-a-longs galore at their future live shows.

Though the return of the energy and passion to their music is key, the really special thing about Common Courtesy is the maturation of sound the band has taken. The pop-punk and metalcore elements of their music have never been better written or executed in their prior music. A Day to Remember has always challenged the genre norms by fusing together two radically different genres of music, but it's not until now they've achieved the perfect balance of the two.  The band takes a more nuanced approach to songwriting with more bits of melody on the pop-punk tracks and gradual buildups to the breakdowns on the metal tracks.   Their past records suffered a bit from more of a focus on one side of their sound, Common Courtesy finally sees the band spending equal time on both sides and it shows in the quality of the album. On top of the pop-punk/metalcore hybrid they've become known for, they experiment a tad with other genres on this record. "End of Me" is a fresh take on a power ballad with a huge alternative-rock influence and "Life Lessons Learned the Hard Way" is a borderline death metal track with the heaviest riffing A Day to Remember has ever had. A Day to Remember is damn good at what they do, but it's cool to see them branch out and add some new influences to their arsenal.

Common Courtesy is a major return to form for A Day to Remember. You rarely see a band as popular make such a stride forward when they've already established such a big following. The whole chaos in creating this album was honestly the best possible that could've happened to this band. They started to lose their edge and began phoning it in a bit then this horrible situation occurs and they rise from the ashes stronger than ever. Common Courtesy is the strongest release A Day to Remember has put to-date and all but assures they will get a huge record deal once this whole situation with Victory Records is solved once and for all.

4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Sometimes You're the Hammer, Sometime You're the Nail
2.Life Lessons Learned the Hard Way
3.City of Ocala

Week 6 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Cam Newton (Panthers)
Just a week ago after losing to the Cardinals, a number of people were calling for the benching of Cam Newton. Well Newton must've heard this unjust criticism because he was absolutely electric against the Vikings on Sunday. Newton looked like every bit of the superstar he's been pegged to be over the past few years with 242 passing yards, 30 rushing yards and 4 total TD's (3 passing, 1 rushing) on the afternoon. Newton may put up a couple of stinkers here and there, but performances like this confirm why he's a borderline top 5 fantasy quarterback.
Honorable Mentions: Matthew Stafford (Lions), Nick Foles (Eagles), Andy Dalton (Bengals), Jay Cutler (Bears)

LVP: Andrew Luck (Colts)
Andrew Luck has looked great all year till last night against the Chargers. What makes this especially disappointing is the Chargers have been allowing a ton of fantasy points to quarterbacks this season and Luck, who was coming off an excellent showing against a much tougher Seahawks defense last week looked poised to continue this trend, but no dice. I fully expect him to perform better on Sunday night when Peyton Manning and the Broncos roll into town.
Dishonorable Mentions: Tony Romo (Cowboys), Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Alex Smith (Chiefs), Russell Wilson (Seahawks),

Running Back
MVP: Knowshon Moreno (Broncos)
Like with Fred Jackson last week, the top performing running back of the week earned the distinction of being a touchdown vulture. Knowshon Moreno had a mere 42 yards rushing and averaged only 2.8 yards per carry, but his 3 TD performance didn't just completely salvage his game, it made him a force in fantasy this week. Moreno is the epitome of a wavier wire steal this season and has been arguably the most consistent RB2 in the league right now.
Honorable Mentions: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Stevan Ridley (Patriots), Brandon Jacobs (Giants)

LVP: Ray Rice (Ravens)
A week removed from his first standout performance of the season, Ray Rice was right back to his disappointing ways with a 34-yard performance against the Packers. Granted this is a tough defense to run on, but Rice's lackluster numbers on the whole this season are growing increasingly frustrating for anyone took him in the 1st round this year. If this keeps up for the rest of the season, Rice's days as a fantasy RB1 are over.
Dishonorable Mentions: Doug Martin (Buccaneers), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), Bilal Powell (Jets),  Le'von Bell (Steelers)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Vincent Jackson (Buccaneers)
Look who decided to shake his slump this week! Vincent Jackson absolutely crucified the Eagles defense for 114 yards and a pair of TD's (his first of the year) on 9 catches. The Buccaneers offense has struggled immensely all year long. If they want to turn things around Jackson is going to be heavily involved, which makes him about one of the select few members of the Buccaneers that hold any sort of fantasy value. 
Honorable Mentions: Brandon Marshall (Bears), Justin Blackmon (Jaguars), DeSean Jackson (Eagles), Keenan Allen (Chargers)

LVP: Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
I'm legitimately shocked by this. One of the best receivers in the league only puts up 36 yards on one of the most porous secondaries in the league. Bryant's poor performance can be attributed to the fact that Tony Romo struggled all game long and the outstanding play of the Cowboys special teams, which made the passing game inessential to gaining a victory. Bryant has another juicy matchup against a weak Eagles secondary this week, so his fantasy owners (myself included) can be hopeful for a nice bounceback game.
Dishonorable Mentions: Torrey Smith (Ravens), Danny Amendola (Patriots), Pierre Garcon (Redskins), Robert Woods (Bills)

Tight End
MVP: Vernon Davis (49ers)
Aside from Jimmy Graham, Tony Gonzalez and Rob Gronkowski, I can't remember the last time a tight end was as dominant in a game as Vernon Davis was on Sunday against the Cardinals. He went off for 180 yards and 2 TD's and accounted for a vast majority of the 49er's passing offense on the day. Vernon Davis so far in 2013 has arguably been the best tight end not named Jimmy Graham for the fantasy game.
Honorable Mentions:  Kyle Rudolph (Vikings), Joesph Fauria (Lions), Scott Chandler (Bills), Dallas Clark (Ravens)

LVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
The Patriots put an end to Jimmy Graham's reign of complete and utter domination on Sunday. Graham was held without a catch, which is shocking because the Patriots had been getting burned by tight ends all season long and because of how much of an unstoppable force Graham has been. Kudos goes out to the Patriots for keeping this beast caged-up for this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jason Witten (Cowboys), Greg Olsen (Panthers), Garrett Graham (Texans), Brandon Myers (Giants)

Defense
MVP: St. Louis Rams
The Rams defense found a way to apologize for their underwhelming numbers so far this season: crush the Houston Texans into oblivion. The Rams were relentless all game long picking up 5 sacks, 2 INT's, 2 fumble recoveries, and most importantly, 2 defensive TD's. This is the Rams defense we expected to see this season and their fantasy owners have had their frowns (at least temporarily) turned upside down.
Honorable Mentions: Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears

LVP: Denver Broncos
The Broncos somehow managed only 2 sacks and 2 INT's on the trainwreck otherwise known as the Jacksonville Jaguars. Considering this seemed like a lock for highest scoring defense of week, their middling numbers are incredibly disappointing.
Dishonorable Mentions: Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston Texans, New York Jets
 

5 Most Underrated Horror Movies of the 2000's

With Halloween right around the corner, watching horror movies is essential for people who want to get into the holiday spirit. While plenty of people will watch classics like The Shining, A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Exorcist or recent popular fare like the Paranormal Activity franchise or Insidious this October, there are also plenty of current horror films that deserve the a viewing alongside widely-appreciated genre staples. Here are 5 under-the-radar horror films that deserve a viewing from any horror aficionado or casual film viewer this Halloween.

28 Days Later (2002): Danny Boyle's take on the traditional zombie film helped redefine the genre for the better.  Boyle's background in independent films also made things a lot more interesting as he avoided horror cliches like jump scares and thumping soundtracks and focused more on creating a realistic aura of terror. For the first time ever, the "zombies" (the virus in the movie is closer to rabies than a traditional zombie infection)  were actually menacing. Opposed to being slow and stupid, the zombies in 28 Days Later were actually intelligent and could move fast, making the presence of impending doom for the survivors that you should get from a film about a zombie apocalypse a lot more prominent and believable opposed to the classic zombie films. Out of all of the zombies films I've seen, 28 Days Later is easily the most well-crafted, atmospheric, and most importantly, frightening I've ever seen.

The Cabin in the Woods (2012): As writer/director Drew Goddard proved with The Cabin in the Woods, sometimes the best horror films are the ones that make fun of them. The Cabin in the Woods is a brilliant deconstruction of the genre that essentially points out everything that is wrong with modern horror films in 95 minutes. Just about every possible horror movie cliche you can think of is skewered in this film with consistently hilarious results and an appropriately-ridiculous ending brings the madness to a perfect close. The Cabin in the Woods was a much-needed breath of fresh air for a modern horror movement that desperately needed a spark of originality and creativity.

Drag Me to Hell (2009): Sam Raimi's return to horror after an almost 15-year hiatus thankfully did not disappoint. As you would expect from the man that brought the world The Evil Dead trilogy, Drag Me to Hell was appropriately twisted, unpredictable and at times, downright hilarious. Bonus points for having one of the most best ending scenes in any movie I've ever seen.

Sinister (2012): I normally am not a big fan of supernatural horror. I find a lot of the films (i.e. Paranormal Activity and Insidious) to have some good ideas, but are unfortunately squandered with some sort of ridiculous plot twist and a tendency to have a complete reliance on "gotcha" jump scares. A big reason why have I found Sinister so refreshing is that had none of those things (save for a few cheap jump scares.) The film focused more on tension and suspense to get scares opposed to having things pop out nonstop in an attempt to generate scares. It was also one of the rare horror films to have an engaging, well-developed storyline with a great performance in the lead role from Ethan Hawke as a family man trying to protect his kids from a pagan deity who takes the souls of children, that resides in their new home. In a world where supernatural horror films come out every few months, we need more like Sinister that dare to go beyond the genre's typical subpar standard and not succumb to its pitfalls.

You're Next (2013): Just about every horror film this year has been a booming success at the box office. With all the buzz around The Conjuring, Evil Dead and Mama, indie slasher/home-invasion film You're Next slipped way under-the-radar, which is a shame considering that it's one of the best horror films to be released in years. You're Next does require some patience as it starts off purposely slow with a run-of-the mill home invasion setup, but at the halfway point it becomes wildly entertaining and a whole lot of fun to watch. It's the first horror film I've seen that expertly weaves old-school tension with the gore-heavy philosophy of the modern era. There's also a nice dose of morbid humor and some absolutely stunning cinematography that really ramps up the intensity of the entire film. With its creativity and nods to every generation of horror, You're Next has all the makings of a new horror classic.        

Fantasy Football Week 5 Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Tony Romo (Cowboys)
Color me shocked on this one. Tony Romo had one of the finest career games of his career (506 yards, 5 TD's) against a Broncos team that is playing out of their minds right now. Save for his late INT that cost them the game, Romo was dominant and his fantasy owners (or anyone who had Dez Bryant or Jason Witten) have to be giddy with this surprising performance. 
Honorable Mentions: Peyton Manning (Broncos), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Jay Cutler (Bears), Sam Bradford (Rams)

LVP: Tom Brady (Patriots)
Now on the other surprise of the spectrum, Tom Brady broke his streak of 52 straight games with a touchdown pass. Brady was under pressure all day and the inclement weather made this already bad matchup even worse. Brady is facing another difficult matchup this week against the Saints, but at least owners of Brady can take solace in the fact that Jay Cutler just had a great game against the Saints and there is a chance that Rob Gronkowski finally returns this week.  
Dishonorable Mentions: Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Cam Newton (Panthers), Michael Vick (Eagles), Matt Schaub (Texans)

Running Back
MVP: Fred Jackson (Bills)
In a really down week for running backs (I guess that's what you get when AP and Doug Martin are on bye and most of the active elite backs had rough matchups,) veteran Fred Jackson put up the best numbers of the week getting the start for the Bills over banged-up feature back C.J. Spiller. Jackson only put up 93 total yards, but his pair of touchdown runs made him very valuable amidst this week lack of standout production.
Honorable Mentions: Knoshown Moreno (Broncos), Ray Rice (Ravens), Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Pierre Thomas (Saints)

LVP: Reggie Bush (Lions)
Showing his first signs of adversity this year, Reggie Bush struggled against an average Packers defense. Bush has been great all season, so I wouldn't put too much stock in this poor performance and continue to play him as an RB2/borderline RB1 with confidence. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Trent Richardson (Colts), Lamar Miller (Dolphins), LeGarette Blount (Patriots), Darren Sproles (Saints)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Alshon Jeffrey (Bears)
Proving his week 4 performance was no fluke, Alshon Jeffrey decimated the Saints secondary for 218 yards and a touchdown. Jeffrey's rapport with Jay Cutler continues to improve and Jeffrey is starting to prove himself as a legitimate threat alongside Brandon Marshall and Martellus Bennett in the Bears offense. If Jeffrey is somehow still available in one of your leagues, pick him up right away.
Honorable Mentions: T.Y. Hilton (Colts), Dez Bryant (Cowboys), Justin Blackmon (Jaguars), DeSean Jackson (Eagles)

LVP: Victor Cruz (Giants)
Victor Cruz was the oddman out for the Giants receivers on Sunday afternoon. For the first time this season Cruz was not the productive one amongst the wide receivers, as most of the teams receiving yards came from Hakeem Nicks and Rueben Randle. Cruz was bound to have an off-week at some point, it's just unfortunate for his fantasy owners that it happened against such a bad pass defense like the Eagles.
Dishonorable Mentions: Marques Colston (Saints), Andre Johnson (Texans), Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals), Demaryius Thomas (Broncos)

Tight End
MVP: Julius Thomas (Broncos)
If you haven't figured it out yet, Julius Thomas is the real deal. He has a touchdown in all but one game this season (this marked his second multi-TD game of the year) and has proven to be one of the handful of tight ends this year that has been consistently productive. If you didn't have him as a weekly starter before, this performance should sway you to do so.
Honorable Mentions: Jason Witten (Cowboys), Vernon Davis (49ers), Jimmy Graham (Saints), Charles Clay (Dolphins)

LVP: Jared Cook (Rams)
Jared Cook has to be the most frustrating tight end in the league from a fantasy standpoint. After his first week domination against the Cardinals, it appeared Cook turned over a new leaf with the Rams and had become a truly special tight end. Since then though, Cook has been right back to the middling tight end he was during his stint with the Titans. I mean seriously he only had 3 catches for 26 yards against the Jaguars, who allow so many points that pretty much everyone does well so the fact the Cook did so poorly against them is pretty alarming. For now, it looks like all the hype on Cook after Week 1 was all for not. I wouldn't recommend starting him unless he starts to turn things around.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jordan Cameron (Browns), Martellus Bennett (Bears), Owen Daniels (Texans), Jermichael Finley (Packers)

Defense
MVP: Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals finally lived up to their preseason projections as a top-level fantasy absolutely suffocating the Panthers. They made life very difficult for Cam Newton sacking him 7 times (one of them being a safety), picking him off 3 times and forcing a key fumble. I don't know if it was the return of inside linebacker Daryl Washington from suspension or what, but this unit looked absolutely dominant and rejuvenated on Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: San Fransisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders

LVP: Houston Texans
The Texans did defense did nothing against the struggling 49ers offense forcing zero takeaways and only getting 1 sack.
Dishonorable Mentions: Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons

Top 10 Modern Rappers

Who's the best rapper alive? Who's the king of hip-hop? Who can spit more hot fire than Dylan? These are all hotly contested issues in the world of hip-hop and today, I'm going to share my views on this matter.

There is a bit of a twist to this piece, I'm only focusing on modern rappers (a.k.a people who've started releasing music in the past decade or so.) This means that I'll be purposely leaving out some of my favorite hip-hop old-school icons that are still active (Nas, MF Doom, Wu-Tang and its the various members solo projects,) veterans who've only recently found a lot of success (Killer Mike, El-P, Atmosphere) and of course, Yeezus Christ himself (Kanye West.) Now that the ground rules have been set, here are my picks for the 10 best modern rappers.
Note: Lil B is disqualified because he has the unfair advantage of being a god, thus rendering the list of human-rappers I chose useless if he was included.

10.Action Bronson
Action Bronson has the old-school east-coast aura to his music. If he was born a decade earlier, he'd probably be collaborating with Wu-Tang on the regular. Bronson's unusual approach to hip-hop with a ton of food references in his lyrics (this can attributed to his days as a professional chef before getting into the music industry) and his tendency to collaborate with top-rate producers like The Alchemist and Harry Fraud make him one of the most exciting up-and-comers in the game right now.
Standout Release: Rare Chandeliers (w/The Alchemist)
Best Track: "The Symbol" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2AHvZWojSc

9.Macklemore
His lyrics might not be flashy and he has had three megahit singles in the past year, but don't get it twisted, Macklemore is a legit hip-hop star that needs to be taken seriously. You'll be hard-pressed to find many artists that pour as much genuine emotion into their music as Macklemore does. Not to mention, his in-house producer Ryan Lewis has a knack for creating beautiful, subtle beats that perfectly suit his powerful and poignant rapping style and take his material to the next level.
Standout Release: The Vs. EP
Best Track: "Otherside" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWhx-CtPmBU

8.Tyler, the Creator
Don't get wrong, Tyler, the Creator is pretty inconsistent and doesn't always live up to his grand potential. That being said, when he's on his game, he's one of the most intriguing and witty rappers around at the moment. He has slowed down a bit after the release of his standout record Bastard in 2009, but his most recent release Wolf was a pretty consistently solid release after his wildly hit-or-miss breakout release Goblin. Here's to hoping that Tyler makes another record that makes another record that fully shows off his talent in the near future.
Standout Release: Bastard
Best Track: "Bastard" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFTLouiUFjI

7. Vince Staples
Vince Staples came out of obscurity this year with a few behemoth verses on Earl Sweatshirt's new record Doris and a solo tape that was produced by Mac Miller. High-profile collaborations (and his ability to match whoever he's rapping on a track with) like this show just how impressive this 20-year old is. Staples has consistently sharp lyrics and the supreme confidence to match. For someone so young and with so little material out, the future is looking very bright for Vince Staples.
Standout Release: Stolen Youth LP (w/Larry Fisherman a.k.a Mac Miller)
Best Track: "Stuck In My Ways" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgag34NOk-c

6.Grieves
Signed to Atmosphere's Rhymesayers Entertainment label, Grieves makes a brand of poignant jazz-rap that is very reminiscent to the music the head of his label makes. His style makes distinct use of piano and horns, which is pretty uncommon in the hip-hop world and his lyrics hold a lot of emotional clout with themes of addiction, bad relationships and eventual redemption. Out of all the rappers on this list, he is the most criminally underrated in my eyes.
Standout Release: Irreversible
Best Track: "Fly Away" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tTPKZ17gNw
  
5.Big K.R.I.T. 
Not since Outkast has a southern rapper made such an impression on me. Mississippi native Big K.R.I.T. embodies everything southern hip-hip is supposed to offer: a combination of soulful and trunk-pounding bass beats, a willingness to experiment and a flow that can either be easygoing and intense depending on the mood of the song. K.R.I.T. is also an example of a hip-hop workhorse as he does almost all of his production himself and has put out an insane number of releases in a short period of time (He's put out 4 mixtapes and and a full-length record since 2010.) In an era where most rappers from the area are putting out the same recycled, half-baked (no pun intended) trap rap, Big K.R.I.T. keeps the proud tradition of classic southern hip-hop alive.
Standout Release:  4 eva N A Day
Best Track: "Boobie Miles" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac55q0VMoY0

4.Earl Sweatshirt
At only 19, Earl Sweatshirt has taken the hip-hop world by storm with his intensity, lyrical chops and distinct flow. His two releases so far, Earl and Doris, could not be any more different, but they both show how talented of an artist this kid is.  Doris had a very mixed reception overall, but I think it shows tremendous progression for Sweatshirt as an artist and paves the waves for an incredibly bright, long future in the hip-hop game.
Standout Release: Doris
Best Track: "ePAR" (from Earl) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx-PEi42d7A
  
3.Death Grips
They might be one of hip-hop's resident assholes, but the music that Death Grips makes is too special that I can overlook how shitty they are as people (Sorry if I sound bitter, but they've canceled the last 3 shows they were supposed to do in Massachusetts and the act they pulled in Chicago in August that led to a crowd having a mini-riot was just unacceptable.) I can say with no hesitation there is no act in hip-hop that is more abrasive, polarizing or just flat-out bizarre than Death Grips and that's a big reason why they are so special. Their production is amongst the best i've ever heard thanks to use of live-instrumentation from drummer Zach Hill and synth/sample work of Andy "Flatliner" Morin. The insanity of the production paired with the rabid-dog, yelling insanity of the scariest rapper on the planet Stefan "MC Ride" Burnett is industrial hip-hop bliss. Death Grips are the most mentally unstable, experimental, mad geniuses in the hip-hop community and even though they are complete douches, their music is undeniably special.
Standout Release: The Money Store
Best Track: "The Fever (Aye Aye)" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn3vMyopjXI

2.Danny Brown
Danny Brown is an artist that took a bit to grow on me, but once the music clicked, I became a big fan almost immediately. He is without a doubt one of the most original artists in the history of hip-hop with his almost endless amount of different flows, ability to create material that ranges from comical to profound and moving and work with a variety of different beats. Brown is written off due to his frequent use of sexual and drug references in lyrics, but if you delve beneath the surface, you will discover that Brown is one of the most clever and intelligent lyricists in the game. His style may be too weird for some to grasp, but for me Brown is a special talent that has put some of the best material I've heard in years.
Standout Release: Old
Best Track: "XXX" (from XXX) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYG0t2oIfC4

1.Kendrick Lamar
Shocking right? Pretty much every one and their brother lists Kendrick Lamar as the best rapper around right now and for good reason, the dude can spit. Between his intelligent lyrics, barrage of flows, complex narratives and ability to rap with incendiary fury or soothing calmness depending on what the song calls for, Lamar is an all-around hip-hop star. His major-label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city, is arguably the best hip-hop release in at least a decade and exposed his talent to the masses. After the triumph of good kid, m.A.A.d city,  Lamar has spent 2013 defending his reputation as rap's MVP with monstrous guest verses on "Collard Greens" by ScHoolboy Q,  "Solo Dolo: Part II" by Kid Cudi and of course, "Control" by Big Sean, where he called out half of hip-hop to step their game up. Kendrick Lamar is the torchbearer for modern hip-hop who incites memories of the glory days of the 1990's.   

Standout Release: good kid, m.A.A.d city
Best Track: "m.A.A.d city"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10yrPDf92hY 

Just missed the cut:
Mac Miller
Chance the Rapper
Hodgy Beats
Snow Tha Product
Freddie Gibbs
mr muthafuckin' eXquire  

Album Review: Danny Brown-Old

Over the past couple years, Detroit MC Danny Brown has gone from relative unknown to the top of hip-hop circles thanks to his much-lauded 2011 mixtape XXX. The success and overwhelmingly positive reception of XXX clearly has not gotten to his head as the hotly-anticipated follow-up, Old, manages to improve on its predecessor and keep Brown at the top of said hip-hop circles.

Old is the next logical evolution in Brown's Jekyll and Hyde sound. The first half of the record is stone-serious with Brown exploring themes of poverty, racism and self-reflection, while the second half of the record (save for album closer "Float On") is a straight-up party record. What's remarkable is that two couldn't be more different in their approach, yet they oddly complement each other. As an artist, Brown completely submerges himself into what subject matter he is exploring on the song. It doesn't matter if he's weaving a tale of how his mother kept a roof over his head growing by braiding hair on their front porch (the haunting "25 Bucks", which is the album's finest moment with a brilliant guest turn from Canadian synthpop duo Purity Ring) or he's expressing his deep love for all things MDMA ("Dip",) he pours his soul into every song no matter how deep or silly the topic is.  Sometimes he wants to talk about serious shit, sometimes he just want to let loose and have a good time and despite the drastic change in sound on the two halves of the record, it maintains an organic, coherent sound throughout.

As good as the lyrics and diverse themes are on this record, the undisputed star of Old is the production. I honestly had a bit of a hard time wrapping my head around how Brown was able to make a 19-track album with so many memorable beats. Even the weaker beats on this album are better than most album's standout beats. Like the lyrical themes, the beats are appropriately matched to each side and thoroughly unpredictable. The first half's production is often psychedelic and dream-like. "The Return" features an eerie, subtle synth line that wouldn't be out of place in a horror film while tracks like "Lonely" and "Clean Up" are truly beautiful pieces of music that are almost heavenly in sound. The aforementioned "25 Bucks" is not only the lyrical standout of the album, but it also contains the best beat. The production from Corin Roddick of Purity Ring creates a chilling atmosphere that drives home the emotional force of Brown's lyrics even further. The second half of the record sees the beats going from low-key and dark to in-your-face, bass-heavy jams that are guaranteed to make any speakers shake. "Smokin' and Drinkin'", "Break It (Go)", "Dope Song" and "Handstand" should be mandatory listening on every raucous party playlist for the rest of time. Mindless, fun party songs are supposed to have noteworthy beats that you can sit back and enjoy without putting too much stock into the lyrics and that's exactly what Brown does here. The second half of Old is essentially the Illmatic of hip-hop party records.

Old shows that Danny Brown has no signs of slowing down anytime soon. His keeps up his reputation as one of the most daring acts in hip-hop with a diverse collection of songs that are both lyrically-impressive and infectious fun with absolutely elite production throughout from all seven producers that contributed to the record. Old further solidifies Danny Brown's twisted genius and proves to entire hip-hop community, that he is one of the most important and skilled artists in modern hip-hop.

4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.25 Bucks (feat. Purity Ring)
2.Side A
3.Clean Up     

October in FIlm

This October sees a surprisingly few number of horror releases and more of a focus on adult-oriented dramas. Here are my thoughts on all of October's major films.

Films I Want to See:
6.Runner Runner (10/4)-Looks vaguely reminiscent of 21, which I was a big fan of. More importantly, the cast including Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake and Anthony Mackie is loaded with talent.

5.Captain Phillips (10/11)-It looks intense and should provide an interesting account of the Somlian pirate incident in 2009 plus Tom Hanks appears to be back on-track after a few recent missteps.

4.Jackass Presents Bad Grandpa (10/25)-Johnny Knoxville is back with a slight-different brand of stunts in a semi-scripted film about a grandfather taking his grandson cross country to meet his parents with "real" reactions to the various pranks Knoxville and co. pull along the way. Real or not, with the Jackass stamp on it, this should be hilarious. 

3.Escape Plan (10/18)-Ahnold+Sly try to break out of a prison that was specifically built to not be broken out of, sounds like action movie gold to me.
 
2.The Counselor (10/25)-The trailers don't show much at all, but that isn't deterring my excitement in the slightest for author Cormac McCarthy's first original film screenplay. The anticipation factor is only heightened by the fact that McCarthy got Ridley Scott to direct it and assembled a cast of elite actors including Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem.

1.Machete Kills (10/11)-The first one was great and this one looks even more absurd. The casting of Charlie Sheen as the president and Lady Gaga as an assassin with a master of disguise is a stroke of genius.

Films I'm unsure on:
Carrie (10/18)-The cast is excellent and the trailer shows promise, but I'm skeptical about it simply because it's a horror film. Even a remake of a film with such a deep and interesting storyline could go wrong in the unpredictable world of horror movies.

The Fifth Estate (10/18)-The trailer doesn't really do much for me, but the story of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks definitely has the potential to be interesting.

Films I have zero interest in:
Gravity (10/4)-Despite all the excellent reviews rolling in, I have zero interest in seeing. I think it looks completely uneventful, horrible and most importantly, I  hate the work of director Alfonso Cuaron.

Fantasy Football Week 4 Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
Breesus was lord once again making a mockery of the previously undefeated Dolphins on Monday night. The Saints inability to run the ball and almost exclusively pass, makes Brees about as valuable as a quarterback as you can ask for in fantasy football.
Honorable Mentions: Phillip Rivers (Chargers), Peyton Manning (Broncos), Alex Smith (Chiefs), Matt Ryan (Falcons)

LVP: Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
The Seahawks may be undefeated, but Russell Wilson has not been kind to his fantasy owners so far this season. Save for his 4 TD eruption against the Jaguars, Wilson has a whopping 2 TD's on the year up to this point rendering him almost useless for fantasy purposes. Hopefully Wilson can begin to match his real-life success with fantasy production.
Dishonorable Mentions: Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Michael Vick (Eagles), Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Matt Flynn (Raiders)

Running Back
MVP: Adrian Peterson (Vikings)
For the first time this season, Adrian Peterson put up numbers that were worthy of his status as the undisputed 1st overall pick for this year's fantasy game. Peterson shredded the Steelers for 140 yards and a pair of TD's. AP has shown flashes of the freakishly high-level he played at last year, but he will have to be more consistently brilliant after the Vikings bye week this week to prove worthy of his status as the top fantasy pick for 2013.
Honorable Mentions: Darren Sproles (Saints), Reggie Bush (Lions), Arian Foster (Texans), Danny Woodhead (Chargers)

LVP: Ray Rice (Ravens)
Ray Rice limped back from his hip injury against a horrid a Bills run defense this week. Granted, Rice only got 5 touches in the game, but his 18-yard performance is nevertheless disappointing on a fantasy level. Even before his injury, Rice looked sluggish and has fallen way short of expectations in 2013 thus far.
Dishonorable Mentions: Darren McFadden (Raiders), Chris Johnson (Titans), Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguars), Trent Richardson (Colts)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Torrey Smith (Ravens)
Joe Flacco may have struggled mightily against the Bills throwing 5 INT's, but the beneficiary of the few plays he did make was Torrey Smith. The deep threat went off with 166 yards and a TD on only 5 receptions. Smith is the only proven, reliable wideout the Ravens have and should continue to be a solid WR2/3 play throughout the year.
Honorable Mentions: Victor Cruz (Giants),  Alshon Jeffrey (Bears), Nate Washington (Titans), Greg Jennings (Vikings)

LVP: Stevie Johnson (Bills)
Stevie Johnson cooled off majorly this week after a great start to the year. Johnson had 1 catch for -1 yard on a botched screen pass. Performances like this are a rarity for Johnson, who is easily one of the most consistent wideouts in the league.
Dishonorable Mentions: DeSean Jackson (Eagles), Hakeem Nicks (Giants), A.J. Green (Bengals), Ryan Broyles (Lions)

Tight End
MVP: Tony Gonzalez (Falcons)
Tony Gonzalez's surprisingly quiet start to the year came to a screeching halt this week with his utter domination of the Patriots defense on Sunday night. The attention the Patriots put on Julio Jones allowed Gonzalez to get open early and often on his way to 12 receptions, 149 yards and 2 TD performance. Gonzalez was back to form in this one and his fantasy owners hope he stays that way for the rest of the year.
Honorable Mentions:Jimmy Graham (Saints), Jordan Cameron (Browns), Antonio Gates (Chargers), Coby Fleener (Colts)

LVP: Brandon Myers (Giants)
It's hard to believe that Brandon Myers did better last season with the Raiders than he has with a seemingly much more-talented Giants team.  It's really a shame because going into the year Myers looked like one of the top sleeper picks at tight end and so far, he hasn't delivered the goods. It isn't really Myers fault he is struggling, much of the Giants team is playing absolutely awful right now and can't even give him any looks.  Save for Victor Cruz, it's a rough time to have a New York Giant on your fantasy team.
Dishonorable Mentions: Kyle Rudolph (Vikings), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Julius Thomas (Broncos), Jared Cook (Rams)

Defense
MVP: Indianapolis Colts
What a surprise, an opposing defense slaughtered the Jacksonville Jaguars offense.
Honorable Mentions: Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins

LVP: Cincinnati Bengals
Fresh off an outstanding performance against the Packers, the Bengals defense struggled against a much-worse Browns unit managing only 3 sacks and no takeaways on the afternoon.
Dishonorable Mentions: St. Louis Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears