2016 NBA Free Agency: Top 10 Players Available

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Movie Review: The Fundamentals of Caring

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

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

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

3.5/5 Stars

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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


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

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

The Best and Worst of Christoph Waltz

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

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

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

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

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

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

2015 in Music: Revisited

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

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

EP's

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LP's

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

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

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

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

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

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

124.(116)The Sword-High Country

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Movie Review: Central Intelligence

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

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

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

4/5 Stars

The Best and Worst of Matthew McConaughey

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2016 NFL Position Rankings: Recap

The time has come for me to post the obligatory recap for my 2016 NFL Position Ranking series. 

 

For those who haven't read this series before or need a refresher course, here's the criteria for these lists:

1.Rookies are excluded from these rankings

2.Each player is judged on where they currently stand in my opinion, not the player they once were, are going to be, etc.

3.Each player is listed as member of the team they will play for in 2016, not who they played for in 2015.

 

Enjoy!

 

*Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn't officially signed with the Jets yet, but I'm still assuming that he will before the start of the regular season 

 

Quarterback:

25.Teddy Bridgewater (Vikings)

24.Ryan Fitzpatrick (Jets*)

23.Tyrod Taylor (Bills)

22.Jameis Winston (Buccaneers)

21.Kirk Cousins (Redskins)

20.Ryan Tannehill (Dolphins)

19.Alex Smith (Chiefs)

18.Blake Bortles (Jaguars)

17.Matthew Stafford (Lions)

16.Derek Carr (Raiders)

15.Jay Cutler (Bears)

14.Joe Flacco (Ravens)

13.Andy Dalton (Bengals)

12.Matt Ryan (Falcons)

11.Tony Romo (Cowboys)

10.Eli Manning (Giants)

9.Carson Palmer (Cardinals)

8.Phillip Rivers (Chargers)

7.Andrew Luck (Colts)

6.Cam Newton (Panthers)

5.Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

4.Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)

3.Drew Brees (Saints)

2.Tom Brady (Patriots)

1.Aaron Rodgers (Packers)

 

Running Back:

50.Roy Helu Jr. (Raiders)

49.Theo Riddick (Lions)

48.Isiah Crowell (Browns)

47.Matt Jones (Redskins)

46.Duke Johnson (Browns)

45.Ronnie Hillman (Broncos)

44.Shane Vereen (Giants)

43.LeGarette Blount (Patriots)

42.Karlos Williams (Bills)

41.Dion Lewis (Patriots)

40.James Starks (Packers)

39.Arian Foster (Free Agent)

38.Bilal Powell (Jets)

37.Charles Sims (Buccaneers)

36.Chris Johnson (Cardinals)

35.Tim Hightower (Saints)

34.Darren McFadden (Cowboys)

33.Darren Sproles (Eagles) 

32.Jeremy Langford (Bears)

31.Rashad Jennings (Giants)

30.Spencer Ware (Chiefs)

29.Alfred Morris (Cowboys)

28.Charcandrick West (Chiefs)

27.Carlos Hyde (49ers)

26.T.J. Yeldon (Jaguars)

25.Thomas Rawls (Seahawks)

24.Danny Woodhead (Chargers)

23.Ryan Matthews (Eagles)

22.Frank Gore (Colts)

21.Giovani Bernard (Bengals)

20.Latavius Murray (Raiders) 

19.DeMarco Murray (Titans)

18.Chris Ivory (Jaguars) 

17.C.J. Anderson (Broncos)

16.DeAngelo Williams (Steelers)

15.Justin Forsett (Ravens)

14.Jonathan Stewart (Panthers)

13.David Johnson (Cardinals)

12.Lamar Miller (Texans) 

11.Jeremy Hill (Bengals)

10.Mark Ingram (Saints) 

9.Eddie Lacy (Packers)

8.Matt Forte (Jets)

7.Devonta Freeman (Falcons)

6.Todd Gurley (Rams)

5.Doug Martin (Buccaneers)

4.Jammal Charles (Chiefs)

3.LeSean McCoy (Bills)
2.Le'Veon Bell (Steelers)
1.Adrian Peterson (Vikings) 

 

Wide Receiver:

50.Kenny Stills (Dolphins)

49.Willie Snead (Saints)

48.Kendall Wright (Titans)

47.Mike Wallace (Ravens)

46.Markus Wheaton (Steelers)

45.Jermaine Kearse (Seahawks)

44.Rishard Matthews (Titans)

43.Danny Amendola (Patriots)

42.Anquan Boldin (Free Agent)

41.Pierre Garcon (Redskins)
40.Kamar Aiken (Ravens)
39.Tyler Lockett (Seahawks)
38.Donte Moncrief (Colts)
37.Torrey Smith (49ers)
36.Travis Benjamin (Chargers)
35.Michael Crabtree (Raiders)
34.Marvin Jones (Lions)

33.Amari Cooper (Raiders)

32.Brandin Cooks (Saints)

31.Kelvin Benjamin (Panthers)

30.Vincent Jackson (Buccaneers)

29.Michael Floyd (Cardinals)

28.John Brown (Cardinals)

27.Doug Baldwin (Seahawks)

26.Steve Smith (Ravens)

25.DeSean Jackson (Redskins)

24.Allen Hurns (Jaguars)

23.Julian Edelman (Patriots)

22.Eric Decker (Jets)

21.Mike Evans (Buccaneers)
20.Golden Tate (Lions)

19.Randall Cobb (Packers)
18.Jarvis Landry (Dolphins)
17.Emmanuel Sanders (Broncos)
16.Sammy Watkins (Bills)

15.Jeremy Maclin (Chiefs)

14.Allen Robinson (Jaguars)
13.T.Y. Hilton (Colts)
12.Keenan Allen (Chargers)

11.Demaryius Thomas (Broncos)

10.Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals)

9.Jordy Nelson (Packers)

8.Alshon Jeffrey (Bears)

7.Brandon Marshall (Jets)

6.A.J. Green (Bengals)

5.Dez Bryant (Cowboys)
4.DeAndre Hopkins (Texans)
3.Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants)
2.Julio Jones (Falcons)
1.Antonio Brown (Steelers) 

 

Tight End:

20.Coby Fleener (Saints)

19.Jordan Cameron (Dolphins) 

18.Dwayne Allen (Colts)

17.Benjamin Watson (Ravens)

16.Kyle Rudolph (Vikings) 

15.Ladarius Green (Steelers)

14.Martellus Bennett (Patriots) 

13.Charles Clay (Bills)

12.Jason Witten (Cowboys)

11.Zach Ertz (Eagles)

10.Julius Thomas (Jaguars)

9.Gary Barnidge (Browns)

8.Antonio Gates (Chargers)

7.Tyler Eifert (Bengals)

6.Jordan Reed (Redskins)

5.Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

4.Delanie Walker (Titans)

3.Jimmy Graham (Seahawks)

2.Greg Olsen (Panthers)

1.Rob Gronkowski (Patriots) 

 

Tackle:

30.Ryan Clady (Jets)

29.Russell Okung (Broncos)

28.King Dunlap (Chargers)

27.Morgan Moses (Redskins)

26.Derek Newton (Texans)

25.Lane Johnson (Eagles)
24.Sebastian Vollmer (Patriots)
23.Demar Dotson (Buccaneers)

22.Bryan Bulaga (Packers)

21.Marcus Gilbert (Steelers)

20.Joe Barksdale (Chargers)

19.Austin Howard (Raiders)

18.Taylor Lewan (Titans)

17.Jake Matthews (Falcons)

16.Kelvin Beachum (Jaguars)

15.Ryan Schrader (Falcons)

14.Branden Albert (Dolphins)

13.Duane Brown (Texans)

12.Mitchell Schwartz (Chiefs)

11.Donald Penn (Raiders)

10.Anthony Castonzo (Colts) 

9.Jared Veldheer (Cardinals)

8.Jason Peters (Eagles) 

7.Cordy Glenn (Bills)

6.Terron Armstead (Saints)

5.Joe Staley (49ers)

4.Trent Williams (Redskins)

3.Andrew Whitworth (Bengals)

2.Tyron Smith (Cowboys)

1.Joe Thomas (Browns)

 

Guard:

30.Andy Levitre (Falcons)

29.Jeff Allen (Texans)

28.Brandon Linder (Jaguars)

27.Brandon Schreff (Redskins)

26.Louis Vazquez (Broncos)

25.John Greco (Browns)

24.James Carpenter (Jets)

23.Orlando Franklin (Chargers)

22.Alex Boone (Vikings)

21.Jack Mewhort (Colts)

20.Justin Pugh (Giants) 

19.Clint Boling (Bengals)

18.Andrew Norwell (Panthers) 

17.Ramon Foster (Steelers)

16.Brandon Brooks (Eagles)

15.Joel Bitonio (Browns)

14.Matt Slauson (Chargers)

13.Gabe Jackson (Raiders)

12.T.J. Lang (Packers)

11.Trai Turner (Panthers)

10.Richie Incognito (Bills)

9.Kevin Zeitler (Bengals)

8.Kyle Long (Bears)

7.David DeCastro (Steelers)

6.Kelechi Osemele (Raiders)

5.Mike Iupati (Cardinals)

4.Zach Martin (Cowboys)

3.Evan Mathis (Cardinals)

2.Josh Sitton (Packers)

1.Marshal Yanda (Ravens)

 

Center:

20.Hroniss Grasu (Bears)

19.Russell Bodine (Bengals)

18.Corey Linsley (Packers)

17.Ben Jones (Titans)

16.Mitch Morse (Chiefs)

15.Jeremy Zuttah (Ravens) 

14.Stefen Wisniewski (Eagles)

13.John Sullivan (Vikings)

12.Jason Kelce (Eagles)

11.Joe Berger (Vikings)

10.Mike Pouncey (Dolphins)

9.Nick Mangold (Jets)

8.Weston Richburg (Giants)

7.Eric Wood (Bills)

6.Max Unger (Saints)

5.Alex Mack (Falcons)

4.Rodney Hudson (Raiders)

3.Maurkice Pouncey (Steelers)

2.Ryan Kalil (Panthers)

1.Travis Fredrick (Cowboys)

 

Defensive End:

30.Chris Baker (Redskins)
29.Mario Williams (Dolphins)
28.Robert Ayers (Buccaneers)
27.Derrick Shelby (Falcons)
26.Leonard Williams (Jets)
25.William Hayes (Rams)
24.Derek Wolfe (Broncos)
23.Carlos Dunlap (Bengals)
22.Vinny Curry (Eagles)
21.Cliff Avril (Seahawks)
20.Everson Griffen (Vikings)
19.Jabbal Sheard (Patriots)
18.Robert Quinn (Rams)
17.Jason Pierre-Paul (Giants)
16.Chandler Jones (Cardinals)
15.Jerry Hughes (Bills)
14.Malik Jackson (Jaguars)
13.Sheldon Richardson (Jets)
12.Cameron Wake (Dolphins)
11.Oliver Vernon (Giants)
10.Cameron Heyward (Steelers)
9.Ezekiel Ansah (Lions)
8.Calias Campbell (Cardinals)
7.Jurrell Casey (Titans)
6.Mike Daniels (Packers)
5.Muhammad Wilkerson (Jets)
4.Michael Bennett (Seahawks)
3.Cameron Jordan (Saints)
2.Fletcher Cox (Eagles)
1.J.J. Watt (Texans) 

 

Defensive Tackle:

30.Vince Wilfork (Texans)
29.Ahtyba Rubin (Seahawks)

28.Sharrif Floyd (Vikings)

27.Roy Miller (Jaguars)

26.Eddie Goldman (Bears)

25.Cedric Thornton (Cowboys)

24.Jordan Hill (Seahawks)
23.Star Lotulelei (Panthers)

22.Nick Fairley (Saints)

21.Kyle Williams (Bills)

20.Brandon Mebane (Chargers)

19.Bennie Logan (Eagles)

18.Haloti Ngata (Lions)

17.Jaye Howard (Chiefs)

16.Jonathan Hankins (Giants)

15.Michael Brockers (Rams)

14.Terrence Knighton (Patriots)

13.Sen'Derrick Marks (Jaguars)

12.Dontari Poe (Chiefs)

11.Ian Williams (49ers)

10.Brandon Williams (Ravens)

9.Dan Williams (Raiders)

8.Damon Harrison (Giants)

7.Linval Joseph (Vikings)

6.Kawann Short (Panthers)

5.Marcell Dareus (Bills)

4.Geno Atkins (Bengals)

3.Gerald McCoy (Buccaneers)

2.Aaron Donald (Rams)

1.Ndamukong Suh (Dolphins)

 

Outside Linebacker:

50.Markus Golden (Cardinals)
49.Brooks Reed (Falcons)
48.Courtney Upshaw (Falcons)
47.Erik Walden (Colts)
45.Ahmad Brooks (49ers)
45.Trent Cole (Colts)
44.Trent Murphy (Redskins)
43.Manny Lawson (Bills)
42.Jelani Jenkins (Dolphins)
41.Shaq Barrett (Broncos) 
40.Anthony Hitchens (Cowboys)
39.Nigel Bradham (Eagles)
38.Jadeveon Clowney (Texans)
37.Aaron Lynch (49ers)
36.Robert Mathis (Colts)
35.Preston Smith (Redskins) 
34.Willie Young (Bears)
33.Akeem Ayers (Rams)
32.Jeremiah Attaochu (Chargers)
31.Lamarr Houston (Bears)
30.Derrick Morgan (Titans)
29.Vontaze Burfict (Bengals)
28.Vincent Rey (Bengals) 
27.Telvin Smith (Jaguars)
26.Junior Gallette (Redskins)
25.Julius Peppers (Packers)
24.Connor Barwin (Eagles)
23.Elvis Dumervil (Ravens)
22.Bruce Irvin (Raiders) 
21.Melvin Ingram (Chargers)
20.Brandon Graham (Eagles) 
19.Whitney Mercilus (Texans)
18.Brian Orakpo (Titans)
17.Terrell Suggs (Ravens)
16.DeMarcus Ware (Broncos)
15.Aldon Smith (Raiders)
14.Anthony Barr (Vikings)
13.Ryan Kerrigan (Redskins)
12.K.J. Wright (Seahawks)
11.Dont'a Hightower (Patriots)
10.Pernell McPhee (Bears)
9.DeAndre Levy (Lions) 
8.Lavonte David (Buccaneers)
7.Clay Matthews (Packers)
6.Thomas Davis (Panthers)
5.Tamba Hali (Chiefs)
4.Jamie Collins (Patriots)
3.Khalil Mack (Raiders)
2.Justin Houston (Chiefs)
1.Von Miller (Broncos) 

 

Inside Linebacker:

25.Denzel Perryman (Chargers)
24.Avery Williamson (Titans)
23.Koa Misi (Dolphins)
22.Paul Worrilow (Falcons)
21.Ryan Shazier (Steelers) 
20.Rolando McClain (Cowboys)
19.Alec Ogletree (Rams)
18.D'Qwell Jackson (Colts)
17.Kiko Alonso (Dolphins)
16.David Harris (Jets)
15.Karlos Dansby (Bengals)
14.Jordan Hicks (Eagles)
13.Daryl Smith (Buccaneers)
12.Brian Cushing (Texans)
11.Mychal Kendricks (Eagles)
10.C.J. Mosley (Ravens)
9.Lawrence Timmons (Steelers) 
8.Danny Trevathan (Bears)
7.Sean Lee (Cowboys)
6.Jerrell Freeman (Bears)
5.NaVorro Bowman (49ers)
4.Brandon Marshall (Broncos)
3.Derrick Johnson (Chiefs)
2.Bobby Wagner (Seahawks)
1.Luke Kuechly (Panthers)

 

Cornerback:

50.Bene Benwikerie (Panthers)

49.Jeremy Lane (Seahawks)

48.Tramon Williams (Browns) 

47.Robert Alford (Falcons)

46.William Gay (Steelers)

45.Kevin Johnson (Texans)

44.K'uwan Williams (Browns)

43.E.J. Gaines (Rams)

42.Terrence Newman (Vikings)

41.Shareece Wright (Ravens)

40.Davon House (Jaguars)

39.Patrick Robinson (Colts)

38.Bradley Roby (Broncos) 

37.David Amerson (Raiders)

36.Russ Cockrell (Steelers)

35.Tramaine Brock (49ers) 

34.Kyle Fuller (Bears)

33.Xavier Rhodes (Vikings)

32.Kareem Jackson (Texans)

31.Delvin Breaux (Saints)

30.Malcolm Butler (Patriots)

29.Prince Amukamara (Jaguars)

28.Logan Ryan (Patriots)

27.Orlando Scandrick (Cowboys)

26.Joe Haden (Browns)

25.Sam Shields (Packers)

24.Marcus Peters (Chiefs)

23.Casey Hayward (Chargers)

22.Janoris Jenkins (Giants)

21.Jimmy Smith (Ravens) 

20.Ronald Darby (Bills)

19.Aqib Talib (Broncos)

18.Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Giants)

17.Captain Munnerlyn (Vikings)

16.Trumaine Johnson (Rams)

15.Bashaud Breeland (Redskins)

14.Sean Smith (Raiders)

13.Brent Grimes (Buccaneers)

12.Adam Jones (Bengals)

11.Jason Verrett (Chargers)

10.Darius Slay (Lions)

9.Desmond Trufant (Falcons)

8.Stephon Gilmore (Bills)

7.Jonathan Joseph (Texans)

6.Vontae Davis (Colts)

5.Darrelle Revis (Jets)

4.Josh Norman (Redskins)

3.Chris Harris Jr. (Broncos)

2.Patrick Peterson (Cardinals)

1.Richard Sherman (Seahawks)

 

Safety:

40.Quentin Demps (Texans)

39.Dwight Lowery (Chargers)

38.Byron Jones (Cowboys)

37.Duron Harmon (Patriots)

36.Roman Harper (Saints)

35.Isa Abdul-Quddus (Dolphins)

34.Rashad Johnson (Titans)

33.Kendrick Lewis (Ravens)

32.Corey Graham (Bills)

31.Tony Jefferson (Cardinals)

30.Chris Conte (Buccaneers)

29.Aaron Williams (Bills) 

28.HaHa Clinton-Dix (Packers)

27.Mike Adams (Colts)

26.Tashuan Gibson (Jaguars)

25.Adrian Amos (Bears) 

24.Mike Mitchell (Steelers)

23.Kenny Vaccaro (Saints) 

22.Marcus Gilchrist (Jets)

21.Glover Quin (Lions)

20.Kurt Coleman (Panthers)

19.Patrick Chung (Patriots)

18.Eric Reid (49ers)

17.Da'Norris Searcy (Titans)

16.Darian Stewart (Broncos)

15.Jarius Byrd (Saints)

14.George Iloka (Bengals)

13.Rodney McLeod (Eagles)

12.Morgan Burnett (Packers)

11.Reggie Nelson (Raiders)

10.T.J. Ward (Broncos)

9.Malcolm Jenkins (Eagles)

8.Devin McCourty (Patriots)

7.Eric Weddle (Ravens)

6.Reshad Jones (Dolphins)

5.Kam Chancellor (Seahawks)

4.Tyrann Mathieu (Cardinals)

3.Harrison Smith (Vikings)

2.Eric Berry (Chiefs)

1.Earl Thomas (Seahawks)

 

Kicker:

20.Matt Prater (Lions)
19.Phil Dawson (49ers)
18.Robbie Gould (Bears)
17.Matt Bryant (Falcons)
16.Greg Zuerlein (Rams)
15.Chris Boswell (Steelers)
14.Dan Carpenter (Bills)
13.Chandler Catanzaro (Cardinals)
12.Blair Walsh (Vikings)
11.Nick Folk (Jets)
10.Cairo Santos (Chiefs)
9.Brandon McManus (Broncos)
8.Graham Gano (Panthers)
7.Josh Brown (Giants)
6.Adam Vinatieri (Colts)
5.Mason Crosby (Packers)
4.Steven Hasuchka (Seahawks)
3.Dan Bailey (Cowboys)
2.Justin Tucker (Ravens)
1.Stephen Gostkowski (Patriots) 

 

Punter:

20.Brad Nortman (Jaguars)
19.Chris Jones (Cowboys)
18.Dustin Colquitt (Chiefs)
17.Jon Ryan (Seahawks)
16.Kevin Huber (Bengals) 
15.Ryan Allen (Patriots)
14.Thomas Morstead (Saints)
13.Tress Way (Redskins)
12.Bryan Anger (Buccaneers)
11.Sam Martin (Lions)
10.Colton Schmidt (Bills)
9.Andy Lee (Browns)
8.Matt Darr (Dolphins) 
7.Donnie Jones (Eagles)
6.Brett Kern (Titans)
5.Matt Bosher (Falcons)
4.Shane Lechler (Texans)
3.Sam Koch (Ravens) 
2.Johnny Hekker (Rams)
1.Pat McAfee (Colts) 

 

Team-by team breakdown of players to appear in top 10 for their respective position group (most-to-least):

Arizona Cardinals-8 (Calias Campbell, Larry Fitzgerald, Mike Iupati, Tyrann Mathieu, Evan Mathis, Carson Palmer, Patrick Peterson, Jared Veldheer)

Buffalo Bills-7 (Marcell Dareus, Cordy Glenn, Stephon Gilmore, Richie Incognito, LeSean McCoy, Colton Schmidt, Eric Wood) 

Carolina Panthers-7 (Thomas Davis, Graham Gano, Ryan Kalil, Luke Kuechly, Cam Newton, Greg Olsen, Kawann Short)

Green Bay Packers-7 (Mason Crosby, Mike Daniels, Eddie Lacy, Clay Matthews, Jordy Nelson, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Sitton)

Kansas City Chiefs-7 (Eric Berry, Jammal Charles, Tamba Hali, Justin Houston, Derrick Johnson, Travis Kelce, Cairo Santos) 

Pittsburgh Steelers-7 (Le'Veon Bell, Antonio Brown, David DeCastro, Cameron Heyward, Maurkice Pouncey, Ben Roethlisberger, Lawrence Timmons)

Seattle Seahawks-7 (Michael Bennett, Kam Chancellor, Jimmy Graham, Steven Hauschka, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Russell Wilson) 

Baltimore Ravens-6 (Sam Koch, C.J. Mosley, Justin Tucker,Eric Weddle, Brandon Williams, Marshal Yanda)

Dallas Cowboys-6 (Dan Bailey, Dez Bryant, Travis Fredrick, Sean Lee, Zach Martin, Tyron Smith)

Atlanta Falcons-5 (Matt Bosher, Devonta Freeman, Julio Jones, Alex Mack, Desmond Trufant)

Chicago Bears-5 (Jerrell Freeman, Alshon Jeffrey, Kyle Long, Pernell McPhee, Danny Trevathan)

Cincinnati Bengals-5 (Geno Atkins, Tyler Eifert, A.J. Green, Andrew Whitworth, Kevin Zeitler)

Denver Broncos-5 (Chris Harris Jr., Brandon Marshall, Brandon McManus, Von Miller, T.J. Ward)

Indianapolis Colts-5 (Anthony Castonzo, Vontae Davis, Andrew Luck, Pat McAfee, Adam Vinatieri)

New England Patriots-5 (Tom Brady, Jamie Collins, Stephen Gostkowski, Rob Gronkowski, Devin McCourty)

New Orleans Saints-5 (Terron Armstead, Drew Brees, Mark Ingram, Cameron Jordan, Max Unger)

New York Giants-5 (Odell Beckham Jr., Josh Brown, Damon Harrison, Eli Manning, Weston Richburg)

New York Jets-5 (Matt Forte, Nick Mangold, Brandon Marshall, Darrelle Revis, Muhammad Wilkerson)

Houston Texans-4 (DeAndre Hopkins, Jonathan Joseph, Shane Lechler, J.J. Watt)

Miami Dolphins-4 (Matt Darr, Reshad Jones, Mike Pouncey, Ndamukong Suh)

Oakland Raiders-4 (Rodney Hudson, Khalil Mack, Kelechi Osemele, Dan Williams) 

Philadelphia Eagles-4 (Fletcher Cox, Malcolm Jenkins, Donnie Jones, Jason Peters) 

Cleveland Browns-3 (Gary Barnidge, Andy Lee, Joe Thomas)

Detroit Lions-3 (Ezekiel Ansah, DeAndre Levy, Darius Slay)

Los Angeles Rams-3 (Aaron Donald, Todd Gurley, Johnny Hekker)

Minnesota Vikings-3 (Linval Joseph, Adrian Peterson, Harrison Smith)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers-3 (Lavonte David, Doug Martin,Gerald McCoy) 

Tennessee Titans-3 (Jurrell Casey, Brett Kern, Delanie Walker)

Washington Redskins-3 (Josh Norman, Jordan Reed, Trent Williams) 

San Diego Chargers-2 (Antonio Gates, Phillip Rivers) 

San Francisco 49ers-2 (NaVorro Bowman, Joe Staley)

Jacksonville Jaguars-1 (Julius Thomas)

Concert Review: Bane (Farewell Show)-- Worcester, MA-- June 18th, 2016

Lineup: Bane, Saves the Day, Title Fight, Modern Life is War, The Promise, Right Brigade, Cruel Hand, Rude Awakening
Venue: The Palladium Downstairs, Worcester, MA
Date: June 18th, 2016

Rude Awakening: Arrived late and missed their set.

Cruel Hand: I arrived about halfway through their set. They were their reliably fun and furious selves and got a nice reception from surprisingly dense earlybird crowd. My only real complaint is that their vocalist is regressing rapidly each time I see them and I don't think he'll be able to continue to perform for much longer if this trend continues.

Right Brigade: Right Brigade was the first of two major reunions that occurred at this show. Right Brigade's initial run was not long at all (they formed in 1998 and disbanded in 2001), but they picked up a sizable, dedicated following during their short tenure as a band and went onto become cult icons in the Boston-area hardcore scene. I had never listened to them before the show and after seeing them, I probably never will again. Their music was the basically the blueprint for lifeless, by-the-numbers hardcore and featured none of the energy or emotion that's required for a band to thrive in this genre. Hardcore kids in my area will probably want to kick my ass for saying this, but I simply don't understand how Right Brigade is considered to be one of the most important acts in the lengthy history of Massachusetts hardcore.

The Promise: The Promise was the second long inactive band reuniting for this show and they were the exact opposite of Right Brigade. Their music hit hard as hell, their stage presence was massive and the passion that was behind their music was infectious. Based on the quality of this performance, you would have never known that these guys hadn't played together on a regular basis since 2005. Easily one of the best hardcore bands I've ever had the pleasure of seeing live.

Modern Life is War: I caught a lot of flack for being somewhat underwhelmed by Modern Life is War's live show when I saw them open for Converge at Deathwish Fest in July 2014. This time around was a different story as Modern Life is War completely tore it up. Their music is the perfect blend of aggression and melody, and the intensity frontman Jeffrey Eaton exhibited throughout was absolutely mesmerizing to watch. This performance was the push I needed to finally start digging into their heavily-praised discography.

Title Fight: Outside of Bane, Title Fight were the band I was most excited to see on this bill by a pretty wide margin. I was somewhat worried that they would disappoint me because of how much I disliked their latest album Hyperview, but they ended up being the deeply emotional force of nature I'd hoped they'd be live. The success of their set can largely be attributed to their decision to tailor their set to this show's hardcore punk audience and mostly play material from their first two albums (2011's Shed and 2012's Floral Green). The melodic punk riffs and raw, tortured vocal delivery from Jamie Rhoden on tracks like "Secret Society" and "Numb, but I Still Feel It" deeply resonated with the crowd by beautifully complementing the bittersweet vibe of the show. Now that my doubts about their live show have been officially shattered, I'd absolutely go see them again in the future.

Saves the Day: After a ton of speculation and rumors of bands such as Have Heart and Ruiner reuniting, Saves the Day ended up being the "very special guest" Bane teased when they announced this show back in March. The selection of Saves the Day seemed kind of unfitting at first, but as Bane frontman Aaron Bedard explained when he was thanking all of the bands for playing this show, their first U.S. tour ever was opening for them and they really wanted them to be apart of this show as a way of saying thank you for the support they've consistently shown them over the years.

The performance itself was fine. Between their breezy hooks and visible amount of fun they appear to be having performing, it's easy to understand how they've become one of the most acclaimed and unheralded veteran bands in the pop punk scene. Saves the Day offered up a nice reprieve from the hardcore bands that made up the rest of the bill and while they didn't necessarily blow me away, it's always cool to see an iconic act perform live.

Bane: In my lifetime, no hardcore band in Massachusetts has made bigger waves or commanded as much respect as Bane has. Like all great hardcore bands, they've forged a deep, emotional bond with their audience and made a significant impact on the scene with their messages of equality, tolerance and positivity. This show was essentially Bane's wake and over 2,000 of their most loyal fans had come out to pay their respects.

To be honest, I kind of felt like I shouldn't of been at this show. Hardcore is far from my favorite genre and there are so many Bane fans from around the world that would've killed to be in my shoes on Saturday night. I'm well-aware that this is a strange complaint for someone who was fortune to be from Massachusetts and attend Bane's final performance, it's just hard to not feel like an asshole when you're a casual fan at the final show of a band that has made a significant impact on so many people's lives.

The performance itself lined up with the atmosphere that ran through The Palladium the entire day. Bane left everything they had on the stage and gave their fans a performance filled with emotion, passion and immense gratitude. Every word of praise and appreciation that came out of Bedard's mouth was genuine and you could clearly tell how much it meant to the whole band that they got to put together this celebration of their career in their hometown.

As expected, the crowd went absolutely bananas the entire time they were on stage. There was non-stop stage dives, a ton of two-stepping and frequent hugs/moments of intimate bonding in the pit over all of the joy Bane had brought the hardcore scene over the course of their 20-year career. I can't think of too many other shows that I've been to since I started to going shows on a regular basis in 2005 that have generated this powerful of a crowd reaction.

Bane's set was an undeniably fitting and emotional swan song for their career, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't overwhelmed by the length of their set. At 2 hours and 15 minutes, the set became extremely tedious after about 75 minutes and I kept crossing my fingers that they would wrap it up during the last 10-15 songs they played. I once again felt like a douchebag as I stood around looking bored out of my skull while seemingly everyone else in the room was losing their minds as they ripped through this behemoth of a set that featured almost every song they've ever recorded. Even for a band of Bane's caliber, hardcore just isn't a genre that I feel is suited for epic-length sets. 
 
While this show caused me to feel a bizarre range of emotions, I'm ultimately glad that I was able to see Bane before they rode off into the sunset. I wish the entire band the best of luck in their future endeavors inside and outside of the music industry. 

Scores:
Cruel Hand 7/10
Right Brigade 5/10
The Promise 8/10
Modern Life is War 8/10
Title Fight 7.5/10
Saves the Day 7/10
Bane 8/10

Setlists:
Modern Life is War included:
Chasing My Tail
By the Sea
Fuck the Sex Pistols

Title Fight (missing a couple of songs):
Numb, but I Still Feel It
Shed
Secret Society
Rose of Sharon
Like a Ritual
You Can't Say Kingston Doesn't Love You
Crescent-Shaped Depression

Bane included:
Can We Start Again
Ante Up
Park St.
Lost at Sea
Ali vs. Frazier I
Count Me Out
Speechless
My Therapy
Bang the Drum Slowly
As the World Turns
Superhero
Swan Song
Domination (Pantera cover, breakdown only)

2016 NBA Mock Draft

The 2016 NBA Draft will be held just six days from now at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. With the many questions surrounding the depth of the player pool and polarizing opinions in league circles about nearly every prospect on the board, the 2016 draft class is shaping up to be one of the most interesting and mysterious ones in recent memory. Here's my relatively uneducated guess as to how the first round will unfold on Thursday.

1.Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons, forward (LSU)
2.Los Angeles Lakers: Brandon Ingram, forward (Duke)
3.Boston Celtics: Dragan Bender, forward/center (Croatia)
4.Phoenix Suns:Marquese Chriss, forward (Washington)
5.Minnesota Timberwolves: Jamal Murray, guard (Kentucky)
6.New Orleans Pelicans: Jaylen Brown, forward (California)
7.Denver Nuggets: Buddy Hield, guard (Oklahoma)
8.Sacramento Kings: Kris Dunn, guard (Providence)
9.Toronto Raptors: Jakob Poletl, forward/center (Utah)
10.Milwaukee Bucks: Henry Ellenson, forward/center (Marquette)
11.Orlando Magic:Deyonta Davis, forward (Michigan State)
12.Utah Jazz: Timothe Luwawu, guard (France)
13.Phoenix Suns: Skal Labissiere, forward (Kentucky)
14.Chicago Bulls: Domantas Sabonis, forward (Gonzaga)
15.Denver Nuggets: Brice Johnson, forward (North Carolina)
16.Boston Celtics: Furkan Korkmaz, guard (Turkey)
17.Memphis Grizzlies: Demetrius Jackson, guard (Notre Dame)
18.Detroit Pistons: Malachi Richardson, guard (Syracuse)
19.Denver Nuggets: Ante Zizic, center (Croatia)
20.Indiana Pacers: Ivica Zubac, center (Croatia)
21.Atlanta Hawks: Denzel Valentine, guard (Michigan State)
22.Charlotte Hornets: Taurean Prince, forward (Baylor)
23.Boston Celtics: Ben Bentil, forward (Providence)
24.Philadelphia 76ers: Tyler Ulis, guard (Kentucky)
25.Los Angeles Clippers: DeAndre' Bemby, forward (Saint Joseph's)
26.Philadelphia 76ers: Paul Zipser, forward (Germany)
27.Toronto Raptors: Patrick McCaw, guard (UNLV)
28.Phoenix Suns: Juan Hernangomez, forward (Spain)
29.San Antonio Spurs: Dejounte Murray, guard (Washington)
30.Golden State Warriors: Stephen Zimmerman, center (UNLV)

2016 NFL Position Rankings: Top 20 Punters

20.Brad Nortman (Jaguars)
19.Chris Jones (Cowboys)
18.Dustin Colquitt (Chiefs)
17.Jon Ryan (Seahawks)
16.Kevin Huber (Bengals) 
15.Ryan Allen (Patriots)
14.Thomas Morstead (Saints)
13.Tress Way (Redskins)
12.Bryan Anger (Buccaneers)
11.Sam Martin (Lions)
10.Colton Schmidt (Bills)
9.Andy Lee (Browns)
8.Matt Darr (Dolphins) 
7.Donnie Jones (Eagles)
6.Brett Kern (Titans)
5.Matt Bosher (Falcons)
4.Shane Lechler (Texans)
3.Sam Koch (Ravens) 
2.Johnny Hekker (Rams)
1.Pat McAfee (Colts)

Album Review: letlive.-If I'm the Devil...

You can't have a discussion about post-hardcore in the modern era without mentioning letlive. Their  2010 release Fake History turned the genre on its head with its unique combination of frantic hardcore and smooth pop soul and their live shows have become legendary thanks to the incendiary presence and often insane antics of frontman Jason Butler. For reasons that I can't possibly fathom, letlive. has decided to abandon their post-hardcore roots in favor of a more straightforward alternative rock sound on their fourth LP, If I'm the Devil, and the results are dishearteningly mediocre.

In a case of cruel irony, the majority of the blame for the failure of If I'm the Devil lies on the shoulders of Butler-whose frantic presence and spectacular vocal range had previously been letlive.'s biggest strength. Butler has stated in multiple recent interviews that there were heated arguments within the band during the writing process about what direction they were going to take with this album and that he wanted them to establish a more melodic sound. Butler got his wish as the entire band is relegated to the background while Butler and his inflated ego croon through 45-mintues of slow-to-mid tempo alt-rock songs and one half-assed attempt to win over the fans of their more aggressive sound with the cringe-worthy "Another Offensive Song". There's no denying that Butler's soulful singing is still top-notch, it just gets old listening to him not explore the full extent of his range or deploy the manic energy that has made him one of the buzzed-about vocalists in punk/hardcore right now while his bandmates mindlessly entertain his desire to be a mainstream rock superstar for the course of an entire record.  

Without the constant tempo changes and unhinged insanity to lead the charge, the vapidness of Butler's lyrics are exposed at length throughout this record. The politically and socially-charged rants that make up his lyrics are so poorly-written and hollow that it's hard to believe that they were written by a man that's about to turn 30. It's abundantly clear that songs like "Reluctantly Dead" and "Copper Colored Quiet" were supposed to be profound statements on police brutality and religion, but because of Butler's reliance on half-baked symbolism and "rebellious" threats against the establishment, they become nothing more than disposable, incoherent ramblings from a man who clearly values angst over legitimately deep thinking. To put it simply, Butler isn't the next Zack de la Rocha and if letlive. is going to continue pump out music in the same vain as If I'm the Devil... in the future, he should permanently shelve his pseudo-intellectual anarchist act.   

The top-to-bottom competency of the musicianship prevents this from being a complete trainwreck, but outside of a few tracks on the first half of the album ("Nu Romantics", "A Weak Ago", "Good Mourning, America"), If I'm the Devil is a largely forgettable effort. letlive. was a band that stood out because of their unrelenting energy and overwhelming passion and without either of those elements in the fold, there's little reason to care about their music. Reigning in the constant sense of chaos, raw emotion and soaring choruses that defined Fake History and The Blackest Beautiful is the biggest misstep letlive. has made in their career to-date, and I can only hope they'll chalk up If I'm the Devil as a failed experiment and go back to making kick-ass post-hardcore on their next record.

2.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.A Weak Ago
2.Nu Romantics
3.Good Mourning, America