Mobtown Shank

Year End Wrap-Ups 2015: Listenings

This year, we asked Shank readers and contributors what their favorites of 2015 were without the whole rigmarole of creating a list. We also asked them to give a few sentences what made it their favorite. These are the results.

FAVORITE ALBUM: SOMETIMES I SIT AND THINK, AND SOMETIMES I JUST SIT BY COURNEY BARNETT
BENN RAY: Lyrically one of the more charming albums I've heard in ages. But more than that, Barnett also has some pretty decent songs to back up those lyrics. I'll admit that I had to struggle at first to get past her Australian accent, but listening to her sing "Depreston" on repeat was a pretty easy fix.

FAVORITE ALBUM: I LOVE YOU HONEYBEAR BY FATHER JOHN MISTY
JAMIE PARRISH: It sounds like all those albums from the '70s when musicians would rent a house in the Hollywood hills to hold up and record an album hoping the golden west would produce a sound that would convey their desire for a happier time.  This album does all that but much better than any band from the '70s ever did or could.

FAVORITE SONG: "I LOVE YOU HONEYBEAR" BY FATHER JOHN MISTY
LAURIE ROLLINS ANDERSON:  Romantic orchestration and raw, graphic lyrics.

FAVORITE ALBUM: SOMETHING MORE THAN FREE BY JASON ISBELL
CARL D. ORR: There are definitely individual songs from other artists I like more than any one song on Isbell's record. But for flat-out quality songwriting and end-to-end listenability, he's doing it right. Thanks for asking.

FAVORITE ALBUM: EDGE OF THE SUN BY CALEXICO
STEVE ASHBY: There was a lot of good music that came out in 2015, but this album spent the most time in my CD player. A beautiful record.

FAVORITE ALBUM: SILVER BULLETS BY THE CHILLS
DON CLARK: After almost two decades, New Zealand's finest return with a super-jangly, guitar-heavy masterpiece.

FAVORITE ALBUM: MCIII BY MIKAL CRONIN
SKIZZ CYZYK: Too often I hear a songwriter described as “original” only to discover “predictable” would have been more accurate.  I don’t see a lot of raving about Mikal Cronin’s songwriting, but over the course of his first three albums now, he really deserves a lot of the hype other artists are getting.  Catchy, fun influences, and songs that didn’t write themselves… I’ll take more of that whenever I can get it.

FAVORITE RECORD: POISON SEASON BY DESTROYER
HOWARD YANG: No reason given.

FAVORITE ALBUM: FULL OF HELL & MERZBOW BY FULL OF HELL & MERZBOW
JONATHAN SUPER: Noise that is concrete and sterile.  You know, something you can hang on to.

FAVORITE ALBUM: TIE!!!
MR. WONDERFUL BY ACTION BRONSON
AT LONG LAST A$AP BY A$AP ROCKY
JAMIE WATSON: The only creativity in music is coming from hip hop and these were my 2 faves last year.

FAVORITE ALBUM: 1989 BY RYAN ADAMS
ADRIENNE KINSEY: All of your favorite songs from Taylor Swift's 1989 but now as a folksy version. Can't get enough of this record. 

FAVORITE COVERS RECORD: 1989 BY RYAN ADAMS
BENN RAY: Taylor Swift + Ryan Adams = pretty decent Bruce Springsteen

FAVORITE GIMMICK ALBUM: TIE!!!
1989 BY RYAN ADAMS
MEOW THE JEWELS BY RUN THE JEWELS
JESSE MORGAN: Whether it's the former Mr. Mandy Moore singing T.Swift songs, or remixing Killer Mike & El-P to the sound of cats meowing and purring, THESE are the best records from 2015 to bump in your CR-V and get confused looks about.

FAVORITE COMEBACK: NO CITIES TO LOVE BY SLEATER-KINNEY
BENN RAY: I would say shortly after their first or second record, I thought to myself, "I really dig this, but how many records of this sound am I going to need?" Years later, the correct answer is "All of them." S-K manage to explore new areas and with each record, and No Cities To Love is their New Wave record. One of the best albums of the year.

FAVORITE FIRST NEW RECORD IN 50 YEARS: THIS IS THE SONICS BY THE SONICS
BENN RAY: No, this isn't an archival collection - this is The Sonics' first, new, proper record of new material in nearly 50 years. And it hits harder than just about any other rock-n-roll record that came out in 2015.

FAVORITE COUNTRY MUSIC: TIE!!!
TRAVELLER BY CHRIS STAPLETON
PAGEANT MATERIAL BY KACEY MUSGRAVES
BENN RAY: I tend to prefer my country music to include some kind of qualifying prefix like ALT or "Old" or something... anything that delineates it from the mainstream pop sludge that comes out of Nashville and calls itself "country music." This year, these two releases had me dropping the prefixes to my country listening and wrestling my comfortability. And I'm happier for having done it.

FAVORITE SINGLE: BANK ROLLS REMIX BY TATE KOBANG
DIRTY MARTY: I remember years ago reading a Tom Waits interview where he suggested that a good way to make songs more interesting is to use names of your town's specific bars and streets and neighborhoods. Mr. Kobang goes nuts with this advice, filling the track to overflowing with Baltimore geographic information.
Another important aspect of this choice is the fact that that I discovered this song on actual terrestrial radio. I was returning from an errand and happened to have the radio on 92Q. I heard it from the very beginning as I was parking and I was trapped in the car, transfixed. Now, I ask you, how many more times in our lives can this possibly happen? I might hear an NPR interview with a music blogger who has curated a list of important music, sure, but this was a moment where I was listening to a commercial music station and a DJ decided to play a local independent track and I heard it and said “Holy shit, this is amazing!” I’m not sure, but I’m nostalgic enough that I’m already treasuring the memory of first hearing Bank Rolls Remix.

FAVORITE LIVE SHOW: MY MORNING JACKET AT RED ROCKS
JAMIE WATSON: Yeah, we're goddamn hippies.

 

OTHER FAVORITE MUSIC MOMENTS OF THE YEAR
JONATHAN SUPER: It was great to play with Coke Bust.  It was great hear and see O Inimigo.  Suck Thoughts is a butt.

FAVORITE PODCAST: MILLENNIAL
JAMIE PARRISH: Once you get past all the stuff indulgent generational navel gazing there is a good story with great production quality.

FAVORITE PODCAST: THE MYSTERY SHOW
HOWARD YANG: Starlee Kine solves mysteries and on the way meets Brittany Spears and measures Jake Gyllenhaal's height

5 FAVORITE REGGAE ALBUMS
BY DAVE ALIMA
5. Iba Mahr- Travelling Home.
While Iba Mahr had a breakthrough hit with his chune Diamond Sox (a tribute to argyle socks) I prefer this one as it displays the subtly and beauty of his voice.

4. King Mas- As I Rise
Great riddim by Green Lion Crew and King Mas rides it tight and heavy.


3. J. Boog and Sizzla- Stand Firm
J Boog,the Compton born singer, has had a nice few years with quality releases. This is on the Social riddim and he has a pretty nice chune going when in comes Sizzla and lights the whole place on fyah!


2. Kabaka Pyramid- Well Done
Kabaka Pyramid is one of the musicians in the new roots revival (along with Iba Mahr, Proteje, and of course Chronixx). This is a brilliant sarcastic applause to all the politicians trying their absolute best to destroy our country/world. As Kabaka says...give thanks for the effort.


1. Macka B- Never Played a 45
Sometimes reggae music is full of word play and double meanings but often times there are songs based on a singular straightforward concept. This song by legendary dancehall toaster Macka B is literally about 7" 45 records. Let me just put this lyric from the song right here....

"Now i'm not saying that you should be playing the 7" 45 only
but if you are able go buy a turntable- you can even get one with a usb."

Listen to this song and watch this video!

Related articles

Year End Wrap-Ups 2014: Listenings: Kacy's Top 40 Songs

RadioShank: Best Albums of 2015 So Far Survey

ShankTV: "Believe In Baltimore" by Believe In Music Kids

Year-End Wrap-Up 013: Listenings: Benn's Top Records

Year End Wrap-Ups 2015: Eat, Drink and Play

This year, we asked Shank readers and contributors what their favorites of 2015 were without the whole rigmarole of creating a list. We also asked them to give a few sentences what made it their favorite. These are the results.

FAVORITE VIDEO GAME: HER STORY (a murder mystery game available on iOS or Steam)
ELLEN SWEENEY: One of the best narratives I experienced this year, packaged in a novel format which brings full-motion video gaming into the Google era.  The format is accessible to anyone who has used a search engine, or spent an hour going down a rabbithole of Youtube videos, but executed well enough to catch the notice of game critics.

FAVORITE BOARD GAME: PANDEMIC LEGACY
ELLEN SWEENEY: The original Pandemic is, hands down, one of the greatest cooperative board games of all time; Legacy adds a plot-twisting narrative experience over the course of a dozen or so sessions.  Rules shift, new complexities are introduced, old ways of approaching the game become obsolete. Plus, the way the game is packaged is just plain fun -- adding stickers to the game board and rule book as things evolve, opening mystery boxes when a game event is triggered, tearing up cards that are removed from the game.

FAVORITE MEAL: TACOS @ GUERO'S, AUSTIN
STEVE ASHBY: Less for the meal, and more for the entertaining stories about Matthew McConaughey, Thomas Hayden Church, and a tray of drinks dumped on Andie McDowell and her family by the bartender.

FAVORITE MEAL: VEGAN CURRY WITH RICE
ADRIENNE KINSEY: Nothing warms the heart and soul like "homemade" Golden Brand curry.

FAVORITE MEAL:  VEGE-KOME RAMEN @ RAMEN MISOYA, MONTREAL 
JONATHAN SUPER: Nooooooooodles!  Yummy broth!  Happiness.

FAVORITE MEAL:  HOMEMADE BURGERS
PATRICK STORCK: New to 2015 meals narrows the field. I did make a batch of burgers with cumin and tomato paste and black pepper. On top was a paste from slow cooking garlic and cilantro in black beans until paste. Some crumbled feta sprinkled on that and you've got a very tasty burger.

FAVORITE MEAL: STEAMED CRABS, CONRAD'S SEAFOOD
HOWARD YANG: getting local True Blue steamed crabs at Conrad's in Perry Hall.

FAVORITE BEER: ATOMIC MUTATION (UNION CRAFT X ATOMIC BOOKS, BALTIMORE MD)
LISA HARBIN: Well, it was a joint effort by two of my favorite neighborhood establishments (Union Craft Brewing and, duh, Atomic Books) and it was just a delightful beer. It wasn't heavy but had a lot of flavor, kind of spicy and a little odd, but delicious. Also, the label kicked ass.

FAVORITE BEER: SNOWPANTS (UNION CRAFT, BALTIMORE MD)
DON CLARK: Although it's winter as I write this, which may lend some context to my choosing it as my favorite, this full-bodied oatmeal stout chases away the blizzard blues but remains a favorite year-round..

FAVORITE BEER: DROPOUT DOUBLE IPA (RUBBER SOUL, SALISBURY MD)
STEVE ASHBY: Runner up, Burley Oak’s Dark Matter Sour from Berlin, MD.

FAVORITE BEER: SWEET BABY JESUS (DUCLAW, BALTIMORE MD)
SKIZZ CYZYK: A peanut butter and chocolate beer.  That name says it all.

FAVORITE BEER: MONKENSTEIN (HOMEBREW)
PATRICK STORCK: Brewed as a personal batch by the good folks at The Curioso podcast, Monkenstein is a hybrid brewed from the dregs of all ten active Trappist breweries available commercially. After a tasting of all ten in the spring, Monkenstein took almost a year to properly brew and ferment, but sweet lord is it worth it. Not available for purchase, sorry.

FAVORITE BEER: HEATER ALLEN HANDCRAFTED LAGER (HEATER ALLEN, MCMINNVILLE OR)
HOWARD YANG: We need to embrace a great lager again.

FAVORITE BEER: MAINE ROOT BEER / BAR HARBOR ROOT BEER
JONATHAN SUPER: Whatever Root Beer Eightbar has at the time 'cause I like root beer.

FAVORITE LIQUOR: FIREBALL
JAMIE WATSON: I've always wanted to be a person who just sips liquor in a sophisticated manner, and now I am, only with the most downmarket frat boy swill ever.

FAVORITE LIQUOR: PAPPY VAN WINKLE 20 YEAR FAMILY RESERVE
HOWARD YANG: Trying Pappy Van Winkle 20 yr Family Reserve- straight up- worth the hype.

FAVORITE LIQUOR: NONE
JONATHAN SUPER: Keep your poison out of my life.

FAVORITE COFFEE: SWEET VALLEY HIGH BLEND (COUNTER CULTURE COFFEE)
ADRIENNE KINSEY: This year Counter Culture Coffee combined their two main Ethiopian coffee beans to create a delicious super blend. The citrus acidity and honey sweetness of Haru paired with the fruity, light Idido created a harmonious song perfect for any palate.

 

Related articles

And The Oscar Goes To...

Whatcha Watchin'?: HBO's True Detective

Year End Wrap-Ups 2015: Events

This year, we asked Shank readers and contributors what their favorites of 2015 were without the whole rigmarole of creating a list. We also asked them to give a few sentences what made it their favorite. These are the results.

FAVORITE BALTIMORE WILL BE OKAY AGAIN MOMENT
AMANDA BLYTHE KROTKE: The march of college students that went up Calvert Street in a show of unity days after the unrest. People brought their children and there were all walks of life there and bystanders were on edge, only to be met with such a touching show of love and humanity and survival.

FAVORITE UNINTENDED RESULT OF ALL THE NEGATIVE PUBLICITY AGAINST BALTIMORE THIS YEAR
AMANDA BLYTHE KROTKE: It just confirmed for the D.C. people that they don't want to come here. Fine by me. Keep your sanctimonious haughty attitudes over there.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: SHEILA DIXON
AMANDA BLYTHE KROTKE: The biggest surprise to me is how forgiving Baltimoreans are, at least when it comes to Sheila Dixon. She's shockingly popular.

2015 Best of: It's the Little Things..
by STEVE MESSICK
Another year in the books! We start in January, completely fresh, and then, faster than an out-of-wedlock Palin pregnancy, it's the end of December already!

This year did bring it's gifts, whether it was enjoying the relative coolness of the new Pope, (who also had that new Pope smell), or Ms. Paltrow giving helpful advice on the benefits of a mugwort-steamed vagina!  

I learned that NFL cheerleaders don't even get paid minimum wage, (you'd think a league with billions of dollars could afford that). Fortunately, in California, they have received workplace rights. Psst! Mr. Goodell, if you want to appeal to that growing female market, you might want crack open that wallet before you get more bad PR on this matter. In fact, it might not be a bad idea to let the real refs come back as a union. I don't think you'd have to watch that decision of yours be reversed like so many others, which has to be deflating.

We discovered that Stonehenge was really just part of a larger Striphenge.  No doubt this was to provide convenience, no longer having to run across the village to different henges.

Cecil the Lion was killed, yet an armadillo deflected a bullet non-lethally back into his attempted shooter.

We learned that the phrase, "Fuck that Alligator," is a fun statement, just as long as you remain on dry land.

[Ed. Note: both the dude who yelled "Fuck that alligator" and then jumped into the water only to be promptly eaten but said gator and the man who shot at the armadillo only to receive a head injury from the ricochet were both from Texas - the state which just passed new open-carry gun legislation.]

Bill Murray still has the comedic chops, effortlessly able to craft one of the best SNL skits by making Jaws into a love story. Others, in spite of their efforts were unable to summon fire to stop marriage equality, or insects to attack a perceived despot.

We were treated to a masterful sequel to Mad Max and were finally given the Pogues' Whiskey, not sure how that one took so long.

It was not without it's downsides, personally, I didn't get the government job I wanted, Speaker of the House, (saw it on Craig's List), and we lost the creator of the Pink Flamingo.

Thankful for Fargo, and Last Week with John Oliver, and saddened by the deaths of Lemmy and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.  

So, we say goodbye to 2015, should it be with a sad wave? a slow Adele-esque ballad? That's your choice, me? I'm doin' the Cha-Cha Bitch!

Related articles

Year End Wrap-Up 014: Watchings - Benn's Favorite Films

RadioShank: Best Albums of 2015 So Far Survey

Year-End Wrap-Up 013: Listenings: Brian's Top 10 Shows

Year End Wrap-Ups 2015: Readings

This year, we asked Shank readers and contributors what their favorites of 2015 were without the whole rigmarole of creating a list. We also asked them to give a few sentences what made it their favorite. These are the results.

FAVORITE BOOK(S) (FICTION): SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS TIE!!!
GET A GRIP BY KATHY FLANN
LOVE AND OTHER WOUNDS: STORIES BY JORDAN HARPER
GUTSHOT: STORIES BY AMELIA GRAY
BENN RAY: I've always loved the short story format. Over the years, I've moved away from short story collections, but this year I was pleasantly surprised to find the three books of fiction I enjoyed the most were short story collections. Kathy's book is smartly observant, wryly funny and very human. Love And Other Stories is a collection of really entertaining crime stores. And Gray's Gutshot is a series of dark, grotesque and sometimes funny stories.

FAVORITE BOOK (FICTION): GET A GRIP BY KATHY FLANN
HOWARD YANG: I'm a little biased here, it's my wife's short story collection.

FAVORITE BOOK (FICTION): SECONDHAND SOULS BY CHRISTOPHER MOORE
STEVE ASHBY: Not his best work, but it’s the only fiction book I read that was published in 2015.

FAVORITE BOOK (FICTION): WELCOME TO BRAGGSVILLE BY T. GERONIMO JOHNSON
JAMIE WATSON: no reason given.

FAVORITE BOOK (NON-FICTION): COMEDIANS: DRUNKS, THIEVES, SCOUNDRELS, AND THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN COMEDY BY KLIPH NESTEROFF
BENN RAY: The most readable and comprehensive history of American comedy I've ever come across. Informative, fascinating, and you'll find yourself looking up clips of old comedians on Youtube.

FAVORITE BOOK (NON-FICTION): HUNGER MAKES ME A MODERN GIRL BY CARRIE BROWNSTEIN
STEVE ASHBY: I’m usually not a fan of auto-biography, but this was a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging read.

FAVORITE BOOK (NON-FICTION): NYHC: NEW YORK HARDCORE 1980-1990 BY TONY RETTMAN
JONATHAN SUPER: (Technically this came out 12/30/14, but whatevs.) I dug the insight about what the scene was like, but I also got the feeling that they’d punch me a lot, so I’ll stick with listening from afar. 

FAVORITE BOOK (NON-FICTION): INSIDE THE DREAM PALACE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF NEW YORK'S LEGENDARY CHELSEA HOTEL BY SHERRIL TIPPINS
DON CLARK: [Technically, this is a 2013/2014 release, but the years do roll by. -ed.] I've walked past it a hundred times. Slept in one of its rooms four times. I never had, until this book arrived, dug into the hotel's history at great length. Worth the long read.

FAVORITE GRAPHIC NOVEL (NON-FICTION): NOT FUNNY HA-HA BY LEAH HAYES
BENN RAY: Leah Hayes' book is simply astounding! This abortion handbook should be a staple in every sex ed class throughout the country. But what's most remarkable is Hayes' non-political, commonsense, and compassionate approach to abortion. By removing the politics from her book, some will most certainly interpret this book as political (yeah, go figure). Regardless, it's human, humane, and full of information that every person should have and many try to deny people from having. This is the rare book that is bigger than the sum of its parts. Give a copy to your local school's library.

FAVORITE GRAPHIC NOVEL (REPRINT COLLECTION): BACCHUS OMNIBUS VOLUME 1 BY EDDIE CAMPBELL
BENN RAY: I feel like I've been waiting for this omnibus collection for years. Bacchus is comics legend Eddie Campbell's master work. I often call it "The Best Comic You've Never Read" because I can count on one hand the number of people I know who have actually read the series. But everyone who reads it, loves it.  While Greece's economy might be dead, their old gods are very much alive in modern times in this comic series. It's an epic story of ancient gods, fantasy, mystery, melodrama and lots of drinking. Oh yeah, don't forget The Eyeball Kid - the character so odd Tom Waits even wrote a song about him.

FAVORITE GRAPHIC NOVEL (COMEDY COLLECTION): MOX NOX BY JOAN CORNELLA
BENN RAY: This book poses a perfect opportunity to test your friends or would-be friends. Have them read Cornella's disturbingly artful and hilarious comics. If they don't appreciate the humor, they are not someone you need to know. This book, however, is something you need to read. The elaborate things at play in Mox Nox feel, at times, like a surreal Spy Vs. Spy strip.

FAVORITE GRAPHIC NOVEL (FICTION): FANTE BUKOWSKI BY NOAH VAN SCIVER
BENN RAY: There's so much to love about Van Sciver's new comics novella. First, publisher Fantagraphics has designed the book in an excellent, vintage pulp paperback format (something fairly uncommon in comics, but it really works). Then you have Van Sciver's Fante Bukowski character - an untalented bore who wants to be a famous writer and instead of fame experiences one humiliation after another. Fante Bukowski is quintessential Van Sciver.

FAVORITE GRAPHIC NOVEL: TIE!!!
SACRED HEART BY LIZ SUBURBIA
NIMONA BY NOELLE STEVENSON
JONATHAN SUPER: Both Sacred Heart and Nimona give any awkward outsider a sick and lovely hopelessness.

FAVORITE GRAPHIC NOVEL: THIS ONE SUMMER BY JILLIAN TAMAKI / MARIKO TAMAKI
PATRICK STORCK: I've fallen behind and have a stack of recommended GNs to get to. Of what I did get to read, THIS ONE SUMMER had a nice pace and style reminiscent of BLANKETS, though the story matter is completely different. It's nostalgic, feels real and honest, though like many childhood memories leaves things somewhat thin and unresolved in the end.

FAVORITE COMIC SERIES: TIE!!!
BITCH PLANET BY KELLY SUE DECONNICK / VALENTINE DE LANDRO
DESCENDER BY JEFF LEMIRE / DUSTIN NGUYEN
HEAD LOPPER BY ANDREW MACLEAN
THE HUMANS BY TOM NEELY / KEENAN MARSHALL KELLER
PAPER GIRLS BY BRIAN K. VAUGHAN / CLIFF CHIANG
PROVIDENCE BY ALAN MOORE / JACEN BURROWS
REVENGER BY CHARLES FORSMAN
RUMBLE BY JOHN ARCUDI / JAMES HARREN
SOUTHERN BASTARDS BY JASON AARON / JASON LATOUR
THEY'RE NOT LIKE US BY ERIC STEPHENSON / SIMONE GANE
TREES BY WARREN ELLIS / JASON HOWARD
WYTCHES BY SCOTT SNYDER / JOCK
BENN: There are so many comics series that are worth reading now - these are the ones I tend to read as soon as they come out. If you're looking for a fun comic series to read, you'll do well with any of these.

FAVORITE COMIC:  ODY-C BY MATT FRACTION / CHRISTIAN WARD
JONATHAN SUPER: Anything that gender-bends the fuck out of a canonical text is rad to me.

FAVORITE COMIC: PHONOGRAM BY KIERON GILLEN / JAMIE MCKELVIE
ADRIENNE KINSEY: A comic that perfectly combines my love of pop music with magic in comic form. Many have tried incorporating music/80's nostalgia in comics but failed miserably. 

FAVORITE COMIC: MANIFEST DESTINY BY CHRIS DINGESS / MATTHEW ROBERTS
PATRICK STORCK: I'm late to discovering this one, but loving it. The Lewis & Clark expedition by way of classic monster movies, it's survival horror historical fiction in a cool and unexpected mix.

FAVORITE HAND-CRAFTED BOOK: HOW TO HAVE A DAY BY MEGAN MCSHEA (Ink Press Productions)
LAURIE ROLLINS ANDERSON: Cool, clear prose poetry packed into a tiny jewel of a book that fits in the palm of your hand.

FAVORITE ILLUSTRATION AND GRAPHIC DESIGN: KATIE FEILD'S DESIGN FOR LAND BEAST BY KATE WYER
LAURIE ROLLINS ANDERSON: The graphic design is married to the form of the story, told from the points of view of endangered animals. It is a true collaboration by author and artist.

FAVORITE PUBLISHING TREND: ADULT COLORING BOOKS
LAURIE ROLLINS ANDERSON: Combining one the joyous sensory experiences of childhood and some of the relaxation benefits of meditation/mindfulness practices while giving us some benefits of something stimulating or amusing to color. It's nice that there's something out there besides Dover, e.g. goth rocker Monica Richards' "The Goddess" coloring book.

FAVORITE TWITTER: @dragonflyjonez
JAMIE WATSON: I have no idea how I watched sports or experienced pop culture before I got to do it through his filter. He's just a guy who works in an office in Richmond who has a massive twitter following of the famous and the non-famous

 

Related articles

Year-End Wrap-Up 013: Readings: Benn's Top Reads

RadioShank: Best Albums of 2015 So Far Survey

ShankTV: "Believe In Baltimore" by Believe In Music Kids

Online "Best of 2015" Book Lists Update - December 14th

Year End Wrap-Ups 2015: Watchings - TV

This year, we asked Shank readers and contributors what their favorites of 2015 were without the whole rigmarole of creating a list. We also asked them to give a few sentences what made it their favorite. These are the results.


FAVORITE TV SERIES: FARGO (FX)
PATRICK STORCK: On the surface it's a layered and unpredictable crime story, perfectly in line with not just the Coen Brothers movie with which it shares a name, but most of their catalog - people with lofty goals in way over their head and lacking the sense to get out. Watch closer and it's a full on homage to the careers of my favorite film makers, pulling shots and sequences, soundtrack cues, and more. The closing monologue from Raising Arizona and the UFO from The Man Who Wasn't There are worked in naturally as part of the story, for example.

JAMIE WATSON: No show does dark humor and on the edge of your seat - most fun viewing experience since Breaking Bad.

BENN RAY: With Justified (the final season was perfectly fine, despite the absence of the deceased Elmore Leonard, but honestly, Fargo was just that much better) now gone, Fargo is easily the best show on television, featuring a number of great character actors doing great character work in a fantastic continuation of the Fargo universe from the Coen Brothers movie. This season goes back in time before the movie takes place, and utilizes a number of fairly innovative narrative devices. Plus this season was loaded with nods to other Coen Brothers films for fans.

FAVORITE TV SERIES: JESSICA JONES (NETFLIX)
ELLEN SWEENEY: What I love about comics and superhero stories is how they can bring humanity to life by telling a story that resonates with our experience, unconstrained by the limits of sticking to reality. They can also provide a fresh medium for topics that have become a mess to talk about in real life terms. Jessica Jones takes on issues around rape, consent, and entitlement in a way that hits a nerve, and the repurposing of nerd icon David Tennant's Doctor Who persona into a simultaneously pathetic and terrifying villain is one of the best metaphors for the Gamergate debacle I've seen. It's hard to watch, and it should be.

STEVE ASHBY: Jessica Jones was amazing. (Netflix counts as TV right?)

HOWARD YANG: A feminist superhero series.

FAVORITE TV SERIES: ASH VS. THE EVIL DEAD (STARZ)
ADRIENNE KINSEY: Each episode felt much like the original movie series, so much so that I frequently wanted to see the movies again after watching. Perfectly combines humor with gore.


FAVORITE TV SERIES: THE DETECTORISTS (BBC)
LISA HARBIN: A quietly hilarious British comedy by Mackenzie Crook (Gareth from the British Office) about a couple of metal detecting enthusiasts. Nothing major happens but it's both very, very funny and humane (my favorite combo) about a weirdo tiny subculture.

FAVORITE TV SERIES: MR. ROBOT (USA)
JAMIE PARRISH: I don't care about the criticisms anyone has about seeing the twist a mile away.  The things this show had to say about the isolation off our digital age, the dominance of corporate culture, and how both drive us all insane in our own very unique ways was simply genius.

FAVORITE TV SERIES: ONE PUNCH MAN (TV TOKYO)
JONATHAN SUPER:  I mean, he punches things once and then they explode.  There cannot be anything better.

FAVORITE TV SERIES: THE SIMPSONS (FOX)
CARL D. ORR: You heard me. Back in January we went to Universal Orlando; having a Duff at Moe's Tavern and shopping at the Kwik-E-Mart made me positively giddy, reminding me just how much I love this show. Now thanks to the miracle of the DVR and FXX's incessant airings of every Simpsons ever, I have five episodes to choose from just about every time I turn on the TV. And even the more recent seasons that no one watched are pretty good.

FAVORITE CARTOON: RICK & MORTY (ADULT SWIM)
BENN RAY: With Bojack Horseman, Adventure Time, Bob's Burgers and Archer, "Favorite Cartoon" is a fairly competitive category as I could see me picking any one of those shows as my favorite - that is if Rick & Morty didn't exist. Imagine if Dan Harmon, the creator of Community, created a dark, existential Doctor Who-esque cartoon for Adult Swim and voiced by the dude who does Lemongrab from Adventure Time... Well, you don't have to imagine it, that's exactly what this show is. Utterly amazing.

FAVORITE TOPICAL SHOW: LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER (HBO)
BENN RAY: With Jon Stewart's departure from the Daily Show (Trevor Noah doesn't quite have the gravitas that Stewart did) and Stephen Colbert's departure of the Colbert persona, smart, topical tv comedy shows are have moved from guiding (or at least contributing to) the national dialogue to being largely ignored by it. Oliver's HBO gig is funny, determined, pissed off, and purposeful. The one gripe I have is that it's only one half-an-hour a week (and only a handful of weeks a year).

LAURIE ROLLINS ANDERSON: Last Week Tonight, John Oliver on municipal fines. Oliver dismantles the cycle of tickets, attendant late fees, interest, possible jail, and fees for probation, piece by piece. It's startling how, around the country, lives are being wrecked by being too poor to pay municipal fines.

FAVORITE YOUTUBE CHANNEL: EVERY FRAME A PAINTING
HOWARD YANG: A great set of video essays on films and filmmaking.

FAVORITE YOUTUBE VIDEO: SELF-DEFENCE TUTORIAL FROM 1993 - BRITISH PATHE
Picked by HOWARD YANG.

Related articles

Year End Wrap-Ups 2014: Eatings: Sarah Mason's Best Cheese

RadioShank: Best Albums of 2015 So Far Survey

ShankTV: "Believe In Baltimore" by Believe In Music Kids

Year End Wrap-Ups 2015: Watchings - Movies

This year, we asked Shank readers and contributors what their favorites of 2015 were without the whole rigmarole of creating a list. We also asked them to give a few sentences what made it their favorite. These are the results.

FAVORITE MOVIE: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
BENN RAY (from Letterboxd diary): This is the best movie ever made about the worst summer road trip. It's sort of like National Lampoon's Nightmare Roadtrip Vacation.

Or...

Not only is this the best Mad Max movie of the series (I can't believe there are people that confuse Thunderdome for a good movie - it seems to be generational too), it's also easily the best film I've seen this year and the best film I've seen in a long time. Possibly the best film ever? Okay, yes, I am being a tad hyperbolic. Maybe.

The action is unrelenting. The utilization of real stunts (as opposed to CGI stuff) makes for a hyper-realistic feel. Director Miller's world is wonderfully imagined and fully realized, with a distinct look that fits somewhere between vintage Heavy Metal comics and Terry Gilliam. And then, as the journey continues farther and farther out, the settings begin to morph into pop surrealist landscapes.

And the story is also thin enough to not get in the way of multiple watchings (I have a theory that the best movies have the thinnest plots so you can keep watching them over and over without the story getting old), and yet is engaging and takes us to some unexpected places.

I've seen a number of what appear to be new 4th Wave Feminist interpretations of this film (if such a "wave" actually exists, it currently seems to be characterized as a type of Millennial feminism that seems primarily focused on media critique and representations of women in fictional worlds - with issues over Batgirl, Game of Thrones, and The Avengers - while overlooking actions by conservatives who continue to erode women's reproductive rights in the real world), and they are pretty spot on - but I'm not sure that's Miller's central (or at least sole) intent.

What I haven't seen a lot on (and it could be out there, I honestly haven't looked prior to seeing the movie - it's just that the Feminist interpretations were unavoidable due to social media), is the Marxist take on Fury Road. So allow me...

I see Fury Road as an anti-capitalist indictment. It's about the problems exclusive, individual ownership of what should be public commons cause and the sort of perverse, inhuman dystopia that will result from such extreme wealth consolidation.

What caused the end of the world? Capitalist exploitation. What has caused the enslavement of citizens of the Citadel by Immortan Joe? Extreme disparities of wealth and private control of public utilities like oil and water - which is a very real problem in the world right now. As well as human trafficking. And bizarre religious extremism used as a tool to motivate radicals and subjugate the masses.

All this AND magnificent, crazy-assed monster cars that would thrill any kustom car enthusiast or gearhead?

Plus stunts so brutal that you'll find yourself saying "oof" out loud at least twice during the movie?

Yes, it has a refreshingly feminist perspective (which can almost verge on hokey in terms of women as mothers to the earth - the bag of seeds, the pregnant woman carrying the perfect child, etc.), but it also has a decidedly anti-capitalist perspective too.

Mad Max: Fury Road is a fucking masterpiece.

STEVE ASHBY: I didn’t see a lot of movies this year, but this was the best of what I saw. I wonder what it would have been like if it had been completely dialog free…

LISA HARBIN: It made me literally scream with joy (flame-throwing guitar guy!). Tom Hardy was pretty amazing but Charlize Theron as Furiosa was just one of the most badass righteous warrior ladies ever. The film didn't have much subtlety thematically but that didn't bother me at all.

HOWARD YANG: A feminist sci-fi action film.

FAVORITE MOVIE: EX MACHINA
PATRICK STORCK: I did love some of the bigger fare this year, but Alex Garland's quiet, conversational science fiction exploration of humanity and connections, life and awareness, and if emotion itself is real or a utility, was deeply engaging. The outcome may have been inevitable on a few notes, but the journey and the interactions along the way were excellent modern tech philosophy worthy of post-viewing discussion. The best movies start new conversation beyond like and dislike.

FAVORITE MOVIE: INSIDE OUT
JONATHAN SUPER: Knowing that I will lose parts of my mind forever is awful, but I guess I’m glad someone cleared that up for me.

FAVORITE MOVIE: THE REVENANT
JAMIE PARRISH: Nothing else made me as uncomfortable this year as this movie.  Mad Max comes in a close at second. It was a heard choice but the close up shots in The Revenant are what pushed it to first.

FAVORITE MOVIE: STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
ADRIENNE KINSEY: The Star War (AKA Space Battles: The Chi Gets Out of Bed). Very similar to previous Star War movies. Much more enjoyable than prequel movies.

FAVORITE MOVIE: TIE!!!
KEVIN PERKINS: Best film ... Tie between Mad Max, Ex Machina and What We Do in the Shadows.

FAVORITE DOCUMENTARY: BEST OF ENEMIES
BENN RAY: From the era when America still had intellectuals comes this documentary about how one network's attempt to garner ratings forever changed media and political punditry. Vidal won the battle, but in the end, who won the war? Vidal's books are out of print, out of fashion, and rarely read. The Republican Party that Buckley created, driving out the John Birch Society lunatics has, after his death, reverted back into Tea Party lunacy. However, Vidal's views of sexuality are now fairly mainstream and accepted, and his style of liberalism is also ascendant. But to be honest, I'd root for Vidal anyway.

FAVORITE DOCUMENTARY: TIE!!! - FINDERS KEEPERS and BEST OF ENEMIES
SKIZZ CYZYK: I saw both of these at film festivals, and loved them both for different reasons. Finders Keepers is a perfect example of “truth is stranger than fiction” while Best Of Enemies shows just how much the world of politics and public opinion has changed since decades ago. Both contain great storytelling.

FAVORITE MOVIE SCREENING: GUY MADDIN AT MOVIATE (HARRISBURG, PA)
SKIZZ CYZYK: Guy Maddin is one of my favorite filmmakers, and to spend an evening with him in an intimate setting, hearing him talk, watching one of his earlier films (Tales From The Gimli Hospital), and seeing clips from his newest film (The Forbidden Room) was a real joy for me. I still have not seen The Forbidden Room, but based on the clips Guy showed at this screening, I suspect that it would have been my favorite film of 2015.

Related articles

Year End Wrap-Up 014: Watchings - Benn's Favorite Films

Year End Wrap-Ups 2014: Watchings: Benn's Best TV of 2014

RadioShank: Best Albums of 2015 So Far Survey

Year End Wrap-Ups 2014: Listenings: Scott's Best Music Of 2014

by Scott Sugiuchi

Scott is Head Honcho and myopically opinionated taste-maker at Hidden Volume Tru-Fidelity Records.

This year was a great year for new music despite the grumblings of many people about the death of music or whatever. This is just part of what I was listening to this year so it doesn’t include reissues, anthologies, etc. (because let’s face it, that Brazilian Nuggets Vol. 3 on Groovie Records was a-mazing and I still haven’t gotten Back From The Grave Vols 9 and 10). This is all NEW stuff.

TOP 5 ALBUMS

The Neumans: S/T (Screaming Apple)
I can’t say enough about this record. 5 Angeleno kids creating a massive mix of the Seeds and every dead end garage band you’ve never heard. This record actually gains momentum over the course of the album and by Side 2 it becomes unstoppable and never lets up. There’s fuzz, there’s organ and they don’t stray from the script at all. Refreshingly narrow-minded. The only drawback is that it doesn’t come with a digital download so I can’t play it in my car. I might be tempted to put my battery-operated turntable on the passenger seat though. It’s that good. Fave song: “Dark Are The Shadows"

The Above: Waterbury Street (Teen Sound)
Fantastic mod/garage release from this Brooklyn quartet. A meticulously-constructed sound that approximates the best of early Who and Kinks but with singer David Horowitz’s uncanny, almost Colin Blunstone-esque vocals. Throw in some killer Beach Boys harmonies and you have one of the most listenable records of the year. I couldn’t play this enough. And they pull it off live too. Fave track: “The Prisoner"

The Ar-Kaics: The Ar-Kaics (Windian)
Yes, I know them. Yes, I put out a single by them but damn, this is a good record! They push the line between obscure caveman garage primitivism, girl group song structures and a VU obsession—at least if every song was based on Lou Reed’s “Do The Ostrich”. And even though they tout an obscuro-60s fixation (faux 45 labels on the back of the sleeve, perfect lo-fi atmospherics) the songs never feel like a pastiche. There’s a certain weirdness that happens at some point in every tune that takes it some place unexpected. Admittedly this LP took a few listens to get into (esp following their excellent demo from 2012). But I’m firmly in the Love Camp now. Fave track: “No No No"

The Budos Band: Burnt Offering (Daptone)
Where did this come from? I have previous records by this band and they’ve all been in this badass 70s funk instrumental mode but this one came out of nowhere. I’ve heard it described as “Stoner Funk” which I guess is a good lazy shortcut. A slightly less lazy description would be: Imagine the Bar-Kays filtered through fuzz pedals, choruses of horns and organ and scoring the climax to every 70s Kung Fu movie and you get the idea. Impeccable Daptone “shitty” production only makes this record soar. Fave track: “Aphasia"

Cozy: Button by Button (HoZac)
Incredibly fun record from this Minneapolis quartet. While some bands like Guida borrow liberally from 70s glam acts like Slade and The Hammersmith Gorillas, Cozy’s take on glam is more like a Bay City Roller fetish. Good time rock and roll whose focus is wearing denim (a lot of it, vests, bellbottoms) and scoring in the back seat of a Plymouth Duster. Fave track: “Pure Lady”

THE REST (in no particular order):

Mattson 2: Agar (Um Yeah Arts)
The Concussions: Break Up With (Double Crown)
Blair Alise & The Bombshells: For My Darlin’
Nick Waterhouse: Holly (Innovative Leisure)
The Ugly Beats: Brand New Day (Get Hip)
The GTVs: Sh’Bang (Teen Sound)
The Mad Doctors: Snake Oil Superscience (King Pizza)
Gino & The Goons: Shake It (Black Gladiator/Slovenly)
Graham Day & The Forefathers: Good Things (Own Up)
The Soundcarriers: Entropicalia (Ghost Box)
The Satelliters: More of The Satelliters (Dionysus)
Steve Adamyk Band: Dial Tone (Dirtnap)
Sloan: Commonwealth (Yep Rock)
Ty Segall: Manipulator (Drag City)
Army Navy: The Wilderness Inside (Roll Call)
St. Paul & The Broken Bones: Half The City (Single Lock)
The Safes: Record Heat (O'Brothers)

SINGLES/EPs
Some really excellent records of all stripes represented here from straight garage to indie punk to power pop. It’s kinda hard to narrow down but Blackwolf Beach wins for best song title “The Ballad of El Dude Bro” and Gorilla (“Maryanne”) for most amazing approximation of '70s power pop by clearly non-English speakers.

Michael Lynch “She’s On Her Way” (Market Square)
The Idle Gossip “On My Way” (Fandango)
Muck & The Mires “Double White Line” (King Yum)
Graham Day & The Forefathers “Love Me Lies” (State)
The Ar-Kaics “Why Should I?” (Windian)
Paul Messis “Nightmares” (13 O’Clock)
Gorilla “Maryanne” (Three Dimensional)
Black Wolf Beach: S/T EP
Myracle Brah: The Peach EP
Terry & Louie “(I’m) Lookin’ For a Heart” (Tuff Break)
Monster Museum: Safety Dances
Great Dismal Swamis “Phantom Tollbooth” (RZO)
Jake Starr & The Delicious Fullness “Yummy!” (Fandango)
Missing Monuments “Too Many People” EP (Various)
Sick Thoughts "Fat Kid with a Ten Inch" EP (Black Gladiator)

Year End Wrap-Ups 2014: Listenings: Dave Alima's Top Reggae Tracks

by Dave Alima

Dave is the ice cream man at The Charmery. He is also a reggae enthusiast.

Protoje with Chronixx - Who Knows

Midnite - Weather the Storm

Dre Island- Live Forever

Groundation - Liberation Call

Damian Marley - Gunman's World

Year End Wrap-Ups 2014: Listenings: Best LPs, Singles and Tapes

by Tony Pence

Tony Pence is the proprietor of Celebrated Summer Records and plays in bands including WarXGames and Deep Sleep.

LP Records

1. HURULA-Vi Är Människorna Våra Föräldrar Varnade Oss För (Derranged)
2. HARD-ONS-Peel Me like an Egg (Boss Tuneage/Wallride)
3. ACCIDENTE-Amistad y Rebelion (Halo of Flies)
4. TELEDROME S/T (fdh)
5. TONY MOLINA-Dissed and Dismissed (Slumberland)
6. IMPALERS-Psychedelic Snutskallar (540)
7. DARK BLUE-Pure Reality (Jade Tree)
8. OLD LINES-No Child Left Behind (No Sleep)
9. PRAISE-Lights Went Out (REACT!)
10. KING TUFF-Black Moon Spell (Sub Pop)

SINGLES

1. 1981-Solutions/Dancing (profiteer)
2. RADIOACTIVITY-DANGER (Secret Mission)
3. IN SCHOOL-Praxis of Hate (Kill Test)
4. CRIMSON WAVE-Say/Calling you (Accidental Guest)
5. LONG KNIFE- Possession (Self Released)
6. LOW THREAT PROFILE-MIDDLE AGED CASUALTY(Deep Six)
7. CONTRAST ATTITUDE/ASPECTS OF WAR-SPLIT (konton Krasher)
8. OBEDIENCIA-El Angel Exterminador (Solo Para Punks)
9. SAD BOYS/RAW DISTRACTIONS/STAGNATION Split (Hardcore Survives)
10. WILDHONEY-Seventeen Forever (Photobooth)

TAPES

1. EXPERT ALTERATIONS
2. DOPECOPPER
3. RED DEATH

Related articles

Year End Wrap-Ups 2014: Listenings: A Stack Of Records I Really Loved

Year End Wrap-Ups 2014: Readings: Benn's Favorite Comics Series & Zines Of The Year

by Benn Ray

Benn Ray is editor of the Mobtown Shank, he is a Signal (WYPR) contributor, he runs a daily comics tumblr called Mutant Funnies, and he has a weekly comic strip called Said What? which appears in the Baltimore Sun's B Paper.

So I've actually come back around on comic books. It used to be that I'd wait for them to be collected into trades, and then I'd read them, but I've found that there were so many titles that I would lose track of while waiting - or if they were new the idea of committing to 200 pages of something I may not like versus 32 pages seemed off-putting, or some titles I found myself just not being able to wait for, or... well, to be perfectly honest - there are SO many decent mainstream comics coming out that aren't just superhero fare that, well, I find my weekly stack of comics growing again. It's also interesting that alternative publishers like Fantagraphics and Drawn & Quarterly, who have traditionally published the stuff I'm most interested in have all but officially given up on the format - which I think is a mistake.

Here are my favorite series that I read in comic book format as they came out, with a few of my favorite zines (which also seem to be on an uptick) thrown in.

(in alphabetical order)

Afterlife With Archie
(Archie Comics)
by Roberto Aguirre Sacasa / Francesco Francavilla
So Archie Comics had a great thing with this Afterlife With Archie. Taking the gang from Riverdale and exposing them to a Walking Dead scenario was inspired. However, they seem to have actively tried to fuck this title up by only releasing a few issues in 2014 instead of putting it out on a regular basis.

Batman
(DC Comics)
by Scott Snyder / Greg Capullo
I've said this before, but I'm happy to repeat myself, Scott Snyder has been writing some of the best Batman comics in decades. Not only is he capable of creating massive, overarching conspiracies that you have just as hard a time unraveling as Batman, but he also brings in a wonderful horror element to the comics. I mean, it takes a great writer to make the Riddler seem like a badass, right? If you're not reading Snyder/Capullo Batman comics, you're missing out.

Batman Eternal
(DC Comics)
by Scott Snyder & various
We are currently living in a modern golden era of Batman comics. Scott Snyder's run on the regular Batman monthly series has been great. There have been a number of interesting, new spin-off series like Gotham Academy, Arkham Manor and Gotham By Midnight. And there has been the super-fun weekly Batman Eternal. This reads like an all-hands on-deck Bat-family TV show, with delightful cliffhanger after cliffhanger.

Bitch Planet
(Image Comics)
by Kelly Sue DeConnick / Valentine De Landro
This new series by DeConnick and De Landro is a comic version of a feminist, sci-fi, women in prison, sexploitation flick. Think Orange Is The New Black meets Barbarella starring Pam Grier while competing in The Hunger Games. So far, there's been an awesome feminist essay in the back of each issue, and the back cover is loaded with ads for patriarchy. It's a fascinating vision, one I'm very curious to see developed.

Bob's Burgers
(Dynamite Entertainment)
by Rachel Hastings / Frank Forte
If you just can't get enough of the excellent cartoon Bob's Burgers, this comic  limited-series (kinda bummed that it wasn't an ongoing monthly) really helps. The presentation is pretty clever - each issue is actually an anthology of ongoing stories from different characters from the show - about a family who owns a burger joint (but is actually just an extension of the Archer universe - what, you didn't see that episode of Archer?). And one-pagers like "Burger of the Day Ideas" and "Letters from Linda" are inspired interludes. Bob's Burgers was a lot of fun.

Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina #1
(Archie Comics)
by Roberto Aguirre Sacasa / Robert Hack
This was another potential hit for Archie Comics, but although it was announced as an ongoing series, they've managed to only turn out one issue so far.

The Archie Adult Horror universe expands with this stylish revamping of Sabrina The Teenage Witch. Sabrina lives in what some would rightfully argue is a pretty unhealthy family environment (a cousin who's a bad influence, over-protective guardians). Meanwhile, at school she struggles to fit in as the new kid. Should she use witchcraft to woo a boy she likes? While these story elements come straight from the original, kid-friendly version of Sabrina The Teenage With, in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, they are far more sinister. Plus, there's a larger evil lurking on the horizon that makes you anxious as you read. Another great reboot for Team Archie Comics. What's next? Josie and The Pussycats? Please?

Cream City Maryland #1
(self-published)
by Andre Novak / Grace Slit
This new zine looks at the sleazy underbelly of Maryland. Cream City includes reviews of Ladies Night at a strip club, a playlist of Baltimore music to have sex to, a survey of Baltimore glory holes, and an overview of the sexy art from Baltimore's Club music scene. This zine provides a unique and fascinating look at the sexlife of folks in the "Land of Pleasant Living."

Crossed Plus 100
(Avatar Press)
by Alan Moore / Gabriel Andrade
Alan Moore is a rather unpredictable fellow. Arguably he could write for any comic series he wanted, but given his understandable feelings toward the big, corporate publishers, this limits him to the smaller presses and the indie comics realm. But even considering that, his choice of titles to return to regular monthly comics publishing is rather surprising - Avatar's gruesome post-Apocalyptic Crossed series. Moore's story takes place 100 years after the epidemic destroyed the Earth. The remainder of humanity might just start to put itself back together again if harsh weather, packs of wolves, and remaining bands of the infected don't get them first. Oh yeah, and evidently, after 100 years without society, the English language seems to break down a bit too which can make for some more cautious reading. But hey, it's Alan Moore - I trust he knows what he's doing.

Gotham By Midnight
(DC Comics)
by Ray Fawkes / Ben Templesmith
With art by Templesmith, Gotham By Midnight is a stylistic, supernatural/horror take on the Batman universe. Jason Blood (AKA The Spectre) has a special investigation unit inside the Gotham Police Department where they take serious looks at oddball cases.

The Humans
(Image Comics)
by Keenan Marshall Keller / Tom Neely
This comic is a prelude to a much-anticipated new Image Comics series coming this fall, and it's chock full o' attitude and bad-assery. It's like The Wild One meets Planet of the Apes: motorcycle gangs of primates fighting amongst themselves.
The Kitchen
(Vertigo Comics)
by Ollie Masters / Ming Doyle
If you love 1970s, New York City crime stories, this new Vertigo mini-series is what you're looking for. When an Irish gang gets tossed in prison, it's up to their wives to keep running their rackets to keep the cash flowing. Masters delivers what looks to be a feminist take on the genre, and Ming Doyle delivers her signature stylized art that feels both retro-cinematic and freshly modern at the same time.

Minimum Wage
(Image Comics)
by Bob Fingerman
Back in the '90s I worked for a comics magazine, and Bob Fingerman's excellent Minimum Wage (published at the time by Fantagraphics Books) was a comic me and my colleague Joe Rybandt both championed. In the context of '90s alterna-comics, we didn't understand why more people didn't read the story of struggling smut cartoonist Rob, his bride Sylive (never really liked her) and his friends. Well, it's now almost 15 years later, (in the comic it's like 5 years later - although the characters look like it's 20 years later) and we rejoin Rob as he tries to pick up the shattered pieces of his life in a world that is rapidly changing around him. Fingerman's art is better than ever, and the return of Minimum Wage is like some friends who moved away years ago moving back to your neighborhood. I'm happy to have them around again.

Multiversity
(DC Comics)
by Grant Morrison / various
As mainstream comics companies like DC and Marvel continue to wrestle with a lack of diversity in their superheroes, Grant Morrison undertakes a project with a title that makes it exceedingly clear that DC Comics is aware of this problem. Here Morrison brings characters of multiple earths together, while creating a small army of new characters as well as diverse takes on existing superheroes in a very meta-comics way that appears to be a rather interesting "let's just try whatever and see if anything sticks" approach.

So far, I've enjoyed "Pax Americana" the best. If you ever wondered what The Watchmen would have been like if Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely did the story instead of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, and DC let them use Charlton characters as originally planned, then Pax Americana clearly shows what those results would have been.

Pitchfork Review
(Pitchfork Media)
by J.C. Gabel (editor)
Pitchfork continues to pursue physicality with a new issue of its increasingly excellent quarterly publication. The Pitchfork Review begs to be read cover to cover then sat down on a coffee table to be easily picked back up for more thumbing through. Here's hoping it inspires a new era of music-zine publishing - something we could all benefit from. Even if it doesn't, you'll want to collect these.

Rumble
(Image Comics)
by John Arcudi / James Harren
The first issue of a new horror series that reminds me a lot of Sam Kieth's The Maxx. A bartender gets sucked into mysterious supernatural events when a regular comes rushing into the bar, missing an arm and being chased by a hooded scarecrow with a sword. It's a brand-spankin' new series, so I'm reading with curiosity as to where it will take me.

Slurricane
(self-published)
by Will Laren
If you haven't come across any of Tumblr sensation Will Laren's hilarious, weird, and grotesque comics, you are in for a treat. In Slurricane, you'll find the greatest sheep actor of his generation, a bird blaster, pork partners, cowboy therapists and more. Hilarious and handmade.

Southern Bastards
(Image Comics)
by Jason Aaron / Jason Latour
While DC's Vertigo comics imprint continues to flounder from a lack of identity or direction, Image Comics continues to benefit from the talent it's shed and series it should be publishing. With a title like "Southern Bastards," how can you not want to pick up this book? So how is it? Based on the first issue, the formula is like this: Friday Night Lights + Justified x Sons Of Anarchy + Walking Tall = Southern Bastards. Aaron's story takes very unexpected turns and Latour's art completes an atmosphere every bit as thick, sticky and delicious as bbq sauce. We may be in a new Golden Age of television, but Image is in a new Golden Age of quality comics too - and so many of them, like Southern Bastards could be their own shows. Hmm... perhaps there should be an Image Comics cable network?

They're Not Like Us
(Image Comics)
by Eric Stephenson / Simon Gane
This new series is the story of a group of young telepaths coming together. There's a lot of potential for a fun story, with a large cast of distinctive personalities with different telepathic variations, and Gane's art is just plain charming.

Trees
(Image Comics)
by Warren Ellis / Jason Howard
A new Warren Ellis comic series is an ample-enough reason to get excited, but when it's one that starts as eerie and fascinating as this, all the more reason! These large, giant tree-like alien things came to Earth and just planted themselves - on cities, homes, farmland, etc. And then they did... well, nothing. For years. So now, the story picks up ten years later. And they still do nothing - well except for expel some gross waste from time to time. But it's really weird what WE have done. Some places have walled off the Trees. Some have built up strange new communities around them. Strange things have started to grow - much like this story itself. 

Wytches
(Image Comics)
by Scott Snyder / Jock
Superstar comics team Snyder and Jock introduce a new horror series about witches, and are off to a good start. Stemming out of teen angst and high school bullying in which some kind of "incident" occurs, Sailor's family moves her to a knew town in the hopes she can put what happened behind her and forget about it. But can that really work when what's happening is because of what our teen heroine is?

Related articles

Year End Wrap-Ups 2014 Readings: Benn's 20 Favorite Graphic Novels Of The Year

Year End Wrap-Up 014: Watchings - Benn's Favorite Films

Year End Wrap-Ups 2014: Readings: Sarah Pinkser's Favorite Novels