6 Down, 6 to Go
Well well, we're halfway through 2024 already. The election looms, and I try to choke down the feeling that we're doomed. It has already been ungodly hot here in Maryland, so I can't wait for some great summer weather!
On more positive notes, we took the lad to his first concert recently, to see the always-amazing Ted Leo & the Pharmacists celebrate 20(!) years of Shake the Sheets. He slept through the entire thing. Great show though. And looking ahead, thanks to the partnership between my run crew, A Tribe Called Run, and ASICS, I’m getting to run the Falmouth Road Race in August, which has been on my list for a while.
But back to the point. We’re here to ramble on about the best media I’ve come across in the first half of the year, of course. Let’s get to down to business.
Music
I’ve listened to a lot this year, but not all of it has stuck. Here are a few of the albums that have lodged themselves in my brain.
One Step Closer - All You Embrace
I really enjoyed One Step Closer’s previous album, 2021’s This Place You Know, and this new one expands on that sound in every possible way. Where This Place was pretty definitively a hardcore record, All You Embrace pulls in more emo influences, hearkening to the early- to mid-’00s bands like Brand New. At times I’m also reminded of Polar Bear Club, who haven’t been nearly as influential as I’d have expected, and I’m glad to detect some of that DNA in here.
Charli XCX - brat
Is brat all caps or no caps? Whatever, it rules. Charli has famously distanced herself from the more nakedly pop-leaning Crash (which I still love) to get back to her experimental roots here, and maybe it’s a case of the culture just having caught up with what she, AG, and artists like SOPHIE were doing, but these hooks and singles are undeniable. The lyrics swinging back and forth from bold dance floor commands to vulnerable introspection and confession makes for a compelling listen beyond the bops.
Normani - DOPAMINE
Did anyone really expect this to ever actually come out? I don’t think I did, and man, was it worth the wait. Absolutely crushing Fifth Harmony bandmate Camila Cabello’s C, XOXO (the comparison was inevitable), it leads off with the hypnotic “Big Boy,” closes with a Cardi B collab (honestly, I don’t think I need Cardi to ever release an album again, just keep popping up on great songs), and never lets up in between.
Scattered thoughts
Of course there’s been a lot of great stuff in addition to these three dominating my brain. New ones from Pet Shop Boys, Restorations, Spaced, Tierra Whack, No Man, Hope Conspiracy, Gouge Away come to mind. It’s been a good year so far!
Television
I’m gonna be real with you, I don’t watch a ton of TV. Don’t ask me about The Boys or House of the Dragon or what have you. But I can’t not talk about…
Fallout
I love the Fallout games. Fallout New Vegas might just be my all-time favorite game. So when it was announced a TV adaptation was in the works, I was cautiously optimistic. I liked Westworld a lot, so Jonathan Nolan’s involvement gave me some confidence. And I could not be happier with how the show turned out. Nailing the black comedy and over-the-top violence of the games, and telling an original story (that is canon!), the series set a high bar for video game adaptations. The use of practical sets and effects wherever possible did a whole lot to make it excel; especially coming off the heels of Netflix’s Avatar, I’m sick of shows and movies that look like Xbox games. Especially with that last shot, I’m very excited for another season!
What’s been bringing you joy this year?