Favorite Podcasts of 2015

1. The Adventure Zone (Maximum Fun)
start from the beginning

2. Shallow Rewards (Podbean)
try "Hair Metal with @maura"

3. Spontaneanation (Earwolf)
try #3 "A Secret Society," #4 "Savannah, Georgia" or #10 "The Student Lounge at a Performing Arts High School"

4.  Harmontown (Feral Audio)
try #135 "Wide"

5. Womp It Up! (Earwolf)
try #5 "Spotlight on: Mr. Joe Bongo" with Andy Daly

6. Comedy Bang Bang (Earwolf)
try #342 "A Silicon Valley P-cast" with Thomas Middleditch, Kumail Nanjiani, Martin Starr, and Paul F. Tompkins or #348 "Is Y'all My Daddy?" with Cameron Esposito, Paul F. Tompkins and Matt Gourley or #355 "Kid Detectives" with Lauren Lapkus and Thomas Middleditch

7.  Superego: Forgotten Classics (Earwolf)
try "The Red Badge of Courage"

8. Harris Football (independent)
anything with Cousin Josh

9. With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus (Earwolf)
try #58 "The North Pod 2" with Paul F. Tompkins

10. Mike and Tom Eat Snacks (Nerdist)
try #99 "Leibniz-Keks Butter Cookies"

Favorite Albums of 2015

Scott has a lovely saying I'll mangle: it's always a great year for film.  I'd like to think that's true for music too, but I think there is more year to year variation.  The old saw is that music is the universal language, and it is a universal language, but I'd argue images have greater potency.  As upright apes, we came to rely on vision above all else, and I think more gets lost in translation sonically than visually.  I do like variation and a healthy dose of Brazilian, African, French music etc. but without being able to understand the lyrics, it has limited staying power with me.  So if the English-speaking world doesn't get gifted with a Kanye, Gaga, etc. ALBUM then it can occasionally be an unremarkable year for long-form.  Whereas, if American film has a "down" year, we have dozens of very talented filmmakers across the world doing work that can translate intensely and clearly to us here. /rantangent

Top is best, on down:

Best
Carly Rae Jepsen- E-MO-TION

Great
Steven Hauschildt- Where All is Fled
Mark McGuire- Beyond Belief
The Road Chief- All My Love
Sufjan Stevens- Carrie & Lowell
Jamie xx- In Colour
Grimes- Art Angels
Baroness- Purple

Very Good
Mark Ronson- Uptown Funk
San Fermin- Jackrabbit
Sannhet- Revisionist
Tame Impala- Currents
Pusha T- King Push- Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude
(winner of dumbest album title of the year, hands amputated)
Friendzone- While U Wait (EP)
Miguel- Wildheart

Good
Beirut- No, No, No
Panopticon- Autumn Eternal
The Mountain Goats- Beat the Champ
Aquacure- Demo
The Decemberists- What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World
Belle & Sebastian- Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance
Craig Finn- Faith in the Future
Yo La Tengo- Stuff Like That There
Modest Mouse- Strangers to Ourselves
Death Cab For Cutie- Kintsugi (best album title this year)

Disappointments
My Morning Jacket- The Waterfall
The Go! Team- The Scene Between
Built to Spill- Untethered Moon

Favorite Television of 2015

High Art
Mad Men

Phenomenal
Nathan For You
Rick and Morty
Broad City

Very Good
Wet Hot American Summer
Community
Inside Amy Schumer
Game of Thrones
Fargo
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Gravity Falls
Justified
Wolf Hall
Silicon Valley
Review
Portlandia

Good
Veep
Parks & Recreation
Mozart in the Jungle
Kroll Show
Homeland
Catastrophe

Recommended with Reservations
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
W/ Bob & David
The Man in the High Castle
The Mindy Project
Master of None
Difficult People
The Americans
Last Man on Earth

Intend to Start or Finish
Hannibal
Better Call Saul
You're the Worst
BoJack Horseman
Bob's Burgers
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Thanks, Scott! Now on Hulu)

Scottcast

"Maybe that's how whales do behave," "it's easy to remember Margot Robbie in a bathtub for any number of reasons," and many more bon mots and precise insights that only Scott can provide.

Classic Pat

Last night we had a fire, hot toddies, turned on all the Christmas lights and watched Die Hard.   Having a Die Hard marathon in Scott's basement was a delicious swizzle of bizarre and enjoyable, crowned by Pat instantly knowing the answer to the mystery of Die Hard 3: Chester A. Arthur.



Be safe in Turkey, Pat!  PS are reindeer as scary as horses?