The Toad's Burrow

      How do I feel about the newest season of The Bear?  I suppose in my mind I can see why people might dislike this season, after all it seems that the show has shed a lot of what made people fall in love with it these past two seasons. Gone is the tightness, the pacing, the tension, and the stakes. Instead of 20 minuteish episodes now they reach 30 minutes, and instead of snappy scenes you have longer, more drawn out ones that relish in the silence. Most importantly, most of the characters seem happier, better. Even still, I think this season was decently well done, certainly not some return to the glory of the first two seasons, but definitely not the stumble that the third one was. I promise this season did not solely focus on the characters and yes the plot actually progressed. So let's talk about it.     Look, does this season feel a little fanservicey? Ok yes, it's undeniable. I love the side characters but you cannot tell me that the show runners ...

      Citizen's been a band that's been on my radar for quite some time. I mean honestly it's more surprising that I've never listened to this band before than the fact that I have listened to them before. After all they're right up my alley of punk/emo music, so much so that I can distinctly remember people talking about Youth  as this classic album of the genre, though never quite getting around to it. Regardless of how I feel about this band or how iconic some of their earlier work supposedly was, my friend CJ recommended this album to me, claiming it's their best work. Of course, a part of me doubts that because I don't particularly recall that much hype around this album, but this could still be an interesting jumping point for me to start my discography listen of this band, especially now that I'm done with that wretched Green Day one. So without further ado, my track-by-track reviews. Life In Your Glass World - Citizen  Death Dance Approximately -...

      I don't even know how to write a proper review about this film because truthfully it's been one of my favourite films for a very long time. I remember as a teenager when I was down I'd just watch it as one of those feel-good movies I could enjoy, because that's what it is. It probably won't leave a profound impact on the way you view life, but what it will do is leave you with that special, fuzzy feeling inside, and that's what's important. I mean what's not to like, there's good food, there's family, and there's a happy ending. Really, the only reason you would dislike it is because you hate food for some reason, or just are generally unhappy with your own life to be honest.     I think I'd like to address some of the common criticisms of the film right away, mainly the one about the plot being a bit thin. Honestly, it's a pretty valid complaint, it's hard to argue against the plot of this film being fairly straightforward....

      I have no idea what to expect going into this. Though, I will try to keep an open mind, though frankly I've seen bands/groups in this vein before, and I'm not sure if the music will be interest me enough. Regardless, my friend Bleed did recommend this, and I'm generally a fan of indie rock, so at the very least this album will probably be an easy listen. I really have nothing else to say, so without further ado, my track-by-track review. &Scene - PRYVT mona lisa - 80/100 Surprisingly, a pretty nice little track. My only real complaint is that it's kind of short and I think the group could definitely have done slightly more with this track. Like it's not underdeveloped it just kind of ends on an instrumental solo instead of having a nice bridge or something. tell me, will we survive? - 75/100 This is a pretty vibey song and considering I'm listening to it at night I'd say I even kind of enjoy it. Kind of reminds me of SUMMER  by Brockhampton but not...

    I remember when my friend Sweaty, first recommended  Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? to me. I was floored. Frankly, I'm as basic as it gets when it comes to rap or hip hop music. I can count on one hand the artists from that region of genres that I enjoy, and one of them is Kanye West who I listen to in shame these days. Regardless, I fell in love with the blend of jazz and rap that Dixon brought to that record, so much so that when it came time to listen to this record I decided not to listen to any of the singles beforehand. After all, for artists I like too much I usually can't resist seeing what singles they're putting out, and for records I care less about I usually don't worry about spoiling myself. Of course, that's not to say that the track-by-track reviews I'm about to do are my first listen, I did want to give this album an initial listen when it first came out, just in case some of the songs took a while to grow on me, so without further ado, my track-b...

      What can I say about The Strokes that hasn't already been said? I suppose I can give my Strokes story, because anyone who was ever remotely interested in 2000's rock has almost certainly been influenced by the band in some shape, way or form. I remember when I first saw the music video for Reptillia pop off in my Youtube recommended feed. Of course, at the time I was a young bourgeoning teen exploring my similarly bourgeoning music taste. I distinctly remember listening to Panic! At the Disco and being enamored with this idea of "emo" music as defined by Tumblr. Of course, this led me to what was in retrospect a hilarious video that claimed Mr. Brightside and Somebody Told Me by the Killers was also emo. Obviously, after that it was only a matter of time before I found out by the Strokes, because like many other bands of that era they were inspired by The Strokes. Now, I'm older and still a fan of the band, though this album was always my third favourite o...