Over the Garden Wall (2014) (miniseries)

It's not often I find myself watching cartoons (though I do love Rebecca Sugar's Steven Universe, also on Cartoon Network), but I stumbled across Garden Wall last week via a reddit recommendation, which said to watch the series "this week". I however forgot to, but then remembered the week after.

Over the Garden Wall is proof that episodic storytelling can be both short and sweet without it feeling cinematic necessary. Patrick McHale's story of two lost brothers in a mysterious wood is emotional, mature, funny, and adorable, often all at once. Visually, Garden Wall is splendid. The overall arc of the story doesn't entirely work when spread over ten twelve minute episodes, but each episode proves entertaining in its own right.

Some odd reason, the show's villainous beast reminded me of True Detective's first season. Is that weird?

8/10

Fargo (2014) - Season 1

What's more amazing: that True Detective Season 2 would be a steaming turd, or that an anthology series based off Fargo, one of the most respected movies ever, would turn out to be just as good as its source? If you asked me this question in March of last year, after TD's first season wrapped up, and before Noah Hawley's Fargo would premiere on FX, I would definitely pick the second option. There's no way this should work. But it does. And the world is a better place for it.

Travis Scott - Days Before Rodeo (2014)

I have so much to thank Kanye West for. Somehow, his release Yeezus was what got me interested and excited by music. It made me realize that albums were more than haphazard song compilations, instead they could be something rich and cohesive, even if they have lyrics like "I be speakin' swagheli".

Part of what made Yeezus such a sonic departure was the no-name producer/rapper Travis Scott. He's a credited producer on three of Yeezus' tracks, and to say he has parallels to the former Blueprint/College Dropout era West wouldn't be incorrect. Like West, Scott's a producer and rapper with a sound of his own. He's also got a mischievous streak.

ScHoolboy Q - Oxymoron (2014)

ScHoolboy Q is an artist I haven't paid much attention to. He's not a socially conscious rapper like fellow Top Dawg Kendrick Lamar, nor does he have the husky aggression of Jay Rock. Q's kind a of booty rapper. He's the type of artist that moms use as evidence for why rap isn't music. And that's okay.

Oxymoron is ScHoolboy Q's major label debut, and it could have easily ridden the good kid m.A.A.d city hype had it not been delayed a long time. But as it stands, Oxymoron is a solid album. It's not cohesive and cinematic like good kid m.A.A.d city, but Oxymoron hits the target it's gunning for. It's chock full of bangers, from "Los Awesome", "Collard Greens" to "Man of the Year".

Besides the intense walk through memory lane "Hoover Street", Oxymoron isn't important or substantial. The broad themes are sex and drugs, and though there is quite a bit to be desired, Oxymoron is fire. The features are all pretty good, especially Jay Rock and Tyler, The Creator. The latter I haven't given much a care for, but he fits in perfectly on "The Purge". Highlight tracks are the frantic "Los Awesome", the bilingual "Collard Greens", and "Hoover Street".

7.5/10

Ryan Adams - 1989 (2015) / Taylor Swift - 1989 (2014)

Okay, it's already September 23rd of 2015, and I still have yet to listen to Taylor Swift's pop smash 1989. I've heard the singles "Shake It Off" and the "Bad Blood" remix featuring Kendrick Lamar, but I somehow have avoided the other eleven tracks... until today. I realized I was in a pretty good position to compare Swift's album, and Ryan Adams' cover version, which was released two days ago. I listened to Adams' first, so most of my thoughts on Swift's album will be compared to the cover version.