Travis Scott - Rodeo (2015)

Why should one listen to Travis Scott? Lyrically, he's pretty lackluster. But the production is fantastic- Exhibit A: the Days Before Rodeo mixtape. Rodeo, the debut album, makes for a fine Exhibit B. Rodeo has some of the best and most-unique sounding tracks I've heard this year.

We begin with T.I.'s voice as our narrator telling a story of sorts, a la Common on Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon. Opener "Pornography" doesn't really stand too well on its own, but it's a solid opener. "Oh My Dis Side" and "3500" are both bangers, but also a little lengthy. It's not until "90210" where Rodeo really takes off though. It's a mish-mash of influences, but it's fantastic. I was reminded of Kanye West's 808s and Heartbreak, Drake's "Marvin's Room", and Scott's own "Don't Play".

Beasts of No Nation (2015) dir. Cary Joji Fukunaga

Who's the best new director to emerge from the past decade? Ask me today, and I'd say Cary Joji Fukunaga. I've heard great things about his debut Sin Nombre and his Jane Eyre adaptation, but I can testify that the first season of True Detective was masterfully made, many thanks to Fukunaga.

The Martian (2015) dir. Ridley Scott

There's a lot to like about The Martian, and it's certainly tremendous that it all works. The ensemble, led by Matt Damon, is enormous, Ridley Scott has stunk so much in recent years, and the playful style of the source could possibly fail to translate well on-screen. But fortunately it works.

Drake - So Far Gone (2009)

There's no doubt that Drake is one of the hottest artists in the business right now. "Hotline Bling", a fantastic track that feels a bit like a throwaway, is charting at #2 on the Hot 100, right behind Drake  The Weeknd's "The Hills". Not only is Drake himself present, but he's influential too.

2009's So Far Gone is Drake's latest free mixtape, because honestly, because even though I love this year's If You're Reading This It's Too Late and the Future collab What a Time to Be Alive, one should not have to pay for mixtapes. Hell, those two don't count.

Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)

"Where's the cardboard sleeve for this Wilco CD?" -Fletcher (Adam Horovitz) While We're Young

What more can be said about Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot? It's certainly one of the defining indie-rock albums of the decade preceding. It's one of those rare, elusive albums that earned a 10 score from Pitchfork, which hardly doles out perfect ratings. Is it great? Oh baby it is.

Dogtooth (2009) dir. Yorgos Lanthimos

Yorgos Lanthimos is an acclaimed Greek filmmaker, who most recently directed The Lobster, which, by many accounts, is very good and very weird. Many share the same sentiments about his 2009 breakout, Dogtooth, too. However, I will admit that it's very weird, I can't admit to it being very good.

Beach House - Take Care (2010)

This is Beach House at its finest. I think anyone's first Beach House album is destined to be their favorite (there's a lack of variety between their albums, I think). Anyways, this is my favorite Beach House album, by a large margin too. Teen Dream sounds wistful, psychedelic, and beautiful. Standout tracks include "Silver Soul" (which was sampled on Kendrick Lamar's "Money Trees"), "Used to Be", "Better Times", and "Take Care".

9/10

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.

The Game - The Documentary (2005)

Since the first disc of The Game's hotly anticipated The Documentary 2 is releasing tomorrow, I felt it necessary I give The Game a serious listen. After all, he was fantastic on Dr. Dre's Compton.

The Documentary totally seemed right up my alley. The Game's debut record was made in collaboration with the hottest artists at the time (50, Kanye), and was mostly produced by Dr. Dre. There's so much collaboration in this album. In fact, excessive collaboration is what makes The Documentary so likable, but also might be its crux.

The Edge of Heaven (2007) dir. Fatih Akin

By watching Fatih Akin's (I swore his name was "Faith") The Edge of Heaven, I satisfied some major cinematic blindspots: cinema of Turkey and Akin's movies himself. I was not disappointed when I heard The Cut was received poorly in Venice last year because I knew nothing of Akin and his movies. But to me, now, Akin can do no wrong. This is probably the best Turkish film I've seen too. The Edge of Heaven is a smarter and more concise film than Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Once Upon a Time in Anatolia and Winter Sleep.

I went into The Edge of Heaven totally blind and you should too. There are two main plots that converge quite beautifully in the third act. However, the first two acts at times do feel dreadfully aimless. But it pays off, trust me. (what credibility do I have, though???)

The Edge of Heaven is a lovely entry in current world cinema. It's a mature film not only about religious conflict, but human desires and humanity in general. Akin's never heavy-handed; he never lets politics dictate his story. He lets it speak for itself. That is marvelous.

8/10