Hurry Up Tomorrow : Monday Is Looming By Ian Sherry 3/8/2025 The Weeknd released Hurry Up Tomorrow on January 31st, 2025. Abel Tesfaye searches for end-of-era-defining songs on what is rumored be the final album released under his present moniker. The Weeknd rose to prominence in the early stages of last decade when his trio of mixtapes, Trilogy , caught listeners’ ears with the shock-toxic club-pop he pioneered. Now, after releasing a decent debut, 2 consecutive smash hit records, and the first 2 records of his highly successful and allegedly final trilogy, the Toronto superstar entered this record evidently shorter on inspiration than he’s been in a long time. The reception of The Weeknd’s latest has been the increasingly typical mix of middling to high scores and mild to moderate enthusiasm. With the world’s top sound engineers at his disposal and having the knack for delivering sonically enticing soundscapes that he does, a certain level of critical success is all but guaranteed. The Weeknd will always provide a song like “Baptized In Fear” to scratch the hifi itch. But, if the repeated achievement of sonic standards is akin to success in your view, consider the remainder of this review a dissenting opinion. The Weeknd is out of gas. Fueled in his early days by the nightlife, Abel Tesfaye seemed to know his lifestyle wasn’t sustainable. So began his journey to pop stardom. His now 15-plus-year career has been marked time and time again by well-executed shifts in identity, ultimately bridging the gap between toxic trainwreck and cynical celebrity, but on Hurry Up Tomorrow he was too slow to pull the plug. The sound has reached its expiration date. The Weeknd’s identity, which was always a poignant feature of his artistry, is currently reduced almost singularly to his star status. The result is a hit-driven approach to the majority of tracks. With his mind perpetually set on the high point, the instrumentals have become electronic clouds of ambient ambiance. Take “Reflections Laughing.” The track begins with The Weeknd singing alongside a meek guitar playing no discernable melody, then with the help of a chipmunked sample hook and someone sitting on the bass button, he begins to build to the climax just 1 minute into the 4:51 song. He even drops an interlude into the middle of the song before a painfully lethargic Travis Scott feature accounts for the last 1:37. The song relies so heavily on audience buy-in that it is held together more by the robo-popstar personas of Tesfaye and Scott than any legitimate musical structure. “Wake Me Up” kicks off the album with artificially anthemic energy that is essentially typical for a record chock-full of musically hollow moments of sonic cinema. Because The Weeknd’s voice is so piercingly clear, it lacks texture. This can be positive when belting out pop choruses, clarity plays well to general audiences, but like any other form of delivery, there’s a time and a place. The wider variety of vocal stylings on his early mixtapes occasionally put The Weeknd in uncomfortable vocal pockets that were a more challenging match for his performative skillset. It was not uncommon to hear the strain in his delivery, but it only added to the already edgy sound. That edge is gone. “Timeless” is a jam and the perfect counter to last paragraph’s claim. Playboi Carti settles into the atmospheric Weeknd-style trap beat like he was born there and brings a couple flows along with him. The Weeknd steps up to the plate next and handles the later majority of the track like he can and should, effortlessly delivering multiple delivery styles, rhythms, and rhyme schemes. Unfortunately, while performances of that caliber aren’t singular to track 13 of the 22 total, the average vocal performance is much more pop formulaic - fine but nowhere near the displays of talent and skill he’s achieved. Instead, he gets outperformed by both Future and Lana Del Rey and milks a third of the songs for minutes longer than nature would’ve allowed. 22 songs is a somewhat ridiculous number, but exceptions can be made. That’s a status The Weeknd has certainly earned. Likewise, he’s earned a few electronic pop flops. Acts that categorically raise the bar in certain areas of evaluation can perhaps be allotted modified expectations in select areas that are less favorable given their skillset or style of undertaking. But this year, there were just too many lapses. I’d return to just 4 songs: the hifi success “Baptized In Fear” (7), the prompt, washy “Opening Night” (8), the aforementioned “Timeless” (8), and the a1 trap-pop “Niagara Falls” (10). There was a smattering of excellent transitions, and of course, the soundscapes were on point. Hurry Up Tomorrow is a 5.8 .

VOIR DIRE : RELEASED By: Ian Sherry 9/11/2023 On August 29th, 2023, Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist released their collab album Voir Dire . It features warm, sample-heavy hip-hop production via The Alchemist , and well-written verses by Earl Sweatshirt . With these two, that’s a given. However, Earl’s performances are all delivered with the same monotone cadence, which makes it hard to focus on his lyrical prowess. And, though his beats are catchy, most of them just loop or sustain the same, short-lived groove. It’s an exercise in simplicity. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it doesn’t give me a lot to say. I’m a fan of both artists, I was excited, and now I’m moving on. Voir Dire is a 5/10. Now for the article! Earl and The Alchemist whipped up a cute little album rollout this time around. Voir Dire came complete with internet lore, a strange streaming service, and NFTs! Can you feel my eyes rolling through these words? I get it, it’s just not my thing, and since custom album releases have become all the rage, I figured I’d take a stance. First of all, why? The easiest way to unpack any music industry phenomenon is to take a quick look around. For example, today’s context provides an immediate answer: everyone’s doing it. From Lizzo to Travis Scott , the mainstream has been taken over by album releases becoming a holistic experience. There are different methods, and Voire Dire is one such example. From the artist’s point of view, I can imagine it’s become a necessity to do something special to keep pace with consumer expectations. On top of fulfilling industry norms, it’s a creative and competitive opportunity: integrating personality into one’s music is a skill, and some are more skilled than others. Fortunately for the others, the release itself is a golden opportunity to put your personal spin on your artistic product. For Lizzo that meant a body positive mega-livestream. For Travis Scott, a huge tour complete with theatrical mosh-pitting. The commonality is an artist furthering whatever vibe they want for their album, whether it be positivity for an individual or pure energy for the biggest crowds. On a base level it's fun, and when done correctly, it can elevate a project. Let's not get carried away. Big rollouts set expectations. Regardless of the artist’s intent, everything they do in preparation for releasing an album feeds into the public’s perception and anticipation. Since the public tends to be very perceptive, that means the bigger you make it, the more pressure to deliver. So it better be good. Let’s talk about Donda . Kanye West , who seems to work his way into every article now, announced he’d be releasing the album Donda as an ode to his mother back in 2019. It was delayed and delayed, until its eventual rollout in 2021. That rollout was a failure. West tapped into all the theatrics, bringing out guests, selling tickets, and creating the ultimate spectacle. It was a massive celebration of the music industry superpower that is Kanye West. Once again, the purpose of an album rollout is to further the music’s message and bring the audience in closer before they hear the first note. So, now's a good time to remind you that the album was about Kanye’s mother, Donda West. Donda, not Kanye. Yet, the focus of the album’s content was all over the place, more reminiscent of a DJ Khaled ’s self-indulgent celebration on God Did than an introspective, vulnerable record like Jay-Z ’s 4:44 . Kanye packed the tracklist, loaded it with features, and his rollout mirrored that attitude: a celebration of himself packaged under his late mother’s name. Then, if his motives and focus weren’t already in question, he released Donda 2. The follow-up’s rollout was even more unique. In a move against the profit motivated industry executives, West released the literally incomplete album on the Stem Player in an effort to make money his own way. It’s always hard to say what West’s intentions are, but it seems like his mother’s name should’ve been kept separate. This is not artistic vision, it’s greed. As we delve further into the culture of the modern album release, I’m hopeful that artists can be more mindful and avoid crossing that line. The overall approach must stay on message and focus on the audience’s ability to receive it. Voir Dire again. Speaking of focus, let’s return to the Voir Dire . At first this album was an internet rumor. Then it was announced. And finally it became a complete rollout experience experience. As a fan of the two collaborators, I was excited that the album dropped without too long of a wait; that is, no advance release date was posted, a la Donda . Beyond that, their strategy provided anticipating fans with an opportunity to experience the content further through write-ups and NFTs. Did it pique my interest? Not especially. But their approach has merit, and I’m sure it’s resonating with the right audience. Voir Dire ’s release is a 8.5/10.

WORST GIRL ON THE CULTURE GYRE Ian Thomas Sherry, 5/17/2026 Slayyyter released her third studio album, WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA on March 27, 2026. On May 13, 2026, they requested that we review it. Upon further inspection, Slayyyter is a Missouri gal, who worked her way from Soundcloud through Fader Records to Columbia for her big coming out this record. Part of the Midwest hardcore wave that’s dominated the pop underground over the last decade or so, she’s as legitimate a performer and producer as she is a representative of her pop influences. We’re honored to have received the assignment. (Track 1) “DANCE…” is a demonstrative introduction reminiscent of Lady Gaga’s 2025 project MAYHEM , as Slayyyter does a bit of vocal soaring on the refrain and rides the ebbs and flows of a grumbling pop beat that subsides and rebuilds for a bridge before more “oooooooooooouuuuaaaaaaaaahs.” (Track 2) “BEAT UP CHANEL$” shifts the LP into the next gear. A bouncy hyperpop beat takes over and Slayyyter’s MC persona introduces herself. Here’s a bit: “Sex, money, drugs, chains on my chest, vintage Celine/ Diamond grills, champagne bottles, I get for free/ I want sex, money, bitches, and the stickiest weeed” - holy cow. So clearly Slayyyter is a partier, rager is probably the more accurate term, but she glides more nimbly on the back half of track 2, somewhat resembling Gwenn Stefani (though I doubt the two would agree politically). As for personality, I’ll point to the dollar sign in the center of the thoughtfully titled album’s cover, intentional themes of attachment on (Track 3) CANNIBALISM!” and throughout, plus the ongoing theme of fanatical fame-fun-&-fortune-chasing. (Track 5) “CRANK” may be my favorite. The beat begins pulsating and riveting for nearly 30 seconds before Slayyyter starts spilling bars all over it, a siren begins to whirr in the background, and she requests that her DJ “CRANK IT!” She revs it up similarly, with increasing gumption, several times before the song’s end and spits quality verses in between, well-rounded and incessant. (Track 6) “GAS STATION” is a solid lil story song with an increasingly throbbing baseline that supports this flighty chorus: “When you left me all alone at the gas station/ I was crying out my eyes out of desperation/ I kept looking at my phone, I was hoping you would call…” Let’s get back to raging. (Track 7) “YES GODDD” does just that. The waves of acid bass mixed to wash overtop the vocals simulate a crazed pit show, MC screaming in between the DJs pounding sound, and while there are actually some great lyrics in the build, this track is all about the title line. Slayyyter repeatedly screams “YES GOOOODDDDDDD” with unrelenting fervor and it takes me to the place it was meant to be performed (minus the fumes). Ok, maybe this is my favorite. (Track 8) “UNKNOWN LOVERZ” is a washy refrain from its predecessor. For one of the few, if not the only wholesome track on the record, Slayyyter chooses shades of Magdalena Bay as her sonic scape, and reminds me of Wet Leg’s Rhian Teasedale on the spoken bridge. She carries a passably popified prototype of the same sound into (Track 9) “OLD FLING$,” but the album’s third STANDOUT track comes next. Track 10 has the sound of an important song from the needle drop; if that’s hard to imagine you’ll have to listen. “You think I see you?/ You think I care about you? / You think you strike some kind of nerve, do ya? / Oh you know the DJ? (oh she knows the djjjj) / No, you know the owner, right? / Oh, you know my boyfriend? / Do you know me from somewhere?... ‘I’M ACTUALLY KIND OF FAMOUS’.” ( beat drop ) When Slayyyter knows she has lightning in a bottle, she completes excellent songs. I’d love to know whether she writes the song and seeks a fitting instrumental or makes a machine gun beat and then decides to write something special. Whatever the case, she delivers. (Track 11) “$T. LOSER” is no different. This song exhibits a vengefully simple questioning of a past connection: “I think about you / Do you think about me?” – over and over. That doesn’t stop the track from building from a rigid beat to a soaring backing for Slayyyter to once again emulate Lady Gaga, singing with all her might and control amongst the strobes. It’s on the less sonically impactful tracks, like (Track 14) “BRITTANY MURPHY.,” which are more lyrically focused, that I find myself wondering if she ought to enlist some session musicians to better bring to life her apparent visions. The soundboard is only so deep. However, for this LP, passable tracks like those are a rarity. Slayyyter is unmistakably driven, stylistically focus, and on her way to the center stage. She just announced dates for her Australian tour, where she’ll no doubt be greeted with the warmest of EDM crowds, and she’s set to appear on Jimmy Fallon Tuesday (5/19) if you care to watch that. I’m personally tickled to have been brought into the dialogue on another rising artist and thoroughly enjoyed the record. As for Slayyyter, good luck getting exceedingly rich and famous, tis the dream they’ve sold us. THE WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA is an 8.6.

Coverage Vol. 2 1/25/24 BY: IAN SHERRY I shouldn’t have done this one, it's too hard. One challenge of any cover is to maintain everything that makes the original great. This can be difficult considering you have to put your own twist on it and inject your own stylings, while attempting to replicate the personality and strengths of the original artist can interfere with that process. It’s a delicate balance, and that’s why covers are one of my favorite music industry phenomena. Today the point of emphasis is feel, and few artists benefit more from the feel of their music than T he Doors . Let’s talk about one of their best. Jim Morrison’s band charted its first #1 hit in 1967 with “Light My Fire” . It was clear from the very beginning of the legendary LA band’s discography that they had something sp ecial. Relying on keys and rolling guitars on top of steady drums, they were able to captivate a certain easily distinguishable sound, capable of bridging the gap between legendary groups like The Zombies and Grateful Dead . 1967 was a big year for music, with The Beatles changing direction on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Band , Eric Burdon taking control of The Animals , and Motown and Frank Sinatra sharing the top of the charts. Perhaps most significantly, some of the most influential acts of the next decade began to emerge including Jimi Hendrix , Pink Floyd , The Velvet Underground , and of course, The Doors. The latter announced themselves in a historically and contemporarily unprecedented fashion. The 60s was a decade in which the average length of a hit song was just 2:59 , yet somehow, Jim Morrison and co. took over the number one slot with a song just over 7 minutes in length (and a decade later people thought “Bohemian Rhapsody” was long at 2 minutes above average). It was a new era in music, and The Doors arrived right on time. Naturally, other artists took notice. A hit song with its own feel, simple arrangement, instrumental solo, and a runtime waiting to be shortened, sounds like a challenge. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for a cover. Welcome to Coverage Vol. 2 Honorable Mentions Shirley Bas sey The Goldfinger Singer took the big band approach in her 1970 cover. While the vocal performance is strong and the band is impressive, it lacks the meticulous groove of the original and falls short of replicating or otherwise matching The Doors' signature feel. Stevie Wonder I’m stunned, dumbfounded, floored, flabbergasted to see Stevie Wonder sitting in the honorable mentions, but here we are. Stevie performs it like he does any other song of his late 60s era, and drops a harmonica solo in place of the original keyboard. To me, although he is the king of that instrument, it is too thin in comparison to the show of force by Ray Manzarek on the original. It’s as good as any other Stevie song from that time, and that’s a strong category, just not as strong as this particular competition I’ve thrust him into. Jackie Wilson While he supplied the most energetic vocal performance and perhaps the cleanest instrumentals, Wilson was overshadowed in other categories. The horn solo is great, but other forthcoming artists took an equally aggressive angle on the horns. On top of that, he misses the intended vibe of the song without inserting a formidable alternative. However, this is a fantastic rendition that narrowly missed out on a top four mention. You can’t go wrong on this list, I promise. NUMBER FOUR JOSé FELICIAN O On a list where cultivating your own feel is essential, Feliciano will always excel. I’d qualify his rendition as the anti-Doorsian approach. While his methodical delivery and gradual song structu re are most similar to the original, Feliciano conveys a level of warmth strong enough to rival that legendary Morrison brooding. That’s very hard to do. His performance is laid back for much of the song, as he paints it with nimble and complimentary play on his guitar. It is a pleasant invitation with just the right amount of emotion and an exciting freestyle finish. His choice to build performative energy more gradually than any other version of “Light My Fire” really reflects the message of the song. As his excitement and passion for the fire-lighter picks up the warmth and positivity is infectious, yet his original mellow vibe remains present. It's simple, but intentional, and perfectly executed. NUMBER THREE AL GREEN My favorite vocal performance on this list, Al Green’s swagger is undeniable. While you can argue amongst any of the covers yet to be named, he may have done the best job of making it h is own. Green’s legendary career is partially owed to his unwavering status as the smoothest vocalist around, but what makes his 19 71 record unique is its rough edges. Gets Next To You saw hits like “I Can’t Get Next To You” , “Tired of Being Alone” and “I’m a Ram” , all of which have sharp drums and horns. At times, Green doubles down on that ever-so-slightly abrasive sound by matching it with some of his raspiest performances ever, while still providing a healthy dose of his signature smoothness, to create an incredibly satisfying contrast. Sitting perfectly between upbeat blues and soul, it's my pick for the strongest album in his catalog, and he masterfully pulls “Light My Fire” into that fold. By speaking the first few lines, he opens a dialogue with his audience, pulls us in by delicately delivering the initial hook, and maintains total control as his intensity, volume, and confidence grow throughout the track. Once you’re hooked, Green doesn’t let you off the mat, but you wouldn’t want to get up anyway. NUMBER TWO The Doors The original “Light My Fire” is one of the greatest coming-out-parties in all of music. The Doors introduce themselves to the charts with un wavering pace, seven minutes of it. As I mentioned brie fly, the length was unprecedented, to say the least. So, in order to captiv ate this endurance deprived audience f or the entirety of their chart-topper, they had to do something special. I think the key to The Doors’ chart-topping accomplishment is the balance they struck. It pushed the envelope in more ways than length; a relentless keyboard solo and dynamic yet restrained vocal performance set it apart from its contemporary hits. It isn’t the best version but it h as by far the greatest le gacy. “Light My Fire” is one of the most important songs of its era, because it stretched a formulaic performance to its stylistic capacity and opened the charts up to the fast-moving, incredibly impactful, and ultimately self-destructive force of nature that was Jim Morrison. NUMBER ONE ETTA jAM ES Every other artist that covered “Light My Fire” avoided The Doors' murkiness in favor of their own sound and vibe. Their decisions are likely all based on the fact that beating a band like that at their own sonic game is risky to say the least. Etta James was not, could not have been, intimidated. So, she leads in with a heavy bass guitar that pushes the limit of the lower portion of the mix. To balance it out, she stays in the upper half of her vocal range, providing a clear and clean balance. The drums hold pace and the occasional guitar painted overtop fills out the sound. It’s simple and slow, like the original, but by cutting the instrumental solo, which every other artist attempted to replicate in some way, she brought it completely into her wheelhouse. Much like Aretha’s “Resp ect ” , her revision is hardly recognizable, and that is due to one crucial factor: Etta James herself. Yes, the instrumental adjustments are masterful, and cutting the solo does have an impact, but her vocal delivery is the biggest gamechanger. She pours every bit of swagger available into this song, much like Al Green, but her intentionally measured cadence shift makes a massive, albeit subtle, difference. She improvises her way through the song, delivering all of the written lyrics in quicker succession than the original. James’ slight alteration of every single line is largely responsible for over four minutes of difference, as she yanks the song back into contemporary song-length standards. The moral of the story: Etta James is untouchable, and if she covers your song, kiss it goodbye.

ENOUGH CHEER: ONE BRAVE MAN'S FIGHT AGAINST SEASONAL SONIC SUFFERING 12/25/23 BY: IAN SHERRY I am Scrooge (in the Groot voice). I don’t like Marvel movies, nor do I like Christmas music. One of the most hotly contested seasonal debates, I always take the side of grumpy opposition, and I have reasons. While I plan to lay them out in an organized fashion momentarily, I have one question for fans of this genre: Do you truly believe, in your merry little hearts, that ‘jingle bells’ are both a tolerable instrument and viable lyric? If so, you're wrong, but allow me to further provide reasons to shut off the radio. I’d like to begin with the disclaimer that there are some acceptable occasions. For instance, you can listen to Christmas music to put you in the so-called spirit within 72 hours of the big day , the same way you listen to a sweatily angsty R&B song to get you in a romantic mood or an mind-numbingly bland Mac DeMarco song to go to sleep. However, it is absolutely required that, somewhere in the back of your mind, you are open to the fact that a creatively negative adjective must accompany your cheer-filled opinion of a given song. Unfortunately, many ignore that requirement. Backtracking: Genres have a traceable and consistent formation process. I’d describe them as ⅓ influence, ⅓ innovation, and ⅓ capitalism. It starts with an artist or group of artists that are influenced by the sound around them. This could be what they’re raised on, what they come to love, or what they’ve grown to despise. As a result, they’re inspired to put their own spin on it, innovation. Once these two key ingredients come together and a new sound is born, capitalism takes care of the rest, packaging and selling their art to the public in droves until a new genre is born . It’s a symbiotic process that combines the beauty of creativity with the necessity of money. Christmas music is certainly a genre, however, it’s unique in its formation. Holidays are rooted in tradition. Tradition is a powerful binding factor. It brings together generations, races, nations; whatever the division, if there’s a shared tradition, there’s a bridge. Because it is such an obviously powerful social phenomenon, money-makers worldwide continually seek to take advantage through the most evident and reliable manifestation of our traditions: holidays. America (where I live, if that wasn’t evident) was founded, populated by, and constructed in favor of Christians. Christ-ians are very interested in Christ. So, in this rich Christian-empowered nation, Jesus Christ’s birthday has become more than a religious day or season. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. That goes particularly for those on the production end of our beloved nationwide money-making arrangement. Naturally this means money flowing into the pockets of the producers. That stretches beyond the small businesses, malls, even Amazon. Yes, it stretches to music. Hence Christmas music. Hence this article. Christmas music, as a genre, is ¾ capitalism and ¼ everything that’s important to music. Is it morbidly naive to assume all artists who have produced Christmas music are focused solely on selling records? Yes. But, even those whose focus lies elsewhere, like the religious aspect of the holiday or joy of the season, still feed 100% into the powers that be. When Donny Hathaway slipped “Th is Christmas” into his 1971 self-titled masterpiece that includes “A Song For You,” among other classic tracks, he probably didn't analyze its profit potential. However, 50 years later, it nearly doubled the streams of any other song on the album, by far holding the number on his Spotify page. Is it a good song? Sure, by Christmas standards. It flourishes big horns at the beginning, before settling into a loungey early 70s groove fronted by one of the purest vocalists of his era, and it’s supported by poppy drums and a piano solo. However, sitting at the end of one of the most emotionally raw, underrated, and era-defining albums of all time, the source of its popularity (October-December) is all too evident. I won’t pretend it's a realistic expectation that an artist’s best music would be Christmas songs, and it’s no mystery why those songs are so popular, but what bothers me most about Christmas music is that, the majority at least, is bad. Unlike my previous set of mostly surface level market-based connections, this phenomenon is more complicated. It all starts with identity. Good music, in every single case, is infused with the artist’s identity. The lack of identity deprives the art of something that, although it may be hard to describe, gives the audience something to attach to. A good, and incidentally similar, example is Christian rock or rap. The artist is so focused on passing the religious identity and putting their faith/faith figure in the forefront, it seems they forget to be themselves. The fact is, your art has to come from you, otherwise it isn’t yours, otherwise it’s not art. Jesus didn’t make “God’s Not Dead (Like A Lion)” by the Newsboys (the first Christian Rock song that popped up on Google). He might’ve made What’s Going On , but he didn’t make that . Pardon my digression. Because identity is so essential to art, artists who have it go further, even if that identity is the embodiment of the mainstream (Taylor Swift). However, the American Christmas has a very strong identity as well. It has its own themes, schemes, even classics. For an artist to enter this space, they often feel the weight of this identity, and the pressure to adopt it. A Christmas album by any artist, we can use Taylor Swift, is sure to have multiple if not all covers. The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection (2008) is four Christmas classics with two Swift originals mixed in. Her originals play as average 2000s Taylor Swift songs, basic structure with an emphasis on the vocals and lyrics that cover the different angles of a past relationship, but wait, It’s also Christmas! This is common in original Christmas songs, the artist attempts to bring Christmas into their world, their sound, but it often takes over and the focus of the song settles in no-(wo)man's-land. What interests me more is the covers. There have been a select group of original songs over the years that struck gold. Someone wrote “Jingle Bells”. That select group has been covered relentlessly and will continue to be every December forever. Very recently (January 2, 2023 ), some awfully wise i ndividual wrote that ‘When done well, cover artists pay homage to the original song while offering their own spin or twist.’ I believe the problem with Christmas covers is this: there are absolutely no faces or names to the original songs anymore and absolutely no pressure to do something significantly individualistic with your own version. Cher’s Christmas is doing quite well this year. She brought in Stevie Wonder, Darlene Love, Michael Bublé, Cyndi Lauper, and of course, Tyga. In a recent interview, she claimed that “It's not your mother’s Christmas album”. I listened (yes, I listened), and I can confirm that it is indeed your mother’s Christmas album. Not my mother, she has great taste. It’s a lot like any other Christmas album, lot’s of jingles, choruses, and opportunities for my cynical eyes to roll. The most unique thing about Cher’s album: the volume. She’s pretty loud. Despite mistakenly naming the album ‘Christmas,’ instead of ‘Cher’s Seasonal Exercise In Mediocrity,’ her fun little features and reliance on the classics will serve her mightily and buy her truckloads more of those sparkly jeans (edgy) she’s wearing on the cover. That’s the formula, plenty of covers, a few originals folks can skip, and an angle for sales. Cher knows it, her label does, the radio does, and if you’re honest, you do too. As I’ve alluded to (or maybe I hav en’t, I never read these things back), not all Christmas music is bad, the concept just sets its participants up for failure. Few can overcome it, but as I ease towards a conclusion allow me to be momentarily positive. I would be remisced (hunted down) if I didn’t bring up Mariah Carey. When you look up Carey on google, aka The Queen Of Christmas, snowflakes fall down your screen. No joke. She completely dominates the season, and I can’t lie, I do enjoy this part. Here’s why she’s been so successful. Mariah Carey came up in a unique pop landscape. As hip-hop and pop collided, lots of effort went into blurring the lines. This era birthed trend after trend. Saggy jeans were sported by rappers emphasizing their streetness and r&b divas (Carey included) straddling the lines of sexy and cool. With the trends came pressures to be adaptable. Carey’s adaptability led to hit after hit. R&b, pop, hip-hop features, you name it, she nailed it. However, Mariah Carey didn’t define the era, it defined her. She embodied it, she took its identity on as her own. So, come December every year, she does the same with Christmas, and she does it better than anyone else. Mariah Carey was the 2000s and Mariah Carey is Christmas. Unfortunately for this seasonal genre, nobody can quite do what Mariah Carey does. There are other success stories in which an artist successfully strikes a balance. The Temptations were able to apply enough of their own identity on “Silent Night” and Stevie Wonder’s “Someday At Christmas” is popular because of how it repackages his social justice lens to fit the holidays. But, at the end of the day, they can’t touch “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone” or “Love’s In Need Of Love Today” . The balance isn’t sustainable. Here’s what I suggest in place of Christmas music: music at Christmas. Someone close to me insists that their favorite song is a Christmas song despite its complete lack of thematic relevance. I whole-heartedly agree. FKJ’s “Die With A Smile” is a perfect exercise in sonic minimalism. It mesmerizes the listener with a lonely guitar, the occasional snare, synths, and an amplified bass drum. The vocalist repeats one line a few times, and creates a warm environment that no audience could resist. It’s my favorite Genius page ever and I use it to tune my speakers, but what I love most about it is the tone and minimalism which allow it to mean whatever you want it to. To this person it means warmth, joy, and memories. It means Christmas. Merry Christmas! -The Culture Gy re CHALLENGE 1: Listen to this posthumous disasterpiece: "Silent Night" by DMX CHALLENGE 2: Listen to the worst song I've ever heard on WDET: "Shopping" by Joseph Washington Jr.

Did you know that Lana Del Rey likes exceptionally long titles BY: Ian Sherry 4/23/23 On March 24, Lana Del Rey released Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard. Lana is one of the strangest figures in music today. She made waves upon entry into the market and sparked backlash over her apparent status as an industry plant. While this rubs some people the wrong way, her fans are some of the most dedicated in all of music. They feed into her ever-changing and intentionally unique persona - and vice versa. The result is a catalog mix of inconsistencies, originality and creativity. For me, this is an overall positive characteristic, but it does complicate any quality-based judgments of her work. I generally believe that in cases like this (where the artist is weird outside the music, but not necessarily in it), it’s best to separate their public personas from the music to avoid over or under-crediting them based on personal bias. To be clear, her personality enhances the tone of the album, something that many artists struggle with. However, I don’t often find a significant alteration to the music itself. Yes, she has evolved as an artist, but the stylistic shifts from album to album have never been groundbreaking to me. Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard is easily better than her previous two releases, and while it isn’t a huge creative step forward, it innovates enough to please her hungry audience, and it includes some of her cleanest, well-rounded tracks to date. Lana’s atmosphere of choice on Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard is one of melancholy and nostalgia from the perspective of a woman intent on letting her emotional trauma fester through 77 minutes of painful memories. Her storytelling is, in short, unique. She carefully constructs emotionally raw narratives that the listener can feel. They’re often conversational, a dialogue between her and another person, sometimes an old friend, family member, or romantic partner, sometimes herself, and sometimes nobody at all. Lana’s storytelling, combined with her polished voice and attitude of comfortable familiarity, paints blurry images that must be clear to somebody - but we are not somebody. This atmosphere Lana constructed is present on all of her best songs on the record. I believe “Sweet”, “Kintsugi”, and “Fingertips” are some of the best examples, but excluding a select few, you can feel it in every song. In the past, Lana has struggled to lock into one really strong sound. On Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard , she does. However, her ability to mix things up without departing from her theme or comfort zone is what elevates this album. On “A&W”, the lengthiest song of the album at 7:13, Lana recounts short memories of past experiences, how they’ve soured her outlook on love and herself, and how she’s now a less worthy romantic acquisition. It’s a dark look into the troubled mind of someone lacking self-esteem and their subsequent inability to deal with emotions or even basic facts in a positive way. However, this outstanding narrative aside, what stands out the most to me is Lana sounding like Lorde. The first 4 minutes are a steady instrumental performance from a piano and acoustic guitar fronted by Lana’s meandering vocals, but the last three minutes break into something entirely different: the production suddenly switches to electronic, with base hits and a drum machine coming into play along with a buzzy finish on Lana’s up-pace vocals. It is very reminiscent of Lorde’s 2013 hit album Pure Heroine . From the building up and stripping down of the production to Lana’s repetitive lyrics and layered vocals, the finish to “A&W” is a shocking and well-executed finish to an emotionally raw song. This isn’t the only instance of Lana dipping into outside influences on her 2023 project. For instance, “Grandfather please stand on the shoulders of my father while he’s deep-sea fishing”, yes that’s the title, reminds me of Kate Bush in a way. But what impressed me, even more than her incorporation of different sounds, was her use of features. Jon Batiste’s feature on “Candy Necklace” is the album’s first. I love Batiste, so I was excited to see how they would come together on this song. At first I was disappointed, as he only plays piano behind her fairly repetitive vocals. But by my third listen I changed my mind. Batiste is a genius with his hands on a piano, and his performance provides a unique backing to a straightforward, but enjoyable performance. They don’t always blend seamlessly, but there are successful moments when Lana changes pace or volume in unison with Batiste’s piano runs, which adds a very unique quality to the song. “Paris, Texas” feat. SYML, “Let The Light In” feat. Father John Misty, and “Margaret” feat. Bleachers are three of the strongest songs on the album. “Paris, Texas” features a simple instrumental accompaniment from SYML. His feature doesn’t add to the song as noticeably as the Batiste feature does, but it is one of the most well-done songs in Lana’s discography and might be my favorite on the album. “Let The Light In” is the most traditional feature on the album. Lana and Father John Misty duet on the chorus, adding to the fullness of a touching song while still allowing Lana to carry the personal and nostalgic narrative on her own. “Margaret” is similar to “Let The Light In”, but with a more dynamic performance from Lana. Bleachers plays a very similar role to Father John Misty, helping on the chorus and providing a point of return in the chorus for Lana to take the verses to different places. She shows more range on this one song than the rest of the entire album, and the instrumental is much more upfront in certain parts of the mix, elevating the song above the surrounding tracks. Without Bleachers holding down the chorus and providing a more mellow vibe, the exceptional contrast of “Margaret” wouldn’t have been possible. Lana Del Rey was clearly in a creative place for this album. While her creativity manifests itself in the album's best moments, it’s also evident in what I consider to be her biggest mistakes. The first shortcoming, “Judah Smith Interlude”, is an instrumentally backed rant that forces the listener to analyze it for any possible meaning before inevitably giving up before the 4:37 is up. I don’t know what she was getting at here, but I do know it doesn’t fit. Just two tracks later the “Jon Batiste Interlude” is a much better version. His piano backs up a distorted recording of his voice with some Lana vocals in the background. It feels like much more of an instrumental interlude than “Judah Smith Interlude”, and it’s a welcome addition to the flow of the album, unlike its predecessor. The second shortcoming comes in the last three songs. To be fair, I like Lana’s decision to shift from a mostly live recorded instrumental album to a more electronically produced finish starting on “Fishtail”. There are great moments of vocal distortion and sonic layering, but “Peppers” is simply out of place. As the second-to-last track on the album, it has a completely different vibe in the wrong way. In a different context it is a good song, which is why I wish she had released it as a sort of red herring single. It has a catchy chorus and some classic late 2000s vocals, which is exactly why it makes no sense here. Although I like “Peppers” on its own, I am baffled by its inclusion on Lana’s otherwise cohesive and focused 2023 project. A final minor critique: Lana’s verses don’t alway distinguish themselves from one another or the chorus because of the understated delivery. But, this is more of a preference issue on my part and a stylistic choice on hers. This album, in my mind, is an anomaly. Lana is overly-focused on a singular theme, something that has hurt, even delegitimized, some of her previous work. But, this time it is done perfectly. Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard combines some of Lana’s best songs with her most beautiful moments ever. Without “Judah Smith Interlude '' and “Peppers”, this album really flirts with perfection. Ironically, Lana Del Rey, who is often considered a semi-niche artist, has delivered an album I would genuinely recommend to nearly any audience. A simple rating can’t encapsulate how much I like this album. Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard is an 8.75/10.

Coverage Vol. 2 1/25/24 BY: IAN SHERRY I shouldn’t have done this one, it's too hard. One challenge of any cover is to maintain everything that makes the original great. This can be difficult considering you have to put your own twist on it and inject your own stylings, while attempting to replicate the personality and strengths of the original artist can interfere with that process. It’s a delicate balance, and that’s why covers are one of my favorite music industry phenomena. Today the point of emphasis is feel, and few artists benefit more from the feel of their music than T he Doors . Let’s talk about one of their best. Jim Morrison’s band charted its first #1 hit in 1967 with “Light My Fire” . It was clear from the very beginning of the legendary LA band’s discography that they had something sp ecial. Relying on keys and rolling guitars on top of steady drums, they were able to captivate a certain easily distinguishable sound, capable of bridging the gap between legendary groups like The Zombies and Grateful Dead . 1967 was a big year for music, with The Beatles changing direction on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Band , Eric Burdon taking control of The Animals , and Motown and Frank Sinatra sharing the top of the charts. Perhaps most significantly, some of the most influential acts of the next decade began to emerge including Jimi Hendrix , Pink Floyd , The Velvet Underground , and of course, The Doors. The latter announced themselves in a historically and contemporarily unprecedented fashion. The 60s was a decade in which the average length of a hit song was just 2:59 , yet somehow, Jim Morrison and co. took over the number one slot with a song just over 7 minutes in length (and a decade later people thought “Bohemian Rhapsody” was long at 2 minutes above average). It was a new era in music, and The Doors arrived right on time. Naturally, other artists took notice. A hit song with its own feel, simple arrangement, instrumental solo, and a runtime waiting to be shortened, sounds like a challenge. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for a cover. Welcome to Coverage Vol. 2 Honorable Mentions Shirley Bas sey The Goldfinger Singer took the big band approach in her 1970 cover. While the vocal performance is strong and the band is impressive, it lacks the meticulous groove of the original and falls short of replicating or otherwise matching The Doors' signature feel. Stevie Wonder I’m stunned, dumbfounded, floored, flabbergasted to see Stevie Wonder sitting in the honorable mentions, but here we are. Stevie performs it like he does any other song of his late 60s era, and drops a harmonica solo in place of the original keyboard. To me, although he is the king of that instrument, it is too thin in comparison to the show of force by Ray Manzarek on the original. It’s as good as any other Stevie song from that time, and that’s a strong category, just not as strong as this particular competition I’ve thrust him into. Jackie Wilson While he supplied the most energetic vocal performance and perhaps the cleanest instrumentals, Wilson was overshadowed in other categories. The horn solo is great, but other forthcoming artists took an equally aggressive angle on the horns. On top of that, he misses the intended vibe of the song without inserting a formidable alternative. However, this is a fantastic rendition that narrowly missed out on a top four mention. You can’t go wrong on this list, I promise. NUMBER FOUR JOSé FELICIAN O On a list where cultivating your own feel is essential, Feliciano will always excel. I’d qualify his rendition as the anti-Doorsian approach. While his methodical delivery and gradual song structu re are most similar to the original, Feliciano conveys a level of warmth strong enough to rival that legendary Morrison brooding. That’s very hard to do. His performance is laid back for much of the song, as he paints it with nimble and complimentary play on his guitar. It is a pleasant invitation with just the right amount of emotion and an exciting freestyle finish. His choice to build performative energy more gradually than any other version of “Light My Fire” really reflects the message of the song. As his excitement and passion for the fire-lighter picks up the warmth and positivity is infectious, yet his original mellow vibe remains present. It's simple, but intentional, and perfectly executed. NUMBER THREE AL GREEN My favorite vocal performance on this list, Al Green’s swagger is undeniable. While you can argue amongst any of the covers yet to be named, he may have done the best job of making it h is own. Green’s legendary career is partially owed to his unwavering status as the smoothest vocalist around, but what makes his 19 71 record unique is its rough edges. Gets Next To You saw hits like “I Can’t Get Next To You” , “Tired of Being Alone” and “I’m a Ram” , all of which have sharp drums and horns. At times, Green doubles down on that ever-so-slightly abrasive sound by matching it with some of his raspiest performances ever, while still providing a healthy dose of his signature smoothness, to create an incredibly satisfying contrast. Sitting perfectly between upbeat blues and soul, it's my pick for the strongest album in his catalog, and he masterfully pulls “Light My Fire” into that fold. By speaking the first few lines, he opens a dialogue with his audience, pulls us in by delicately delivering the initial hook, and maintains total control as his intensity, volume, and confidence grow throughout the track. Once you’re hooked, Green doesn’t let you off the mat, but you wouldn’t want to get up anyway. NUMBER TWO The Doors The original “Light My Fire” is one of the greatest coming-out-parties in all of music. The Doors introduce themselves to the charts with un wavering pace, seven minutes of it. As I mentioned brie fly, the length was unprecedented, to say the least. So, in order to captiv ate this endurance deprived audience f or the entirety of their chart-topper, they had to do something special. I think the key to The Doors’ chart-topping accomplishment is the balance they struck. It pushed the envelope in more ways than length; a relentless keyboard solo and dynamic yet restrained vocal performance set it apart from its contemporary hits. It isn’t the best version but it h as by far the greatest le gacy. “Light My Fire” is one of the most important songs of its era, because it stretched a formulaic performance to its stylistic capacity and opened the charts up to the fast-moving, incredibly impactful, and ultimately self-destructive force of nature that was Jim Morrison. NUMBER ONE ETTA jAM ES Every other artist that covered “Light My Fire” avoided The Doors' murkiness in favor of their own sound and vibe. Their decisions are likely all based on the fact that beating a band like that at their own sonic game is risky to say the least. Etta James was not, could not have been, intimidated. So, she leads in with a heavy bass guitar that pushes the limit of the lower portion of the mix. To balance it out, she stays in the upper half of her vocal range, providing a clear and clean balance. The drums hold pace and the occasional guitar painted overtop fills out the sound. It’s simple and slow, like the original, but by cutting the instrumental solo, which every other artist attempted to replicate in some way, she brought it completely into her wheelhouse. Much like Aretha’s “Resp ect ” , her revision is hardly recognizable, and that is due to one crucial factor: Etta James herself. Yes, the instrumental adjustments are masterful, and cutting the solo does have an impact, but her vocal delivery is the biggest gamechanger. She pours every bit of swagger available into this song, much like Al Green, but her intentionally measured cadence shift makes a massive, albeit subtle, difference. She improvises her way through the song, delivering all of the written lyrics in quicker succession than the original. James’ slight alteration of every single line is largely responsible for over four minutes of difference, as she yanks the song back into contemporary song-length standards. The moral of the story: Etta James is untouchable, and if she covers your song, kiss it goodbye.

Tabs On Tigers: Roster Preview 3/21/2025 BY: IAN SHERRY The Culture Gyre was on assignment last week in Lakeland FL, otherwise known as Tigertown. The life that MLB baseball brings to metro areas across Southern Florida this time of year is, aside from traffic, one of the most inherently positive sports phenomenon I’ve ever been a part of. Tabs On Tigers Vol. 2 As the Tigers near the regular season, injuries have added to the nuances of their roster finalization. Strong performances from familiar faces attempt to cut through the noise. If there’s one thing Tigers fans can know for certain about manager AJ Hinch, it’s that he’s approached this roster construction from every angle his baseball mind can concoct. Whether it be positional flexibility or experimental pitcher scheduling, the pencil-and-eraser strategy Hinch is becoming famous for is where fans should expect his greatest managerial impact. In fact, a positive fan, encouraged by last year’s shorthanded strategy-fueled playoff berth might see a similar opportunity developing this spring. The Injury Bug With 1 week until opening day, the Tigers have already lost Alex Cobb (SP, 37) to a hip injury, Matt Vierling (OF/3B, 28) to a rotator cuff injury, and Parker Meadows (CF, 23) to a nerve issue. Cobb and Vierling are already scratched for opening day, and while Meadows remains enthusiastic that he’ll return for the opener, Hinch has been more cautious as it remains unclear what, if anything, needs to be done for the promising young outfielders shoulder. For the rest of the Tiger hopefuls, this means an extra 2/3 roster spots are up for grabs, which adds to a total of what we estimate is 6 unfilled positions. FILLED POSITIONS STARTING ROTATION As is the case for every position, some players are simply locks. There’s no better examples than the reigning Cy Young Tarik Skubal. The hot commodity Jack Flaherty and promising Reese Olson are also present on that list of sure-ins, and given his performance so far this spring Casey Mize is developing a very strong case. The 27-year-old starter was the Tigers’ first overall pick in 2018, largely due to the mechanics that earned him Tommy John surgery. Mize is now a pitcher challenged with reinventing himself whilst establishing himself as a pro starter, something most successful Tommy John recipients have already earned. The noodle looked fine last Wednesday (3/12/2025), when Mize threw 3.1 innings of weak contact that amounted to 4K 3BB 1H 0R in front of us and a well-traveled local baseball crowd. Mize is still searching for a put-away pitch. While, his stuff played very well, even dominant against the stadium-less Rays bats, the veteran youngster lacked a consistent strikeout solution against hitters capable of working at-bats and drawing walks. Regardless, given the traffic jam forming around the final rotation slots, Casey Mize feels like a fairly reliable and relatively experienced option. His upside remains unclear, but he’s by far the easiest to pencil in. Jackson Jobe is the top pitching prospect in all of baseball. He started last Thursday March 13th, against the Bronx Bombers, and looked brilliant through 3. Recording 9 outs in as many batters, Jobe allowed just one ball out of the infield under Colt Keith’s glove and just one ball in the air that resulted in a doubled play via would-be-base-stealer. His second time through was less successful. The 21-year-old surrendered an impressive line-drive homer to Jasson Dominguez, and once blood was in the water the contact grew louder. Bellinger smoked a flyout to the trusty Riley Greene filling in center field, before Paul Goldschmidt walloped a ball 447 ft over the batters eye. Jobe is the most talented pitcher to emerge from our system in my memory (the last 8 hours), but average rookie struggles, like the second and third times through the order, are real kinks that need ironing. Jobe did time in the bullpen last season, but don’t expect to ever see him there again. If Jackson Jobe really is the best option a week from now, he will be in that fifth slot, if not he’ll return to Toledo and poise himself for an arrival within the year if the opportunity presents itself. As for the remaining starting pitching candidates; Matt Manning, Ty Madden, Wilmer Flores, and Sawyer Gibson-Long remain steps away from the bigs. Kenta Maeda made a worse case for himself than any other roster-member last year with a 6.09 ERA. The Japanese legend’s sorry campaign has since been diagnosed as a failure to ramp up, specifically with his slider – the pitch that’s almost completely responsible for his ability to compete with age-depleted velocity. If he doesn’t present himself as a MLB-ready contributor either in relief or the fifth rotational slot, it seems unlikely the Tigers would afford him a roster spot at any level given this is his second and last year of a $24 M contract. Listening to Keider Montero’s starts on the radio last year was a true joy, as Dan Dickerson and his cast of cohosts would often delve into the developmental mindset of the Tigers organization. Montero was a AAA-level talent last year, but he showed enough maturity as a coachable major-leaguer to lock down a spot in our depleted rotation while trying to learn a more efficient approach to controlling at-bats – not to mention sharpening his stuff to MLB standards. In 4 appearances so far this spring, Montero’s hard work’s been worth 9.2 IP, 13 K, 5 BB, 8 H, and 4 R (all of which came in his third start) for an ERA of 3.72. His workman’s attitude is an essential ingredient to last season’s success; the player in me can’t help but hope Keider Montero makes the Tigers roster. BULLPEN The assumptions made on the roster mock-up above are based on seniority, performance, and the likelihood that free agency investment implies roster security. Regarding the final 2 spots, assuming Hinch opts for the standard 8-man pen, Tigers’ RHP Brenan Hanifee impressed at last Wednesday’s game and has yet to surrender a run this spring in 7 innings of work. Then the trio of left-handed options: third-time-Tiger Andrew Chafin, who’s ramping up late on a minor league deal, long-relief option Brant Hurter who logged 45 solid late-season innings last year but has surrendered 7 runs in 10.2 innings this spring, and Sean Guenther whose limited workload resulted in a sub-1 ERA last season (21 IP) and 17.18 ERA this spring (3.2). CATCHERS A Jake Rogers and Dillon Dingler duo at catcher seemed to be a sure thing headed into the spring. Rogers’ defensive value all-but-guarantees his starting role, especially given his relationship with the top of the rotation. The Tigers however, still chose to bring catching prospects Thayron Liranzo and Josue Briceno to camp, as well as veteran minor-league signees Thomas Nido and Brian Serven. While the young fellas are definitely there more for experience than roster contention, their presence shows a searching attitude – the kind we wouldn’t have expected with Dingler’s former stock as a prospect. Dingler, the Tigers top prospect during their farm system’s weakest years, has yet to post a convincing major-league offensive campaign in a limited sample size. But, amidst mounting pressure from below this preseason, he’s responded well enough to all-but-clinch his job with a .273 AVG, a .860 OPS, and a pair of homers. INFIELD An interjecting word of advice on Javier Baez: we’re harboring the shell of an All-Star shortstop who fell victim to a mental/mechanical standstill that will likely claim his career. Wasting your energy criticizing his offensive performance at this juncture is akin to criticizing the paintjob of a car you just witnessed smash into the post office. Like every other major roster category, the infield is nearly set in stone. Last Thursday Hinch gave Baez a shot at 3B, where he made 1 error you could chalk up to unfamiliarity, but he made up for it at the plate of all places with an RBI double. As for the rest of the left side, the left-handed Trey Sweeney is all-but guaranteed a bid at the starting shortstop spot. Zach McKinstry and Andy Ibanez’s given specialities always have a place on Hinch’s bench. I assumed Jace Jung would earn a similar misfit safety, but all he’s done this spring is hit his way out of contention with a .121 AVG over 33 at-bats. Jung is aptly named, and he’ll get more opportunities to crack the major league roster if he continues to grow over the next couple years, but I can’t imagine the Tigers offering him that opportunity a week from now. That leaves just one primary infielder attempting to hack his way onto this team: Spencer Torkelson. The Tigers most recent #1 pick has had well-documented ups and downs, and while I’m extremely hesitant to buy into the young power threat, he appears to be on another one of those upswings this spring. Torkelson’s odds weren’t great entering camp, backup right-handed first basemen are a rarity, but as the struggles continue on the opposite side of the infield and the injuries continue piling up, he’s hit for a .297 AVG, .955 OPS, 4 HR, and 9 RBIs including a homer, double, and 4 RBIs just for us last Wednesday. The strikeouts are still too prevalent (10/40 at-bats ended with a K so far), but these glimpses of a shortened power swing are exactly what Tigers management need to see from Tork. OUTFIELD The closest player to Spencer Torkelson in terms of makeup is Justin Henry Malloy. The young right-handed bat was initially acquired as an infielder from Atlanta in exchange for Joe Jimenez, before moving to the outfield and making measured but legitimate contributions for the Tigers last season. He worked into a rotation of 5 or 6 outfielders at a time on last year’s roster and has taken some reps at 1B this month. Malloy has notched a .308 AVG to throw him into direct competition with Torkelson who’s recently taken balls in the outfield on the back of his promising performance so far this spring. Non-roster-invite Jahmai Jones made a bit of an impression at the beginning of camp, but has since petered off to a .242 AVG which I find unlikely to infiltrate the Tigers quality outfield. The recently healthy Wenceel Perez also has his work cut out for him. The switch-hitting multipositional contributor was an important part of last year’s injury-ridden outfield, but he’s gone just 3/21 to date. The status of bubble players like Torkelson, Malloy, Jung, and Perez, none of which are a necessity, depends almost entirely on Parker Meadows’ status. Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter are locks (though Carpenter’s fielding may be preferable at DH), so a healthy Meadows would round out a starting outfield. Even if Meadows isn’t healthy, there is a possibility he makes the roster anyway with the expectation that he’d return within weeks of the season’s start. Either way there is a need for right-handed hitters to back up a potentially all-lefty outfield. That just might spell Tork.

Hurry Up Tomorrow : Monday Is Looming By Ian Sherry 3/8/2025 The Weeknd released Hurry Up Tomorrow on January 31st, 2025. Abel Tesfaye searches for end-of-era-defining songs on what is rumored be the final album released under his present moniker. The Weeknd rose to prominence in the early stages of last decade when his trio of mixtapes, Trilogy , caught listeners’ ears with the shock-toxic club-pop he pioneered. Now, after releasing a decent debut, 2 consecutive smash hit records, and the first 2 records of his highly successful and allegedly final trilogy, the Toronto superstar entered this record evidently shorter on inspiration than he’s been in a long time. The reception of The Weeknd’s latest has been the increasingly typical mix of middling to high scores and mild to moderate enthusiasm. With the world’s top sound engineers at his disposal and having the knack for delivering sonically enticing soundscapes that he does, a certain level of critical success is all but guaranteed. The Weeknd will always provide a song like “Baptized In Fear” to scratch the hifi itch. But, if the repeated achievement of sonic standards is akin to success in your view, consider the remainder of this review a dissenting opinion. The Weeknd is out of gas. Fueled in his early days by the nightlife, Abel Tesfaye seemed to know his lifestyle wasn’t sustainable. So began his journey to pop stardom. His now 15-plus-year career has been marked time and time again by well-executed shifts in identity, ultimately bridging the gap between toxic trainwreck and cynical celebrity, but on Hurry Up Tomorrow he was too slow to pull the plug. The sound has reached its expiration date. The Weeknd’s identity, which was always a poignant feature of his artistry, is currently reduced almost singularly to his star status. The result is a hit-driven approach to the majority of tracks. With his mind perpetually set on the high point, the instrumentals have become electronic clouds of ambient ambiance. Take “Reflections Laughing.” The track begins with The Weeknd singing alongside a meek guitar playing no discernable melody, then with the help of a chipmunked sample hook and someone sitting on the bass button, he begins to build to the climax just 1 minute into the 4:51 song. He even drops an interlude into the middle of the song before a painfully lethargic Travis Scott feature accounts for the last 1:37. The song relies so heavily on audience buy-in that it is held together more by the robo-popstar personas of Tesfaye and Scott than any legitimate musical structure. “Wake Me Up” kicks off the album with artificially anthemic energy that is essentially typical for a record chock-full of musically hollow moments of sonic cinema. Because The Weeknd’s voice is so piercingly clear, it lacks texture. This can be positive when belting out pop choruses, clarity plays well to general audiences, but like any other form of delivery, there’s a time and a place. The wider variety of vocal stylings on his early mixtapes occasionally put The Weeknd in uncomfortable vocal pockets that were a more challenging match for his performative skillset. It was not uncommon to hear the strain in his delivery, but it only added to the already edgy sound. That edge is gone. “Timeless” is a jam and the perfect counter to last paragraph’s claim. Playboi Carti settles into the atmospheric Weeknd-style trap beat like he was born there and brings a couple flows along with him. The Weeknd steps up to the plate next and handles the later majority of the track like he can and should, effortlessly delivering multiple delivery styles, rhythms, and rhyme schemes. Unfortunately, while performances of that caliber aren’t singular to track 13 of the 22 total, the average vocal performance is much more pop formulaic - fine but nowhere near the displays of talent and skill he’s achieved. Instead, he gets outperformed by both Future and Lana Del Rey and milks a third of the songs for minutes longer than nature would’ve allowed. 22 songs is a somewhat ridiculous number, but exceptions can be made. That’s a status The Weeknd has certainly earned. Likewise, he’s earned a few electronic pop flops. Acts that categorically raise the bar in certain areas of evaluation can perhaps be allotted modified expectations in select areas that are less favorable given their skillset or style of undertaking. But this year, there were just too many lapses. I’d return to just 4 songs: the hifi success “Baptized In Fear” (7), the prompt, washy “Opening Night” (8), the aforementioned “Timeless” (8), and the a1 trap-pop “Niagara Falls” (10). There was a smattering of excellent transitions, and of course, the soundscapes were on point. Hurry Up Tomorrow is a 5.8 .

THE RUNNING MAN By Dawson Sarcona 11/15/2025 The Running Man, directed by Edgar Wright, is the latest in the boom of Stephen King adaptations from the past few years. That being said, this film immediately differs from its counterparts in one major way: This is not a horror movie. Regardless of how you know King’s writing, whether it's literary classics like Cujo, Salem's Lot, Carrie or big horror icons like IT or The Shining, King is known for creating truly terrifying stories. The Running Man, however, is different. This movie is a dystopian action story through and through. While it does include some intense and high-stress situations, the only “horror” that lies in this film is its disturbing resemblance to our current society. This film follows Ben Richards (played by Glen Powell) as he competes on a deadly gameshow that, if won, will result in him winning 1 billion dollars and securing a better life for his wife and daughter. The world this film builds is one of the more interesting put to screen this year. “The Network” (a literal TV network with a name devoid of creativity) owns the government and dictates the lives of everyone in the nation.Because of the way this world is set up, the message from Kings original novel stays relevant in 2025’s adaptation by Wright. The message is simple: the dangers of a world reliant on media and entertainment. Here is where King’s trademark “scariness” comes in. His depiction (aided massively by Edgar Wright’s film adaptation) of this parallel Earth is chilling because it’s not far off from our own. In a time where everyone is heavily reliant on their screens, the thought of a society where those screens watch back and keep tabs makes for a captivating watch. Moving away from the plot and broad strokes of King’s writing, Edgar Wright once again shows audiences why he's one of the most talented directors working right now. Wright has directed many cult classics (Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, to name a few), but his status as a director otherwise seems to be underrated. Since I first saw his passion project film, Baby Driver, I've been a huge fan of Wright, and the talent he demonstrates filming compelling action in that film carries through in The Running Man. This movie is, action-packed by definition, full of fight scenes and stunts that rival some of the genre’s best films across the past year. Wright just knows how to properly direct a scene. Even in the moments with the least action, this movie maintains its momentum. In comparison to movies like Mission Impossible: the Final Reckoning, which left me bored from scene to scene, waiting for the next piece of action, this movie fully immerses its audience into the story. There was not a second during this movie that I felt bored or a scene lingered too long. If anything, there were some moments in the film where the pacing felt a little too fast. While it wasn't enough to take me out of the film, there were some moments I wish they’d spent a tad bit more time in. That said, for the most part, Wright uses his time in King’s world wonderfully and tells a wholly satisfying story. Wright isn't The Running Man’s only strength. Glen Powell delivers one of, if not his most compelling performances yet. There has been talk amongst the film/movie culture of Glen Powell taking up Tom Cruise's mantle as the next big action star. Before this film, I was impartial to this concept. But after seeing The Running Man, I can confidently say that he would be an excellent choice to succeed (and even surpass) Tom Cruise. Powell brings life to the character of Ben Richards and makes him very easy to root for, which is important for a movie like this. He balances the comedic range and physical demands of this role very well, and his on-screen interactions with most are very compelling. All in all, the only minor issue I see with this movie is some rushed pacing in the first act. I would rate this movie a 9 out of 10 , and would heavily recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and exciting theater experience. It’s Glen Powell at his best and further proof that Edgar Wright can direct a thrilling ride of an action movie!

GRAMMYS: IDEALIZED BY: Ian Sherry 2/3/2023 On February 5 the 65th annual Grammys will be held in Los Angeles. As usual it's no surprise that this year's Grammy nominations have been somewhat controversial. When evaluating an incredibly broad field such as an entire genre of music, narrowing candidates down can be difficult, however, they always manage to do worse than I expected. This year’s disturbing choices include the nomination of the song “abcdefu” by Gayle – a TikTok song that I used to be happily unaware of – as well as DJ Khaled’s bloated and overplayed album God Did, Jack Harlowe’s bland attempt at a reflective album, and a whole plethora of baffling exclusions. Now it's time to make up for their incompetence and soothe the frustrations of the die-hard music fan. I picked the most worthy artist from each category, and then I picked the artist I believe should win regardless of whether or not they were nominated. I am sharing my rationale for the four most prominent awards and providing listings for any remaining categories I feel qualified to pick. I am primarily selecting who I think is deserving to win, but I’ve included predictions as well. Enjoy. Record of The Year I will admit, right out of the gate, this is the hardest category to pick. The difference between song of the year and record of the year is that SOTY is more focused on songwriting and message, while ROTY is evaluated purely on the musical composition. This makes for an extremely broad category, so I am not upset by the ROTY nominations. My selection from the Grammy nominees would be Beyonce’s “BREAK MY SOUL”. It is an upbeat genre crossover powered by the incredible talent that is Beyonce, and it deserves the praise it receives. My personal selection is “born yesterday” by Quadeca. His 2022 album I Didn’t Mean To Haunt You is a favorite of mine and this song encapsulates the emotion and musical metamorphosis showcased throughout this landmark release. Either way you can’t go wrong, and in a strong musical year like this, you shouldn’t. Best Of The Nominees: “Good Morning Gorgeous” - Mary J Blige My Pick: “Born Yesterday” - Quadeca Prediction: “BREAK MY SOUL” - Beyonce Album of The Year I think there is a clear issue when none of the AOTY nominees delivered the best album in their given discographies. The only new album you could argue for is Beyonce’s RENAISSANCE. So, Beyonce is 2/2 to start. However, as much as I loved this album, it is not my choice for album of the year. While RENAISSANCE has many great tracks, some stick out in a bad way. By contrast, Wet Leg by Wet Leg is an album with no weak songs. This British duo took the Indie music scene by storm in early 2022, and for good reason. Their debut project is a masterclass in consistency, creativity, swagger, and sonic flexibility. I could go on and on about what makes Wet Leg great, but what’s more impressive, is I can’t come up with a reason they aren’t. This is the album of the year and if you haven’t heard it yet you need to. Best Of The Nominees: RENAISSANCE - Beyonce My Pick: Wet Leg - Wet Leg Prediction: RENAISSANCE - Beyonce Song of The Year The Grammys made it easy on me here. In a category that leans towards the songwriter, Kendrick Lamar is always a great candidate. His song “The Heart Part 5” sent a major message to his fanbase and the industry as a whole. He seamlessly addresses many societal issues which he considers fundamental and he does so in a concise fashion accompanied by a powerful music video. Fittingly, he samples Marvin Gaye, one of the greatest voices of commentary in our country’s long cultural history. The way Kendrick has performed over the last decade, I believe it's his time to enter that conversation as well, and a well-deserved win this year would only add to his recognition and multifaceted influence. Best Of The Nominees: “The Heart Part 5” - Kendrick Lamar My Pick: “The Heart Part 5” - Kendrick Lamar Prediction: “The Heart Part 5” - Kendrick Lamar Best New Artist To me there is a clear winner here. Wet Leg is Grammy-nominated and any other pick feels ludicrous to me. My one note is this: they will not pick Wet Leg. The clear trend in this category is selecting the most popular, mainstream, semi-new pop/hip hop artist available. There are plenty of well deserving artists that have lost or been fully excluded from nominations. Just in the last ten years, all of the following artists lost: Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, James Blake, Anderson .Paak, Lil Uzi Vert, SZA, Greta Van Fleet, H.E.R., Black Pumas, Rosalia, Phoebe Bridgers, Kaytranada, and Baby Keem. And, those are just the artists that were nominated. To be fair it's an incredibly broad category, but the trend clearly points to this year's winner: Latto. Oh well. Best Of The Nominees: Wet Leg My Pick: Wet Leg Prediction: Latto If I haven’t lowered expectations too much, please enjoy this year's Grammys, and the following categories I have selected. POP Best Pop Solo Performance Best Of The Nomi nees: “About Damn Time” - Lizzo My Pick: “Sunshine” - Steve Lacy Prediction: “As It Was” - Harry Styles Best Pop Vocal Album Best Of The Nominees: 30 - Adele My Pick: MOTOMAMI - Rosalia Prediction: 30 - Adele DANCE/ELECTRONIC Best Dance/Electronic Recording Best Of The Nominees: “BREAK MY SOUL” - Beyonce My Pick: “BREAK MY SOUL” - Beyonce Prediction: “BREAK MY SOUL” - Beyonce Best Dance/Electronic Music Album Best Of The Nominees: RENAISSANCE - Beyonce My Pick: RENAISSANCE - Beyonce Prediction: RENAISSANCE - Beyonce ROCK Best Rock Performance Best Of The Nominees: “Wild Child” - The Black Keys My Pick: “Taking Me Back” - Jack White Prediction: “Broken Horses” - Brandi Carlile Best Rock Album Best Of The Nominees: Lucifer On The Sofa - Spoon My Pick: Lucifer On The Sofa - Spoon Prediction: Lucifer On The Sofa - Spoon ALTERNATIVE Best Alternative Music Performance Best Of The Nominees: “Certainty” - Big Thief My Pick: “Certainty” - Big Thief Prediction: “Certainty” - Big Thief Best Alternative Music Album Best Of The Nominees: Wet Leg - Wet Leg My Pick: Wet Leg - Wet Leg Prediction: Fossora - Bjork R&B Best R&B Performance Best Of The Nominees: “VIRGO’S GROOVE” - Beyonce My Pick: “VIRGO’S GROOVE” - Beyonce Prediction: “Here With Me” - Mary J Blige Best R&B Album Best Of The Nominees: Candydrip - Lucky Daye My Pick: age/sex/location - Ari Lennox Prediction: Good Morning Gorgeous - Mary J Blige RAP Best Rap Performance Best Of The Nominees: “The Heart Part 5” - Kendrick Lamar My Pick: “Walkin” - Denzel Curry Prediction: “The Heart Part 5” - Kendrick Lamar Best Rap Album Best Of The Nominees: It's Almost Dry - Pusha T My Pick: It's Almost Dry - Pusha T Prediction: Come Home The Kids Miss You - Jack Harlow

Flowers By Ian Sherry 7/16/2025 Durand Jones & The Indications are a staple in contemporary soul, and Flowers is exactly as good as it should be. Along with Thee Sacred Souls , Durand Jones & The Indications are leading a small-but-steady wave of old-school soul that began rolling at the end of last decade. Composed of the excellent dual vocalists Durand Jones and Aaron Frazier, plus the band they formed in college, The Indications have certainty in their musical identity, given their control over its development and a keen awareness of their collective comfort zone. That doesn’t guarantee a successful project though - the next step is always the trickiest. Their last effort, Private Space (21) , is proof of that. Feeling the need to branch out stylistically, more prominently feature Aaron Frazier, and cover a variety of other bases, The Indications produced a solid record, but not their most cohesive effort. Since then, Durand Jones got a load of personal material out on Wait Til I Get Over (23) , and Aaron Frazier released his second solo project last year. The healthy relationship they’ve curated as co-creatives is richly evident in the band’s re-amped fusion this time around. Flowers ’ opening grooves aren’t standouts, but they establish the gentle trotting soul sound that became this record’s sweetspot. The fifth track, “Flower Moon,” is the best example of the initial safety-net-soul tunes, but the following “Really Wanna Be With You” is where the record takes off. Track 6 marks the album’s first noticeably gutsy undertaking. Staying within the already-established feel, The Indications began to focus on their more elaborate structural ambitions. Jones and co. are no strangers to a pre-chorus (or drawn-out songs), but this song features a sizable pre-chorus-chorus combo on two separate occasions in addition to a few strong verses. That kind of macho songwriting is very reminiscent of soul’s prime – but one name in particular springs to mind. If Durand Jones wasn’t intentionally channeling Isaac Hayes on this churning soul tune, Ike’s spirit was working through him. While The Indications don’t possess the firepower of a prime Memphis soul section, they clearly understood the assignment and with Jones pushing his vocal limits as the song’s frontman, the result is a standout track. Now Flowers is rolling. The album’s 7th track is the pinnacle of The Indication’s sound to date. “Been So Long” m akes excellent use of all the tools at the band’s disposal. Aaron Frazier is listed as the league vocalist, fitting for the songs initially dreamy feel. As the song progresses, however, Frazier fades more frequently into a host of mellow voices. That communal feel creeps up on the listener throughout the song, removing the focus from the primary vocalist and spreading it across all aspects of the music, from the subtly growing instrumentals to the lyrics of the 3rd and 4th verse (which are by far the catchiest on the album). Then, all too soon, the 3:16 has elapsed This band has a habit of getting stronger as they go. The balance between Frazier and Jones, which they wrestled with last album, has never been a combative issue to my knowledge, just a good problem to have when it comes to making cohesive creative music. The tentative middle ground between the two talented vocalists is an easy place to settle when it comes to using both to the best of their abilities; this album’s first 5 songs are evidence of that. However, as Durand Jones & The Indications dug deeper conceptually on the back stretch of the LP, the 2 talents began to find their perfect balance. Following the feel-good track 7, Aaron Frazier delivers a spot-on Smokey-like soul performance on “Everything.” Officially swapping slappers, Jones responds with a classic Indications-style socially conscious anthem in “Rust and Steel.” From there, Frazier and Jones share the performative load with ease, seamlessly combining efforts on the rangy soul track “If Not For Love” (which comes complete with a sick sax solo) and the well-placed closing track “Without You” . Flowers has left me with very few complaints, and believe it or not, I love not complaining! It was clear from start to finish that Durand Jones & The Indications had a firm grasp on their strengths, an awareness of potential weakness, and a concentrated will to create a product with those awarenesses in mind. The band’s muted sonic palate was a perfect match for all the album’s undertakings, providing the old-school feel and preventing the band from feeling thin in comparison to their soul predecessors. The songs feel intentionally arranged, and none are worth skipping. It’s an oh-so-satisfyingly complete album, and even without the old-school style, that makes this record a classic. Flowers is a 9.2.