It’s been a fantastic year for music and television. Here’s what The Strand enjoyed the most.
TV [Light spoilers ahead]:
- Amanda Ghazale Aziz: You’re the Worst—Coming off a cynical debut season, the second season of You’re the Worst took an even darker turn, but that’s where I had found it to be the most relatable. We saw Gretchen relapsing in her depression, and Edgar balancing post-traumatic stress disorder with his new love life. Yet their struggles and experiences with mental illness weren’t packed into a “very special episode”; they were a significant part of the plot throughout the season. I give props to showrunner Stephen Falk for incorporating these topics in the show in a way that was neither cheesy nor contrived but, for once, real. And a way that’s pretty funny.
- Holly McKenzie-Sutter: Fargo—Season two of Fargo opts for an ensemble of (mostly inefficient) accidental and intentional murderers, rather than the sociopathic villains of its first season, and the series becomes even stronger for it. If you enjoy any combination of Midwestern colloquialisms, late-1970s-style pants, jackets, facial hair, etc., Nick Offerman wearing all of those previously listed things, unexplained UFO sightings, matriarchs leading semi-competent small-town crime families, endearing old-man sheriffs, hair stylists with a deviant criminal streak, and more, then Fargo is for you. The murders are pretty cool—as far as murders can be cool—and you will probably have difficulty with the concept of a meat grinder for the rest of your life. Watch it.
- Neil MacIsaac: Show Me A Hero—HBO’s six-hour miniseries Show Me A Hero is a truly remarkable achievement in compact TV storytelling. The outstandingly economic (in style and content) script from Zorzi, Belkin, and Simon, conveying the tense relationship between citizens and institutions, could have easily fallen flat without the humanity of a deeply talented cast, anchored by Oscar Isaac. What emerges from this combo is an honest snapshot of America in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s with strong echoes into its present.
- Bronwyn Nisbet-Gray: Chef’s Table—When the world feels like it’s about to crash down upon you, there is no better distraction than food—particularly if it’s beautiful and made by interesting people. Moving beyond the tired cooking-reality-show shenanigans and personalities like Guy Fieri, Chef’s Table is better aligned with the genre of gastro-documentary, exploring the personal lives and artistry behind some of the world’s top restaurants. While this show can be viewed as mindless entertainment, its consistently strong production, narration, and aesthetics elevate it above much of the Food Network fare currently on television right now.
- Nicole Paroyan: The loss of Mad Men really hit me hard this year. Without a suitable replacement for Don, I’ve done a lot of Netflix browsing and have recently become obsessed with Making A Murderer and Hannibal.
- Rhianna Jackson-Kelso: Jessica Jones—Jessica Jones is the first TV show I’ve marathoned an entire season of in a very long time. It’s the perfect combination of suspense, action, and sentimentality. The first season gave me almost everything my little feminist heart could have asked for: a series-long spotlight on the rhetoric of abuse and victim-blaming, a narrative which leaves no room to romanticise its villain, and one of the strongest female friendships I can recall encountering on television as its primary relationship. If you’re looking to satisfy a craving for badass female characters and a no-nonsense shut down of the “nice guy” trope, this show is definitely for you.
- Sabrina Papas: Master of None—A truly refreshing series, complete with insightful social commentary. It’s intelligently written and funny, with the added bonus of the terrible (but endearing) acting skills of Aziz Ansari’s real parents.
- Genevieve Wakutz: Brooklyn Nine-Nine—Brooklyn Nine-Nine came back after its holiday hiatus, and once again the episode was hilarious and unpredictable. It’s a great show to take your mind off school and stress
Music:
- Geoff Baillie: Purpose by Justin Bieber—In 2015, Justin Bieber was reborn as pop music’s question master. With lead singles “Where Are Ü Now?” and “What Do You Mean?”, Purpose announced that Bieber has grown out of pretending to know the answers. He showed newfound wisdom in his understanding that the real artists are the ones who ask the questions.
- Anthony Burton: E-Mo-Tion by Carly Rae-Jepsen—There’s no hard and fast rule to avoid becoming a one-hit wonder, but assembling what is basically a contemporary pop music all-star roster, including Dev Hynes and Ariel Reichstad, to produce your follow-up worked pretty well for Jepsen on 2015’s E-Mo–Tion. Her borderline-kiddish vocals throw the songs up and away into earworm territory without the icky feeling that usually comes with such infectious pop, and few albums of this category are so consistent that seven months later they’re still in heavy rotation.
- Ainsley MacDougall: Bush by Snoop Dogg—While it’s nothing life-changing, Snoop Dogg’s Bush is an immensely enjoyable, relaxed album. With mellow reggae-like rhythms, lyrics like “I’m just a squirrel trying to get a nut,” and guest features from Stevie Wonder and Kendrick Lamar lending their talents without any unnecessary hype, Bush made for a refreshing and fun mid-year release.
- Alexandra Scandolo: If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late by Drake—2015 was undeniably Drizzy’s biggest year yet, and If You’re Reading This was the perfect statement to begin his revitalisation. For myself, and many others, the general appreciation of Drake turned into awed fandom after the surprise mixtape dropped in February 2015. From the hard-hitting and unforgettable declaratory anthem “Legend” to the sensitive slow jam “Jungle,” the album is an ultimate statement of Drake’s progress as an artist thus far. If You’re Reading This is an ode to the city, the fans and ultimately, the artist Drake knew he was destined to become.
- Nicole Paroyan: Goon by Tobias Jesso Jr. —I was lucky enough to discover Tobias Jesso Jr. this summer. Goon is perfect for anyone into Randy Newman or nursing a broken heart. Seeing him live was definitely a highlight for me in 2015.
- Alexandra Jones: Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens—It’s the kind of thing to listen to when you’re standing alone in the middle of a wheat field, or looking through old photos taken with someone who is no longer around, or sitting in the corner of a crowded coffee shop with your drink gone cold in front of you. Overall, Carrie & Lowell is soft and beautiful music describing ugly things; it’s poignant and a bit alarming.
- Holly McKenzie Sutter: Currents by Tame Impala—Musically, Currents is a feel-good album. Most of the lyrics, however, are about feeling sad. Listening to it lets you feel good about feeling sad over silly things, like seeing your ex holding hands with Trevor (“not the greatest feeling ever”). Kevin Parker comes back with an album that lives in moments of petty, bitter loneliness, but something about the music never lets you forget how easy it is to be happy.
