Review – Fancy Boys Club

The Fifty Best Songs Of 2024

December 31, 2024by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment

Well, if we can say anything about the state of music in 2024, we can certainly say that it was decidedly less horny than last year.

Look, there were definitely still some efforts to keep the mojo running in music. Sabrina Carpenter, Tinashe and Addison Rae all did their best to get us going like so many did in 2023. But there was not enough to overcome some of the bigger feelings we got this year: Rage. Contempt. Loneliness. Hopelessness.

Because of this, joyous songs (and there were a good number of them) felt like overwelcome lifeboats getting us to the next day. And even with this year’s crop of the best songs taking us to darker, more introspective places, there was still so much amazing music to share. Let’s take a look at the 50 best songs from a very good year of music.

Yes, there’s a playlist at the bottom of the article. Let’s boogie!

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Pop Culture, television

The Angel, The Devil, and The Bear: examining the new season of the most talked-about show where everyone calls each other “Chef”

July 10, 2024July 10, 2024by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment

Over the last week, I watched the new season of The Bear (F/X and Hulu) with hesitation. Like most of the world, I have loved the first two seasons, set in a Chicago restaurant. But there seemed to be a growing cloud over this new season, which was decided to release in one installment perfect for mass consumption. People were not happy with the storylines that were given and how the season was told. Look, every show, no matter how good, has a season that is not up to the usual standard of excellence (looking at you, season 4 of Fargo). So I went in expecting to not have the reaction I had with the earlier offerings. Turns out, I had nothing to be worried about.

Season 3 of The Bear fucking rules, you guys.

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Music/Movies, Rocktober Roundup

Rocktober Roundup: Guts by Olivia Rodrigo

October 2, 2023October 2, 2023by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment

Olivia Rodrigo is only twenty years old as Guts, her second album and follow-up to the massive success Sour, got released last month. It’s an immature and bratty mess of an album, but I don’t say that as a bad thing. In fact, all of those things show an intelligence to her that many of her peers did not have at her age. When she sings, “I know my age and I act like it” on opening track “all-american bitch”, she is not fucking around. It’s a promise and a threat and for her sophomore attempt, she follows through on it.

This is all to her credit.

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television

This Is Not My Beautiful House. This Is Not My Beautiful Vibranium Android Husband.

February 22, 2021February 22, 2021by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment

Let’s skip to the bottom of the page, so I am not accused of burying the lede: WandaVision is the most creative and innovative thing the MCU has given us and is, currently, one of the best programs currently on television. The show, created by Jac Shaeffer, is a baffling and insane combination of humor, nostalgia, a little sci-fi, a pinch of a thriller, and about a thousand other things. Both Elizabeth Olsen and Kathryn Hahn deserve Emmys for the work that they’re doing and if this is the leadoff hitter for the Marvel/Disney+ television relationship, I look forward to seeing what’s going to come next.

With their two hit shows, this and a little thing you may have heard of called The Mandalorian, Disney+ has shown that they are not just around for nostalgia or so that my wife can put on a childhood favorite to help her fall asleep; they are trying to create content just as good as any of the streaming services or networks. And while The Mandalorian is probably the show I would rather watch, I think WandaVision (at least so far) is probably the better show.

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Music/Movies, Pop Culture

Ghost In The Machine: a review of Taylor Swift’s “folklore”

July 30, 2020July 30, 2020by Matt Drufke2 Comments

Sitting in her log cabin and throwing another log on the fire (although it’s June), a quarantined Taylor Swift looks out her window and sees, chiseled in stone, the all too famous monument which is the Mount Rushmore of current pop music. Swift sees her own face, and why wouldn’t she? She smiles as she thinks about all of her amazing accomplishments. Sure, her fans would say she may not have as many Grammys as she should, but the proof is in the proverbial pudding: Taylor Swift sells records.

As she looks at the other faces carved into rock, Swift cannot help but think of her relationship with every member on the mount. Next to her is Beyoncé, the undeniable queen of this century. Yet, the relationship between Taylor and the true Child of Destiny has never been contentious; truly, game has recognized game. To Beyoncé’s right is Drake, a person who has had a similar career arc to Swift. Each dominated their original genre until pop music had no choice but to give them the respect they deserved. Next to Drake is an interesting situation, as construction crews are fervently dynamiting Kanye West’s face off this hallowed monument.

Taylor allows herself a brief smile before turning away from her window, heading to her music room where her piano and guitar sat, and began to get to work.

From these sessions, folklore was born.

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Music/Movies

Fancy Boys Stays Home With The Movies: Palm Springs

July 13, 2020by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment

With movie theaters closed, many studios have decided to release current-run movies out for streaming and download. I caught up with the newest romantic comedy available on Hulu.

If living in the time of COVID-19 has taught us anything, it is that time is, truly, a construct. All it took was a sledgehammer to people’s everyday routines to have them completely unsure of what clocks and calendars even mean. We have gone from the age of, “I hate Mondays!” to “Is it even Monday?” to “Dude… what even IS Monday?” And we did it in the span of about four weeks.

Remarkably, Palm Springs is the perfect movie for this time in our society.

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Music/Movies, Pop Culture

Fancy Boys Stays Home With The Movies: Irresistible

July 7, 2020by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment

With movie theaters closed, many studios have decided to release current-run movies out for streaming and download. I caught up with the second film from comedian/writer/director Jon Stewart

When Jon Stewart’s career is long gone, he will be known for two things: comedy and politics. During his run on The Daily Show, Stewart redefined what political humor and satire could mean to a populous. Young voters trusted him, a fake newsman, more than actual news anchors. So much of this was because of his passion: he cared not just about crafting the best possible joke, but the best possible argument.

It’s why my hopes for Irresistable, Stewart’s second film as a writer/director, were so high. It’s also why I was so disappointed by the final product: a scattershot bleh of a film which spends most of its’ time feeling lost and never finding out what it’s trying to be or who its’ characters are.

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Music/Movies

Fancy Boys Stays Home With The Movies: The Hunt

March 25, 2020March 25, 2020by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment

With movie theaters closed, many studios have decided to release current-run movies out for streaming and download. I caught up with Blumhouse Productions’ latest film.

This might be giving the review away, but I’m just gonna lead off with this: for all of the people who furious about Craig Zobel’s The Hunt, specifically those upset with it’s premise of violence against conservatives, y’all done fucked up. Instead of trying to get the film banned (it had been shelved of it’s August 2019 date), you should have just let it come out into theaters, where it would have not done well, and then you could have claimed victory of the liberal elites trying to push their wishful thinking down your throats… or whatever.

And The Hunt would have failed. But not for it’s politics. It’s just not all that great.

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Music/Movies

Fancy Boys Stays Home With The Movies: Onward

March 23, 2020by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment

With movie theaters closed, many studios have decided to release current-run movies out for streaming and download. I caught up with Pixar’s 22nd film.

Pixar has always excelled at two different film structures. The first is when they bring out the magnificent in the mundane: toys that come to life when no one is watching, a world existing entirely of cars, a restaurant which gets the help from a rat.

The second type of structure, when Pixar brings the mundane to the magnificent, is what drives the concept of Onward, it’s latest film which is just a delight and a wonderful film to gather the family around a television to check out.

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Music/Movies

Fancy Boys Go To The Movies: Birds Of Prey

February 13, 2020February 13, 2020by Matt Drufke1 Comment

At a cursory glance, Birds Of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) has a lot going for it, besides the exhausting title. It is the second DCEU to feature a female lead and the second film in DC Comic’s rocky film history to have a female director (Cathy Yan). Margot Robbie reprises her role as Harley Quinn, and she was one of the few positives of the very not-good Suicide Squad. Most importantly, this film takes place in Gotham City and features absolutely zero nipples on a Batman costume.

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