Media Diet
09/05/2018
Jason Kottke does these posts where he lists all the stuff he's been reading or watching or whatever. Normally I would do this sort of thing on Twitter but I've been avoiding that and feeling much better lately. I have been missing this outlet though, so have a completely self indulgent, and probably one-time post about what I've been playing, watching, listening to and reading recently. I'm not grading mine, though - this is all A+ stuff.
God of War
I feel like I blasted through this game very quickly. I don't usually have time to complete games, but I was making time for this. We may have also got a new TV for it. The development of Kratos and Atreyus' relationship was very well done, if a little generic, and the fusion of Norse and Greek mythology was very intriguing, as someone with no knowledge of either.
Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze
I have a soft spot for DK games, but missed this on the Wii U because my Wii U died and I was probably busy playing Mario Kart. DK always has great platforming. Dixie Kong for life.
Oddmar
This is a delightful platformer in the same vein as the brilliant new Rayman games. Touchscreen controls, but not in a way that made me want to smash everything I could reach before burning my house to the ground.
Worth It
The premise is pretty simple here, but the combination of Andrew, Steven and Adam is a winner. We binged these pretty quickly, then moved onto some of the lifestyle ones. Feel free to pretend that Worth It UK doesn't exist. I was worried my skin was going to crawl off my skeleton.
PewDiePie
We've been watching a lot of PewDiePie and I have found him to be quite funny and lacking in bullshit. But something has changed recently and he's been irritating me quite a lot. I think when the whole racism thing kicked off with him, he stopped wearing his politics on his sleeve, out of self preservation, but they're still there.
Casey Neistat
I have a pretty fickle relationship with Casey. He is a master storyteller - I'm fairly certain I would watch his stories on any subject, but there are some pretty heavy caveats there. 1. he has an annoying habit of earnestly reporting on tragic current events. He seems like a sensitive guy, and I understand why he does this, but something feels quite insincere about it. 2. it feels like he makes stories at the expense of everyone around him. He's been getting a lot better recently; taking time off to spend with family, but he has a pretty old-skool-business, work-yourself-to-death work ethic that I don't like. It's obviously working well for him which is cool, but I don't love it.
Abroad in Japan
Even if you don't have any interest in Japan, you should try this. Chris Broad is an engrossing presenter, and does a brilliant job of demystifying a culture that is pretty shrouded in mystery!
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Maybe my favourite comedy. Perfect casting, and never gets old. I watch this show so much. Ask Charlotte, I watch it all the time.
Craig of the Creek
I loved this cartoon from some of the people who worked on Steven Universe. Watched them all with Tabitha and she loved it too.
The Armed - ONLY LOVE
Experimental hardcore from an incredibly consistent band. Pretty impressive given how varied their output is (if you're into this sort of thing - if you're not it'll all sound the same)
Boss Keloid - Melted on the Inch
Caught these guys at ArcTanGent and didn't love it, but this album was a pleasant surprise. A few superb hooks stand out, but the whole thing overall is very good.
møl - JORD
If there's something I've always wanted more of, it's bands doing what Deafheaven do. møl reduces that formula to super accessible pop songs you can listen to any time.
Rationale - Rationale
This guy's voice is incredible, and the album is full of amazing pop/RnB songs.
Slaves BC - Lo, and I Am Burning
Blackened hardcore nice guys making more enjoyable blackened hardcore. If you like excessively violent music: listen.
Bleachers - Gone Now
Lovely, melancholic pop songs, with insane production. Not joking, this album is perfectly produced.
N K Jemisin - The Broken Earth series
Oh my god, these books. Such a vivid, bleak future. I don't want to give anything away, but this is a brand of fantasy that I can fully get behind. It's so heavy and desperately sad in places, sometimes I have to take a break because I just can't take it any more.