S3 Ep. 7- July

 Welcome back to Thrak Attack! What's your adventure? This month took us to a bunch of different musical landscapes, 2 movies AT the theater, and some new and returning TV shows. Also full disclosure, I am meaning to see "The Green Knight" with Dev Patel but haven't gotten around to it due to both that and Jungle Cruise releasing the last weekend of the month. So it won't be reflected on this list but it may be reflected at the end of the year Top 10 lists! So with all of that out of the way let's jump right into our Top 10 adventures in the month of July!

10. "Gold Diggers Sound" by Leon Bridges is a fine album. He is such a talented and timeless artist that I can't help but enjoy this album but this time around, a little bit of the shine has worn off. After hearing "River" and "Beyond" these tracks are a little bit stale. The standout tracks on this album are "Magnolias", "Motorbike", and "Details". 

9. Schmigadoon! is such a fun new show on Apple TV+. It stars Cecily Strong and Keegan Michael Key and pays homage to the musicals of yesteryear. Both of the leads are hilarious, strong characters, and play their fish out of water roles perfectly. My issue is that the plot is pretty basic and some of the content of the songs is a little cringe but otherwise I am enjoying it! I am excited to see how this story unfolds and how these two get out of Schmigadoon!

8. "Happier Than Ever" by Billie Eillish is a fine album by a fine artist. I do not think Billie is changing the dynamic and flipping genres on their heads. People act like she is the greatest thing to happen to modern music since the Beatles and she's not. What she is is a talented songwriter with tunes like "Getting Older", "Lost Cause", and the title track "Happier Than Ever" mixed with her brother's fantastic productions. I think Billie is talented but I think she is just the face of her brother's genius. 

7. Monster Hunter Stories 2: The Wings of Ruin is what happens when you mix two of the most commercially successful Japanese video game series into one. You have the world, creatures, and technicality of Monster Hunter mixed with the gameplay and charm of Pokemon. This is what Pokemon should be like 2021 but instead we got Monster Hunter Stories... which I'm fine with. 

6. Pokemon Unite is a free to play game on the Nintendo Switch and soon to be on mobile devices. If Pokemon and League of Legends had a baby, this would be the game. It's fun, repetitive, addicting, and strategic. I really enjoy this game and am excited to see what will be added in the future!

5. Black Widow is finally here after 2 years of waiting. It's worth the wait as a film but as an MCU film it lacks a few things. I really enjoyed the brutal combat, the new characters introduced, and references to other films but those are all references from 2016... It's been 5 years! I hope this film does get better with age as we move deeper into phase 4! 

4. "Hotel Surrender" by Chet Faker is one groove after the next! I was skeptical of this album at first but as I continued listening to it, I grew to enjoy it. The only reason why it's not higher up on the list is because it's two best tracks "Get High" and "Low" were actually released on an EP last year. So... that kinda takes away the impact of the album. 

3. Ted Lasso (season 2) is only two episodes in but is already making its way to the be the best show of the year. Last year's breakout hit is up for round 2 and is starting with a bang! I can see the threads of this team unravelling already and hopefully our fearless leader can sew it back together! I am excited to see where the show goes from here! You can find the show on Apple TV+.

2. The Jungle Cruise is a fantastic action adventure film with an amazing cast! The two leads (Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt) are backed by a wonderful supporting cast, setting, and story that actually gave me a few shocked moments! I think this is a great edition to the "Ride to Movie" category that pays homage to original attraction but also expanding it's story and lore. Hopefully we will see the "Explorer's Society" in a Disney Park's cinematic universe?

1. Loki on Disney+ is giving WandaVision a run for it's money. The finale left most everyone watching completely speechless as we chart new waters in the MCU. I loved the characters in this show, the plot was a bit jumbled at times but since time and reality were shifting throughout this show I give it a pass. The final episode, while being mostly dialogue, is actually one of the most well acted in the entire MCU. I can't wait for season 2 and for what's next in the MCU.