Curious what notable personalities in the scene think was great this year? So is TGEFM! So we reached out to some of our favorite luminaries ranging from musicians, label personnel, and more for their “Best of 2023” lists. Now, listen: TGEFM is not a taskmistress. Contributors can write these out however they want. So if it doesn’t actually look or read like a list… and sometimes it really is just a list with no other observations! Who cares?
New York’s Bad Mary brought their distinctive fun-filled sound to the masses with the release of an EP of all-new material Trash And Glamour in 2023. They can be heard regularly on Little Steven’s Underground Garage on SiriusXM, and you can catch their weekly live stream on Facebook, YouTube, Patreon, and Twitch. In 2024 they plan to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of their first album Better Days with the release of re-recorded and remixed versions of the songs, the Better(er) Days EP. Amanda Mac and her husband/bandmate Mike Staub joined us to share their favorite cartoons and video games of the year.
Watch their videos here.
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Best of 2023- Cartoons that go best with LOUD MUSIC! (that we watched)
From Bad Mary’s Amanda Mac.
Hey Friends! Not sure if you knew this about is, but we LOVE animation. Cartoons, Anime, stop-motion, puppets, CG – no matter what it is we’re suckers for it. So here are some of our favorite cartoons of the year that go really good with LOUD MUSIC!
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off: We love pretty much every thing “Scott Pilgrim”. The original comics, the movie, the video game; we’re all about all of it. When we found out that Edgar Wright was producing an anime/cartoon based on the Scott Pilgrim mythos we were super excited. It’s completely lived up to the expectations and has one of the best soundtracks we’ve ever heard in a cartoon. SUCH a good time! It’s also a HUGE twist on the character and story, so we think even the most seasoned fans will get a kick out of it.
Spider-Man – Across the Spider-Verse: We do love our superheroes here in Bad Mary, and as native New Yorkers, Spidey has always been towards the top of our lists. So how could we not love an action-packed, story driven movie with literally HUNDREDS of Spider-Folks? It’s among our favorite movies of the year and yes Spider-Punk is among our favorite of the Spider-People. Miles Morales’ story is so heartfelt and beautiful as he paves his own way across the unique multiverse of Spider-Friends. This isn’t just one of the best Animated movies of 2023, it’s one of the best MOVIES of 2023… period.
JuJutsu Kaisen Season 2 – Holy shit. Like really. If you enjoy a good, Shonen manga, JJK is the best thing happening right now. Crazy powers, colorful characters, and some of the BEST fighting in an anime we’ve ever seen. S2 gives us more backstory to some of our favorite characters and expands moving forward onto the next stages of the show. It’s also got some AMAZING opening and closing themes… like so many anime do. Crank the volume up and expand your domain!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – This movie rules. A modern retelling of the TMNT story makes you realize just how timeless the Ninja Turtles are. This movie has it all, fun, action, comedy, and adventure. A must watch for any turtles fan, but also for anyone, really. This is a perfect introduction to the Turtles, it’s a GREAT movie for loud music and yes… the turtles are FINALLY played by REAL teenagers. Amazing.
Nimona – OH YES! Nothing scratches every itch like a “science fantasy adventure comedy drama” (as Wikipedia describes Nimona). Nimona is a shapeshifter and a total badass “sidekick” who wrecks house! Also we gotta shout out our friends in The Dollyrots, because the fight scene scored to their “Because I’m Awesome” is one of the best scenes in the movie. Nimona feels so unique and original and it’s fantastic.
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead: We like a good Zombie anything, really. But in Zom 100 this anime is about a hero, Akira Tendo, who’s stuck in a soul-sucking salaryman job in Tokyo. However, the Zombie Apocalypse happens freeing him from his position and giving him a new outlook on life. Instead of panicking and being scared, Akria decides to make a “bucket list” of 100 things he wants to do before he may end up becoming a zombie. It’s fun, fast, has great action, and definitely likes to turn up the scare factor! Yeah, Akria fights a giant Zombie Shark in an aquarium… it’s a rad rocking journey that goes great with some loud Rock and Punk.
Harley Quinn S4: Oh we love everything about this Harley Quinn cartoon. Season 4 does NOT disappoint! With Harley and Ivy trying to work different lives, one as a hero and the other as the head of the Legion of Doom, S4 delivers on all ends. HQ is still a loud, in-your-face cartoon filled with foul language, grotesque violence, and enough badassery to keep the rockin’ vibe going for hours. All of this is delivered through a fun, bombastic lens of the incredibly subversive Harley Quinn. Quinn is a perfect disruptor to the superhero formula and she does it with style and tons of laughs. A MUST watch!!
Best of 2023 – Video Games
From Mike Staub, Bass Player in Bad Mary
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: This game is a wild ride of creativity, exploration, and originality. It completely changes the Zelda formula and gives the player an incredible sandbox to play in. It’s vast and seemingly endless world expands from horizon to horizon, to the pits of the “earth” to the heights of the sky. I didn’t think a game could outdo the predecessor, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but Tears is able to expand upon everything BOTW did and then some. Easily the best game of 2023.
Baldur’s Gate III: I’m a sucker for a good D&D inspired game. I’ve been an avid Dungeons & Dragons player for 20+ years and in that time many D&D games have released, but few even come close to hitting the highs of BG3. Incredible customization allows the player to craft their character down to the most intricate details. Every interaction matters as you work with the game to sculpt the world around you. Larian Studios has proven that classic Computer RPGs are still relevant in 2023 and BG3 is the finest example of this genre that I’ve played in decades.
Resident Evil 4 (Remake): I love a good zombie game. RE4 originally released in 2005 right before the beginning of my second semester of my first year of college. I felt like in 2005 RE4 was one of the best game ever made and it’s remake found a way to make it even better. Every update Capcom has made for the RE4 Remake has been handled with the utmost care, crafting a remake that is both incredible respectful to its original but also incredibly modern. Easily one of the best of 2023
Super Mario Bros Wonder: I didn’t love the “NEW” Super Mario Bros. games. I thought they were serviceable 2D platformers that sort of delivered heavily on nostalgia and little else. They were solid, sold well, and resonated with people, but I often found them somewhat uninspired. Now in 2023 after 11 years without a new 2D Mario game, Super Mario Bros. Wonder has delivered something that is such a refreshing and original take on the standard Mario format. It’s truly imaginable as it uses our expectations to bait us into an odd and distorted Mario reality. The inclusion of the “wonder flower” has made Wonder such a unique experience. On one hand it’s some of the best 2D Mario platforming in 30 years; on the other, it’s delivering something so different and new and fresh while still being in the same vein as the classics. It’s got every right to stand alongside Super Mario World and Super Mario Bros. 3 as the best 2D platformers of all time as wonder does exactly what it suggests, it creates a world of “Wonder”.
Street Fighter 6: I think the best games in the modern gaming industry are games that take tried-and-true concepts but recreate them in a modern context. SF6 does exactly that better than most. Coming off of a step back with SFV, Capcom has made one of the best fighting games in recent memory with Street Fighter 6. It’s accessible, fun, tight, and original; even if it includes some of our favorite world warriors of the past 30 years. It’s an incredible time and one of the most fun games to play online right now. I can’t wait to see what SF6 continues to bring our way in the future.
Honorable Mentions: Final Fantasy XVI, Spider-Man 2, Hi-Fi Rush, Fire Emblem Engage, Sea of Stars, Metroid Prime Remastered
