Gonna miss you, Mom & Dad.

But there were plenty of things from 2025 to celebrate as well, and I know my parents would not want me to dwell on the heartbreak without pointing out all the fun things that happened that they so loved to hear about:

• In January we went on a 5 day Disney Cruise, and brought the girls on their first visit to Disney World. It was genuinely magical and we had an exceptionally fun time.

• In March I performed in the Jimmy Buffett role for a Jimmy Buffett tribute concert with my brother in law at the Croswell Opera House in Adrian, MI. I didn’t really know what to expect going into it, but I had such a fun time crashing with my sister and brother in law and putting on that show.

• In April, we took a part business part vacation trip to Portugal over the girls’ Spring Break. It was a delicious and wonderful time.

• In June, I was back on stage at Civic, this time playing the role of Cal in Waitress. It was such a meaningful show, and I feel like I made a whole new group of friends as well that were a wonderfully warm and safe space for all the loss I would later experience.

• Didn’t make much progress on my new Foster album, but I did write several new tunes, and am very much pushing to make this happen in 2026. Here’s hoping! I’d really like to make a different update on my year in review post some day.
• But along those lines, kept playing with Garbage Angel, which continues to be a blast (played our first wedding this year!)

• Spent loads of time with friends, got closer to my sister than I’ve probably been in my whole life (turns out she’s really awesome), cooked, gardened, gigged, stressed out a LOT, cried a lot more, dreamed, watched my kids do amazing things with a thankful smile on my face while simultaneously struggling and thriving with parenting, and fell even deeper in love with Corinne.
• I’m sure there’s plenty I’m forgetting, both good and bad. There’s a lot of ways in which I’m happy to bid 2025 adieu, but there’s a lot of things I don’t want to forget. Might just be the way years go from here, so I’ll keep putting one foot in front of the other and being myself, reflecting all the gifts and annoyances my parents gave me in hopes that allows them to live on in me.

But before letting this year go, I’ll do my usual media wrap up as well!

Here’s links to my previous 20 years:

2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005

Top 5 Albums

1. The Midnight – Syndicate

As I had mentioned last year, when I put their album Monsters as my #2 album, my friend Joey introduced me to these guys, and I was excited when I spotted a new album coming out. It is a delicious, mysterious, sci-fi-ish version of the 80s that I never actually experienced, but just want to sit in forever. As I texted Joey while listening – “I want to live in this saxophone.”

2. Sam Fender – People Watching

This was a discovery through the podcast Song Exploder, and I just fell in love with this album. It’s like a mixture of The War on Drugs, Frightened Rabbit, and maybe some Mumford and Sons in there? Regardless, it is catchy, full of heart, unexpected, and just a great listen front to back.

3. Jack Garratt – Pillars

Given how much I loved his previous two albums, I was obviously very excited for a new one. I first listened to this album the week that we knew Dad was going to pass, and the first track of this album just repeats the refrain:
It’ll all be alright in the end
It’ll all be alright in the end
So don’t try to fight it, friend
Cuz if it ain’t alright, it just ain’t the end

And that’s how I found myself crying in a coffeeshop on my own that afternoon. This album overall isn’t as “holy crap this is amazing” as his last couple (especially Love, Death, and Dancing) were, but still a lot to enjoy.

4. Petey USA – The Yips

Calin introduced me to Petey a few years ago, and he just keeps releasing music, and it keeps just being great. He made my top 5 a couple years ago too, and this album was a no brainer top 5 as well. Both poignant, and catchy, and rockin, and just a little bit of everything.

5a. The Maine – The Maine

The next few spots here I’ve decided to dedicate to 4 different albums that didn’t technically come out this past year, but would have absolutely made my top 5 lists had I heard them in time, as I absolutely adore all of these albums. We’ll start with The Maine, who continue to release just deliciously produced catchy wonderful rock tunes. The girls got tired of me always putting on the song blame (on our mix below), but they grew to love it too.

5b. Smallpools – Ghost Town Road

Lovetap! is one of my favorite albums of the last several years (made the top 5 of my 2010s Decade in Review after all), and I was so disappointed that I didn’t realize this album had come out, until I saw Jake’s 2024 in review, so I jumped on this right away, and man do I love this album. Swayze is like an 80s workout video (in the best possible way), and the hits just keep coming all the way to Be Kind, Rewind that closes the album. Night Shift was one of Avery’s favorite tunes of the year, which is why it made our mix below as well.

5c. Lawrence – Family Business

I had heard of Lawrence, but hadn’t really listened until (again) Jake’s 2024 review, and hot damn, this band is so fantastic. I would love it if they were well known enough for the wedding band that I’m in to ever play any of their tunes, because I’m pretty sure Hip Replacement is one of the best songs ever written and should be a wedding dance floor standard.

5d. Neon Trees – Sink Your Teeth

Every single song by Neon Trees essentially boils down to “you’re so bad for me, but I’m so attracted to you and I can’t help myself”. And I just can’t get enough. They write such perfect pop rock tunes that you can’t sit still for. Though I really wish they would just get over whoever this person is that seems to inspire every song so that maybe they could have lyrics about something else someday.

honorable mentions

Jukebox, the Ghost – Phantasmagorical Vol. 1, Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving, Motion City Soundtrack – The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World, Hot Mulligan – The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still, dreamfone – postMANIC, Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH, Lorde – Virgin, Sleep Token – Even in Arcadia, JOSEPH – The Sun

Theme Song of the Year

Me: Swayze – Smallpools
Corinne: If I had A – So Good
Avery: Hip Replacement – Lawrence
Margot: Darkside – Neoni

Top Albums I Should Have Been into Earlier

I covered most of them in my top “5” above, but I’ll give a shoutout here to Japandroids – Fate & Alcohol as well. Love those guys, and sad I missed that one when it came out in 2024.

Favorite Movies

Reminder that you can follow me on Letterboxd (username fosterthemorgan).

My top two movies of the year were definitely Sinners and Weapons, with One Battle After Another in a close third. Other notable films, according to my Letterboxd ratings:

Train Dreams
Zootopia 2
Frankenstein
Oddity
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Exhuma
In a Violent Nature
V/H/S Beyond
Friendship
K-Pop Demon Hunters

Worst Movie of the Year

As usual, with following along with How Did This Get Made, I watched many terrible movies. There were some good candidates this year: Mufasa (which we watched on the Disney Cruise), The Marvels, Venom: The Last Dance, Passion Play, Werewolves, but the worst one according to my Letterboxd ranking:

Megalopolis

Here was my review on Letterboxd: What the f*** was this? It feels like it’s written by a high schooler who is reveling far too much in how intelligent and artistic he feels like he is and then cast himself as the Adam Driver role. I’m not saying I was that high schooler, but I’m not not saying that.

Favorite TV Shows

I need a Letterboxd type thing but for TV Shows, as I can never actually remember what I watched. I do know that there were two very fun well done shows (I thought) playing on existing IP in my first two that I list here:

It: Welcome to Derry
Alien Earth
Dark
Andor (Season 2)
The Chair Company

Favorite New (to me) Podcast

I got caught up enough that I was finally able to listen to some new (to me) podcasts this year, and a couple that stuck out were:

Good Christian Fun

A very fun critique and cringey celebration of all the Christian Pop Culture stuff from the 90s and beyond presented by people who were very much part of it.

Wisecrack

A fascinating true crime mixed with stand up comedy story. Only 6 episodes, so a pretty quick listen, and very compelling and fascinating.

The 2025 MCAM (Morgan, Corinne, Avery, Margot) Mix

Not sure if this will work well but here’s the Apple Music Share Link for the mix. I’m happy to burn you a CD if you shoot me an email. Maybe I’ll even figure out how to turn this into a genuine cassette mix tape. Some real bangers this year.

1: Hillbilly Hymn (Okra & Cigarettes) – Nathan Evans Fox

Just an incredible song reflecting a really broken year:

I’m praying for the mighty to fall
else ain’t no use in prayer at all

2: Still Bad – Lizzo

He gonna hate to see me leave, but love to watch me walk away.

3: Swayze – Smallpools

Like I said before, it’s like an 80s work out song in the best possible way.

4: Secret – Neon Trees

Just a catchy perfect pop rock song.

5: Hip Replacement – Lawrence

Genuinely one of the best songs maybe ever? Chef’s kiss

6: drunk & venting – dreamfone

They really ride the line between being wonderfully honestly emotional and eye rolling annoying, but this song sits in that perfect “sad sap” spot. “So many hearts broken at the bar, but there’s nobody that’s drunker than me.” Respect.

7: Chicago – Japandroids

Sorry baby, we call it like we see it in Chicago.

8: The Sun – JOSEPH

Some fantastic lines in this song:
“I thought I was a light switch you turned on, but I am the sun”
“Feeling good doesn’t feel bad anymore”

9: Clothes Off – aleksiah

Oddly enough, the 9th track on last year’s mix was 24 by aleksiah. This song blew me away. Such an honest take on discomfort with your own body and sexuality and the struggle that comes with that, all wrapped up in a delicious pop song.

10: Catherine Wheel – Jack Garratt

This was definitely the most Jack Garratt-y song on his new album in the way he just keeps creating new awesome hooks, using them once, and moving on.

11: Night Shift – Smallpools

Avery insisted on this song being on the mix this year too, and it didn’t take much of a fight.

12: Sophie’s House – half•alive

Really fun tune from a catchy summery vibes band.

13: Man I Need – Olivia Dean

Tasty pop tune from a new artist to me, but then all of the sudden she was on SNL and I was like “oh dang, she a big deal apparently”

14: The Right Way – The Midnight

I love the celebration of the idea of being broken hearted but in the right way. Some real Morgan type chord progressions in this tune.

15: Manifest/It’ll Be Alright in the End – Jack Garratt

THE FAMILY SECTION (in which each family member picks one song)

16: lovely – Billie Eilish & Khalid (Avery’s pick)

A decompressing song Avery would always listen to after play rehearsal (when she was in Polka Dots).

17: How it’s Done – K Pop Demon Hunters (Margot’s Pick)

Obviously some song from this had to make its way onto the mix this year.

18: Summertime Sadness – Lana Del Ray (Corinne’s Pick)

Not sure I had even heard this song before she picked it for her spot.

19: RUMBLE – Paledusk (Morgan’s Pick)

This bananas Japanese metal band continues to perplex and delight. This song is such utter chaos and then ends with a closing credits type refrain. Wild stuff that only I have the stomach for in this family.

20: Heavy Foot – Mon Rovîa

Heard this song on TikTok, and I fell in love with it. Powerful, wonderful stuff.
Do you see the man on the street just fight for a meal to eat?
You can write him off as a lunatic, but it could have been you or me.

21: blame – The Maine

The constant changing hooks in the chorus of this song are such a blast.

22: Crying on the Dancefloor – Dayglow

Super cozy synth jam that feels like it shades toward almost electro lounge.

23: The Milkman – Petey USA

This is what it feels like to not feel anything.

24: WAKE UP – Out in Front

Discovered this band pretty late in the year, but they’re like early Paramore, and I am here for it.

25: Wild Long Lie – Sam Fender

When the sax kicks in towards the end of this song, it makes you want this already 6 minute song to go on for another 5.

26: Fatal Obsession – The Midnight

Speaking of saxophone, this song is like a tribute to the 80s style sax, and it is just incredible. The whole song is basically one chord progression with a sax solo, and it could go on for another 3 or 4 minutes for all I’m concerned.

27: ok getting older – corook

A really heartfelt, sad, but beautiful closing track. Hit me in all the feels as I listened to this around losing my parents.

==================================

Whew, well that was definitely a full and long year. I’ve said in past years that they were real roller coasters, and this one topped all of them, mostly in the low parts. I’m not sure how I will look back at this year, and I’ll probably spend the next several years figuring that out. In the meantime, I’ve definitely got a lot of catchy and comforting tunes on our mix to keep me company, and to keep using the gifts my parents gave me to create and delight. Here’s hoping 2026 has more to celebrate and less to mourn.

Cheers!

You can see them sitting in front
They never miss a chance to say what they think about what I say
They’re at every show
Never missing a chance to point out that I don’t mean to say what I say

She laughs when he falls
Into a boat or out of a church
Or pouring iodine all over his shirt
Or like the time he threw the Christmas card in the fire
Or dropped my sister on her head, which explains a lot
Watching hockey, no less, if I heard it right

Join my mother father fan club
I’ve been a member since 80

Mother knows best, no matter what
In an argument, she’ll never quite
But if it’s during West Wing you may as well forget
You can trust information that she shares
Except directions to anywhere
Or any scores of Cubs, Hawks, and Bears

It’s my Mother Father Fan Club
I’ve been a member since 80
Come join my Mother Father Fan Club
You’ll find the in the front row laughing at me

So just how lucky can I be
I got these crazy people to call my Ps
I wouldn’t trade it for nothing, except maybe cheese
I’m just kidding, I love them so much
I could write more about it, but it’d probably suck
Now here’s a random bridge to make the song seem longer

La la la la la, la la la la la
Now here’s my brother in law
Everybody!

Join my Mother Father Fan Club
I’ve been a member since 80
It’s my Mother Father Fan Club
She made me write this song in 2003

I used to watch him picking along
To the hits of John Prine and Joan Baez
And though we come from different times
I still listen to everything he says
Though I don’t always follow it

On a stool with his fishing hat on
He’s the spitting image of Burl Ives
Though his fingers don’t move like they used to
You can still see it in his eyes
And I see it in my own eyes

Turns out I’m like my old man
Cell phone in my pocket and a six string in my hand
I’m proud to call him my old man
And all I can say
Is thank you for making me me

We’ve both had our ups and downs
Becoming things we didn’t want to be
But we’ll still get a laugh now and then
Because there’s more to him than what you see
and I feel it inside of me

Turns out I’m like my old man
Tripping and a falling but I still know how to land
I’m proud to call him my old man
And all I can say
Is thank you for making me me

[Speaking verse]

Turns out I’m like my old man
I may not be the best but I’ll still give all I can
I’m proud to call him my old man
And all I can think to say
Is thank you for making me me

I could probably just skip it entirely, but my completionist mind set will never forgive me if there’s a missing year when I look back at a full 20 year span of my reviews, which believe it or not, this is in fact my 20th year in review. *airhorn*

So much like how 2023 was colored by dealing with Condo BS, 2024 was pretty quickly made better by the selling of the condo. There were other stressful things to deal with in 2024, mainly my parents’ ailing health, but not having the condo hanging over our head was a blessing that I don’t ever want to forget.

I had said for a couple years that some big changes were coming potentially the next year. 2024 finally brought some of that, starting with the condo being sold, but the other big change was that I started a company (or rather, acquired/split off a company) called Deep Roots Hosting. It’s basically the same work I’ve been doing for a while now, but it’s taken on a deeper meaning and responsibility, now that I’m part owner of the company. It’s been exciting to be on this side of it, although my responsibilities didn’t really change much, which was an odd transition.

Other highlights from 2024:

• I was the character of Donnie Kirshner in Beautiful at Civic Theatre, and Avery was the lead character in the play One is Silver and the Other’s Gold as part of Civic Theatre’s Ten for All one act play festival. There was definitely some really wonderful theatre community moments all throughout 2024 that has made me really glad to have my biological family all wrapped up in this chosen theatre family.
• Saw the total solar eclipse along the river in Toledo, Ohio after a super fun vacation/trip with our friends the Hoke family and David Ellens.
• Avery finished up 3rd grade and started 4th grade, while Margot finished up 1st grade and started 2nd grade. The days are long, but the years are short.
• Had the bougiest fancy boy birthday ever by staying at the Waldorf Astoria in Chicago and eating at Alinea. It was all incredible, and I still dream about it.
• Celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Common Shiner Social Mediasochist video at Horrorcon in Los Angeles.
• Had cocktails with so many amazing friends in my life, several weekend trips involving brewery lunches with my family, coached Avery in their flag football league, laughed a lot, gigged a lot (both weddings and Garbage Angel), achieved a lot, beat myself up for not achieving more, cried, cooked, worried, gardened, and loved. All in all, a pretty full year.

Looking back on my 2023 review, one thing that will continue is my lack of progress on a new album, but spoiler alert, progress is finally being made in 2025. So in my next year in review, hopefully I’ll have plenty to say about that! But I’ll leave that spoiler free for now.

Not sure if anyone will care about this, but again, my completionist mind is such that I have to do this. So as I always do, let’s sum up my favorite media from 2024 before I forget all of it!

Here’s links to my previous 19 years:

2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005

Top 5 Albums

1. Bring Me the Horizon – POST HUMAN: NeX GEn

There’s a lot more dark emo pop-punk on this album than the heavier metal of their last album, and while some of the lyrics certainly border on eyeroll-y emo, I just can’t get enough of this album. It’s such an amazing combination of screamy angst, ridiculously catchy hooks, and utter heavy metal electronic chaos. Love it.

2. The Midnight – Monsters

My friend Joey turned me onto this band, and I immediately just fell into a content nostalgic groove with this album. It’s like living in the soundtrack of an 80s sci fi movie in the best possible way. This album was actually almost 4 years old when I finally listened to it, but I figured screw it, it’s making the top 5 this year.

3. Aleksiah – Who Are You When You’re Not Performing?

Pretty sure I first heard of her when hearing the song 24 on TikTok of all places, and it was just such a delicious hook of a song, I figured I’d give the whole album a listen, and it did not disappoint. Heartfelt, and wiser than her years, but with so many catchy hooks all throughout. Spoiler alert, she’s likely gonna be appearing on the 2025 mix as well.

4. Great Good Fine Ok – Exist

Like GGFO tends to do, I heard most of this album a full year before this came out, because they released everything as singles. But Breathing and Blame, the first two tracks on this album, are just undeniably great, so since I continue to love these guys so much, I wanted to reward them on the list.

5. Unleash the Archers – Phantoma

Handful of albums could have gone here, but I’ve so genuinely enjoyed Unleash the Archers over the last 4 years or so, that I wanted to reward them here. While this album is certainly quite a step down from their 2020 album Abyss, it’s still just epic sword metal that is endlessly entertaining to me.

honorable mentions

Frank Turner – Undefeated, Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us, Remi Wolf – Big Ideas, NOTHING MORE – Carnal, Savoire Adore – Savoire Adore, Lizzy McAlpine – Older

Theme Song of the Year

Me: Dance with Somebody – The Midnight
Corinne: The Seed – AURORA
Avery: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger – Far Out (remix)
Margot: Flame – KATSEYE & Purple Girl (I’m Psycho) – EnchantedMob

Top Bands I Should Have Been into Earlier

Everything Everything – Very fun indie band who has a ton of albums that are really fun.
The Midnight – Decided to just list them in my top 5, even though the album is older, but it felt like I’ve known it forever already.

Favorite Movies

Reminder that you can follow me on Letterboxd (username fosterthemorgan). Here’s my top rated from the year:

Wicked
The Substance
Woman of the Hour
Hundreds of Beavers
Late Night with the Devil
A Quiet Place: Day One
Alien: Romulus
Godzilla Minus One
Dune: Part Two
Deadpool & Wolverine

Worst Movie of the Year

As usual, with following along with How Did This Get Made, I watched many terrible movies. Worst one according to my Letterboxd ranking:

Fifty Shades Darker

Here was my review on Letterboxd: Woof What a stupid waste of time. Everything interesting that is introduced is resolved immediately, and almost nothing actually happens. The sex scenes continue to be totally uninteresting but if they weren’t in the movie, you’d think this was a high school drama

Favorite TV Shows

Corinne and I watched several shows, but I did a poor job of tracking my favorites throughout the year. A few that come to mind now:

The Bear (Season 3)
Fallout
Shogun
What we do in the Shadows (Season 6)

Favorite Podcast

I think the new (to me) podcast that I got into the most over 2024 was:

60 Songs that Explain the 90s

Rob Harvilla is just an exceptionally clever writer, and writes so well for his own voice. Each episode is like an essay about a given song/band/time in music, and it’s just a wonderful podcast.

The 2024 MCAM (Morgan, Corinne, Avery, Margot) Mix

1: All Ur Luv (feat. Toro y Moi) – Madeon

Just give me all……

2: Cure for Me – AURORA

An Avery find, but one we all enjoyed jamming along to.

3: blankets – corook

Such a sexy catchy cute tune.

4: I Feel So Good – Jukebox the Ghost

Sweet catchy tune about love and growing up and crap.

5: HOT TO GO! – Chappell Roan

Obviously.

6: I’m the President – KNOWER

Jazzy, funky, catchy, this song has it all.

7: Famous on the Internet – Young Rising Sons

Catchy rocky poppy tune. I’m a sucker for these.

8: Good Journey – The Forecast

Did my heart good to see The Forecast come back out with some music in 2024, and it was just that same catchy rock with big heart that it was before.

9: 24 – aleksiah

So catchy, so heart felt. aleksiah knows how to tug my heart strings.

10: Stop Talking – Motion City Soundtrack

Speaking of old bands of mine that came out with new music in 2024, this song came out of nowhere, and is just deliciously Motion City Soundtrack.

11: Gods in Decay – Unleash the Archers

As you listen to this, you’ll suddenly be wearing a viking helmet. I can’t explain it.

12: Kool-Aid – Bring me the Horizon

No one in my family other than me really listened to this one, but the electronica combined with the metal in this song is incredible, and has one of the best break down moments ever.

13: Dance with Somebody – The Midnight

So wonderfully synth-y 80s, but from like a version of the 80s that was exclusively in sci fi movies. Makes me nostalgic for a time I never actually experienced.

14: Cheerleader – Porter Robinson

I was so excited for the new Porter Robinson album, but to be honest, it was a little disappointing. Still had some trademark fun poppy stuff like this one.

15: Soup – Remi Wolf

The lyric is “I don’t want to live without you” and Avery consistently would sing “I don’t want to live without soup” which of course made everyone laugh.

16: Trump Trailers – Jesse Welles

If Trump was born in the trailer park, he’d have a big ol’ dog with a big ol’ bark, and a little bite in a single wide and he’d tell everybody that it was a double.

17: Sure Enough – Two Door Cinema Club

Also a random single out of a band I’ve always loved, and man does this song rule.

18: Kiss – Savoir Adore

Didn’t love this last album as much as the previous one, but still some really lovely tunes like this one.

19: RADIO – Millington

Maybe some day punk/ska songs won’t work for me anymore, but today is not that day. This song is great.

20: The Elevator – Lizzy McAlpine

Another album that I was very excited about, given how much I loved her previous album, but was a little disappointed by. However, this tune and moment in the album is just gorgeous.

21: Defying Gravity – Wicked: The Soundtrack

Real slice in time here, but a song that was played in the car MANY times.

22: Euclid – Sleep Token

I’ve said that I can picture this song being in a pretty modern musical, and I want to be in that show so badly. Love the drama and dynamics.

==================================

It’s so far into 2025 now, that 2024 feels SO long ago, but that’s my fault. Nevertheless, another year in the books, and while some really good things happened in 2024, here’s to 2025 being even better. At the very least, I’ll listen to stuff and watch stuff and tell you about it.

Cheers!