#niki and scotts are my favourites <3 <3 <3

[hellenichu]

Hiya!!! My Name's Nichu!!- but i also go by Niki, Nix, or whatever honestly!! Go wild!!!

I use all pronouns, but prefer he/him online!!! But as i said, honestly I don't mind any!! <3

I'm aroace and taken :)) please keep that in mind!!

ᯓ★ My current main interest is Mcyt :)) and that contains!!:

-lifeseries

-empires smp

-rats smp

-outsiders smp

-pirates smp

-hermitcraft

And many more!! Don't be afraid to ask!! I'm also open to suggestions if you have any series(mcyt) you think I'd enjoy!!!!

I'm a BIG Scott fan!! So I've watched many series he's in- but i also like Grian&owen!! (a LOT of others too, I'm just not gonna list them cause I'd be too long!!)

I'm a small artist, but if you enjoy my art, do make sure to stick around!! I accept art requests, so don't be scared to send them into my inbox!! I'll probably do all of them one day!!

Yeah i'm a gacha kid 👍 you can see that on my youtube/tiktok mainly!! While i don't post it on tumblr/x/etc i still am one!! Woo!!

ᯓ★ ࣪ I AM A MULTI SHIPPER.

i ship characters. (C) NOT the content creators (cc's.). My content will contain shipping sometimes. I enjoy rare ships, so do request those too!!

I will try to keep my stuff properly tagged, but please let me know if i make a mistake/need to retag something!! I'd rather keep my ship posts out of the eye of cc's. :D

Some of my favourite ships!! :

-MajorWood

-ScottishBeans

-ScFwhip

-Scoey

Honestly don't have a DNI list. Just don't be weird around me?? If you do weird stuff, keep that properly tagged, and to yourself!! That's my only rule. If you make me uncomfortable, i WILL block you. ^_^

I have many accounts i use!!:

-X

-tumblr

-YouTube

-instagram

-tiktok

-bluesky

That's where i mainly post my art!! If you see any reblogs, which are not on my linked accounts, please let me know!! :( id appreciate that!!

Thats probably all but if you have any questions? Ask them!! I'm a bit shy but wanna interact with the mcyt community more!! See ya!!!

(updated as of 24/10/2024)

[chiiickpeas]

wake up babe new mcc teams just dropped

aka my ramblings about how i think the 5 announced mcc14 teams will do, based off of working out a "total team average" calculated from their past personal mcc scores, also a bit of discussion of how i think they'll do!!

psa! all my data is from the mcc wiki, all the averages were calculated on a spreadsheet i made so may be wrong from human error of typing it in. i think all the creators in mcc are wonderful and all the teams look super fun! if i say a player is “bottom tier” it means nothing about them as a person, it is purely based off of their scores in previous mccs.

saying that, my ranking of what tier players are goes as such:

top tier: averages over 2600

mid-high tier: averages about 1800-2600

low-mid tier: averages about 1200-1800

bottom tier: averages under 1200

i personally haven’t looked into anyone else’s rankings before, so these may not track with scott’s tiers or anyone on reddit’s, for example. :]

red rabbits: nihachu, tommyinnit, tubbo, vikkstar

average total: 8879.1 (niki 987.3, tommy 2462.2, tubbo 2355.8, vikk 3073.8)

this is a REALLY fun team and its definitely awesome to see vikk come back to mcc for season 2! i think this is a really balanced team; putting a high tier player, a bottom tier player & 2 high-mid tier players is a really smart move and will make for interesting dynamics! i do wonder what vikk will score (his personal best was 3643 in mcc2, which is the 7th highest anyone has ever scored) as he hasn’t competed in just over a year and since then the players have gotten super competitive and pretty tryhard-y (in the best way possible). i think this team is definitely a strong contender, definitely in the top 5 and i wouldn’t be surprised to make them see it all the way to dodgebolt.

orange ocelots: karacorvus, quig, shubble, eret

average total: 8859.1 (kara 1937.4, quig 3167.8, shelby 1935.1, eret 1818.8)

this is by far the most experienced team, with kara, quig and shelby competing in every single mcc to date and eret competing in 10. they also have 7 wins between them! quig is by far one of the best players in the tournament and the other 3 have always been super strong competitors and great teammates, so this is definitely a team to watch out for imo. i can see them in the top 3 for sure, probably even dodgebolt depending how the games go!

yellow yaks: dantdm, krtzyy, sb737, sylvee

average total: 8218.2 (dan 1940.3, dave 2788.0, sb 2066.3, sylvee 1423.6)

at the moment, this seems to be the weakest team but only by a tiny margin (scott is GOOD at making teams holy crap). dave has scored over 3000 in half of his tournaments and i would class everyone else as mid-tier. they’re all good players, don’t get me wrong! just there are stronger teams in the revealed line-up.

lime llamas: cubfan, falsesymmetry, fruitberries, rendog

average total: 8407.2 (cubfan 1697.6, false 1954.4, fruit 3166.7, rendog 1588.5)

hermits!!!! :D this team seems super fun. statistically, not a front runner, but i think they’ll do well! fruit has the 3rd highest ever score in mcc and from what i’ve seen from these other players, they’re great teammates. they also have all won mcc at least once with 6 total wins between them! they’re definitely up there for me as people who are contenders for dodgebolt.

green guardians: captainsparklez, dream, georgenotfound, quackity

average total: 9174 (captain 2442.8, dream 3089.5, george 2275.4, quackity 1366.3)

okay. i may be totally biased. but, right off the bat, this is my pick to win. this lineup is Cracked. captain, dream and george are incredibly strong players and great teammates. and that isn’t forgetting quackity! yes, he has generally scored lower than his teammates, but he’s been training and has openly said he’s prepared to sweat mcc this time. i think, with the comeback of parkour warrior and some well-coordinated battle box moves, this team is gonna be hard to knock off of the top.

in conclusion, there are some insane teams here and this isn't even including top tier players like pete, hbomb, sapnap and philza yet! mcc really depends on what games are played in what order, what games get coin multipliers etc. so take none of this as accurate predicting, im just having some fun :] im probably gonna do something like this for the next 5 teams and then come up with my personal ranking at the weekend! if u read this far thank u and feel free to ask me anything about mcc, its my favourite thing to talk about atm :D

[mihidecet]

Tibi’s MCYT WritingTober: Masterpost

Created by @theonlygamergost​ , this was a daily writing challenge centered around MCYT themes. It was a heck of a lot of fun!

Day 1: MCC Minigame

Sbi is ready for a new round of battle box, and even more ready to destroy their enemies. We win these!

Day 2: MCC Teams

This might a Scott Smajor appreciation chapter, but every day is Scott Smajor appreciation day.

Day 3: Training

Techno needs to train in order to win his duel with Dream. Calvin is more than glad to help out.

Day 4: MCU

The Techno - Calvin - Nestorio team was impeccable. Good vibes, extremely OP, incredibly funny. Also, a lot of money raised for charity.

Day 5: Arrow A look throught Hbomb’s eyes as he wins yet another MCC - he’s just too good, we cannot deny it.

Day 6: MCM team

The Schlatt and Techno team will stay forever in my heart.

Day 7: MCM moment

Phil and Techno have a moment of rest while on the battlefield. Who knew they would have bonded so much.

Day 8: In the End

(Dream SMP AU) Schlatt loses his power. He loses what he believed were his friends, but that is just secondary (if he keeps telling himelf that, maybe it will become true)

Day 9: In the End, once more

(Dream SMP AU) Wilbur pushes the button during the festival. It’s safe to say he regrets it, but he might not realise how much yet.

Day 10: SMP Earth

It’s time for some Antartic Empire feels! You love to see it, even though Techno should be sleeping.

Day 11: SleepyBoisInc

All good sbi real life stories need a sleepover chapter. If anything, just to have them sleeping at least once.

Day 12: Fanmade AU

(SBI&CO d&d AU) Part 3 of the Tommy chapters: it’s time for family feels and bracelet building.

Day 13: Female Streamer

(Dream SMP AU) Niki’s thoughts as she leaves her hometown. While she may be scared, she is not going to bow down.

Day 14: Favourite Minecrafter

We’re Philza Minecraft stans first, humans second. AKA: a quick look into dad’s work in his hardcore world.

Day 15: Male Streamer

Fundy was supposed to be a spy. Supposed being the key word.

[strongly inspired by this]

Day 16: The Start of a series

Wilbur’s random item skyblock series fricked me up Part 1.

Day 17: The end of a series

Wilbur’s random item skyblock series fricked me up Part 2.

Day 18: Dream Team

The boys are on call, training, more or less, for MCC.

Day 19: Fanmade AU

(SBI&CO d&d AU) Hbomb has always been a survivor. Now, when one gets taken to a whole other plane of existance, one may be excused when they’re not ready to face the challenge.

Day 20: Fanmade AU

(SBI&CO d&d AU) Wilbur loses his guitar and nobody seems to be able to fix it. Meanwhile, Tommy reunites with an old friend.

Day 21: First Night

Techno has been working a lot, because that is what one has to do to survive. Skeppy is also there, but you can’t not love him.

Day 22: In the Mines

(Dream SMP AU) Fundy’s just trying to work, man, he never asked for his two paternal figure to fight over him. (this is way less dramatic than it looks)

Day 23: Fanmade AU

(SBI&CO d&d AU) Our favourite team of heroes has been sent to catch a scammer that has been plaguing the land. Little do they know, this sly fox has an angelic friend.

Day 24: Loss

(Dream SMP AU) The five stages of grief, with a twist at the end, as Schlatt realises that the people around him aren’t on his side - and maybe they never have been.

Day 25: Fanmade AU

(SBI&CO d&d AU) Calvin knows Techno, how he thinks and how he fights. After all, he taught him himself. When he meets him again, he knows what has to be done. (Spoiler Alert, it’s destroy his fame with embarassing stories)

Day 26: Creative

Because the world needs a bit of Grian appreciation. Him and his ever unfinished house <3

Day 27: Hardcore

(Dream SMP AU) Fundy knows how demons work, he’s just surprised it took him that long to realise what was going on with Schlatt.

[extended version on AO3: TW for a major character being dead, angst, demonic possession, memory loss, body horror]

Day 28: Muffin Duo

When the two of them manage to meet face-to-face, a cooking stream sounds like a perfect idea.

Day 29: A normal day

(SBI&CO d&d AU) George is a wizard, and he is not keen on being disturbed while he studies. Dream and Sapnap are very keen on disturbing.

Day 30: Stuck in a Room Together

(Dream SMP AU, sequel to Day 27) Once Fundy manages to get Schlatt back, he wants him to make things right. After all, Quackity deserves closure.

Day 31: Making a Halloween Costume Together

Tubbo & Tommy plan out their Halloween costumes, the results may surprise you.

[nho-jungle]

Okay I was going to wait until all the teams were announced but I can't wait. Favourite MCC team so far? Mine's got to be purple pandas or lime llamas because they look so op and I've got a soft spot for hermit teams - ry (p.s. also if you're still into waterparks what do you think of greatest hits so far?)

im gonna run thru my thoughts on all the teams bc !!!!!

red rabbits: i am so excited for clingyduo tormenting vikkstar. I also hope niki will b able to score a bit more than usual with proffessional cheerleader tommyinnit

orange ocelots: i dont know much abt the other members except from what ive heard in passing but eret my beloved <3

yellow yaks: again, dont rlly know much abt any of them except Mr Diamond Minecart

lime llamas: hermit team!!! wooo!!! 

green guardians: PLS CAN SPARKLEZ GET HIS WIN THIS YEAR PLS THAT IS ALL IM PRAYING FOR HE DESERVES IT SM

cyan creepers: prolly one of the most fun teams, i dont know much abt their skill level but i think they’ll b very entertaining to watch

aqua axolotls: scott smajor building himself a harem. 

blue bats: SAPNAP AND PUNZ LET’S GO BAYBEYYYYYYYYY

purple pandas: grian my beloved

pink parrots: YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

so yeah, my fav teams so far are red rabbits, green guardians, and pink parrots.

(also i have listened to some of the new waterparks stuff and numb absolutely fucks)

[demonboidies]

twenty one questions

Rules: Answer 21 questions and tag 21 people you want to know better 

Tagged by: @jooniescupcakes (thank you uwu) 

1. Nickname:  jay or domi 

2. Zodiac sign: scorpio

3. Height: 5′1″ (smh i stopped growing at 12 or smth istg) 

4. Hogwarts house: hufflepuff

5. Last thing I googled: menlo park mall shops 

6. Favourite musicians: frank ocean, billie eilish, bts, travis scott, joji, cuco, dominic fike, asap mob, niki, higher brothers, ariana grande, dpr live, and some oldies like the smiths, the police, my chemical romance, and nirvana :) 

7. Song stuck in my head: i like u by niki (im currently crushing really hard and it just hits so different lmfa)

8. Following: 210 people yay 

10. Do you get asks: like once or twice - makes me happy to see them nonetheless 

11. Amount of sleep: with school 4 or 5, and in the summer 8-10 hours lol

12. What are you wearing: sweatpants and a shirt

13. Dream Job: i would like to be something in the entertainment or fashion field, however, i have no talent asdhaklsf but i think being a psychologist would also be an amazing job to have 

15. Instruments: i dont play any but i would like to learn piano and/or violin 

16. Languages: English, fluently. everythig else i can only say some phrases - spanish, korea, japanese, Tagalog 

17. Ten favourite songs (not in order): i like u by niki - text me by dpr live - pretty girl by clairo - peach by kevin abstract - ivy by frank ocean - wish you were gay by billie eilish - the weekend by sza - lowkey by niki 

18. If you were an animal, what would you be? panther or crow 

19. Favourite food: mashed potatoes, but also korea bbq and ramen (asian food will always be top tier for me) 

20. Random Fact: im watching haikyuu atm and i love asahi and tsuki way too much (no spoilers im only on s2e2) 

21. My aesthetic: i have two lmfao - baggy shorts/sweatpants (like basketball or boy shorts), overszied shirt or hoodies, rings, chains, and dangly earrings, with chunkly sneakers, and my other aesthetic is oversized shirts, and you know those pants the eboys wear where its like slim on their legs, but cut short to show their abkles - those pants (i dont know what theyre called or categorized as) heavy boots and an oversized jacket :) 

I on’t know 21 people to tag so i’ll just say that anyone that sees this can do it!

[bookaddict24-7]

Bookaddict24-7′s July 2017 Book Wrap Up! 

I read 18 (!) books this month (6 were ebooks). Wow. This month started really badly for me because of a death in the family, so I thought I was going to be swallowed by a reading slump for the whole month (that’s mainly why I made that post about reading slumps and summer vacations). I was also on vacation for eight days and I read A LOT of fluffy contemporary novels, too. 

I’m going to try something new and just link up the titles of the books to Goodreads so you can add them to your tbr!

What did you read this month? I’d love to know!

Long post up ahead!

Changes in Latitude by Jen Malone

I read a lot of summer themed books this month and while this wasn’t a perfect read, it was a lot of fun! This was about a girl who has to go with her mom and brother on a sea trip to deliver a boat to Mexico after her parents divorced. I understand the rating on Goodreads because of how the protagonist acted in regards to some of the issues in her life, but this was light, fluffy, and quick. 

My rating: 3/5 Stars

16 Ways to Break a Heart by Lauren Strasnick 

UGH. This book is my least favourite book (so far) this year, simply because of the normalization of its problematic issues within the novel. 

I wrote a rant about this book on Goodreads here.

My rating: 1/5 Stars

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch 

Welch’s novel follows a teenaged girl who moves to Italy to live with her dad after her mom’s death. There she has Italian adventures inspired by her mom’s journal and meets a cute American Italian boy.

I loved this book. It was summer in the form of pages and letters. This GIF basically explains the summer vibe of this book (also, I just really like this GIF): 

My rating: 5/5 Stars

The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland

Greenland’s novel was about a girl who comes from a wealthy and very pre-set life and is invited to spend the first half of the summer with her aunt at her bed & breakfast.  

I wrote a mini review on Goodreads here. It was a very summery read!

My rating: 3/5 Stars

The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles

Here’s another book that I was extremely disappointed with. I don’t know what disturbs me more, that this book is being made into a movie or that this book was written by a 17 year-old girl (and that was at the time of publishing, she could have been younger when it was first written). 

You can check out my rant review here.

My rating: 1/5

How My Summer Went Up In Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

HMSWUIF was a funny and cute read! The book follows a girl who decides to go on a road trip with her childhood friend and his friends after she’s been issued a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend. 

I enjoyed the romance, self-growth, and the adventure (I’m putty for road trip books). 

My rating: 5/5 Stars

The Trouble with Flirting by Claire LaZebnik

LaZebnik’s novel is about a girl who goes to a summer camp for acting but to help her Aunt with the cast costumes. There she makes new friends and finds herself in a cheesy (but so much fun) romance. There is a love triangle in this and I normally hate them, but this was just so good. 

From my Goodreads mini mini-review: 

I can't even explain what happened to me while reading this book. I just...I picked it up and I VERY RARELY (Damn you, laundry) put it down. This was dramatic (no pun intended), quirky, fun, and just pure addicting fluff of a summer read and I absolutely loved it all. 

My rating: 5/5 Stars

I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader by Kieran Scott

Annisa is new to her Florida High School, where every girl is blonde. Back in New Jersey, she was a cheerleader and she decides to try out for the team at her new school, despite being the only brunette girl in her new school. 

I read this book when I was in my early twenties and I remember enjoying it a lot. I enjoyed my re-read and would recommend it for anyone looking for a very fluffy contemporary read. 

My rating: 4/5 Stars

Brunettes Strike Back by Kieran Scott

This is the sequel to the above book. I’m not going to say much because of spoilers, but Annisa was really annoying. I’m not going to lie, it was a bit of a struggle to read this one. 

My rating: 2.5/5 Stars

A Non-Blonde Cheerleader in Love by Kieran Scott

This is the final book in the Cheerleader series. I liked it much more than the sequel, but again, I can’t say much for fear of spoilers, but this brought back some serious nostalgia about Kieran Scott’s writing. 

My rating: 4/5 Stars

What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum

Buxbaum’s novel follows two very different characters as they try to understand high school through their vastly different POVs. I really, really enjoyed this book. 

I wrote a review on Goodreads here. 

My rating: 5/5 Stars

Don’t Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray & Katie Kacvinsky 

CeCe has a scar on her face and is used to people always staring and making assumptions. That is, until she meets the new transfer student. 

I wrote a mini mini-review on Goodreads here. 

My rating: 4/5 Stars

Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh

Harper and her family have just moved to a new house that has weird cold spots, strange shadows, and an ominous atmosphere. When her brother introduces his new “friend”, who no one else but him can see, things start to get even weirder and creepier. 

This was a middle grade novel and I honestly was not expecting such a creepy story. I absolutely LOVED it. I had a few minor issues with the writing, like the protagonist not getting her big “told you so” moment. 

My rating: 4/5 Stars

Nyxia by Scott Reintgen

Emmett is one of only a few kids chosen for a special program that will have him going to another planet for one of the world’s largest corporations. During his trip to the planet, he and the others will be faced with challenges that will force them to face their new and darker-than-they-thought reality. 

I posted a review on Goodreads here. 

My rating: 3.5 Stars

The Countdown Conspiracy by Katie Slivensky

This was the second middle grade book I read this month and I’m so happy that I enjoyed both. The protagonist, Miranda, is chosen to represent the US in a program that will prep her and the other chosen children for their future trip to Mars. 

I posted a review on Goodreads here. 

My rating: 5/5 Stars

Thrill Ride by Rachel Hawthorne

I’m trying to read a bunch of my contemporary mass markets and this was one of them! 

Megan scores a job at an amusement park, which is both awesome because it’s freedom from her sister’s wedding, and bad because it means that she and her boyfriend will be apart for a while.

I loved the cheesiness of this book, even though Megan is judgmental and a little bit of a buzzkill. 

My rating: 3/5 Stars

Scary Beautiful by Niki Burnham

Chloe is a very beautiful girl who is dumped by her boyfriend of more than two years before he moves across the country. Now she has to learn how to be single and try new things in her Junior year of high school. 

I really enjoyed this book and felt really sad for the protagonist since her friends were jealous assholes. 

My rating: 3/5 Stars

Suite Dreams by Rachel Hawthorne

Alyssa is staying at her college campus during the winter break and since her boyfriend has decided to go on a break from both the relationship and the States, she’s going to have a very underwhelming vacation...until Jude the Australian arrives. 

This was just pure cheesy fun. There were some unanswered questions and the story ran a little short, but it was an OK read for what it was. 

My rating: 2.5 Stars

Happy reading!

[thisdaynews]

Tour de France: Caleb Ewan edges thrilling sprint finish to win stage 11

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/tour-de-france-caleb-ewan-edges-thrilling-sprint-finish-to-win-stage-11/

Tour de France: Caleb Ewan edges thrilling sprint finish to win stage 11

Australia’s Caleb Ewan (centre) has now won a stage in all three Grand Tours

Caleb Ewan edged a thrilling bunch sprint finish to win stage 11 of the Tour de France – the Australian’s first-ever stage victory.

The Lotto Soudal rider hunted down stage favourite Dylan Groenewegen and pipped him on the line in Toulouse.

Italian Elia Viviani finished the 167km flat ride from Albi in third place.

France’s Julian Alaphilippe retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey while Geraint Thomas remains second after a safe finish in the peloton.

“I can’t believe it,” said Ewan, who is riding his first Tour. “I have been close in the last four sprints I have done.

“My team never lost faith in me and I never lost faith in myself.”

Ewan, 25, was caught at the back of the peloton with 10km to go after his usual lead-out man Jasper de Buyst tumbled into a ditch in front of him.

But team-mate Roger Kluge paced him to the front during a fast run-in to the line and with Ewan on Groenewegen’s wheel, he passed the Jumbo-Visma rider inside the final few metres.

Ewan has now won stages in all three Grand Tours, having claimed three victories at the Giro d’Italia and one at the Vuelta a Espana.

“There is no other race I’ve dreamt of winning since I was a young kid,” said Ewan.

“It seemed so distant watching in Australia – I can’t believe I’m even here but to win a stage is a dream come true.”

Ewan’s victory means there has now been a different winner in each of the 10 individual stages so far – the first time this has happened since the 1996 Tour.

Peter Sagan was caught out of position and finished fourth but has extended his lead in the points classification as the Bora-Hansgrohe rider seeks a record seventh green jersey.

Most of the general classification contenders, including Ineos team-mates Thomas and Egan Bernal, had a largely untroubled ride after the first rest day, with no crosswinds to split the race apart like on Monday’s stage 10.

A four-man breakaway of Anthony Perez, Stephane Rossetto, Lilian Calmejane and Aime de Gendt went clear from the start, with last man De Gendt caught 4.5km from the finish.

Trek-Segafredo’s Richie Porte fell in a crash on a narrow section with 28km to go but was able to chase back alongside Movistar’s Nairo Quintana, who was caught behind.

However, Porte’s team-mate Giulio Ciccone, who had worn the yellow jersey earlier in the race, sustained injuries in the crash and lost 12 minutes to drop out of the top 10, while former Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix winner Niki Terpstra was forced to abandon.

Thursday’s stage 12 sees the race enter the Pyrenees for the first time, with a 209.5km mountainous route from Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Bigorre that could be crucial to the general classification.

Stage 11 result

1. Caleb Ewan (Aus/Lotto-Soudal) 3hrs 51mins 26secs

2. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned/Team Jumbo Visma) Same time

3. Elia Viviani (Ita/Deceuninck-Quick-Step)

4. Peter Sagan (Svk/Bora-Hansgrohe)

5. Jens Debusschere (Bel/Team Katusha-Alpecin)

6. Sonny Colbrelli (Ita/Bahrain-Merida)

7. Jasper Philipsen (Bel/UAE Team Emirates)

8. Cees Bol (Ned/Team Sunweb)

9. Alexander Kristoff (Nor/UAE Team Emirates)

10. Warren Barguil (Fra/Team Arkea-Samsic)

General classification after stage 11

1. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra/Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 47hrs 18mins 41secs

2. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Ineos) +1min 12secs

3. Egan Bernal (Col/Team Ineos) +1min 16secs

4. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Team Jumbo-Visma) +1min 27secs

5. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger/Bora-Hansgrohe) + 1min 45secs

6. Enric Mas (Spa/Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 1min 46secs

7. Adam Yates (GB/Mitchelton-Scott) 1min 47secs

8. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar Team) +2mins 4secs

9. Daniel Martin (Ire/UAE Team Emirates) +2mins 9secs

10. Thibaut Pinot (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +2mins 33 secs

Read More

[goodmusicrevue]

It’s the Year End in Music of 2016

Musically speaking, 2016 was weird. If you asked me in December 2015 how many upcoming releases I was excited to hear this year, I would have said “a shit ton” or “there’s so many I can’t recall, so let’s say all of them.” I had great expectations this year, but so many artists I love made albums that ended up being just alright, or too long (Did Drake, Kanye, and Frank all really have to release messy albums with 17+ songs? Narrow it down ffs.) Radiohead, Bowie, Nick Cave, and a bunch of others made great records, but none of them really blew me away. 

For the first time in years the albums that blew my mind were the ones I never saw coming. If you asked me last year how many of the records in this year’s top 10 list I was excited for I might have said 2. At this point I thought my taste was predictable. Guess it isn’t. Weird.

The 10 Best Albums of the Year

10. Whitney - Light Upon the Lake (Because if it didn’t have those amazing horn sections it would just be a pretty good album, but they did, so it’s an amazing album.)

9. The Range - Potential (Because James Hinton set out to make an album where he’d only sample undiscovered talent on YouTube and it turned out really well. The beats are dope.)

8. Angel Olsen - My Woman (Because it’s her most accessible album and made me realize I didn’t give her enough credit on her last ones.)

7. Francis and The Lights - Farewell, Starlite! (Because Yeezy taught me. I know about this record because of a Kanye tweet. That’s a harsh reality. But sometimes Kanye is right about things, like this weird white guy R&B/pop record.)

6. Dawes - We’re All Gonna Die (Because these guys make excellent feel good Americana.)

5. White Denim - Stiff (Because they make Southern rock that sounds like it was made on acid and that’s why they’re my favourite rock band making music today.)

4. Kaytranada - 99.9% (Because it’s a front-to-back pack of matches with some of the best production and collaborations I heard this year.)

3. Young Thug - Jeffery (Because my two mates Marko and Munny know what’s up and showed me the way. This album surprised me more than anything else this year. During the first listen I had no idea what I was listening to, or why I was listening to it. Cut to 20 listens later when it became my go-to record for just about setting. I was blind but now I see! Young Thug is a huge lej.)

2. Leon Vynehall - Rojus (Designed to Dance) (Because when so many DJs are putting out singles this guy makes a concept house album that sounds meticulously polished and beautifully sequenced. The instrumentation on this thing is mind blowing and every time I listen to it I want to know what’s happening and how. Give it a chance. It’s something else.)

1. Anderson .Paak - Malibu (Because 2016 was the year of Anderson .Paak. He was everywhere and all his praise is necessary. No one seems as genuinely happy making hip hop (or any type of music) right now than this guy. He raps, he sings, he drums, he wears crazy clothes, and he appears to have an endless arsenal of projects on the go. The first time I heard Malibu back in January I knew it would be hard for another record to reach this kind of greatness. Well, in the face of releases from all the behemoths of music and some of my favourite artists, he still reigns supreme. I can’t wait for whatever this guy does next.)

The 10 Best Songs of the Year

10. Ada - You and Me

9. SBTRKT - Good Morning (feat. The-Dream)

8. Kevin Morby - I Have Been to the Mountain

7. Kanye West - Father Stretch My Hands Pt. I

6. Local Natives - Past Lives

5. Leon Vynehall - Kiburu's

4. Nite-Funk - Let Me Be Me

3. Classixx - Whatever I Want (feat. T-Pain)

2. James Blake - Modern Soul

1. Anderson .Paak - The Waters (feat. BJ the Chicago Kid)

20 Other Songs I Loved

David Bowie - 'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore

Chance the Rapper - No Problem (feat. 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne)

Dawes - We’re All Gonna Die

D.D Dumbo - Walrus

D.R.A.M. - Cash Machine

Drake - Views

Floating Points - For Marmish Pt. II

Francis and the Lights - Friends (feat. Bon Iver & Kanye West)

Alex Frankel - Get Back

Kaytranada - Lite Spots

Lambchop - The Hustle

M83 - Walkaway Blues

Niki & the Dove - Ode to Dance Floor

Angel Olsen - Sister

The Range - Florida

Rihanna - Work

SURVIVE - Stranger Things

Justin Timberlake - Can't Stop This Feeling

White Denim - Holda You (I'm Psycho)

Young Thug & Travis Scott - Pick Up the Phone (feat. Quavo)

A Few Good Records That Were Almost Great

James Blake - The Colour in Anything

Classixx - Faraway Reach

Niki & the Dove - Everybody’s Heart Now is Broken

A Few Great EPs

Floating Points - Kuiper

Alex Frankel - Negative Space

Nite-Funk - Nite-Funk

Best Compilation

DJ Koze - Pampa Records Vol. I

Best Non-2016 Discoveries

Aidan Knight - Small Reveal

Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge - Link Up/Suede EP

Cass McCombs - Big Wheel & Others

Prince - Prince

The 5 Best Shows of the Year

5. James Blake - Massey Hall (10/07)

4. CHIC - Molson Amphitheatre (07/13)

3. Drake - OVO Fest (08/01)

2. Sturgill Simpson - Danforth Music Hall (08/07)

1. LCD Soundsystem - Wayhome (07/22) (Obvs)