#the sun centerpiece is GREAT but i think it should be higher up on the top and add a line of gems on the bottom of the shirt

[akkivee]

one of hifumi’s patrons was a fashion designer who asked him and the rest of mtr to model for her fashion show but in doppo and jakurai’s absence, wound up recruiting kuukou and saburo along the way but look what she made our boy wear lmao

[chain-unchained]

June 27

After a nearly three mile walk from the nearest functioning bus stop, an exhausted Shane finally returned to Pelican town; it was Friday, the day he and his therapist in Zuzu City had set for their weekly sessions. The trip wouldn’t be quite so bad if the bus that old Pam used to drive still worked, but it had broken down some years ago and the town didn’t have the resources to get it fixed, so that unfortunately meant quite a walk to get to a bus that did work. 

It still felt awkward and kind of shameful for him to walk into that office, even though the staff there were all very friendly and understanding—not to mention the therapist, who was quiet, unassuming, gentle but firm in his suggestions to Shane to help his recovery, both from the alcoholism and the depression, along.

Shane had always known that it was going to be hell, giving up alcohol cold turkey like he was; at first, the therapist had suggested weaning, but Shane knew himself well enough that he wouldn’t be able to help himself if he had even a drop of drink and insisted on cutting it off completely. Even then, he couldn’t have fathomed the toll it would take on his body, mind and mood—the first few days were the most hellish. He had the shakes, a piercing migraine that wouldn’t go away no matter how many aspirin he took, he was physically ill several times, and sleep was a far-fetched concept.

He felt really bad for Jas and Marnie, who had to deal with all of that and the piss-poor attitude that it brought with it, though he played it all off as just a severe flu bug. Maybe it was stupid, maybe he could have really used the support during the beginning, but he wanted to get through the worst of it of his own willpower.

Today was the first day that he hadn’t woken up feeling like absolute shit. In fact, he almost dared to say that it was manageable; his head didn’t feel like it was splitting open, and it didn’t take him an hour to muster up the strength to get up out of bed. He had managed to make an actual breakfast with the extra eggs that Charlie and the girls laid for them that morning. And hell, the walk to the bus station that morning actually left him feeling pretty damn good, even though the trip from it back to town that evening felt a bit less so. Having had one of the better days he’d had in a long time, Shane decided that today was a good day to tell Marnie and Jas what was going on.

Adjusting the shopping bag that he held in his hand, he tucked the other hand into his shorts pocket and strolled leisurely through town; the sun was beginning its descent from the sky, staining the crystal clear sky a fiery orange and red hue. On the way there, he stopped outside Pierre’s and checked the bulletin board on a whim. Sometimes someone would post a note about a free piece of furniture, or Pierre would leave a notice about an upcoming sale. His sales never reached the 50% off that Joja regularly offered, but at least Pierre’s stock was quality and worth the higher price.

“... Oh, that’s right.” Shane murmured to himself as he checked the calendar that hung next to the bulletin board. “The Luau’s coming up soon… Need to dig out those stretchy shorts and get them washed soon.” Next to the Egg Festival, the Luau was probably his favorite festival—it was a festival literally just centered on eating food, what wasn’t there to love about that? ‘Maybe I should give Ashe a heads-up.’ He pondered, turning on his heel and heading south towards the road leading home. Every household was expected to contribute both an ingredient towards the Luau’s main centerpiece, the potluck stew, and a cooked dish, and he didn’t want Ashe to be left in the dark if no one else thought to tell him about that since it was his first year in town.

He owed a lot to the kid, that much was for sure. If Ashe hadn’t been so stubborn and bullheaded about befriending him, there was a real likelihood that Shane wouldn’t be there that day. A real likelihood that he would have rolled right off that cliff like he’d fantasized about. For some reason, Ashe never gave up on him, and he never let Shane give up on himself.

Without realizing it, he was already standing outside the door to the ranch; he’d been so lost in his thoughts that his legs had just carried him to where he needed to go on their own. Pausing to bend down and rub at his knee which had started to ache from the walking, Shane opened the door and stepped inside. “I’m back.” He called as he pushed it closed behind him; as expected, the shop was empty, and he presumed that Marnie and Jas were in the kitchen given the smell of steak that filled the air.

“Oh, welcome home Shane.” Marnie greeted, looking over her shoulder as her nephew came into the kitchen; Jas looked up from her coloring book and waved a little to Shane before going back to her very serious business of perfectly coloring in her favorite princess from the Welwick Court. “Goodness, don’t you look happy?”

“Do I?” Shane moved over to the table and ruffled Jas’ hair lightly, unaware that he’d had a big, goofy grin on his face since he’d walked in; it felt good to be home and not be drunk or hungover. “I guess you’re right. I haven’t felt this light in… Yoba, I don’t even know how long.”

Marnie pulled the last searing steak from the frying pan and stuck it on the baking tray with the rest to go into the oven to finish cooking. “Let me guess…” She pondered, turning to look at Shane fully as she wiped her hands on her apron. “Gus had a clearance sale on canned beer?”

The comment stung a little, Shane couldn’t deny that; he didn’t blame her for thinking that, though. He’d kept her and Jas in the dark up til now, and as far as they knew he’d just gone off to work like he did every Friday. “Hah, good one.” He managed a half laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck, his grin becoming quite sheepish. “No, actually. I’ve been drinking sparkling water instead of beer… and I feel great.”

His words made Marnie freeze, her eyes widening in surprise; even Jas stopped coloring and looked back at Shane with eyes wide. To be honest, their reaction was bittersweet. It felt good to be able to say that to them, but at the same time, he had to realize how badly his behavior had affected them in order to elicit such a reaction. “Really?” His aunt managed to ask after a moment.

“Yeah.” Shane confirmed with a nod of his head. “… Y’know, sometimes I forget that I really do have friends.” He murmured, his face softening as he spoke. “People that care about me. And it’s okay for me to rely on them. It doesn’t make me weak.”

After a moment of silence, Marnie smiled and nodded her head in agreement. “That’s exactly right. I’m proud of you for realizing that.”

“Took me long enough, huh?” Shane turned his attention to Jas as he set the shopping bag on the table for her. “I’ve got something for you, kiddo.”

“Huh?” Jas blinked, looking up to her godfather for affirmation; when Shane nodded encouragingly, she pulled the bag closer and reached inside, pulling out an unassuming, plain looking box. Her little brows knitted together as she lifted the lid, and the contents practically made them fly off of her face as her eyes went wide again. “Th…. These are real bunny-jewel slippers!!!” She squealed. As if to confirm that it wasn’t fake, she ever so carefully lifted the shoes from the box and turned them over in her hands; sure enough, they were the real deal, and they were even her favorite color—purple. “B…. but these are so expensive!” She looked to her godfather in disbelief, feeling somewhat guilty that Shane had dropped so much money on a present just for her. “How did you afford them?”

Shane smiled and patted her head. “I’ve cut back on an expensive habit, so I’ve got a lot more spending money now.” He explained, glad that he was able to finally give her a proper gift—even if it was nearly a month past her birthday.

“…. Okay….” Jas looked back to the shoes, running her fingers over the sparkly tops.

Seeing the change in her demeanor, Shane knelt down to her level so he could speak to her as an equal. “Jas… I’m sorry about what happened before.” He murmured. As difficult as apologizing was, she deserved at least that much. “I said some stuff that really hurt you, and I should never have let you hear that from me.”

Jas froze a little as Shane spoke, going completely silent as she just stared at those twinkly shoes in her hands. “When I said those things… it’s not because I wanted to leave you or hurt you.” He continued, struggling a little with how to explain it in a way she could understand without sugar coating it. “It’s not your fault. I wasn’t feeling well because, uh… my head is sick, and it makes me feel sad and tired a lot… and…” His brain fizzled out, and after a few moments of silence, he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, I barely understand it myself. It’s hard to explain… but I’ll tell you about it when you want me to, okay? Right now, I just need you to know that I’m working hard to get better. And it’s okay if you’re sad or scared or mad at me. Take as long as you need to feel how you feel.” He smiled, even though he knew she wasn’t looking. “I’m not going anywhere, squirt. I’m gonna work extra hard to be here for you.”

“….” His words were greeted with just more silence, as Jas’s little frame began to quiver slightly in her chair.

Concerned now by her continued quiet, Shane’s smile faded. “Jas? You okay--?”

Almost before he could finish speaking, Jas suddenly flung herself at him, knocking over her chair as she wrapped her arms around him and let out a heartbreaking wail of relief. She didn’t care if Shane drank, she didn’t care if he didn’t buy her the toys that she wanted—all she ever wanted was to hear him say that he wasn’t going to leave her too.

“Whoa—” Shane was nearly knocked over himself, managing to grab onto the table to steady himself before he folded the sobbing child into his arms. “It’s okay, just let it out.” He murmured with a smile, holding her close as she buried her face into his chest. Of course, he didn’t like to see her cry like that, but at least he knew that they were tears of happiness this time.

As she watched the scene unfold, Marnie couldn’t help but wipe a few tears from her own eyes, smiling as she saw the person that she knew Shane had always been deep down. It meant the world to her that Shane finally saw enough of his own worth to start getting better.  

“Do you want to put on your new slippers?” Shane gently asked Jas, once her sobs had quieted; with a sniffle, she nodded, lifting her face from his now soaked shirt as she did so. He set her on her feet and picked up her chair, waiting for her to sit back down in it before he helped her to put the slippers on. “So, what do you think?”

Jas extended her legs out in front of herself so she could judge them on her feet. “… I love them.” She said with a slight hiccup, unable to stop the happy smile that came onto her face. “And I love you, Shane~ Thank you for getting these for me…”

 Dinner that night was one of the most peaceful they’d had in a long time; Shane actually sat at the table and ate with them, rather than taking his plate into his room like he always did. He reminded Marnie about the Luau, and they talked about an upcoming seminar on livestock regulations that would be held in Zuzu City a few days before the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies.

“I’m not quite sure what to do about that, to be honest.” Marnie admitted as she cleared away their finished plates. “I was going to ask Jodi if she’d be willing to watch Jas while we’re away, but during aerobics on Tuesday she mentioned that she and the boys were going on a family trip to the carnival. And Penny has that class that she’s been looking forward to taking for months now…”

“I don’t need a babysitter, auntie.” Jas pointed out as she finished the coloring job she’d been working tirelessly on all evening. “I’m eight years old now, I can take care of myself.”

“Oh, we don’t doubt that for a minute kiddo.” Shane leaned back in his chair with a smile. “But someone has to keep an eye on you to make sure no one tries to steal you away.” He thought for a moment, rocking back and forth slowly on the back legs of the chair. “… Hey, why don’t we ask Ashe to watch her?” He suggested, looking to his aunt as the idea struck him.

Marnie turned the faucet in the sink on and began to fill the left half to soak the dishes. “You know, the idea did cross my mind.” She admitted, turning around to look at Shane pointedly—she hated when people did that, it was so bad for the chair. “Do you think he would mind?”

“Well we won’t know unless we ask.” Catching the look she was giving, Shane promptly set all four legs back on the floor. “I was going to talk to him about the Luau tomorrow, I’ll run the idea by him then too.”

               “Alright. I’ll leave it to you, then.” Marnie glanced at the clock on the wall. “Alright, little lady. It’s bedtime. Let’s go get a book picked out—”

               “I want Shane to read to me tonight.” Jas insisted emphatically, much to their surprise. “Please?” She pleaded, looking to her godfather with the biggest puppy-dog eyes she could muster.

Momentarily stunned by her request, Shane managed to smile. “Sure, squirt. It’s been a hot minute since I read a book, though, so you might have to help me out.” He got up from his chair, looking to Marnie as Jas took hold of his hand; with a smile, Marnie nodded her head, and Shane led Jas out of the kitchen towards her room.

Neither of them could remember the last time Jas had asked for Shane to put her to bed. It did Marnie’s heart a lot of good to see the two of them bonding again, and she found herself unable to wipe the smile from her face as she washed, dried and put away the dishes. By the time she was done and pouring herself a cup of coffee, Shane returned to the kitchen, reaching around her—“’Scuse me, I’m just going to be rude real quick,” he said with a grin—to get a cup for himself.

“So, how did it go?” She asked, sitting down at the table with a novel of her own to read a little before bed.

“It went fine.” Shane poured what was left into his cup and rinsed the pot under the faucet. “She kept trying to put off going to sleep, though. ‘That story was too short, you gotta read me one more’ and all that jazz.” He took a drink of the bitter brew.

Marnie smiled and took a sip of her own. “… I want you to know I’m real proud of you, Shane.” She said after several moments.

It was something Shane hadn’t expected her to say. “I haven’t done anything worth being proud of yet.” He insisted, setting his cup on the counter. “I’ve still got a lot of work to do before that happens. I didn’t want to say anything until today, but the last few Fridays I’ve been going to see a therapist in Zuzu. I just… wanted to prove to myself that this is something I could do before I got anyone’s hopes up, y’know?”

“So that ‘flu’ you had a few weeks ago wasn’t really the flu, I take it?” Marnie guessed shrewdly, to which Shane held up his hands in surrender. “Normally I don’t appreciate being lied to, but I’ll let it slide this time.” She set her own cup down and opened the book before her. “Does Ashe know?”

“Yeah… to be honest, he’s the main reason I was able to get help in the first place.” Shane admitted with an awkward laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck. “For some reason, he just never gave up on me. I owe him a hell of a lot.”

“It’s real sweet how close the two of you have gotten.” Marnie gave him a warm smile. “I’ve never seen someone melt that heart of yours like he has. You should let him know how you feel at the Moonlight Jellies~”

Her suggestion puzzled Shane, her intent flying right over his head. “The… Moonlight Jellies? Wwwwhy that festival specifically?”

“Because it’d be all the more romantic, of course.” Marnie looked back to her book and turned the page slowly. “Of course, I can understand not wanting to wait that long to get together. I still remember my first romance and how impatient I was… ah, to be young and in love again.”

“Roman—lo—” Shane sputtered, his face turning red as it clicked in his head what she was getting at. “Marnie, come on, you’re reaching here. I appreciate what the kid’s done for me, and… well, maybe there is something there, but I’m way too old for him don’t you think? And that’s not to say that I have no idea if he even thinks of me like that, or if he even swings that way to begin with—”

“Shane, when you live as long as I have and work in a business like this,” Marnie interrupted his protests casually, “you learn to be a real good judge of people. Trust me, you’ve got more of a chance than you think. I just see how well the two of you get on and the side of you that he brings out. Give it some thought.”

Unable to think of what to say to that, Shane quickly finished off his coffee and set the cup in the sink. “I’m going to bed.” He announced as he cleared his throat. “Good night, Marnie.”

“Night, dear.” Marnie waved her fingers at him over her shoulder, hiding a laugh at his quick exit. Even if nothing came of it in the end, she at least wanted to make him aware of his feelings.

[arlenejburns6]

What I Want Almost everyOne Understood About Mold Inspection Escondido CA.

Caring For Your House: What You Must Learn

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[boylebreakdown]

My Favorite 25 Albums of 2016

Apologies for posting this in 2017. I listened to and enjoyed quite a bit more new music in 2016 than I usually do. Whenever I tried to make a top 10 based on my typical format, there were too many albums that it felt wrong to leave out. Anyways, here goes...

25. Jagged Jaw - Tonight Is

Jagged Jaw is the solo project of Bobby Lord, who engineered Terriers’ upcoming 2017 LP (I swear on my life it will be released in 2017!). Although his debut Tonight Is is definitely an album made by a friend, it’s objectively a solid project. He dropped it midyear out of nowhere with little to no fanfare, but the hours put into it and its attention to detail are obvious. Each synthy power-pop gem on this album has a unique arrangement that fits the song nearly perfectly. There are so many tasteful, varied production touches throughout that I’m amazed someone I know made this album. Check it out!

24. Woods - City Sun Eater in the River of Light

City Sun Eater is a really quality collection of pyschy folk rock songs. It ventures between well executed singer-songwriter pop craft and the jam-like tendencies that a psychedelic rock band would have. I’ve never really been much of a Woods fan before this album, but I really enjoyed this one. You can sense a maturity and well-calculated approach here that a band making their 9th studio album should exhibit.

23. American Football - LP2

I definitely curbed my enthusiasm leading up to this album’s release. Anyone looking to compare it to its classic predecessor is sure to be disappointed. These dudes are nearly 20 years older than their college selves who recorded it. It would be insincere to try capturing the lightning in a bottle that the original LP/EPs did. I’ve often felt that LP2 sounds a lot like an Owen record with American Football members as the backing band, and I think framing it as such and not as a true followup is the right line of thinking. When viewed as a standalone, I find plenty to enjoy -- the guitar interplay and drumming are still very clever and off-kilter; there are plenty of good hooks, whether on guitar, horns, or the new additions of vibes; what’s lacking in effective minimalism of their previous work is often made up for in lush, full arrangements. Avoid the purism and just enjoy a good album.

22. Deerhoof - The Magic

This album is a bit a let down after how focused La Isla Bonita was. Deerhoof are one of the most unique bands in music, who are always tweaking their sound. What made La Isla Bonita great was its settling into a comfortable melting pot of all their signature sounds. The Magic is definitely an album created along the same lines, but doesn’t have the same precision and focus. There are definitely songs that tap into Deerhoof at their best here -- the playful and calculatedly manic “The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Retinue”, the synth dream pop meets bass/drums slog of “Criminals of the Dream”, the unabashed punk pop of “Plastic Thrills” -- but there is undoubtably some filler in between. I wish this album was higher on my list, but any Deerhoof project at this point will end up being something I’d recommend.

21. Wilco - Schmilco

Though it was born out of sessions for Star Wars, which I view as the best summation of new era Wilco, Schmilco is definitely a unique direction for the band to take. In stripping down their sound and putting more of a focus on Jeff Tweedy’s songwriting, which is almost unparalleled in the genre, I found a lot to like. As has been defined since Sky Blue Sky, Wilco doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel to make a quality album. But going simplistic and showcasing their singer-songwriter chops makes for an unexpectedly great addition to their catalogue. A band that practically can do no wrong in my mind.

20. David Bowie - Blackstar

As much as anyone could want to view this album as a work separated from his 2016 death, it is impossible. Lyrics often touching on pertinent topics to a dying man perfectly contextualizes their weight in light of David Bowie’s death a mere 2 days after the release of Blackstar. This alone made the album an important one to any fan. The music, helmed by exploratory jazz players Bowie recruited after seeing them play at an NYC bar in 2014, is his most relevant sounding of his 2000s work. It reinforces his chameleon persona and penchant for surprises. Everything here makes for one of the grandest exits in history for a legendary musician. R.I.P.

19. case/lang/veirs - S/T

case/lang/veirs is a truly shared project between Neko Case, K.D. Lang, and Laura Veirs. Although none of the three fall far from the tree of adult alternative/indie rock, this album is still an organic blend of the three members’ specific styles. Each of the three is known for their high level songwriting and signature voices, and their collective experience in their careers makes for a really interesting work of collaboration. Most notably, K.D. Lang’s smokey alto sounds great over textures that are typically more in Neko Case or Laura Veir’s mature indie rock stylings  (“Honey and Smoke” being the best example). Although I was brought to this project as a fan of Neko Case’s solo work, this album will have me diving deeper into the other two members’ individual catalogs.

18. Porches - Pool

This album may have been a little overhyped, but there’s no denying the existence of some very well executed pop moments here. Songs like “Be Apart”, “Car”, and “Mood” are some of the catchiest songs I heard all of 2016. While achieving this, Pool captures a very satisfying blend between dancey, electronic texture and guitar based introspective dream pop. At the front of it all is Aaron Maine, who’s unique voice and solid songwriting chops set this album apart from its sometimes lackluster contemporaries. 

17. Wye Oak - Tween

Another solid LP from Wye Oak, who in my opinion are one of the better indie rock/pop bands out there right now. This album consists of outtakes spanning the Civilian and Shriek sessions, which is significant considering how different those albums are in style. There is definitely a melding of Wye Oak’s signature anthemic singer-songwriter guitar/drums approach and their experimental foray into bass driven electronic pop. What is impressive is how cohesive they make the album sound in spite of this. Although this album doesn’t quite live up to their previous two efforts (as a collection of outtakes, I’d be surprised if it did), it would have been a shame not to give this solid set of songs a release. 

16. Kendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered

There’s a great photo on the internet that parallels Kendrick’s chronological discography to Radiohead’s -- Overly Dedicated/Pablo Honey put both artists on the map, but lacked the critical acclaim; Section.80/The Bends spoke to amazing potential; Good Kid/OK Computer serve as respective breakouts and potential all-time classics; To Pimp a Butterfly/Kid A offer a huge style shift but a similarly huge impact. It’s almost uncanny then that untitled/unmastered, a collection of sketches and B-sides from the TPABF sessions, has yet another Radiohead album parallel in Amnesiac, the companion LP to Kid A. But this album needs to be viewed as such: a great document for fans of Kendrick’s work, but not a proper follow up to what was my favorite album of 2015. The most fleshed out songs on this album (e.g. “untitled 03” of Colbert Report fame, “untitled 06”, and “untitled 08”) were some of the best songs of 2016 and give me the same excitement that many songs from TPABF did. But as to be expected on a B-sides album, there are too many average/inconsistent/incomplete songs to make this album deserve a top 10 designation. Considering no one was expecting this album in 2016, I can’t complain much about that!

15. Bon Iver - 22, A Million 

Though the big public takeaway on this album is Bon Iver’s jump toward extreme experimentation and fracturing of structure, I don’t completely buy it. To me, this is actually the logical progression from Bon Iver’s 2011 S/T release. The expansiveness of the project is still in tact, but 22, A Million simply utilizes a few more tricks. Most notable of these is the digital compression to the point of distortion and cutting out in songs like “22 (OVER S∞∞N)” or the end of “29 #Strafford APTS”. Autotune and vocoder are utilized to add a powerful and icy texture to Vernon’s voice, which is a centerpiece on this album (he uses a Prismizer vocoder this time around, which became a whole new instrument for Bon Iver live performances). At this point, Bon Iver has a established an effective and unmistakable style. Just because I believe 22, A Million doesn’t signal a seismic change, it doesn’t diminish how solid I believe this album is.

14. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool

How crazy is it that Radiohead, a band that has been making albums for over 20 years, is still writing music of critical relevance and of importance to listeners? Though I’ve only been an attentive music listener since late middle school, every Radiohead album release since then has been a significant event for me. I vividly remember the nervous anticipation I felt downloading In Rainbows off their website; hearing “Bloom” in a record store before I had heard King of Limbs in full. This year, it was cueing up the “Daydreaming” music video for the first time, making sure it had my undivided attention, and then feeling that same awe once I’d finished watching. This album is by no means a step forward for the band, and some have lamented that it is more boring than their recent works. However, there’s no arguing how detailed and labored-over it sounds, just like their music always has. Because that hasn’t changed, it was a grower for me. After nearly a year of listening to it, I feel like it serves as a high quality conglomeration of their styles and sounds, from electronic to organic. 

13. KAYTRANADA - 99.9%

This is my favorite “producer” album since Disclosure’s Settle. 99.9% is a fun and complex blend of different production styles Kaytranada is capable of. One minute its jazz fusion with “WEIGHT OFF” ft. Bad Bad Not Good; other times its pop crossover with “TOGETHER” or “BULLETS” ft. Little Dragon; next its complex, sampled-based house with “TRACK UNO” or “LITE  SPOTS”; whatever it is, its always flowing seamlessly as an album and executed at a high level. The features also mix things up: you get budding stars like Anderson .Paak and Vic Mensa, but also R&B/Hip Hop vets like Craig David and Phonte of Little Brother, too. It’s one of the more exciting debut LPs of the year and serves as a great showcase of Kaytranada’s production talents.

12. A Tribe Called Quest - We Got it from Here...Thank You 4 Ur Service

One thing I love about this album is how evident it is that Q-Tip and crew have been continuing to be influenced by music released from 2000 on. While many comeback albums released 10+ years after a band’s previous release struggle to find a comfortable niche in the current musical landscape, We got it from here... infuses classic Tribe jazz samples and beat work with hip hop sounds and features that are not just applicable in 2016, but fresh. It also doesn’t hurt that many of today’s biggest rappers (Kendrick Lamar and Anderson .Paak, most significantly) exhibit heavy Tribe influence in their own sound, making a final Tribe release all that more appropriate. Working in verses from Phife Dog, who died earlier in 2016, including one in on his tribute song “The Donald”, makes the album feel especially poignant.  

11. Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book

If you live in Chicago as a music fan, whatever you think of his music, its nearly impossible not to admire Chance the Rapper. It seems that no other artist today is as dedicated to his/her own vision -- unwilling to compromise to a record label, unwilling to stop blatant displays of hometown pride regardless of his growing universal appeal, and unwilling to stop making quirky, joyous, and infectious hip hop music. Coloring Book is the highest example yet of Chance’s no holds barred approach. It is eloquent in its introspection and illumination of Chance’s struggles, whether they be personal (“Same Drugs”, “Smoke Break”) or grander in scope like fighting the Chicago violence epidemic (“Summer Friends”). However, the consensus descriptor of Coloring Book is “gospel album” for a reason. Through its various religious references (“Blessings”, “How Great”) and uplifting, hope-for-a-brighter-day messaging, Coloring Book has a uniquely spiritual vibe that even non-religious people can feel good about. Though there are some indulgent songs I could do without (the aimless “Mixtape” and contrived Bieber featured “Juke Jam”), this project is his most ambitious and fully realized to date. 

10. The Hotelier - Goodness

Although there are a few exceptions, I struggle with bands that fall into the category of current day “midwestern emo” revival (inspired by bands like American Football, Sunny Day Real Estate, Promise Ring, etc). The music too often borders on insincere in its melodrama and its instrumentals that flex dexterity just to prove it can be done. The Hotelier moves away from the sound of the revival and centers more towards consensus indie rock on Goodness. However, keeping their best qualities in the midst of this shift is what made me surprisingly love this album. Beyond the solid writing and performances from the band and singer Christian Holden, there are little touches that make this album special -- the suspension of all instruments but drums until the second chorus in “Goodness, Pt. 2”, the lengthy build section in “Sun”, etc.). The Hotelier have always been discussed as an upper echelon band in their scene, and Goodness surely has cemented their place there.

9. The Avalanches - Wildflower

The Avalanches do not disappoint on their first album since 2000’s Since I Left You. As expected, Wildflower is another vast, impressive sample collage. This time around though, the pool they choose from lends to a more psychedelic, mind-altering experience, reaching beyond their previous hip-hop leanings. The main sample in “Colours” is a great microcosm of the success of the direction they take on Wildflower -- an old children’s song plays in reverse, drums are added, and something immediately anthemic is created. Their ear for picking the right sounds to make something from seemingly nothing is what makes this album special.

8. Angel Olsen - My Woman

Although I’ve been a fan of her previous work, this is my favorite Angel Olsen album to date. The jump to greatly vary her timbral palette on My Woman makes the album almost play out like a double LP from a classic rock band -- think Sandinista by The Clash or Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin. At one moment its recalling classic pop structure and tones of the late 50s/early 60s (“Never Be Mine”); next, it’s purposefully meditative or repetitious, building to something exciting and cathartic (“Sister”, “Woman”); at times, it’s even right at home in a more modern and electronic texture (“Intern”). And that only covers about half of the directions it takes! The ambitiousness of this album in relation to her previous work is obvious, but it stays grounded in touchstones of Angel Olsen’s musical identity. Her songwriting has often ventured between classic singer-songwriter simplicity and more emotional stream-of-conscious looseness. And, like always, her voice drives it all, demanding your full attention at its most airy and delicate or in its chilling howls. 

7. Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial

This band drew me in for some of the same reasons Cloud Nothings initially did: really solid pop songwriting in a rock/punk styling, shining without any added production gloss. Because Cloud Nothings’ jump from lo-fi to hi-fi on Attack on Memory made it easier to hear the quality of their music, I can’t help but compare that album to Teens of Denial and the similar success it’s afforded Car Seat Headrest. Though there is less pure angular bliss here than on Attack on Memory, Teens of Denial offers some of the best lyrics of its genre, ones that get better upon every opportunity to unpack them. There’s also something very endearing about the emotional croon of Will Toledo’s voice, whether its lazily talk-singing a la Stephen Malkmus or at the peak of its screaming powers. 

6. Anderson .Paak - Malibu

2016 was the year of Anderson .Paak. Spurred into the spotlight by his significant contributions to Dr. Dre’s 2015 comeback, Compton, the stage was set for Malibu to be the breakout album it was. On one hand, its an album that is immediately accessible and has strong mainstream appeal. It evokes joy that only music designed specifically for having a good time could. On the other hand, it is an ambitious, critically-acclaimed masterwork, blending modern elements of hip-hop and electronic music with funk and soul effortlessly. It was a consensus favorite for many of my music listening friends this year, and I think its delicate balance between immediacy and expansiveness was the reason. As successful as this album and Anderson .Paak’s 2016 was, I believe it’s only a signal for bigger things to come.

5. Pinegrove - Cardinal

Cardinal has all of the solid elements of a great rock album. It has lyrics that catch your attention: it uses impressive wordplay and conjures vivid imagery, while keeping it genuine and deeply relatable (especially to someone also in his mid-20’s). Additionally, the music provides a unique take on various niches of rock: it pulls from alt-country, midwestern emo, and indie rock, but it isn’t beholden to any of the above. It’s very catchy while being ambitious enough in structure to keep it attention grabbing. Evan Stephens Hall has a voice that can accurately evoke the emotional highs and lows that the band and the music intend to. Add it all up, and such a solid set of elements on a debut album predicts very exciting things for Pinegrove going forward.

4. Solange - A Seat at the Table

There’s a wealth of production from different spheres of music on this album. R&B master producer Raphael Saadiq and Dave Longstreth of Dirty Projectors serve as the main co-producers, just two of a whole host of eclectic contributors (Solange is also listed as a producer and writer on each track). It all makes for a vintage R&B/new wave/indie pop blend that feels uniquely its own. Additional to this, A Seat at the Table is very 2016 appropriate in its lyrics and messaging. Throughout the album, Solange speaks from a focused black female perspective on today’s society, eloquently communicating the struggles she faces (“Don’t Touch My Hair”, “Weary”) while showing introspection and confusion in how to cope (“Cranes in the Sky”, “Where Do We Go”). Much like Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, it’s an album beautifully constructed of emotive, far reaching, and thought provoking musings on today’s everyday issues. 

3. Andy Shauf - The Party

The Party offers production that is uniquely warm and intimate. It’s inviting in its vulnerability and sparseness, but enveloping in its tastefulness of arrangement and dynamics. Andy Shauf treats this album as a singer-songwriter experiment, choosing to focus in on the storytelling of one terrible party from the perspectives of multiple guests. Everyone can relate to a bummer party experience they’ve had, but the fact that he can embody this concept for an entire album without being pretentious is amazing.  I already really loved this album before I saw Andy Shauf live last year, but the show brought my appreciation of him as an artist to a whole new level. For an album so dependent on orchestral instrumentation and the execution of the quietest dynamics, his four piece band captured the same vibes pretty effortlessly. It was one of the better shows I’ve seen in a long while -- one that brought back fond memories of my awe-filled first year or two of experiencing live music.

2. Frank Ocean - Blonde

I’ve always felt that Frank Ocean had a unique ability to use sparseness and simplicity, whether it be in language or musical arrangement, and make it feel purposeful and profound. Channel Orange touched on this talent a few times (“Bad Religion”, “Forrest Gump”), but it mostly was a showcase of Frank Ocean’s amazing songwriting abilities (often in the form of experimental but accessible hip hop/R&B leaning pop). On Blonde, Frank Ocean not only features this minimalism in his instrumentals, but dives much deeper in song construction as well. It is often very stream of conscious -- multiple songs have only one or two instruments at one time and no drums, setting the stage for him to meander through chorusless structures and extended meditative sections. This shift made for an initial disappointment for many fans of his previous work (including me). However, given time to digest Blonde, it doesn’t come off as contrived at all. Blonde is an excellent example of an artist experimentation, one that pushes Frank Ocean’s songwriting talents into more challenging, but often more rewarding, territory. 

1. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Pretty Years

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that Cymbals Eat Guitars are my favorite band. I’ve long believed that it has less to do with objective arguments of what makes bands typically great and has more to do with things they do well that really hit on what enjoy most in music. At the core of this is Joe D’Agostino’s songwriting style, lyrically and harmonically. Because that is an element that truly doesn’t go away no matter what happens to their evolving sound, I’ve always been deeply moved by their music. This album is definitely their least ambitious from an album construction standpoint, but it also is very tasteful and diverse. There is a lot of purposeful homages to classic rock (“Wish” recalls Bowie, the claustrophobia of “Close” calls to mind elements of krautrock, “Well” definitely has some Springsteen vibes), but they always balance out to something that is uniquely Cymbals (mostly thanks to the familiarity of Brian Hamilton’s keyboard work or Joe’s voice). As bands who rise to fame from the Pitchfork hype train don’t typically stay around forever, I’ve been expecting for this band to fall off at some point or another. However, this album is just as solid as it comes and gives me a lot of confidence in Cymbals staying power. The boys have done it again!