#title from the b&e skit. if you know you know

[justices-blade]

im not kidding you guys. i wanted to do CRIMES. // battlefield chalkos crew

The spires of Sparagmos tower above them, silent and unreachable shadows in the snow. Something murmurs in his mind; a soft hiss, the tone of an embittered soldier. death to the dissidents. tear their towering walls down, brick by brick. down to the foundation, scorch the ground, salt the earth for daring to, daring to—!

Edward is no embittered soldier. He is a boy trying to survive. And though it pains him (because he never fought for unification, he always only fought for safety, family, freedom), survival in this dream is all that can lead them to stability getting to the bottom of this dream conundrum. The soldiers of Rusalka need them. The mission needs them.

His family needs him, and he has every intention of coming back unscathed.

To that end, they need chalkos. And Sparagmos' warehouses probably have chalkos by the truckload, actually! It's far from his first time raiding a heavily guarded warehouse, so he volunteered for the task quite readily, though the fact he hadn't had to contend with chalkos' more volatile properties firsthand yet may be influencing his decision.

But potential explosions aside, the first step's always the stakeout. Edward crouches in the underbrush and snow, deathly silent, eyes trained on the warehouse and those guarding it. Being a ways from the city outskirts means that despite there being less greenery than the Sealed Forest proper, there's still a decent amount of vegetation to work with.

And when they're so few in number, stealth takes highest priority. This kind of thing's Sothe's specialty, but Edward would like to think he picked up one thing or the other. Maybe they could drop in through the roof…? They've been outfitted with enough rope to pull it off, easy. Grey eyes flit towards his partners in crime, and a tiny smile crosses his face.

"You guys done anything like this before?" he whispers, conspiratorially. "It's real fun once you get used to it."

@hisatana @laslow

[wrestlingisfake]

Hard to Kill preview

Kenny Omega & Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Rich Swann & Chris Sabin & Moose - When Kenny Omega won the AEW men’s world title on December 2, he completed a long-simmering heel turn by forming an alliance with Impact Wrestling executive Don Callis.  Omega and Callis began showing up on both Impact and AEW programming acting like Omega is “the real world champion,” which irritated Impact world champion Rich Swann.  Omega also reunited with Impact’s men’s tag team champions, Gallows and Anderson, who had already been having issues with former champs Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley.

This match was originally booked as Omega/Gallows/Anderson vs. Swann/Sabin/Shelley, but the day before the show Impact announced that “unavoidable circumstances” prevented Shelley from traveling to the show in Nashville.  Shelley’s last-minute replacement is Moose, who has recently been feuding with Swann.  For over eight months, Moose has been calling himself the “TNA world champion,” presumably to set up a “who’s the real champion?” match with the Impact world champion.  But that seems kind of silly now that Omega and Swann are kind of doing the same thing, but with more credibility.  So I was hoping they’d get Swann vs. Moose wrapped up before Swann vs. Omega got going.  I certainly wasn’t expecting Moose to be involved in this match.

Because of Omega and the AEW interpromotional angle, this may well be the biggest show Impact has run in years.  So Impact is motivated to deliver the best they can for whatever new audience this match will attract.  The big question is whether AEW is invested enough to send a few of their guys to appear on this show for a hot angle.  Any unadvertised AEW wrestler causing any kind of ruckus on this show will get people talking.  But AEW and Impact seem to be taking their time with this storyline, and they may not think now is the time to drop the next bombshell plot point.

To me, the likeliest finishes are a) Omega’s team dominates and wins to get more heat, or b) Swann scores the winning fall to set up an Omega vs. Swann singles match.  The best setup for that match would be Swann pinning Omega, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon.  But if they sell it like Omega’s team are the heavy favorites, and that Omega’s ego is bruised by an upset even if he didn’t lose the fall, then that can still work.  But then again, that was my gut feeling before Moose was added to the match.  Now it feels far more likely that Moose will turn on his partners or walk out on them, which could change the entire complexion of the match.  That uncertainty has me pretty interested in how things unfold.

Eddie Edwards vs. Sami Callihan - This is billed as a “barbed wire massacre” match, so the ring ropes will be replaced with barbed wire, and objects wrapped in barbed wire will be provided at ringside to use as weapons.  Obviously, in this sort of match nobody is going to be disqualified or counted out. 

I can’t say I understand the storyline leading up to this.  Edwards and Callihan had a vicous feud following a 2018 incident where Callihan botched a spot and hit Edwards in the face with a baseball bat.  Then they seemed to go down separate paths, and then recently Sami and Ken Shamrock started picking on Edwards and his wife for some reason.  The idea now appears to be that these two will never be able to settle it, except that they both clearly put it all aside for the better part of a year.  In any case, they’ve run out of hardcore stips to use in their matches, so here we are.

I believe this is the fourth “barbed wire massacre” match Impact has booked.  The first two were on pay-per-view in 2005 and 2008.  The third was taped for television in 2018, but was only streamed on Twitch because it was “too violent for TV.”  I remember watching the first one (Abyss vs. Sabu) in 2005 and being too squeamish to enjoy the performance.  In matches like this you have to hope the wrestlers know what they’re doing and don’t go too far just to create a “moment.”  But with Callihan and Edwards, that doesn’t apply, so I just have to hope the match was taped in advance, so that if one of them was gravely injured we’d have seen reports about it by now.

Both of these guys are pushed as top acts in Impact, but Callihan always seems to come up short in big matches like this.  I can’t see either guy accepting defeat and letting the feud end.  But if this is really the final chapter, then I think Edwards needs the last laugh more than Sami does.

Deonna Purrazzo vs. Taya Valkyrie - Purrazzo is defending the Impact women’s championship. Valkyrie held the title from January 2019 to January 2020--the longest single reign in the title’s history--but after losing the belt she spent 2020 preoccupied in comedy stuff with Rosemary and John E. Bravo.  So Taya’s doing the whole “you’ve only done so well as champion because I haven’t gotten around to facing you” bit.

I haven’t been able to get into Impact’s women’s division.  I suppose it’s because so many of the characters seem superficial and unserious.  Like, Purrazzo is presented as a solid in-ring performer, but outside the ring she’s the kind of self-absorbed chicken heel who plots with her sidekick to devise ways to duck upcoming challengers.  Impact is full of characters like that, but the women’s division in particular has almost nothing else.  Hell, Taya was playing that role when she was the heel champion.  So I can’t say I’m very motivated to see these two fight.  I also don’t really believe we’re going to get a title change at this point.

Manik vs. Chris Bey vs. Rohit Raju - This is a three-way match for the X division championship, so whoever scores the first fall over any opponent will win Manik’s title.  This story started with Bey as champion and Raju as his crony, but Raju was the one henchman in wrestling history who managed to manipulate his boss to his advantage, so Raju won the title from Bey in a three-way with TJP.  Raju was so worried about losing his belt to TJP that he arranged a stipulation where TJP could no longer challenge him.  Then Raju issued an open challenge answered by Manik...the masked man character originally played by TJP.  So now Manik is the champion and definitely not TJP, but Raju and Bey aren’t buying it.

I don’t really care who wins this.  Every time they do a multi-man match for the X title, they demonstrate that multi-man matches don’t settle anything, because there’s always somebody who’s like “Well I wasn’t pinned, so I should get another match!”  So if, for example, Bey pins Raju, you know it’s just going to lead to Bey vs. TJP and/or Manik later.  Except Raju is going to weasel his way into the situation, for another three-way.  (Unless Crazzy Steve is free that weekend, and it’ll be a four-way.)  There’s no direction here. The best thing that could happen to the X title (aside from retiring it as an obsolete relic) is if some AEW guys came in to fight for it.  And I don’t expect that to happen soon.

Havok & Neveah vs. Tasha Steelz & Kiera Hogan - This match is the tournament final to decide which team will be awarded the Impact women’s tag team championship.  The title was originally introduced in 2009, but a lack of interest in booking it properly led to ODB teaming with Eric Young to win the belts in March 2012.  The last title defense I can find was in May 2012, although it took over a year for Impact to officially abandon the championship.

I can see why Impact was motivated to bring the title back, since throughout 2020 most of their women’s roster was paired off in various alliances: Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary, Deonna Purrazzo & Kimber Lee, Kylie Rae & Susie, etc. But just because most of the women on the roster have a natural partner doesn’t mean there are enough women to fill out a tag team division.  I suspect these two teams are going to end up rematching a lot for the tag belts, while the teams they eliminated in the tournament go back to focusing on singles action.  If just having women’s tag titles automatically meant expanding the women’s roster and pushing more women, then that would be great.  But we’ve seen that it doesn’t work that way, not only in WWE, but also the last time Impact tried it.

My gut feeling is that Steelz and Hogan have more future potential, so I’d probably prefer to put the title on them.  But Havok and Neveah have the edge in size and meanness, and I could easily see Impact wanting them to dominate as the champions a la the Road Warriors.

Eric Young & Cody Deaner & Joe Doering vs. Cousin Jake & Rhino & Tommy Dreamer - This is being called an “old school rules” match, which is Impact’s way of saying “ex-ECW guys are in this so we want to say ‘extreme rules’ but WWE trademarked that.” Basically there are no count-outs or disqualifications.  Cody and Jake were a tag team until Deaner became obsessed with proving himself against Young; when he failed, he turned on Jake and joined Young’s group.  Rhino tried to help Jake out, but it wasn’t until Tommy Dreamer got involved that they were able to even the odds.  I’m pretty sure Young’s faction is just getting started and they are going to destroy the babyfaces here.

Ethan Page vs. The Karate Man - Page is one half of The North, which spent most of 2019-2020 dominating the men’s tag team division.  Karate Man is the alter ego of...Ethan Page.  So he’s fighting himself.  That’s always fun.

The backstory here is that the North struggled to recover from losing the tag title earlier this year, and Page grew increasingly desperate to convince Josh Alexander that they could regroup. The tipping point was when Alexander was wrestling Brian Myers and Karate Man interfered, causing Josh to get disqualified.  Page did a skit where he tried to get therapy from Karate Man, before they decided to fight instead.

The bigger story behind all this is that Page’s contract with Impact Wrestling reportedly expired at the end of 2020, so he’s technically not even with the promotion anymore.  Reportedly, this “match” was taped weeks ago.  Just because Page is a free agent doesn’t mean he won’t simply re-sign with Impact at any moment.  But this looks to be his swan song before he moves on...or the pivotal angle that sets up how he’s staying.

Obviously this is going to have to be pre-taped with Patty Duke Show special effects.  I’m not sure if that means it’ll be a ~*~cinematic match~*~ though.  They could do a weird brawl in a weird location like the Boneyard Match or Stadium Stampede, or they could just do it on the normal set in a normal ring and not do anything weird except the split screen effects.  I honestly don’t know what to expect.

Rosemary & Crazzy Steve vs. Tenille Dashwood & Kaleb with a K - Rosemary and Steve used to be in The Decay together years ago, and occasionally Impact remembers that and has them interact.  Tenille is formerly Emma from WWE, playing a stuck-up Instagram influencer gimmick with Kaleb as her personal assistant.  Rosemary already beat Dashwood in the setup to this match, and I don’t think Kaleb is going to last long against Steve, so I guess the weirdo babyfaces will triumph.

Josh Alexander vs. Brian Myers - This is scheduled for the pre-show.  As noted above, Alexander and Ethan Page had some issues that came to a head when Page caused Alexander to lose a match to Myers.  So Josh wants to avenge that loss.  It’s kinda funny to me that the serious match about wins and losses and professionalism is on the pre-show while the “Ethan Page beats himself up” comedy is on the main show.  But anyway, it seems like Alexander is headed for a singles push, so he might as well get that started with a win.

[minghaocouture]

Songs I associate the Seventeen Members with

Decided to do the SVT Tage game made by @milkteafairy-hyeri​. She said anyone who wants to do it and so here i am lol! (Also tagging @woozisnoots​ since she also did a “anyone who wants to do it”)

List songs in your playlist and strictly on your phone playlist which you associate the Seventeen members with! It’s up to you if u wanna add an explanation!

TBH this was really hard to do x.x Like none of my music really reminded me of them cause if i’m not listening to Kpop Im listening to hard rock or parody music x.x

Im tagging...anyone who wants to do this! Just tag me so i can see your choices <3

Seungcheol

Warriors - Aaliyah Rose (She-Ra theme song)

Tbh this just feels like Cheollie to me, as a leader he is always there for his members and supports them so much.

Room Shaker - Ailee 

This song just reminds me of his on stage duality. like specifically this gif i saw forever ago but couldn’t find it again x.x

Jeonghan

Goodnight My Angel - Celtic Woman

The title kinda explains itself lol. It’s a really pretty lullaby, and he likes sleeping so much and he’s an angel and it was cute.

Troublemaker - Olly Murs ft. Flo Rida

So it was either this song or Chillin’ Like a Villain from Descendants 2. But this one fit a bit better. All his cheating in games and how he is just kinda chaotic, it made me giggle thinking about.

Joshua

Sing for You - EXO

This song just screams Joshua to me, i would love to hear him (and tbh the whole group) do a cover of this song. I can just imagine him playing his guitar and singing and it just makes me soft to think about. 

Dragon Slayer - NSP (E) 

It just reminded me of how anytime the fandom calls him the Gentleman of the group and the rest of SVT is just like “NAH”. (don’t read too much into this choice lol it just made me giggle) 

Junhui

Níl Sé’n Lá - Celtic Woman

So this song is legit just about partying and having fun and not thinking about what will come tomorrow, and it just really reminded me of Jun’s cheerful personality.

Otsukimi Recital - Jin,IA

This one, reminded me of him comforting Yanan during that Chinese show they did together. The whole song is about trying to make someone close to you feel better and I just imagined Jun singing it to Yanan and it made me really happy. 

Also translates to Moon viewing recital, and his Korean last name is Moon.

Soonyoung

I Don’t Know What We’re Talking About - NSP 

I imagine that this song is sometimes what it’s like to be in Soonyoung’s brain lol sometimes it doesn’t make sense but it always makes you laugh.

Caffeine - RWBY

This song is so hype for me and just reminds me of how he is live on stage. It is also a song called Caffeine and that boy has energy for literal DAYS. 

Wonwoo

Kataomoi - Aimer

So this song starts out kinda sad but gets happier at the end, and it really reminded me of how Wonwoo had talked about himself during Hit the Road. How he was curious why people liked him. it was also super chill like he usually is.

My Only Chance - The Toxic Avenger

So this song is from one of my fave video game soundtracks. It’s a really chill song and feels like it would fit Wonwoo’s vibe, and the fact that he is a gamer.

Jihoon

Breathe (2 AM) - Anna Nalick

So this is dumb but i mostly picked this because A. It was just kind a chill kinda sound and B. Because of the line “2 am and i’m still awake writing a song”, it just reminded me of all that Jihoon does. 

Rock Show - Halestorm

DRUMMER WOOZI

Seokmin

Sunny Summer - Gfriend

This boy is literally sunshine, and i could also see him dancing to this song and just being super cute.

Dinosaur Laser Fight - NSP (E) 

That skit they did where he was the English teacher? Yeah this song is what it would have been if he was a science teacher in that skit.

Mingyu

Ka-CHING! - EXO-CBX

The guys always tease him about having a lot of money so this is just where my brain went.

Guy.exe - Superfruit

“Six feet tall and super strong” I may pick on Kim Mingyu but this boy would be perfect BF material.

Minghao

Dear Fellow Traveller -  Sea Wolf

This song just had a vibe that screamed Minghao to me. Just a kind of mysterious yet welcoming feel. If that makes sense.

Drop Dead Gorgeous - April Smith and the Great Picture Show

So i love this song and I feel Minghao could relate, because it’s talking about wanting to be with someone that’s smart and not just pretty. The tag line is “Cause if you’re just drop dead gorgeous, you should just drop dead.” saying that if there isn’t anything going on in your brains, then you need to GTFO and that just felt vry Minghao to me.

Seungkwan

Sweets for Two - Interlunium 

1. Seungkwan is sweet as sugar, 2. Seungkwan is a foodie <3 

Pillow Talking (feat. Brain) - Lil Dicky, Brain (E)

Okay hear me out, this would legit be him arguing with someone about these things. I can legit see him having similar reactions to Lil Dicky in the song and it had me cackling just thinking about it.

Vernon

Retro Future - Triple H 

Vernon’s whole closet just screamed this song at me (i know he’s changing to darker colors but until it’s happened i still got Tie-dye Vernon on the brain)

Popsicle - UHSN 

This is literally just because my all time favorite look for Vernon is this one

Chan

Yakusoku no Kizuna - Risa Taneda

K-POP’S FUTURE LEE CHAN! This is all about working hard for your goals and being able to keep going forward because of the people around you. 

Byakuya ~True Light~

TBH this is legit just because i had an idea for a D.N.Angel au where Chan would take Daisuke’s role >.> (and Jeonghan would be Dark) that’s honestly it. 

[canaryrecords]

NEW RELEASE

Among the quarter-million Ukrainians who arrived in the U.S. between 1900 and 1930 was a young man named Pawlo Humeniuk who had been studying violin for almost two decades. Variants of his name appear, but because of research undertaken in the 1970s-80s by Dick Spottswood, first and foremost, and subsequently Victor Greene, we have a pretty good picture of his life and remarkable career. Much of what follows restates work they published.

Humeniuk was born in a small town now called Pidvolochysk in present-day western Ukraine in 1883, territory that changed hands among several governments as boundaries were drawn and re-drawn over the half-century that followed. He arrived in the U.S. in 1908 at the age of 25, where he joined his brother with whom he opened a violin building and repair shop and formed a band. He lived and worked in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where a cultural hub for generations of Ukrainians was the Surma book and music shop run by Myron Surmach. According to Spottswood, Humeniuk - then a 31-year-old father of three - happened to have been in the shop one day in 1925 when a representative of the Okeh Records label came in and inquired about village-style Ukrainian musicians who might be willing to record for the label. Surmach introduced the label guy to Humekiuk, and a recording date was set for December 8. Four months after that recording session for Okeh, Humeniuk began recording for Columbia Records, and, after a false start in March 1926, cut six sides in April that changed the record business in America.

According to Gayle Dean Wardlow, the record business in the 1920s operated under the premise that to break even on a record, labels had to sell 500 copies and that they were looking for one in every ten recordings they released to turn a significant profit. It was in this context that a 12” disc titled “Ukrainian Wedding” made by Humeniuk in April 1925 sold well over 100,000 copies, essentially assuring him a steady recording career for the next fifteen years and creating a new market out of whole-cloth for recordings of rural music made by Slavs in the U.S. Pekka Gronow pointed out that while Ukrainians were roughly the nineteenth largest foreign-born ethnic-language group in the U.S. in 1940, they were ranked seventh among groups represented in releases by Columbia Records during the years 1923-50. While there were about two-and-a-half million Poles in the U.S., Poles released about 800 discs during that period, while there were less than 100,000 Ukrainians, who released 430 discs. This could, in a sense, partly be accounted for by the runaways success of Humeniuk’s “Ukrainian Wedding” recording.

There were several factors at play in the disc’s sales. Certainly it had to do with the personalities of Ewgen Zukowski and Rosa Krasnowska, the comedian-actor-singers who performed as the vocal stars. Their abilities to project a sense of the real-life joys and sorrows in the midst of the emotionally-charged moment of the “wedding” was a key. The performances were essentially a mini-play, alternating dialogue and music over eight minutes across two sides of the disc, bridging the technological gap between staged theater and radio drama. It was all very recognizable, the tears and the laughter and the dancing, not only to Ukrainians but also many other immigrants from Eastern Europe. It felt like home.

Surmach later said of Humeniak: "He made it like [a] village song, just folk, really what they play ... in the villages ... without looking [at] notes. He would usually close his eyes [when hey played]. And when he made ... records , I put [them] on the phonograph and people [said], 'Oh, that's how they play[ed] in my village.' And they [would] stop to buy. And I couldn't get enough of those records." (Quoted by Victor Greene in A Passion for Polka: Old-Time Ethnic Music in America, University of California Press, 1992.)

Dozens of variants followed in its wake, because when you have a winning formula in the entertainment business, you milk it. So, to this day nearly 100 years later, any given pile of Slavic 78 rpm discs of the 1920s-30s in any given basement, attic, or yard sale will include a certain number of skits with musical interludes. Newspaper documentation shows that performances of staged “mock” weddings performed by traveling troupes and lasting five hours were popular entertainment among Ukrainians in Pennsylvania and New Jersey during the early 1930s.

Although at the time of this writing, we are lacking much in the way of biographical material on Ewgen (or Eugen) Zukowsky (b. 1896; d. 1961), it is clear that he recorded prolifically through the 20s and 30s, having cut over 200 performances under his own name between 1926 and 1938 in addition to the scores of discs he made with Krasnowska and Humeniuk during the same period. We have a little more information about Rosa (Ruzalia or Rose) Kraswnowski who was born April, 16 1897 in the village of Dahowa, now central Poland and emigrated July 1911. In 1930 she was living singly as a boarder at 121 E 10th St. on Manhattan and she identified herself as a dishwasher to a census enumerator. On her 1938 petition for citizenship, her address was 544 E 60th St. in Manhattan, and she listed her occupation as "actress."

Humeniuk recorded about 300 performances under his own name (sometimes in variant form to be marketed to other Slavic communities) between 1925 and 1940, but he also performed on scores of recordings released by various singers, including Zukowsky and Krasnowsa, under their names. Among them was Theodor J. Swystun (b. ca. 1900). Sywstun was arrested in January 1928 at his home in Philadelphia for having immigrated illegally. He was a 28 year old student at Temple University at the time. A judge granted him a stay, releasing him on $500 bond. He recorded a total of 24 sides over a half-dozen sessions between April 1930 and December 1933. As president of the Ukrainian Society in Philadelphia, he spoke at the Ukrainian Hall on N. Franklink St. in 1932 in support of resolutions that the Langue of Nations should protect western Ukrainians from the violations of civil rights under the Second Polish Republic. He died July 29, 1963.

Issues of Ukrainian identity and nationalism figured into the recordings. The three-disc, six-part series of skits-with-music recorded in December 1932 and included at the end of this collection were translated on the discs’ labels as “A Trip Back Home” and depicts the entirety of an imagined round-trip journey of a Ukrainian immigrant to his homeland and then back to the U.S. A literal translation of the title, however, is closer to “On Seeing the Border,” the border in question apparently being the Curzon Line, the demarcation set in 1919 dividing what was then eastern Poland and what is now western Ukraine. In that context, the ebullience of the last two sides upon the protagonist’s return to his community in the U.S. is especially touching.

Primarily workers in physically grueling industries, particularly in coal mines and steel plants, next to Slovaks, Hungarians, Serbs, Croats, and Poles, with whom they were collectively derided as “hunkies” and “bohunks,” Ukrainian-Americans took immense solace from their peculiar status nationally both in their politically volatile homeland and as new immigrants in music at weddings, house parties, community dances, and on disc recordings. The ubiquity of Humeniuk’s style spread through his 78s among the Ukrainian community, including the community in Alberta, Canada, in part through their use by the dancer and teacher Vasil Avramenko, influencing generations of Slavic performers in North America. His virtuosity is unmatched by his apparent contemporary Michala Thomasa (commonly referred to as Michael Thomas), also a fiddler of the village style, about whom we don’t have any definite biographical information. We know for now only that he made 13 discs under his own name between 1929 and 1933 and that he served as accompanist to Ewgen Zukowski. We hope to fill in the blank that his name represents in the near future. He was good.

Pawlo Humeniuk stopped recording in 1940 as a new style of accordion-lead, post-Prohibition polka music became more popular in the U.S. He died January 24, 1965 at 71 years old. Many of his recordings were reissued on various LPs. A great collection of his 1925-27 recordings produced by his primary biographer Dick Spottswood was issued by Arhoolie Records in 1992, and an excellect 4CD set on JSP records produced by Chris King called Ukrainian and Lemko String Bands came out in 2011 that included a of lot of his recordings. We recommend both highly. This collection is intended to be a complement and extension of those.

[art-by-rozzai]

a sequel to the band au headcannons? u fucking know it

https://jacksmellington101.tumblr.com/post/186483036220/band-au-headcannons-more-likely-than-u-think

c h e c k o u t t h e f i r s t o n e p l e a s e ^

badadadada guess what the boys have grADUATED HIGH SCHOOL!!! yayy!! after self titled blew up, the friends continued writing and wrote another album! this time they strayed from they’re original a lot, picking up a new style while mainting parts of the old style. think going from tøp to panic! at the disco (sorry i’m a slut for emo bands😤)

roman played acoustic and electric gutair in the album instead of uke, logan played bass and even got a chance to play cello in one song!! they’re identities are still a secret tho, so they decide to make a dramatic lead up to the drop of their album

logan goes first-at first he really enjoyed the secret identities but now? he just feels guilty for no reason??? garbage!!!!

so on the youtube channel they have (remember the one they originally posted taxi cab on? that one) he makes a video that starts off as audio and a black screen. the video then goes on to show footage of logan as a child learning cello, middle school logan shredding on the bass, space and cities and grades and perfectionism and fear/denial of feelings all while logan tells a story about “the boy who loves stars and sounds” eventually revealing his identity with the last sentence-

“the boys nickname was logic, but now he thinks he can trust u all. he wants you to call him logan-logan croft. and he wants to thank you all for the support. he loves you all” and a silent shot of logan shyly waving to the camera

the internet goes c r a z y

everyone is freaking out

what does this mean

they are real??? they have names??? they’re telling us their names???

logan thinks he’s going to throw up when he sees himself featured on phillip de franco’s channel, youtuber news and even a small section in “extra” on nbc

patton is so happy for logan!! but he doesn’t want logan to feel singled out, so he tells the group he wants to make his reveal next. everyone’s cool with it! on top of this, the friends are searching desperately for a place to live, when a four bedroom apartment is up for rent in nyc. instantly, they decide to move.

patton is so excited to live with his best best best friends-especially logy! he loves virgil and roman, they’re his best friends but something about logan is-different

oh

oh

roman puts on some facade that he is only pumped to be living with them bcuz it will help create more albums but after a rare moment on the roof of his soon to be old house with virgil, roman knows that he doesn’t think he’d be as happy as he is without them. him and virgil spend a long time together watching the thunder on his roof, and though virgil is mesmerized by the flashing light, roman can’t stop watching the way the light reflects off virgil’s features. his freckles, his pale skin his-

oh

o h

f u c k

anyways patton’s turn to reveal!! his video is a lot less serious than logan’s! it’s animated too!! bcuz patton is pretty good at art, and he has a similiar style to odd1sout so the video is kind of like one of those! it’s bright and funny and explains all of patton’s expierence with music. how playing the drums helps him manage his adhd, how he thinks everyone should learn to appreciate the little things (he then animates in dogs and butterflies and sunshine)

he also talks about feelings-how anything u may be feeling is always valid-nothing is wrong, or not allowed. he ends the video similarly by flipping the camera to his smiling face and saying “and i, patton hart approve this message! thank you guys for being the best fandom ever! just remember that i beLEAF in all of you!!” he giggles before tossing a bunch of leaves at the camera.

and for the second time in two weeks, the internet breaks

he’s so pure ohmygod he’s just so relatable and sweet and we must protect him at all costs-

people really ship logan and patton

and now that the four friends have really moved in together, logan seems to find himself noticing rather annoying feelings of...infatuation with the human version of a golden retriever

but patton is so cute and makes his little nerd heart go badumbadumbadumbadu-

the next week is here and it’s romans turn to reveal his name! his video is obviously super extravagant-he makes it a skit of sorts. the video features him acting out of a lot of real life experiences-things like him practicing uke and getting leads and writing and playing dress up as a kid and posting covers and learning gutair and painting, as well as times where he breaks down, moments where he feels too stupid to do anything and moments where he feels plain worthless.

none of those make him any less of a prince-“roman prince, actually. you all have given me so much, and it’s time i give you all something. you are all worth so much, my ladies, lords and non-binary royalty. keep creating!” and he winks at the camera before covering it with his hand

internet break

fuck

everyone’s like wow roman hot

also ship wars are breaking out-royalty, logince and logicality, as they have been dubbed, are all in question. which member belongs with which.

people are also picking favorites, however this one evens out a lot more. everyone has one member they prefer slightly more, but still love each of them dearly

virgil finds roman immdiatly after he posts the video-romans sitting at his computer staring at the comments, gripping his mug of tea so tight that his knuckles are turning white. virgil rips his away from the internet and takes him to go get starbucks-it’s the end of october now and they pick a spot by the corner of the cafè

virgil gets a pumpkin spiced latte with extra espresso and roman gets a pink drink-they play pictionary on the windows that have been taken over by condensation

it’s these little moments that make roman fall even more in love with virgil-and virgil’s falling too

and then it’s the last week of october-virgil’s video is scheduled to drop on the monday, and their new album with drop on the friday

virgil’s video is just him talking- he’s wearing a plain black hoodie, the video starts off black and white. the only thing the camera shows is his torso, cutting off the view of his face completely. virgil talks about his dealing with anxiety and even deppression, and how mental health is messy and not fun but everything gets better. and how music helped drag him out of some of the darkest places in his life. he talks about his headphones and his frustrations in school and his lack of friends up until recently. the video slowly adds color.

before the end of the video, virgil plays a bit of “ingenue” by thomas yorke- before it cuts to a shot of him wearing his iconic hoodie and his bangs are in virbrant purple. “and on the inside i’m the same as you. a nerdy little fanboy with mental health issues and a shitty sleep schedule. but thank you so much-you’ve given me something i never thought i’d have: actual friends, people who love music the way i do, people who connect with me. so i want you to know my name....my name is virgil storm. i love you trash goblins so so much, and just remember that no matter what your brain says, you can be a good guy.” he gives his salute and the camera goes black.

virgil feels like he’s going to throw up the minute he pushes post. logan finds him crying into his pillow, and helps him calm down before the two drive logan’s jeep to the edge of the woods and stare up at the sky together

and then our left brained bois complain about they’re growing crushes, about they’re growing lives about everything in between

logan is so grateful for virgil-his quiet, shy friend understands him so well without being too talkative

they just really love each other like brothers

k so this is getting super long so i might make one more after lmao anyways thanks sm for checking this out and just say that u want to b added to the tag list and u will!! xoxo

tags- @athenashipsthings and @flowersheep

[monkey-network]

SMG4 Review Ultima 2020 Pt. I

*Slam* The First Half of the year is officially over and by god, how much of a year it was. Needless to say, Fuck. But I wanted to celebrate making it this far by looking over one creator that has helped me keep going and that’s SMG4. His vids are still something else and today we’re doing a lightning round, no holds barred! Let’s do this...

Mario Gets His Pingas Stuck in the Door

Pretty great starter episode as last year. How they’re able to escalate things is pretty hilarious and like a door to the dingdong, it sticks the landing. (Grade: A)

Mario School Club

Ah, an episode where it’s about a group and they each get good segments. Shroomy’s club was my favorite and I enjoyed Mr. Monitor’s debut. It gets the same score. (Grade: A)

Bowser Loses Custody of his Children

This episode’s pretty straightforward. It has its jokes but it’s admittedly not a standout. Honestly, I was kinda believing we’d get an arc for this cuz I feel like this would’ve worked if Bowser didn’t get his kids back and we’d save getting them back at a later date.  (Grade: B-)

If Mario Was in the Sonic Movie

Eggman really stole the show with this and it was definitely better than the actual Sonic movie because I actually had more than a couple chuckles. Plus no shitty product placement. The romance element was especially a poignant turn because it made me love Swagmaster a lot more. Overall great to go back to when I want a good time. (Grade: A)

Mario’s Magical TV

Has its moments but they might as well have been one off shitposts on Twitter. Looking back, it’s an inferior episode to one later down the line and ends up being pretty meh. Also reminds me of Rick and Morty which did it better 3 times now. (Grade: C-)

Lord of the Memes

Ah, a Lord of the Rings parody. It’s a fun adventure that has some clever references, some pretty cinematic moments, and a great climax. Especially loved how they recreated smeagle’s arc and is great spin on their D&D episodes. (Grade: A)

Meggy’s Destiny

Still a good movie that works better emotionally than logically. Couple annoying moments but there are indeed great moments, especially in the 3rd act, that balances things out. Overall, it’s not as great as the anime arc, but it’s a fun bout that caps off that arc in a heartfelt way. (Grade: B+)

Mario Commits Tax Fraud

This was exceedingly one note. Barely got a laugh out of me beyond the climax and nothing’s really compelling me to enjoy thinking about this again. Might as well have played Yoshi in GTA 5 to get the same experience but better. (Grade: D+)

If Mario was in Animal Crossing

The ending is all that really mattered and it unfortunately shows how little Animal Crossing had in terms of worthwhile memes to utilize and even then, they really faceplanted with how forgettable this kinda was. Seriously, even the froggy chair gag was pitiful and predictable. (Grade: C-)

Mario Runs Out of Toilet Paper

Unexpected is what I’d call this. The second half raises the memes to a pretty great logical extreme and it’s surprising that this came from a real world annoyance. Really turned lemons into lemonade because fuck the hoarders. Those people made me side with Thanos for a while. (Grade: B+)

Mario’s Inside Story

Pretty fun adventure, but it kinda stinks that Saiko has little to really do anymore. Her chemistry with Luigi is good, but it would’ve made little difference to replace her with someone else. The story itself works well even with a predictable ending, but I just wish Saiko could do more. (Grade: B)

The E G G

This episode basically reused one of my most hated story tropes ever. “Oh no, they’re taking care of a baby but the baby won’t stay still and hijinks ensues.” This wasn’t good when Tom & Jerry did it, I certainly don’t like it here. And JubJub doesn’t make it better by being a blathering Boopkins echo fighter. That’s all he is and I’m with Mario where I wish he wasn’t around. Fuck this episode. (Grade: F)

Wario Tries to Stop Himself From Dying

A pretty great take on the ‘Wario Dies.mp3′ meme that reminds me so much of Happy Death Day. Huge step up from the previous entry and it’s a solid episode revolved around one of my favorite fat man. (Grade: B+)

Meggy Moves In

This is honestly an episode that just turns into a mess. There’s really only one good joke but other than that, it’s not charming or a laugh riot. It’s fine, just really bland. (Grade: C-)

Mario is Cancelled

I’d say it exhibits the basics of cancel culture well, but this is the most boring episode imaginable. Too much attempts at commentary not enough jokes. This almost felt like what a Karen would think SMG4 episodes are like. (Grade: D-)

The Totally Legit Learning Show with SMG4

This is Mario’s Magical TV but better. Every segment is either funny or charming as hell and it all just sticks to a more captivating lookback. (Grade: A)

🌽🌽🌽🌽𝓒𝓸𝓻𝓷🌽🌽🌽🌽

Pretty casual and charming episode. Not a major laugh machine but I was consistently enjoying every moment. Bonus points for not giving JubJub a lot of screen time and making Rob the scarecrow a lovely character from start to finish. Kinda weird that they went with corn but it’s not a dealbreaker. (Grade: B+)

Mario the Supreme Leader

A legit laugh riot from start to finish. Feels like a sequel to Smart Mario but taken to an equally great extreme. It’s great (Grade: A)

War on Beeg SMG4

Again, an episode where Saiko is apart of the ride but is mostly sidelined in terms of what to do. Otherwise, this is like the Toilet Paper episode where it’s unexpected and I really didn’t know where it was gonna go. Though this is a little better because a few moments stuck out to me more.  (Grade: A-)

Officer Meggy

Meggy is cute as a cop and Mr. Monitor is utilized better here than his other appearances. The story’s alright and is a pretty charming next step for Meggy after the Splatfest adventure. (Grade: B+)

Mario vs. Siren Head

A delightfully devilish take on the horror figure. It’s kind of a copy from the Sonic Movie episode but still a nice episode centered around Siren Head, with a pretty great ending to cap. (Grade: B+)

The Demon Among Us

Pretty mid in terms of story and comedy. I figured they would make an episode about Shroomy’s carnage side and I wonder if this’ll become an eventual arc but I doubt it. Found it pretty meh more than anything. (Grade: C)

Mario's Spicy Day 🔥

Not a major fan of SMG3′s voice, but I didn’t mind this episode. Heck, it hardly involves Mario so the title’s a little misleading. Not a lot to say with it, though, has its jokes and a nice emotional moment but other than that, it’s pretty mid.  (Grade: B-)

SSENMODNAR Reddit Special

Hit and miss, but mostly hit. The JOJO and Teletubbie skits were the greatest, but I feel some just felt like lazy answers. Overall, some good fun but I’d be fine if it was fanwork specials like the previous ones.  (Grade: B-)

【ＡＮＤ　ＴＨＡＴ＇Ｓ　ＴＩＭＥ！】

Well, quite above average all around. If you want my top 5 favorite, that’s not happening. Let’s see where the 2nd Half provides as the memes roll on. 

Stay safe out there, and see you at year’s end.

[luvneedsnosyt]

My Favorite Albums of 2018

Here is my list of my personal top albums of 2018

You can find my separate list for top EPs of 2018 here.

My Previous monthly lists from 2018: January , February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

My list last year for my top Albums of 2017 can be found here.

*Indicated someone I saw live in 2018

Honorable Mention:

Alan Walker - Different World Genre: Electronic / Dance

Different World is life in a digital universe. On the surface the mechanical synth-based melodies might come off as a bit too artificial, but if you dispel the notion computers can’t be a musical instrument you can see there’s a heartbeat under the churning gears. In the context of the album all the tracks really work together harmoniously, a pretty amazing feat considering these songs were recorded and released over the span of three years. There is a intentional, common vernacular across the tracks that melds it together quite nicely. Despite the plasticity on top, this debut album is artificial intelligence exuding relatable emotion and infectious energy. I don’t know what’s more human than that.

Proof: Lonely (w/ Steve Aoki Feat. ISÁK & Omar Nior) / Darkside (Feat. Au/Ra & Tomine Harket)

Alina Baraz - The Color Of You Genre: alt-R&B / Soul

The soothing and sultry voice of Alina Baraz can seriously sing to me the phone book and I would rock back and forth in a happy place. The world was first introduced to Alina Baraz when she teamed with Danish producer Galimatias for their euphoric, synth-pop joint EP Urban Flora. For her first solo project Baraz goes for a bit more of a stipped down sound which allows her soulful vocals to shine as they whisk you away. This enduring and intimate album shows the future is bright for the singer and her low lit music.

Proof: Fallin / I Don’t Even Know Why Though // Bonus: Feels Right

Chloe x Halle - The Kids Are Alright Genre: alt-R&B

Sisters Chloe & Halle’s talents caught the attention of none other than Beyoncé who scooped them up for her label and now their unique and unpredictable form of R&B is catching the attention of the masses. The sisters broke out on the scene with 2016’s Sugar Symphony EP, followed up by the YouTube released mixtape The Two of Us. This debut album has been in the works since before that original EP was released and with most of the production handled by them is a true culmination of their hard work to get to this point. The hard work is already paying dividends with two GRAMMY nominations including “Best New Artist”.

Proof: Everywhere / Galaxy

CHVRCHES - Love Is Dead Genre: Synth-Pop

On their third album, Love Is Dead, for the first time Scottish band CHVRCHES used outside producers on a record. The result is a bit more expansive of a sound for the group then before. The moments of emotion and energy seem a bit more unhinged (in a good way). Lauren also adjusted her writing techniques from a metaphor heavy style that would allude to subjects to a much more straightforward vocabulary addressing things head on. It’s still the same identifiable vernacular of the band CHVRCHES but with a few new art pieces up on the walls.

Proof: Never Say Die / Miracle

Don Diablo - FUTURE Genre: Electronic / Synth-Pop / Dance

Ten years after his debut, Dutch producer shows by he’s been a sought after producer for nearing twenty years. FUTURE shows how the producer has been able to craft entertaining and contagious pop melodies that resonate ohh so well.

Proof: Take Her Place (Feat. A R I Z O N A) / Found You (Feat. Bully Songs)

J.I.D. - DiCaprio 2 Genre: Hip Hop

J. Cole signee J.I.D. Didn’t waste time following up his 2017 debut album The Never Story. The Atlanta rapper already had a following established from independently released mixtapes and EPs before last year. The Never Story exposed to a wider audience this newcomer has got some lyrical skills and a silky, smooth flow, DiCapro 2 (a sequel to his 2015 DiCaprio EP) only exacerbates the exposure to his talent even more.

Proof: 151 Rum / Tiiied (Feat. 6LACK & Ella Mai)

JMSN - Velvet Genre: R&B / Soul / Funk

The shape shifting R&B of Michigan singer JMSN has been one of my favorites since his 2012 revelation of a debut †Priscilla† (which topped my 2012 albums list). His first album and EP were very much in the hazy low lit alt-R&B sound similar to The Weeknd and How To Dress Well. JMSN then molded his sound to a more straightforward form of R&B for an album. Again, not being complacent, his two following albums transformed again this time to sound like a jazz assemble backing a soul singer. Well, JMSN takes another left turn with Velvet incorporating some sultry funk. With dripping base lines and bouncing synth keys this is JMSN’s most vibrant sound yet.

Proof: Levy / Drama

Kylie Minogue - Golden Genre: Synth-Pop / Country

I am admittedly not a big country fan, and some more die hard country listeners my roll their eyes at me calling this album country. Kylie Minogue is going on 30 years in the industry and mostly been a danceable, synth-pop artist. For her fortieth album Golden, Kylie went to Nashville and incorporated country and bluegrass music tendencies into her sound; something that could be a disastrous ambition. I guess you don’t just luck into making music for three decades, because this interesting mixture is pulled off beautifully. Golden is an effective and innovative mash up of electronic music, synth-pop and country in a surprisingly delicious cocktail.

Proof: Stop Me From Falling / Every Little Part of Me

Logic - YSIV Genre: Hip Hop

With one of the most lethal flows in the game, Logic dropped off two projects in 2018. First was the follow up of his Bobby Tarantino Mixtape. The second was his fourth LP, but this time reviving his Young Senatra persona from mixtapes earlier in his career (the last one came out in 2013). YSIV or as it stands for “Young Sinatra 4” is another verbal assault by the talented rapper and one of his most confident records to date. The robust use of skits and interludes has always been a gripe of mine with Logic albums, and gladly they are noticeably absent here. No matter what persona he dons, Logic has some of the most ferocious lyrical prowess in the industry and he loves to show it off.

Proof: The Return / 1000 Miles & Running (Feat. Wale & John Lindahl)

MNEK - Language Genre: R&B / Electronic

Before this debut album was released British singer/producer/songwriter MNEK already had multiple GRAMMY nominations from his songwriting and production work with artists including Kylie Minogue, MØ, Madonna, Zara Larsson, Julia Michaels, Dua Lipa, Beyoncé and a whole slew of others. With the success of his stellar 2015 EP Small Talk he became a sought after commodity in the industry. For his debut album MNEK wanted to make a statement of who the man behind the boards and pen is. Language is an exhilarating listen front to back and an exciting mixture of intersecting genres.

Proof: Tongue / Colour (Feat. Hailee Steinfield)

SOB X RBE - GANGIN / GANGIN II Genre: Hip Hop

It’s been a busy year for the new hip hop foursome from Vallejo. They dropped their self titled Mixtape in 2017 to catch the attention of Kendrick who put a song by them on the Black Panther soundtrack. Striking while the iron was hot, the group released their debut album in February and their Sophomore album (or an extension of their debut) only a few months later in September. Growing up the Bay Area the group is obviously influenced heavily by the Hyphy movement. You can hear elements of influences from E-40, Keak da Sneak, The Team and others in that Hyphy sound; but with a contemporary twist.

Proof: Anti Social / Can’t // North Vallejo / Made It

Superorganism - Superorganism Genre: Indie Pop

Eight member group from various countries formed the band Superorganism in 2017. Together they would send tracks through Facebook and WhatsApp and each member would add some layers on to it. The concoction is a dense, multifaceted form of unique pop music. The various layers of instruments, synths, and samples intertwine to create a mesh of melodies that bounce along gracefully despite their mass.

Proof: Everybody Wants To Be Famous / Reflections on the Sun

Tove Stryke - Sway Genre: Synth-Pop

This short and sweet album by The Swedish singer is her strongest to date. There’s a subtle growing of confidence I can see from this album to its predecessor 2015’s Kiddo. Despite its short run time, Sway makes quite an enjoyable impression.

Proof: Sway / Mistakes

Typhoon - Offerings Genre: Indie Rock / Alternative

American rock band Typhoon follow up 2013’s White Lighter with their fourth album here. Offerings is a moving and powerful affair. Most of the tracks start off mellow and sweet with moments of crashing guitars and unfiltered emotion bursting out.

Proof: Rorschach / Darker

VanJess - Silk Canvas Genre: R&B / Neo-Soul

The sisters of first generation Nigerian immigrants started singing covers on YouTube before first getting signed way back in 2011. Their debut was worth the weight, Silk Canvas is some infectious forward thinking R&B with subtle nostalgia baked in. You can see influences from the likes of Rihanna, SWV, TLC and others.

Proof: Touch The Floor (Feat. Masego) / Best Believe

Bonus:

Major Lazer - Major Lazer Essentials Genre: Electronic / Dance

Since their debut album Major Lazer has been one of my favorites. Now three albums, multiple EPs and a couple mixtapes later, Diplo has announced a new album in 2019 (10 years after their debut) will be the end of the project for the immediate future as he pursues his other many projects. With this announcement Diplo released this compilation album of greatest hits and a handful of new tracks. My first thought when I gave my original spin through this collection was “damn, Major Lazer just had some gd hits!” Listening in one place to the standout tracks from 2009 to now is an exhilarating and entertaining experience centered around diversity and overflowing passion.

Proof: Blow That Smoke (Feat. Tove Lo) / Know No Better (Feat. Travis Scott, Camila Camila & Quavo) / Watch Out For This (Feat. Busy Signal, The Flexican & FS Green) / Tied Up (Feat. Mr Eazi, RAYE & Jake Gosling)

The List:

Last One Out: NoMBe - They Might’ve Even Loved Me Genre: Alternative / Indie Rock / R&B

German born singer NoMBe is here to seduce you and I say you should let him. They Might’ve Even Loved Me is a steamy collection of rock songs about love, sex and navigating through life. NoMBe’s vocals are subdued and sly enacting a sense of mystery. The backdrops are built on groovy bass lines and plucky guitar riffs meant to get your foot tapping and hips slowly moving. I can see obvious influences from The Killers, Kings of Leon and Prince. Deeper down I also see hints of Blood Orange, Twin Shadow and D’Angelo.

Proof: Young Hearts / Freak Like Me / Jump Right In / Sex

35. Rejjie Snow - Dear Anne Genre: Hip Hop

Hip Hop is usually about being forceful and having to reach out and grab what society has built roadblocks for you to attain. Irish rapper Rejjie Snow is the opposite of that. His subtle, jazzy production is minimalist and doesn’t directly ask for your attention. This allows the mellow, but skilled flow of Rejjie to take the lead. I wouldn’t label Rejjie’s rapping as slow, but it moves at a comfortable and steady pace and doesn’t need to be unnecessarily sped up. With the vibe being so well established, the listener can now comfortably hang onto every lyric which are well written in matters of love and maturing in life we all can identify with.

Proof: Spaceships (Feat. Ebenezer) / Egyptian Luvr (Feat. Aminé & Dana Williams) / Charlie Brown (Feat. Anna of the North) / Annie (Feat. Jesse Boykins III)

34. Kelela - TAKE ME A_PART THE REMIXES Genre: alt-R&B / Electronic

Kelela’s debut album Take Me Apart was one of my favorite albums last year. Her sound that was a mixture of Aaliyah, late 80s Janet Jackson laid over production that would fit on a Massive Attack album was such an enjoyable smooth and sultry listen. Her strong vision of her projects as a whole make for a cohesive listen. That strong vision carries over to this robust remix compilation that is not your average remix album. The diverse range of producers offering remixes make for a dynamic listen that teleport you to various new environments throughout. Kelela was part of the process curating this album with each of the producers, even recording some new vocals here and there if needed. It’s that devotion to her craft that makes me confident Kelela will be a long time.

Proof: KAYTRANADA_WAITIN_115 BPM / LSDXOXO_TRUTH OR DARE_123 BPM / NÍDIA_BLUE LIGHT_123 BPM / BADSISTA_BETTER_125 BPM (Feat. Linn da Quebrada)

33. Whethan* - Life of a Wallflower, Pt. 1 Genre: Electronic / Future Bass / Dance

The most impressive skill in electronic’s wonderkid Whethan’s arsenal is his ability to construct a diverse range of sounds within a genre that usually leads to being in niches. Since he first debuted in 2015 at the age of 16, Whethan had been a producer chameleon making tracks that don’t sounds like the last two or three or anything he released before had. Before this debut album was released he already got to work with the likes of Flux Pavilion, Charli XCX, Elohim, Ashe, MAX & Dua Lipa so his clout is rapidly growing in the industry. That’s from his ability to mold and morph melodies to his will. With apparently another album set to be released on 2019, the young Chicago producer is riding this accent with no end point in sight.

Proof: Radar (Feat. HONNE) / Top Shelf (Feat. Bipolar Sunshine) / Superlove (Feat. Oh Wonder) / Be Like You (Feat. Broods) // Bonus: High (Feat. Dua Lipa)

32. Kali Uchis - Isolation Genre: R&B / Soul

The soulful, vintage sound of Colombian-American Kali Uchis has an appealing and comforting nostalgia while also feeling contemporary and innovative. You can see her influences of 1960s Soul and doo-wop music as well as traditional Colombian music as the vertebrae of her stripped-back sound but also see how she’s molding it to her will to fit in 2018. Her tender voice can bounce along a track so gracefully in her unique melodies creating a dynamic experience despite a minimalist pallet.

Proof: Just A Stranger (Feat. Steve Lacy) / Tyrant (Feat. Jorja Smith) / Dead To Me / After The Storm (Feat. Tyler, The Creator & Bootsy Collins)

31. Mother Mother - Dance and Cry Genre: Indie Rock / Alternative

Canadian Rock band Mother Mother’s sound is an exciting coalesce of Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire and My Chemical Romance. Dance and Cry is a touching record of heartbreak and the hope afterwords. I admittedly haven’t listened to an entire project from Mother Mother before this, their seventh album, so I can’t really offer much history or how their sound may have evolved. However, this was a pleasant surprise when I first took it for a spin that kept surprising me every listen after, so I will personally be paying more attention to the band after.

Proof: Dance and Cry / Get Up / So Down / It’s Alright

30. Vince Staples - FM! Genre: Hip Hop

Long Beach rapper Vince Staples marches to the beat of his own drum with a IDGAF attitude. Seventeen months after releasing my personal favorite album of 2017, Vince is back with a new project; I’m not sure what to call it. Is FM! an album, a mixtape, just a recorded radio show? The thing is Vince could really care less about those questions, he just makes what he wants to. Put together as one radio show where the tracks abruptly end, there’s hosts playing stupid games with callers, quick commercial breaks for other rapper’s projects, the project comes out as an odd but accurate snapshot of 2018. With a run time under 30 minutes this album is like a shot of adrenaline and ends before any lethargic coming down. Staples verses are as strong as ever with the same bouncy beats we’ve known him to find to spit over with his normal laid back vigor.

Proof: Outside! / Relay / FUN! (Feat./ E-40) / No Bleedin (Feat. Kamaiyah)

29. St. Lucia - Hyperion Genre: Synth-Pop

South African frontman and main showrunner of the New York band St. Lucia returns with his lush and decadent pop music meant to overload your senses. St. Lucia has vaulted to the top of my personal bands list since their debut 2013’s When The Night; which led to me seeing them live 4 times in less than 24 months. Hyperion has a little less “pop” for me then it’s two predecessors, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still a joyous piece of tropical, electro-Pop. There’s even a few new wrinkles, like some George Michael inspired Gospel infusion on “Paradise Is Waiting” or the hints of 80′s rock in the margins of “Walking Away”.

Proof: A Brighter Love / Paradise is Waiting / Walking Away / China Shop

28. Joji - BALLADS 1 Genre: alt-R&B

Japanese singer Joji has come a long way from making a silly internet meme to this surprising debut album. Originally known for starting the “Harlem Shake” meme on his YouTune channel; forever making the actual dance from the 90’s forgotten. Sometime a couple years ago he decided to take music as a serious venture. There was some aspects I liked of his 2017 debut EP In Tongues but overall there was something not quite clicking for me. The seemed to be too much focus on the air underwater vibe and not enough on the song crafting. Well that seemed to be ironed out here with a beautiful debut album that has some heart wrenching moments. “SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK” was one of my favorite songs of 2018, and shows the once YouTube jokester can really dig deep and pull out raw emotion on a song.

Proof: SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK / TEST DRIVE / WANTED U / NO FUN // Bonus: SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK (Loud Luxury Remix)

27. ayokay - In The Shape Of A Dream Genre: Electronic / Synth-Pop / Future Bass

Los Angeles based (Detroit born) DJ ayokay drops off his debut LP of sunkissed Electronic music. ayokay is not afraid to deal with some sadness in his songs, but they maintain a danceable vibe, emulating the mask we all wear in public over our emotions. Who’s ready to cry in the club with me?

Proof: Sleepless Nights (Feat. Nightly) / Don’t Wanna Be Your Friend (Feat. Katie Pearlman) / Stay With Me (Feat. Jeremy Zucker) / Half Past You (Feat. Future Jr.)

26. Tash Sultana - Flow State Genre: Indie Pop / R&B / Soul

Step into the lush and picturesque world created by the Australian multi-instrumentalists that is Tash Sultana. Sultana is a solo jam band as all fifteen instruments on the record are played by Tash, who utilizes looping programs to build these vast microcosms of sound. With the sultry vocals the sound is like Erykah Badu mixed with Aaliyah mixed with The Roots. The smooth vibes and dense backdrops take over on Flow State, a record that’s meant to get lost in.

Proof: Big Smoke / Cigarettes / Salvation / Mystik

25. Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer Genre: R&B / Neo-Soul

Janelle Monáe is on quite a multimedia run right now and I don’t think it will slow down anytime soon. The singer/actor hasn’t technically won an EGOT award yet, but I see her flirting with the achievement soon. Already in two Oscar for Best Picture nominated movies “Hidden Figures” and “Moonlight” (the latter winning), the accomplished singer shows we are only seeing the beginning of her talents. The “G” in the EGOT might not be far off with probably her most comprehensive and impressive album to date Dirty Computer gaining some GRAMMY nominations: including Album of the Year. Dirty Computer is also my personal favorite project from Janelle. She describes it as finding her true authentic self and expressing that more effectively to the world and I can very much see that. She also worked on this album with the late genius Prince before his passing and you can very much see his influences throughout. There’s the airy dancing synths emulating a bit of the later Prince from Art Official Age on “Crazy, Classic, Life”. “Make Me Feel” is dripping with funk similar to something off of 1999. Album closer “Americans” utilizes a empowering soulful keyboard riff that could be taken straight from any of the albums with The Revolution. Despite the heavy influence, Janelle doesn’t use it as a crutch but as a tool to take her sound to a new level. She never loses her strong sense of self though the project, I feel we are finally peeling some of the protective exoskeleton that is Janelle Monáe and learning more about the beautiful and inspirational person beneath.

Proof: Crazy, Classic, Life / Make Me Feel / Like That / Americans

24. Alison Wonderland - Awake / Awake (The Remixes) Genre: Electronic / Synth-Pop

We all are just trying to find our “Happy Place”. Hopefully the therapeutic burst of emotion that is Awake can help Australian DJ Alison Wonderland (real name Alexandra) find her own. With her sophomore album, ��I feel Alexandra has really found her voice and that’s with the keen ability to be able to personify the struggles of relationships, self doubt and mental illness for her fans. Usually, emotion within Electronic music is viewed with a level of plasticity to it. There should be no doubt in the genuine passion in Alexandra’s form of electronic music. She may think her admirers should “find someone that’s easier” but I prefer the emotional depth and honesty.

Proof: No / Easy / Church / Awake // Okay (Blush Remix) / No (Paces Remix) / Awake (KRANE Remix) / Easy (Kill Paris Remix)

23. Charli XCX - Pop 2 [Mixtape] Genre: Synth-Pop

Technically released in 2017, but late enough it didn’t make my list last year and got pushed to 2018, Charli returned with her second mixtape in nine months and, for me, my favorite project of hers since her debut album; possibly of her career. Pop 2 is a futuristic electro-pop record where genres are fluid and expression is currency. The thing I feel Charli has sort of unlocked on this project from her past is an ability to really convey emotion through this mechanical pallet she builds her music with. She’s always had a level of passion within her music but outside of a youthful lust and an empowering “fuck everything” the rest of the emotions expressed always felt they were being viewed behind a protective sheet of plexiglass. Songs like “Backseat”, “Lucky” “Tears” and the sneakily genius “Track 10” really show an ability to bring more emotional depth in her songs. Whether it’s in mixtape form (Charli expresses she feels more freedom with mixtapes) or official LPs Charli is showing a growth and maturity in her craft that has me excited for what she may bring in the future.

Proof: Backseat (Feat. Carley Rae Jepson) / Out Of My Head (Feat. Tove Lo & ALMA)  / Unlock It (Feat. Kim Petras & Jay Park) / Track 10

22. Madeaux - Burn Genre: Electronic / Dance

I suggest a good stretch, being well hydrated and grabbing a towel before pressing play on this exhilarating whirlwind of melody calisthenics. The official debut LP from the American producer takes the listener of a dark, immersive experience in a world of non-stop kinetic energy and organized chaos. To all the critiques of Electronic music that say it all sounds the same I kindly point them to this album because there isn’t another producer making house music quite like this out there. Burn is a thrilling, fast-paced ride that doesn’t allow much space for the listener to take a breath until it’s finished. I suggest having a post-workout recovery shake handy for after.

Proof: Like A Model (Feat. Poter Elvinger & WILLS) / Run with It (Feat. Tommy Lee Sparta) / Lights Low (Feat. OG Maco, ALGORY & JRich ENT) / Sweat (Feat. Class Actress & Black Atlass)

21. Twin Shadow* - Caer Genre: Alternative / Indie Pop / R&B

Twin Shadow is an artist who has a recognizable, identifiable sound, yet every album of his also sounds different then the other. His debut, 2010s Forget is a disorienting, hazy dream. A unique mixture of R&B, Alternative music covered in haunting synths and distortions; all with an 80’s nostalgia. 2012’s Confess continues the foggy 80’s vernacular but with a more neon light piercing through. The pounding drums and scratchy guitar riffs are more attention grabbing, and the vocals more pronounced. 2015’s Eclipse was a bit of a statement piece. A whole project of stadium anthems meant to be shouted with vigor and emotion. Caer takes a step back on the arena filler to a more resemble the subtle tone of his debut. Except, the 80’s nostalgia isn’t such a driving factor. This is the project by Twin Shadow that sounds the most like the year it was created in, yet still sounds like any other beautiful Twin Shadow record. A natural progression by the versatile artist.

Proof: Saturdays (Feat. HAIM) / Sympathy (Feat. Rainsford) / When You’re Wrong / Too Many Colors

20. Santigold - I Don’t Want: The Gold Fire Sessions [Mixtape] Genre: Indie Pop / Dancehall

Impossible to be confined in one box, Santigold continues her genre hoping she’s made a career of. I Don’t Want is a dancehall inspired mixtape she worked on for the majority during a two week session with the main producer Dre Skull. By stripping the album moniker, there’s a looser and improvised feeling to the project that lends itself well to the culture it is inspired by. You feel Santigold’s admiration for the Afro-Caribbean influenced sound which makes the joy expressed on the album transparently genuine and infectious.

Proof: Run the Road / I Don’t Want / Why Me / Don’t Blame Me (Feat. Shenseea)

19. Matoma - One In a Million Genre: Electronic / House / Dance

Norwegian producer Matoma wants to cast a wide net with his sophomore album here. Both musically and audience-wise. One In A Million is an eclectic electronic music album that not only crosses sub-genres but crosses oceans with its worldly inspirations. From Synth-pop, to trap, to Tropical House, to Reggaeton, Matoma clearly wants to show off his range and diverse interests. One of the best songs of the year was the gospel inspired “Sunday Morning”. I dare anyone to know breakout in uncontrollable dancing when the bellowing hook of that song comes in.

Proof: Sunday Morning (Feat. Josie Dunne) / Lights Go Down (Feat. James Newman) / False Alarm (Feat. Becky Hill) / Heartbeats (Feat. Nina Nesbitt) // Bonus: Sunday Morning [Zookëper Remix] Feat. Josie Dunne

18. RÜFÜS DU SOL - SOLACE Genre: Synth-Pop / Electronic

When lead singer Tyrone croons for someone to take him to a new place on “New Sky” I can’t help but think “dude we already are somewhere new”. Because that’s exactly what the Australian trio’s atmospheric music does, whisks me away on a magic carpet of melodic keyboards, floating synths, pulsating drums and haunting vocal samples. Their previous album, Bloom was a breakthrough for them and their unassuming electronic music to a more worldwide audience. SOLACE takes an even more self-effacing and introspective approach, but should only help them continue to gain admirers.

Proof: New Sky / Lost in My Mind / No Place / Underwater

17. Nao - Saturn Genre: alt-R&B / Neo-Soul

The delicate voice of Nao returns with her smooth and tender sophomore album. Nao’s debut album For All We Know was one of my top five albums of 2016. Saturn picks up right where it’s predecessor left off but with a slight pumping of the breaks. Saturn take a bit more of a traditional R&B approach but in the same pallet Nao has been working on her whole career. The subtle infusion of electronic music still is present building an enthralling drama across the album. The slower tempo leads to a slightly more intimate feeling on this album then before. In the early 2000s R&B was sent to the margins a bit but with 2012’s House Of Balloons and channel.ORANGE being the inflection point R&B has been growing again in the mainstream. Artists like London’s Nao are in the forefront of R&B’s ascent.

Proof: Another Lifetime / Make It Out Alive (Feat. SiR) / Curiosity / Drive and Disconnect

16. Said The Sky - Wide-Eyed Genre: Electronic / Future Bass

American producer Said The Sky drops his first ever full length project that was a long time coming. For those familiar with his early work there is quite a progression from his more dubstep beginnings to this more melodic vernacular. Being a trained pianist Said The Sky’s backing usually starts with a piano riff. Early on this piano riff was used more as a contrasting element; a calming and tender character to then get smacked around by the boisterous and raucous dubstep. Now the piano is utilized more for it’s rhythm as the backbone of the track; a strong complimentary piece rather then contrasting. This is an evolution I personally feel for the better here leading to a sophisticated and potent electronic album, brooding with a surprising amount of emotion and introspection.

Proof: Show & Tell (Feat. Claire Ridgely) / All I Got (w/ Kwesi) / Over Getting Over You (Feat. Matthew Koma) / Superstar (w/ Dabin Feat. Linn)

15. My Brightest Diamond - A Million and One Genre: Synth-Pop / Electronic / Indie Pop

Multi-Instrumentalist My Brightest Diamond has been a shapeshifter her entire career and that continues here with her fifth album. Starting out as a classically trained violinist and then self teaching herself more and more instruments and incorporating new genres in her sound every new project. For A Million and One she takes on Electronic/Dance music in a subtle and euphoric way. Most of the tracks are mid to slower tempo with free flowing synths and and 808 kicks. More dynamic moments are strategically planted throughout like the slow building “Champagne” or the explosive “Supernova”. A Million and One is an subtle, spectacle piece of electro-pop, that straps the listener in and shots them into the stars.

Proof: It’s Me On The Dance Floor / Champagne / Supernova / White Noise

14. Meg Myers* - Take Me To The Disco Genre: Alternative / Rock

I don’t really know how I happened upon Meg Myers music back in 2012, before her debut EP even was released, but I sure am grateful I did. Following the path of her career from that 2012 EP Daughter In The Choir to now has been quite rewarding. Every year new music has been released by Meg the project always is one of my favorites for the year, but Take Me To The Disco is finally her letting all the outside pressure and expectations go and just rocking the fuck out. Switching labels and making music separate from her long time producer Doctor Rosen Rosen, Meg had a newly found freedom on this record which led to a ride full of high, lows and moments of raw unfiltered emotion. Part of Meg’s unique skill when crafting a song is her ability to go from a soft, raspy and unassuming tone to a passion filled roar in seconds. The music knew when to follow suit as well with the main enclosures being acoustical and warm environments with alcoves of thunderous drums and crashing guitars. Whether it’s tranquil moment of vulnerability or impacting pockets of intensity and fierceness, Meg has a newly discovered level of confidence and power.

Proof: Numb / Tear Me To Pieces / Jealous Sea / Done

13. MØ - Forever Neverland Genre: Synth-Pop

For some, the ascension of MØ may have seemed pretty sudden. The mega success that was Major Lazer & DJ Snake’s “Lean On” featuring the Danish singer came a bit out of nowhere to some. I smuggly could say I predicted such an explosion since my introduction or her on Avicii’s “Dear Boy” followed up closely by her 2013 debut EP Bikini Daze. MØ didn’t feel a need to rush things despite the iron being hot as shit and took her time following up her 2014 full length album No Mythologies To Follow. Instead she dropped stellar one-off singles “Kamikaze” “Final Song” “Drum” and “Nights With You” before finally releasing last years EP When I Was Young. Forever Neverland continues on the maturity in her music desolated on her EP of last year. The hooks are still catchy as shit, her sound still has an ability to make you want to get up and move, but there is a further depth in her songs. MØ’s voice always was expressive and emotive but there was also a glossy surface layer that seems to have been stripped away over the years. She now has the confidence to let her voice scratch and wain a bit when a line carries more emotional weight. 

Proof: Way Down / I Want You / Beautiful Wreck / Red Wine (Feat. Empress Of)

12. Elohim - Elohim Genre: Electronic / Synth-Pop / Dance

The mysterious Elohim has became a go-to collaborator for electronic music projects over the last few years. From Louis The Child, Oliver, Ekali, The Glitch Mob and others, Elohim’s name would pop up; usually on the album’s best track. Her soft and delicate voice always worked great as a juxtaposition to the often kinetic backgrounds. In her solo music, she is her own producer and she shows she is more than just a featured artist but also a contemporary to the other Electronic producers. Elohim is a diverse and incredibly dynamic piece, which surprises the listener with unexpected vocal samples or instrument riffs used in sophisticated ways. Whether is a mariachi horn, trumpet, violin, guitar, or just odd vocal cadences looped, Elohim has developed creative and unique techniques in her production that make a familiar yet singular sound.

Proof: The Wave / Sleepy Eyes (w/ Whethan) / Fuck Your Money / Half Love // Bonus: Eclipse / Connect (w/ Skrillex)

11. Fakear - All Glow Genre: Electronic / Future Bass

French producer Fakear is a newer discovery for me but boy and I glad I found his atmospheric electronic music. Fakear will be quickly compared to ODESZA and the similarities in their sounds are definitely apparent. However, the French DJ’s harmonious music has a bit more of an airy bounce, with some Tropical House infusion. The electronic genre is having a bit of a moment right now yet Fakear is still relatively not well know in the States. I don’t really see that lasting too long though as more find his music.

Proof: Something Wonderful (Feat. Ana Zimmer) / Lost In Time (Feat. Polo & Pan, Noraa & Clement Bazin) / Sacred Feminine (Feat. Ibrahim Maslouf) / Vision (Feat. Claire Laffut)

10. Pusha-T - DAYTONA Genre: Hip Hop

The Clipse debut album Lord Willin’ came out my freshman year of high school and was a very important album for me. Label issues unfortunately led to more mixtapes than albums released by the brother duo before Malice left the group. Luckily Pusha would eventually find himself on Kanye’s record label as his new home. His first two albums released on the record label were both good, but there must be something in the Wyoming air during the recording of this stellar album. As the first of five Kanye West produced albums released during the “Wyoming Sessions” no one really knew what to expect. Kanye’s erratic behavior leading up to the release left a lot of people side eyeing the whole group of projects. Then about 36 seconds into the opening track “If You Know You Know” when after a fiery verse from Pusha, the industrial beat drops, everyone gets an unexpected slap in the face. This is still one of the best producers in the world and we have one of the best lyricists rapping heat over this production. DAYTONA is quite the 20 minute tornado of an album. A focused and concise offering that does what it needs to do and leaves efficiently. Unfortunately, the rest of the “Wyoming Sessions” albums will be a bit of a mixed bag and Kanye’s erratic behavior on continues causing concern for his mental well being. DAYTONA shines bright as the most cohesive and sturdy of those albums with “If You Know You Know” being the best song to come from the whole session. With GRAMMY nominations and ending up at the top of many writers “Year End Lists” it’s time Pusha finally gets his shine Lord WIllin’ seemed to promise, only 16 years later.

Proof: If You Know You Know / The Games We Play / Come Back Baby / Santeria / Infrared

9. The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships Genre: Indie Rock / Alternative / Synth-Pop

Through their first two albums, The 1975 was a band I enjoyed, but also wanted to enjoy more then I actually did. Their 2013 self titled debut album was an entertaining and engaging soiree of synth-pop and alternative music as a new aged love child of The Killers and My Chemical Romance. There was a definite growth and increased dexterity in their second album, 2016’s I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it, as the same influences are present but with a sprinkling of seduction and soul. What always took me out of their projects though was their abundance of influences often working against them. The projects missed a level of connectivity I desire. I appreciated the daring nature of the band to explore but some of those swings didn't feel fleshed out enough to connect completely in the context of the albums. When I first heard one of my favorite songs of 2018 “Love It If We Made It”, I thought something seemed different. It seems the band has finally discovered the missing ingredient; or maybe found the excess ingredient(s) to leave out. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships is a masterful mixture of experiences and influences with a message really cemented in 2018. The experimentations are a bit more radical, but very strategic and only help build up the motif of the whole album. You can still hear the underlying emo-rockers heartbeat from their debut but this time ran through a Bon Iver inspired auto-tune. The themes of how technology can dictate our lives for better or worse give the whole album a context for any listener to identify with. Songs like “Settle Down” and “Somebody Else” from their first two albums were still in 2018 go-to songs for me; the talent was always there. Seeing the band develop and evolve to make this elaborate project is quite the feat to be respected and admired.

Proof: Give Yourself A Try / Love It If We Made It / I Like America & America Likes Me / Sincerity Is Scary / It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)

8. 3LAU - Ultraviolet / Ultraviolet (Remixed) Genre: Electronic / Progressive House / Dance

It’s been a long time coming for American DJ 3LAU (Justin David Blau) to finally release this blistering debut. First winning a remix competition for a Tiësto song in 2011, 3LAU made a name for himself over the years as a remix and mashup DJ; intermittently dropping one-off singles here and there. Ultraviolet shows the wait was well worth it. Being a multi-instrumentalist, 3LAU developed his own manipulation techniques of his instrument riffs and vocal samples creating lush melodic environments within his music. The result is a picturesque form of house music that can easily whisk you away in it’s vast, sparkling habitats.

Proof: Touch (Feat. Carly Paige) / Fire (w/ Said The Sky Feat. NÉONHÈART) / Walk Away (Feat. Luna Aura) / Star Crossed / You Want More (Feat. MAX) // Touch [Zeds Dead Remix] (Feat. Carly Paige) / On My Own [3LAU Electro Remix] (Feat. Nevve) / Star Crossed [3LAU DnB Remix] / Walk Away [Hibell Remix] (Feat. Luna Aura) / Fire [Paris Biohm Remix] (w/ Said The Sky Feat. NÉONHÈART)

7. Lykke Li - so sad so sexy Genre: Pop / R&B

Since her debut album in 2008, the vulnerable music of Lykke Li has been a staple in my headphones. I have enjoyed her delicate voice, always ripped with so much emotion matching the impacting lyrics dealing with love and heartbreak. Li’s previous album, I Never Learn was an onslaught of slow and gorgeous, stadium-pop ballads meant to be felt while singing along with at the top of your lungs. The listless themes are continued but this time the album’s expression is more with a glossy, sexy R&B persona; a change I personally am really feeling. With hints of The Weeknd and Rihanna as influences so sad so sexy is Lykke Li’s most sensual sound, one that suits her unique voice and songwriting well.

Proof: hard rain / deep end / sex money feelings die / so sad so sexy / better alone

6. Her - Her Genre: Alternative / Indie Rock/ Soul

Starring an upcoming tragedy in the face, the smooth French duo didn’t waiver or turn to negativity. Instead they focused on life and love. With one of the duo diagnosed with a terminal cancer, together Victor and the ill Simon carefully plotted out their debut album. They released two EPs the previous two years with standout tracks including “Five Minutes”, “Quite Like” and “Swim” which served as a strong introduction to the world, but Simons unavoidable death at age 27 was in August of last year. With the careful pre-planning Victor was able to finish the debut album in his best friend’s memory. Her is a sultry and warm affair. Simon’s bouncy guitar playing, Victors ominous key tones with both of their soft yet confident vocals create a free flowing and sexy sound that is very gracious and admiring of its female muse. Every song has an understatedness to it while it subtly exudes its passion. It’s unknown if Victor will carry on with Her without his best friend, but I am glad they were able to add this exclamation point to Simon’s life.

Proof: Five Minutes / Blossom Roses / Neighborhood / Wanna Be You / Swim (Feat. ZéFire)

5. Bishop Briggs* - Church Of Scars Genre: R&B / Soul / Pop

London born, with Scottish heritage, Bishop Briggs bursts on the scene with this debut album like a strategic boxer. Starting every song with subtle body blows to connect with a potent haymaker every chorus. Her main weapon is a dominant voice that every chorus she lets loose to acts as an imposing yet engaging flex of emotion and power. Born Sarah McLaughlin, Briggs took the name of her parents Scotland hometown as her stage name to not be confused with the well known Canadian singer whose music you hear on sad commercials about puppies. McLaughlin moved around in her childhood from London to Tokyo to Hong Kong to LA and has picked up an amalgamation of influences to use at her disposal in her music. One of the biggest musical influence apparent is her cerebral use of gospel music. Utilized as a form of strength and command at every hard hitting chorus drop which gives room for her tremendous voice to punch your ear drums like a boxing bag.

Proof: Tempt My Trouble / White Flag / River / Hallowed Ground / The Fire

4. DJDS - Big Wave More Fire Genre: Synth-Pop / R&B / Electronic

Timing can be a fickle thing. Sometimes by the slimmest of margins it can go against you, or go in your favor. DJDS’s career seems to be capitalizing on some impeccable timing that is all going in their favor at the moment. First, back in 2016, while finishing up their sophomore album, the LA producing duo were invited to work on Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo album; eventually earning them a GRAMMY nomination. This monster co-sign would help open doors they never had open in their previous years making music. In the two years they spent making this album they collaborated with people that eventually would break out on their own including Empress Of, Amber Mark, Marco McKinnis and Khalid. Those two years are summed up in this fascinating piece of genre blending music. There are moments of bouncy hip hop, sinuous Synth-Pop, Soulful R&B, scenic Indie Pop and fist pumping electronic dance.  Big Wave More Fire at times is as infectious as any other pop album and at times can be a bit artistically challenging to the listener, yet never loses its strong sense of place.

Proof: Trees On Fire (Feat. Amber Mark & Marco McKinnis) / Why Don’t You Come On (Feat. Empress Of & Khalid) / I Get By (Feat. Amber Mark & Vory) / Pick Me Up (Feat. Kelly Zutrau, Vic Mensa & Vory) / Falling (Kelly Zutrau & Marco McKinnis)

3. Kasbo* - Places We Don’t Know Genre: Electronic / Synth-Pop / Future Bass

ODESZA is building quite a roster on their Foreign Family Collective label including the 23 year old Swedish producer Kasbo. With his debut album here, Kasbo shows he’s more than deserving of being part of this collective with this sonic display of dexterity in melody. Places We Don’t Know is an an album that knows it’s comfort zone and is confident enough to never deviate while also avoiding diluting itself. The glossy electronic textiles that stitch the album together track to track build a cohesiveness that makes it a front to back enjoyable experience; without any drop in quality filler. More exploration in the sound may be desired in future releases to avoid sounding stale, but in terms of a debut this pleasant project introduces him nicely.

Proof: Your Tempo / Aldrig Mer (Feat. TENDER) / Roots (Feat. Amanda Fondell) / Over You (Feat. Frida Sundemo) / Bleed It Out (Feat. Nea)

2. Jacob Banks* - Village Genre: R&B / Soul

The initial and most jarring entity you feel when you enter the universe that is Jacob Banks’ music is the gravitational pull that is his empowered voice. The British singer’s raspy and authoritative vocals can relay both a confident strength and introspective vulnerability in one tone. You are able to personally feel the emotion behind every note that leads to a compelling listen no matter how many times before you’ve heard the song playing.

Banks backs up his mighty voice with equally potent and diverse backings. Some of the songs come equipped with thunderous bass lines and percussions with light keys tap dancing among the turmoil. Some take a more straightforward approach with light and jazzy horns and funky grooves. Then some songs have transparent backdrops that almost go away completely, stripped down to a bare pallet for Jacob to command.

Whatever the situation Banks’ vocal prowess prevails. I predict the accent to continue and at a more exponential pace as more become familiar with the impressive singer.

Proof: Chainsmoking / Love Ain’t Enough / Prosecco / Be Good To Me (Feat. Seinabo Sey) / Unknown (To You)

1 Kendrick Lamar & Top Dawg Entertainment - Black Panther The Album - Music From And Inspired By [Motion Picture Soundtrack] Genre: Hip Hop / R&B

It’s probably getting pretty anticlimactic having Kendrick 1st or 2nd on my lists every year. But for the fourth year in a row Kendrick finds himself here again. Black Panther was one of 2018’s greatest cinematic achievements and smartly they looked to Kendrick to make a vivid and dynamic soundtrack to match.

Kendrick shows he has his finger on the pulse for Hip Hop and R&B in 2018 enlisting some of today’s best including The Weeknd, Vince Staples, Anderson .Paak, Travis Scott and of course members of his TDE crew ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, SZA and others. He grabs some of today’s best up and comers with Khalid, Jorja Smith and SOB X RBE. Surprises us with a couple unexpected James Blake features. And finds some new international artists not very well known in Saudi, Babes Wodumo and an absolute fire verse from Yungen Blakrok.

I cannot express how perfect of a curated Soundtrack this is. The music is diverse enough to cast a wide net but also has an underlying and unifying vernacular throughout to make one cohesive project. The production is rooted in African sounds with poly-rhythmic percussion and themes inspired by African ancestry as well as themes incorporated from the movie itself. Kendrick may or may not have been physically there during most of these recordings but you can feel his direction and influence throughout. His impact is not overpowering or controlling either but rather a supportive and inspiring collaborator that keeps the various ships steered in the correct converging direction. When a o-k but also phoned-in verse by Future is really the album’s low point, you know you’ve done something right.

Most may point to the crowd pleasing (and for good reason) songs like “All The Stars” with SZA and “Pray For Me” with The Weeknd as their album highlights but mine is the sneaky vigorous Vince Staples and Yung Blakrok featured “Opps”, that has quite the bite with it’s bark.

My admiration for Lamar is well documents on this blog. He really is controlling the way progressive and impacting hip hop can grow. Drake may have the numbers, but Kendrick is the more commanding artistic virtuoso making music in 2018. Kendrick knows it damn well and uses T’Calla as a metaphor for his spot on the throne of Hip Hop in the album opener: “Because the king don’t cry, king don’t die, king don’t lie, king give heart, king get by, king don’t fall. Kingdom come, when I come, you know why…”

Proof: Kendrick Lamar & SZA - All The Stars / ScHoolboy Q, 2 Chainz, Saudi & Kendrick Lamar - X / Khalid & Swae Lee - The Ways / Vince Staples, Yugen Blakrok & Kendrick Lamar - Opps / Jorja Smith - I Am / Ab-Soul, Anderson .Paak & James Blake - Bloody Waters / Zacari & Babes Wodumo - Redemption / The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar - Pray For Me

Others:

Good:

Above & Beyond - Common Ground, Action Bronson - White Bronco, Albin Lee Meldau - About You, Alessia Cara - The Pains of Growing, Allan Rayman - Harry Hand-On, alt-J - Reduxer, Ambrose Akinmusire - Origami Harvest, Aminé - ONEPOINTFIVE [Mixtape], Amnesia Scanner - Another Life, anaïs - before zero, Anderson East - Encore, Anderson .Paak - Oxnard, Ann Marie - Tripolar, Anne-Marie - Speak Your Mind, Apollo Brown & Joell Ortiz - Mona Lisa, Apollo Brown & Locksmith - No Question, Aquilo - ii, Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Baseu Hotel & Casino, Ariana Grande - Sweetener, A$AP Rocky - TESTING, Atmosphere - Mi Vida Loca, Audio Push - Cloud 909, August Greene - August Greene, Ava Luna - Moon 2, Bad Gyal - Worldwide Angel, Bas - Milky Way, Bazzi - COSMIC, Bea Miller - Aurora, Beach House - 7, Beacon - Gravity Pairs, Bebe Rexha - Expectations, Bekon - Get With The Times, Belly - IMMIGRANT, Big Red Machine - Big Red Machine, Birdman & Jacquees - Lost at Sea 2, Bishop Nehru - Elevators: Act I & II, Bishop Nehru - Emperor’s Nehru Groove [Mixtape], Black Atlass - Pain & Pleasure, The Black Eyed Peas - MASTERS OF THE SUN VOL. 1, Black Milk - FEVER, Black Thought & Salaam Remi - Streams of Thought Vol. 2, The Blaze - DANCEHALL, 6LACK - East Atlanta Love Letter, Blood Orange - Negro Swan, Blu & Nottz - Gods in the Spirit, Titans In The Flesh, B.o.B. - NAGA, Bob Moses - Battle Lines, Bobby V - Electrik, Boogie wit da Hoodie - International Artist, BØRNS - Blue Madonna, Boy Pablo - Soy Pablo, The Breeders - All Nerve, Brez - The Grl., BROCKHAMPTON - iridescence, BROCKHAMPTION - Saturation III, Buddy - Harlan & Alondra, Bun B - Return if the Trill, Camila Cabello - Camila, Camp Cope - How To Socialize & Make Friends, Capital Cities - Solarize, Car Seat Headrest - Twin Fantasy, THE CARTERS (Jay-Z & Beyoncé) - EVERYTHING IS LOVE, Cardi B - Invasion Of Privacy, Cat Power - Wanderer, City Girls - Girl Code, City Girls - PERIOD, Chance The Rapper & Jeremih - Merry Christmas Lil’ Mama Re-Wrapped [Mixtape], Chanti Darling - RNB, Vol. 1, Charlie Puth - Voicenotes, Chelsea Jade - Personal Best, Choker - Honeybloom, Chromeo - Head Over Heels, Chris Dave and the Drumhedz - Chris Dave and the Drumhedz, Christina Aguilera - Liberation, Christine and the Queens - Chris, Chrome Sparks - Chrome Sparks, Claptone - Fantast, Clean Bandit - What Is Love?, Cloud Nothings - Last Building Burning, CloZee - EVasion, Col3trane - BOOT, Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel, Cozz - Effected, Craig David - The Time Is Now, Curren$y, Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist - Fetti, Cut Chemist - Die Cut, Cypress Hill - Elephants on Acid, CZARFACE & MF Doom - CZARFACE Meets Metal Face, Dashboard Confessional - Crooked Shadows, Dave East - P2, David Guetta - 7, Death Cab for Cutie - Thank You for Today, The Decemberists - I’ll Be Your Girl, Denzel Curry - TA13OO, Dillon Francis - WUT WUT, The Diplomats - Diplomatic Ties, Dirty Projectors - Limp Lit Prose, DJ Critical Hype - The DAMN. Chronic [Mixtape], DJ ESCO - Kolorblind, DJ Luke Nasty - Cruise Control, DJ Koze - Knock Knock, DJ Mustard & RJmrLA - The Ghetto, Django Django - Marble Skies, Dr. Octagon - Moosebumps: An Exploration Into Modern Day Horripilation, Domo Genesis & Evidence - Aren’t You Glad You’re U [Mixtape], Drake - Scorpion, Durand Jones & The Indications - Durand Jones & The Indications, Earl Sweatshirt - Some Rap Songs, E^ST - Life Ain’t Always Roses, EDEN - virtigo, Eligh - Last House on the Block, Elephante - Glass Mansion, Elephante - Glass Mansion Remixes, Ella Mai - Ella Mai, Elley Duhé - DRAGON MENTALITY, Emily Warren - Quiet Your Mind, Eric Bellinger - Eazy Call, Estelle - Lovers Rock, Everything Is Recorded - Everything Is Recorded, Evidence - Weather or Not, Excision - Apex, Exitmusic - The Recognitions, E-40 & B-Legit - Connected and Respected, E-40 - Gift Of Gab, Family of the Year - Goodbye Sunshine, Hello Nighttime, Father John Misty - God’s Favorite Customer, Fat Tony & J.KELR - Full Circle, Felix Jaehn - I, FELIX SANDMAN - EMOTIONS, Fischerspooner - Sir, First Aid Kit - Ruins, Flatbush Zombies - Vacation In Hell, Florence + The Machine - High As Hope, Francis & The Lights - Just For Us, Franz Ferdinand - Always Ascending, Freddie Gibbs - Freddie, Fre$h - frēsh•ism, Future & Juice WRLD - Future & Juice WRLD Present… WRLD ON DRUGS, G-Eazy - The Beautiful & Damned, Getter - Visceral, Ghostface Killah - The Lost Tapes, The Glitch Mob - See Without Eyes, The Go! Team - SEMICIRCLE, The Good, The Bad & The Queen - Merrie Land, Gorgon City - Escape, Gorillaz - The Now Now, Greta Van Fleet - Anthem of the Peaceful Army, GRIP - PORCH, Gunplay - ACTIVE, Half Waif - Lavender, Hinds - I Don’t Run, Hollie Cook - Vessel of Love, HONNE - Love Me / Love Me Not, How To Dress Well - The Anteroom, Hovvdy - Cranberry, Hybrid - Light of the Fearless, Ice Cube - Everything Corrupt, IDK - IDK & Friends :), Illa J - John Yancey, Illenium - Awake (Remixes), I’m With Her - See You Around, Imagine Dragons - Origins, The Internet - Hive Mind, Interpol - Marauderm, J. Cole - KOD, Jackie Hill Perry - Crescendo, Jacquees - 4275, Jacques Greene - mixtape [Mixtape], Jade Novah - All Blue, Jaden Smith - The Sunset Tapes: A Cool Tape Story [Mixtape], Jain - Souldier, James Bay - Electric Light, Janine - 99, Janine The Machine - High Places, Jauz - The Wise and The Wicked, Jay Park - Ask Bout Me, Jay Rock - Redemption, Jean Deaux - Krash, Jedi Mind Tricks - The Bridge and the Abyss, Jeff Tweedy - WARM, Jericho Jackson - Khrysis & Elzhi are Jericho Jackson, Jess Glynne - Always In Between, Jessie Reyez - Being Human In Public, Jim Jones - Wasted Talent, Joey Purp - QUARTERTHING, Jonas Blue - Blue, Jorja Smith - Lost & Found, Juice WRLD - Goodbye & Good Riddance, Jungle - For Ever, Justin Timberlake - Man of The Woods, Justine Skye - ULTRAVIOLET, Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour, Kalin White - Why You Still There?, Kamasi Washington - Heaven and Earth, Kanye West - ye, Kash Doll - Brat Mail [Mixtape], Kayzo - OVERLOAD, Keith Sweat - Playing For Keeps, Kevin Gate - Luca Brasi 3, Keys N Krates - Cura, K.Flay - Everywhere is Somewhere, KIDS SEE GHOSTS (Kanye West & Kid Cudi) - KIDS SEE GHOSTS, Kimbra - Primal Heart, King Tuff - The Other, Kirk Knight - IIWII, The Knocks - New York Narcotics, Kodaline - Politics of Living, Kodie Shane - Young HeartThrob, Kooley High - Never Come Down, The Kooks - Let’s Go Sunshine, KR - In Due Time, Kygo - Kids In Love (Remixes), KYLE - Light of Mine, Lacrae & Zaytoven - Let The Trap Say Amen, Lake Street Drive - Free Yourself Up, Lane 8 - Little By Little, LANY - Malibu Nights, LAUREL - DOGVIOLET, Lauv - I met you when I was 18. (the playlist), Leikeli47 - Acrylic, Lenny Kravitz - Raise Vibration, Leon Bridges - Good Thing, Let’s Eat Grandma - I’m All Ears, Lily Allen - No Shame, Lil Peep - Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 2, Lil Wayne - The Carter V, Lissie - Castles, Little Mix - LM5, Lo Moon - Lo Moon, Logic - Bobby Tarantino II [Mixtape], Loyd - Tru LP, LP - Heart to Mouth, Lucy Dacus - Historian, Lupe Fiasco - DRAGOS WAVE, Lyrics Born - Quite A Life, Mac Miller - Swimming, MAJOR. - Even More, Major Lazer - Afrobeats [DJ Mix], Mariah Carey - Caution, Mario - Dancing Shadows, Marion Hill - Unusual, Marsha Ambrosius - Nyla, Marshmello - Joytime II, Masego - Lady Lady, Masta Ace & Marco Polo - A Breukelen Story, Matthew Dear - Bunny, Mayorkum - The Mayor of Lagos, Medasin - Irene, Meek Mill - Championship, Melody’s Echo Chamber - Bon Voyage, Meshell Ndegeocello - Ventriloquism, Method Man - Meth Lab 2: The Lithium, Metric - Art of Doubt, MGMT - Little Dark Age, Mick Jenkins - Pieces of a Man, The Midnight - Kid, Migos - Culture II, MihTy - MIH-TY, Mike Shinoda - Post Traumatic, Mike WiLL Made-It - Creed II: The Album (Music Inspired by the Motion Picture), Mikky Ekko - FAME, Mimicking Birds - Layers Of Us, Mirah - Understanding, Mitski - Be The Cowboy, Miyah Folick - Premenitions, Moon Taxi - Let The Record Play, Morgan Saint - ALIEN, Mr Eazi - Life Is Eazi, Vol. 2 - Lagos to London, Mulatto - Mulatto, Mumford & Sons - Delta, Murs - A Strange Journey Into The Unimaginable, Muse - Simulation Theory, Myá - T.K.O. (The Knock Out), The Naked and Famous - A Still Heart, Nas - NASIR, Natalie Prass - The Future and the Past, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - Tearing at the Seams, Nef The Pharaoh - The Big Chang Theory, The Neighbourhood - The Neighbourhood, Ne-Yo - GOOD MAN, N.E.R.D. - NO_ONE EVER REALLY DIES, Nick Grant - Dreamin’ Out Loud [Mixtape], Nicki Minaj - Queen, NIKI - Zephyr, Nile Rodgers & CHIC - It’s About Time, Nipsey Hussle - Victory Lap, NJOMZA - Vacation, nobigdyl. - SOLAR, Noname - Room 25, N.O.R.E. - 5E, Now, Now - Saved, NR - Before It’s Too Late, ODIE - Analogue, Onra - Nobody Has To Know, Ookay - WOW! COOL ALBUM!, Pac Div - 1st Baptist, Pale Waves - My Mind Makes Noises, Passenger - Runaway, Parliament - Medicaid Fraud Dogg, Parquet Courts - Wide Awake!, Paul McCartney - Egypt Station, Paul Simon - In the Blue Light, Penelope Trappes - Penelope Two, A Perfect Circle - Eat the Elephant, Peter Bjorn and John - Darker Days, Phonte - No News Is Good News, Phony Ppl - mō’zā-ik, Phora - Love Is Hell, P-LO - PRIME, pluko - sixteen, Poo Bear - Poo Bear Presents: Birthday Music, Popcaan - Forever, Poppy - Am I A Girl?, Porches - The House, Post Malone - beerbongs & bentleys, Preme - Light of Day, Prince - Piano & a Microphone 1983, Princess Nokia - A Girl Cried Red [Mixtape], Prolifgate - Somewhere Else, PRyhme - PRhyme 2, Quavo - Quavo Huncho, Ralph - A Good Girl, RAY BLK - Empress, Rhye - Blood, Reason - There You Have It, R3HAB - The Wave, Rezz - Certain Kind of Magic, Rich Brian - Amen, Rita Ora - Phoenix, RL Grime - NOVA, RL Grimes - NOVA (The Remixes, Vol. 1),  RL Grimes - NOVA (The Remixes, Vol. 2), Robyn - Honey, Rome Fortune - Beautiful Pimp 3, ROOSEVELT - Young Romance, Royce Da 5’9” - Book of Ryan, R+R=NOW - Collagically Speaking, Russ - ZOO, Ryan Beatty - Boy In Jeans, Saba - CARE FOR ME, Sabrina Calaudio - No Rain, No Flowers, St. Beauty - Running To The Sun, SAINt JHN - Collection One, San Holo - album1, Sango - In The Comfort Of, Sean Paul - Mad Love: The Prequel, Shamir - Revelation, Sheppard - Watch The Sky, Shopping - The Official Body, Sidney Gish - No Dogs Allowed, Sigala - Brighter Days, Simian Mobile Disco - Murmurations, SiR - November, SKYGGE - Hello World, Skyzoo - In Celebration of Us, Slushii - DREAM, Smashing Pumpkins - SHINY AND OH SO BRIGHT, VOL. 1 / NO PAST. NO FUTURE., Smino - NOIR, Snail Mail - Lush, S’natra - Subject To Change, Snoop Dogg - Snoop Dogg Presents Bible of Love, Snow Patrol - Wildness, Soccer Mommy - Clean, Sofi Tukker - Treehouse, Son Lux - Brighter Wounds, SOPHIE - OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES, Starchild & The New Romantic - Language, Stefflon Don - SECURE [Mixtape], Steve Angello - Human, Steve Aoki - Neon Future III, Steve Hauschildt - Dissolvi, Stonie Blue - Blood Y Moi [Mix], Stro - Nice 2 Meet You, Again, Styles P - Dime Bag, Styles P - G-Host, Summer Walker - Last Day of Summer, Summerella - First Day of Summer, Surpentwithfeet - soil, Swearin’ - Fall Into The Sun, Swizz Beatz - POISON, Tamia - Passion Like Fire, Tammy Rivera - Fate, Teyana Taylor - K.T.S.E., Thatshymn - Pacific Standard Time, Thunderpussy - Thunderpussy, T.I. - DIME TRAP, Tinashe - Joyride, The Ting Tings - The Black Light, Tirzah - Devotion, Tokyo Jetz - Bonafide, Tokyo Police Club - TCP, Tom Misch - Geography, Tommy Genesis - Tommy Genesis, Toni Braxton - Sex & Cigarettes, Toni Romiti - Tomboy, Tory Lanez - LoVE me NOw, Tory Lanez - MEMORIES DON’T DIE, Towkio - WWW., Tracey Thorn - Record, Traci Braxton - On Earth, Travis Scott - ASTROWORLD, Trevor Jackson - Rough Drafts, Pt. 1, Trevor Powers - Mulberry Violence, Trey Songz - 11 [Mixtape], Trey Songz - 28 [Mixtape], TroyBoi - V!BEZ, Vol. 2, Troye Sivan - Bloom, Tunde Olaniran - Stranger, tune-yards - i can feel you creep into my private life, Two Feet - A 20 Something Fuck, Tyga - Kyoto, Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Sex & Food, Until The Ribbon Breaks - Until The Ribbon Breaks, Usher & Zaytoven - “A”, UZ - The Rebirth, The Vamps - Day & Night (Day Edition), Vance Joy - Nation Of Two, Various Artists - Fifty Shades Freed [Motion Picture Soundtrack], Various Artists - Ninjawerks, Vol. 1, Various Artists - Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (Soundtrack From & Inspired by the Motion Picture), Various Artist - Uncle Drew [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack], Vicktor Taiwò - First Movement, Victoria Monet - Life After Love, Pt. 1, Victor Oladipo - V.O., Wild Nothing - Indigo, What So Not - Not All The Beautiful Things, Wet - Still Run, Wiz Khalifa - Rolling Papers 2, The Wombats - Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life, WSTRN - DOU3LE 3AK, Xzibit, B-Real & Demrick - Serial Killers: Day of the Dead, Years & Years - Palo Santo, Yellow Claw - New Blood, YG - STAY DANGEROUS, Yhung T.O. - Trust Issues, Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar, Young The Giant - Mirror Master, Youngr - This Is Not An Album, ZAYN - Icarus Fall, Ziggy Marley - Rebellion Rises, Zion I - Ritual Mystik, Zion I & DJ Fresh - The Tonight Show [Mixtape], ZHU - Ringo’s Desert, Z-Ro - Sadism, 5 Seconds of Summer - Youngblood, 88GLAM - 88GLAM2, 88rising - Head in the Clouds 

Meh:

Ace Hood - Trust The Process II: Undefeated, Amen Dunes - Freedom, Animal Collective - Tangerine Reef, AWALNATION - Here Comes The Runts, BANDGANG - In Too Deep, Benny - Different, Caitlyn Smith - Starfire, Carnage - Battered Bruised & Bloody, The Chainsmokers - Sick Boy, cupcakKe - Eden, cupcakKe - Ephorize, Curren$y - Parking Lot Music, Curren$y & Harry Fraud - The Marina, Daughters - You Won’t Get What You Want, Dave East - Karma 2, Dave Matthews Band - Come Tomorrow, DJ Critical Hype - More 9th (Drake & 9th Wonder Mash Up), DOM KENNEDY - Volume Two, Don Toliver - Donny Womback, Eminem - Kamaze, Fetty Wap - For My Fans, Fetty Wap - Bruce Wayne, Frankie Cosmos - Vessels, Future - BEASTMODE 2, G Herbo & Southside - Swervo, Ganja White Night - The Origins, Helena Hauff - Qualm, Hop Along - Bark Your Head Off, Dog, HUNCHO JACK (Travis Scott & Quavo) - HUNCHO JACK, Jack Huncho, Jean Grae & Quelle Chris - Everything’s Fine, Jeezy - Pressure, Keith Ape - BORN AGAIN, Kevin George - Hopeless Romantic, Larry June - Very Peaceful, Lil Durk - Just Cause Y’all Waited, Lil Pete - 4EverFocused, Lucis - Nude, MadeinTYO - Sincerely, Tokyo, Metro Boomin - NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES, Matt and Kim - Almost Everyday, MGMT - Little Dark Age (Matthew Dear Album Remixes), MIKE - Black Soup [Mixtape], Mr Twin Sister - Salt, Nightmares On Wax - Shape the Future, OSHUN - Bittersweet, Vol. 1, Owl City - Cinematic, Palm - Rock Island, Prof - Pookie Baby, Raury - The Woods, Rae Sremmurd - SR3MM, Red Cafe - Less Talk More Hustle, Reese LAFLARE - Reese LAFLARE, Rich The Kid - The World Is Yours, Rico Nasty - Nasty, SHIRT - Pure Beauty, Shy Boys - Bell House, Slim Thug - The World Is Yours, Slum Village - The Lost Scrolls, Vol. 2 [Mixtape], Social Club Misfits - Into The Night, Steve Perry - Traces, Takeoff - The Last Rocket, Too $hort - The Sex Tape Playlist, Trae Tha Truth - Hometown Hero, Various Artists - Future Presents: SUPERFLY (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Various Artists - 9th Wonder Presents: Jamla is the Squad II, We The King’s - Six, Westside Gunn - Supreme Blientele, Wifisfuneral - Ethernet, Yves Tumor - Safe In the Hands of Love, Zaytoven - Trapholizay, 03 Greedo - God Level, 24hrs - HOUSES ON THE HILL

Bad:

Eminem - Revival, Jack White - Boarding House Reach, Kay! & Kenny Beats - 777, Lil Baby - Harder Then Ever, Quintin Miller - Q.M., Sheck Wes - MUDBOY, Starlito - At WAR With Myself Too, Trouble & Mike WiLL Made-It - Edgewood [Mixtape]

[seedfinance]

Researchers claim Fortress S03 home security system can be remotely disabled – TechCrunch

To get a roundup of TechCrunch’s greatest and most important stories delivered to your inbox every day at 3:00 p.m. PDT, subscribe here.

Hello and welcome to Daily Crunch for September 1st, 2021. It’s a big day in TechCrunch history as we have been shuffled into a new parent company. More on that in a moment. First, bother the attendees, you can now go to CrunchMatch to meet other cool people. See you there! – Alex

The TechCrunch top 3

Hello Apollon! TechCrunch is no longer part of the Verizon Media Group, a somewhat forgotten subsidiary of the US telecommunications company. Instead, we’re now part of Yahoo, which in turn is owned by Apollo, a large, publicly traded investment company. Cue the parade. All jokes aside, the long announced deal is finally closed. We’ll have more notes on our new overlords as soon as we meet them.

In Amplitude’s IPO registration: TechCrunch’s coverage of the accelerating IPO market continued today with comments on Amplitude’s product analytics debut. For more information on Toast and Freshworks submissions, see head here or here. Oh, and Warby Parker herewhen D2C is your traffic jam.

Let’s stick with the big dollar news today Vista Equity buys a majority stake in Drift. Boston-based Drift focuses on what are known as “conversational” sales tools. The two parties were on a goofy level by failing to disclose the price paid for Drift, other than the company’s majority sale valuing the former startup at more than $ 1 billion. Why Drift was sold to Vista instead of going public is not clear, but we feel cheated out of S-1 filing.

Startups / VC

As we write to you today, the TechCrunch team is busy writing thousands of words over the second day of Y Combinator’s demo day startup pitches. You can read about every startup that pitched yesterday.

Now for today’s news. First, Berlin Brands, which is buying brands and hoping to scale those that sell on Amazon, is now worth more than $ 1 billion after raising a $ 700 million equity and debt round. There appears to be an infinite amount of capital available to finance the purchase of smaller e-commerce brands.

So much so that Forum Brands also announced new capital for the activity today. Its $ 100 million debt financing may sound small compared to what Berlin Brands just secured, but it’s still nine-figure dry powder.

Blueprint Raises $ 16 Million to Scale Its Title Insurance Business: It turns out that the US title business is too valuable. Blueprint aims to reduce its size by offering cheaper coverage to customers buying multiple properties in multiple states.

Insurify Raises $ 100 Million As Insurtech Marketplaces Stay Hot: Sure, new insurance providers have been taking a dip in the public markets lately, but the insurtech marketplace game still looks sane. Insurify, which competes with Zebra and other players, is now $ 100 million richer. As an indicator, we suspect that there is still a lot of market for attacks.

If you want more on the Insurtech venture capital market, TechCrunch is behind you.

Call center automation is big business: At least for Skit, a startup that just completed a Series B worth $ 23 million. According to our own Kate Park, Skit’s technology helps its customers automate almost all of their voice support calls.

Companies we know little about raise a lot of money: Ever heard of Humane? Probably not. The startup, which was born to some ex-Apple people – “which has ambitions to build a new class of consumer devices and technologies,” TechCrunch reports – has no products on the market. Yet it raised $ 100 million this week after raising $ 30 million last year. What is being built? I think we will find out.

Our favorite startups from YC Summer 21 Demo Day, Part 1

Twice a year we turn our attention to Y Combinator’s newest class of emerging startups making their public debuts.

For the YC Summer 2021 Demo Day, the fourth virtual meeting of the Accelerator, Natasha Mascarenhas, Alex Wilhelm, Devin Coldewey, Lucas Matney and Greg Kumparak selected 14 favorites from the first day of one of the world’s best pitch competitions.

Read her analysis and come back later today for an overview of the second day.

(Extra Crunch is our membership program that helps founders and startup teams move forward. You can sign up here.)

Big Tech Inc.

Today’s big tech news is mostly focused on feature upgrades. Enjoy!

TechCrunch Experts: Growth Marketing

Credit: SEAN GLADWELL (opens in a new window) / Getty Images

In case you didn’t catch it yesterday: We’re giving away a free ticket for Disrupt via the expert survey. Check out the Disrupt schedule and read on to learn more about the giveaway details.

Have you already made a recommendation? This is great – we count all previous survey submissions as an entry for the disrupt ticket.

We will also take part in the raffle for the next 100 survey entries.

Would you like to make 10 recommendations to increase your chance of winning? We love the enthusiasm, but we ask that you only make one recommendation for each marketer you have worked with.

Not sure what to say in your recommendation? Start with what qualities they had, what they did to help your company, how their work affected your business, and go from there!

We go through all entries manually, so please do not copy the same answer multiple times.

Do you have a question about the competition? Send us an email at ec_editors@techcrunch.com.

Community

Credit: Jonathan Metrick

Join Danny Crichton and Mary Ann Azevedo on Twitter Spaces Tuesday, September 7 at 3:00 p.m. PDT / 6:00 p.m. EDT as they talk to Jonathan Metrick about fintech and growth marketing.

source https://seedfinance.net/2021/09/01/researchers-claim-fortress-s03-home-security-system-can-be-remotely-disabled-techcrunch/

[sending-the-message]

There's three sides to Youtube: The normal side, the weird side and then whatever I found. by Cazzettez

I’ve always been told that I have a keen eye and I’ve always loved solving puzzles and mysteries, so I always considered it a blessing that I could spot clues and pieces easier than most people… That’s until the Youtube incident I got into recently… Allow me to give you some context:

As you know, everyone has divided Youtube into 2 different categories. There’s the normal side where you find the regular videos, the let’s plays, the vlogs, the skits and so on, and then there’s the weird side where you find just lots of weird, dark and sometimes creepy videos that most people don’t see, although some weird videos manage to sneak through and become viral anyways. But I have found a third side of Youtube… A side that no one was supposed to find. A side that Youtube tried so hard to hide, but I found it… Somehow it sneaked through and I found it… Here’s what happened.

So a few days ago I was browsing Youtube. Nothing special I was just clicking around on different videos. A few gaming videos here and a few music tutorials there. And soon I found myself on the verge of heading into the weird part of Youtube when I realized I had started watching Cyriak… You know, the creator of weird animations such as “Cows & Cows & Cows” and “Baaa”. I was watching the cow video and I was having a mighty fun time watching an old classic animation like that. Halfway through the video I started looking through the videos to the right when I saw another upload called “Cows & Cows %&/ Cows” (yes those symbols are supposed to be there) by some other Youtuber. It had the same thumbnail so I figured it was just a repost but I was still interested, so I clicked.

It was pretty much the exact same video with the exception of a few frames. I watched through the video, hoping something would happen so as soon as I saw the frames flash up, I knew I had to rewind and pause the video to see what it was. About halfway through the video there was an image that popped in instead of the regular video. It was an image of a room, and there was some text on the top of the image that said “Find the tribal mask to continue”. In the room there were tons of items and surrounding each of the items where those transparent boxes that youtubers use when they say “Click here to do this, and click here to do that”. So I started looking for a tribal mask, just for fun. What would happen if I found it? I had no idea, but I wanted to find out!

I clicked fullscreen and started scanning my screen with my keen eyes. I found all kinds of weird items in the room, but I didn’t think too much about it, since I was on the weird side of youtube. Items such as a bloody machete, a voodoo doll, a Ouija board, half a teddy bear and more. It took me about 12 minutes to find the tribal mask, and once I did I clicked it without hesitation.

The click had led me to another video titled “Hum’aNs & hU{mA£NS & h(m#an)S”. It was very similar to the “Cows & Cows & Cows” video, except it was using humans instead. About halfway through the video I decided to copy the link and send it to one of my friends, just for fun. He loved weird videos, so I was sure he would appreciate it.

He clicked the link immediately and replied with a disappointed “Really? This old video? You think I haven’t seen it? It went viral like several years ago, come on dude!”. So I went back to the video to check the views and I was very confused to see that it had 2 views total, and I hadn’t seen it before so I was pretty sure this was the original. I asked him when he’d seen it, and he answered “Come on, Cows & Cows & Cows? I’ve seen it so many times I can’t even count!”. I was confused and had to double check, so I clicked the link and it lead me to the Cow video. So I went back into my browser and made sure I copied the right link this time and sent it again. However, the same thing happened again.

At this point I was very confused, to say the least. Apparently I couldn’t send the link to him, so I decided to take a picture of it and send it to him on Snapchat instead so he could type in the URL himself. He was very skeptical but agreed to do it anyways, only to send a very angered reply that it was still the Cow video and told me to stop fucking around with him.

The video had me hooked. I had stumbled onto a video that no one else could find, and it just so happened to be an extremely weird video at that. I restarted the video from the beginning and watched every frame with much care. About 1:50 into the video I saw it… Just for a split second I saw my own face in the video… I started freaking the fuck out. I was shaking as I rewound the video a few seconds. It couldn’t have been. It was impossible that my face had been in the video, right?

Wrong… Almost as soon as the video hit 1:50 it appeared on one of the Humans for just a split second, but I managed to pause the video when my face was there. I hovered my mouse over my own face and there was another box to click there. I was scared but curious, so I started hovering my mouse over the other faces just to see if there were boxes there as well, but none of them had any boxes at all. So I went back to my face and braced myself, before I clicked the box.

It lead me to another video that no one had seen before me. The title of the video was “le§t tHE ga/mes BEGin”. It said that the creator of the video was me, and the description said “theRe’$s n0o tUrni1Ng .b[aCk nOW, yo+u’re in t%oo de#e?p”.

[crying-saeyoung]

Hey there! Is it okay if I request the RFA + Saeran reacting to a autistic MC who gets sensory overload from being in public places, like stadiums or musicals? I love your head canons so much, especially the one with Saeran and Saeyoung being autistic. Love you and your blog!! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

if anyone wants to request some more saeyoung and saeran autistic requests, feel free cause I’m totally for getting deep into that (the last headcanon it really was just barely touched)! For this imagine, Saeyoung isn’t autistic because of the given situation I wrote, but Saeran is! None of the other members are autistic, either, just Saeran in this specific headcanon. -Green

Yoosung:

-oh b o y

-you guys don’t go out that often, but there was one movie you went to go see at the theater, Ghost in the Shell (i went to see this movie recently and I strongly recommend that if you’re autistic to be wary of this film)

-right away wam bam no thank you mam . there was a bunch of heavy flashes, and you just couldn’t take it. not really sensory overload but stick with me

-you had to excuse yourself from the theater room and get yourself something to drink and close your eyes, take a few deep breathes because the flashes just kept repeating in your head and it really really hurt your eyes and gave you the worst headache

-thankfully Yoosung figured it out pretty quick that the lights were too much for you and came to your side  

-he was actually kind of mad because he asked the ticket seller if it had too many flashing lights and he said no, but here you were in pain

-so he chewed the guy out and demanded for a refund and tickets to a new movie

-he apologized to you a lot, but by the time the Trolls title came down all you could do was laugh and kiss him

Saeyoung:

-a aa

-it really sucked because it happened in your own god damn home

-Saeyoung, while ignoring you hahaha, had music literally blasting all through the apartment, enough to have it shake

-he thought he plugged in his headphones and actually didn’t realize they were unplugged so he was acting like everything was normal

-unknown to him wow, you were sobbing on the floor and rocking yourself back and forth because you couldn’t even speak enough to tell Saeyoung to stop the music!! ! wow!!!

-the pressure of the loud music and the floors shaking made you feel like you were being torn apart and you just wanted to run out of the house but you felt like you couldn’t move

-the only reason he heard you sobbing was because his headphones were UNPLUGGED!!! W O W !

-saeyoung oh my GO D

-he takes off his headphones in worry like “wow why are you crying???” but then he understands when he. fuck i ng  takes off his headphones.

- WO WOWW!!!! AmaZING how that works…

- “OH SHIT I’M SO SORRY”

-apologies don’t stop coming out of his mouth as he quickly turns off the music

-he has no idea what to doooo

-he tries to distract you???

-tells you a bunch of depressing jokes and gets some stuffed animals and starts to start a little skit with them

-it does manage to calm you down, but now you’re laughing and sobbing

-then you just sob and stop looking at him at all 

-because the situation your in is depressing and you hate it. you hate it so much, and so does he.

-so for now, he holds you. and he wants to promise he’ll never let you go, but right now, he can’t.

-you two sob together and there’s really no happy ending here.

-wow

Jumin:

-you got a sensory overload when you were on vacation with Jumin

-Jumin had left your side at one of the parties you two were at, and it was really for a just a few minutes

-but when he left that’s when the band decided to come out and just blast music and shine neon lights from every corner in the damn room 

-you didn’t have Jumin by your side to help you or distract you, so you had nothing else to do but look for somewhere to hide

-you were shaking and crying as you decided to hide under a dinner table and rock yourself while just trying to block out the noise and hide in your legs from the flashing lights 

-you didn’t even notice how loud you yourself were being because you were so focused on trying to get all the noise ou t

-the reason Jumin found you so fast was because he heard your yelling and sobbing 

-he didn’t even think of trying to get you out from under the table. instead he crawls under and joins you, shoving you into his chest, holding you so tight and rubbing your back and hair until you calm down 

-he lets you shake and blubber around all you need, and he gets your chewlery out from your personal pocket in Jumins coat aww you fill it with all your small toys for situations like this, he always has it on him isn’t that cuute

-after you calm down a bit, he refuses to leave under the table until his guards shove the band off the stage and make the lights mellow and soft for you again 

-and he will glare at literally everyone around the table who didn’t help you and threaten to sue them 

-jumin my love no plz no  

Jaehee:

- :(

-it happens in the coffee shop

-it was just a really really busy day for you two and was really just too much for only two baristas

-Jaehee enjoys it because she thinks that the place is becoming more popular! 

-you would like to enjoy it , ,, because you are happy you two are getting popular !

-but serving the dishes and getting around all the people and all their talking is proving to be way too much for you

-what happened to the comfortable, homey atmosphere? the regulars and a few strangers sprinkled here and there?

-now there were strangers everywhere 

-you were barely able to sit the last plate down before you rushed out of the shop, running right by a regular who you knew rather well

-you actually ran a lot farther then you were intending to,, you ran all the way to the public park 

-which was a lot less public today. it was quiet and calm and let you just breathe 

-you had no idea how long you were out there, just sitting all by yourself and holding yourself before you heard a familiar little pit pat of heels 

-next thing you knew you were surrounded by a hug from Jaehee who was sobbing 

- “Babe?? omg?? are u okay?!!” 

-she was so wo r r i e d and she felt so BAD,,, 

-Jaehee actually closed the store just so she could find you after the regular told her you ran out 

-aww BABE,, you felt so bad but so special??? you knew how much those customers meant for the expansion your company 

-she reassured you that now she would open up hiring so you can relax during the busy days and never have this happen again

-and the rest of the afternoon is spent cuddling on the park bench

Zen:

-lets face it, it ain’t that hard to get a sensory overload with this guy,,,

-the crowds surrounding you because of his popularity…

-the flashes of cameras from those crowds…

-the musicals…

-to be fair, since dating you Zen has acted more mellow and less intense or light savvy musicals. He always asks the director what he plans for sounds and effects before participating in a play

-bc?? what is the point?? of acting in a musical his darling cannot watch?

-there is no point

-but the one time he doesn’t ask because he was just so excited about the role… hhhh 

-it was a live performance, so there was a lot of people there. Though you always got the special seat away from everyone else and practically just the best seat in the theater because you deserve only the best

-there’s a very dramatic part right before the intermission where Zen and another character fall to the ground, seemingly dying or smth 

-but the lights are very BAM BAM BAM!!! the white lights in the dark theater flashing so fast, people who weren’t autistic would get a headache 

-and the music… it was all made to be dramatic so there was such a heavy BOOM in it all that you could feel thunder in your chest and pulse inside you 

-Zen is actually thinking of you the whole time this is happening because you’re the closest to the stage, you would get the worst of this and oh my g o d he’s never ran so fast 

-as soon as the intermission is announced he actually jumps off the stage and runs to you to make sure you are okay 

-you’re shaking quite a bit, and once he comes near you, you push and shove at him to get away because you’re freaked out from the sudden hit of everything

-god, it feels like you can’t even see. it was such a horrible experience you can’t even cry or yell, you just need to move and run and get out

-Zen does calm you down, eventually. the intermission is a little longer than planned because Zen’s whole break was spent holding you and calming you down

-he gets pretty mad at the director for not telling him about this, or warning the audience, because that was seizure worthy. 

-when the two of you get home, expect lots of kisses and stims to be played with!!

Saeran:

-awww dang guys 

-he wanted to bring you to one of his favorite parks as a lil cute date, but it was occupied by a huge farmers market. 

-you’re already flapping your hands dude but you try to keep it at a minimum for your babe

-little do you know he’s EXACTLY the same omg you nerds

-why are you even GOING IN THE MARKET it’s such a bad idea but you two just want to have a good ti mee,,, is that too much to ask 

-i cry

-you guys are experiencing it in different ways. Saeran surprisingly isn’t having that rough of a time because he has you as a distraction from all the people and noise. 

-but u ain’t. you are crumbling apart and you’re only still on your feet because of your grip on your boyfriends hand 

-EVENTUALLY he asks “hey, how are you doing?” and you’re just kinda like “you know, not that?/? great???”

-first he thinks that it’s because of him and his heart almost BREAKS but then,,, he sees you flapping your only free hand and Saeran is just like OH BABE NO

-legit picks you up and runs out of the market 

-only stops when you tell him that OMG that’s far enough Saeran !! Aaa!?? where ARE WE,?? 

-Saeran really doesn’t care because he loves you so much and just holds your hands because he’s too scared to hug you or kiss you 

-the two of you get really quiet after that and eventually you two spend the whole day laying down in the sun in the middle of nowhere in the city , just staring at each other and giving each other hand kisses every now and then

[herfirstrefrain-blog]

Everything is B l u e

Title : Everything is Blue Relationships : Peggy Schuyler x Maria Reynolds Warnings : None, we’re squeaky clean here Words : 737

[A/N] : yay first Tumblr fic! I’m super excited, and I hope you guys enjoy!! p.s, sorry for the lil word count I’m starting us off with sumpin’ small ~

*

Elizabeth Schuyler’s hand wavered, her fingers trembling. Doubt, she knew this to be. The photo of a man with dark brown hair pulled back from a laughing face framed by exhaustion had filled her vision for the last few weeks. She had swiped right on Tinder, desperate from her sister’s marriage and her friends’ homes and children, and she had gotten to know a truly electric soul, but only knew him from words, sentences with a firework strapped to each word that exploded in her heart, and now he was offering a chance to meet. ‘Friday at Solo?’ She needed a response, but that wasn’t the only thing she needed. Her world was white and black from the lack of a soulmate, dull shades that weren’t even proper colors. Peggy and Angelica tried to paint a world in her mind for her, but it never worked. Eliza had never properly seen the clothes she wore, or the “teal” eyeliner that rimmed her colorless eyes. She glanced around at her room, wondering what pink and blue and red looked like. Alexander started typing, then stopped, clearly awaiting her response. Would her room look like this forever? A blank kaleidoscope? Her fingers skitted over the screen. ‘See you there’

*

“Do you think this will work for her?” Her sisters spoke quietly, holding up different articles of clothing to Eliza’s body, comparing the pieces to her hair, her makeup, her face. “Well, the blue definitely goes with her hair. I’ve always liked blue and brown together.” Angelica replied, squinting at the outfit. Always? She meant since she’d brushed a stranger’s hand and hadn’t been able to chase him down. Angelica would always be alone, doomed to a loveless marriage, but at least her world was colorful. At least she knew her soulmate existed. Eliza doubted she had even had one, hers had probably been pawned off to someone else. Lots went without a soulmate, theirs living on the other side of the world or just next door, but since they had never touched, neither would know the other. They could see each other every day and not brush hands once. “The colors-” “Does it really matter?” Eliza stood suddenly, a wave of emotion hitting her. Angelica and Peggy whipped their heads towards her, staring. “I mean, what if he isn’t even my soulmate? What if he takes my hand and everything is still black and white? What if I see something and he doesn’t?” Angelica sighed and Peggy took her hand, locking eyes with her sister. “Eliza, no matter what happens tonight, you will see colors, someday. Okay?” Eliza would treasure this moment for many years after, as a true connection with Peggy was quite rare. “Okay.” The moment passed, and her sisters went back to arguing about her outfit.

*

Eliza was so goddamn late. She had forgotten to take out and feed her retriever, Philip, and so she had rushed back to be greeted with a overturned food dish and a dog acting like he had never eaten a day in his life. Rain poured down the folds of her dress, and her carefully curled locks were probably halfway to hell by now, but at least her makeup was waterproof. Just a block more to the glorified bar, if her memory proved correct. A block more until the largest achievement of her life or the largest disappointment. She had to prepare herself for either a hit or a miss. Eliza smoothed her shorter than usual dress, hoping she would come across the bar soon. Hoping. Eliza hustled through the crowd, and suddenly felt a heavy weight shove against her, almost knocking her to the undesirable pavement. “Hey! What the fuc-” she turned and suddenly, color.

*

Everything was blue. Maria Reynolds stared, sudden colors drenched with a gray tint. The person stared back, a young woman with slightly Asian features (Chinese?) and faint smile lines. Almost tentatively, she reached out a hand, and Eliza set her open palm against it, their energies combining. “Maria Reynolds.” Maria whispered, as if she was afraid that saying it out loud would shatter the moment. “Elizabeth Schuyler.” It was so plain, yet the most beautiful she had ever heard. “I’m sorry we had to meet on such a bleak day,” Eliza tried, smoothing her soaked dress. “No worries, Elizabeth.” Maria purred the name, pulling her close. “I can see everything just fine from here.”

[newbears2018]

B E   Y O U!

Hi!

Welcome to the New Bears’ Blog!  This is Mads and Rayshawn, and we’ll be Prefects in the Spurr and Buck Dormitories, respectively.

We wanted to let you know that coming into Berkshire might seem scary, especially if you are away from home for the first time, but everyone is in the same position coming to Berkshire.  Returning students get excited to get to meet the incoming students and everyone wants to meet new friends and make some fun memories that will last a lifetime!!

When you arrive, don’t be afraid to express yourself and be unique. Take the opportunities Berkshire offers and try new things! Here are some fun ideas and activities to look forward to…

IDEAS

Go to Shawn’s Place (student center) and talk to anyone. We promise, they want to talk to you and hear your story!

If you are in Shawn’s in the Fall, students may call “Eipper Wall”, which means everyone gets out of Shawn’s and moves outside to the wall and grassy area by Eipper Dorm.  This is a great way to get outside as a student body and spend time outdoors rather than indoors.

Students bring soccer balls and hold mini world cup games

A football, volleyball, baseball is never hard to find

Spikeball is also really big (sometimes there can be three out in the middle of Buck Valley at a time)

Don’t be scared to speak up in class, no one is going to judge you if you get the answer wrong because we are here to learn!

Maybe you can share a secret talent… last year someone won our talent show for peeling a clementine in one piece!!

Get outside and utilize the mountain as much as possible

Maybe that means skiing during your long free in the winter getting all the stamps on your mountain passport (which you will receive when you arrive) or getting a big blanket and studying with friends outside!

Join clubs that your interested in, try a new club (maybe something you know nothing about), or you can even make your own club and share your interests or hobbies with the community.

^ Join the radio club ... and have your own show!

Get outside on a Wednesday or Saturday to watch all the sports games happening on campus.

Don’t be afraid to try a new sport, join the fall play, learn a new musical instrument, try out for an a capella group (Greensleeves or Ursa Minor),etc…

Try out a town trip to Great Barrington, explore, and find some good places to eat and maybe the coffee shop for a quiet place to study.

Take time out of your day to jog with some friends to explore Berkshire unique qualities and the campus.

On a hot sunny day take a dip into the watering hole with your friends and have the most fun of your life.

ACTIVITIES

Pinkout Game

The Boys Varsity Hockey team holds the d’Arco Cup game against Taft each year where everyone can donate money to support breast cancer research as well as our hockey team. The entire Berkshire community gets all decked out in pink and super excited (and maybe a little competitive) about the game and cheer our team on! #GOBEARS

Winter Carnival

This is a whole weekend filled with a series of games and events where all the dorms/day students compete in cheer offs, skits, choreographed ice dances/skits, trivia, tug of war, human dog sled races, and more!

There’s a theme each year and in the past we’ve had anything from Decades to Disney movies, to countries.  The theme for Winter Carnival 2019 will be announced sometime in January.  We’re already counting down the days .... #GOSPURR

Pro Vita

This is a whole week of special classes where you can choose to go on a super cool international or domestic trip, or choose 2 classes on campus.

Here’s the link to our Signature Programs page where you can find the link to the Pro Vita page to learn more about the classes and trips offered… https://www.berkshireschool.org/academics/signature-programs

Link to the full Pro Vita page: https://www.berkshireschool.org/academics/pro-vita

Link to 2018 course catalog: https://www.berkshireschool.org/academics/pro-vita/pro-vita-catalog

Link to 2019 Pro Vita Trips:  https://www.berkshireschool.org/academics/pro-vita/pro-vita-trips

6v6 World Cup Tournament

6v6 is a fundraiser for the Girls Varsity Soccer team. One Saturday each year we have a huge World Cup Tournament where anyone can choose a country and make a team to compete for the World Cup title

Holi

This is the “festival of colors” where everyone joins in Buck Valley to throw colored dust and celebrate this Indian holiday in the Spring.

Green and Gray Activities 

During your orientation you will be assigned to the Green Team or the Gray Team. This will be the team you will be a part of during your entire career at Berkshire and beyond as an Alum.  There are Green vs. Gray activities that are held once a month on Saturday nights.  This past year, the Green Team won by less than 100 points, it was close!  There are TEN Green and Gray captains (senior leaders as well) that you will meet during your orientation.  #GoGreen #GoGray

 Mountain Days

Mountain Days are a surprise and only happen once in the Fall and once in the Spring.  Only Mr. Mulder (Head of School) knows when he is going to call Mountain Day, so you may go to your first period class, and then get to meeting and find out it’s Mountain Day!!

There is no school for the rest of the day and you can go hiking up to Black Rock, Guilder Pond (and maybe jump in!), bike to Bistro Box or Marketplace Cafe, or even set up a hammock in a nice sunny spot.

We could go on and on ... but if you learn one thing from this blog post it should be GET EXCITED for your first year at Berkshire and don’t be afraid to be yourself, because that’s why you were accepted, for YOU!

Looking forward to seeing you on campus soon!

Mads + Rayshawn

[isittrash-blog]

The Chronic 2001, Is It Trash?

In short, yes

Dr.Dre’s second solo studio album, is 2001, the Chronic part 2. This album was a big deal when it came out in 1999, as it was the product of a 6 year long wait. His first album, and his work on NWA’s albums, as well as Tupac’s albums, and Snoop Dogg's projects showed a style and a cohesive yet slow addition. He was progressing somewhere and it was interesting to hear the trailblazing style of Dre. This was the case until the Chronic 2. This album is exactly what the  title suggests. It is the second chronic album. Outside of a few things changing, the album is very similar to the chronic. Any progression that Dre was showing was just taken back to 92 on this album. It is all solid production work, but it is solid for 6 years before this album. There were very few risks taken on this album both lyrically and production wise. If the chronic was Dre cruising around californian parties with snoop in the passenger seat, this album is Dre, snoop, em, and a myriad of other people who were on the aftermath label at the time, rolling 4 sedans deep while Dre shows that he is still present in the hiphop game, but also showing both his age and his paranoia. The paranoia makes sense, as during the making of this album hip hop giants have been getting shot down in the street, see Pac Big L, and Biggie, and Dre along with everyone else in NWA, is a very big deal and he very well could have been next. I think that this emotion is well explained and it is very present on songs like Car Bomb, which is a great song, where Dre is featured in a skit at the beginning and the rest of the track is features about how Dre was getting assassinated in this hypothetical scenario. Another example, but to a lesser extent is the song what's the difference. Where Dre tries to explain the difference between himself and the fakes around him, one of which being DJ Yella, Former NWA member himself. On the songs Bang Bang, he lets some of that paranoia show, but that song has in my opinion the most annoying chorus of the whole album, all I ever see or hear is bang bang bang bang. There is also a bit of an intersection between Dre’s paranoia and his want to let people know he is still in the game, as on songs like forgot about Dre, he is both stating that he is still here but also he is scared people have forgotten about him. With that track out of the way, there is a lot of songs just filled with rap tropes, and generally songs about rap, some of them have single potential but for the most part they are pretty boring and uninteresting. Still Dre, big egos, the next episode, and pause 4 porno are some of those songs. Occasionally Dre does something interesting but for the most part these songs are way overhyped, and share a really similar message. Em on the album as a whole comes through and does his normal Eminem thing, being loud crazy, and violent, but most of his verses really just come off as yeah I know Dre, with a little bit of the em flair thrown into them. The third grouping of songs that show Dre’s age. Whether it be because of blatant sexism, a lack of understanding of R&B, not grasping that throwing a girl on your song doesn't make what you say okay, or just the pretending he coined the term bitch nigga, its all fucked. Firstly though sure there were moments like deez nuts on the chronic, that album had a lot more going for it than this one does, and it was handled in a way that i thought was playful, at least more playful than how it was here. Housewife, for example is a song dedicated to how if a woman is once a hoe she is always a hoe, Ed-ucation has the world's worst skit on a hiphop album I have ever heard, but dre throws Ms.Roq on the song so it is okay apparently. She is a talented MC, but on this album she is thrown around as the token women, so anytime Dre or any of his features does anything bad, she can come in and drop a hustling bitch verse and suddenly Dre didn’t say that it’s okay to abandon your illegitimate children, and if you do the woman should take responsibility and explain to the child that she was just weekend pussy and it's her fault. But that is all okay because Ms. Roc killed Dre with a silenced gun on carbomb. Bitch niggas is not my least favorite song that does stuff like this but it pisses me off the most, because Dre wants to claim that this is the song that started the bitch nigga stuff for the world, when not it fucking didn’t. No way bitch nigga was not said before Dre, and snoop threw it around on a deep album cut. That is another important thing to know, most of these extremely sexist songs are far into the album, and they are forgotten about by history, but I am here and i remember this, just like how I remember the KRS 1 song about him having sex with a 13 year old girl and only stopping because the father wanted to do some gay shit with him. I remember it all. I know that a lot of the sexsist stuff was said by people featured on 2001 but remember Dre is the champion producer of the west coast. He has talked to his features and controlled what they do previously, and he did it on Compton a Soundtrack so I find it hard to believe that Dre couldn’t stop the song housewife from existing. There are a couple of times on 2001 where he tried to do something new for him, like xxplosive, but it winds up not working well, or aging terribly. It might be because I have a few decades of hip hop between me and the chorus on xxplosive, but it sounds like a poor attempt at jumping into R&B. As a whole this album has the same production we have come to expect from Dre, with a few times here and there where he takes a risk that does not pan out well for him. The verses for the most part, are okay, it doesn’t capture me in the essence of cali the way that the original chronic did, but still okay. There are a lot of spots where Dre says some really stupid shit that he should have thought about before putting on wax, and the features are usually pretty good, but this album seems closer to an aftermath compilation album than a Dre project. It attempts to be a bit more cinematic, as the intro sounds a lot like the THX noise, but that thought is quickly dropped. The album is a good length, and there are a few notable songs that I like, the biggest of which being Car Bomb, but all in all ehhhhh. 2001 is an okay album with some good ideas, but it is also an old album, with some tracks that have aged horribly, or were horrible from the day people bought the CD but nobody wants to talk about that because it's the D R E. all in all, it is probably a 4/10 or a 5/10 for me, depending on how much I am mad at women when I listen to it.

[oldguardaudio]

PowerLine -> Is It “Deeply Offensive” to Enforce the Law? – Why Is Saturday Night Live News?

powerline @ Hoax And Change

Illegals – I love the USA! NOT @ Hoax and Change

Daily Digest

Is It “Deeply Offensive” to Enforce the Law?

Why Is Saturday Night Live News?

Al Jarreau, RIP

The M-E-C Freakout Continues

Thinkin’ about “Lincoln” again

Is It “Deeply Offensive” to Enforce the Law?

Posted: 12 Feb 2017 04:41 PM PST

(John Hinderaker)

It is, apparently, if the law relates to immigration. At Penn State, someone put up posters urging students and others to report violations of the immigration laws. This is the poster:

It is, apparently, if the law relates to immigration. At Penn State, someone put up posters urging students and others to report violations of the immigration laws. This is the poster:

Is it a civic duty to report illegal aliens? That is certainly a defensible position. In general, citizens should cooperate with law enforcement. But Penn State’s administration didn’t see it that way:

“The posters are unsigned and appear to be designed to provoke anger, fear and hate. The university finds them deeply offensive,” Penn State said in a statement.

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Is enforcing the law really a sign of “anger, fear, and hate”? And why, exactly, is it offensive to suggest that citizens should cooperate in enforcing federal law? How did it happen that the American establishment became overwhelmingly, and enthusiastically, in favor of illegal immigration?

The university said in its statement about the posters that officials wanted to emphasize “that every student on this campus has earned the right to be here based on their academic qualifications and hard work.”

Hmm. Is there anything in the poster about academic qualifications and hard work? Not that I noticed. Whether a student has a right to be at Penn State (or anywhere else in the U.S.) depends in part, of course, on our immigration laws.

“Penn State is enriched by students and scholars from around the world and we will continue our work on providing a climate of inclusion for all, regardless of country of origin,” the university said.

But the poster says nothing about country of origin. It is fine to have a “climate of inclusion for all,” but if “all” includes people who are present in the United States illegally, it shouldn’t come as a shock if they are caught and deported. Does Penn State’s administration mean to suggest that it deliberately harbors illegal aliens, thereby aiding and abetting violations of federal law? I think that is the clear implication.

We are living in a very bizarre era, where large numbers of otherwise-respectable people consider it a point of moral superiority to commit, or aid in the commission of, federal crimes. This largely explains why Donald Trump is now our president.

Why Is Saturday Night Live News?

Posted: 12 Feb 2017 02:57 PM PST

(John Hinderaker)

Every Sunday morning, the Associated Press has a news story about the prior evening’s SaturdayNight Live show. Today’s story is headlined Host Alec Baldwin, ‘SNL’ cast skewer Trump White House. Well, yes, they do that every week. Last Sunday’s AP headline told us that someone I had never heard of–Melissa McCarthy–was mocking White House press secretary Sean Spicer. And it isn’t just the Associated Press. Many news outlets breathlessly recount the latest anti-Trump skits on SNL.

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So, why is this news? I don’t recall that SNL’s weekly dose of liberal spin was news during the Obama administration. Saturday Night Live is a comedy show. Comedy isn’t generally considered newsworthy. Is it because so many people are watching? Because SNL’s ratings are so stratospherically high? Evidently not: Saturday Night Live has a below average audience, ranking 139th out of 196 television programs during the 2015-2016 season.

The only explanation is that Democratic Party news outlets report on Saturday Night Live skits because they want to amplify SNL’s anti-Trump message. “Respectable” news outlets like the AP can’t publish absurd comedy skits ripping President Trump, much as they might like to. But by covering Saturday Night Live, they turn such meaningless attacks into fake “news.”

Here is some real news: Sean Spicer’s daily press briefings, broadcast live, are being watched by around 4.3 million people. That is several times the audience for Saturday Night Live. I assume viewership will die down once we get past the opening weeks of the Trump administration, but still, it’s remarkable. Once again, the Democratic Party press, in its desperate yearning to bring down the Trump administration, is missing the real story.

Al Jarreau, RIP

Posted: 12 Feb 2017 12:54 PM PST

(Scott Johnson)

I am so sad to observe the passing of the singer Al Jarreau today in Los Angeles at the age of 76. Matt Schudel does a good job of paying tribute to Al in the Washington Post obituary. Margalit Fox provides a more ambivalent take in the New York Times obituary. I want to add a local note on Al’s death.

Al was a native of Milwaukee. Once he was able to make his voice heard on record in the mid-1970’s, he developed fans all over the world, but he had a special following long before then in Minneapolis. Al came to town for a gig with his then guitarist Julio Martinez in 1970 and stuck around to date a local woman.

Everyone who heard Al perform back then knew he was an awesomely talented musician. My first and best friend through high school was Scott Sansby. When I got back from college in the summer of 1970, Scottie told me I had to see Al. He raved about Al’s talent. He was certain that Al was going to be a star.

Scottie anchored the rhythm section on drums in Zarathustra, the house band at Minneapolis’s old Depot club (the predecessor to First Avenue), and Al would occasionally sit in with the band. He approached Scottie about playing with him. Scottie talked him into using Bobby Schnitzer (guitar) and Rich Dworsky (keyboards) and Dik Hedlund (bass). Bobby and Rich subsequently moved out to Los Angeles with Al as he sought to make it big. Texting this afternoon, Scotty reminds me: “We knew how good he was the first time we heard him sing.”

We were thrilled when Al returned to perform at Minneapolis’s Pantages Theater in 2011. I think all his old fans came out to see the show. Al caught up with the musical contingent at a party after the show. From left to right in the photo below are Dik Hedlund, Rich Dworsky, Scott Sansby, Al and Bobby Schnitzer.

While we saw early on what Al had to offer, it took the music industry another five years to seize on Al’s talent. Scottie was recording for Shelter Records in the early 1970s and took Al’s demo tapes to Shelter president Denny Cordell. Scottie tells me that Cordell thought the tapes were “great but that he didn’t know what to do with Al as far as genre and marketing, so he passed.” Scottie adds that the Twin Cities’ own Pat Rains — former owner of The Prison teen club in Burnsville — became Al’s manager and finally got him signed to Warner Brothers, where he released his first album in 1975.

The rest is music history. Al won seven Grammys in three musical categories (jazz, pop, and R&B, respectively). According to the AllMusic Guide biography, Al is the only artist to win Grammys in three different musical categories.

Al’s music expressed infectious joy and endearing romanticism. You can hear the threads of his talent in his approach to Chick Corea’s “Spain.” It was an instrumental until Al put words to it (video below). As you listen to this I defy you to be unhappy. Can’t be done.

Al also put words to Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” (video below).

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In his lyrics to “Take Five,” Al wrote: “Stop your busy day and take the time out to see that I’m alive, I’m alive.” Indeed he was. RIP.

NOTE: My thanks to Scott Sansby for helping me bring back the memories today. The Star Tribune elaborates on the local angle here.

The M-E-C Freakout Continues

Posted: 12 Feb 2017 10:04 AM PST

(Steven Hayward)

The Media Entertainment Complex (MEC) is going all in to destroy Trump on behalf of the Democratic Party. I wonder how liberals would react if Saturday Night Live did a sexist sketch like the one last night about Elizabeth Warren (preferably in full native American regalia) instead of Kelly Anne Conway:

Paul has already noted the ruckus over the supposed ethics violation of Kelly Anne suggesting on air that people buy Ivanka Trump’s products, but I doubt this is a formal violation of ethics rules which are intended to prevent presidents or their staffs from appearing in product advertisements, etc. And what are Trump’s people supposed to do in the face of ostentatiously reported and organized boycott campaigns? I hope Ivanka’s sales soar.

But there are other ways of going about this. I recall a story Martin Anderson once told me about Reagan. Anderson, who had been a senior domestic policy aide to Reagan, had one of the first pro-Reagan books coming out in early 1988, while Reagan was still in office, called Revolution, in bright red letters on the cover. Marty had called Reagan and asked if the president would be willing to offer a dust jacket blurb. Reagan declined, citing the ethics guidelines against doing product endorsements while in office.

But then, when a book came out a few months later, Reagan did some thing better. Stepping off Marine One on the south lawn one afternoon, he was carrying Revolution under his arm, with the title prominently displayed to the cameras. And Reagan stopped to take a couple of questions from the press corps (which he usually did not do), and sure enough, the book title was plainly visible on the evening news broadcasts, and a picture of Reagan with Revolution under his arm appeared in the next issue of Time or Newsweek. Hard to get a much better product endorsement than that.

But remember, Reagan was a dunce. The media told us so. The Trump people might want to study Reagan’s subtleties, though. All the better to keep the liberal crazy at full boil.

Now, if only I can get Trump to do this:

Thinkin’ about “Lincoln” again

Posted: 12 Feb 2017 04:40 AM PST

(Scott Johnson)

Steven Spielberg’s 2012 film Lincoln seems to have dropped from our cultural consciousness. Perhaps the cognitive dissonance it induces on the left suppresses the memory of it. As we celebrate the anniversary of Lincoln’s birthday today, I want to take a look back at the film with the notes I offered at the time. I put just about everything important that I know about Lincoln into them.

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Until reading David Brooks’s obtuse column about the film, I was unsure that I knew enough to comment intelligently about it. Brooks persuaded me that I know at least as much as he does, however, and accordingly prompted me to offer the following comments for interested readers.

The film makes an important contribution to understanding Lincoln. Directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Tony Kushner, the film focuses on the brief period in January 1865 after Lincoln’s reelection during a lame duck session of Congress when Lincoln moved heaven and earth to secure the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in the House of Representatives (where it had failed once previously). The film purports to be based in part on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals, but it expands greatly on a tiny sliver of that doorstop of a book.

A.O. Scott’s New York Times review describes the film with scrupulous accuracy, and I entirely agree with Scott’s witty conclusion:

Go see this movie. Take your children, even though they may occasionally be confused or fidgety. Boredom and confusion are also part of democracy, after all. “Lincoln” is a rough and noble democratic masterpiece — an omen, perhaps, that movies for the people shall not perish from the earth.

Kushner’s responsibility for the screenplay raised concerns on my part about the film. He does not portray Lincoln as a gay caballero, although he well might have. Kushner is rightly impressed by Lincoln’s greatness, but holds that “it’s a film where the political parties occupy the opposite sides of the spectrum that they currently occupy.” Republicans are the heroes of the story. Democrats are an obstacle to be overcome. How can this be? This is terribly confusing for an avant-garde liberal. Suffice it to say that a lot could have gone wrong here that didn’t. Despite Kushner’s confusion, the screenplay gets this gloriously right.

The movie powerfully rebuts the portrait of Lincoln that bright high school and college students absorb directly or indirectly from Richard Hofstadter’s incredibly influential essay “Abraham Lincoln and the Self-Made Myth,” collected in The American Political Tradition: And the Men Who Made It. Hofstadter depicted Lincoln as essentially indifferent to the wrongs of slavery and disparaged the Emancipation Proclamation as a glorified nullity.

Among other things, Hofstadter famously observed that the Proclamation “had all the moral grandeur of a bill of lading” and “did not, in fact, free any slaves.” Eric Foner is Hofstadter’s successor at Columbia. Foner accurately noted that Hofstadter pointedly juxtaposed Lincoln’s 1858 speech in Chicago affirming the equality of man with his address the same year in pro-slavery Southern Illinois in which he insisted that he opposed “bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the black and white races.”

Hofstadter’s portrait of Lincoln cannot survive this film. It is a great vehicle for learning and teaching something true and important about Lincoln. To paraphrase Lincoln himself, all honor to Kushner for getting Lincoln’s hatred of slavery right and making it the centerpiece of this film.

The film accurately presents the Thirteenth Amendment — the amendment that abolished slavery — as the fulfillment and guarantor of the Emancipation Proclamation. Amazingly, at least to me, the film accurately represented Lincoln’s thinking on precisely this point. It provides a lesson in the acuity of Lincoln’s thought on things that mattered.

Following the promulgation of the Emancipation Proclamation, prominent Democrats whose cooperation Lincoln coveted in the war effort repeatedly urged Lincoln to rescind it. Lincoln simply responded: “The promise, being made, must be kept.” The Thirteenth Amendment assured that the promise would, in fact, be kept. Allen Guelzo presents Lincoln’s thought on these points in great depth in Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America.

Harold Holzer may be the only prominent Lincoln scholar to have commented publicly on the film, as he did in a New York Post column. Holzer testified to the perfection of Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance as Lincoln. It is a performance of surpassing beauty. At the end of the film, one feels gratified to have had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours in Lincoln’s company. One is struck by the sheer largeness of spirit on display. Here there is no pettiness. Here there is no triviality. Here one is elevated.

The film sets Lincoln’s political struggle off against brief depictions of the death and destruction of Civil War battles. Lincoln was the president who chose to fight the war rather than accept disunion. He was the president who turned the war into “a new birth of freedom.” He was the president who declined to accept anything less than the unconditional surrender of the forces of the Confederacy. This is all on display in one way or another in the film.

Two more notes. David Brooks touted the film as promoting a view of politics as “noble because it involves personal compromise for the public good. This is a self-restrained movie that celebrates people who are prudent, self-disciplined, ambitious and tough enough to do that work.” Yet there is no compromise to be seen in the film on any important point.

Tony Kushner to the contrary notwithstanding, the film allows one to reflect on the continuity of the film’s Democratic and Republican parties with their modern counterparts. The Republican Party was founded in the belief that it was “the imperative duty of Congress to prohibit in the Territories those twin relics of barbarism — Polygamy, and Slavery,” as the party platform of 1856 put it. The party’s contemporary concerns about traditional marriage and the promotion of freedom have deep roots in the origin of the Republican Party.

Lincoln criticized slavery as embodying the tyrannical principle he called “the same old serpent that says you work and I eat, you toil and I will enjoy the fruits of it.” Don’t tell Tony Kushner, but the contemporary Democratic Party is preeminently the party of “the same old serpent that says you work and I eat.”

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