Eye on Indie is a weekly column in which Emerald writer Alex Ruby provides his picks for the best indie albums to watch for in the coming week. This week’s selections include releases from Justice, Thee Oh Sees and Kevin Abstract.

Justice: Woman (Ed Banger Records)

The French electronic duo Justice has been making music for 13 years and is finally releasing its third album, Woman. Cross, the duo’s debut, was nominated for a Grammy for its eclectic mix of punk-rock aesthetics and booming house beats. Their followup, Audio, Video, Disco, was released four years later with similar acclaim.

Woman is looking to be their funkiest and poppiest record yet, especially with the lead single “Safe and Sound” basically being an electronic boogie track backed with a choir. On BBC Radio 1, Xavier de Rosnay described it as if you were listening to it “in the car with your best friend and your lover and your kids.” It’s undeniably fun to listen to, with bright techno beats and entrancing lyrics. Justice doesn’t exactly change its formula for the third album, but it remains classic electronic dance music. It’s repetitive, it’s catchy and disco-tinged as hell, but all in a good way.

Listen if you like: Daft Punk, Ratatat, Crystal Castles, Chromeo

Thee Oh Sees: An Odd Entrances (Castle Face Records)

Over the course of just eight years, San Francisco garage rock band Thee Oh Sees have put out 11 full-length albums and its newest one, An Odd Entrances, is being released just three months after its last record, A Weird Exits. However, where A Weird Exits was fast, rollicking and filled with crunchy guitar riffs, An Odd Entrances is slower-moving and psychedelic. Out of six songs, three of them are instrumentals, making it a pretty trippy album. On one such track, “Jammed Exit,” synths warble in and out as a flute flutters in the background. Then, on “At The End, On The Stairs,” John Dwyer and crew sound like a new version of classic psych-rock bands like Love or The Zombies with airy vocals and jam band-esque instrumentation.

An Odd Entrances is all over the place, but that’s what makes it so enjoyable to listen to. You’ll find something new to pick up on with every listen. If you have 30 minutes to watch a Netflix television show, why not spend 30 minutes listening to Thee Oh Sees instead?

Listen if you like: Wavves, King Tuff, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Jay Reatard

Kevin Abstract: American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story (BROCKHAMPTON Records)

Following his critically-acclaimed debut album, MTV1987, Kevin Abstract is back with a follow-up, American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story. The 20-year-old Texas native has a wide range of influences, from Vanessa Carlton to Kurt Cobain or Kanye West, and it’s evident in his new album. There are pure R&B pop songs like “Empty” as well as soulful indie-pop tracks like “Yellow.”

Out of all his influences, however, Frank Ocean is probably the biggest one. In an interview with The Fader, Abstract talks about Ocean’s letter from 2012 where he opens up about his sexuality. “It was just like, ‘Thank you.’ It saved me,” he says. More than ever, Kevin Abstract’s own sexuality is extremely prominent on American Boyfriend, like when he says “My boyfriend saved me/My mother’s homophobic/I’m stuck in the closet/I’m so claustrophobic” on “Miserable America.”

If anything, American Boyfriend is one of the most real hip hop albums of the year. His beats take a backseat so his lyrics about sexuality, race, emotional struggles, heartbreak. More can shine through and touch his listener’s hearts in a way most other hip hop music cannot. Watch out for Kevin Abstract, because he’s going places — whether it be to our souls or to the top of the charts.

Listen if you like: Frank Ocean, Domo Genesis, GoldLink, Rejjie Snow

The post Eye on Indie: Justice, Thee Oh Sees, and Kevin Abstract appeared first on Emerald Media.

Being the environmentally-conscious town that it is, Eugene is home to plenty of really special, local teahouses. In order to navigate our town’s web of tea, the Emerald has put together a guide to the best of tea houses around.

Townshend’s Teahouse (41 W Broadway and the EMU)
This is arguably one of the most popular teahouses in town. It’s no coincidence that Townshend rhymes with godsend because this teahouse is one with over 100 flavors of loose leaf teas and eight flavors of Brew Dr. Kombucha on tap. They also have bubble tea, yerba mate and pastries to snack on. If you need an off-campus place to study, Townshend’s has plenty of cozy seating so you can do your homework comfortably while you sip your tea. They also have a changing display of art on the walls as well as fun tea accessories (like a steeper shaped like a walrus).

Oolong Bar (1607 E 19th Ave.)
One of the new tea houses in town, Oolong Bar is the place for creative, unique crafted tea. Its menu is full of eclectic drinks, including Macacocoa (steamed hot chocolate, maca, and organic cocoa) and Golden Milk (a tumeric milk latte with spices and honey). Like Townshend’s, Oolong Bar also has kombucha; unlike Townshend’s, however, Oolong has a kombucha happy hour from 4-6 p.m. where customers can save on flights and pints. They also serve iced and hot coffee from local roaster Equiano. If you need a place to relax when the spring sun comes out, Oolong Bar also has patio seating so you can grab a cone from Prince Pückler’s and some tea while you de-stress.

J-Tea (2778 Friendly St.)
While Oolong Bar is a good place for drinking unique tea concoctions, J-Tea is for tasting and learning about oolong, puer, green, white, herbal and black teas. They regularly hold tasting classes to compare the age and flavors of different teas. J-Tea also has a tea taste consultation page on its website where customers can fill out a form to notify J-Tea about their taste preferences and better serve them when they visit the store. The J-Tea building used to be a residential bungalow; now, it’s a beautiful space composed of a canopy, porch, walls of tea and the tea bar itself.

The Rabbit Hole (240 E 17th Ave.)
If you need some quality pearl milk tea, then the Rabbit Hole is the perfect teahouse for you. They have everything you could want from a bubble tea place: fruity iced teas, yakult drinks, milk tea lattes, creamas and hot ginger teas. The great thing about Rabbit Hole is that you can customize your drink anyway you like. If you don’t like it so sweet you can have half-sugar or no sugar at all. They also have delicious toppings like pearls, egg pudding, coffee jelly, lychee jelly and red beans. And if you want to have a pot of tea for yourself they also have 10 different loose leaf teas. With its couches, tables and quiet atmosphere, The Rabbit Hole is a great place to study. If you need a distraction from your studies, they also have a pile of board games in the corner.

Other teahouses in the Eugene area to try: DIY Tea, Milky Way, Tea Lady Teas & Everyone’s Cuppa, Bohemia Cafe & Apothecary

The post The best teahouses in Tracktown, USA appeared first on Emerald Media.

Eye on Indie is a weekly column in which Emerald writer Alex Ruby provides his picks for the best indie albums to watch for in the coming week. This week’s selections include releases from Wolf People, GUM, The Japanese House, and David Bazan.

Wolf People: Ruins (Jagjaguwar)

Wolf People’s music isn’t for the faint of heart. It is thick, dense, psychedelic blues-rock. Imagine crawling through a foggy cave — Wolf People’s songs are what reverberates off the cave walls. The band’s third album, Ruins, is a study on nature reclaiming the land it once ruled over, a theme fitting for a band with this sound. In a world of confusion, frustration and anger, Ruins might be the perfect album to get those feelings out.

“I suppose like many people — especially now — we’re constantly veering toward complete frustration with the human race one moment and celebrating all the positive things about humanity the next,” says singer and guitarist Jack Sharp on Wolf People’s bandcamp page. Wolf People are heavily influenced by early blues/psych rock bands like Jethro Tull, Cream, and Traffic, so if you feel like there hasn’t been enough of that sound in modern music, Ruins is the album for you.

Listen if you like: Tame Impala, Deerhoof, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Thee Oh Sees

GUM: Flash in the Pan (Spinning Top)

Tame Impala’s multi-instrumentalist Jay Watson is back with a third album as GUM this week, Flash in the Pan. Watson mixes synth-pop, psych and funk into an album that’ll trip you out as well as move your feet. It’s rhythmic and sweeping and manages to hook you into its looping vocals and bumping synths.

On the lead single, “Gemini,” Watson said in an interview with NME, “It’s kind of a song about people pinning stuff happening in their lives on things like star signs and religion.” Flash in the Pan is also a great example of those times when the album cover art perfectly matches the mood and music that’s contained within the album itself, with its ‘80s-esque vibes and smooth cursive lettering. Even the album’s track titles fit the mood, such as “Deep Razz,” “Heatwave” and “Distorted Star.” Pick up Flash in the Pan if you need something to groove to and let your mind wander.

Listen if you like: Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Foxygen, Com Truise, Pond

The Japanese House: Swim Against the Tide (Dirty Hit Records)

Amber Bain of The Japanese House has never been to Japan, nor does she make house music. What she does make is dreamy, sparkling indie-pop that transforms your environment and twists into itself. Her voice is entrancing and lustful, making each line a treat to listen to and repeat over and over again. Anonymity is a big part of Bain’s image as well because she feels like the music should come first, not the person who’s making it.

“At first, I thought it was important to make it just about music. It wasn’t obvious if I was a girl or a boy because I had an androgynous voice. I really enjoy that sometimes people think I’m a boy. It’s funny. If Victoria Legrand from Beach House can handle it, I can handle it. And not using my own name — having a band name — that was on purpose,” Bain said in an interview with DIY Magazine. “But I didn’t want the mystery to become bigger than the music.”

The Japanese House makes cool, atmospheric music you want to listen to when you’re walking on a beach, and even though we’re in the middle of fall right now, Swim Against the Tide should be on everyone’s radar.

Listen if you like: James Blake, Låpsley, Oh Wonder, Sampha

David Bazan: Dark Sacred Night (Suicide Squeeze Records)

If you like your Christmas songs with a sense of dourness and nonconformity, then pick up David Bazan’s collection of Christmas song covers, Dark Sacred Night. The former Pedro the Lion frontman recently had a falling out with his Christian faith, but that doesn’t mean he can’t create personal, affective Christmas music that’ll tug at the heartstrings as you sing along to the classic songs.

“Cheery conformity is the enemy of ‘peace on earth, goodwill’ to all. Admit your despair to safe people in your life this Christmas. Be a safe person for others. Feel better. Jesus Christ, you guys,” Bazan says on the album.

If his own music isn’t slow enough, Bazan also includes a great cover of the great slow-core band Low’s “Long Way Around The Sea” as well as a cover of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over).” All of the covers are super lo-fi, deeply emotional and unlike most Christmas songs you’ve heard before in a while. As Bazan himself puts it, Dark Sacred Night is for “depressive weirdos who want to sit and process their feelings about Christmas and reflect on the good and the bad and the past and all the stuff that’s mixed together in the crazy cocktail that is the holiday season.”

Listen if you like: Sea Wolf, Damien Jurado, Matt Pond PA, Conor Oberst

The post Eye On Indie: Wolf People, GUM, The Japanese House and David Bazan appeared first on Emerald Media.

Let’s be honest, 2016 has been a pretty terrible year. It’s had a rough election cycle, too many celebrity deaths, the Zika outbreak and plenty of other unfortunate events. However, it’s been a really great year for music and music comebacks, including LCD Soundsystem, American Football, The Avalanches, The Strokes, Gorillaz, Frank Ocean, the XX, and De La Soul among others.

This Friday marks the release of A Tribe Called Quest’s sixth album, following its first breakup in 1998. The Emerald thought it would be interesting to take a look at why the comeback albums from this year haven’t been well received, and what listeners can do to manage their expectations when a popular band comes back after a long hiatus.

After 16 long years, The Avalanches finally returned this past summer with its second album, Wildflower, and while it was rather critically acclaimed it could never reach the same amount of positive reception as its debut, Since I Left You. The Avalanches’ first album ended up on multiple year-end lists, won awards in Australia, and is one of the most influential albums in the genre. While many critics and fans enjoyed Wildflower, it hasn’t had the same staying power or influence that Since I Left You had in 2000 (2001 if you were in the U.S.).

Just three weeks ago, acclaimed emo/indie rock band American Football also released its second self-titled album in 17 years. The first self-titled was recorded in four days while the band’s members were enrolled at the University of Illinois. It was originally intended to be a side project. It has since gone on to receive dozens of positive reviews and is considered to be one of the most influential albums in the emo revival. American Football’s newest album was only recorded so they would have more songs to play at their shows and is mostly about the members’ adult lives. While still good, the revival isn’t as special nor as influential as its debut.

There has been a lot of news surrounding A Tribe Called Quest in recent years, from the 25th anniversary of its first album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, last year to the unfortunate passing of core member Phife Dawg this past March. Its first new album in 18 years, We Got It from Here…Thank You 4 Your Service, features guest appearances from André 3000, Kendrick Lamar, Jack White, Elton John, Anderson Paak, Talib Kweli, Consequence and Busta Rhymes. This already seems like a great album — and we haven’t even heard anything from it — but we should learn from this year’s abundance of comeback albums.

Tip #1 – Keep your expectations neutral
Even if A Tribe Called Quest is your favorite music group of all time, you’ll want to keep an open mind leading up to the album’s release. This goes for every comeback album; the bands haven’t been together for a very long time so they might not have the same chemistry it had on its last album (see: The Strokes’ new EP). Then again, with the amount of time between albums, the band may have spent that time creating something utterly unique and incredibly listenable (see: Frank Ocean’s Blonde). Either way, any new listening experience requires an open mind, so approach a group’s new album like you would any other debut.

Tip #2 – Listen to the group’s previous album(s)
If you consider the group or artist’s previous album(s) as your favorite piece of music, you’ll probably want to revisit those albums before a new release because maybe (just maybe) they’re not as good as you remember. Listen to the group or artist’s discography and think about what made them so special to you and critically acclaimed to others. Think about what could possibly be on the new album. Will they drastically change the tried and true formula? Will they stick to that formula and just make an album that sounds the same as the last one? Or will it be a strong combination of both aspects? Again, keep an open mind.

Tip #3 – Listen to the new album multiple times before forming an opinion
This really goes for any new album by any artist or group, but it’s key when an artist or group comes back after not recording for a long time. Listen to it once just to listen to it. Don’t analyze it or critique it, just listen. For the second listen, start developing your opinion on the record and think about what makes it good or not. On the third listen, maybe after some time between sessions, revisit the album to possibly validate your feelings on the songs. You might agree with your previous opinions, or you might end up forming a completely different opinion that’ll influence your thoughts on the album or artist’s comeback as a whole.

We should always celebrate the release of a band that hasn’t been around for a long time, but we should also manage our expectations so as not too get too hyped or too let down. Don’t overthink if the new music is good or not, just listen and be thankful that you’re finally hearing something new from your favorite artist.

The post How to manage expectations for a band’s new album after a long hiatus appeared first on Emerald Media.

Let’s be honest, 2016 has been a pretty terrible year. It’s had a rough election cycle, too many celebrity deaths, the Zika outbreak and plenty of other unfortunate events. However, it’s been a really great year for music and music comebacks, including LCD Soundsystem, American Football, The Avalanches, The Strokes, Gorillaz, Frank Ocean, the XX, and De La Soul among others.

This Friday marks the release of A Tribe Called Quest’s sixth album, following its first breakup in 1998. The Emerald thought it would be interesting to take a look at why the comeback albums from this year haven’t been well received, and what listeners can do to manage their expectations when a popular band comes back after a long hiatus.

After 16 long years, The Avalanches finally returned this past summer with its second album, Wildflower, and while it was rather critically acclaimed it could never reach the same amount of positive reception as its debut, Since I Left You. The Avalanches’ first album ended up on multiple year-end lists, won awards in Australia, and is one of the most influential albums in the genre. While many critics and fans enjoyed Wildflower, it hasn’t had the same staying power or influence that Since I Left You had in 2000 (2001 if you were in the U.S.).

Just three weeks ago, acclaimed emo/indie rock band American Football also released its second self-titled album in 17 years. The first self-titled was recorded in four days while the band’s members were enrolled at the University of Illinois. It was originally intended to be a side project. It has since gone on to receive dozens of positive reviews and is considered to be one of the most influential albums in the emo revival. American Football’s newest album was only recorded so they would have more songs to play at their shows and is mostly about the members’ adult lives. While still good, the revival isn’t as special nor as influential as its debut.

There has been a lot of news surrounding A Tribe Called Quest in recent years, from the 25th anniversary of its first album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, last year to the unfortunate passing of core member Phife Dawg this past March. Its first new album in 18 years, We Got It from Here…Thank You 4 Your Service, features guest appearances from André 3000, Kendrick Lamar, Jack White, Elton John, Anderson Paak, Talib Kweli, Consequence and Busta Rhymes. This already seems like a great album — and we haven’t even heard anything from it — but we should learn from this year’s abundance of comeback albums.

Tip #1 – Keep your expectations neutral
Even if A Tribe Called Quest is your favorite music group of all time, you’ll want to keep an open mind leading up to the album’s release. This goes for every comeback album; the bands haven’t been together for a very long time so they might not have the same chemistry it had on its last album (see: The Strokes’ new EP). Then again, with the amount of time between albums, the band may have spent that time creating something utterly unique and incredibly listenable (see: Frank Ocean’s Blonde). Either way, any new listening experience requires an open mind, so approach a group’s new album like you would any other debut.

Tip #2 – Listen to the group’s previous album(s)
If you consider the group or artist’s previous album(s) as your favorite piece of music, you’ll probably want to revisit those albums before a new release because maybe (just maybe) they’re not as good as you remember. Listen to the group or artist’s discography and think about what made them so special to you and critically acclaimed to others. Think about what could possibly be on the new album. Will they drastically change the tried and true formula? Will they stick to that formula and just make an album that sounds the same as the last one? Or will it be a strong combination of both aspects? Again, keep an open mind.

Tip #3 – Listen to the new album multiple times before forming an opinion
This really goes for any new album by any artist or group, but it’s key when an artist or group comes back after not recording for a long time. Listen to it once just to listen to it. Don’t analyze it or critique it, just listen. For the second listen, start developing your opinion on the record and think about what makes it good or not. On the third listen, maybe after some time between sessions, revisit the album to possibly validate your feelings on the songs. You might agree with your previous opinions, or you might end up forming a completely different opinion that’ll influence your thoughts on the album or artist’s comeback as a whole.

We should always celebrate the release of a band that hasn’t been around for a long time, but we should also manage our expectations so as not too get too hyped or too let down. Don’t overthink if the new music is good or not, just listen and be thankful that you’re finally hearing something new from your favorite artist.

The post How to manage expectations for a band’s new album after a long hiatus appeared first on Emerald Media.

Eye on Indie is a weekly column in which Emerald writer Alex Ruby provides his picks for the best indie albums to watch for in the coming week. This week’s selections include releases from STRFKR, CZARFACE, Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions and American Wrestlers.

STRFKR: Being No One, Going Nowhere (Polyvinyl Records)

If you’ve ever seen Portland’s own indie-pop band STRFKR live, then you know how crazy they can be. With astronauts performing wild dance moves, throwing out inflatable sex dolls and ‘80s pop covers, anyone who goes to one of their shows is in for a good time. This week marks the release of their fifth album Being No One, Going Nowhere, and hopefully it marks the start of another fantastic tour.

According to STRFKR’s label, founder Joshua Hodges exiled himself to the desert to create this album. In an age of social media selfishness, Hodges creates an album to portray our own insignificance in the vast scheme of things. This may seem like a dark concept — and it is — but STRFKR still manage to make the songs found within the album danceable and applicable to our experiences. They’re textured with heavy synths, airy vocals and just enough pop to make you move your feet. Interestingly, Hodges says the concept came to him at a BDSM club where he realized that pain is actually a gateway to freedom. It’s an album about realizing the pain — internal or external — and letting it go in order to destress. In light of midterm season, this could be a pretty comforting album.

Listen if you like: Neon Indian, Phoenix, Electric Guest, Broken Bells

CZARFACE: A Fistful of Peril (Brick Records)

If you have the need for some polished, bumping underground old-school hip-hop, give CZARFACE a try. Made up of Wu-Tang Clan’s Inspectah Deck and underground hip hop duo 7L & Esoteric, the group based its debut album around CZARFACE, the supposed savior of hip-hop.

After collaborating with Marvel on its Black Panther web series, CZARFACE was juiced to begin work on a new album. Esoteric says, “The creative fuel we got from collaborating with one of Czarface’s biggest inspirations had us blasting tracks on a rampage.” This “rampage” is evident on A Fistful of Peril, with its lead single “Two in the Chest,” including a thumping baseline and Deck and Esoteric’s hard-hitting, fast-spitting rhymes and flows. The group makes rock-solid, cohesive, sample-heavy hip-hop, and we are incredibly lucky to have something to listen to that’s so enjoyable. Deck and Esoteric’s bars are as hungry as ever. 7L’s beats are heavy and hard. CZARFACE is the villain we need.

Listen if you like: MF DOOM, Cannibal Ox, Quasimoto, Killer Mike

Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions: Until the Hunter (Tendril Tales)

And now for the exact opposite of CZARFACE: Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions. Mazzy Star vocalist Hope Sandoval and My Bloody Valentine drummer Colm O’Ciosoig come together to make minimalistic, sweet, laid-back dream pop. It’s the kind of soothing music you can fall asleep to, especially with Sandoval’s dreamy vocals.

The Warm Intentions takes time with its songs, not only with its instrumentation but with Sandoval’s voice as well. They’re also delicately crafted to support that soothing voice and lyrics. The songs are slow and moving, making you want to jump into a bed full of cushy pillows and comfy blankets. In order to get that natural sound, Sandoval and O’Ciosoig recorded in the cylindrical Martello towers in Ireland where O’Ciosoig says, “The resonance in the towers suggested sounds that might not have been there. They brought out existing sounds more. If you have parallel walls, the reverb keeps on going, and we had a nice natural decay that let the music just breathe inside it.”

Letting the music breathe is an apt description for how this album sounds because it’s immediately clear how effortless their talent seems to the listener. Its warmth and clarity make Until the Hunter a perfect listen for the cold winter months ahead.

Listen if you like: Cat Power, Slowdive, Low, Sun Kil Moon

American Wrestlers: Goodbye Terrible Youth (Fat Possum Records)

American Wrestlers’ music is about as messy as its new album’s cover but this isn’t a bad thing. Goodbye Terrible Youth, indie rocker Gary McClure’s second album as frontman for American Wrestlers, is a colorful collage of musical influences, distorted riffs and catchy melodies. McClure used to be part of noise pop outfit Working for a Nuclear Free City in Manchester, but now he has a day job loading and unloading trucks in St. Louis while also working on music. In an interview with Paste, McClure said, “I get tortured just thinking, ‘I should be doing something right now! Don’t you want to do something?’”

In a way, Goodbye Terrible Youth is an album about finding a purpose in adult life. It’s a way of filling up time. Its songs fill up the space they take with every sound in the band’s arsenal, making it a treat to listen to while discovering new ideas within the songs.

Listen if you like: Guided by Voices, The Swirlies, Galaxie 500, Superchunk

The post Eye on Indie: STRFKR, CZARFACE, Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions and American Wrestlers appeared first on Emerald Media.

Chance the Rapper is this generation’s superstar. There’s no doubt that the 23-year-old rapper from Chicago is hugely popular. He’s been on Ellen, Saturday Night Live, The Late Show and The Tonight Show. He’s been featured on over a dozen different artists’ songs, including those by Kanye West, Busta Rhymes and Childish Gambino.

His shows have sold out across the country and he even performed at the White House earlier this month; but the crazy part is that he’s only released three solo mix tapes and he’s not signed to a record label. He also puts out all of his music for free, allowing anyone and everyone to enjoy his socially-conscious, positivity-fueled music.

In spite of all that, it’s surprising that he can fill an entire venue like the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland this past Friday. It’s even more surprising how he remains humble and modest with all of this success. At the show, he talked about how grateful he was for each and every one of his fans and friends, acknowledging that he would not be where he is today without them.

In fact, opening for Chance was one of these friends, Francis and the Lights, featuring Francis Farewell Starlite who has produced and collaborated with several artists over the years, including Drake, Kanye West, Frank Ocean, Bon Iver and The Weeknd.

At Chance’s show, Francis and the Lights played contemporary R&B to a mostly confused audience and largely overstayed his welcome. He tried to hype up the crowd with his annoying falsetto and abstract, David Byrne-esque dance moves; he hyped up the crowd with announcements that Chance would soon take the stage, but then would go on to start his next song. And when he eventually brought out Chance, another set of unwanted dance moves ensued.

Finally, after another hour, Chance the Rapper started his magnificent show. He played all of his hits from his entire discography and even his guest verses from “Ultralight Beam” and “Baby Blue.” He brought energy, positivity and nostalgia to Portland on Friday, and fans in the stadium seemed extremely thankful for that.

At one point, a giant, animatronic lion named Carlos popped out of the stage to tell Chance — or “Big Fella,” as Carlos called him — what kind of songs he wanted to hear Chance perform. Although Chance didn’t explain who or what Carlos is, I think he might be one of his childhood imaginary friends who still has a great influence over him.

Carlos, along with another animatronic character named Lady Dame and Chance’s use of bombastic colors and sounds, brought a much-needed childlike fervor to the show. He also brought religion, which might turn some people off, but he made it so universal that it doesn’t matter what you believe — if anything — and made everyone trust in his message of positivity and love.

In a world that’s wrought with violence, prejudice, corrupt politicians and executives, and political correctness, Chance the Rapper brings everyone together through one thing: music. As he sings on the first track from his newest mixtape, Coloring Book, “music is all we got.” Every kind of person seemed to be at the concert; no one was excluded and everyone was having a good time.

Chance the Rapper is on track to being one of the biggest stars in music of all time. He’s only 23 and already has three or — if you count Surf — four mixtapes out. He’s going to keep growing and, as he does, his music and messages will only improve. If anyone can bring peace and happiness to the world through music, it’s Chance the Rapper.

Saba: Bucket List Project (Saba Pivot)

In case you haven’t heard of him, Saba is one of the many great hip-hop artists coming out of the Chicago scene, including Chance the Rapper, Mick Jenkins, Joey Purp, Vic Mensa and Noname. He makes some of the most soulful hip-hop out there and his latest tape, Bucket List Project, proves he’s more than capable of standing up to the big names in the industry. Where his previous appearances have been on other artists’ songs, nearly every track on Bucket List features another artist contributing to Saba’s powerful flow.

His songs range from political explorations of Chicago on “Church/Liquor Store” to braggadocio-fueled anthems on “World in My Hands” (which features LeGit and Smino, two independent rappers also worthy of a listen). Wherever Saba goes after this one, make sure you keep your eyes and ears on him.

Listen if you like: Mick Jenkins, Joey Purp, Vic Mensa, Vince Staples

Honeyblood: Babes Never Die (FatCat Records)

According to front-woman Stina Tweeddale, the title for Honeyblood’s second album is her own personal mantra.

“I think it’s something I tell myself every day,” Tweeddale said to Consequence of Sound. “Indifference is a plague. Giving up and turning a blind eye will be the end of us.”

Although it’s not entirely clear what Stina means, the attitude behind this message is clearly evident throughout their new LP. The songs are loud, intense, and surprisingly catchy, and it’s remarkable that just two people can create such wild energy. Stina and Cat are immediately evocative of those fun, rowdy, indie rock bands of the ‘90s like The Breeders, Sleater-Kinney, and The Pastels. If you need to wake yourself up in the middle of midterm season, definitely give Honeyblood a listen.

Listen if you like: Hinds, Diet Cig, Girlpool, Courtney Barnett

Mannequin Pussy: Romantic (Tiny Engines)

A band by the name of Mannequin Pussy might turn some people off — don’t Google them without putting “band” at the end, trust me — but those that decide not to listen are doing themselves a complete disservice.

Similar to Honeyblood, Mannequin Pussy’s songs are full of raw energy and dense with clashing drums and rocking guitar riffs. Romantic is one of the best examples of the pure, independent rock music coming out of Philadelphia right now, along with Hop Along, Beach Slang, Swearin’, and The War on Drugs. If you need some intense, passionate rock music that will make you get off your butt and jump into a chaotic frenzy, then Mannequin Pussy is the band for you. Hell, the album is under 20 minutes long. You have 20 minutes to lash out against your problems, right?

Listen if you like: Screaming Females, P.s. Eliot, White Lung, Perfect Pussy

Steve Hauschildt: Strands (Kranky)

Ambient is probably one of the most underrated music genres. Its artists create beautiful, spacious soundscapes, but most mainstream listeners probably pass them by because they might be boring. If you want to experience some really special ambient music, give Steve Hauschildt a try. Formerly of the ambient trio Emeralds, Hauschildt creates colorful, bright walls of sound that seem like reflections of his environment and thought process — and his new album, Strands, is exactly that.

“I wanted to try and capture that moment in nature and society where life slowly reemerges through desolation, so it has a layer of optimism looming underneath,” he says in a press release.

After four solo albums and five albums with Emeralds, Steve Hauschildt is a master at creating those moments and environments within his music. He makes songs for any situation, whether it be studying at your desk into the small hours of the morning or walking down the street as the wind howls around you.

Listen if you like: Nils Frahm, Oneohtrix Point Never, Tim Hecker, Julianna Barwick

American Football is a band that fits into the pantheon of indie groups whose music has influenced countless other artists. Steve Holmes, Mike Kinsella and Steve Lamos are legends in the emo and indie scenes. In 1999, Amerocan Football made a seminal self-titled album with the kind of music that fits a certain space and time and which spawned dozens of bands influenced by American Football’s twinkling guitars, varied time signatures and heartfelt and emotional lyrics.

Instead of a thrashing, angsty sound that had so many pop-punk fans hooked during this time period, American Football managed to create an album with sweeping, orchestral guitars and profound melodies. Even though each member had (and has had) several other musical projects, they never made another American Football album.

That is, until now. In late summer 2016, two years after playing reunion shows for the album’s 15th anniversary, American Football announced it would officially reunite and record a second album, also titled American Football. After 17 long years, the band’s follow-up to the hugely influential album is here and it’s pretty good.

The first American Football is a very special album for me. Its lyrics relate to me in a way few other albums or artists ever have and its twinkling time signatures send me to a place out of this world. It’s a perfect albums to me.

There’s really no way that Mike Kinsella and crew could ever live up to the hype or specialness of the first album.

That’s not to say that American Football (LP 2) is a bad album. Kinsella’s personal lyricism is still very present and the band’s instrumentation, while not as unique anymore, is still a treat to listen to in a single sitting. It’s just not as memorable as that album from 1999.

The songs are still introspective, but they don’t connect together in the same way the first album’s songs did. It seems like a loose collection of songs that the band came up with at random points in their 17-year “hiatus.” In fact, Kinsella even said in an interview with Pitchfork that, “It wasn’t very organic; we don’t spend a lot of time in a room together just jamming. We have a Dropbox folder, and people can chime in with their ideas.”

When taken on their own, the songs all have substance and weight to them. The band clearly took care in making each of these nine songs and each has a finality that declares that this is all they have in terms of emotions and musicality (in a good way).

They may even be more down-to-earth than the songs on the first album with Kinsella facing the facts of adult reality instead of petty, faux-complicated college emotions.

On the album’s final song, “Everyone is Dressed Up,” Kinsella muses about his former days as a midwestern college kid with “Wild nights when we were younger, we thought we’d live forever.” In the next line, he pivots back to reality with “At least we’ll die together.”

Kinsella’s lines are just as emotionally damaged as in the past, like on “I Need A Drink (or Two, or Three)” where he proclaims “Oh, how I wish that I were me, the man that you first married. I’m tired of fighting, endless thunder and lightning.”

The guitars, bass, and drums may not be as transportive as they were on American Football, but they still do a great job of setting the atmosphere and tone for each of the songs. They feel spacious and tight all at the same time without ever letting go of the song. The sound is still undeniably American Football.

American Football had a lot to live up to, and they partially succeeded. The nine new songs easily fit into its discography and should make it into any indie or emo-lover’s heart. They’re powerful and poetic, wistful and well-orchestrated. American Football is a great collection of songs, it’s just not a complete album.