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Let’s just pretend for a moment here that we’re not already halfway through March and I still haven’t posted my top albums of 2016. But really, is anyone surprised? I’m frankly amazed I got around to it at all, but let me let you in on a little secret: my son slept an eight-hour stretch last night, the first time he’s ever done this, and I actually didn’t wake up every 2-3 hours wondering why he wasn’t waking. So I’m thinking that maybe just maybe having a good night’s sleep gave me a bit more fuel today, and I’m taking advantage of it as best I can. But enough about that and more about the music.

#10 Weezer – The White Album (04.01.16)

It’s overproduced and definitely cheesy in parts, but the songs get stuck in my head for days (also, that modulation from Cmaj to Amaj in Summer Elaine and Drunk Dori gets me every time).

#9 Into It. Over It – Standards (03.11.16)

Before Evan Weiss’ vocals came in, I had to double-check this wasn’t an Owen album, and that’s not a bad thing.

#8 Owen – The King of Whys (07.29.16)

This is exactly the album I would expect from Mike Kinsella, and that’s not a bad thing.

#7 Against Me! – Shape Shift With Me (09.16.16)

The band has really hit their stride with this album, which is full of catchy, energetic songs that make me want to dance and sing along.

#6 Aloha – Little Windows Cut Right Through (05.06.16)

I’ve waited six years for these guys to put out a new album, and when they finally did, they didn’t disappoint.

#5 Kevin Devine – Instigator (10.21.16)

Devine’s vocals and the melodies on this album feel like a warm hug from an old friend.

#4 Pantha du Prince – The Triad (05.20.16)

Hendrik Weber is a master at writing “otherworldly” music, and this album transports me somewhere magical every time I hear it.

#3 Great Apes – California Heart (10.14.16)

I don’t know how he does it, but everything Brian Moss writes is unbelievably good, and the music and lyrics on this album are no exception.

#2 Balance and Composure – Light We Made (10.07.16)

A lot more mellow than I’d anticipated, but full of driving rhythms and a healthy dose of melancholy.

#1 Tiny Moving Parts – Celebrate (05.20.16)

This album transports me back to when I was 17, driving in my car, windows down, mixtape on, volume up, singing along at the top of my lungs.

Honorable mentions:
Yuck, Tegan & Sara, Explosions in the Sky, Descendents, Pinegrove

For lists from past years, check out 2015, 2014, 2011, and 2010.