Favorite Records of 2017

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Mundane Mayhem
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by Mundane Mayhem »

RolanK wrote:It is obvious where I get most of my musical input these days. Most of what hass been already been mentioned in other peoples lists would also appear on mine, so I am not going to repeat that, other than saying I would probably put LBIII, John Moreland and HGM in my top three.

The only album I haven't seen mentioned by anyone else is Susanne Sundfør - Music for People in Trouble. Probably belongs in my top five.

That's quite a voice. Kind of like Tori Amos or Ingrid Michaelson to my ears. Or even St. Vincent. I put her on in the background at work today and Spotify plowed right into her previous album. "Kamikaze" and "Fade Away" caught my attention from that one.
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Tequila Cowboy
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by Tequila Cowboy »

Uncle Rickey turned me on to Big Thief yesterday and I cannot stop listening. Their record will probably end up in a revised top ten. So damned good.
We call him Scooby Do, but Scooby doesn’t do. Scooby, is not involved

Mundane Mayhem
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by Mundane Mayhem »

Tequila Cowboy wrote:Uncle Rickey turned me on to Big Thief yesterday and I cannot stop listening. Their record will probably end up in a revised top ten. So damned good.
I loved Masterpiece. The new one didn't get its hooks in me quite as quickly, aside from a few tracks ("Watering," "Mary," and "Mythological Beauty" especially). But this is a good reminder to revisit it.
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RolanK
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by RolanK »

Mundane Mayhem wrote:
RolanK wrote:It is obvious where I get most of my musical input these days. Most of what hass been already been mentioned in other peoples lists would also appear on mine, so I am not going to repeat that, other than saying I would probably put LBIII, John Moreland and HGM in my top three.

The only album I haven't seen mentioned by anyone else is Susanne Sundfør - Music for People in Trouble. Probably belongs in my top five.

That's quite a voice. Kind of like Tori Amos or Ingrid Michaelson to my ears. Or even St. Vincent. I put her on in the background at work today and Spotify plowed right into her previous album. "Kamikaze" and "Fade Away" caught my attention from that one.
Yes, great voice. I also hear Kate Bush. Her previous work is more electronic. This latest one is very low key and acoustic. Piano, and some pedal steel for the most.
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Bill in CT
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by Bill in CT »

Here's my top 25 in alphabetical order.

Agusa - Agusa
Argus - From Fields Of Fire
Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires - Youth Detention
Causa Sui - Vibraciones Doradas
Tyler Childers - Purgatory
Circle - Terminal
Colour Haze - In Her Garden
Elder - Reflections Of A Floating World
Enslaved - E
The Feelies - In Between
Galley Beggar - Heathen Hymns
Lilly Hiatt - Trinity Lane
Hiss Golden Messenge - Hallelujah Anyhow
Incantation - Profane Nexus
Jess and the Ancient Ones - The Horse and Other Weird Tales
The Magpie Salute - The Magpie Salute
Moon Duo - Occult Architecture Vol. 1
John Moreland - Big Bad Luv
Mythic Sunship - Land Between Rivers
Margo Price - All American Made
Chuck Prophet - Bobby Fuller Died For Your Sins
Spectral Voice -Eroded Corridors Of Unbeing
Spirit Adrift - Curse Of Conception
Ufomammut - 8
Wucan - Reap The Storm
Last edited by Bill in CT on Tue Jan 02, 2018 2:01 am, edited 2 times in total.
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tinnitus photography
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by tinnitus photography »

Tequila Cowboy wrote:Uncle Rickey turned me on to Big Thief yesterday and I cannot stop listening. Their record will probably end up in a revised top ten. So damned good.
i was kinda eager to check them out at Newport Folk this year, but the two songs we could shoot were pretty much just the singer singing softly, w/ very little going on band-wise.

Gang Green
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by Gang Green »

Tequila Cowboy wrote:Uncle Rickey turned me on to Big Thief yesterday and I cannot stop listening. Their record will probably end up in a revised top ten. So damned good.
I’m not the authority Uncle Ricky is, but I’ve digging on Weather Station from the UNCUT list. I’m having the same reaction you are to Big Thief.

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Tequila Cowboy
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by Tequila Cowboy »

Gang Green wrote:
Tequila Cowboy wrote:Uncle Rickey turned me on to Big Thief yesterday and I cannot stop listening. Their record will probably end up in a revised top ten. So damned good.
I’m not the authority Uncle Ricky is, but I’ve digging on Weather Station from the UNCUT list. I’m having the same reaction you are to Big Thief.
Always appreciate a recommendation! I'll check them out.
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tinnitus photography
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by tinnitus photography »

1 Elder - Reflections Of A Floating World
2 Grails - Chalice Hymnal
3 Power Trip - Nightmare Logic
4 Mountain Movers - Mountain Movers
5 St. Vincent - Masseduction
6 Samsara Blues Experiment - One With The Universe
7 Amenra - Mass IV
8 Various - Brown Acid (4th And 5th Trips)
9 Circle - Terminal
10 Slowdive - Slowdive
11 Falls Of Rauros - Vigilance Perennial
12 Grave Pleasures - Motherblood
13 Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile - Lotta Sea Lice
14 Heaters - Matterhorn
15 Godflesh - Post Self
16 Jane Weaver - Modern Kosmology
17 Mogwai - Every Country's Sun
18 Myrkur - Mareridt
19 Oh Sees - Orc
20 Sundays & Cybele - Chaos & Systems
21 Boss Hog - Brood X
22 Converge - The Dusk In Us
23 Crystal Fairy - Crystal Fairy
24 Boris - Dear
25 Wear Your Wounds - S/T

dogstar
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by dogstar »

Here's my list, the first one isn't an LP but it is my favourite record

1 Kamasi Washington - Harmony of Difference
2 This is the Kit - Moonshine Freeze
3 St Vincent - Massseduction
4 Mavis Staples - If all I was was Black
5 Hurray for the Riff Raff - The Navigator
6 Tyler Childers - Purgatory
7 Hiss Golden Messenger - Hallelujah anyhow
8 Game Theory - Supercalifragile
9 Lana Del Ray - Lust for Life
10 John Moreland - Big Bad Luv
11 Big Thief - Capacity
12 LCD Soundsystem - American Dream
13 Turnpike Troubadours - A Long way from your Heart
14 Dave Rawlings - Poor David's Almanac
15 Eyelids - OR

I guess Kamasi Washington also gets track of the year as the the whole record is just one piece of music but my other favourites were:

Slow Disco - St Vincent
New York -St Vincent
Hotter Colder - This is the Kit
No time for Crying - Mavis Staples
Build a bridge - Mavis Staples
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Shakespeare
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by Shakespeare »

old 97s belong in here but i forgot it (early releases be damned) and havent had time to edit it in

50 | mark lanegan band | gargoyle
wasnt too into his last one but this is a good bit of rock and beats and his voice remains a treat
49 | girl ray | earl grey
feels like this band can go so many directions but the scattershot nature here is charming on its own
48 | cigarettes after sex | cigarettes after sex
one note and very cringey lyrically at times but its a good note
47 | craig brown band | the lucky ones forget
perfectly ragged garage twang
46 | carly pearce | every little thing
same producer as maren morris' hero so i had high hopes. fell short but its real good and a bit more pure country
45 | colter wall | colter wall
this dudes voice threatens to become a gimmick but his songwriting totally gets what makes this kind of music work. promising future for sure
44 | el goodo | by order of the moose
just good throwback psych pop
43 | japanese breakfast | soft sounds from another planet
somegreat ideas on here but something about it keeps it out of steady rotation
42 | polo & pan | caravelle
sunny french pop with a bleep bloop core
41 | lindsey buckingham & chrstine mcvie | lindsey buckingham & chrstine mcvie
the magic is still there. a few duds but when they got a hit its out of the park


40 | a giant dog | toy
i like their last one more but this has some damn bangers too. thin lizzy spirits galore
39 | ryan adams | prisoner
circumstances conspired tomake me listen to dra a lot this year. he kinda makes sounds more than songs lately but hes toogifted not to drop a handful of gems per album
38 | conor oberst | salutations
i like the ruminations versions better but the songs are great at their core and the handful of new ones on here are solid too
37 | chris forsyth & the solar motel band | dreaming in the non-dream
just a scorching half hour of mostly instrumental jams. his guitars in charge but the band adds a ton
36 | girlpool | powerplant
added a drummer took them from charming but obnoxious to a genuinely great band
35 | jessica lea mayfield | sorry is gone
she continues to wrap vaguely country touchstones around a wicked pop sensibility, now with crunchier guitars
34 | dave rawlings | poor davids almanack
i saw both him and gillian this year and i think hes the most mesmerizing technical performer ive everseen. probably his best batch of solo tunes so far
33 | kelsea ballerini | unapologetically
id feel bad comparing her to tswift if she didnt so obviously position herself to draw those comparisons. this is a bit fearless and a bit speak now. so, excellent
32 | jake xerxes fussell | what in the natural world
dudes so in control of what he does, and it feels entirely effortless
31 | sarah shook & the disarmers | sidelong
another album that just gets the genre so well. healthy doses of the misery and humor that makes country so good when done right, and her band absolutely smokes


30 | weezer | pacific daydream
been a while since a wtf rivers album. i get why so many hate this and i have no idea who he thinks its for, but i think its solid, with a middle section of legitimate classics
29 | melkbelly | nothing valley
id probably still list this album if it were just the drum tracks.
28 | filthy friends | invitation
a band tailor made for me to love, and they delivered more than just their respective pedigrees.
27 | middle kids | middle kids
impressive range of sounds for a debut ep, already a solid entry into the history of kiwi pop
26 | soccer mommy | collection
i guess this is a compilation of previously released stuff, but its the first I heard any of it. charmingly lo fi pop
25 | sunny sweeney | trophy
better bad idea is a super polished shot at a crossover but it diesnt get in the way of an otherwise traditional set of country songs
24 | hazel english | just give in/never going home
i guess only half if this is a 2017 release but fuck it. give me all the mopey pop songs
23 | slowdive | slowdive
unfathomably good comeback. doesnt reinvent the wheel or retread past achievements, just does everything that made souvlaki so good, in sound and style
22 | mutoid man | war moans
band is just so goddamn fun. good thing, cuz they pack their songs with enough twists and turns to fall apart at any time if they werent
21 | mastodon | cold dark place
i liked the last two but somehow this moody outtakes ep beats both.


20 | partner | in search of lost time
very straightforward power pop songs that might get old fast if not for the genuinely impressive shredding. why the absolute fuck does it have half a dozen skits though
19 | grandaddy | last place
i didnt need a grandaddy reunion to be anything more than a dozen new jason lytle songs. his solo albums have been good enough that that was never in doubt, but he feels reinvigorated recording back under the grandaddy name here
18 | wild ones | mirror touch
the lead singer has such a great voice her band almost seems doomed to become a glorified session bunch, but there are a ton of slight instrumental flourishes that really take the songs to another level
17 | marilyn manson | heaven upside down
ive only been a casual manson fan over the years but this blew me away. hes mellowed in a way, without losing why anyone cared about him in the first place
16 | thurston moore | rock n roll consciousness
in which his new band finally comes into their own, no longer making me sad they arent sonic youth instead. its thurstons show but he has genuine creative foils again and id love to see them keep at it
15 | sorority noise | youre not as ____ as you think
their last one was more introspective and this one focuses outward, but it has the same blend of blunt lyricism and huge hooks
14 | laura marling | semper femina
this is brimming with such masterful confidence that i think its silly to bother ranking it among her discography. id love a whole album like soothing but again, shes so clearly doing what she wants, and doing it so well, and i will gladly shut up and go with it
13 | bash & pop | anything could happen
the first b&p album was a solid batch of stonesy jams but this one, 20some years later, is much more focused despite not having a consistent lineup from track to track. tommy stinson has aged but not quite grown up, so theres a great push and pull there, but mostly the songs are just catchy as fuck, every bit as good as anything westerberg did outside the replacements
12 | queens of the stone age | villains
arguably reaches the pinnacle of the heavy dance music vibe josh was talking about as far back as the debut. ronson was an inspired choice for producer, giving the overall sound a nice crispness but generally staying out of the way and letting homme conitnue his singular vision
11 | power trip | nightmare logic
its tricky being such an obvious throwback act like this but if you show a clear understanding of the genre it doesnt have to be a dealbreaker. these guys do everything that makes good thrash such a joy and they do it with just enough personality that i dont even think about the big four or anything


10 | dead cross | dead cross
bit of a gatecrasher here. i liked it at first but forgot about it quickly. over the last month or so its been almost all i listen to in the morning before work. im truthfully not mych for hardcore, or any of mike pattons bands, but his vocal performamnce is so jaw dropping, and dave lombardos drumming as tasty as ever, that i cant help but adore it
9 | alex lahey | i love you like a brother
the perfect album to soften the sting of that boring barnett/vile album. immaculate power pop with clever lyrics worth making out
8 | charly bliss | guppy
so many bands doing this 90s revivalism thing but so few are this captivating as their own entity. the best if the best tracks are immediate crunchy pop classics, full of hooks that swell to impossible heights.
7 | paramore | after laughter
ive loved this band since they broke out and its remarkable that theyre still a thing at all, let alone one with such a clearly evolving vision and the ability to pull it off
6 | taylor swift | reputation
not sure its possible to briefly summarize this album but i will never doubt her again. it is a frequently laughable mess and its two months old but i still think it might be my most played album if the year
5 | kelly lee owens | kelly lee owens
textbook shakes baiting electronic music. absolutely immersive stuff that almost makes me wonder why i ever bothered with guitars in the first place
4 | alvvays | antisocialites
debut was great but this puts it to shame. takes every aspect to another level and makes almost every song on s/t feel like a demo. topping this seems out of the question, but so did merely equalling the debut
3 | white reaper | the worlds best american band
title throws down a gauntlet and the songs gleefully leap all over it. every song shreds but judy french isnt just the best van halen song since 1984, it would have been a contender for best song on 1984
2 | the regrettes | feel your feelings fool
bunch of teenagers make a pop punk album about being young and dumb, and not in the usual sex and drugs and rock and roll way. thatd be enough to get me on board already but the songs are so well built, with occasional detours into pop touches old and new, and the performances so energetic i cant think of anything else i could want. i think its a testament to how good a rock and roll album this is that its unabashed youthfulness doesnt get in its own way
1 | craig finn | we all want the same things
somehow 2017 was already a heavy THS year for me when this came out and solidified it. its everything a solo album from a band frontman should be. the characters on here are craig finns through and through but the themes and moods just wouldnt make sense with his main gigs beefier treatment.

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cortez the killer
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by cortez the killer »

Image
20. Thawing Dawn/A. Savage
Solo debut from Parquet Courts’ Andrew Savage carries a strong alt-country vibe, with him leaning more toward his Texas roots than his current Brooklyn home.
Favorite Track: “Buffalo Calf Road”

Image
19. In Spades/The Afghan Whigs
Latest release from 90s indie superstars, The Afghan Whigs. Not the same caliber album as classics like Gentlemen or Black Love, but a solid record nonetheless.
Favorite Track: “Demon in Profile”

Image
18. Slowdive/Slowdive
Another 90s indie darling with their first album in twenty-two years. The self-titled Slowdive is a modern-day Shoegaze classic.
Favorite Track: “Sugar for the Pill”

Image
17. August by Cake/Guided By Voices
First of two 2017 GBV releases is a sprawling double album, August by Cake. Robert Pollard cranks out records at a mind-numbing pace.
Favorite Track: “Cheap Buttons”

Image
16. Robyn Hitchcock/Robyn Hitchcock
The former Soft Boys front man is still going strong at sixty-four. I’m relatively new to his music, but like Pollard, he is incredibly prolific and still making excellent music.
Favorite Track: “Mad Shelley’s Letterbox”

Image
15. Ty Segall/Ty Segall
Garage Glam Punk wizard Segall is another artist who just churns albums out. I’m a casual fan of his, but I really like his self-tiled record.
Favorite Track: “Orange Color Queen”

Image
14. Sleep Well Beast/The National
I’m always down for some National. Sleep Well Beast isn’t as strong as most of their previous output, but it still hits my sweet spot.
Favorite Track: “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness”

Image
13. Notes of Blue/Son Volt
An upgrade from 2013’s Honky Tonk, but still a lower-tier Son Volt record. However, lower-tier Volt still sounds good to these ears. Nice to have Jay plug in again for a handful of tracks.
Favorite Track: “Promise the World”

Image
12. The Deep Set/The Bats
I discovered and fell in love with New Zealand’s Flying Nun Records this summer. The Clean, The Verlaines, The Chills, The Bats, etc. Just an incredible music scene. Another strong record from The Bats.
Favorite Track: “Rooftops”

Image
11. Heavy Meta/Ron Gallo
A late 2017 discovery for me, but a rewarding one. Numerous old-school rock and roll influences throughout, but never comes off as overly derivative.
Favorite Track: “Young Lady, You’re Scaring Me”

Image
10. Anything Could Happen/Bash & Pop
Twenty-four years later, Tommy Stinson resurrects his post-Replacements band, Bash & Pop, and cranks out a dozen tracks for those who still suffer from ‘Mats withdrawal.
Favorite Track: “On the Rocks”

Image
9. Rips/Rips
Rips is a Brooklyn band strongly-influenced by past NYC acts like The Feelies & Television. They toured relentlessly for over a year before hitting the studio with Parquet Courts’ producer, Austin Brown, to record their self-titled debut.
Favorite Track: “Malibu Entropy”

Image
8. Relatives in Descent/Protomartyr
Fourth album from the Detroit-based band that sounds like David Berman fronting a post-punk outfit. Another new foray for me musically, coming off my 2017 immersed in classic post-punk music.
Favorite Track: “My Children”

Image
7. Hatteras Night, A Good Luck Charm/Will Johnson
Good ol’ Will Johnson – a true example of steady consistency. I like pretty much everything this guy does. Again, not one of the best works in his ever-growing catalog, but pretty damn good.
Favorite Track: “Predator”

Image
6. Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins/Chuck Prophet
Former Green on Red guitarist has put together quite the solo career. Bobby Fuller is another excellent record in a string of them. Chuck isn’t getting any younger, but he continues to put out quality music.
Favorite Track: “Alex Nieto”

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5. How Did I Find Myself Here?/The Dream Syndicate
Paisley Underground heroes The Dream Syndicate return with their first studio album in nearly thirty years. Yet another band I didn’t discover until 2017, but very glad I did.
Favorite Track: “Glide”

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4. Rot/Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys
Hateful name. Very good band. This Australian group sounds like a cross between The Replacements and Bee Thousand/Alien Lanes-era Guided By Voices. Album showed up late on my 2017 radar but has quickly solidified regular rotation.
Favorite Track: “Away”

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3. Hey Summer/Lost Balloons
Another band that would have been well outside my wheelhouse in years past. Heard some good things about them and very happy I followed up on it. Elements of punk, garage rock, jangle pop, and power pop merge to make great songs that will lodge themselves in your brain.
Favorite Track: “Feed the Pain”

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2. Need to Feel Your Love/Sheer Mag
Love this record. Philly D.I.Y. throwback punk band that’s spent a good amount of time absorbing Thin Lizzy & Dwight Twilley Band and injecting it with a touch of funk, soul & disco. Lead singer Tina Halladay’s distorted, raspy vocals run the gamut from tender to tough, taking on wide-ranging topics from the current political morass to heartache.
Favorite Track: “Need to Feel Your Love”

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1. How Do You Spell Heaven/Guided By Voices
Everything’s coming up Pollard. The ever-changing GBV line-up has him reuniting with former bandmate and lead guitarist, Doug Gillard. Coming off the heels of the double album August By Cake, How Do Spell Heaven delivers plenty of swagger and crunch and reminds me a lot of GBV's excellent 2001 album, Isolation Drills. No signs of the sixty year-old Pollard slowing down anytime soon.
Favorite Track: “Steppenwolf Mausoleum”
You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.
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cortez the killer
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by cortez the killer »

I posted this in the Spotify thread, but I suppose it fits here, too.

Image
2017
1. In Between/The Feelies
2. Darling/Real Estate
3. Feed the Pain/Lost Balloons
4. Chancer/The Stevens
5. Malibu Entropy/Rips
6. Tall Glass of Water/Tim Darcy
7. My Children/Protomartyr
8. Need to Feel Your Love/Sheer Mag
9. Rooftops/The Bats
10. Glide/The Dream Syndicate
11. Steppenwolf Mausoleum/Guided By Voices
12. Mad Shelly's Letterbox/Robyn Hitchcock
13. Plimsoll Punks/Alvvays
14. Enter Entirely/Cloud Nothings
15. On the Rocks/Bash & Pop
16. Alex Nieto/Chuck Prophet
17. Young Lady, You're Scaring Me/Ron Gallo
18. Away/Bed Wettin' Bad Boys
19. The Bully Boys/Chavez
20. Sleep Drifter/King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
21. The Way You Used to Do/Queens of the Stone Age
22. The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness/The National
23. Demon in Profile/The Afghan Whigs
24. Shine on Me/Dan Auerbach
25. What I Want/Cende
26. It Gets More Blue/Girlpool
27. A Walk Across the Human Bridge/Tobin Sprout
28. Dim Bulbs/David Barbe
29. Discipline/B Boys
30. Do the Nixon/Circus Devils
31. A Wolf Who Wears Sheeps Clothes/Mac DeMarco
32. Sugar for the Pill/Slowdive
33. Buffalo Calf Road/A. Savage
34. Promise the World/Son Volt
35. The May Queen/Robert Plant
36. It's a Sign of Weakness/Finn's Motel
37. Wrong Right Girls/The Rubs
38. Rise and Fall/CFM
39. For Centuries/Half Forward Line
40. You're Dreaming/Wolf Parade
41. Shark Smile/Big Thief
42. French Press/Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.
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bellevillemusic
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by bellevillemusic »

cortez the killer wrote:Image
20. Thawing Dawn/A. Savage
Solo debut from Parquet Courts’ Andrew Savage carries a strong alt-country vibe, with him leaning more toward his Texas roots than his current Brooklyn home.
Favorite Track: “Buffalo Calf Road”

Image
19. In Spades/The Afghan Whigs
Latest release from 90s indie superstars, The Afghan Whigs. Not the same caliber album as classics like Gentlemen or Black Love, but a solid record nonetheless.
Favorite Track: “Demon in Profile”

Image
18. Slowdive/Slowdive
Another 90s indie darling with their first album in twenty-two years. The self-titled Slowdive is a modern-day Shoegaze classic.
Favorite Track: “Sugar for the Pill”

Image
17. August by Cake/Guided By Voices
First of two 2017 GBV releases is a sprawling double album, August by Cake. Robert Pollard cranks out records at a mind-numbing pace.
Favorite Track: “Cheap Buttons”

Image
16. Robyn Hitchcock/Robyn Hitchcock
The former Soft Boys front man is still going strong at sixty-four. I’m relatively new to his music, but like Pollard, he is incredibly prolific and still making excellent music.
Favorite Track: “Mad Shelley’s Letterbox”

Image
15. Ty Segall/Ty Segall
Garage Glam Punk wizard Segall is another artist who just churns albums out. I’m a casual fan of his, but I really like his self-tiled record.
Favorite Track: “Orange Color Queen”

Image
14. Sleep Well Beast/The National
I’m always down for some National. Sleep Well Beast isn’t as strong as most of their previous output, but it still hits my sweet spot.
Favorite Track: “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness”

Image
13. Notes of Blue/Son Volt
An upgrade from 2013’s Honky Tonk, but still a lower-tier Son Volt record. However, lower-tier Volt still sounds good to these ears. Nice to have Jay plug in again for a handful of tracks.
Favorite Track: “Promise the World”

Image
12. The Deep Set/The Bats
I discovered and fell in love with New Zealand’s Flying Nun Records this summer. The Clean, The Verlaines, The Chills, The Bats, etc. Just an incredible music scene. Another strong record from The Bats.
Favorite Track: “Rooftops”

Image
11. Heavy Meta/Ron Gallo
A late 2017 discovery for me, but a rewarding one. Numerous old-school rock and roll influences throughout, but never comes off as overly derivative.
Favorite Track: “Young Lady, You’re Scaring Me”

Image
10. Anything Could Happen/Bash & Pop
Twenty-four years later, Tommy Stinson resurrects his post-Replacements band, Bash & Pop, and cranks out a dozen tracks for those who still suffer from ‘Mats withdrawal.
Favorite Track: “On the Rocks”

Image
9. Rips/Rips
Rips is a Brooklyn band strongly-influenced by past NYC acts like The Feelies & Television. They toured relentlessly for over a year before hitting the studio with Parquet Courts’ producer, Austin Brown, to record their self-titled debut.
Favorite Track: “Malibu Entropy”

Image
8. Relatives in Descent/Protomartyr
Fourth album from the Detroit-based band that sounds like David Berman fronting a post-punk outfit. Another new foray for me musically, coming off my 2017 immersed in classic post-punk music.
Favorite Track: “My Children”

Image
7. Hatteras Night, A Good Luck Charm/Will Johnson
Good ol’ Will Johnson – a true example of steady consistency. I like pretty much everything this guy does. Again, not one of the best works in his ever-growing catalog, but pretty damn good.
Favorite Track: “Predator”

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6. Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins/Chuck Prophet
Former Green on Red guitarist has put together quite the solo career. Bobby Fuller is another excellent record in a string of them. Chuck isn’t getting any younger, but he continues to put out quality music.
Favorite Track: “Alex Nieto”

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5. How Did I Find Myself Here?/The Dream Syndicate
Paisley Underground heroes The Dream Syndicate return with their first studio album in nearly thirty years. Yet another band I didn’t discover until 2017, but very glad I did.
Favorite Track: “Glide”

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4. Rot/Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys
Hateful name. Very good band. This Australian group sounds like a cross between The Replacements and Bee Thousand/Alien Lanes-era Guided By Voices. Album showed up late on my 2017 radar but has quickly solidified regular rotation.
Favorite Track: “Away”

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3. Hey Summer/Lost Balloons
Another band that would have been well outside my wheelhouse in years past. Heard some good things about them and very happy I followed up on it. Elements of punk, garage rock, jangle pop, and power pop merge to make great songs that will lodge themselves in your brain.
Favorite Track: “Feed the Pain”

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2. Need to Feel Your Love/Sheer Mag
Love this record. Philly D.I.Y. throwback punk band that’s spent a good amount of time absorbing Thin Lizzy & Dwight Twilley Band and injecting it with a touch of funk, soul & disco. Lead singer Tina Halladay’s distorted, raspy vocals run the gamut from tender to tough, taking on wide-ranging topics from the current political morass to heartache.
Favorite Track: “Need to Feel Your Love”

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1. How Do You Spell Heaven/Guided By Voices
Everything’s coming up Pollard. The ever-changing GBV line-up has him reuniting with former bandmate and lead guitarist, Doug Gillard. Coming off the heels of the double album August By Cake, How Do Spell Heaven delivers plenty of swagger and crunch and reminds me a lot of GBV's excellent 2001 album, Isolation Drills. No signs of the sixty year-old Pollard slowing down anytime soon.
Favorite Track: “Steppenwolf Mausoleum”

Pretty sweet 2017 Best-of, Cortez !
I need to seek out Lost Ballons & Ron Gallo. Sounds right up my alley.

GbV - just couldn't get into AbC. perhaps too many songwriters, dunno. As for HDYSH, liked it quite a bit. It was a return to form so to speak. I guess after 25 years of Uncle Bob, I'm getting a little "full".

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cortez the killer
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by cortez the killer »

bellevillemusic wrote:Pretty sweet 2017 Best-of, Cortez !
I need to seek out Lost Ballons & Ron Gallo. Sounds right up my alley.

GbV - just couldn't get into AbC. perhaps too many songwriters, dunno. As for HDYSH, liked it quite a bit. It was a return to form so to speak. I guess after 25 years of Uncle Bob, I'm getting a little "full".
Thanks, bellevillemusic. I enjoyed looking through your list as well.

Like you, I prefer HDYSH to ABC, too. The Pollard/Gillard collaborations are some of my favorites - Mag Earwhig!, Isolation Drills, Universal Truths & Cycles, Earthquake Glue, Half Smiles of the Decomposed, Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department and the 2 Lifeguards albums. I went on a massive Pollard immersion in 2015 & 2016, so I don't have the same level of fatigue as you might.

The Lost Balloons & Ron Gallo are good records. Don't sleep on the Bed Wettin' Bad Boys, either.
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by Iowan »

I realize I'm taking the thread in a strange turn, but I absolutely love a handful of GBV's more accessible stuff, but struggle to connect with the really short songs. With that voluminous of a catalog, I feel like there's a pile of material that I'm missing out on. What's a good way to bridge the gap?

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cortez the killer
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by cortez the killer »

Iowan wrote:I realize I'm taking the thread in a strange turn, but I absolutely love a handful of GBV's more accessible stuff, but struggle to connect with the really short songs. With that voluminous of a catalog, I feel like there's a pile of material that I'm missing out on. What's a good way to bridge the gap?
That's a tough one. Catalog is staggeringly massive, with so many side projects - GBV, Solo, Boston Spaceships, Airport 5, Lifeguards, Keene Brothers, Mars Classroom, Circus Devils, Acid Ranch, Lexo and the Leapers, The Moping Swans, Ricked Wicky, The Takeovers, Teenage Guitar to name a few. Here's a 25-song playlist of some of his more accessible stuff I cobbled together on Spotify.
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by beantownbubba »

bellevillemusic wrote:The Best Record(s) of 2017

hurray for the riff raff – the navigator
The Navigator' is a powerful, new kind of Americana. One where the past informs the present instead of the present preserving the past.
P'alante !

In alphabetical order; the records I played the most in 2017

aimee mann – mental illness
bash & pop – anything could happen
chicano batman – freedom is free
chuck prophet – bobby fuller died for your sins
dan baird – solow
el goodo – by order of the moose
gold star – big blue
jd mcpherson – undivided heart & soul
jim white – waffles, triangles & jesus
joe henry - thrum
kacy & clayton – the siren’s song
marty stuart - way out west
nicole atkins – goodnight, rhonda lee
phoebe bridgers – stranger in the alps
pugwash – silverlake
son volt – notes of blue
spoon – hot thoughts
the len price 3 – kentish longtails
the sadies – northern passages

In alphabetical order; the records I dug a few tracks

beck – colors
blitzen trapper – wild & reckless
cosmic rough riders – scenery for dreamers
dan auerbach – waiting on a song
father john misty – comedy
fleet foxes – crack up
guided by voices – how do you spell heaven
john moreland – big bad luv
old 97’s – graveyard whistling
valerie june – the order of time

Deserving light of day

dion – lost ’65 sessions - kickin’ child
the move – magnetic waves of sound
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by Clams »

beantownbubba wrote:
bellevillemusic wrote:
In alphabetical order; the records I dug a few tracks
This is a great category. I always struggle with ranking records like that.
Last edited by Clams on Fri Jan 05, 2018 3:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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McButton
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by McButton »

Most of my 2017 faves are on most of everyone else's lists (in fact many of them came as recommendations from here, so thank you all), so I thought I'd shout out a band/album that I spent a lot of time listening to this year that I didn't see on those lists.

Coby and the Prisoners - Candy Queen

They're a band out of NE Ohio that, in my opinion, have an awful lot to like in their sound based on the 3DD consensus favorites of the year. Their album is on Spotify, iTunes etc., here's a sample track, Figure It Out


PS, they have a song called Never Gonna Change, which is not a DBT cover, but a good tune all the same.

Bon Scott's AC/DC
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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by Bon Scott's AC/DC »

Favourite record of 2017: Lee Bains & The Glory Fires - Youth Detention (who unfortunately are not coming to Ireland (or the UK!) on their current short European tour).

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Re: Favorite Records of 2017

Post by Flying Rabbit »

Mine:
1. Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile - Lotta Sea Lice
2. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - The Nashville sound
3. Lillie Mae - Forever and Then Some
4. Sheer Mag - Need to Feel Your Love
5. Sun Kil Moon - Common as Light and Love Are Red Valleys of Blood
6. Richard Edwards - Lemon Cotton Candy Sunset
7. Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives - Way Out West
8. John Mark McMillan - Mercury & Lightning
9. Joan Shelley - self-titled
10. Bjork - Utopia
11. Oneohtrix Point Never - Good Time Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
12. Slowgold - Drömmar
13. Rhiannon Giddens - Freedom Highway
14. The Mountain Goats - Goths
15. Jenny Scheinman - Here on Earth
16. Peter Rowan - My Aloha!
17. Hiss Golden Messenger - Hallelujah Anyhow
18. Grizzly Bear - Painted Ruins
19. Ronald Bruner, Jr. - Triumph
20. Vineyard Worship - Kyrie Eleison: Anchor Studio Sessions
21. James McAlister, Bryce Dessner, Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly - Planetarium
22. John Lucas - A Thousand Cathedrals
23. Zach Winters - To Have You Around
24. Charlie Parr - Dog
25. Thundercat - Drunk
26. Danny Barnes - Stove Up
27. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
28. The Infamous Stringdusters - Laws of Gravity
29. Billy Strings - Turmoil & Tinfoil
30. Welcome Wagon - Light up the Stairs

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