Another list, another anecdote about how 2017 was lame. Peace!
50. Julien Baker – Turn Out The Lights
Matador Records
Riding a wave of success from her first album and a cult following, Tennessee’s Julien Baker released her highly anticipated follow up to Sprained Ankle back in October. Turn Out The Lights is equally captivating and sorrowful, yet Baker’s faith remains the focal point of her own personal struggles with depression, sexuality, and theology. You wonder if the world would even need shallow Twitter accounts like @thetweetofgod if we could take a moment to reconcile the power of doubt and triumph as Baker exemplifies.
RIYL: Waxahatchee – Cerulean Salt
49. David Bazan – Care
Undertow
Even amidst news that David Bazan is getting the crew back together and touring again with Pedro The Lion, he’s still been a busy boy in his solo ventures, capping off last year with full-length album Blanco and Christmas album Dark Sacred Night. There’s never a reason to hold back too much content, tapping into his own personal head space further with Care. Whether the album title is an homage to fostering personal health or not, it’s solace for the listener, with Bazan trading acoustic guitar for minimal synth compositions and drum machines.
RIYL: Broadcast – Tender Buttons
48. The Doppelgangaz – Dopp Hopp
Groggy Pack Entertainment
I hate to make The Ghastly Duo seem like an afterthought all the way up here at the top of my list, because they’ve charted way higher in years past. EP’s production is still pristine, better than most mainstream acts as a matter of fact. They’re still funny as hell on tracks like “Strong Ankles”, and they still put out dope music videos. The years go by, and I really hope The Doppelgangaz will get their moment to shine to a bigger audience. Don’t sleep on this.
RIYL: Cunninlynguists – Oneirology
47. Minus the Bear – Voids
Suicide Squeeze Records
Is it biased to put this record on a list PERIOD? Maybe so, but I have fond memories of Voids being announced amidst a gigantic snowstorm in the Pacific Northwest that kept me stranded from getting to work back in January. Seeing as Planet of Ice is the best winter record of all time, Voids deserves a place as little brother blizzard listening. Plus, they had a cool mural campaign going on to get me all excited. This album has jams!
RIYL: Maps & Atlases – Beware and Be Grateful
46. ’68 – Two Parts Viper
Outerloop Records
For all of you hardcore Christian kiddos that were rebellious enough to venture outside mom’s Amy Grant and Steven Curtis Chapman collection, Josh Scogin is a familiar name. Formerly the mastermind behind The Chariot, he now fronts ’68, who actually debuted with an EP in 2013, and a record back in 2014. Although I barely gave those a chance, Two Parts Viper invokes a tad bit of nostalgia in me, mixed with the metalcore and noise rock that made me love the guy so much back in the day.
RIYL: The Chariot – One Wing
45. Chastity Belt – I Used to Spend So Much Time Alone
Hardly Art
In a nutshell, I’d describe this new Chastity Belt as “DIIV on Dramamine”. I Used to Spend So Much Time Along is testament to lead singer Julia Shapiro’s tendency to be a loner. I guess it shows in the lyricism, though her solace with friendships developed and nurtured with her band mates takes center stage on “Different Now”. I like the new, different Chastity Belt. Dreamy, melancholic rock recorded in my hometown Portland, OR is never a bad combination.
RIYL: The Julie Ruin – Hit Reset
44. Less Art – Strangled Light
Gilead Media
The guys in Less Art dubbed Strange Light “post-hardcore for post-youths”. I guess what that means is in older days, this band featuring the Breckenridge bothers from Thrice, as well as members of Kowloon Walled City and Mike Minnick from Curl Up and Die, all have seen their time in the limelight. In their alleged old age, they’ve have made something new for present day wise sages like them. I’ll take it! Strangled Youth is a sludge-metal feast complete with Minnick’s desperate vocals. I’d say side project well done, having not been as high on their normal bands’ latest material. Oh, and Puig Destroyer was weird too. Watch basketball, not baseball!
RIYL: Fugazi – In On The Kill Taker
43. Queens of the Stone Age – Villains
Matador Records
Queens of the Stone Age made waves when it was announced that their follow-up to the highly acclaimed Like Clockwork… was going to be produced by noted Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga collaborator, Mark Ronson. Albeit a strange combo, the influence on the guitar tones and dancey lead single “The Way You Used To Do” didn’t necessarily lead fans to believe QOTSA could rock the house like once upon a time. I feel the same; the song isn’t bad, but how much praise should we really give Homme for trying his own “Uptown Funk” impression in that music video? It’s awkward, especially considering that the bulk of the record is more Them Crooked Vultures than anything. That’s where Villains shines. No gimmicks on songs like “The Evil Has Landed”, just straight up rock and roll. Midlife crisis Homme still jams, and these songs probably transfer just fine live, so it’s whatever.
RIYL: Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures
42. Grizzly Bear – Painted Ruins
Sony Music
Painted Ruins had an interesting progression to its release. This is purely anecdotal on my part, but my friend who has never heard of Grizzly Bear wound up on an invite list to their record release party in Washington D.C. I know they’re on a bigger label than Warp now, but it’s still interesting to see Ed Droste and company fly so seemingly under the radar in 2017, especially after teasing like every song individually before the album even came out. These guys are just one of those bands with so much talent in it, you have to just come to expect that they’ll churn out consistent greatness each time around. Painted Ruins is no exception.
RIYL: The Antlers – Burst Apart
41. Strand of Oaks – Hard Love
Dead Oceans
Apparently Timothy Showalter has a yang to Hard Love’s yin coming out next year called Harder Love. Ironic, considering the lead single isn’t really that hard of a song, especially compared to this 2017 album, which is totally hard! It’s a nice progression from Showalter’s early days as a folk artist. Maybe he’s going back to his roots, or maybe he’s become post-ironic the more attention he gets. Either way, I’m here for it.
RIYL: Okkervil River – Black Sheep Boy
40. Beliefs – Habitat
Hand Drawn Dracula
As with last year’s Hold/Still by fellow Canadian band Suuns, Beliefs perfected the art of dark, uptempo beats combined with weird electronic compositions. The result is my official selection for the top under-the-radar record of the year, in addition to being textbook Daniel-core. Congratulations, Beliefs!
RIYL: Suuns – Hold/Still
39. Glassjaw – Material Control
Century Media
Glassjaw’s a little late to the post-harcore revival after basically all of their contemporaries either got back together or released new music in 2016. That’s perfectly fine with me though, since Material Control shows that Daryl Palumbo and company haven’t lost a step. In fact, I think his vocals are better than they have been previously. Sure there’s no magic with a completely different lineup than the golden days, but we’re here and Glassjaw still kicks ass.
RIYL: Letlive. – Fake History
38. See Through Dresses – Horse of the Other World
Tiny Engines
“Diamonds” is admittedly just “Plainsong” revised, but the opening track on Horse of the Other World strikes a chord with me nonetheless. Fuzzy dream pop courtesy of See Through Dresses is charming for one of two reasons. First of all, I give at least one band props for their best The Cure impression at least once per list season. Secondly, Tiny Engines is the last label I’d expect to put out something like this. STD even gives us a My Bloody Valentine homage on “Violet”.
RIYL: The Radio Dept. – Clinging to a Scheme
37. St. Vincent – Masseduction
Loma Vista Recordings
Music culture critic Simon Reynolds put out a book roughly one year ago entitled “Shock and Awe: Glam Rock and Its Legacy”, and I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving of a continued archival of the effects of glam rock than Annie Clark. Masseduction more than any other project before is Clark (a.k.a. St. Vincent) at her most taboo. The songs at their most stripped down are the fabled tales of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. More importantly, she has tapped into David Bowie’s gender-bending prowess, all the while showing a softer side of herself with pop ballads more akin to Lou Reed’s Transformer. If anything, she’s the chameleon of the two, and divisive response to Masseduction was proof of the change.
RIYL: Perfume Genius – Too Bright
36. Lorde – Melodrama
Lava Music/Republic
We can spend the rest of the decade marveling at how young Lorde still is. She’s writing songs like “Homemade Dynamite” and “Perfect Places” as a 21 year old, once upon a time singing about “Grey Goose dripping in the bathroom” before legally being able to drink back on 2013’s “Royals”. I’m not sure whether to call Melodrama growth or just more of the same, but safe to say Lorde is still on the upside.
RIYL: Banks – Goddess
35. Turnover – Good Nature
Run For Cover
It pains me that Good Nature is the sole Run For Cover release on this entire list. The label is just so solid in signing great indie rock bands, but then again, there is some good shit on the horizon for 2018. Turnover stick with the dream pop formula that was such a sleeper hit with 2015’s Peripheral Vision. Although fans may highlight the faster, heavier numbers such as “Take My Head” or “Cutting My Fingers Off” as staples of their last album, Turnover opt for free and easy times. “Dizzy on the Comedown” is a much better marker for what Good Nature has in store.
RIYL: Real Estate – Atlas
34. Omni – Multi-Task
Trouble In Mind Records
Omni are considered post-punk in the same way Talking Heads made waves with incredibly catchy, driving guitar tracks on their earlier stuff. Multi-Task does that just fine too, with the band slowly making waves as one of the more underrated artists in their genre. Every track is under three minutes, perfect for a brisk listen, but also for that punchy rhythm and danceability that keeps you coming back for more.
RIYL: Parquet Courts – Human Performance
33. Teen Daze – Themes for Dying Earth
Flora
Jamison Isaak partnered two albums together as a part of a whole project this year. Themes for Dying Earth released early 2017, while the follow-up Themes for a New Earth came out just a few weeks ago. As the names suggest, the ambiance emitted by these songs evokes feelings of emptiness, followed by new creation. Both are perfect Summer albums, and that’s how I ingested them. During long drives in the hot weather and lounging in the backyard on a lazy Sunday complemented the haziness of the tracks perfectly.
RIYL: Washed Out – Paracosm
32. Clap! Clap! – A Thousand Skies
Black Acre
It might be hard to believe, but Clap! Clap! mastermind Cristiano Crisci collaborated with Paul Simon on Simon’s last album Stranger to Stranger. It’s shocking and true! Someone fascinated with African instruments and samples in his electronic dance beats loves Paul Simon! A Thousand Skies showcases his jazzy past combined with new love of sampling perfectly. My only qualm is that with the exception of “Ode to the Pleiades”, all of these tracks are but a few minutes long. I want symphonies, baby! I know you have it in you deep down in your heart, Crisci!
RIYL: Flying Lotus – You’re Dead!
31. Idles – BRUTALISM
Awal Records
Idles’ Joe Talbot isn’t too fond of the post-punk label. Even though that’s my favorite thing to call bands with the faintest trait resembling an old artsy punk band from the 80’s, I’ll give Talbot more credit than a mere post-punk band. It’s right in the name I suppose. Brutalism beckons much more than a grooving rhythm section. It’s noisy and massive. Tongue-in-cheek for sure, but the Bristol Boys probably deserve the Sex Pistols comparisons before the Joy Division ones, especially considering the snarling political nature of the songs.
RIYL: The Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols
30. Alex Cameron – Forced Witness
Secretly Canadian
It’s easy to pin Sydney native Alex Cameron as a Nick Cave wannabe based on appearance alone. However, upon listening to Forced Witness, fans will become aware of his electropop tendencies. From his duet with Angel Olsen, to his hilarious guest appearance on Kirin J. Callinan’s “Big Enough”, Cameron has made the rounds this year, and his personality finally making waves in the US bodes well for future projects.
RIYL: Destroyer – Kaputt
29. Ariel Pink – Dedicated to Bobby Jameson
Mexican Summer
I can’t really say too much that adds to Ariel Pink’s virtuoso as a personality and a songwriter. Dedicated to Bobby Jameson is a concept record in name, but Pink’s decision to name the record after Jameson came before any music was even put to tape. Nonetheless, his infatuation with the late Bobby Jameson brought out the finer traits of any of his prior works. As with pom pom (“Put Your Number In My Phone”), the record features a dynamite single in “Feels Like Heaven”. It also has a new batch of psychedelic pop songs and weirder numbers that fans loved with pom pom. Ariel Pink may not be the cult legend that never was in Bobby Jameson, but the life he lives is just as mysterious.
RIYL: Foxygen – …And Star Power
28. Vex Ruffin – Conveyor
Stones Throw Records
Vex Ruffin’s roots dig back to growing up in Los Angeles surrounded by hip-hop music and its influence. To be signed to Stones Throw seemed like a dream to him, yet besides “The Balance”, a collaboration track with hip-hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy, most of these songs on Conveyor present a more sparse, dark atmosphere. Detailing some inspiration from a feeling of being stuck at a mundane job, Vex Ruffin used his upbringing to spin a new flavor on his sampling, and Conveyor’s vaguely post-punk output is the result.
RIYL: A Place To Bury Strangers – Transfixiation
27. Fleet Foxes – Crack-Up
Nonesuch Records
I detailed on Bearded Gentlemen Music how I tried getting into Crack-Up on a weekend backpacking trip in the North Cascades. Fleet Foxes put together a mammoth record from a technical perspective. Featuring multiple overtures, changing time signatures, and periods of Robin Pecknold faintly whispering before folky explosions, Crack-Up is definitely a far cry from former works by the band, but the time put into repeat listens and digesting the lyrics is very much worth the effort. They don’t call it “progressive folk” for no reason.
RIYL: Grizzly Bear – Shields
26. A Projection – Framework
Tapete Records
Framework was the first new record I heard in 2017, and fits my mold perfectly. The Swedish darkwave and post-punk band have created an onslaught of riff heavy jams more akin to the oversaturated hodgepodge of copycats that seemed to surface in the mid-2000’s. If a band like Preoccupations represents the Interpol of present day, consider these guys Editors. A hearty congrats to them too for at one point technically being my album of the year.
RIYL: Holograms – Holograms
25. Thunder Dreamer – Capture
6131 Records
I like the potential for Thunder Dreamer to really explode in the coming years. Whenever they record the next record will be cool and all, seeing as 6131 boasts names like Julien Baker, Touche Amore, and Joyce Manor to have made it bigger than they were during their stints on the label. Capture is midwest-emo at its finest here. Opening track “Why Bother” is a sprawling track full of atmosphere, not unlike a Built to Spill track back in their prime.
RIYL: Foxing – Dealer
24. Destroyer – ken
Merge Records
I think “In the Morning” is a pretty good indicator of where Dan Bejar was trying to take ken. It doesn’t feel like him creatively trying to construct a masterpiece as Kaputt was back in 2011. ken is much more playful, just Bejar taking Destroyer to new creative outlets while maintaining the same virtuoso and sophistication in his story telling. Airy synths and brass are still here, yet now more than ever, it feels like the fabled Dan Bejar lyric generator is well at work. I do love Bejar for continuing to do what he does best, making word salad roll right off of the tongue. Just try saying “Tinseltown Swimming in Blood” 5 times fast.
RIYL: New Order – Technique
23. Paramore – After Laughter
Fueled By Ramen
Newsflash: Paramore was and always has been a good band. They have has seen their fair share of changes with its current lineup, but through it all, Hayley Williams is still kicking and ready for a makeover. Outwardly, she’s always game for a new hairstyle of course, but now Paramore as a band are invoking the current trend of 80’s nostalgia bursting on the scene. It’s on TV most prominently with Stephen King movies breaking the box office and Stranger Things being all people at the office can talk about (they even shoehorn in child star of yesterday, Sean Astin wow!), but Paramore are making waves too, new wave to be precise. After Laughter is pop rock magic, with ode to bands like The Bangles or Paul Simon on Graceland. It’s a wonder to see Paramore accomplish so much and switch things up for what seems to be the end of an era a long time coming. Then you stop and realize Williams is still only 28 years old!
RIYL: PVRIS – White Noise
22. Bing & Ruth – No Home of the Mind
4AD
I wish more artists combined ambient textures with classical piano. That’s truly all Bing & Ruth do, and its bliss. This was my soundtrack during yoga classes, which is the most stereotypical white person thing to do. It’s basic, but I love it so much.
RIYL: Stars of the Lid – The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid
21. Phoebe Bridgers – Stranger in the Alps
Dead Oceans
Right down to her “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” cover, 2017 was a pretty good statement year for Phoebe Bridgers. Stranger in the Alps is melancholy music, graced with soft piano, guitar, and drums over the top of her double-tracked voice. She burst on the scene with reckless abandon, so much so, she has heaped praise from contemporaries like Conor Oberst. They even did a song together!
RIYL: Sun Kil Moon – April
20. Peter Silberman – Impermanence
Anti/Epitaph
Impermanence is Peter Silberman’s descent into complete silence. It’s only a matter of time after he shelved The Antlers on a (permanent?) hiatus. If you need time to reflect, or just want some pleasant background noise, give Impermanence a shot. This grew on me so much throughout the year, and probably solidified an image of an already quiet spirit in Silberman. The man gets me and any person who cringes when someone asks “Why are you so quiet?”.
RIYL: Jeff Buckley – Grace
19. Alex Lahey – I Love You Like a Brother
Dead Oceans
Alex Lahey’s catchy guitar licks call to mind bands like The Strokes and The Ramones, but her power pop tunes are more than meets the eye. Personal tales of relationships and millennial malaise oversee themes on tracks like “There’s No Money”, but maybe the Aussie native’s music reigns somewhat triumphant now as the country has finally voted to legalize same-sex marriage.
RIYL: Chris Farren – Can’t Die
18. Mere Women – Big Skies
Poison City Records
They’re a dime a dozen, but bands who produce congested and stuffy records don’t stand to add anything to their sound. Accidental or not, records like Californication and High Violet are incredibly bleak sounding, where I’d say the former is hurt as a result and the latter is magnified. Big Skies sounds great as is, especially as a darker post-punk record. The sparse sounds, big guitars, and technical drumming all make for several shining moments, including “Tin Rooves”. This song is a top five track of the entire year, and number one spooky song of the year.
RIYL: Warpaint – The Fool
17. Photay – Onism
Astro Nautico
Onism defined arises from the frustration of being stuck in just one body, only one place at a time. Perhaps the layers on Onism the album spring forth as an aural solution to this predicament, because it is riddled with noises and synths and drums every which way. I love the pensive house beats that infest this record. It makes for great peaks of electric fury, like on “Inharmonious Slog”, or the little video game noises layered on “Balsam Massacre”. Seriously, you can hear Kirby riding a star on this track. Cap that off with “Outre Lux”, a standout track actually featuring vocals, and Onism makes for perhaps the best electronic release this year.
RIYL: Four Tet – Rounds
16. Lana Del Rey – Lust For Life
Interscope
Lana Del Rey hasn’t captured the same waves ever since Born to Die was everywhere back in 2011 and 2012. Boasting several singles that garnered widespread radio play, Lana Del Rey even boasted an SNL appearance. Now on her third album since, Lust For Life finally feels like a new chapter in Lana Del Rey’s life, not boggled down by the urge to reinvent the wheel. Sure, A$AP Rocky returns for a few songs, but like the album art depicting a smiling Lana shows, she’s happy, moving forward, and once again kicking ass.
RIYL: Lykki Li – I Never Learn
15. Milo – Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?!
Ruby Yacht
After the stellar So The Flies Don’t Come, Milo had big expectations in my book, so much so that I pre-ordered his new record. That’s how much faith I had in this kid! It didn’t disappoint either. I don’t just say that because Milo looks at blogs and gives his own thumbs up and thumbs down of their various critiques. This is good, Rory! The deadpan delivery and intricate samples reinforce what Milo does best. Maybe he wasn’t reading as much during the recording process as he states, but I still feel stupid and lost at the myriad of lyrical references, so mission accomplished! As he says multiple times on the record, “I flourish in the lag time”.
RIYL: Busdriver – Perfect Hair
14. Japanese Breakfast – Soft Sounds from Another Planet
Dead Oceans
If Psychopomp was too short for all of you jbrekkie-heads out there, good news follows just a year later with Soft Sounds from Another Planet. Taking a liking to concepts that never fully bloomed into fruition, Japanese Breakfast play here with loose themes of space. Opening number “Diving Woman” is a lengthy track of dreamy layers of sound, complete with repeating guitar solos. It’s nice, Psychopomp truly was a glimpse of all the band was capable of. They’ve got saxophone and autotune on “Machinist”, interludes to boot, and more complete songs to fully form a wonderful debut on the Dead Oceans label. That last span from “The Body Is a Blade” to then end is one of the best stretches of music this year.
RIYL: Janelle Monae – The ArchAndroid
13. Hundredth – Rare
Hopeless Records
Since we’re now a few years removed from Title Fight and Turnover completely flipping the switch on their sounds, this time around Hundredth gets the honor of throwing their fans a curve ball. Formerly a melodic hardcore band, Rare trades any of that for shoegaze textures and walls of sound. Hello to the new Chadwick Johnson, a hybrid of his former screaming self (“Down”) and the new and improved reverb hero.
RIYL: Nothing – Tired of Tomorrow
12. The Menzingers – After The Party
Epitaph Records
If The Menzingers are trying to make their audience feel as old as they think they are, then it’s definitely working. After The Party is their fourth album this decade, and really doesn’t switch up its sound as much as anyone would expect. The band is a much more mature product though. Now in their thirties, The Menzingers still are as punk as they can manage, but this time, we get music videos and qualms about how that arbitrary number means life is different than it was so long ago. If “so long ago” means 7 years, there’s still a lot of life to live in front of us. In the meantime, your friends are getting married, having kids, and taking out home loans.
RIYL: Jeff Rosenstock – WORRY.
11. Drake – More Life
Cash Money Records
I’m not going to sit here and defend Views. Even if it had cool album art and meme potential and all that garbage, Drake laid out some real stinkers. “One Dance” grew on me in a superficial kind of way, but everything else about it was lame, and book-ending the album with “Hotline Bling” felt like he wanted to be seen as a has been. Luckily, More Life is a banging return to form. Jay-Z once stated he’s “…not a businessman, [he’s] a business man!”. Well according to Drake, he is not an album man. More Life is not an album, man! It’s a playlist! “Free Smoke” is a playlist man’s opener. Having Sampha, Kanye West, Quavo, and Young Thug guest is a playlist thing to do. “Fake Love” is the best song of the year. The ultimate solution to bad projects like Views is “more chunes for your headtop”, so watch how you speak on Drizzy’s name, you know?
RIYL: Rihanna – Anti
10. Kevin Morby – City Music
Dead Oceans
I’m not sure which part of the record is supposed to resemble a literal interpretation of “city music”. From Kevin Morby and company recording on the California coast, to an album cover that hearkens more to something like Forrest Gump’s Alabama abode, maybe it’s more a tale of the many cities traveled to. From his earliest days, Morby has lived in Texas, played with bands in Brooklyn and Nashville, and appears himself more of a country boy. Between that, City Music is at its most “coastal elite”, a pretty damn good “Pale Blue Eyes” impression on “Dry Your Eyes”, a jam and a half on “City Music”, and twangy goodness in every other nook and cranny.
RIYL: Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
9. Angelo De Augustine – Swim Inside the Moon
Asthmatic Kitty Records
It goes without saying that whenever the Asthmatic Kitty record label comes up, you have to mention Sufjan Stevens. Many of the artists on the label seem to live in his shadow, though ripe with talent. My Brightest Diamond, Helado Negro, and many others all have released projects in the last few years, and all are amazing. This year, Angelo De Augustine creeped up out of nowhere with his folk-acoustic gem, Swim Inside the Moon. Stevens also has his fingerprints on the record, helping direct and animate one of the music videos. In essence, the faint whispers of De Augustine’s quiet vocals hearken to Elliott Smith in his early days, complete with the broken anguish of what made For Emma, Forever Ago such a sleeper hit roughly a decade ago. Swim Inside the Moon is brief, but so powerful. It goes right through me every single time, and beckons repeat listens for lazy weekends or introspective nighttime walks in the park.
RIYL: Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left
8. The National – Sleep Well Beast
4AD
If any band has embraced their true dad rock status, The National would have to be exhibit number one. Now at the point in their career where albums and singles top the charts, Matt Berninger and crew push beyond the confines of former underdog origins circa Alligator and Boxer. Where fellow indie titans like Arcade Fire push for scraps of fading youth in their material, The National find solace in tapered down compositions, with the Dessner brothers adding soft layers of electronics to an already comfortable formula. As evidenced by quirky documentaries and even by stereotyping five aging, balding hipster dudes, the Sleep Well Beast era of The National is simply another entry into a storied discography. Now as they grow older, the festivals they play (and curate) get bigger, the seated venues increase (c’mon Portland…), and the encores feature more and more tributes to boomer-era music legends. That’s not to say the songs aren’t fresh by any means. Lead single “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness” features a guitar solo. “Turtleneck” is Berninger dreaming of a punk alternate reality. Everything else in between is his sad boy routine, complemented by moody piano as seen on Trouble Will Find Me. The National have hit a comfortable stride in life, and I’m all for that.
RIYL: Bon Iver – 22, A Million
7. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
Top Dawg Entertainment
People try too hard to pin Kendrick Lamar projects as a hierarchy, where there’s no way his magnum opuses can touch anything else he’s done. Most critics and fans would give best album honors to either Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City or To Pimp a Butterfly. I am in the former group of individuals. It’s not that I think people need to be more contrarian. What I mean to say is that things aren’t so set in stone. As it stands, DAMN. is probably my second favorite Kendrick Lamar album, followed by Section. 80. Thematically, DAMN. is not a far cry from his other works. Tracks delve into issues of segregation, police brutally, and other race topics in America. This isn’t new ground for him, and the Fox News samples criticizing his work are testament. White America has veered towards disingenuous roots of their perceived problems for decades. What DAMN. does better than Lamar’s other work revolves around a more back-to-basics approach to hip-hop classics that influenced its arrival. These songs are fun as hell. “DNA.” has a freestyle that rivals some of his greatest hits like “Rigamortus” and “Backseat Freestyle”. “LOYALTY.” has perhaps Rihanna’s greatest guest spot ever. Most importantly, every track is stylized in ALL CAPS, either a reference to MF DOOM, or too 45’s Twitter account tendency to emphasize his point. I’ll let you all be the judge.
RIYL: Vince Staples – Summertime 06′
6. Alvvays – Antisocialites
Polyvinyl Record Co.
Antisocialites has seemed like an eternity in the making. I heard many of these songs all the way back in the Summer of 2016 at Pickathon, where even then, the band had been playing some songs for awhile already. After releasing their self-titled debut later in the Summer of 2014, it was only poetry that this new record came even later. In fact, Summer was all but gone by the time Antisocialites had arrived. Nonetheless, the beach vibes emitted by the sleek guitar riffs and Molly Rankin’s vocals call to mind sunny days. Stack this head to head with any of Alvvays’ influences, and these tunes measure up.
RIYL: Best Coast – Crazy For You
5. Manchester Orchestra – A Black Mile to the Surface
Loma Vista Recordings
I’m still trying to decipher whether this was a noteworthy year for Manchester Orchestra or not from a notability standpoint. It’s a first for them actually being profiled by bigger music critics like Steven Hyden. It’s the first time lead singer Andy Hull is writing songs about being a father. It’s also the first time I’ve heard one of their songs (“The Gold”) on the radio. In essence, I’m sure they’ve hit a more mainstream wave with A Black Mile to the Surface, but it also feels like a piece of their roots as a fringe Christian band are missing. That said, this is their best record. You want proof? They got Nate Ruess to collaborate on opening track “The Maze”, a song written by Hull for his daughter. We even see his own Kanye West impression in that some of the lyrics are written from her perspective talking to Hull. Beyond that, A Black Mile to the Surface tackles other important issues to him like estranged relationships with his family, working through doubts in his faith, and meditating on life as a pastor’s kid growing up and what that means to him now.
RIYL: Frightened Rabbit – Pedestrian Verse
4. Open Mike Eagle – Brick Body Kids Still Daydream
Mello Music Group
“DUCKWORTH.” coincidentally passes the torch from Kendrick Lamar having my second favorite hip-hop project this year to Open Mike Eagle’s Brick Body Kids Still Daydream. Based on Eagle’s upbringing in South side Chicago’s Robert Taylor Homes (where Kendrick’s father is also from as referenced on DAMN‘s finale), he has crafted his masterpiece. Full of the same wit that graces his other works, Eagle’s charm and poetic exuberance details the narrative of his child self pursuing the day he breaks free, where his ultimate brainpower and drive can get him anywhere in life. Given his affinity for brutally honest and hysterical tweets, I’d say it only makes sense that he take top honor for year-end list time hip-hop records. Someone who lived an upbringing perhaps magnified by our President’s own past of discriminatory housing practices gets his own say, and Open Mike Eagle certainly has a lot to say.
RIYL: Milo – So The Flies Don’t Come
3. Slowdive – Slowdive
Dead Oceans
Quiz time…how many Dead Oceans releases have I put on this list? Seriously, they are low key label of the year and I had no idea just how invested I was in the music they’ve been putting out. Topping the list of those albums, Slowdive is finally back with a self-titled record to follow up their initial 90’s run of Creation releases. The shoegaze pioneers kicked off the comeback tour with “Star Roving”, a fuzzy, anthemic piece of work. From there, self-titled is like falling in love with Souvlaki all over again. Now all I have on my wishlist is for their next release to take a liking to Pygmallion. They’ve already proven to me that they’re the greatest shoegazers of all time, but with such a solid record here, I’m not ready for them to stop yet! Plus, My Bloody Valentine gets to return fire in 2018 with their next one! Hooray for made up rivalries in my head!
RIYL: My Bloody Valentine – m b v
2. Protomartyr – Relatives in Descent
Domino Recording Co.
I’m sure the Yankees or some other Baseball team have done this at some point counting championships in a span of equal time, but looking at Protomartyr’s last three releases, I could legit make an argument for all three being the top albums of their respective years (2014, 2015, and 2017). Heck, I actually gave Under Color of Official Right that honor back in 2014. These guys are just so consistent, and as I stated in my review of Relatives in Descent on Bearded Gentlemen Music, what shines is Joe Casey’s lyricism. Quoting myself here:
“Where Joe Casey’s lyricism always stood at the forefront, compositions are less garage rock oriented, trading outright punk numbers for a more sophisticated buildup, such as on “A Private Understanding”.
Word has it that he often puts himself on the spot crafting each entry, either that or with little time to write. This shows in a sense with how fast Protomartyr have been churning out content as a band, but it also shows how gifted he is as a wordsmith and songwriter.”
Big words for a big band.
RIYL: The Fall – Hex Induction Hour
1. King Krule – The OOZ
True Panther
For a record as loungey an jazzy as this, King Krule, a.k.a. Archy Marshall really opened a can of worms stylizing as many genres as he could cram into one record. It’s as eerie as Spiderland on tracks like “Midnight 01 (Deep Sea Diver)”, rocks hard on tracks like “Dum Surfer”, and invokes the same feeling of introspection with atmosphere and experimentation not seen since Frank Ocean’s Blonde. I feel like I just need to keep throwing out as many references to other works as I can to accurately describe it, but The OOZ truly is its own masterwork. Marshall was already a hype, wonder kid type before any of these songs surfaced this year, but 2017 is King Krule coming in to his own as a songwriter, as a music icon, and as a performer. I was never a big fan prior, but The OOZ simply blew me out of the water.
Enough raving like the Rapidash guy though. The OOZ encapsulates a dark time in Archy Marshall’s life, complete with episodes of writers block, depression, and insomnia. I really do hope things look up for Archy. All of the expectations and hype built up surrounding him even pre-OOZ can take a toll on anyone. Even so, the kid has a lot of good things going for him, and the the atmosphere he surrounds himself in reflects a seemingly humble life for him in this moment. When you’re living with your mum, recording songs for girls from the house she lives in, and bestowing her with your business ventures tied to the music, things are all the more relatable to fans like us.
RIYL: Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
❤ Daniel
Just a Teeshirt 