Ten Weeks in and we haven’t had a Best of 2017 yet??
In case any of you foolish (but rather endearing) people haven’t realised it yet, this is the best breakup album since Love is Hell Parts I & II (and before that Blood on The Tracks).
Does one or more of you foolish but endearing folks wish to challenge this True Not False Fact?
fentonsteve says
I received in yesterday’s post a promo copy of Boo Hewerdine’s first album in 8 years, Swimming In Mercury.
After 56 years of perfecting his acoustic guitar technique, he’s made a pop album with keyboards and saxophones and electric guitars and everything. Oooer!
I know I’m biased, but it’s bloody great.
johnw says
So far there’s been nothing that’s struck me as outstanding. The new Tift Merrit album is ok but not groundbreaking. I haven’t listened to Chuck Prophet’s latest enough to know if it’ll stand the time test but it’s very good.
Bingo Little says
I’ve been enjoying this an awful lot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3-1xmxflu0
The Lorde single is fantastic, as documented elsewhere.
The Stormzy album is pretty underwhelming, but I like the beat on this:
Also, “Dangerous”, by The xx, but I can’t find a video of it.
Leicester Bangs says
So far, it’s ‘Feed The Rats’ by Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, all the way. Three great tracks but unfortunately only the least-best and most derivative one is on YouTube so I’m not going to post it. The final track, ‘Icon’, is transcendent. All you lovers of loud guitar music, get on this.
Elsewhere, JK Flesh’s ‘Suicide Estate Antibiotic Armageddon’ is as sonically challenging as ever, and I love the new Lorde single, although I find a bit of a disconnect between the ‘sound’ of the song (defiant, phoenix rising) and the tone of the lyrics (‘I’m finding it impossible to get over you’). Also love the latest single from Amy McDonald, although I haven’t heard the album yet. The opening track to the new Elbow album is utterly sublime but I’m fairly meh on the rest of it.
Coming up, I’m really excited about Gnod’s JUST SAY NO TO THE PSYCHO RIGHT-WING CAPITALIST FASCIST INDUSTRIAL DEATH MACHINE, which from the YouTube clip (below) basically sounds like Earl Brutus vs Black Sabbath, i.e awesome. On order I have The Bug vs Earth, and the Coldcut vs Adrian Sherwood album that I posted about earlier, although I’ve learned to be cautious about collabs. I bet the house they’ll both be disappointing.
Bingo Little says
Yes! Great shout – Icon is awesome.
Kid Dynamite says
Re collaborations and Adrian Sherwood, he had a second album with Pinch out a few weeks ago, which I think is better than the first.
Gary says
New albums by Thievery Corporation, Dreadzone and Roger Robinson have been my only newbies so far this year. All good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOiUKwMx1sc
Tiggerlion says
Isn’t it great that Reggae is thriving in 2017!
Clive says
My favourite so far. They are low hanging fruit for many detractors but they rarely disappoint me.
Kid Dynamite says
It’s Japandroids isn’t it? If there’s a better, more fun, big dumb rock record released this year I’ll be a happy happy man
Bingo Little says
It is a very good record, but is it as good as Celebration Rock? To my mind, they kind of perfected their formula on the last one.
Kid Dynamite says
Well, Celebration Rock wasn’t out this year, so in terms of this thread it’s a moot point anyway, but I do think it might actually be better. I like the way the sound has been polished and developed (acoustic guitars!) without losing touch with the essential point, which is to ROCK.
retropath2 says
That young Michael Chapman is the author of this years best thus far
Deviant808 says
My favourite albums so far have been “Welcome! Stranger” from the mighty Blue Aeroplanes, and the lo-fi Indiepop jangle of “II” by The Courtneys, which is released on Flying Nun so you know it’s going to be good.
(“Silver Velvet” – The Courtneys)
Deviant808 says
While I’m here I might as well drop in another plug for the ongoing rolling capped-to-200-tracks (in theory) Best Of 2017 playlist.
Featuring Desperate Journalist, Diet Cig, Slowdive, Japandroids, British Sea Power, Iggy Pop, Arcade Fire, PINS, Dutch Uncles, Girl Ray, Sleater Kinney, J&MC, Lana Del Rey, Sacred Paws, Parquet Courts, At The Drive-In, some chap called Bowie and a spooky cover of “Video Killed The Radio Star”.
You know you want to…
Lodestone of Wrongness says
I do, I shall…
Deviant808 says
Enjoy 🙂
Freddy Steady says
That Slowdive track has been on, er, heavy rotation on 6music…it’s very good.
Deviant808 says
I heard Huey playing it earlier.
Though as he referred to them more than once as “Slowride” I’m not entirely sure that he’s that into it.
Baron Harkonnen says
Because these are the new albums I have bought in 2017…..
ELIZA CARTHY – BIG MACHINE
MICHAEL CHAPMAN – 50
ALEJANDRO ESCOVADO – BURN SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
MUMFORD AND SONS – LIVE FROM SOUTH AFRICA: DUST AND THUNDER
MIKE OLDFIELD – RETURN TO OMMADAWN
TIM BOWNESS – LOST IN THE GHOST LIGHT
BLACKFIELD V
CHUCK PROPHJET – BOBBY FULLER DIED FOR YOUR SINS
SADIES – NMORTHERN PASSAGES
RHIANNON GIDDENS – FREEDOM HIGHWAY
STEVE HACKETT & DJABE – SUMMER STORMS & ROCKING RIVERS
SON VOLT – NOTES OF BLUE
RYAN ADAMS – PRISONER
HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF – THE NAVIGATOR
HOLLY MACVE – GOLDEN EAGLE
…..and you can shove your snide comments about Mumford & Sons up yer a%se.
Leicester Bangs says
Word Magazine creamed itself when Mumford & Sons first appeared. Between that and its undying love of Sade, I really don’t know why I read it.
Clive says
Has there been an album widely praised by the Massive since Black Star? We live in challenging times.
Rigid Digit says
Not much new been bought this year – lots of Old, but very little new.
So I’ll have to nominate both of them – good job they’re bloody fine pieces of work
Brian Eno – Reflection
My opinion may not count for much here, because I’ve never really “got” ambient music. All that “slowing down and allowing your brain some meditative space”, or “going on without you noticing” stuff.
But, this is a great piece of work – if you liked The Ship, then this’ll float your boat
Sharks – Killers Of The Deep
They had very little success first time round, so they’re trying again – 45 years later.
Chris Spedding and Steve ‘Snips’ Parsons are joined by Paul Cook and a bass-player from a little known Heavy Metal band, but who has some serious funk going on.
The video for One Last Thrill has some of the greatesst Dad Dancing ever committed to film
Bingo Little says
Just realised that I forgot to plug my favourite album of the year thus far – Not Even Happiness by Julie Byrne.
Quite liked her last one, but this is a real step up. Lovely ethereal sound, her voice is grand and she can pen a lyric. Very soothing.