Since it is 1st December and nothing new of any note likely to come out between now and end of year thought I would be first up to post a top 20. This in no particular order but probably fair to say those at very top of list are my favourites:-
Hiss Golden Messenger – Halleleujah Anyhow
Conor Oberst – Ruminations
Baxter Dury – Prince of Tears
Four Tet – New Energy
Kevin Morby – City Music
David Rawlings – Poor Davids Almanac
John Moreland – Big bad Luv
Zara McFarlane – Arise
Jason Isbell – The Nashville Sound
Ray Davies – Americana
Penguin Cafe – The imperfect Sea
Chuck Prophet – Bobby Fuller died for your sins
Blue Rose Code – The water of Leith
Curse of Lono – Severed
Randy Newman – Dark Matter
Lucinda Williams – Sweet Old World (2017)
Ian Felice – Kingdom of Dreams
St.Vincent – Masseduction
Rodney Crowell – Close Ties
John Murry – A short history of decay.
I agree with quite a few of those Steve. Here’s my list in alphabetical order. The War On Drugs and Aimee Mann are probably my favourites.
Ryan Adams – Prisoner
Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile – Lotta Sea Lice
David Crosby – Sky Trails
Rodney Crowell – Close Ties
Steve Earle – So You Wannabe An Outlaw
Father John Misty – Pure Comedy
Ian Felice – In The Kingdom Of Dreams
Chris Hillman – Bidin My Time
Hiss Golden Messenger – Hallelujah Anyhow
Iron & Wine – Beast Epic
Jason Isbell – The Nashville Sound
Aimee Mann – Mental Illness
John Mellencamp – Sad Clowns & Hillbillies
Oh Susanna – A Girl In Teen City
Chuck Prophet – Bobby Fuller Died For Your Sins
David Rawlings – Poor David’s Almanac
The Sadies – Northern Passages
Son Volt – Notes Of Blue
Nigel Stonier – Love And Work
The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
Oh bugger I missed out Courtney Barnett/Kurt Vile which would have been way up my list – a great album.
These are the albums I bought this year, so by default my favourites:
Beck – Colours
Steven Wilson – To The Bone
Calvin Harris – Funk Wav Bounces Vol 1
Blue Rose Code – Water Of Leith
LCD Soundsystem – American Dream
Weller – A Kind Revolution
Roger Waters – Is This The Life We Really Want?
St Vincent – Masseduction
Top of the list though is The Disappointment Choir’s Vows. I could try to make it more palatable to a great swathe of the AW by saying its jam-packed with lachrymose country-tinged acoustic ballads, but that’s not the case. What it is jam-packed with though is sparkling pop-tunes, witty and erudite lyrics, and great musicianship. Plus the cover features a bearded ponce with a hipster haircut. Result!
And a girl with a Bob…
Well played Colin!
The Imperfect Sea – Penguin Cafe
Stranger In The Alps – Phoebe Bridgers
MASSEDUCTION – St Vincent
Beautiful Thugger Girls – Young Thug
The Disappointment Choir – Vows
I See You – The xx
Pure Comedy – Father John Misty
Big Fish – Vince Staples
Snowdonia – Dino Jay
Not Even Happiness – Julie Byrne
The Dunkirk Soundtrack
Death Peak – Clark
Near To The Wild Heart Of Life – Japandroids
Every Country’s Sun – Mogwai
Luciferian Towers – Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Prophets of Rage – Prophets of Rage
Sleep Well Beast – The National
Ogilala – Billy Corgan
Looking across that list, it’s been a really, really good year, with one fantastic record after another.
I’ve probably listened to Penguin Cafe the most, but we had great debuts (Phoebe Bridgers), much loved artists hitting new highs (St Vincent, GY!BE, Japandroids, Julie Byrne), unexpected delights (which means I am still listening to Billy Corgan) and then the sheer aceness of TDC’s Vows to top it all off. I’m currently working up a final end of year playlist, and it’s super tough, which isn’t always the case.
As if to underline what a wonderful year it’s been, earlier on I was listening to this, Sufjan Steven’s contribution to the soundtrack for Call Me By Your Name (a film about that precious Summer Gary and I spent together before cruel fate wrenched us apart).
It’s preposterously lovely. Much like Gary himself.
https://youtu.be/Kss6WHJrWX0
*homoerotic sigh*
Gary! You little slut!
I’m just as God made me, sir.
This one’s a keeper. Make a note.
I really like the St Vincent album and have played it a fair bit. And yet I only realised it was called MASSEDUCTION the other day, as I had always seen an invisible a and had written it down as the much less rock and roll name of MASSEDUCATION! The fact that she sings the title on the album just went above my head. I had been thinking it was a weird name for an album, but now it all makes sense.
In chronological order, I guess…
Sleaford Mods- English Tapas
Grandaddy- Last Place
Moonlandingz- interplanetary class classics
Goldfrapp- Silver Eye
Mark Lanegan- Gargoyle
Slowdives- Slowdive
At the drive in- interalia
Ride- Weather Diaries
Loyle Carner- Yesterday’s gone
Lorde- Melodrama
Kevin Morby- City Music
This is the kit- Moonshine Freeze
Thee Oh Sees- orc
Darren Hayman- Thankful Villages 2
Queens of the stone age- Villains
Mogwai- Every countries sun
Horrors- V
The national- Sleep well beast
Beck- Colors
St. Vincent- Masseduction
The top four is probably Sleaford mods, st. Vincent, grandaddy and moonlandingz. There’s a fair few come back albums in there, 2017 must be the year for them.
Perhaps I’ll do a worst album of 2017 list if I get a moment, or a favourite track or something.
Is anyone going to keep a record for the annual best of? Just sayin’. Points? Too early for me to submit as I use everyone else to give me ideas, such as i hadn’t known a new O Susanna was in the traps.
Moonlandingz were glued to my CD Player for about 3 weeks.
And then I went off it for some reason, and never found the way back in.
Duplicate post
Mine looks like this:
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Who Built The Moon?
Beck – Colors
Lindstrøm – It’s Alright Between Us As It Is
Bicep – Bicep
The Horrors – V
Sparks – Hippopotamus
The National – Sleep Well Beast
Kelly Lee Owens – Kelly Lee Owens
Cigarettes After Sex – Cigarettes After Sex
Depeche Mode – Spirit
Ryan Adams – Prisoner
The xx – I See You
White Lies – Friends
Lorde – Melodrama
George FitzGerald – Update
Daughter – Music From Before The Storm
St. Vincent – Masseduction
Arcade Fire – Everything Now
Wolf Alice – Visions Of A Life
Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley
I’ve seen a fair few End Of Year Lists so far.
And I think they’re all wrong.
Album Of The Year for me is:
Conor Oberst – Salutations (as mentioned by the venerable Steve T, but absent from many other lists – the fools)
In no particular order (ie I haven’t yet resloved the arbitrary ranking)
Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley
Len Price 3 – Kentish Longtails
Sparks – Hippopotamus
Paul Weller – A Kind Revolution
The Professionals – What In The World
Sharks – Killers Of The Deep
The Disappointment Choir – Vows
Steven Wilson – To The Bone
John Otway and The Big Band – Montserrat
Declan McKenna – What Do You Think Of The Car?
Liam Gallagher – As You Were
Too early to tell, but will probably feature in the next week or so:
Noel Gallagher – Who Built The Moon
Haven’t got it yet, but expecting great(ish) things:
U2 – Songs Of Experience
Courtney Barnett/Kurt Vile – Lotta Sea Lice
No matter how many listens has not gained a place in the essential selection:
Elbow – Little Fictions
Father John Misty – Pure Comedy
Found at the bottom of the “to listen to”.
Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott – Crooked Calypso.
Yeah, I can shave it down to twenty as long as you don’t quote me..
Brother Ali: All The Beauty In This Whole Life
Joey Badass: All-Amerikkkan Badass
Mr Jukes: God First
Steps: Tears On The Dancefloor
Jane Weaver: Modern Kosmology
Cody Chesnutt: My Love Divine Degree
TOPS: Sugar At The Gate
Chicano Batman: Freedom Is Free
Slowdive
Kendrick Lamar: DAMN.
Roger Robinson: Dog Heart City
Thievery Corporation: The Temple Of I & I
Chronixx: Chronology
Spoek Mathambo: Mzansi Beat Code
David Bazan: Care
Vic Mensa: The Autobiography
Alborosie: Freedom In Dub
CousteauX
Open Mike Eagle: Brick Body Kids Still Daydream
Deep Throat Choir: Be OK
Oh, and the best thing about the Dis Choir album, IMO is the arrangements. So many halfway decent records this year had lazy production, but the IHYILH’s keeps you interested all the way through.
Yours looks to be the best so far, and you have the same number one as me if you have them in order. It’s a fantastic album isn’t it. Best one since Shadows On The Sun.
Well thank f**k someone else rates it! (yes, it is my number one). Not only is it a brilliant, brilliant album on its own terms, but I think it has massive “crossover” potential i.e. if those on here who think they don’t like “this sort of thing” gave it a listen they’d really dig it..
On first hearing I enjoyed it without being wowed, but it has got better and better each listen. I cannot fathom why he isn’t more well known. There are so many tracks on there that would be on rotation on all the music channels had they been done by Eminem.
Then again, I quite like the fact that most of my favourite rappers/hip hop groups are unknown to the masses. Although, being pretty late to hip hop I am still not quite sure who is well known and who isn’t. There have been plenty of albums that I have wondered why they weren’t better known, only to find it sold millions and hit the top 10.
Try as I might, I can’t get my list down to any less than 22 albums, and there were several I had to grit my teeth before removing from my longlist. THAT is how strong a year this has been for music (and thank goodness for that, in an otherwise shitty year, on both a personal and a wider level). Anyway, here goes, in no particular order:
Re-TROS – Before The Applause
James Holden & The Animal Spirits – The Animal Spirits
Bicep – Bicep
Penguin Cafe – The Imperfect Sea
Four Tet – New Energy
St. Vincent – Masseduction
Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Luciferian Towers
Sparks – Hippopotamus
Motorpsycho – The Tower
LCD Soundsystem – American Dream
Ghostpoet – Dark Days + Canapes
Bjork – Utopia
Mogwai – Every Country’s Sun
The Necks – Unfold
Richard Dawson – Peasant
Jane Weaver – Modern Kosmology
Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley
The Physics House Band – Mercury Fountain
Prescott – Thing Or Two
Robyn Hitchcock – Robyn Hitchcock
The Magnetic Fields – 50 Song Memoir
Blanck Mass – World Eater
Yes! Motorpsycho! An awesome opus
There’s a lot here that will be on my list but also a good few I’ve never heard of –
Re-TROS, Bicep, Physics House Band, Prescott?
Will have a listen
1. Greta Van Fleet – From The Fires
2. Thievery Corporation – The Temple Of I & I
3. Dreadzone – Dread Times
4. London Grammar – Truth Is A Beautiful Thing
and released on December 9th last year, but I’m having nonetheless cos that’s how I roll:
Post Malone – Stoney
Don’t have a top 20, but these are my top 10
1. Sleep Well Beast – The National
2. Carry Fire – Robert Plant
3. Prisoner – Ryan Adams
4. English Weather – Various
5. Home Counties – St. Etienne
6. Like An Arrow – Blackberry Smoke
7. Concrete and Gold – Foo Fighters
8. The Far Field – Future Islands
9. Beautiful Trauma – P!nk
10. A Kind Revolution – Paul Weller
It’s been a really good year for music, I think. The first seven or so here are in order, then it’s just a list of records I enjoyed this year (with handy bullet point reviews of the ones which I haven’t seen much about on here, so you can ignore them in a more informed manner)
Phoebe Bridgers – Stranger In The Alps
The National – Sleep Well Beast
Japandroids – Near To The Wild Heart Of Life
Ezra Collective – Juan Pablo The Philosopher
Afghan Whigs – In Spades
Kölsch – 1989 (epic melancholy string drenched techno / progressive house, completely aces.)
Waxahatchee – Out In The Storm (basically, if your album had “In” in the title this year, I liked it)
Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley
Four Tet – New Energy
Protomartyr – Relatives In Descent (shouty shouty bang bang)
Hannah Peel – Mary Casio: Journey To Cassiopeia (brass band and vintage synths going cosmic)
Chris Forsyth – Dreaming In The Non-Dream (motorik guitar freakouts)
Solstafir – Berdreyminn (post-metal, bit goth)
Converge – The Dusk In Us
Algiers – The Underside Of Power (fearsome punk soul)
Pumarosa – The Witch
Jane Weaver – Modern Kosmology
Wrongtom & The Ragga Twins – In Time (digital dancehall)
Cloud Nothings – Life Without Sound (US indie rock)
All Them Witches – Sleeping Through The War
Well, these was a bunch I added. Most of which was released well before 2017.
I enjoyed Vows – seriously, thought it was nice.
But my album from this year was Bere, by Saltfishforty. If you don’t like folk, pipes, banjo, guitar, then it isn’t for you. But if you do, this is a beautiful album with two absolute standouts. One, a cover of “Tender” by Old Man Ludecke; the other, an original called “Woe” which is heartachingly gorgeous. Spare, great vocals, delivered in a way that wraps itself around my heart. It still brings me to near tears on the gazillionth listen.
Hayes Carll delivered 2016 for me; these guys delivered 2017, and the two aren’t that far apart in terms of style. As I said, if you’re at all folk-oriented, this should be on your list. An absolute keeper, and probably my single of the year.
I like the sound of that @Sitheref2409 and as you are a fellow champion of Hayes Carll then I think I will have to dip into it.
1 to 20
https://softspot.bandcamp.com/
Ho Fuckin` Ho!
What’s this anarchy? Where’s Tigger with his abacus? We can’t have people simply giving us names of records I have never heard of! We need discipline, we need method, we need order, I need my breakfast (which this being Girona will be enormous)!
I suggest this thread is immediately scrapped until The Committee for Record of The Year , President, and only member, Tiggerlion, wakes up…..
The Baron is in charge this year. To be fair, he enjoys a good abacus and is very even handed. Your top twenty are each worth one point. Have you got a top twenty, Lodes?
Top Three, been a pretty crap year hasn’t it? (crawls back into the undergrowth)
Not in order, except Juju is definitely top.
Juju — ‘Our Mother Was A Plant’
Slowdive — ‘Slowdive’
John Carpenter — ‘Anthology’
Calibre — ‘The Deep’
Gnod — ‘Just Say No To The Psycho Right-Wing Capitalist Fascist Industrial Death Machine’
Om Unit — ‘Self’
Spectres — ‘Conditions’
Rogers Waters — ‘Is This The Life We Really Want?’
Gary Numan — ‘Savage’
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs — ‘Feed The Rats’
The Disappointment Choir — ‘Vows’
Coldcut vs On-U Sound — ‘Divide And Rule’
White Hills — ‘Stop Mute Defeat’
Raekwon — ‘The Wild’
Xordox — ‘Neospection’
Gerra & Stone — ‘Polarism’
Special Request — ‘Belief System’
UNKLE — ‘The Road, Part One’
Marilyn Manson — Heaven Upside Down’
Rodhad — ‘Anxious’
Blimey that Juju is a monster
Yeah, agreed, a total sonic blissbomb. Everyone I play it to loves it.
Count me in too, and the Xordox one. I played track 2 first and it grabbed me immediately at the intro. I love the sound of it in my headphones (although the additional pain medication today may also be playing a part). But I liked that sound so much that I would have been really disappointed had the rest of it not been up to scratch. I’m not, it is.
So I’m working my way down the lists, starting at the top and the first two additions to my collection are Juju and Xordox. Sounds like Bob Geldof’s kids.
What with one thing and another I haven’t really kept up with a lot of music this year. But of the stuff I have, I’ve loved:
St Vincent – Masseduction (unchallenged #1)
Godspeed – Luciferian Towers
Rostam – Half Light
Susanne Sundfør – Music For People In Trouble
Jamila Woods – HEAVN
Kesha – Rainbow (it’s a bit inconsistent but when it’s good, it’s wonderful)
Little Dragon – Season High
Young Thug – Beautiful Thugger Girls
Kendrick Lamar – DAMN. (this has grown on me hugely as the year has progressed.)
Laura Marling – Semper Femina
Various Artists – The Con X (Tegan & Sara anniversary covers album)
Btw, thanks so much for some of the mentions of Vows. I really appreciate it – it’s very nice (understatement) to know that your work has landed with people. I know it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m so humbled that it would make anyone’s top 20. That’s incredible. Thank you.)
Damn! I forgot DAMN. It really is a grower.
@DisappointmentBob
Glad to see the mention of Susanne Sundfør; it is on my Christmas list so good to see a vote of confidence from you (and others, I see.) I have also added Little Dragon- have 4 albums but dropped off my radar.
Whilst we’re talking about interesting Norwegian singer/songwriters, I’ve been impressed by first listens to Rebekka Karijord’s Mother Tongue this year too
Forgot Godspeed. Gah!
1. Waxahatchee – Out In The Storm
Perfect indie pop/rock breakup shlock
2. Julien Baker – Turn Out the Lights
Angsty, visceral.
3. Big Thief – Capacity
Barbed, twisted beauty.
4. Susanne Sundfør – Music for People in Trouble
Haunting, elegiac.
5. The Weather Station – The Weather Station
Joni-esque.
6. Phoebe Bridgers – Stranger in the Alps
Husky, low key
7. Aldous Harding – Party
Slightly weird and wonderful
8. Courtney Marie Andrews – Honest Life
Trad perfection
9. Laura Marling – Semper Femina
Subtle excellence over supple songs
10. Lorde – Melodrama
Pop masterpiece
11. St. Vincent – Masseduction
Art Pop masterpiece
12. Hurray for the Riff Raff – The Navigator
Radio 2 with a slight edge. Great heartfelt songs.
13. Kelly Lee Owens – Kelly Lee Owens
Electronic but in a surprisingly good way.
14. Nadia Reid – Preservation
Not as good as her last
15. Allison Crutchfield – Tourist in This Town
Not as good as her sister
16. Angel Olsen – Phases
Bits and bobs but great bits.
17. Perfume Genius – No Shape
Overblown. Ecstatic.
18. Craig Finn – We All Want the Same Things
Raymond Carver in song
19. Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels 3
Not my kind of thing until I heard it. Wow.
20.Peter Perrett – How the West Was Won
Last four tracks make up for the rest of the album.
On The Bubble
Hüsker Dü – Savage Young Dü
Dion – Kickin Child Lost Album 1965
Sorority Noise – You’re Not As _____ As You Think
I’m going to listen to Peter Perrett again.
Maybe it was a case of high hopes and expectations, but I found it somewhat disappointing
Rigid – it is disappointing. I’d completely dismissed it after two listens (never getting to the last four tracks). Finally listened to those last four from ‘Sweet Endeavour’ to ‘Take Me Home’ and they’re wonderful. Felt like any of those could have sat on Baby’s Got A Gun. The rest, though, are pretty mediocre at best. And, as we all know, Baby’s Got A Gun was nowhere near as good as the first two!
Craig Finn – Raymond Carver in song is a perfect description.
I thought 2017 was a great year for music, but I’m not sure I have 20 albums to enthuse over.
Party – Aldous Harding (easily #1)
Father John Misty – Pure Comedy (#2)
And in no particular order…
LCD Soundsystem – American Dream
The National – Sleep Well Beast
Hurray for the Riff Raff – The Navigator
Robert Plant – Carry Fire
Ribbons -Justin Adams
St Vincent – Masseduction
Jeff Tweedy – Together At Last
Hitchhiker – Neil young
Moonlandingz- interplanetary class classics
Jane Weaver: Modern Kosmology
Slowdive – Slowdive
That Aldous Harding album is great – for some reason I thought it came out in 2016 but apparently not.
My original list had My Woman by Angel Olsen on it, but at the last minute I found out that it came out in 2016.
In no particular order
The Travelling Band – Sails
British Sea Power – Let the Dancers Inherit the Party
The Dream Syndicate – How Did I Find Myself Here?
The Clientele – Music for the Age of Miracles
Daniel Wylie’s Cosmic Rough Riders – Scenery for Dreamers
Sundowners – Cut the Master
Michael Chapman – 50
Ride – Weather Diaries
John Smith – Headlong
Trimdon Grange Explosion – Trimdon Grange Explosion
Peter Perrett – How the West Was Won
Mary Epworth – Elytral
The Left Outsides – There is a Place
Robyn Hitchcock – Robyn Hitchcock
Slowdive – Slowdive
The Church – Man, Woman, Life, Death, Infinity
Chuck Prophet – Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins
Peter Hammill – From the Trees
Jane Weaver – Modern Kosmology
Ian McNabb – Star Smile Strong
Can`t make my mind up but will pick 20 from these for the best of `17 Poll;
ELIZA CARTHY – BIG MACHINE
MICHAEL CHAPMAN – 50
ALEJANDRO ESCOVADO – BURN SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
MUMFORD AND SONS – LIVE FROM SOUTH AFRICA:
DUST AND THUNDER
AYREON – THE SOURCE
KING CRIMSON – LIVE IN CHICAGO
GREG ALLMAN – SOUTHERN BLOOD
MIKE OLDFIELD – RETURN TO OMMADAWN
TIM BOWNESS – LOST IN THE GHOST LIGHT
THE CHEMISTRY SET – THE FOUNTAINS OF NEPTUNE
BLACKFIELD V
BARR BROTHERS – QUEENS OF THE BREAKERS
CHUCK PROPHJET – BOBBY FULLER DIED FOR YOUR SINS
SADIES – NMORTHERN PASSAGES
LEO KOSTER – LEO KOSTER SINGS THE SONGS OF GENE CLARK
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
ARBOURETUM – SONG OF THE ROSE
DEPECHE MODE – SPIRIT
CRAIG FINN – WE ALL WANT THE SAME THINGS
JERRY GARCIA – GARCIA LIVE: VOLUME 8
STEVE HACKETT – THE NIGHT SIREN
JETHRO TULL – THE STRING QUARTETS
KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD – FLYING MICROTONAL BANANA
TEDUSHI TRUCKS BAND – LIVE FROM THE FOX OAKLAND
JOHN OTWAY – MONTSERRAT
BIG BIG TRAIN – GRIMSPOUND
BRITISH SEA POWER – LET THE DANCERS INHERIT THE PARTY
RAY DAVIES – AMERICAN
MICKY DOLENZ – OUT OF NOWHERE
ROBYN HITCHCOCK – ROBYN HITCHCOCK
MARK LANEGAN BAND – GARGOYLE
JOHN MELLENCAMP/CARLENE CARTER – SAD CLOWNS & HILLBILLIES
OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW – 50 YEARS OF BLONDE ON BLONDE
TEMPLES – VOLCANO
SAM OUTLAW – TENDERHEART
PENDRAGON – MASQERADE 20
BNQT – VOLUME 1
SHERYL CROW – BE MYSELF
RODNEY CROWELL – CLOSE TIES
SCHNAUSSER – IRRITANT
GOOD HARVEST – IN A LIFE AND PLACE LIKE THIS
HAWKWIND – INTO THE WOODS
TOM HICKOX – MONSTERS IN THE DEEP
CHRIS ROBINSON – BETTY`S BLENDS: VOLUME THREE
PROCOL HARUM – NOVUM
PAUL WELLER – A KIND REVOLUTION
TOM RUSSELL – PLAY ONE MORE: THE SONGS OF IAN & SYLVIA
JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE – KIDS IN THE STREET
DAMANEK – ON TRACK
DAN AUERBACH – WAITING ON A SONG
RICHARD THOMPSON – ACOUSTIC CLASSICS
MAGPIE SALUTE – THE MAGPIE SALUTE
TODD RUNDGREN – WHITE NIGHT
SAMURAI OF PROG – ON WE SAIL
NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS – PRAYER FOR PEACE
ROGER WATERS – IS THIS THE LIFE WE REALLY WANT?
REAL ESTATE – IN MIND
VALERIE JUNE – THE ORDER OF TIME
PAUL WELLER – A KIND OF REVOLUTION
WOODS – LOVE IS LOVE
BIG BIG TRAIN – THE SECOND BRIGHTEST STAR
STEVE EARLE – SO YOU WANNABE AN OUTLAW
FLEET FOXES – CRACK UP
GOVT. MULE – REVOLUTION COME…REVOLUTION GO
JASON ISBELL – THE NASHVILLE SOUND
NEIL FINN – OUT OF SILENCE
DJABE & STEVE HACKETT – LIFE IS A JOURNEY
KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD – MURDER OF THE UNIVERSE
MATHEW SWEET – TOMORROW FOREVER
WILLIE NILE – POSITIVELY BOB: Willie Nile Sings Bob Dylan
JOHN MORELAND – BIG BAD LUV
MICHAEL HEAD – ADIOS SENOR PUSSYCAT
LEE RANALDO – ELECTRIC TRIM
GOSPELBEACH – ANOTHER SUMMER OF LOVE
OFFA REX – THE QUEEN OF HEARTS
CHRIS ROBINSON BROTHERHOOD – BAREFOOT IN THE HEAD
COMEDY OF ERRORS – HOUSE OF THE MIND
DAVID RAWLINGS – POOR DAVID`S ALAMANAC
DAVID CROSBY – SKY TRAILS
NOEL GALLAGHER – WHO BUILT THE MOON
CURSE OF LONO – SEVERED
DESLONDES – HURRY HOME
SPOON – HOT THOUGHTS
BOB DYLAN – TRIPLICATE
GANDALF`S FIST – A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A UNIVERSAL WANDERER
CHRIS HILLMAN – BIDIN` MY TIME
TIGER MOTH TALES – THE DEPTHS OF WINTER
IRON & WINE – BEAST EPIC
LIFESIGNS – CARDINGTON
MOGWAII – EVERY COUNTRY`S SUN
STEVEN WILSON – TO THE BONE
SNOW – LIVE
VAN MORISSON – ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES
STEVE WINWOOD – GREATEST HITS LIVE
THE WHO – ISLE OF WIGHT 2004
LUCAS NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL
JOSH RITTER – GATHERING
TOM RUSSELL – FOLK HOTEL
It’s been a great year for shouting.
New album by Barry Scott?
Or Rosemary Shrager?
Yer right Moosie, I`ve had no problem hearing yerself, X
What?
Oh..er…about half-past five.
C’mon pull yerself together Moosie.
People are posting their favourite albums of the year.
I know what you’re all thinking: When oh when is duco01 going to treat us to his traditional Best of Year list, which is always such a highlight of the festive season? I’m dying to know what ultra-obscure Faroese chamber jazz album is at number 22!
Well, Afterword brothers and sisters, rest assured that there will indeed be two magnificent, fully annotated lists coming your way in the next few weeks. Forget the Guardian’s list. And Uncut. And the NME. These are the two lists that will unearth the greatest musical treasures of the past 12 months…
The duco01 50 Favourite New Albums of 2017
and
The duco01 25 Favourite Reissues and Historical Recordings of 2017
Coming to a computer near you. Soon. Fairly soon, anyway. As soon as I can find the time to write a few sentences of irrelevant waffle about each of the records…
Always a pleasure… A selection of records of such brow-furrowing austerity that they make ECM catalogue look like Jive Bunny.
Well … I suppose brow-furrowing austerity is indeed a charge that could be laid at some of the records in my Top 50 New Albums of 2017.
However, it’s not at all a fair description of my Top 25 Favourite Reissues and Historical Recordings of 2017, because that little list is full of life-affirming reggae, funky jazz and African music that isn’t the slightest bit austere. I seem to remember that you found quite a few little gems to your liking in last year’s Reissues and Historical Recordings rundown, didn’t you, Tigger?
Yeah but Tigger doesn’t actually listen to music. He just writes what he thinks it probably sounds like from the titles. 😉
Absolutely! Duco’s Historical List is bursting with fun.
Indeed. I regard it as a personal triumph if I’ve heard of two of the fifty.
Afterword favourites the Quietus have released their top 100, and as usual I’ve heard none, and heard OF hardly any*. Perhaps we could do that thing we did last year where we each pick one at random to review.
http://thequietus.com/articles/23660-albums-of-the-year-2017
*Actually I recognise Gnod, their previous offering reviewed by a brave AWer for the above-mentioned thread.
Since Gnod are in my list I’m feeling pretty damn sophisticated right now.
I can’t help picturing them as a band of heavy metal gnomes.
The last lines of the Lone Taxidermist review could have been written for you Ms B.
(And Knicker Elastic is indeed one of the tunes of the year)
*squeak-squeak-squeak*
Cuh. It’s a very mainstream list for Quietus. I have four of the top ten. Fever Ray might feature in my top twenty. We’ll see. I’m surprised you haven’t heard LCD Soundsystem’s offering, mini, and I think you’ll enjoy SZA CTL.
If it’s not been sold at a car boot or chazza this year, there’s only a very slim chance it’s appeared on my radar.
I am now, more than ever, what you might call a musical bottom feeder.
Blimey, all a bit too trendy for me, I fear. I have 2, Ryuchi Sakamoto and Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, finding both underwhelming. But a timely reminder for the Hannah Peel to squeeze in before the deadline.
How does Fever Ray compare to her first, Tiggs, that being a true stonker?
I have heard of around 20 of the artists Quietus 100. I have listened to precisely none of these records. I think I am kinda proud.
No doubt there are some goodies in a list some people might deem elitist and I would deem willfully obscure but ,really, life is too short.
Fever Ray’s new one is loud, wild and aggressive compared to the debut, which has the aura of a bleary-eyed insomniac, quietly going insane in the middle of the night. They are very different but equally brilliant. Having said all that, I haven’t given it six listens yet.
I saw a Gnod tribute act called Regnod.
Every December, there are two authoritative end-of-year lists that I look forward to perusing eagerly.
One is the Aquarium Drunkard selection, with its brilliant choices from Americana, soul, funk and under-the-radar US guitar music in general. Their 2017 list hasn’t been published yet.
The other is Ted Gioia’s list of 100 Favourites, which this year is in alphabetical order. Ted’s list encompasses every genre under the sun. Here it is.
http://tedgioia.com/bestalbumsof2017.html
Glad to see the Unthanks Diversions Vol 4 on Ted’s list. That will definitely be on mine too.
And on mine.
Damn! I’ve just given away one-fiftieth of my exciting end-of-year list.
“Clann An Drumma: Order of the Stag
Tribal Drumming with Scottish Bagpipes”
This I must investigate!
Here it is!!!!!!!!
Actually a very fascinating list, and I have one or two, like Semper Femina, the XX and that bloody Ryuichi Sakamoto. And this: Ifriqiyya Électrique : Rûwâhîne , bought on a whim when I was in HMV Leeds. I think it fair to say it is difficult…..
And that is one of the more commercial offerings from it.
Loads to listen to there and proof that, no matter how hard one tries, it’s impossible to keep on top of things now – I had no idea Mr Lif had an album out this year.
Surprised Songhoy Blues and Ibibio Sound Machine have not been appearing so much on Awer’s lists – maybe it’s just early days..?
I like this quote from the end of his Background Information notes:
” Like any critic,
I want my readers to think that I am
cool and hip and oh-so-up-to-date,
but I learned some time ago that
many of the best recordings are
decidedly uncool and unhip. So if
you want to laugh at me for honoring
some superannuated rocker or
unfashionable bagpipe album,
go right ahead. But also check
out some of the lesser-known titles on
the list…you might just be pleasantly
surprised by what you hear.”
I noticed an album by The Ed Palermo Big Band in his list, “The Great Un-American Songbook, Vol. 1 & 2”.
Ed Palermo is most notable (to me) for his albums (I think there are 3 or 4 of them now) of Frank Zappa’s more jazz-inflected music and performances of the same. The band and his arrangements are really very good.
This album includes the Beatles “Don’t Bother Me” mashed up with Miles Davis’ “Nardis”, another mashup of The Nice’s “America” with Green Day’s “American Idiot” and various other tunes by Traffic, King Crimson, Blodwyn Pig and Radiohead. Looks interesting.
The Wire magazine’s Best Releases of 2017 List is also out now. Some of their choices are – predictably – pretty obscure.
Only one record in their Top 50 is also featured in the much-anticipated duco01 50 Favourite Albums of 2017, and that is Ellen Arkbro’s “For Organ and Brass”
http://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/841-the-wires-best-releases-of-2017/
Tiggerlion will surely be pleased – Jlin’s “Black Origami” is right up at No.4 in The Wire’s top 50 (you are a fan of the Jlin album, aren’t you, Tigger – or am I just imagining that?).
Absolutely! Jlin is the nuts.
I’m also very pleased to see Jaimie Branch at number nine.
Bloody Ryuichi Sakamoto and Kaitlyn Aurelia yet again….
How can these august organs think they know better than me?
Good to see Juana Molina, but I haven’t heard this one.
And good old Diamanda “Earache” Galas still going with her “vocal jazz”. Hardly the Manhattan Transfer is she?
Ra-ta-ta-ta-tat
Zooboo doo ba boo… shoreline romancing…