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Top 20 Albums of 2017 Poll

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@SteveT`s Blog gave me the idea and seeing as I`ve done so in the past I intend to carry @SteveT`s idea further and turn your top 20 selections into a poll. I will also include all selections from @SteveT`s Blog if that`s OK with you Steve. Oh. and a Very Merry Christmas and a Healthy New Year to all of my readers.

Right, I intend to keep things simple.

One point each for your first 20 selections. If you choose less same one point each.

Only your first list of selections will count. If you posted on @SteveT`s blog and wish to change your mind and vote again on here. I will accept your change of mind selection.

New releases, Live albums, Box Sets, compilations released in 2017 will all count. Any release prior to 2017 will NOT count.

Voting will cease at 12 midnight December 31st 2017.

Results to be published in the following week.

Why am I doing this? Because I like to. Any naysayers go and support Wigan Athletic.

5

Comments

    • Having checked out some of the choices on the other thread I reject them all. In fact I’ve decided to shorten my definitive list to just three. One point each for:

      Greta Van Fleet – From The Fires
      Thievery Corporation – The Temple Of I & I
      Dreadzone – Dread Times

      I expect these to win. Joint first place, pole position, let justice be done though the heavens fall.

  4. Here goes, and in no particular order;
    John Mellencamp
    Little Steven
    Gregg Allman
    Chris Robinson Brotherhood
    Michael Head
    Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
    The Church
    Tift Merritt
    Dream Syndicate
    Arboretum
    Sarah Darling
    And after a couple of plays today – U2

    Oh and Steve Winwood best of

      • I have to admit it took some inner debate before taking the plunge and making the purchase. This was largely due to the last album not doing it for me at all. The newbie is one I have on regular spin in the car and I like it. Funny old things; ears

          • Baron, yes sorry about that – I rushed to get my list out before changing my mind.
            No particular order;
            John Mellencamp – Sad Clowns and Hillbillies;
            Little Steven – Soulfire;
            Gregg Allman- Southern Blood;
            Sarah Darling – Dream Country;
            Chris Robinson – Barefoot in the head;
            Michael Head – Adios Senor Pussycat;
            Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – The French Press;
            The Church – Man Woman Life Death Infinity;
            Tift Merritt – Stitch in the World;
            Dream Syndicate- How did I find myself here;
            Arboretum- Somg of the Rose;
            U2 – Songs of experience

  6. Not listened to much new this year although I did buy a lot; sometime next decade I will catch up.
    In no particular order:

    St. Vincent: ‘MASSEDUCTION’
    The Disappointment Choir- ‘Vows’*
    Laura Marling: ‘Semper Femina’
    The National: ‘Sleep Well Beast’
    Aimee Mann: ‘Mental Illness’
    Lizz Wright: ‘Grace’
    Nerina Pallot: ‘Stay Lucky’
    Sufjan Stevens: ‘The Greatest Gift’ (Not just to annoy Lodes, although that’s a bonus.)

    I have lots more I could add but I’m just not that familiar with them yet (War on Drugs, Mogwai , Beck for e.g.) so I’ll leave it there.

    *Genuinely, the one I’ve played the most.

    • Good to see Nerina Pallot get a shout. I like her and have downloaded this from e-music, with high hopes.Will listen before the deadline, the usual rush with all the others I have and have yet to have heard of.

      • Well, I decided I’d sit down tomorrow and have a listen to some of the stuff on everybody else’s lists, but I decided I’d have a sneak preview and listen to Nerina Pallot now (at the third attempt at spelling her name correctly). So, one album in and I’ve already come across something great that I’d never heard of. Could be an expensive day tomorrow!

  7. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (de luxe box) – The Beatles. Giles Martin achieves the impossible and improves and adds to the original. Too expensive, but essential.
    Paintbox – The Papers. Post punk outfit reform and produce a gem.
    Maintaining Dignity In Awkward Situations – The Penny Black Remedy. Sent to me on spec – fabulous songs in the key of real life.
    Carry Fire – Robert Plant. He is in a rich vein of form, in case you didn’t notice.
    Wild By The Side Of The Road – Police Dog Hogan. Americana…from Devon.
    1967 Sunshine Tomorrow – The Beach Boys. Wild Honey in perfect detail…plus…
    No Plan – Bowie. Ok…an EP….but I think it is a short album. Just because it is him.
    After All These Years – Geoff Lakeman. Father of the Lakeman dynasty reveals where those genes came from – charming and delightful.
    A Kind Revolution – Paul Weller. In case you hadn’t noticed, this is one of his best.
    Greatest Hits Live – Steve Winwood. Why should we be surprised that this is fabulous? Career spanning and redefining.
    Just Stand Still – Sam Green. You won’t have heard of him…make sure you do. Songs about the break up of a band and moving on.

    • Plenty of time yet Lodes. Suspect most of us are keeping our powder dry and trying desperately to catch up with that huge pile of 2017 releases we haven’t got round to properly yet. Expect a late rush around 30th December.

      • ^
        yes – I’m now realising that I have loads of albums that I haven’t played enough or listened to properly to be able to form an opinion – so I’m taking the next week or so to do just that…

        …until then

    • Yes. I too will submit much later. I will need to consult my notes as my memory will fail me. This year I have kept a notebook with ticket stubs, CDs bought, books read etc. Compiling last year’s list made me realise that I needed to do this. The years are blending into each other, otherwise.

      • It was because of doing a top 20 for last year’s that I got carried away and did a top 106. And then, partly because I am no longer working and have a lot of spare time on my hands and partly because I do have a liking for stupid projects that help nobody and are ultimately pointless, I decided to rank every album I have (not including compilations) for each year. I think there’s around 5,000 albums in total and around half of them I know well enough to have put in some sort of order, but I need a proper listen to the rest, so it is going to take some time.

        I have, however, got my 2017 list in order and it has taken all year, before I decided on the final order. It’s pretty fair to say that below the top 30 or so they will be pretty interchangable, but I enjoyed doing it anyway. So that means I have a top 150 already done! I am going to trawl through everybody else’s lists first though, as some firm favourites of my 2016 list came from doing that last year. (Michael Kiwanuka, William Bell and Johann Johannsson spring to mind, and maybe The Lucid Dream came from somebody’s list too).

        I’m actually just having a reshuffle of the 2016 list a year on, but there aren’t many big moves. I was perhaps a little hasty to dismiss Radiohead’s album, so they have jumped up quite a bit. But I have spent 2017 mainly listening to new music, perhaps 80-90% of my listening time has been spent listening to albums from 2017 or at least older albums that were new to me. And whilst, had you asked me at any point in the past 15 years about current albums I would have said there were no more than a few great albums each year, for 2016 and 2017 I would say there have been dozens of great albums per year. I just wasn’t listening properly before 2016. I’ve really struggled to decide between 4 or 5 albums as to which was my favourite, and this year has even been better than last year in terms of the amount of great albums. I’ve got Vibe Killer by Endless Boogie at number 40 and it’s just fab.

        So I too will wait before submitting my entries, but don’t worry, I won’t add all 150. Ringo Starr comes bottom, by the way, as he does most years. If I wasn’t such a Beatles completist somebody else might get a chance.

          • Yes, I stopped and started a few times before cracking on with it, as the first thing I had to do was go through (what was then) around 80,000 tracks in my iTunes library and make sure I had the correct year for each track, so that I could sort them out properly. That took ages. However, it is nice to be able to sort the albums per artist per year, particularly for people that I have over 1,000 tracks by like The Beatles Dylan, the Stones and Neil Young. As I’d already tidied up my iTunes library a couple of times before I just went through and added the year and a couple of other fields I’d never filled (the only field I really can’t be bothered with is the composer, as that would take months to complete).

            I did a little project a few years ago where I listened to my entire library from A to Z. I had around 45,000 tracks then. It took over two years to do, as I only did it when I was working (I worked from home). In fact, part of the idea to do it was cos I was wasting working time deciding what to listen to, so I figured that if I just go to A.R. Kane and pressed play there’d be no decisions to make. What I did then was give a star rating to all the tracks as I went along (which took longer than deciding on albums used to, so led to me wasting more time, but hey!). I did this so I could sort out the rubbish tracks and take them off my iPod first when I needed more room. Anyway, this helped me when sorting out the ranking of albums I knew, so I could immediately sort out half of them into lists. What I am then left to do is listen to the albums I don’t know well, and put them in the list at the appropriate place. The star ratings don’t give the whole picture though, as the real enjoyment of an album can be much greater or worse than the sum of its parts, but at least it gives me an starting point.

            However, I also went through the initial lists I made, as there were lots of albums where I had rated the songs already, but want to relisten to, just to make sure I am happy with where I placed them. Take 1996, for example, where I have already listed 41 albums, but I’ve highlighted 11 of them to relisten to, along with 55 I have on the unrated list, so 66 albums to listen to there. What I did with my ‘unrated’ lists was run through and give a quick listen (i.e. not all the tracks or even not full tracks) to albums that I only have as part of collections and don’t expect to bother the top 20, e.g. Ringo’s albums. If any of these sounded better than I expected I left them on the list to have full listens to, but if they were rubbish I ranked them accordingly.

            As an aside, to give a bit of credit to poor Ringo, I have all his live releases that he has been churning out recently, as I do with Paul too, as he has released quite a few (plus a few bootlegs). And I have to say that Ringo’s voice has held up far, far better than Paul’s has. The albums are still generally rubbish though, and they tend to have a lot of songs on by special guests, some of whom are great, some very ropey. Sheila E was the most surprising one. From Prince to Ringo as a career flightpath!

            Anyway, all the prep has been done and now it just remains to have proper listens to the outstanding 2,164 albums. As I have been on a massive hip hop/grime trip for the past couple of years, most of the new stuff (I’m on over 100,000 tracks now) are rap albums, so the star rating wouldn’t really have helped with these anyway, as most rap albums need to be listened to, and judged, as a whole. As I have been concentrating so much on new music this year (151 albums on that list, now Nerina Pallot has been added (at position 80 for now!)) I haven’t started on the other lists yet, but I am re-listening to around 20 from 2016 first, as I want to review my 2016 list 12 months on. And then I can make a start on the backlog.

            I’m not sure whether to do it in a scattergun way, listening to what I want to, or whether it will be easier to compare if I do a year at a time. I’ve also bought loads of those Uncut Ultimate Music Guides, so I might binge on those artists, reading the magazines at the same time. I had originally guessed it will take me around 2 years to finish it, but I hadn’t factored in the rate I am adding new music. For example, the list was less than 2,150 a few months ago and I have listened to 150 in the first 8 weeks! I don’t think I’ll add much more music that pre-dates 2017, as I have pretty much exhausted all the hip-hop related avenues, which is why my tracks have more than doubled in 2-3 years, but if I add another 150 new albums every year I’ll never finish it. Of course, I will also want to listen to albums I’ve already ranked cos I like them. Buy anyway, that’s how I’ve done it, so hopefully it will help anyone else who is stupid enough to take it on! I mean, where do you start trying to compare Paradise Circus, The Stone Roses, Paul’s Boutique, Oh Mercy and Technique??? Although there’s a clue at the order I have them in…

              • If they’re in my iTunes library and they’re rubbish they fall into 3 categories;

                – part of a complete collection (this accounts for things like Ringo’s albums, bootlegs of outtakes, Metal Machine Music and at least a dozen Neil Young albums)

                – disc 2’s from ‘Special Collector’s Editions’ (rubbish live albums, more outtakes, instrumental versions and rubbish that was discarded when compiling the original album)

                – my wife’s stuff (Travis, Coldplay, Adele, Take That, Scouting For Girls – seriously, it knows no depths) and my daughter’s stuff (boybands, thousands of them, although she is starting to show an interest in hip hop and grime which I think is great but gets me no end of grief from the wife)

                I won’t delete the first lot, or it’ll be lost forever and as a completist the voices would start up in the back of my head.

                I suppose I could delete some of the second lot, but as it’s all neat and tidy and I have painstakingly (extremely painstakingly) sorted out playlists so that with only one easy action I can plug in any of the 5 iPods/3 iPhones we have between us all and it will update it without messing it up, it’s doing no harm. Honestly, you have no idea how long it took to work out how the wife and daughter could have all their playlists appear on their respective phones, whilst ensuring that the only albums that appear in the albums tab are the ones they want to appear there. You soon find out that what sounds simple in iTunes is never so. I’ve managed it though. In fact, I reckon I could hold teaching sessions on iTunes.

                And as for the third lot I would absolutely love to delete it all, not just from my iTunes library, but, like, from existence. I think I would then be honoured by the Queen, for services to earholes everywhere. I daren’t though.

                • That made my brain ache just reading it. Good luck to you , sir.
                  I love iTunes. I know it has its detractors on here and it’s far from perfect, but I still love it. It changed my life.

        • Unemployment can be a wonderful thing – in very few respects, but one of them is the time to sort out all your digital crap. I used my period “resting” to digitise my entire CD and album (ie vinyl) collection a few years back, sort out the metadata, album art etc. Brilliant, time-consuming work.

          Well, what else would I have been doing? Looking for a job, I suppose, but some things are just more important than working.

          I did say to myself then that I would never delete anything in my iTunes library and I’ve only ever done it once, to the Kings Of Leon album before the big hit one. Total, unlistenable garbage.

          • When I was a mere iTunes novice I didn’t realise the many different ways to determine what went on your iPod. I now have 3 iPods, 3 iPhones and an iPod touch all linked to the one iTunes account, between the four of us and all I need to do before attaching one of them is to go into the playlist I’ve created for each one and mark all the tracks in that playlist as compilations. I then untick that box once the update is complete.

            This is simply to reduce the amount of artists that appear on the artist list that have only one track on and, in the case of the three iPhones, to ensure that only the albums we want to appear when we choose the album view show up. This all started because I was aware that my wife never listened to any albums I put on her phone cos they were buried amongst all the other stuff.

            It took ages to set it all up this way (and I mean ages!!), but with vigilant curation of the iTunes library, (i.e. trying to remember to correctly label everything and put them in the corrects playlists, or go back and do this when it becomes evident that I wasn’t vigilant!) there’s no need to mess about ticking and unticking songs, which I used to do when there were fewer devices, and we still get to keep the hundred and odd playlists, with only the relevant ones appearing on each device. The hardest thing was to try to find a way to split my library between the three iPods that made sense, so that I had the least amount of tracks appearing on multiple iPods (i.e. when they appeared on playlists on the other iPod) and so that I could remember where everything was. It was because I have the library split between the three iPods that I went the step further and did the thorough job, as previously I had three playlists, one for each iPod, and before connecting I had to tick all the songs in the relevant playlist, so that those songs appear on the correct iPod. All was fine until I ticked the wrong playlist one time and iTunes proceeded to wipe the ipod and started filling it up with the wrong songs. As it took ages to refill the iPod with the correct songs, and as I made that mistake 3 times, I had to think of some other way to do it. It is so much easier now that I have done all the hard work though, and I could have saved myself a shedload of time if I’d only thought of doing it that way the first place, but I only thought of that method when I was forced to by my previous method proving to be, well, a bit rubbish.

            Mmm, I’ve gone off on a tangent again there haven’t I, because all I was going to say that, before I learned how to do all of the above I was deleting tracks from my entire library every time I added something new, once I had gone over the capacity of my first iPod. Never occurred to me to read the help pages and see that all I needed to do was untick the box. I lost a lot of music that way, as I didn’t have everything backed up multiple times back then. D’oh!

  9. I’d struggle to list 20 in 2017. Not helped by the fact that of the first 10 or so posts in Steve T’s original thread I’d hear precisely 2 albums. Anyway, here’s my list of albums that I bought cos I liked them, or listened to on Spotify for the same reason

    David Corley – Zero Moon
    Jake Xerxes Fussell – What In The Natural World
    Laura Marling – Semper Femina
    Valerie June – The Order Of Time
    Lizz Wright – Grace
    Rhiannon Giddens – Freedom Highway
    Jason Isbell – The Nashville Sound
    Geoff Lakeman – After All These Years
    State Of The Union -The Saltwell Sessions
    Reg Meuross – Faraway People
    Flo Morrisey & Matthew E. White – Gentlewoman, Ruby Man
    Offa Rex – Offa Rex
    The Young Uns – Strangers
    Sam Kelly & the Lost Boys – Pretty Peggy

    and here’s one that I listened too a lot trying to decide whether it was dreadful or genius. Still not sure
    Lisa Knapp – Till April Is Dead – A Garland Of May

    The first 3 are the ones I listened to most but then again, they came out early in the year. I bought the Geoff Lakeman, Reg Meuross, State of the Union and Sam Kelly albums after
    seeing their performances at Costa Del Folk Portugal. Of the more recent releases I very much like the Lizz Wright. She knows how to sing

    • Nice list Vince. I reckon at least 4 on that list will figure on mine; Valerie June (why Valerie is not heralded much more than she is, is a bloody mystery, Ms Giddens, Jason Isbell, Offa Rex (which is a Decemberists album with Olivia Chaney doing a fabulous job on vocals). I might give that Seth Lakeman album a try, he was very good supporting Robert Plant before the main act and as part of RP`s band.

    • I searched the Amazon site for the latest State of the Union album as I have the first two. No Joy. Seeing your post @Vince_Black prompted me to find and purchase it. Hope it is better than Boo’s latest solo album which is not one of his best.

  11. Here is mine.

    Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Nashville Sound
    Ryan Adams – Prisoner
    David Crosby – Sky Trails
    War On Drugs- A Deeper Understanding
    Chris Stapleton – From A Room Vol 1
    Hallelujah Anyhow – Hiss Golden Messenger
    Stick Of The World – Tift Merritt
    Buckingham McVie
    The Far Field – Future Islands
    Soulfire – Little Steven
    Everywhere Now – Arcade Fire
    Masseduction – St Vincent
    Ready The Horses – Jarrod Dickenson
    The Search for Everything – John Mayer.

  12. Here goes….
    Josh Ritter – Gathering
    The Proper Ornaments – Foxhole
    My Sad Captains – Sun Bridge
    Valerie June – The Order of Time
    The Clientele – Music for the Age of Miracles
    The Wild Reeds – The World we Built
    Kevin Morby – City Music
    The Shins – Heartworms
    The Popguns – Sugar Kisses
    Ciggie Witch – Mad Music
    The Legends – Night Shift
    Blue Rose Code – The Water of Leith
    Last Leaves – Other Towns Than Ours
    Cotton Mather – Wild Kingdom
    The Luxembourg Signal – Blue Point
    The Ocean Party – Beauty Point
    Danny and the Champions of the World – Brilliant Light
    Secret Shine – There is Only Now
    The Distractions – Kindly Leave the Stage
    State Broadcasters – A Different Past

    • Some good choices there, it’s usually just me plugging the likes of The Popguns, The Luxembourg Signal and Secret Shine around here 🙂 I’d also completely forgotten about that Proper Ornaments album too, so that’s another one to add to the short (ha!) list for my submission.

      I’m also thinking – given it’s getting lots of mentions here and in other AOY lists – that I really ought to re-listen to “Heartworm” as I’ve been a big fan of The Shins in the past, but this one didn’t really click at the time.

  13. Twenty from me:

    Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
    Richard Dawson – Peasant
    Irreversible Entanglements – Irreversible Entanglements
    Hand Habits – Wildly Idle (Humble Before The Void)
    Arcade Fire – Everything Now
    Thurston Moore – Rock n Roll Consciousness
    Smino – blkswn
    Ryan Adams – Prisoner
    Moon Duo – Occult Architecture Vol. 1
    King Gizzard The Wizard Lizard with Mild High Club – Flying Microtonal Banana
    King Gizzard The Wizard Lizard with Mild High Club – Sketches Of Brunswick East
    King Gizzard The Wizard Lizard with Mild High Club – Polygondwanaland
    A Savage – Thawing Dawn
    Your Old Droog – PACKS
    Pond – The Weather
    Jen Cloher – Jen Cloher
    Liam Gallagher – As You Were
    Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Who Built The Moon?
    Ambrose Akinmusire – A Rift In Decorum: Live At The Village Vanguard
    Priests – Nothing Feels Natural

  14. 20 from me

    Morrissey – Low In High School
    Hans Zimmer – Live in Prague
    Ryan Adams – Prisoner
    Ian McNabb – Star Smile Strong
    Joan Shelley – Joan Shelley
    Miranda Lee Richards – Existential Beast
    Jeff Tweedy – Together At Last
    Alvvays – Antisocialites
    Neil Finn – Out of Silence
    Noel Gallagher – Who Built The Moon
    Susanne Sundfor – Music For People In Trouble
    Waterboys – Out of all this blue
    The National – Sleep Well Beast
    Grandaddy – Last Place
    Aimee Mann – Mental illness
    Spoon – Hot Thoughts
    Conor Oberst – Salutations
    The Shins – Heartworms
    Japanese Breakfast – Soft Sounds from Another Planet
    Michael Head – Adios Senor Pussycat

  15. Robert Plant – Carry Fire
    Todd Rundgren – White Knight
    The Waterboys – Out of All This Blue
    St Vincent – Masseduction
    Goldfrapp – Silver Eye
    1957 Tail Finn Fiasco – Not For Everyone
    Paul Weller – A Kind Revolution
    Paul Weller – Jawbone
    Out of Silence – Neil Finn
    Is This the Life We Really Want? – Roger Waters

  16. I don’t think I’ve bought 20 albums of ‘new’ this year but here is my selection:
    BBT – Grimspound
    BBT – The Second Brightest Star
    Jason Isbell – The Nashville Sound
    Little Steven – Soulfire
    Elbow – Little Fictions
    Ryan Adams – Prisoner
    Todd Rundgren – White Knight
    Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie
    Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley
    Van Morrison – Roll With The Punches
    Steve Winwood – Greatest Hits Live
    The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
    Jarrod Dickenson – Ready The Horses
    Paul Brady – Unfinished Business
    Midge Ure – Orchestrated
    Slow Meadow – Costero

  17. For a host of reasons which need not detain us, music has taken a very back seat this year. So, no chance of getting to 20; in fact there are but three which are genuinely new:

    Van Morrison – Roll With The Punches
    Steve Winwood – Greatest Hits Live
    Chris Rea – Road Songs For Lovers

    Of these, the Winwood is wondrous and amongst the best live recordings I’ve heard; the Chris Rea is a return to his ‘pop’ style and is insidiously melodic with some annoyingly persistent ear-worms; the Van Is more of the same really, frustratingly so. After what the Stones did last year, you would have thought he could have stepped up.

  18. I’m having some difficulty.
    I just can’t seem to get myself interested in listening to this year’s album crop.
    I am an old fart, getting fartier as the days, weeks and months pass and my tastes petrify. These selections are mostly from artists I’ve seen live this year.

    Obviously, The Disappointment Choir’s “Vows” is in my list because quite apart from them being people I know and respect, this is an enormous leap forward in terms of production, playing and songwriting. Simply stunning. The videos and even the album cover art are a step up. Very well done Bob and Katy. And p.s. my non-Afterword muso pals who heard it were impressed too.

    Matthew Bourne’s “Isotach” is his return-to-the-piano-after-playing around-with-vintage-Moogs album.
    Solo piano impressions of Yorkshire weather. Nils Frahm and Mary Anne Hobbs like it, I like it. He’s a good artist to hear play in a live setting too.

    Angèle David-Guillou’s “En Mouvement” is another good album by this London-based French lady who is well worth seeing if you should happen to notice she’s playing somewhere. A very worthwhile followup to her excellent “Kourouma” album from 2013.

    Sarah Angliss’ “Ealing Feeder” is worth a listen if you like theremins, robotic carillons and hand-built programmable stuff. Weird sort-of folky but with electronics. Good weird. Another artist to see live if you get the chance.

    The 2-CD reissue of Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Four 1971-1973 Trojan albums is a no-brainer, really. 53 tracks of roots music from the king of Dub. It’s essential listening.

    Kamasi Washington’s “Harmony Of Difference” continues in the same vein of soul-tinged jazz from his seminal (a critic’s word) monster “The Epic”. He’s the real thing. There will be more, I’m thinking.

    Spindle Ensemble’s “Bea” is very nice. When I saw them perform I saw a similarity to Tin Hat Trio, in that they have an off-the-wall rhythmic jazzy feel as well as a folky element to their music. They have a marimbist/vibraphonist, a cellist and a violinist, all female, and the guy who composes their music and plays piano and accordion. I love the sound of a marimba because of Ruth Underwood in Zappa’s 1973-’74 band. Nice to watch a good marimbist playing their instrument as, being quite a large lengthy instrument, it requires the player being pretty light upon their feet, akin to dancing at times.

    The Radiophonic Workshop’s album “Burials In Several Earths” is a double CD of 4 lengthy pieces and one short piece. Proper electronica from masters of the genre.

    “Peach” by Deerful is seemingly upbeat jangly synth-pop but there’s a dark undercurrent to it. The solo work of one Emma Winston, recorded in her living room in sunny Clapton, London. She does her own album art too, which is minimal and very effective.

    And that’s about it from me for 2017. I bought quite a few pre-2017 albums this year, but keeping up with what’s new, happening and relevant is just too tiring.

  19. Most of my year has been spent listening to albums from my own collection, a fair few records that were released between 1967 – 1970 (a lot of which has been new to me) and a handful of new releases from this year (around six?) so there’s no way I could do a top 20, let alone a top 10.

  20. And the votes are in from Carolina Towers, in alphabetical order:

    Aimee Mann – Mental Illness
    Bedouine (self titled)
    Caroline Spence – Spades and Roses
    Chris Price – Stop Talking
    Courtney Marie Andrews – Honest Life
    David Rawlings – Poor David’s Almanac
    Iron and Wine – Beast Epic
    Joan Shelley (self titled)
    John Moreland – Big Bad Luv
    Lizz Wright – Grace
    Lowland Hum – Thin
    Nadia Reid – Preservation
    Neil Finn – Out of Silence
    Rose Cousins – Natural Conclusion
    Secret Sisters – You Don’t Own Me
    The Unthanks – Diversions no 4, Songs and Poems of Molly Drake
    Wailin’ Jennys – Fifteen
    The Weather Station (self titled)

    Bubbling under: Quercus , Zervas and Pepper, Will Stratton, Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer, Nicole Adams, Rick Redbeard, Rhiannon Giddens, Julie Byrne, Karen Elson and Anna Tivel. (Am buying Phoebe Bridger for Xmas so not sure where that would fit in.)

    Some new releases by my fave artists would usually have made the list but I only really liked a few of their tracks this time so Noah Gundersen, Emily Barker and Dori Freeman weren’t on it.

  21. I didn’t think I had bought 20 new albums this year, and I was correct. I’ve never heard of about 75% of the artists already listed, so here’s my middle of the road, boring old fart’s list.

    Rab Noakes – The Treatment Tapes
    Michael Marra – Dubiety
    Michael Marra – The Midas Touch
    Michael Marra – High Sobriety
    Ryan Adams – Prisoner
    Alice Marra – Chain Up The Swings
    Jason Isbell – Nashville Sound
    Steve Earle – So You Wanna Be An Outlaw
    Son Volt – Notes Of Blue
    Justin Townes Earle – Kids In The Street
    Van Morrison- Roll With The Punches
    Paul Simon – Cocert In Hyde Park
    Randy Newman – Dark Matter
    Neil Young- Hitchhiker
    Ron Sexsmith- Last Rider
    Lucas Nelson and the Promise Of The Real
    Lucinda Williams – This Sweet Old World.

  22. Looking at these lists makes me realise that, although I thought I was pretty clued up on music, I’m not as I haven’t heard of a lot of these artists/bands. I have spent most of the year buying back catalogue stuff and box sets. Looks like I shall be spending a lot of time catching up !

    However of the stuff that was released in 2017 the following are worthy of mention :

    Metroland – 12 x 12
    Little Steven – Soulfire
    Ray Davies – Americana
    Pye Hastings – From the half way house
    Gaudi – Magnetic
    Sparks – Hippopotamus
    Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley
    The Treasure Isle Story
    Jethro Tull – Songs from the wood 40th anniversary edition
    Vangelis – Delectus box

  23. Emerging from my gold envelope are (in every particular order)

    Blue Rose Code – The Water of Leith
    Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit – The Nashville Sound
    Justin Townes Earle – Kids In The Street
    The Remedy Club – Lovers, Legends & Lost Causes
    Elbow – Little Fictions
    Ryan Adams – Prisoner
    Buckingham & McVie- Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie
    The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
    Jarrod Dickenson – Ready The Horses
    Danny & The Champions Of The World – Brilliant Light
    Sam Outlaw – Tenderheart
    Robert Plant – Carry Fire
    Rodney Crowell – Close Ties
    The XX – I See You
    Michael Head – Adios Senor Pussycat
    St Etienne – Home Counties
    Real Estate – In Mind

  24. Magnetic Fields – 50 Song Memoir
    Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley
    Disappointment Choir – Vows
    Jim White – Waffles, Triangles and Jesus
    Kamasi Washington – Harmony of Difference
    Jethro Tull – Songs From the Wood box set
    Lloyd McNeill Quartet – Asha
    Lloyd McNeill Quartet – Washington Suite
    Alice Coltrane – World Spirituality Classics 1
    Richard Thompson – Acoustic Classics 2
    Anna Calvi – Live at Meltdown
    Thelonious Monk – Les Liaisons Dangereux
    Unthanks – Diversions Vol. 4
    Grateful Dead – May 1977: Get Shown the Light
    Grateful Dead – Dave’s Picks vols. 21 – 24
    Michael Marra – High Sobriety
    Michael Marra – Dubiety

    • Mmmm … yes, very nice list, Lando.

      I must admit I wasn’t aware that the two Lloyd McNeill albums had been reissued this year. Both excellent, of course, particularly “Asha”, which is an absolute flute-jazz gem of all time.

      And Dave Lemieux did us Deadheads proud again this year, didn’t he? All in all, I was very satisfied with his four picks in 2017.

        • Re: Dave Lemieux’s seaside chats on YouTube about each upcoming Dave’s Picks release.

          Oh yes – they’re great.

          [affects Canadian accent] “Hi There! I’m Dave! And I’m here to tell you all ABOAT the next Dave’s Picks release. Dave’s Picks 35 from Dry Gulch, North Dakota, February 20th 1976. It’s just a GREAT SHOW. We’ve been meaning to put it out for years, but now we’re finally releasing it. I’ve been listening to it non-stop in the car for months, and it’s just an OUTSTANDING show. [turns around] Can you see the seals behind me? And the manatees. And I think I just saw a pelican. Sorry if it’s a bit windy. Can you hear me OK? Anyway, what was I saying. Oh, yeah. The Dry Gulch show. It’s been a favourite among Deadheads for years. Probably one of the four best shows in the magic month of February 76. And that’s saying something!” [continues in this vein for another 15 minutes].

  25. Aimee Mann – Mental Illness
    Various Artists – Twin Peaks (Music from the Limited Event Series)
    Max Richter – Three Worlds: Music from Woolf Works
    Dmitry Evgrafov – Comprehension of Light
    Father John Misty – Pure Comedy
    Four Tet – New Energy
    Lana Del Rey – Lust for Life
    LCD Soundsystem – american dream
    Mogwai – Every Country’s Sun
    Nelly Furtado – The Ride
    Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Wind River (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
    Ryan Adams – Prisoner
    St. Vincent – MASSEDUCTION
    Warren Ellis – Bad Girl

  26. What a great year for music – though slight nagging feeling I’ve left some important stuff off here. Anyway…

    Nicholas Payton – Afro-Caribbean mixtape
    Quercus – Nightfall
    Jazzmeia Horn – A social call
    Aaron Parks – Find the way
    Bill Charlap – Uptown downtown
    Zara McFarlane – Arise
    Tuxedo – II
    Anouar Brahem – Blue Maqams
    Eliane Elias – Dance of time
    Lee Ann Womack – The lonely, the lonesome and the gone
    Kim Tibbs – Kim
    Blue Heron – Music for the Peterhouse Partbooks
    Don Bryant – Don’t give up on love
    Fred Hersch – Open book
    Matthew Bourne – Isotach
    Max Richter – Three worlds – music from Woolf’s works
    Lizz Wright – Grace
    Cecile Mclorin Salvant – Dreams and daggers
    Benedikt Jahnkel – The Invariant
    Theo Bleckmann – Elegy

    And the next 10:
    Django Bates – Study of touch
    Dwight Trible/Matthew Halsall – Inspirations
    Hans Zimmer – Dunkirk soundtrack
    Dee Dee Bridgewater – Memphis, yes I’m ready
    Alan Broadbent – Developing story
    John Pizzarelli – Sinatra and Jobim @50
    Carmen Lundy – Code noir
    Tomasz Stanko – December Avenue
    Kennedy Administration – S/T
    Cyrus Chestnut – There’s a sweet, sweet spirit

    Reissues:
    Laura Nyro – A little magic, a little kindness – complete mono albums
    Dusty Springfield – The Complete Philadelphia Sessions – A Brand New Me
    Voices of East Harlem – S/T/Can you feel it
    Erasmo Carlos – Sonhos E Memorias 1941-72
    Leroy Hutson – Anthology

    • Lots of intriguing titles here, Morrison – as always.

      I was listening to some of the Fred Hersch album yesterday, actually, and it did indeed sound very fine.

    • I’ve been waive ring over Lizz Wright. Now, I think I’ll take the plunge. After all, I really enjoyed Kim on your recommendation, @Morrison.

      Have you heard Django Bates peppering up of Sgt. Pepper? That’s a lot of fun, too.

      • Lizz has made several people’s top 20 on here – no doubt she’s a great singer but her albums can be a bit samey with Joe Henry producing. Still, “Grace” is excellent and recommended. The Django thing sounds interesting – I’ll go give it a listen.

  27. In no particular order and subject to revision as I remember a few more of this years albums….

    Big Big Train – Grimspound
    Big Big Train – Second Brightest Star
    Steven Wilson – To The Bone
    Aimee Mann – Mental Illness
    Tiger Moth Tales – The Depths Of Winter
    Little Steven – Soulfire
    David Crosby – Sky Trails
    St. Vincent – Masseduction
    David Gilmour – Live At Pompei
    Chris Rea – Road Songs For Lovers
    Melanie De Biasio – Lilies
    Godspeed You! Black Emporer – Luceferian Towers
    Steve Winwood – Greatest Hits Live
    Foo Fighters – Concrete and Gold
    Black Country Communion – BCCIV
    Waterboys – Out Of All This Blue
    War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
    Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley
    The Dream Syndicate – How Did I Find Myself Here?
    Robert Plant – Carry Fire

    The one dissappointment of the year was the Arcade Fire album, which did not make my top twenty. I have loved all their previous albums, but somehow this one hasn’t hit home yet – some good tracks, but most of it washes over me.

  28. Quite a strong year, though as usual not so many albums have really stuck. Here are my top 15:

    Daniel Romano – Modern Pressure
    Charli XCX – Number 1 Angel
    Saint Etienne – Home Counties
    The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
    Real Estate – In Mind
    Beach Fossils – Somesault
    Alvvays – Antisocialites
    Strand Of Oaks – Hard :Love
    The Rails – Other People
    Sylvan Esso – What Now
    Car Seat Headrest – Teens Of Denial
    Alex Cameron – Foreced Witness
    Michael Head – Adios Senor Pusycat
    Phoebe Bridgers – Sranger In The Alps
    The Clientele – Music For The Age Of Miracles

  29. Every Valley – Public Service Broadcasting
    Foxygen – Hang
    The War on Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
    Valerie June – The Order of Time
    Slowdive – Slowdive
    Aimee Mann – Mental Illness
    Karen Elson – Double Roses
    The National – Sleep Well Beast
    Michael Head – Adios Senor Pussycat
    Colorama – Some Things Just Take Time

  30. Loved the year in music that has been 2017…here are my favourites in no order at all.

    The Blow Monkeys – The Wild River
    PP Arnold – The Turning Tide
    Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley
    New Street Adventure – Stubborn Sons
    Stone Foundation – Street Rituals
    Chris Stapleton – From a Room Vol 1
    Chris Stapleton – From a Room Vol 2
    Steve Winwood – Greatest Hits Live
    Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit – The Nashville Sound
    Lee Ann Womack – The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone
    Little Steven – Soulfire
    Pugwash – Silverlake
    Inna De Yard – The Soul of Jamaica
    The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understandinf
    Paul Weller – A Kind Revolution
    The XX – I See You
    Danny & The Champions of The World – Brilliant Light
    Liam Gallagher – As You were
    Grandaddy – Last Place
    The Waterboys – Out Of all This Blue

  31. As I burn my ears casing all these joints, am I alone in thinking the spread of taste is ever wider this year, suggesting the “average” AWista is not as definable or narrow as cliche dictates. I am uplifted by how many rate highly examples of what I call absolute tosh.

  32. Here we go;

    Nick Cave – Lovely Creatures (LP sequencing much better than CD/Digital sequence)
    Kevin Morby – City Music
    Ryan Adams – Prisoner
    St. Vincent – Masseduction
    Jeff Tweedy – Together at Last
    Kristin Hersh – Banjo’s Pavlova (Strange Angels subscriber instrumental collection)
    Beck – Colors
    The National – Sleep Well Beast
    Josh Ritter – Gathering
    Drive By Truckers – American Band
    Damien O’Kane – Avenging & Bright
    Billy Bragg – Bridges Not Walls
    Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott – Crooked Calypso
    Jason Isbell – The Nashville Sound
    Hurray For The Riff Raff – The Navigator
    Son volt – Notes Of Blue
    Torres – Three Futures
    London Grammar – Truth Is A Beautiful Thing
    Jolie Holland & Samantha Parton – Wildflower Blues
    Mogwai – Every Country’s Sun

  33. I’ve had a great year listening to all kinds of music this year. Jazz in 2017 is thriving. There is so much quality across a wide variety of styles. Best year for new Jazz since 1960, anyone? Zara just pips Vijay for the top slot but ten of my top thirty are Jazz.

    Zara McFarlane – Arise
    Vijay Iyer Sextet – Far From Over
    Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
    Pere Ubu – 20 Years In A Montana Missile Silo
    Sampha – Process
    Arca
    Melanie De Biasio – Lilies
    The Magnetic Fields – 50 Song Memoir
    Tinariwen – Elwan
    Blue Rose Code – Water Of Leith
    Mammal Hands – Shadow Work
    Roger Robinson – Dog Heart City
    Anouar Brahem – Blue Maqams
    Mavis Staples – If All I Was Was Black
    Trio Da Kali And Kronos Quartet – Ladilikan
    Slowdive
    Dreadzone – Dread Times
    Fever Ray- Plunge
    Tomasz Stańko New York Quartet – December Avenue
    Jlin – Black Origami

    Bubbling under:

    Jaimie Branch – Fly Or Die
    Spoon – Hot Thoughts
    Dele Sosimi – You No Fit Touch Am
    Four Tet – New Energy
    Robert Plant – Carry Fire
    Yazz Ahmed – La Saboteuse
    The Disappointment Choir – Vows
    Randy Newman – Dark Matter
    Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan – Small Town
    Hauschka – What If

    Finally, a mention for Run The Jewels 3. Released in the last week of December, missing out on last year’s best album charts and disqualified from this. Pity. It is a damn fine album.

  34. Last year at an earlier stage than this I correctly (if predictably) called Blackstar as finishing top of the poll. This year I have run all the so-far-in figures – blimey, Ryan Adams is a shoo-in! That’s bells you hear a-ringing!!

  35. And here’s mine, new in 2017, compilations, reissues and all. First six of them in a bit more heavy rotation than others, but I own them all in some format, mostly in vinyl, this being the year of my return to gramophone.

    1. Moritz von Oswald & Ordo Sakhna (my absolute favourite in 2017)
    2. Penguin Cafe – The Imperfect Sea
    3. Andrew Bird – Echolocations: River
    4. Chuck Prophet – Bobby Fuller died for your sins
    5. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – The Kid
    6. Elton John – 17-11-70 (Record store day vinyl reissue)

    7. Phoebe Bridgers – Stranger in the alps
    8. UNKLE – The Road: Part 1
    9. Hannah Peel – Mary Casio: Journey to Cassiopeia
    10. Kitty, Daisy & Lewis – Superscope
    11. Shroud Ritual – Five Suns
    12. Jah Wobble – The Lago years
    13. Bei Bei & Shawn Lee – Year of the funky
    14. Martin Hannett – Homage to Delia Derbyshire
    15. Various artists – Sounds from the well (Khaliphonic)
    16. Thelonious Monk – Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960
    17. Antologia de musica atipica Portuguesa vol.1: O Trabalho
    18. Jay Glass Dubs
    19. The Residents / Renaldo & The Loaf – Title in limbo
    20. Wolf Parade – Cry cry cry

  36. Not been out much or bought much lately – has that itch finally been scratched? Doubt it. Not been round here much either – it’s not you, it’s me….

    Here are my 2017 favourites – once again heavily biased towards those who I managed to see live. Fewer blokes and more art-school guitar jangle please.

    1. Surfer Blood – Snowdonia
    2. Pains of being Pure at Heart – Echo of Pleasure
    3. Magnetic Fields – 50 Song Memoir
    4. Jessica Hoop – Memories are Now
    5. Alvvays – Antisocialites
    6. Sparks – Hippopotamus
    7. Blondie – Pollinator
    8. Girl Ray – Earl Gray
    9. Wire – Silver/Lead
    10. Big Moon – Love in the 4th Dimension
    11. Moonlandingz – Interplanetary Class Classics
    12. Mountain Goats – Goths
    13. British Sea Power – Let the Dancers Inherit the Party.
    14. Mark Lanegan – Gargoyle
    15. Moon Duo – Occult Architecture

  37. OK. This was very difficult, but after a week of listening and pondering, these are my twenty:

    1. Loney Dear – Loney Dear
    2. Moses Sumney – Aromanticism
    3. John Moreland – Big Bad Luv
    4. Courtney Marie Andrews – Honest Life
    5. Aimee Mann – Mental Illness
    6. Jeff Tweedy – Together At Last
    7. Laura Marling – Semper Femina
    8. Aaron Lee Tasjan – Silver Tears
    9. Säkert! – Däggdjur
    10. Thåström – Centralmassivet
    11. Randy Newman – Dark Matter
    12. Flo Morrissey/Matthew E. White – Gentlewoman, Ruby Man
    13. Goran Kajfes Subtropic Arkestra – The Reason Why Vol. 3
    14. Rebecka Törnqvist (with Johan Lindström) – Home Secretary
    15. Kevin Morby – City Music
    16. Marc Almond – Shadows and Reflections
    17. Lizz Wright – Grace
    18. Hurray For The Riff Raff – The Navigator
    19. Pond – The Weather
    20. Rhiannon Giddens – Freedom Highway

    Almost there: Nadia Reid, The Weather Station, The Disappointment Choir, Iron & Wine, Gorillaz, Kendrick Lamar, Noah Gundersen, Tamikrest, Les Amazones d’Afrique, Orchestra Baobab, Cherry Glazerr, King Gizzard…, Joan Shelley, Galantis.

    • Interesting to see the Randy Newman album holding down the coveted no.11 spot in the Locust chart. Kaisfatdad and I will be going to see the Great Singer-Songwriter live at Skandiascenen in Stockholm in February. Will you be there too, till äventyrs?

    • After a week of listening to them I want to add Mavis Staples and Beck to my “almost there” mentions. If I had lived with them longer perhaps they could have made the Top Twenty as well, but it’s too early to tell if they’re as good as they seem to be, or if it’s just the thrill of the new that’s turning my head…

      Also, I’m a bit sad that Loney dear and Moses Sumney aren’t in any other lists…I expected it with Loney Dear (because he’s Swedish and this is a very Anglocentric place) but Moses Sumney?! You seriously need to listen to his album NOW. 🙂

      • Thanks for the heads -up re Loney Dear – I was unaware of his new album [playing now on Spotify, sounds good]
        Moses Sumney is in my longlist – I downloaded it from Emusic after hearing a track on 6music, it’s very much a ‘mood’ album, isn’t it? And despite having some stunning tracks I find it a little too much at times, and I haven’t listened right through often enough to put in my top twenty, but I can see it being a grower

        • Ah – well I’ve been in the right mood for a couple of months now! 🙂
          I’m glad Loney Dear has another fan (and that I’m not just speaking to myself… 😀 )

  38. Here’s mine
    Angaleena Presley – Wrangled
    Angel Olsen – Phases
    Dori Freeman – Letters Never Read
    Jaime Wyatt – Felony Blues
    Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – The Nashville Sound
    Joan Shelley -Joan Shelley
    Jolie Holland & Samantha Parton_-Wildflower Blues
    Los Straitjackets-Whats So Funny About Peace Love And Los Straitjackets
    Lucinda Williams – This Sweet Old World (2017)
    Lydia Loveless-Boy Crazy_And Singles
    Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives-Way Out West
    Mogwai-Every Country’s Sun
    Rodney Crowell – Close Ties
    Shelby Lynne & Allison Moorer – Not Dark Yet (Despite their version of “Lithium”)
    Steve Earle And The Dukes – So You Wannabe An Outlaw
    The Secret Sisters – You Don’t Own Me Anymore
    VA-Gentle Giants: The Songs of Don Williams.

  39. Not bought a great deal of “new” this year but hey ho:

    A Fever Dream – Everything Everything
    American Dream – LCD Soundsystem
    DAMN – Kendrick Lamar
    Colors – Beck
    Last Place – Grandaddy
    High Flying Birds – Who Built The Moon?

    Too early for Melodrama or St Vincent because I’ve just got them based on this list. A bit of AW confirmation bias coming up possibly. I may add these if I can listen to them enough before the deadline closes.

  40. Well here we are again, another good year for music? I’d give it 8.5/10.

    I’ve split mine, 10 new, 5 reissues, 5 comps and a bubbling under. If that’s okay?

    NEW

    1. Mary Casio – Journey To Cassiopeia
    2. The Magnetic Fields – 50 Song Memoir
    3. Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly & James McAlister – Planetarium
    4. The Brothers Briggs – The Brothers Briggs
    5. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Luciferian Towers
    6. Hadal Sherpa – Hadal Sherpa
    7. The Moonlandingz – Interplanetary Class Classics
    8. Laura Cannell – Hunter Huntress Hawker
    9. Richard Dawson – Peasant
    10. Ariel Pink – Dedicated To Bobby Jameson

    BUBBLING UNDER

    Penguin Cafe – The Imperfect Sea
    Jane Weaver – Modern Kosmology
    Moon Duo – Occult Architecture Vol 1 & 2
    The Belbury Circle – Outward Circle
    Children Of Alice – Children Of Alice
    Fleet Foxes – Crack Up
    The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
    Wire – Silver/Lead

    REISSUES

    1. Alice Coltrane – World Spirituality Classics 1
    2. David Bowie – A New Career In a New Town
    3. The Fall – Singles 1978-2016
    4. The Moomins – Soundtrack
    5. The Residents – 80 Aching Orphans ~ 45 Years Of The Residents

    BUBBLING UNDER

    DAF – DAS Ist DAF
    Pentangle – The Albums 1968-1972
    The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead
    Can – The Singles

    COMPLIATIONS

    1. English Weather (Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs Present)
    2. Marshmallow Skies (60s Pop Stars Flirt With Psychedelia)
    3. Even A Tree Can Shed Tears: Japanese Folk & Rock 1969-1973
    4. Warfaring Strangers: Acid Nightmares
    5. Noise Reduction System: Formative European Electronica (1974-1984)

    BUBBLING UNDER

    [Soul Jazz Records Presents] Space, Energy & Light: Experimental Electronic And Acoustic Soundscapes 1961-88
    Gary Crowley’s Punk and New Wave
    Gotta Get Up: The Songs Of Harry Nilsson 1965-1972
    Let The Electric Children Play: The Underground Story Of Transatlantic Records
    Manchester: North Of England ~ A Story Of Independent Music From Greater Manchester (1977-1993)
    Behind the Counter with Max Richer
    One Way Glass: Dancefloor Prog, Brit Jazz & Funky Folk: 1968-1975
    Seafaring Strangers: Private Yacht

    I hope that makes sense!

  41. Slow day, so I’ve started a playlist based on all this*. It’s collaborative, so the idea is – if folks have Spotify – when you’re bunging your favourites onto this thread you can also chuck selections from the albums onto the Spotty list… (if ya like, like)
    *to save meself, I kept it to one tune per album, despite multiple votes for same. It’s in the public domain now so you may abuse it as you wish…

    .. also – probably best shuffled unless you want a solid hour of jazz, folk or whatever that stuff Leicester listens to is called..

  42. Here are my top ten releases of the year (in no order)

    Beatles – Sgt Pepper (50th Anniversary)
    Stormzy – Gang Signs and Prayer
    Temples – Volcano
    Offa Rex – The Queen of Hearts
    Kendrick Lamar – DAMN!
    Father John Misty – Pure Comedy
    Declan McKenna – What Do You Think Of The Car?
    Everything Everything – A Fever Dream
    St. Vincent – Masseduction
    Arcade Fire – Everything Now

  43. Alright, I don’t think mine is going to change between now and the end of the month, so here it is. I’ve listened to a lot of music this year and I’d say more than 80% of that would be music I hadn’t heard before the start of the year, maybe 70% being music from this year. I’ve done a top 152, i.e. I’ve ranked all the albums I have (as part of a stupid project I decided was a good idea after last year’s poll). Here’s the top 50, cos 20 isn’t enough to cover the great albums from this year that deserve a mention. Actually, neither is 50, but you have to stop somewhere!

    For reasons of full disclosure, in other words if you want to disqualify them from the 20 that count, numbers 14, 18 and 22 are EPs, but long form EPs with 8 tracks plus. I haven’t included reissues and compilations though, to keep the top 20 from being full of Beatles, Dylan and Kraftwerk.

    1. Brother Ali – All The Beauty In This Whole Life
    2. Gary Numan – Savage (Songs From A Broken World)
    3. Lorde – Melodrama
    4. Kendrick Lamar – Damn
    5. Ghostpoet – Dark Days + Canapes
    6. Thurston Moore – Rock N Roll Consciousness
    7. Jane Weaver – Modern Kosmology
    8. Roger Waters – Is This The Life We Really Want?
    9. Binary Star – Waterworld 3
    10. Murs – Captain California
    11. The Charlatans – Different Days
    12. J Hus – Common Sense
    13. Emancipator – Baralku
    14. Showbiz & AG – Take It Back EP
    15. Wiley – Godfather
    16. Sampha – Process
    17. Nick Heyward – Woodland Echoes
    18. Dave – Game Over EP
    19. Lindstrom – It’s Alright Between Us As It Is
    20. Bonobo – Migration
    21. Devlin – The Devil In
    22. Skyzoo – Peddler Themes EP
    23. St. Vincent – Masseducation
    24. Dizzee Rascal – Raskit
    25. DJ Quik & Problem – Rosecrans
    26. Four Tet – New Energy
    27. Charlotte Gainsbourg – Rest
    28. Cigarettes After Sex – Cigarettes After Sex
    29. Thievery Corporation – The Temple of I & I
    30. Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer
    31. MC Eiht – Which Way Iz West
    32. Rapsody – Laila’s Wisdom
    33. Endless Boogie – Vibe Killer
    34. Apollo Brown & Planet Asia – Anchovies
    35. Future – HNDRXX
    36. Lana Del Rey – Lust For Life
    37. Grieves – Running Wild
    38. Depeche Mode – Spirit
    39. Bob Dylan – Triplicate
    40. Daniele Luppi & Parquet Courts – Milano
    41. Gucci Mane – Mr. Davis
    42. Dutch Uncles – Big Balloon
    43. Mogwai – Every Country’s Sun
    44. Talib Kweli – Radio Silence
    45. Oddisee – The Iceberg
    46. London Grammar – Truth Is A Beautiful Thing
    47. Goldfrapp – Silver Eye
    48. Loyle Carner – Yesterday’s Gone
    49. Verb T & Pitch 92 – Good Evening
    50. Slowdive – Slowdive

    Gary Numan was my number 1 for a while, as it is yet more evidence that he is making his best albums decades after his popular peak, but the more I listen to the Brother Ali album the better it sounds. His best since Shadows On The Sun. He’s my favourite politically active, blind, Albino, Muslim rapper. Actually, I didn’t need to say that, cos he’s one of my favourite rappers full stop, but I thought it might make a few more listen to him, if only out of curiosity. He is so good he should have crossed over to the mainstream by now and yet I’m not even seeing him in top hip hop album lists that are starting to appear. Bizarre.

    Looking at the rest of my list, I have only picked up Father John Misty and Nerina Pallot’s albums after seeing them in other peoples’ lists, so they may well jump up there after a few more listens. I’m a fan of Elton John and Father John Misty sounds like an American Elton John to me, on the strength of this album, as I haven’t heard any of his others yet. Also, Feist, Vince Staples, Tyler The Creator and Open Mike Eagle keep jumping up the list every time I listen to them, so they aren’t far away from knocking some of those out of the 50.

    • 1. I’ve added your (Paul Wad and Tony Japanese) new votes to the playlist – 450 different artists already and I reckon the majority are still to come!
      2. We do have quite the overlap in tastes, Mr W:
      Grieves✔️ (Bonnie And Clyde is one of my tunes of the year)
      Oddisee✔️
      J Hus✔️
      Binary Star✔️
      Stormzy✔️
      Ghostpoet✔️
      Talib Kweli✔️
      Wiley✔️
      are all in my top 75 with Murs just outside!

      • Ghostpoet’s one of the finds of the year. I saw him recommended somewhere and took an instant liking to him. Grieves is one of my favourite rappers, although I was shocked to see what he looked like when I recently bought special editions of a couple of his albums that had bonus DVDs. He looks as likely to be a great rapper as I do. Well, maybe a bit more than me… And Binary Star are fab too. I absolutely love Masters Of The Universe.

        If you like all those lot though, and haven’t heard all the other rap albums on my list, give them a go. The DJ Quik & Problem one surprised me, as I haven’t really taken to either of their previous work. Anything featuring Showbiz or Apollo Brown is usually of a high standard. Similar with Verb T, although some of his albums are far better than others. And I think Mr. Davis is my favourite of Gucci Mane’s since Mr. Zone 6, whilst MC Eiht’s album came out of nowhere and is great. A few more rap ones in there too that are worth a listen, if you haven’t heard them.

        • You’re right – I’ve not heard most of those yet. But have mercy – in the course of compiling the playlist I’ve already accumulated a stack of new music (some of it well out of my comfort zone) that’s piqued my interest and needs investigating…

    • LATE CHANGE

      If it’s not too much trouble, could you please drop Bonobo from my top 20 (or St Vincent if you had disqualified the EPs) and add Fin by Syd. It’s brill. I’d seen her name pop up as a featured artist on some of the albums I have, but had never listened to her own album, or The Internet. I was missing out. If you’re a fan of Frank Ocean check it out.

      I’ve also picked up Vic Mensa’s The Autobiography off Sewer Robot’s list which has crashed into my top 50, but not the top 20 just yet.

  44. Mavis Staples – If All I Was Was Black
    Liam Gallagher – As You Were
    Psychic Temple – IV
    Paul Weller – A Kind Revolution
    Jane Weaver – Modern Kosmology
    Beck – Colors

    (and looking forward to hearing the newies from Melanie De Biasio, Mick Head, Four Tet and War On Drugs this Xmas, but don’t count them in case they’re shite*)

    *Unlikely. Full terms and conditions on request.

  45. Jane Weaver is creeping up the ranking, methinks. Didn’t fully take to it on the proverbial 1 listen, so might give her another go. I like the descriptors of it i’ve read.

  46. Here are the votes from the Whalley Range jury:

    Penguin Cafe – Imperfect Sea
    Rhiannon Giddens – Freedom Highway
    Spoon – Hot Thoughts
    Aimee Mann – Mental Illness
    The National – Sleep Well Beast
    Jason Isbell – The Nashville Sound
    Alt J – Relaxer
    Sinkane – Life and Livin’ It
    Cigarettes After Sex – Cigarettes After Sex
    Washed Out – Mister Mellow
    Alice Coltrane – The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane
    Slowdive – Slowdive
    LCD Soundsystem – American Dream
    Big Thief – Capacity
    Jane Weaver – Modern Kosmology
    This Is The Kit – Moonshine Freeze
    Four Tet – New Energy
    The Barr Brothers – Queens of the Breakers
    Peaking Lights – The Fifth State of Consciousness
    Radiohead – OKNOTOK

      • What about the “will this do?” names? Cigarettes After Sex??? Who thunk that one up? The name put me off listening to their album until it starting to pop up on 2017 best album lists, but after listening it has become one of my favourites of the year too. There’s a band called Empire of the Sun who have had some good reviews too, but they have the double whammy of daft name and awful, cheesy album covers that totally put me off.

        • The good names are all taken, Paul. Only the shit ones are left.

          Now that everything ever recorded is going to be available forever, you can’t even recycle them.

  47. Trampolene – From Swansea to Hornsey
    Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band – Adios Senor Pussycat
    Wolf Alice – Visions of a Life
    St Vincent – Masseduction
    Little Steven – Soulfire
    The Charlatans – Different Days
    Paul Weller – A New Revolution
    Baxter Dury – Prince of Tears
    Steven Wilson – To The Bone

    Can’t think of too much other ‘new’ I’ve really enjoyed

  49. 20 more:

    Mary Halvorson – Meltframe
    Mary Halvorson – Dragon’s Head
    Mary Halvorson – Paimon: Book Of Angels (Zorn)
    John Zorn – The Interpretation Of Dreams
    John Zorn – Midsummer Moons
    Wadada Leo Smith – Wajaw
    Moppa Elliott – Mostly Other People Do The Killing
    Bill Frisell + Thomas Morgan – Small Town
    Songhoy Blues – Resistance
    The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
    Steve Winwood – Greatest Live
    Colin Harper – Titanium Flag
    Evie Sands – Any Way That You Want Me
    Jon Hassel – Dream Theory In Malaya
    The Beatles – Sgt Pepper (retooled)
    Alice Coltrane – World Spirituality Classics
    Joe Henderson – The Elements
    Keith Jarrett – The Survivors’ Suite
    Lee Scratch Perry – Trojan Albums box
    Pentangle – The Albums box

    A mixture of old and new stuff. Let me flag up my new discovery, totally smitten with Mary, whose scope could encompass Abercrombie/Fripp/Bailey/Hall/Sharrock /Ulmer/McLaughlin, you get the picture, all done with taste and restraint, all piled up in clusters or layed end to end. She’s the real thing, a guitar great WITH A BULLET, and she’s a woman!

  50. OK, after spending far too much time today vanishing off on “Oh, what about…” tangents, I’ve settled on – in no particular order – this lot.

    “Shame Spiral” – USA Nails
    “Brutalism” – Idles
    “Self Architect” – H Grimace
    “Swear I’m Good At This” – Diet Cig
    “Grow Up” – Desperate Journalist
    “Horse Of The Other World” – See Through Dresses
    “Stuck In The Outer Ring” – EMA
    “Guppy” – Charly Bliss
    “American Dream” – LCD Soundsystem
    “Paradoxical Chronicles” – Gemini Voice Archive
    “Welcome, Stranger!” – The Blue Aeroplanes
    “Try Not To Freak Out” – Slotface
    “Feel The Same” – Radio Slave
    “Seattle Gossip” – Who Is She?
    “A Simple Guide To Small And Medium Pond Life” – Pet Crow
    “II” – The Courtneys
    “Conflats” – Out Lines
    “Blue Field” – The Luxembourg Signal
    “Strike A Match” – Sacred Paws
    “Lost World” – Star Tropics

    Quite a few there haven’t popped up previously, so here’s a handy playlist if you’re interested

  51. Spent a fair amount of time going through the lists above in the hope of finding something to tickle my taste buds. It will come as no surprise to discover nothing really did.
    So a meagre list from me
    Lorde – Melodrama
    Jason Isbell – Nashville Sound
    Ryan Adams – Prisoner
    Neil Young – Hitchhiker
    Lucinda Williams – This Sweet Old World
    Taylor Swift – Reputation
    Aaron Watson – Vaquero

  53. Very much enjoyed reading your lists. Only two from me which don’t look like they’re set to trouble the top of the charts:

    Liars – TFCF
    Cabbage – Young, dumb, and full of…

  54. 1. Grandaddy – The Last Place (R.I.P Kevin Garcia)
    2. Real Estate – In Mind
    3. Pugwash – Silverlake
    4. Ian McNabb – Star Smile Strong
    5. Phil Odgers -Roll to the Left
    6. BNQT – Volume 1
    7. Crippled Black Phoenix – Bronze
    8. Rural Alberta Advantage- The Wild
    9. Arbouretum – Song of the Rose
    10. The Deep Dark Woods – Yarrow
    11. Blitzen Trapper – Wild and Reckless
    12. The Surfing Magazines.
    13.Neil Young – Hitchhiker
    14. Filthy Friends – Invitation
    15. Wand – Plum

  56. Here goes – a Top 10, in order:

    Pugwash – Silverlake
    Jason Isbell and 400 Unit – The Nashville Sound
    Aimee Mann – Mental Illness
    The Magpie Salute – The Magpie Salute
    Father John Misty – Pure Comedy
    The Inky Depths – Help Your Friends Recognise You
    Ryan Adams – Prisoner
    St Vincent – Masseduction
    Stage Door Guy – A Day in the Death Of…
    Jimmy Regal and the Royals – Jimmy Regal and the Royals

    I normally get CDs from this year over the Christmas period, so will be trying out the National, Mavis Staples, Neil Finn, Hurray for the Riff Raff etc etc – but I can’t pass judgment on a few tracks.

  57. 1. Sparks – Hippopotamus
    2. Hammock – Mysterium
    3. The Young’Uns – Strangers
    4. Laura Marling – Semper Femina
    5. A Winged Victory For The Sullen – Iris (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
    6. Father John Misty – Pure Comedy
    7. Randy Newman – Dark Matter
    8. The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
    9. Jarvis Cocker and Chilly Gonzales – Room 29
    10. Max Richter – Three Worlds: Music from Woolf Works
    11. LTO – Storybook
    12. Various Artists – Music From the American Epic Sessions
    13. I Fagiolini – Montiverdi: The Other Vespers
    14. Radiohead – OK Computer OKNOTOK
    15. Sufjan Stevens – The Greatest Gift
    16. Steps – Tears On The Dancefloor
    17. Thundercat – Drunk
    18. Peter Gregson – Quartets:Two
    19. Dustin O’Halloran – 3 Movements
    20. David Bowie – No Plan EP

  58. In very definite order…

    1. THE MAGNETIC FIELDS – 50 Song Memoir
    2. JENS LEKMAN – Life Will See You Now
    3. PHOEBE BRIDGERS – Stranger In The Alps
    4. MICHAEL HEAD AND THE RED ELASTIC BAND – Adios Senor Pussycat
    5. NEIL FINN – Out Of Silence
    6. AIMEE MANN – Mental Illness
    7. THE SHINS – Heartworms
    8. COURTNEY MARIE ANDREWS – Honest Life
    9. IRON & WINE – Beast Epic
    10. JASON ISBELL & THE 400 UNIT – The Nashville Sound
    11. PHOENIX – Ti Amo
    12. GRANDADDY – Last Place
    13. SAINT ETIENNE – Home Counties
    14. NICK HEYWARD – Woodland Echoes
    15. MARTIN CARR – New Shapes Of Life
    16. THE NATIONAL – Sleep Well Beast
    17. HURRAH FOR THE RIFF-RAFF – The Navigator
    18. LCD SOUNDSYSTEM – American Dream
    19. PUGWASH – Silverlake
    20. BEDOUINE – S/T

  59. Just gonna put up a couple because there are some (eg Chuck Prophet, Goldfrapp) which I just haven’t given enough headspace to yet.
    Laura Marling – Semper Femina. Glad to see I’m not alone in loving this.
    Larkin Poe – Peach. Seems I am alone in loving this.

    A quick mention for a bigozine2 download of Lukas Nelson & The Promise Of The Real live in San Francisco. An excellent recording made shortly after Tom Petty’s passing (hence the inclusion of American Girl in the set).

  60. In a blatant attempt to influence the result:-
    Mavis Staples – If All I Was Was Black
    Mavis Staples – If All I Was Was Black
    Mavis Staples – If All I Was Was Black
    Mavis Staples – If All I Was Was Black

    I haven’t heard much new this year but I’ve enjoyed what I have. Mainly it’s been
    Mavis Staples – If All I Was Was Black

  61. I like this system of just listing 20 without putting them in order of preference, which I find is an impossible task.
    I bought 21 x 2017 release CDs. Here are 20 of them in order of purchase.
    There might be some getting a first mention. I don’t know what that says about my tastes but I’m pleased with the list.
    Now marvel at my impeccable taste:
    1/ Chuck Prophet… Bobby Fuller Died For Your Sins
    2/ Kris Kristofferson…. The Austin Sessions (re-release of 1999 original)
    3/ Ryan Adams…. Prisoner
    4/ Robert Cray…. & Hi Rhythm
    5/ Angaleena Presley…..Wrangled
    6/ Chris Stapleton…. From A Room Vol. 1
    7/ Jason Isbell … The Nashville Sound
    8/ Dan Auerbach…. Waiting On A Song
    9/ Cody Chesnutt…. My Love Divine Degree
    10/ Sparks….. Hippopotamus
    11/ Sinkane…… Life & Livin’ It
    12/ The Waterboys… Out Of All This Blue
    13/ Nick Heyward…… Woodland Echoes
    14/ OMD……..The Punishment of Luxury
    15/ Beck……. Colours
    16/ Jim Lauderdale….. London Southern
    17/ Son Of Dave….. Music For Cop Shows
    18/ Chris Stapleton….. From A Room Vol. 2
    19/ Mavis Staples……. If All I Was Was Black
    20/ Michael McDonald…… Wide Open

    21st was Curse Of Lono – Severed, which I bought at the merchandise stand when they supported Chuck Prophet but I haven’t given it listening time yet.

    Merry Xmas to you all.

  62. There may be one or two that will be better that I hear over the next few days, but, hell, may as well draw a line somewhere…..
    In no order,
    Zara McFarlane/Arise
    Tokio Myers/Our Generation
    Tinariwen/Elwan
    Shelby Lynne & Allison Moorer/Not Dark Yet
    Robert Plant/Carry Fire
    Offa Rex/Queen of Hearts
    The National/Sleep Well Beast
    Milky Chance/Blossom
    Michael Head & the Red Elastic Band/Adios Senor Pussycat
    Michael Chapman/50
    Megan Henwood/River
    Laura Marling/Semper Femina
    Justin Currie/This Is My Kingdom Now
    Justin Adams feat. Anneli Drecker/Ribbons
    Four Tet/New Energy
    Forest Swords/Compassion
    Courtney Marie Andrews/Honest Life
    Brand New/Science Fiction
    Blue Rose Code/Water of Leith
    Balmorhoea/Clear Language
    My favourite? I think Michael Head snuck in and stole it from Blue Rose Code. It is a terrific album with echoes of Richard Hawley in the songs and the Byrds in the arrangements, topped by his(h) languid vocals(h)

  63. I’ll throw these into the mix. The first two absolutely my records of the year.

    Laura Marling Semper Femina
    Courtney Marie Andrews An Honest Life
    Neil Finn. Out of Silence
    Randy Newman. Dark Matter
    Rhiannon Giddens. Freedom Highway
    Valerie June. The Order of Time
    Conor Oberst. Salutations
    Bella Hardy. Hey Sammy
    Lucinda Williams. This Sweet Old World
    Ryan Adams. Prisoner
    Sampha. Process
    Tom Hickox. Monsters in the Deep
    Paul Weller. A Kind Revolution
    Rodney Crowell. Close Ties
    Aimee Mann. Mental Illness
    Hurray for the Riff Raff The Navigator
    Offa Rex. The Queen of Hearts

  64. The top ten in my list are, in order, my favourite albums of the year. Numbers 11 to 20 aren’t really sorted into any order.

    1) Amanda Ann Platt and The Honeycutters
    2) Hannah Aldridge – Gold Rush
    3) Caleb Caudle – Carolina Ghost
    4) Chastity Brown – Silhouette of Sirens
    5) Lucinda Williams – This Sweet Old World
    6) The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
    7) Aimee Mann – Mental Illness
    8) The Mastersons – Transient Lullaby
    9) Sam Outlaw – Tenderheart
    10) Ryan Adams – Prisoner
    11) Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit – The Nashville Sound
    12) Michael Chapman – 50
    13) Lily Hiatt – Trinity Lane
    14) Shelby Lynne & Allison Moorer – Not Dark Yet
    15) Chris Stapleton – From A Room Vol. 1
    16) Hurray for the Riff Raff – The Navigator
    17) David Rawlings – Poor David’s Almanac
    18) Rodney Crowell – Close Ties
    19) Danny & The Champions Of The World – Brilliant Light
    20) Hiss Golden Messenger – Hallelujah Anyhow

    Bubbling under: Bruce Cockburn – Bone On Bone; Samantha Fish – Chills and Fever; Karen Elon – Double Roses; Steve Wickham – Beekeeper

  65. Okey-dokey, as some of you may have seen on another thread, here are my Top 20.
    Looking at Declan’s chart, I see that two separate records from John Zorn’s 32-album “Book of Angels” series have now been nominated.

    1. Magnetic Fields – 50 Song Memoir
    2. Jake Xerxes Fussell – What in the Natural World
    3. John Zorn – Midsummer Moons
    4. Hampshire and Foat – Galaxies Like Grains of Sand
    5. Roger Robinson – Dog Heart City
    6. Michael Chapman – 50
    7. Lubomyr Melnyk – Illirion
    8. Trio Medieval & Arve Henriksen – Rímur
    9. Mammal Hands – Shadow Work
    10. Trio da Kali & Kronos Quartet – Ladilikan
    11. Elkhorn – The Black River
    12. Kamasi Washington – Harmony of Difference
    13. Offa Rex – The Queen of Hearts
    14. Lisas – Fiddle and Accordion Conversations
    15. Matti Bye – This Forgotten Land
    16. Garth Knox And The Saltarello Trio – Leonard: The Book of Angels 30
    17. Tinariwen – Elwan
    18. Dinosaur – Together, As One
    19. Afous D’Afous – Tenere
    20. Mark McGuire – Ideas of Beginnings

  66. Only Christmas Eve and the playlist has swelled past 550 entries. It’s striking how well what one might term country or Americana is represented in the end of year poll when we don’t seem to spend that much time talking about this music all year…(?)

        • Thank you too, @SteveT. It is very satisfying when you find something you really come to love, be appreciated elsewhere.
          Two more Honeycutters albums arrived, from Santa (On The Ropes and Me Oh My), so we have those to look forward to.

      • With respect, ‘all’ genres are met with a certain amount of distain from those who don’t appreciate them – Hip Hop, Metal, Prog even Pop for goodness sake gets short shrift at times – but come on guys and gals, we’re all grown ups aren’t we? If you like something then post away, don’t let the naysayers put you off.
        It never gets nasty here, so stand your ground and lets have more Americana/Hip-Hop/Jazz/Folk/Pop/Prog crossover posts 😉
        Happy Festivus!

      • Please stick to your guns @Carl. I am a yeasayer and want to hear about your new Americana favourites. My philosophy is that if I post something and one person here really likes it, then it was worth mentioning.

        For example. Neela and Locust sometimes post some real Swedish gems. The potential target audience is tiny (there are five people here who speak Swedish) but I am very glad they do.

        So embrace yea and ignore nay!

  67. I haven’t seen anyone mention this guy yet so I will because I enjoyed his album…

    Mike Oldfield – Return to Ommadawn

    And my other album of the year (although the songs played live sound about a million times better than the recorded versions):

    Robert Plant – Carry Fire

  69. Here are mine
    1. Sparks – Hippopotamus
    2. Whitney Rose – South Texas Suite
    3. Conor Oberst – Salutations
    4. Flat Worms – Flat Worms
    5. Chuck Prophet – Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins
    6. Angaleena Presley – Wrangled
    7. Whitney Rose – Rule 62
    8. Weaves – Wide Open
    9. Brix & The Extricated – Part 2
    10. BQNT – Volume 1
    11. The New Pornographers – Whiteout Conditions
    12. Maximo Park – Risk To Exist

    Whitney Rose has a had a big influence on my music listening this year. 6 track album South Texas Suite was brilliant and, at the supporting gig, she made me aware of Brennan Leigh. Subsequently Ms Leigh’s albums have probably been my most played of the year but none of them are new enough for inclusion here. Rule 62 was a slight disappointment but still good enough to be included.

  70. Not a huge amount purchased by me this year but most of it I’ve enjoyed.

    In no particular order of preference:

    British Sea Power – Let the Dancers Inherit the Party
    Eliza Carthy and the Wayward Band – Big Machine
    Feist – Pleasure
    Aimee Mann – Mental Illness
    Laura Marling – Semper Femina
    The National – Sleep Well Beast
    Queens of the Stone Age – Villians
    John Shuttleworth – The A1111 …… And Other Ones (if this is allowed)
    This is the Kit – Moonshine Freeze
    The Unthanks – The Songs and Poems of Molly Drake
    The War on Drug A Deeper Understanding

    I can’t include Elbow’s latest as it was something of a disappointment.

    • Top marks for including John Shuttleworth. I forgot about it otherwise it would have been in my ‘bubbling under’.

      Plus the A1111 is one of our favourite roads. A lovely drive between Alford and Sutton on Sea, which we’re looking forward to doing again in the Summer.

  71. I suspect I’ve missed a few good ones – still haven’t got around to the new Sparks for instance, and I’ve been catching up on some ‘old’ this year (which is unusual for me) – and got weirdly obsessed with the 70s Soft Machine and also Welsh Peel faves Datblygu –

    I’ve some good live bands and my tips for 2018 are a slightly terrifying post-punk band called Shame, a band signed to Heavenly called Britain who are basically Cocteau Twins when they had the drum machine, and a band called The Orielles who are ace and sound like The Pastels trying to cover ‘Discipline’-era King Crimson while on a rollercoaster (Seriously…they do).

    So..in no particular order :

    Slowdive – Slowdive (I was scared to play this in case it was as a let down – genuinely brilliant record and I’m starting to think this is their best record – it’s certainly the most perfectly formed and as utterly swoonsome as anything they’ve done)

    Ride – Weather Diaries – (Slowdive win the Shoegaze comeback trophy but only just – this has some absolute belters on it – try ‘Cali’ for instance – what a tune)

    The Horrors – V (Loveable skinny-jeaned, genre-hopping combo return – with added Pop hooks, a billion overdubs and no-nonsense Numanoid boogie – Disco-Goth Stadium Rock anyone?)

    Dutch Uncles – Big Balloon – (Another deliciously brilliant record from the Prog-pop geniuses – highlight is ‘Streetlight’ – a song about…er..a Streetlight)

    Novella – Change of State – (Excellent state of the nation address from Novella over superb driving, locked-groove rhythms and subtly weaving guitar interplay – they were another live highlight for me this year)

    China Crisis – Flaunt the Imperfection (2017 Reissue) (The Kirkby Steely Dan complete with actual Walter Becker – Why did nobody tell me how brilliant this record was?)

    Wire – Silver/Lead (Wire’s forward momentum continues for their 40th year, with the only real nod to their past being the typeface on the sleeve – keep up at the back)

    Lone – DJ Kicks – (Nottingham’s finest techno geezer compiles some absolutely cracking, spacey house tunes and some of his own bangers particularly ‘Saturday Night’ which – to paraphrase Alan Partridge – really encapsulates the feeling of a Saturday).

    Girl Ray – Earl Grey – (Delightfully left-field, beautifully constructed clever Indie* Pop – think Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, Marine Girls, The Pastels and the Raincoats – — *so now can we stop calling Noel/Liam, Kings of Leon and Kasabian “Indie” please)

    Actress – AZD – (the ex-West Brom player’s best LP I reckon – murky, weirdness which occasionally has outbreaks of tunefulness and there are beats on this one – way better than the forgettable gunk oozing from Aphex Twin HQ these days)

    Ulrika Spacek – Modern English Decoration – (Rubbish name – excellent band – gnarly noisy guitar pop like early Deerhunter and a strangely addictive listen)

    Mark Peters – Innerland – (Engineers main man solo project – dreamy, billowing guitars and subtle rhythms – RIYL early Spiritualized – bloody ace and only available on Bandcamp – if you’re quick get the tape which is in a box made to look like an Ordnance Survey Map)

    A Certain Ratio – To Each (2017 Reissue) – (reissued on Mute Records – a very underrated record- buy now if you like Joy Division, Talking Heads, The Pop Group, Brian Eno or indeed if you want to know where LCD Soundsystem got all their ideas from )

    Omni – Multi
    The Duke Spirit – The Sky is Mine
    Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band – Adios Senor Pussycat
    King Krule – The Ooz
    Moon Wiring Club – Tantalising Mews
    Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – The French Press
    Richard H.Kirk – Dasein

  72. Here`s mine. These are my definite 20 releases of 2017, none from the `70`s Peter, although two from the `60`s. Giles Martin`s Remix of Sgt. Pepper is IMHO an improvement
    although some may disagree but they are wrong. The Beach Boys-1967: Sunshine Tomorrow is probably the bargain release and is full of music to lift your spirits.

    Waterboys – Out Of All This Blue
    Beatles – Sgt. Pepper (Remix)
    Offa Rex – The Queen Of Hearts
    Jason Isbell – The Nashville Sound
    Hurray For The Riff Raff – The Navigator
    Valerie June – The Order Of Time
    Michael Head – Adios Senor Pussycat
    John Mellencamp – Sad Clowns & Hillbillies
    Beach Boys – 1967: Sunshine Tomorrow
    Big Big Train – The Second Brightest Star
    Arbouretum – Song Of The Rose
    Blue Rose Code – The Water Of Leith
    Robert Plant – Carry Fire
    Roger Waters – Is This The Life We Really Want?
    Chuck Prophet – Bobby Fuller Died For Your Sins
    Rhiannon Giddens – Freedom Highway
    Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley
    King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Flying Microtonal Banana
    John Moreland – Big Bad Luv
    David Crosby – Sky Trails

  73. I done a stupid.
    Thought the Idles album came out last year, when it was actually released in 2017. I’d say put it in my list at, oooh, number seven, and knock everything else down one, but I’m not sure it’d make any difference to the overall results, as only one other person seems to have mentioned it (hi, @deviant-808!). Consider this more of a PSA for anyone else who might be interested in a darkly funny, absolutely furious, post-punk racket. It’s a bit like what you might think the Fall sounded like if you’d only read reviews of their records and not heard any, only shoutier.

  74. I usually browse from my iPad which doesn’t have access to all my music, so I would miss something, but I’m on the Mac especially to add my list.

    Big Big Train – Grimspound (though not as good as Folklore)
    Daphne’s Flight – Knows Time, Knows Change (harmonies still great 20 years on)
    David Rawlings – Poor David’s Almanack (not my favourite album by him /them?)
    Georgia Lewis – The Bird Who Sings Freedom (Cover makes her look old and unattractive – she is neither, great band too)
    Jason Isbell – The Nashville Sound (Again not as good as the last two)
    Magnetic Fields – 50 Song Memoir (No song has overtaken my favourites from 69 love songs, but the overall consistency is better, I think)
    Margo Price – All American Made (I think I prefer this to her first)
    Mavis Staples – If All I Was WAs Black (Still deciding where I rank it among her recent albums)
    Neil Young – Hitchhiker (A return to form! Shame it takes a 40 year old recording to return to form)
    Nick Mulvay – Wake Up Now (Better than the first and I liked that one)
    Offa Rex – The Queen of Hearts (Lived up to expectations)
    Rhiannon Ghiddens – Freedom Highway (Timely follow up to her first – ‘Julie’ is remarkable)
    Richard Thompson – Acoustic Rarities (Worth it for ‘They Tore the Hippodrome Down’ alone)
    Robert Plant – Carry Fire (Love the groove)
    Sarah Shook & The Disarmers – Sidelong (Technically a re-issue but it was the first full release and I heard it as such- “I’m drinking water tonight cuz I drank all the whiskey this morning”)
    Secret Sisters – You Don’t Own Me Anymore (Love the harmonies – great album after the fight they had to make it)
    Sharon Jones – Soul of a Woman (One of the losses of the year)
    Songhoy Blues – Resistance (Probably prefer the previous album at the moment)
    Tamikrest – Kidal (What Tanariem used to be)
    The War on Drugs – A Deeper Understanding (Loved it from the first hearing)

  75. Laura MARLING Semper Femina
    Shelby LYNNE & Alison MOORER Not Dark Yet
    Mick HEAD Adios Senor Pussycat
    Kate BUSH Before The Dawn
    Ryan ADAMS Prisoner
    SAINT ETIENNE Home Counties
    ST. VINCENT Masseduction
    CHARLATANS Different Days
    ELBOW Little Fictions

  76. How the hell do you lot find the time to absorb this much new music in a year???? Most of you seem to be listening to more music on an annual basis than I manage do during my apparent peak years of 20 – 30! (i.e. Pre wife, pre kids!!)

    • Disposable income plus retirement multiplied by chronic addiction equals these monstrous lists of music you and I will never hear… or indeed hear of again.

      By way of balance, I only listened to two new albums this year and I didn’t think either of them were much kop.

      • I can only assume that the compilers of these vast lists won’t listen to them much again either. There just can’t be time. They’ve got to get working on all the stuff that’s going to end up in next year’s list.

        I tend to need to give a new album that I like on first listen a few goes before I can know if it’s a keeper. That process in itself can take a couple of weeks, because I don’t typically have more than 20 mins listening time at any one sitting. No idea how anyone with a job and a family gets to listen to hours and hours of music a week, let alone enough to come up with ~20 albums that represent the selected cream of the year’s listening. Must be nice! I suppose some folk might have their own office, or work from home?

        • The commute, and walking the dog are enormously helpful. As is streaming of course. I could never have listened to as many new records as I do now in the past because I would never have bought so many. Many are superficial and cursory listens, perhaps just listening once and deciding I can’t be bothered to give it any more time.but those that pique a real interest will get several listens, and will often be bought on CD.

          As for how many I’ll keep listening to – well, maybe three or four from the year? But thats probabaly true of records from most years. There are several records I bought in the 70s and 80s, for example, that mean a lot to me, but that I hardly ever play now.

        • Well, having a job isn’t too much of a barrier to listening these days. I listen more now than I did back in my teens and twenties when listening was pretty much confined to home or car. These days, I can get on with my job (writing software) and listen to several albums a day from my MP3 player. Having music on in an open plan office (although I generally approve of them) helps me concentrate. Depending on the job I’m doing, some days I can get through 7 or 8 albums, other days, none.

        • I make time for music Bob. I work hard all week and no music at work but my spare time is mostly musical. We don’t have kids (although I know parents who are just as obsessive about music as I am who could name 20 faves of 2017 too) but also I’m not really one for TV, I don’t follow sports – music is my passion and if I’m not listening to it, I’m reading about it, scuffling around in record shops buying it or sat in front of a mixing desk making it. It’s no chore, and this isn’t about making a list of cool records to show off how ‘in touch’ I am (I literally couldn’t give a flying fuck about that – especially on The Afterword). Music is my passion in life – and I’ve picked some records I enjoyed to share with y’all.

        • It’s priorities, innit? I listen to a lot of music, but I’ve been reading the TV thread and I’ve not even heard of half the programmes mentioned in there, let alone watch them.

    • The daily grind of washing up.
      This allows approx half hours listening per day, which is probably 2 and a half albums per week.
      Add in the weekend chores of cleaning, laundry and cooking which adds at least 3 more albums time.
      It’s not all new stuff – sometimes a “comfy classic” is on the spin.

      As for “keepers” I would estimate a bit rate of about 10 to 20% which will get regular replays in future times

      • I can only list five, this year:
        The National – sleep well beast
        The Afghan Whigs – in spades
        The Arcade Fire – I can’t remember it’s title
        Lorde – melodrama
        St Vincent – Masseduction
        And I haven’t actually heard two of them.

    • Two reasons I listen to so much new music. Firstly, I’m no longer working, so I have a lot of time on my hands. But mainly, I have stopped being as blinkered with my musical tastes. I already thought I had pretty wide tastes (then again, everybody does!), but by being a little more open minded I realised there is loads of new music out there that is great. Sometimes you just have to dig a little deeper.

      Obviously, hip hop and grime has been my main passion for the past couple of years, but not the pop rap that is in the charts and on most of the music channels. I am really enjoying one of the directions that R&B is moving in. Again, not necessarily the stuff in the charts, but artists such as Frank Ocean, Syd, Sampha, Anderson .Paak, The Weeknd, etc. Contemporary R&B seems to be the title given to it.

  77. Hi Baron
    Only six from me i’m afraid – somr of this years releases are still in my unplayed pile…

    Steve Earle – So You Wanna Be An Outlaw
    Elbow – Little Fictions
    Songhoy Blues – Resistance
    Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie
    Jason Isbell – The Nashville Sound
    Roger Waters – Is This The Life We Really Want?

  78. Ten from me. As usual, there’s far more I just haven’t had the time to get to yet.
    1. LCD Soundsystem – American Dream
    2. Penguin Cafe – The Imperfect Sea
    3. Godspeed You Black Emperor – Luciferian Towers
    4. Feist – Pleasure
    5. Grizzly Bear – Painted Ruins
    6. Four Tet – New Energy
    7. Ride – Weather Diaries
    8. The National – Sleep Well Beast
    9. Phoebe Bridgers – Stranger in the Alps
    10. Bjork – Utopia

  79. 2017 in order

    The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
    Hiss Golden Messenger – Halelujah Anyhow
    Laura Marling – Semper Femina
    London Grammar – Truth is a Beautiful Thing
    Fleet Foxes – Crack-up
    Jane Weaver – Modern Kosmology
    Bonobo – Migration
    Elbow – Little Fictions
    Ryan Adams – Prisoner
    Julie Byrne – Not Even Happiness

    Orchestra Baobab – Tribute to Ndiouga Dieng
    Ondatrópica – Baile Bucanero
    Nadia Reid – Preservation
    William The Conqueror – Proud Disturber of The Peace
    Danny & The Champions of The World – Brilliant Light
    John Moreland – Big Bad Luv
    Quantic & Nidia Góngora – Curao
    Thundercat – Drunk
    This is The Kit – Moonshine Freeze
    The National – Sleep Well Beast

    Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile – Lotta Sea Lice
    Cigarettes After Sex – Cigarettes After Sex
    Mac Demarco – This Old Dog
    St. Vincent – Masseduction
    Chris Bathgate – Dizzy seas
    Kevin Morby – City Music
    Aldous Harding – Party
    Phoebe Bridgers – Stranger in The Alps
    Loney, Dear – Loney Dear
    Moses Sumney – Aromanticism

  80. Here’s mine. Listened to quite a bit of new this year thanks to joining the Rough Trade club and hammering Spotify whilst doing seemingly endless decorating at my lad’s new house…

    Baxter Dury – Prince Of Tears (my fave of the year, I think)
    Childhood – Universal High
    Jane Weaver – Modern Kosmology
    This Is The Kit – Moonshine Freeze
    Girl Ray – Earl Grey
    Paul Draper – Spooky Action
    Grandaddy – Last Place
    Lost Horizons – Ojala
    Michael Head – Adios Senor Pussycat
    Sleaford Mods – English Tapas
    Menace Beach – Lemon Memory
    Mac DeMarco – This Old Dog
    Hercules and the Love Affair – Omnion
    Sharon Jones/ Dap Kings – Soul of a Woman
    The Clientele – Music for the Age of Miracles
    Tennis – Unconditionally Yours
    Various – English Weather
    Super Furry Animals – Radiator re-issue
    XTC – Black Sea re-issue

  81. Alphabeticaly…

    Alice Cooper – Paranormal
    Billy Bragg – Bridges Not Walls
    Bjork – Utopia
    Connor Oberst – Salutations
    Father John Misty – Pure Comedy
    Gad Whip – Trapped In A Pinhole Camera
    Grandaddy – Last Place
    Jarvis Cocker and Chilly Gonzales – Room 29
    Jim White – Waffles Triangles & Jesus
    Jinder – Presents Kingsize Blackfoot
    Peter Hammill – From The Trees
    Prodigal Scum – Filthy Steps
    Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley
    Sleaford Mods – English Tapas
    Sparks -Hippotoamus
    Tinariwen – Elwan
    The Unthanks – The Songs and Poems of Molly Drake
    The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding

  82. Couldn’t quite get to 20 but these are my favourite 16 …

    Arcade Fire – Everything Now
    Bjork – Utopia
    The Clientele – Music for the Age of Miracles
    Eliza Carthy & The Wayward Band – Big Machine
    Jon Boden – Afterglow
    Kate Rusby – Angels and Men
    Laura Marling – Semper Femina
    Lorde – Melodrama
    Mike Oldfield – Return to Ommadawn
    OMD – The Punishment of Luxury
    Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley
    Saint Etienne – Home Counties
    Steven Wilson – To the Bone
    Tiger Moth Tales – The Depths of Winter
    Tom Rogerson with Brian Eno – Finding Shore
    U2 – Songs of Experience

  83. When do we get to start a list for those we missed in time? Belatedly popped the Boho/Unshod 2017 best of’s in the car and now there are several I want to listen to including (@bricameron ‘s top tip) Juana Molina and Chuck Johnson, as well as getting around to WoDs latest, which I had mistakenly filed under probably just more of the same, despite including the last in my 2015s list of the best.
    Heard a track from that LCD and thought it was one of the tracks I had already dissed in my underwhelmed OMITD opinion.

  84. 2017

    The Nashville Sound – Jason Isbell and 400 Unit. My most played and favorite of the year. I would argue this is a strong as his latest two albums – less personal – “had enough of the white man blues -sang enough about myself” – but still wonderfully written and played with the 400 Unit. Saw them in Nashville at the Ryman in November and damn they were GOOD.

    and the rest –

    A Deeper Understanding – War on Drugs
    Cigarettes After Sex – CAS
    Poor Davids Almanac – David Rawlings
    Boy Crazy and Single(s) – Lydia Loveless
    Sleep Well Beast – The National
    Carry Fire -Robert Plant
    Faith In The Future – Craig Finn – (God In Chicago – song of the year!)
    Not Dark Yet – Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer
    Gold Rush – Hannah Aldridge (thank you @Carl – and keep on championing the “Americana” and I will too!)
    Prisoner – Ryan Adams
    Trinity Lane – Lily Hyatt – I was there on Tuesday

  85. My relatively mainstream top 20 – order pretty much arbitrary but not quite, if you get my drift:

    1. Colours – Beck
    2. American Dream – LCD Soundsystem
    3. Together, As One – Dinosaur
    4. To The Bone – Steven Wilson
    5. A Deeper Understanding – The War On Drugs
    6. Pocketful Of Stones – Hue & Cry
    7. The Way Is Read – The Staves / YMusic
    8. MASSEDUCTION – St. Vincent
    9. This Is My Kingdom Now – Justin Currie
    10. New Energy – Four Tet
    11. The Nashville Sound – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
    12. Every Valley – Public Service Broadcasting
    13. Titanium Flag (2017 Remaster) – Colin Harper
    14. Automaton – Jamiroquai (yes, really)
    15. Sad Dad Cruise Ship – David Vertesi (PLEASE, someone else listen to this!)
    16. Folklore – Big Big Train
    17. Tears On The Dancefloor – Steps (yes, really!)
    18. 50 Song Memoir – The Magnetic Fields
    19. Black Sea (Steven Wilson Remix) – XTC
    20. Sgt Pepper 2017 – HJHs

    Outside of those, quite a lot of “new to me” early/mid 70’s stuff (including the S.Wilson Gentle Giant) and continuing to grow into (I’m 57!) Jazz and Grateful Dead (inspired mainly by this place)

    I also started listening to the Spotify playlist – got a dozen or so tracks in and liked them all but fuck me – 500+ tracks – I need to work less.

  86. 1. Boo Hewerdine – Swimming in Mercury. I know plenty who don’t like this album but I love it. After what I thought were a couple of water-treading “worthy but dull” folk albums, he’s gone pop – drums, electric bass, skronky keyboards and all. “I decided to have fun recording” he said, and it shows.

    2. The Disappointment Choir – Vows. ‘Nuff said.

    3. Helen & The Neighbourhood Dogs – Nelson EP. I engineered this, so I have “investment”. We’ll do an album one day (or probably several days).

    4. Emily Barker – Sweet Kind Of Blue. I like that every album she makes is different, this one recorded in Memphis. I don’t think she’ll ever better the-low-country debut album though, but I’m pleased she keeps trying.

    5. Mavis Staples – If All I Was Was Black

    Reissues in no particular order:

    Fabs – Sgt Pepper
    Bowie – A new career in a new town
    Prince – Purple Rain
    Curve – Doppleganger & Cuckoo
    Radiohead – OKNOTOK
    James – Justhipper
    XTC – Black Music
    Brian Eno – first 4 albums on half-speed mastered vinyl
    Abba – Abba the Album on half-speed mastered vinyl
    Nick Cave – Lovely Creatures
    Lloyd Cole – In New York
    Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry & The Upsetters – The Trojan Albums Collection 1971-1973
    VA – New Order presents Be Music
    VA – Manchester North of England

    New to me in 2017:

    Steve Reich – Radio Rewrite. From 2015. I heard the track featuring Jonny Greenwood on Desert Island Discs.

    I honestly don’t feel like I’ve listened to much new music this year (I bought new gear on Feb and have been working through back catalogue), but looking at the above list I haven’t done badly.

  87. Sparks – Hippopotamus
    Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan – Small Town
    Childish Gambino – Awaken My Love!
    Jane Weaver – Modern Kosmology
    Hawkwind – Into the Woods
    Tinariwen – Elwan
    Robert Plant – Carry Fire
    Rodrigo Leao & Scott Matthew – Life is Long
    Darren Hayman – Thankful Villages Vol 2
    Penguin Cafe – The Imperfect Sea

  88. My list moved over from the SteveT thread. Got a couple of new entries/rsubstitutions, which it appears I am allowed if moving thread. Hope that’s OK.

    1. Aldous Harding – Party (easily #1)
    2. Father John Misty – Pure Comedy (#2)

    And in no particular order…

    3. LCD Soundsystem – American Dream
    4. The National – Sleep Well Beast
    5. Hurray for the Riff Raff – The Navigator
    6. Robert Plant – Carry Fire
    7. St Vincent – Masseduction
    8. Jeff Tweedy – Together At Last
    9. Hitchhiker – Neil young
    10. Moonlandingz- Interplanetary Class Classics
    11. Jane Weaver: Modern Kosmology
    12. Songhoy Blues – Resistance
    13. Peasant – Richard dawson
    14. Freedom Highway – Rhiannon Giddens
    15. Prince of teens – Baxter Drury
    16. Steve Winwood – Greatest Hits Live
    17. Little Steven – Soulfire
    18. Mavis Staples – If All I Was Was Black
    19. Margo Price – All American Made
    20. Steve Earle – So You Wanna Be An Outlaw

    • ooh, I’m doing the same, good idea.

      1. Phoebe Bridgers – Stranger In The Alps
      2. The National – Sleep Well Beast
      3. Japandroids – Near To The Wild Heart Of Life
      4. Ezra Collective – Juan Pablo The Philosopher
      5. Afghan Whigs – In Spades
      6. Kölsch – 1989 (epic melancholy string drenched techno / progressive house, completely aces.)
      7. Waxahatchee – Out In The Storm
      8. Idles – Brutalism
      9. Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley
      10. Four Tet – New Energy
      11. Protomartyr – Relatives In Descent (shouty shouty bang bang)
      12. Hannah Peel – Mary Casio: Journey To Cassiopeia (brass band and vintage synths going cosmic)
      13. Chris Forsyth – Dreaming In The Non-Dream (motorik guitar freakouts)
      14. Solstafir – Berdreyminn (post-metal, bit goth)
      15. Converge – The Dusk In Us
      16. Algiers – The Underside Of Power (fearsome punk soul)
      17. Pumarosa – The Witch
      18. Jane Weaver – Modern Kosmology
      19. Wrongtom & The Ragga Twins – In Time (digital dancehall)
      20. Cloud Nothings – Life Without Sound (US indie rock)

      Basically, if your album had the word “in” in the title, I probably liked it.

    • @RedLemon I have 12 of those on your list which might be more than on anyone else list which suggests we have a common interest until I see Father John Misty on your list. I liked his first, his second remains on the shelf unplayed since the first couple of times I heard it. This last one is a step too far for me. The guy has become annoying in the extreme. Fuck me does he haver an inflated ego or what?

      • I listened to his 2nd album on recommendation from somewhere or other and liked it enough to look forward to the 3rd. Have to say, I found it hard work and monotonous, but I have come to really like it. It’s a real grower for me.

        His ego’s best viewed live, with full band and strings IMO 🙂

  89. Jason Isbell and 400 Unit – The Nashville Sound
    War on Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
    Jane Weaver: Modern Kosmology
    Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley
    Little Steven – Soulfire
    The Disappointment Choir – Vows
    Wolf Alice – Visions of a Life
    Steven Wilson – To The Bone

  90. Bicep – Bicep
    Bonobo – Migration
    Phoebe Bridgers – Stranger In The Alps
    Hiss Golden Messenger – Hallelujah Anyhow
    Jason Isbell – The Nashville Sound
    LCD Soundsystem – American Dream
    Pains of Being Pure At Heart – Echo of Pleasure
    Slowdive – Slowdive
    Waxahatchee – Out In The Storm
    Jane Weaver – Modern Kosmology
    These were the albums I listened to enough to convince me they were quality rather than just novelty

  91. The definitive Update (replacing earlier posting on SteveT blog)

    1. Conor Oberst – Salutations
    2. Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley
    3. Len Price 3 – Kentish Longtails
    4. Sparks – Hippopotamus
    5. Paul Weller – A Kind Revolution
    6. The Professionals – What In The World
    7. Noel Gallagher – Who Built The Moon
    8. Sharks – Killers Of The Deep
    9. The Disappointment Choir – Vows
    10. Steven Wilson – To The Bone
    11. John Otway and The Big Band – Montserrat
    12. Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbot – Crooked Calypso
    13. Declan McKenna – What Do You Think Of The Car?
    14. Liam Gallagher – As You Were
    15. U2 – Songs Of Experience
    16. Courtney Barnett/Kurt Vile – Lotta Sea Lice

  92. I’ve been trying to buy less and listen more so the top eleven have all been well consumed and on rotation at times. Generally I think it’s been a good year.

    1. Offa Rex – Queen of Hearts
    2. Jason Isbell – Nashville Sound
    3. Steven Wilson – To the Bone
    4. Floating Points – Mojave
    5. St Vincent – Masseduction
    6. Disappointment Choir – Vows
    7. Lydia Ainsworth – Darling of the Afterglow
    8. Songhoy Blues – Resistance
    9. Angeleena Presley – Wrangled
    10. Spoon – Hot Thoughts
    11. Colin Harper – Titanium Flag (remaster)
    12. Hurray for the Riff Raff – The Navigator
    13. Four Tet – New Energy
    14. Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley
    15. Hannah Peel – Mary Casio: Journey to Cassiopeia
    16. The Secret Sisters – You don’t own me anymore
    17. Coutney Marie Andrews – Honest Life
    18. Margo Price – All American Made
    19. Jane Weaver – Modern Kosmology
    20. The Weather Station – The Weather Station

    Reissues
    1. Beatles – Sgt Pepper
    2. Radiohead – OKNOTOK
    3. Lal & Mike Waterson – Bright Phoebus

  93. As usual I haven’t heard 20 new releases in a year. These are the ones I have liked.

    Album of the year for me is Ondatropica – Baile Bucanero. It’s 5 years since their first album, Quantic has been busy. This is their best.
    The rest in no particular order:
    Bio Mira – Marimba Del Pacifico
    M.A.K.U. Sound System – Mezcla
    Dayme Arocena _ Cubafonia
    Mokoomba – Luyando
    La Mambanegra – El Callegüeso y Su Mala Maña
    Quantic & Nidia Congora – Curao
    Eddie Palmieri – Sabiduria (Wisdom)
    The Hot 8 Brass Band – On The Spot

    Compilations starting with my favourite
    Soul Of A Nation: Afro-Centric Visions in the Age of Black Power Underground Jazz, Street Funk & The Roots of Rap 1968-79
    Studio One Supreme Maximum 70s and 80s Early Dancehall Sounds
    Let’s Do The Boogaloo – infectious American dance music that united soul, jazz and latin.
    The Men In The Glass Booth – Ground breaking re-edits and remixes by the disco era’s most influential DJs.
    Leroy Hutson – Anthology 1972 – 1984

  94. There’s 50 here, but the first 20 are definitely my most played

    Big Thief – Capacity (Mythological Beauty just slays me)
    Wand – Plum
    Protomartyr – Relatives In Descent
    Malojian – Let Your Weirdness Carry You Home (wonderful Irish band championed by the late great Willie Meighan of Rollercoaster Records in Kilkenny. R.I.P. Willie & thank you. x)
    Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton – Choir Of The Mind
    Frankie & The Witch Fingers – Brain Telephone (One I bought just cos of the cover. Channeling the spirit o’ Roky Erickson & all those great 60’s garage bands. I love it. My fave doing the washing up album)
    http://larecord.com/listen-2/2017/09/11/album-premiere-frankie-and-the-witch-fingers-brain-telephone
    David Corley – Zero Moon
    John Murry – A Short History Of Decay
    Mac DeMarco – This Old Dog
    PP Arnold – The Turning Tide

    King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Flying Microtonal Banana
    King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Murder Of The Universe
    John Moreland – Big Bad Luv
    Courtney Marie Andrews – Honest Life
    Aaron Lee Tasjan – Silver Tears (thought this was from 2016, until I saw it on Locust’s list. Checked, & the UK release was Jan 6th 2017)
    Seamus Fogarty – The Curious Hand (Short Ballad For A Long Man’d do it on it’s own)
    Open Mike Eagle – Brick Body Kids Still Daydream
    Melkbelly – Nothing Valley
    Joseph Huber – The Suffering Stage (anyone who’s a fan o’ John Moreland or similar should check this out)
    Cheveu & Group Doueh – Dakhla Saharah Session

    Oumou Sangare – Magoya
    Hiss Golden Messenger – Hallelujah Anyhow
    Hugh Christopher Brown – Pacem
    Jason Lowenstein – Spooky Action
    Kevin Morby – City Music
    Grandaddy – Last Place
    OCS – Memory of A Cut Off Head
    Blitzen Trapper – Wild & Reckless
    Ty Segall – Ty Segall
    David Rawlings – Poor David’s Almanac

    Lankum – Between The Earth & Sky
    Richard Dawson – Peasant
    R. Stevie Moore / Jason Falkner – Make It Be
    The Mountain Goats – Goths
    Flat Worms – Flat Worms
    Mister Heavenly – Boxing The Moonlight
    Mattiel – Mattiel
    Mount Eerie – A Crow Looked at Me (heartbreaking album, almost too painful to listen to, am in tears through most of it)
    Oh Sees – Orc
    Laura Marling – Semper Femina

    Strand of Oaks – Hard Love
    Ian Felice – In the Kingdom of Dreams
    Cloud Nothings – Life Without Sound
    Chad VanGaalen – Light Information
    David Bazan – Care
    Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile – Lotta Sea Lice
    Dr. Dog – Abandoned Mansion
    Ted Leo – The Hanged Man
    The Rural Alberta Advantage – The Wild
    Simon Joyner – Step into the Earthquake

      • Thank for the reminder @kid-dynamite. I nearly forgot! I tried to book tix when they announced it but they weren’t up for sale yet & in all the xmastide melee I forgot!! I knew there was something I was forgetting (there’s probably a dozen others). Now rectified! Open Mike Eagle playin’ at the Fleece too in March (Dunno if yer a fan) & Wand end o’ Jan at the Louisiana, though that’s sold out, but dunno if that’s yer thing either anyhow. Maybe see ya at least one of ’em!

        • Yeah, I’m going to get my skates on and get the Protomartyr tickets. There’s two other upcoming gigs I wanted to get to that have now sold out, so I need to get moving. Don’t know Open Mike Eagle, but I’m giving him a spin now on Bandcamp and he sounds pretty good so far.

  95. THAT`S IT NO MORE POSTS ON THIS BLOG. I`VE COLLATED ALL THE NOMINATIONS, NOW IT`S OVER TO @STeveT`s BLOG to combine the nominations.

    Those who posted on @SteveT`s blog then voted again on here, those votes on here are the votes that count. Nobody will be allowed to have 2 lots of votes.

    THAT`S ME DONE WITH THIS BLOG.

      • Now listen here Tiggs, up top it says “Post A BLOG”, I don`t see anything about threads. However in the interests of it being a New Year here in the Western World the Message has been revised;

        THAT`S IT NO MORE POSTS ON THIS THREAD. I`VE COLLATED ALL THE NOMINATIONS, NOW IT`S OVER TO @STeveT`s THREAD to combine the nominations.

        Those who posted on @SteveT`s thread then voted again on here, those votes on here are the votes that count. Nobody will be allowed to have 2 lots of votes.

        THAT`S ME DONE WITH THIS THREAD.

        That`s me done with this THREAD!

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