A New Hope - Best of 2017
(DISCLAIMER: Until 2020 all my "Best Of" lists were on Facebook in the Notes section. In 2020, when I hadn't used Facebook for 6 months, they decided to do away with Notes. I was still able to access some of them, such as this one, but the layouts are a little wonky.)
Well, it’s that time of year again, time for me to accost your ears with sounds that I’ve deemed worthy from yet another year of discoveries. This year the shit seemed to hit the fan for everyone, whether it was ideologically, financially, relationally, or physically, few were spared. Thankfully the music world, and the Arts world in general, was there to pick you up, inspire hope, soothe wounds, or just plain give you a momentary escape.
Below I’ve assembled a mix of songs and albums that did those things for me. While Rock has been and always will be around, I feel like it’s made quite a comeback recently, and by that I mean more guitar-driven songs, more distortion, and less synth-driven pop tracks than the past few years. Either that or my tastes have changed hah But considering I still have some favorite sing-along Pop anthems on here, I don’t think that’s the case. Alright now prepare yourself for the mix because this year.....you’re gonna need a bigger CD. Without further ado, let’s dive right in!
Best of 2017 Mix:
- “Someone to You” - Banners
- “Every Single Night” - Computer Games
- “Alright” - The Wild Wild
- “Wild Ones” - Crusoe
- “No Answer” - Amber Run
- “Someone to Stay” - Vancouver Sleep Clinic
- “High” - Sir Sly
- “The Drugs” - Mother Mother
- “Best Friends” - Grandson
- “Black Magic” - Jaymes Young
- “Legend” - The Score
- “Catch Me” - Braves
- “Unholy War” - Jacob Banks
- “Bite My Tongue” - The Beach
- “Castle on the Hill” - Ed Sheeran
- “Favorite Liar” - The Wrecks
- “Love is Mystical” - Cold War Kids
- “Only Human” - Misterwives
- “Hold Us Together” - WILD
- “Set on Fire” - Magic Giant
- “The Maze” - Manchester Orchestra
- “Good Girls” - LANY
- “One Foot” - Walk the Moon
- “The Man” - The Killers
- “Magazine” - Sløtface
- “We Won’t Sleep” - Can’t Swim
- “Near to the Wild Heart of Life” - Japandroids
- “Go to War” - Nothing More
- “We Are” - One Ok Rock
Mix Links:
Boom! Them’s the hits! Some of these are just singles or from EPs, some are awesome songs on otherwise mediocre albums, and some were hard to choose because they came from overall great albums. If you like any of these songs I’d suggest checking out more from that artist. I have so many songs on here I debated removing some of the more popular ones (Ed Sheeran, The Killers), simply because I usually keep my mixes under a certain amount, but those are some great songs so I said screw it.
Youtube and Spotify are the easiest ways for me to present the mix to you. I’ve used others over the years but the sites either end up going under or just become sites I don’t like for one reason or another. If you have another way of putting the mix together and would like to share it (I know some people use Google Music or iTunes Music, but I prefer to not pay for those services) then by all means provide a link in your comment because I, and I’m sure others, would appreciate it, thanks!
Top Albums
While choosing a mix and cutting songs is hard, I think finding great albums is even tougher. An album that is solid all the way through, or almost all the way through, is like a ruby in the rough (because we all know diamonds are actually plentiful and just controlled by one company, which is why they’re expensive.....but I digress). Each of these artists has a song on my mix, so you can get a taste of them before you even check out their full album! I always worry that there’s some amazing albums I’m missing out on each year, because there’s just so much music being created it’s impossible to listen to it all, but here’s 5 albums I think are worthy of your time:
First up is “Feel Something” by Jaymes Young. Now each of my favorite albums this year are pretty different from each other, so it’d be hard to pick an overall favorite, but if I had to choose, this is probably it. He kinda came out of nowhere for me, and I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed the entire album on my first listen through, that almost never happens. You could broadly define this album as Alt/Pop, maybe even throw “Dark” or “R&B” in there, but one word comes to mind when listening to this album: Sultry. I think the song I put on the mix, “Black Magic,” is the perfect representation of this album as a whole. Sexy grooves and smooth vocals make for something that you can simply lay back and chill to, but at the same time really get into it and just sink into the pockets of those beats.
Next we have “Connect the Dots” by Misterwives. I knew of Misterwives, but had never really listened to them other than a couple times before this year. I may be a little bias about this album because Nel and I went and saw them live over the summer, and I have to say.....it was definitely one of my Top 5 shows of all time, I couldn’t believe it. And that was with me only knowing about 3 songs of theirs going into it, Misterwives, but had never really listened to them other than a couple times before this year. I may be a little bias about this album because Nel and I went and saw them live over the summer, and I have to say.....it was definitely one of my Top 5 shows of all time, I couldn’t believe it. And that was with me only knowing about 3 songs of theirs going into it and the singer being sick that night! I expected a fun show, but this was just something else entirely. Their stage presence and musicianship were amazing, even having dumb little choreographed dances during a few songs, quite funny. They just killed it on every level and I can’t recommend going to see them enough if you have the chance.
Now for the album itself.....as with Jaymes Young, I think my pick for the mix, “Only Human,” represents the overall album pretty well (with “Machine” and “Oh Love” being the outliers of the album, sonically speaking). From top to bottom this album is fun, even with quite a few songs being about serious topics, and their talent shines through on every track. Their sound is definitely unique in the current ocean of music. While being modern, you still get flashes of inspiration straight from the ‘70s, especially since they have a horn section. Maybe you’ll want to save it ‘til Spring, but if you need something overflowing with positivity and enjoyment, just throw this on repeat.
This is “Fail You Again” by Can’t Swim. As I said above, Rock is back, and in a great way. Upon first listen you may think this album came out 10yrs ago, but keep listening and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. This is a big statement to make, but I believe Can’t Swim has a sound reminiscent of early Brand New. You could generally describe them as just some Emo/Rock band, but I think they’re much more and I hope this album is just the beginning of a great career. I had trouble choosing a track on this one, and it came down to the opener, “What’s Your Big Idea?,” and the one I ended up choosing, “We Won’t Sleep.” Honestly I could’ve gone with either one, so if you’re wondering what the other best songs are on the album, just start at the top and work your way down, and prepare to rock out.
Here we have “Try Not to Freak Out” by Sløtface. It is indeed pronounced “Slutface,” which is the band’s original name, but after a while the band ran into censorship issues, so they became Sløtface. Oh and they’re Norwegian. So what do they sound like? Well, I’d say equal parts Garage/Rock and Indie/Pop. There’s been a surge in young bands, particularly female-fronted ones, that have obviously been inspired by the Alternative/Rock bands of the ‘90s, dipping into lo-fi, Grunge, and pseudo-Punk territory, and Sløtface is definitely one of those bands. However, I think they’re one of the best out of this crop that has sprung up in the past 2-3yrs. They’d sound right at home playing a basement show or some hole-in-the-wall club, but they’d also get you dancing and put a smile on your face. (for Chicago folk, they’re playing Lincoln Hall on 1/21)
Lastly we have “Don’t You Worry, Honey” by Sir Sly. These guys were my new favorite band back in 2014 and their song “Nowhere” (from the 2014 album) is one of my favorite songs of all time. So needless to say I was quite stoked for this new album. While it didn’t quite catch me like their first, this album is just different, and still so good. They also successfully (in my opinion) changed their sound. While before they were more dark and brooding, this album has some Indie/Pop/Rock gems and slower, lighter grooves that you’ll love. However, the lyrical content of “Don’t You Worry, Honey” is much heavier. And that makes sense considering that in the 3yrs between the albums, the lead singer went through a divorce and lost his mom....and he’s only 27. This is another band we saw live last summer, and while they didn’t play my favorite song, it was still a kick-ass show that I loved. Big props to their auxiliary player - the lead singer played guitar, the drummer played drums, and the auxiliary guy....well he did everything else hah If you’ve never heard them before I’d recommend checking out both of their albums, as each one has a different sound, but each is good in their own right.
Honorable Mention:
Alright
time to hand out the participation ribbons! I was walking down the
street when some weirdo John C. Reilly look-a-like came up and asked me
if I’d want to record an album with him. I didn’t have anything better
to do that day so I said sure. Many months later the album was actually
released and turns out it’s kinda good! If you were ever able to bring
yourself to like those sellouts that called themselves Common Shiner,
I’m sure you’ll love this dingus and his 72 person band. Just have a
listen for yourself right over here: Good Music.Disappointment:
Rostam and Chris Tomson (the Guitarist/Auxiliary and Drummer, respectively, of Vampire Weekend) each came out with albums this year. Considering I like Vampire Weekend and it’s been 4yrs since their last album, I was quite excited about this news. Tomson’s was under the name Dams of the West, and was sadly just a generic Rock band, with hints of Indie and Southern to it. Rostam went the solo route, just using his name as his title. I was more excited for this release because I know Rostam plays a big part in Vampire Weekend’s sound, but as a solo artist he just sounded like a band that I would call “too Indie,” like Animal Collective or Deerhunter. I appreciate the effort, and actually like the single “Bike Dream,” but was otherwise disappointed. Guess I’ll just have to wait for the next actual Vampire Weekend album. (Sidenote: the Bassist has had a side project for a while, but he basically just does Indie DJ stuff, which I also haven’t been a fan of.)
Sparknotes:
Ok, so despite having a record number of songs on my mix this year, what I said above still holds true: there’s just not enough time to listen to everything. However, here’s some quick snapshots of bands I didn’t get to give a devoted amount of time to, but still feel might be worth your time. I’ll give you a quick description and a Youtube link to one song, the rest is up to you:
Barns Courtney: Alt/Rock with a Southern flare and some catchy tunes - “Hellfire”
courtship.: Yeah they don’t capitalize the name and there’s a period at the end of it. Kids are getting creative nowadays. Anyways - Sun Bleached Indie/Rock/Pop with some lo-fi vibes - “Perfect People”
Terence Ryan: If I had more time this dude might’ve made my Top Albums. From what I have listened to, he’s a gem just waiting to be discovered by the masses. Some sort of Indie/R&B/Folk/Pop amalgam, I just love it - “Mean It”
Novo Amor: Chill, Folk/Pop. A non-experimental, kinda fun Bon Iver, if you will - “Carry You”
Superfruit: Unabashed fun Pop. You either love it or you hate it. And the video is pretty great too - “Guy.exe”
Yoke Lore: Indie? Pop? Folk? It’s all in there - “Only You” (playing Schuba’s 1/23)
Wildling: Festival ready Pop/Rock. Straightforward, but good - “Hummingbird”
Lola Marsh: Indie/Folk/Pop with some unique vocals - “You’re Mine”
The Band CAMINO: Channeling all sorts of modern Pop/Rock, even ‘80s throwback, these guys have quite the potential - “What I Want”
Ruen Brothers: Leave the synths at home, this is just some straight-up fun Pop/Rock, piano and tambourine included - “Genevieve, Come Out Tonight”
And that’s all she wrote! That’s my toast to some of the good things to come out of 2017 and a cheers looking forward to 2018. I hope each and every one of you can find at least 3 songs or artists to enjoy here. Let me know your favorites from what I’ve listed! Or some favorites of yours I missed from the past year. Did I just help you discover your new favorite band? Any albums you’re looking forward to in 2018? Keep your head up and rock on!
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