Best New Albums of 2017 *

I bought both those today! You're right about the JXF record.

 

Just heard Waxahatchee's (Katie Crutchfield) Out in the Storm album, and it's great - highly recommended!

 

The Pollyseeds' (Terrace Martin's collaboration/group with Kamasi Washington, and Robert Glasper) album, "Sounds of Crenshaw Vol. 1", was a cool listen.

 

It's everything I want in a summer alternative-rock album: lots of energetic distorted guitar, singer-songwriter who can rock and roll, immediate songs and a raw, live sound. It sounds great in the car.

(I'm also impressed with how durable her last one, "Ivy Tripp", has turned out to be--I haven't become tired of it even though I've played it a lot since it came out a couple of years ago.)

 

His 12th, courtesy of a Kickstarter campaign. More power pop greatness from one of the masters. Only available through his website.
Here's the title track:

 

Chris Stapleton From A Room, Volume 1
Nickelback Feed the Machine
Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Mix Vol. 2

 

I haven't heard Ivy Tripp yet (I'm new to her, actually) but I will definitely check it out!

 

I've been loving the new Algiers....his voice reminds me slightly of Mick Collins from the Gories, Dirtbombs, etc:

 

I think I personally prefer "Ivy Tripp" to the new one because it has more of a mix between the singer-songwriter and rock-and-roll approaches. I think Waxahatchee is better in the rock-and-roll idiom--so the more rock "Out in the Storm" is a natural direction--but she's really good in both. Also, and this is getting into hair-splitting territory here, "Ivy Tripp" has got thirteen songs on it instead of ten. I usually think ten songs is an ideal album length, but in this case the material is strong enough that more actually is better.

I also think "Ivy Tripp" is more of a fall or winter album (the tone is set by the foreboding-sounding opening track, "Breathless") than the summery "Out in the Storm".

 

Gave this one play so far and it is fantastic

 

Jane weaver modern cosmology is excellent and up with anything I have heard this year

 

Also agree power plant by girlpool is up there as well. Picked up a red vinyl edition yesterday. Though was a bit strange to find it has been released as a 45 rather than 33

 

Love the Jane Weaver album, listening to it right now in fact, and many times before, so I'm curious what else you've heard and rate highly since I don't see that you've posted in this thread before and are pretty new here. Not meaning to put you on the spot or anything, just always on the lookout for what some of the like-minded music fans here are listening to.

 

And it might be except for Leslie Mendelson's Love & Murder!

 

Thanks for the tip!

 

The album is really good, she and her career has a similar trajectory to Wolf Alice, with a string of really nice EPs, kind of subdued but also, especially in the case of Marika, lyrically very dark and intriguing. I love Marika's debut, but this new one does go quite a ways beyond it. Some of the same dark electro-folk, but this time with a very cool mix of 90s influences given free reign as well. Right now I still like the debut more,and probably always will, just seems a little more substantial in some way, but warming up to this new one, it's got some great moments, especially when she puts her personal (and sexual) side out there, and the Big Moon backing is really good. The album is too long, though, should've been edited a bit.

 

The new Public Service Broadcasting album (Every Valley) is excellent.

Another one in their series of "history of something through instrumental indie/dance-ish music overlaid with samples from news footage and information films" albums - this one's all about coal mining in Wales.

Fascinating topic, some great music and even a couple of "actual songs"! Well worth it.

 

What do you think about this live clip of her band?
I think I like it better than the album/video version.

 

I'd be curious to know what you think when you hear it...

 

I'm changing my tune on this a bit. I've had it in a playlist with other newer albums and I must say whenever an Otis song from this album comes up my attention is drawn to it. In any case Otis remains for me one of the most unique and innovative blues players of this century.

 

You actually bought all this music in one year? Incredible. Just listening to it all would be a job!

 

If not purchased then streamed but even so it's a Top 100 list for six months and if those are the favorites you would imagine there is another list of equal number or greater that are not favorites

 

I'm listening to this now for the 3rd or 4th time and it could definitely make my list as well

 

And if you missed it:

 

I got on board their bandwagon an EP ago and am so happy to see a band like this getting attention from everyone. It proves you can still pick up a guitar and through word of mouth make it.