B&C Best of 2017 - Discussion Thread

[elevated_u2_fan]

Pitchfork's albums list is slightly better than the songs list, but eh:

https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-50-best-albums-of-2017/

No points for guessing what #1 is.

No Sleep Well Beast eh? That seems like an odd omission...

 

[LemonMelon]

No Sleep Well Beast eh? That seems like an odd omission...

Or Grizzly Bear, or Broken Social Scene.

The ownership, they are a-changin'.

 

[iron yuppie]

Yeah Pitchfork has largely turned on the 00s indie stalwarts at this point.

 

[nielsgov]

Lol at that Pitchfork song list. Only hip-hop/R&B it seems.

 

[gump]

Yeah, I can't remember feeling more aloof about a Pitchfork list than this year's.

Given all the good indie/rock stuff they missed, the War on Drugs placement is really weird.

 

[lazarus]

I don't even give enough of a shit anymore to click on that.

 

[Axver]

I'll give Fazerdaze a listen based on their name alone. They also have a song called Jennifer (my real name), so...yeah. Thank you for the recommendation. This American will give some NZ music a shot and report back.

I hope you enjoy. And Jennifer is one of her best tracks. I was both surprised and pleased that she put it on the album, because it first appeared on her self-titled EP. Anyone who enjoys the album really should listen to the EP too, because Reel and Treading Lightly are fantastic songs.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Man, BigMacPhisto is gonna be really pissed off when he finds out Bernie likes Run the Jewels. Either that or he deletes his account and starts a new one that's completely pro-hip-hop.

You mean the Run The Jewels whose first LP I own on vinyl?

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Yeah, I can't remember feeling more aloof about a Pitchfork list than this year's.

Given all the good indie/rock stuff they missed, the War on Drugs placement is really weird.

I didn't even expect it to make the list, so it was surprising for that one to be so high. If you're going to go with like the third best War on Drugs and LCD Soundsystem albums that high, why does The National not make the list at all? That was easily the most perplexing omission for me.

The Broken Social Scene thing is kind of understandable. It's a rather forgettable album even if they did lavish some major praise on it upon release.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

The ownership, they are a-changin'.

There was an immediate effect when Pitchfork was bought out by Conde Nast. Not only did they start posting clickbait album lists all the time, but the number of rap and metal reviews seemed to drop precipitously.

Which, again, makes their annual songs lists so dumb because they're just full of stuff that most readers don't want to hear.

 

[cobl04]

You mean the Run The Jewels whose first LP I own on vinyl?

Are you sure it's Run the Jewels? Or is it just two other random black people? I mean, it sounds like you find it hard to tell the difference between two rap songs.

I didn't even expect it to make the list, so it was surprising for that one to be so high. If you're going to go with like the third best War on Drugs and LCD Soundsystem albums that high, why does The National not make the list at all? That was easily the most perplexing omission for me.

American Dream is the best LCD Soundsystem album.

 

[cobl04]

"The Captain" one of the songs of the year for me.

How's the quiet treating you now? You can say it's in the name of love / but I hope it all works out...

 

[monkeyskin]

American Dream is the best LCD Soundsystem album.

Shit just got real.

 

[LemonMelon]

American Dream is the best LCD Soundsystem album.

I agree.

BTW, Gang of Youths is like someone went into a lab and tried to create an absolute 50/50 mixture of The Gaslight Anthem and The National. The first couple of songs sound like The '59 Sound b-sides and Do Not Let Your Spirit Wane is basically England. But I really like what I'm hearing. It's super good.

 

[cobl04]

Fucking finally!!!

But yes, totally agree. To add to that, Atlas Drowned is literally a slightly faster version of Apartment Story and the first half of Persevere sounds like Gospel. But I’m so fucking happy you’re enjoying it, I think there’s something really special about them. Oh man. Yes. Finally someone else gets it!

 

[Mack_Again]

American Dream is the best LCD Soundsystem album.

lolno

 

[u2popmofo]

Yeah Pitchfork has largely turned on the 00s indie stalwarts at this point.

Have you seen their "best rock albums" list today? LCD Soundsytem and King Krule? Good albums for sure, but best "rock" albums? The whitest music nerds don't even know what rock music is any more. I rarely go there any more, kinda glad after looking at some of their lists.

 

[iron yuppie]

Rock is an odd designation for King Krule, definitely.

 

[nielsgov]

I just came in here to post the exact same thing as mofo. LCD Soundsystem I can see, but King Krule is definitely not rock.

 

[intedomine]

I've given the Gang of Youths album a few spins. It's something I would naturally gravitate towards, but it's hard work at 70+ mins.
The highs are really spectacular, but I'm struggling to recall half of the songs in their own right. It'll need more time. Do Not Let Your Spirit Wane, Fire Goes Out and Heart is Muscle stand out.

 

[Badyouken]

Ax, COBL: thanks for the recommendations from down under. Quite enjoying what I'm hearing -- and yes, Gang of Youths is obviously very similar to The National, which is great in my book.

 

[nielsgov]

Also listened to Gang of Youths today. This is another case of a band name tricking me into thinking it would be a completely different genre than it was. Gang of Youths is obviously the name of a hip-hop collective.

I didn't pay too much attention but a few tracks sounded really good.

 

[cobl04]

Springsteen aping, too. Fear and Trembling is Thunder Road in almost every sense. It rules.

 

[david]

Springsteen aping, too. Fear and Trembling is Thunder Road in almost every sense. It rules.

Hah, yep.

 

[Lancemc]

Pop2!

 

[iron yuppie]

The weirdest album of the year for me is A Deeper Understanding. I listen to several of the individual tracks and think how brilliant they are, but the album as a whole doesn't really hang together for some reason. Maybe the tone and pacing are too uniform throughout.

 

[Axver]

The weirdest album of the year for me is A Deeper Understanding. I listen to several of the individual tracks and think how brilliant they are, but the album as a whole doesn't really hang together for some reason. Maybe the tone and pacing are too uniform throughout.

Hah, my impression is basically the complete opposite. It's a lovely consistent album that sounds great, but I struggle to single out individual highlights. I barely even recall the song names.

 

[PhilsFan]

LCD Soundsystem's live show can probably be considered a rock show, but their albums are not rock albums, if that makes sense.

I do not think American Dream is LCD's best, but I also think their albums are all pretty similar in quality. It's certainly no drop off.

 

[Joey788]

For me, American Dream is just behind Sound of Silver for the top LCD album.

 

[lazarus]

This Is Happening is the best IMO. Even if Drunk Girls sucks.