Best musical discoveries of 2017

Going for a Golden Schlong inspired format here. You can nominate in one of four categories:

• F - outstanding Fresh release during 2017
• D - fantastic album / artist newly Discovered by you this year
• R - Rediscovered or forgotten from the distant past
• L - Lifetime award, stuff you will keep playing until the stylus goes through the other side

No minimum or maximum, within reason of course...

Thread inspired by realizing one of my all-time favourite CDs has gone missing (without so much as an mp3 backup), I decided to buy a new copy - and found out that it was just re-released in 2017 (original was from 1995). Track 3 is particularly fun on a pair of 15" subs with a 500Wpc amp, btw

 

F for Vast Asteroid - Self Titled
R for hollAnd - Drums EP

 

This is tough because I'm constantly exploring new stuff and listening to a wide variety of music so it might be different tomorrow or yesterday but here are some I came up with today:

• F - Vijay Ayer Sextet - Far From Over; Matthew and the Atlas - Palace EP
• D - Shovels and Rope - O' Be Joyful - fantastic album that I only discovered this year; Firewoodisland - Dome EP from last year and their singles from this year;
• R - Robert Plant - Carry Fire - great new release from this old-timer; Ryuchi Sakamoto - Async - it was nice to catch up with this legend of experimental electronica
• L - King Crimson -
  Radical Action To Unseat The Hold Of Monkey Mind. I've been listening to them since probably 1st grade and I always will. And joy of joys Fripp has started allowing these newer releases to be streamed and/or purchased digitally!
  Honorable Mentions- Bjork - Utopia. I've listened to the Sugarcubes since grade school and started listening to her solo stuff in 1996 if I recall. She always has something interesting to say musically; Kronos Quartet - Folk Songs

New category - G for "guilty pleasure"

• G - Sigrid - Don't Kill My Vibe - guilty pleasure for me because her stuff is so damn poppy it's been a fun earworm this year and I've enjoyed her other songs as well

 

F & D:
Grimes...



Then you go to this:



She weirds me out and keeps me listening. She has a bright future and can change Pop.

 

I'm a bit behind, but here's my best of 2017 list...

Big Thief - Capacity
Top record of the year for me. It's folk tinged indie rock, with a subdued, hypnagogic vibe, cutting lyrics and loads of wicked chord progressions and chiming guitar work.

Jarvis Cocker & Chilly Gonzales - Room 29
This is exactly what you would expect, Chilly Gonazales playing Debussy-pastiche piano and Jarvis being all arch over the top. So chamber pop they released it on Deutsche f'ing Grammophon. Tip top recording quality and the tunes really get your hooks into you.

Richard Dawson - Peasant
Sounds like Derek Bailey plays Nik Kershaw but with a voice you'd expect to hear singing outside York Minster cathedral some time in the 17th century. Jam packed with ridiculous melodies and a ramshackle homebrew vibe. Nice to hear someone genuinely singing their guts out for once.

Shannon Lay - Living WaterFingerpicked folky singer songwriter business with a quiet intensity. Nice recording, excellent songwriting, don't have much more to say.

Alex Cameron - Forced Witness
Local Aussie flavour. Still soaked in the 80s like his earlier record but this time it's more Bruce Springsteen than Depeche Mode. Perfectly placed between earnestness and taking the piss.

Deradoorian - Eternal Recurrence
Her last record, which was amazing, was a bit like Kate Bush. This one is more like Rose McDowall and Coil. If you like pagan drone then you are in for a treat.

Call Super - Arpo
Electronic music that smells like the 90s but doesn't sound like it was recorded through a bucket bong.

Julie Byrne - Not Even Happiness
More fingerpicked female folk, a bit slackerish.