72. McCafferty - Thanks. Sorry. Sure. + 73. The xx - I see you + 74. toconoma - Newtown + 75. Rozwell Kid - Precious Art + 76. Rise Against - Wolves + 77. Portugal. The Man - Woodstock + 78. Paramore - After Laughter + 79. The Menzingers - After the party + 80. IDLES - Brutalism + 81. MisterWives - connect the dots + 82. Tall Ships - Impressions ++ 83. LOVE PSYCHEDELICO - Love your love +
I'd have to go back and check, but this might be my favorite month of music in like five years, with no less than THREE clear EOTY list albums in a single month. I thought I was ready for Lorde and Vince Staples, predicting the directions their music would go in, but they both surpassed my wildest expectations. So danceable, but deep and hurt at the same time. (They actually cover some similar ground, which I hope to write about at some point.) And JAY. What a beautiful surprise of an album from an artist that so many people had counted out. The willingness to break his own persona down when he didn't have to, matched with the artfulness of No ID's production and the nimbleness of his bars. It feels unlike anything else I'd ever heard. My only complaint is that with how stacked this month was with top-tier music, I had less time to interact with some other truly great albums that deserves their own dozen listens. Jason Isbell put out a perfect bounce back record with The Nashville Sound, finding the right balance of louder music after an album that I felt dipped its toe a little too much into a full band sound without finding much. I almost forgot because it didn't hit me on the first listen -- but HOLY COW is the Big Thief album good. It's grown on me more and more with every listen... some truly affecting lyricism. My friend and coworker Alex's band Maitland released their album Glimpse and it's honestly incredible--need more people to get into their music. I'm actually hoping that July slows down a little so I can get more time with this music. But these are good problems. Top 2017 albums of the month: Lorde, JAY-Z, Vince Staples, Big Thief, Maitland Recommended Songs I discovered this month: Big Thief - "Mythological Beauty" Maitland - "Luna" Amber Mark - "Way Back" The War On Drugs - "Holding On" JAY-Z - "The Story of O.J."
228. Raye - Second (2016) 229. Kilo Kish - Reflections In Real Time (2016) 230. The Aces - I Don't Like Being Honest (2017) 231. Chronixx - Chronology (2017) 232. Chloe x Halle - Sugar Symphony (2016) 233. Oh Wonder - Ultralife (2017) 234. Jamtown - Jamtown (2017) 235. Mura Masa - Mura Masa (2017) 236. RAC - EGO (2017)
Long overdue update. Haven't really been listening to as many new releases lately but have heard some really great stuff lately. Cameron Graves (jazz), Eternal Boy (pop-punk) and Decapitated / Cytotoxin (metal) have been on heavy rotation the past few weeks. That new Polyphia EP is fantastic as well... short but sweet.
237. Lana Del Rey - Lust For Life (2017) 238. Manchester Orchestra - A Black Mile To The Surface (2017) 239. TLC - TLC (2017) 240. Vic Mensa - The Autobiography (2017) 241. Julia Michaels - Nervous System (2017) 242. Benjamin Gibbard - Bandwagonesque (2017) 243. Tyler, The Creator - Flower Boy (2017)
Another update. Wow, I've listened to a lot of stuff the past few days. Several of them are EPs so, that's probably why it seems like so much... I don't know how I missed the Sir Sly or Greyscale releases. Both are really great and I've enjoyed their previous works. Oceans Ate Alaska was really good and I'd never really been a fan of them before... Rings of Saturn is consistent with the rest of their catalogue (and I love their stuff whether it's all studio tricks or not) and new MO is probably the first thing they've done since I'm A Virgin Losing A Child that I've really loved. I'll definately be revisiting it and may be changing it from ++ to a +++. EDIT: and that No Trigger EP is fucking awesome. I'll probably be giving their previous releases another shot... don't know why I never got into them before.
July: 91. Haim - Something to Tell You ++ 92. Waxahatchee - Out In the Storm + 93. 21 Savage - Issa Album ++ 94. Gucci Mane - Droptopwop + 95. Freddie Gibbs - You Only Live 2wice + 96. Shredders - Shredders EP + 97. Tyler, the Creator - Flower Boy ++ 98. Shabazz Palaces - Quazarz: Born On a Gangster Star + 99. Shabazz Palaces - Quazarz vs. the Jealous Machines + 100. Toro y Moi - Boo Boo + 101. Jay-Z - 4:44 * 102. Lana Del Rey - Lust for Life ++ 103. Nine Inch Nails - Add Violence EP + 104. Japanese Breakfast - Soft Sounds from Another Planet + 105. Arcade Fire - Everything Now + 106. Manchester Orchestra - A Black Mile to the Surface ++ 107. Aminé - Good for You +
TBH..... never really been a big fan, never quite "got" it after the last couple albums... so I didn't have a strong desire to listen to this one. After all the hype, I gave it a shot.... I still don't really get it. Seemed like a perfectly fine album with little that excited me...
I've always felt the same way about them. I like them well enough but never fell in love with their albums.
Here's July. Not a ton of releases, but most of what I listened to was good. Manchester Orchestra, Joywave, and Haim are the highlights.
July. Manchester and Lana are my clear favorites from the month. Both will probably end up in my top 10.
July: 344. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks 345. Dan Fogelberg - The Innocent Age 346. Grimes - Art Angels 347. Counting Crows - This Desert Life 348. Counting Crows - Somewhere Under Wonderland 349. French for Rabbits - Spirits 350. Oscar Peterson - Plays Pretty 351. Oscar Peterson - Soft Sands 352. The Weakerthans - Left and Leaving 353. Volcano Choir - Repace 354. Duke Ellington - The Duke Vol 1 355. Duke Ellington - The Duke Vol 2 356. Scythian - Aidan's Orbit 357. HAIM - Something to Tell You 358. JLin - Black Origami 359. Fleet Foxes - Crack Up 360. Broken Social Scene - Hug of Thunder 361. Japanese Breakfast - Soft Sounds From Another Planet 362. Waxahatchee - Out in the Storm 363. Francoise Hardy - Soleil 364. Francoise Hardy - Message Personnel 365. First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar 366. Evergrey - In Search of Truth 367. Gai Saber - Electro Ch'OC 368. Richard Dawson - Peasant 369. Tantsy Minus - LP2 370. The Regrettes - Feel Your Feelings Fool! 371. Toro y Moi - Boo Boo 372. Mura Masa - Mura Masa 373. Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak 374. The Hotelier - Goodness 375. Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light 376. Jimmy Eat World - Futures 377. Jimmy Eat World - Integrity Blues 378. Trapped Under Ice - Heatwave 379. Katie Ellen - Cowgirl Blues 380. People Like You - Verse 381. Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory 382. Linkin Park - Meteora 383. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight 384. Silverstein - Dead Reflection 385. Eternal Boy - Awkward Phase 386. The Drums - Abysmal Thoughts 387. The Gospel Youth - Always Youth 388. Lana Del Rey - Lust for Life 389. Tyler, The Creator - Flower Boy 390. Manchester Orchestra - A Black Mile to the Surface 391. Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - Feed the Rats
246. Rancid - Trouble Maker (2017) 247. The Lemonheads - Come On Feel The Lemonheads (1993) 248. Holy Fuck - Bird Brains (2017)
There's July and a small update of stuff I checked out yesterday. I've been spending the last couple of weeks catching up on stuff that slipped under my radar (Sir Sly, Greyscale, King Gizzard and stuff I've discovered in /r/metalcore and /r/poppunkers) Highlights of July for me include: Eternal Boy, Decapitated, Manchester Orchestra, Rings of Saturn, The Gospel Youth, Cytotoxin, Polyphia (EP) and No Trigger (EP). Stuff I slept on that I really enjoyed include: Cameron Graves, Remo Drive, Greyscale, Sir Sly, Dozer TX
June/ July June 66. Bleachers - Gone Now [2017] * 67. All Time Low - Last Young Renegade [2017] + 68. Halsey - hopeless fountain kingdom [2017] - 69. 68' - Two Parts Viper [2017] - 70. Allie X - CollXtion 11 [2017] * 71. Rancid - Trouble Maker [2017] - 72. Rise Against - Wolves [2017] - 73. Katy Perry - Witness [2017] - 74. Phoenix - Ti Amo [2017] - 75. London Grammar - Truth Is a Beautiful Thing [2017] - 76. Russ - There's Really A Wolf [2017] - 77. Snoop Dogg - Neva Left [2017] - 78. Denzel Curry - Imperial [2016] + 79. Flatbush Zombies - 3001: A Laced Odyssey [2016] + 80. Caterpillars - The Wicked and Wonderfull [2016] * 81. Sza - CTRL [2017] - 82. Lorde - Melodrama [2017] + 83. Chon - Homey [2017] + 84. Portugal. The Man - Woodstock [2017] - 85. Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up [2017] - 86. Royal Blood - How Did We Get So Dark? [2017] - 87. Captain We're Sinking - The King of No Man [2017] - 88. DJ Khaled - Grateful [2017] - 89. Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory[2017]- 90. A Will Away - Here Again[2017] + 91. The Chain Gang Of 1974 - Felt [2017] + 92. LANY - LANY [2017] + 93. The Japanese House - Saw You in a Dream [2017] ++ July 94.Haim - Something To Tell [2017] + 95.Sleep In. - Tension & Release [2017] - 96.Tyler, The Creator - Flower Boy [2017] + 97.Goldfinger - The Knife [2017] - 98.Foster The People - Sacred Hearts Club [2017]+ 99.Manchester Orchestra - A Black Mile to the Surface [2017] - 100. Arcade Fire - Everything Now [2017] - 101. Lana Del Rey - Lust for Life [2017] -
249. Arkells - Michigan Left (2011) 250. Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope (1997) 251. Ozomatli - Non-Stop: Mexico → Jamaica (2017)
Sorry I'm late January Japandroids - Near to the Wild Heart of Life + Kehlani - SweetSexySavage ++ February Ryan Adams - Prisoner ++ Old 97's - Graveyard Whistling ++ Nikki Lane - Highway Queen + Eisley - I'm Only Dreaming ++ March Nana Grizol - Ursa Minor ++ April Michelle Branch - Hopeless Romantic Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. +++ Incubus —8 + Gorillaz - Humanz * Chris Stapleton - From A Room (Vol 1) ++ May The Mountain Goats - Goths Paramore - After Laughter +++ Linkin Park – One More Light ++ Slowdive - Slowdive ++ June Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - The Nashville Sound +++ Cigarettes After Sex - Cigarettes After Sex ++ Lorde - Melodrama +++ Emerson - Born to Make Waves ++ The Japanese House - Saw You in a Dream ++ SZA - Ctrl ++ Marika Hackman - I'm Not Your Man ++ July Jay-Z - 4:44 + Tyler, The Creator - Flower Boy +++ Manchester Orchestra - A Black Mile To The Surface +++ Lana Del Rey - Lust for Life + Broken Social Scene - Hug of Thunder August Brand New - Science Fiction (well I liked it for a little bit but that's over) PVRIS - All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell + Turnover - Good Nature ++ Grizzly Bear - Painted Ruins + September The War On Drugs - A Deeper Understanding ++ Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton - Choir of the Mind ++ Alvvays - Antisocialites ++ Phoebe Bridgers - Stranger In The Alps +++ Noah Gundersen - White Noise + October St Vincent - MASSEDUCTION ++ The Front Bottoms - Going Grey ++ Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile - Lotta Sea Lice + Julien Baker - Turn Out The Lights +++
July Update: July 4:44 - Jay-Z++ Everything in Gold - Modern Chemistry+++ Issa Album - 21 Savage* Dead Reflections- Silverstein++ Awkward Phase - Eternal Boy++ Always Lose - The Gospel Youth++ The Knife - Goldfinger+++ A Black Mile to the Surface - Manchester Orchestra++++++++++++ Running Top Ten (as of 8/13/17) 1. A Black Mile to the Surface - Manchester Orchestra 2. Good Nature - Turnover 3. After the Party - The Menzingers 4. The King of No Man - Captain, We're Sinking 5. Gone Now - Bleachers 6. Makes Me Sick - New Found Glory 7. The Last Living Man Ever Alive in the History of the World - Head North 8. Lovely Little Lonely - The Maine 9. Last Young Renegade - All Time Low 10. After Laughter - Paramore