BCB Best Albums of 2017

[Moleskin]

Tranquility Bass - Let The Freak Flag Fly
Ultramarine - United Kingdoms
Slowdive - Slowdive
Sparks - Hippopotamus
Karen Elson - Double Roses
The Black Keys - Turn Blue
Angaleena Presley - Wrangled
Depeche Mode - Spirit
Saint Etienne - Home Counties
British Sea Power - Let The Dancers Inherit The Party
Robyn Hitchcock - Robyn Hitchcock



Includes some albums that are new to me this year.

[ConnyOlivetti]

Tranquility Bass - Let The Freak Flag Fly
Ultramarine - United Kingdoms
Slowdive - Slowdive
Sparks - Hippopotamus
Karen Elson - Double Roses
The Black Keys - Turn Blue
Angaleena Presley - Wrangled
Depeche Mode - Spirit
Saint Etienne - Home Counties
British Sea Power - Let The Dancers Inherit The Party
Robyn Hitchcock - Robyn Hitchcock



Includes some albums that are new to me this year.

Robust like hell!

[mentalist (slight return)]

Forgot to mention the Los Tones album What Happened. It's great!

[Oscar]

BCB Best Album of 2017 (slight reshuffle)

War On Drugs - A Deeper Understanding (7 votes)


5 votes
Sparks – Hippopotamus 
Peter Perrett - How The West Was Won
Fever Ray - Plunge

4 votes
Richard Dawson - Peasant
Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band - Adios Señor Pussycat
Blanck Mass - World Eater

3 votes
Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up
Ryan Adams - Prisoner
Queens Of The Stone Age - Villains
Perfume Genius- No Shape
LCD Soundsystem- American Dream
Father John Misty - Pure Comedy
Slowdive - Slowdive
Björk - Utopia

2 votes
Cigarettes after sex- Cigarettes after sex
Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile - Lotta Sea Lice
Do Make Say Think - Stubborn Persistent Illusions
Forest Swords - Compassion
Full of Hell - Trumpeting Ecstasy
Gas - Narkopop
Ghostpoet - Dark Days + Canapes
Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch - Blade Runner 2049
Iglooghost - Neō Wax Bloom
Jane Weaver - Modern Kosmology
Jen Cloher - Jen Cloher
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Flying Microtonal Banana
Liam Gallagher - As You Were
Living Colour – Shade 
Pere Ubu - 20 Years in a Montana Missile Silo
Ride- Weather Diaries
Robert Plant "Carry Fire"
Varg - Nordic Flora Series Pt. 3: Gore-Tex City
Sleaford Mods - English Tapas
Thundercat - Drunk
Charlotte Gainsbourg - Rest

[Dayodead]

[quote="Oscar"]BCB Best Album of 2017 (slight reshuffle)

War On Drugs - A Deeper Understanding (7 votes)


Guess I should give the new War on Drugs a shot...Liked the first two albums (Wagonwheel Blues, Slave Ambient) but found 'Lost in the Dream' a bit tiresome, so I had been avoiding the new one....

[The Prof]

On constant rotation

[Neil Jung]

Slowdive
War On Drugs
The Church
Steven Wilson
Kikagayo Moyo
Ok Computer reissue
Wolf People
The National

Disappointing albums:
Fleet Foxes

[Tactful Cactus]

BCB Best Album of 2017 (slight reshuffle)

War On Drugs - A Deeper Understanding (7 votes)

5 votes
Sparks – Hippopotamus 
Peter Perrett - How The West Was Won
Fever Ray - Plunge

4 votes
Richard Dawson - Peasant
Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band - Adios Señor Pussycat
Blanck Mass - World Eater

Haven't heard most of these albums -- I'll be delving in over the Christmas break, cheers!

[Jumper K]

Others I have appreciated this year..
Peter Perrett - How The West Was Won
JD McPherson - Undivided Heart And Soul
Pokey LaFarge - Manic Revelations
Ill.Gates - Terminally Ill
Clark - Death Peak
Stormzy - Gang Signs & Prayer

[Oscar]

War On Drugs - A Deeper Understanding (7 votes)

Guess I should give the new War on Drugs a shot...Liked the first two albums (Wagonwheel Blues, Slave Ambient) but found 'Lost in the Dream' a bit tiresome, so I had been avoiding the new one....

Then I'm guessing you won't rate this one. I found it very much a continuation of 'Lost in the Dream'. But then I loved 'Lost in the Dream' .

[nathan]

I don't think I could order them this year so they are listed in reverse by name. The three favorites might be SZA, Kelly Lee Owens and Waxahatchee. But all of these are fucking great to me. Hell of a year. Even that Liam record was a bit of soupy fun. The Ride one was a bit of a bummer though. The War on Drugs one was fine but fucking hell, I'll just listen to Tunnel of Love instead. Remaster that shit and put it out with demos and all that nonsense.

Waxahatchee - Out in the Storm
Wavves - You're Welcome
Together Pangea - Bulls and Roosters
SZA - Ctrl
St. Vincent - MASSEDUCTION
Slowdive - Slowdive
Perfume Genius - No Shape
Oh Sees - Orc
Lorde - Melodrama
L.A. Witch - L.A. Witch
Kelly Lee Owens - Kelly Lee Owens
Kelela - Take Me Apart
Juliana Hatfield - Pussycat
Japanese Breakfast - Soft Sounds from Another Planet
Gordi - Reservoir
Frankie Rose - Cage Tropical
Foxygen - Hang
Entrance - Book of Changes
Daddy Issues - Deep Dream
Cherry Glazerr - Apocalipstick

[Goat Boy]

I listened to some of Pitchforks songs of the year yesterday and was massively underwhelmed

[dgs]

Admittedly I plough a quite narrow furrow these days and in no particular order these are some that I have been a constant this past year,

Arcade Fire - Everything Now
Arovane & Hior Chronik - Into my Own
Floating Points - Reflections - Mojave Desert
London Sessions - Follakzoid feat J Spaceman
Gas - Narkopop
Jarvis Cocker and Chilly Gonzalez - Room 29
Jens Lekman - Life will see you now
The Caretaker - at the end of time (stage 1,2 and 3), these are sublime
Clint Mansell - Loving Vincent
Max Richter - Three Worlds : Music From Woolf Works
Penguin cafe - The Imperfect Sea
Music for People in Trouble - Susanne Sundefor
The infected Mass - This who walk away
Various - Mono No Aware
Various - Spiritual Jazz 7: Islam
Various - Noise Reduction System

Plus others I now forget, sure this hasn't helped.

Also, its always the year end lists which help me to discover what I have missed and also forgotten about!

[never/ever]

London Sessions - Follakzoid feat J Spaceman

Damn. How did i miss that one?

I also would add Mark Peters splendid EP Innerland to my list.

[yomptepi]

No votes for Morrissey yet then?

[Oscar]

We have a top 50!!

BCB Top 50 Albums of 2017 (another slight reshuffle)

War On Drugs - A Deeper Understanding (8 votes)


6 votes
Peter Perrett - How The West Was Won

5 votes
Sparks – Hippopotamus 
Fever Ray - Plunge
Slowdive - Slowdive

4 votes
Richard Dawson - Peasant
Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band - Adios Señor Pussycat
Blanck Mass - World Eater
Perfume Genius- No Shape
Ryan Adams - Prisoner

3 votes
Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up
Queens Of The Stone Age - Villains
LCD Soundsystem- American Dream
Father John Misty - Pure Comedy
Björk - Utopia
Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile - Lotta Sea Lice
Gas - Narkopop
Jen Cloher - Jen Cloher

2 votes
Cigarettes after sex- Cigarettes after sex
Do Make Say Think - Stubborn Persistent Illusions
Forest Swords - Compassion
Full of Hell - Trumpeting Ecstasy
Ghostpoet - Dark Days + Canapes
Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch - Blade Runner 2049
Iglooghost - Neō Wax Bloom
Jane Weaver - Modern Kosmology
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Flying Microtonal Banana
Liam Gallagher - As You Were
Living Colour – Shade 
Pere Ubu - 20 Years in a Montana Missile Silo
Ride- Weather Diaries
Robert Plant "Carry Fire"
Varg - Nordic Flora Series Pt. 3: Gore-Tex City
Sleaford Mods - English Tapas
Thundercat - Drunk
Charlotte Gainsbourg - Rest
Aldous Harding - Party
Arcade Fire - Everything Now
Clark - Death Peak
Diamanda Galás - All the Way 
Japanese Breakfast- Soft sounds from another planet 
John Murry - A Short History of Decay
Lorde - Melodrama
Max Richter- Three Worlds
Penguin Cafe- The Imperfect Sea
St. Vincent - MASSEDUCTION
Steven Wilson- To the Bone
The Church - Man Woman Life Death Infinity
The National - Sleep Well Beast
The Fall - New Facts Emerge

[Spec]

Before I post my final list a few quick observations:

1) It has been a great year with so much good music released. I've listened to more music this year than for many years and yet have still found the amount overwhelming at times. NPR All Songs touched upon this on their Best of 2017 Show.

When I get to late October I listen back over everything from the year that I had liked on earlier listens. Some of these will be albums that I know well because they have had a lot of listens; others will be those that I liked on first or second listen but need to spend more time with. Normally I will have around 60 albums to hear again; this year it was 108. And that doesn't include jazz (which I consider separately).

2) But the year has maybe lacked a few absolute standout records. This is reflected a bit in all the end of year lists with great differences on the best albums (beyond the Kendrick album which I don't like).

3) So much of this year's best music has been new artists (or new to me). 26 of my top 40 have never featured in one of my end of year lists before.

4) Women seem to be taking over both as solo artists and fronting bands. Six of my top 10 are female solo artists. And another 7 appear below. Wolf Alice, Diet Cig, Charly Bliss, Ibeyi, Overcoats are among a number of female led bands or duos.

5) And there is something great going on in Australia and New Zealand. 4 out of my top 6 come from there.

6) A few bands made unexpected great 'comeback' albums: Slowdive, Ride, Rainer Marie, Underground Lovers, Grandaddy, Flotation Toy Warning.

7) Big Thief - Mary is my track of the year.

[Brother Spoon]

My favorite records of the year (so far)

99. Valerie June: The order of time

Mystically enhanced country soul elegance.

98. Bob Dylan: Triplicate

He's getting better at it. Maybe next year he'll go fishing.

97. John Moreland: Big bad luv

What Springsteen should have sounded like.

96. John Murry: A short history of decay

Stylized heartbreak.

95. Bill Baird: Baby blue abyss

Part one of twin albums. Noisy fun yin.

94. Virginia Wing / XAM duo: Tomorrow's gift
https://virginiawingmusic.bandcamp.com/album/tomorrows-gift
Just a big sound, improv noise with catchy saxophone blasting through.

93. Chris Price: Stop talking

Revenge of the wet powerpop obsessives.

92. Glen Campbell: Adios

Uncool, but when was he ever? Heartfelt goodbye.

91. Bill Baird: Easy machines

Part two of twin albums. The more reflective yang.

[McBastard]

I'll try again and hopefully avoid the spam filter this time:

The best:
The Fall - New Facts Emerge
Jane Weaver - Modern Kosmology
Sleaford Mods - English Tapas
Brian Jonestown Massacre - Don't Get Lost
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Luciferian Towers
Blanck Mass - World Eater
Oddfellow's C-word (a public room or building where gambling games are played)- Oh, Sealand

Some others:
Sacred Paws - Strike A Match
Moon Duo - Occult Architecture
Pye Corner Audio - The Spiral
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Damage and Joy
Yorkston Thorne Khan - Neuk Wight Delhi All-Stars
V/A - Mono No Aware
Forest Swords - Compassion
Bonobo - Migration
Colin Stetson - All This I Do For Glory
GAS - Narkopop
Arca - Arca
Alex Rex - Vermillion
Mike Cooper - Raft
The Clientele - Music For The Age Of Miracles
Baxter Dury - Prince Of Tears
Four Tet - New Energy
Charlotte Gainsbourg - Rest
Mario Batkovic - Mario Batkovic

[Oscar]

No one waiting to add the new Eminem album?