"Nervous Young Inhumans" is instantly recognizable as CSH, but marks a change in their sound that I really like. There's a lot going on, at times maybe a bit too much, especially compared with their previous efforts, but if this is where they're going, I'm down. The new album is out in February, in the meantime, check out this fun video.
RIYL: Diet Sig, Parquet Courts, Jay Som, DIIV
It's cold outside, but the weekend's here and I've been in a lighthearted music kind of mood lately. The Courtney's latest album, The Courtneys II, hits that feeling right on the nose. Happy Friday!
RIYL: Diet Cig, Cherry Glazerr, Honeyblood, Mitski
Let's start off 2017 with a little fun (and some more frequent posting!) with a number from Buffalo's Lemuria. It's a bit different for them, with more of an upbeat pop sound, but, fuck it, I like it. If it rubs you the wrong way, don't worry, the rest of their latest album, Recreational Hate, should be more up your alley. Tracks like "Sliver of Change" and "Christine Perfect" are fantastic and should scratch that itch for you.
RIYL: Cayetana, Slingshot Dakota, Jawbreaker, Hop Along, Eisley
I don't have too much to say here except that 2017 was a great year for new music and I'm excited to see what 2018 brings. My favorite albums of the year are mostly reflected here in my list, which is presented in no particular order. I will say that I think Mt. Eddy's Chroma was my favorite album of the year and I'm hoping there is a vinyl pressing of that gem soon.
Down to the wire with this! I thought I'd make it easier on myself this year by keeping a running list of favorites but there's a couple problems with that: unfair advantage to early-in-the-year faves and extreme difficulty in deleting precious memories. Yes, that's what the songs are to me. Solution? Don't delete, just re-do for the blog. Haha, square one, basically. Anyway, I managed to make a tidy top 10* once I gave myself permission to also link you to my top 40.
*It's actually 11, because I could not NOT put Mitski's "Your Best American Girl" on here, though her song was technically released in '16. I first heard it the last week of last year and not only is it an amazing song that has had heavy rotation for me throughout this year, but we also got to see her perform it at Boston Commons this spring - so it just FEELS 2017 to me. So it's here, but I didn't count it.
Without further ado, apology or explanation here is the delightfully melancholic/retro vibe that is the very Most Important Songs of 2017:
