*the feminine ACT II
― bodak horseman (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 26 September 2017 14:39 (six years ago) link
I have a few. The one that springs to mind the most is Future Islands' The Far Field, which has had some understandably lukewarm reviews but for me has grown into one of my most played records. It's quite one-note and not a huge departure from their usual sound, but at the same time it's a near-perfect crystallisation of their sound - them doing what they do best. Each song has slowly turned into a classic for me now.
― Shat Parp (dog latin), Tuesday, 26 September 2017 14:40 (six years ago) link
Lowly - Heba
https://youtu.be/6G9b47bnwGo
― kitchen person, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 14:41 (six years ago) link
World Eater is really good too!
― Mungolian Jerryset (bendy), Tuesday, 26 September 2017 14:48 (six years ago) link
yeah, the Mark Eitzel record is my favorite of the year
― President Keyes, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 14:50 (six years ago) link
co-sign Lowly, really great album
― bodak horseman (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 26 September 2017 14:51 (six years ago) link
Wednesday Campanella - Superman is my favourite pop album this year
https://youtu.be/4jWLioW7Zx0https://youtu.be/aP4ERPsuyCU
― ufo, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 14:54 (six years ago) link
Palehound's A Place I'll Always Go might be my favorite semi-popular album this year:
https://palehound.bandcamp.com/album/a-place-ill-always-go
― one way street, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 15:15 (six years ago) link
Planning for Burial - Below the House: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNcGVIohlMQ
― Frederik B, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 15:15 (six years ago) link
Oh for fucks sake, that wasn't meant to imbed.
Pick any year when he's released a new record and Mark Eitzel will be amongst that year's most overlooked.
― yugi ex, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 16:18 (six years ago) link
The man's a genius...
well now that he's earned 4x props itt I guess he's no longer overlooked
new candidate: the Ex Eye album
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Tuesday, 26 September 2017 16:20 (six years ago) link
POWERPLANT by Girlpool. I know it got BNM on p4k, & positive press p much everywhere, & yeah they're headlining a cool mini-fest here in November, but I just discovered them this year, & holy shit they're incredible, my new favorite band. their 2015 album BEFORE THE WORLD WAS BIG is just incredible, within a week of hearing it for the first time it already became one of my favorite albums ever. I want the world blanketed with Girlpool music.
― flappy bird, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 16:26 (six years ago) link
Sacred Paws - Strike A Match is still getting a ton of play from me
― brontosaur, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 16:32 (six years ago) link
Matt Jencik - Weird Times
https://mattjencik.bandcamp.com/album/weird-times
― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 16:45 (six years ago) link
I feel like I've been babbling about this album nonstop since I first heard it but if you have any inclination whatsoever towards Clan of Xymox-ish goth pop, you should listen to The Demonstration by Drab Majesty IMMEDIATELY:
https://drabmajesty.bandcamp.com/album/the-demonstration
― Marcus Hiles Remains Steadfast About Planting Trees.jpg (DJP), Tuesday, 26 September 2017 16:51 (six years ago) link
^^good album
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Tuesday, 26 September 2017 16:54 (six years ago) link
I want to say Midnight Magic's 'Free From Your Spell' which is a great nu-disco/pop album but it came out in November 2016 and not the kind of thing that would get any real critical buzz at this point but I haven't played anything more recent quite as much yet so just listen to it anyway.
― nashwan, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 17:00 (six years ago) link
if you have any inclination whatsoever towards Clan of Xymox-ish goth pop
immediate click
― sick, fucking funny, and well tasty (katherine), Tuesday, 26 September 2017 17:15 (six years ago) link
The Regrettes "Feel Your Feelings, Fool!"
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 17:16 (six years ago) link
It is probably gauche to mention an album you made, haha, and I think the Oxbow record is getting some praise, so I'll though out the New Year record "Snow" which not enough people I think even know it exists
https://thenewyear.bandcamp.com/album/snow
― chr1sb3singer, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 17:20 (six years ago) link
Drab Majesty seconded
― nomar, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 17:22 (six years ago) link
^ Album of the year, according to my 17 year old, along with "Gravedigging" by the Buttertones
― Mungolian Jerryset (bendy), Tuesday, 26 September 2017 17:27 (six years ago) link
I feel like Allison Crutchfield's album is somewhat overlooked-one of the best live shows I saw this year.
― campreverb, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 17:35 (six years ago) link
Jane weaver modern kosmology is pretty underrated
― Week of Wonders (Ross), Tuesday, 26 September 2017 19:26 (six years ago) link
^^^ oh yeah that record rules
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Tuesday, 26 September 2017 19:28 (six years ago) link
El Goodo - By Order of the Moose
---
Perfectly executed homage to '60s garage & psychedelic rock. Great follow-up to their 2009 LP Coyote. I think it's much more cohesive and enjoyable than Coyote and I've been listening to it on loop for three weeks now. I know I'll burn out, but I'm enjoying it while it's still fresh. Listen to "It Makes Me Wonder" and "Sit & Wonder" for a good taster. Both have music vids on YouTube.
― afriendlypioneer, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 19:38 (six years ago) link
Jane Weaver album is ok. Feels like it's missing a little of the mystery that made The Silver Orb so good, though.
― afriendlypioneer, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 19:39 (six years ago) link
Globe/orb, whatever.
https://talitres.bandcamp.com/album/the-silver-veil
I've listened to this more than any other album this year
― Dinsdale, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 20:31 (six years ago) link
I've probably discovered more this year than the past few. it's just generally not been from 2017. it is fucked up on many levels that I feel guilty about this
Oh how I can relate to this! It's not that I'm overly focused with the new - and, let's face it, there's more of it than ever. But our society is completely obsessed with "what have you done for me lately", especially in America where we tear down our 'old' buildings with no regard for their history or importance. And music has always been youth-driven, so it makes sense we feel guilt about not being as completely engaged as we once were. But I let that feeling wash away when I listen to something new-to-me-and-cool.
Most of my discoveries this year come from a previous era, the new Jane Weaver being my favorite of 2017 releases. Runners up include Fazerdaze - Morningside, The Black Watch - The Gospel According To John, Popguns - Sugar Kisses and Pete Fij/Terry Bickers - We Are Millionaires.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 21:02 (six years ago) link
Mdou Moctar - Sousoume Tamachek
― sleeve, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 21:14 (six years ago) link
I was never a huge fan of Lillix and didn't think that much of her first couple of solo albums but Young Mopes by Louise Burns is a terrific record. It's not a million miles away from The Bangles / VOTB / Belinda Carlisle at times.
The three singles from the album currently have between 3000 and 18,000 YouTube views.
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Tuesday, 26 September 2017 21:25 (six years ago) link
I love this:
https://homenormal.bandcamp.com/album/love-retained
Bandcamp is currently suggesting you can buy the CD for a quid (which seems ridiculous).
― djh, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 21:33 (six years ago) link
I love love love The Courtneys and their album II. Been meaning to start a thread for it.
― geoffreyess, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 22:04 (six years ago) link
I want the world blanketed with Girlpool music.
I also relate to this. Might've been my answer if they were new to me this year.
― geoffreyess, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 22:06 (six years ago) link
― Wag1 Shree Rajneesh (ShariVari), Tuesday, September 26, 2017 2:25 PM (fifty-five minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
oh damn this is good to know
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Tuesday, 26 September 2017 22:21 (six years ago) link
Young Mopes is a fantastic album. I liked her last one too, but this is even better.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 26 September 2017 23:28 (six years ago) link
I keep coming back very often to Nikki Lane's 'Highway Queen,' but I honestly don't know what kind of footprint it has in the real world. Maybe it's popular? I know it's not chart popular, and it seems untalked about in "Americana" circles for the most part. It's not throwback country, really, but it's not pop Nashville either. It swings and the songwriting is sooooo good.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Wednesday, 27 September 2017 00:22 (six years ago) link
I was all set to write off Liars' T F C F as an Angus solo project, but I have got a lot out of it (maybe more so than some of the previous 5 albums).
― attention vampire (MatthewK), Wednesday, 27 September 2017 00:47 (six years ago) link
am I just old now?
me irl
(i also liked the courtneys album tho)
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 27 September 2017 00:55 (six years ago) link
This is pretty easily The Stevens Good for me. It starts slow, but give it a chance, unless you're absolutely allergic to indie guitars, because there are some f***in tunes on here, a Kinks-ian plenty, in fact:
https://chaptermusic.bandcamp.com/album/good
― o. nate, Wednesday, 27 September 2017 01:14 (six years ago) link
I realise Katherine's only asked for one, but a few of the albums I've not read much about that I've enjoyed include Sevdaliza - ISON (hyperemotional fkatwigsy R&B/pop), Jen Cloher - Jen Cloher (latest alb from partner of Courtney Barnett), Hey Violet - From the Outside (American pop/rock girlgroup) and The Preatures - Girlhood (affable 70s-style Australian guitarpop which most notably features a song with a verse in Dharug, a Sydney indigenous language).
Like Katherine I haven't fallen for nearly as many albums this year as I have in the last few.
― monotony, Wednesday, 27 September 2017 02:07 (six years ago) link
Good struck me as a bit less tuneful than History of Hygiene (and the titles aren't as dryly amusing) but "Keep Me Occupied" is quite a song.
― geoffreyess, Wednesday, 27 September 2017 02:20 (six years ago) link
Came down here to post Girlpool, glad to see that flappy bird beat me to it. It's a fantastic album, albeit in the way that it'll mean a lot to some people but not enough people to exactly dominate year-end lists. Personally it's my #2 album of the year!
Also the SZA album isn't exactly overlooked but it hasn't been talked about that much on ilm. there's not even a sza thread, which is weird because it's basically ILM bait
― josh az (2011nostalgia), Wednesday, 27 September 2017 02:53 (six years ago) link
TOPS' Sugar at the Gate is also great great indie pop
Seconding the Anna Wise - The Feminine Part 2. Accessible and all you King fans should be all over it.
My nominee would be Ifriqiyya Électrique - Rûwâhîne Tunisian call/response heavy industrial. Pisses all over any number of cafe safe Tuareg albums that are filling the bins these days.
― prelude to abjection (Sanpaku), Wednesday, 27 September 2017 03:13 (six years ago) link
Anna Wise is great
― Week of Wonders (Ross), Wednesday, 27 September 2017 03:17 (six years ago) link
xp nice call on that Ifriqiyya Électrique, Glitterbeat has been on a roll lately
― sleeve, Wednesday, 27 September 2017 03:20 (six years ago) link
they are terminally underrated and overlooked, great band
― flappy bird, Monday, 18 December 2017 05:36 (six years ago) link
What about the album of 2016 that you feel is overcooked??I don’t know the answer, but I feel it’s worth asking because it rhymes
― Karl Malone, Monday, 18 December 2017 05:43 (six years ago) link
Changing my answer from Nelly Furtado to The Rubs
https://therubsaretrash.bandcamp.com/album/impossible-dream-lp
― billstevejim, Monday, 18 December 2017 07:02 (six years ago) link
yeah that Rubs record rulz
― alpine static, Monday, 18 December 2017 07:55 (six years ago) link
I like what Spellling is doing generally so much i have no idea after 2 listens if they are good. I think def yes.
― y'know, LIBS! libertarians, libertines, even liberians and librarians (Hunt3r), Monday, 18 December 2017 15:45 (six years ago) link
Surprised there wasn't more love for the Rostam record. Pretty sure it's my fave of the year.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66y8JMEvTas
― DJI, Monday, 18 December 2017 16:10 (six years ago) link
I liked some tracks on the Rostam album but didn't really feel compelled to revisit it much, maybe I should though. Bike Dream was especially good
― ufo, Monday, 18 December 2017 16:27 (six years ago) link
Spellling reminds me of some of His Name is Alive maybe?
― y'know, LIBS! libertarians, libertines, even liberians and librarians (Hunt3r), Monday, 18 December 2017 17:26 (six years ago) link
xp - I love most of the tracks on the album. Fun, kitchen-sink production, sing-along harmonies - all the stuff I love.
― DJI, Monday, 18 December 2017 20:25 (six years ago) link
pretty sure i have not seen this album getting any love, but i love its dirty beats and weird atmospherics.
https://ninjatune.net/release/kutmah/trobbb
― mark e, Monday, 18 December 2017 21:32 (six years ago) link
sorry to perseverate, this is one of the better reimaginings of a classic i've heard:https://spellling.bandcamp.com/track/higher-ground
the whole sequence of bolt from the blue/higher ground/blue (american dream)/place without a form is fucking nice imo.
― y'know, LIBS! libertarians, libertines, even liberians and librarians (Hunt3r), Wednesday, 20 December 2017 18:14 (six years ago) link
I have a new favorite to replace the Mdou Moctar record, Eyvind Kang's Plainlight. maddeningly released in a non-streaming vinyl-only edition of 400
http://www.suncitygirls.com/abduction/Plainlight.php
― sleeve, Wednesday, 20 December 2017 18:19 (six years ago) link
whenuweremine nominated the Charlotte Dos Santos album Cleo. I had not seen it mentioned anywhere before that. Incredible voice, incredible singer. Might be too whimsical for some tastes (covering a 13th century song, writing new lyrics for Freddie Hubbard's Red Clay, doing a new 60s-sounding Latin soul song in English) but I think she makes it all work. File under vocal jazz and soul, I guess.
― _Rudipherous_, Sunday, 24 December 2017 23:51 (six years ago) link
yasmine hamdan - al jamilat
https://yasminehamdan.bandcamp.com/album/al-jamilat
i came across a video for a song off this album while i was just clicking through a "recommended for you" playlist on youtube, so i don't really have any idea what the larger social or musical context for this artist is. she's lebanese, the lyrics aren't in english, the video i saw had subtitles that made the lyrics seem very apocalyptic and political, but the music is very beautiful and ethereal. it's not lo-fi but it doesn't seem to have any interest in being conventionally hooky and poppy. i guess i would say RIYL grimes' visions, maybe juana molina or susanne sundfør.
it's really good, i know the language barrier is a factor in why it isn't more well known, but i'm really surprised that i haven't seen it show up in any year-end discourse given the quality and how good the videos are.
― james brooks, Monday, 25 December 2017 01:16 (six years ago) link
Yeah, Yasmine Hamdan is great. Seek out 'Soap Kills' as well, if you don't know it yet, her previous (electro)pop band.
― ♫ very clever with maracas.jpg ♫ (Le Bateau Ivre), Monday, 25 December 2017 01:25 (six years ago) link
(though her solo effort 'Ya Nass' is my fave)
― ♫ very clever with maracas.jpg ♫ (Le Bateau Ivre), Monday, 25 December 2017 01:26 (six years ago) link
Any impressions of Jo Harman? She seems not to have been mentioned on ILM ever. I think she's good, but I'm not sure how good yet. I love the 70s (probably more than any decade for English language popular music, maybe popular music in general), but sometimes the echoes of the 70s seem too obvious.
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 25 December 2017 02:10 (six years ago) link
Very good singer. I'm still on the fence about the songwriting.
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 25 December 2017 02:11 (six years ago) link
Really enjoying the Charlotte Dos Santos; thanks Rudipherous!
― anatol_merklich, Saturday, 30 December 2017 16:15 (six years ago) link
Fabiano do Nascimento - Tempo Dos Mestres: Gilberto Gil Gonna Shine in My Backdoor Someday
Listening to this one. So far it's beautiful.
― Dinsdale, Saturday, 30 December 2017 20:26 (six years ago) link
haha, yes it's a great one
― niels, Saturday, 30 December 2017 20:41 (six years ago) link
I have a new favorite to replace the Mdou Moctar record, Eyvind Kang's Plainlight. maddeningly released in a non-streaming vinyl-only edition of 400http://www.suncitygirls.com/abduction/Plainlight.php🕸
― flappy bird, Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:20 (six years ago) link
it is soooo good
― sleeve, Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:28 (six years ago) link
I will repeat: Camille is fantastic and you don't know what you're missing if you haven't given it a spin. It's not the cabaret music I suspect some are expecting. It's very melodic, but there are often separate layers of Camille's vocals doing primarily rhythmic things (in addition to the rhythmically oriented instrumental layer). The technique is often very adventurous, but it's much too catchy to be filed with extreme experimental vocal music.
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 1 January 2018 02:50 (six years ago) link
(anatol_merklich, glad you like the Charlotte Dos Santos. I think I might rank Camille slightly higher at the moment, because it's so polished. And it feels like Camille is inventing her own unique sub-genre of pop music.)
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 1 January 2018 02:55 (six years ago) link
I like the Camille album
Casey Dienel's Imitation of a Woman To Love (https://caseydienel.bandcamp.com/) is very overlooked - found out about it thanks to maura's write-up. ambitious artpop riyl roisin murphy albums especially
― ufo, Monday, 1 January 2018 04:53 (six years ago) link
*the last two roisin murphy albums
― ufo, Monday, 1 January 2018 04:54 (six years ago) link
Ouï didn't quite rise out of the pack of good 2017 albums for me but it's definitely Camille's best record since Le Fil. Did anyone try the alternate version, Ouïï, which seems to be the same songs arranged for voice and tambour?
― Jeff W, Monday, 1 January 2018 12:37 (six years ago) link
Gilberto Gil Gonna Shine in My Backdoor Someday
not sure you could write a more appealing 8 word description of an album, diving into it now
― ogmor, Monday, 1 January 2018 21:59 (six years ago) link
Xiu Xiu - FORGET
― cwkiii, Tuesday, 2 January 2018 01:51 (six years ago) link
^absolutely
― flappy bird, Tuesday, 2 January 2018 03:48 (six years ago) link
Billy Woods - Known Unknowns
― octobeard, Tuesday, 2 January 2018 04:34 (six years ago) link
thinking plague hoping against hope
― reggie (qualmsley), Tuesday, 2 January 2018 15:22 (six years ago) link
Blind Boys of Alabama - Almost Home
― ... (Eazy), Tuesday, 2 January 2018 15:32 (six years ago) link
alvarius b with a beaker in the burner and an otter in the oven
― reggie (qualmsley), Tuesday, 2 January 2018 23:54 (six years ago) link
that fabiano do nascimento album is great, been caning it
― ogmor, Friday, 5 January 2018 08:51 (six years ago) link
I had no idea Camille released an album last year - thanks for the heads up!
― Elvis Telecom, Wednesday, 17 January 2018 19:55 (six years ago) link
https://www.toneglow.net/reviews/2017/11/16/jurg-frey-lame-est-sans-retenue-i
sounds massive on the stereo.. like intermittent surf (breaks), or a jet plane carving out the sky - but very, very intermittent at parts. lot of silent breaks, it's aggravating to listen to actively
― braunld (Lowell N. Behold'n), Thursday, 18 January 2018 21:14 (six years ago) link
I think I read about it here first but now can't find it. Anyway, the Upper Wilds' Guitar Module 2017 is kinda wild. Dan Friel and Aaron Siegel making a glorious racket.
― The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums (Chinaski), Sunday, 11 February 2018 20:13 (six years ago) link
I briefly mentioned it in the 2017 end of the year lists thread
― Dinsdale, Sunday, 11 February 2018 21:00 (six years ago) link
Ryan Power - They Sell Doomsday. Perfect smooth prog pop, kind of like a spikier, cynical Prefab Sprout. This guy is basically at Rundgren levels of one-man-band production.
https://ryanpower.bandcamp.com/album/they-sell-doomsday
― J. Sam, Sunday, 11 February 2018 21:26 (six years ago) link