Best Music of 2017

How would I describe the year 2017? Checking social media when you wake up to make sure there weren't any major breaking news overnight. AKA:

*Opens Twitter *
Ah...Trump hasn't tweeted WW3 today. That's nice.

2017 was a sense of unease, of instability. 2016 was a crazy year, and I kind of feel like 2017 was like the hangover that comes after. You still feel a bit sick, a bit dizzy, and a bit scared of what went on before, not knowing what it means or why it happened, but you get on with your life. At the same time, you kinda know that what happened can't be ignored, and that one way or another it's gonna be addressed at some point. 2017 is a year between binges, after the storms of last year and the storms to come. As ironic as that sounds.

In other words, 2017 was kind of like the second half of Requiem for a Dream.

Now onto the music.

During the last few years, music has taken a drastic turn in mainstream and pop music. Mainstream music and music that gets constant radio play, all sounds very similar. With the internet and download culture, music is harder to market. Scenes are a lot less all inclusive. Artists play to small but adoring audiences. I think music is just going through a difficult adjustment period.

Most of what I hear on today's Top 40 is dull and uninspiring. The lack of money in the industry means the major record companies will only invest in things they consider 'dead certs', ignoring all the great music that exists outside the core mainstream niche. But due to the internet, there's more available music than ever. I think the music is good (otherwise people wouldn't like it right?), but I also feel like it could be SO much better. I wonder how much good music is never created just because it's not all about the music anymore in the industry. My purpose of this post is to introduce those artists that get lost on the charts.

My 2017 Best of Music list is once again full of discovery and wonder. I lead you on this journey to experience new artists and to find your new favourite song. You'll see musicians you will recognize and some you won't. I spent time searching among many different genres of music to solidify the best of each genre and to classify my tastes in the music world.

As I have stated in the past, this list was made for my pleasure to share with you my discovery in new music. I offer this contrast to give you insight of what is out there, what you may have missed and what I found was the heart and soul of 2017 in the music world. Each track was listened to in great detail and every single song on this list reflects a certain memory or an emotion of the year that was. So without further ado, here is my 2017 Best of Music list.

Best Albums of 2017

20. Elbow - Little Fictions

19. Pond - The Weather

18. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - The Echo Of Pleasure

17. Temples - Volcano

16. Vancouver Sleep Clinic - Revival

15. London Grammar - Truth Is A Beautiful Thing

14. The Chain Gang Of 1974 - Felt

13. Ten Fe - Hit The Lights

12. Future Islands - The Far Field

11. Gorillaz - Humanz

10. Cigarettes After Sex - Cigarettes After Sex

9. Julien Baker - Turn Out The Lights

8. Slowdive - Slowdive

7. The xx - I See You

6. Arcade Fire - Everything Now

5. Lana Del Rey - Lust For Life

4. The National - Sleep Well Beast

3. Mondo Cozmo - Plastic Soul

2. Lorde - Melodrama

1. The War On Drugs - A Deeper Understanding

Best Songs of 2017

100. Angus & Julia Stone - Chateau
99. Stereo Honey - Through The Dark
98. Lucius - Million Dollar Secret
97. The Horrors - Something To Remember Me By
96. Moses Sumney - Make Out In My Car
95. Modern Pleasure - Bliss Up
94. Polar Circles - Falling Tonight
93. Pickle Darling - Mouthful
92. London Grammar - Rooting For You
91. Beeches - Redline

90. The War On Drugs - In Chains
89. The Chain Gang of 1974 - Looking For Love
88. The National - I'll Still Destroy You
87. Dreamcar - Kill For Candy
86. Francis Novotny - Broken Arrow
85. Unia - All Of Me>
84. Ski Lodge - Secure
83. Boy Harsher - Motion
82. Mansions - Brain Fog
81. Johnossi - War/Rain

80. Mt. Wolf - Heavenbound
79. Tricky - The Only Way
78. Talos - This Is Us Colliding
77. The Foreign Resort - She Is Lost
76. J Grgry - eFlower
75. Loney Dear - Sum
74. Mew - Carry Me To Safety
73. British Sea Power - Bad Bohemian
72. Suits and Skulls - Air
71. The National - Guilty Party

70. Temples - Mystery Of Pop
69. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Better Off
68. Goon - She
67. Seamus Fogarty - Carlow Town
66. Billy Raffoul - Driver
65. Jaws Of Love - Hawaiian License Plates
64. Zola Blood - The Only Thing
63. Lorde - Green Light
62. Flagship - The Ladder
61. The xx - Say Something Loving

60. Faze Wave - Chemistry
59. Paul Thomas Saunders - I'll Come Running
58. Japanese Breakfast - Road Head
57. Cloud Nothings - Modern Act
56. Thrice - Sea Change
55. Daughter - Glass
54. Atlas Bird - Isolate
53. Mondo Cozmo - Automatic
52. The Franklin Electric - Walk With You
51. The War On Drugs - Holding On

50. Xiu Xiu - Wondering
49. The Belligerents - Flash
48. Cigarettes After Sex - Opera House
47. Formation - A Friend
46. Slowdive - No Longer Making Time
45. Vancouver Sleep Clinic - Lung
44. The Afghan Wigs - Oriole
43. The Palms - Levitate
42. Crashing Hotels - Hardcore Cherokee
41. Shallou - Begin

40. Everything Everything - Good Shot, Good Soldier
39. Arcade Fire - Put Your Money On Me
38. Deaf Havana - Fever
37. Fenech Soler - Undercover
36. Timber Timbre - Sewer Blues
35. London Grammar - Truth Is A Beautiful Thing
34. Sampha - (No One Knows Me) Like The Piano
33. Elbow - Gentle Storm
32. LCD Soundsystem - Oh Baby
31. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Anymore

30. The xx - On Hold
29. Pond - 30000 Megatons
28. Lana Del Rey - Love
27. Jens Lekman - What's That Perfume You Wear
26. City Calm Down - Blame
25. VHS Collection - So I Met Someone
24. Work Drugs - Final Bow
23. Mondo Cozmo - Hold On To Me
22. Isaac Gracie - Silhouettes Of You
21. The War On Drugs - Up All Night

20. Ten Fe - Twist Your Arm
19. Future Islands - Ran
18. Julien Baker - Appointments
17. Seeb - Breathe (Acoustic)
16. Columbia Mills - This City Doesn't Feel Like Home To Me
15. Sleigh Bells - And Saints
14. Gorillaz - Andromeda
13. The National - The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness
12. The Chain Gang of 1974 - Wallflowers
11. Bayonne - Fallss

10. The Lightning Year - Endless Memory