Best Music of 2017

Cafe Society
1

As I did last year, I’m sharing my Apple Music playlist with my favorite songs of the past year. (I got to it a little later this year, but hey: the Grammys were just this week.)

Here are YouTube clips of the top two songs on the list, for those who don’t have Apple Music but want a taste:

  1. Waxahatchee - “Never Been Wrong”
    On certain notes, lead singer Katie Crutchfield (who also writes the songs) sounds like Neko Case. But she’s got her own hard driving, wall-of-guitars sound. This whole album “Out in the Storm” is great.
  2. Father John Misty - “Ballad of the Dying Man”

All five of the Father John Misty songs on the overall playlist, taken from his album “Pure Comedy”, are awesome–but ultimately for my top pick I had to go with the one that features my favorite lyric of 2017 and maybe ever:

I think I’d still like FJM if he sang in a language I don’t understand. But his lyrics really kick it up a notch. Another example, less cheeky but more moving, from the 13-minute song “Leaving LA”:

So evocative. I’m glad someone apparently did ultimately help Barbara’s son!

What music did you all get into last year?

2

SZA is awesome. St. Vincent’s Masseduction is one of my faves. Lorde’s Melodrama I recently downloaded. I think it’s really good. And of course the new Bjork - Utopia.

3

Last month there was a thread about best albums of 2017. What I posted was :

Out In The Storm by Waxahatchee : Silver

A Crow Looked At Me by Mount Eerie:Real Death

Pure Comedy by Father John Misty : Leaving LA

4

Two of those are my top two albums of 2017. The other one, I have never even heard of. Hmmm… I wonder if I should maybe, just maybe, check that out? (Also, if you have Apple Music, you should check out my playlist.)