EDITED THREAD TITLE SINCE THE YEAR IS OVER.
It's about that time when we get a "best of" thread going. I think 2017 so far has been kind of slow (and just now picking up) and much of my top music so far this year has been jazz related. Much of the "prog" and rock selection has been either on the avant side or fringe (indie, pop, metal). I haven't personally been blown away by anything yet, but there has been some solid music... so far.
Here are my tops:
Prog, etc.
1. Bullet Height - No Atonement (Essentially Pure Reason Revolution 4. If you liked the last album, this moves further in that direction)
2. Aranis - Smells Like Aranis (Amazingly good considering the concept. But then again, this is Aranis)
3. MediaBanda - Bombas en el Aire (Nice unexpected release from these Chilean post Fulano avant-prog folks.)
4. Krokofant - III (Consistently good across all 3 releases)
5. Minus The Bear - Voids (Not as catchy as previous releases, but solid compositions and a grower)
6. Bjørn Riis - Forever Comes to an End (surprise for me. Bjorn is to Airbag perhaps what Lunatic Soul is to Riverside)
7. Samsara Blues Experiment - One with the Universe (Nice follow up to their last album)
8. Soen - Lykaia (will be a grower for me. I love their first album. Great Tool-like music)
9. Thinking Plague - Hoping Against Hope (perhaps a grower for me. It makes all the right moves, so maybe I'm the problem)
10. Big Big Train - Grimspound (Decent, not essential)
Jazz, etc.
1. Adam Rudolph's Moving Pictures - Glare of the Tiger (Have always been a fan, but this release caught me off guard. Hit's that Electric Miles or Kozmigroov vibe)
2. Hugues Mayot - What If? (Thanks to another Hugues. I love that vibe Dumoulin brings to projects and the ONJ connection)
3. Lisa Mezzacappa - AvantNOIR (Best Clean Feed release of the year so far)
4. Yussef Kamaal - Black Focus (OOOOH yeah...)
5. Angles 9 - Disappeared Behind the Sun (All of the Angles 9 releases are crazy stuff)
6. Anne Quillier 6tet - Dusty Shelters (like the Mezzacappa, this is some solid avant-garde jazz)
7. Craig Taborn - Daylight Ghosts (Great lineup and players. This is Taborn's best in a while)
8. Orchestre National de Jazz - Europa - Oslo (ONJ can do no wrong. If you like big-band jazz with a jazz-rock or rock bend)
9. Club d'Elf - Live at Club Helsinki (Jazzy jam band with Medeski)
10. Tomasz Stanko - December Avenue (Relaxing)
So what are your best of 2017... so far?
Bookmarks