Another music organization, another top albums list. But ours is actually worth reading.
Tons of experimental, mind-melting, avant-whatever here, in many flavors: electronic, punk, folk, ambient, post-rock, zolo, kraut, emo, jazz, sludge, neo-classical, hip hop, industrial, math rock, done, shoegaze, leftfield, gross, weirdo, beegolb, joflig, hiofsie, fwiafl, fjeoiwjgl, fhowrjlw…
Thanks to everyone who made this a great year in music and radio! On-heckin’-ward!
(If you’d like to see an ~illustrated version~ of this list with all the album art, email music@wprb.com.)
1. LAUREL HALO, Dust, Hyperdub
2. VARIOUS, Magnetband: Experimenteller Elektronik-Underground DDR 1984-1989, Bureau B
3. MACULA DOG, Natural Dog, Haord
4. PALBERTA, Bye Bye Berta, Wharf Cat
5. ARCA, Arca, XL
6. ANNIE ANXIETY, Soul Possession, Dais
7. MARK FEEHAN, M.F. II, Richie
8. MHYSA, fantasii, Halcyon Veil
9. GRAILS, Chalice Hymnal, Temporary Residence
10. PHARMAKON, Contact, Sacred Bones
11. RYUICHI SAKAMOTO, async, Milan
12. SNEAKS, It’s a Myth, Merge
13. VOIGT/465, Slights Still Unspoken, Guerssen
14. TAIWAN HOUSING PROJECT, Veblen Death Mask, Kill Rock Stars
15. FAUST, Fresh Air, Bureau B
16. VARIOUS, Typical Girls Vol. 2, Emotional Response
17. CAMP COPE, Camp Cope, Run For Cover
18. CABO BOING, Blob on a Grid, Haord
19. MIDORI TAKADA, Through the Looking Glass, WRWTFWWR
20. UROCHROMES, Night Bully, Wharf Cat
21. RICH LABONTE, Mayan Canals, Dark Entries
22. AWA POULO, Poulo Warali, Awesome Tapes from Africa
23. FAT WORM OF ERROR, Nzznzzzznnznznnn, Feeding Tube
24. AYE NAKO, Silver Haze, Don Giovanni
25. LAIBACH, Also Sprach Zarathustra, Mute
26. JUANA MOLINA, Halo, Crammed Discs
27. VISIBLE CLOAKS, Reassemblage, RVNG Intl.
28. GIRLPOOL, Powerplant, Anti-
29. WALL, Untitled, Wharf Cat
30. JAIMIE BRANCH, Fly or Die, International Anthem
31. XETAS, The Tower, 12XU
32. SHEER MAG, Sheer Mag, Static Shock/Wilsuns
33. WORRIERS, Survival Pop, SideOneDummy
34. CARLA DAL FORNO, The Garden, Blackest Ever Black
35. DE-BONS-EN-PIERRE, Crepes, Dark Entries
36. USA/Mexico, Laredo, 12XU
37. PAN DAIJING, Lack, PAN
38. SCANTRON, 882-E, Discontinuous Innovation
39. AQUASERGE, Laisse Ca Etre, Almost Musique
40. KELLY LEE OWENS, Kelly Lee Owens, Smalltown Supersound
41. FLORIST, If Blue Could Be Happiness, Double Double Whammy
42. AARON DILLOWAY, The Gag File, Dais
43. BENJAMIN CLEMENTINE, I Tell A Fly, Barclay
44. ART FEYNMAN, Blast Off Through the Wicker, Western Vinyl
45. VAGABON, Infinite Worlds, Father/Daughter
46. FROM NURSERY TO MISERY, Pixies in the Woods, Dark Entries
47. BROKEBACK, Illinois River Valley Blues, Thrill Jockey
48. JOHN MAUS, Screen Memories, Ribbon
49. VASUDEVA, No Clearance, Skeletal Lightning
50. HOLY MOTORS, Sleeprydr, Wharf Cat
51. HARAM, When You Have Won, You Have Lost, La Vida Es Un Mus Discos
52. GUERILLA TOSS, GT Ultra, DFA
53. TREVOR BABB, Warmth, Innova
54. KENSUKE IDE WITH HIS MOTHERSHIP, Otemoyan Isan, EM
55. ENDLESS BOOGIE, Vibe Killer, No Quarter
56. PALM, Shadow Expert, Carpark
57. MEGA BOG, Happy Together, Nicey
58. MAX ROACH, We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite, Cornbread
59. DIASPORA, Demo 2017, self-released
60. GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR, Luciferian Towers, Constellation
61. SIDEWALK CHALK, An Orchid is Born, Ropeadope
62. SACRED PAWS, Strike a Match, Rock Action
63. VIDEO NASTIES, Video Nasties, Feeding Tube
64. ALICE COLTRANE TURIYASANGITANANDA, World Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda, Luaka Bop
65. BLONDE REDHEAD, 3 O’Clock, Asa Wa Kuru
66. THE DOGS, Slash Your Face, Almost Ready
67. PINEGROVE, Everything So Far, Run For Cover
68. MW ENSEMBLE, Music for Piano Transmission, Ionik
69. THOMAS LEER, 1979, Dark Entries
70. THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE, Don’t Get Lost, ‘a’
71. DAMAGED BUG, Bunker Funk, Castle Face
72. W. ZABARKAS, The Origin of Dreams, Glistening Examples
72. WAXAHATCHEE, Out in the Storm, Merge
74. MICHAEL CHAPMAN, 50, Paradise of Bachelors
75. HALF WAIF, form/a, Cascine
76. REQUIEM, For a World After, Mental Experience
77. ADULT., Detroit House Guests, Mute
78. SLOWDIVE, Slowdive, Dead Oceans
79. LULA PENA, Archivo Pittoresco, Crammed Discs
80. DANA, Dana, Heel Turn
81. MORRICONE YOUTH, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, Country Club
82. VARIOUS, Uzelli Psychedelic Anadolu, Uzelli Kaset San
83. MIDNIGHT SISTER, Saturn Over Sunset, Jagjaguwar
84. TAPIMAN, Hard Drive, Guerssen
85. ALLISON CRUTCHFIELD, Tourist in This Town, Merge
86. IAN CHANG, Spiritual Leader, Kowloon
87. KELLEY STOLTZ, Que Aura, Castle Face
88. FLESH WORLD, Into the Shroud, Dark Entries
89. WRITHING SQUARES TOO, Victory for Womankind, Richie
90. SCHNEIDER-KACIREK, Radius Walk, Bureau B
91. DUDS, Of a Nature or Degree, Castle Face
92. SOCCER MOMMY, Collection, Fat Possum
93. R. STEVIE MOORE & JASON FALKNER, Make It Be, Lost Colony
94. ANJOU, Epithymia, Kranky
95. JULIAN LAGE & CHRIS ELDRIDGE, Mount Royal, Free Dirt
96. HAND HABITS, Wildly Idle, Woodsist
97. BLANCHE BLANCHE BLANCHE, Wooden Ball, NNA Tapes
98. DOWNTRODDER, II, self-released
99. NICOLE MITCHELL, Mandorla Awakening II: Emerging Worlds, FPE
100. THIGH MASTER, BBC, 12XU
101. KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD, Flying Microtonal Banana, ATO
102. BLANK SQUARE, Animal I, Castle Face
103. PSYCHIC TEENS, Hex, Hex
Others we loved this year, released before 2017:
MARIE DAVIDSON // Adieux Au Dancefloor // Cititrax
VARIOUS // Oz Waves: Australian DIY // Efficient Space
CARLA DAL FORNO // You Know What It’s Like // Blackest Ever Black
ANNA HOMLER & STEVE MOSHIER // Breadwoman & Other Tales // RVNG Intl.
YVES TUMOR // Serpent Music // PAN
AHOE-AHOEA // True Love Never Dies // Bunkerpop
BODY/HEAD // No Waves // Matador
NHK YX KOYXEN // Doom Steppy Reverb // Diagonal
FLESH FROG // Flesh Frog // Shovel Tusker
ANGEL // 2017 // Faro
JAMES CHANCE & THE CONTORTIONS // The Flesh Is Weak // True Groove
K. LEIMER // A Period of Review: Original Recordings 1975-1983 // RVNG Intl.
COLD FOAMERS // All Cold Everything // Slugsalt
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