LINER NOTES
1. I dare you / The xx
This would have been a hit in 1985 and yet doesn’t sound retro to me in the least. Top ten album for me and also my favorite SNL performance of the year. Just mesmerizing.
2. Movin / Sir the Baptist
“Raise hell” got more attention but I was more swayed by the ebullient Talib Kweli just-to-get-by vibe of this cut. A track that should be on the regular in every boxing gym. Definitely puts the speedbag in mind.
3. On and off / Maggie Rogers
What a chorus – I want to hear it again as soon as it’s over. “Take me to that place where you always go…” That synth loop in the right channel really makes it candy and yet there’s something in the quaver of her voice that raises the stakes a little. Great production overall but something tells me it’s even better when she plays it for you on the piano she wrote it on.
4. Shining / DJ Khaled
Khaled, Beyoncé, Jay – they the best music. “All of this winning… I been losing my mind” says Bey. I can only imagine. By the time Hov rolls in I’m at eleven.
5. Crooked Cops / Rejjie Snow
I knew this guy was Irish so at first I listened to this cut and I was like “damn the police are killing brothers in the street over in Ireland too?” Then I read that it’s about the US. He went to college in Georgia. So… still no need for Irish BLM which I guess counts as some version of good news in this day and age (this bassline is a monster…)
6. Drew Barrymore / SZA
Can’t say I went batshit for this album the way many did but I enjoyed it and this track had me from the first time I heard it. I still can’t figure out why it’s called “drew Barrymore” though – I get the idea that it’s some kind of tribute but then again the first line is “why is it so hard to accept the party’s over?” so maybe not.
7. Like the Piano / Sampha
Even though this is not at all representative of my thing I am conquered by the intensity of its earnestness. I did wonder if it was actually recorded on the piano in his mother’s home because if so that piano is sorely in need of a tuning. Get on that Sampha – that’s your best pal right there.
8. Somas Chulas / Downtown Boys
We’re not… a minor threat. Man this captures the all-ages mosh pit spirit of the bad old days in a way that I haven’t heard in a long time. I don’t understand the lyrics, but I bet they’re righteously furious and scary.
9. Scarlet Town / Chris Thile, Brad Mehldau
One of the premier jazz pianists in the world and a mandolin player who is stretching the boundaries of what you think about when you think about a mandolin player (the other Chris thile record I loved this year was an album of Bach trios he did with Yo Yo Ma and Edgar Meyer). The level of musicianship on display here is staggering. This was my favorite track but the entire record really deserves a listen (btw that’s Mehldau singing the low harmony – if you’re unfamiliar with him, he ah… doesn’t usually sing)
10. Swalla / J derulo
The clown prince of the double entendre conquers the empire of the senseless again with yet another indisputable piece of bootyshakin cotton candy. I don’t know about DJT but Derulo is definitely a stable genius (maybe a record w Mehldau and Thile is in the offing?). Nicki adds some 7-out-of-10 bars to the mix (keeping in mind that her 7 is actually a 9 according to the existing Minaj curve established at MIT).
11. Bad Liar / Selena Gomez
Speaking of cotton candy. The leading contender for the Large pop song of the year right here. Also another entry in an expanding dossier that is leading me to suspect I have severely underestimated Selena Gomez (“serpentine” as a verb – I am completely on board with that… but who the FUCK wrote the line “just like the battle of Troy, there’s nothing subtle here” – so hilariously bad it made me laugh out loud first time I heard it)
12. Una Leyenda China / Residente
My favorite track on an album I throughly enjoyed, the debut solo record from the legendary Calle 13 frontman. Not speaking Spanish i have no idea what he’s on about other than that the title translates to “A Chinese Legend.” Knowing that I imagine all sorts of Crouching Tiger Hidden Tiger stuff while I’m listening to it.
13. Cruising / Tony Scott
Longtime Fela drummer and student of Blakey and Max Roach brings a full length album of funk jazz at the crossroads of afrobeat, Mingus and pfunk. Dah… does that sound like something you’d be interested in? The bass/drums breakdown in the middle should become the afrobeat funky drummer sample of the new millennium (recording has a little more digital glare than I wish it it did – bass is extremely fat but horns are a little harsh)
14. 3WW / Alt J
These guys seem to record every song with an eye towards getting onto a Tarantino soundtrack. Results in some magnificently atmospheric spookpop.
15. Crushed glass / Freddie Gibbs
Have to go back to Rakim to find someone who has so consistently hypnotized me with his flow. Freddie Gibbs is the stone cold best rapper in the world. There, I said it.
16. Die Young / Sylvan Esso
This hipster duo has quite a knack for hooks that set up permanent residence in my synapses and threaten to drive me fucking nuts. I was just recovering my sanity from “Coffee” and now this.
17. Above and beyond / Makaya Mccraven
There is a realm of jazz out there now that is right on the cusp of discovering the true unified field theory. Makaya Mccraven is one of the leaders of the research unit.
18. Losing You – Alison Kraus
If you’ve ever really loved someone or something and felt it slipping through your fingers and also felt powerless to do anything about it… well, I dare you to listen to this and not get a little misty no matter where you happen to be (consider yourself warned). This is a Brenda Lee cover btw and betters the original by several furlongs imo.
19. The evil has landed / Queens of Stone Age
I salute this outfit for squeezing out what blood is left in the stone of good old fashioned rawk without seeming like a vaudeville act. That’s increasingly a very tough trick to pull off.
20. Liability / Lorde
I saw her do this on SNL and I never recovered. The part where she’s dancing with herself and strokes her own cheek… I can’t even. Sylvia Plath territory. A bittersweet dirge for the plight of borderlines everywhere. (If you listen closely there’s something squeaking and rustling in the right channel – maybe her moving around with the mic stand? – adds some atmosphere imo)
21. Havana / Camila Cabello
Havana ooh nah nah. The slinkiness of this groove is beyond most conventional measuring instruments of slink. Young thug doesn’t add much if you ask me but then I’m not a huge fan so what do I know. The trumpet at the end really takes me to a very pleasing buena vista place in my mind.
22. Feathered Indians / Tyler Childers
What a voice on this whippersnapper. Must have started smoking his Spirits in middle school. He’s working a little too hard on his character study (“I wouldnt have came stoned”? come on man) and I imagine that involves all of the requisite extracurricular activities. But if he lives into his 30’s I can imagine him making some heavy records.
23. PRIDE / Kendrick Lamar
I appreciate the man and I listen to all his albums with great pleasure. But he just doesn’t light me up the way he seems to do everyone else. This was my favorite track on an album that I played many times and respected as excellent without ever having much of an emotional response (cool sample at the top – “lovekills” by 9th wonder… I checked it out great track)
24. Dance of Many Hands / Nicole Mitchell
Some verified AACM shit here from a composer and flautist who is also… a one time president of AACM. To aid in the thoroughness of your realming I include the following description of this album from a review at All About Jazz: “The single suite is a musical dramatization of the futuristic allegory that Mitchell wrote for the album. It is a short story set in the year 2099 and is about the symbolic struggle between the decaying and violent old order and the peace and vibrancy of an egalitarian society.” Word.
25. 2nd Fiddle / Leikeli47
“Agent provocateur in Donna Karan dresses.” Does that include matching mask Leikeli? Conviction out the wazoo on the mic right here and also… “Ricky Bobby daddy told me long time ago if you ain’t first you’re last y’all can all kiss my ass.” I disagree with the sentiment but man I get these bars stuck in my head.
26. Bon Apettit – Katy Perry
I suspect I am going to lose credibility with some (many) of you by including this one but I gotta be me. I really dug this cut – production is fat and Migos kill it. Also admit that I was bizarrely compelled by the (admittedly bizarre) SNL performance and let me add that I thought her dancing was pretty good too. I guess I’m just basic af and unapologetically team Katy. Swish swish bish.
27. Make it last / Dizzee Rascal
DR really blew my mind when he first broke the grime sound like… 10 years ago? 15? 20? (I’m losing all concept of time). Flow hasn’t changed much in however many years but still sounds fresh to me.
28. You’re breaking my heart / Juliana Hatfield
I will always have a soft spot for this brand of jangly guitar pop so simply and unpretentiously rendered. Just a great song with absolutely no effort to trick me into thinking it’s avant-grade artsy shit. Jeff Tweedy should take note – sometimes it’s okay to let it be exactly what it is.
29. Water me / Lizzo
The sheer energy of this woman just explodes through the speakers – when I play this track on my home system my relatively small listening room seems like it can hardly contain it, like my ceiling’s about to cave in or something. Electrifying.
30. Unconditional / Nick Mulvey
Loved the whole album. Watch out for this dude. Whole hook of this one is him singing the word “unconditional,” an achievement in and of itself. When the horns come in I’m always smiling.
31. Feel it still / Portugal the man
Neck and neck with bad liar for large pop song of the year and on a more personal level a very special song for me because it is the first song I’ve ever put on one of these lists after being turned on to it by my son, Reggie, who is nine. I’m sure there will be many more to come.
32. Lemon / NERD
The first time I heard this I think it was on shuffle while I was mowing my lawn. And I was like “who the hell is this woman rapper stealing this track right here?” Turned out to be a talented up and comer named “Rihanna.” I predict big things for her.
33. System only dreams in total darkness / The National
My overall position on this band thus far could be summed up by Stephen malkmus’s supremely snarky diss of the Smashing Pumpkins – “I don’t understand what they mean and I could really give a fuck.” But some playlist served me up this track and it really got in my head. I found myself unexpectedly moved by its anthemic momentum – like a great U2 cut made all the greater by the absence of Bono. Has an actual guitar solo in it too! Pretty good one. Don’t hear those much anymore.
34. Nobody Knows – Amber Coffman
Very enjoyable solo effort from Dirty Projectors singer. An inarguably catchy pop song but it really made my list for being the only track I can think of where the riff that makes me ache for it is a repetitive flurry of tom hits. I’m sure those drum sounds are computer generated and all I can say to that is… ok computer.
35. Close but not quite – Everything is recorded
Another appearance by Sampha on the list – big year for him – though I have to admit I think I would have axed this one were it not for the Curtis sample. Sampling “makings of you” = instant Large list maker.
36. Mi Gente / J Balvin
Beyoncé in Spanish????? Where do I sign? One thing 2017 taught me is all you need to do if you’re a music producer today is get Beyoncé or Rihanna to guest on your track and it will be great.
37. Blue Magic / Son Little
I’ve been unfairly skeptical of this guy just based on his stage name (I have never investigated the matter but there’s no way that’s his real name… and so, why not Mississippi Son Little while you’re at it?) But this cut kills me, just old school r&b magic and an excellent recording to boot (I don’t know for sure but I’m guessing at least some of it was recorded on tape which would certainly be in keeping with the whole Son Little business)
38. Wild Thoughts – DJ Khaled
More Rihanna! How many times did she make my list this year? Also… how many hit songs can be mined from this Santana lick? Endless, apparently.
39. Bells / Salva
Salva is all about them crazy robot beats. He should have given this one to RTJ – I kept waiting for Killer Mike to come roaring in with some lyrics of fury.
40. The May Queen – Robert Plant
The hammer of the gods! As my man George once put it so well, unexpected Zeppelin is the BEST ZEPPELIN! Granted this sounds like the slightly defanged unplugged version from 1998 but man can’t you just hear this sucker on physical graffiti with the whole outfit going gangbusters and Page layering on like forty guitar tracks. Needs RP’s Whole Lotta Love wail at the end too – they should have just sampled it in there.
41. You’re my thrill / Cecile McLorin Salvant
The whole idea of being a jazz vocalist at this point is so anachronistic as to be almost comic – like you’re basing an entire career on the slim possibility that you’ll be featured in a nightclub scene in a big Hollywood period piece about gangsters where everyone’s wearing zoot suits. But then someone like this comes along and you realize that all of our received pop culture ideas about music and its relationship to time melt away in the face of a truly great singer.
42. Soul and cigarette / Parquet Courts
I don’t follow the scene too closely but based on what my regular playlists are feeding me this band is singlehandedly keeping the arch, coolerthanthou Fall-derivative indie rock spirit alive. (I’m sure if I wrote that as a comment on a Pitchfork thread my computer would explode from internet rage. Williamsburg would march on my house.) Anyway, as someone who once worshipped at the altar of this admittedly small cult this track would have had me very excited in 1994 (who is Danielle Luppi btw… is this the person who can’t play the vibes?)
43. Phases / Alma, French Montana
I’ll say this for the digital sonic miasma – it can lend great drama and scale to just about anything. For instance this song about a college (high school?) drunken hookup rendered with the emotional urgency of Puccini. When is the edm opera scheduled to happen anyway? Did I miss it?
44. Say A’ / Boogie wit da hoodie
It’s the afterthought quality of this cut I enjoy so much. What the fuck I’m supposed to say? I have to point out though – the line “told em I got tints because I’m rich” sounds like something else.
45. Good on the Ground / Vijay Iyer
The greatest piano player on the scene right now imo expands his visionary trio and its genre bending Impressionism for a sextet with a more muscular approach. It’s a little derivative at times though enjoyably so (Dave Holland, Steve Coleman), until Vijay himself takes over at which point, as he usually does, he takes the production to unexpected places. Also note – Vijay’s drummer, Tyshawn Sorey. Beast mode. Worth listening to this cut for the drumming alone.
46. Fussin and Fightin / Zara McFarlane
I can’t remember the last time I put a reggae song on one of these lists. Possibly never. Not sure how I came to this track but it has a Black Uhuru-ish sense of purpose and mystery that kept me coming back – love how the piano takes it out behind the hook at the end.
47. Bahia / Anouar Brahem
How much mystic spacefunk can a Tunisian oud virtuoso generate with two septugenarian veterans of… well, pretty much everything (including Bitches Brew)? The sky’s the limit. Comrades of the revolution, ole Dave Holland and Jack D are not slowing down in the least. Here’s to them and those like them. Damn few left.