Sunday, June 25, 2017

The Best Albums of 2017 (so far)


So, here we are at mid-year, and it's time to recognize some of the excellent releases that have come out in the first half of 2017. As always, I've enlisted the help of some of my friends and family to provide some additional coverage. I've also collected tracks from each release - chosen by all of our contributors - in a huge Spotify playlist. You'll encounter that all the way at the bottom of this post. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions, so feel free to leave some feedback (and even your own lists) in the comments section below - or interact at the Life On This Planet Facebook Page. Okay, let's get to it. - Bret

Bret Helm
Life on this Planet | Audra
(albums are in alphabetical order)

Chris Stapleton - From A Room: Volume 1
Desperate Journalist - Grow Up
Future Islands - The Far Field
Jade Jackson - Gilded
Modern English - Take Me to the Trees
Pumarosa - The Witch
Ride - Weather Diaries
Robyn Hitchcock - s/t
Ryan Adams - Prisoner
Slowdive - s/t

Sarah Quarrie
Life on this Planet

Alexandra Savior - Belladonna of Sadness
Cigarettes After Sex - s/t
Desperate Journalist - Grow Up
Elbow - Little Fictions
Future Islands - The Far Field
Mark Lanegan Band - Gargoyle
Perfume Genius - No Shape
Pumarosa - The Witch
Resistance Radio: The Man in the High Castle Soundtrack
Slowdive - s/t

Ron Marrs
New Orleans, Louisiana

The Afghan Whigs - In Spades
Austra - Future Politics
Black Lips - Satan's Graffiti or God's Art?
Bleib Modern - Antagonism
Cafe Tacvba - Jei Beibi
Emma Ruth Rundle & Jaye Jayle - The Time Between Us (split EP)
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Damage and Joy
Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band - Front Porch Sessions
Shannon Wright - Division
Slowdive - s/t

Rob Clark
Rockford, Illinois

Clan of Xymox - Days of Black
Desperate Journalist - Grow Up
Father John Misty - Pure Comedy
Ibibio Sound Machine - Uyai
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - The Nashville Sound
PVT - New Spirit
Robyn Hitchcock - s/t
Throwing Snow - Embers
Todd Rundgren - White Knight
Ulver - The Assassination of Julius Caesar

Tim Brown
London, England

The Big Moon - Love in the 4th Dimension
Father John Misty - Pure Comedy
Future Islands - The Far Field
Glen Campbell - Adios
Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
Laura Marling - Semper Femina
Loyle Carner - Yesterday's Gone
Milky Chance - Blossom
The Shins - Heartworms
Stormzy - Gang Signs and Prayer

Jesse Deitermann
Saturday Night Music Club

The Charlatans - Different Days
Froth - Outside (briefly)
Jay Som - Everybody Works
Novella - Change of State
Phoenix - Ti Amo
The Proper Ornaments - Foxhole
Ride - Weather Diaries
Slowdive - s/t
Temples - Volcano
Terry vs. Tori - Leap Day

Todd "Opie" Kelley
Englewood, Colorado

Chris Stapleton - From A Room: Volume 1
Cold War Kids - L.A. Divine
Elliot Moss - Boomerang
Elbow - Little Fictions
Harry Styles - s/t
Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
Ryan Adams - Prisoner
Sampha - Process
SOHN - Rennen
The xx - I See You

Sierra Anna Jones
Okinawa, Japan

Beach Fossils - Somersault
Cigarettes After Sex - s/t
Drab Majesty - The Demonstration
Hoops - Routines
King Woman - Created in the Image of Suffering
Molly Burch - Please Be Mine
Perfume Genius - No Shape
Pharmakon - Contact
Slowdive - s/t
TOPS - Sugar at the Gate

Jason Jones
Okinawa, Japan

Depeche Mode - Spirit
Drab Majesty - The Demonstration
Feist - Pleasure
Hoops - Routines
King Woman - Created in the Image of Suffering
Lorde - Melodrama
Molly Burch - Please Be Mine
Pharmakon - Contact
Slowdive - s/t
TOPS - Sugar at the Gate


Jaymz Todd
Saturday Night Music Club

The Afghan Whigs - In Spades
All Them Witches - Sleeping Through the War
Goldfrapp - Silver Eye
Helado Negro - Private Energy (Expanded)
Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
Little Dragon - Season High
The Prids - Do I Look Like I'm in Love?
Shy Girls - Salt
Sinkane - Life & Livin' It
Tei Shi - Crawl Space

John Magness
Uttoxeter, England

Astralasia - Oceania
Depeche Mode - Spirit
Future Islands - The Far Field
Lindsey Buckingham / Christine McVie - s/t
Maximo Park - Risk to Exist
Paul Weller - A Kind Revolution
Roger Waters - Is This the Life We Really Want?
Steve Hackett - Night Siren
Sun Kil Moon - Common as Light and Love are Red Valleys of Blood
The xx - I See You

STATS
80 different albums appeared in this feature
Which ones made it onto the most lists?
Slowdive (6), Future Islands (4), Desperate Journalist (3) and Kendrick Lamar (3)


If you're a vinyl enthusiast, check out our feature on the Spin Clean Vinyl Record Cleaning Machine (click image below)
Follow us on Facebook / Twitter / YouTube

No comments:

Post a Comment