2017 PV Staff / Artists / Friends Year-End Lists

December 20, 2017

Are you sick of year end lists? TOO BAD!!

We rounded up our lovely staff, artists, and funny friends to give us the lowdown on their 2017 greats, including music & movies, general life happenings, and fav press secretary of the year.

Below you’ll hear from Generationals, Palehound, Sonny & The Sunsets, Aloha, Tancred, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Psychic Twin, Rainer Maria, and many (maybe too many) more. Here's what the year two thousand and seventeen meant to us –

POLYVINYL STAFF

Aaron - Top 10 Donuts from 2017

10. French Toast Donut from Dun-Well Doughnuts (New York, NY)
9. Buttermilk Oldfashioned from John's Donuts (St. Louis, MO)
8. Smoked Salt Butterscotch from Destination Donuts (Columbus, OH)
7. Tiramisu Old Fashioned from PV Donuts (Providence, RI)
6. Thai Tea Donut from Dottie's Donuts (Philadelphia, PA)
5. Butterscotch Brown Sugar from Habit Doughnut Dispensary (Denver, CO)
4. Cherry Glazed Cake from Trefzger’s Bakery (Peoria, IL)
3. Butterscotch Praline from Firecake's Donuts (Chicago, IL)
2. Oreo from Pandamonium Doughnuts (Champaign, IL)
1. Peach Crumb from PV Donuts (Providence, RI)

Alexis

Meeting my daughter, Lucette, in January!
Taking the train to New Orleans Jazz Fest with my family
Getting a job at Polyvinyl
Starting to commute by bike while the weather was tolerable
Finally seeing Regina Spektor live
Taking my daughter to her first Phish show + many others throughout the year
Favorite book read this year: Ready Player One
Favorite podcast listened to this year: S Town
Most played video games: Fallout 4, South Park
Star Trek seasons watched: 14.9 (7 Voyager; 6.9 Deep Space Nine; 1 Discovery)

Andy

Becoming a dad with our first son, Jack!
Cycling from Portland to Bend
Bonny Doon - Bonny Doon
The Nine Club podcast
Dirty Projectors - Dirty Projectors
Polyvinyl 2017 Summit
Launching "Shooting The Breeze" Series
Chad Vangaalen - Light Information
Angelo De Augustine - Swim Inside the Moon
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Sketches of Brunswick East (Featuring Mild High Club)

Chris - An Alphabetical List of My Favorite Things About 2017

Cloud Nothings Life Without Sound
Daddy Issues Deep Dream
Diet Cig Swear I’m Good At This
Downtown Boys “A Wall”
The Expanse (Season 2)
Hazel English Just Give In/Never Going Home
How to Murder Your Life by Cat Marnell
Meat Wave The Incessant
Mitski/Miya Folick/Hazel English @ Lincoln Hall (Chicago, IL)
Palehound “Carnations”
Pinact The Part That No One Knows
Podcasts (Planet Money, How I Built This, In the Dark, ESPN 30 For 30, etc…)
Polyvinyl SXSW Showcase @ Cheer Up Charlies (Austin, TX)
Scarlet, my daughter, learning how to walk
Sorority Noise You’re Not As _____ As You Think
Vagabon Infinite Worlds

Michael

Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
Jeff Rosenstock - WORRY.
Deerhoof - Mountain Moves
Princess Nokia - 1992 Deluxe
White Reaper - The World’s Best American Band
David Bazan - Care
Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory
Tyler, The Creator - Flower Boy
Rico Nasty - Sugar Trap 2
Karaoke in NYC

Natalie

Best use of a song in a movie in 2017: Bone Thugs N Harmony - “Crossroads” in Lady Bird

Books that wrecked me in 2017:

Imagine Me Gone by Adam Haslett
This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

Top 20 tracks of 2017:

Aldous Harding - Blend
Alvvays - Not My Baby
Ariel Pink - Another Weekend
Big Thief - Shark Smile
Drake - Blem
Dreamdecay - Ian
Grouper - Headache
Hovvdy - Problem
Jay Som - The Bus Song
Julia Jacklin - Cold Caller
Julie Byrne - Natural Blue
Kelela - Bluff
Mas Ysa - Hold Out
Phoebe Bridgers - Smoke Signals
Pile - Texas
(Sandy) Alex G - Bobby
Snail Mail - Thinning
TOPS - Cutlass Cruiser
You’ll Never Get to Heaven - Exquisite Tension
Yumi Zouma - Depths (Pt. 1)

Pilar - 2017 Favorite Things

1 year anniversary with Polyvinyl
2 year anniversary with Bae
Trip to Buenos Aires
Pitchfork 2017
Going Vegan
Getting a 3.5 GPA
Podcasts: The Daily, 2 Dope Queens, & Serial Killers
TV & Movies: Broad City, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Crown, & Get Out
Music: White Reaper, Somos, No Vacation, The Drums, & Bully

Rob - Top 10 Albums of 2017:

Alvvays – Antisocialites
Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile – Lotta Sea Lice
David Bazan – Care
Bed Wettin' Bad Boys – Rot
Hiss Golden Messenger – Hallelujah Anyhow
Land Of Talk – Life After Youth
Rainer Maria – S/T
Kevin Morby – City Music
White Reaper – The World's Best American Band
Wild Pink – Wild Pink

Ryan

Favorite records:

All Them Witches - Sleeping Through the War
The Black Angels - Death Song
Bill Mackay & Ryley Walker - Spiderbeetlebee
Moon Duo - Occult Architecture (Vol 1 & 2)
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Flying Microtonal Banana
White Reaper - The World’s Best American Band

Favorite adventure: Car camping in Sedona, Albuquerque, and Taos

Favorite New Podcasts: Drifter’s Sympathy, Heaven’s Gate

Favorite Reads of the Year:

Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock n’ Roll Group by Ian F. Svenonius
The Middle Pillar by Israel Regardie
True Perception: The Path of Dharma Art by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Sara

All the PV Jamz - 2017 was a very good year!
Book Club didn't die
Gina moved back to Illinois
Guppy - Charly Bliss
Joanna’s Birthday Cake
Kitties!!! (adopting Charlie and Flynn)Living Room/Dining Room Swap
Illinois Marathon (watching) Party
Other people's babies
PV Grew (rad work friends - old and new)!
Thanksgiving Pies (homemade apple and pecan)
The Courtneys II - The Courtneys
Turn Out The Lights - Julien Baker
Yardwork (j/k still hate it, but Dan and I did a way better job keeping up with it this year!)
Yours Conditionally - Tennis

Sean - Top 5 rekkids of 2017 (with no personal involvement):

Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory
Cloakroom - Time Well
Great Grandpa - Plastic Cough
Converge - The Dusk In Us
Nnamdi Ogbonnaya - DROOL

Seth

Spending 3 weeks in Italy this summer
Finding out that my wife and I will have another daughter in March 2018
Tribe by Sebastian Junger
The Tim Ferriss Show
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
Audible.com
Bitcoin
The Ketogenic Diet
Bulletproof Coffee
Oura Ring
S Town
Phoebe Bridgers - Stranger in the Alps
Kendrick Lamar - Damn
Sylvan Esso - What Now
Mac DeMarco - This Old Dog
Dirty Projectors - Dirty Projectors

Tim - Top 10 Albums:

Midnight Reruns - Spectator Sports
Robot Bachelor - The Third House Boat Album
The Dopamines - Tales Of Interest
The Blendours - No Respect
Oh Sees - Orc
Ghostmane - Hexada
(Sandy) Alex G - Rocket
Cende - #1 Hit Single
White Reaper - The World’s Best American Band
Kendrick Lamar - Damn.

- RIP Lil Peep

POLYVINYL ARTISTS

Grant Widmer (Generationals)

Music:

Anna Burch- Quit the Curse
Raindeer- Neon Death
Benjamin Jones- Light Up the Room
Casual Male- Time, Wasted

Books:

China Mieville- October
Naomi Klein: No Is Not Enough

Movies:

The Lost City of Z
The Boss Baby

Podcasts: Your Kickstarter Sucks

Ellen Kempner (Palehound)

Favorites in no order:

Dirty John (Podcast)
S Town (Podcast)
Her Body And Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado (Book)
Things We Lost In The Fire by Mariana Enriquez (Book)
Lomelda- Thx
Big Thief- Capacity
Alvvays- Antisocialites
"Flower Glass" by Hand Habits (song)
SZA- CTRL
Get Out (movie)
Sandy Alex G- Rocket
Powerplant- Girlpool
"Honey"- Kehlani (song)
Syd- Always Never Home EP
Syd - Fin
Kendrick Lamar- DAMN.
NY Times Crossword App
SSX Tricky on PS2

Sonny Smith (Sonny & The Sunsets)

2017, I stopped paying any attention to music, movies or pop culture of any sort. I didn’t play too many shows. i didn’t go on too many trips. Just stuck to my neighborhood.

The asshole at the corner store underneath my apartment. No one in the whole neighborhood likes him. he’s this decaying old chinese man that plays cards with his buddies all day. His skin is grey and he looks right through you. He takes ten minutes to put down his cards and make a sale and when he does he doesn’t even look at you. I secretly admire him.
The two older Filipino ladies in my beginning drawing class at city college.
The security guard at my kids school, this old black guy who hates me and every other adult. And the kids too. Except the special needs kids. He dotes on them. I don’t know if he sees all adults as pedophiles, or if it’s cause I’m a dumb white guy or what. But I love him. I love him cause he hates everybody. Even kids. And he dresses impeccably. He dresses like John Lee Hooker. And he has a cadillac station wagon he parks in the handicap spot. With spoked wheels. I would ask him what he did before this job but I think he would spit on me. He looks at people the way llamas do just before they are going to spit.
The Irish bar in my neighborhood. I haven’t really had a bar to call my own for a while, where you know the bartender and so they give you free drinks. And you know the owner. That kind of bar. And this irish bar isn’t gonna be my bar, because they play the shittiest music you can imagine. They play ski resort music. And the irish lady bartenders love it, it’s their own personal mix. It’s like Spin Doctors and Third Eye Blind and grotesque shit like that. But it’s worse. But because this bar is so repulsive in its music, it’s always empty. So I like it.
The dad and daughter in my intermediate painting class at city college. They’ve taken the course together like six times. They just keep taking the same class. The painting class is basically a workshop for them. They just have this cool relationship where they sit around and paint together and take the same class together every semester.
I saw King Kahn this year and he was inspiring. He was really amazing. His daughters were up there, he had old guys up there. He just had this big family up on stage, making everyone feel like life mattered. Really wonderful.
Ronnie bimbo. he’s this guy from vegas that sold me a cadillac. He was so shifty. I couldn’t tell if he was a gangster, or a wanna be gangster. I had to research him. I paid one of those websites that does criminal checks. I was just so curious about him. It turns out his mother ran a crime ring in San Francisco in the 80’s where her daughters married old men and then they would immediately die and leave them everything. My cadillac is wonderful but something is wrong with the radiator. Fuck you ronnie! I love you.
These two teenagers in my band. I hired these teenagers on drums and guitar. They’re basically better then most adults I know.
My baseball teacher, he’s showed me how to throw a forkball and a curve. It’s been great.
Philip guston

Tony Cavallario (Aloha)

Tony’s 16 for 17

1. Jim-e Stack - Moments Noticed

Breakbeats and healing chords. This track has the right mix of moving forward and looking back .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srBurXGeyVU

2. The Japanese House - Saw You in a Dream

Dream pop that clarifies instead of obfuscates.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxZDxF0MyV0

3. White Reaper - Judy French

Probably the best song that’s ever been on Polyvinyl? An IROC-Z with T-tops.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahglrb_z7wQ

4. SZA - Go Gina

She just flows effortlessly over this track, it’s like she can go forever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpSWgZVIfi8

5. Travis Scott - Butterfly Effect

Really, it’s just another drug song that makes me feel like working out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EyZUTDAH0U

6. Nav - Myself

A devastating track with only the thinnest veneer of toughness. A cry for help.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9gfqGoPGaU

7. Porches - Country

“Can you do no harm/Break the water with your arms.” A tender plea for …. tenderness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKRMhC7gEAo

8. Lana Del Rey - Love

Used to be all of us decoding her, now she’s figuring us out. And she’s better at it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-NTv0CdFCk

9. Sportstar - Sandy Alex G

More people should do sloppy auto tune it’s so much better than blurry, listless voices.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMQXwTXld1I

10. Big Thief - Mary

An avalanche of memory fragments, too rich and too slight to focus on, but in total they just overwhelm you and ultimately cradle you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5OV1JPqlNQ

11. Manchester Orchestra - The Mistake

Hard to take one song from this near-perfect album that casts a spell and never lets go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP2LcX92OTs

12. Playboy Carti - Magnolia

What even is this beat? It’s like Mannie Fresh for toddlers and it’s super gross and very addictive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCveByMXd_0

13. Dirty Projectors - Little Bubble

An elegy for a relationship, but for me it’s mourning the election and the passage of time. Knowing the best is behind you and you can’t get back in the bubble.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IG5f50olZA&feature=youtu.be

14. Paramore - Told You So

This song made me like drums again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw-RPm1uOM4

15. Julie Byrne - Natural Blue

A therepuetic hymn that parts the clouds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gdO3qebP5E

16. Kamasi Washington - Truth

A super simple composition that takes you on a spiritual trip in a David Axelrod or Herbie Hancock sort of way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtW1S5EbHgU

Jess Abbott (Tancred)

Albums:

Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun
Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked At Me
Charly Bliss - Guppy
The Obsessives - S/T

Songs:

Mount Eerie - Real Death
Phoebe Bridgers - Motion Sickness

Shows:

The Punisher S1 (Netflix)
Bojack Horseman S4 (Netflix)
The Handmaids Tale S1 (Hulu)
Stranger Things 2 (Netflix)
Black Mirror S3 (Netflix)

Movies:

Wonder Woman
Atomic Blonde

Podcasts:

Buffering The Vampire Slayer
The Astrology Podcast

Books: The Astrological Moon (Revised Edition/Raven Dreams Press) - Darby Costello

Phil Dickey (Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin)

Favorite Songs of 2017

Phoenix- “Fior Di Latte"
Broncho- “Get In My Car”
Public Access TV- “Metrotech”
Kesha- “Praying”
Adult Mom - “J Station”
Kississippi- “Cut Yr Teeth”
Paddlefish- “My Place To Be”
The ACBs/Konnor Ervin- “Combos”
Ha Ha Tonka- “Everything”
Ratboys- “Elvis Is In The Freezer”
Human Heat “Best For You”
minihorse- “Blueblack”
Jenny O.- “Case Study”
Anna Burch- “Tea Soaked Letter”
Single Player- “Where Did Brian Go?”
Talkie- “Marcy”
Joy Riding- “Suzie Lynn”

Erin Fein (Psychic Twin)

Erin’s 2017 Rainbow of Beautiful Music:

Porches :: Country
John Maus :: Teenage Witch
Ibeyi :: I wanna be like you
St. Vincent :: New York
Bjork :: The Gate
Armand Hammer :: Pakistani Brain
The XX :: Say Something Loving
The War on Drugs :: Pain
King Krule :: The Ooz
Sza :: Broken Clocks

Rainer Maria

"BEST OF” 2017

—S21 - final show at First Unitarian Church
—'New American Songbook' - Greg Saunier Mary Halvorson Ron Miles
—Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction
—American Football / Pure Bathing Culture show
—Hundred Waters
—Olivia Neutron John
—James Parker, “A Mind-Bending Translation Of The New Testament,” in The Atlantic
—New Wash hair cleanser
—favorite guitar effect purchase of the year: Moog MF Delay

Jacco Gardner

Fav Podcast: A History of Electronic Music
Fav Movie: Roger Corman's “The Tomb Of Ligeia" at Cinemateca Lisboa
Fav show: Riley Walker at ZDB Lisbon
My own fav performances:
Live Soundtrack to “Faust" by FW Murnau at Cinematheque Française / The WITCH at Moth Club London
Fav album discovered: Patrick Cowley - Muscle Up
Fav Mixtape: JJ Whitefield's - "Passivity Won’t Change The World”

FRIENDS

Caroline Borolla (Clarion Call Media)

Favorite (non-work) Albums of 2017

Dude York - Sincerely
Drab Majesty - The Demonstration
Kelly Lee Owens - Self Titled
Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun
Eluvium - Shuffle Drones
Sextile - Albeit Living
Odonis Odonis - No Pop
Algiers - The Underside Of Power
Charly Bliss - Scare U
Phoebe Bridgers - Strangers In The Alps
Fred Thomas - Changer
Waxahatchee - Out in the Storm
Exit Order - Seed Of Hysteria

Favorite (non-work) Shows Of 2017

Explosions In The Sky + Holy Fuck at the Greek Theater
Petheaven, Emma Ruth Rundle, Black Mare at Complex
SRSQ + Choir Boy + Some Ember at The Echoplex
everything at Cloak and Dagger Festival
Tacocat at Coachella
Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Growlers 6
Phoenix at The Governors Ball
Bassnectar at Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival
The Anniversary + Dude York at The Troubadour
Cuco at The New Parish Oakland

Favorite Moment of 2017: Playing in the Wire Pinkflag Guitar Orchestra at The Echoplex as part of DRILL : LA. I can’t think of a better way to end Wire’s three day LA festival and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band’s first show! So many friends on stage, so many amps and so much noise = SO much fun!! Can’t wait to do it at the next DRILL fest! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOvi6EiT66o

Robbie Lackritz (Artist Manager)

Best bolo tie auction - Neil Young
Most racist superhero youtube video - Latino Superman vs Black Superman
Most hugs refused from a single individual on camera - Jerry Seinfeld to Kesha
Best white house press secretary - Sean Spicer
Best celebrity birth of a duo or trio - Beyonce
Best Hillary Clinton post election activity - hiking

Vickie Starr (Girlie Action)

Top 10 albums of 2017 (non work related)

Princess Nokia - 1992 Deluxe
Kendrick Lamar - Damn
SZA - Ctrl
Father John Misty - Pure Comedy
War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding
Bedouine - Bedouine
Dirty Projectors - Dirty Projectors
Moses Sumney - Aeromanticsm
Sampha - Process
Texas Gentleman - TX Jelly

Sarah Avrin (Girlie Action)

Angel Olsen - Phases
Lorde - Melodrama
Alvvays - Antisocialites
Grizzly Bear - Painted Ruins
Haim - Something to Tell You
St Vincent - Masseduction
Perfume Genius - No Shape
Japandroids - Near to the Wild Heart of Life
Sheer Mag - Need to Feel Your Love
Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 3

Lanny Lieu (Salty Artist Management)

Favorite albums:

Coma Cinema - Loss Memory
James Deen - Never Been Cool
Julien Baker - Turn Out The Lights
Lorde - Melodrama
Oso Oso - The Yunahon Mixtape
Princess Nokia - 1992 Deluxe
SZA - Ctrl
Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory

Favorite EPs

Aaron Carter - LøVë
Virtual Self - S/T
yuele - Coma

Favorite discoveries

Tommy Genesis
gabriel black
Kaizen
Shannen Moser
Superorganism
Smerz
Yucky Duster
Cuco

Frank Nieto (Sub Pop)

Music I Loved in 2017

Arca’s s/t album and the beautifully disturbing “Reverie” video.
Big Thief’s Capacity, and the devastating “Shark Smile” (That opening guitar line stops me in my tracks. Every. Single. Time).
Jay Z’s 4:44, especially the “The Story of O.J.” and the Clark Sisters-sampled “Family Feud”.
Jlin’s mind-bending Black Origami.
Kelela’s kaleidoscopic R&B on Take Me Apart, as evidenced by the songs “Frontline,” “Blue Light,” “LMK,” and the title track (especially at the 2:50 mark, which is my favorite moment in song this year). Tied for my album of the year (hey, Solana!).
Kendrick Lamar DAMN continues one of the most impressive creative streaks in modern music. Consistently blown away with each release.
Sampha’s Process is everything I wanted from him and more. I first heard him through his guest vocal on Solange’s “Don’t Touch My Hair,” and I immediately fell in love. The arrangements are strong, but it’s the power he wields with his voice that seals the deal. Chill-inducing moment: when he delivers the “I hear them coming for me!” lyric from “Blood on Me.”
Sheer Mag Need To Feel Your Love my favorite new(er) rock band of the ‘10s deliver another solid gem.
Syd’s Fin is one of the most satisfying, remarkable solo debuts of this decade.
SZA’s CTRL is a wonderful album, one that won me over so much that it was the only album I played (besides work tunes) for a month straight. Hard to pick a standout because there are many, but if asked today it would be a three-way tie between “Drew Barrymore,” “Prom” and “Garden (Say It Like Dat).” Her Neptune show in Seattle was also the loudest crowd response I have EVER witnessed. Ever.
Tierra Whack’s Back Mirror-esque “Mumbo Jumbo,” my favorite music video this year. Fantastically weird, nods to Young Thug and Missy, and vocal work that’s reminiscent of Liz Fraser/Cocteau Twins’ play on nonsensical lyricism/sounds. Hope to hear more from her in 2018.

Sarah Cass (Sub Pop)

Best of 2017:

Dog of the year: Punky!
Cat of the year: Frampton!

Big shows I saw (excluding Sub Pop bands): John Waters, Elton John, Alton Brown, Teenage Fanclub, David Crosby, Kiefer Sutherland, Impractical Jokers, Paula Abdul, New Kids On the Block, The Anniversary, Queen and Adam Lambert, Neil Diamond, Tom Petty, Mariah Carey, Lionel Richie, Jason Mewes, Hanson, Garth Brooks, Daniel Johnston, and Built to Spill.

Best places I went:

Washington: Anacortes, Vashon Island, Bellingham, North Bend, Tacoma, Seaview, and Olympia.
Colorado: Denver, Grand Junction, Ouray, Glenwood Springs, and Estes Park.
Missouri: St. Louis.
Illinois: Champaign, Granite City, and Springfield.
Oregon: Portland.
Mexico: Los Cabos!

Favorites things: Seeing whales in two countries and newborn baby turtles on the beach, seeing and photographing the northern lights, finding the Bubbleator, finding a new swimming spot and swimming all summer long, and seeing a solar eclipse in MO!

New favorite interests: Yard Birds and the Veiled Prophet!

Jessi Frick (Father Daughter Records / Riot Act Media)

My list is "Records I haven't spent enough time with in 2017 but making it a priority to in 2018"

Sampha - Process
Kamasi Washington - Harmony of Difference
Fred Thomas - Changer
Kelela - Take Me Apart
Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked at Me
Jamila Woods - HEAVN
All of Drag City's 2017 releases
Priests - Nothing Feels Natural

Also some overall favorites...

The Disaster Artist
American Vandal
Chris Gethard - Career Suicide
Paramore - After Laughter
Big Thief - Capacity
Get Out
TWIN PEAKS: THE MFING RETURN
Halt & Catch Fire finally getting the recognition it deserves a few seasons to late :(
Insecure
The Handmaid’s Tale
Sheer Mag - Need to Feel Your Love

Debbie Ball (Create Spark)

Here we go with my favourite fourteen albums of 2017:

Beck - Colors
Ariel Pink - Dedicated to Bobby Jameson
Cigarettes After Sex - S/T
Future Islands - The Far Field
Ride - Weather Diaries
The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding
Slowdive - Slowdive
Jens Lekman - Life Will See You Now
Mogwai - Every Country’s Sun
Susanne Sundfør - Music For People In Trouble
Gothic Tropic - Fast or Feast
Joe Goddard - Electric Lines
The xx - I See You
Julie Byrne - Not Even Happiness

Also a special mention to Del Shannon in a new old discovery way, chanced upon his late 60s work and I love 'The Further Adventures of Charles Westover' and 'Home And Away'.

Erik Carter (Uncle Booking)

Worst of 2017 - Hurricane Harvey flooding my house
Best of 2017 - 3 months later moving out of the FEMA hotel and back into my mostly fixed up house.

Nathan Walker (Riot Act Media)

Nathan Walker’s Top 10 Excuses For Not Making A Year End List:

I’ve had to shovel my sidewalk and driveway three times this week and it just started dumping snow again.
The only songs I can think of off the top of my head right now are all Sesame Street songs.
Did I mention my daughter Smokey? She’s almost two and she adores ALL of the attention and has strong opinions on what we listen to (hint: She’s got 99 problems but her love of Jay-Z ain’t one). Which means, often, I don’t get to dedicate much time to new music outside of all my wonderful clients which are all on my top 10 but you already knew that.
I had shoulder surgery just over a year ago now and need to go to a gym to work on physical therapy. Have you ever been in a gym? The music is SO shitty!
We moved across the country from Portland, OR to Detroit, MI and I’m tired. Tired will be a theme here.
Does anyone read these lists?
Considered making a list of the top things that made me cry this year but then I realized that would make me cry. Again.
Would I have to sneak in a subtle nod to loving Polyvinyl? Probably? I mean I do but if they’re asking for it, I get a little shy.
I’m tired…

Seth Fein (Nicodemus Agency)

Top 12 Things I Ate in 2017

12. Linguiça sausage; Kruger's Farm; Portland, OR
11. BBQ; Micklethwait Craft Meats; Austin, TX
10. Ice Cream; Original Rainbow Cone; Chicago, IL
9. Ribeye with bernaise sauce; Timmerman's Supper Club; East Dubuque, IL
8. Deep dish pizza w/ Italian sausage; Louisa's; Crestwood, IL
7. Xiao long bao; Golden Harbor; Champaign, IL
6. Lake perch; Glenn's Diner; Chicago, IL
5. Dungeness crab; Noyo Fish Company; Ft. Bragg, CA
4. Whole pig plate; Higgin's; Portland, OR
3. Stone crab; Joe's; Miami Beach, FL
2. Shrimp tempura ramen; Sakanaya; Champaign, IL
1. Cuban sandwich; Versailles Restaurant; Miami, FL

Patrick Singer (Nicodemus Agency)

Here are 10 albums I really enjoyed, released in 2017:

Kendrick Lamar — DAMN.
Slowdive — Slowdive
Kelly Lee Owens — Kelly Lee Owens
The War on Drugs — A Deeper Understanding
Fever Ray — Plunge
The National — Sleep Well Beast
Run the Jewels — Run the Jewels 3
LCD Soundsystem — american dream
SZA — CTRL
Big Thief — Capacity

A list of some cool shows I saw in 2017:

Run the Jewels @ Terminal 5 // NYC
Slowdive @ The Vic // Chicago
Turnover @ Hawthrone Theatre // Portland
LCD Soundsystem @ Pitchfork Festival // Chicago
Janelle James @ Mission Creek Festival // Iowa City
Explosions in the Sky @ Empty Bottle // Chicago
Julien Baker @ The Accord // Champaign

Dave Mount (United Management)

Ten Skate Video Parts That Got Me Hyped This Year
10. Riley Hawk - "Shep Dawgs 5" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpJBvCuyfl0
9. Aaron Goure - Pyramid Country's "Love and Gratitude" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-cSlTMS6qw
8. Ryan Townley - Welcome's "Fetish" - https://youtu.be/udyQ9O92mnI
7. Shane O'Neill - Nike's "Levels" - https://youtu.be/4XWCxFBgCy0 (disclaimer, they used a Diane Coffee song in here)
6. Zion Wright, Jack Olson, Jafin Garvey, Willy Lara - Real's "By Any Means" - https://youtu.be/KyCcBAA7ZAA
5. Aidan Mackey - Call Me 917 - https://youtu.be/kzg0Ua7q-oo
4. Louie Lopez - West End - https://youtu.be/Lj406pL9_9c
3. Tiago Lemos - Indy part - https://youtu.be/-AQNIwU-rac
2. Mike Anderson - Krooked's "LSD" - https://youtu.be/H2XVayp3Iqc
1. Jamie Foy - "The Flat Earth" - Not online

Favorite Books I Read This Year (not all came out this year)

5. Story of Your Life - Ted Chiang
4. The Death Archives: Mayhem 1984-94 - Jorn "Necrobutcher" Stubberud
3. The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory - John Seabrook
2. The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins - Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing
1. Supernatural Strategies for Making a Rock 'n' Roll Group - Ian Svenonius

Mahmood Shaikh (Flower Booking)

Top 3 Mike WiLL Made-It Produced Songs Released in 2017