Remember how we thought 2016 was a godawful year? Boy, were we not prepared for the mega shit sandwich that was 2017. But once again, in the face of despair and negativity, we were given a boatload of excellent music to distract ourselves with. It wasn't easy to narrow my list down to 15, but here we go.
15. Pile - A Hairshirt of Purpose
Pile has built a strong reputation over the last few years as a nonstop touring machine, but its recorded output has been outstanding as well. Rick Maguire and crew deliver a potent mix of blistering post-punk and mid-tempo slow-burning numbers. The Boston act tones down much of the heaviness of past efforts, careening from one style to another; hushed one moment, thundering the next. Another winner from a consistently interesting band. (Recommended: "Texas," "Hissing for Peace," "Hairshirt")
14. Ron Gallo - Heavy Meta
To say this album came out of left field for me doesn't do it justice. I had never heard of the Philly-bred/Nashville-relocated Gallo before this year, but I didn't actually pick up Heavy Meta until around December. Although even those familiar with his previous work in the Americana act Toy Soldiers probably wouldn't recognize Heavy Meta. Gallo and his backing band have embraced the '70s punk sound of acts like the Stooges and New York Dolls, wrapped in a garage rock edge like Ty Segall. (Recommended: "Young Lady, You're Scaring Me," "Put the Kids to Bed," "Kill the Medicine Man")
13. Protomartyr - Relatives in Descent
The Detroit post-punk outfit is one of the most consistently interesting acts of the 2010s. Singer Joe Casey spins densely literate tales that reference everything from Greek philosophers to the Flint, Mich., water crisis while his bandmates spread layers of post-punk dread liberally throughout. Casey is one of the most captivating frontmen around, a disheveled shout-singer who evokes Mark E. Smith of the Fall while penning lyrics about moral and physical decay. Protomartyr's roiling roar are the perfect foil for Casey's increasingly dark and angry tales. (Recommended: "My Children," "Male Plague," "Corpses in Regalia")
12. LCD Soundsystem - American Dream
In this age of constant band reunions, it really should have come as no surprise to anyone when James Murphy announced that he was reforming LCD Soundsystem six years after the band's famous NYC farewell show. And even with Murphy (who for all intents and purposes IS LCD Soundsystem) admitting that the whole farewell thing was done to drum up ticket sales, American Dream shows why we love the band. LCD's fourth album is chock full of long, twisty electronic jams, but with some interesting references: Bowie here, Talking Heads there. And while the synths prevail, every so often some hot guitar cuts through to liven things up. Unlike many band reunions, this one is both necessary and welcomed. (Recommended: "Tonite," "Emotional Haircut," "Change Yr Mind")
11. The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding
Three years after releasing the impressive Lost In the Dream, Adam Granduciel and the War on Drugs have continued their momentum with another big-sounding record. On the band's major-label debut, Granduciel perfects its mid-'80s major label sound, with generous echoes of Springsteen/Hornsby/Petty/Dire Straits/Gilmour-led Pink Floyd. Heavy dollops of synths laced with majestic guitar solos and Granduciel's airy vocals contribute to the overall sound, while avoiding the crappy aspects of '80s production like gated drums. A Deeper Understanding is a great driving record, tailor made for a long road trip on a cloudless day. (Recommended: "Holding On," "Nothing to Find," "In Chains")
10. Boss Hog - Brood X
The indie rock power couple of Jon Spencer and Cristina Martinez had been professionally dormant for much of the last two decades since the release of Boss Hog's last album in 2000. But the band, and Martinez in particular, is back with a vengeance on Brood X. Rather than sound like the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion fronted by a woman, Boss Hog mixes in the keyboards of Mickey Finn to create a layered, skittering sound that varies from proto-garage rock to claustrophobic electro-punk, all driven by Martinez's snarling vocals. Whether Boss Hog takes another 17 years to release a record is unclear, but let's hope not. This is good stuff. (Recommended: "Billy," "Ground Control," "Shh Shh Shh")
9. Ted Leo - The Hanged Man
Ted Leo is a national treasure. For much of the 2000s, he was one of our most consistent indie rock forces, regularly releasing excellent records and voicing political dissent at a time when not many artists dared to. But after 2010's The Brutalist Bricks, Leo's solo output dried up (save for 2014's The Both, a collaboration with Aimee Mann). Dwindling sales and label support left him ready to quit music, and then Leo and his wife had to deal with the crushing blows of a miscarriage and serious illness. Thankfully, he was able to persevere and produce this double album in his home studio, aided by a successful crowdfunding effort. Leo tackles the aftermath of last fall's presidential election, examines the state of the political landscape and addresses his personal struggles. The Hanged Man is a triumphant return by one of our great unsung artists. (Recommended: "You're Like Me," "Lonsdale Avenue," "Run to the City")
8. Queens of the Stone Age - Villains
Certain bands have created such a strong body of work that fans go to war over which albums are the best. Queens of the Stone Age provokes such reactions, especially with their first three albums. One reason for that is because Josh Homme and crew have never made the same album twice. On Villains, QOTSA heads in another direction by working with dance music producer Mark Ronson, and even before any new music was released, fans were proclaiming the team-up a disaster. On the contrary: Although the band moves further away from its desert rock roots, it retains the hard rock edge forged over the last 20 years while exploring more danceable terrain. Gone are the guest stars of 2013's Like Clockwork, as well as the bleak dystopian feel of that record. It's not their strongest album, but Villains is entertaining and still one of the best of the year. And yes, Homme's recent bad behavior (kicking a female photographer while on stage) is worrisome, but that doesn't change his and the band's accomplishments. Hopefully he gets some help and continues making music that matters. (Recommended: "Feet Don't Fail Me," "The Way You Used to Do," "The Evil Has Landed")
7. METZ - Strange Peace
Traditionally, when one thinks of power trios from Toronto, one thinks of Rush or Triumph. But with its third album, METZ has proven it's got the goods to take the mantle. The band delivered two powerhouse records with its first efforts, but Strange Peace has it moving into different directions. Teaming with Steve Albini, METZ expands on its blistering piledriver sound with melodies, ambience and even choruses. Don't get it twisted, though: METZ still kicks serious ass. This album is downright thunderous. By taking the band's trademark sound and adding new flourishes, singer-guitarist Alex Edkins and bandmates made a good thing even better. (Recommended: "Mess of Wires," "Cellophane," "Lost in the Blank City")
6. St. Vincent - Masseduction
Through the course of five albums, Annie Clark's St. Vincent has constantly evolved. Indie rock guitar god. Electro pop chanteuse. Robo-funkstress. Bowie-esque cipher. On Masseduction, Clark fuses all those elements into big pop statements about prescription drugs, Hollywood fakeness, disconnection and power dynamics. Everything is precision-assembled, combining elements of funk, disco, jazz and whatever else Clark felt like throwing in. St. Vincent might not be Bowie, but she's probably the closest thing we have to him right now. (Recommended: "Los Ageless," "New York," "Sugarboy")
5. Gord Downie - Introduce Yerself
The story of Gord Downie is both tragic and triumphant. Diagnosed with brain cancer in late 2015, the Tragically Hip frontman was able to finish an amazing farewell tour in 2016 while dealing with the effects of chemotherapy. He also released Secret Path, an album and multimedia project, and worked to bring attention to the plight of First Nations people in Canada. But Downie wasn't done. He recorded one final album, Introduce Yerself, with Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene; it was released 10 days after his death in October 2017. Downie wrote 23 songs, each one for a different person in his life. The album is a remarkable last statement from an artist looking back at his life, knowing he didn't have much left. (Recommended: "Introduce Yerself,", "Safe is Dead," "Love Over Money")
4. Destroyer - ken
A few years ago, many indie bands were bringing back '90s sounds. Now it seems like acts are reaching further back...to the big '80s. Like The War on Drugs, Dan Bejar of Destroyer also harks back to the mid-'80s with his latest album. Bejar has always created cinematic records, and his last three have been drenched in synths and sax. On ken, he embraces a darker synth-pop sound that's reminiscent of Depeche Mode or New Order. There are also jazzier passages that call back to 2011's Kaputt, floating coolly while Bejar sings of paranoia and disillusionment. There's a real noir feel to ken, whether detailing moral decay in Hollywood or just conveying a general unease with the world. Bejar has always followed his own muse, but this album finds him firing on all cylinders. (Recommended: "Sky's Grey," "Tinseltown Swimming in Blood," "Ivory Coast")
3. Mark Lanegan Band - Gargoyle
Mark Lanegan has been many things in his long (33 years and counting) career: psych rocker, grunge belter, blues yowler, crooner, uber collaborator, indie rock elder statesman. But of late, he has embraced electronic sounds on recent albums Blues Funeral and Phantom Radio. With Gargoyle, Lanegan teamed with British musician Rob Marshall on several tracks and producer/desert rock vet Alain Johannes to meld his world weary voice with electronica. It's a heady and exhilarating combo; Lanegan has seen some shit, but he sounds as vital as ever and he's always been willing to try new things. Old friends Greg Dulli, Josh Homme and Duke Garwood guest star, but this is Lanegan's show. He may be a grizzled veteran, but he's not done yet. (Recommended: "Drunk on Destruction," "Nocturne," "Emperor")
2. The Afghan Whigs - In Spades
Two albums into its second act, The Afghan Whigs are forging new ground. Mastermind Greg Dulli didn't rest on his laurels after the band dissolved in 2001, forming the Twilight Singers and releasing a string of excellent albums. Even though Whigs 2.0 is essentially the Twilight Singers + Whigs bassist John Curley, this album captures the spirit of the Whigs' '90s heyday: raw, cinematic potboilers starring flawed protagonists. Unlike many of the acts they came up with in the grunge years, the Whigs were never content to stay put in one musical box. Dulli and the Whigs can jump genres at the drop of a hat: Dulli breaks out funk and R&B on some tracks, revs up the guitars on others, adds strings to others and goes with just voice and piano on the gut-wrencher "I Got Lost." Dulli is a master craftsman continuing to produce great music. (Recommended: "Demon in Profile," "Toy Automatic," "Copernicus")
1. Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile - Lotta Sea Lice
Two budding young indie rock superstars team up to make an album. It's not exactly a new concept, but the reason Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile work so well together might just be due to how different they are. Barnett, an Australian prone to uptempo rocking, and Vile, a supremely chill Philly guitar whiz who makes sublime mellow jams, seem to have created Lotta Sea Lice in about as unplanned a way as possible. The songs are ramshackle and conversational as the two trade lyrics about songwriting and motivation, veering from alt-country rambles to acoustic laments. The record works because the two are likable and clearly enjoy playing music with each other. It's a fun, easy-going listen that hits all the right notes. (Recommended: "Over Everything," "Fear is Like a Forest," "Continental Breakfast")
Honorable mention (in no particular order):
Wolf Parade - Cry Cry Cry
Dead Stars - Perfect Patterns
Quicksand - Interiors
Savak - Cut Ups
Broken Social Scene - Hug of Thunder
Daniele Luppi & Parquet Courts - MILANO
Big Heet - On a Wire
Wet Trident - Double Exposure
Alvvays - Antisocialites
Deer Tick - Vol. 1 and 2
Gold Class - Drum
Infinity Girl - Somewhere Nice, Someday
Bad History Month - Dead and Loving It
Living Colour - Shade
Death From Above - Outrage! Is Now
Makthaverskan - III
Oh Sees - Orc/OCS - Memory of a Cut Off Head
EMA - Exile in the Outer Ring
A Giant Dog - Toy
Rainer Maria - s/t
Guided By Voices - How Do You Spell Heaven?
Waxahatchee - Out in the Storm
Lo Tom - s/t
B Boys - Dada
Rips - s/t
Ty Segall - s/t
Los Campesinos! - Sick Scenes
The New Pornographers - Whiteout Conditions
Spoon - Hot Thoughts
Japandroids - Near to the Wild Heart of Life
Run the Jewels - RTJ3
Bash & Pop - Anything Could Happen
Cloud Nothings - Life Without Sound
Baked - Farnham
White Reaper - The World's Best American Band
Two Inch Astronaut - Can You Please Not Help
Top Down - Rough Roads
Chastity Belt - I Used to Spend So Much Time Alone
Girlpool - Powerplant
The Feelies - In Between
Melkbelly - Nothing Valley
At the Drive-In - inter-alia
Black Lips - Satan's Graffiti or God's Art?
Horse Jumper of Love - s/t
Mastodon - Emperor of Sand
Froth - Outside (briefly)
Palehound - A Place I'll Always Go
Snowball II - Flashes of Quincy
Spiral Stairs - Doris and the Daggers
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