{"id":6722,"date":"2017-12-20T18:18:51","date_gmt":"2017-12-20T22:18:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/?p=6722"},"modified":"2024-08-31T22:05:02","modified_gmt":"2024-09-01T02:05:02","slug":"26-favorite-songs-of-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/2017\/12\/20\/26-favorite-songs-of-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"26 Favorite Songs of 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Twenty-seventeen was solid, in music terms. It won\u2019t go down as an all-time great one in my book, as the year lacked a legendary album (or two) and the wave of solid tunes pretty much dried up in the final quarter. And, compared to last year, not nearly as many albums stuck with me. But, as always, there were plenty of songs that I listened to a lot over the past 12 months. So, in reverse order, here are my 26 favorites. For you Spotify users, there is a playlist containing them all. I\u2019ve also included a YouTube link for each track\u2019s video. I\u2019ve also included one of my favorite lyrics of each song. Enjoy!<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Favorite Songs of 2017\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/playlist\/4peQAW8YGv4DCnyDwSD0nX?utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"&quot;Westside&quot; by Ratboys\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zKtP1mM22Pk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n25 &#8211; \u201cWestside\u201d &#8211; Ratboys<br \/>\nThis Chicago duo calls themselves \u201cpost-country\u201d, a term that confuses me. Sure there is a little pedal guitar in some of their songs. And I certainly here some Americana influence in their sound. But I also hear a lot more mid\u201390s, college rock in their sound. If I tried hard enough I bet I could draw a pretty straight line from songs like Pearl Jam\u2019s \u201cCrazy Mary\u201d to this one. And I guess folks thought \u201cCrazy Mary\u201d sounded country-ish when it came out.<\/p>\n<p>But labels are dumb, and shouldn\u2019t distract you from one of the best albums of the year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI fall asleep to the memories<br \/>\nOf my dreams\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Jen Cloher - Regional Echo\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PS5sguuQaB4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n24 &#8211; \u201cRegional Echo\u201d &#8211; Jen Cloher.<br \/>\nA simply marvelous piece of dreamy, laconic, and classic Aussie indie rock. A genre that just so happens to currently be defined by Cloher\u2019s wife, Courtney Barnett. While Barnett released a fun and trippy album with Kurt Vile this year, it was Cloher who kept my attention.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Australian dream is fading<br \/>\nStolen anyway\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Kevin Morby - Aboard My Train (Official Video)\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kDRh7B4rum4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n23 &#8211; \u201cAboard My Train\u201d &#8211; Kevin Morby<br \/>\nMorby said he wanted to write a happy song for a change. What better way to do so than write an ode to all your friends and family who have supported you over the years? Every time I listen to it I think of my friends, ones I see often and others I rarely see, who are scattered here and there. And then I smile. I think Morby did what he set out to do.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have loved many faces, many places<br \/>\nAll aboard my train but depart at different stations\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - French Press [OFFICIAL VIDEO]\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bvjsAIpNy6I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n22 &#8211; \u201cFrench Press\u201d &#8211; Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever<br \/>\nAn Australian Parquet Courts, perhaps? This band\u2019s blend of art rock and jangle pop sounds quintessentially Australian. And the song\u2019s video was the best of the year. Some days I wish I were young and Aussie and hanging out at parties like theirs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou find out<br \/>\nWho your friends are<br \/>\nWhen the city\u2019s cold\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Japandroids - &quot;No Known Drink Or Drug&quot; (Full Album Stream)\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MKs0IKmPek8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n21 &#8211; \u201cNo Known Drink or Drug\u201d &#8211; Japandroids<br \/>\nAfter five years in the weeds, Japandroids finally followed-up on their classic <em>Celebration Rock<\/em> album this year by largely following the same formula. If it ain\u2019t broke\u2026 Thus it shouldn\u2019t be a surprise that this was my favorite of their 2017 songs, as it mimics 2012\u2019s \u201cThe House That Heaven Built\u201d in sound, structure, and in place on the album (both are track seven on eight-song albums). \u201cHeaven\u201d was my favorite song of 2012. This being a (very good) knock off, it doesn\u2019t chart quite as high.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA slow-burning sermon to have and hold her\u2028But ever since she started sleeping over\u2028Oh, Lord, I\u2019m living like a Holy Roller\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Middle Kids - Never Start (Official Video)\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sUC7OFUbn6A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n20 &#8211; \u201cNever Start\u201d &#8211; Middle Kids<br \/>\nOK, to be honest this song should not be on this list. This Aussie band released their first EP in the winter and it was about all I listened to for a week or two. But the highlight of the disk was a track that had actually been released early in 2016. It picked up steam on radio in late 2016 and suddenly was all over SiriusXM in early 2017. \u201c[Edge of Town]\u201d is a freaking great song. Unfortunately since it landed on my Favorite Songs of 2016 list it could not re-chart here. I mean, I guess it could have. If I broke that rule of allowing a song to chart in multiple years, it likely would have landed much higher than it did on the 2016 list. But they still required some love, and this is a damn fine song on its own.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I\u2019m not trying to start a fight here<br \/>\nBut it\u2019s building up inside, yeah<br \/>\nAnd you don\u2019t even know\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Daddy Issues - I&#039;m Not | OurVinyl Sessions\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kTa5pwiV380?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n19 &#8211; \u201cI\u2019m Not\u201d &#8211; Daddy Issues<br \/>\nThis would be a powerful song without anything links to what is going on in the world right now. It is based on a sexual assault that drummer Emily Maxwell experienced in her teenage years, and the push by her family not to publicly name her accuser. With the #MeToo movement springing up over the course of 2017, Maxwell became part of one of the most important movements we\u2019ve seen since the Civil Rights era. Hopefully this song has inspired some women to name their accusers, and even more, given women the power to say no and fight back when they face sexual threats.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018They wouldn\u2019t get it sweetheart, please don\u2019t tell on me\u2019<br \/>\nI let my memories fall through<br \/>\nIt\u2019s not my fault<br \/>\nI blame my sexuality<br \/>\nI feel promiscuous but maybe I\u2019m a prude\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Waxahatchee - Silver (Official Music Video)\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MBpMXuzHR3I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n18 &#8211; \u201cSilver\u201d &#8211; Waxahatchee<br \/>\nEach time Katie Crutchfield puts out a new album, it\u2019s just a little bit better than her previous one. Thus, this song is the perfect distillation of everything great about her. Until the next album. Somehow she makes a singing about a breakup sound delightful.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll portray the old shag carpet<br \/>\nYou can walk all over me\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Thunder Dreamer &quot;Living Like The Rest&quot; (Official Audio)\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rFZtr-AT1YY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n17 &#8211; \u201cLiving Like the Rest\u201d &#8211; Thunder Dreamer<br \/>\nWhile perhaps not directly in the vein of John Mellencamp, this band from Southern Indiana makes music that fits that part of the world. It\u2019s somber, introspective music made by people who grew up in a region that increasingly feels left behind from the rest of the country. There\u2019s a sense of unease and foreboding in the music. The lyrics speak of a war leaving people isolated and unprotected. Vagueness allows it to be applied to any war, real or imagined, physical or cultural.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe war has stripped us cold and bare<br \/>\nAnd taken what we held so dear\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Hurray For The Riff Raff - Living In The City (Official Video)\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Q8k6msNLoQw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n16 &#8211; \u201cLiving In The City\u201d &#8211; Hurray for the Riff Raff<br \/>\nSome songs come out of nowhere, surprise you, and never go away. This delightful song, celebrating the joys of New York in the summer time, is bold, cinematic, and completely wonderful.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHot long summer days<br \/>\nWe\u2019re just sneakin\u2019 by the river<br \/>\nWell, I\u2019ll lock my dreams away<br \/>\nAnd I\u2019ll watch the city quiver\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Phoebe Bridgers - Motion Sickness (Official Video)\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9sfYpolGCu8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n15 &#8211; \u201cMotion Sickness\u201d &#8211; Phoebe Bridgers<br \/>\nIn certain circles, Bridgers was the most hyped artist of the year. A wonderful song writer who had worked with Ryan Adams and opened for Julien Baker <em>before<\/em> her first album was released, <em>Stranger in the Alps<\/em> arrived with massive expectations. It delivered in nearly every way, a completely beautiful work. This song raised a few eyebrows with the line \u201cYou said you met me, you were bored.\u201d Although most folks have come to believe it was purely coincidental, that line can be interpreted as a direct response to a line in another song we\u2019ll get to later in the countdown.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are no words in the English language<br \/>\nI could scream to drown you out\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Spoon - Hot Thoughts\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XrLVAQYfeZ4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n14 &#8211; \u201cHot Thoughts\u201d &#8211; Spoon<br \/>\nSpoon keeps chugging along. Every couple of years they put out an album that tweaks their sound just a hair, but still provides at least one fantastic track. I didn\u2019t like this album nearly as much as Spoon\u2019s last. But this song was inescapable for awhile. In fact, one day C asked me, \u201cDad, why do they play this song so much?\u201d \u201cBecause Spoon is great!\u201d was my response. Truth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHot thoughts all in my mind and all of the time<br \/>\nYou must be trouble for sure\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Frightened Rabbit - Rained On [Official Audio]\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zLiechM_KEM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>13 &#8211; \u201cRained On\u201d &#8211; Frightened Rabbit<br \/>\nFR released only a three-song EP this year, consisting of two tracks recorded during the sessions for last year\u2019s <em>Painting of a Panic Attack<\/em> and a new track recorded with folk artist Julien Baker. But it was a good year for the band. I feared after the tumult of the summer of 2016 that when they wrapped up their touring cycle for <em>Panic Attack<\/em> the band might go their separate ways and never reconvene again. Instead, they continued touring throughout the year, both on their own and opening for other acts. Scott Hutchison, after a lengthy interlude in LA with his girlfriend, returned home to Scotland. And just a few weeks ago he announced the band is already in the process of putting together their next album. Very good news for 2018.<br \/>\nThis track, which is another about his time in and frustrations with LA, is beautiful and lush, and has all the elements of classic FR: it is deeply depressing yet still remains optimistic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSaw the heavens letting go<br \/>\nIn a melancholy burst<br \/>\nEverything got rained on<br \/>\nDidn\u2019t even hurt\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Slowdive - Star Roving (Official Audio)\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ogCih4OavoY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n12 &#8211; \u201cStar Roving\u201d &#8211; Slowdive.<br \/>\nThis was a year for musical comebacks. Over the summer, every couple of weeks it felt like there was a new album from a band that hadn\u2019t been around in 10 or 15 or 20 years. Slowdive made their return after a 22 year break from recording.(fn) This has to be considered one of the greatest ever come-back tracks, taking their early 90s, shoegaze sound and updating it perfectly for the 21st century. Hopefully it has kids listening to Slowdive\u2019s classic from the early 90s.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn a flash of time<br \/>\nSaid she\u2019s feeling love for everyone tonight\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"The National - &#039;Day I Die&#039;\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GwZvip416NU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n11 &#8211; \u201cDay I Die\u201d &#8211; The National.<br \/>\nI was really pumped up for the latest National album, <em>Sleep Well Beast<\/em>. Sadly, it was a big disappointment to me. But this song\u2026wow! Not sure if it fits into my pantheon of greatest National songs, but it\u2019s damn close. That little Flock of Seagulls-ish guitar riff pushes it over the top.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t need you, I don\u2019t need you<br \/>\nBesides I barely ever see you anymore<br \/>\nAnd when I do it feels like you\u2019re only halfway there\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Land Of Talk - This Time [Official Audio]\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0ScgvyuJHMo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n10 &#8211; \u201cThis Time\u201d &#8211; Land of Talk.<br \/>\nElizabeth Powell took over six years off from making music to help care for her father, who had suffered a stroke. Her return album, <em>Life After Youth<\/em>, was a total triumph. This highlight is a perfect, atmospheric, dream pop song.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t wanna waste it, my life<br \/>\nAnd know it was in front of me\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Alvvays - Plimsoll Punks [Official Audio]\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VXZx19uN4MQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n9 &#8211; \u201cPlimsoll Punks\u201d &#8211; Alvvays.<br \/>\nWhat a shiny, bright, undeniable track. Don\u2019t let folks get you down.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re the seashell in my sandal, that\u2019s slicing up my heel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Hope The High Road\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ci-6Au1Gnrs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>8 &#8211; \u201cHope The High Road\u201d &#8211; Jason Isbell &amp; The 400 Unit<br \/>\n2017 was a perfect storm for Isbell to complete his move from alt-country to the mainstream. As the Trump era began, an outspoken, liberal voice from the south who sings songs that about \u201cthe common man\u201d and issues we all face was the perfect anecdote. There are angrier songs on his breakthrough album <em>The Nashville Sound<\/em>. But I picked this one because it is, ultimately, a hopeful one. He believes we\u2019re going to get through this. But he believes that in order to do so, we have to keep our dignity rather than dive into the mud where Trump lives. This song sounds and feels like the perfect background music for the campaign that beats Trump in 2020. I know more than a few folks cranked it up last Tuesday after the special election in Isbell\u2019s home state of Alabama.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere can\u2019t be more of them than us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Gang Of Youths performs \u201cAtlas Drowned\u201d\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yp3eBnnFFrM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n7 &#8211; \u201cAtlas Drowned\u201d &#8211; Gangs of Youth<br \/>\nWhen Donald Trump was elected, there was an immediate burst of \u201cWell, this will mean we\u2019ll get some great music at least!\u201d The idea being our joke of a president would inspire artists to craft dynamic songs of protest to counter his idiocracy. Here is one of the most powerful early responses, and from Australia of all places. While not directly aimed at Trump &#8211; it is a more general critique of the corporate wing of the Republican party &#8211; its anger and power are undeniable. Every time I hear it I want to run through a wall and break some stuff. Fortunately I\u2019m 46 years old so I just nod my head and pump my fist.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo you bells in the curve<br \/>\nI will love you but love not the powers you serve\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Kristin Kontrol - Baby Are You In?\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YEZ6f_myNGA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n6 &#8211; \u201cBaby Are You In?\u201d &#8211; Kristin Kontrol<br \/>\nReleased as a single in late December, 2016, this is the latest evolution in Kristin Welchez\u2019s persona and sound. For the first time since she became Kristin Kontrol, her vocals recall the power of her days as Dee Dee in Dum Dum Girls. I wasn\u2019t sure about the whole Kristin Kontrol thing, but this song made me a believer. Sadly her single released early this fall was not nearly as strong.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you think about me?<br \/>\nWhen sun has set?<br \/>\nWhen the day is done?<br \/>\nWhen there\u2019s nothing left?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/youtu.be\/cJ3FcORJons<br \/>\n5 &#8211; \u201cOutbound Train\u201d &#8211; Ryan Adams<br \/>\nAlthough it\u2019s clear now that Ryan Adams had been singing about his marriage to Mandy Moore ending well before they publicly announced their split, this year\u2019s <em>Prisoner<\/em> LP will always be labeled as his \u201cdivorce album.\u201d He treads ground cut by Springsteen on <em>Tunnel of Love<\/em> over much of the album, including this highlight. On an album more about being alone, sad, and confused, he saves his one, gentle repudiation of their marriage for here, when he sings, \u201cSwear I wasn\u2019t lonely when I met you, girl. I was so bored\u2026\u201d That line, Adams\u2019 admission that some of the songs are about a relationship he had after his split with Moore, and the similarity of it to a line from Phoebe Bridgers\u2019 \u201cMotion Sickness\u201d prompted speculation Adams and Bridgers were writing about each other. Folks in the know suggest that is not the case, but the connection between the songs is interesting.<\/p>\n<p>While on his promotion cycle for the album, Adams made major changes to the sounds of some of the songs on <em>Prisoner<\/em>. The performance above of \u201cOutbound Train\u201d is a perfect example. He cranks up the amps, removes some of the tenderness and vulnerability, and roars through the track. I like to think this means he is through the pain of the divorce.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes a man don\u2019t know<br \/>\nWhen he\u2019s got to walk away<br \/>\nI hear a rumbling and a moan<br \/>\nI feel like an outbound train\u201d<\/p>\n<p>4 &#8211; \u201cDesire\u201d &#8211; Lydia Loveless (No video available)<br \/>\nThe second song on this year\u2019s countdown that is a leftover from an album that was featured on last year\u2019s countdown. This remnant from 2016\u2019s <em>Real<\/em> LP is further evidence that Loveless is one of the best artists in music right now. She\u2019s been through a lot in her young life &#8211; bitter romantic failures, addiction and recovery &#8211; but manages to channel all of her pain into amazing music. Here Loveless is the other woman, and not at all pleased about having to play second fiddle. What begins as a smoky, modern torch song turns into a scorching, ass-kicking beast of a performance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, I wanna lay down<br \/>\nThat\u2019s when the phone starts to ring<br \/>\nBut I know I should just lower my expectations, man<br \/>\nAre you out on vacation with the missus again?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Big Thief - Shark Smile (Single) [Official Audio]\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/w1QlOfYxykI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n3 &#8211; \u201cShark Smile\u201d &#8211; Big Thief<br \/>\nBig Thief announced their presence with last year\u2019s fine <em>Masterpiece<\/em>, the title track of which landed at #17 on my favorites of the year. But this year\u2019s <em>Capacity<\/em> is the album that made band leader Adrianne Lenker a star. Her songs are built upon bits of her rather crazy upbringing(fn) combined with wonderful fictional tales. \u201cShark Smile\u201d is a fine representation of her style. It first reads as a tale of two lovers involved in a car accident; one dies, one lives. Lenker said it was inspired, though, by losing three friends in car accidents over a rather brief period. Her delivery is haunting and perfect, and that guitar is one of the most unforgettable music moments of the year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd she said woo<br \/>\nBaby, take me<br \/>\nAnd I said woo<br \/>\nBaby, take me too\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Manchester Orchestra - The Gold (Official Video) from A Black Mile To The Surface\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qaeWss85_vg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n2 &#8211; \u201cThe Gold\u201d &#8211; Manchester Orchestra<br \/>\nEvery year one song ends up in high rotation on the SiriusXM alt\/indie rock channels and sticks around all year. Last year it was Wild Nothing\u2019s \u201cTo Know You,\u201d which ended up being my favorite song of the year, too. This was 2017\u2019s track, which I still hear a couple times a week.<\/p>\n<p>For good reason; it\u2019s fantastic. And it\u2019s a nice return to MO\u2019s best sound, something they got away from a bit on their past two albums. Here they find that perfect area where the drama builds and builds but never push it too far. The chorus is the one I sang more often and louder than any all year. And the lyrics are spectacular, a fine rumination on the moment when all the early passion of a relationship fades and you\u2019re forced to decide if it is worth dealing with all of a lover\u2019s flaws that were masked by the blooming of love.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI believed you were crazy<br \/>\nYou believed you loved me\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"The War On Drugs - Strangest Thing [Official Audio]\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bvmEYgFsgyg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n1A &#8211; \u201cStrangest Thing\u201d &#8211; The War on Drugs<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"The War on Drugs - Pain [Official Video]\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/J9LgHNf2Qy0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n1B &#8211; \u201cPain\u201d &#8211; The War on Drugs<\/p>\n<p>The War on Drugs\u2019 <em>A Deeper Understanding<\/em> was the perfect, and ultimate, version of everything Adam Granduciel has been working toward over his career. Although I still say 2014\u2019s <em>Lost in the Dream<\/em> is a (slightly) better album,\u00a0<em>Understanding<\/em> was still amazing. From it, two songs stood out. I\u2019ve spent the past three months trying to separate those two songs from each other. I was unsuccessful. So, I\u2019m taking the easy way out and proclaiming them co-champions of 2017.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPain\u201d is the more traditional song, although Granduciel never writes classic, radio-friendly songs. But at least this one you can sing along to parts of it. The guitar solo in the song\u2019s final third is one of the best moments in music this year, especially the final of that solo\u2019s three sections, at the 4:33 mark of the song, when things get just a little hazy and it feels like the band has launched you into the air, leaving you to soar weightlessly until gravity claims you again. \u201cPain\u201d also contains what could be the ultimate TWOD lyric, which kind of sums up everything the band is about.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want to find what can\u2019t be found\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStrangest Thing\u201d blew apart the music blogosphere upon its release in July. I think I can sum up the general reaction with two words: \u201cHOLY FUCK!\u201d An epic song for a time when epic songs like this just aren\u2019t made anymore. Where \u201cPain\u201d contains one of the best musical moments of the year, \u201cStrangest Thing\u201d contains no fewer than three of those moments. There is the first time the song\u2019s main riff is heard, at the 2:40 mark. Nearly a minute later, at the 3:33 mark, we get our first epic guitar solo. And, finally, at the 4:27 mark, the entire world melts, new galaxies are born, and life as we know it is replaced by something completely new and amazing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBe the writer of your own story<br \/>\nLet it turn you to love again\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Twenty-seventeen was solid, in music terms. It won\u2019t go down as an all-time great one in my book, as the year lacked a legendary album (or two) and the wave of solid tunes pretty much dried up in the final quarter. And, compared to last year, not nearly as many albums stuck with me. But, as always, there were plenty of songs that I listened to a lot over the past 12 months. So, in reverse order, here are my 26 favorites. For you Spotify users, there is a playlist containing them all. I\u2019ve also included a YouTube link for each track\u2019s video. I\u2019ve also included one of my favorite lyrics of each song. Enjoy! 25 &#8211; \u201cWestside\u201d &#8211; Ratboys This Chicago duo calls themselves \u201cpost-country\u201d, a term that confuses me. Sure there is a little pedal guitar in some of their songs. And I certainly here some Americana influence in their sound. But I also hear a lot more mid\u201390s, college rock in their sound. If I tried hard enough I bet I could draw a pretty straight line from songs like Pearl Jam\u2019s \u201cCrazy Mary\u201d to this one. And I guess folks thought \u201cCrazy Mary\u201d sounded country-ish when it came out. But labels are dumb, and shouldn\u2019t distract you from one of the best albums of the year. \u201cI fall asleep to the memories Of my dreams\u201d 24 &#8211; \u201cRegional Echo\u201d &#8211; Jen Cloher. A simply marvelous piece of dreamy, laconic, and classic Aussie indie rock. A genre that just so happens to currently be defined by Cloher\u2019s wife, Courtney Barnett. While Barnett released a fun and trippy album with Kurt Vile this year, it was Cloher who kept my attention. \u201cThe Australian dream is fading Stolen anyway\u201d 23 &#8211; \u201cAboard My Train\u201d &#8211; Kevin Morby Morby said he wanted to write a happy song for a change. What better way to do so than write an ode to all your friends and family who have supported you over the years? Every time I listen to it I think of my friends, ones I see often and others I rarely see, who are scattered here and there. And then I smile. I think Morby did what he set out to do. \u201cI have loved many faces, many places All aboard my train but depart at different stations\u201d 22 &#8211; \u201cFrench Press\u201d &#8211; Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever An Australian Parquet Courts, perhaps? This band\u2019s blend of art rock and jangle pop sounds quintessentially Australian. And the song\u2019s video was the best of the year. Some days I wish I were young and Aussie and hanging out at parties like theirs. \u201cYou find out Who your friends are When the city\u2019s cold\u201d 21 &#8211; \u201cNo Known Drink or Drug\u201d &#8211; Japandroids After five years in the weeds, Japandroids finally followed-up on their classic Celebration Rock album this year by largely following the same formula. If it ain\u2019t broke\u2026 Thus it shouldn\u2019t be a surprise that this was my favorite of their 2017 songs, as it mimics 2012\u2019s \u201cThe House That Heaven Built\u201d in sound, structure, and in place on the album (both are track seven on eight-song albums). \u201cHeaven\u201d was my favorite song of 2012. This being a (very good) knock off, it doesn\u2019t chart quite as high. \u201cA slow-burning sermon to have and hold her\u2028But ever since she started sleeping over\u2028Oh, Lord, I\u2019m living like a Holy Roller\u201d 20 &#8211; \u201cNever Start\u201d &#8211; Middle Kids OK, to be honest this song should not be on this list. This Aussie band released their first EP in the winter and it was about all I listened to for a week or two. But the highlight of the disk was a track that had actually been released early in 2016. It picked up steam on radio in late 2016 and suddenly was all over SiriusXM in early 2017. \u201c[Edge of Town]\u201d is a freaking great song. Unfortunately since it landed on my Favorite Songs of 2016 list it could not re-chart here. I mean, I guess it could have. If I broke that rule of allowing a song to chart in multiple years, it likely would have landed much higher than it did on the 2016 list. But they still required some love, and this is a damn fine song on its own. \u201cAnd I\u2019m not trying to start a fight here But it\u2019s building up inside, yeah And you don\u2019t even know\u201d 19 &#8211; \u201cI\u2019m Not\u201d &#8211; Daddy Issues This would be a powerful song without anything links to what is going on in the world right now. It is based on a sexual assault that drummer Emily Maxwell experienced in her teenage years, and the push by her family not to publicly name her accuser. With the #MeToo movement springing up over the course of 2017, Maxwell became part of one of the most important movements we\u2019ve seen since the Civil Rights era. Hopefully this song has inspired some women to name their accusers, and even more, given women the power to say no and fight back when they face sexual threats. \u201c\u2018They wouldn\u2019t get it sweetheart, please don\u2019t tell on me\u2019 I let my memories fall through It\u2019s not my fault I blame my sexuality I feel promiscuous but maybe I\u2019m a prude\u201d 18 &#8211; \u201cSilver\u201d &#8211; Waxahatchee Each time Katie Crutchfield puts out a new album, it\u2019s just a little bit better than her previous one. Thus, this song is the perfect distillation of everything great about her. Until the next album. Somehow she makes a singing about a breakup sound delightful. \u201cI\u2019ll portray the old shag carpet You can walk all over me\u201d 17 &#8211; \u201cLiving Like the Rest\u201d &#8211; Thunder Dreamer While perhaps not directly in the vein of John Mellencamp, this band from Southern Indiana makes music that fits that part of the world. It\u2019s somber, introspective music made by people who grew up in a region that increasingly feels left behind from the rest of the country. There\u2019s a sense of unease and foreboding in the music. The lyrics speak of a war leaving people isolated and unprotected. Vagueness allows it to be applied to any war, real or imagined, physical or cultural. \u201cThe war has stripped us cold and bare And taken what we held so dear\u201d 16 &#8211; \u201cLiving In The City\u201d &#8211; Hurray for the Riff Raff Some songs come out of nowhere, surprise you, and never go away. This delightful song, celebrating the joys of New York in the summer time, is bold, cinematic, and completely wonderful. \u201cHot long summer days We\u2019re just sneakin\u2019 by the river Well, I\u2019ll lock my dreams away And I\u2019ll watch the city quiver\u201d 15 &#8211; \u201cMotion Sickness\u201d &#8211; Phoebe Bridgers In certain circles, Bridgers was the most hyped artist of the year. A wonderful song writer who had worked with Ryan Adams and opened for Julien Baker before her first album was released, Stranger in the Alps arrived with massive expectations. It delivered in nearly every way, a completely beautiful work. This song raised a few eyebrows with the line \u201cYou said you met me, you were bored.\u201d Although most folks have come to believe it was purely coincidental, that line can be interpreted as a direct response to a line in another song we\u2019ll get to later in the countdown. \u201cThere are no words in the English language I could scream to drown you out\u201d 14 &#8211; \u201cHot Thoughts\u201d &#8211; Spoon Spoon keeps chugging along. Every couple of years they put out an album that tweaks their sound just a hair, but still provides at least one fantastic track. I didn\u2019t like this album nearly as much as Spoon\u2019s last. But this song was inescapable for awhile. In fact, one day C asked me, \u201cDad, why do they play this song so much?\u201d \u201cBecause Spoon is great!\u201d was my response. Truth. \u201cHot thoughts all in my mind and all of the time You must be trouble for sure\u201d 13 &#8211; \u201cRained On\u201d &#8211; Frightened Rabbit FR released only a three-song EP this year, consisting of two tracks recorded during the sessions for last year\u2019s Painting of a Panic Attack and a new track recorded with folk artist Julien Baker. But it was a good year for the band. I feared after the tumult of the summer of 2016 that when they wrapped up their touring cycle for Panic Attack the band might go their separate ways and never reconvene again. Instead, they continued touring throughout the year, both on their own and opening for other acts. Scott Hutchison, after a lengthy interlude in LA with his girlfriend, returned home to Scotland. And just a few weeks ago he announced the band is already in the process of putting together their next album. Very good news for 2018. This track, which is another about his time in and frustrations with LA, is beautiful and lush, and has all the elements of classic FR: it is deeply depressing yet still remains optimistic. \u201cSaw the heavens letting go In a melancholy burst Everything got rained on Didn\u2019t even hurt\u201d 12 &#8211; \u201cStar Roving\u201d &#8211; Slowdive. This was a year for musical comebacks. Over the summer, every couple of weeks it felt like there was a new album from a band that hadn\u2019t been around in 10 or 15 or 20 years. Slowdive made their return after a 22 year break from recording.(fn) This has to be considered one of the greatest ever come-back tracks, taking their early 90s, shoegaze sound and updating it perfectly for the 21st century. Hopefully it has kids listening to Slowdive\u2019s classic from the early 90s. \u201cIn a flash of time Said she\u2019s feeling love for everyone tonight\u201d 11 &#8211; \u201cDay I Die\u201d &#8211; The National. I was really pumped up for the latest National album, Sleep Well Beast. Sadly, it was a big disappointment to me. But this song\u2026wow! Not sure if it fits into my pantheon of greatest National songs, but it\u2019s damn close. That little Flock of Seagulls-ish guitar riff pushes it over the top. \u201cI don\u2019t need you, I don\u2019t need you Besides I barely ever see you anymore And when I do it feels like you\u2019re only halfway there\u201d 10 &#8211; \u201cThis Time\u201d &#8211; Land of Talk. Elizabeth Powell took over six years off from making music to help care for her father, who had suffered a stroke. Her return album, Life After Youth, was a total triumph. This highlight is a perfect, atmospheric, dream pop song. \u201cI don\u2019t wanna waste it, my life And know it was in front of me\u201d 9 &#8211; \u201cPlimsoll Punks\u201d &#8211; Alvvays. What a shiny, bright, undeniable track. Don\u2019t let folks get you down. \u201cYou\u2019re the seashell in my sandal, that\u2019s slicing up my heel.\u201d 8 &#8211; \u201cHope The High Road\u201d &#8211; Jason Isbell &amp; The 400 Unit 2017 was a perfect storm for Isbell to complete his move from alt-country to the mainstream. As the Trump era began, an outspoken, liberal voice from the south who sings songs that about \u201cthe common man\u201d and issues we all face was the perfect anecdote. There are angrier songs on his breakthrough album The Nashville Sound. But I picked this one because it is, ultimately, a hopeful one. He believes we\u2019re going to get through this. But he believes that in order to do so, we have to keep our dignity rather than dive into the mud where Trump lives. This song sounds and feels like the perfect background music for the campaign that beats Trump in 2020. I know more than a few folks cranked it up last Tuesday after the special election in Isbell\u2019s home state of Alabama. \u201cThere can\u2019t be more of them than us.\u201d 7 &#8211; \u201cAtlas Drowned\u201d &#8211; Gangs of Youth When Donald Trump was elected, there was an immediate burst of \u201cWell, this will mean we\u2019ll get some great music at least!\u201d The idea being our joke&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[71,9],"class_list":["post-6722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-favorite-songs","tag-music"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6722"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6722\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13486,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6722\/revisions\/13486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}