Best of 2017: Ominocity’s guide to all of the best music releases of the year

Are you ready for a giant wad of best-of lists?

Thanks to five Saskatoon music fans (Sarah Etter, Cate Francis, Sabrina Materie, Anne Jeffrey, and Aaron Scholz), here is a comprehensive year-end list of some of the best music releases in 2017. From one end of the spectrum to the other and leaving no genre unchecked, please peruse these thorough lists featuring local, Canadian, and international artists alike.

Sarah Etter
The music of 2017 had a ton of really excellent weird stuff, contrasted with some starkly honest songwriting. In all, an excellent year! SZA’s Ctrl contains insanely catchy songs with all too relatable and specific lyrics which combined make an amazing album. Ctrl easily got around 50 plays from me this year. Pile’s A Hairshirt of Purpose gives us a little bit of everything – indie rock with different flavours for each song, sometimes post-hardcore influenced, sometimes math-rocky, and sometimes they’ll slow it down for some more simple singer-songwriter style tunes. I’m a sucker for piano & violin being added in any genre. Lastly, Edmonton’s Wares, who I was lucky enough to catch at a show this year at the Noodle King, put out a really fun, super ambitious self-titled album. Knowing when to hold tension and when to let go into chaos, this band is perfect live and just as good on record. – SE

A. Savage – Thawing Dawn (Folk) [6/10]
*Alvvays – Antisocialites (dreampop) [6/10]
Andrew Cohen & Light Coma – Unreality (rock, garage) [6/10]
Andrew Hung – Realisationship (electronic pop) [7/10]
Arca – Arca (experimental) [9/10]
*Austra – Future Politics (electronic pop) [6/10]
Bjork – Utopia (experimental) [10/10]
Boris – Dear (sludge) [8/10]

*Broken Social Scene – Hug of Thunder (indie rock) [7/10]
Charly Bliss – Guppy (power pop) [6/10]
Chelsea Wolfe – Hiss Spun (doom folk) [8/10]
Cigarettes After Sex – Cigarettes After Sex (dream pop, shoegaze) [7/10]
Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile – Lotta Sea Lice (folk) [6/10]
Dirty Projectors – Dirty Projectors (art pop) [8/10]
*Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton – Choir of the Mind (singer-songwriter) [8/10]
*Faith Healer – Try 😉 (indie) [9/10]

Friendship – Shock out of Season (folkish but with some electronic bits) [6/10]
Guided By Voices – August by Cake (indie rock) [6/10]
Ivy Sole – EP – West (hip-hop) [9/10]
Jens Lekman – Life Will See You Now (indie pop) [7/10]
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – The Kid (electronic, dream pop) [7/10]
King Krule – The OOZ (indie, jazzy) [6/10]
King Woman – Created in the Image of Suffering (doom, sludge, shoegaze) [9/10]
LCD Soundsystem – american dream (electronic) [7/10]
Lemuria – Recreational Hate (indie, pop punk) [8/10]
Lilys – In the Presence of Nothing (shoegaze) [7/10]
Middle Kids – EP – Middle Kids (indie pop) [7/10]
Miguel – War & Leisure (r&b) [9/10]
Milk Music – Mystic 100’s (punk) [8/10]
Oh Sees – Orc (garage / psych) [7/10]
Overcoats – YOUNG (electro pop) [7/10]
Pere Ubu – 20 Years in a Montana Missile Silo (post-punk) [7/10]
Pile – A Hairshirt of Purpose (indie rock) [9/10]

Pissed Jeans – Why Love Now (punk) [8/10]
Priests – Nothing Feels Natural (punk) [7/10]
*Propagandhi – Victory Lap (punk) [7/10]
Protomartyr – Relatives in Descent (post punk) [8/10]
*respectfulchild – : : Searching: : (ambient) [9/10]
Ryan Adams – Prisoner (singer-songwriter) [8/10]
Sandy Alex G – Rocket (folk) [7/10]
Slothrust – Show Me How You Want It To Be (grunge) [7/10]
Sneaks – It’s a Myth (electronic post punk. lol) [6/10]
SOHN – Rennen (ambient electronic pop) [6/10]
Space Mountain – Supermundane (indie, singer songwriter) [6/10]
St. Vincent – MASSEDUCATION (Pop) [7/10]
Stef Chura – Messes (indie rock) [6/10]
SZA – Ctrl (hip-hop) [10/10]
https://soundcloud.com/szaofficial/supermodel?in=szaofficial/sets/ctrl-6
Tennis – Yours Conditionally (indie pop, electronic) [7/10]
The xx – I See You (indie electronic) [7/10]
*Wares – Wares (rock) [9/10]
Waxahatchee – Out in the Storm (indie rock, singer-songwriter) [6/10]
Wire – Silver / Lead (post punk) [7/10]
Younger Lovers – Young Brothers (garage) [6/10]
Yowler – The Offer (dream pop, singer-songwriter) [8/10]

Cate Francis
If 2017 was anything, it was a good year for bad vibes. Here are 70 records that make for an ideal soundtrack to a 365 day long trash fire. In the spirit of madness and cosmic despair, Thantifaxaith comes out on top of a stacked black metal category this year, as they continue to push their oppressive yet nuanced style in a record that feels like hearing a world ending comet in the vacuum of space. There were a lot of amazing female vocal performances this year. The ever evolving Chelsea Wolfe exceeded high expectations with her heaviest record yet. In addition there was a huge gamut of powerful vocal performances including Diamanda Galas, Zola Jesus and an underrated trip hop debut from Sevdaliza. Like rediscovering your legs after a concussion, Oxbow’s Thin Black Duke is a genre defying album of the year contender that is at once agressive, beautiful, disorienting and corporeally affirming. And just before you choke on all this existential turmoil Unsane firmly reminds you to dust off your scraped knees, spit out your broken teeth, and turn to face another round in 2018. So, congratulations on surviving it! Now that 2017 is dead, I recommend we hire Family in Mourning ft. Lydia Lunch to minister the funeral (Contact them for bookings!), and nominate Ritual Howls to kick off the graveside dance party. I hope you like synthesizers. – CF
Metal/ Rock/ Hardcore
Thantifaxaith- Void Masquerading as Matter (Dark Descent Records) [Canada]

Blut Aus Nord- Deus Salutis Meae (Debemur Morte Productions) [France]
Hagetisse – Godendraak (Self-Released)
Wolves in the Throne Room- Thrice Woven (Artemesia Records) [U.S]
Throane- Plus Une Main A Mordre (Debemur Morte Productions) [France]
Amen ra- Mass VI (Neurot) [Belgium]
Boris- Dear (Sargent House) [Japan]
Godflesh- Post Self (Avalanche Recordings) [U.S.]
Primitive Man- Caustic (Relapse Records) [U.S]
Full of Hell- Trumpeting Ecstasy (Relapse Records) [U.S.]
Converge- The Dusk in Us (Deathwish) [U.S.]
Unsane- Sterilize (Southern Lord) [U.S.]
Monarch- Never Forever (Profound Lore) [France]
Gold- Optimist (Van) [Netherlands]
Get Your Gun- Doubt is My Rope Back to You (Empty Tape) [Denmark]
Wailin Storms- Sick City (Antena Krzyku) [U.S]
Lucidvox- Дым / Dym (Self-Released) [Russia]
Chelsea Wolfe- Hiss Spun (Sargent House) [U.S.]
Oxbow- Thin Black Duke (Hydra Head) [U.S.]
Queens of the Stone Age- Villains (Matador) [U.S.]
Afghan Whigs- In Spades (Sub Pop) [U.S.}
Pissed Jeans- Why love now (Sub Pop)[U.S.]
Tunic- Boss (Self Released) [Canada]
Punk/“Post Punk”/ No Wave/
Chunder Buffet- Cesspool [Grey Records] [Canada]
Protomartyr- Relatives in Descent (Domino Recording Co.) [U.S.]
Negative Space- Gestal (Drunken Sailor Records) [U.K.]
Zotz- Vacio Fatal (Doomsday Records) [Mexico]
Glaare- To Deaf and Day (Dune Altar) [U.S.]
Ritual Howls- Their Body (Felte) [U.S.]

Kold Front- S/T 7” (Symphony of Destruction) [Denmark]
Rope Sect- Personae Ingratae//Proselytes (Caligari Records) [Germany]
Ritual Veil- Wolf in the night (Cosmonaut Records) [U.S.]
Fearing- A life of None /Black Sand (Alchera Visions) [U.S.]
Partisan- We have been so Terribly Betrayed ( Belgium, Track: Change)
Death Bells- Standing at the Edge of the World (Funeral Party Records) [Australia]
Black Mare- Death Magick Mother [Magic Bullet Records) [U.S.]
Drab Majesty- The Demonstration (Dais Records) [U.S.]
Grave Pleasures- Motherblood (Century Media) [U.S.]
Foxxxy Mulder- Premarital Hex (Self released) [U.S.]
Underpass- Part Time Punks Sessions (No Sun) [U.S./Canada]
John Edifice- S/T (Funeral PArty Records) [Australia]
Synthwave/Darkwave/Industrial
John Carpenter- Anthology (Movie Themes 1974-1998) [U.S.]
Confrontational- The Burning Dawn (Self-Released) [Italy]
Xordox- Neospection (Editions Mego) [U.S.]
Dan Terminus- Automated Refrains (Blood Music) [France]
Odonis Odonis- No Pop (Felte) [Canada]
Multiple Man- New Metal (DKA records) [Australia]
Uniform- Wake in Fright (Sacred Bones Records) [U.S.]
Pharmakon- Contact (Sacred Bones) [U.S.]

Nine inch Nails- Add Violence (Null Corporation) [U.S.]
Shoegaze/Trip Hop/ Avantgarde/ Folk/ Instrumental:
Praises- EP2 (Hand Drawn Dracula) [Canada]
Taylor Jade- Dreamy is the Night (Self Released) [Canada]
Family in Mourning ft. Lydia Lunch- Eulogy (GALTTA Media) [U.S.]
Slowdive- S/T (Dead Oceans) [U.S.]
Beliefs- Habitat [Hand Drawn Dracula) [Canada]
Anamai- What Mountain (Halocline Trance) [Canada]
Sally Dige- Holding On (DKA Records) [Canada/Germany}
Emma Ruth Rundle and Jaye Jayle- The Time Between Us (Sargent House) [US.]
Diamanda Galas- All the Way (Intravenal Sound Operations) [U.S.]
Jozef Van Wissem- Nobody Living can ever make me turn back (Consouling Sounds) [U.S.] Godspeed You Black Emperor – Luciferian Towers [Constellation] [Canada]
Beate Bartel and Gudrun Gut “Instrumentals for Sirens” (Moabit Musik) [Germany]
Jarboe and Father Murphy- Truth or Consequences (Consouling Sounds) [U.S.]
Ulver- Assassination of Julius Caesar (House of Mythology) [Norway]
Ulver-Sic Transit Gloria Mundi ep
Tricky- Ununiform (!K7 Records) [U.S.]
Sevdaliza- Ison (Twisted Elegance) [Netherlands]
Zola Jesus- Okovi (Sacred Bones Records) [U.S.]
Ora Cogan- Crickets (Hand Drawn Dracula) [Canada]
V/A- Twin Peaks: Music from the Limited Event Series (Rhino Records)

Sabrina Materie
2017 felt like it sped by at a breakneck pace – and a wealth of excellent releases made it all the more difficult to keep up with. Here are some of my favourites, albums that frequently soundtracked the maelstrom. I found myself drawn to sense-making and unmaking patterns: Kettenkarrussel’s Insecurity Guard, murky techno made for spiralling into; the usually-ambient Geotic’s domestic house venture Abysma. I sought out lapping waves of ambience: Mary Lattimore and her harp weaving stories together in Collected Pieces made for a frequent return over the year, as did Noveller’s impossibly dense solo soundscapes in A Pink Sunset For No One. The personal resonates especially strikingly: in Carmen Villain’s release Infinite Avenue, atmospheric, electronic, and eerily familiar in its neuroses; and in Lingua Ignota’s harsh and disorientingly spiteful debut Let The Evil Of His Own Lips Cover Him. But in trying times there is always refuge in consumption: Charli XCX’s beaming new mixtape Pop 2 – produced with A. G. Cook – is indulgently nuanced while the aggressively engineered and often surreal excesses of GFOTY’s compilation GFOTYBUCKS shoulder past pop music into strange new territory. – SM
Electronic/Dance
Actress – AZD (Ninja Tune)
Arca – Arca (XL)
Azulejos – Populous (Wonderwheel)
Blanck Mass – World Eater (Sacred Bones)

Bonobo – Migration (Ninja Tune)
Brainwaltzera – Poly-Ana (Film)
D33J – Death Valley Oasis (Anticon)
*Daphni – Joli Mai (Jiaolong)
Four Tet – New Energy (Text)
Geotic – Abysma (Ghostly)
Hundred Waters – Currency (OWSLA)
Iglooghost – Neō Wax Bloom (Brainfeeder)
*Information Flash – Ego Murda Sound (Kudatah)
Jlin – Black Origami (Planet Mu)
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – The Kid (Western Vinyl)
Kelly Lee Owens – Kelly Lee Owens (Smalltown Supersound)
Lapalux – Ruinism (Brainfeeder)
Laurence Guy – Saw You For The First Time (Church)
Lee Gamble – Mnestic Pressure (Hyperdub)
Lusine – Sensorimotor (Ghostly)
Mount Kimbie – Love What Survives (Warp)
Nosaj Thing – Paralells (Innovative Leisure)
*Odonis Odonis – No Pop (felte)
Sevdaliza – Ison (Twisted Elegance)
Supernaive – Dazed & Confused (Shlo Music)
Tzusing – 東方不敗 (L.I.E.S.)
Yaeji – EP2 (Godmode)
Ambient/Minimal
Bing & Ruth – No Home of the Mind (4AD)
Biosphere – The Petrified Forest (Biophon)
Earthen Sea – An Act of Love (Kranky)
GAS – Narkopop (Kompakt)
*Ian William Craig – Slow Vessels (130701)
Jacszek – KWIATY (Ghostly)
*Jean Michel-Blaise & CFCF – Cascades (Arts & Crafts)
Kettenkarussel – Insecurity Guard (Giegling)
*Kid Koala – Music to Draw To: Satellite (Arts & Crafts)
Locust Toybox – Drownscapes (Brainfeeder)
Mary Lattimore – Collected Pieces (Ghostly)

Moon Diagrams – Lifetime of Love (Geographic North)
Noveller – A Pink Sunset for No One (Fire)
*respectfulchild – : : Searching : : (Coax)
S.A.M. – Dream State of a Bellmaker (Delaphine)
Tale of Us – Endless (Deutsche Grammophon)
*Teen Daze – Themes for Dying Earth (Flora)
Visible Cloaks – Reassemblage (RVNG Intl.)
Circuit Des Yeux – Reaching for Indigo (Drag City)
Pop
Cashmere Cat – 9 (Interscope)
Charli XCX – Pop 2 (Atlantic)
*Faith Healer – Try 😉 (Mint)
GFOTY – GFOTYBUCKS (PC Music)
Kitty – Miami Garden Club (Pretty Wavvy)
Morgan Saint – 17 Hero (Epic)
*TOPS – Sugar at the Gate (Arbutus)
Rock/Indie
Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile – Lotta Sea Lice (Matador)
The Drums – Abysmal Thoughts (ANTI-)
Guerilla Toss – GT Ultra (DFA)

*Human Music – Human Music (Electric Heat)
Japanese Breakfast – Soft Sounds from Another Planet (Dead Oceans)
Ohyeahsumi – Your Friends Are Looking For You (Sports Day)
Omni – Multitask (Trouble in Mind)
Wavves – You’re Welcome (Ghost Ramp)
Songwriter
Carmen Villain – Infinite Avenue (Smalltown Supersound)
Half Waif – form/a (Cascine)
*Taylor Jade – Dreamy Is The Night (Self-released)
vōx – I Was Born (self-released)
R&B/Soul
Kelela – Take Me Apart (Warp)
Kingdom – Tears in the Club (Fade to Mind)
Miguel – War & Leisure (RCA)
Moses Sumney – Aromanticism (Jagjaguwar)

Sampha – Process (Young Turks)
*vbnd – We Go On Infinitely (self-released)
Rap
Migos – Culture (Quality Control)
Milo – Who Told You to Think??!!?!?!?! (Ruby Yacht)
Quay Dash – Transphobic (Perth)
Yung Lean – Stranger (YEAR0001)
Metal/Noise/Heavy
Chelsea Wolfe – Hiss Spun (Sargent House)
Converge – The Dusk In Us (Epitaph)
Lingua Ignota – Let the Evil of His Own Lips Cover Him (Self-released)
*Tunic – Boss 7” (Self-released)

Anne Jefferey
2017 was a great year for ears. There is a lot going on across lots of genres and basically any sound you want you can find at least a few artists doing it. A few eager beavers put out multiple releases this year, shout out to the generosity of artists Martel Solo and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. This was also a great year for bops. Carly Rae Jepsen blessed us only once but what a blessing it was. Kpop girls TWICE dropped a sweet treat and Omar Suleyman rained down a devastating dance album. Some old friends came back this year, 2017 saw the return of Kesha and brand new material from Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark. We even got to hear brothers Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher (‘s High Flying Birds) duke it out sonically when they both dropped albums near the end of the year. (FYI Noel’s was better ?) Loving the musical journey and excited to see what hits the stream in 2018!! – AJ
Welcome Back
Alice Cooper – Paranormal
*Allie X – CollXion II
The Cranberries – Something Else
*Death From Above 1979 – Outrage! Is Now
Haim – Something To Tell You
The Killers – Wonderful Wonderful
Kesha – Rainbow
Orchestral Manoeuvers In The Dark – The Punishment of Luxury
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Who Built the Moon?
*Stars – There Is No Love In Fluorescent Lights
Robert Plant – Carry Fire
Every Song On The Album Is good
*Alvvays – Antisocialites

Amber Mark – 3:33am
BB Brunes – Puzzle
Beth Ditto – Fake Sugar
Brigitte – Nues
Cold War Kids – LA DIVINE
*Matt Mays – Once Upon A Hell of a Time
Nico & Vinz – Elephant in the Room
*Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs – Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs
Refreshing Newcomers
*Partner – In Search of Lost Time

*Joseph of Mercury – Joseph of Mercury
Tyler Childers – Purgatory
Weird, But In A Good Way
ANOHNI – Paradise
*Arthur Comeau – Lagniappe
Baths – Romaplasm
*The Elwins – Beauty Community
GWAR – The Blood of Gods
Ibeyi – Ash
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Murder of the Universe
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Polygondwanaland
*Mappe Of – A Northern Star, A Perfect Stone
*Martel Solo – Ferme ta gueule
The Molochs – America’s Velvet Glory
Nnamdi Ogbonnaya – Drool
Oh Sees – Orc
*Orloge Simard – Beuvez tousjours, ne mourez jamais
B O P S
Anna of the North – Lovers
*Automat – Pandora
Bomba Estéreo – Ayo
*Busty and the Bass – Uncommon Good
*Carly Rae Jepsen – Cut To The Feeling
*Danko Jones – Wild Cat
Dua Lipa – Dua Lipa

Gordi – Reservoir
Major Lazer – Know No Better
Omar Souleyman – To Syria, With Love
*Peter Kwenders – MAKANDA at the End of Space, the Beginning of Time
*Tei Shi – Crawl Space
TWICE – twicetagram
For The 80s Aesthetophiles
Charlotte Gainsbourg – Rest
Betty Who – The Valley
*Geoffroy – Coastline
Giraffage – Too Real
*Pierre Lapointe – La science du coeur
Phoebe Ryan – James
Paupière – À jamais privé de réponses
PVRIS – All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell
Temples – Volcano
Trailer Trash Tracys – Althaea
*TWRP – Ladyworld
*Louise Burns – Young Mopes
Girl Power
*Courage My Love – Synesthesia
cupcakKe – Queen Elizabitch
*Bonnie Doon – Dooner Nooner

Leikeli47 – Wash & Set
The Regrettes – Feel Your Feelings Fool!
SZA – Ctrl
Tove Lo – BLUE LIPS (Lady Wood Phase II)

Aaron Scholz
So much great music in twelve months! Bardo Pond continues to deliver exquisite druggy riffs, ever accompanied by Isobel Sollenberger’s heavenly voice and flute. Parisian duo Midget! managed to create compelling baroque-folk that is so far outside my regular scope of listening that it feels otherworldly. Metalcore elders Converge have left an indelible mark on their scene, and this album proves why they are unquestionably the best at what they do. Nadah El Shazly combines Arabic prose with avant-jazz on her exciting debut album, Taylor Jade’s gentle, ethereal folk tugs at the saddest heart strings with her beautifully crafted songs, and Björk pleases fans who’ve been long-salivating at the thought of a new album from the queen of pop experiments. I can’t write anymore, as I fear I’ll gush for paragraphs upon paragraphs about these, and the many other albums mentioned in my list. Please dig in, and I hope you find your next favourite artist! – AS
Ambient/Drone/Minimalist
Alexander, Theo – Points Of Decay (Blank Editions)
Arkbro, Ellen – For Organ and Brass (Subtext)
Basinski, William – A Shadow in Time (Temporary Residence Ltd.)
Bing & Ruth – No Home of The Mind (4AD)
Biosphere – The Petrified Forest (Biophon)
Children Of Alice – Children Of Alice (Warp)
*Cole, Crys & Oren Ambarchi – Hotel Record (Black Truffle)
*Davachi, Sarah – All My Circles Run (Students of Decay)
English, Lawrence – Cruel Optimism (Room40)
Eno, Brian – Reflection (Warp)
Four Tet – New Energy (Text)
Gaussian Curve – The Distance (Music From Memory)
Golden Retriever – Rotations (Thrill Jockey)
Kassel Jaeger – Aster (Editions Mego)
Laraaji – Sun Gong (All Saints)
*Love Theme – Love Theme (Alter)
*respectfulchild – : : Searching : : (Coax)
Sugimoto, Shinya & Jeremy Young with Julia Kent ‎– Total Fiction (Phinery Tapes)
Tiny Vipers – Laughter (Ba Da Bing!)
Winter, Teresa – Untitled Death (The Death of Rave)
*You’ll Never Get to Heaven – Images (Yellow K)
Experimental/Avant-Garde
Atkinson, Félicia – Hand in Hand (Shelter Press)
Campbell, Neil & Richard Youngs – Six Scores (Shaking Box)
Chrome – Techromancy (Cleopatra)
Daijing, Pan – Lack (Pan)
Dilloway, Aaron – The Gag File (Dais)
*Doom Tickler – Spirit Fingers (Pleasance)
Eastman, Julius – Joy Boy (Frozen Reeds)
The Focus Group – Stop-Motion Happening With… (Ghost Box)
Laibach – Also Sprach Zarathustra (Mute)
Nazoranai – Beginning to Fall in Line Before Me… (W.25TH)
*No UFO’s – NU LP for RS (Root Strata)
Oiseaux-Tempête ‎– Al-‘An! الآن And Your Night Is Your Shadow… (Sub Rosa)
Opéra Mort – Film Workes (B.A.A.D.M.)
Orcutt, Bill – Bill Orcutt (Palilalia)
Pancrace – Pancrace (Penultimate Press)
Prurient – Rainbow Mirror (Profound Lore)
Pere Ubu – 20 Years In A Montana Missile Silo (Cherry Red)
Sadaf – SHELL (Outside Insight)
Twin Cisterns – Cloudspiller (Bad Paintings)
Vega, Alan – IT (Fader)
Wolf Eyes – Undertow (Lower Floor)
Folk/Singer-Songwriter/Country
Adams, Ryan – Prisoner (Pax Americana)
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Wolf Of The Cosmos (Drag City)
Bridgers, Phoebe – Stranger In The Alps (Dead Oceans)
Byrne, Julie – Not Even Happiness (Basin Rock/Ba Da Bing!)
Dawson, Richard – Peasant (Weird World)
Grimm, Larkin – Chasing An Illusion (Northern Spy)
Gun Outfit – Out Of Range (Paradise of Bachelors)
Harding, Aldous – Party (4AD)
Hiss Golden Messenger – Hallelujah Anyhow (Merge)
Holter, Julia – In The Same Room (Domino)
*Jade, Taylor – Dreamy Is The Night (Self-released)

*Kacy & Clayton – The Siren’s Song (New West)
Midget! – Ferme Tes Jolie Cieux (Objet Disque)
Mount Eerie – A Crow Looked At Me (P.W. Elverum & Sun, Ltd.)
Perhacs, Linda – I’m A Harmony (Omnivore)
*The Sadies – Northern Passages (Yep Roc/Dine Alone)
Tweedy, Jeff – Together At Last (dBp)
Wynn, Mark – More Singles… (Harbinger Sound)
*Young, Neil – Hitchhiker (Reprise)
Garage Rock/Power Pop/Rock ‘n Roll
Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys – Rot (What’s Your Rupture?)
Chain & The Gang – Experimental Music (Dischord)
*The Courtneys – II (Flying Nun)
Des Demonas – Des Demonas (In The Red)
Dusty Mush – Cheap Entertainment (Stolen Body/Howlin’ Banana)
*Ghosted – Swan Song 7” (Ugly Pop)
Kynnet – …Taas Ne Menee Poks! (Joteskii Groteskii/Rock ‘n Roll Bullshit)
L.A. Witch – L.A. Witch (Suicide Squeeze)
Los Tones – What Happened (Groovie)
Lost Balloons – Hey Summer (Dirtnap)
Milk Music – Mystic 100’s (Dom America)
Moral Panic – Moral Panic (Slovenly)
Mordecai – Abstract Recipe (Richie)
Nance, David – Negative Boogie (Ba Da Bing!)
Obnox – Murder Radio (Ever/Never)
Proto Idiot – Leisure Opportunities (Slovenly)
Rays – Rays (Trouble In Mind)
The Satelliters – Zahstethomalex (Soundflat)
*Sultan, Mark – BBQ (In The Red)
Telephone Lovers – Telephone Lovers (Lolipop/Disconnected)
Terry – Remember Terry (Upset The Rhythm)
Tin Foil – Tin Foil (Almost Ready)
White Reaper – The World’s Best American Band (Polyvinyl)
Jazz/Improvisational/World
Ahmed, Yazz – La Saboteuse (Naim)
Allen, Tony – The Source (Blue Note)
Branch, Jaimie – Fly Or Die (International Anthem)
Brötzmann / Leigh ‎– Sex Tape (Trost)
Cooper, Dale Quartet & The Dictaphones – Astrild Astrild (Denovali)
El Shazly, Nadah – Ahwar (Nawa)

Evans / Fernandez / Gustafsson – A Quietness of Water (Not Two)
*Friesen/Waters Duo – No.3 (Shaking Box)
Galás, Diamanda – All The Way (Intravenal Sound)
Group Doueh & Cheveu – Dakhla Sahara Sessions (Born Bad)
Irreversible Entanglements – Irreversible Entanglements (International Anthem US)
Mazurek, Rob – Rome (Clean Feed)
McPhee, Joe & Bryan Eubanks ‎– My Undocumented Alien Clarinet (Penultimate Press)
Mitchell, Nicole – Mandorla Awakening II: Emerging Worlds (FPE)
Moctar, Mdou – Sousoume Tamachek (Sahel Sounds)
Poulo, Awa – Poulo Warali (Awesome Tapes From Africa)
Sote ‎– Sacred Horror In Design (Opal)
Tinariwen ‎– Elwan (Wedge)
Trio Da Kali & Kronos Quartet – Ladilikan (World Circuit)
Willis, Nicole & UMO Jazz Orchestra – My Name is Nicole Willis (Persephone)
Wooley, Nate – Knknighgh: Minimal Poetry For Aram Saroyan (Clean Feed)
Metal/Noise Rock/Heavy
Aosoth – V: The Inside Scriptures (Agonia)
Circle – Terminal (Southern Lord)
Converge – The Dusk In Us (Epitaph)
Couch Slut – Contempt (Gilead Media)
Dodecahedron – Kwintessens (Season of Mist)
*Dour – No Sign Of Grief (Self-released)
Dreamdecay – YÚ (Iron Lung)
Drunk In Hell – Drunk In Hell (Burning World)
Elder – Reflections Of A Floating World (Armageddon/Stickman)
Full Of Hell – Trumpeting Ecstasy (Profound Lore)
Godflesh – Post Self (Avalanche)
Gravetemple – Impassable Fears (Svart)
Hell – Hell (Sentient Ruin Laboratories)
Incantation – Profane Nexus (Relapse)
Integrity – Howling, For The Nightmare Shall Consume (Relapse)
Krallice – Go Be Forgotten (Gilead Media/Hathenter)
Krallice – Loüm (Gilead Media/Hathenter)
*Mind Mold – Mind Mold (Sentient Ruin Laboratories)
Oxbow – Thin Black Duke (Hydra Head)
Pharmakon – Contact (Sacred Bones)
Primitive Man – Caustic (Relapse)
*Rehashed – Government Cheese (Unrest)
Spectral Voice – Eroded Corridors of Unbeing (Dark Descent)
Succumb – Succumb (Flenser)
Suffering Hour – In Passing Ascension (Blood Harvest)
Sunlight’s Bane – The Blackest Volume (Innerstrength)
*Tomb Mold – Primordial Malignity (Blood Harvest)
*Tunic – Boss 7” (Self-released)
Uniform – Wake in Fright (Sacred Bones)
USA Nails – Shame Spiral (Bigoût/Hominid Sounds)
Woe – Hope Attrition (Vendetta)
Psychedelic/Space Rock/Krautrock
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. – Wandering The Outer Space (Buh)
Baker, Aidan, Simon Goff & Thor Harris – Noplace (Gizeh)
Bardo Pond – Under the Pines (Fire)
The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Don’t Get Lost (A)
Drunk Elk – Drunk Elk (House Rules)
Eat Lights Become Lights – Nature Reserve (Deep Distance)
Faust – Fresh Air (Bureau B)
Flowers Must Die – Kompost (Rocket)
Forsyth, Chris & The Solar Motel Band – Dreaming In The Non-Dream (No Quarter)
Headroom – Head In The Clouds (Trouble In Mind)
The Janitors – Horn Ur Marken (Cardinal Fuzz)
The Myrrors – Hasta La Victoria (Beyond Beyond is Beyond)
Oh Sees – Orc (Castle Face)
PC Worship – Buried Wish (Northern Spy)
*The Radiation Flowers – Summer Loop (Sunmask/Cardinal Fuzz)
Sparrow Steeple – Steeple Two (Richie)
Spectre Folk – Vol. 4 (Vampire Blues)
Suspirians – Ti Bon Ange (Super Secret)
The Telescopes – As Light Return (Tapete)
Temple ov BBV – Temple ov BBV (Rocket)
Träd Gräs Och Stenar – Tack För Kaffet/So Long (Gåshud/Subliminal Sounds)
Punk/Hardcore/Post-Punk
B Boys – Dada (Captured Tracks)

*Blü Shorts – Blü Wave Music (Self-released)
*Career Suicide – Machine Response (Deranged)
Duds – Of A Nature or Degree (Castle Face)
Exit Order – Seed Of Hysteria (Side Two)
The Fall – New Facts Emerge (Cherry Red)
feedtime – Gas (In The Red)
FNU Clone Inc. – Binary or Die (Total Punk)
Haram – بس ربحت, خسرت “When You Have Won, You Have Lost” (La Vida Es Un Mus)
Impalers – Cellar Dweller (540/Static Shock)
Institute – Subordination (Sacred Bones)
ISS – Endless Pussyfooting (State Laughter)
Lumpy & The Dumpers – Those Pickled Fuckers (Lumpy)
Kaleidoscope – Volume 3 (Feel It)
*Languid – Resist Mental Slaughter (Self-released)
Limp Wrist – Facades (La Vida Es Un Mus)
Neon – Neon Is Life (Self-released)
Palberta – Bye Bye Berta (Wharf Cat)
Pierre & Bastien – Musique Grecque (SDZ)
Sacrificio – Pulidores de Tumbas (SPHC)
Sick Thoughts – Songs About People You Hate (Neck Chop)
*Soupcans – Pleasure Overdose (Self-released)
Straightjacket Nation – Straightjacket Nation (Cool Death)
Taiwan Housing Project – Veblen Death Mask (Kill Rock Stars)
Total Control – Laughing at the System (Alter)
Urochromes – Night Bully EP (Wharf Cat)
*WLMRT – Plan B (Self-released)
The World – First World Record (Upset The Rhythm/Lumpy)
Rap/R&B/Soul
Corbin – Mourn (Wedidit Collective)
Dos Santos, Charlotte – Cleo (Fresh Selects)
*Drake – More Life: A Playlist By October Firm (Young Money/Cash Money)
Gensu Dean & Wise Intelligent – Game of Death (Mello Music)
Ho99o9 – United States of Horror (Toys Have Power/999 Deathkult)
Insight & Damu the Fudgemunk – Ears Hear Spears (Redefinition)
Jones, Sharon & the Dap-Kings – Soul Of A Woman (Daptone)
Kid Abstrakt & The Deli – Daydreaming (Raw Rhythm)
Lamar, Kendrick – DAMN. (Aftermath/Interscope)
Lojii & Swarvy – Due Rent (Fresh Selects)
Masta Killa – Loyalty Is Royalty (Nature Sounds)
Mhysa – Fantasii (Halcyon Veil)
Milo – Who Told You To Think??!!?!?!?! (Ruby Yacht)
Raekwon – The Wild (Empire)
*Samurai Champs – Crayons (Trifecta)
Sleaford Mods – English Tapas (Rough Trade)
Sudan Archives – Sudan Archives (Stones Throw)
SZA – Ctrl (Top Dawg/RCA)
TriState x Oh No – 3DPX (Hiero Imperium)
*vbnd – We Go On Infinitely (Self-released)
Woods, Billy – Known Unknowns (Backwoodz)
yaeji – yaeji / EP 2 (Godmode)
Young M.A. – Herstory (Self-released)
Rock/Indie/Pop/Goth
The Afghan Whigs – In Spades (Sub Pop)
*Alvvays – Antisocialites (Polyvinyl/Royal Mountain)
Björk – Utopia (One Little Indian)
*Blessed – II (Kingfisher Bluez/Coin Toss)
Charli XCX – Number 1 Angel (Asylum)
Chastity Belt – I Used To Spend So Much Time Alone (Hardly Art)
Drab Majesty – The Demonstration (Dais)
Dutch Uncles – Big Balloon (Memphis Industries)
*Faith Healer – Try 😉 (Mint)
*Fake Palms – Pure Mind (Buzz)
*Figure Walking – The Big Other (Disintegration)
Gainsbourg, Charlotte – Rest (Because)
King Krule – The OOZ (XL)
*Lab Coast – Lab Coast (Faux Discx)
Morrissey – Low In High School (Étienne/BMG)
Omni – Multi-task (Trouble In Mind)
Operator Music Band – Puzzlephonics I & II (New Professor)
Orion – Orion (Cool Death)
Protomartyr – Relatives in Descent (Domino)
Ritual Howls – Their Body (Felte)
Roberts, Joanne & Dean Blunt – Wahalla (Textile)
Sex Tourist – Sex Tourist (Paradise Daily)
Shah, Nadine – Holiday Destination (1965)

Slowdive – Slowdive (Dead Oceans)
*Tough Age – Shame (Mint)
United Waters – The Narrows (Drawing Room)
Zola Jesus – Okovi (Sacred Bones)
Soundtracks
Abels, Michael – Get Out OST (Back Lot)
Aigui, Alexei – I Am Not Your Negro OST (Lakeshore)
Baby Driver: Music From the Motion Picture (Columbia)
Badalamenti, Angelo – Twin Peaks: Limited Event Series Soundtrack (Rhino)
Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary (Universal)
Kurzel, Jed – Alien: Covenant (Milan)
Metaphors: Selected Soundworks from the Cinema of Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Sub Rosa)
Zimmer, Hans & Benjamin Wallfisch – Blade Runner 2049 OST (Epic/ASG)
Zimmer, Hans – Dunkirk: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (WaterTower/Sony)