am i going to finish this? no way in a million years. but yeah, i have 35 albums and 25 songs that i plan to count down! basing this on my music taste from the last few months... it's changed a lot so expect to see a lot less pop and chart music than you would probably expect.

 

HOW HAVE I FOUND THIS YEAR FOR MUSIC? (not personally, 'cause it's been a shit year.)

well, in terms of chart music i've been left thoroughly dissapointed, though i wasn't sure what i was expecting. after a decent start to the year with a few relatively catchy minor hits like 'Believer' and 'All Time Low' i was hoping for more where that came for... at least some vaguely indie-influenced tracks that had some creative originality would have been nice. as the year went on, however, the state of the charts just got worse. i did go through a phase of enjoying the dance trio of 'Lonely Together', 'Silence' and 'More Than Friends' 'cause they were at least slightly interesting in terms of vocal and production, but apart from that it's been a totally dire year for chart music. it seems as though less and less artists are going for music that suits them and they've got popular with, and everyone is just blending into one another. fingers crossed next year will be at least a bit better, but i doubt it.

 

 

Hopefully it will be better next year for chart music, mdh.

 

There are lots of excellent new dance tunes that get played on dance anthems on Radio 1 that never become hits sadly. 'Painkiller' by Armand van Helden vs Butter Rush, 'Be Sharp Say Nowt' by Patrick Topping and 'Techno Disco Tool' by Mella Dee are my favourites recently.

 

Looking forward to seeing what is in your EOY chart anyway.

Edited December 23, 20177 yr by ❄The Snow.

Excitement!

 

More albums than songs though? Shame that chart music at the moment isn't at it's finest.

Hopefully it will be better next year for chart music, mdh.

 

There are lots of excellent new dance tunes that get played on dance anthems on Radio 1 that never become hits sadly. 'Painkiller' by Armand van Helden vs Butter Rush, 'Be Sharp Say Nowt' by Patrick Topping and 'Techno Disco Tool' by Mella Dee are my favourites recently.

 

Looking forward to seeing what is in your EOY chart anyway.

i quite enjoy the 80s influences in 'Techno Disco Tool' actually! it's rather refreshing to hear something fast paced and lively as opposed to the usual empty shallow dance we see get popular. definitely been a good year for more alternative and retro styled dance.

Excitement!

 

More albums than songs though? Shame that chart music at the moment isn't at it's finest.

it's a top 25 right now though it'll probably be a top 50 in the end! just really struggling to find many songs that actually hold up well as being creatively decent as well as just being catchy.

When does this start?

definitely been a good year for more alternative and retro styled dance.

 

In terms of both being both alternative and retro styled dance, Ofenbach vs. Nick Waterhouse - Katchi has been big in Europe this year, unfortunately wasn't a hit in the UK though.

When does this start?

gonna try and get out some commentaries tomorrow!

ONES TO WATCH 2k18 - ALBUMS:

 

these are the albums that didn't quite make the cutoff for my fave albums this year, however i'll most probably be ranking them in next years countdown as they're all amaaazing. these are essentially just the albums i discovered this month that i've only JUST got into.

 

Frank Ocean 'blond'

i'd been a fan of the track 'Chanel' from him earlier on in the year (it might be in my songs countdown) but had never really got round to checking out the album. i did the other day and i'm so glad i have done! a properly strong collection of alternative r&b tracks with a few rap influences in there. he's got a truly distinct vocal and i feel like i'm going to properly get into him for 2018. in terms of the strongest tracks from the album, i'm a fan of the laid-back chill vibes on 'Solo', plus i see 'Godspeed' as what a Bruno Mars track SHOULD sound like. oh, and if you've got a spare ten minutes i beg you give a listen to the beautiful 'Futura Free'. on the whole, it's a sonically interesting album that holds strong from start to finish and i'm delighted to have discovered it.

 

Tyler, The Creator 'Flower Boy'

'Flower Boy' is the most recent effort for notoriously 'edgy' r&b singer Tyler, and i'm absolutely adoring the delicacy and depth of this album right now. his skill to be able to go from one extreme of emotion to the other is what's captured me on this LP - for example the transition between the blissfully nostalgic 'See You Again' with Kali Uchis to the bass-heavy, violent 'Who Dat Boy' manages to keep the album feeling structured while also showcasing his versatility. i've been really digging Tyler's creative perspective on life and culture for the past few months now - his clothing line is great (i've spent a bit too much on it) and this album shows a similar level of abstract experimentation and playfulness. i'm going to be playing this a LOT next year.

 

other great albums that missed the cut

 

 

Billie Eilish 'don't smile at me'

 

a strong collection of minimalist indie-pop tracks from the 16 year old, my favourite of which being the catchy and cutesy 'bellyache'. gives me early Charli XCX teas in the sense that she's got a distinct character and isn't afraid to stray away from the generic when it comes to her production. surely she's set for big things in the next 12 months? i can see her breakthrough into the mainstream being imminent.

 

Ou Est Le Swimming Pool 'The Golden Year'

 

obviously most of you will remember this was my favourite album of last year - and to this day i'm still digging the dirty, synthy, dance-pop vibes that give me such throwbacks to the simpler times of 2009/10. 'Jackson's Last Stand' remains the smash that never was and we all know how much i love 'Dance The Way I Feel', which is a heated, intense dance bop. RIP Charles Haddon <3

 

Perfume Genius 'No Shape'

 

haven't got into this one too much but the harsh contrast between gentle and sultry and hard and agressive on 'Slip Away' has totally drawn me in. his vocal is interesting, and undeniably different - hopefully i can give this LP a few listens in full 'cause i feel as though the dramatic instrumentation and experimentality will mean i take quite the liking to it.

 

/ top 35 albums coming soon! /

gonna try and get out some commentaries tomorrow!

 

No worrie il be looking out for it :dance:

I've only heard Billie Ellish which was so good one to watch for next year!! I do need to hear Frank Ocean and Perfume Genius. I am curious to hear Ou Est Le Swimming Poll's album too

good good so far, i like billie eilish and perfume genius had one of the standout tunes of the year with 'slip away' <33333

Hope Billie Eilish can get big, I've liked pretty much everything from her recently

Let's hope you don't despise your #1 by the time you've finished the countdown :P

Let's hope you don't despise your #1 by the time you've finished the countdown :P

that was uncalled for :heehee:

 

-x-

 

so, lets begin the album countdown now my temporary state of Christmas related depression has hopefully passed...

 

35. blackbear - digital druglord

well, aside from part of this album being influenced by the DREADED trap beats that plague too much music in 2017, i have to say that i loved this r&b pop effort from American singer/rapper blackbear, who's gained quite the following over the past year. the most notable of songs from his album (and coincidentally the best) was the song 'do re mi', which has a catchy, nursery-rhyme like chorus and a pretty sassy, in your face vocal. a remix was released featuring mediocre US rapper Gucci Mane which gave it the push to become big in America, but unfortunately it never caught on in the UK. other good songs from the album are 'make daddy proud' and 'double'.

 

34. Logic - Everybody

two albums in, and two rap albums - Pete most certainly won't be happy with this ;o. but contrastingly to the last, this one is a lot more pop influenced - it's from Logic, and his latest offering is a great collection of empowering tracks which all have sweet individual messages, and this is part of the reason it's been so critically acclaimed on blogs and in pop culture. the other major part for which it's popularity holds accountable is the SMASH hit '1-800-273-8255', which is not only a massive banger but also has a bloody lovely video celebrating equality. this got big after he performed it alongside Khalid and Alessia Cara at the VMA's, which is fab to see as it's given a platform for so many people struggling to speak up upon. Logic seems like a super genuine bloke, so i really respect the morals of this album. fab.

 

33. X Ambassadors - VHS

not too much to say about this one, but i feel like i didn't appreciate this great group enough last year and i'm still digging them now, so here they are at the bottom end of my EOY. their track 'Unsteady' is still beautiful to me and 'Renegades' - the minor hit from two years ago (doesn't feel at all that long) remains a banger, it was especially in rotation for me throughout the sunny summer days. but yeah, this group have a proper nostalgic feel to their music (which is a pivotal factor in me liking songs these days, and you'll see more about this as the countdown progresses :magic:). i really hope they come out with more music next year, they're capable of loads of great stuff when they're at their best (see their Grizfolk collab 'In Your Arms' and 2014's 'Jungle' with JAY-Z)

I've only heard Billie Ellish which was so good one to watch for next year!! I do need to hear Frank Ocean and Perfume Genius. I am curious to hear Ou Est Le Swimming Poll's album too

i think Frank Ocean will be right up your street! give 'Chanel' and 'Solo' a listen if you get time, they're kind of in the same chill r&b vein as Childish Gambino and The Weeknd.

good good so far, i like billie eilish and perfume genius had one of the standout tunes of the year with 'slip away' <33333

'slip away' is beautiful <3 so glad to find out his music, fast becoming one of my faves

Hope Billie Eilish can get big, I've liked pretty much everything from her recently

it does feel as though she's due a breakthrough - hopefully her next proper era gains some mainstream support as it feels like she's stuck in the clique of 'indie-pop singers who only get attention from forums and blogs' rn :(

 

digital druglord is really good, it impressed me Make Daddy Proud and Do Re Mi are great bops, his new album hasn't really grabbed me anywhere near as much, although Anxiety is quite a tune

Not really listened to much X Ambassadors but I do love Renegades - really glad it hit Top 40 over here!

Not really listened to much X Ambassadors but I do love Renegades - really glad it hit Top 40 over here!

some of the album tracks are similar to 'Renegades' - lots of vaguely country influenced indie!

digital druglord is really good, it impressed me Make Daddy Proud and Do Re Mi are great bops, his new album hasn't really grabbed me anywhere near as much, although Anxiety is quite a tune

yeah, it's one of the better of the trap style pop albums.

32. Halsey - hopeless fountain kingdom

this one divided opinion on Buzzjack, some were saying that she sold out with this album where as some others - like myself - enjoyed this nearly as much as her admittedly great debut 'BADLANDS' from 2015. we were made to wait two years for this album so it's safe to say my expectations were high, and although i had a cynical suspicion she'd go for more dance influenced production similar to that of 'Closer' to grab a hit, luckily she (kind of) stuck to her typical indie pop sound. this one was a lot more trap influenced, though, which i guess was to be expected - but that meant that the lead single 'Now Or Never' ended up being a little TOO hip-hop sounding for my liking. it seems as though she's lost the delicate, artsy style she had on her first album but this is still a very strong collection of tracks - with my favourite being the US smash hit 'Bad At Love' which delivers a fab chorus and pounding bass beat.

 

31. Nothing But Thieves - Broken Machine

i first discovered this band through their 2016 track 'Amsterdam', which was a nice indie rock tune that i felt lacked a bit of oomph. luckily, their lead from this album, the fantastic 'Sorry' delivered just that. a completely infectious chorus and a sing-a-long 'i'm ready for it' bit that gave it a lot more resonance than their older music. this lead to a pretty great album, with a fair few guitar heavy tunes that've made their way onto my playlist. my favourite is probably 'Particles', where lead singer Conor Mason showcases a great vocal, and there's a lot of variation in tempo and instrumentation, making it for a really great listen. i can't see these guys ever putting out anything as good as this unfortunately, they do strike me as a kind of band that'll get boring quickly - but for what it's worth this is a really good LP.

 

30. Lorn - THE MAZE TO NOWHERE

i have absolutely NO IDEA how i somehow overshadowed the FANTASTIC track 'Acid Rain' in BJSC 89 last year, but it slipped under my radar until i heard it on the outro to a film i watched back in the summer. safe to say it struck me straight away and now it's probably one of my favourite songs in the year. a fantastic example of slightly witch house influenced industrial dance music that always sends shivers down my spine - there's a beautiful gritty synth running through this track that makes it completely breathtaking and on the whole it's nearly what i'd call perfection in a song. the rest of the album is similar to this, Lorn delivers track after track of delicious saw and synth heavy dance music that's just PERFECT for a cold night under the stars. amazing stuff, and there's really nothing that's sonically similar to this album around right now, making it an even better listen <3