Friday Countdown - 2017 iPod Additions
The 50 favorite non-jazz additions to the iPod for 2017. The standard rules apply: mostly but not necessarily released in 2017, not saying they’re the best songs (just favorites), probably not on the list if the band is super big, because they don’t need my help. Notes, if necessary. Next week, jazz / singer-songwriters.
50. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Sarah McLachlan
49. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – She & Him [Sarah’s an objectively better singer, but maybe a little too perfect, for the song]
48. Cold Cold Cold – Cage the Elephant
47. Die Young – Sylvan Esso
46. French Press – Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
45. The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness – The National
44. In Undertow – Alvvays [from an excellent sophomore effort]
43. Walkaway – Weaves [Alvvays, Weaves ... this must be the Toronto section of the Countdown]
42. Alive – Warbly Jets
41. Holy Mountain – Noel Gallagher’s High-Flying Birds
40. I Dare You – The xx [tough to pick from an excellent album]
39. Nothing To Find – The War on Drugs
38. And Breeding – Priests [go with 2017’s “Nothing Feels Natural" if you’d like it toned down to indie pop]
37. Stand by My Girl – Dan Auerbach
36. Highway – Bleeker
35. God Is a Working Man – Jason Isbell
34. Style (Is A Losing Game) – JD McPherson
33. Anything – Catfish and the Bottlemen
32. The Joke – Brandi Carlile [from the forthcoming By The Way, I Forgive You]
31. Casual Party – Band of Horses
30. Lay It On Me – Vance Joy [second verse kills me everytime, surprise love notes are the best]
29. Shine – Mondo Cozmo
28. Til’ Tomorrow – The Regrettes [from the best album of the year, with more to come]
27. Dirty Deeds – Joan Jett [if Bon can’t sing it anymore, Joan should]
26. My Mind Is For Sale – Jack Johnson [gosh, I wonder who he’s talking about?]
25. Best You Ever – Michelle Branch
24. We Got the Beat – Go-Go’s [small slice of pop punk perfection]
23. Hug of Thunder – Broken Social Scene [ethereal, and much recommended]
22. Angela - The Lumineers [third best album of the year?]
21. Feel It Still – Portugal. The Man [the only problem, and it comes with the territory, is it's such a great song it go played too much]
20. Hope the High Road – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit [from the second best album of the year]
19. Numbers – J. Roddy Walston & The Business [fun. fun always works.]
18. Picture Perfect – The Regrettes
17. Left of the Dial – The Replacements (Live At Maxwells) [the way it ends or, technically, doesn’t, is vintage Replacements] [the studio version here]
16. Flithy Luck – Beach Slang [non vintage Replacements]
15. Hey Now – The Regrettes
14. Sleep on the Floor – The Lumineers
13. God In Chicago – Craig Finn [not particularly danceable <- joke] [also, the best movie, at only five minutes, of the year]
12. All Things Must Pass – The Jesus and Mary Chain [some old songs start to show up]
11. Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl) – Looking Glass [told you so]
10. Busload of Faith – Lou Reed
9. Irish Whiskey Pretty Girls – Old 97s [the sturdiest alt-country band, with some fresh and festive coda]
8. Designs On You – Old 97s [told you they were sturdiest]
7. If We Were Vampires – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit [life, in sum]
6. Forget Me Not – Brian Fallon [The 59 Sound producer returns, with excellent results]
5. I Don’t Like You – The Regrettes [I do like The Regrettes]
4. Lookers – The Mezingers [if only for the drums from 3:02 to 3:12]
3. Maybe a Moment – Justin Townes Earle […maybe only a moment, maybe the time of your life – it’s a lovely little song]
2.5. A holdover from 2016 - Josh Ritter's Where The Night Goes [here, pairing nicely with Maybe a Moment]
2. Sodajerk – Buffalo Tom [another Napster (yikes I’m old) karma cleanser – you try to find a Buffalo Tom album in Superior, Wisconsin]
1. Whatever Happened To My Rock N Roll (<- not live in Paris) – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Live In Paris [big guitars from just up the road classin' up some town in France last year] 1 2 3 4 ...
