Ye Wei Blog aka Wild Taste: December 2017

2017 was kind of a schizzy year- tons of great singles, albums not so much maybe...

The best records I heard included part III of a great formula (Run the Jewels), a great live show revisiting an amazing catalog (Sleater-Kinney) and other albums that continuing on other impressive formulas, including Miguel, Omar Souleyman, the Bats, Antietam, Sweet Spirit, Jay-Z, Penguin Cafe, Fireworks, Gas, GBV, Bing and Ruth, Beaches, Curtis Harding, Bed Wettin' Bad Boys, Onra, Robert Rich, Amber Arcades and Eyelids.

To be fair though, a bunch of other performers also had fresh takes on their sound, including Migos, Spoon, Abdominal, Robert Plant, Fever Ray, Bully, Octopus Project, Jun Kamoda, Trex, Lost Balloons, Bibio and Brandon Seabrook. Maybe not a coincidence that three albums that also fall under this 'fresh take' group include three minimal techno records that made my top 10 list: Rhomb, Timid Boy, Cleric.

There was also a bunch of quality debut albums, though a number of them were EP's: Roy Woods, Charly Bliss, Otenba kid, Rocks FOE, Les Filles de Illighadad, Feature, Suss C*nts, Gate to Otherside, Black Shape.

For some reason, there were also a bunch of quality ambient records, including old faves (Robert Rich, Gas, The Caretaker) and all shades of moods including floaty (Delia Derbyshire Appreciation Society), dreamy (Chuck Johnson, Benoît Pioulard), meditative/minimal (Oliver Alary, Ensemble of Irreproducible Outcomes), unadorned beauty (Bing & Ruth, Poppy Ackroyd), cinematic (Alessandro Cortini), ethereal (Christopher Willits), light but sad (Bibio), dark ambient (Alphaxone, Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement), lighter, new age-y (Suso Saiz, Justin Walter) and all of the above (the Kaito mix and Silber Records' mountain of holiday music). Maybe in the age of Trump, we need to chill more than ever.

I guess it's churlish to complain when you've found 90 good albums but I felt the same with last year's list and still think the 'good ol' days' can be traced recently to the start of this decade. And let's not forget that there's always 'new' music from 2017 that we find out about after the fact, long after this year (or any year) is over. Truth be known, I found out about several good singles and a few good albums since I posted this hours ago.

But as for singles, it's been a bonanza. I can't remember when I've heard more good SONGS out there in a year and it's not just 'cause we can grab individual album tracks that aren't necessarily set up as singles, not to mention all the 'unofficial' releases. Everything from pop and dance to rap to indie is pouring with memorable tunes now. The best way I've still seen to coral all this great music is the Hype Machine aggregator, which I support financially and you should too if you care about finding out the best new tunes. And thank God Soundcloud is still with us- without it, we'd lose an invaluable library of music, lots of which ain't for sale or download-able.

(and what does it mean that three of my favorite singles are unreleased rap records or that I didn't love Kendrick's album or that this would be a good year for Xmas rap records?)

I'd also note that if you're a music nut, you might be interested in this 2017 music journalism round-up that Blurt Magazine was nice enough to just put out in time for the holiday season.

And finally... just a friendly reminder that if you're a music fan and you want to support the artists making great work, why not invest in it? If you can't make it to their shows, buy their albums, buy their downloads (I've included links to sites to help with that), buy their mersh and help to ensure that they'll still keep making great music.

ALBUMS/EP's

Run the Jewels Run the Jewels 3 (Run the Jewels)
Sleater-Kinney Live in Paris (Sub Pop)
Miguel War and Leisure (ByStorm Entertainment)
Migos Culture (Quality Control)
Cleric Resurrection (Figure)
The Courtneys II (Flying Nun)
Timid Boy This is Hardgroove (Set About)
The Regrettes Feel Your Feelings Fool! (Warner Bros)
Patrick Gallois Cimarosa: Overtures, Vol. 5 (Naxos)
Rhomb Global Patterns Part Two (Modularz)
Koreatown Oddity Finna Be Past Tense (Stones Throw)
The Bats The Deep Set (Flying Nun)
Maciej Obara Quartet Unloved (ECM)
Omar Souleyman To Syria, With Love (Mad Decent)
Roy Woods Say Less (OVO Sound)
Spoon Hot Thoughts (Matador)
DJ Format and Abdominal Still Hungry (AAF)
Antietam Intimations of Immortality (Motorific Sounds)
Sweet Spirit St. Mojo (Nine Mile)
The Octopus Project Memory Mirror (Robot High School)
Jay-Z 4:44 (Roc Nation)
Fever Ray Plunge (Mute)
The Beaches Second of Spring (Chapter Music)
Otenba Kid Pink Panther (Maltine)
Moullinex Hypersex (Discotexas)
The Fireworks Dream About You (Shelflife)
Various Artists Typical Girls Volume 2 (Emotional Response)
Amerigo Gazaway A Common Wonder (Bandcamp)
Penguin Cafe The Imperfect Sea (Kranky)
Delia Derbyshire Appreciation Society Delia Derbyshire Appreciation Society (Six Degrees)
Robert Plant Carry Fire (Nonesuch)
Rocks FOE Fight the Good? Fight (Black Acre)
Bully Losing (Sub Pop)
Curtis Harding Face Your Fear (Anti)
Chance The Rapper & Jeremih Merry Christmas Lil' Mama: Re-Wrapped (Soundcloud)
Bed Wettin' Bad Boys Rot (What's Your Rupture?)
Lovely Bad Things Teenage Grown Ups (Burger)
Anouar Brahem Blue Maqams (ECM)
Seafang Solid Gold (Emotional Response)
Jun Kamoda Blind Disco (Black Acre)
The Caretaker Everywhere At The End Of Time - Stage 2 (History Always Favours the Winners)
Onra Chinoseries Pt. 3 (All City Dublin)
Trex Treatment (Mac 2 Digital)
Chuck Johnson Balsams (Vin Du Select Qualitite)
Hiccup Imaginary Enemies (Father/Daughter)
Surf Curse Nothing Yet (Danger Collective)
Justin Walter Unseen Forces (Kranky)
UV-TV Glass (Deranged)
Charly Bliss Guppy (Barsuk)
Mina Sentah (Enchufada)
Suso Saiz Rainworks (Music From Memory)
makthaverskan III (Run For Cover)
Cowboy Rhythmbox Tanz Exotique (Phantasy Sound)
Olivier Alary Pieces for Sine Wave Oscillators (Line)
Lost Balloons Hey Summer (Dirtnap)
Amerigo Gazaway Player's Holiday: A Very Merry Mixtape (Mixcloud)
Leandro Fresco and Rafael Anton Irisarri La Equidistancia (A Strangely Isolated Place)
Amber Arcades Cannonball (Heavenly)
Les Filles de Illighadad Eghass Malan (Sahel Sounds)
Bing and Ruth No Home of the Mind (4AD)
Eyelids Or (Jealous Butcher)
The Feature Banishing Ritual (Upset the Rhythm)
Various Artists Tutta Bella!: A Venetian Christma s (Revels)
Les Lullies Don't Look Twice (Slovenly)
Poppy Ackroyd Sketches (One Little Indian)
Mdou Moctar Sousoume Tamachek (Sahel Sounds)
Benoît Pioulard Slow spark, soft spoke (Daux)
Otoboke Beaver Love Is Short (Damnably)
Ivo Mix: Songs To Chill To vol. 14 (Stereofox)
Alessandro Cortini Avanti (Point of Departure)
Various Artists Piano, Vol. 1 (Feeder Recordings)
Gas Narkopop (Kompakt)
Self Talk Almost Everything (inertia Access)
Suss Cunts Suss Cunts (Emotional Response)
Gateway to Otherside Dragon Bus Terminal (Maybe Mars)
Roosevelt Midnight Versions (CitySlang)
Black Shape Doom Room (Tiptopaudio)
Robert Rich and Markus Reuter Lift a Feather to the Flood (Soundscapes)
Christopher Willits Horizon (Ghostly International)
Samuel Truitt Thorns (Melters)
William Appling Scott Joplin: The Complete Rags, Waltzes and Marches (CD Baby)
Bibio Phantom Brickworks (Warp)
Brandon Seabrook Die Trommel Fatale (New Atlantis)
A Giant Dog Toy (Merge)
Ensemble of Irreproducible Outcomes '...city flexure...' (Irritable Hedgehog)
Alphaxone and Dronny Darko Forsaken (Cyro Chamber)
Guided by Voices How Do You Spell Heaven (GBV)
Whitney Rose South Texas Suite (Six Shooter)
Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement Ambient Black Magic (Hospital)
Lullabier 2512 (Silber)

See this Spotify playlist with most of these albums included there.

SINGLES

Ace Tee "Bist du down?" (Nur! Musik)
Bell Biv DeVoe "Find A Way" (eOne Music)
Chance the Rapper "First World Problems" (no label)
Slowdive "Star Roving" (Dead Oceans)
Nnamdi Ogbonnaya "let gO Of my egO" (Sooper)
Zuzu "What You Want" (Hand In Hive)
Cende "What I Want" (Double Double Whammy)
Eminem "The Storm" (no label)
TEN FÉ "Twist Your Arm (Lindstrøm And Prins Thomas Remix)" (PIAS America)
Black Thought "BLACK THOUGHT FREESTYLES ON FLEX | #FREESTYLE087" (Hot 97)
Denzel Curry "Knotty Head [feat. Rick Ross]" (Loma Vista)
Run the Jewels "Mean Demeanor" (Run the Jewels)
Young Marco "The Best I Could Do" (Dekmantel)
Tessela "Hackney Parrot (10_Ton_Mix)" (Poly Kicks)
NVDES featuring Remmi "D.Y.T. (Do Your Thing)" (Maison Nvdité)
De-Von-Tré "Come Back, Barack" (SNL)
John Digweed "Tracer" (Bedrock)
Toulouse "Hurtin" (Terrible)
Lauren Ruth Ward "Well, Hell" (Sony)
Ma$e "The Oracle" (Soundcloud)
The Frat "Shake It Loose" (Presch Media)
Mary J. Blige "Find the Love" (Capitol)
Lizzo "Water Me" (Nice Life/Atlantic)
I Hate Models/Vittorio Di Mango Nigredo Edition (Khemia)
Curtis Harding "Need Your Love" (Anti)
NF "Let You Down" (NF Real Music)
They "U-Rite" (Mind of A Genius)
Portugal. The Man "Feel It Still" (Atlantic)
Girlhood "Bad Decisions" (Team Talk)
Tough Age "Everyday Life" (Mint)
Catz 'n Dogz "Rave History" (Pets Recordings)
Sylvan Esso "Radio" (Loma Vista)
Diron Animal "Don't Stop" (Soundway)
No Age "Drippy" (Drag City)
A Common Wonder "The Sixth Superstition" (Bandcamp)
Jonwayne "Out of Sight" (Authors / The Order Label)
Bootsy "Hot Saucer (feat. Musiq Soulchild and Big Daddy Kane)" (Mascot)
KWAYE "Sweetest Life" (Mind of a Genius)
Wu-Tang "Lesson Learn'd” featuring Inspectah Deck and Redman" (eOne)
Night Shop "Heaven" (Paper Brigade)
Cervo "Deyo" (Black Acre)
Migos "Stir Fry" (Quality Control)
Margo Price "Don't Say It" (Third Man)
DJ Premier feat A$AP Ferg "Our Streets" (Pay Day)
IDK "Dog Love Kitty (with Mother Marygold)" (Commission Music)
Classixx "Possessive" (Soundcloud)
Amber Mark "Heatwave" (Jasmine)
Big Boi Featuring Troze "Chocolate" (Epic)
Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott "He Wants To" (EMI)
MorningMaxwell "Tryna Chill ft. Bluey Moon" (Independent)
NBA Youngboy "Thug Alibi" (916% Entertainment)
NoMBe and New Mystics "Can't Catch Me " (TH3RD BRAIN)
Stik Figa "Child's Play (featuring Chuwwee)" (Mellow Music)
SAINt JHN "3 Below" (forRÓME)
Cadence Weapon "My Crew (Woooo)" (eOne Music)
Flume "Hyperreal" (Mom and Pop)
Ella Mai "Naked" (10 Summers)
Iglooghost "Bug Thief" (Brainfeeder)
L7 "Dispatch From Mar-A-Lago" (Don Giovanni)
The Secret Weapons "Ghost" (Epic)
Lost Balloons "Not My Time" (Dirtnap)
Wiley "Bar (feat. Scratchy and D Double E)" (CTA)
Lee Ann Womack "All the Trouble" (ATO)
DJ Khaled feat. Rihanna and Bryson Tiller "Wild Thoughts" (Epic/We The Best)
Patsy's Rats "Rounding Up" (Dirtnap)
Adrian Kniffley "Days (feat. The Wolfman and Christina Marie)" (Adrian Kniffley)
Wilco "All Lives, You Say?" (Bandcamp)
Umii "Dangerous" (Fresh Sounds)
Cavego feat. Arielle "Red Light" (Youth Control)
Dope Knife "Cult Personality (feat. Sage Francis)" (Strange Famous)
Charly Bliss "Glitter" (Barsuk)
K. Michelle "Alert" (Atlantic)
Sully featuring Jendor "Casablanca" (Keysound)
Lady Leshurr "Queen's Speech 7" (RCA)
Jaden Smith "Icon" (MSFTSMusic/Roc Nation)
Zombie-Chang "We Should Kiss" (Roman Label / bayon production)
Denzel Curry "Zeltron 6 Billion Feat. Lil Ugly Mane" (no label)
Bertrand Burgalat "Etranges Nuages Yuksek Remix" (Tricatel)
UV-TV "Really Stupid" (Emotional Response)
Ride "Charm Assault" (Wichita Recordings)
Ezikel "West End" (Ezikel)
Cattle "Dear Heart" (Jigsaw)
Loyal "Tower Over All" (IAMSOUND)
Slotface "Empire Records" (Propeller Recordings)
Juiceboxxx "Freaking Out" (Dangerbird)
Oumou Sangaré "Yere faga (feat. Tony Allen)" (No Format!)
Lando Chill "Break Them Shackles" (Mello Music)
DJ Shadow and NAS "Systematic" (Mass Appeal)
Matthias Fiedler "The Temptations - Treat her like a lady (MF Edit)" (Soundcloud)
LIl Wayne "Bank Account" (no label)
Ski Mask the Slump God "Catch Me Outside" (Victor/Republic)
Gundelach "Games feat ARY (Prins Thomas Diskomiks)" (U OK?)
Tank "When We (Explicit)" (R and B Money)
Hamell On Trial "Not Aretha's Respect (Cops)" (New West)
Fits "Running Out" (Father/Daughter)
Filthy Friends "Any Kind of Crowd" (Kill Rock Stars)
Clayjay & TOBi "Ride" (Clayjay)
Adrian Kniffley "All Good (feat. Emmit Jay)" (Adrian Kniffley)
Cody and Danz "Make it in America" (Channel 9)
Roland Tings "Higher Ground (feat. Nylo)" (Cascine)
Kelly Lee Owens "Arthur" (Smalltown Supersound)
A-Trak and Baauer "Fern Gully" (Fool's Gold)
Raekwon "This Is What It Comes Too" (H20 Music/Empire)
Klly "Killamonjaro" (Secret Sound Club Canada)
Lil Bobby Jr and his Victorian Slang "Jihad" (Emotional Response)
Tribu Baharú "Made In Tribu Baharú" (Electric Cowbell)
Youthstar "Vocabularious (featuring Red)" (Chinese Man)
Amelia Airhorn "Miracle" (no label)
Blondie "Fun" (BMG)
TLC "Aye Muthafucka" (852 Musiq)
Man Power "Tistish (Original Mix)" (ESP Institute)
Gaffa Tape Sandy "Beehive" (Antigen)
Weaves "Grass" (Kanine)
Cage the Elephant "Whole Wide World" (RCA)
Self Talk "Bedside Dictionary" (Inertia Access)
WizKid "Daddy Yo" (Starboy)
Low Cut Connie "Controversy" (Contender)
Ulrika Spacek "Everything: All the Time" (Tough Love)
Octo Octa "Not Sure What To Do (Variation Zoning 4)" (Soundcloud)
Old 97's "Drinkin' Song" (ATO)
Tayla "Coming Back Around" (SYPM)
Physics "Father" (Sheer Velocity)
Majix "I'm A Boss" (6W57 Music)
Elton D "Moves" (Sub Cult)
St. Vincent and Bob's Burgers "Bad Girls" (Sub Pop)
Eat More Cake "Heat of the Night" (Perfect Havoc)
Richie Quake "Hesitate (Matt FX Remix Ft. Mari and Yung Skrrt)" (Amuse-Bouche)
Angaleena Presley featuring Yelawolf "Country" (Mining Light)
Cut Copy "Counting Down" (Astralwerks)
O'Flynn "Pluto's Beating Heart" (Ninja Tune)
Chill Bump "Cover Me (Fire)" (No Pressure)
Wolf Alice "Yuk Foo" (Dirty Hit)
Kitty "509 Seabreeze" (Bandcamp)
Tronik Youth "Don t Space (Ands Mega Remix)" (Nein)
Fazerdaze "Lucky Girl" (Flying Nun)
Clearance "Are You Aware?" (Tall Pat)
L'Orange "Plastic Fame (feat. Chuuwee and Solemn Brigham)" (Mello Music)
Simpson "Switch Lanes" (Simpson)
Roland Tings "Garden Piano" (Cascine)
Leikeli47 "Miss Me" (Hard Cover)
Nan Kolè "Bayefal" (Black Acre)
Paramore "Hard Times" (Fueled By Ramen)
Chuck Berry "Wonderful Woman" (Dualtone)
Wavves "Million Enemies" (Ghost Ramp)
Masta Killa feat. Method Man, Redman "Therapy" (Nature Sounds)
L'Orange "Look Around (feat. Oddisee)" (Mello Music)
Simple Symmetry "Plane Goes East (dance version)" (Thump)
La Felix and That's Nice "Delicious" (La Felix and That's Nice)
Arma "Fevela_(Murder_He_Wrote_remix)" (Artifice)
COSMIN TRG "Sportiv 003" (Sportiv)
FXXXXY "Beep Beep" (PoweredByCMG)
Daniel T "Celsius" (Cosmic Pint Glass)
Pharrell Williams "Chuck Berry" (i am OTHER/Columbia)
The Preatures "Girlhood" (Harvest)
Radiator Hospital "Half Empty" (Salinas)
Ary "Childhood Dreams" (Petroleum)
Jazz Cartier "Tempted" (Universal)
Makthaverskan "In My Dreams" (Run For Cover)
Bicep "Glue" (Ninja Tune)
Fred Thomas "Misremembered" (Polyvinyl)
Stormzy "Big for the Boot" (Merky)
Charlotte Gainsbourg "Deadly Valentine (Soulwax Remix)" (Because Music)
IDK "Windows Up" (Commission Music)
Tom Misch "South of the River" (Beyond the Groove 4)
Will Sessions "Run, Don't Walk Away (featuring Coko)" (Fat Beats)
Low Cut Connie "Death and Destruction" (Contender)
The Real Numbers "Frank Infatuation" (Slumberland)
Smino "Spitshine" (Zero Fatigue/Downtown)
Kevin Morby "1234" (Dead Oceans)
HUSH and SLEEP "Mirth" (Etruria Beat)
NoMBe "Bad Girls" (TH3RD BRAIN)
Breakfast Muff "Lunch Money" (Amour Foo)
Haiku Hands "Not About You" (Haiku Hands)
Antigone "Ostinato" (Token)
Nikki Lane "Jackpot" (New West)
Jammz "Who's That Girl?" (I Am Grime)
Cloud Nothings "Darkened Rings" (Car Park)
Christine and the Queens "Saint Claude (Tourist Remix)" (Neon Gold)
Nuages "Distant" (Soundcloud)
Elujay "Golden" (Onetime!)
Kaiydo "Jumpin'" (Everyday Friday)
The Blaze "Territory" (Animal 63)
Juicy II "Juicy" (Bandcamp)
Roya "A Sickness" (Burger)
Daniel Caesar "Get Yu (Uzumi Edit)" (Soundcloud)
Nathaniel "Lolita" (Persephonic Sirens)
Birdstriking "Yuntianming" (Genjing)
The Isley Brothers and Santana "Total Destruction to Your Mind" (Legacy Recordings)
MC Paul Berman "(((happy holidays)))" (Bandcamp)
Tinga Stewart "Weird World" (Dub Store)
Poppy Ackroyd "Time" (One Little Indian)
Matthew Sweet "Pretty Please" (Honeycomb Hideout)
Shovels and Rope "Death Or Glory (feat. Hayes Carll)" (New West)
The Cash Box Kings "Blues for Chi-Raq" (Alligator)
Joe "Tail Lift" (Hessle Audio)
Don Bryant "Something About You" (Fat Possum)
The Breeders "Wait in the Car" (4AD)
Sol K. Bright and the Aloha Serenaders "Tomi Tomi" (Columbia)
Krokofant "Tommy Synth" (Rune Grammofon)
Tift Merritt "Dusty Old Man" (Yep Roc)
Tyler, The Creator "Glitter" (Columbia)
Elettrodomestico "Mail Order Bride" (Elettrodomestico)
Bebel Gilberto "Creep" (Belly Up LIve)
Bobby Raps "Black Ice" (Republic)
Sleaford Mods "Moptop" (Rough Trade)
Dirty Fences "Message From Anyone" (Greenway)
Superorganism "Something For Your M.I.N.D." (Domino)
trash "81" (Clue)
Young Ejecta "Build A Fire" (Driftless Recordings)
VS "Dance of_the Harpy feat Africaine 808 Umeme_Afrorave (Original_Mix)" (Mawimbi)
Kip Hanrahan "Dancing With Sweetness, Tonight" (American Clave)
Matt Whitehead "Crosstalk" (Super Rhythm Trax)
Yung "Pills" (Fat Possum)
Yo Gotti feat. French Montana "Oh Yeah" (Epic)
Die! Die! Die! "Bottle Caps and Phones (I Can't See You)" (Genjing)
Mykal Kilgore "Reclaiming My Time (Gospel Mix)" (no label)
Library Tapes "Patterns" (1631 Recordings)
Samir Mezrahi "A a a a a Very Good Song" (Kale Salad)