ILM's Top 77 Tracks of 2017

Tinseltown is one of the good songs on one of the year's most disappointing records.
I must protest, dunno where ILM got the idea that there's anything disappointing about that record, it's as good as most Destroyer records, that is, it's not as good as Rubies or Kaputt or Nighthawk, but it's pretty damn good!

47 DUA LIPA ft. MIGUEL "Lost In Your Light" [179 points, 5 votes, 2 first place votes]
this otoh I have no idea what the appeal is and there is so much compression on her voice it's hardly human

I should've voted for 'Zephyr' over '50/50' really - the former is as good as his stuff from ten years ago if you prefer his long instrumental meanders.

Pretty much all mainstream pop is mastered like that now and TBF Dua Lipa has a good enough voice that she'd probably benefit from a lot more space in her records.

Is the whole L'Rain album in this vein? Because this is astonishing.

― Matt DC, Tuesday, January 23, 2018 6:54 PM (three minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

if anything parts of it are even better. 26 minutes you won't regret

Meant to vote for Atelje but did tracks ballot in a rush and forgot (same for Oktoberklubben although don't imagine that will place).

Great track and as mentioned the most Studio thing he's done in years.

i voted for 'zephyr' instead. also voted for oktoberklubben, but i'm guessing i'm the only one

The brightness of the production does that Lissvik record no favours at all, particularly the vocals - part of the whole appeal of West Coast was the *haze*, this just feels like its sitting there in the unforgiving bright lights.

you're an unforgiving bright light

I liked the Atelje album from a year or two back, but this is pretty weak
kinda want to punch this guy for singing "ring the alarm" :/

https://i.imgur.com/5WDM2Ck.jpg

42 LITTLE BIG TOWN "Lost In California" [202 points, 5 votes, 1 first place vote]

good time to kill...

too low

my favorite campaigning discovery, alas discovered too late to actually uh vote for it

that 'girl front' is the best k-pop to place so far imo, i voted for 'new' though

― karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Tuesday, January 23, 2018 11:44 AM (twenty-three minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

oh hey what's up karl. hope "new" places but it's seeming rll unlikely at this point

oh I didn't know Atelje had done new stuff. The dubby album he did a while ago was amazing

my favorite campaigning discovery, alas discovered too late to actually uh vote for it

This for me too, but I've compensated by listening to it 1000 times in the past two weeks

This sounds like closing credits music for a Julia Roberts movie.

The outro measures are kinda neat, tho.

ok mr. i voted for jason isbell xp

How am I wrong?

This sounds like closing credits music for a Julia Roberts movie.

― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, January 23, 2018 2:13 PM (one minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

a complment!

See, Brad?

scales have fallen from my eyes

actually, further to Matt's question about L'Rain...while the rest is in that vein, it's probably a bit chiller - this one, being longer and climactic, gets a bit more into a swirling-death-disco-jam vibe. but hopefully you'll like the rest just as much

I didn't realize Atelje was the guy from Studio. I heard the song through the noms and was getting bad late 90s vibes of stuff like Sublime, Smash Mouth and Jack Johnson from it for some reason.

WTF is Little Big Town? Was gonna ask about the youtube link being missing but looking at them I'm not sure if I want to find out...

Day #2 comes to a close with...

https://i.imgur.com/XdWCXYr.jpg

41 WOLF ALICE "Don't Delete The Kisses" [202 points, 8 votes]
https://youtu.be/WqxE-zppu30

Ayyyyyyy

I'm impressed we've made it this far without any repeats, well done everyone

WTF is Little Big Town? Was gonna ask about the youtube link being missing but looking at them I'm not sure if I want to find out...

Nu country. They seem to be "unofficial uploads" averse re: youtube.

xp I couldn't find Lost in California on youtube. It is on soundcloud though

not enough machismo to sound like those guys. that descending melody after "ring the alarm" is vintage studio vibes

xp to MarkoP

YAY!

Voted for this; assumed "Yuk Foo" was the track people were more about.

In 40 tracks, we've only spread across 56 points. A few votes could've shifted a lot of these around.

the Little Big Town album from a couple years back is pretty classic, never got around to The Breaker tho.

love the Atelje, gj voting for it gr8080.it didn't make my ballot bc i forgot it. Lissvik hasn't stepped wrong much in the post-Studio years imo.

Really happy with the results so far, got a bunch of electronic stuff to check out and very few duds (look what you made me do, I'm looking at you)

Here's yr recap:

77 LUIS FONSI ft. DADDY YANKEE "Despacito" [146 points, 8 votes]
76 AVALON EMERSON "One More Fluorescent Rush" [149 points, 7 votes]
75 MINOR SCIENCE "Volumes" [150 points, 5 votes]
74 GOLDLINK ft. BRENT FAIYAZ & SHY GLIZZY "Crew" [151 points, 5 votes]
73 KELELA "LMK" [151 points, 7 votes]
72 LAUREL HALO "Moontalk" [152 points, 4 votes, 1 first place vote]
71 TORNADO WALLACE ft. SUI ZHEN "Today" [153 points, 5 votes, 1 first place vote]
70 TAYLOR ALXNDR "Nightwork" [153 points, 6 votes]
69 KEDR LIVANSKIY "Ariadna" [156 points, 5 votes]
TIE-67 BULLION "Blue Pedro" [158 points, 5 votes]
TIE-67 TWICE "Likey" [158 points, 5 votes]
66 BLACKPINK "As If It's Your Last" [159 points, 6 votes]
65 FRENCH MONTANA ft. SWAE LEE "Unforgettable" [160 points, 5 votes, 1 first place vote]
TIE-63 THE MOUNTAIN GOATS "Wear Black" [160 points, 6 votes]
TIE-63 JESSIE WARE "Midnight" [160 points, 6 votes]
62 TAYLOR SWIFT "Look What You Made Me Do" [163 points, 5 votes]
61 BRIAN ENO with KEVIN SHIELDS "Only Once Away My Son" [163 points, 6 votes]

TIE-59 DRAKE "Passionfruit" [164 points, 8 votes]
TIE-59 CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG "Deadly Valentine (Soulwax Remix)" [164 points, 8 votes] [80 points for original]
58 BURIAL "Rodent" [165 points, 7 votes]
57 JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT "If We Were Vampires" [166 points, 4 votes, 1 first place vote]
56 NILÜFER YANYA "Baby Luv" [168 points, 5 votes]
TIE-54 YEMI ALADE "Mon Lo" [170 points, 5 votes]
TIE-54 L'RAIN "Which Fork/I'll Be" [170 points, 5 votes]
53 THE XX "I Dare You" [170 points, 6 votes]
52 MAMA "Unmask Me" [172 points, 4 votes] [48 points for "(Ashley Beedle Vocal Mix)"]
51 ST. VINCENT "New York" [172 points, 8 votes]
50 PATRICE BÄUMEL "Glutes" [175 points, 5 votes, 1 first place vote]
49 KAMASI WASHINGTON "Truth" [176 points, 7 votes]
48 DESTROYER "Tinseltown Swimming In Blood" [177 points, 6 votes, 1 first place vote]
47 DUA LIPA ft. MIGUEL "Lost In Your Light" [179 points, 5 votes, 2 first place votes]
46 CHILDISH GAMBINO "Redbone" [181 points, 6 votes]
45 BICEP "Aura" [182 points, 8 votes]
44 LOOΠΔ/ODD EYE CIRCLE "Girl Front" [187 points, 7 votes]
43 ATELJE "50/50" [197 points, 6 votes, 1 first place vote]
42 LITTLE BIG TOWN "Lost In California" [202 points, 5 votes, 1 first place vote]
41 WOLF ALICE "Don't Delete The Kisses" [202 points, 8 votes]

In 40 tracks

Oops, 37.

77 LUIS FONSI ft. DADDY YANKEE "Despacito" [146 points, 8 votes]
As someone from Latin America I don’t know if I should feel proud or ashamed of this one conquering the world in 2017.

75 MINOR SCIENCE "Volumes" [150 points, 5 votes]
This sounds amazing on headphones. I don’t remember if I voted for it but happy it made it.

72 LAUREL HALO "Moontalk" [152 points, 4 votes, 1 first place vote]
This was pretty high on my ballot. It makes the alien-sounding familiar-sounding.

71 TORNADO WALLACE ft. SUI ZHEN "Today" [153 points, 5 votes, 1 first place vote]
I got married in March and this album was one of the soundtracks of my honeymoon while vacationing on some tropical paradises so I have extra fondness for it.

69 KEDR LIVANSKIY "Ariadna" [156 points, 5 votes]
I’ll take credit for being the first person to mention her on ilxor. Hasn’t evolved her sound that much and I liked her past EP much better.

61 BRIAN ENO with KEVIN SHIELDS "Only Once Away My Son" [163 points, 6 votes]
Only listened to it for the names of the people involved but can’t imagine they were too excited about working together.

TIE-59 DRAKE "Passionfruit" [164 points, 8 votes]
I’m sorry Drake haters on ilm, I unashamedly love this. Sat comfortably alongside all the reggaeton and tropical house trends this year but still sounded refreshingly different from everything else at the top 40.

TIE-59 CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG "Deadly Valentine (Soulwax Remix)" [164 points, 8 votes] [80 points for original]
I was a bit disappointed with the songs Soulwax released this year but this remix makes up for it.

56 NILÜFER YANYA "Baby Luv" [168 points, 5 votes]
Love her voice. Not many singers can make a song this naked feel interesting and powerful.

TIE-54 L'RAIN "Which Fork/I'll Be" [170 points, 5 votes]
This is a new one for me. Super saturated but I can vibe to this. Cool discovery.

51 ST. VINCENT "New York" [172 points, 8 votes]
Odd choice for a single in 2017. Pretending this song is an eulogy for David Bowie makes me like it.

50 PATRICE BÄUMEL "Glutes" [175 points, 5 votes, 1 first place vote]
I want to take this song for a ride.

49 KAMASI WASHINGTON "Truth" [176 points, 7 votes]
Didn’t paid attention to this one until now and it’s really majestic. Those drum fills!

48 DESTROYER "Tinseltown Swimming In Blood" [177 points, 6 votes, 1 first place vote]
I’m an absolute idiot for any song that has that signature “new order” bass sound. One of the best songs he has released in an 80’s style but got me falsely excited for the Ken album.

46 CHILDISH GAMBINO "Redbone" [181 points, 6 votes]
My younger friends are fans of this album and I don’t really get the appeal.

43 ATELJE "50/50" [197 points, 6 votes, 1 first place vote]
Yes, the lyrics are too stupid but I have a weak spot for any balearic pop revival and Lissvik is one of the best ones working on this sound.

41 WOLF ALICE "Don't Delete The Kisses" [202 points, 8 votes]
This song becomes a magic spell after 3am.

wolf alice video is atrocious jeez

like a goddamn levis commercial

*record scratch*

I got married in March

Congratulations!!

Thank you!

I recommend the Charli XCX version of "Don't Delete the Kisses" for anyone who's allergic to rock instrumentation or whatever

Passionfruit - the music to this isnt bad! the vocals are terrible and destroy it. 5
Deadly Valentine - Woolworths 'I feel love' but without the content 4
Rodent - unwanted christmas present from supposed aunt that isnt actually related 4
If We Were Vampires - all songs like this have this title, perhaps there is only this one 2
Baby Luv - this cant be real 2

Mon Lo - music playing in taxi 3
Which Fork / I'll Be - the youtube wouldnt play but i found it on soundcloud. the bit between 2:50 and 4:30 is pretty good! but the other parts less so. 5 and a half
I Dare You: sounds like they are marking time till bono shows up. 1
Unmask Me - BBC2. vocals are a bit of a trial 5 and a half
New York - urban outfitters. 3. now theres a chorus, changed it to a 0

Glutes - music for selling cars in cinemas. all the dynamism of a shouting sock 3
Truth - never heard before and might be overrating due to its risible competition. will come back to. might be a bit brash after a while. 6 and a half
Tinseltown Swimming In Blood. 80s film. no real opinion. 4
Lost In Your Light feat. Miguel. there is literally nothing here 0
Redbone - this is an interpolation of something well known? plodding 4

Aura - frequencies grind into brain like police shining flashlight into eyes. unlistenable 1
Girl Front - this is an interpolation of something again? that introey part isnt bad, then it overloads and becomes a mess. wish i could remember what the beginning bit reminds me of. 4 and a half
50/50 - completely unforgettable. for that i give it a 5 for not hanging around like some of these travesties do
Lost in California. exactly the same as the previous record. 5
Don't Delete the Kisses - absolutely no idea. 4

Feel like I'm much more in tune with the ilx hivemind this year than I normally am. Not necessarily a good thing, as it meant my ballot was more made up of other people's nominations than my own special favourites, which kind of indicates that I wasn't doing all that much independent listening last year. On the other hand, I can kind of spot where and why I'm intersecting so much now - for one thing, DJing w/ my BF meant I was much more up-to-date and in the mood for K-Pop, for another I actually kept up with past poll discoveries (Yemi Alade, Bicep, etc), which I don't alway get around to doing.

I'm not dialed into to k-pop so I thought LOOΠΔ/ODD EYE CIRCLE was a witchhouse revival record by name alone

Passionfruit - the music to this isnt bad! the vocals are terrible and destroy it.

i like "volumes" quite a bit. no other revelations yet

wolf alice video is atrocious jeez

― marcos, Tuesday, January 23, 2018 2:41 PM (seven minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

was actively rooting for their deaths 30 secs in. got a bit excited when manspreader seemed to have a stomach ailment but alas