Favorite Songs of 2017 and Other Stuff

My Top Songs of 2017 playlist, favorite non-2017 discovery and Honorable Mention albums, as well as my Favorite Moments of 2017.

My Top Songs:

Also, 4:44 by Jay-Z.

Everything I Listened To:

I made a playlist for every month this year of everything I listened to individually (excluding albums). Check it out. This will have additions through December 31.

Favorite Non-2017 Discovery:

Silkworm – Lifestyle
Culture Abuse – Peach

Honorable Mention Albums:

Broken Social Scene – Hug of Thunder
Daddy Issues – Deep Dream
Thundercat – Drunk
Cory Branan – Adios
Jay Som – Everybody Works
Iron Chic – You Can’t Stay Here
Worriers – Survival Pop
Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile – Lotta Sea Lice
Telethon – The Grand Spontanean
Arcade Fire – Everything Now

Other Stuff

Personal: Writing for Noisey, being published in an actual magazine writing about music for the first time in New Noise Magazine. All the cool opportunities through Riot Fest, VinylMnky, Scene Point Blank and others. Seeing Springsteen on Broadway. I think about it every day. Hamilton on New Year’s Day. Meeting musicians I admire all year long.

Travel: Louisville, Memphis, New York a few times, my first trip to Vegas (which I loved). Eau Claire for a quick weekend trip (It’s a cool little town!)

Health and Wellness: PRing my fourth 5K on the April 29 Race to Wrigley. Going to the chiropractor, massage and acupuncture for the first time in my life.

The Hold Steady: Two residencies in Chicago and Brooklyn. The Empty Bottle show is and will remain a great and perfect show in my memory. Stage invasion. Helping develop the coffee blend with Dark Matter is a personal sense of pride for me. Brooklyn, also fun, crazy busy as usual. Watching everyone freak out about “Entitlement Crew” and “Snake in the Shower” was awesome, too.

Wrestling: Witnessing Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate at NXT Takeover: Chicago, Finn vs. AJ, Cena vs. AJ at the Rumble. Good shows generally all year. I purchashed my first Bullet Club shirt. Found myself watching less this year than last, but it was still very enjoyable and match quality is so good these days.

Food: SO MANY great spots.

Chicago area: Mi Tocaya Antojería, Fat Rice, Wyler Road, MingHin Cuisine, Bleuroot, River Street Tavern, Proxi, Big Jones

Cleveland: Bakersfield Cleveland, Sokolowski’s University Inn, Mabel’s BBQ

Eau Claire: The Lakely

Grand Rapids area: Spanky’s Pizza

Las Vegas: China Poblano, Yellowtail Sushi

Louisville: Grale Haus, Milkwood, Steel City Pops

Memphis: Hog and Hominy, Tops BBQ, Catherine and Mary’s

New York: Frankel’s Delicatessen, Má Pêche

Music: Trash Pandas released an album this year called Apocalypse Nah. No one bought it. We were very tired and in a hot basement.

Shows

I saw a personal record 47 shows this year. Take a look.