Top 10 Albums of 2017

AMOS PITSCH - LAKE EFFECT (FORWARD)

From suburban Wisconsin, Tenement frontman Amos Pitsch released his first solo album this year of winter and solstice-themed songs dusted with holiday spirit. This album features all originals as well as DUSK bandmate Julia Blair on cello, viola and violin. Everything was written and recorded in-house, at the Crutch of Memory studio/residence ran by Pitsch and bandmates. Lake Effect is a montage of feelings, reminiscent of the season, easily resonant with Midwesterners all-too-familiar with the scenes found therein. Pitsch offers new perspectives on the holidays with tracks like the lonely "Empty Box to Hold" and "Shiny Things to Stop Your Tears."

CAPITALIST KIDS - BRAND DAMAGE (ECCENTRIC POP)

Austin's Capitalist Kids is back with its brand of political-driven, hook-on-hook satire blended with honest, heart-on-its sleeve pop punk in over three years. This time around, the Cap Kids hit us with unexpected time changes, infectious hooks and unabashed left-leaning themes that yell what most of us never muster the guts to verbalize. They're unique in the sense that they capture old school '90s Lookout!-style pop punk fans as well as bring in new, youthful fans, not relying too heavy on nostalgic chord progressions or song structures. The Cap Kids are spot-on with its harmonies, and this summer, they ambitiously toured this record as a three-piece. I was thankful to have opened for them.

LEMURIA - RECREATIONAL HATE (TURBO WORLDWIDE)

Buffalo sweethearts Lemuria surprised us this month by concomitantly launching its own record label with its first album in four years. This one sets itself apart by focusing on self-improving and finding your niche, yet still offers the familiar and sometimes-dissonant trading-off of tremendous vocals between singer Sheena Ozzella and drummer Alex Kerns. On this release, the trio worked with Chris Shaw (Weezer, Bob Dylan, Wilco) and recorded with J. Robbins (Jawbox), and the quality shows. Recreational Hate is equal parts evocative, sweet, sentimental and warm. The only thing more interesting than Max, Kerns and Ozzella's musicianship is the sum of its parts.

THE LILLINGTONS - STELLA SAPIENTE (FAT WRECK)

The Lillingtons is by far the longest-running band on this list. Much like Lemuria, the band recorded this new album mostly in secret, minimally hinting on social media. This album marked the band's reinvention from sci-fi-themed pogo-punk to occult-themed post punk, sprinkled with heavy metal riffs. The band still doesn't stray too far from its roots, however. On the band's first new album in 11 years, they've solidified themselves into a darker disposition. They've evolved to be more complex songwriters and the average song length has stretched out from albums prior. The Lillingtons continue to cultivate wonder through mystery by way of secret societies and the haunting unknown.

MEAT WAVE - THE INCESSANT (SIDEONEDUMMY)

Meat Wave lays it on thick from start to finish on The Incessant. Singer/guitarist Chris Sutter's frenetic energy and unsettled angst is in full bloom. The album builds upon itself, and there is a driving sense of urgency throughout, cultivated by Steve Albini (Nirvana, The Pixies), who recorded and engineered the album, lending to its hilly soundscape. Yet, the album remains ambiguous, contributing largely to its mystery. The Incessant is continuously breaking out of itself, with buildups and breakdowns; polishing its anxiety and dissonance as it goes on. The album is dark and at times abrasive, but its song's vulnerable themes crescendo into catharsis that is an uncomfortably comforting release.

THE OBLEEKS - THE OBLEEKS (GOOD LAND)

This modern classic was one of the most-anticipated and still-underrated on this list. All three musicians in this power-pop trio hail from Chicago, and all three contribute in songwriting duties. With song structures reminiscent of Alex Chilton, The Obleeks can harmonize like a three-piece Beach Boys and write as well as tried-and-true pop groups like Teenage Fanclub. Recorded by Amos Pitsch at Crutch of Memory, this album also features some of the Crutch crew: Pitsch on percussion, Blair on viola and Colin Wilde (Black Thumb) on backing vocals. Brothers Andy and Lee Ketch (frontman of Mooner) lock in with each other and bassist Nick Harris to deliver flawless melodies and smooth arrangements.

OLD WIVES - THREE (LITTLE ROCKET)

The Old Wives have been working on this album since 2015, signed to Little Rocket Records in 2016 and this year, Three saw its much-anticipated release. Sharing a drummer with Teenage Bottlerocket, Old Wives delivers pop punk akin to Capitalist Kids and The Lillingtons' older material. The first song, just over one minute long, has three key changes in it, starting the album off strong and interesting. Many of the band's previous themes ring true on this one; drinking, heartache and loneliness. Three is also Old Wives' first release as a three-piece; its first since 2013 EP, Here We Go Again.


RATBOYS - GN (TOPSHELF)

Chicago's Ratboys delivers its second album on Topshelf Records. It's equal parts witty and rough around the edges. Vocalist/guitarist Julia Steiner aches when she croons over her dead cat in the freezer, Elvis, which has the perfect amount of humor to offset the sadness of the situation. She makes it so easy to empathize and visualize scenarios with her inflections that I feel like I know what it's like to be heartbroken in the middle of an ice rink without having ever been there. The album is inventive, tender and soft but underlying the slacker-y nostalgic feel is a poignant attention to detail and quality. This album doesn't stray too far off the tracks and raises the bar for Ratboys quite high.

SINCERE ENGINEER - RHOMBITHIAN (RED SCARE)

Deanna Belos is a close friend whom I've shared the stage with many times, both solo and full-band. Since 2014, I've been regularly attending her shows, watching her grow as a musician, a writer and most recently, a frontwoman to her own quartet. On her debut album via Red Scare, Belos is raw, angsty and honest. On the surface, her nervousness and vulnerability is blinding and it is endearing because underneath, she's tough and holds her own with conviction. There isn't a weak song on the entire record and she literally invented a word for the title, making it even more hers. She is a Rhombithian - someone who frequents three points in the Chicago locale, with the fourth point being Lake Michigan.

YOUR PEST BAND - OLD SPRINGHEAD (DEAD BROKE/BRASSNECK/SNUFFY SMILES)

Your Pest Band is one of the most wild Japanese garage-punk bands. They have an energy that ebbs and flows on this 17-song double album, co-released by three different labels on three different continents. I watched them play in a Chicago basement on this tour, and they never let up. They bring the urgent energy of the Marked Men and the chainsaw down-stroking of Johnny Ramone to deliver this eclectic album which is at times catchy power pop, classic punk a la Husker Du and rock 'n' roll by way of The Zombies and The Kinks. Your Pest Band continues to be one of the most prolific and eclectic Japanese punk bands out there. Watch a live set by them from a basement in Chicago.