There are songs from each year that anchor it in the mind's ear; forever reminiscent of a time, place, or person. Listening to it draws on the memory of a feeling, a room, a conversation, a daydream, a specific moment in the day. 

For me, 2017 was full of both anxious waiting and excited travel, miles on the road and in the air, accompanied by swelling soundscapes, heavy notes of nostalgia, and adventures emotionally, mentally, and physically. But besides the current state of the nation - and even including how insanely stressful it has been to navigate - since about April, I dare say 2017 has begun the best year of my adult life. And the following songs have been its heartbeat, its soul, its soundtrack. 

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Youtube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcjzPYkuLolOtMDmLmcEZDv68OOtBvBVx

Hey all, we made it. Just a few more weeks and we can leave 2017 behind us! But besides all the political and cultural negativity in America that has pervaded this calendar year, 2017 has become the placeholder for several of the best events of my life. And there's been a lot (and I mean a lot) of good music released into the world as well. I'd like to remember 2017 for how good its music was as much as we will remember it for its flaming-roller-coaster-flying-off-the-tracks politics and its racist, sexist, poor-shaming, health-care debasing and misogynistic-encouraging overtones. Hey now, at least I'm trying! 

The one unfortunate update in my music world is that I now go to way fewer shows because of limited money and time while in graduate school out here in Boulder, Colorado. But last January I started writing for Indie Shuffle, and the 75 songs I've posted have now been played over 364,000 times! I wrote personally-inspired reviews of some amazing new artists like Caitlin Pasko and Black Books, fell in love with Sylvan Esso all over again, and fell asleep to WILSEN every night for weeks. I lived in Washington, D.C. for the summer and got to explore the city and see live music there, including photograph a show at the 9:30 Club. I road-tripped back to Colorado and listened to new Foster the People and MEW and Wes Swing and old favorites for hours on end. I moved into a house full of amazing people in August and have met many more while traveling the country this fall.

It's just easy to get overwhelmed by a busy schedule, endless responsibilities, and how it seems everyone else is out doing what you wish you were able to do, no matter how well things are going in life. (I don't think I'm the only one with this predicament!). And I always wish I had more time for seeing and writing about music. So although living well can feel far from easy and the world is currently kind of terrifying, music still serves as my number one solace and inspiration. It keeps me going and reminds me that giving up isn't as much fun continuing to try. As I wrote in a review of Sylvan Esso's release What Now this summer: "If you, dear reader, have given up, thrown in your cards, or plan to – prepare to have your plans ruined." 

Here's to a future of great music and positive social and cultural change in 2018!

K

Best Albums of 2017 
1. Phoebe Bridgers, Stranger in the Alps
2. Sylvan Esso, What Now (+ Echo Mountain Sessions EP)
3. MEW, Visuals
4. Hundred Waters, Communicating 
5. Black Books, Can't Even 
6. WILSEN, I Go Missing in My Sleep
7. Said the Whale, As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide
8. Tomberlin, At Weddings 
9. Alvvays, Antisocialites 
10. Chelsea Wolfe, Hiss Spun