best of All done! | Kang's oozy best of '17

[SLIME]

the colors, the beauty, and the motion

dancing through horrors

25. Kelly Lee Owens - Kelly Lee Owens

Nice end of year surprise for me although actually was an early release so my bad for slipping. One thing I like is that you can basically approach this as either a heady, atmospheric pop album OR a more poppy take on ambient music, and it works equally well both ways. She definitely puts me in that mind space where I don't mind just relaxing and zoning out but I also get a lot out of listening close for changes in the music, so unlike a lot of other electronic stuff I can feel more comfortable throwing it on regardless of my mood. Hope it's not sexist to say her vocals provide a nice feminine touch, because it is does feel comforting and unique compared to a lot of similar-ish music and we could obviously always use more women producing etc. Love her Aaliyah cover from later this year as well (the influence definitely shows across the album too), so something to check out if you haven't.

 

top peeps: CBM, S.O

Spoiler

 

 

[Pink Matter]

 Missed out on a lot: Ctrl, Ash, Dirty Projectors, No Shape, american dream, Funk Wav, and War and Leisure are all great choices  

I had Aromanticism saved in my Spotify library since September and for whatever reason I never got around to it (). I really like your description for it so I'll check it out now that I have free time.

[SLIME]

let me show you what i do

so you can see that i'm true
i see the world in all blue

24. G Perico - All Blue

Out of all the rappers on my list he's gotta be the farthest away from what's stuff that's popping off on the radio, but I think he could go far regardless. This is the only one of the 3 (!!) projects he released this year that I got around to hearing in time, but I should fix that because here I was hooked in pretty much from the first few songs on my first play. And because I respect the hustle. I don't think it's fair to compare him to YG just off the basis that they're 2 of the few at the moment pumping out G-funk this banging, since I'd say there are enough differences between their rapping styles to set them apart. Whereas YG always sounds more or less unflappable no matter the topic at hand, Perico has this kinda frantic hurry to his delivery that over time really gets at the danger associated with the kinds of things he raps about. Orrrr I'm just prone to being drawn into rappers with higher voices but that's a topic for another day. Anyway, no his lyrics aren't there yet but there's a style emerging quick and you get the idea he already knows what strengths he should be playing to. Very consistent album on which he just does his thing repeatedly and one that's got me believing in the kid despite not having heard much else.

 

top peeps: Bacc Forth, Right Now

Spoiler

 

 

[smholiv]

I will definitely check your lists' rap albums, i think we have similar taste with that genre

 

 

[SLIME]

shall we dream happy ever after?
pretend we do
playing a game of never after
lying with you

23. Charlotte Gainsbourg - Rest

Prior to this year I had a vague idea of who Charlotte Gainsbourg was for a couple different reasons, but not for her music. She caught my attention tho with some big collabs (Dev Hynes, Daft Punk, the Facebook Story guy) and a few pre-release tracks that all sounded v different from each other. There's a lot more variety where it came from on this album itself, but the songs in sequence cohere very nicely into a cool blend of art pop / chamber pop. They give off an air of sophistication but also... danger! Reading some of the album's reviews later on, I learned more of the story behind it and how partway into the creation process she had to deal with the loss of her sister. Knowing this piece of the backstory and then finding what translations I could (seeing as I Girls Aloud - can't speak french), all my times revisiting the music after felt really special just from now being more aware of its gravity. More than a few of the other songs look at grief through a lens that feels super real, the kind where life doesn't just freeze because something bad has happened to us and we sometimes have to find ways to cope on the go. On the other hand, you also just have cool moments such as Deadly Valentine, which gives me early St. Vincent poking fun at domestic bliss in a sinister way. Pretty captivating album that I enjoyed learning more about. We love world literature.

 

top peeps: Lying with You, Sylvia Says

Spoiler

 

 

[SLIME]

mother russia in my cup

and my glasses foggin' up

(oh yeah, hey dawg, hey what's up?)

oh yeah, hey dawg, hey what's up?

when the sweaty walls are bangin'

i don't **** with family planning

make it rain, girl make it rain

22. yaeji - yaeji / EP2

Because I can and because these 2 EPs legit go together in a complimentary way! My playlist combining them >. First I heard of yaeji was Noonside much earlier in the year, a song that's heavy on the dreamier side of her production and the Korean side of her language set. Fast forward to Raingurl aka the high energy English banger and you might think she's stuck in a bit of an identity crisis. But it's her most interesting moments IMO that come from these blends of language and tempo and the contrasts they bring to the front of the mix. It also took me a minute to realize these are essentially the perfect Azealia beats, the difference between them being that yaeji's delivery is pretty much all her own. Her singing sounds hella slowed down even when it's not, but the spoken word lyrics come out conversational, almost bored-sounding and it still gets me every time. Those absurd stream of consciousness lyrics are a highlight too btw whenever they do pop up; girl just knows how to string a phrase together. One of the most exciting new artists of the year 777 sure, oh and also listen to Therapy bc it's still a banger but not on either EP.

 

top peeps: Guap / raingurl

Spoiler

 

 

[SLIME]

i recognize every face
but i ain't got everything i need
if i'm just living in the space between
the beauty and the pain
it's the strangest thing

21. The War On Drugs - A Deeper Understanding

So I've never quite gotten the same raging hard on for this band that a lot of others have, but they have created two really huge, beautiful works in the past 3 years and I think this second one improves on the first (yes I know that wasn't their debut). I think that the key is that this is a sound different people can look for different things in: I LOVE it when they get into full Hounds of Love noise mode (the opener <3), and then at their Tom Pettiest which comes out a bit more often I'm just naturally less interested. But they still manage to come through with a lot of strong melodic moments, and coming out of the more stretched out sections they can register like beautiful light at the end of the tunnel. I feel like the songs are just hookier in general now too, giving you more chances to get pulled in even without having to try as much. Another one just like a few others this update that hits with a gorgeous wall of sound, and no matter where my tastes lie in the moment that's always something I can appreciate ESPECIALLY when I get the chance to zone in and really vibe with it.

 

top peeps: Up All Night, Nothing to Find

Spoiler

 

 

[bluth]

holy **** i really should have done what you did with yaeji. i was considering it but for some reason decided against. lemme quickly dump something. 

 

glad u liked a deeper understanding. idk why more people didn’t stan - it feels more pop-leaning/less pretentious! 

 

also happy to see u eventually came round to kelly lee owens. rest is excellent too! 

[SLIME]

Also need to learn how to stop updating at 3am, but it's hard out here.

 

 

3 hours ago, Pink Matter said:

 Missed out on a lot: Ctrl, Ash, Dirty Projectors, No Shape, american dream, Funk Wav, and War and Leisure are all great choices  

I had Aromanticism saved in my Spotify library since September and for whatever reason I never got around to it (). I really like your description for it so I'll check it out now that I have free time.

lmk what you think! I'd heard an EP of his from last year so already being on the train made it easier to get around to him, but definitely an artist worth getting into

 

2 hours ago, minho said:

I will definitely check your lists' rap albums, i think we have similar taste with that genre

 

lmk what you think of em too, got a feeling you might be about some of the songs list

15 minutes ago, bluth said:

holy **** i really should have done what you did with yaeji. i was considering it but for some reason decided against. lemme quickly dump something.

there's another one still coming that I have no excuse for. but somehow I have to stand up for short excellence

 

[Wicked]

I never listened to War on Drugs until A Deeper Understanding and I love that album so it lowkey cuts to see it in the 20s.

[theblackestday]

Kelly and Yaeji  Charlotte’s album was cute too. 

Tried to get into TWOD but it just feels sooo bland and unoriginal... and gross

[Eeveelution]

I recognise the war on drugs is ~objectively good but, I wasn't 100% feeling it. Some pretty songs though.

 

I liked Yaeji, Charlotte and Kelly's efforts.

 

[Tsareena]

Yaeji 

[TheWayWeWere]

I liked some Charlotte songs before, but this album was just something one of the best releases this year, and Sylvia Says SLAYS

[SLIME]

 

[Pink Matter]

9 hours ago, Kang. said:

 

lmk what you think! I'd heard an EP of his from last year so already being on the train made it easier to get around to him, but definitely an artist worth getting into

I listened to the album a little while ago and it's very much like you described. It's unique in the instrumentation isn't really what most R&B artists. Hell it doesn't really sound like an R&B album for the most part. I do think the constant singing in falsetto could get grating  but beyond that it was pleasant listen  

 

OT: Notha solid set. Most familiar with TWOD and Charlotte, both of which were great! Love your description for A Deeper Understanding too  

[madonnas]

Wish I had given Kelly more of my time

It was the final track that turned me off and made me forget the rest was amazing! 

[World Eater]

Woo, nothing but taste! Kellegend Leegend Owens' alberm keeps growing on me with each listen, I'll probably end up regretting not putting on my list but w/e  Need to relisten to All Blue, didn't like it when it came out but I revisited Bacc Forth when Tom put it on his list and it sounded gewd

[August]

I need to check out yaeji because I'm seeing a lot of acclaim for her! I also feel like she's someone I'll really like and your write-up for her gets me pretty excited. 

 

The War on Drugs just barely missed mine, but you raise a lot of good points about them that almost makes me want to take another listen. They never seem to disappoint, honestly.

[Playa Playa]

Great write ups  KLO has great replay value so I'm sure you'll be playing it into 2018.

 

All Blue is v dope (one of the best album covers of the year too). YG comparisons are inevitable but I agree with what you said. His rapping style reminds me of DJ Quik's.

 

 

[bluth]

no kang no update

[Zay]

Love this list so far!

 

Perfume Genius deserved higher tho 

Edited December 22, 2017 by Zay

[Phoenixstar]

The fact that i don't know any of these in this page 

 

I need to listen more these days 

[SLIME]

Spoiler

 

18 hours ago, theblackestday said:

Tried to get into TWOD but it just feels sooo bland and unoriginal... and gross

18 hours ago, Eeveelution said:

I recognise the war on drugs is ~objectively good but, I wasn't 100% feeling it. Some pretty songs though.

I find I enjoy them more when I try to hone in on the psychedelic stuff versus the dad rock but ye fair, is not for everyone. Hope u guys could get some mileage out of Up All Night at least

 

14 hours ago, TheWayWeWere said:

I liked some Charlotte songs before, but this album was just something one of the best releases this year, and Sylvia Says SLAYS

like now I wanna listen to that album she did with Beck! but true Sylvia >, this album really POPS when it decides to pop huh

12 hours ago, Pink Matter said:

I listened to the album a little while ago and it's very much like you described. It's unique in the instrumentation isn't really what most R&B artists. Hell it doesn't really sound like an R&B album for the most part. I do think the constant singing in falsetto could get grating  but beyond that it was pleasant listen

I don't think I'd label him R&B at all tbh. But yea what makes him hard to describe are a lot of the things that make him good, glad you enjoyed

11 hours ago, madonnas said:

Wish I had given Kelly more of my time

It was the final track that turned me off and made me forget the rest was amazing! 

U gonna learn one day. This I promise

10 hours ago, AlexisNeiers said:

Woo, nothing but taste! Kellegend Leegend Owens' alberm keeps growing on me with each listen, I'll probably end up regretting not putting on my list but w/e  Need to relisten to All Blue, didn't like it when it came out but I revisited Bacc Forth when Tom put it on his list and it sounded gewd

thanks dad or lmk too if you get around to one of his others, heard just as many good things about those as well

10 hours ago, August said:

I need to check out yaeji because I'm seeing a lot of acclaim for her! I also feel like she's someone I'll really like and your write-up for her gets me pretty excited. 

 

The War on Drugs just barely missed mine, but you raise a lot of good points about them that almost makes me want to take another listen. They never seem to disappoint, honestly.

Yes get on the train while it's early! and I just listened to ADU and got slayed again this morning, defo a grower if you give it the chance!

9 hours ago, Playa Playa said:

Great write ups  KLO has great replay value so I'm sure you'll be playing it into 2018.

 

All Blue is v dope (one of the best album covers of the year too). YG comparisons are inevitable but I agree with what you said. His rapping style reminds me of DJ Quik's.

am glad they're doing their job bc yall don't understand the way my brain is friiiied And I didn't even think about DQ tbh but yes a legend!

 

33 minutes ago, Phoenixstar said:

The fact that i don't know any of these in this page 

 

I need to listen more these days 

I think u might like yaeji or Charlotte! I guess my albums list isn't super pop friendly in general this year but still got some bangers on the way if you stick around

 

21 hours ago, Wicked said:

I never listened to War on Drugs until A Deeper Understanding and I love that album so it lowkey cuts to see it in the 20s.

did you ever get around to LITD? Deeper is better imo but they're different enough to coexist, just 2 v impressive albums if I do say

 

 

 

 

8 hours ago, bluth said:

no kang no update

oh yall want more huh?

[World Eater]

5 hours ago, Kang. said:

thanks dad or lmk too if you get around to one of his others, heard just as many good things about those as well

I will sooner or later, just downloaded 2 tha Left