Best Of: 2017

It's already the end of the year, and not a moment too soon some would say. And while 2017 has been a difficult one in many respects, when it comes to music it has been a great year. We have seen the return of many musical heavyweights including Future Islands, Bodycount, Kendrick Lamar, and Run The Jewels (our #1 LP pick),  as well as indie favorites Scott H. Biram, Bully, and Angel Olsen (our #1 compilation pick), and of course Louisville favorites like Second Story Man, 1200, RMLLW2LLZ, Quiet Hollers, and Jaye Jayle (our #1 EP pick)! 

Disclaimer: A few years ago we heard a convincing argument by a good friend and music producer about why he declined a 'Best Of' award; the argument being that while you can quantify a 'tallest building', you can't mathematically conclude a 'Best' when it comes to personal taste; be it music, film, or any other art. But keeping with 10 years of tradition here at 37FLOOD, we have kept the title 'Best Of' but would like to express that these are only lists of our 'Favorites' and hope you enjoy them as well.   Click here to read past 37FLOOD 'Best Of' lists.

Share your Favorites  list of 2017 with us for a chance to win a Cassette & Download of the Louisville Is For Lovers Duets EP 'Little Darlin' featuring Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, The Winger Brothers, and more! Send your lists by email here. 

Favorite Albums:
20. Planetary Overdrive Self-Titled LP
19. 1200 'Séance & Spirit'
18. Quiet Hollers 'Amen Breaks' LP
17. Escape-ism (Ian Svenonius) ‘Introduction To Escape-ism’ LP
16. Bully ‘Losing’ LP
15. Watter 'History Of The Future' LP
14. Zola Jesus ‘Okovi’ LP
13. Public Service Broadcasting ‘Every Valley’ LP
12. Future Islands ‘The Far field’ LP
11. Bodycount ‘Bloodlust’LP
10. Kendrick Lamar ‘Damn’ LP
9. Wax Fang 'Victory Laps' LP
8. White Reaper 'The World's Best American Band' LP
7. L.A. Witch - S/T LP
6. RMLLW2LLZ 'Concerto No​.​9 Movement II' LP
5. Curtis Harding ‘Face Your Fear’ LP
4. Black Angels ‘Death Song’ LP
3. Scott H. Biram 'Bad Testament' LP
2. Second Story Man S/T LP
1. Run The Jewels 'Run The Jewels 3' (37FLOOD Approved!)



Favorite Cover Albums, Compilations, & Live Albums:
10. Jason Molina "The Black Sabbath Covers" 7"
9. Jim James 'Tribute To 2' LP
8. Bonnie "prince" Billy "Wolf of the Cosmos" LP
7. Silicon Valley Soundtrack LP
6. Jackie Shane 'Any Other Way' Numero Collection LP
5. The Replacements "For Sale: Live At Maxwell's 1986' LP
4. Babymetal "Legend Metal Resistance: Black Night" Live
3. John Carpenter 'Anthology: Movie Themes 1974-1998'
2. Louisville Is For Lovers Vol. 12
1. Angel Olsen 'Phases' LP (37FLOOD Approved!)



Favorite EPs & Singles:



5. Alan Poe & Beatnik Dee 'Composure' EP
4. Kendall Elijah Dynamite & House Ghost 'Sistersingles'  EP
3. The Gallery Singers "POWER TO THE POOR"
2. MC Hijack 'TRUTH CHURCH' EP
1. Jaye Jayle & Emma Ruth Rundle 'The Time Between Us' EP (37FLOOD Approved)


Favorite Reissues:
5. Louisville Is For Lovers Vol.4 Reissue
4. Louisville Is For Lovers Vol.5 Reissue
3. Saredren Wells 'Memories Are Hunting Horns' 5th Anniversary Reissue
2. Wu-Tang Clan ‎"Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" Deluxe 7" Casebook
1. Louisville Is For Lovers Vol.3 Reissue (37FLOOD Approved)


Favorite Books/Media/Videos:
5. Clownvis Presley 'Don't Be a Bitch (Or You Won't Get Stuff for Christmas)'


4. Quiet Hollers 'Pressure'

3. Babymetal 'Legend Metal Resistance: Red Night'


2.  Hip Hop Evolution (Netflix Documentary)


 1. Erin Osmon 'Riding With The Ghost' the biography of Jason Molina (37FLOOD Approved)

Favorite Live Events:

Jesus And Mary Chain at Headliners. Photo by Kevin Ratterman

10. Forecastle
9. Cindy Wilson at Zanzabar 
8. Jesus And Mary Chain at Headliners
7. Mother Runaway at Kaiju
6. Second Story Man at Zanzabar
5. Louisville Free Public Library After Dark Music Series
(RMLLW2LLZ, Brooks Ritter, Billy Nelson, Jonathan Glenn Wood)
4. Future Islands at Mercury Ballroom
3. Jonathan Richman at Zanzabar
2. Frankie Cosmos at Zanzabar
1. Neil Diamond At Yum!

Neil Diamond at Yum! Bucket

Samuel T. Herring of Future Isands

Cindy Wilson at Zanzabar

Mother Runaway at Kaiju

Jaye Jayle with Emma Ruth Rundle at Forecastle

P.J. Harvey at Forecastle

Charles Bradley at Forecastle

Jesus and Mary Chain at Headliners

Frankie Cosmos at Zanzabar

Second Story Man Album Release Show at Zbar

Louisville Is For Lovers 2018 Pre-orders and Free EP Available

 

The 2018 Louisville Is For Lovers Valentine's compilation (Release Date 2/2/2018) is now available for pre-order on CD and Digital Download online and at Guestroom Records. Pre-orders get an immediate download of the Duets EP 'Little Darlin' featuring Bonnie 'prince' Billy, Lacey Guthrie, The Winger Brothers, and others. Pre-orders of the Deluxe Edition (available at Guestroom only) will get an immediate cassette copy of the Duets EP.

The 2018 compilation has 22 exclusive tracks by Louisville artists including Adventure, Bon Air, Bonnie 'prince' Billy, Brenda, Frederick The Younger, and more.

The 2018 showcase will be Saturday Feb. 10th, Featuring Adventure, Soft Self Portraits, and Mother Runaway at Louisville Free Public Library (301 York street) 6pm-10pm, and is FREE.

There is also an Instore performance at Guestroom records on Feb. 2nd with Brenda and Frederick The Younger at 7pm that is also free.

Album Review: A Howell Dawdy Christmas

Louisville's favorite misanthrope comic hip hop artist Howell Dawdy has just dropped a digital christmas album entitled A Howell Dawdy Christmas.



Howell Dawdy, the alter ego of Louisville Musician Alex Smith, is no stranger to holiday themed music, such as the halloween-esque 'Boo I'm A Ghost' from 2013, or 2014's Flying Reindeer,  which is a Christmas themed reworking of his cult hit Fire Extinguisher, much like James Brown's reworking of Papa's Got A Brand New Bag into Santa's Got A Brand New Bag.



Howell Dawdy's Christmas album runs the gamut from slapstick Alvin and the Chipmunks style holiday tracks such as Rat Christmas, to the surprisingly meaningful Don't Ruin Christmas,  much like LCD Soundsystem's  'Christmas Can Break Your Heart' marking a strange but triumphant return from retirement on Christmas eve 2015.



Christmas is a marvelous time when we do a bunch of things we would never do otherwise, like cover our houses in twinkling lights, drink egg nog, and listen to music we forget about the rest of the year. For those like me, who revel in holiday tradition (and holiday music) there is no lack for Christmas themed music. If holly jolly music is a must in your home this December, and if you are  the good Louisvillians that we know you are,  there is no lack of Louisville Christmas music to brighten your holidays, and you could do much worse than A Howell Dawdy Christmas, or last year's Louisville Covers Christmas from This Man Records.

Louisville Is For Lovers 2018 Album & Showcase Announced

This morning Louisville Is For Lovers announced the Lineup for the 2018 Valentine's compilation, called  'Darlin Beloved', including contributions by Brenda, Bonnie 'prince' Billy, Frederick The Younger, Future Killer, Jaye Jayle, Tender Mercy, Winger Brothers and many more. View the complete lineup here. The release date is Feb. 2nd with Pre-orders available here starting Jan.1st on their website and at Louisville Record Stores.

Also announced is the 2018 Louisville Is For Lovers Valentine's Showcase, on Saturday Feb. 10th at Louisville Free Public Library Main Branch (301 York street) featuring Adventure, Soft Self Portraits, and Mother Runaway.
 The event is sponsored by the Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL) and the Louisville Underground Music Archive (LUMA) and will start at 6pm with the Wild And Wooly Film Series with a screening of Breadcrumb Trail: The Story Of Slint. More info on the Facebook Event Page.
 6pm-10pm FREE.

New Video: Clownvis Presley "Don't Be a Bitch (Or You Won't Get Stuff for Christmas)"

Everybody's favorite "Show Me State" musical clown,  Clownvis Presley, has just released a new video for the holidays called "Don't Be a Bitch (Or You Won't Get Stuff for Christmas)."



Presley, who has gained a following over the years with his inventive music videos (and a public access TV show) with an extended universe of characters (called the Clownvis Mafia), is no stranger to holiday pomp and pageantry.

Past Presley Christmas offerings include "Coming For You On Christmas", "Mutant Boy Christmas Song", the Clownvis Time! "Clownvis Christmas Special"  and the cult hit "Jesus Christ Eatin' on a Chicken Wing."

Clownvis Presley (Left) with Santa Claus (Right)

Review: Cindy Wilson 'Change' LP

Cindy Wilson, a founding member of the Athens Georgia party-band The B-52s, which just celebrated their 40th anniversary, recently reached a personal milestone herself, releasing her 1st full length solo album today, Dec.1st 2017.



Wilson first released the solo E.P., Sunrise, in September 2016, followed by a second E.P., Supernatural, on her 60th birthday, February 28th, 2017. If that seems like a lot in the span of 18 months,  Wilson also spent much of the year on the road on a dual American Tour with B-52s and with her solo act to promote Supernatural. Locally she played Zanzabar on June 30th with her solo outfit and again with the B-52s  (with the Louisville Pops orchestra at Whitney Symphony Hall) on October 21st before returning to Zanzabar for a second solo show on November 19th during a tour promoting her new L.P. Change.

Cindy Wilson at Zanzabar 6/30/2017

Of the 10 tracks on the full length, 2 were previously released on the first E.p; Brother and and the title track Sunrise. The first, Brother, is a throw back to the 80s post-industrial era as if Kim Deal had joined The Jesus and Mary Chain. The other, Sunrise, is rooted in the 90s dance club world, much like Deee-Lite in an art-imitates-life-which-imitates-itself, as Deee-Lite's Lady Miss Kier could be seen as a protégé of Wilson.

Change follows Sunrise's recipe of a total split between industrial dance noise and early nineties post-pop dance tracks.  No tracks from the second E.P., Supernatural, made it onto Change, which is notably different than the others; mixing these two genres into a post-noise dance bopper, making Supernatural the most interesting of the three releases. Which is not to say the others are not worth a listen. Change envelopes and slows down the musical themes of Sunrise creating chill-wave tempoed dance club tracks heading into Nu-Disco tropes reminiscent of Drugdealer or Poolside, as evident on the track Things I'd Like To Say. While Supernatural sails back and forth from calm seas to tsunamis, Change keeps the pace through a turbo chilled Post-Adult Contemporary afterparty.

Listen to our Rock N Roll Hotline interview with Cindy Wilson here.