Our 50 Most Anticipated Releases of 2017: PART 2
Posted: by The Editor
Here’s part two of our 2017 anticipation series. Be on the lookout for releases by all of these incredible artists throughout the year. If there’s an artist that you think we’re missing, please let us know! We’re always looking to discover new music.
You can see our first 25 picks in Part 1 (here), Part 2 is below!
Looming
There is so much about Looming to love. A punky, mathy band, they incorporate a bunch of different elements from both of these genres in their tracks, and it’s all sewn together by the unique and incredible vocalist Jessica Knight. No one has a voice like hers, and it is just entrancing. Their debut album Nailbiter was one of my favorite releases of 2015 for these very reasons. Looming are working on some new music and I am very excited to see if they can follow up on these past successes. – Hendo
Meat Wave
Meat Wave make this really ultra-rad garage-y ratboy punk? I guess? It really lives in its own small contained riot that you want to jump on top of if only you could pin it down. What gets me is the vocal delivery. Its so unique to the band and fucking great to sink into. Kinda sweet and saucy, kinda gnarly and rolling. Like being shouted at across an empty factory. Previous album, “Delusion Moon” was a total banger and the new songs we’ve heard from upcoming album “The Incessant” sounds like its going to better than it. So stoked. —Findlay
Moses
When it comes to creating indie music in today’s world, it can be difficult to write material that’s interesting, catchy, and still refreshing at the same time. Of those who are able to meet this criteria, few do it as well as Moses. Hailing from Grand Rapids, Moses have been hard at work over the past few years making a name for themselves in various DIY scenes all over Michigan. With two very well-received EP’s dating as far back as 2013 already under their belt, these experimental indie rockers are seasoned musicians gearing up to put out a truly special release in 2017. The band crafts an eclectic, spacey blend of indie rock that completely envelopes you in a wall of ambient textures when experienced live. If you’re in the area and this description intrigues you, go see them open for LVL UP & Palm at Mac’s Bar in Lansing, MI on February 24th. For fans of ambient, ethereal indie music, Moses is certainly an important band to keep on the radar this year. —Alex Boundy
Our Staff’s Music
Anderson’s band Pictures of Vernon has a new record coming soon. AJ’s band Bleak Falls also is working on some new music, and I believe Tommy’s band The Weak Days also has some new tunes cooking. Our staff is so talented. Definitely take a listen to their new music in 2017. – Hendo
Prince Daddy
I loved Prince Daddy’s EP Adult Summers because it was a perfect combination of Jeff Rosenstock’s versatile DIY sound, Rozwell Kid’s guitar solos, and PUP’s energy. Somehow their debut album, I Thought You Didn’t Even Like Leaving, was all this but even more well executed. We nominated the album for our AOTY award in 2016, the first debut album ever to be nominated for our highest award. The Prince Daddy dudes have only show more encouraging signs since, and word on the street is they are already writing LP 2. I can’t wait. – Hendo
Pope
Pope are a hazy lo-fi band who are made up of many of the same members as Donovan Wolfington (another great band we might see a release from in 2017). Pope’s last two releases, Fiction and Known Weed Smoker, have created immersive soundscapes. I love tuning in and just fading into the guitar tones. I expect more of that same good stuff on their upcoming record. – Hendo
Pwr Bttm
This here, queer, glitter-glam band has taken the DIY world and beyond by storm. The highly anticipated upcoming album will come after over a year of waiting. Their 2015 debut album Ugly Cherries was the perfect blend of pop, punk, and glam that we’ve all been looking for. The reaction to their first album showcased their universal appeal, and I believe that their second full length will only further that point. The duo’s unique and effortless ability to transition from soft, intimate, and vulnerable to fun, fast, and empowering in the blink of an eye is what sets them apart, and is the crowning jewel on these queens of pop’s career. – Delaney
Queens of the Stone Age
Between riff-master Josh Homme’s involvement as a musician/producer/tour-mate with Iggy Pop’s Post Pop Depression album cycle and Troy Van Leeuwen joining forces with Mastodon and ATDI members to create Gone Is Gone, QOTSA members have kept busy since concluding their touring cycle of 2013’s …Like Clockwork. The desert rockers are expected to hit the studio and release a new album since their other pursuits have wound down. A discography that had progressed from the garage to restricted, drug-fueled hypnosis, to screaming through the California desert to Joshua Tree, to steady, paralyzing croons, to an experimental success, Homme and co. found themselves with a collection of lush, poppy rock songs for ...Like Clockwork. Even with the newfound use of elements of pop ballads, the album still delivered raunchy riffs and a solo for the ages, offering the evidence that no matter which direction QOTSA may take for this album, they are still rooted in rock excellence. While Grohl has dropped by in previous installations of the band, and they have mastered the use of subtle collaboration, this album should also allow drummer Jon Theodore (The Mars Volta) to have sole drumming responsibilities. Though he may set up shop behind a piano every now and then, Homme and the rest of QOTSA will undoubtedly provide one of the few “mainstream” (I use that term loosely due to the world’s apparent inability to look deeper than “No One Knows” and “Little Sister) rock records that will be more than worth a damn. —Dan
Ratboys
Not quite folk punk, not quite pop punk, just pure beautiful music, Ratboys fall in a category fairly new to the DIY family. These Chicago sweethearts have set their place at the post-country emo table. Vocalist Julia Steiner has a voice so unique and distinct that it’s impossible to ignore and equally impossible to not love. Their 2016 split release with Dowsing gave us a small taste of what is to come, but in reality it only made me more impatient for the next full length. – Delaney
Real Estate
Sure, a new Real Estate record may not be as exciting as it was in, say, 2011 – but still, their layered guitars and breezy indie rock affectation are pleasant if nothing else. On their newest single, “Darling,” Real Estate cling to their usual formula, but patches of spacy reverb and a willowy bass-line set the track apart. In Mind is out mid-march on Domino Records. – Riley
Rozwell Kid
Rozwell Kid are one of my favorite bands in existence. Weezer-esque riffs and completely wacky (yet meaningful) lyrics, make them one of the most exciting rock bands out there, and certainly one of the best live shows. They are in the studio right now working on their next record, and I can almost guarantee it will be an incredible listen. Also so, so excited for the SideOneDummy PR campaign for the release. They create top notch content, and with a band as fun as Rozwell Kid, I know it’ll be a match made in heaven. – Hendo
Sorority Noise
Every time this band puts something out it seems they’ve matured at twice the speed that they should’ve since their last release. Aside from Cameron Boucher’s instantly recognizable voice, 2014’s Forgettable, 2015’s Joy, Departed and 2016’s It Kindly Stopped For Me could be confused for three completely different bands. On the lead single for their upcoming third full-length You’re Not As ____ As You Think, the Connecticut-by-Philly quartet figured out a way to meld all three of their past directions—the hooky prowess of their debut, the post-rocky ambition of Joy, and the narratives of last year’s EP that saw Boucher reflecting on the passing of his friends, rather than on directly personal matters—into one of the most well-written songs of their career. The band has a history of stuffing numerous styles into one project, so this probably isn’t an accurate indication of what the entire record will sound like. Regardless, they’ve never before sounded this put-together and that’s a promising sign. —Eli
The Free Nationals
After an incomparable 2016, we can officially call Anderson .Paak a star. And if you weren’t convinced, he and his band, the Free Nationals, will be accompanying Bruno Mars on his 24K Magic tour in the Spring. Following their work on last year’s fantastic Anderson .Paak solo LP Malibu, the Free Nationals will release an album of their own sometime this year. This is great news for fans of limitless blends of vivacious funk, soul, rap, and rock. – Riley
The Orwells
The Orwells realeased one of my favourite records of 2014 titled Disgraceland. Even though it didn’t do so well with critics – like we care anyways – it was still a pretty damn fun rock album. It swayed back and forth between being a tad overly ambitious and a collection of party jams there were still enjoyable in my opinion. This year, with the help of four (yes four!) singles already released, The Orwells want to prove that there’s more to them than just a party band with a southern tinge. I didn’t think I would anticipate their upcoming release – entitled Terrible Human Beings – as much as I have been, but so far, the singles have hooked and have given me the impression that were in again for a pretty solid rock n roll album, only this time, the ambitious expectations from the band could very well be met. – Steven
The Shins
16 years after their landmark debut, The Shins are gearing up to release just their fifth full-length record. It’s clear that Mercer is a quality over quantity guy, often taking long breaks between records. The project’s most recent LP arrived almost a full 5 years ago in the rich, maximalist Port of Morrow – an unexpectedly strong contender for second-best Shins record. The band’s latest single, “Name for You,” is a quirky pop tune and a reason to be excited for March 10th – when Heartworms drops on Columbia records. – Riley
Tool
Since 2010 I’ve been calling each year, “the Year of Tool”. And it’s now 2017. So welcome, TO THE YEAR OF TOOL, BABY!!! WOOOOOOOOOOO (if this album doesn’t come out this year, I’ll make it my fucking self). – Findlay
The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die
Everything TWIABP released in 2016 was somehow at or above the quality of 2015’s post-emo masterpiece Harmlessness. Their impending album will be the first without founding member D. Nicole Shanholtzer, who quietly departed from the self-stated “constantly expanding and contracting” lineup late last year, but that probably won’t have any impact on the quality of their output; the single they released a couple months back, “Body Without Organs,” was fantastic. Whether the band chooses to explore the heaviness of that and “Katamari Duquette” (which was actually a B-side from Harmlessness), or further delve into the intricacies and subtleties that made “Smoke & Felt,” their half of the Sorority Noise split, so enjoyable, the end product will undoubtedly be incredibly satisfying. —Eli
Turnstile
Turnstile are hardcore’s superstars right now and they still, as shown by last year’s blistering Move Thru Me EP, have yet to put out a bad song. Ever. Therefore, it’s unlikely that the Baltimore quintet will drop anything less than great in 2017. What I’m curious about is whether or not they’ll utilize their position at the top of their historically politically outspoken scene to unleash a long-overdue, socially impactful punk record. If any band has the means to do it in 2017 it’s them. They’ve already fostered a strikingly positive and progressive community through their image, their message, and how they run their shows; they’ve got Roadrunner Records behind them to push this thing to places smaller labels couldn’t feasibly reach; and they quite honestly sound similar enough to the last band to fill that role—Rage Against the Machine, like Turnstile, had a melting pot-of-a-sound that was just accessible enough to appeal to all corners of the rock world, including snotty punks who were too cool for most radio rock—to sound like they’re qualified to carry that torch. Their music hasn’t necessarily taken a political stance in the past, but they clearly have the ability to unite music fans already, so this wouldn’t be too big of a jump. Just a thought. —Eli
Vagabon
So far we have heard three songs from this LP and things are sounding good. Catchy indie/pop sounds with a definite punk rock influence. ‘Minneapolis’ gives me major Diet Cig vibes. Speaking of which, Father/Daughter is on fire these days. Really excited to hear the rest of the album. – Hendo
Wavves
Wavves made headlines a few months back by banning Trump supporters, homophobes and racists from their North American tour. Fuck ya! If that’s any indication of how 2017 is going to be for the band, I expect we should be in for an interesting album, which would be their sixth full length. Even though a lot of people believe a lot of music released this year will be politically-driven, I’m really excited to see what the beach-bum lo-fi skate rockers can conjure up, if anything at all that is. Their 2015 release V, didn’t really wow me, even though I still thought it was perfectly fine and enjoyable, it left me craving for a bit more spunk, and I think they’ll make up for it in 2017. – Steven
Who Loves You
Equal parts slacker rock, noise, and apathy, Boston’s Who Loves You are set to release one of my most anticipated records of 2017. The duo, comprised of Adam DaSilva and Parker Ackerman, are coming into the new year riding high off of their impressive late-2016 Counter Intuitive release Green & Tangerine. Eight tracks in length, Green & Tangerine laid a steady framework for the group, gaining them much-deserved attention and establishing their nostalgic brand of noise-laden punk that’s as chaotic and loud as it is catchy. The band plans on heading into the studio to record their first LP this spring, so expect to see a release from them later this year. If you enjoy bands such as Built to Spill, Archers of Loaf, or anyone on Exploding in Sound’s roster, you should make Who Loves You a band to watch out for in 2017. – Alex Boundy
Zack de la Rocha
I don’t want to jinx this one, but 2017 might finally be the year that we hear the debut solo hip-hop album from Rage Against The Machine vocalist Zach De La Rocha. He appeared on the new Run The Jewels album and there has been hints that his album is almost done. Please, can it come in 2017? We need it badly in this political climate. – Hendo
