Throughout the month of December, KEXP has been counting down our top albums. From Top 10 lists from our DJs to the Top 90.3 of 2017 voted by listeners, we've chronicled a wide array of some of this year's most thrilling released. Now we're turning the mic over to our behind the scenes staff, volunteers, and interns who help keep the station running. Here are their favorite albums of 2017. How do their lists line-up with yours? (And stay tuned for Part 2, launching tomorrow.) <style type="text/css">table.tableizer-table { font-size: 12px; border: 1px solid #CCC; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; } .tableizer-table td { padding: 4px; margin: 3px; border: 1px solid #CCC; } .tableizer-table th { background-color: #104E8B; color: #FFF; font-weight: bold; } </style>
Aarin Wright | DJ Assistant for El Sonido | |
---|---|---|
Ibeyi | Ash | XL Recordings |
Nick Hakim | Green Twins | ATO Records |
Gabriel Garzón-Montano | Jardín | STONES THROW |
Cuco | Songs4u | Self Released |
ÌFÉ | Iiii+Iiii | Discos Ifá |
Tei Shi | Crawl Space | Interscope Records |
Chicano Batman | Freedom is Free | ATO Records |
Nitty Scott | Creature! | Indigenous Digital |
Juanes | Mis Planes Son Amarte | NATIONAL OWN |
Bomba Estéreo | Ayo | Sony Music Latin |
Alaia D'Alessandro | Video Producer | |
---|---|---|
Downtown Boys | Cost Of Living | Sub Pop |
Perfume Genius | No Shape | Matador Records |
doNormaal | Third Daughter | self-released |
Stas THEE Boss | S'women | self-released |
Valerie June | The Order of Time | Concord Music |
Sweeping Exits | Glitter & Blood | self-released |
Emma Lee Toyoda | Sewn Me Anew | Make Fart Records |
Gorillaz | Humanz | Parlophone |
Parlophone | Las Cafeteras | Tastes Like LA |
Hurray for the Riff Raff | The Navigator | ATO Records |
The xx // photo by Amber Knecht
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Amanda Lynn | Poly-Volunteer (Front Desk, Hospitality, Tabling, Events, Phones, Mailing) | |
---|---|---|
Slowdive | Slowdive | Dead Oceans |
ODESZA | A Moment Apart | Counter |
Portugal the Man | Woodstock | Atlantic |
The xx | I See You | Young Turks |
The Black Angels | Death Song | Partisan Records |
The Courtneys | The Courtneys II | Flying Nun |
Rainer Maria | Rainer Maria | Polyvinyl |
Pickwick | LoveJoys | self-released |
Alvvays | Antisocialites | Polyvinyl |
Beck | Colors | Capitol |
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Ann Allen | Lead DJ Assistant/DJ Assistant for the Afternoon Show | |
---|---|---|
Sylvan Esso | What Now | Loma Vista |
Kendrick Lamar | Damn | TDE/Aftermath/Interscope |
Bonobo | Migration | Ninja Tune |
Chastity Belt | I Used To Spend So Much Time Alone | Hardly Art |
Beck | Colors | Capitol |
Slowdive | Slowdive | Dead Oceans |
Pond | The Weather | Marathon Artists |
Mogwai | Every Country's Sun | Temporary Residence |
Thundercat | Drunk | Brainfeeder |
Ryan Adams | Prisoner | Pax AM |
METZ // photo by Brady Harvey
Ari Rosenschein | Development Communications Manager | |
---|---|---|
Bell Witch | Mirror Reaper | Profound Lore Records |
Briana Marela | Call It Love | Jagjaguwar Records |
Godspeed You! Black Emperor | Luciferian Towers | Constellation Records |
Aimee Mann | Mental Illness | SuperEgo Records |
Boris | Dear | Southern Lord Records |
Ryan Adams | Prisoner | Pax-Am Records |
METZ | Strange Peace | Sub Pop Records |
The Body & Full of Hell | Ascending a Mountain of Heavy Light | Thrill Jockey |
Wolves In The Throne Room | Thrice Woven | Artemisia Records |
Amenra Mass | VI | Neurot Recordings |
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Brady Harvey | DJ Assistant for Atticus / Photographer | |
---|---|---|
Slowdive | Slowdive | Dead Oceans |
Grandaddy | Last Place | Columbia |
LCD Soundsystem | American Dream | DFA Records/Columbia |
Thundercat | Drunk | Brainfeeder |
Ride | Weather Diaries | Wichita Recordings |
Charlotte Gainsbourg | Rest | Because Music |
Curtis Harding | Face Your Fear | ANTI- |
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard | Flying Microtonal Banana | ATO Records |
Nick Hakim | Green Twins | ATO Records |
Shitkid | Fish | PNKSLM Recordings |
Fleet Foxes // photo by Dave Lichterman
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Brian Hill | Music and Business Support | |
---|---|---|
Fleet Foxes | Crack-Up | Nonesuch |
LCD Soundsystem | American Dream | DFA / Columbia |
Migos | Culture | 300 Entertainment |
Kendrick Lamar | DAMN. | TDE |
Oneohtrix Point Never | "Good Time" OST | WARP |
Mount Kimbie | Love What Survives | WARP |
King Krule | The Ooz | True Panther |
Spirit Award | Neverending | Union Zero |
St. Vincent | MASSEDUCTION | Loma Vista |
Toro Y Moi | Boo Boo | Carpark |
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Brittany Ward | DJ Assistant for Street Sounds | |
---|---|---|
Kendrick Lamar | DAMN. | Top Dawg Entertainment |
SZA | Ctrl | Top Dawg Entertainment |
Syd | Fin | Columbia Records |
Childish Gambino | "Awaken, My Love!" | Glassnote Records |
Khalid | American Teen | Right Hand Music Group |
Porter Ray | Watercolor | Sub Pop |
Mount Eerie | A Crow Looked At Me | P.W. Elverum & Sun |
DoNormaal | Third Daughter | Self-Released |
Aminé | Good For You | Republic Records |
Taylar Elizza Beth | Fresh Cut Flowers EP | Self-Released |
Downtown Boys // photo by Rachel White
Caroline Anne | Guest Services Coordinator | |
---|---|---|
Mogwai | Every Country's Sun | Rock Action Records -Temporary Residence LTD |
Strand of Oaks | Hard Love | Creation Records |
Downtown Boys | Cost of Living | Sub Pop |
Mammut | Kinder Versions | Bella Union |
The Gods Themselves | Be My Animal | Music for the Manmade |
Father John Misty | Pure Comedy | Sub Pop |
alt-j | Relaxer | Infectious Music |
SassyBlack | New Black Swing | self-released |
Chris Stapleton | From A Room: Volume 2 | Mercury - Nashville |
Dropkick Murphys | 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory | Born and Bred records |
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Charina Pitzel | Photographer, DJ Assistant for the Afternoon Show, and Art Exhibit Producer | |
---|---|---|
Bonobo | Migration | Ninja Tune |
Broken Social Scene | Hug of Thunder | Arts & Crafts |
Curtis Harding | Face Your Fear | Anti- |
Daughter | Music from "Before The Storm" | 4AD |
Gord Downie | Introduce Yerself | Arts & Crafts |
Grizzly Bear | Painted Ruins | RCA |
Mikko Joensuu | Amen III | Svart |
Mogwai | Every Country's Sun | Temporary Residence Limited |
Slowdive | Slowdive | Dead Oceans |
Wolf Parade | Cry Cry Cry | Sub Pop |
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard // photo by Amber Knecht
Colby Whitton | Music Underwriting & Business Support Intern | |
---|---|---|
Washed Out | Mister Mellow | Stones Throw Records |
Ariel Pink | Dedicated to Bobby Jameson | Mexican Summer |
Thundercat | Drunk | Brainfeeder |
Feist | Pleasure | Interscope Records |
John Maus | Screen Memories | Ribbon Music |
LCD Soundsystem | American Dream | DFA/Columbia Records |
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard/ Mild High Club | Sketches of Brunswick East | ATO Records |
King Krule | The Ooz | True Panther Sounds |
Mac Demarco | This Old Dog | Captured Tracks |
Homeshake | Fresh Air | Sinderlyn |
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David Schilling | Events Intern | |
---|---|---|
Gorillaz | Humanz | Parlophone |
Mista Savona | Havana Meets Kingston | VP Records |
Thievery Corporation | Temple of I & I | ESL Music |
Benjamin Booker | Witness | ATO Records & Rough Trade Records |
Curtis | Harding Face Your Fears | Anti- Records |
Downtown Boys | Cost of Living | Sub Pop |
Charly Bliss | Guppy Barsuk | Records |
Sampha | Process | Young Turks |
The xx | I See You | Young Turks |
Future Islands | The Far Field | 4AD |
CHARMS // photo by Brady Harvey
Dusty Henry | Digital Content Producer (local albums) | |
---|---|---|
Darto | Human Giving | Aago Records |
CHARMS | Human Error | Killroom Records |
DoNormaal | Third Daughter | self-released |
Chastity Belt | I Used To Spend So Much Time Alone | Hardly Art |
Lushloss | Asking/Bearing | Hush Hush Records |
Great Grandpa | Plastic Cough | Double Double Whammy |
Posse | Horse Blanket | Self-Released |
AJ Suede | Gotham Fortress | Blackhouse Records |
D. Tiffany | Blue Dream | Pacific Rhythm |
Naomi Punk | Yellow | Captured Tracks |
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Dusty Henry | (non-local albums) | |
---|---|---|
Jay Som | Everybody Works | Polyvinyl Records |
Father John Misty | Pure Comedy | Sub Pop |
Kendrick Lamar | DAMN. | Top Dawg Entertainment |
Thundercat | Drunk | Brainfeeder |
Slowdive | Slowdive | Dead Oceans |
Vince Staples | Big Fish Theory | Def Jam Recordings |
LCD Soundsystem | American Dream | DFA Records/Columbia |
O+S | You Were Once The Sun, Now You're The Moon | Saddle Creek |
Yves Tumor | Experiencing the Deposit of Faith | self-released |
Broken Social Scene | Hug of Thunder | Arts & Crafts |
Slowdive // photo by Charina Pitzel
Emily Harrop | Production Intern for the Morning Show and Front Desk Volunteer | |
---|---|---|
Slowdive | Slowdive | Dead Oceans |
The National | Sleep Well Beast | 4AD |
The Black Angels | Death Song | Partisan Records |
Sylvan Esso | What Now | Loma Vista Recordings |
LCD Soundsystem | American Dream | DFA Records/Columbia |
Austra | Future Politics | Domino |
Alvvays | Antisocialites | Polyvinyl Record Co. |
Perfume Genius | No Shape | Matador Records |
Offa Rex | The Queen of Hearts | Nonesuch Records Inc. |
Algiers | The Underside of Power | Matador Records |
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Greta Rose Heller | Board Operator of KEXP and DJ Assistant for the Midday Show | |
---|---|---|
Kendrick Lamar | DAMN. | Aftermath Records/ Interscope Records |
Alice Coltrane | World Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane | Turiyasangitananda Luaka Bop |
DoNormaal | Third Daughter | self-released |
Moses Sumney | Aromanticism | Jagjaguwar |
Ibeyi | Ash XL | Recordings |
TOPS | Sugar at the Gate | Arbutus Records |
Widowspeak | Expect the Best | Captured Tracks |
Kamasi Washington | Truth | Young Turks |
Curtis Harding | Face your Fear | Anti- |
Stas Thee Boss | S'women | self-released |
ALVVAYS // photo by Morgen Schuler
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Jacob Webb | Licensing & Podcasting Coordinator | |
---|---|---|
Kendrick Lamar | DAMN. | Aftermath/Interscope/TDE |
Slowdive | Slowdive | Dead Oceans |
Japanese Breakfast | Soft Sounds From Another Planet | Dead Oceans |
Lorde | Melodrama | Universal |
Mount Kimbie | Love What Survives | Warp |
Jay Som | Everybody Works | Polyvinyl |
Alvvays | Antisocialites | Polyvinyl |
Alex Lahey | I Love You Like A Brother | Dead Oceans |
Charlotte Gainsbourg | Rest | Because Music |
Feist | Pleasure | Polydor |
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Jasper Jones | Traffic Intern | |
---|---|---|
Ibeyi | Ash | XL Recordings |
Kendrick Lamar | DAMN. | TDE |
Waxahatchee | Out in the Storm | Merge Records |
Khalid | American Teen | Right Hand Music Group |
King Krule | The Ooz | True Panther Sounds |
FKJ | French Kiwi Juice | Roche Musique |
Girlpool | Powerplant | Anti- |
SZA | Ctrl | TDE |
Sabrina Claudio | About Time | SC Entertainment |
Alt-J | Relaxer | Infectious Music |
For the rest of the year, we'll be spotlighting our KEXP DJs Top Albums of 2017. Check out the Top 90.3 Albums of 2017, as voted on by our listeners. And check out more top albums from KEXP DJs, staff, and volunteers here.
For the rest of the year, we'll be spotlighting our KEXP DJs Top Albums of 2017, leading up to our 2017 Top 90.3 Album Countdown! Voting ends on Friday, December 8th at 6:00 PM PT, so let us know your favorites now, and tune in on Friday, December 15th to hear if your picks made the list!