KEXP Staff, Volunteers & Interns Top 10 Albums of 2017, Part 1

End-of-Year Countdown, 2017 Countdown
12/28/2017
Dusty Henry
Ibeyi // photo by Renata Steiner

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
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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

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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

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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

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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 

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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

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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

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