I don’t care about music awards or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but I noticed today that Radiohead just made the Rock and Roll HOF. I’m not a Radiohead fan, but I wonder if I would be if I could’ve found their album way back in 1993. I remember the first time I saw the “Creep” video on MTV’s 120 Minutes. The next day I went to every record store in town, and could not find Pablo Honey. For the next couple weeks I kept my eye out for it, but was never able to find it. By the time they broke out and their albums were everywhere, I was kind of over them and have never purchased an album. It’s crazy to think back to the time when it was hard to find the music I wanted. Now everything is just a few clicks away and I don’t even have to put pants on.

So here I am all caught up on my podcasts for the first time in years. I’m giving some of my favorite albums from 2017 some more listens. I’ve really been listening to a lot less music these last few years. Here are my favorite albums from 2017 in no particular order because I’m horrible at picking favorites:

• Bad Cop/Bad Cop – Warriors
• The Front Bottoms – Going Grey
• All Time Low – Last Young Renegade
• Weezer – Pacific Daydream
• Sincere Engineer – Rhombithian
• Mobina Galore – Feeling Disconnected
• New Found Glory – Makes Me Sick
• The Menzingers – After the Party

In 2018 I want to blog more and listen to more music. We will see how that works.

If you don’t get the reference in the title of this post, it’s from The Front Bottoms song “Peace Sign”. One of my favorites from 2017, and it kind of sums up what most people think about 2017.

The final of my favorite albums from my teen years is Weezer’s Blue Album. I remember seeing the video for “Undone – The Sweater Song” on 120 Minutes one night and instantly fell in love with Weezer. The next day I picked up the album and was a fan for life. Pinkerton is probably my favorite Weezer album, but I was 21 when it came out, so it didn’t qualify for this list. I’ve seen Weezer in concert more than any other band that isn’t Motion City Soundtrack. Weezer are definitely one of my top five favorite bands.

It’s been fun going back and listening to some of my favorite albums every week these posts.

Punk in Drublic was the first album that I learned about online. If I remember right, I learned about NOFX and a bunch of other punk bands reading music usenet newsgroups on AOL. Back in 1994 there were very few ISPs in our little town. AOL was about it, and they didn’t have the web yet. It was mostly just email, usenet, and AOL chat rooms. fun times.

I discovered so many bands on the usenet those days. I would make lists in hopes to find them at Best Buy. It was always a hit or miss if they had them or not. NOFX is by far my favorite from those days, and still love them to this day.

Pavement’s first album, Slanted and Enchanted, is often thought of as their best album. I love all of their albums, but Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain was the first I heard. It holds a special place in my heart. I remember seeing the “Cut Your Hair” video in college and instantly fell in love with Pavement. Their third album, Wowee Zowee is probably my favorite, but I was 20 when it was released so it’s disqualified from this list.

It was a toss-up for what Letters to Cleo album to put on this list. I love Aurora Gory Alice and Wholesale Meats and Fish pretty equally, but Aurora Gory Alice is the album that made Letters to Cleo a household name. Letters to Cleo are one of my all time favorites from the 90s. I’m bummed I’ve never had a chance to see them live. It’s great that the band is back together making music again, maybe someday I’ll get to see them.

Most people probably don’t know who Frente! is. They are an Australian band that have been together on and off since the early 90s. They basically only have two studio albums, and I really fell in love with Marvin the Album in college in 1993. I’m listening to it now for the first time in probably 15 years, and it’s still great. I wish I knew how to describe it better, but you know what, you have the internet. You can go listen yourself.