Jordan Adams, music editor for Seven Days, shares his three favorite albums of 2017.
Adams began his music editor role earlier this year, and his favorite albums all come from the Burlington area. They range through a variety of genres: electronic, indie rock and hip-hop:
Ebn Ezra, Pax Romana
"He [Ebn Ezra] makes this really beautiful synth-based music and he uses entirely software instruments," Adams says. "He recorded all of his vocals with his internal computer microphone and as someone who has tried that in the past, he gets a really good sound and the album is just simply gorgeous."
Swale, There's No One Here
Swale has been making music since 2002. So why include them on a best-of list in 2017?
"Because they're just old pros," Adams says. "They've been around the block, they all kind of cut their chops in the 90's and I think you really hear that sort of 90's alternative sound in their new album, and it's just so well-produced and songs are so smart and just https://vimeo.com/247865626">really relatable."
Sam & Somba, The South Cove Ep
This young duo – real names Sam Paulino and Caleb Hoh – debuted this year with a self-released EP on SoundCloud.
"This EP was just astounding," Adams says, "really kind of mixing weird vocals, vocal samples and weird samples from, you know, old recorded music. And Sam is just, you know, so clever and smart with his lyrics."
Adams' Favorite New Artist: Julia Caesar
Three female vocalists and musicians front Burlington-based Julia Caesar, which Adams says is "everyone's favorite new band."
"The thing about Julius Caesar that's really funny is that no one seems to be able to describe them. On the one hand, they're this sort of Americana-infused band, but they also have these long tripped-out psychedelic breaks and, you know, very kind of like bluesy, roadhouse kind of feel."
You can find Julia Caesar's performance on the Rocketshop Live podcast here.
And here's more from Seven Days on the year in music in Vermont.
