I missed the boat on the staff-wide feature thanks in part to a hectic work week, a desire not to cut-paste from my track reviews, and general laziness.  In retrospect, that turned out pretty awesome (thanks in a large part to Jom’s orchestration of the feature) so I’ll have to do better and contribute to the Q2 playlist.   But for now, I’d just like to get my favorite 10 songs from Jan.-Mar. 2017 out there for your consumption.  I’d consider them all to be essential listens if you stay current week-to-week, especially in the indie-rock / indie-folk scene.   I tend to be long-winded with everything I do, so below each track/artwork I’ve included 3 simple notions that represent feelings, memories, or lyrics I associate with experiencing that particular piece.  Anyway, without further ado, here are my top 10 tracks of the year’s first quarter.

#10 – Teen Daze: “Cycle”

Genre: Indie-Folk  |  Listen if you like: Immersing your senses in nature

Melting snow

Leaves blowing in a spring breeze

“You are the only one that speaks into me”

#9 – SUSTO: “Far Out Feeling”

Genre: Indie/Americana  |  Listen if you like: Unexpected string sections

Misty mornings

Lost in a stream of consciousness

“Gonna lay my head down soft in the grass…I’ll make my way to that far off, far out feeling”

#8 – Peter Silberman: “Ahimsa”

Genre: Indie-folk/lo-fi  |  Listen if you like: The Antlers, duh

Stop the violence

Calm after a storm

“Instead of deafening nonsense…share silence”

#7 – Depeche Mode: “The Worst Crime”

Genre: Rock/Industrial  |  Listen if you like: Political commentary in your music

Fascism and hate

We’re all to blame

“There’s a lynching in the square / You will have to join us”

#6 – Lorde: “Liability”

Genre: Pop  |  Listen if you like: Hearing someone beat Regina Spektor at her own game

Hearts shattering

Emotionally exhausted

“We slow dance in the living room, but all that a stranger would see is one girl swaying alone, stroking her cheek”

#5 – Fleet Foxes: “Third of May / Odaigahara”

Genre: Indie-Folk/Rock  |  Listen if you like: Simon & Garfunkel if they were left in the woods with nothing but an ax and a guitar

Horses galloping 

Mountains of pine

“Aren’t we made to be crowded together, like leaves?”

#4 – Vancouver Sleep Clinic: “Someone To Stay”

Genre: Indie-Folk  |  Listen if you like: A well placed whoa-oh-oh

Gorgeous sunrise

Black and white, still frame memories

“Clinging to the ruin of your broken home”

#3 – Dirty Projectors: “Little Bubble”

Genre: Indie/Art-Pop  |  Listen if you like: Curling up in the fetal position and fighting tears

The one who got away

Freezing a moment

“We had our own little bubble…for a while”

#2 – Mastodon: “Jaguar God”

Genre: Sludge/Progressive Metal  |  Listen if you like: Metal that slays but still has a melodic edge

Avenged Sevenfold…wait, what?

Tumbling through a maze of epic folklore and mythology

“Terrestrial fire ascending from underground”

#1 – Alt-J: “3WW”

Genre: Indie-Rock/Art-Pop  |  Listen if you like: Things that sound other-fucking-worldly gorgeous

A crackling hearth

Laughter of children

“I just want to love you in my own language”