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# Favorite Songs of 2017 and Other Stuff
- URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/favorite-songs-of-2017-and-other-stuff/
- Published: 2017-12-21T14:49:57.000Z
- Updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:52.000Z
- Author: Brendan Hilliard
- Tags: #Import 2026-06-24 03:26, #Import 2026-06-24 15:11

My Top Songs of 2017 playlist, favorite non-2017 discovery and Honorable Mention albums, as well as my Favorite Moments of 2017.

**My Top Songs:** 

Also, [4:44 ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSkA61esq%5Fc&ref=obviatemedia.net)by Jay-Z.

**Everything I Listened To:**

I made a playlist for every month this year of everything I listened to individually (excluding albums). Check it out. This will have additions through December 31\. 

Favorite Non-2017 Discovery:

Silkworm – *Lifestyle*  
Culture Abuse – *Peach*

Honorable Mention Albums:

Broken Social Scene – *Hug of Thunder*  
Daddy Issues – *Deep Dream*  
Thundercat – *Drunk*  
Cory Branan – *Adios*  
Jay Som – *Everybody Works*  
Iron Chic – *You Can’t Stay Here*  
Worriers – *Survival Pop*  
Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile – *Lotta Sea Lice*  
Telethon – *The Grand Spontanean*  
Arcade Fire – *Everything Now*

**Other Stuff**

**Personal:** [Writing for Noisey](https://noisey.vice.com/en%5Fus/article/3dmye5/hear-cory-branans-death-record-adios?ref=obviatemedia.net), [being published in an actual magazine](https://s3.amazonaws.com/content.sitezoogle.com/u/217427/e8bc3151a797e5b06e649c8b723604239d31beaa/original/35-daddyissues.pdf?response-content-type=application/pdf&scheme=&X-Amz-Expires=7200&X-Amz-Date=20171221T153209Z&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAJUKM2ICUMTYS6ISA/20171221/us-east-1/s3/aws4%5Frequest&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=15112b4a9bcb074c5db6e5706df094f0b8b586312a5e0f622f5b0bd904211377&ref=obviatemedia.net) writing about music for the first time in New Noise Magazine. All the cool opportunities through [Riot Fest](https://riotfest.org/author/brendanhilliard/?ref=obviatemedia.net), [VinylMnky](https://www.scenepointblank.com/staff/brendan-hilliard/?ref=obviatemedia.net), [Scene Point Blank](https://www.scenepointblank.com/staff/brendan-hilliard/?ref=obviatemedia.net) and others. Seeing Springsteen on Broadway. I think about it every day. Hamilton on New Year’s Day. Meeting musicians I admire all year long.

**Travel:** Louisville, Memphis, New York a few times, my first trip to Vegas (which I loved). Eau Claire for a quick weekend trip (It’s a cool little town!)

**Health and Wellness:** PRing my fourth 5K on the April 29 Race to Wrigley. Going to the chiropractor, massage and acupuncture for the first time in my life. 

**The Hold Steady:** Two residencies in Chicago and Brooklyn. The Empty Bottle show is and will remain a great and perfect show in my memory. Stage invasion. Helping develop the coffee blend with Dark Matter is a personal sense of pride for me. Brooklyn, also fun, crazy busy as usual. Watching everyone freak out about “Entitlement Crew” and “Snake in the Shower” was awesome, too. 

**Wrestling:** Witnessing Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate at NXT Takeover: Chicago, Finn vs. AJ, Cena vs. AJ at the Rumble. Good shows generally all year. I purchashed my first Bullet Club shirt. Found myself watching less this year than last, but it was still very enjoyable and match quality is so good these days.

**Food:** SO MANY great spots.

Chicago area: Mi Tocaya Antojería, Fat Rice, Wyler Road, MingHin Cuisine, Bleuroot, River Street Tavern, Proxi, Big Jones

Cleveland: Bakersfield Cleveland, Sokolowski’s University Inn, Mabel’s BBQ

Eau Claire: The Lakely 

Grand Rapids area: Spanky’s Pizza

Las Vegas: China Poblano, Yellowtail Sushi 

Louisville: Grale Haus, Milkwood, Steel City Pops

Memphis: Hog and Hominy, Tops BBQ, Catherine and Mary’s

New York: Frankel’s Delicatessen, Má Pêche

**Music:** Trash Pandas released an album this year called[ Apocalypse Nah](https://wearetrashpandas.bandcamp.com/album/apocalypse-nah?ref=obviatemedia.net). No one bought it. We were very tired and in a hot basement.

[![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Screen-Shot-2017-12-21-at-1.41.21-PM-1024x106.png?resize=830%2C86)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Screen-Shot-2017-12-21-at-1.41.21-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net)

**Shows**

I saw a personal record 47 shows this year. [Take a look](https://www.concertarchives.org/brendan-hilliard/years/2017?ref=obviatemedia.net).