Times have changed. It used to be an annual ritual for friends and I to put together a year-end compilation of our favorite songs. For me, that tradition began on cassette tape and then, over the years, graduated to CD. Sometimes a double CD. Now-a-days if you hand some one a CD they look at you like you’re from the Stone Age. So rather than burn a stack of digital coasters that no one has the technology to play anymore, I’m going to spend the rest of January spotlighting some of my favorite songs from 2017 in an all-out effort to prove that 2017 wasn’t all bad — at least from a musical standpoint.
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First up, is a fantastic musician from Australia by the name of Alex Lahey. In 2017, Alex and her band released I Love You Like a Brother, the follow up to her brilliant 2016 EP, B-Grade University. I cannot say enough good things about these recordings and this artist. Punch-poppy, anthems about every-day ordinary idiosyncrasies that will have you singing and dancing along in no time. Lahey is a master at fiercely witty and self-deprecating songs that appeal to your head, your heart and your feet. In addition to releasing two flawless recordings, Alex and her band are equally entertaining live. I saw them at DC-9 just before Christmas and she tore the place down with a storming beat, catchy tunes and a great big smile. It was clear from the performance that the band was having a blast and the audience responded in kind with exuberant dancing and applause. I have no doubt that bigger Washington stages await their return.
It’s tough to single out a favorite here, but the Happy Medium Song of the Day by Alex Lahey is “I Haven’t Been Taking Care of Myself,” perhaps one of the best tributes to living an “unwholesome rock n’ roll lifestyle” I’ve ever heard. (Please use the comments box to share your thoughts.)