AADL 2017 Staff Picks: Books, Movies, Music & More

MUSIC FILM & VIDEO WRITTEN WORD REVIEW

 

Ann Arbor District Library's Pittsfield branch at night, 2007.

 

Ann Arbor District Library's Pittsfield branch at night, 2007.

The list below is a collection of books, music, movies, and more that made an impression on our eyes and ears in 2017.

Kelsey Ullenbruch | Library Technician
📖  Book
At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen (2015) - Nearly a decade after the release of Water for Elephants, Gruen presents us with an engrossing period piece set in the latter part of World War II. Maddie, her husband Ellis, and his best friend Hank leave their privileged life on the East Coast and head across the war-torn Atlantic to capture evidence of the Loch Ness monster. Essentially left to her own devices as the men gallivant about the Scottish countryside, she befriends the "help" and undergoes a total social and emotional awakening. Admittedly, this book took a few chapters to capture my attention, but once it did and I allowed myself to get lost in the story, I really enjoyed it. Gruen is a beautiful storyteller and this is a great read for a cold weekend on the couch. {AADL}
📖  Audiobook
Yes, Please by Amy Poehler (2014) - This was the first audiobook that kept my attention in over four years. Poehler's mix of funny stories about motherhood, sex, and her path to becoming a comedienne, along with guest features from her parents, Seth Myers, and Kathleen Turner had me laughing the whole time. I highly recommend listening to this rather than reading it, if only for the hilarious and crass Boston accents and banter. {AADL}
Music
Hamilton: Original Broadway Cast Recording (2016) - Jump on the Hamilton train! While I have not seen the show, the CD set is a really entertaining and lively version of what you'd hear from the stage. The character development is noticeable even through lyrics alone, it's family friendly, and an easily digestible form of a history lesson. {AADL}

Jamie Ferguson | Desk Clerk
📖  Books
You Don't Have to Say You Love Me: A Memoir by Alexie Sherman (2017) {AADL}
The Last Neanderthal (2017) by Claire Cameron {AADL}
Birdie by Tracey Lindberg (2016) {AADL}
The Lost Goddess by Tom Knox (2012) {AADL}
For Her Own Good: Two Centuries of the Experts' Advice by Barbara Ehrenreich (2005) {AADL}

Heidi Pratt | Desk Clerk
🎥  Films
Try and Get Me! (1950) - After a pair of men murder their kidnapped victim, they find themselves the targets of a small-town manhunt in this suspenseful drama featuring Frank Lovejoy and Lloyd Bridges. Screenplay by Jo Pagano from his novel The Condemned. {AADL}
Frisco Kid (1979) - Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford. A Polish rabbi sets out to lead a synagogue in California and must make it through the Wild West to get there. {AADL}
📖  Book
Drops of God series (2011-2013) - A Japanese adult-manga series about wine. All the wines that appear in the comic are authentic. The story revolves around Kanzuki Shizuk, estranged from his father, a world-famous wine critic. In order to inherit it his father's wine collection, Shizuku must solve a series of puzzles left by his father to identify and describe 13 wines, the first 12 known as the "Twelve Apostles" and the 13th known as the "Drops of God" that his father has described in his will. {AADL}
Music
Donuts: 10th Anniversary by J Dilla (2016) - Donuts was released on February 7, 2006, J Dilla's 32nd birthday; he died 3 days later. In 2005, J Dilla underwent treatment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for complications brought on by thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and a form of lupus. While in hospital, he worked on two albums: Donuts and The Shining. Using a Boss SP-303 sampler and a small 45 record player his friends brought him, 29 out of 31 tracks from Donuts were recorded in hospital. A great companion to the album is the 33 1/3 series book, Donuts, by Jordan Ferguson (2014). {AADL}

Sairah Husain | Desk Clerk
📖  Books
Black Detroit: A People’s History of Self-Determination by Herb Boyd (2017) - I hosted an AADL event by memoirist Drew Philp for his acclaimed book A $500 House in Detroit. Despite memoir being a difficult genre to review, I felt like further historical context in Philp’s book would have been helpful to readers both unfamiliar and familiar with the lay of the land. Journalist and author Herb Boyd’s Black Detroit: A People’s History of Self-Determination effectively contextualizes memoir with history as he draws upon his own experience in Detroit during race riots in 1943, the history of unions in the city, as well as faith-based community organizing. I’m still getting through this one, but I’ve really liked what I’ve read so far. {AADL}
This Is Not a Border: Reportage & Reflection From the Palestine Festival of Literature edited by Ahdaf Soueif & Omar Robert Hamilton (2017) - This collection of essays and poetry catalogs each participating writer’s experience at the Palestine Festival of Literature, or PalFest. I especially enjoyed the essays connecting South Asia -- particularly India, Pakistan, and Kashmir -- to Israel-Palestine. In the essay “India and Israel: An Ideological Convergence,” author Pankaj Mishra’s parallels Zionism and Hindu nationalism in an eye-opening, unsettling way, pointing to the assassination of Gandhi as a product of deadly extreme nationalist logic. {AADL}
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid (2017) - This is Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid’s latest novel and it hit every other national and international bestseller/favorites list. The love story and magical realism imagery in Exit West is enchanting and Hamid effectively encapsulates lead couple Nadia and Saeed’s feelings of displacement, belonging, and love. {AADL}
Chemistry by Weike Wang (2017) - Wang weaves heavy big-life type (in)decision-making on relationships as well as career and academics with humor and general lightheartedness in her debut novel. {AADL}
Middle Bear by Susanna Isern (2017) - A picture book for all those middle children out there. {AADL}
Yo Soy Muslim: A Father’s Letter to His Daughter by Mark Gonzales (2017) - “Our prayers were here before any borders were.” {AADL}

Marianne Taylor | Desk Clerk
📖  Books
My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent (2017) - A tough story, but the writing is so incredible that you can't help but love this book. {AADL}
Promise Me, Dad by Joe Biden (2017) - A wonderful way to get a little insight on what the former vice president did while in office, as well as a touching story of a father and son's loving relationship. {AADL}
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (2017) - You will adore Eleanor and all of her quirkiness, and your heart will break for her tragic life. {AADL}
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid (2017) - A love story, with a dash of fantasy, that hits on current world issues and the ups and downs of relationships. {AADL}
The Bright Hour by Nina Riggs (2017) - A memoir that should break your heart but makes you laugh while crying. {AADL}
Music
Indian Ocean by Frazey Ford (2014) - Not new, but I adore her. {AADL}
B'lieve I'm Goin’ Down by Kurt Vile (2015) - A great CD to drive to. {AADL}
🎥  Film
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) - How can't you love anything with Francis Mcdormand? {Rotten Tomatoes}
📺  TV
All of these mini series kept me wanting to get home and watch TV! I had to to put reading aside while they took over my life.
Big Little Lies (2017) {AADL}
The Handmaids Tale (2017) {IMDB}
Alias Grace (2017) {IMDB}
Ozark (2017) {IMDB}

Christian Anderson | Desk Clerk
🎥  Film
Enemy (2013) - Moviegoers have become familiar with director Denis Villeneuve through his recent blockbusters Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, but for those wishing for something more pleasantly disquieting, there's Enemy. Conjuring the surreal dread of David Lynch with echoes of Michael Haneke's portrayal of suburban anxiety, Enemy casts a jaundiced pall (hotel rooms and skylines are filtered through a murky yellow) over the classic doppelganger motif, but in a way that makes you look forward to your next nap, in which you'll be trying to dream something half as gripping as what Villeneuve has given you. And it has one of the finest final frames in all of cinema. {AADL}
📖  Book
2666 by Roberto Bolano (2008) - Has anyone ever written about the chaos and violence of modern civilization with such subtle beauty? Bolano's final novel, published a year after his death, is a five-part study in artistry, affection, and oblivion, not necessarily in that order, as we are propelled across continents and through decades, exploring a terror-stricken village in Northern Mexico, backtracking over a frigid Romanian wasteland during World War II, and many places in between. This book is rich. It is savage. It is beautiful. {AADL}
Music Tool
➥Teenage Engineering OP-1 (introduced in 2011) - Good lawd, this thing is great. The disparity between how the OP-1 looks and what it can do is vast. A fully customizable synthesizer, drum machine, sequencer, and sampler with a built-in microphone, AND a simulated cassette tape 4-track recorder. My band demoed stacks of new tracks on the OP-1 only to find that we sometimes preferred those inchoate versions to the final product. It's that inspiring -- and that fun. {AADL}

Sara Wedell | Librarian
📖  Books
Nuclear Family: A Tragicomic Novel in Letters by Susanna Fogel (2017) - The communications that make up this book come from a hilariously realistic chorus of voices, from the exuberant sister who has absolutely nothing in common with her sibling, to the judgmental, bloviating father, to the few but memorable appearances of Paul the cousin. This book is a quick and relatable read, and should be enjoyed by anyone who has ever pondered the saying, "You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family." {AADL}
Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser (2017) - This is the book all Laura Ingalls Wilder fans have been waiting for -- it expertly communicates history, creates context, and offers conjecture without losing a step of narrative rhythm. The book is dense, and definitely of most interest to existing fans, but it is a masterful study. I was impressed by Fraser's research and revelations by the end of chapter one (spoiler: there's a Salem witch among Laura's ancestors!!!) and I never really stopped marveling. {AADL}

Katrina Shafer | Desk Clerk
📖  Book
Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood (2017) - Patricia Lockwood’s memoir is full of intricate observations and memories of growing up with her family, most notably, her father who is a priest who can often be found shredding guitar in his underwear. While the book is full of amusing stories, it’s her distinct humor and eloquent pose (Lockwood is also a poet, and it shows) that keep you reading. {AADL}
Music
Melodrama by Lorde (2017) - On Melodrama, Lorde’s sophomore album, her voice quickly flashes from authentic introspection to biting sarcasm. She captures both the freedom and expectations of what it’s like to be young, singing on the track “Sober,” “We pretend that we just don't care / but we care.” {AADL}
🎥  Film
Columbus (2017) - Set in the small town of Columbus, Indiana, a haven for modernist architecture, the film follows architecture obsessive Casey (Haley Lu Richardson) and Jin (John Cho) who is visiting his father, a famous architect, who has fallen ill. The two forge a friendship, teaching each other how to appreciate their surroundings, and when to let go and grow. The camera lingers on buildings and structural details, providing time for your own contemplation, without ever losing focus on the story. {IMDB}

Oscar Calinescu | Desk Clerk
📖  Book
No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July (2007) - Each of these short stories takes only around 20 minutes to read, but each explores the rawer, more imbalanced, and vulnerable side of human relationships. July's characters are intense, skeptical, smart, and comically tragic. For me, reading these stories felt like experiencing and subsequently waking up from a dream -- the situations are a combination of mundane and absurd, the characters at once familiar and unfamiliar, which left me emotional, hopeful, and more connected to the world (or, at least, more connected to Miranda July). {AADL}
🎥  Film
Lady Bird (2017). Based on writer-director Greta Gerwig's own adolescence in Sacramento, Lady Bird avoids all the cliches and instead captures the spirit of those impactful years between high school and college, between teenagehood and adulthood. Because of the autobiographical influence, the film feels like an incredibly personal piece of art. The story pivots around 17-year-old Christine -- "Lady Bird" -- and her simultaneously loving and frustrated relationships with the people around her, especially with her mother. All the characters feel incredibly real, intelligent, and fallible -- young adults and adults alike. Excellent performances by Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf and the incredibly sharp and humorous writing kept me engaged the entire time. {A24 Films}
Music
Aztec Yoga by Kool AD (2017) - Probably better known as half of rap group Das Racist, Victor Vazquez (Kool AD) has nurtured an incredibly productive solo career the past few years. Vazquez's raps have always straggled the boundary between drunken rambling and flow-state, stream-of-consciousness brilliance. On this 100-song mixtape, Vazquez performs everything from avant-garde solo-piano tracks (featuring the giggles and baby babble of his 2-year-old daughter) to philosophical tangents, and adrenaline pumping hype songs. Vazquez, who sometimes switches between Spanish and English, seems to satirizes rap as much as he indulges in it, and the result is often hilarious, challenging, and entertaining. {Bandcamp}

Melanie Baldwin | Desk Clerk
📖  Books
If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face? by Alan Alda (2017) - An inspiring trip through Alan Alda's latest research adventure. Follow along as he learns about empathy and its effect on communication and human interaction. Especially good to hear the audiobook read by the author. {AADL}
First Test by Tamora Pierce (2007) - An excellent fantasy tale of a young girl who has to prove herself worthy of becoming a knight. This is the first book in The Lady Knight series. {AADL}
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas (2012) - An exciting journey through an immense fantasy world. Follow the intertwining lives of many different characters through a country's trials in the first volume of the Throne of Glass series. {AADL}
📖  Audiobook
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (2017) - A fun twist on the old Norse myths. Very fun audiobook. {AADL}

Terry Soave | Department Manager
📖  Books
The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook by Alice B. Toklas (2010) {AADL}
Les dîners de gala by Salvador Dalí (1973/2016) {AADL}
Eggs by Michel Roux (2006) {Good Reads}
The Art of Japanese Architecture by David E. Young (2007) {AADL}
Greene & Greene: Creating a Style by Randell Makinson (2004) {AADL}
Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit by John E. Douglas & Mark Olshaker (1996) {Good Reads}
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (1996) {AADL}
Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia (1992) {AADL}

Amanda Schott | Library Technician
📺  TV
Twin Peaks: Limited Event Series (2017) - 25 years after season two ended with a cliffhanger we were treated to this highly anticipated third season of the cult classic show, and it did not disappoint. Unless you're not a David Lynch fan, that is, because it's basically an 18-hour Lynch film, and it's so good! Here we head back to Twin Peaks and a few other locations to meet up with some of the longtime residents as well as some new faces, with new and even more confusing (groundbreaking! breathtaking!) storylines. Only watch if you're up for a challenge, and make sure you watch Fire Walk With Me beforehand. {AADL}
🎥  Films
20th Century Women (2017) - I watched this early in the year and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Annette Bening shines as Dorothea, a woman in her mid-50s raising her teenage son, Jamie, alone. She worries about this and feels she isn’t connecting with her son, so she recruits the tenants living in her house to help raise him. This includes the punk-artist-feminist Abbie, the house handyman William, and Jamie’s female best friend, Julie. They form a makeshift family all offering Jamie different points of guidance. The voiceover narration is on point. {AADL}
Stop Making Sense (1999) - A song by Talking Heads was featured in 20th Century Women, and afterward I had an itch to listen to more from the band. I ended up spending most of 2017 obsessively listening to all things Talking Heads. I was ecstatic to happen upon a screening of Stop Making Sense at The Michigan Theater in July, and it was the perfect set-up for my first viewing of it. The film is probably the best concert film made to date, and it was wonderful to view it in a packed theater with movie-goers singing along to the live concert footage. {AADL}
📖  Book
The Blue Hour by Isabelle Simler (2017) - This children's picture book was one of my favorite books of 2017. The illustrations are gorgeous and absolutely worth a viewing by not just kids but adults as well. The serene blues of the images and gentle text float from page to page as readers watch the day go by until the blue hour sets in for the animals featured in the story. {AADL}

Elizabeth Smith | Desk Clerk
📖  Books
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (2013) - The Pulitzer-prize-winning novel The Golfinch was written in 2013. The controversial book has received a range of criticism, from the extremely negative and flippant, to the positive and celebratory, including numerous comparisons to the works of Charles Dickens. The novel is described as a "sprawling bildungsroman" that recounts the life of young protagonist Theodore Decker after the tragic death of his mother. The book centers on the 16th-century Dutch painting by Carel Fabritius, a real work that resides in the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, Netherlands. The book offers lavish descriptions of both furniture restoration and works of art, while Tartt expertly weaves the narrative of Theo's life with the fate of a work of art. The novel asks readers to question the impact of art on human life amidst the discord that often comes with the unpredictable forces in everyday existence. {AADL}
Difficult Women by Roxane Gay (2017) - This is one of two books released this year by the award-winning author. Difficult Women is a series of haunting essays centering on women from varying backgrounds and walks of life. Some of the stories incorporate elements of fantasy and magical realism that contrast with the often-disturbing portraits of women in crisis. An important look at previously unheard voices, the protagonists of her stories have struggled -- and are still struggling -- and remind us that the stories of women in crisis are the stories often not told, particularly from the viewpoint of the female subject. {AADL}
Music
We Can Die Happy by Tennis (2017) - The husband-wife duo of Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley released two albums in 2017 on their own label, Mutually Detrimental. First, in March, the band released Yours Conditionally, which most likely would have been my favorite album of the year if not for the subsequent release seven months later of the "magical" EP We Can Die Happy. Continuing with their ‘70s-pop-inspired sound, We Can Die Happy is an insightful, intimate, and atmospheric album. {Tennis-Music.com}
Expect the Best by Widowspeak (2017). Molly Hamilton's vocals are among my favorite in contemporary music. Like past albums, her voice provides a nearly-haunting, eerie quality to the tracks. This album is, according to the Bandcamp review, a meditation on "the way vivid memories can feel like movies or dreams." As for the genre of the group, it’s suggested its are at the intersection of various genres, including "somber indie rock, dream pop, slow-core, and their own invented genre, 'cowboy grunge.'" {AADL}
🎥  Films
My Cousin Rachel (2017) - This is (unsurprisingly) a film reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's 1940 film Rebecca, which was also based on a Daphne Du Maurier novel. I tend to approach films with no expectations, so I had not seen a preview for or read a review of the film. After watching, I felt a strong similarity between the plot of My Cousin Rachel and Rebecca, and was therefore not shocked to find that the two were based on the same novelists' work. My Cousin Rachel is tense, mysterious, and at times disturbing, with characteristics of Hitchcock's Rebecca happily repeated in My Cousin Rachel. {AADL}
Tulip Fever (2017) - Despite mediocre reviews, and a delayed release date, I enjoyed the aesthetic impact of the film and its criticized "dry humor." Despite being characterized as melodramatic, the film, in my view, handled a melodramatic subject with a lighthearted humor that illuminates the differences in social mores expected of a period drama. Multiple story arcs create a diversion from the typical, tragic, artist-meets-subject-and-falls-in-love trope. The backdrop of the film is a fictional “Tulip Fever," a craze in which a single tulip bulb could secure a fortune. This and the beautiful costuming were reasons enough for me to enjoy the film. The movie also boasts an excellent cast and was awarded the viewer's choice award at Fünf Seen Film Festival. {AADL}
Obit: An Inside Look at Life on the New York Times Obituaries Desk (2017) - This documentary offers a rare glimpse into the work of a New York Times obituary writer. The employees featured in the documentary suggest that the culture of obituary writing has evolved immensely over time, and continues even now to change. Not only are we now seeing a more diverse population celebrated for their lasting achievements and impact on our culture, but how the obituary itself has evolved from the 19th century to the 21st century. Today, the "journalistic rigor and narrative flair" employed by today's NYT writers are contrasted to the dramatic, embellished obituary styles of the past. The film asks us to consider important questions about death, life, and history, and who plays a role in the making and retelling of our shared history. {AADL}
Rare: Creatures of the Photo Ark (2017) - National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore began documenting the Earth's diverse population over two decades ago in 1995, hoping to engage audiences in the fight to save the planet's most endangered species. He calls this project "The Photo Ark". This three-episode documentary gives viewers an opportunity to see the project behind-the-scenes, offering insight into the photographic process. The lengths that Sartore goes to as a photographer, traveling the world to track down some of the world's most elusive species, produced feelings of humor, devastation, and hope as I watched the film. {AADL}

Kayla Coughlin | Library Technician
Music
The Electric Lady by Janelle Monáe (2013) - This album is a complete work of art, best consumed in one sitting. Although Monáe showcases a variety of musical styles including funk, rock, classical, and R&B, each track artfully calls back to the futuristic story of android Cindi Mayweather. Featured artists include Prince, Erykah Badu, and Solange. {AADL}

Phoebe Hazelbaker | Desk Clerk
📖  Books
From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty (2017) - In this book, Doughty, an American mortician, travels the world to learn about and experience death customs in other cultures. By seeing the varying rituals across the globe, the author helps the reader to take a closer examination of our own often unhealthy and detached customs. From Here to Eternity manages to be fascinating and informative, as well as surprisingly funny. A great follow-up to her first book, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. {AADL}
A $500 House in Detroit: Rebuilding an Abandoned House in an American City by Drew Philp (2017) {AADL}
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay (2017) {AADL}
Mischling by Affinity Konar (2016) {AADL}
Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Judy Melinek and T. J. Mitchell (2014) {AADL}
🎥  Films
Only Lovers Left Alive (2014) - A touching and unassuming, sweet little vampire movie. {AADL}
Wonder Woman (2017) - Exciting and empowering. An instant favorite. {AADL}
📺  TV
Big Little Lies (2017) - This series was incredible on so many levels! I’m someone who doesn’t watch much TV, and each episode of this series gripped me, making it impossible for me to stop watching. I was so invested in the characters and absolutely had to find out what happened next. 100% binge-worthy. {AADL}

Samantha Root | Desk Clerk
📖  Book
A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver (2012) - A beautiful collection of poems, ruminating on the beauty of nature and our own relationship with it. {AADL}
Music
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) - A mix of classic rock songs by such artists as ELO, George Harrison, Parliament, and more. I was a fan of these songs before, but they took on new life after being featured in the movie and paired together on this album. {AADL}
🎥  Films
Wonder Woman (2017) - Finally, a strong female character takes the lead in a superhero movie, and it is both entertaining and empowering to watch. {AADL}
📺  TV
Planet Earth II (2017) - Truly beautiful and breathtaking images of the nature, plants, and animals in our world. The narratives are fascinating, and it was amazing to learn about animal life I had never seen before. {AADL}

Emily Howard | Library Technician
📖  Book
Rilke’s Book of Hours: Love Poems to God by Rainer Maria Rilke (1905; 1996 translation by Joanna Macy and Anita Barrows) - This book has been following me for a long time, but this year I finally allowed myself to fall in love with it. In these poems, Rilke articulates his expansive understanding of divinity and humanity. Macy and Barrows’ translation is gorgeous. At times it takes liberties with the text, but for the purpose of staying truer to his meaning than an academic translation might. {AADL}
Paper Girls: Volume One (2016) by Brian K. Vaughn and Cliff Chiang - The morning after Halloween of 1988, four 12-year-old paper delivery girls find themselves caught up in a time-travel war. By the end of the first volume, Paper Girls became my new favorite graphic novel series. Its tightly plotted, bizarre science-fiction story is also a meditation on ethics, friendship, and the vicissitudes of puberty. The series is ongoing. Those of use living in linear time will have to wait for Volume 4 to be published in April 2018. {AADL}

Matt Gauntlett | Library Technician


Music
Nightmare Logic by Power Trip (2017) - Sweet, sweet riffs. Big, boomy, reverb-soaked drums. Vaguely political lyrics howled by a very angry young man. What’s old is new again, and for thrash metal fans stuck in 1987 (like yours truly), this album is like comfort food and only gets better with each listen. {Bandcamp}
🎥  Films
Blade Runner 2049 (2017) - This movie had absolutely no business being as good as it is, let alone better than its predecessor. Director Denis Villeneuve not only continues his seemingly endless hot streak of great films, but he also proves that big sci-fi properties like this one that are held so near and dear to fans hearts CAN be handled with care, while still challenging the viewer a bit. Come for Roger Deakins’ stunning cinematography, stay for what is easily the best movie of 2017 and the best sci-fi movie in years. {IMDB}
The Big Sick (2017) - Once the 2-1/2 hours of Blade Runner 2049 have washed over you, cleanse your palette with this absolutely charming, heartwarming, and hilarious movie from your new favorite couple, Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon. This comes from the Judd Apatow school of comedic honesty, so get ready to cry and/or reflect a little bit between deep belly laughs. {AADL}

Lucy Schramm | Desk Clerk
📖  Books
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward (2017) - The characters in Jesmyn Ward’s second National Book Award-winning novel share a multi-generational memory and an understanding the of journey and toils of those who came before. Ghosts create a connection between the living, mourning with them. In her story, which retells the hardships of past racism in the south and outlines the brutality of it in the present day, Ward illuminates this country’s struggle with race relations, police brutality, mass incarceration. Though her characters, both living and dead, speak often of cruelty and inhumanity, Ward’s matter-of-fact tone and presentation, coupled with her use of magical realism, imbues her words with an inflection that is calm and lyrical. Sing, Unburied, Sing is a moving and important work. {AADL}
The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying by Nina Riggs (2017) - Nina Riggs wrote her stunning memoir in the last two years of her life. At the age of 37, with two young boys and a dying mother to care for, Riggs was diagnosed with breast cancer, “just a spot,” that accelerated rapidly to become terminal. This astonishingly moving, never maudlin book is not filled with the sadness that one might expect to find in these circumstances, but instead is made up of episodes, small and large, presented to us in Riggs’ forthright and humored tone. Riggs, once a poet, writes of hours and days simply and eloquently, reminding us that these moments are the ones making up her life, no matter their content. This pairing of the profound with the trifling details of everyday runs throughout Riggs’ memoir and lends itself to the poetry of Riggs’ words. There are moments though, when Riggs finds it difficult to summon courage and understanding, and they are heartbreaking, as when she thinks of leaving her children. Also heartbreaking is that we will never get more writing from Riggs. This book reads as if she is in conversation with her reader, often in the present tense, imbued with humor and fine points, so that when it’s over we are left mourning the book’s conclusion as well as the life of its writer. {AADL}

Sherlonya Turner | Department Manager, Youth & Adult Collections & Services
📖  Books
Magic City Gospel by Ashley M. Jones (2017) - The truth is that I have a longing for the south, a sense of nostalgia. I’m not from there, but my parents are. Annual trips to Louisiana in the summer time are an important part of my childhood landscape. Magic City Gospel stirred up all of this for me. This work is about growing up and finding one’s place; they’re about legacy, all of this against the backdrop of the American South, generally, and Birmingham specifically. Here, specific evocative poems remind us that people live there, and that it’s not only the place you may have read about in your history textbooks. {AADL}
➥We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby (2017) - This is the book for you if you enjoy those awkward moments that we all have, but that not everyone talks about. Also, you should appreciate body humor if you’re to appreciate this book. For me, this was one of those books that you read a bit at a time so as to make it last and last. I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to cackle in response to it forever. {AADL}
📖  Audiobook
The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish (2017) - I saw a clip of Tiffany Haddish’s appearance on the Trevor Noah show and knew immediately that I wanted to check out her book. I listened to it, read by the author, and had to stop a few times on a walk to laugh aloud at what I had heard. {Good Reads}
🎥  Films
Weiner (2016) - I had been meaning to watch the Anthony Weiner documentary for a while and finally got around to it this year. It’s easy to see Anthony Weiner as a character, but this movie showed him as a person reacting to his own decisions. His family’s presence throughout the movie reminds us that our own choices often impact so many other people. {AADL}

Molly Jones | Desk Clerk
📖  Book
Peppe the Lamplighter by Elisa Bartone (1993) {AADL}

Valerie Long | Acquisitions Clerk
📖  Books
Once Upon a Spine by Kate Carlisle (2017) - The newest in the Bibliophile series, this one has become my favorite. It's a cozy mystery so not necessarily high-brow literature, but a fun read and great characters. {AADL}
Watching Glass Shatter by James J. Cudney - A phenomenal family drama. Ben, the Glass family patriarch, is killed suddenly in an accident and leaves behind a secret. Along the way, Olivia, the matriarch, finds that Ben is not the only one with secrets as she visits each of her five children to learn more about their adult lives. Full of incredible prose, touching moments, wonderful characters, and dramatic scenes, it'll make you laugh, cry, and be angry at various times but you'll find it won't leave you in the end. It's a book that sticks with you. {Good Reads}
Do Fairies Bring the Spring? by Liza Gardner Walsh (2017) - A fantastic picture book about the things that fairies do in the spring to help the flowers blossom and grow. It has lyrical prose that occasionally doesn't really rhyme, but the illustrations are charming and lovely. There are little insects and woodland creatures in the illustrations that you can seek to find. There is diversity among the fairies as well without it being pointed out. In fact, our main fairy is black. It's just a lovely little book. {AADL}
Wish by Barbara O'Connor (2016) - This is a children's fiction book meant for the middle grades. A young girl is sent to live with her aunt and uncle and, at first, everything seems to just go wrong, but little by little she settles in, makes friends, and wants to stay with her aunt and uncle, even when she has the chance to go back to being with her mother. {Good Reads}

Elizabeth Pearce | Library Technician
📖  Book
The Nix by Nathan Hill (2016) - Although this novel might seem daunting at first, weighing in at a hefty 625 pages, I could not put it down and flew through it. Readers are transported into the life of a gamer addicted to a World of Warcraft-like video game, into the inner workings of the mind of a self-centered, selfish and slightly endearing plagiarizing college student, into the intricacies of the Vietnam War protests, and into the secrets between a mother and the son she abandoned when he was 12. Hill writes with an extraordinary amount of empathy, weaving characters and stories together to culminate in a beautiful and meaningful climax. I read this book in the summer and am still recommending it to anyone who will listen! {AADL}
Music
We Are the World by USA for Africa (1985) - OK, OK, I know everyone who was actually around in 1985 has heard this song and album dozens of times and would probably be delighted to never hear either ever again. But this writer wasn’t born until 1991 and somehow totally missed the We Are the World boat until this fall. I absolutely cannot stop thinking about, talking about it, listening to it, and -- most importantly -- watching the video for the actual “We Are the World” single. Bruce Springsteen! Bob Dylan! Stevie Wonder! Diana Ross! Daryl Hall! Huey Lewis! They’re all there, along with practically every other big-name ‘80s celebrity, and they’re all singing, holding hands, and clutching music sheets and reading directly off of them as if they have no idea what they’d be singing otherwise. Look friends, even if you think you never want to hear “We Are the World” again, give the video a watch. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself knee dip in behind-the-scenes footage before you know it. {Wikipedia}
📺  TV
This Is Us (2017) - This Is Us is the primetime TV show I’ve been waiting for my whole life. It’s diverse, it’s funny, it’s cute, it’s thoughtful, and, boy, is it a tearjerker. Even when I think I’m going to make it through a whole episode without crying, I end up shedding a tear at some point. It’s hard to give away the premise without spoilers, but essentially the show follows several very different people who have the same birthday and explores the connections between them. The characters are real and lovable, and I just want to meet them all in real life and give them a hug. {AADL}

Olivia Bollar | Desk Clerk
📖  Book
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2017) - This book is a realistic tale inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. It begins with a black teenager who witnesses her friend killed by a white police officer. Torn between her crime-stricken neighborhood and racism at her mostly white prep school, the story centers on how she deals with the aftermath of her friend's death and navigating the legal system. Thomas' debut novel is polarizing and relevant to our time. {AADL}

Eli Neiburger | Deputy Director
📖  Books
Autonomous by Analee Newitz (2017) - This is the debut sci-fi novel by io9 founding editor Analee Newitz. It's a refreshing change from the action-setpiece model of a lot of recent sci-fi, with a thought-provoking, all-too-real vision of a world dominated by Intellectual Property laws and Big Pharma PR, where indenture of artificial intelligence led to some unexpected results for humans. Highly recommended, and we're looking forward to her next project. {AADL}
Paradox Bound by Peter Clines (2017) - This is an utterly preposterous, totally mysterious, and ultimately satisfying novel by Peter Clines. Featuring faceless, omnipotent enemies, a Ford Model A named Eleanor, an intriguingly nutty vision of the power of the American Dream, and a clueless protagonist named Eli, this book grabbed my attention page after page despite its total lack of spaceships or robots. {AADL}
New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson (2017) - And while Kim Stanley Robinson's New York 2140 is also science fiction devoid of spaceships or robots (although it does include a dirigible-piloting AI named Fritz), it is perhaps the most inspiring and charming dystopia I've read about this year. Set in a half-flooded Manhattan with a crowd of highly engaging characters (and narrators) who all live in the Met Life Tower, which has been converted to a Venetian co-op above the Madison Square Bacino, this recognizable future struggling with the ramifications of our troubled present manages to sound an optimistic tone in a hyper-realistic, carefully researched setting. {AADL}

Toby Tieger | Building Supervisor
📖  Book
The Just City (2015) by Jo Walton - A fantasy novel that examines what would happen if the ideal city from Plato’s Republic were actually brought to life. Frothy fun if you like philosophy, especially when Socrates starts wandering around the place questioning everything. {AADL}
📺  TV
GLOW (2017) - While it’s ostensibly about the formation of a 1980s women's professional wrestling circuit, ultimately this is a show about why we enjoy stories (including soap operas and wrestling). The first scene of the series shows aspiring actress Ruth (Alison Brie) trying out for a man’s role since men were always given better parts in movies, which is juxtaposed against the writing on this show that has strong and vivid roles for most of its characters, both female and male alike. {Netflix}
Music
Dear Evan Hansen: Original Broadway Cast Recording (2015) - To say too much about the plot would spoil it, but this show focuses on a high-functioning autistic boy’s dreams to not be irrelevant and invisible, and to what lengths he’ll go to be noticed. See a performance of one of the songs here. {AADL}

Amanda Szot | Graphic Designer
Music was a refuge for me from the world in 2017 -- it provided escape, comfort, inspiration, and release (and continues to do so). My personal list is kind of eclectic and ... long. Ridiculously, embarrassingly so. Listening to all of this music, new and old, felt like getting to know once lost friends. Now it’s like they’ve been here with me all along.
Music
A Deeper Understanding by War on Drugs (2017) {AADL}
Slowdive by Slowdive (2017) {AADL}
Whiteout Conditions by New Pornographers (2017) {AADL}
LCD Soundsystem by LCD Soundsystem (2017) {AADL}
In///Parallel by Dhani Harrison (2017) {DhaniHarrison.com}
The Great Plains by Thomas Dybdahl (2017) {ThomasDybdahl.no}
Not Even Happiness by Julie Byrne (2017) {Bandcamp}
Harmony of Difference by Kamasi Washington (2017) {AADL}
Masseduction by St. Vincent (2017) {AADL}
Utopia by Bjork (2017) {Bjork.com}
Pain Is Beauty by Chelsea Wolfe (2013) {AADL}
Several Shades of Why by J Mascis (2011) {AADL}
Spirit of Eden by Talk Talk (1988) {AllMusic}
What’s Left Is Forever by Thomas Dybdahl (2013) {ThomasDybdahl.no}
Old favorites, new again:
Starfish by The Church (1988) {AllMusic}
City to City by Gerry Rafferty (1978) {AllMusic}
The Joshua Tree by U2 (1987) {AADL}
Garlands by Cocteau Twins (1982) {AllMusic}
Substance by New Order (1987) {AllMusic}
Try Whistling This by Neil Finn (1998) {AADL}
Scoundrel Days by a-ha (1986) {AllMusic}
Wakin on a Pretty Daze by Kurt Vile (2013) {AADL}

Christopher Becker | Desk Clerk
Music
The Greatest by Cat Power (2006) {AADL}
Kaputt by Destroyer (2011) {AADL}
📖  Books
Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle (2014) {Overdrive via AADL}
Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer (2015) {AADL}
Hot Dog Taste Test by Lisa Hanawalt (2016) {AADL}
🎥  Films
The Skin I'm In (2012) {IMDB}
I've Loved You So Long (2008) {IMDB}
The Lives of Others (2006) {IMDB}
The Babadook (2015) {AADL}

Leslie Wreford | Desk Clerk
📖  Books
Skin Cleanse by Adina Grigore (2015) - Did you know any company can call their product organic even if it isn’t? Or that you should be looking out for USDA approved seals directly on the front of packaging for health products? Adina Grigore, skincare expert and SW Basics founder, spills tips and tricks to navigate the organic health and beauty world in her new book Skin Cleanse. True novices to the world of organics, and even experts with VIP health food store access, can learn something new from this relatable, conversational-style read. {AADL}
Love Wins by Rob Bell (2011) - I’ve met a lot of kind souls experiencing hardship throughout my adult life, and found myself searching for hope on the horizon and wondering about the bigger picture. Rob Bell, an influential pastor and bestselling author, does a beautiful and powerful job of showing readers the inexpressible message of love and hope conveyed through Christianity in his new book Love Wins. If you’re looking for inspiration, hope, or guidance in your life then this book is a must-read. On the flip side, if you’re curious about religion then this book is a great starting point. {AADL}
🎥  Films
Funny Face (1957) - Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire have grace, charm, and an undeniable chemistry starring side by side in the film Funny Face by director Stanley Donen. A true classic, Funny Face is full of vibrant colors, beautiful choreography, lovely tunes, and, yes, Audrey Hepburn. You’ll find yourself tapping along to the catchy beats of this 1957 Cinderella-meets-Devil-Wears-Prada musical in no time! {AADL}
Music
The Art of Elegance by Kristin Chenoweth (2016) - If you find yourself reminiscing on the beautiful voices of Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, you should reach for a copy of Kristin Chenoweth’s fifth studio album, Art of Elegance. The Tony- and Emmy-award-winning songstress’ breathtaking voice is an instant classic that lulls any listener into a sweet state of mind. Certainly worth a listen if you’re a jazz fan, a Wicked fan, or just a curious Kristin Chenoweth fan! {AADL}

Haily Hastings | Desk Clerk
📖  Books
Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky (2005) - This post-apocalyptic sci-fi horror novel is an intensely gripping read. Set in the Moscow Metro, only a few thousand people have survived the nuclear holocaust and currently live out their lives in the dark underground tunnels. Artyom, a young man who barely remembers life on the surface, is given a seemingly impossible task to deliver a message to the legendary station of Polis, in order to save his home station, as well as the rest of the metro, from annihilation. Besides documenting the chaotic events and interesting acquaintances found during Artyom's journey, Metro 2033 explores some of humankind's deepest fears, and takes a good look into human nature and the psyche. Metro 2033 is the first book in a series of three (Metro 2034 and Metro 2035) and has also inspired a video game franchise. {AADL}
A Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Oima (2015) - A manga series about an elementary school boy named Shoya who bullies Shoko, a girl in his class who is deaf, until she is forced transfer to another school. Six years later, the two meet each other again and Shoya tries to make up for his past cruelty. {AADL}
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski (2007) - First book in a series that inspired the The Witcher video games. The book follows Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher (monster slayer), after being injured in battle as he rests in a temple. During that time he has flashbacks of recent events that occurred in his life, which serve as short stories throughout the book. {FantasyBookReview.co.uk}

Jackie Fleischer | Library Technician
📖  Books
Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? by Frans de Waal (2016) {AADL}
The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined by Steven Pinker (2011) {AADL}
Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American Eugenics, and the Sterilization of Carrie Buck by Adam Cohen (2016) {AADL}
Kopp Sisters novels by Amy Stewart: Girl Waits With Gun (2015) {AADL}; Lady Cop Makes Trouble (2016) {AADL}; Miss Kopp’s Midnight Confessions (2017) {AADL}
📖  Audiobooks
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald (2016) {AADL}
Cure: A Journey Into the Science of Mind Over Body by Jo Marchant (2016) {AADL}
What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins by Jonathan P. Balcombe (2016) {AADL}

Mollie Gordier | Bookshelver/Processor
🎥  Films
My Golden Days (Trois Souvenirs De Ma Jeunesse) (2015) {AADL}
Music
Victim of Love by Charles Bradley (2013) {AADL}
Changes by Charles Bradley (2016) {Bandcamp}
📖  Book
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb (1998) {AADL}

Christopher Porter | Pulp Editor
Music
Michigan Music
Changer by Fred Thomas (2017) - My favorite album of the year no matter where it’s from. But now that Thomas is back in Ann Arbor, we can claim him as our own once again. {AADL, Bandcamp}
➥Bob Seger on Spotify - Finally. Now Uncle Bob has to let go of Noah, Mongrel, Brand New Morning, Smokin’ O.P.’s, Back in ’72, and Seven, all released between 1969 and 1974 and generally dismissed by Seger. {Spotify}
Michigan Rattlers by Michigan Rattlers (2017) - This Petoskey-born duo is making its home in Los Angeles now, but the music is straight-up heartland folk-rock with fantastic harmonies. {Spotify}
Apparitions by FFANGS (2016) - Great synth-pop artist from Ann Arbor. {Spotify}
Microliths by Molly Jones (2017) - Debut avant-jazz album by a wonderful Detroit-based saxophonist, composer, and Ann Arbor District Library employee. {Bandcamp}
Utica by Utica (2017) - Cluster-like ambient beauty from this Ann Arbor trio. {Bandcamp}
Afro-American by Approachable Minorities (2016) - Washtenaw County’s finest hip-hop ambassadors. {Bandcamp}
Gold by Louis Picasso (2017) - Mark “Louis Picasso” Gholston, leader of the Hiiigher Minds collective, cut a striking hip-hop album with live musicians and a choir. {Bandcamp}
Hydropark by Hydropark (2016) - Motorik instrumental grooves from Fred Thomas, Chuck Sipperley (Utica), Jason Lymangrover, and Chad Pratt. Neu is forever new. {Bandcamp}
Unseen Forces by Justin Walter (2017) - Ambient bliss performed on the Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI) by this Ann Arbor jazz trumpeter. {Bandcamp}
Breakup Jams
Strength of a Woman by Mary J. Blige (2017) - So much fire in her voice and words directed at ex-husband, Martin 'Kendu' Isaacs. {AADL}
Prisoner by Ryan Adams (2017) - A diary tracing the end of Adams’ marriage to singer-actress Mandy Moore. The first album I’ve liked by him since his debut, Heartbreaker (2000). {AADL}
Jazz
➥ECM Records on Spotify - One of the most distinctive jazz and classical record labels finally made the leap to streaming. {Spotify}
Trebuchet by Made to Break (2017) - My current favorite of Ken Vandermark’s many projects. Electronics-colored energy jazz. {Bandcamp}
Simultonality by Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society (2017) {Bandcamp} - Hypnotic world jazz from the always, always excellent Abrams.
Spirit in the Sky by Open Sky (1975) - Super-rare private press LP by Dave Leibman, Frank Tusa, and Bob Moses. I heard it on the essential WCBN. {PM Records}
Hip-Hop/Reggae
The Redux by Prince Paul (2017) - A freely downloadable remake of Paul’s 2003 album, Politics of the Business. {Bandcamp}
Black Origami by Jlin (2017) - The most left-field and forward-looking album I heard last year. {Bandcamp}
Brick Body Kids Still Daydream by Open Mike Eagle (2017) - Chicago art-rap great. {Bandcamp}
Peace & Love by Dadawah (1974) - Great and singular reggae album that is somewhere between Nyabinghi chants and psychedelic Motown. {Dug Out, YouTube}
Vibrations 1978-1982 by Creation Rebel (2017) - Bandcamp-only comp of this go-to group on Adrian Sherwood’s On-U Sound label. {Bandcamp}
Ambient/Electronic
Slow Vessels by Ian William Craig (2017) - Loveliest voice in music. {Bandcamp}
Create Christ, Sailor Boy by Hypnopazūzu (2017) - David Tibet (Current 93) and mega-producer Flood (Killing Joke) combine for gnostic rituals. {Bandcamp}
We, So Tired of All the Darkness in Our Lives by Leyland Kirby (2017) {Bandcamp}
Lignin Poise by Benoît Pioulard (2017) {Bandcamp}
Rock/Indie
In New York: Collected Recordings, 1988-1996 box set by Lloyd Cole (2017) - A collector’s dream for this always erudite singer-songwriter. {Spotify}
New Facts Emerge by The Fall (2017) - Forever and always. {Spotify}
Singles 1978-2016 box set by The Fall (2017) - Always and forever. {Cherry Red}
Reservoir by Gordi (2017) - That voice! Her songs are as deep and resonant as her pipes, too. {Bandcamp}
Mid-Air by Paul Buchanan (2012) - The leader of Blue Nile isn’t prolific, but when he does release something it’s always insanely fab. Bring tissues. {Spotify}
Just Say No to the Psycho Right-Wing Capitalist Fascist Industrial Death Machine by Gnod (2017) - WIll do. {Bandcamp}
Who Needs Tomorrow? A 30 Year Retrospective by The Orchids (2017) - The best band on the legendary indie-pop label gets a first-class reissue. {Spotify}
We Are Millionaires by Pete Fij & Terry Bickers (2017) - Fij (Adorable) and Bickers (House of Love) bested their 2014 debut with an even tighter batch of songs. {Bandcamp}
Low - Volume Set (02 . 04 . 2017) by Restorations (2017) - Acoustic benefit show by some of my favorite rock bands from the past decade. {Bandcamp}
The Singles by Can (2017) - Comp of 7-inches by Germany’s great band. {Spotify}
Walk In Africa 1979-81 by National Wake (2013) - South African punks. {Spotify}
There Is Always a Fresh Way to Ruin Music by Loss Leader (2017) - The singer from Self Defense Family and Drug Church gets back to his hardcore roots. {Bandcamp}
Nightmare Logic by Power Trip (2017) - Relentless political thrash. {Bandcamp}
Songs
➥“Appointments” by Julien Baker from Turn Out the Lights (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Mythological Beauty” by Big Thief from Capacity (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Eat Shitake Mushrooms” by Let’s Eat Grandma from I, Gemini (2016) {YouTube}
➥“Slip Away” by Perfume Genius from No Shape (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Someone” by Anna of the North from Lovers (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Plastic Tears” by Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys from Rot (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Call the Police / American Dream” by LCD Soundsystem from LCD Soundsystem (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Weed Pin - Audiotree Live Version” by Drug Church from Drug Church on Audiotree Live (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Self Immolation Family - BBC Live Version” by Self Defense Family from BBC Session (Live) (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Displacement - BBC Live Version” by Touche Amore from Live on BBC Radio: Volume 3 (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Forever” by Code Orange from Forever (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Bad Bohemian” by British Sea Power from Bad Bohemian (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Moonshine Freeze” by This Is the Kit from Moonshine Freeze (2017) {YouTube}
➥“In Undertow” by Alvvays from Antisocialistes (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Short Elevated Period” by Wire from Silver / Lead (2017) {YouTube}
➥“What a Time to Be Alive” by Superchunk from What a Time to Be Alive (2018) {YouTube}
➥“B.H.S” by Sleaford Mods from English Tapas (2017) {YouTube}
➥“When You're Depressed” by Go-Kart Mozart from Mozart's Mini Mart (2018) {YouTube}
➥“Spin” by Turkish Delight from Tommy Bell (1996, reissued 2017) {YouTube}
➥“An Epic Story” by Peter Perrett from How the West Was Won (2017) {YouTube}
➥“The Power of Love” by Ulver from Sic Transit Gloria Mundi (2017) {YouTube}
➥"Spectral War" by Cavalera Conspiracy from Psychosis (2017) {YouTube}
➥"Nuclear Alchemy" by Watain from · TRIDENT · WOLF · ECLIPSE · (2018) {YouTube}
➥"Tilted" by Christine & The Queens from Chaleur Humaine (2015) {YouTube}
➥“This Is The Day” by Thomas Feiner from The The's Radio Cineola Trilogy box set (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Human Being” by Stef Chura from Messes (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Unfold” by ZGTO from A Piece of the Geto (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Go Rambo” by Dasher from Sodium (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Somewhere Under Heaven” by Tom Petty from Wildflowers outtake (1992/2015) {YouTube}
➥“A Ride on the Bosphorus” by Peter Broderick from All Together Again (2017) {YouTube}
➥"Nachbar" by S.Y.P.H. with Holger Czukay from 4. LP (1981) {YouTube}
➥“Kisofim” by Electric Masada from 50th Birthday Celebration, Vol.4 (2004) {YouTube}
➥“Tenderloin” by Spiritual Cramp from Mass Hysteria (2017) {YouTube}
➥"Renée Falconetti of Orléans" by Jenny Hval from Innocence Is Kinky (2013) {YouTube}
➥“Drut Bandish In Tintal” by Malini Rajurkar from Raga Charukeshi / Bhairavi (2004) {YouTube}
➥“Opposition/Perihelion (The Coil)” by Ex Eye from Ex Eye (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Couples vs Jobless Mid 30s” by The Fall from New Facts Emerge (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Last Man Standing” by Jason Furlow (2017) {Bandcamp}
➥"Dry Shaving / Please Go Away" by Blacklisted (2017) {Bandcamp}
➥“Sandstorms (Versus Version)” by Carl Craig (2017) {YouTube}
➥"I Can Tell You About Pain" by Converge from The Dusk in Us (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Bushmaster Connection (Discomix)” by Little John & Billy Boyo from 12" (1982) {YouTube}
➥“Hanging Out and Hung Up on the Line” by Julian Cope from Peggy Suicide (1991) {YouTube}
➥“Hungry So Angry” by Medium Medium from The Glitterhouse (1981) {YouTube}
➥"Get Away From Me" by The Dogs from Death by Drowning (2017) {YouTube}
➥"Who Killed Bruce Lee?" by Glaxo Babies from Dream Interrupted (1979) {YouTube}
➥"Cold & Well-Lit Place" by Oxbow from Thin Black Duke (2017) {YouTube}
➥“Times Past” by The Beau Biens 7” (1967/2017) {YouTube}
➥"Under the Pines" by Bardo Pines from Under the Pines (2017) {YouTube}
➥“War Dance” by Killing Joke from Killing Joke (1980) {YouTube}
➥“Arisen My Senses” by Björk from Utopia (2017) {YouTube}

Related:
➥ 2016 Staff Picks