2017 Album Of The Year: The Allergies 'Push On'.

So it's not what you expected - and so few have picked up on this great 2017 Album (save The Sunday Times to be fair).

Looking overall, U2 'Songs of Experience' deserves a 2017 mention and so too, Van 'Keep me Singing' ("Memory Lane" is a classic) - (both Van and Bono are Streamabout neighbours by the way. Impressed? knew you would) - as does Neil Young's 'The Visitor' (albeit these days if you've heard one Neil Young album, you've heard them all...)

But the Albums that everyone will have is Kendrick Lamar 'Damn' which is fine, but nowhere close to our previous Album of last year 'Butterfly': Lorde's Grammy tipped 'Melodrama' which just, well, washed over us: As did 'Masseduction' from St. Vincent. 

Jay Z, Bruno Mars will also get a look in along the way and LCD Soundsystem 'American Dream' which we really, really, don't get. Really.  

In Country, it's Jason Isbell 'The Nashville Sound'. 

It hasn't been a stunning crop I'm afraid. 

The general view is that the 2017 Album will be one of those three - Lorde, St. Vincent or Kendrick - they will be on everyone's lips and list.....('Rolling Stone' have 1 Kendrick, 2 Lorde and 3 U2).

But they're all missing a trick because they're going for the Big Albums not the Best. Artists that have huge followings no matter what they do.

'Push On' by The Allergies, a Bristol UK duo, is the most inventive Album of 2017 and definitely, the most fun.

It's based on Soul music samples but with a hippity-hop attitude. It's funk, disco and dancefloor. 

It's really fresh and released in July it has got lots of airplay. But not only that, a huge underground following. That will follow into mainstream in 2018. Watch them go.  

Streamabout have had it on all the time and without doubt, our 2017 record of the year is 'Push On'. Huge applause. Get it and enjoy it and you'll be dancing for the Season that's in it.

Happy Christmas folks - see ya all next year!

Previous "listen to's" you'll also find on this blog (you can search them in the Search top left on the Blog)......Sinatra 'Jolly Christmas': Stranglers 'Rattus Norvegicus': Happy Mondays 'Pills Thrills and Bellyaches': The Verve 'Urban Hymns': Jim Croce 'You don't mess around with Jim': America 'America': Hall & Oates 'The Singles': George Michael 'Older': Rolling Stones 'Sticky Fingers': Miles Davis 'Kind of Blue': Mink Willy De Ville 'Backstreets of Desire': Ten Years After 'Undead': The Beat 'Just can't stop it': George Thorogood/The Destoyers '2120 Michigan Avenue': Tom Waits 'Franks Wild Years'; Glen Campbell 'Rhinestone Cowboy': Rory Gallagher 'Live in Europe': Michael Jackson 'Thriller': Daft Punk 'Discovery': DJ Dimitri 'Disco Forever': John Martyn 'Grace & Danger': Peter Gabriel 'So': Crowded House 'Woodface': Springsteen 'Born to Run': ACDC 'Back in Black': Grace Jones 'Nighclubbing': Stevie Wonder 'Songs in the key of life': The Cars 'The Cars': Billy Joel '52nd Street': Beatles 'Sgt Pepper': Tom Petty 'Damn the Torpedoes': World Party 'Bang': Eric Clapton 'Slowhand': John Mayer 'Room for Squares': Ry Cooder 'Bop til you drop': Jon&Vangelis 'Friends of Mr. Cairo': Mary Chapin 'Come on, Come on': Frank Zappa 'Joe's Garage': Joni Mitchell 'Blue': Steve Gibbons 'Caught in the Act': Elton John 'Tumbleweed Connection': Elton John 'Honky Chateau': Gallagher & Lyle 'Breakaway': Warren Zevon 'Excitable Boy': Donald Fagen 'The Nightfly': Supertramp 'Breakfast in America': George Michael 'Listen without Predujice': Radiohead 'The Bends': Beyonce 'Lemonade' Album of the year 2016: Oddisee 'The mix Tape': Soul 11 Soul 'Club Classics': Jennifer Warnes 'Famous Blue Raincoat':Art Garfunkel 'Watermark': REM 'Out of Time': Van 'Keep me Singing': Frank Sinatra 'Songs for Swinging Lovers': Al Stewart 'Year of the Cat': Stevie Ray Vaughan 'Texas Flood':Frank Ocean 'Blond': Jimmy Buffett 'Son of a Sailor': Marc Cohn 'Marc Cohn': Bill Withers 'Complete Sussex and Columbia': Hendrix 'Electric Ladyland': ABC 'Lexicon of Love': Rickie Lee Jones 'Rickie Lee Jones': Billy Joel "Glass Houses": Rodriguez "Cold Fact": Prefab Sprout 'Steve McQueen'; Chet Baker 'Live 64-79'; The Stone Roses 'Stone Roses'; Joe Jackson 'I'm the Man'; Oasis 'Morning Glory'; Bob Dylan 'At The Budokan'; Van "It's too late to stop now Volume 2/3/4"; Air 'Moon Safari'; Talking Heads 'Stop Making Sense'; Lynyrd Skynyrd 'One for the road'; Marvin Gaye 'Whats Goin on'; Mercury Rev 'Deserters Songs'; Dave Matthews 'Crash'; Beyonce 'Lemonade'; Prince 'Sign O the times'; Daft Punk 'Random Access Memories'; Amy Winehouse 'Back to Black';Police 'Outlandos D'Amour'; Michael Jackson 'Off the Wall'; Carole King 'Tapestry'; Beatles 'Red Album'; Sex Pistols 'Never mind the Bollocks'; Sam Cooke 'Live at Harlem Square'; The Doors 'LA Woman'; Thin Lizzy 'Live & Dangerous'; Kendrick Lamarr 'Butterfly'; Aretha Franklin 'Amazing Grace'; Clapton '461'; Massive Attack 'Blue Lines'; The Clash 'London Calling'; Chris Isaak 'At The Filmore'; Bob Dylan 'Street Legal'; Bad Company 'Straight Shooter'; Jackson Browne 'Love is Strange'; Lou Reed 'Transformer'; Steely Dan 'AJA'; Stones 'Black+Blue'; Stephen Bishop 'Careless'; Nils Lofgren 'Night after Night'; Mike Oldfield 'Tubular Bells'; Neil Young 'Harvest'; Led Zep '4'; David Bowie 'David Live'; Van Morrison 'It's too late to stop now'; Wings 'Band on the Run'; Rod Stewart 'Atlantic Crossing'; Ryan Adams 'Heartbreaker'; Santana 'Essential'; Bob Dylan 'Desire'; Roxy Music 'For your pleasure'; Bob Marley 'Legend'; Stephen Fretwell 'Magpie'; James Taylor 'Sweet Baby James'; Deep Purple 'Machine Head'; Springsteen 'Darkness on the edge of town'; Leon Bridges 'Coming Home'; Eagles 'Hotel California'; Jungle; Aretha 'Soul Queen'; Neil Young 'After the Goldrush' ; Zappa 'Overnite Sensation'; Fleetwood Mac 'Rumours'; Keith Jarrett 'Koln Concert'; Doobies 'Southbound'; Stevie Earle 'I feel Alright'; Tom Waits 'Closing Time'; Pink Floyd 'Dark Side'; Van Morrison 'Moondance'; Eric Church 'Caught in the Act'; Randy Newman 'Little Criminals'; Elton John 'Madman across the water'; Patti Smith 'Horses'; Doobies 'Captain and Me'; Steely Dan 'Can't Buy a Thrill.