WE asked a bumper crop of musicians and tastemakers in Scotland their favourite releases and highlights of 2017, and what they are looking forward to in 2018.

The two most popular choices of Scottish releases were No Luscious Life by acid-dub disco team Golden Teacher and Strike A Match by Sacred Paws, the uplifting afrobeat-inspired duo who won this year's Scottish Album of the Year.

If you're yet to make their acquaintance, let them be your holiday soundtrack.

Honourable mention also to Outlines' Conflats, the album from James Graham of The Twilight Sad, 2015 Scottish Album of the Year winner Kathryn Joseph and producer Marcus Mackay.

The National:

Ian Smith (above), and Murray Easton, Last Night From Glasgow record label

Scottish release
IS: I’m incredibly proud of our releases in 2017, my favourite record of the year definitively sits amongst them but in the spirit of impartiality, Little Kicks: Shake Off Your Troubles. It’s a sublime study in pop perfection.
ME: I’m really delighted by the quality and variety that LNFG has released in 2017. Outwith the label I think the Siobhan Wilson album is pretty stunning. She has a beautiful voice.

International release
IS: Conor Oberst: Saluations. I wouldn’t have thought it would be possible to improve upon Ruminations but he knocked the ball clean out of the park with this one.
ME: I’ve really enjoyed albums from Peter Perrett and Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band (both UK) and then a brilliant indie punk pop new wave guitar album by a band called The Courtneys. The Four Tet album is pretty lush.

Music highlight
IS: June 25: Sister John live in my living room. A glorious summer night, a sensational intimate set, wonderful audience - the night was perfection and then Joe Kane formed a covers band at midnight.
ME: Brian Wilson at Kelvingrove Bandstand was pretty special. It is such a stunning venue. LNFG wise the little night that we did at La Chunky studio in the Hidden Lane for Stephen Solo’s album launch was amazing, there was such a great atmosphere.

Non-music highlight
IS: Scotland running 50 points past Australia in the rugby. As Phil Oakley would say - these are things that dreams are made of.
ME: It’s been a bit of a bleak year in so many ways; Trump, May, Brexit, North Korea … So my highlight is family and friends, having two amazing daughters and now having a beautiful niece who was born back in March. Any signs of hope and common sense are very welcome, in that sense Corbyn was a political highlight for me.

Any tips for 2018?
IS: I am going to be partial here and I’m sorry to everyone else associated with us but having been a Bis fan since the very beginning, the fact they are releasing a new album in 2018 and the fact they are doing it with us is without doubt the single thing I’m most excited about. Super excited about everyone else we will be working with: Zoe Bestel, Radiophonic Tuckshop, L Space and The Gracious Losers. I have to be honest - being so busy with LNFG I rarely have the time to discover new music before it is released. I am heavily reliant upon Lorenzo at LP Records to keep me abreast of developments.
ME: I’m very excited by the prospect of an album by L Space on LNFG. My sister (Carla J Easton) will hopefully be releasing her first proper solo album building on her albums with TeenCanteen and as Ette. It was recorded in Canada and is a step forwards in my humble opinion. Belle and Sebastian have just released the first in a series of three EPs, so I’m looking forward to the next two and seeing them in March. I’d like to hear the album Evan Dando has been working on, he is one of my favourite artists and an interview from earlier this year hinted at activity.

www.lastnightfromglasgow.com

The National:

Emme Woods, musician (above)


Scottish release
One of my favourite releases this year has to be Conflats, the beautiful collaboration and creation from Kathryn Joseph, James Graham and Marcus Mackay. After seeing them play what I think was supposed to be a one -off show, I was dying to hear more and the album did not disappoint.

International release
Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile’s album Lotta Sea Lice is definitely worth the listen. I love Courtney so I was buzzing for any new music from her. Bangin’.

Music highlight
I think it’s pretty tricky to pinpoint one highlight. I’ve packed a lot into one year. I’ve been playing a lot this year. Wide days and the Great Escape were pretty fantastic. I also played in New York and currently typing this from the back of a campervan in West Hollywood, LA. This trip has been magical, like a dream. Some of it has been so surreal but it makes all the hours I’ve been putting in to get here, all worth it.

Non-music highlight
Pretty much my entire year has revolved around music but I think I’ve met some really fantastic, interesting and talented people this year through travelling, playing and starting a new job. Some real nice people that I hope to keep in touch with and if they can put up with me long enough, will stick around.

Any tips for 2018?
Declan Welsh and the Decadent West are working on their album and I think it’ll be outrageously good, if it’s anything to go off of their last single. I’m looking forward to hearing new music from Angel Olsen too, oh sweet sweet musical treats.

www.facebook.com/EmmeWoodsMusic

The National:

Lloyd Meredith (above), Olive Grove Records

Scottish release
I guess I can't choose a record that I have put out, so I'd have to plump for Annie Booth's An Unforgiving Light or The Great Albatross's Asleep in the Kaatskills, oh and Outlines' Conflats would have to be on that list too.

International release
It's a close run thing between Run The Jewels: RTJ3, Granddaddy's Last Place and Beck's Colors, but I guess I'd have to plump for Alex Cameron: Forced Witness. I love that record.

Music highlight
Seeing Run The Jewels at the Academy in Glasgow has got to be up there as my gig of the year. I haven't been to many hip-hop gigs in my life, but that was one amazing night. I also really loved the showcase gig we did at St Luke's back in September, I love getting my bands together on the one stage is one of my favourite things about running my own label. Plus that was also the day that we decided to do a Christmas album, so yeah that's gotta be up there as one of my highlights.

Non-musical highlight
I am going to have to be a bit cheesy and go with teaching my wee girl, Erin, to ride a bike without stabilisers.

Any tips for 2018?
I am going to cheat here, the two things that I am most about is the two new artists that I am working with, Jared Celosse and Pocket Knife. I'll be releasing Jared's debut EP in January, with an EP from Pocket Knife to follow later in the year. In my eyes they're the two most exciting artists to come out of Scotland in quite a few years, so I can't wait for folk to hear them.

www.facebook.com/olivegroverecords

The National:

Vic Galloway (above), broadcaster

Scottish release
Sacred Paws: Strike a Match

International release
Oh Sees: Orc Music highlight BBC 6Music Festival in Glasgow Non-musical highlight Seeing the Mayan pyramids and ruins in the Yucatan, Mexico.

Any tips for 2018?
I'm looking forward to new material by Young Fathers, Franz Ferdinand, Django Djangio, Tuneyards, Anna Meredith, Hookworms, Lylo, BADBADNOTGOOD, Flamingods, Oh Sees and others.

twitter.com/VicGalloway

The National:

Modern Studies (above), band


Scottish release
Some good pals have made some terrific records this year. I thought Alasdair Roberts:Pangs was exceptional, even by his high standards and Alex Neilson’s Alex Rex LP Vermillion was highly entertaining. Lomond Campbell’s Black River Promise was rereleased on Heavenly this year, too. We’ll have that as well.

International release
The Necks: Unfold, Jane Weaver: Modern Kosmology. Jake Xerxes Fussell and Joan Shelley both made excellent records this year.

Music highlight
We’ve had an incredible and busy year as a band. We signed to Fire Records who rereleased Swell to Great in October, we supported King Creosote on his UK tour in January playing in venues like the Barbican (wow), toured with C Duncan in May, played Glastonbury in June, all the while recording our second album that we have just finished and it’ll be out early next year. But I think the absolute highlight would have to be our SOUNDING shows at the Edinburgh Fringe with Lomond Campbell and the Pumpkinseeds Chamber Orchestra where we debuted the songs from the new record. We’ll be able to do it all again at Celtic Connections in January!

Non-music highlight
Family, friends, health, art, beauty, work.

Any tips for 2018?
We’ll be able to relive the dream come true that was SOUNDING again at Celtic Connections on 21st January in St Luke’s with the 12-piece orchestra before we release the new record, hopefully by April. After that we’ll embark on some tours, festivals, bar mitzvahs and we have been making plans for a second release in 2018 too. We’ll be busy!

modernstudiestheband.com

The National:

Lorenzo Pacitti (above), LP Records

Scottish release
I don't feel there's been enough love for the quality of Frightened Rabbit's Recorded Songs EP. It's classic Frightened Rabbit, some of my favourite songs of theirs come from these wee projects between albums they do. Maybe it's something to do with not having to pick tracks that fit a longer record completely, there's a better space for Scott's songwriting in these EP packages that capture moments in time out with an album cycle. Roadless, I would argue is one of their great songs, Rained On has a classic anthemic Frabbits chorus and How It Gets In features the amazing Julien Baker.

International release
I've dithered and swayed but I'm gonna go with Australian songwriter Alex Cameron's incredible Forced Witness. Alex and his business partner Roy Molloy are two of the most interesting characters in music and this record is just so incredibly engaging and enjoyable from start to finish. It's dark, it's funny, it's moving, it's disgusting, it's as good a commentary on toxic masculinity and love in the age of the internet as you'll find anywhere. The sense of melody and the songwriting on this record is flawless as well. A classic album, I don't skip a single track.

Music highlight
We had Julien Baker play for us in-store, her debut record came out the day we opened the shop and we championed it like crazy. Both her records sit as our first and second top sellers since we opened and I owe her a lot as well as adore her music, that was a really big highlight of my year and for all the people who discovered her through us who got that in-store as a treat.

Non-music highlight
Haha I have very few. I guess this was the year abusive men in power finally came under some kind of threat, which was cool, let's keep that up in 2018. Oh and I'm fairly confident I've perfected my marina sauce.

Any tips for 2018?
At LP Records we'll finally be putting out full lengths from American Clay and Codist on vinyl, something I've been desperate do for nearly two years. Internationally I'm excited for a new Danny Brown album, new records from Ought and Lucy Dacus and most importantly, new music for the first time in 14 years from my favourite band of all time, Pedro The Lion.

lprecords.limitedrun.com

The National:

Davie Miller (above), Paradise Palms Records

Scottish release
Golden Teacher: No Luscious Life and The Sexual Objects: Sometimes.

International release
Andrew Weatherall: Qualia and Thundercat: Drunk.

Music highlight
LCD Soundsystem at the Barrowlands and Gilles Peterson's Worldwide festival in Sete. France.

Non-music highlight
The rebirth of Leith Theatre with Hidden Door Festival and Neu Reekie's Trainspotting birthday party.

Any tips for 2018?
We are collectively looking forward to the Todd Terje album and the first album from Eyes Of Others on Paradise Palms.

paradisepalmsrecords.bandcamp.com

The National:

Michael Kasparis (above), Night School Records


Scottish release
I presume I’m not allowed to chose an artist I work with? OK, Golden Teacher: No Luscious Life. Everything you wanted on a GT debut album but totally different to what you expected.

International release
Toss up between Charli XCX: Number 1 Angel or Mind Parasites by Lebenden Toten Music highlight The Modern Institute at Counterflows.

Non-music highlight
Theresa May messing up so badly, so entertainingly.

Any tips for 2018?
From Scotland, the Cucina Povera album. OK, that’s cheating probably. A new Happy Meals album. Hopefully a new Iona Fortune record. From other parts of the world, the new U.S. Girls album.

nightschoolrecords.com

The National:

Happy Meals (above), band

Scottish release
Sacred Paws: Strike a Match Best release by an artist from the rest of the world?

International release
Tonstartssbandht: Sorcerer

Music highlight
We did our first ever 12-hour overnight event, Sleep Garden with 80 people listening, meditating, sleeping and dreaming together to live music through the night - that was incredible - a few days later we played at the Barrowlands and that was also a really special moment.

Non-music highlight
When Suzi agreed to marry Lewis.

Any tips for 2018?
The only records I know that are coming out next year are our new album and Apostille's new record and I'm really looking forward to them both.

www.happy-meals.com

The National:

KT Tunstall (above), musician

Scottish release
I am a bit biased as he’s a great pal, but I love Future Echoes by Pictish Trail. I’m all ears when it comes to the fusion of folk and electronica; it started with Beck for me in the 1990s, and I still find it a really exciting musical meeting point. Johnny has a beautiful voice and is a great melody writer.

International release
I have to admit, I’ve been touring so hard as well as making a new record which always means I listen to less music than usual, so I’m lagging behind with this years’ releases. But the album I’ve listened to most is A Deeper Understanding by The War On Drugs. His music and voice have such a strong effect on me - it’s meditative and euphoric at the same time, and has this crazy powerful nostalgia built into it.

Music highlight
Watching Francoise and The Atlas Mountains perform at Howlin’ Fling on the Isle Of Eigg. Afro-beat French genius with added choreography in a sweaty tent on a remote Scottish Island? Yes!

Non-music highlight
Seeing the tipping point of sexual abuse and harassment shift in real time in the western world. It’s amazing to witness; that finally victims' voices being louder than the perpetrators.

Any tips for 2018?
Definitely looking forward to hearing the new Franz Ferdinand record next year. We played a couple of festivals together in 2017 and they were on amazing form. Outside of Scottish music, I’m dying to get my hands on the new Jon Hopkins’ record. He’s one of my favourite artists and I’m always very inspired by his work.

kttunstall.com

The National:

JD Twitch (above), Optimo DJ

Scottish release
LAPS: Who Me?

International release
World Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda

Music highlight
Optimo 20

Non-music highlight
Ken Burns and Lynn Novice's film The Vietnam War

www.optimo.co.uk

The National:

Jonnie Common (above), musician

Scottish release
MC Almond Milk: Full Day Cool Times. A strikingly intimate and sobering perspective on the struggle to balance artistic pursuits with building a life outside of them. It totally blew me away. An incredible piece of work.

International release
My most played album this year has probably been Kickinit Alone by Kiefer. Lots of loop-based tracks that don't necessarily go anywhere but it's just full of human groove and interesting collisions. I can let this go round all day without getting sick of it.

Music highlight
Blasting out some new compositions into the freezing streets of Dundee from the top of the McManus Galleries' external staircase. My whole year was kind of leading to that moment and it felt amazing.

Non-music highlight
I have an infant son so every day there has been some minute yet heart-burstingly joyful instance. I also got five minutes to myself back around April, which was nice. I visit that memory often.

Any tips for 2018?
Very much looking forward to Joe Howe aka Joe Germlin's No Master Dynamics album. I recorded one of his live sets back in March and I have been rinsing it since. I believe some of the new album is in there. I'm also hoping that RAZA might put out another release as they are my favourite band in Glasgow at the moment. I'm also looking forward to the next tune-yards album. Interested to see what the aesthetic is. I have a new album to get out in 2018. It's all written and I'm itching to realise it.

jonniecommon.bandcamp.com

The National:

Nicola Meighan (above), writer and broadcaster

Scottish release
We're spoiled for brilliant music up here, and it's guaranteed I'll wake in the night with panicked forgotten additions to this, but I particularly loved Lomond Campbell's guitar mantras on Black River Promise; Kathryn Joseph and James Graham's stunning Easterhouse laments on Out Lines' Conflats; and Bdy_Prts' luminous, glitter-clad r 'n'b on their debut, Fly Invisible Hero.

International release
Nadine Shah's questing, minimalist protest-pop on Holiday Destination and Princess Nokia's rap via riot-grrrl on 1992 Deluxe lured me back again and again. This is The Kit's Moonshine Freeze and Nadia Reid'sPreservation also proved eternally gorgeous.

Music highlight
At home: Karine Polwart's Wind Resistance – a meditation on family, nature, landscape and mortality. In a far-flung, hyper-glam, parallel universe: Grace Jones being the badass queen we all need (and deserve) in documentary portrait, Bloodlight and Bami. PJ Harvey roaring 50ft Queenie at Edinburgh International Festival was up there, too.

Non-music highlight
Every word from Hollie McNish. The Ted Hughes Award-winning poet published her latest collection, Plum, in the summer. On the page, onthe stage, she's funny, filthy, profound and insightful. There's no-one like her.

Any tips for 2018?
From Scotland: I'm waiting (im)patiently for the new album from Glasgow-based cult-pop alchemist Richard Youngs (Believe); likewise for the full-length debut from retro-pop queen Martha Ffion, and for new music from rock 'n' roll wonder woman Emme Woods. From elsewhere: folk topographer Richard Skelton has a new LP incoming (Towards A Frontier); and I can't wait to hear more from r 'n' b livewire, Mabel. The fact that her mum is the great Neneh Cherry only adds to my love of her.

twitter.com/Nicola_Meighan

The National:

Johnny Lynch (above) aka Pictish Trail, Lost Map Records

Scottish release
Golden Teacher: No Luscious Life. Over the past few years they’ve made a name for themselves as a wild, sprawling, hyper-energetic party machine - and they are that rare breed of act that have managed to convey that spirit on record, as well as on stage.

International release
Shameless plug, but the three albums we released this year on Lost Map are ones that I’m really proud of, and are the things I’ve listened to the most - The Uncle Sold by Ed Dowie (from London), the self-titled debut from Manuela (also London), and Killmens by Monoganon (a Scottish artist, who is currently based in Malmo, Sweden). Three quite different records, each forging their own pop-path, making something that is distinctly their own. One of my main drives with the label is finding unique, unheard voices, and there’s no better example than these three acts.

Music highlight
Watching James Holden and The Animal Spirits perform at Howlin’ Fling on the Isle of Eigg. Transportive! The whole Howlin’ Fling weekend was a big one. It’s a Lost Map festival we hold every couple of years. I can’t quite believe it all came together, so much great music, lots of good pals. It blows my mind. It’s going to be a while until we do another one like that, I think, as it’s incredibly exhausting. But, aye, there’s nothing that comes close to it in terms of an all-encompassing musical experience. Howlin’ Fling is everything to me.

Non-musical highlight
Podcasts and jogging. I lost over three stone this year, and the main drive has been listening to podcasts, catching up on the next episode while out for a jog around Eigg. That S-Town one was a beaut, and whenever a new Adam Buxton podcast arrives I’m always on the hunt for my trainers.

Any tips for 2018?
I’m really keen to hear more music from Happy Meals - they are a Glasgow-based duo, who make immersive synth-disco pop, that somehow falls between the mesmeric worlds of Peaking Lights and 1990’s chart-dance heroes N-Trance.Without a doubt, the best live act I’ve seen over the past year. We’re putting out albums by Bas Jan, Firestations and Alabaster dePlume in 2018, and I’m excited about folk getting to know them, and love them.

lostmap.com

The National:

Stuart Braithwaite (above, second from right), Mogwai

Scottish release
Best release by a Scottish based artist is World Eater by Blanck Mass. It’s an absolutely huge record. Really immersive.

International release
Plunge by Fever Ray. It’s an outrageously good album.

Non-music highlight
Celtic’s unbeaten domestic run.

Any tips for 2018?
The record I’m looking forward to next year is Always Ascending by Franz Ferdinand. I’ve never heard them so excited about a release and I think it’ll be really special. For the rest of the world I’m really excited about the new Stars Of The Lid record which should hopefully appear this year.

www.mogwai.co.uk

The National:

Bdy_Prts (above), band

Scottish release
Enjoying No Luscious Life by Golden Teacher, for when you wanna get lost in a trance dance.

International release
Enjoying Plunge by Fever Ray. Love everything by Karin Dreijer and glad she’s got new stuff out for our ear holes.

Music highlight
Bjork putting out a new album. Utopia is immensely enjoyable to listen to, like all of Bjork’s stuff. You always hear new, interesting things with each listen.

Non-music highlight
Adopting a llama called Eric.

Any tips for 2018?
Looking forward to LYLO album Post Era. We loved Yeah Boy, so definitely buying this album. Also the Paul Institute putting out more stuff. Loved the mysterious way they appeared in 2017.

www.bdyprts.com

The National:

Stephen McRobbie (above), Monorail record shop

Scottish release
Sacred Paws: Strike A Match.

International release
Molly Nilsson: Imaginations.

Music highlight
Either Ela Orleans in surround sound at Stereo or listening with Katrina to favourite tunes over and over.

Non-music highlight 
Oh god, it was only music and people. Maybe the slow, steady pushback against Brexit offered a small bit of hope.

Any tips for 2018?
Melody Dog retrospective. The Orielles: Silver Dollar Moment.

www.monorailmusic.com

The National:

Matthew Young (above), Song, By Toad Records

Scottish release
Paths to the Foss by Tisso Lake. This is one of those “I dearly wish it was on my label” records, but Ian Humberstone's independence is one of the things I most admire about him, so it seems to churlish to complain about the inevitable consequences! This is a really gentle, atmospheric record, but a completely spell-binding one.

International release
Chaos & Systems by Sundays and Cybele, who I think are a Japanese psyche-rock band releasing on the brilliant Beyond Beyond is Beyond Records from Brooklyn. Or possibly Life With Dick by Grace Sings Sludge, (the solo project of Grace from the Sandwitches) which is a slow, creepy, distorted album out on one of my long-term favourite labels, Empty Cellar from Oakland.

Music highlight
Taking my insane old warhorse of a Volvo to the Sahara Desert and hearing proper Berber music up in the Atlas Mountains. Sorry pop music, but you’re a distant second.

Non-music highlight
Realising that my kids love The Muppets too, and therefore can’t be all bad after all.

Any tips for 2018?
Well it could be an absolute avalanche. There are our tenth anniversary celebrations, to start with. Then in terms of releases we have new albums being worked on by (deep breath!): Zed Penguin, Adam Stafford, Meursault, Lush Purr, Faith Eliott, Siobhan Wilson and Jonnie Common, as well as two split twelve inches in the works, and David Thomas Broughton returning to the UK to make a new album and start working a lot more actively as well. It can’t all come out in 2018, but we have an absolute ton of amazingly exciting stuff in the works.

songbytoad.com

The National:

Neil Pennycook (above), Meursault

Scottish release
Hailey Beavis: Simple Scene.

International release
It's a toss up between Forget by Xiu Xiu and The Curious Hand by Seamus Fogarty. Do NOT make me choose! Both wonderfully/willfully odd records that sound like nothing else I've heard this year (or any other year for that matter).

Music highlight
Apologies for the repetition here but I'm going with Short Ballad for a Long Man (and the accompanying video) by Seamus Fogarty, from his aforementioned album The Curious Hand. I won't spoil the experience for anyone but realising what this track was about and how artfully Mr Fogarty was able to weave this dark little tale into such a beautiful tune was a true reminder of how rewarding storytelling-through-song can be. Well done that man.

Non-music highlight
Dogs.

Any tips for 2018?
I've just recently caught wind of an upcoming release by one of my favourite artists Sol Seppy. I'm currently working on a new record/feature film/comic book and am very excited to share more news as we get into the new year. All I can tell you (so far) is that the project is titled F*** Off Back To Art School (& Other Stories) and that it's very noisy.

www.facebook.com/meursaultmusic