Year In ReView: Our favorite Boston-ish songs of 2017

It's December 21, and we're just finally getting around to our annual list of favorite songs to come out of Boston in 2017. Two conclusions can be drawn from this -- first, the year was so packed that our Year End obligations were pushed back to the very last minute, and secondly, we kind of hate these posts. Through our New Sounds features and pages of Boston News posts, it's virtually impossible to come up with a full portrait of Boston's year in music. We hope that our dedicated coverage from January to December acts as our compass of what's good around town; this list here can be best described as a loose collection of our "faves." It's in no order, it's by no preference; these tracks stuck with us over the course of the calendar, and if you missed one or two when released, perhaps it can help fill in some blanks. Because it was a crazy good year for Boston music, and 2018 feels as promising as ever.

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Dutch ReBelle, “I Can’t”

“Can’t recall when they played me/Fuck you mean homie Beantown raised me,” is how Dutch ReBelle wraps up the first verse on “I Can’t,” the AyyDot-produced lead offering from September’s No Stems. “In preparation for my Bang Bang project, here is a collection of songs with lost stems and/or samples that I wanted to share with my supporters,” she wrote. “To all my Black Roses in this Jungle, this project represents raw and unapologetic vibes. No Stems attached.” The Milton rapper proves time and time again she’s one of the most important voices in Boston’s scene, and this warped-mind track serves as both a re-affirmation for those who know and an introduction to those who just walked in. This New Year’s Eve, Dutch hits the stage at Copley Square for First Night festivities, and it’ll wrap a bow on another banger year.

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