Best Music of 2013

What can I say? 2013 was a great year for music. Not in the sense that there were one or two life changing, amazing albums, but in that there were albums that were consistently good to great released throughout the year. Sure, there were some underwhelming releases (Cut Copy and Sebastian Tellier come to mind), but for the most part it was a amazing year for really good albums. Listed below you will find my convoluted and biased list for the best music of 2013. Hope you enjoy!

(I've created a mix of my favorite tracks here, stream it from your phone or computer and dig it now!)

 

1 a. Arctic Monkeys: AM - Wow. I've listened to this band since their debut (I mean how could you not?) and although I've always enjoyed their music, this is the first release I've loved. It's great from start to finish. The backup falsetto vocals by the drummer add so much. Great, great album.

1 b. CHVRCHES: The Bones of What YouBelieve - Anybody who knows me knows that I have a huge soft spot in my heart for anything that hails from Scotland. Hell, I'm unabashedly a huge Big Country fan. People who know me even better know I love synth pop from the 80s. So it makes complete sense that Chvrches is my favorite release from the last couple years. A perfect release in many ways.

Savages: Silence Yourself - Easily the best live show I've seen this year, maybe one of the best bands I've ever seen live. In a write up I did earlier this year I made reference to them as not being the best musicians...I couldn't have been more wrong. All of these ladies fucking crushed it on stage. They play angry.

The National: Trouble Will Find Me - To me, this in their best album since Boxer, a return to form. If there weren't so many incredible albums this year, this would have been my number one.

Vampire Weekend: Modern Vampires of the City - If there's one song that will bring me close to tears when I've had too much to drink this year, it's Unbelievers.

Daft Punk: Random Access Memories - Not my favorite release for sure from one of my favorite DJs of all time, but a great release based on some amazing singles. (For what it's worth, my wife says I'm way underselling this one)

My Bloody Valentine: mbv - Duh.

Rival Schools: Found - As a hardcore kid at heart, it's pretty easy for me to throw any Walter Schreifels' project on a list and call it a day. But I really, really like this record and it's not just an obligatory nod to my past. It's a good album. I never loved United By Fate, but I really enjoy Found. Feels like a great album that was recorded early 00s and still has enough staying power to listen to today. 

Merchandise: Totale Nite - This s a band that borrows elements from all the genres I love (80s, shoegaze, post punk, etc...) Love this guy's voice, one of the most underrated bands...plus they were hardcore kids.

Wavves: Afraid of Heights - The soundtrack to my summer.

Deafheaven: Sunbather - The album is brilliant. To qualify this album as the best metal album of the year is doing it a disservice, one of the best albums of the year. I know that's a little redundant seeing as this is my best of list!

Run the Jewels: s/t - It only took like 10 years for rap to become relevant (to me at least) again! A fun album that represents the L.B.B. for sure.

Washed Out: Paracosm - Didn't appreciate this album until I heard it live. The sound guys had sooo much trouble during their set, so much so that the band played for a couple minutes straight with no music coming through the PA. Eventually, the band noticed and it was a great site to see Ernest Greene/Tyler Florence get a little pissed and embarrassed while still trying to embrace the chillwave vibe. Regardless, a solid album that reminds me of summer.

Arcade Fire: Reflektor - Can't say much more about these guys that hasn't already been said by everybody else, so I'm not going to say anything.

A$AP Rocky: Long.Live.A$Ap - This dude's young and I can't think of many MCs that are better lyrically than Rocky at this point. Most impressive rap album I've heard in years...like 20.

Rogue Wave: Nightingale Floors - Solid album by a consistent band, the gem of the album is the cover of Nearly Lost You.

Foxygen: We are the 21st Century Ambassadors... - Stand out track is San Francisco, it would be right at home on any Wes Anderson sound track.

Phoenix: Bankrupt! - How does a band consistently churn out great releases year after year? Money in the bank.

Yuck: Glow and Behold - This one came out of left field for me, I've listened to Yuck before and never gave them much thought. But I love this album. When tracks from this album started popping up on my iPhone, I kept thinking it was a song I forgot about by the Boo Radleys or Teenage Fanclub. I can't think of much higher praise than that.

Kayne West: Yeezus - Really for me, this album is all about Bound 2. The rest of the album is too angry for this white boy. Kanye's the one guy who's got an edge lyrically on Rocky.

Tegan and Sara: Heartthrob - I am embarrassed to say Closer was my favorite pop song of the year...that is, until I heard the new Chvrches album. The album has no place on my list but I loved this song at one point.

Honorable Mention: Noctum: Final Sacrifice, Julianna Barwick: Nepenthe, The Haxan Cloak: Excavation.