Well another year passes and another year of top notch releases from artists new and old. Nine Inch Nails, Suede, Mazzy Star and My Bloody Valentine released new albums that did not disappoint after long abscences and proved why they are and will always will be forces to be reckoned with. Jagwar Ma came out of left field and made one of the albums of the year bringing back a mix of baggy beat and electronic that harkened back to the early 90's Madchester scene. Arctic Monkeys released a flawless rock n' roll album that made them the band to beat and will be for some time to come. The National yet again took our breath away with another stunner of an album. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's new album sounded as though they had poured their heart and soul into making every song and let them get some heavy burdens off their collective chest. Sigur Rós released their darker side once more with an album that was heavier than previous efforts but still kept the disarming beauty that we have all come to love. Exit Calm released their sophomore album and showed that they are among a new crop of bands keeping guitar music alive and well for a new generation of fuzzed out fans. Finally White Lies continue to evlove as a band with an infusion of 80's synths and songwriting that has grown up as much as they have over their last several albums. Overall an exceptional year for music and I can't wait to see what 2014 holds with releases from The Horrors, Mogwai, Beck and many more on the horizon.
Top 20 of 2013:
1. Arctic Monkeys - AM
2. Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks
3. Jagwar Ma - Howlin'
4. The National - Trouble Will Find Me
5. Sigur Rós - Kviekur
6. Suede - Bloodsports
7. Mazzy Star - Seasons Of The Day
8. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Spector At The Feast
9. Exit Calm - The Future Isn't What It Used To Be
10. White Lies - Big TV
11. Arcade Fire - Reflektor
12. The Boxer Rebellion - Promises
13. Outfit - Performance
14. Franz Ferdinand - Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action
15. Beady Eye - BE
16. My Bloody Valentine - MBV
17. Savages - Silence Yourself
18. The Virgins - Strike Gently
19. The Mary Onettes - Hit The Waves
20. Fidlar - Fidlar
Honourable Mentions:
Washed Out - Paracosm
Kings Of Leon - Mechanical Bull
Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires Of The City
Foals - Holy Fire
Primal Scream - More Light
Queens Of The Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork
Mad Palace - Troubled Sleep EP
The Black Angels - Indigo Meadow
Pearl Jam - Lightning Bolt
Tricky - False Idols
Atoms For Peace - Amok
David Bowie - The Next Day
Peace - In Love
Smith Westerns - Soft Will
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mosquito
Cold War Kids - Dear Miss Lonelyhearts
Yast - S/T
Wolf People - Fain
British Sea Power - Machineries Of Joy
Villagers - Awayland
Charles Bradley - Victim Of Love
Var - No One Dances Quite Like My Brothers
Tribes - Wish To Scream
Palma Violets - 180
Cults - Static
Swim Deep - Where The Heaven Are We
Zola Jesus - Versions
Hollerado - White Paint
Pure X - Crawling Up The Stairs
Fryars - Radio PWR
Glasvegas - Later...When The TV Turns To Static
Weekend - Jinx
Wolf & Cub - Heavy Weight
The Strypes - Snapshot
Matthew Good - Arrows Of Desire
The Strokes - Comedown Machine
Splashh - Comfort
How To Destroy Angels - Welcome Oblivion
The Vaccines - Melody Calling EP
Two Door Cinema Club - Changing Of The Season EP
Placebo - Loud Like Love
Everything Everything - Arc
Yo La Tengo - Fade
I Am Kloot - Let It All In
The Joy Formidable - Wolf's Law
Toro Y Moi - Anything In Return
Suuns - Images Du Futur
Pure Love - Anthems
Toy - Join The Dots
The Courteneers - Anna
Frightened Rabbit - Pedestrian Verse
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - II
Eels - Wondeul, Glorious
Puscifer - Donkey Punch The Night
Starfucker - Miracle Mile
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away
The Flaming Lips - The Terror
Surfer Blood - Pythons
James Blake - Overgrown
The Knife - Shaking The Habitual
SULK - Graceless
Electric Soft Parade - IDIOTS
These New Puritans - Fields Of Reeds
Elephant Stone - S/T
Phoenix - Bankrupt!
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
Miles Kane - Don't Forget Who You Are
Boards Of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest
Black Sabbath - 13
Travis - Where You Stand
MGMT - MGMT
Chvrches - The Bones Of What You Believe
King Krule - 6 Feet Beneath The Moon
Jamie N Commons - Rumble and Sway
Johnny Borrell - Borrell 1
The Warlocks - Skull Worship
The Violet May - Strange Lives
Albert Hammond Jr. - AHJ
Babyshambles - Sequel To The Prequel
Bass Drum Of Death - S/T
Rob Zombie - Venomous Rat Regenration Vendor
Avenged Sevenfold - Hail To The King
The Airborne Toxic Event - Such Hot Blood
The Besnard Lakes - Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO
Beware Of Darkness - Orthodox
Big Black Delta - Big Black Delta
Gogol Bordello - Pura Vida Conspiracy
Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros - Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros
Bloc Party - The Nextwave Sessions EP
Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe
Mark Kozelek - Like Rats
Cazadores - Hyperion Days
Midlake - Antiphon
Chapel Club - Good Together
Sterephonics - Graffiti Train
Hurts - Exile
Crystal Stilts - Nature Noir
Dead Meadow - Warble Womb
Cut Copy - Free Your Mind
Jake Bugg - Shangri-La
Pond - Hobo Rocket
Dead Sons - The Hollers and The Hymns
Slowness - For Those Who Wish To See The Glass Half Full
Deap Vally - Sistronix
Marnie - Crystal World
Delphic - Collections
Low - The Invisible Way
Neils Children - Dimly Lit
Diego Garcia - Paradise
Dinosaur Pile-Up - Nature Nuture
Johnny Marr - The Messenger
The Jungle Giants - Learn To Exist
Dutch Uncles - Out Of Touch In The Wild
Snowden - No One In Control
Echotape - Collective
Mona - Torches and Pitchforks
Editors - The Weight Of Your Love
The 1975 - The 1975
Yuck - Glow & Behold
Young Galaxy - Ultramarine
Electric Eye - Pick Up, Lift-Off, Space, Time
Iaceage - You're Nothing
Empire Of The Sun - Ice On The Dune
Steve Mason - Monkey Minds In Devil's Time
Giant Drag - Waking Up Is Hard To Do
The Orwells - Other Voices EP
The Olms - S/T
No Joy - Wait To Pleasure
Crocodiles - Crimes Of Passion
ELEVATION - ELEVATION
The Little Ones - The Dawn Sang Along
Esben & The Witch - Wash The Sins Not Only The Face
The Pigeon Detectives - We Met At Sea
Frankie & The Heartstrings - The Days Run Away
Porcelain Raft - Permanent Signal
Girls Names - The New Life
Majical Cloudz - Impersonator
Gliss - Langsom Dams
Shout Out Louds - Optica
Go For The Eyes - Six Through Twelve
Rockets & Dinosaurs - Angry Gnarly Love
Tanner James - How To Ruin Your Life With Women
The Growlers - Hung At Heart
Neov - Orange Morning
Summerays - Summer Daze
Guards - In Guards We Trust
New Canyons - Everyone Is Dark
High Highs - Open Season
Night Beats - Sonic Bloom
IAMX - The Unified Field
Picnic - The Weather's Fine
Sebastien Grainger - Yours To Discover
Until next year...
