I now present "Some guy on the internet's top 20 list." In total, I'd like to say I am pretty impressed with 2013. Last year, I had stronger connections to my top 2 albums, but this year, I have a solid 11 albums that could have been in the #1 spot.
So, without further ado, here is 20-11.
Extremely spastic at times and hypnotic at others, this album is anything but boring. Even more entertaining is Danny's persona off-album, where he gives surprisingly insightful interviews about Greek Tragedies, 60s pop rock, and Kathy Griffin.
I don't think you'll be seeing Rival Dealer on many end-of-year lists. That's not because this record isn't good, it's because it was released a week ago. This is the second year in a row where Burial has blessed the world with a release late in the year. His music is so suited for cold winter nights that it only makes sense. This album is interesting in its message to young people who feel alienated for one reason or another (specifically trans-gender). It'd be cool if Burial's music has an effect on someone out there that is more than just "wub wub this bassss wub".
In 2013, I got into metal a little bit. The vast majority still irritates me, but Inter Arma really nailed my exact preferences with this album. It's heavy, plodding, atmospheric, and the singer's (yeller's?) voice is never corny, always menacing.
Fire! Orchestra is a collection of 20+ avant-garde and free jazz musicians who have crafted an hour of foreboding jazz unlike anything I've heard before. This album has two tracks with two "suites" within them each, and this album would have easily been in my top 5 had the fourth and final suite not been 100% free jazz. It's too cacophonous and random for my tastes, but the three preceding suites are excellent. If Swans went to hell and the only instruments available were saxophones and horns, and they hired a banshee as their singer, the end product might have been Exit!
The Drones are a gritty alt-rock band from Australia who sound like they just don't give a damn. The singer has an iconic voice, but you are half expecting him to say "fuck it I'm done" midway through every song. The riffs on here are excellent, and the songs are long, but it's the singer that really makes this album what it is.
So, we didn't get an Azealia Banks album this year, but we did get the next best thing: Cakes da Killa. This guy is just terrible. I'm certain Key & Peele were thinking of Cakes when they made this sketch. But I'll be damned if his beats are not the greatest thing I've heard in hip-hop all year. (Alright second greatest, we'll get to that later.) Also, Cake's parody of Frank Ocean's "Thinkin Bout You" in the song above is pretty fantastic.
Glaciers is the perfect record to listen to on the way home from work after a stressful day. It's impossible not to listen to this album at full volume and get lost in the dense beats on this record. Track IV isn't anything special, but aside from that it's a near flawless album.
2013 was full of surprises, and Kurt Vile was one of them. I listened to this album only because I was bored one day, and the first track is so great that it could carry me through the album on its own power if needed, but the rest of the songs on here are just as solid. Maybe Kurt is filling a void in my life since college-Kyle was really into Ryan Adams, but post-college-Kyle really appreciates the similarities to Destroyer's Kaputt.
The title of this album gets the award for "indie band trying too hard to be cute", but that try-hard cuteness really works well when carried over into the music itself. Everyone I show this album to seems to think this band is really sad-sounding, so I guess that's why most bands in this genre are sad... the shoegazing guitars and whisper-sung vocals really lend to a sad atmosphere. But I heard nothing but sugar coated, dimple-cheeked pop songs when listening to Candy Claws. No matter what you heard, I'd say they are definitely worth a listen.
Laurel Halo's follow-up to Quarantine came at the perfect time for me this year. I was desperately craving a pulsing, minimal techno album to get me through the late fall, and Laurel Halo surprised me with Chance of Rain. I hope that this album proves that Quarantine was a departure from her true sound, because the thought of Laurel Halo adding vocals to a Chance of Rain-style techno album is really exciting to me. Looking forward to more output from Ms. Halo.
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