My Favorite Albums of 2013

This blog page of mine, though many years old, has now basically become a place for me to comment on the year's best music. Really, it's for my own enjoyment and serves as an annual check-in on my mind to make sure it's still there and hasn't been melted away from hours of Nintendo and the occasional binge of abusing my liver and lungs. Mostly I felt the need to write this due to the decay of thoughtful writing and the rise of BuzzFeed hacks. I included a blurb about each album and not a video with the caption 'Because 'Merica' on each selection.

BUT ANYWAY - here's another year-end-list to throw on to the seemingly endless scrap heap of content out there. Couple of surprises this year and plenty of good albums made it an interesting one but incredibly satisfying.

High Honors:

Alkaline Trio - My Shame is True
Foxygen - We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic 
Los Campesinos! - No Blues
Ra Ra Riot - Beta Love
Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold (technically from 2012, which is why it ain't in the Top 10) 
Washed Out - Paracosm
Speedy Ortiz - Major Arcana
Surfer Blood - Pythons
Youth Lagoon - Wondrous Bughouse
Yo La Tengo - Fade

Top 10 of 13

10. Arctic Monkeys – AM

Everything I’ve read so far praising this album has been all, “the Arctic Monkeys are back” and “How Alex Turner got his groove back,” but the truth is that they’ve never went anywhere. Sure, they spun their wheels too much on “Humbug,” but since that record their songwriting and balance of style has only increased – and this is that record that perfectly balances it. Opener “Do I Wanna Know?” has a seductive hook that gives way to a traditional exploding Arctic Monkeys-style chorus, and even the chilled out “No. 1 Party Anthem” sounds like you’re just taking a break between parties at 3 am. But if that’s not quite your style, it’ll still sound great on a dark road at night.

9. The National – Trouble Will Find Me

For the first time, the National put out a record that I didn’t have to wait until daylight savings time to listen to. Not to say that the subjects in Matt Berninger’s 13 songs weren’t heavy or troubling, but more so at how laid back the band songs. “I Should Live In Salt” has a gentle strum in a 9/8 time signature that takes time for the band to all coalesce, while “Graceless” and “Sea of Love” soar in swelling crescendos that should be weighted by the subject matter, instead sound triumphant (unlike most of their last record High Violet). Probably the best thing about the band is that they can combine the bummed out with the humorous in their lyrics and the gentle and abrasive in their music. They’re not ‘dad rock,’ yet, bro. Let’s just enjoy it.

8. Arcade Fire – Reflektor

What do you do when you win an unsuspecting Grammy award (and get a nod from this guy athankyouverymuch) for ‘Album of the Year?’ This, apparently, because that was everyone in the blogosphere’s most anticipated question for the last three years. They didn’t need all the hype campaigning, but it sure got people talking about what working with producer James Murphy was going to do to them. For better or worse, that’s almost what this double album is verbatim. The first disc shows off their adventurous side, showing off a Haitian disco style of the band that they picked up after a trip to that country (cause they won a Grammy, right?). Disc 2 has a bit more of the band’s sound they’ve honed over the years, which isn’t a bad thing. Still, songs like “Here Comes the Night Time,” “Normal Person,” “Afterlife” and the title track rank with some of their best work thanks to all of that eclectic inspiration.

7. Danny Brown – Old

Since his verse on (RIP) Das Racist’s “Power” in 2011, I’ve been fascinated with Danny Brown. Likely because the second I heard his unmistakable snarl he’s been impossible to ignore, but more so because of his natural ability to shape-shift and make any style all his own – which is exactly what he does on Old. Side A of the album finds him at odds with himself - reflecting on his troubled Detroit upbringing, spinning detailed stories of getting jumped on his way to buy Wonder bread (“Wonderbread”), hearing relentless gunshots that sound like fireworks (“Torture”) and living off of his mom’s hair cutting money (“25 Bucks,” which features beat from the uber-hip Purity Ring).  The second side is all drug-fueled Danny Brown debauchery that anyone familiar with his previous efforts can expect. And really, just look at that cover art. 

6. Dr. Dog – B-Room

It’s almost unfair how Dr. Dog can make putting out another great album in a year seemingly effortless. In fact, from my count, they’ve been doing it since 2005’s Easy Beat, and this year’s B-Room is yet another stunning addition to the already brimming Dr. Dog canon. Singer-guitarist Scott McMicken’s opener “The Truth” seems to slowly emerge on airy strings and drifts along a catchy hook and eventual sing-along coda, while bassist Toby Leaman follows up with his boozy howls on “Broken Heart.” It’s that back and forth vocal play and overall soulful sound of the band that perfectly balances this record. “Distant Light,” “Cuckoo,” and “Nellie” are definitely some of Leaman’s best works vocally, and McMicken is not so bad himself with “Minding the Usher,” “Phenomenon,” and “Love.” Dr. Dog is and has been one of the best bands we have out there, and B-Room is no exception…and I think it’s safe to say that if they haven’t gone the Mumford route by now, they won’t be anytime soon.

5.The So-So Glows – Blowout!

In which the hometown hero brothers of Brooklyn step out of the boroughs and destroy everything in its path, Blowout! Is the group’s best and most concentrated effort to date. Its complete lack of pretense and a genuine garage punk swagger make it sound like a band that rose from the ashes of CBGB’s. Infectious guitar hooks and chorus sing-alongs are abundant on “Son of an American,” “Diss Town,” and “Wrecking Ball.” Brothers Alex and Ryan Levine’s songwriting skills have put the band in a place – that not unlike their good buddies Titus Andronicus – could earn them a crossover crowd of punks and hipsters alike. Don’t be worried, though, cause there is still a ‘fuck Hollywood’ song, and that’s some true east coast punk rock shit.

4. Kanye West – Yeezus

There are enough reasons to not want to acknowledge Kanye West as a person at all, so when I was looking at my top played songs in iTunes and saw “Bound 2” coming in at fourth I knew there was no denying the insanity that is Yeezus. At this point, somehow, all of his arrogance has proven to be simultaneously ridiculous, hilarious and brilliant. Who really knew what his next move would be after 2010’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy except him, keeping the making of this record completely hidden and it’s guests (including now-bro Bon Iver) sworn to secrecy. Yeezus is an even darker, more raw Kanye then we’ve seen yet on opener “On Sight” and then gets even deeper on the following “Black Skinhead.” One of Kanye’s best songs might be “Blood on the Leaves,” it booms with production by soon-to-blow-up duo TNGHT and a Nina Simone sample. Oh, and it also compares a pregnant bitch sitting court side opposite you and your current girl to Apartheid (that I truly hope hip-hop fan Nelson Mandela was able to hear before he passed away). Then there’s the aforementioned closing act “Bound 2,” which is all soul-sampling, back-to-rapping Kanye that squashes any doubts that this is still a hip-hop album and West isn't going anywhere.  Damnit.

3. Frightened Rabbit – Pedestrian Verse

A band’s third album can often be the most difficult, especially when you have a pretty good following and other folksy British bands are in the Top 40 all over the world. Not to say that Glasgow, Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit’s last album was a clunker, but it seemed to leave fans wanting more based upon singer-songwriter Scott Hutchinson’s previous output and maybe a bit worried they’d become a soccer mom band. Luckily, the band refocused on Pedestrian Verse, choosing song craft over sound to great effect and produced their most concise album to date. Hutchinson’s lyrics and ear for melody have rarely been stronger than on “Backyard Skulls,” “Holy,” and “Late March, Death March.” Purists will be glad that they haven’t lost any edge in word choice either, as Hutchinson is still ‘that dickhead in the kitchen/Stealing wine from your best girl’s glass,’ he sweetly proclaims on opener “Acts of Man.” He even feeds off of the stadium energy the band aimed for on that last album in the towering “The Woodpile,” one of their best songs to date on an album that perfectly blends all of their strongest skills.

2. Queens of the Stone Age - …Like Clockwork

On a recent episode of Marc Maron’s popular podcast WTF, QOTSA mastermind Josh Homme revealed to Maron that in the six years since the group’s last album he almost died. Not in the Keith Moon or GG Allin kind of way that you’d expect from a rock and roller, but instead by a MRSA brought on by his constant working schedule and the number it did on his immune system. Homme understandably took a few years off and seemingly distilled his demons into his best work in a decade. …Like Clockwork is another record that champions song over sound, as longtime fans won’t hear any extended tracks that ‘pound rhythms into your head.’ Slow-burning opener “Keep Your Eyes Peeled” rides in on a dark wave and soars with driving guitar and drums as a panicked Homme yelps “Over and over/gasping in horror/so breathless you surface” as he literally comes back to life. Follow up track “I Sat By the Ocean” and “My God is the Sun” sound as if they’re leftover from the Songs for the Deaf sessions in the best way possible, and falsetto and creshendos make tracks like “The Vampyre of Time and Memory” downright thrilling.

1. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City

This was easily the best album that I’ve heard this year for plenty of reasons, but even the first time I hit play on the opening track “Obvious Bicycle” I could almost sense that this was a special one. Modern Vampires of the City is the first Vampire Weekend album that plays like an actual album rather than songs strung together, mostly thanks to front man Ezra Koenig’s lyrics about growing up, getting old, and swooning over the sound of someone spinning Desmond Dekker’s “Israelites” into the Rolling Stones’ “19^th Nervous Breakdown.” Swirling organs and hand-claps lighten things up on “Unbelievers” and “Step” is a perfect song that captures everything that the band does well with a hip-hop beat and harpsichords. “Diane Young” is definitely the liveliest track on the alum and works this album’s version of ‘Cousins.’ “Ya Hey” ponders over religion with help from some vocal effects and and synth skills courtesty of keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij. Most importantly, this is the kind of album this band needed to make if they wanted to remain at the forefront of the music landscape. And so now that they did make it, it seems safe to say we don’t have to wonder if they’ll be able to do it again.

The Best Albums of 2010

Holy crapola, it's that time already again. This year was retardedly good for music, from newcomers on the indie and pop scene to the elder statesmen that influenced them. To form this list (like most list-makers do I would assume), I scrolled through iTunes and wrote down all the worthy albums on about five note cards, tacked them up on the wall, and invited two of my colleagues over for Chinese food and to debate said albums. Here's what we came up with.

10. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast

With a name like Surfer Blood and being from Florida, the unfamiliar listener might think these four dudes are another reverb-drenched outfit pining for the sunshine and skipping classes with the girl that got away. Thankfully, none of that is true, as this band sticks out of the scrap heap by cranking up their amps. Colossal sounding tunes like "Swim" and "Twin Peaks" are stadium-ready, and "Floating Vibes" has towering guitar riffs and possibly the best kiss-off line of the year: "When you wake up in the morning and hear the awful applause/Put it in your fucking napkin/And watch it dissolve."

9. The National - High Violet

The National's ride to the top didn't really surprise anybody this year who listened to the band's previous efforts, but thankfully the album that broke them is just as engrossing as anything they've done. Matt Berninger's stories of the downtrodden sound haunting on tracks like "Anyone's Ghost" and "Conversation 16." The thundering drums and biting cymbals that have become the band's signature sound pound out the bottom end, and Berninger even takes his baritone up to an alto on a record that sounds best on a ride through the city at 2:00 am.

8. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty

Wasn't this supposed to come out, like, three years ago? Yeah, something like that. Much like Clipse and their classic Hell Hath No Fury, Outkast's more-gangsta half had to fight his label and dropped Lucious Left Foot years later. Much like the Clipse record, it was worth the wait. "Shutterbug" is perfect for both dancehalls and subwoofers in a Cadillac, "General Patton" is all Southern bombast, and "Be Still" collaborates with Janelle Monae to make the best hand-clapping, sing-along song of the year that isn't "Fuck You."

7. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

James Murphy better have been kidding when he said that this, LCD's third album, would be their last. Then again, they've already made one of the best albums of all time and have the respect of just about everyone in the industry. Maybe he's thinking in Seinfeldian terms, as to go out after This Is Happening couldn't be more grandiose. Once "Dance Yrself Clean" kicks in, the whole album is a momentous joyride, concluding with "Home," which plays off of the melody that started the album. Murphy may have been serious, as in the song's final moments he realizes he's reached his pinnacle: "Look around you/You're surrounded/It won't get any better." For the most part, it really doesn't.

6. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz/All Delighted People EP

I'll be completely honest: Until the out-of-the-blue release of the All Delighted People EP in September, I thought I would never hear from the Michigan songsmith again. Stevens comes out of hiding and completely re-invents himself by doing the one thing necessary that would make his listeners come back - dismissing his '50 States' project. All Delighted People features his Vince Guaraldi-style ballads like "From The Mouth of Gabriel," 17-minute world chants on "Djohariah," and quotes Simon and Garfunkel on "All Delighted People (Classic Rock Version)". The epic Age of Adz showcases Stevens' intricate bedroom electronica, from the wild "Too Much" to the even crazier "I Want To Be Well." It's the latter that we understand exactly where he's coming from as he yelps "I'm not fucking around!"

5. Sleigh Bells - Treats

Ever since hearing "Crown on the Ground" after this band broke out at CMJ 2009, the indie world had been holding their breath to see what Sleigh Bells would do on their debut album. Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller had a simple answer: obliterate eardrums. A completely original and necessary fusion of distortion and dance tracks, Treats is all hooks and happiness. In a perfect world, every car I passed last summer would have also been blasting "Rill Rill" and snapping along as they "wondered what their boyfriends thought about their braces." An exhausting listen in the best sense of the word.

4. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor

The first song I had ever heard by Titus Andronicus is called "Upon Viewing Brueghel's 'Landscape'" and I immediately lost my shit because 1) that's one piece of art I actually really like and 2) it sounded like Conor Oberst singing on Zen Arcade. Frontman Patrick Stickles is one smart guy, from his incredibly personal lyrics to the more-punk bar band sound. The Monitor brilliantly compares realtionships to the Civil War, a concept that sounds like it would be corny if any other band had tried to do it. Thankfully Stickles' warbly scream is the epitome of sympathy and honesty, as it's hard not to feel bad for the wounded twenty-something finding his way back from Somerville to New Jersey on "A More Perfect Union." "Theme From 'Cheers'" is a night with friends as you try to drown your sorrows, and the 14-minute "The Battle of Hampton Roads" is all overcoming heatrache and starting over. If you haven't heard this record yet, Google the lyrics first and you'll be convinced.

3. Vampire Weekend - Contra

Ezra Koenig and friends were poised to become the next Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! after the overwhelming success of their first album, but instead fully embraced their own sound and reminded everyone that they're all talented musicians. Oh yeah, and they have the catchiest songs on the planet. Contra is the happiest record of the year, as it's impossible not to smile hearing "White Sky," "Holiday" and "Run." Their secret weapon is keyboardist/producer Rostam Batmanglij, who adds trip-hop codas to "Diplomat's Son" and African drums on "Giving Up The Gun." A band with a sense of awareness for other world music picks out the good bits and makes the sounds all their own. Keep it up, fellas.

2. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Mr. West is the biggest musician of our time. With every outburst and piece of publicity he gets, it seems he just feeds off the negative reactions and puts out the best song he's ever done. We all know how he lost his mother and split with his fiance, then did the whole Taylor Swift thing, then just kinda went into hiding. Little did everyone know he was reinventing himself again and collaborating with everyone from RZA to Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, creating an instant classic. There isn't an unnecessary track on MBDTF, and even his leftovers are delicious: songs that didn't make the album that were part of his GOOD FRIDAY download series and are available for free on his website. He really is as good as he says he is. All the time. Thank God for Kanye West keeping hard-work, craziness and creativity in the mainstream.

1. The Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

This time last year, I was thinking about not only my favorite albums from 2009 but of the entire decade. Boys and Girls In America, Kid A, Reconstruction Site...and the Arcade Fire's Funeral. The album still blows my mind six years later, and I remember how word spread like wildfire when that album was released in the fall of 2004. I was immediately under its spell, and the Arcade Fire became my new favorite band. When Neon Bible came out a few years later, I skipped my college class to go buy it and sat in the basement with it on repeat the entire day. As I thought about all of this I began to wonder, 'where is the Arcade Fire?'

The band was relatively quiet, and they only broke the news on their new album in May with snippets of the songs that would later become 'The Suburbs' and 'Month of May.' Word got out, anticipation built, and The Suburbs was released in August at the top of the Billboard charts. Win Butler crafted a concept album about the small towns in America and the feelings that come out of them: resentment, fear, and the need to get away. Every single song has a hook, if its right out front as in "City With No Children In It" or if its more subtle and strummed as in "Wasted Hours." Rene Chassagne takes vocal duties on several tracks as well, including the band's new signiture song "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)." An exhilarating listen that becomes more and more personal with each listen, the Arcade Fire have done it again and have made the most rewarding record of the year.

The Cure For the Common Reverb: The Fresh & Onlys

As far back as one can start calling the genre 'indie rock,' there has always been the ebbing and flowing of influencing bands and musical trends. In 2004, for example, everyone was all about the 80's Duran Duran synths or the Gang of Four hi-hat drum beats (see: The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party). Nowadays the indie blogosphere is all about bands bringing back the sounds of the garage - simply structured three-chord songs soaked in reverb and ready for a sunny afternoon ride to Venice Beach. Countless bands are getting attention for their throwback sound, from Best Coast to Dum Dum Girls to, more recently, Tennis. I'd be willing to bet that if you played all three of the aforementioned bands back to back to back that the casual listener wouldn't even be able to tell the difference.

One band that stands out among their revivalist peers is San Francisco's The Fresh & Onlys, particularly on their latest offering, Play It Strange. Yes, the reverb is there, as is the Beatlesque drumming, and, thankfully, the melodies. But what makes Tim Cohen's outfit stand above the rest are the numerous influences that he and his band-mates draw upon. Take the album's closest thing to a single "Waterfall," which evokes a certain California meets the Wild West type of imagery... passing a flask of whiskey on the back of a flatbed truck through the plains and onward to Denver, perhaps? The opening track "Summer of Love" plays faithfully to the band's hometown Hippie-dom, and even traces of The Stooges give way to pianos and chugging acoustic guitars on "Tropical Island Suite." "Who Needs a Man" plays on the band's Joy Division influence, with those hi-hats and fuzzy low-end.

The Fresh & Onlys wear their influences on their sleeve, but not to a fault. Play It Strange may be the best garage-rock-revival records of the year thanks to Tim Cohen's smarts to look outside the blogosphere for influence. Next time you have a long nighttime drive ahead of you -preferably through a desert - do yourself a favor and Play It Strange.

"Waterfall"