MCCh 2013 (09) May, 31

[Otisredding]

The best albums of 2013 (update May, 31)

The final numbers is the average rating and number of reviews in brackets (over 30)
New Entry or Re Entry

The magazines I used for the ratings were:
EUR: Gaffa-dk; Gaffa-sw; Jenesaispop; Laut; LesInrocks; MagicRPM; Mondosonoro; Music-story; Nojesguiden; Plattentests; Playgroundmag; Sentire Ascoltare; Storia Della Musica
UK: Bowlegs; DIY; Drowned In Sound, The Guardian, Music OMH, NME, No Ripcord
USA: Allmusic; AV Club; BeatsPerMinute; Consequence Of Sound; Paste; Pitchforkmedia; Popmatters; Rolling Stone; Spin; Tinymixtapes

Out:
Bombino: Nomad

50 - Charles Bradley: Victim Of Love - 75,2 (14)
[imgsize 150x150]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 514498.jpg[/imgsize]

49 - Mountains: Centralia – 75,3 (10)]
[imgsize 150x150]http://wp-images.emusic.com/assets/2013 ... tralia.jpg[/imgsize]

48 - Atoms For Peace: Amok - 75,4 (28)
[imgsize 150x150]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 486678.jpg[/imgsize]

47 - Foals: Holy Fire – 75,6 (26)
[imgsize 150x150]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 487289.jpg[/imgsize]

46 - Daughter: If You Leave - 75,7 (21)
[imgsize 150x150]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 497944.jpg[/imgsize]

45 - Marnie Stern: The Chronicles of Marnia - 75,7 (19)
[imgsize 150x150]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 484274.jpg[/imgsize]

44 - Toro Y Moi: Anything In Return – 75,8 (28)
[imgsize 150x150]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 484904.jpg[/imgsize]

43 - Villagers: {Awayland} - 75,9 (21)
[imgsize 150x150]http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9 ... cpL99X3VYA[/imgsize]

42 - Iron & Wine: Ghost On Ghost – 75,9 (24)
[imgsize 150x150]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 524192.jpg[/imgsize]

41 - Torres: Torres – 75,9 (7)
[imgsize 150x150]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ENSpWWA7fHg/U ... torres.jpg[/imgsize]

40 - Low: The Invisible Way – 76,0 (23)
[imgsize 150x150]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 495349.jpg[/imgsize]

39 - Foxygen: We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace And Magic - 76,0 (25)
[imgsize 150x150]http://www.thelefortreport.com/blog/wp- ... 00x600.jpg[/imgsize]

38 - Unknown Mortal Orchestra: II – 76,0 (25)
[imgsize 150x150]http://exclaim.ca/images/umo.jpg[/imgsize]

37 - Thee Oh Sees: Floating Coffin - 76,3 (9)
[imgsize 150x150]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 492156.jpg[/imgsize]

36 - Frightened Rabbit: Pedestrian Verse – 76,6 (18)
[imgsize 150x150]http://wmuk-apache.co.uk/frightened_rab ... nVerse.jpg[/imgsize]

35 - Iceage: You're Nothing - 76,6 (22)
[imgsize 150x150]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 488396.jpg[/imgsize]

34 - Bilal: A Love Surreal - 76,7 (8)
[imgsize 150x150]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 485973.jpg[/imgsize]

33 - Eluvium: Nightmare Ending - 76,7 (8)
[imgsize 150x150]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 511594.jpg[/imgsize]

32 - Majical Cloudz: Impersonator - 76,7 (13)
[imgsize 150x150]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 527843.jpg[/imgsize]

31 - Pissed Jeans: Honeys – 76,9 (20)
[imgsize 150x150]http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af10 ... bec94a.jpg[/imgsize]

30 - DJ Koze: Amygdala – 77,0 (12)
[imgsize 150x150]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 513596.jpg[/imgsize]

29 - Youth Lagoon: Wondrous Bughouse - 77,8 (23)
[imgsize 150x150]http://beatsperminute.com/wp-content/up ... ghouse.jpg[/imgsize]

28 - Ghostface Killah: Twelve Reasons To Die - 78,1 (16)
[imgsize 150x150]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 506310.jpg[/imgsize]

27 - Phosphorescent: Muchacho - 78,9 (21)
[imgsize 150x150]http://cdn.americansongwriter.com/wp-co ... ho-520.jpg[/imgsize]

26 - Daft Punk: Random Access Memories - 79,3 (26)
[imgsize 150x150]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 515610.jpg[/imgsize]

25 - Steven Wilson: The Raven That Refused To Sing – 79,3 (10)
[imgsize 160x160]http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/8 ... +cover.png[/imgsize]

24 - Rhye: Woman – 79,4 (24)
[imgsize 160x160]http://www.nowtoronto.com/_assets/issue ... _large.jpg[/imgsize]

23 - Grouper: The Man Who Died In His Boat – 79,5 (15)
[imgsize 160x160]http://factmag-images.s3.amazonaws.com/ ... .20121.jpg[/imgsize]

22 - Kvelertak: Meir - 79,7 (8)
[imgsize 160x160]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 515667.jpg[/imgsize]

21 - William Tyler: Impossible Truth - 79,9 (9)
[imgsize 160x160]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 500883.jpg[/imgsize]

20 - Yo La Tengo: Fade - 79,9 (26)
[imgsize 170x170]http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9 ... 6qEX7IiSpQ[/imgsize]

19 - Autre Ne Veut: Anxiety – 80,0 (17)
[imgsize 170x170]http://www.indiefermag.com/wp-content/u ... 21c8e0.jpg[/imgsize]

18 - Mikal Cronin: MCII – 80,1 (15)
[imgsize 170x170]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 543225.jpg[/imgsize]

17 - John Grant: Pale Green Ghosts – 80,1 (20)
[imgsize 170x170]http://www.theartsdesk.com/sites/defaul ... ts_web.jpg[/imgsize]

16 - Colin Stetson: New History Warfare Vol 3: To See More Light – 80,1 (13)
[imgsize 170x170]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 500889.jpg[/imgsize]

15 - Kurt Vile: Wakin On A Pretty Daze - 81,2 (26)
[imgsize 180x180]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 507372.jpg[/imgsize]

14 - Laura Marling: Once I Was An Eagle - 81,4 (17)
[imgsize 180x180]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 527831.jpg[/imgsize]

13 - David Bowie: The Next Day - 81,6 (28)
[imgsize 180x180]http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2013/03/ ... t-Day1.jpg[/imgsize]

12 - The Flaming Lips: The Terror – 81,7 (28)
[imgsize 180x180]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 524196.jpg[/imgsize]

11 - Parquet Courts: Light Up Gold – 82,2 (13)
[imgsize 180x180]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 466496.jpg[/imgsize]

10 - Savages: Silence Yourself – 82,2 (25)
[imgsize 190x190]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 527826.jpg[/imgsize]

09 - Deerhunter: Monomania – 82,3 (29)
[imgsize 190x190]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 526646.jpg[/imgsize]

08 - Matthew E. White: Big Inner - 82,4 (18)
[imgsize 190x190]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 429344.jpg[/imgsize]

07 - The Knife: Shaking The Habitual - 82,4 (26)
[imgsize 190x190]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 489379.jpg[/imgsize]

06 - The Haxan Cloak: Excavation - 82,8 (12)
[imgsize 190x190]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 489195.jpg[/imgsize]

05 - Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds: Push The Sky Away – 82,8 (30)
[imgsize 200x200]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JSjvhQ1dTCI/U ... /front.jpg[/imgsize]

04 - Vampire Weekend: Modern Vampires Of The City – 84,2 (28)
[imgsize 200x200]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 492575.jpg[/imgsize]

03 - The National: Trouble Will Find Me - 84,2 (28)
[imgsize 200x200]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 527830.jpg[/imgsize]

02 - James Blake: Overgrown - 86,1 (29)
[imgsize 200x200]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 507392.jpg[/imgsize]

01 - My Bloody Valentine: MBV - 86,5 (29)
[imgsize 200x200]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iiqxZZtNgeY/U ... er+(2).jpg[/imgsize]


51 - The Dillinger Escape Plan: One Of Us Is the Killer - 75,1 (7)
52 - Suuns: Images Du Futur - 74,9 (17)
53 - Primal Scream: More Light - 74,9 (19)
54 - Caitlin Rose: The Stand-In - 74,8 (13)
55 - Broadcast: Berberian Sound Studio - 74,7 (15)
56 - Deptford Goth: Life After Defo - 74,7 (15)
57 - Local Natives: Hummingbird - 74,6 (25)
58 - Waxahatchee: Cerulean Salt - 74,6 (8)
59 - Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Mosquito - 74,5 (25)
60 - Devendra Banhart: Mala - 74,4 (26)
61 - Milk Music: Cruise Your Illusion - 74,4 (7)
62 - The Child Of Lov: Child Of Lov - 74,4 (13)
63 - Nosaj Thing: Home - 74,3 (9)
64 - Mount Kimbie: Cold Spring Fault Less Youth - 74,3 (12)
65 - Everything Everything: Arc - 74,1 (16)
66 - Night Beds: Country Sleep - 74 (11)
67 - Steve Mason: Monkey Minds In The Devil's Time - 73,7 (14)
68 - Phoenix: Bankrupt! - 73,5 (27)
69 - Sam Amidon: Bright Sunny Sun - 73,4 (10)
70 - Veronica Falls: Waiting For Something To Happen - 73,2 (26)
71 - Matmos: The Marriage Of True Minds - 73,2 (13)
72 - Wire: Change Becomes Us - 73,2 (14)
73 - Bombino: Nomad - 72,9 (7)
74 - Girls Names: The New Life - 72,9 (13)
75 - Junip: Junip - 72,9 (17)
76 - Indians: Somewhere Else - 72,8 (20)
77 - Jim James: Regions Of Light And Sound Of God - 72,7 (24)
78 - Mount Moriah: Miracle Temple - 72,6 (10)
79 - Falty DL: Hardcourage - 72,6 (11)
80 - Justin Timberlake: The 20/20 Experience - 72,4 (25)
81 - The Men: New Moon - 72,4 (19)
82 - Fidlar: Fidlar - 72,3 (20)
83 - Dan Friel: Total Folklore - 72,1 (8)
84 - Dirty Beaches: Drifters/Love Is The Devil - 72 (11)
85 - Darkstar: News From Nowhere - 72 (14)
86 - Young Galaxy: Ultramarine - 72 (9)
87 - Ghostpoet: Some Say I So I Say Light - 71,9 (12)
88 - Autechre: Exai - 71,9 (15)
89 - Lapalux: Nostalchic - 71,9 (8)
90 - A$AP Rocky: Long. Live. A$AP. - 71,8 (26)
91 - Apparat: Krieg und Frieden (Music for Theatre) - 71,8 (17)
92 - Jamie Lidell: Jamie Lidell - 71,7 (22)
93 - Thao & the Get Down Stay Down: We The Common - 71,7 (13)
94 - Flume: Flume - 71,6 (12)
95 - Vondelpark: Seabed - 71,6 (12)
96 - Widowspeak: Almanac - 71,5 (19)
97 - Tomahawk: Oddfellows - 71,5 (16)
98 - Steve Earle & The Dukes (and Duchesses): The Low Highway - 71,5 (8)
99 - Still Corners: Strange Pleasures - 71,2 (14)
100 - The Bronx: The Bronx (IV) - 71,2 (12)

[Future Critic]

I'm surprised that Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories" is so low on the list, especially since it has the same Metacritic score as m b v (at 87).

Some more fine work though. Your list has helped me discover many of my favorite albums of the year, including "Light Up Gold" and "Big Inner."

[Meet Me In Montauk]

Great list!

SHOCKED to see the low placement of Daft Punk and Laura Marling, although I suspect the latter will have a higher position on the next rundown. I was also shocked to see The National place above Vampire Weekend, especially due to the fact that the consensus seems to be that MVOTC is almost certainly VW's best album and that TWFM is great, but not as great as between 1 to 3 of The National's other albums (Boxer, High Violet, Alligator). In any case, glad to see all four rank in the top 20!

[Harold]

Count me among those truly shocked at the low placement of RAM (relatively speaking). Whenever the chart is updated, I always flip to the bottom of the page to read the list from the top (if that makes sense). I was surprised to see The National at #3 and pleased that Vampire Weekend (my favorite of the year so far) had climbed to #4, and eagerly scrolled to find where Daft Punk had landed. And scrolled, and scrolled, past Laura Marling (another album I love - it's a real breakthrough for her, particularly the way the first four songs flow as an unbroken suite), and found myself wondering where the hell the album was. I'm quite curious how it ended up so low.

[irreduciblekoan]

I'm actually not surprised at the relatively low ranking for RAM (it's still pretty high for MCCh though). While it got a lot of high scores it also got a lot of mediocre ones. Despite the 87 on Metacritic, I still consider it a divisive album. Metacritic always tends to weight higher, anyway. If an album gets five 80s, the overall score will be over 80. Compare that to the (in my opinion) superior site AnyDecentMusic (ADM), which weights the other way: five 8s will give a score of 7.5 or 7.6. And sure enough, the score for RAM on ADM is 7.9.

We also have to remember that Otis's system is heavily weighted towards non-US and non-UK critics. So we really can't use either Metacritic or ADM to predict MCCh scores. Look at how high Monomania is, probably because Europe liked it better than everyone else.

[Henrik]

Otisredding, thank you for continuing your amazing job with McCh!!!

I have a suggestion for you.

Almost every magazine have a skewed distribution of their ratings, with most of the ratings higher than the midpoint of their scales, and only a few poor ratings. The result is that when you calculate a mean of the ratings, the poor ratings influence the score perhaps a little too much.

Therefore, I suggest that you use 40 as a lower limit for all ratings, i.e. if a magazine has given an album something lower than 40 (out of 100), then you change it to 40.

I don't know if this would help Daft Punk, but nevertheless I think it's a good idea. With 40 as a lower limit, I think the distribution of all ratings becomes pretty close to a normal distribution around 70.

[Otisredding]

I think a fair solution but

a) There are very few ratings below 40.
  Eg. Daft Punk. these are their qualifications (no score below 40 points):
67 - 83 - 74 - 60 - 67 - 60 - 80 - 67 - 80 - 62 - 71 - 80 - 90 - 70 - 80 - 60 - 100 - 80 - 90 - 83 - 80 - 80 - 62 - 88 - 80 - 80 - 80 - 70

2) In fact, there would only be a change within the first 50: Foals would rise 12 positions

3) It is curious: it seems that many AM'ers want Daft Punk have better results

[boobot]

Just out of curiosity, why is Matthew E. White's album "Big Inner" on this list instead of 2012? The listings I can find show its release date as August 2012.

[Harold]

Just out of curiosity, why is Matthew E. White's album "Big Inner" on this list instead of 2012? The listings I can find show its release date as August 2012.

This has come up before. Both "Big Inner" and Parquet Courts' "Light Up Gold" were released during 2012 (and, in fact, both earned a few points on the AM EOY spreadsheet), but they didn't begin to receive wider attention, including most of their reviews, until January. They definitely deserve to be here, although they will be noted as 2012 releases when the spreadsheet is compiled for this year.

[Otisredding]

MCCh 2013 (10) June, 15