Albums of 2013

[Jirin]

So I listened to Yeezus earlier today.

It's definitely got some high points but it's not as consistent as College Dropout or MBDTF. It's also got some jarring splices. The sampling and production aren't nearly as crisp as on his best work, but like most of his work it's above average. I don't care for the lyrics. It's hard to find something controversial when it's trying so hard to be considered controversial. The 'shock' is Howard Stern style shock. Shock value for the sake of shock value. It's a measured attempt to ingratiate your audience by outraging their teachers and their parents. He didn't even go for the hard targets, saying he's a slave because he's been offered contracts he doesn't like. He pulled on the strings that were dangling down right in front of him rather than reaching for one that might be more genuinely personal or surprising. College Dropout seemed closer to something specific to him, and in MBDTF at least you can say he was reacting to his own phenomenon. Now he seems content just spicing up and bolting out the obvious counter-reactionary narrative.

[Gillingham]

The thing for me with Kanye is that actually, I don't care. Not very much about his music and not at all about his shenenigans. I dont see why people keep on giving him the attention he is obviously craving for. And again and again people keep on following his every footstep. A bit like a soapseries.

I didnt know Kanyes music very well before MBDTF, bar the odd single, so I dont know much about his earlier stuff, but he hasnt impressed me musically. I kind of enjoyed MBDTF, but I heard half of Yeezus, and I just think oh well, is that it? It doesnt even sound very good. Abrassive electro beats that stop all of a sudden, a minute of a soul sample and back again to the repeating, groovless beat. And still even his fans seem to agree that his flow isnt all that good. Agreed, but he makes me wonder, with this album more than ever, what then is actually so good?

Oh well, Im glad tastes are very different. Still more fun in that. I just dont get why so many are at his feet with every release.

I started this by saying that I dont care, but does posting this mean that I do care after all? Hmmm....

[Romain]

Sigur Ros - Kveikur 8/10 I love theses guys. They are soooo…. icelandics.
Kanye West - Yeezus 0/10 And I'm generous. I tried again to listen Hip-Hop…I lost again.
Woodkid - The Golden Age 8,5/10 Yes, another new guy with a lot of talent.


Portugal. The Man - Evil Friends 9/10

Asaf Avidan - Different Pulses 8,5/10
David Bowie - The Next Day 8,5/10
Ólafur Arnalds - For Now I Am Winter 8,5/10
Deerhunter - Monomania 8,5/10
Depeche Mode - Delta Machine 8,5/10
Suede - Bloodsports 8,5/10
Atom For Peace - Amok 8,5/10
Woodkid - The Golden Age 8,5/10

Allah-Las - Allah-Las 8/10
Aline - Regarde Le Ciel 8/10
Cold War Kids - Dear Miss Lonelyhearts 8/10
Sigur Ros - Kveikur 8/10
Nick Cave - Push The Sky Away 8/10
Matthew E. White - Big Inner 8/10

Albin de la Simone - Un homme7,5/10
Devendra Banhart - Mala 7,5/10
Eels - Wonderful, Glorious 7,5/10
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - II 7,5/10
Alex Beaupain - Après Moi, le Déluge 7,5/10

Granville - Les voiles 7/10
Arman Méliès - AM IV 7/10

Foals - Holy Fire 6,5/10
Daft Punk - Random Access Memory 6,5/10
Phoenix - Bankrupt 6/10
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Specter At The Feast 6/10
Rachid Taha - Zoom 6/10
The Virginmarys - King of Conflict 5,5/10
Villagers - Awayland 5/10
My Bloody Valentine - M B V 4,5/10
Darwin Deez - Song for imaginary people 4/10
Jamie Lidell - Jamie Lidell 3,5/10
Toro y Moi - Anything in return 3/10
Suuns - Images du futur 3/10
The Flaming Lips - The Terror 2,5/10
Kanye West - Yeezus 0/10

[Nick]

Alright, the year is just about half way over and this is what I've heard thus far...

Excellent:

1. MBV- My Bloody Valentine
2. Modern Vampires of the City- Vampire Weekend

Great:

3. Random Access Memories- Daft Punk
4. Settle- Disclosure

Very Good:

5. Yeezus- Kanye West
6. Kveikur- Sigur Ros
7. Overgrown- James Blake
8. The Next Day- David Bowie
9. Tomorrow’s Harvest- Boards of Canada
10. Trouble Will Find Me- The National
11. The 20/20 Experience- Justin Timberlake
12. Shaking the Habitual- The Knife
13. Sunbather- Deafheaven
14. Monomania- Deerhunter
15. Muchacho- Phosphorescent
16. We Are the 21th Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic- Foxygen

Good:

17. Push the Sky Away- Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
18. Wakin On A Pretty Daze- Kurt Vile
19. Long. Live. A$AP- A$AP Rocky
20. More Light- Primal Scream
21. Silence Yourself- Savages
22. The Terror- The Flaming Lips
23. Fade- Yo La Tengo
24. Acid Rap- Chance the Rapper
25. …Like Clockwork- Queens of the Stone Age

Alright:

26. Bankrupt!- Phoenix
27. Wondrous Bughouse- Youth Lagoon
28. Amok- Atoms for Peace
29. Excavation- The Haxan Cloak
30. Comedown Machine- The Strokes
31. You’re Nothing- Iceage
32. Mosquito- Yeah Yeah Yeahs

And this is what I'm looking forward to...

Jay-Z- Magna Carta Holy Grail- July 4th
Franz Ferdinand- Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action- August 26th
Nine Inch Nails- Hesitation Marks- September 3rd
Arcade Fire- TBA- September 9th
Janelle Monae- The Electric Lady- September 10th
MGMT- MGMT- September 17th
Justin Timberlake- The 20/20 Experience (2 of 2)- September 30th
M.I.A.- Matangi- TBA
Azealia Banks- Broke With Expensive Taste- TBA
The Weeknd- Kiss Land- TBA
Cloud Nothings- Body Music- TBA

...With only 2 albums coming out I'm excited for between now and September, it's looking like it's going to be a pretty boring rest of the summer in terms of new music.

[Gillingham]

Halfway top 20:

1. Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest
2. The National - Trouble Will Find Me
3. Foxygen - We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic
4. Autechre - Exai
5. Low - The Invisible Way
6. Phosphorescent - Muchacho
7. Grouper - The Man Who Died in His Boat
8. Ulrich Schnauss - A Long Way to Fall
9. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Push the Sky Away
10. Atoms for Peace - Amok
11. Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba - Jama Ko
12. Bonobo - The Northern Borders
13. James Holden - The Inheritors
14. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - II
15. Bombino - Monad
16. The Haxan Cloak - Excavation
17. The Flaming Lips - The Terror
18. Yo La Tengo - Fade
19. Pantha du Prince & The Bell Laboratory - Elements of Light
20. Foals - Holy Fire

Not bad...

[Matski]

We all doing a half annual report-in? #01 spot is the only easy 4.5/5.0 yet, though #02 & #03 are just about thereish. Could see any of the top ten maybe reaching that level eventually but not yet. At the moment, they like everything else listed, are roughly 4.0/5.0s:

01 | Mountains - Centralia
02 | My Bloody Valentine - m b v
03 | Inter Arma - Sky Burial
04 | The Knife - Shaking the Habitual
05 | Savages - Silence Yourself
06 | Foxygen - We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic
07 | No Joy - Wait to Pleasure
08 | Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest
09 | Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork
10 | Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
11 | Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
12 | These New Puritans - Field of Reeds
13 | James Blake - Overgrown
14 | Sigur Ros - Kveikur
15 | Disclosure - Settle
16 | Bilal - A Love Surreal
17 | Neon Neon - Praxis Makes Perfect
18 | The Haxan Cloak - Excavation
19 | Scale The Summit - The Migration
20 | Autechre - Exai

Here are a handful of other albums that are hovering around the 4.0/5.0 star mark and maybe up for top 50 slots depending on the six months ahead:

| Alice Smith - She
| Buke and Gase - General Dome
| The Drones - I See Seaweed
| The Flaming Lips - The Terror
| Phosphorescent - Muchacho

[Jackson]

Gillingham and Matski (and anyone else), have you guys heard Jon Hopkins' Immunity? Listened to it last night and was blown away, and definitely seems like something you both would like.

[Matski]

Can't say I have yet but thanks for reminding me to add it to the list. I should have added that there are still a number of supposedly great 2013 albums I just haven't gotten around to finding/hearing yet including new releases from; Ceramic Dog, Chance the Rapper, Coliseum, Deafheaven, Haw, Jagwar Ma, John Murry, KEN Mode and Kurt Vile.
Not much released this week of interest so it'll be a good time to catch-up on Spotify and maybe update that list.

Any other recommendations?

[Stephan]

Top 9 + John Grant, whose album is growing on me a little, but I still don't know what grade to give it. I haven't really heard that many albums yet this year.

1. The National - Trouble Will Find Me
2. Kurt Vile - Wakin on a Pretty Daze
3. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
4. Chance The Rapper - Acid Rap
5. Tessa Rose Jackson - Songs from the Sandbox
6. David Bowie - The Next Day
7. Phoenix - Bankrupt!
8. Villagers - {Awayland}
9. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
?. John Grant - Pale Green Ghosts

[Gillingham]

Gillingham and Matski (and anyone else), have you guys heard Jon Hopkins' Immunity? Listened to it last night and was blown away, and definitely seems like something you both would like.

Thanks for the advice Jackson. I've wanted to listen to Immunity ever since it was released. Read quite some good things about it right away. But since it wasn't on any of the free streaming websites I regularly visit, I haven't heard it yet. I will probably buy it well before the end of the year though.

[Gillingham]

Can't say I have yet but thanks for reminding me to add it to the list. I should have added that there are still a number of supposedly great 2013 albums I just haven't gotten around to finding/hearing yet including new releases from; Ceramic Dog, Chance the Rapper, Coliseum, Deafheaven, Haw, Jagwar Ma, John Murry, KEN Mode and Kurt Vile.
Not much released this week of interest so it'll be a good time to catch-up on Spotify and maybe update that list.

Any other recommendations?

James Holden's The Inheritors was released last week. That might be of interest to you.

[Jirin]

1. Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic
2. The Knife - Shaking The Habitual
3. Anais Mitchell & Jefferson Damer - Child Ballads
4. The Haxan Cloak - Excavation
5. Asaf Avidan - Different Pulses
6. The National - Trouble Will Find Me
7. Rhye - Woman
8. Frightened Rabbit - Pedestrian Verse
9. Mountains - Centralia
10. Ocean Colour Scene - Paintings

[Jackson]

Can't say I have yet but thanks for reminding me to add it to the list. I should have added that there are still a number of supposedly great 2013 albums I just haven't gotten around to finding/hearing yet including new releases from; Ceramic Dog, Chance the Rapper, Coliseum, Deafheaven, Haw, Jagwar Ma, John Murry, KEN Mode and Kurt Vile.
Not much released this week of interest so it'll be a good time to catch-up on Spotify and maybe update that list.

Any other recommendations?

James Holden's The Inheritors was released last week. That might be of interest to you.

Seconded.

Also, I listened to Haxan Cloak's Excavation and was a little underwhelmed. I'll give it a second go on the strength of praise here and elsewhere. It wasn't immediately incredible to me like some of Tri Angle's other releases (Balam Acab's Wander/Wonder, Holy Other's Held).

[Evan]

Musically, Yeezus has me floored. I can't stop listening to it, and that hasn't happened to me since 2010 at least.

The album is problematic for me, though, because the lyrics are just so bad. I don't know what to do with it.

[Jackson]

Thundercat's Apocalypse is an interesting under-the-radar listen. I think Moonbeam would really appreciate it, particularly this track.

[sonofsamiam]

Not sure how many people have tried Fire! Orchestra's Exit, but it's fantastic for those who love the avant side of things.

[Jirin]

Not sure how many people have tried Fire! Orchestra's Exit, but it's fantastic for those who love the avant side of things.

Fantastic album, currently at #14 for me.

[Henry]

And this is what I'm looking forward to...

Jay-Z- Magna Carta Holy Grail- July 4th
Franz Ferdinand- Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action- August 26th
Nine Inch Nails- Hesitation Marks- September 3rd
Arcade Fire- TBA- September 9th
Janelle Monae- The Electric Lady- September 10th
MGMT- MGMT- September 17th
Justin Timberlake- The 20/20 Experience (2 of 2)- September 30th
M.I.A.- Matangi- TBA
Azealia Banks- Broke With Expensive Taste- TBA
The Weeknd- Kiss Land- TBA
Cloud Nothings- Body Music- TBA

...With only 2 albums coming out I'm excited for between now and September, it's looking like it's going to be a pretty boring rest of the summer in terms of new music.

Per Rolling Stone the new Arcade Fire release is scheduled for 10/29 and that James Murphy worked with the band to record the songs in March. I hope that it is every bit as good as the Suburbs album.

[Nick]

And this is what I'm looking forward to...

Jay-Z- Magna Carta Holy Grail- July 4th
Franz Ferdinand- Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action- August 26th
Nine Inch Nails- Hesitation Marks- September 3rd
Arcade Fire- TBA- September 9th
Janelle Monae- The Electric Lady- September 10th
MGMT- MGMT- September 17th
Justin Timberlake- The 20/20 Experience (2 of 2)- September 30th
M.I.A.- Matangi- TBA
Azealia Banks- Broke With Expensive Taste- TBA
The Weeknd- Kiss Land- TBA
Cloud Nothings- Body Music- TBA

...With only 2 albums coming out I'm excited for between now and September, it's looking like it's going to be a pretty boring rest of the summer in terms of new music.

Per Rolling Stone the new Arcade Fire release is scheduled for 10/29 and that James Murphy worked with the band to record the songs in March. I hope that it is every bit as good as the Suburbs album.

Hmmmmm it appears you're right. My mistake! And I hope it's just as good as "The Suburbs" is too. The new Arcade Fire album is easily one of my most anticipated albums all year.

[Matski]

Gillingham and Matski (and anyone else), have you guys heard Jon Hopkins' Immunity? Listened to it last night and was blown away, and definitely seems like something you both would like.

Checked this out last week. So glad you recommended it. It could have slipped by my attention but now holds a place in my top 30 for the year!

Not sure how many people have tried Fire! Orchestra's Exit, but it's fantastic for those who love the avant side of things.

Had an all things 2013 jazz-related catch-up session this week and thanks to your suggestion this made it in there. Really enjoyed it, particularly the first part.

[jenykiron]

this is so perfect..

[Romain]

The Knife - Shaking The Habitual 5/10 Too "arty" for me.
Camera Obscura - Desire Lines 5,5/10 Nothing bad but really boring for me.
Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace and Magic 8/10 A very stong album. Some songs are excellents but I really find some songs totally boring.


The complete list :

Portugal. The Man - Evil Friends 9/10

Asaf Avidan - Different Pulses 8,5/10
David Bowie - The Next Day 8,5/10
Ólafur Arnalds - For Now I Am Winter 8,5/10
Deerhunter - Monomania 8,5/10
Suede - Bloodsports 8,5/10
Atom For Peace - Amok 8,5/10

Allah-Las - Allah-Las 8/10
Aline - Regarde Le Ciel 8/10
Cold War Kids - Dear Miss Lonelyhearts 8/10
Sigur Ros - Kveikur 8/10
Depeche Mode - Delta Machine 8/10
Woodkid - The Golden Age 8/10
Nick Cave - Push The Sky Away 8/10
Matthew E. White - Big Inner 8/10
Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace and Magic 8/10

Albin de la Simone - Un homme7,5/10
Devendra Banhart - Mala 7,5/10
Eels - Wonderful, Glorious 7,5/10
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - II 7,5/10
Alex Beaupain - Après Moi, le Déluge 7,5/10

Granville - Les voiles 7/10
Arman Méliès - AM IV 7/10

Foals - Holy Fire 6,5/10
Daft Punk - Random Access Memory 6,5/10
Phoenix - Bankrupt 6/10
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Specter At The Feast 6/10
Rachid Taha - Zoom 6/10
The Virginmarys - King of Conflict 5,5/10
Camera Obscura - Desire Lines 5,5/10
Villagers - Awayland 5/10
The Knike - Shaking The Habitual 5/10
My Bloody Valentine - M B V 4,5/10
Darwin Deez - Song for imaginary people 4/10
Jamie Lidell - Jamie Lidell 3,5/10
Toro y Moi - Anything in return 3/10
Suuns - Images du futur 3/10
The Flaming Lips - The Terror 2,5/10

Kanye West - Yeezus 0/10

[Greg]

1. Killah Priest - The Psychic World of Walter Reed
2. David Bowie - The Next Day
3. Inc. - No World
4. Czarface - s/t
5. Richard Thompson - Electric
6. Disclosure - Settle
7. Suede - Bloodsports
8. Kacey Musgraves - Same Trailer Different Park
9. Ashley Monroe - Like a Rose
10. Rokia Traore - Beautiful Africa
11. Yo La Tengo - Fade
12. Daniel Romano - Come Cry with Me
13. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
14. Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience
15. Kanye West - Yeezus
16. Cult of Luna - Vertikal
17. Charles Bradley - Victim of Love
18. The James Hunter Six - Minute by Minute
19. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
20. Caitlin Rose - The Stand-In
21. Pistol Annies - Annie Up
22. Pet Shop Boys - Electric
23. The Flaming Lips - The Terror
24. Kurt Vile - Wakin' on a Pretty Daze
25. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Push the Sky Away
26. Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap
27. Jon Hopkins - Immunity
28. Deafheaven - Sunbather
29. Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest
30. Josh Rouse - The Happiness Waltz
31. Bassekou Kouyate & Ngona Ba - Jama Ko
32. Steve Earle - The Low Highway
33. Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell - Old Yellow Moon
34. Ill Bill - The Grimy Awards
35. Jason Isbell - Southeastern
36. Mark Lanegan & Duke Garwood - Black Pudding
37. Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge - Twelve Reasons to Die
38. A$AP Rocky - Long.Live.A$AP
39. The Demigodz - Killmatic
40. Jai Paul - s/t

[BenevolentMercenary]

1. Vampire Weekend-Modern Vampires Of The City
2. Daft Punk-Random Access Memories
3. Phosphorescent-Muchacho
4. Kurt Vile-Wakin On A Pretty Daze
5. The National-Trouble Will Find Me
6. My Bloody Valentine-m b v
7. Deerhunter-Monomania
8. Savages-Silence Yourself
9. Mikal Cronin-MCII
10. Kanye West-Yeezus

[dumbangel]

Ten favourites from 2013 (not in order) :

Jacco Gardner - "Cabinet of Curiosities"
She & Him - "Volume Three"
The James Hunter Six - "Minute By Minute"
Primal Scream - "More Light"
Daft Punk - "Random Access Memories"
Josh Rouse - "The Happiness Waltz"
Ed Harcourt - "Back Into the Woods"
Mayer Hawthorne - "Where Does This Door Go"
Steven Wilson - "The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories)"
The Electric Soft Parade - "Idiots"

[HRS]

Two females on constant spin: Alela Diane and Jenny Hval. Both very different, both spellbinding. And I'm waiting for the new releases of both Julianna Barwick and Julia Holter. I really feel 2011 was the last year I really wanted to listen to every record being hyped or well received. I don't do too much spinning these days -- at least of current records; I've been recently in some kind of a Rilo Kiley/00s Indie Rock revival and it's been cool, even if it isn't "cool". Oh my, I'm getting older by the minute; I'll soon turn into a dad rocker at 20.

[BenevolentMercenary]

I've listened to both Modern Vampires Of The City and Random Access Memories twice, and I've also listened to Phosphorescent's Muchacho. Pretty confident those are the top three. Some others that I've listened too that I enjoy are: Yeezus, m b v, Trouble Will Find Me, MCII, and Wakin On A Pretty Daze.

[Nassim]

Here is (I think) the full list of 2013 albums I have listened to :

Excellent :
1) Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork
2) La Femme - Psycho Tropical Berlin
3) Deafhaven - Sunbather

Great :
4) Kanye West - Yeezus
5) Jon Hopkins - Immunity
6) The Knife - Shaking the Habitual
7) Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap
8) Disclosure - Settle
9) Run the Jewel - Run the Jewel
10) Laura Marling - Once I Was an Eagle

Very good :
11) Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience
12) Savages - Silence Yourself
13) Fuck Buttons - Slow Focus (need a few more spins of this one)
14) Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold

OK but did not make a lasting impact :
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
Sigur Ros - Kveikur
Grouper - The Man Who Died in His Boat
Matmos - The Marriage of True Minds
James Blake - Overgrown

Disappointments :
Low - The Invisible Way
Foals - Holy Fire

Not my cup of tea :
Iceage - You're Nothing
Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace And Magic (still much better than the similar Django Django and Alt-J of last year)
Youth Lagoon - Wondrous Bughouse
The Haxan Cloak - Excavation
Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
(Diane Young should make my songs top 50 EOY though, and Foals' Inhaler would too if it hadn't been released as a single in 2012)

[Jackson]

After some catch-up listening, my 10 favorites:

1. My Bloody Valentine - mbv
2. Deafheaven - Sunbather
3. Dean Blunt - The Redeemer (this is a must-listen, his work just keeps getting better and better)
4. Jon Hopkins - Immunity
5. James Blake - Overgrown
6. Thee Oh Sees - Floating Coffin (their most consistent album of the last few years)
7. Baths - Obsidian
8. James Holden - The Inheritors (I could see this moving up to T5 soon, I only heard it once but at its peaks it is really astounding)
9. Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold
10. These New Puritans - Field of Reeds

[Blanco]

Pillowfight, a collaboration between Trip-Hop violinist Emily Wells, Kid Koala and Dan the Automator of the Gorillaz.

After you mentioned them, I heard Pillowfight. I love that album, and I had forgotten to thank you.
Thank you very much!

[Mattceinicram]

I'm a little behind this year but for what I have heard

Mind blown:
My Bloody Valentine- m b v
Julia Holter- Loud City Song
Vampire Weekend- Modern Vampires of the City

Great:
The National- Trouble Will Find Me
Laura Marling- Once I Was an Eagle
Deerhunter- Monomania
Savages- Silence Yourself
Deafheaven- Sunbather
Sigur Ros- Kveikur
Disclosure- Settle
Julianna Barwick- Nepenthe
Kurt Vile- Wakin on a Pretty Daze
Jon Hopkins- Immunity
Kanye West- Yeezus
Run the Jewels- Run the Jewels
The Knife- Shaking the Habitual
Matthew E. White- Big Inner
Daft Punk- Random Access Memories


Really Good:
Forest Swords- Engravings
Queens of the Stone Age- ...Like Clockwork
James Blake- Overgrown
David Bowie- The Next Day
Mikal Cronin-MCII
Kacey Musgraves- Same Trailer Different Park
Chance the Rapper- Acid Rap
Rhye-Woman
Parquet Courts- Light Up Gold
The Haxan Cloak- Excavation
Yo La Tengo-Fade
Justin Timberlake- 20/20 Experience Part 1
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds- Push the Sky Away
Kvelertak- Meir

Good:
Colin Stetson- New History Warfare Vol 3: To See More Light
Autre Ve Neut-Anxiety
Ghostface Killah- 12 Reasons to Die
Ashley Monroe- Like a Rose

Ok:
Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Mosquito

Meh:
Jay-Z: Magna Carta Holy Grail

I'll probably just edit this post as I hear more

[HRS]

Oh, my. Oh, My. Julia Holter, album of the year. It's been three years since I listened to a record in such an awe. This is pop. This is avant-garde. This is jazz. This is Modern Classical. There's even field recordings. This is free. Should Julia promote herself as Kanye, she would outdo him in critical acclaim, Loud City Song is better than Yeezus; it is better than Once I Was An Eagle; it is better than anything both the National and Vampire Weekend committed to tape this year. It sounds timeless, it sounds dreamy, it sounds cinematic and if books were music they would sound like this too. Inspired by Frank O'Hara, obscure french novella Gigi, celebrity culture and how everyone is invisible in Los Angeles amidst the crowds, Holter created a record that's been haunting me for days now. Just last week I was giving up of 2013 and writing about feeling like a dad rocker at 20 and then someone comes out with a record worth listening to, feeling it, reflecting upon, living with. I could wish more of the youngsters would strive harder for this kind of balancing of boundary pushing and perfectly fully-formed pop music, because I still think this record would be something special, even if not for everyone. I feel like living in a time that Indie music sounds so much like radio music with blog credibility or just cool stuff to like on Facebook. And now I have something I can write home about. She pulled Harvey, this is my second favorite release of the decade.

Julianna Barwick's was great. Heavenly music and very enjoyable -- though not a huge step forward. Nepenthe was more a consolidation of her talents. I have to write, though, I wish 2013 had more records like those two that are coming out next week. Janelle and Arcade Fire are returning, though. Everyone knows by now that I love music by female artists and I'll say this without sounding too biased: I'm no feminist, but girls, more than ever, have been releasing great interesting music for quite awhile and, honestly, I'm much more forward looking to their records than the new hyped Pitchfork certified band. Just a shame that it's hard enough to find two of them receiving glowing attention; seems like critics always have to stick to one girl!

[drewcannon3]

1. Charli XCX - True Romance
2. Waxahatchee - Cerulean Salt
3. Emily Wolfe - Mechanical Hands EP
4. Kanye West - Yeezus
5. Frances Cone - Come Back
6. Lorde - The Love Club EP
7. Gypsy & The Cat - The Late Blue
8. Swim Deep - Where the Heaven Are We
9. Lily & Madeleine - The Weight of the Globe EP
10. Misty Miller - Girlfriend EP

The new HAIM album, based on the strength of Don't Save Me / The Wire / Falling / Forever, is almost guaranteed a top three spot.

[Jirin]

New Primal Scream is really good. Easily their best since XTRMNTR.

[Jackson]

New Primal Scream is really good. Easily their best since XTRMNTR.

I like the song "2013", but I've been struggling to get into that record, even as probably the biggest XTRMNTR fan on the board. What are some other highlights for you?

HRS - Holter and Barwick are two of the best female talents of this decade, and they seem to have a pretty similar appeal, so it's cool that they're coming out with new albums at essentially the same time. Ekstasis was a major grower for me and ended up T5 for 2012, I have no doubt that Loud City Song can do the same after an initial listen.

[Gillingham]

Oh, my. Oh, My. Julia Holter, album of the year. It's been three years since I listened to a record in such an awe. [...] Everyone knows by now that I love music by female artists and I'll say this without sounding too biased: I'm no feminist, but girls, more than ever, have been releasing great interesting music for quite awhile and, honestly, I'm much more forward looking to their records than the new hyped Pitchfork certified band. Just a shame that it's hard enough to find two of them receiving glowing attention; seems like critics always have to stick to one girl!

There's a lot of love at Pitchfork for the new Holter.

[HRS]

There's a lot of love at Pitchfork for the new Holter.

Yeah, didn't think they'd give such a high grade. They weren't hyping her at all - Julianna Barwick, also. She released three songs and their reception was a little ambivalent, though rather warm. I would expect a John Grant's Pale Green Ghosts kind of review, but it's nice to see her getting further space; Ekstasis also received such a score, but it ranked rather low on their EOY list -- and it inhabits a world apart from Loud City Song. In the end, I really don't care about what Pitchfork thinks, though. I've always read how people are happy when their band receive such a rave from them, but it's as if the music depended of a music blog to actually be worthy. Julia released such a fully-formed album that any kind of reception would feel rather thin in comparison to the power and thought put into the music. I only name-dropped them because they are the major part of the big hype machine; the tastemakers that commenters at Stereogum love to eat everything up. Julia Holter received a Best New Music tag, but she's still closer to Laurel Halo than Grimes when it comes to how she's perceived in the scene, which means that she's not Pitchfork-royatie. I was actually thinking about this, one of these days. It's easy to think that an artist gave everything it had out after blogs like Pitchfork mold the thought that they did. Many listeners barely play a record and are quick to discard based on some kind of early reception or Pitchfork review. So when a record is not BNM-certified, many kind of get the feeling that it's just not good enough; especially when it comes from an artist that received glowing attention in the past. As if I in two years, after all the things I wrote about Julia Holter's Loud City Song, I'd diminish her talents in face of a rather weaker reception by the big blogs of a so-called less focused record -- without forming my opinion about it. I feel like pointing the obvious -- and this of course doesn't seem to be the reality at AM -- but it's rather scary when you realise that plenty people maximize their enjoyment of an album because they are told to by the press or because of albums and singles sales rather than sticking to a mostly self-cultivated opinion of it. It shows how easily manipulated one can be.

[Matski]

So ecstatic NPR are still streaming Loud City Song for free because it is indeed glorious!

[Mattceinicram]

Loud City Song is absolutely breathtaking!

[Mattceinicram]

Gillingham and Matski (and anyone else), have you guys heard Jon Hopkins' Immunity? Listened to it last night and was blown away, and definitely seems like something you both would like.

Gave this a listen today, I as well was blown away! I do recommend. Great downtempo electronica

[Romain]

Queens Of The Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork 8/10 Some great songs and two weak song only.
Editors - The Weight of Your Love 5/10 What have they done ?
Iggy and The Stooges - Ready to Die 7/10 A pleasant album.
Sweet Baboo - Ships 7/10 A new (for me) artist. I hope to hear more by him.
!!! - THRIIIER 4/10 boom boom yeah…pfff!
Jacco Gardner - Cabinet Of Curiosities 8,5/10 A marvelous dream!

THE LIST :

Portugal. The Man - Evil Friends 9/10

Jacco Gardner - Cabinet Of Curiosities 8,5/10
Asaf Avidan - Different Pulses 8,5/10
David Bowie - The Next Day 8,5/10
Ólafur Arnalds - For Now I Am Winter 8,5/10
Deerhunter - Monomania 8,5/10
Suede - Bloodsports 8,5/10
Atom For Peace - Amok 8,5/10


Allah-Las - Allah-Las 8/10
Aline - Regarde Le Ciel 8/10
Cold War Kids - Dear Miss Lonelyhearts 8/10
Sigur Ros - Kveikur 8/10
Depeche Mode - Delta Machine 8/10
Woodkid - The Golden Age 8/10
Nick Cave - Push The Sky Away 8/10
Matthew E. White - Big Inner 8/10
Queens Of The Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork 8/10
Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace and Magic 8/10

Albin de la Simone - Un homme7,5/10
Devendra Banhart - Mala 7,5/10
Eels - Wonderful, Glorious 7,5/10
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - II 7,5/10
Alex Beaupain - Après Moi, le Déluge 7,5/10

Sweet Baboo - Ships 7/10
Granville - Les voiles 7/10
Arman Méliès - AM IV 7/10
Iggy and The Stooges - Ready to Die 7/10

Foals - Holy Fire 6,5/10
Daft Punk - Random Access Memory 6,5/10
Phoenix - Bankrupt 6/10
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Specter At The Feast 6/10
Rachid Taha - Zoom 6/10
The Virginmarys - King of Conflict 5,5/10
Camera Obscura - Desire Lines 5,5/10
Editors - The Weight of Your Love 5/10
Villagers - Awayland 5/10
The Knike - Shaking The Habitual 5/10
My Bloody Valentine - M B V 4,5/10
Darwin Deez - Song for imaginary people 4/10
!!! - THRIIIER
Jamie Lidell - Jamie Lidell 3,5/10
Toro y Moi - Anything in return 3/10
Suuns - Images du futur 3/10
The Flaming Lips - The Terror 2,5/10

Kanye West - Yeezus 0/10

[Gillingham]

Gillingham and Matski (and anyone else), have you guys heard Jon Hopkins' Immunity? Listened to it last night and was blown away, and definitely seems like something you both would like.

Gave this a listen today, I as well was blown away! I do recommend. Great downtempo electronica

I bought this album the other day and I think it's my favourite release of this year so far. Great stuff on there.

[Evan]

A friend of mine introduced me to Impersonator by Majical Cloudz earlier this week, and I have to say I'm really enjoying it. Something about that stripped down approach really gets through to me.

[Mattceinicram]

Who here has listened to the new Julianna Barwick album? (I know HRS has mentioned he has) It's gorgeous! I find myself completely lost in the harmonies and soundscapes she brings out.

[luvulongTIM]

Is that Barwick album mostly instrumental? If so....sorry I pass. Instrumentals can be gorgeous but they wont stand out next to catchy bouncy songwriting. It's bad enough she's from (or moved to like most indie bands case which is a total cop out) the hipster indie rock capital of the world. That's already one strike against her. Same goes for Laura Marling being from England. Even if a brit grrl sounds slightly different from all the other generic neo soul knockoffs that still doesn't mean the albums going to be any better than all the other fluff. Hopefully someone proves me wrong in the near future.

[Mattceinicram]

Is that Barwick album mostly instrumental? If so....sorry I pass. Instrumentals can be gorgeous but they wont stand out next to catchy bouncy songwriting. It's bad enough she's from (or moved to like most indie bands case which is a total cop out) the hipster indie rock capital of the world. That's already one strike against her. Same goes for Laura Marling being from England. Even if a brit grrl sounds slightly different from all the other generic neo soul knockoffs that still doesn't mean the albums going to be any better than all the other fluff. Hopefully someone proves me wrong in the near future.

It's not instrumental, alot of it is actually accapella

[Jackson]

New Barwick is quality stuff but it's not a step forward from 2011's The Magic Place, which I think I prefer.

Off topic, but the new TV on the Radio track "Mercy" is great. Even though I liked Nine Types of Light, this feels like a welcome return to their mid-00s form. Hopefully we can get an album out of them before the end of the year.

[Maximumbeef]

Yeezus hands down #1 for me, never dug Kanye but I've listened to it like 20+ times through and I still can't get enough of it. New Slaves is my favorite song, the part where the vocoder comes in is siiiiick! Everything just sounds new & crisp, Bound 2, I'm In It, I am a God, Blood on the Leaves, etc. I had to go relisten to College Dropout/Late Registration/Graduation & it put me in Kanye's camp for sure. Flashing Lights slays me, Graduation is my fave of the other three.

Other ones I really like

A$AP Rocky - Long.Live.A$AP
Daft Punk - RAM
My Bloody Valentine - m b v
Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap
Deerhunter - Monomania
Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels
Queens of the Stone Age - Like Clockwork
The National - Trouble will Find Me

[Jackson]

Dean Blunt just put out another quality album with the surprise release of Stone Island. That's his fourth in the last two years. If he had nearly as much of a penchant for promotion as he did for making music, maybe critics outside of the avant-garde would notice.

[Nick]

Just finished listening to the new Janelle Monae album. It's really, really good (no surprise there).