My 50 Favorite Albums Of 2013
My 50 favorite albums from 2013. Not neccessarily the 'best' albums, just the ones I enjoyed rlistening to the most. Recs would be nice, especially in the genres that don't dominate this list. |
| 50 |  | Tim Hecker
Virgins
I usually don't listen to drone music, but I saw Tim Hecker open for Sigur Ros and though
had an intriguing enough performance to check out his album. There are a ton of really cool
textures on it that thoroughly held my attention. |
| 49 |  | Deap Vally
Sistrionix
The whole 'girl black keys' thing is a little gimmicky, but this album rocks hard. The self-imposed
lack of instrumentation holds it back. I'm curious if they will be able to effectively follow this up
or just fade away. |
| 48 |  | Portugal. The Man
Evil Friends
Really spotty album that has a few stretches of great songs but ultimately just drags on
for too long |
| 47 |  | Foxygen
We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors...
Foxygen's psychedelic/retro pop album is full of strong songs but something's
lacking in the overall flow. |
| 46 |  | Major Lazer
Free the Universe
While not as mind-blowing or genre defining as Guns Don't Kill People... , this album
contains a very strong selection of dance songs that are slightly off the beaten path. |
| 45 |  | MGMT
MGMT
I wasn't a huge fan of this album the first time I heard it but under the right circumstances
(coming down) it is absolutely perfect. Tons of hooks that are so hidden under layers of
chords and noise that you have to devote you full attention to the music to hear them all. |
| 44 |  | Volcano Choir
Repave
No its not Bon Iver, though it sounds awfully close at times. That kinda makes it tough to
appreciate this album as a standalone work, but the exploration into sound is fantastic-
especially in the second half of the album. |
| 43 |  | Sigur Ros
Kveikur
Sigur Ros has been pretty consistently good for a while now, but this album takes it up to the
next level. The first song is probably the best Sigur Ros song since Svefn-G-Englar. |
| 42 | | Starlito and Don Trip
Step Brothers Two
A much stronger effort overall than the first tape, despite not having any true killer singles
(Chase that Money, Pray for Me) or Step Brothers samples (Boats and Hoes). These guys have
the by far the best 'punchline' rap verses of any recent album (my bullets are like jury duty/ in
other words anyone can get it). They touch on a few deeper subjects than the last album which is
always a plus. |
| 41 |  | The Strokes
Comedown Machine
The trick to enjoying this one is to disassociate it from Is This It and Room on Fire. The Strokes
have clearly been stuck in a creative rut lately and this album shows a lot of creativity that was
lacking in the last 2 Strokes albums. |
| 40 |  | Wavves
Afraid of Heights
So what will Wavves do without lo-fi to mask stoner lyrics and fast guitar riffs? If this album is any
indication, he should be fine. This album isn't as good musically as King of the Beach, but shows a lot of
growth lyrically (even if a lot of the lyrics are still about pot). He can also write a guitar hook that isn't
layered under twenty pounds of distortion. |
| 39 |  | Tyler the Creator
Wolf
While a little spotty toward the end, and certainly not his best work overall, Wolf displays
Tyler starting to mature as a lyricist and producer. OFWGKTA certainly proved this year that
they are not a one trick pony and deserve the attention they got early on. |
| 38 |  | Local Natives
Hummingbird
Much more atmospheric and less pop than their debut, which works for the most of the
album. They seem to run out of ideas for the last few songs. |
| 37 |  | Savages
Silence Yourself
Really unique album that you really just to check out and judge for yourself. |
| 36 |  | Youth Lagoon
Wondrous Bughouse
Incredibly atmospheric album that begs to be cranked on the most expensive
over-ear headphones you own. |
| 35 | | Boards of Canada
Tomorrow's Harvest
Amazingly well produced electronic music that seems to explore everywhere and everything.
Epic might not be the right word, but there certainly is something majestic in these songs. |
| 34 | | Iceage
You're Nothing
One of the most creative punk releases of the year. This album captures a rare
energy. |
| 33 |  | Yo La Tengo
Fade
Yo La Tengo stay in chill mode for most of this one and I can't think of a band where
that would work quite as well as this album does |
| 32 |  | Phoenix
Bankrupt!
Really solid pop rock album that follows up Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix despite not being
quite as good. The release of a 71 'idea' bonus track gives me a little doubt as to
Phoenix's staying power, but for now they have a place in the indie pop universe. |
| 31 |  | Arctic Monkeys
AM
The album of two sides. Side one is good but a little too repetitive. Side two is
where the magic happens. |
| 30 |  | Disclosure
Settle
Great electronic album that has few skippable songs, but suffers by being difficult to listen
to in a single sitting. |
| 29 |  | Starfucker
Miracle Mile
Miracle Mile doesn't have the energy found on the first two albums but the
songwriting, vocals, and layering has greatly improved |
| 28 |  | Icona Pop
This Is...Icona Pop
Probably the best straight up pop album of the year. While nothing tops the lead single in
terms of marketability, other songs are catchier and have bigger hooks. This album is
relentless dance pop. |
| 27 |  | ASAP Rocky
LongLiveA$AP
ASAP begins his major label tenure on a high note. Even songs such as PMW that could be
deemed as silly even by rap standards sound good enough for you to ignore the lyrics. 1 Train is
sure to be deemed a classic in at most 5 years due to its ridiculous line up. |
| 26 |  | Best Coast
Fade Away
I think Best Coast might have found her perfect mix between her lo-fi early releases and the way
overdone The Only Place. Some of her best songs are here and (for the most part) her lyrics are
starting to be about more than missing boys and her cat. |
| 25 |  | Eleanor Friedberger
Personal Record
Really unique compositions and guitar lines make this album a strong listen. |
| 24 |  | Drake
Nothing Was the Same
A bit too much filler keeps this from being amazing, but it is still Drake's best album and
has great production and an interesting mix of vocals. |
| 23 |  | The Flaming Lips
The Terror
You really have to be in the right mood for this one, but if you are its fantastic. Amazing
layering and really interesting lyrics. Almost like they took the best parts of the 24 hour
song and compressed it into a normal length album. |
| 22 |  | Run the Jewels
Run the Jewels
El-P and Killer Mike take it to the next level on this one. Its the perfect third piece of their
two solo albums released last year. |
| 21 |  | Touche Amore
Is Survived By
Really thoughtful and in depth lyrics combined with great production value (for a post-
hardcore album) make this one of the releases in this genre for the year. |
| 20 |  | Sky Ferreira
Night Time, My Time
Pretty different as far as pop albums go. Really great production and singing and
unique enough lyrics to make this a very fun listen. |
| 19 |  | Defeater
Letters Home
Incredibly heavy and much more melodic than their earlier work. The music goes perfectly
with the dark lyrics that fit really well with the story of the first two albums. |
| 18 |  | Deerhunter
Monomania
Monomania gets off to a slow start, but quickly turns into one of Deerhunter's best albums with
stretches of songs flowing endlessly into each other. |
| 17 |  | Streetlight Manifesto
The Hands That Thieve
Sure its the weakest Streetlight album, but its still great. Between the full band version and
acoustic Toh Kay version each song is able to find its place in the Streetlight discography. |
| 16 |  | James Blake
Overgrown
James Blake gives listeners a ride that few can. He may have lost the 'what is dubstep'
battle, but when it comes to mixing bass music with pop sensibilities few can do it
better. |
| 15 |  | My Bloody Valentine
m b v
20 year wait? Probably a bit too much, but this album is incredibly cohesive sonically and
while not as good as Isn't Anything or Loveless, it certainly has its place in My Bloody
Valentine's near perfect discography. |
| 14 |  | The Men
New Moon
New Moon contains the perfect amount of punk, guitar pop, and noise for an
energized and fun listen the whole way through. |
| 13 |  | Daft Punk
Random Access Memories
No, it wasn't worth all the hype but Random Access Memories is a great album and
probably Daft Punk's best. Plus who doesn't like Get Lucky. |
| 12 |  | Chance the Rapper
Acid Rap
Probably the most unique rap album of the year. I'm really curious how Chance
develops on his next album. |
| 11 |  | FIDLAR
FIDLAR
Super fun skate punk album. Sure, most of the songs are about drugs and/or
skating/surfing, but that's kinda the point. |
| 10 |  | Danny Brown
Old
Between Side A's innovative hip hop and Side B's turnt up party sound, Danny Brown covers
a lot of ground musically. But that's just the beginning. The lyrics on this album cover just
about as much ground as the sound. |
| 9 |  | Deafheaven
Sunbather
If metal was this good and innovative when I was in high school I probably would
never have stop listening to metal music. Reminds me strangely of Explosions in the Sky. |
| 8 |  | Chvrches
The Bones of What You Believe
After releasing a string of incredibly catchy singles, Chvrches prove that they are
worth the hype with this album. Synthpop with much more emphasis on the pop |
| 7 |  | The National
Trouble Will Find Me
The National continue what might be the hottest streak in music with yet another
amazing album. |
| 6 |  | Earl Sweatshirt
Doris
By now almost everyone knows the story of Earl. He casually dismisses the themes of his first album
early on while continuing to rap in his unique and immediately recognizable style. The beats and
improved as well and the guest spots fit perfectly into the flow of the album instead of making you
forgot whose album you were listening to. |
| 5 |  | Mikal Cronin
MCII
A perfect blend of garage rock and guitar oriented pop. Great use of guitar and piano melodies that
perfectly complement the compositions and vocals. |
| 4 |  | Haim
Days Are Gone
They get compared to Fleetwood Mac, but I don't see it. There is no other band with a sound like
this. On the surface they are a simple pop band, but the harmonies and chord progressions show
much more. |
| 3 |  | Arcade Fire
Reflektor
After a disappointing release, Arcade Fire return with the second best album they've written.
James Murphy is all over this album, but it is still clearly an Arcade Fire album. Its a long
album, but it never drags and is a very rewarding listen. |
| 2 |  | Kanye West
Yeezus
Successfully following up one of the most acclaimed and ambitious hip hop albums with one
this abrasive is a feat that only Kanye could do. In the endless shift between ego driven Kanye
and artistic genius Kanye, this one finds a perfect middle ground. |
| 1 |  | Vampire Weekend
Modern Vampires of the City
Vampire Weekend continue their growth both musically and lyrically and release by far their best
albums and one of the best indie rock/pop albums in a few years. The lyrics, focused on death and
the endless passage of time, are written with a wit and story telling capability that few bands can
pull off. The music and production from Batmanglij and Ariel Rechtshaid are the best from either
artist. Touches such as a ticking clock heard on a few songs (most prominantly on Don't Lie) are
perfect nuances to a near perfect album |
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