Year End Review: Best Songs of 2013

Two weeks ago, I gave you all my list of top albums for 2013. Last week I supposed to give you a song list to go along with it, but I wrote a post about video games instead. So this week, I'm going to do what I was supposed to do last week and write a list about this year.

All clear? Good.

When I do my list of top songs each year, I always leave off anything that was on one of my top albums. The reasoning is pretty simple; I'd be retreading too much ground. So I like to use my song of the year list to pay tribute to those artists who put out excellent work that wasn't on an album good enough to make my final cut. Neko Case isn't going to be here anymore than Parquet Courts. I already wrote about how much I loved those records, so on this post, I'll sing of some new champions.

So let's get to it.

10. High School Lover by Cayucos

Hailing from their namesake in California, Cayucos is pretty much exactly the indie band you'd expect them to be. Which is a very kind way of saying that they're Vampire Weekend without the cheesy Africanna affectations. Their music is bouncy, catchy and entertaining without saying or doing anything particularly new or interesting. Which is fine; it does catchy and entertaining well enough to stand on its own. 2013's Bigfoot is packed the brim with songs like these that bring to mind sunny cruises in convertibles, warm beaches and other breezy So-Cal cliches. "High School Lover" is a warm shot of summer, and probably one of the catchiest songs that's graced the airwaves all year.

9. Seek and Hide by Lucy Wainwright Roche

Finishing out my 2013 award for "Album of the Year Performed by a Bubbly Female Coffee Shop Singer" (working title) is Lucy Wainwright Roche's 2013 effort There's a Last Time for Everything. This is a very distinct, though not clearly defined sub-genre of music that I totally love, even if I can see why it irritates everyone else. All kidding aside, however, Lucy is a Wainwright of the Loundon fame. Is there a more talented family in music? Not to my knowledge. Lucy has proven with this record and her release a few years back that she's like a softer, friendlier version of the old man; a melancholy, occasionally hilarious and an excellent singer-songwriter all around. All of the songs here are good, but this one stands out because it throws in Colin Meloy for flavor. And I love that man in a way that may or may not be strictly heterosexual.

8. Too Dry to Cry by Willis Earl Beal

Willis Earl Beale turned out a sleeper record last year that I only woke up to after it was just too late to adjust my album of the year list. His record this time around fell short in a lot of ways, but he remains at his best when he's performing gritty, frustrated blues music. That's what he's doing on the track "Too Dry to Cry", and it is excellent. There's an old saying that you have to live the blues to play the blues. I find that dubious, but if there's even a grain of truth to it, WEB must have had a hard life. His music sounds almost physically pained somehow. And while I think he hams ups his "tortured soul" routine offstage, his music is jaw dropping in its emotional gravity.

7. Sisters by Cate Le Bon

Mug Musuem is not a great album from pop rock artist Cate Le Bon. "Sisters", however, is a great song from it. Stuck somewhere between French pop and British punk rock, "Sisters" rollicks in healthy medium of edginess and polish. Her vocals, while quite good, are so deliberately European in execution that she might as well be singing in another language. And that's okay, because her airy, punctuated delivery creates a perfect contrast to the song's breakneck pace.

6. Blowin Smoke by Kacey Musgraves

I already reviewed Kacey Musgraves' 2012 record Same Trailer, Different Park. My feelings haven't changed on what a great album I thought it was, particularly for its Nashville Pop genre. "Blowin Smoke" was the breakout hit for the record. Although it's about as radio-country as music gets on the surface, there's a lot more to it when you scratch a bit deeper. To start, Musgraves is miles ahead of her contemporaries as a vocalist, and her delivery on this track perfectly fits the song's sense of cynicism. The song details a waitress and the gossip she shares with her coworkers. The narrator is clearly frustrated with her own lot in life and unwilling/unable to do anything about it. So instead, she makes quips about her coworker that got away, or the one who still has baby weight. "Blowin' Smoke" is a very subtle, coy commentary on the hypocrisy of rural America; it's on hard times, but is too proud to admit that anything's wrong. Having grown up in that environment, it's a reality I can very much relate to.

5. Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke

(I know you've heard the song and seen the video, so I'm not even going to bother)

Yes. That Blurred Lines. I'm no more happy that it's on this list than you probably are. But if I'm being honest with myself, I can't deny how much I love listening to this tune. Yes, Robin Thicke is the biggest douchebag in music today. Yes, this song and (dear God) its video are jaw droppingly sexist. And yes, I was just as embarrassed for America during that VMA performance as you, Billy Ray Cyrus and especially God were. But that doesn't stop this song from being one of the catchiest pop hits I've heard in years. There's a real economy here to execution of this song. That the beat can be as instantly memorable and danceable as it is, despite its minimalism, is a real testimony to writer/producer Pharell Williams' mastery over his craft. And I sincerely mean every single word of that sentence. Despite my endless war on the vapid, misogynistic subhuman man-child that is Robin Thicke, even I gotta give this one to him.

"And that's all I have to say about that"

4. When I'm Alone by Sam Phillips

Moving along to something much more positive, Sam Phillips just barely missed my album wrap up with her effort Push Any Button. Apart from some of Franz Ferdinand's more subtle moments on their record this year, no other artist was able to be so introspective and contemplative while staying upbeat and fun at the same time. Phillips' knack for striking that balance stands out particularly well on this track. Where other artists might have taken the same lyrics and crafted something much more brooding, Phillips has fun with it. The result is a sunny, toe tapping song to put a smile on your face...that just so happens to be about leaving someone making you miserable. Breakups are bad in general, but Phillips really manages to find the silver linings in just about any cloud thrown her way. I can think of about a dozen people who need to hear this song.

3. Royals by Lorde

That girl is 17. Seven. Freaking. Teen.

That's remarkable for a few reasons. First, this song has an amazing amount of thematic maturity for something written by a teenager. While Jay-Z (who, at least on paper, is supposed to be one of the greatest writers in pop music today) spent an entire album masturbating to his art and clothing collections, "Royals" eschews that type of conspicuous consumption in favor of more meaningful, purposeful relationships with...y'know...humans. Even if you think the message gets a little hamfisted at times (which there's certainly an argument for), that such a young girl is bringing a conversation about the traps of fame an excessive indulgence to the table is impressive, to say the least.

Your move, hip-hop.

The lyrics are matched by a deliberately seductive vocal performance and beat. it is club music that espouses an anti-club lifestyle. Minimalist bass and electronic touches come together to create an infinitely catchy backbeat, and punctuating finger snaps just add icing to the cake. Lorde is awfully young to be performing at this caliber, and I'm excited to see where her career takes her. I've got my eye on this one, and I think she could be great someday.

2. Walk Us Uptown by Elvis Costello & the Roots

When I first heard that the Roots and Elvis Costello were collaborating, I was bewildered as to what I should think of it. The Roots are the greatest band in hip-hop today, and can do anything they damn well please, but Costello's had a bust or two in his history of collaborations. The two combined to make half a great album and half a mediocre snoozefest. The highlight of the former, however, was this tune. The Roots are in typical form here, doing the kinds of Roots things we expect from them; which is to say that they create a marvelous hip-hop, funk and jazz fusion that makes me use phrases like "the greatest band in hip hop today". What's surprising is how well Costello's nasally, cynical delivery jives with it. He seems perfectly comfortable slow-rapping his way through this track, and the ebb and flow of it is spectacular. The lyrics seem sewn from the 80s alternative tradition of saying a lot of neat words that could mean anything or nothing when strung together. But the way Costello delivers them, alternating between punchy and grooving, is really fantastic. There's a lot of fantastic wordplay going on in this song.

That said, the star of anything involving the Roots is and will always be the Roots. This is a tremendous group of musicians playing at the top of their form, and everything they touch turns into inventive, must-hear gold. It's their funk grooves that really make this song shine this high on my list.

1. Runner by Laura Stevenson

This is my favorite song of the year, bar none. Even including the best tracks from my top albums, I adore this song more than anything else I heard in 2013. And it's not even close. I first heard this song back in January as a promo, and it had me practically salivating for the album's release. Unfortunately, the record ended up being a bait and switch that did less of this and more of the bubbly coffee shop music I expected from Stevenson. And while that sort of thing is really quite good coming from her, this was a bold, new direction that I would absolutely love to have heard more of.

The mediocrity of the album doesn't diminish the strength of "Runner", though. Stevenson is on fire here, playing impassioned verses that lead into an explosive chorus brought back to earth by a refrain that repeats the process. The lyrics indict a lover for sabotaging her relationships, lying to herself about it and using it all as an excuse to escape her failures altogether. Stevenson does a fantastic job on this track of alternating between legato and staccato delivery, and gives the song the feeling of emotional instability that at once matches the lyrics sung and the passion with which the song is played. This is a bombastic, high energy song with explosive high notes. Stevenson plays her heart out on it, and it shows. If she can move forward from here and craft her sound more in this vein, I think she's a legitimate star in the making.


So there you have it. I have one more post left in my year end wrap up: the dreaded 2013 Roast. In it, I'll go over the five biggest disappointments of the year. So if you've ever wondered what it's like when I don't love something, check it out.

The Best Musical Moments in Gaming

A while back, my friend Logan from the Sydlexia forums and the Happy Katana blog came to me about a project he was doing. The project was a compilation of the greatest moments in video gaming history, according to the individual contributors participating. Now, obviously I run a music blog here, so I had to stretch a bit to include myself. That said, I knew I'd be able to based on one oft-overlooked-yet-unwavering fact about myself:

Video game music was my first true love.

I've been obsessed with music for as long as I can remember, but it wasn't until my early teens that I had the money, resources and knowledge to start chasing down bands and buying records. Instead, being a prolific gamer since I was about 4 years old, the first music I was exposed to that I truly fell in love with was that which was in the games I played.

Don't knock it. For a couple of decades, video games had better compositions than most films. Before games could incorporate that miracle of voice acting, stories were presented in text rather than audio. That meant that manipulating a player's emotions rested entirely on the strength of the score. I still love it, too. Song-for-song, I have more of Nobuo Uematsu's work (the composer for the Final Fantasy franchise) than any other artist in my library. And despite a relative decline in musical quality since soundtracks and voice acting became more commonplace, the industry is still cranking out impressive scores every year.

Far and away, the best moments in gaming music are when the soundtrack is in sync with the action.  Great composers like Uematsu, Koji Kondo and Harry Gregson Williams could make you mourn the death of a great character, create the tension of an epic battle and express the exhilaration of entering a new world. Like film scores, the most indelible mark game music can leave is that which is associated with a big moment. So in light of that, my contribution to this project will be five of my favorite moments in gaming in which the soundtrack really shone through, and created memories of gaming experiences I can't forget.

There is an important amendment to make here. This is by no means a comprehensive list. At only five entries, it couldn't possibly be. And because it would easily take up about three to four fifths of the list if I allowed it on here, I'm excluding all Final Fantasy titles and reserving them for their own list in the future.

So, those minor tidbits out of the way, let's begin.

5. The One They Fear

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a triumph in modern gaming. It is a game that allows you to create almost any character you want from scratch, train in whatever skills you wish to have, and send it out to freely roam what may well be the most beautifully realized world in gaming history. And whether you chose to be sneaky thief, an armored bruiser or a spell slinging mage, the result is always a badass character doing badass things.

Of course, you don't start out that way. When you first enter the world, you're a weak, blank slate with no describable skills. And just about the time you're learning how to stick them with the pointy end, the game pits you up against your first dragon; a gigantic, obscenely powerful, fire-breathing hell-monster that you'll spend much of the game in fights to the death with. And despite being vastly inferior to it, eventually you'll whittle it down to a place where killing it becomes possible.

That's when the music starts.

It's a faster, more bombastic version of the game's main theme. It plays exclusively as you kill dragons. And the first time you jump on the head of one and bash it in with a mace, or the camera pans to you firing the killing thunderbolt, the music trumpets your victory, making you feel powerful for the first time in a world that's tried to kill you since you walked into it. It's a moment of cinematic geniusn, and the stuff that gaming euphoria is made of.

4. Frog Clears the Way

Frog, for those of you who've never played Chrono Trigger, is the game's resident badass. Sure, he's a anthropomorphic animal (it makes sense in context), but it doesn't change that fact that he's a gallant, honorable knight who can fuck up bad guys like nobody's business. He has an awesome theme, too; a triumphant bit lead by woodwinds and powerful brass.

The two come together in what was, for me, the greatest moment of the game. En route to face one of the big bad guys, Frog takes up the legendary sword from which he draws power, reveals his true name and speaks a eulogy to his fallen comrades. His theme song is trumpeted as he lifts the blade, summons his power and cleaves a fucking mountain in two. Though it might sound silly to anyone who hasn't played the game, those that have will remember the swell of pride they felt at that moment, and the epic events that happen shortly after it.

3. "Can't let you do that, Fox"

Star Fox 64 was an instant classic when it came out back in 1997. A fast paced, high action space simulator, it was one of the only games of its kind available for the platform, and revolutionized the way that console fighter games were made. In it, you play a rag tag band of military pilots fighting to stop a would be dictator. Most of the game consists of you dodging obstacles while you shoot down mooks, because your squad is easily the most talented in the game's universe.

Except for the Star Wolf Squad, anyway.

A rival gang of mercenaries, Star Wolf gives you a run for your money every time they show up on screen. Their presence is only ever announced by a shift from whatever level music is playing to the the epic, John Williams-esque action theme of the squad. And from the moment you hear those iconic opening brass notes, you know that shit is about to get real. The arrival of Star Wolf only happens three to four times through the course of the game, and each time it does, the entirely combat experience is turned on its head. The skill of the Star Wolf pilots forces you to take on the advanced techniques the game teaches you, lest you be obliterated quickly. Combined with the dramatic nature of the theme music, it really drives home the experience of being in a fight to the death with the most talented pilots in your league. Those moments, when that music starts playing, represent standout pacing on the game's creators. And every one of them is extremely memorable in its own right.

2. No Fortunate Sons in Columbia

The dark horse on my annual album of the year list was the Bioshock Infinite soundtrack. By re-recording popular songs to stylistically fit the game's turn-of-the-century setting, Infinite was able to create some great renditions of songs. And in classic Ken Levine fashion, they show up at the most appropriate times possible.

The game takes place in the flying city of Columbia. Hyper nationalistic and racist, Columbia left the United States because it was simply too American for America. The unfortunate Irish, black and Hispanic denizens of the city are relegated to a slum, where living conditions are terrible, poverty is rampant and people struggle to get by on the meager wages offered by their white overlords. Tensions eventually come to a boil during your visit, and a battle breaks out there. The rebels fighting against the established regime eventually take control, and the scene that ensues is captivating.

The ghetto is in flames. Rebels with makeshift weapons are rounding up police and executing them in the streets. Bodies are littered everywhere and people are fighting to the death over the food pouring out of ransacked shops. And through the smoke and blood, a young black girl stands on a street corner singing a capella, Delta blues version of CCR's Fortunate Son. The purity of the music, the frustration of the lyrics and the carnage taking place around her creates a vivid parity between the celebration of the supposed freedom fighters and the regular people who suffer the consequences of their extremism. It highlights the game's theme that extremism in any form or fashion is destructive and harmful, even to those it seeks to elevate. It's a beautiful, striking moment on par with some of the better film scenes I've ever witnessed. Moments like this, which would have been impossible to duplicate on older gaming hardware, truly represent the best that games have to offer as an artistic medium. And they give me hope that the best days for video gamers are ahead of them rather than behind.

1. Oh, My Heroes

Remember, reader, how I said that I would't include any Final Fantasy?

I lied.

And I'm going back on my word because, when it comes to a video game's music making the moment, there is no single moment in gaming history that even compares to the ending of Final Fantasy VI.

Final Fantasy VI is a classic among classics. Think of it as a Cassablanca  of games. Despite the limitations of the SNES, it paints a vivid, compelling story filled with heartbreak and triumph. And at the heart of that story is the fourteen playable characters that enter your party by the game's end. Every single one of them is loving and memorable in his or her own right (except Gogo and Umaro. Fuck them). And if you took the time to collect them all once they're separated in the game's post-apocalyptic back half, you're rewarded to the single finest ending sequence in all of gaming.

In the twenty minute sequence that closes the game, each of the fourteen gets to flex some last minute heroics. And as the game pans from character to character, a gorgeous medley of each character's theme plays in the background. Like the action on screen, the transitions are seamless. Each theme gets enough of a makeover to stand out in epic fashion, while retaining enough similarities to the original as to be recognizable. Several moments stand out especially. The beautiful rendition of Celes's theme as she nearly dies, and its transition into Locke's heroic fanfare as he rescues her is killer. So is the touching moment between an elder grandfather and granddaughter in the party. Woodwinds and piano comprise the theme, saving what were originally two fairly bland compositions. They transition into a resoundingly beautiful rendition of Shadow's theme that, if you played the game without a guide on your lap, puts a haunting exclamation mark on one of the most heart wrenching scenes in the game. The song climaxes in loud, proud, orchestral rendition of the Final Fantasy franchise theme. And that is how you end a fucking video game.

The ending is a beautiful conclusion to the journey that is FFVI. It provides all the necessary closure and leaves players on a high note that is bittersweet in some places and resoundingly victorious in others. And the music that plays over it is a fabulous composition in its own right that people can enjoy with or without the context. Put the two together, however, and you get a sequence of gaming that is absolutely made by its music, and a piece of music that is absolutely made by the action of the game. It's the perfect medley, and that's why it topped my list.

So there you have it. Five of my favorite musical moments in gaming. For the other works participating in the project, please visit the following:

Frank from Robotboombox

Jew, also from Robotboombox

Larry from Outskirt Noise

Logan from Happy Katana

More Links will be available when I receive them.

Year End Review: Best Albums of 2013

I love the year end album list. I haven't been doing it for long, but I do enjoy it. Part of that is my urge to play pretend at music journalism, and inform the masses of what they should be listening to. But more than that, I love sitting down at the end of the year and choosing to honor the ones that really stood out. Each of these records (and many more that I lacked the space to get to), had a meaningful impact on me that stuck out for a year. Living the musical smorgasbord that I do, it takes a lot to get that kind of recognition. It also gives me an excuse to revisit those records, which is a treat.

So having said that, here are my favorite records of the year 2013.

TIE: 10. Woman by Rhye

Rhye's debut album is as bold an experiment as they come. Smokey and sensual, Woman is a collection of beautiful love ballads sung by a husky vocalist reminiscent of the female R&B heyday of the 90s.

Now, before you read another word of this writeup, listen to their song "Open" here. 

You ready?

Yeah...that was a man singing that. It's not just a gimmick, either. By eschewing the hyper masculine tradition of male soul music, vocalist Mike Milosh is able to create a profound sense of vulnerability in his music. Woman really speaks to the fragility of a soul captured in the throws of love while at the same time espousing the beauty of such a predicament. He plays coy with personal pronouns, so the genders of the singer and the subject of the song are never readily apparent. There's a phenomenal economy to this album, and its minimalist approach make it a strikingly intimate record. With only ten tracks, it can remain tight and focused. It's romantic, sexy and a damn good album all around.

Standout Tracks

1. Open

4. Verse

6. 3 Days 

TIE: 10. Electric by Richard Thompson

Shut up, Mumford; Grandad's back to show you how it's done. 45 years into his musical career, Thompson's thirteenth solo album proves that he's still the reigning master of the folk rock genre. And he's not ready to surrender that mantle anytime soon. Electric may not be a revolutionary record, but Thompson doesn't need to fix what ain't broken. Instead, he delivers a solid performance with all the things we've come to expect from the veteran; slick musical production, sophisticated guitar licks, and a rye, biting humor that his gravelly voice delivers magnificently. Unlike the more subdued efforts we've seen from Thompson this millennium, Electric has an energy to it that he hasn't exhibited since 1991's Rumor and Sigh. He's alive on this record, and enjoying himself so much that it's impossible not to have fun along with him. Another year, another stellar outing; this is business as usual for Thompson. If you're not familiar yet, now's as good a time as any to get acquainted with him.

Standout Tracks

1. Stony Ground

3. Sally B

6. Good Things Happen to Bad People

10. Snow Goose

9. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Live From KCRW

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds started this year off on a more emotive note than we've grown used to hearing from them by releasing Push the Sky Away. And while that is a fine record, the one that really captured me was October's Live From KCRW. Now, generally speaking, I hate live records. The noise of a roaring arena crowd and the fact that they're usually recorded in a large space serve to distort songs into frankly crappier versions of their studio counterparts. And without the obscene noise and the presence of the artists themselves, it never feels like live albums can really capture the energy of a rock concert (outliers like MC5 and Jerry Lee Lewis notwithstanding).

But this show, in such an intimate venue, is a different animal altogether. If the band performed in Cave's living room for a group of friends, I imagine it would sound something like this. There's a real sense of respect for the audience here, and the band seems comfortable and laid back. Cave is jovial, and playful with the audience, playing for them new material and some of his lesser known classics. A few additions, like a child's choir and string section, help breath new life into the band's older work. The band is having fun on this album, and if you're a fan of Cave at all, it's a treat for the listener that I can't recommend enough.

Standout Tracks

1. Higgs Boson Blues

3. Stranger than Kindness

8. People Ain't No Good

8. Soundtrack to Bioshock Infinite

I know, I know...a soundtrack doesn't count as an album. And most of the time, that's true. But the Soundtrack to Bioshock Infinite is a musical experiment that pushes my particular buttons so well that I can't help but feel that it was specifically tailored for me individually. This post isn't about the best albums of the year by consensus, the most groundbreaking ones or the ones that will stand up over time. It's about my personal favorites. And I have to include Bioshock Infinite for that.

But allow me to back up. For those of you who aren't familiar with the game, Bioshock Infinite is a video game set in a fictional flying city circa 1917. One major story element concerns the bending or reality, and the ability for humans to see in alternative versions of Earth in the past, present and future. So to help create the illusion of a time-muddled 1912, the game runners created a soundtrack that was comprised partially of era music (Ish. Most of the music is actually from the 1920s, but that only makes things sweeter for me.) and partially of more modern popular songs reworked into era style. The Beach Boys' 1968 hit "God Only Knows" is redone as a striking barber shop quartet piece. "Tainted Love" becomes a jazz-blues song in the style of Bessie Smith. "Shiny Happy People" by REM is played as a jaunty jazz showtune and Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" gets a Noel Coward makeover. I could go on and on, but the fusion of 20s music and modern song is nothing short of magical for me. Toss in a handful of the best turn of the century music that America had to offer, and you get one of my favorite records of the year. The soundtrack for Bioshock Infinite is nothing sort of a genius stroke. And particularly for an enthusiast for historic music such as myself, few releases this year have been so enjoyable.

Standout Tracks

Fortunate Son (Performed in capella delta blues)

Shiny Happy People

Will the Circle be Unbroken (Performed with a gospel choir)

God Only Knows

7. By the Lamplight by Larry and His Flask

Larry and His Flask have officially turned in my 2013 sleeper hit with with By the Lamplight. And were it not for the similarities between this and that, Gogo Bordello's effort this year would occupy this spot. As it is, however, Larry and His Flask edge them out. 

It's difficult to describe LAHF to the uninitiated. Folk punk is probably the best I can come up with, and like Gogo Bordello, there is a large array of world music influence from Gypsy to East European to klesmer all thrown in for flavor. Think Flogging Molly after about 20 mics of acid (is that how mics work? I honestly don't know). Like their previous work, Lamplight is best when its as hectic as possible. There's a lot of sound being thrown in your face on this record, and it creates a wild, manic cacoffiny of sound that's impossible not to tap your feet to. Rather than anarchic craziness, the furious tempo of a half dozen different instruments actually allows LAHF to create fascinatingly rich melodies from the chaos. The band's music even works on tracks like "Gone From You", in which the energy is dialed back considerably. This is a fun, energetic record that establishes LAHF as an act to pay attention to going forward.

Stand Out Tracks

3. Barleywine Bump

5. Log, Hearth and Ash

11. Gone from You

6. Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action by Franz Ferdinand

Every year, my list of favorite albums is topped by artists who made revolutionary breakthroughs, or wrote astounding lyrics, or had a perfectly thematic masterpiece. Those albums are all great, and they're a big part of the reason why I listen to music the way I do. Franz Ferdinand's newest outing is not one of those records, however. Rather than being groundbreaking or heartstring-pulling, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action is just plain old fun. In fact, there isn't a single album I heard all year that I had as much fun with as I did this one. 

None of that is to say that this is somehow cheap music. Far from it. At the heart of this up-tempo, energetic experience is a band that remembered why its fans liked them in the first place. When they burst on the scene with their 2002 debut, their combination of loud guitar rock and dance music made them a refreshing anecdote to the post grunge funk that rock found itself in (you'll remember that Limp Bizkit was a thing people listened to for a while there). They've spent all the time since trying to reinvent themselves in some way, and as a result, they've never seen the same levels of success. So for this outing (the band's fourth) they threw that all away and went back to the original formula. They have fun with it, too, poking fun of themselves and the age of their band on tracks like "Fresh Strawberries". FF remains a band full of talented players, and the fretwork absolutely shines here. Even the songwriting on this record is strong; arguably the band's best yet. But ultimately, this album is one that stuck with me this year because it's just a hell of a lot of fun.

Stand Out Tracks

1. Right Thoughts

4. Stand on the Horizon

8. The Universe Expanded

5. The Bones of What You Believe by Chvrches

(My full review can be found here.)

I am still astounded by how popular this band is right now. In my time following music, I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone take the indie scene so quickly and enthusiastically before, while still having huge popular success. This is the band of the moment, and even on this blog, the most hits I ever got was when I did a review of their record.

It makes sense. Chvrches has everything it needs to be successful. The songwriting is sharp, the music is hook intensive and the approach to electronic music is innovative. Chvrches is a sharp, fresh band capturing that perfect "now" moment for listeners hungry for a change of pace. At a time when every decent 90s band is racing to get back together and groups like Kings of Leon are pushing out as much recycled music as possible, it's great that bands like Chvrches are looking forward to the future. This is the best pop album of the year, and I greatly anticipate what's to come from the young group.

Stand Out Tracks

3. Gun

4. Tether

6. Under the Tide

4. Electric by the Pet Shop Boys

(My full review can be found here.)

Perhaps I shouldn't be so quick to knock on comeback artists. The Pet Shop Boys gave us Electric back in July, and it has endured as one of the year's most impressive albums. In fact, I was harder on Electric in my original review than I should have been, I think. The more I listen to this album the more impressed by it I am, and most of my initial criticisms have abated with time and repeat listens. The Pet Shop Boys have released one of the most thematically striking electronic albums I've heard in years here, and in doing so have returned to form and branched out at the same time. For most bands who've been active for over three decades, the best days are long gone. For PSB, they might just be starting as they move into the future. And they're taking the whole of electronic music along for the ride.

3. Nomad by Bombino

I still have no idea what this record is about. And I still don't care any more than I did when I reviewed it. Neither should you. Entirely sung in the Taureg language Tamashek, Bombino's music can be a bit off-putting to those listeners who demand to know what a singer is on about. Ignore it, I say, and embrace the ride. Nomad combines Taureg folk music, which is predominantly played on guitar, with American blues rock. The sum of those parts is a snakey, twisting record featuring the best guitar you'll ever hear this side of Jimi Hendrix. It is at once very foreign and extremely familiar. Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys produced the record, and its got his signature sound to it. You can hear it on that band's albums and on others artists he's worked with like Dr. John and  Hanni El Khatib. That may sound like a mismatch, but it works beautifully. This is a world music record tailor fit for an American audience, and given the insane level of talent that Bombino has wailing on a guitar, you owe it to yourself to check it out. This is a must not miss record, and that it's so often left out of these lists is nothing short of a tragedy.

Stand Out Tracks

Every damn one

2. The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight. The Harder I Fight, the More I Love You by Neko Case

Mark 2013 as the year that Neko Case broke out to become one of my favorite artists recording music today. I've always been a fan, but this record, (which I've said from the moment I heard it was her best) really established her as one of the most potent composers and songwriters in the industry. This is an absolutely fabulous record that I can't seem to find enough superlatives for. Case has always demonstrated an astounding grasp on word play, storytelling and the arrangements to bring them all together. But now, as she turns her analytic eye from her rich, fictional characters to herself, she reaches a whole new level of poetry. It's impossible to listen to as natural a storyteller as Case not learn something about her, but her most recent work is almost nakedly revealing. I know from her interviews that this isn't a comfortable position for her to be in, so that makes the accomplishment of this album all the more impressive. And while the songwriting is the star here, Case is able to wade through country, rock, gospel and pop flawlessly with each sounding perfectly natural. This is a stellar record that I have nothing but good things to say about, and were it only not for one more, would easily be my favorite of the year.

Stand Out Tracks

Starting with "Man", track 3 on the album, and ending in "Local Girl", track 10, this album goes on a run of genius unparalleled by any consecutive song stretch on any album featured here.

1. Light Up Gold by Parquet Courts

Here's a sentence I didn't think I'd get to write ever; my favorite album this year was a punk record. That's not to say that modern punk is bad. Because it's not. It's just not great. Not great, that is, until artists like Parquet Courts decide to get in on the action. PC's only been kicking around for a few years now, but they've been tearing up the Brooklyn punk rock scene. Now they've gotten national attention, as Light Up Gold is getting serious album of the year props.

They deserve it, too. As a punk band, you know they're doing something right when it takes them only 33 minutes to rock a 15 track album. That's not just them thrashing through, though; these songs are remarkably clean and succinct, rather than just being fast. Parquet Courts remind me of the Minutemen back in their heyday; smart, sophisticated punk rock with good lyrics and a higher sonic calling than power chords and noise. And the lyrics are good, too. PC explores the quandary of an adult avoiding societal responsibility. They're stoned, irritable folks who are searching for their identity in the world with only the least amount of enthusiasm required. And they just wanna have fun, man. What's so wrong with that?

This album is a joy to the ears because it represents the best of what punk has to offer. It explores serious themes without ever taking itself too seriously and makes its complaints about the world without ever getting too heavy. It's self deprecating without angst. And throughout its entire length, Parquet Courts are breaking new ground without ever failing to have fun doing it. Go have fun with them.

Standout Tracks

2. Borrowed Time

3. Donuts Only

5. Yonder is Closer to the Heart

9. N Dakota

14. Stoned and Starving

Couldn't Quite Make It

As always, there are a few records that deserve an honorable mention because they couldn't quite make it on onto the list, but got just close enough that taking them off was torture for me. Here they are.

Like Clockwork by Queens of the Stone Age

Pure Heroine by Lorde

Run the Jewels by Run the Jewels (The only hip hop album in contention for the list. It was a weak year for rap music)

Trouble Will Find Me by The National

Push the Sky Away by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Pura Vida Conspiracy by Gogo Bordello

Same Trailer, Different Park by Kacy Musgraves

There's a Last Time For Everything by Lucy Wainwright Roche