31 December 2013

Albums of 2013 // 10-1

It may have come very early, but Phosphorescent's 'Muchacho' held off all that followed to take top spot. A journey of an album, led out by the country epic Song For Zula and closed by the swelling incantations of Sun's Arising (A Koan, an Exit). Quiet yet soulfully energised throughout, it's an ambitious statement of a record which defined 2013. Enjoy the fruits of our top 10's labours below.

10. Parquet Courts - 'Light Up Gold'



9. Fuzz - 'Fuzz'



8. Laura Marling - 'Once I Was An Eagle'



7. Savages - 'Savages'



6. James Blake - 'Overgrown'



5. Kwes. - 'Ilp.'





4. White Denim - 'Corsicana Lemonade'





3. John Grant - 'Pale Green Ghosts'





2. Toro Y Moi - 'Anything in Return'





1. Phosphorescent - 'Muchacho'





Albums of 2013 // 20-11

Into the top 20, and you can tell by the change in the Top of The Pops music that this is getting serious now. This next installment features two albums with roman numerals, Christoper Mintz-Plasse, a three year old stealing the show from her Dad and 10 albums of total excellence.

20. Ghostpoet - 'Some Say I So I Say Light'



19. Kurt Vile - 'Wakin On A Pretty Daze'



18. Jon Hopkins - 'Immunity'



17. Inc. - 'No World'



16. Austra - 'Olympia'



15. Vampire Weekend - 'Modern Vampires of the City'



14. Iceage - 'You're Nothing'



13. Glasser - 'Interiors'



12. Mikal Cronin - 'MCII'



11. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - 'II'



23 December 2013

Albums of 2013 // 30-21

And the countdown continues! This next 10 has a distinctly more British feel, with London Grammar, King Krule, and Public Service Broadcasting all releasing stellar débuts in 2013, accompanied by continued brilliance from Neon Neon, These New Puritans, and a quite beautiful collection of new songs from Bill Ryder-Jones.

30. Neon Neon - 'Praxis Makes Perfect'



29. These New Puritans - 'Field of Reeds'



28. Thee Oh Sees - 'Floating Coffin'



27. Bill Ryder-Jones - 'A Bad Wind Blows In My Heart'



26. London Grammar - 'If You Wait'



25. Public Service Broadcasting - 'Inform - Educate - Entertain'



24. King Krule - '6 Feet Beneath The Moon'



23. Julia Holter - 'Loud City Song'



22. Blood Orange - 'You're Not Good Enough'



21. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - 'Push The Sky Away'



Albums of 2013 // 40-31

Round two. Things are getting serious. From the precise, hypnotic Juliana Barwick through AM's ever-grander, Brylcreemed pomp and down to the unrelenting Tampa post-punk of Merchandise, this is a seriously strong set not to even have made the top 30.

40. Juliana Barwick - 'Nepenthe'



39. Matthew E. White - 'Big Love'



38. Autre Ne Veut - 'Anxiety'



37. Deptford Goth - 'Life After Defo'



36. Wampire - 'Curiosity'



35. Volcano Choir - 'Repave'



34. Arctic Monkeys - 'AM'



33. Bosnian Rainbows - 'Bosnian Rainbows'



32. Moonface - 'Julia With Blue Jeans On'



31. Merchandise - 'Totale Nite'



Albums of 2013 // 52-41

Hardly been prolific with the postings this year, huh? No matter though as this 2013 album list is effectively 52 posts crammed into 5, singling out the best tracks from the best albums of the year, starting with OutFit's other-wordly début through the unsettling and unrestrained Destruction Unit and ending up at Daughn Gibson's country noir.

52. OutFit - 'Performance'



51. The Men - 'New Moon'



50. Laura Veirs - 'Warp & Weft'



49. The National - 'Trouble Will Find Me'



48. White Fence - 'Cyclops Reap'



47. Swearin' - 'Surfing Strange'



46. Majical Cloudz - 'Impersonator'



45. Poliça - 'Shulamith'



44. Dent May - 'Warm Blanket'



43. Destruction Unit - 'Deep Trip'



42. Grouper - 'The Man Who Died In His Boat'



41. Daughn Gibson - 'Me Moan'