The B&C Best Albums of 2013 Thread

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So are you guys going to let me include After Dark 2 on my list or not?
 
Haven't explored new artists as much as I usually do this year, so forgive this for being a bit familiar/obvious. Hope to check out stuff I missed based on the contributions from the rest of you.


1. Los Campesinos! - No Blues (13)
2. Deap Vally - Sistrionix (12)
3. Yo La Tengo - Fade (10)
4. After Dark 2 (10)

5. David Bowie - The Next Day(8)
6. Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady (8)
7. Justin Timberlake - 20/20 Experience Vol. 1 (8)
8. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires Of The City (8)

9. She & Him - Volume 3 (6)
10. Bettie Serveert - Oh, Mayhem! (6)
11. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away (4)
12. Arcade Fire - Reflektor (3)
13. Cults - Static (2)
14. Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Blah Blah Blah (1)
15. Kanye West - Yeezus (1)


It pains me that the Phoenix wasn't good enough to make this list. I probably like more songs on Bankrupt! than I do on Yeezus, but I have more respect for the whole of the latter.
 
lazarus said:
It's on my list. Don't pay any mind to the anti-compliation brigade.

SOLIDARITY, BROTHER.
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I need to adjust my list then

33az14p.jpg
 
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Okkervil River - The Silver Gymnasium (10)
The National - Trouble Will Find Me (10)
Kurt Vile - Wakin On A Pretty Daze (10)
Sigur Rós - Kveikur (10)
After Dark 2 (10)
The Thermals - Desperate Ground (5)
DJ Koze - Amygdala (5)
Atoms For Peace - AMOK (5)
Fuck Buttons - Slow Focus (5)
Washed Out - Paracosm (5)
Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City (5)
Deerhunter - Monomania (5)
The Flaming Lips - The Terror (5)
Arcade Fire - Reflektor (5)
Lucius - Wildewoman (5)
 
I think we allowed Cruel Summer to get votes so After Dark 2 is fine by me.

Also, I find it hilarious that Laz and I were the only two to vote for Cults. So random.
 
Joey788 said:
1. David Bowie - The Next Day (15)
2. Savages - Silence Yourself (12)
3. Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks (12)
4. Arcade Fire - Reflektor (10)
5. The National - Trouble Will Find Me (10)
6. Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork (10)
7. The Joy Formidable - Wolf's Law (7)
8. Los Campesinos! - No Blues (6)
9. Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories) (4)
10. Foals - Holy Fire (3)
11. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories (3)
12. Atoms for Peace - Amok (3)
13. Lady Lamb the Beekeeper - Ripley Pine (3)
14. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mosquito (1)
15. Rachel Zeffira - The Deserters (1)

Honorable Mentions:

16. Depeche Mode - Delta Machine
17. CHVRCHES - The Bones of What You Believe
18. Gary Numan - Splinter
19. Sarah Neufeld - Hero Brother
20. Pearl Jam - Lightning Bolt
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I wanted to do a bit of a write-up for my top 5 albums and add a few other favorites for songs, concerts, etc. I finally got enough free time to write them so here we go.

The National - Trouble Will Find Me

Every time The National are set to release an album, someone will wonder if this is the record where the band will change its sound. On Trouble Will Find Me, the answer is still no. Why? Because there is no need to fix what isn't broken. The National's latest continues a string of successful albums with the usual mix of moroseness and humor from Matt Berninger, tight guitar work from the Dessner twins and powerful rhythms from the Devendorf brothers. Songs like "Humiliation," "This Is The Last Time" and "Graceless" are thrilling trips that build layers on top of layers, sometimes exploding, sometimes pulling back. Memorable melodies engulf nearly every number on the tracklisting, making this record one of those rare affairs where skipping is unnecessary. That consistent excellence is what helps make The National one of the best bands playing today.

Best Moments: "Pink Rabbits" saloon piano, when the drums kick in for "This Is The Last Time," that smooth, almost jazzy guitar in "I Need My Girl," all of "Don't Swallow The Cap" and "Sea of Love"

Arcade Fire - Reflektor

When I first listened to this album in full, I wasn't sure what to think. I liked many parts of it, but it was difficult to tell how it felt as a whole. It was only on repeated listens that Reflektor connected with me. I like how it has a kitchen sink approach, with each song having a unique style.

Yet, some tracks go wonderfully together, like the aggressively in-your-face "Normal Person" and the bouncy "You Already Know." The chaotic drums that convert into a Neil-Young chorus on "Awful Sound" and the 80s-synthtastic "It's Never Over" are two-sides of the same coin, two interpretations of the same story. The differing styles keep it from feeling repetitive. The title track and "Afterlife" both marry that Caribbean rhythm with Arcade Fire's usual bombast and sincerity. The latter particularly has grown on me and has my favorite set of lyrics on the album, with Win moving from condemning the idea of an afterlife to realizing the appeal in an afterlife shared with a true love. While it could have been a little shorter (No need for "Here Comes The Night Time Pt. 2"), Reflektor is another winner from Arcade Fire.

Best Moments: The rave segment of "Here Comes The Night Time," the "Billie Jean" bass line on "We Exist," Bowie's backing vocals on "Reflektor" and any time Regine sings.

Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks

I actually reviewed this for No Ripcord, a music website I write for. I think I put my thoughts on this album out there the best. I think Trent Reznor really does a fantastic day of showing both the continued viability of Nine Inch Nails and industrial metal as a whole.

Nine Inch Nails: Hesitation Marks - Music Review - No Ripcord

Best Moments: The swarming drones of "Disappointed," the taunt sound effects and string scratches that start "All Time Low," the chaotic breakdown in "Copy of a" and the out-of-nowhere saxophone in "While I'm Still Here"

Savages - Silence Yourself

Savages' created my favorite debut album by far for 2013. I love how intense and sparse this record sounds. Not one note in its 40 minutes sounds out-of-place or unneeded. Jenny Beth's vocal delivery has shades of 80s post-punk but her performance feels wholly her own and is completely captivating, such as on "I Am Here" and "Husbands." The rest of the band is right there with her, creating punishing landscapes of guitar, bass and drums that sound like they're going to physically attack you. After every song, I was wondering if the pressure would let up and while there would occasionally be a slower number, the tension never abated.

The track that probably exemplifies this energy best is "She Will," one of my favorite songs of the year. The opening riff is sharp and memorable. The lyrics seem to be forced out, like Beth doesn't want to say the words. But then the chorus comes in. The drums bash on the cymbal over and over, the guitar takes on a far harsher tone and Beth repeats the title like a woman possessed. The slower numbers are just as strong, like closer "Marshal Dear," carried by icy piano keys.This album won my over wholeheartedly and I can't wait to see what Savages does next.

Best Moments: The odd audio clip that opens the album, only to go right into the driving bass line of "Shut Up," the blast of energy that is "Hit Me," the warped clarinet on "Marshal Dear" and guitarist Gemma Thompson's ability to go from the nastiest guitar tones to Edge-like echoes on "No Face."

David Bowie - The Next Day

I'll be honest. Before this year, I wasn't the hugest David Bowie fan. I loved the hits and some of his albums like Ziggy Stardust, but he wasn't someone I really looked at as a currently-active artist. The only song I knew past "Let's Dance" was "I'm Afraid of Americans," due to its association with Trent Reznor. But when Bowie announced The Next Day, I was really excited at the opportunity to appreciate a new release from him. I liked "Where Are We Now?" and loved "The Stars Are Out Tonight." I couldn't wait to see what the rest of the album was like.

For me, Bowie did not disappoint. I love every single song on this album. The title track's foreboding atmosphere, building to a triumphant chorus that I never get sick of. Every guitar riff feels like a classic as soon as you hear it, like on "Boss of Me," "(You Will) Set the World on Fire" and "Valentine's Day." I love the stories he creates on so many of the tracks too, such as the teenage soldier on "I'd Rather Be High," another favorite of mine. I also enjoy how the album is reflective on his own past, but rarely obvious in its throwbacks. It reminds me most of another dark Bowie masterpiece, Scary Monsters and Super Creeps, which is my favorite of his albums. This album far exceeded all of my expectations and showed that Bowie putting out his strongest work in three decades. For those reasons, it's my album of the year.

Best Moments: All of the title track, the drunk horns in "Dirty Boys," the lyrics in "I'd Rather Be High," the opening female vocal on "If You Can See Me," the mix of synths and guitars of "Love Is Lost" and of course, the "Five Years" tease.


All the other stuff:

Top 5 Songs

1. Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused To Sing
2. David Bowie - The Next Day
3. Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, Trent Reznor - Mantra
4. Nine Inch Nails - Copy of a
5. Arcade Fire - Afterlife

Top 5 Concerts (in no order)

Bat for Lashes at Webster Hall
Depeche Mode at Barclays Center
Nine Inch Nails at Barclays Center
Savages at Terminal 5
Steven Wilson at Best Buy Theatre

Best album cover: The Joy Formidable - Wolf's Law
Worst album cover: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mosquito
Surprise of the year: The return of Bowie.
Disappointment of the year: Haim's Days Are Gone, which I was really excited for and then could not get into at all.
Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: I've dug deeply into Blur's back catalog this year, specifically their self-titled and 13.
Musical live moment of the year: Hearing an arena full of fans drown out The National on Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks to end the concert.
 
IMGP8955.JPG

OH SNAP!

Reflektor. Not so much because it is a good album, but because the album title sounds like the name of a villian from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
 
Best Albums:

1. Kurt Vile - Wakin on a Pretty Daze (15)
2. My Bloody Valentine - m b v (13)
3. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away (11)
4. Arcade Fire - Reflektor (9)
5. Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady (8)
6. Queens Of The Stone Age - ...like Clockwork (7)
7. The National - Trouble Will Find Me (7)
8. Haim - Days Are Gone (6)
9. Cut Copy - Free Your Mind (5)
10. Throwing Muses - Purgatory / Paradise (5)
11. St. Lucia - When The Night (5)
12. Okkervil River - The Silver Gymnasium (4)
13. Sigur Rós - Kveikur (2)
14. Cults - Static (2)
15. Mazes - Ores & Minerals (1)

Honorable Mentions:

Yo La Tengo - Fade
Veronica Falls - Waiting For Something To Happen
Richard Thompson - Electric
Foals - Holy Fire
Johnny Marr - The Messenger
Waxahatchee - Cerulean Salt
Wire - Change Becomes Us
Deerhunter - Monomania
Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of The City
Washed Out - Paracosm
Julia Holter - Loud City Song
Mazzy Star - Seasons Of Your Day

Best Ep:

Wild Nothing - Empty Estate

Best Live Album

Neil Young - Live at the Cellar Door

Most Disappointing Album:

Yuck - Glow & Behold
 
Padj said:
Most Disappointing Album:

Yuck - Glow & Behold
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This album initially left me a little flat, but it's grown on me, especially the middle of the album. On the whole it's not as good as the debut but I think "Rebirth" is their best track.

I'll post my list soon.
 
Alright, here we go. A big sprawling version with reviews is here for anybody who gives a shit. From following this thread I get the feeling I'm throwing away most of my votes on albums without many or any other votes, but oh well. I just haven't really connected with or been interested in a whole lot of what's dominated year-end lists.

Favourite albums:

Tegan and Sara - Heartthrob (15)
Marnie - Crystal World (14)
No Joy - Wait to Pleasure (11)
Chvrches - The Bones of What You Believe (11)
The Joy Formidable - Wolf's Law (7)
Russian Circles - Memorial (7)
The World Is a Beautiful Place and I Am Not Afraid to Die - Whenever, If Ever (6)
Esben and the Witch - Wash the Sins Not Only the Face (6)
God Is an Astronaut - Origins (6)
Young Galaxy - Ultramarine (4)
Blue Hawaii - Untogether (3)
Modern Life Is War - Fever Hunting (3)
Snow Ghosts - A Small Murmuration (3)
Trick Mammoth - Floristry (2)
Washed Out - Paracosm (2)

Favourite EP: Little Daylight - Tunnel Vision, which would've been #5 on the above list with 10 points if EPs were counted.

Honourable mentions, alphabetical order:
The Appleseed Cast - Illumination Ritual
Au Revoir Simone - Move in Spectrums
bvdub - A Careful Ecstacy
Deafheaven - Sunbather
Fallulah - Escapism
Frankie Rose - Herein Wild
KEN mode - Entrench
Kokomo - Kokomo
Long Distance Calling - The Flood Inside
Moving Mountains - Moving Mountains
Ms Mr - Secondhand Rapture
The Naked and Famous - In Rolling Waves
Pity Sex - Feast of Love
Postiljonen - Skyer
The Prophet Hens - Popular People Do Popular People
The Shaking Sensations - Start Stop Worrying
Sigur Ros - Kveikur
Sky Ferreira - Night Time, My Time
Small Black - Limits of Desire
Soror Dolorosa - No More Heroes
Yuck - Glow & Behold

Favourite songs (one per artist), loosely ranked:
The World Is... - Getting Sodas
Tegan and Sara - Love They Say
Marnie - Sugarland
Little Daylight - Restart
Young Galaxy - New Summer
The Chills - Molten Gold
Chvrches - Tether
Modern Life Is War - Health, Wealth, and Peace
The Joy Formidable - This Ladder Is Ours
No Joy - Slug Night
Yuck - Rebirth
Washed Out - All I Know
Esben and the Witch - Deathwaltz
Moving Mountains - Eastern Leaves
Fallulah - Mares

Favourite album from 2012 that I didn't hear until 2013: 2:54 - 2:54

Favourite album from pre-2012 that I didn't hear until 2013: Ladytron - Witching Hour
 
Oh shit, I didn't even know about that modern life is war album.
 
Axver said:
Alright, here we go. A big sprawling version with reviews is here for anybody who gives a shit. From following this thread I get the feeling I'm throwing away most of my votes on albums without many or any other votes, but oh well. I just haven't really connected with or been interested in a whole lot of what's dominated year-end lists.
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Over half of your albums already had votes.
 
Because not everything pressed/released/uploaded this year is equally applicable for album of the year. Especially if it's not an album.
 
IWasBored said:
Oh shit, I didn't even know about that modern life is war album.
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I was quite surprised to find they'd reformed - and that they still have the passion and intensity of the past.

PhilsFan said:
Over half of your albums already had votes.
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Huh, cool.

HeartlandGirl said:
I only got a chance to listen to this once before the year ended, but I liked it a lot.
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:up:

Such a well-structured album. The end of "Getting Sodas" kills me every time.

cobl04 said:
Why are EPs not counted? It makes no sense. Your favourite records are your favourite records.
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Yeah I tend to find format distinctions in this digital age fairly irrelevant, especially when so many EPs are just as long or longer than albums in some genres. But I also see the logic behind just keeping it to albums - and excluding Tunnel Vision did make it easier for me to distribute points!
 
Well exactly. Flaming Lips' Peace Sword is longer than Run the Jewels. It seems a bit pedantic and arbitrary given this is just a collaborative list from a few friends on a random internet forum.
 
Comparing a 15 minute collection of songs to a 70 minute collection of songs is just stupid. Sure, you could specify "album-length" EPs so it would make for a logical comparison, but it's not like a collection of songs a band threw together to clear out their vault while on tour qualifies as an album anyway. If you look at the RYM EP charts for the year, it's clear that most of the bands aren't releasing them to compete with their LPs.

There are exceptions, like Peace Sword and River Dealer. Completely original work for one purpose. But Sigur Ros, Grizzly Bear and Thee Oh Sees' releases shouldn't count as albums. Where and how do you draw the line?
 
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LemonMelon said:
Comparing a 15 minute collection of songs to a 70 minute collection of songs is just stupid. Sure, you could specify "album-length" EPs so it would be a fair comparison, but it's not like a collection of songs a band threw together to clear out their vault while on tour qualifies as an album anyway.

But hey, at least it would make it easier to listen to 15 "albums" in a year.
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I think you're unfairly exaggerating here. I'm just looking at my list from 2012 and some of the EPs there are longer than White Lung's (excellent) nineteen minute long album.

Oh, and one of those EPs "[thrown] together to clear out their vault while on tour" happens to be the best release the band in question ever put out - Put Your Sad Down by School of Seven Bells. Damn that title track is great.
 
I edited my last post to include examples. I just don't agree that LPs and EPs serve the same purpose to artists.
 
LemonMelon said:
I edited my last post to include examples. I just don't agree that LPs and EPs serve the same purpose to artists.
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Too slow Traviud. :wink:

I do agree that the line is hard to draw though. The purpose of EPs can vary from genre to genre - some genres definitely place more importance on EPs (and singles) than others, as the RYM charts also show, and the normal length of an EP or an album will change a lot between genres. It does, however, seem to me that EPs sometimes unfairly get maligned, especially when for some bands - usually young bands building a reputation - an EP can be a very significant artistic statement, as important as an album.
 
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