Our Favorite Albums of 2013

Andrew Brandt
Senior Writer

10. This Routine is Hell Howl
9. Daughn Gibson Me Moan
8. Speedy Ortiz Major Arcana
7. CHVRCHES The Bones of What You Believe
6. Drake Nothing Was the Same
5. Frightened Rabbit Pedestrian Verse
4. Majical Cloudz Impersonator
3. Waxahatchee Cerulean Salt
2. Kurt Vile Wakin on a Pretty Daze
1. Touché Amoré Is Survived By

Will Is Survived By resonate with me in two years? Maybe. In five? I kind of hope not. But to hear a dude scream for 30 minutes at a time about how self-worth is gained through accepting ourselves for who we are — rather than for what we’ve accomplished — was extremely gratifying and necessary for me to hear this year.

Because sometimes you realize you have to go to school for longer than you had originally planned, and you start to question what you’re doing. And then you realize the future looks kind of fucked for the kids in your generation in general, and you start questioning what everyone else is doing.

Because sometimes you just feel 22. Thankfully, in 2013, Is Survived By  felt 22, too.

Melissa Elson

Site Assistant

10. TTNG 13.0.0.0.0

9. Thee Oh Sees Floating Coffin

8. Anthony Green Young Legs

7. Local Natives Hummingbird

6. Junip Junip

5. Ty Segall Sleeper

4. Tera Melos X’ed Out

3. Daughter If You Leave

2. Portugal. The Man Evil Friends

1. The Head and the Heart Let’s Be Still

Clark Gapen

Writer

10. Arctic Monkeys AM

The Monkeys follow up 2011’s scaled-back, so-so Suck It and See with a soulful rock record that reminded us what makes them so good.

9. Washed Out Paracosm

It’s hard not to use the word “lush” when describing Paracosm. It washes over you with its entrancing rhythms and doesn’t let you go. A beautifully lush series of songs. There, I just did it.

8. CHVRCHES The Bones of What You Believe

CHVRCHES might be the best new electro-pop act since Passion Pit.

7. Palma Violets 180

Perhaps the best gritty Brit-rock debut since The Libertines’.

6. Kanye West Yeezus

The harshly aggressive Yeezus is simultaneously irritating and fascinating. Its corrosive industrial electronic and trap cuts fit perfectly with West’s in-your-face crassness, bravado, and grandiose delusion.

5. Lorde Pure Heroine

Lorde’s debut album was a much-needed jolt to the pop music landscape in 2013, one that does not clearly fit into any category. Meshing hip-hop, R&B, electronic, and pure vocal prowess reminiscent of a less annoying Lana Del Rey, Lorde came out the gates swinging and blew us all away.

4. Foxygen We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic

Foxygen seem genuinely committed to being their own slightly updated version of The Kinks or The Rolling Stones and they’re doing a very good job of it. It’s an album that doesn’t take itself too seriously and offers a hefty dose of oddball wit.

3. Daft Punk Random Access Memories

Daft Punk’s hotly anticipated 74-minute odyssey of a record is an ode to ’70s disco and the beauty of live-recorded music amidst an electronic music scene dominated by samples. It’s also the most dynamic and epic album of the year, thanks largely to its many collaborations.

2. Portugal. The Man Evil Friends

One of the most under-recognized albums of the year. Evil Friends‘ overwhelming psychedelic, Beatles-y influence is proudly worn like a badge of honor on Portugal. The Man’s most enjoyable release since 2009’s excellent The Satanic Satanist.

1. Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City

VW proves yet again why they’re the most interesting and listenable band around with an album that includes unforgettable hooks, wisdom beyond their years, and is as alarmingly fun as it is intelligent.

Selena Handler

Writer

10. Yo La Tengo Fade

Simplistic yet intimate, this superbly produced LP throws it back to a time when the basic rock band sans synths reigned supreme.

9. Unknown Mortal Orchestra II

Hushed vocals allow the instruments to take center stage, showcasing intricate guitar melodies and rhythmic percussion beats. The lo-fi sound of many tracks compliments the frosty nature of the lyrics, such as “Isolation can put a gun in your hand.” Other tracks, like “One at a Time,” counter the chilly mood with bouncy bass beats and jazzy trumpet interjections.

8. Toro Y Moi Anything in Return

The many layers of texture add so much depth to each song. Synths, percussion, keyboard, guitar and male and female vocals meld to create the perfect chillwave sound.

7. Washed Out Paracosm

It’s hard to fathom how one man, Ernest Greene, could be responsible for such a full and exotic sounding chillwave LP. Paracosm‘s atmospheric sounds and upbeat melodies makes, like the single of the album promises, it all feel right.

6. Janelle Monáe The Electric Lady

Nothing has had this much soul in years. With collaborations from Prince, Solange, and a few others, the hip-swaying melodies are never-ending.

5. Deafheaven Sunbather

Screamo tends to be a genre that doesn’t allow for much creativity and tends to only attract a limited audience. Sunbather has received the attention of a variety of listeners due to its incredible versatility and shockingly digestible rock ‘n’ roll flavor.

4. The Knife Shaking the Habitual

The swedish duo has transcended our earthly pop-electro-alternative world and created a sound that very few can pull off. Their genius lies in the heavy percussion that takes the reigns in their songs and their sharp and sometimes lo-fi vocals add an other-worldly element.

3. King Krule 6 Feet Below the Moon

King Krule is simply a very talented musician and lyricist filled with passion and emotion. Songs like “Cementality” follow the mind set of a person with suicidal thoughts. The light piano progression and vocals that weave in and out embody the narrator’ s stream of consciousness.

2. Kanye West Yeezus

Like what we have come to expect from Kanye, Yeezus is full of pomposity, vulgarity and just plain ridiculousness. The qualities that make Kanye so much fun to blast on a non-stop loop. Unlike previous more poppy albums, Yeezus has a more of a Death Grips type of aggressive edge. This shows West’s complexity and talent.

1. Youth Lagoon Wondrous Bughouse

This album’s appeal lies in its depth and deep atmospheric sounds. The use of a variety of instruments, textures and speeds shows Youth Lagoon’s versatility and talent. The album is at times fun and light and at others dark and deep.

Jon Kjarsgaard

Editor

10. Kurt Vile Wakin on a Pretty Daze

9. Kanye West Yeezus

8. Disclosure Settle

7. Arcade Fire Reflektor

6. Daughter If You Leave

5. Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City

4. CHVRCHES The Bones of What You Believe

3. Phosphorescent Muchacho

2. The National Trouble Will Find Me

1. Majical Cloudz Impersonator

Chris Kraemer

Writer

10. Disclosure Settle

9. The Flaming Lips The Terror

8. Burial Rival Dealer

7. Kanye West Yeezus

6. Bombino Nomad

5. Volcano Choir Repave

4. Arcade Fire Reflektor

3. Arctic Monkeys AM

2. Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City

1. Kurt Vile Wakin on a Pretty Daze

Erica Matlin

Writer

10. Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City

This album re-affirmed my love for Vampire Weekend, especially the track, “Diane Young.”

9. Lorde Pure Heroine

Goes to show that the artists that top the pop charts actually possess some raw talent. Plus, Lorde is only 17, which makes her music that much more impressive.

8. Justin Timberlake The 20/20 Experience

Speaking of “pop charts,” JT was back and better than ever this year. The little ’90s kid inside of me swooned with every listen to this album, and she’s not ashamed to admit that (OK, maybe a little).

7. Tegan & Sara Heartthrob

In my opinion, this is the most upbeat album of 2013 and perfectly showcased their lyrical and musical talent. It was nice to see these sisters finally get some well-deserved praise.

6. Kidnap Kid So Close – Single

I could listen to this song all day every day, and I did.

5. Tim Chaisson The Other Side

I briefly heard “The Healing” during a movie I was watching and I could not get it out of my head. Chaisson created the greatest poetry of this past year.

4. Kings of Leon Mechanical Bull

Great to see that such an impressive band has remained so consistent over the years.

3. Paramore Paramore

Another example of a band that went beyond mainstream expectations. “Ain’t It Fun” is the perfect song to blast in the car, in the shower, etc.

2. CHVRCHES The Bones of What You Believe

The perfect argument for synth-pop music, reminiscent of M83. It will be exciting to see what the new year brings for CHVRCHES.

1. Haim Days Are Gone

These L.A. sisters might be my favorite band of all-time. Their music is only rivaled by their live performances and it has been awesome to watch their rise to the top.

Benjamin Schicker

Contributing Writer

10. Savages Silence Yourself

Lots of hype, but they earn it. Great live. The rest has been said. Tracks: Any/all. Or how about: “Shut Up,” “I Am Here,” “She Will,” “Husbands.”

9. Wavves Afraid of Heights

How did I spend my summer vacation? “Demon to Lean On,” on repeat.

8. Foals Holy Fire

These songs feel much bigger in person. I don’t think they’re trying to be the next U2 or Coldplay, but they’re definitely keeping an eye on bigger venues. Like most of The Joy Formidable’s catalog, these songs feel arena-ready. On the other hand, there’s a lot of simple dance-jams (see: “My Number”) that are just stupid fun.

7. Wax Idols Discipline & Desire

On paper, they seem right up my alley: Angular guitars, Dominatrix lead singer, Slumberland Records. Hether Fortune just has a presence that I can’t deny, not unlike Mish Way from friends/tour mates White Lung. But for all the darkness and back story, there’s a playfulness underneath. Or maybe just killer melodies. Either way. Start with: “Dethrone,” “When It Happens,” “Formulae.”

6. Telekinesis Dormarion

Can the drummer get some? Because Michael Benjamin Lerner deserves it at this point. While there’s plenty of driving rhythms, its the melodies that ultimately won me over. Tracks: “Power Lines” and “Wires” both rock. “Ghosts and Creatures” is really, really pretty.

5. Crocodiles Crimes of Passion

With their third album, Crocodiles are hitting their stride. Their first two albums had gems, but there’s a new consistency (maybe better production) that gives them a bigger sound. The songs also feel more distinct, though the album is really soncially unified. Try: “She Splits Me Up” or “Marquis De Sade” [I also really enjoyed Haunted Hearts, side project of Brandon Welchez & his wife Dee Dee Penny (Dum Dum Girls). While the cover art is NSFW, the tracks are great].

4. Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City

Songs about torching Saabs, finding love in falafel shops, and about God keeping his face hidden. But the songs are so catchy, you almost don’t notice how weird and specific they are. Each song is like an entire Wes Anderson movie distilled down to four minutes. Pick one: “Diane Young,” “Ya Hey,” “Step.”

3. Parquet Courts

Light Up Gold / Tally All The Things That You Broke

As if Light Up Gold wasn’t pretty much perfect, Parquet Courts come out with a victory lap. I’ve seen them play “Light Up Gold” and “You’ve Got Me Wonderin’ Now” as a medley, and that may be the best song of the year. Essential radio hit: “Stoned and Starving.”

2. Weekend Jinx

Pretty much a perfect album front-to-back. While garage rock seemed to get all the headlines, there was plenty of good post-punk/shoegaze in 2013 (see also: Holograms, Disappears, Girls Names). This is the album I played the most and rated the highest. Can’t wait to see them live as part of FRZN Fest in 2014. Entry point: “July” or “Celebration, FL.”

1. Run the Jewels Run the Jewels

El-P and Killer Mike are having way more fun than anyone should be allowed to. This album made me chase down so much ’80s and ’90s hip-hop from New York and southern rap from the early 2000s. Tons of ingredients in this stew. Tasty. Try out the title track. Aw heck, just let the whole album go.

Mike Schuerman

Writer

10. Drake Nothing Was the Same

His successes rely on the homophobic and hyper-masculine southern rap moguls Lil’ Wayne and Birdman, but Drake couldn’t have developed any further away from his roots. Nothing Was the Same is the Canadian-born megastar’s crowning piece of introspective and emotionally charged neo-soul, whose title describes his behavioral changes rather than his musical styles. Meaningless sex confused for love and fame-related familial troubles, while certainly not fresh topics for Drizzy, now gain an extremely personal tone. Wrapped in emotional piano melodies and fuzzed synths, Nothing Was the Same exposes Aubrey Graham’s most approachable and relatable self.

9. DJ Rashad Double Cup

The album title is reminiscent of Houston rap’s “purple drank” culture but Double Cup lacks the woozy and droned feel that DJ Screw promoted. Rashad pioneers a more experimental version of Chicago’s “footwork” movement, a style of music and dance known for its fast-paced jerky style, that his first Hyperdub release demonstrates. Even its murkier beats offer gyrating backbeats and uptempo synths that hearken back to G-funk era gangsta style. Double Cup is simultaneously a rap album with its samples while still innovating upon DJ Shadow’s legacy.

8. Chance the Rapper Acid Rap

Chancellor Bennett is often lumped together with artists now considered “meme rap,” which is essentially a phrase to categorize rappers/artists who have generated significant buzz through one-off viral videos or mixtapes (i.e. Tyler, the Creator, Chief Keef, Lil B). Acid Rap hardly resembles this sophomoric distinction, however. From its bouncing horn samples to Chance’s lyrical perplexity (see “Good Ass Intro”: “Ben-a-Baller, Benford, butlers, chauffeurs, hit a stain-er, did I stutter? / Did a ton of drugs and did better than my Alma Mater”), Acid Rap is a celebration of one’s youth packaged into a mixtape that sounds almost too professional. Berry Gordy founded Motown Records as “the sound of young America” with artists like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. Only a few miles from the Motor City, Chicago-native Chance emblemizes this sentiment for a modern rap audience with his debut.

7. Darkside Psychic

In a mere eight tracks, Psychic spans an impressively diverse soundscape. Integrating Dave Harrington’s instrumentation with Nicolas Jaar’s expansive electronic vision, Darkside have effectively created the world’s first “post-prog” album. Building upon a foundation laid by the likes of King Crimson and Yes, Jaar and Harrington combine sparse electronic melodies with genre bending guitar riffs to achieve the closest representation of a modernized progressive rock sound.

6. Vampire Weeknd Modern Vampires of the City

Listening to Vampire Weekend’s previous work, one wouldn’t think death particularly troubles front man Ezra Koenig. “A-Punk” and “Horchata” have such a bubblegum-pop sense of security that would make one think the Columbia grad turned indie superstar has life figured out. Modern Vampires of the City creatively warps these notions. It’s still filled with hooks and riffs that made previous two records famous, but a more philosophical and cynical Koenig replaces the man who mulled over punctuation and celebrated New York’s architecture. Now, he ponders how religion affects society and life’s meaning among the absurd “YOLO” culture. Modern Vampires should be Vampire Weekend’s lasting impact as a record that lyrically challenges the band’s superficially adoring fan base while still perfecting the indie-pop sound.

5. Danny Brown Old

Danny Brown equates his first two albums with the spirit and vision Radiohead possessed during the creation of OK Computer and Kid A, respectively. While this comparison may seem farfetched upon hearing Brown retell countless drug binges, XXX and Old aren’t that far removed from his Internet age heroes. Brown’s first studio endeavor, XXX, was first and foremost a party anthem that lyrically and sonically celebrates his perceived invulnerability. Old, however, captures the rapper during a mid-life crossroads (keep in mind he’s 32 now). With production credits from notable artists experimenting with Kid A-esque ethereal instrumentation (Purity Ring, Rustie, BadBadNotGood), Danny Brown’s inner perplexities gain a significantly darker vibe. “Dope Fiend Rental” explores the crack dens and dope slingers of his childhood over a distorted Islamic prayer call while “Kush Coma” jolts your heartbeat with Brown rapping about drug overdose. Old is his most mature statement, a far cry from the once invincible “Admiral Adderall.”

4. My Bloody Valentine mbv

If history repeats itself, mbv shouldn’t sound this good. Twenty-two years (again, 22 years!) removed from Loveless, arguably the greatest record of the 1990s, initial reports of mbv‘s supposed release felt like a trend similar to Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy. Even with such daunting expectations facing the newly reunited group, My Bloody Valentine delivered an apparent equal to their most historic release. While modern shoegaze artists fail to capture the elements that made Loveless so beautiful and reformative, its own creators did so and then some. Each track glimmers with Kevin Shields’ mastery of audio production that perfectly compliments Bilinda Butcher’s gentle coos. mbv isn’t a washed-up act trying to reclaim past success for financial gain, but rather a determined piece that reinvigorates My Bloody Valentine’s earliest sources of inspiration.

3. Disclosure Settle

Disclosure’s live performances are clear indicators that the Surrey duo is trying to separate from the DJ scene unwillingly put upon them. “When a Fire Starts to Burn” has Guy Lawrence featured on bass as his brother, Howard, emphatically beats on an electric drum set. Though it gained notoriety among electronic enthusiasts, Settle is a much more advanced dance record than anything released by Avicii or David Guetta. The Lawrence brothers have now popularized UK’s darker and grimier electro sounds to an American audience (the album has recently gained a Grammy nomination). Interspersing vocal features from a variety of artists with garage/two-step elements, Settle is not only this year’s best dance record but also 2013’s best unintended pop album. British singer-songwriter Sam Smith belts out a love song over a wobbled bass pattern on “Latch” while Aluna Francis demands mutual respect in a relationship over a pulsating staccato synth melody. Settle is a perfect blend of obscurity and familiarity to the point where it finds almost universal appraisal.

2. Deafheaven Sunbather

Sunbather finds itself near the top of most 2013 year-end album lists with an attached paragraph describing how it lies beyond any music spectrum and lacks a singular genre. Reviewers claim the album’s ability to mix shoegaze with post-rock is what makes it so unique, but this discussion fails to recognize Sunbather‘s true brilliance. What is most striking is its level of comfort and appeal through its balance between brash and stark stylistic elements. Its 60 minutes feel like a single orchestral movement in its ability to force the listener to bear witness to one’s emotions through the juxtaposition of melodic interludes with furious instrumental battering. The indecipherable gutturals are encompassed by the cacophonic symphony, as vocalist George Clarke becomes Deafheaven’s conductor. Among its highest peaks and deepest valleys, Sunbather incessantly emits a degree of safety and bliss encapsulated in the cover’s pinkish hue. Never before has a record labeled as “black metal” escaped its strict confines to achieve this level of boundlessness.

1. Kanye West Yeezus

Kanye West recently told a local New York radio station about his interactions with Louis Vuitton CEO, Bernard Arnault. In typical fashion, Kanye proceeded to indulge in an extensive diatribe that called for a global boycott against the company because Arnault wouldn’t take the rapper’s artistic vision seriously. These rants have now become commonplace for Mr. West, as shows during his current tour have scheduled times for him to vent. True, his statements sound misguided and self-centered, but the man has a point. Since his revolutionary soul-based samples on Jay-Z’s The Blueprint, Kanye West has been pigeonholed like no other artist. Fans praised his school trilogy but immediately reviled his first truly experimental piece, 808s & Heartbreak. When his auto-tuned concerto failed to gain significant appeal, he returned with 2010’s most unrestrained release, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, which gave his listeners a definitive statement of his return. Now successfully dominating the music industry with multi-platinum albums and an endless supply of Top 40 hits, West could finally unleash what he perceived to be his truest release: Yeezus.

Sparing readers a gushing outpour of praise for this record (you can find my initial thoughts here), I have only a few closing statements regarding my favorite record of 2013. The misunderstandings surrounding Yeezus can be understood; it makes sense that fans devoted to his original sound would rebuke the harsh minimalist approach to the album’s creation. But to say Yeezus isn’t transformative and influential would be foolish.

Honorable Mention: Immunity by Jon Hopkins, Field of Reeds by These New Puritans, Aleph by Gesaffelstein, and Chance of Rain by Laurel Halo

Ben Siegel

Writer

5. Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City

On yet another eminently listenable album, Vampire Weekend captures and explores their lush, textured sound that offers plenty of nooks, grooves, and crannies for every listener to discover, with the help of Ezra Koenig’s youthful voice and doleful lyrics.

4. Earl Sweatshirt Doris

The importance of Earl Sweatshirt’s first full album to rap is the rough equivalent of LeBron’s first season to the game of basketball. It helped to distill the man from the myth, the skill from the hype, the artist from the enigma.

Gone is the dark, rape-heavy content of his pre-exile mixtape, and with it the tip of Odd Future’s live-wire act that captivated listeners everywhere and energized discussion of how hip-hop and the disaffection it can express coalesce.

Doris is a departure that may have disappointed the hardcore horrorcore fans, but Earl — in texture, wordplay, and cadence —  nevertheless represents a challenge to hip-hop by injecting wordplay and dexterity into the mainstream (like Kendrick Lamar has) as it hasn’t been since Eminem’s heyday.

3. Daft Punk Random Access Memories

Daft Punk managed to put together the most cohesive thematic album of the year. A paean to disco and everything funk, Random Access Memories reminded us of all that the EDM-saturated world of 2013 owes to the era of synth pioneer Giorgio Moroder, who appears on the album.

On top of all that, fuck Robin Thicke. “Get Lucky” was the hands-down song of the year in every category that matters: The Pharell-o-Meter was off the charts, and those sequined suits were primo. When was the last time everyone you knew feverishly listened to a clipped YouTube preview for weeks until a song dropped?

2. Kanye West Yeezus

Enough has been written about Yeezus and Kanye since its release. In his newest work, as always, Kanye frenetically drags hip-hop with him to the avant-garde and industrial on a scale that’s only rivaled by his talent and ego.

But isn’t there a tedium in Yeezus, knowing that Kanye, with each new album, is doing more to challenge the borders and notions of hip-hop music, even if the particulars of this assault aren’t clear? Not only has Kanye never been better, he’s also never been more predictable.

1. Chance the Rapper Acid Rap

This spot belongs to Kanye as much as it does to Chance, who has emerged from the Chief Keef drill sounds of Chiraq with a mixtape that is the first reliable post-Kanye work in hip-hop. While many rappers bear the influence of Mr. West, none have been so totally shaped by Kanye as Chance has. The jazz and soul sounds are heavy influences on Acid Rap, reminiscent of early Kanye, but are so deftly woven into the fabric of other influences that the mixtape simply has no holes. Acid Rap is as airtight a sophomore tape as any, leaving the game hungry for more of Chance’s “pretty-talk.”

I hope Madison enjoyed Chance’s performances at Union South and the Rathskeller in 2013, because there is no way in hell anyone can expect to see chance for next to nothing like at last spring’s Revelry again.

Max Simon

Senior Writer

5. Wild Child The Runaround

After seeing the goofy bunch at The Frequency this fall, my exceptionally muscular knees became peanut brittle. But The Runaround sucks — unless you like charisma, harmony, and raw music.

4. Typhoon White Lighter

If you’re a 27-year-old lefty, don’t listen to this album. You’ll die. If you don’t get the joke, don’t listen to this album. I’m a 21-year-old righty and White Lighter gives me the flame I need to keep warm and throw fireballs.

3. Haim Days Are Gone

omg

2. Houndmouth From the Hills Below the City

Rugged vibes and crispy transitions, just how I like it.

1. Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City

If an album could be food, Modern Vampires of the City would be pizza. A speedy delivery, a bit cheesy at times, and has exceptional flavor even when you find it under the couch with cat hair on it.

Justin Sprecher

Video Production Manager

10. Phosphorescent Muchacho

9. Kurt Vile Wakin on a Pretty Daze

8. Deafheaven Sunbather

7. The Naked and Famous In Rolling Waves

6. Unknown Mortal Orchestra II

5. Gossling Harvest of Gold

4. Water Liars Wyoming

3. Darkside Psychic

2. Daughter If You Leave

1. Foals Holy Fire

Mary Sullivan

Writer

10. Wavves Afraid of Heights

9. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

8. Gogol Bordello Pura Vida Conspiracy

7. Haim Days Are Gone

6. Jake Bugg Jake Bugg

5. Parquet Courts Light Up Gold

4. Chance the Rapper Acid Rap

3. Arctic Monkeys AM

2. FIDLAR FIDLAR

1. Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City

Megan Thilmony

Writer

10. Mike Will Made It 23 – Single

I don’t know if this counts, but it was definitely the greatest pop song of 2013. Even Wiz Khalifa couldn’t ruin it.

9. Daughter If You Leave

She is magic.

8. Kanye West Yeezus

One of my top memories of 2013 was listening to this while going through a Taco Bell drive-thru.

7. Lorde Pure Heroine

Wholly competent pop, great singles but enjoyable throughout.

6. M.I.A. Matangi

Lifelong M.I.A. stan, don’t take my advice on this one.

5. Youth Lagoon Wondrous Bughouse

Also favorite show of 2013.

4. Daft Punk Random Access Memories

If you’re not playing “Doin’ It Right” at parties, I can’t even.

3. Chance the Rapper Acid Rap

Obligatory college thing.

2. Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City

UNDENIABLE.

1. Deafheaven Sunbather

Really original, I know.

Ryan Thomas

Writer

10. Julian Lynch Lines

9. Luke Temple Good Mood Fool

8. Darkside Psychic

7. MGMT MGMT

6. William Onyeabor Who is William Onyeabor?

5. Factory Floor Factory Floor

4. Kanye West Yeezus

3. Disclosure Settle

2. Foals Holy Fire

1. Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City

Gretchen Tracy

Contributing Writer

10. Domma Summer Love to Love You Donna

I am not gonna lie. I love disco so much that I used to co-host a vinyl-only college radio show in which the genre was spinning more often than not. But it took this year’s remix tribute to Donna Summer to make me appreciate her music on a deeper level; often partnering with recent Daft Punk collaborator Giorgio Moroder to create cutting-edge sounds, Summer was not only the Queen of Disco, but also a real pioneer. Plus, all the sexy noises! And this album even has a Chromeo remix!

9. Neon Neon Praxis Makes Perfect

Um… was this one of the “best” records of 2013? I’m not sure, but I do know that any pairing of producer Diplo and Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys that’s also a concept album based on the life of an Italian publisher and communist is okay by me. What can I say? I’m a sucker for quirky subject matter and an electropop beat.

8. Classixx Hanging Gardens

In high school, I knew nothing about electronic music whatsoever. But then some group called Crystal Method played a local show for the low, low price of $8. So I went, even though all of my friends told me I was wasting my money on an outfit that made nothing but “techno crap.” Of course, I’ve kinda loved techno crap ever since, especially when it comes in the form of scintillatingly sweet disco-house grooves that go on for days.

7. Juana Molina Wed 21

This is one of the most difficult-to-describe albums I listened to all year, existing somewhere between alternative rock, electronic-tinged pop, and what we Americans so ridiculously call “world.” That being said, if you can dig a Spanish-language vocal and musical motifs that are stacked, repeated, rehashed, and recombined in a dizzyingly dynamic fashion, Molina’s your artist.

6. Daughn Gibson Me Moan

Maybe I just like a good curmudgeon, but something about this Pennsylvania-born, former trucker’s half-country, half-electro style appeals to me, especially when he’s mixing bagpipes into noir marching band samples. And yeah, it’s good road trip music too.

5. Blood Orange Cupid Deluxe

More famous for his work with everyone from Solange to Florence + the Machine than he is on his own, Blood Orange’s Dev Hynes uses this record to prove that he can rock his own album just as well as he can rock someone else’s. Exotic beats, soulful vocals, and lush R&B-oriented electropop flesh out this release, making it nearly as juicy as the artist’s name.

4. Valerie June Pushin’ Against a Stone

This absorbingly acid-voiced singer captures an old-time revival sound with so much verve that you’ll wonder why the genre ever went out of style in the first place; in fact, bluesy guitars, catchy hooks, and a voice you just can’t forget made this record one of the year’s standouts.

3. Shout Out Louds Optica

I wasn’t totally sold on this record until my second or third listen. But ultimately, this Swedish indie pop group whips up such a delightfully comforting pop confection with this album that I can’t help but smile any time I give it a listen. And don’t even get me started on the liquid synths of “Blue Ice,” which would be one of this year’s best tracks if it hadn’t been released as a single in 2012.

2. The 1975 The 1975

Yes, this album leaves something to be desired; for instance, many of the tracks sound the same. But if you’re looking for a tight blend of pop-flavored synths and hooks wrapped around more innately rock elements, all with roots that are undoubtedly ’80s-based, you won’t find anything more satisfying than this. It’s so cozy that I just want to crawl inside.

1. Free Energy Love Sign

Once again, this list represents my favorite records of the year, not necessarily those that have received the most acclaim. And maybe it’s just because I grew up idolizing Tom Petty and that classically comforting rock feel, but no other 2013 release delights me quite as much as this updated power pop anthem-fest that’s made complete by cowbell. Technically, it may not be the best release of 2013, but this is my feel-good album of the freaking DECADE. In fact, I would ask it to marry me but my husband tells me that’s illegal.

Chris Winterhack

Marketing Coordinator

10. Local Natives Hummingbird

This album was just outside my Top 10 but it’s my wife’s favorite. She made sure I included it.

9. Savages Silence Yourself

8. ON AN ON Give In

Loved this album from the first listen. Loved it even more after we did our B-Sides session with them. Great band, great people.

7. Direct It! Brainless God

A lot of great punk coming out of Madison/Milwaukee these days.

6. Kanye West Yeezus

Pretty impressive because I really wanted to hate it.

5. The National Trouble Will Find Me

Yes sir.

4. Cut Copy Free Your Mind

3. Diarrhea Planet I’m Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams

Best band name or worst name: that’s up to you.

2. FIDLAR FIDLAR

Punk is back and it keeps coming. I love it.

1. Atoms for Peace Amok

Not the best thing Thom Yorke has ever put out, but he can do no wrong in my book.