Best Of 2013

[Leestu]

Listened to the Parquet Courts song, loved it and saw the link to the whole album. I immediately listened to it. What a great album! Every song kept me interested and I'll be listening to it again a few times in the near future.

[numbersix]

Album #7. Savages, "Silence Yourself"

Another great debut record from 2013, these gals have tons of attitude, harking back to the Riot Grrrrl era of the 90s, and even the feminist post-punk of The Au Pairs and The Slits. They are stunning live, too.





Song #7. Girls Names, "The New Life"

A long time ago I tried to get into the local Irish music scene, but found myself bored by the endless mediocre attempts that may please a small group of friends and family, but could never compete on a global scale. Thankfully these Northern Irish lads (and lass) have surprised me, with their second album The New Life being a superb chunk of audio. This title track is my favourite, a sort of Echo and the Bunnymen tune led by the singer at his most soulful.

[BrocksterDuex]

Savages - "Shut Up" - is it ok for me to call this punk? i'm not digging this, too punkey for me

Girls Names - "The New Life" - love the music behind this song, however, when he starts singing it goes downhill for me. I've never been a big fan of when the singing sits behind the music (does that make sense?)...like it seems like the singing is in the background. i like the vocals to be front and center. Just listened to a few of their other songs too, same thing on all of them

I haven't lost faith yet, I know there will be at least one band you like that I'll like too.

[BrocksterDuex]

Song #7 - Honor By August - "Last Chance"



Great song here, love the chorus especially. This is pretty mainstream adult contemporary (Matchbox 20, O.A.R., Live, Goo Goo Dolls, etc.), which is always hit or miss for me, usually miss b/c it seems like a lot of the songs sound the same, but there always seems to be a few good tunes to take out of it. This was the only song I liked off of this album enough to buy.

[silversurfer19]

6. Phosphorescent, "Muchacho"

A beautifully tormented record, as Matthew Houck, aka Phosphorescent, searches for a moment of tranquility on his sixth record, a quest for hope within such a turmultuous life. Bringing more of an electronic vibe than previously, his vocals still capture Americana as elegantly as ever before, there is a haunting atmosphere to the record that is impossible to resist. Mournful and hopeful, cracked yet desperate to build itself back up again, it's an immensly positive record veiled beneath a battered veneer. A record to listen to late at night, a record to welcome in the morning, just a truly beautiful record.

"Song For Zula"

[numbersix]

Album #6. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, "Push the Sky Away"

I try not to use the phrase "a return to form" unless really deserved, but in this case Cave and Co released their best record since The Lyre of Orpheus. Once again they managed to find a new method to pull open the boundaries of their style. Here, Cave and Ellis have brought in their soundtrack work on films like The Road and The Assassination of Jesse James and made a more tonal, atmospheric record. It's simple, but damn effective. Cave's lyrics are also great, especially in the playful Higgs Boson Blues, and Jubilee Street is one of their best songs.



Song #6. FKA Twigs, "Papi Pacify"

A hyped new artist that does indeed seem promising. This young lady is adding a bit of Warped electro to RnB, and the result is actually not far off from the best work of Portishead. This track, from her EP2, is a highlight, both emotional and sensual.

[BrocksterDuex]

Album #5: Josh Rouse - The Happiness Waltz


Very relaxing album. Highlights being "Julie (Come Out of the Rain)," "Simple Pleasure," "This Movie's Way Too Long," "Our Love," and "The Ocean." Check out his back catelog too, especially the "Nashville" and "1972" albums.


Song #5: Thirty Seconds To Mars - "City of Angels"



I wasn't the biggest fan of their last album, but they definitely came back strong with their most recent one. Say what you will about Jard Leto, but in my opinion he's a great musician and singer. He's pretty good at acting too

[BrocksterDuex]

Phosphorescent - "Song for Zula" - LOVE IT. What a beautiful song...great pick Surfer. I will definitely being checking their back catelog.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - "Jubilee Street" - great stuff here too. I really got into Americana music in 2013...this is a variation of that if I may say so, though a tone more atmospheric, which is fine by me, it just adds another layer to the music. This is a simple yet powerful song. It's not easy to do that, but when it's done it makes for an excellent song. I'll be checking out the back catelog here as well.

FKA Twigs - "Papi Pacify" - well so much for a clean sweep. I wasn't really in to this, although I highly enjoyed the video

[numbersix]

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - "Jubilee Street" - great stuff here too. I really got into Americana music in 2013...this is a variation of that if I may say so, though a tone more atmospheric, which is fine by me, it just adds another layer to the music. This is a simple yet powerful song. It's not easy to do that, but when it's done it makes for an excellent song. I'll be checking out the back catelog here as well.

Woo-hoo, success. You're not a complete writer-off just yet

[BrocksterDuex]

Woo-hoo, success. You're not a complete writer-off just yet

It's about time you guys put some good shit on here

[silversurfer19]

If everyone else wants to join in at this stage, feel very free to do so.

5. Savages, "Silence Yourself"

I think I actually discovered Savages through six, I think he posted a song on Facebook almost a year ago now, and I was intrigued by the Siouxie style vocals with the exhilarating guitar work reminiscent of Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Since picking up the record it's become one of my most played records of the year, it's such an exciting debut. Jam packed with potential hits, the riffs just keep on coming in a such a confrontational record that delivers a real breath of fresh air to the established punk acts around now. You feel like the band are playing right in front of you, not the usual studio rehearsed record, but a live record that just happens to be a studio record, if that makes any sense. And in doing so, it's just a thoroughly thrilling record from start to finish.

"Waiting For A Sign"

[silversurfer19]

Catching up on a few previously selected choices.

I enjoyed The Boxer Rebellion song. I'm sure I have their previous record somewhere, I can't for the life of me remember it, but I'm sure I do. Reminded me a lot of The National. Unfortnately The Saint Johns song didn't have the same effect. Sounded like the perfect kind of music for some montage sequence in a hospital based tv series, not offensive, indeed the very opposite, in that it left me feeling nothing. The Matt Wertz song was VERY Bryan Adams. Let's just say I hate Bryan Adams with a passion. Don't know if it was his four year stint at no.1 with Everything I Do, or the camp fire songs played poorly on an acoustic by some work mates I really didn't like, but Adams has always filled me with venom. And this had the same effect. So to counter that... John Mayer? To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised. The laid back approach work well with his vocals, and there's a real kind of earthiness to it all.

As for Girls Names, similarly to Brockster, I loved the music, definitely a healthy slab of New Wave present there and something I'd like to explore further as whike it didn't quite go where I would have liked it to have gone, it certainly piqued my interest for a while. On the contrary, those bands you mentioned, Brockster, are bands I've associated with in the past as acts I really just don't care for. Just too much middle of the road mundanity with their strategically structured verse/chorus/verse feeling just a little too surgical.

Once again, I find myself enraptured by Nick Cave. I hardly own any of his work, sometimes I just don't feel in the mood for it, but then each time you post a song of his, I am wowed once again. Best song I've listened to tonight. I agree at times the FKA Twigs record did remind me of Portishead, but unfortunately it didn't have anywhere near the immediate impact of the band's most iconic work. No real melodies or something to hook me in. Just nice vocals really.

I have heard 'of' Josh Rouse before, but never listened to his music. This was pleasant. Nothing to really wow me, but very nice to have as background music with his soft vocals and foot tapping instrumentation. 30 Seconds To Mars, on the other hand, once again proved they are the kings of overly polished turds. Their ability to craft such rubbish into fist pumping epics never fails to astound me. It may be just me, and of course I have yet to see Dallas Buyers Club, but I think Leto's talents have been slowly devolving since his work on My So Called Life. This stadium rock catastrophe merely points this out all the more.

A mixed bag, as I'd expected really. Look forward to hearing what the rest of you can throw at me for the top 5s!

[Leestu]

Album #5 Bo Ningen - Line the Wall
I thought this was a 2013 album until now. Late 2012 is close enough for me. This album was a surprise for me. Halfway through the first song I was hooked and for the rest of the album I was totally drawn into their noisy gutiars, pulsating rhythyms, and the vocals as a sound without being distracted by lyrics. Best listened to as a whole album from beginning to end it feels like a single fascinating entity, not a collection of songs. Although Henkan does hold up very well on it's own.

"Henkan" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD9oSbc ... ata_player

[numbersix]

Album #5. Nadine Shah, "Love Your Dum and Mad"

Another promising start to a hopefully exciting career, Northern English lass Nadine Shah keeps her heritage in her voice, while her music evokes the likes of PJ Harvey and 80s Nick Cave. Sure, some of the songs don't go anywhere and rely too much on being atmospheric, but damn the potential is there.




Song #5. David Lynch ft. Lykki Li, "I'm Waiting Here"

David Lynch's particular style of warped 50s rock n roll can admittedly get a little grating, with his new record growing tiresome. Strangely, this wasn't part of the record, but is actually the best song, with Li's distinct and passionate vocals igniting those dream-pop lyrics into something sublime.

[silversurfer19]

4. Vampire Weekend, "Modern Vampires Of The City"

How can this band make everything they do seem so effortless. Once again, as with their previous two records, their music just has this innate ability to slowly but surely corkscrew its way into you heart, like some subconcious infection. There isn't a dramatic change of style for this record, much of what made them so great previously, afro beats and fantastic melodies, are still very present here, but there is certainly an aspect of maturity apparent. There are some truly complex technical shifts in their approach to their sound, but it's done so nonchalantly you would hardly even notice them. That's the magic of this band. Everything is so easy, yet so effective. They make everything seem so simple, or like a melody you can't believe hadn't been thought of previously, and before you know it, it's buried in your memory forever. Vampire Weekend, and their music, are the lost siblings you never knew you had, but once apparent seems so obvious. Long may they continue to be this infectious.

"Step"