#aoty2013

[fummsb]

Its actually quite wierd how much Holy Fire has grown on me.

[ravedeath93]

I never finish anything.

I have a lot of projects stored up in my head. I pride myself on the fact that I have slowly learned how to begin realizing these ideas. But one thing I'm most certainly horrible at is letting them end. And so instead of wrapping up this 2013 list in a timely manner I decided to concern myself with other things including this and this and that. I just didn't want to leave something uncompleted. And because of this fear, instead I'm releasing something incomplete and extremely, extremely belated. Oh well. My main goal with this writing is to successfully recommend things that I love to other people. I was fortunate enough to do a little of that with this playlist. Maybe there's a chance I can still show people some great things even though they are all soooo two months ago.

Hope yall enjoy, there's a lot of great music in here!

[ravedeath93]

Amok - Atoms for Peace

Grooviest of the year

Amok was the first record of the year I really attached to. It seemed somewhat disregarded by critics, but it seems to me that the main reason for that is the people that are still expecting the lyrical genius of Thom Yorke circa OK Computer / Kid A. Though Amok is no follow-up to either of those albums, it neither intends nor wants to be. This album is not focused on heady concepts or in depth poetry, its more animalistic, more about grooves. And I think it succeeds greatly in that area. Each song showcases Yorke’s idiosyncratic rhythms with staccato percussion always popping out in unexpected corners. Just try following the rhythm on the single “Default.” But Yorke is not just a calculating computer when it comes to his work; the percussion is merely the glittering skeleton that forms the frame for his emotional compositions. “Before Your Very Eyes”and “Ingenue” are very heartfelt, with his falsetto croon really emoting. His execution of the lyric, “If I knew now / What I knew then” really stuck with me for its sincerity. But these are not just soppy songs, the Flea’s influence over the band doesn’t allow for that. His funky basswork on “Judge, Jury and Executioner” and “Stuck Together Pieces” provides for a nice counterpoint to Thom as a whole. It’s not something I usually mention about recordings, but it’s unavoidable to speak on how together this group sounds as a whole. The mix of electronic and live playing forms an airtight presentation that I personally find very appealing. But more than all the details of Amok, it was the general affect that really made this one of the albums I returned to most this year. All of these songs just seemed like they were made with great pleasure, each one a work of love. When comparing interviews from Kid A to today, Yorke seems like such a closed off arsehole then. Nowadays he seems to take himself and his music a lot less seriously and the positive effects are plain to see: He seems much happier than before. Amok as a whole to me is a product of happiness. No longer is Yorke setting his artistic goals sky high. Instead, the goal seems to be to just have fun and let all of us join in. 

[markwilliamwales]

Finally picked this up on vinyl! One of my favourites fom 2013. #williamtyler #vinyl #record #mergerecords #aoty2013

[inlay]

2013 album of the year

1. Franz Ferdinand - Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action

Hey, remember that Franz Ferdinand released an album this year? Did you get round to listening to it, or were you busy listening to labelmates Arctic Monkeys (good but not great) AM?

Looking at most end-of-year lists - both amongst music fans and retailer's sales figures - Right Thoughts Right Words Right Action is notably absent. A decade after the debut that swept away all before it, the world collectively shrugged its shoulders at Franz's fourth release. The music press weren't sure how to approach it - is it a 'return to form'? Or 'more of the same'? Have they gone electric or dance or trance or dubstep? How can a ten year old band be relevant when there's some new Witch House esque sub genre waiting to be discovered somewhere?

To those who not only cherished Franz Ferdinand on its original release but continue to cherish it, Right Thoughts Right Words Right Action is a continuation of the classic Franz sound and style. Catchy, dancey guitar lines, knowing lyrics, clever sequencing, and brilliant production. It is, in every sense, a classic pop album that more than deserves the mantle of the very best album of 2013.

There are so many stand out moments that it is difficult to pick a single one as a highlight. Is it the reverb on the voice on 'Evil Eye'? The great lyric on 'The Universe Expanded'? The three minute thrash of 'Bullet'? The 'Stereotypes'-esque 'Brief Encounters'? It's such a rich record that every track - almost every moment - is worthy of an essay in itself.

This, you may have noticed, is an article littered with questions. I'm floored by this album but listening to it makes me question why it has been so totally ignored. Tastes change, sure, but there's always usually an audience for big thrashy clever guitar-led pop. Franz stand alone on that mantle right now; they have no real peers to speak of. Arctic Monkeys are ploughing their own interesting little furrow, sure, but their spartan production and slower pace of songs don't have the same party atmosphere and sense of euphoria that Right Thoughts has by the bucketload. Is it me? Am I getting old? Is this the start of The Decline??

Existential crises aside, a great album is a great album. Right Thoughts is a phenomenal work that has continued to delight every single week since its release. Mass appreciation or not, it's a hell of an achievement for a band in their eleventh year to sound so fresh and so alive. If you love honest, simple guitar pop, you'll most definitely find a home here.

The top ten albums of 2013:

1 - Franz Ferdinand - Right Thoughts Right Words Right Action

2 - Haiku Salut - Tricolore

3 - Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold

4 - Hookworms - Pearl Mystic

5 - Public Service Broadcasting - Inform - Educate - Entertain

6 - Kishi Bashi - 151a

7 - Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

8 - Malcolm Middleton - 5:14 Fluoxytine Seagull Alcohol John Nicotine

9 - Cults - Static

10 - Honey Ltd - The Complete LHI Recordings

[cordsofbeige]

Tomorrow's Harvest.....

[suedevicious-blog]

Ignore the fedora, if you're still being a tasteless fuck that doesn't like Death Grips, you're missing out on the real revolution in hip hop. but hey man, you can always tune into Kanye "i am shakeshere, google, and steve jobs" West. he has lots to tell you about using black power signs for sex acts and needing condiments for Asian "pussy". 

[suedevicious-blog]

super nice video for a super nice track off one of my favorite albums from this year. TEAMS - Sierra City Center. check it out.