The Year in Music (Love, Nostalgia, Death, Sex, Life)

Doldrums at Primavera Sound 2013

"Who has time to listen to a fucking double album anymore?"
-Neil Gallagher

"Periods in pop are as vague, and as potentially powerful, as royal statements."
-Sasha Frere-Jones

The two quotes cited above come from the New Yorker's premier music journalist and from Birtpop's biggest asshole. One is there to encompass what made 2013, 2013. The other is included as a (quite dumb) counter statement to the other (as well as showcase how much we shouldn't like the Gallahgers).
You may have also noticed that this isn't a list. If pop music, as Frere-Jones calls it, is as powerful as a royal statement, then who are we to quantify what albums are better than others?

However, there is still a list at the bottom, because certain individuals do happen to like having their favorite music quantified by others, which is why websites such as Pitchfork are such behemoths when it comes to music criticism. There are forty albums listed later, and not all of the artists garnering a spot will be mentioned; not all artists in these coming paragraphs will be in the list in the bottom, but were still worthy of praise.

I decided to compile my favorite music of 2013 in a format such as this, because it's gotten to the point, where suddenly everything is in a list, to the point where the music industry has become dependent on artists gaining a spot in end of year lists.

Which is why some of my favorites of 2013, belonged to the most unmarketable sub-genres imaginable. Pharmakon (the solo noise project of Brooklyn's own Margaret Chardiet), brought together some of the least appealing sounds and melted them down into twenty six minute's worth of pure terror on Abandon. The most compelling track, is the closer, "Crawling On Bruised Knees", featuring sickening synths, a pounding (yet monotonous) drum pattern and shrieked vocals, that search for catharsis that is never achieved (for other unmarketable artists, see: Pissed Jeans, Perfect Pussy, and Age Coin).

Chardiet also had one of my favorite guest spots of the year, on the title track of Vår's No One Dances Quite Like My Brothers. Over a bed of pillowy synths, Chardiet gives a post-apocalyptic, sensual spoken word piece, proving to be the album's brightest spot. The rest belongs to the core duo of Elias Rønnenfelt (of Iceage) and Loke Rahbek (the go-to guy for any experimental Danish band) who like to moan dour, existential lyrics over chilly post-punk sounds. Not for the faint of heart, No One Dances Quite Like My Brothers remains one of the year's most compelling statements.

But Rønnenfelt really shined with his main band, Iceage, and their excellent sophomore release, You're Nothing. It was six a.m. at Heathrow Airport in London, and I had just landed from a night without any sleep. Bleary eyed and jet lagged, I crawled into a black cab and as I took in the strange, new landscape, I allowed my ears to be pummeled for twenty-eight minutes. From the furious, 1-2 punch of openers, "Ecstasy" and "Coalition" to the punk prom of the piano tinged "Morals" to the incendiary closing title track, it was an unforgettable experience.

Iceage decided to give You're Nothing a heftier sound, compared to the brittle New Brigade, and they weren't the only punk band who decided to change it up for 2013. The prime examples are Milk Music, the Men, and Mikal Cronin, who decided to head out to the country. Milk Music's debut, Cruise Your Illusion, differs a lot from their Beyond Living EP, and all for the better. Frontman Alex Coxen lays down some good ol' rock and roll poetry (sometimes jaded, sometimes sad, sometimes in love) over some of the year's most rockin' dual guitar sounds. The Men, for New Moon, found more inspiration from the Band, with harmonicas and electric pianos all making a welcome appearance. They somehow manage to distill Crazy Horse, Neil Young, and Dinosaur Jr. into the album's epic centerpiece, "I Saw Her Face". Cronin ditched the lo-fi tendency on MCII, a blast of power-pop in the vein of Matthew Sweet and Superchunk (with a dash of Gram Parsons). And like those artists, Cronin knows how to display his twenty something ennui, especially on tracks like "Weight", "Turn Away" and "Piano Mantra".

Some punk bands used variations on an already winning formula, but others made urgent statements, with (proper) debuts, such as Speedy Ortiz or California X. Parquet Courts' jittery Light Up Gold, got a wide release this year, pushing the New York Texans' beyond small circles; and rightfully so. The Courts play with the energy of Wire and the wit of Pavement. "Stoned and Starving" spends time in Queens bodegas, debating snacks, and "Borrowed Time" sees our time slipping through our hands. Parquet Courts' lyrics are a pleasure to pore over, just like Waxahatchee, who released the excellent Cerulean Salt this year. Waxahatchee is the solo project of Katie Crutchfield, and on it, she sounds a bit hurt, kind of confused, disheveled, maybe a bit hungover. Crutchfield displays all these uncomfortable truths that sound so familiar to us once we hear them, making Cerulean Salt one of the most enjoyably honest records of 2013.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra's II

Still, many artists decided to take different approaches to records released in 2013. Wavves went on some kind of Nirvana kick, Thee Oh Sees went even more insane on Floating Coffin, Surfer Blood became a smooth running pop-rock band and Wild Nothing suddenly recruited David Byrne. One artist who made quite the laudable risk, was Unknown Mortal Orchestra on II. Main man Ruban Nielson somehow reached a point, where his guitar experimentation was just as accessible as his smooth-running singles. However, II works as a dark trip into Nielson's psyche, which at first doesn't seem to be too bad, until he intones that "isolation can put a gun in your hand" on opener, "From the Sun". There's the serpentining "The Opposite of Afternoon", where Nielson cites broken bones and slit wrists, the punk-ish "Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark)" where addiction looms in the details, and the soulful yet melancholy "So Good At Being in Trouble".

On the same wavelength as Unknown Mortal Orchestra (in mining pyschedelia and rock's past) is Foxygen (both bands coincidentally toured together). Foxygen have been very well known for their inter-band drama throughout the year, none of which will be mentioned, but when listening to their sophomore effort, We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic, you find their drama forgettable, where the music is anything but. Unlike Nielson, frontman Sam France focuses his lyrics on hyper-specifics, most notably on the Velvets-esque "No Destruction". "I found you sipping milkshakes in the parlor of the hotel", France purrs, sounding hurt. Later, he just wants someone to smoke pot in the subway with, reads the bible, meets someone's daughter (who happens to have rhino shaped earrings in her ears) and sings about love.

We could also cite 2013 as the year of "emotional electronics". It's a well known fact that electronic music can seem a bit lifeless, but some artists seemed intent on blowing that notion out of the water. Rhye made sex music for those who'd rather say "make love" (doesn't hurt that Woman is like a cross between Sade and Air). There was Baths, the project of Will Wiesenfeld, who maintained a bleak outlook on the excellent Obsidian, offering uncomfortable ruminations of sex and death. Daughn Gibson infused his trucker blues with some Nicolas Jaar tones on the brilliant Me Moan. Gibson's baritone is backed by sampled vocal arpeggios on "You Don't Fade", and screaming bagpipes on "Mad Ocean". But it's "Franco", a song depicting a family marred by a suicide, that remains the album's most potent and poignant statement. And speaking of Nicolas Jaar, he got together with guitarist Dave Harrington as Darkside, and re-imagined electronic and pyschedelic music on the excellent Psychic. And if you still wanted something to dance to, listen to Doldrums' Lesser Evil.

Matthew Otto and Devon Welsh of Majical Cloudz

But the best electronic music was that of which placed us inside ourselves. The best examples of this are Majical Cloudz's Impersonator and Autre Ne Veut's Anxiety (no coincidence both musicians are friends of the other). Devon Welsh of Majical Cloudz is straight edge, has a shaved head, wears only white t-shirts and jeans, and speaks in interviews like Ian MacKaye. However, his music with producer Matthew Otto is minimalist electronic and pop, but when paired with Welsh's nakedly emotional lyrics, it has the same urgent effect of any hardcore band. Impersonator is vague, yet somehow specific, some anomaly floating in the fog. Welsh's lyrics evoke childhood marred by a gunshot ("Childhood's End"), succumbing to your worst fears ("This Is Magic") and offers ruminations on death and love at the same time (the chillingly beautiful "Bugs Don't Buzz"). Autre Ne Veut's Anxiety has the same lyrical effect as Impersonator but is crammed with bizarre sounds and screaming electronics. It is anything but subdued, with Arthur Ashin screaming himself raw in chest-beating, teary eyed catharsis. The songs of the aptly titled Anxiety all strike a deep chord, but no more on the brilliant highlights "Play By Play", "Counting" and "World War".

It seems that some of the best music of 2013 actually placed us inside of ourselves, making us realize our faults, but comforting us at the same time. The National continued their stories of middle aged malaise on the excellent Trouble Will Find Me, which held some of Matt Berninger's best stingers yet ("you didn't see me I was falling apart, I was a white girl in a crowd of white girls in the park" from "Pink Rabbits"). Phosphorescent lost both his studio and a girlfriend in rapid succession, so he traveled down to Mexico, to write the heartbroken Muchacho. Yet, never has a record been so saddening, but life affirming at the same time as Muchacho, especially on "Song for Zula", a lovelorn trip through the desert, recalling U2, Springsteen and Fleet Foxes. Jordan Lee makes beautiful music as Mutual Benefit, and I can't think of a more truly titled record than Love's Crushing Diamond. Lee finds himself falling in love, quitting his job, watching his friend struggle with addiction and picking flowers by the river. Songs like "Golden Wake" and "Advanced Falconry" revel in their simplicity, while still being profound statements, and "C.L. Rosarian" and "Strong Swimmer" are beautiful ruminations on love as we know it.

Local Natives' Hummingbird

What came as surprising, was how Smith Westerns' Soft Will had the same effect as the aforementioned records. If Dye It Blonde was the party record, then Soft Will is the following night, a long exhale of things done wrong. Recalling All Things Must Pass and Bandwagonesque, the songs of Soft Will  are all about chain smoking, writing poetry, losing idols, losing love, comforting others and finally on the closer, "Varsity", finding love once again. Like Smith Westerns, no one thought a record like this could come from Local Natives, but it sure did on Hummingbird. After the sun kissed Gorilla Manor, Local Natives went through a period of change, with the departure of bassist Andy Hamm and the passing of pianist/singer Kelcey Ayer's mother. This is quite pronounced on the band's sophomore release, a record of densely layered, beautiful songs, bundled with personable emotion. There's the heartbreaking vocal ascent of "You & I", the specific details of a breakup on "Heavy Feet" ("flour in your hair / staples in your jeans / fireworks at the water / you were holding / a styrofoam cup in between your teeth"), the epic "Breakers" (best song of 2013) and the cathartic "Colombia". "Colombia" remains the album's centerpiece, with swelling strings, a stately piano, and a percussive build up. All of this as Ayer sings a song dedicated to his deceased mother ("Patricia, every night I ask myself / am I loving enough"). Hummingbird is an album that is emotionally draining, yet demands the listener to grow and heal with the band themselves.

Of course, there was also the year in debuts. Alex Calder was another welcome member of the Captured Tracks roster with Time and Sky Ferreira bridged the gap between Katy Perry and Suicide, on the excellent Night Time, My Time. There was also Yabadum's self titled debut, a record that pulled influences from indie bands gone by (The Strokes, Interpol, LCD Soundsystem). The band offers tight and interesting songwriting, especially on "Little Rooms" and the elegant closer, "Earth It Shakes". But no debut was more flat out brilliant than King Krule's 6 Feet Beneath the Moon. Archy Marshall is like Paul Weller with a sampler, or Mike Skinner with a telecaster. He seems to be the new voice of the disaffected British youth. His stance doesn't happen to be political though (maybe a wee bit on"Easy Easy"), but he focuses more on the world around him. He's a young man, growing up in a world like ours and he's experiencing what we all must at times. Sometimes he's pissed off ("A Lizard State"), heartbroken ("Has This Hit?"), depressed ("Cementality") and self loathing ("The Krockadile"). He recites some Dylan-esque poetry on "Baby Blue" and actually quotes poet W.H. Auden on "Ocean Bed". "Neptune Estate" is a lovingly composed, lovelorn piece, with a touch of Dilla. The perfect record for the late night train home.

Hebronix's Unreal

Ambition ran through much of 2013 as well. Merchandise made one of the most intricate post-punk/new-wave records on Totale Nite, and Beach Fossils successfully distilled every Brooklyn subgenre into Clash the Truth. Kurt Vile made the rockin' epic, Wakin On a Pretty Daze. Seventy minutes of pure drawled rock wisdom. Ex-Yuck frontman, Daniel Blumberg, recorded the best break up album the 90's never produced with Unreal. My Bloody Valentine proved they were still the best with m b v. Youth Lagoon left his garage, to record the deeply layered Wondrous Bughouse. Wondrous Bughouse can be ranked with the classic "big" records, like Deserter's Songs and The Soft Bulletin, not just in sound, but in lyrical content. 2013's best rap music was steeped in ambition, from Chance the Rapper, to Danny Brown, to Antwon, to Milo. Arcade Fire's Reflektor was a strong contender for most ambitious, a double album produced by James Murphy. Arcade Fire boogie out with David Bowie and Colin Stetson on the title track, and groove out on the better part of the first disc. But it's the second disc, that solidifies Arcade Fire's place, like the sweeping "Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice)" to the amazing finish of "Porno", "Afterlife" and "Supersymmetry".

Alex Zhang Hungtai, main member of Dirty Beaches

But no record was as ambitious, as personal, as cohesive, as cathartic, as Dirty Beaches' Drifters / Love is the Devil. Yes, this record, is the best of what 2013 had to offer. I don't listen to it as much as I should, but that only speaks to it's power. It's worked it's way so far into my psyche, that it becomes almost difficult to listen to, but whenever I listen to it again, I am still completely floored by it's instrumentation and emotion. The record doesn't exist as some paragon of comfort, but more of a testament of understanding. Shit sucks, and it can only get worse, but hey, that's life.  Alex Zhang Hungtai has curated one of the most unforgettable musical experiences of 2013 with this record. Whether it be the beautiful ambient pieces such as "Berlin" or "Love is the Devil" or the Neil Young like "Alone At the Danube River" to more rollicking pieces such as "Casino Lisboa" or "I Dream In Neon", I could write paragraphs about each song. Drifters / Love Is the Devil is the sound of a man's heart being torn to pieces, and then slowly being healed. Because after all, the best albums offer a glance not just at ourselves, but the artist as well.

And that's 2013.

R.I.P. Lou Reed

Top 40 Albums of 2013
40. The Dismemberment Plan - Uncanney Valley
39. Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap
38. Julia Holter - Loud City Song
37. Willis Earl Beal - Nobody knows.
36. Okkervil River - The Silver Gymnasium
35. Surfer Blood - Pythons
34. Vår - No One Dances Quite Like My Brothers
33. Speedy Ortiz - Major Arcana
32. Sky Ferreira - Night Time, My Time
31. Danny Brown - Old
30. Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold
29. Milk Music - Cruise Your Illusion
28. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - II
27. The Men - New Moon
26. Rhye - Woman
25. Foxygen - We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic
24. Merchandise - Totale Nite
23. Waxahatchee - Cerulean Salt
22. Kurt Vile - Wakin On a Pretty Daze
21. Milo - Things That Happen At Day / Things That Happen At Night
20. Mikal Cronin - MCII
19. Darkside - Psychic
18. Smith Westerns - Soft Will
17. Yabadum - Yabadum
16. Mutual Benefit - Love's Crushing Diamond
15. My Bloody Valentine - m b v
14. Iceage - You're Nothing
13. Baths - Obsidian
12. Arcade Fire - Reflektor
11. The National - Trouble Will Find Me
10. Phosphorescent - Muchacho
9. Youth Lagoon - Wondrous Bughouse
8. Hebronix - Unreal
7. Daughn Gibson - Me Moan
6. Majical Cloudz - Impersonator
5. Beach Fossils - Clash the Truth
4. Local Natives - Hummingbird
3. Autre Ne Veut - Anxiety
2. King Krule - 6 Feet Beneath the Moon
1. Dirty Beaches - Drifters / Love Is the Devil