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Post by blade on Dec 25, 2013 0:09:25 GMT
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Post by riseandfall on Dec 25, 2013 11:23:42 GMT
In no particular order:
1.Chvrches - The Bones of What You Believe
2.HAIM - Days Are Gone
3.Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady
4.Pet Shop Boys - Electric
5.SKY FERREIRA - NIGHT TIME MY TIME
6.Marnie - Crystal World
7.No Ceremony/// - No Ceremony
8.Goldfrapp - Tales of Us
9.Franz Ferdinand - Right Thoughts, Right Words...
Compilation:
Skunk Anansie: Live in London - one of the best gigs of 2013 for me (their first unplugged gig)
Notable mentions:
DEPECHE MODE /QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE/ CUPID DELUXE/ YEAH YEAH YEAHS /SUEDE / PIXIES (EPs) / THE JOY FORMIDABLE / CRUSHED BEAKS / FRIDA SUNDEMO / SWISS LIPS / SAN CISCO / SAINT RAYMOND / THE 1975 / IO ECHO
TOP OLDER RECORDS 2013
1.TEGAN AND SARA - HEARTTHROB (*I know it came out in 2012, had nowhere to put it)
2.DRAGONETTE - BODYPARTS (*Same for this)
3.SPINNERETTE - S/T
4.THE NAKED AND FAMOUS - PASSIVE ME, AGGRESSIVE YOU
5.DAVID BOWIE - HUNKY DOREY
6.PET SHOP BOYS - VERY
7.YOUNG MARBLE GIANTS - COLLOSAL YOUTH
8. Depeche Mode - Violator and Songs of Faith...
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Post by incoasterble on Jan 4, 2014 21:10:28 GMT
Whilst I have found and listened to a tonne of music this year (I honestly can't get my list below 18  ), you guys have posted up many names I'm unfamiliar with so I will have to get looking into those. I like how people on here have such diverse tastes. Well I decided to write a bit on each of my favorite, and least favorite bands, to be honest it's turned into a post of epic proportions so don't feel obliged to read it all... For me in 2013 there has been a real emphasis on finding new bands, and retrospective discoveries (perhaps as much aided by the seemingly endless influx of excellent new artists this year and also to be honest just having a few more pounds a month to spend on music which I’ve been interested in but not able to afford and would have been loathe to pwn by any means – plus being a real ipod & CD man I can’t get far into bands without making purchases), I can see 2014 being more grounded in getting back into old and new stuff from my old favorites… Favourite albums of 2013 (ascending order)1 - The Joy Formidable - Wolfs LawWhilst songs from this album did not appeal to me at all well on first listen live in Leeds' Cockpit with some stupidly high expectations; at home with time and decent headphones on Wolfs Law at first 'proper' listen took me away and kept me buzzing, surprised and generally in a state oddly reminiscent of what seeing them perform their earlier stuff would put me in - so I have to put them on top here. Whilst the songs when chopped up, cut down and put into a live set; where there really are about half as many musicians as are needed on the stage to carry well the weighty, powerful and complex songs; come across perhaps a little like a cold echo of their sparkly sounding album-sakes, well, this is a list of top albums.
They show incredible talent in being able to write phenomenally engaging music with a lot of complex elements, vastly clever and extensive use of electronica, and vocals of high quality cutting through with high clarity.
Perhaps this one is less for the 'checked-shirted, drunk & rowdy’ crowd and more for the keener audiophiles. Arguably it’s not that easy to get used the sound on Wolf’s Law as it is just so ‘out there’; however I do reckon, certainly from an artistic point of view, that this could be one of the greatest studio albums of not only the year, or even the last five…2 – Chelsea Light Moving – Chelsea Light MovingI have to give a massive ‘thumbs up’ to former Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore’s new band & 2013’s debut which I feel has been overlooked considerably. People make a a notable association between TJF and Sonic Youth; and I think in many ways CLM’s new album contradicts Wolf’s Law by going only as far as the boundaries in terms of how deep, heavy, loud and complex four people on a stage can get with sound & noise. Watching them perform really affirms this; what they can achieve with sound live on stage really is special to behold. I’m not saying it’s the easiest of listening, the songs go on endlessly with much use of repetition and strong continuity through the album to the point it’s easy not to notice where some songs stop and others start; and it’s in ways quite simplistic & loosely produced compared to a lot of today’s recorded music, but then I think that’s kind of it’s point, the album is like a recording of a show, and that show is just mind-blowing…3 - Deap Vally – SistrionixIncredibly engaging, Sistrionix delivers beyond what you could expect and puts Deap Vally’s debut well up there with those from top established two-piece bands like Blood Red Shoes & even the late White Stripes. Strong points are the intense rhythms and brash, hooky riffs underpinning the songs with the beauty of bluesy, diverse and just astonishingly brilliant vocals on top. Watching the two piece band perform it all as well as they can and consistently do is like witnessing a miracle of sorts; perhaps arguably Deap Vally are best enjoyed in live performance although I do get just as much from the studio stuff. Ain’t Fair, a song featuring alongside the tracks on both an EP and single, is a firm favorite of mine too, so it’s a shame (ironically?) not to see it on the relatively short album.4 - Savages - Silence YourselfI just love the atmosphere their music creates - hard to describe but words like 'dark but slightly moonlit night' 'cold-flowing-heat', 'explosive suspense' come to mind – like being out on the moors after the curfew and knowing the Hound of The Baskervilles might be about.
Catching them performing live (especially having gotten to the front for their set on the unbelievably small second stage/tent at Beacons as dusk drew in) was the musical highlight of the year for me. I’d call it a must-see, especially for anyone who at all ‘gets’ their music. I followed this up by crossing the field for Django Django who’s set started minutes after Savages finished, as they closed the festival, and ‘Django's last live show for some time’ as they are working on their new album… considering think I caught Dark Bells that morning and discovered Wolf People during the same day, that really was the musical highlight of my year… /serious digression from subject.
Seriously, I can’t recommend Savages debut album ‘Silence Yourself’ enough though; they’ve got a thumbs up from Thurston Moore too…5 - Mindless Self Indulgence - How I Learned to Stop Giving a S**t and Love Mindless Self IndulgenceHailing from New York, the masters of electro-punk/'insane fusion of rock, rap, pop etc..' emerged this year with a surprisingly polished, slick and professional-looking album and show. In fact I don't think they've ever taken things this seriously, but going to a show or just listening to this album is more fun than a whole bunch of things. Not just epic entertainers, they've seemingly put a great deal of care and time into composing an album which nods to their roots but unlike their earlier stuff is likely far more listenable / comprehensible / enjoyable / tasteful / hilarious to even the most uninitiated of us. 6 – Braids – Flourish/PerishA relatively recent discovery and therefore I can’t offer as much insight, however I know this is incredibly special and well crafted music with a power to entrance and to bring clarity to the mind. I find myself so lost in the songs I wind up wishing they’d never stop…7 – Daughter – If You LeaveI’m just in awe of the sound on this album as well. I find myself thinking more ‘outrospectively’, and the expansive, fascinating soundscapes are achieved in a rather minimalistic fashion. I’m in awe at just how massive and powerful the sound can be on some of the songs, leading single ‘Youth’ being a good example. As for the lyrics, I find a great appeal in the lady’s sharp, sometimes cold but all too realistic social comment..8 – Little Boots – NocturnesFinally a second album from Victoria, one notably more grounded in dance/disco and it makes a great listen as she’s applied her talent to something a bit more serious. Calmly uplifting & with more warmth then her debut, with variation in tone and mood, and still plenty of well written pop to be found as the beat rolls on.9 – Major Lazer – Free The UniverseI have listened to this album and songs from it so much it’s not even funny. So really I have to put it on this list this far up. Really an excellent example of varied and creatiove electronica, and it’s back to back with infectiously catchy songs and hardly one that doesn’t make me dance. Features more collaborative work with more big names than sense. For me standouts are everything, especially ‘Bumaye’ feat. dancehall vocalist Busy Signal, but with exception the all-too-popular Bruno-Mars riddled ‘Bubble Butt’ which I skip robotically..10 – Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation MarksTrent et al.’s most recent comeback is more electronic than ever, but in a way that employs a more vast variety of instrumentation and techniques than you would expect even. I find it a more relaxed and enjoyable listen compared to their previous albums. Reznor proves he hasn’t lost any of his touch in songwriting, and shows he isn’t afraid to move with the times and quite boldly take ideas from current music and put the dark, NIN twist on them…11 – Wolf People – FainWolf People’s 2013 offering is another wonder of music; I think they’re really understated given they’re doing brilliant things. They’re not obviously pushing the boundaries of music but what they are doing is expertly combining some beautiful traditional folk with rock and electric guitars. If they’re interesting live, their strength and talent is much more obvious in the studio; I find Fain improves again on their earlier work’s ability to put me in a ‘calm but just slightly buzzed’, and ‘warm but just slightly mournful’ mindset. Not many songs but they’re pretty much all epics.12 – Keep Shelly In Athens – At HomeI’m really impressed by the debut from the very talented chillwave/trance duo from Athens. To be honest I haven’t spent enough time with it to really get objective, but I think this is a winner based on how I keep finding myself surprised over and over with just how good their music, or at least as much as I have listened properly to of it, sounds.13 – HAIM – Days Are GoneI love what the three HAIM sisters are doing in music right now. I feel like besides putting plenty of diversity and imagination on a solidly listenable and catchy songwriting backbone; they’ve revived and become the epicenter for a kind of music that’s slowly drifted from society’s focus – Michael Bublé style…14 – Veronica Falls – Waiting for Something to HappenStill a great band, doing what they do; but it feels more mature, finer tuned, and conveys a sense of repressed optimism which makes it play better than their debut. I want to say more but I haven’t got round to playing it, or seeing them perform, as much as I’d like to have this year…15 – Charli XCX – True RomanceI really admire Charli’s creativity as an artist. I find her music interesting and different, and the quirkiness, variety and flow of the songs on her album not just keeping me listening but give her a standing head and shoulders above her peers in numerous ways.16 – Chvrches – The Bones of What You KnowAnother really impressive new band to make their LP Debut this year, I find it hard to pick a song from the many on there and not enjoy it, but in it’s whole it’s as solid as HAIM’s offering, perhaps just a little less uplifting…17 – Peace – In Love (Deluxe Version)Cover to cover with just great and relatively emotive pop songs played and recorded with a commendable approach, Peace keep me dancing and singing along no end. Given the extension and addition of personal favorite ‘Blood Shake’ as a bonus song I don’t think I’d rate the standard version as highly as the deluxe. They play really well live too.18 – G Frsh – Legoman IIMy favorite rap/hip hop artist of the moment, I like the attitude, underlying themes and relatively mature sense of humor. I think his somewhat overlooked work makes him stand out well above his peers.Other artists whose 2013 albums I’ve enjoyed notably in whole or at least some songs from:Foals / David Bowie / Paramore / Queens of The Stone Age / Franz Ferdinand / Drenge / Sleigh Bells / Depeche Mode / The Strokes / Black Rebel Motorcycle Club / Placebo / Lorde / The Courteeners / AlunaGeorge / Bastille / Beady Eye / Black Sabbath / Disclosure / Kanye West / Waxahatchee / Eminem / DJ Fresh / Rudimental / Rob Zombie / Bring Me The Horizon / Avenged Sevenfold / Pet Shop Boys / Lady Lamb The BeekeeperBest Single – Marmozets – Move, Shake, HideBest EP – Blood Red Shoes – WaterWooden Spoons / Fails of The Year:‘Wet Nuns’ – self titledI had the misfortune of having to sit through one of this distastefully named bands sets whilst awaiting the next band this year. The first time my introduction to the (now split-up) band, I was like ‘if these are any good I’ll get up and have a nod-along’. I remained both seated and entirely unimpressed by their utter lack of any real musical talent both in playing / singing (at least what could be heard through the prevailing gimmicky 80’s style reverb) and also composition – so unoriginal: doing anything but build well upon all they had ‘borrowed’ and attempted to compile into songs.
The second time I was at Beacons and needed a good spot to see Savages who were following, I thought so lowly of WN that I had to made a point of paying attention just so I could affirm that they actually were as poor as I had thought – which they were to the point I actually heckled (the first time in my life I’ve ever done so) them a couple times when (in what was seemingly the climax of their ongoing efforts to detract attention from how utterly poor musicians they are) they went through the motions of crowd surfing and carefully ‘trashing’ the cheaper items on the stage.Best Retrospective Discoveries: - Nine Inch Nails - songs from their whole past, particularly The Fragile , With Teeth and Year Zero - Hey Hello - self titled - Relatively simple but totally rocking album from a Scottish band with an all-too-likeable attitude - Ladytron - Various - still getting to grips but I know they are brilliant - Corin Tucker Band - Kill My Blues - not sure I got this into last years list but I have not stopped being in love with this record yet.- Grimes – Visions – just brilliant electronica; atmospheric, calming, uplifting, catchy. Pretty much entirely put together by the very talented Claire Boucher who to me has earned ‘Heroine’ status. - Plan B – Ill Manors especially – the whole album is excellent and I’ve spun it a whole lot this year. - The Beatles – especially Abbey Road which I’ve gotten deeply into but I’m also working back from there and finding much enjoyment as I go…Also this year I’ve found and really enjoyed previous years' releases and especially the one or two most recent albums from:Tame Impala / Pulled Apart By Horses / Of Monsters & Men / Goat / Cloud Control / Calvin Harris / Stoned Jesus / The XX / Lana Del Ray / Jane’s Addiction / Living Colour / Awolnation / Professor Green…Most Anticipated Forthcoming Debuts:Dark Bells / Witch Hunt / Let’s Buy Happiness / Battle Lines / MarmozetsMost Anticipated 2014 Albums from Established Artists:Howling Bells / Blood Red Shoes |
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Post by riseandfall on Jan 13, 2014 22:56:02 GMT
Reading what you said above I couldn't agree more. What I'm referring to is that 2013 for me was great in terms of the simple joy of discovering bands old and new - I've been hit by a wave of new and exiting bands I've found it hard to keep up but there is so much out there ripe for discovery I'm going to continue to love and enjoy and hopefully to share more music
I've had to ban myself from buying new records for the time bring until I've made a decent effort to listen to what I have (it's not easy!)
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), you guys have posted up many names I'm unfamiliar with so I will have to get looking into those. I like how people on here have such diverse tastes.