This year, musically and otherwise, meant so damn much to me. I'll never be able to articulate it all. Thanks @Jason Tate for always including Holy Ghost, those guys rule.
I remember 2013 being a weak year of music for me personally. I know Andrew Mcmahon kicked off the In The Wilderness years with his Pop Underground EP that year but I wasn't blown away by that either.
1. The Wonder Years- Greatest Generation 2. Story So Far- What You Don't See 3. Silverstein- This is How the Wind Shifts 4. Broadway Calls- Comfort/Distraction 5. Have Mercy- The Earth Pushed Back 6. Alkaline Trio- My Shame is True 7. Frank Turner- Tape Deck Heart 8. Seaway- Hoser 9. Off With Their Heads- Home 10. The Swellers- Light Under Closed Doors
The 2013 editions of Lollapalooza and Riot Fest were two of the best festivals I've ever been to as well. What a fortunate summer.
2013 was the year I graduated college, student taught and got my first job. Weird transition year for me. Moving back to Philly and getting used to the neighborhood again after college, teaching 7th grade, coaching softball lol. Lot of stuff going on. Kanye West - Yeezus Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap Deafheaven - Sunbather The National - Trouble Will Find Me The Front Bottoms - Talon of the Hawk Shad - Flying Colors Vampire Weekend - MVOTC Autre Ne Veut - Anxiety Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe Kurt Vile - Wakin on a Pretty Daze Action Bronson - Blue Chips 2 Rhye - Woman ASAP Rocky - Long. Live. ASAP
Also graduated college this year and moved to the city for grad school. I had split time between home and dorms during undergrad, so it was my first time really "on my own" and I learned a lot about adulthood for better or worse. My Bloody Valentine - m b v Jon Hopkins - Immunity Daylight - Jar Power Trip - Manifest Decimation Classixx - Hanging Gardens Mark Kozelek/Jimmy Lavalle - Perils from the Sea Disclosure - Settle Earl Sweatshirt - Doris Nails - Abandon All Life Pity Sex - Feast Of Love
In 2013 The Wonder Years were probably my most played album. It's actually surprising how many of these albums I didn't discover until 3+ years after they came out. This also was the year I got really into Game of Thrones (tv series and books). A surprisingly ska heavy release year too. Here's my present day rankings: The Wonder Years - The Greatest Generation Golden Youth - Quiet Frame; Wild Light The National - Trouble Will Find Me Frightened Rabbit – Pedestrian Verse Paramore - Paramore Balance & Composure - The Things We Think We’re Missing Portugal the Man - Evil Friends The 1975 – The 1975 Streetlight Manifesto - The Hands that Thieve Five Iron Frenzy - Engine of a Million Plots Fall Out Boy – Save Rock and Roll Hellogoodbye - Everything is Debatable Relient K - Collapsible Lung Shad – Flying Colours CHVRCHES – The Bones of What You Believe John Mayer – Paradise Valley Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City Haim – Days are Gone Jimmy Eat World – Damage I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody's Business - Enola The Almost - Fear Inside Our Bones Less Than Jake - See the Light Falling Up - Midnight on Earthship Falling Up - Hours Aaron Sprinkle – Water & Guns Schematic - Color Inside the Lines August Burns Red - Rescue & Restore The Last Bison - Inheritance States - Paradigm Sleeping with Sirens - Feel And an honorable mention for Anberlin's "Devotion" which wasn't really a new album but gave some good b-sides and remixes from 2012's "Vital."
One of the things in 2013 which enabled me to listen to so much new music was I got my first part-time job in night-fill, and we were allowed to listen to music after customers left. Maybe that was my bosses never liked me much...
Not a fan of that original list. Only two I still listen to are Moving Mountains and Balance and Composure. All the previous lists I've been pretty close to when it comes to musical tastes. Other 2013's I still listen to regularly: Great Big Pile of Leaves Portugal. The Man Turnover Kevin Devine Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Cage the Elephant Phoenix Daughter Dangerous Summer Head and the Heart Local Natives Mansions
Captain, We're Sinking - TFIC Dave Hause - Devour Iron Chic - Constant One Elway - Leavetaking Flatliners - Dead Language Front Bottoms - Talon of the Hawk Mixtapes - Ordinary Silence Modern Baseball - You're Gonna Miss It All OWTH - Home Red City Radio - Titles State Lines - For The Boats Streetlight Manifesto - The Hands That Thieve The Wonder Years - Greatest Generation Worship This! - Tomorrow, I'll Miss You
2013 was a transition year personally. It marked the end of high school, coinciding with a certain amount of special albums that came out in the first half, and the start of college. A year of changes in some sort. I legally turned into an adult, leaved home for the first time and got my first apartment, made new friends, discovered the "student life" with all the clichés it entails etc. Music wise, a few all time favorites came out that year, with the most obvious being Charli XCX who would end up becoming one of my favorite artists since. It's also the year my brother and a friend got me into Kpop and I've been obsessed with the genre since. Also got back to Jrock / Jpop a lot from that year onwards too. Once again, in no particular order after a certain point: Charli XCX - True Romance Tinashe - Black Water Girls' Generation - Love & Peace Beyoncé - Beyoncé Bring Me The Horizon - Sempiternal Cartel - Collider Bad Rabbits - American Love Perfume - LEVEL3 The National - Trouble Will Find Me Yuna - Nocturnal CHVRCHES - The Bones Of What You Believe Tricot - T H E Sevendust - Black Out The Sun Miss A - Hush Touché Amoré - Is Survived By Norma Jean - Wrongdoers No Joy - Wait To Pleasure Paramore - Paramore Soilwork - The Living Infinite Brown Eyed Girls - Black Box Fall Out Boy - Save Rock And Roll Sky Ferreira - Night Time, My Time Glasperlenspiel - Grenzenlos Ling Tosite Sigure - I'mperfect IU - Modern Times Natalia Kills - Trouble AlunaGeorge - Body Music Funeral For A Friend - Conduit Nine Muses - Prima Donna Silverstein – This Is How the Wind Shifts Senses Fail - Renacer Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience Part 1 (let's pretend Part 2 never existed) Little Boots - Nocturnes Daughter – If You Leave My Epic - Behold HRVRD - From The Bird's Cage Night Verses - Lift Hour Existence AFI - Burial The Color Morale - Know Hope Conditions - Full Of War Letlive's album remains the most botched I've ever heard sound wise. It could have been so much more with a better mix.
Was about to say that I couldn’t believe I forgot about that Norma Jean record, but remembered that I was actually not that into it in 2013 for some reason. It took me returning to it like 2 years later for me to be like “oh wow wtf this is incredible”
Totally forgot about Burials coming out in 13. There are a few stinkers on there but by and large it holds up really well, better than crash love and blood (which I also enjoy).
I'm a bit late coming back from a short break off work, so I'll only add that this finally a year where I started ranking stuff, and so my AOTY was TTWTWM by Balance & Composure. Also, thanks to that 2013 ap.net list I got myself to check out The National and Frigthened Rabbit, which are huge bands for me now!