Monday, December 23, 2013

1. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

Give in. Lose yourself to dance. "I am the beginning, the end, the one who is many... I am Random Access Memories."

2. My Bloody Valentine - m b v

How amazing is this album? What would they have had to do not to be overlooked in the 8-15 range on year end lists?

3. Kanye West - Yeezus

4. Rhye - Woman

They delivered on those early singles and how.

5. Joanna Gruesome - Weird Sisters

Such a perfect band for me: silly retro 90s tweecore

6. Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest

7. Moonface - Julia with Blue Jeans on

Devastating. Also maybe the only outright sad album on my list?

8. Yuck - Glow and Behold

Amazing to lose your band lead/singer and make what MAY be a BETTER album? Gin Blossoms shit right there.

9. Danny Brown - Old

Listen to it as an album.

10. Julianna Barwick - Nepenthe

Ditto.

11. Austra - Olympia

Has maybe my favorite 5-song set of the year, but with some filler. so #witchy

12. Sky Ferreira - Night Time, My Time

13. Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe

So cool.

14. Caitlin Rose - The Stand-In

It took a lot to get me interested in an alt-country album. Caitlin did it.

15. Blood Ceremony - The Eldritch Dark

My favorite metal album of the year sounds more like Jethro Tull than Deafheaven

16. Pure X - Crawling up the Stairs

Fav Austin band releases their best record.

17. Zola Jesus - Versions

Better than the originals.

18. Haim - Days are Gone

19. Pusha T - My Name is My Name

20. The Knife - Shaking the Habitual

So good, so hard to listen to.

21. Factory Floor - S/T

Totally delivered on all the debut hype.

22. Potty Mouth - Hell Bent 

Amazing sloppy debut. Band I most want to hang out with.

23. Colleen Green - Sock it To Me

Always overlooked because of deceptive simplicity.

24. Cassie - Rock a Bye Baby

My favorite R&B nasty girl releases an excellent DRRTY mixtape

25. Eleanor Friedberger - Personal Record

I forgot; this should be higher but I'm too lazy to change this list.

26. Califone - Stitches

It bums me out that everyone overlooks califone when they consistently release excellent records.

27. Darkside - Psychic

28. Autre Ne Veut - Anxiety

29. Psychic Teens - Come

BAUHAUS 2

30. Laura Marling - Once I Was an Eagle

I know I'm forgetting stuff, sorry! Honorable Mentions include over-anticipated releases from FIDLAR, CHVRCHES, Mazzy Star, Savages, and Julia Holter. Those albums were good but not as good as I wanted them to be. Also still need to process the Beyonce.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Some of my Favorite Music Videos of 2013
I know I forgot a lot.

Odonis Odonis - Better
This is a cheap, unoriginal music video, but I love how it reminds me of old Austra videos, and the cult dancing is solid. The cheap masks are pretty creepy too.

Dizzee Rascal - I Don't Need a Reason
As absurd and awesome as the song



Solange - Loves in the Parking Lot
Solange seems to do no wrong.


Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Sacrilege
The fancy reverse narration doesn't get in the way of a good music video.

Ciara - Body Party
Sexy song, sexy video


Haim - Falling
Oh just some cute Stevie Nicks wannabes in what seems to be a witchy Abercrombie and Fitch shoot? YES PLEASE



Pissed Jeans - Romanticize Me
Simple idea flawlessly executed



Ghost BC - Year Zero
Nice Mini-horror movie for a really catchy pop song.


Pusha T feat Kendrick Lamar - Nosetalgia
Simple and in your face




Disclosure - When A Fire Starts to Burn
Maybe it takes a sermon to get me into Disclosure?


No Joy - Hare Tarot Lies
Love the creepiness of this video.


Mykki Blanco- Kingpinning
My favorite visual rapper makes so many great videos. This one is his most simple, making the basic rap video interesting, His live show with Boychild was transcendent.



Beach House - Wishes
Still pretty bored by Beach House, but every Eric Wareheim video is must-see



Savages - Shut Up
Best live performance video, I think... but I think I'm forgetting something.


CHVRCHES - Lies
Their videos got a little too slick for me, but I like the Depeche Mode vibe here



Blood Orange - Time Will Tell
Huge fan of people-dancing-alone videos


Austra - Reconcile
THIS TEACHER IS AWESOME



Taylor Swift - 22
Don't Pretend you don't like it. I want her T Shirt


Milosh - Slow Down
So simple and emotional and great



Joanna Gruesome
This and the next video are my favorites of the year, and weirdly similar.



LIZ - U Over Them
I want this on repeat forever.