Best albums of 2013

Every week in 2013 I hopped around various websites in search of new music I might like, and this was the crown jewel. It may not be groundbreaking music given the fact it clearly stems from the origins of rock 'n roll, but I fell in love with it & listened to it so obsessively throughout the year that anything less than a 10 seems unjustified. In a decade where most bands seem to be trading their rock chops for experiments with electronic technology, it's refreshing to hear a band rocking out like this.

Favorite song: "Party Kids" (actually I can't choose, but this one is a good representation of the album)

Given enough time, this album could well squeeze out the extra star from me as well as take over the top spot both on this list and among QOTSA's albums. There's not a single song that doesn't feel essential to the album, and I've listened to it so much that my love for it runs deep. It's a bit more mature than their previous releases, but that somehow serves to improve the quality of their songs rather than water them down as often happens with artists. It's a natural progression for their sound, and it's got me anxious to hear where they go next.

Favorite song: "Vampyre of Time and Memory" (though "Smooth Sailing" is a very close second)

Another new discovery, this one from Down Under (and so the influence of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds and The Birthday Party makes total sense, though I also hear some Bowie & Swans in his sound). It's dark, it's unusual, and I dig the hell out of it.

Favorite song: "Come On USA"

As much as I loved Tripping Daisy, I never got into The Polyphonic Spree. I saw them live, listened to songs of theirs here & there, and had zero appreciation for what they were doing. So imagine my surprise when I gave this album a chance when Pitchfork previewed it for free & couldn't stop listening to it. Even more surprising is that not only did I buy it but it made my top 5 albums for this year.

Favorite song: "What Would You Do?"

Some good friends of mine introduced me to this album & I soon got around to downloading it & listened to it incessantly for a good while. Keeps getting better every time through.

Favorite song: "Waiting for a Sign"

Who knew BR still had it in them to kick out a Great album after all these years? I've always liked their music, but it's not often any of their releases have hooked me in so that I kept listening to them the way this one has. Don't count them out yet.

Favorite song: "In Their Hearts Is Right"

Hey, a band from Dallas, TX, where I lived most of my life. And somehow I'd never heard of them until this year, when I found this album streaming online & it won me over. It's dark & brooding & keeps getting better the more I listen to it.

Favorite song: "Four Teeth"

The newest Bowie album was a pleasant surprise too, in that I wasn't sure he had anything to say anymore. Matter of fact, I'd begun to believe he'd hung it up & wouldn't make any more music. Thankfully he did & this was the result.

Favorite song: "(You Will) Set the World on Fire"

This is one of the rare occasions where a long-awaited (22 years!) album was truly worth the wait. Suck it, Axl.

Favorite song: "in another way"

Kathleen Hanna & company kick out the jams, and I can't stop listening to them.

Favorite song: "South Coast Plaza" or "Party City"