Released: August Genre: Indie Rock / Emo Metacritic Rating: N/A These Are Good People is up there for me as one of the most criminally overlooked albums of the year. It would have passed me by as well if not for Drew Beringer of Apsolute Punk recommending it on a daily… Read More Top 20 of 2013, Number 9: Little Big League – These Are Good People
Released: September Genre: Indie / Pop / Rock Metacritic Rating: 67% Having existed for a few years now under a number of names The 1975 was the band’s first major attempt at mainstream success and they pulled it off brilliantly. What followed the UK number 1 album was sold out UK… Read More Top 20 of 2013, Number 10: The 1975 – The 1975
Released: October Genre: Pop-punk Metacritic Rating: 90% The Finer Things was the album that pop-punk needed in 2013. With the genre constantly losing credibility State Champs served up a feel-good slice of upbeat sunshine paired with teenage angst and staying power. It may not bring anything revolutionary but The Finer Things… Read More Top 20 of 2013, Number 11: State Champs – The Finer Things
Released: July Genre: Post-hardcore Metacritic Rating: 86% It’s impossible for me to talk about The Blackest Beautiful and not slate its production. It was a gripe I made perfectly clear in my initial review and one that still pains me to this day. I understand completely how publications like Rocksound… Read More Top 20 of 2013, Number 12: letlive. – The Blackest Beautiful
Released: July Genre: Electronic Metacritic Rating: 80% Topping Surf Solar was always going to be difficult, and Fuck Buttons didn’t. Instead, after a four year gap they went for a much darker brooding sound which, although not necessarily bettering its predecessor, proved a claustrophobic and intense listen different from a lot… Read More Top 20 of 2013, Number 13: Fuck Buttons – Slow Focus
Released: July Genre: Indie / Rock Metacritic Rating: 72% There’s something very blissful about the Brooklyn bands second album, and it’s a result of a very mellow tone created via meandering melodic guitars, catchy bass and relaxed vocals. It’s a record I’ve played most often after a long day, when I… Read More Top 20 of 2013, Number 14: A Great Big Pile Of Leaves – You’re Always On My Mind
Released: May Genre: Pop-punk Metacritic Rating: 96% The Wonder Years were always going to deliver a brilliant record to close their trilogy of albums that started with The Upsides and ended with The Greatest Generation, and they did. I think it’s fair to say that their fourth studio album surpassed a… Read More Top 20 of 2013, Number 15: The Wonder Years – The Greatest Generation
Released: October Genre: Electronic / Dance Metacritic Rating: N/A, but I gave it 90% Calamari Tuesday was exactly the album I expected Jon Gooch to bring out. I also expected it be fantastic, which it was. Gooch has been one of the most intriguing producers in electronic music for a while… Read More Top 20 of 2013, Number 16: Feed Me – Calamari Tuesday
Released: August Genre: Singer Songwriter Metacritic Score: N/A, but I gave it 95% It may be the least adventurous and most traditional on my list but there’s something irresistibly charming about Foy Vance’s second studio album, released after a six year gap following debut ‘Hope’. It would have completely passed… Read More Top 20 of 2013, Number 17: Foy Vance – Joy Of Nothing
Released: May Genre: Mathcore Metacritic Rating: 79% Once a band finds a winning formula there’s no reason to change things, especially when they can pull it off so well. The Dillinger Escape Plan have always been innovative pioneers of the alternative music scene, but the band continued to blend aspects of… Read More Top 20 of 2013, Number 18: The Dillinger Escape Plan – One Of Us Is The Killer
Released: January Genre: Rock Metacritic Rating: 68% Biffy Clyro have never made an average album, and although it contains a few average songs Opposites remains a brilliant record which is one of the best the Scottish band have put out. Its length both hindered and aided the album, as it made… Read More Top 20 of 2013, Number 19: Biffy Clyro – Opposites
Released: March Genre: Grindcore Metacritic Rating: 82% It seemed fitting to kick off my top twenty albums of the year with one of the heaviest I’ve heard in 2013. I compared my list this year to last years and there’s much less heavy music and it’s down to my taste changing,… Read More Top 20 of 2013, Number 20: Nails – Abandon All Life
It seems odd for a band to stream an album a month ahead of its release date, but New York based Self Defense Family have done just that (find it here). They’ve seen a space to fill and have released an album good enough to fill the days between now and its release on January… Read More Self Defense Family – Try Me (Review)
I’ve been struggling to find music I’d be interested in reviewing over the last few weeks (hence the decrease in activity) and I don’t see that changing in December. For that reason I intend to focus more on a recap than a review from now until January. Starting at some point before the 13th I’ll… Read More Plans For December and Other Vague Reflections / Goals
Come December everything seems to slow down musically, with fewer releases as end of year lists are composed and attentions turn to the next twelve months. That said, if the release is good enough late November can also be a good time to make a mark as a band and steal the spotlight for a… Read More Headroom – Headroom (Self-Titled) [Review]
Simple Plan were one of the first alternative bands I ever listened to, and no matter how much they’ve changed since I first heard ‘No Pads…’ their music will still ultimately mean something to me. Sure, they’re getting older and becoming much harder to take seriously as a result of their style not always changing… Read More Simple Plan – Get Your Heart On: The Second Coming (Review)
Following ‘Clash Battle Guilt Pride’ was always going to be difficult. That being said, you could say the same about following ‘Chasing Hamburg’ and ‘Sometimes Things Just Disappear’. On each occasion Polar Bear Club managed to release an album that saw them progress and up their game. It was a trend that was bound to… Read More Polar Bear Club – Death Chorus (Review)
As if Mikill Pane hasn’t already done enough this year, what with a number of EP’s and the eventual release of his debut album ‘Blame Miss Barclay’ a few months back. The initial ‘You Guest It EP’, released last year, is one of my favourite releases of the past few years so it goes without saying that… Read More Mikill Pane – You Guest It Too EP (Review)
In alternative music it’s rare that a musicians solo work garners as much attention and acclaim as their main projects. Anthony Green (of Circa Survive) was the recent exception to the rule, as his second full-length ‘Beautiful Things’ cracked the Billboard Top 30. 18 months later he’d be hoping for similar success and hopefully he… Read More Anthony Green – Young Legs (Review)
Count Your Lucky Stars definitely have a knack for signing artists capable of producing brilliant music in its most genuine form. Foxing are no different, and the their debut LP ‘The Albatross’ is another sure-fire success to be released by ‘the little label with a lot of love’. The St. Louis band have already caused… Read More Foxing – The Albatross (Review)
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