Year-End Critics' Polls 2013

shuanise's "mercy" off the eglo comp might be the most underrated song of 2013, it's just so immense

Really intrigued by Parrish's Black Jazz comp.

xpost I would imagine Uncut went to press before the Harper story broke – their poll was in a separate booklet, which would almost certainly have to be have been printed before the actual mag. And when I worked on glossies, it was 10 days from going to press to mag coming out, even leaving aside specials with earlier print deadlines.

Really like the Onyeabor and Hailu Mergia albums.

Really like the Onyeabor and Hailu Mergia albums.

Just heard the Hailu Mergia record for the first time tonight, really loved it.

I've been intrigued by that Mergia since it came out ... is it a new release of his material or a reissue of an old record? Haven't bothered reading up

avoided the latest halo because quarantine was so laughably bad but lack of vox might be a good sign?

get back on the bus lex

The Mergia is a reissue, from 1985. Details here: http://www.awesometapes.com/2013/05/hailu-mergia-and-his-classcal-instrument.html.

It's not much like the Walias Band, or much like anything else either.

http://crowwithnomouth-jesse.blogspot.com/2013/11/everyone-is-in-best-seat.html

The rest of Uncut's list:

11 Matthew E White - Big Inner
12 Prefab Sprout - Crimson/Red
13 Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
14 The National - Trouble Will Find Me
15 Julia Holter - Loud City Song
16 Thee Oh Sees - Floating Coffin
17 Kanye West - Yeezus
18 Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold
19 Endless Boogie - Long Island
20 Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires Of The City
21 Broadcast - Berberian Sound Studio: OST
22 The Knife - Shaking The Habitual
23 Jonathan Wilson - Fanfare
24 Unknown Mortal ORchestra - II
25 Caitlin Rose - The Stand-In
26 Jason Isbell - Southeastern
27 Atoms For Peace - Amok
28 Johnny Marr - The Messenger
29 Hiss Golden Messenger - Haw
30 Yo La Tengo - Fade
31 Neko Case - The Worse Things Get...
32 These New Puritans - Field Of Reeds
33 Richard Thompson - Electric
34 White Denim - Corsicana Lemonade
35 Mark Kozelek & Jimmy Lavalle - Perils From The Sea
36 Mark Kozelek & Desertshore
37 Eleanor Friedberger - Personal REcord
38 Haim - Days Are Gone
39 Earl Sweatshirt - Doris
40 Chris Forsyth - Solar Motel
41 Low - The Invisible Way
42 Arcade Fire - Reflektor
43 Okkervil River - The Silver Gymnasium
44 Fuzz
45 Manic Street Preachers - Rewind The Film
46 Factory Floor
47 Phoenix - Bankrupt!
48 Iron & Wine - Ghost On Ghost
49 Mazzy Star - Seasons Of Your Day
50 Houndstooth - Ride Out The Dark
51 Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoniba - Jama Ko
52 The Necks - Open
53 Linda Thompson - Won't Be Long Now
54 Rokia Traore - Beautiful Africa
55 Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats - Mind Control
56 Edwyn Collins - Understated
57 Frightened Rabit - Pedestrian Verse
58 Mikal Cronin - MCII
59 Luke Haines - Rock And Roll Animals
60 King Krule - 6 Feet Beneath The Moon
61 Connan Mockasin - Caramel
62 Jon Hopkins - Immunity
63 Pet Shop Boys - Electric
64 Anna Calvi - One Breath
65 The Civil Wars
66 Phosphorescent - Muchacho
67 Jim James - Regions Of Light And Sound Of God
68 Steve Mason - Monkey Minds In The Devil's Time
69 Autre Ne Veut - Anxiety
70 William Tyler - Impossible Truth
71 Don Cavalli - Temperamental
72 Emmy Lou Harris & Rodney Crowell - Old Yellow Moon
73 Laura Veirs - Warp And Weft
74 Lord Huron - Lonesome Dreams
75 Elton JOhn - The Diving Board
76 Suuns - IMages Du Futur
77 Cate Le Bon - Mug Museum
78 Hookworms - Pearl Mystic
79 Robyn Hitchcock - Love From London
80 Tony Joe White - Hoodoo

62 Jon Hopkins - Immunity

My find of this thread/year end lists so far.

Intro (Germany)

01 Daft Punk - Random Access Memories«
02 Haim - Days Are Gone
03 Moderat - II
04 My Bloody Valentine - m b v
05 Woodkid - The Golden Age
06 Casper - Hinterland
07 Arcade Fire - Reflektor
08 DJ Koze - Amygdala
09 King Krule - 6 Feet Beneath The Moon
10 Rhye - Woman
11 Darkside - Psychic
12 Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires Of The City
13 Washed Out - Paracosm
14 Chvrches - The Bones Of What You Believe
15 Turbostaat - Stadt der Angst
16 Jon Hopkins - Immunity
17 The National - Trouble Will Find Me
18 Daughter - If You Leave
19 Biffy Clyro - Opposites
20 Queens Of The Stone Age - ... Like Clockwork
21 Tocotronic - Wie wir leben wollen
22 Foals - Holy Fire
23 Die Goldenen Zitronen - Who’s Bad?
24 Drake - Nothing Was The Same
25 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away
26 Arctic Monkeys - AM
27 Prefab Sprout - Crimson/Red
28 The Knife - Shaking The Habitual
29 Mount Kimbie - Cold Spring Fault Less Youth
30 Thees Uhlmann - #2
31 Disclosure - Settle
32 Bill Callahan - Dream River
33 James Blake - Overgrown
34 Phoenix - Bankrupt!
35 Fuck Buttons - Slow Focus
36 KanYe West - Yeezus
37 Almut Klotz & Reverend Dabeler - Lass die Lady rein
38 Boards Of Canada - Tomorrow’s Harvest
39 Villagers - Awayland
40 MGMT - MGMT
41 Deerhunter - Monomania
42 Kate Nash - Girl Talk
43 Junip - Junip
44 Mano Le Tough - Changing Days
45 The Thermals - Desparate Ground
46 Bonobo - The North Borders
47 Forest Swords - Engravings
48 Bastille - Bad Blood - The Extended Cut
49 Kurt Vile - Wakin On A Pretty Daze
50 Jake Bugg - Jake Bugg

Woodkid - The Golden Age

This seems to have been really slept on given how good it is.

As mentioned up thread Dustin Wong seems to be getting lost in the mix. Bloody cloth-eared arbiters of bands!

so otm, Dustin is amazing

Mentioned upthread by me! I saw him at the end of his recent tour and he was not only a masterful shredder, but he seemed so happy and excited and it was infectious. It was nice to go to a show that was full of light and good vibes. Love that kid.

I too admire 30yo child dustin wong & his socks

he's 30? huh.

yeah despite his handsome teenager vibe w/ his fringe & baggy cardigans he's been putting out records for about 10 yrs

I guess I thought he was 25 or so? My apologies, DW! You are a formidable adult.

Woodkid - The Golden Age

This seems to have been really slept on given how good it is.

― boxedjoy, samedi 30 novembre 2013 19:43 (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yes it's nice to finally see it mentioned.

he seemed so happy and excited and it was infectious. It was nice to go to a show that was full of light and good vibes. Love that kid.

Describes Woodkid's show exactly too. And he's also a 30 year old handsome teenager.

both dustin wong albums left me cold :-(

Disappointing that Uncut did a list of 80 albums but couldn't find a place for the Goldfrapp album.

Paste Magazine - 50 Best Albums of the Year
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2013/12/the-50-best-albums-of-the-year.html

20. Kacey Musgraves – Same Trailer Different Park
19. Waxahatchee – Cerulean Salt
18. Arcade Fire – Reflektor
17. Volcano Choir – Repave
16. Kanye West – Yeezus
15. Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
14. Savages – Silence Yourself
13. Lucius – Wildewoman
12. The National – Trouble Will Find Me
11. Jason Isbell – Southeastern

10. Haim – Days Are Gone
9. El-P and Killer Mike – Run the Jewels
8. CHVRCHES – The Bones of What You Believe
7. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City
6. Kurt Vile – Walkin on a Pretty Daze
5. Deerhunter – Monomania
4. Janelle Monae – The Electric Lady
3. Foxygen – We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic
2. Mikal Cronin – MCII
1. Phosphorescent – Muchacho

I think Song for Zula is wonderful but I'm not sure about the whole Phosphorescent album. Nice to see Run the Jewels so high - I guess that's the non-Yeezus consensus rap album.

SPIN's 50 Best Albums of 2013
http://www.spin.com/articles/best-albums-2013/

slideshow hell but here's the top ten:

1 Kanye West, Yeezus (Def Jam)
2 Chance the Rapper, Acid Rap (Self-Released)
3 Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires in the City (XL)
4 Haim, Days Are Gone (Columbia)
5 Disclosure, Settle (Island)
6 Tim Hecker, Virgins (Kranky)
7 Boards of Canada, Tomorrow's Harvest (Warp)
8 Ka, The Night's Gambit (Iron Works)
9 The Knife, Shaking the Habitual (Mute)
10 Kurt Vile, Wakin on a Pretty Daze (Matador)

Ha ha Paste. Phosphorescent is the quintessential bland band for them, but with boobies (cover). OTOH I do really like the Arctic Monkeys and Vampire Weekend albums, which are consistently rating. I'm also getting into the MBV a bit more. Not so much the Bowie.

Q Magazine's 50 Albums of 2013

1. Arctic Monkeys - AM
2. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
3. David Bowie - The Next Day
4. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
5. Jon Hopkins - Immunity
6. Manic Street Preachers - Rewind the Film
7. Cass McCombs - Big Wheel and Others
8. Bill Ryder Jones - A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart
9. John Grant - Pale Green Ghosts
10. Haim - Days Are Gone
11. Jagwar Ma - Howlin'
12. My Bloody Valentine - MBV
13. Steve Mason - Monkey Minds in the Devil's Time
14. Queens of the Stone Age - Like Clockwork
15. Foals - Holy Fire
16. Laura Mvula - Sing to the Moon
17. Matthew E White - Big Inner
18. Laura Marling - Once I Was an Eagle
19. Factory Floor - S/T
20. Biffy Clyro - Opposites
21. Palma Violets - 180
22. Suede - Bloodsports
23. Disclosure - Settle
24. Empire of the Sun - Ice on the Dune
25. Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest
26. Kanye West - Yeezus
27. Bill Callahan - Dream River
28. Franz Ferdinand - Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action
29. Daniel Avery - Drone Logic
30. Pet Shop Boys - Electric
31. Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady
32. Savages - Silence Yourself
33. Parquet Courts - LIght Up Gold
34. Prefab Sprout - Crimson Red
35. Devendra Banhart - Mala
36. Kurt Vile - Walkin on a Pretty Daze
37. The National - Trouble Will Find Me
38. Goldfrapp - Tales of Us
39. Alunageorge - Body Music
40. Run the Jewels - S/T
41. Neon Neon - Praxis Makes Perfect
42. These New Puritans - Field of Reeds
43. The Knife - Shaking the Habitual
44. Pearl Jam - Lightning Bolt
45. Sigur Ros Kveikur
46. James Blake - Overgrown
47. The Strokes - Comedown Machine
48. Cate Le Bon - Mug Museum
49. Primal Scream - More Light
50. Mazzy Star - Seasons of Your Day

the Arctic Monkeys record has some jams.

PopMatters' The 75 Best Songs of 2013
http://www.popmatters.com/feature/176773-the-75-best-songs-of-2013/

Spin's list is up. Slideshow format unreadable/unworkable for me. Perhaps someone who can navigate it can post it here?

used it fine on Firefox

No way am I clicking 50 times to read the Spin list but nice to see Chance the Rapper so high - it was my #2 as well.

turn off ad blocker to combat spin site problems

Here's the whole Spin list:

1 Kanye West- Yeezus
2 Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap
3 Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
4 Haim - Days Are Gone
5 Disclosure - Settle
6 Tim Hecker - Virgins
7 Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest
8 Ka - The Night's Gambit
9 Knife, The - Shaking the Habitual
10 Kurt Vile - Wakin on a Pretty Daze

11 M.I.A. - Matangi
12 Brown, Danny - Old
13 Tegan and Sara - Heartthrob
14 Haxan Cloak - Excavation
15 Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks
16 Omar Souleyman - Wenu wenu
17 Musgraves, Kacey - Same Trailer Different Park
18 Mikal Cronin- MCII
19 Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
20 Waxahatchee - Cerulean Salt

21 El-P & Killer Mike - Run the Jewels
22 Deafheaven - Sunbather
23 Oneohtrix Point Never - R Plus Seven
24 DJ Rashad - I Don't Give a Fuck EP
25 Caitlin Rose - The Stand In
26 Rhye - Woman
27 Migos - Young Rich Niggas
28 Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP 2
29 Rudimental - Home
30 2 Chainz - B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time

31 Earl Sweatshirt - Doris
32 Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience [1 of 2]
33 Laura Marling - Once I Was an Eagle
34 Kvelertak - Meir
35 Ashley Monroe - Like a Rose
36 Kelela - Cut 4 Me
37 Arcade Fire - Reflektor
38 Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady
39 My Bloody Valentine - m b v
40 Bill Callahan - Dream River

41 Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light
42 Holden - The Inheritors
43 Death Grips - Government Plates
44 William Tyler - Impossible Truth
45 Superchunk - I Hate Music
46 Pusha T - My Name Is My Name
47 Neko Case - The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You
48 Body/Head - Coming Apart 
49 Queens of the Stone Age - …Like Clockwork
50 Drake - Nothing Was the Same

That Spin list is pretty good.

All the Yeezus love makes me want to vomit.

Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP 2

I'm gonna post my AOTY 2013 essay because i'm starved for attention

http://www.spin.com/articles/kanye-west-yeezus-album-of-the-year-enter-the-void/

Some nice stuff, a huge load of predictable rubbish, same as any EOY list. Chance The Rapper I would like to hear though, Sound Of 2014 longlist notwithstanding.

Glad to see Run the Jewels picking up steam. That album was good and they had a gnarly logo too.

*continues to wait for a list that features dawn richard, k michelle, fantasia, amel larrieux or ariana grande*

(spin gave kacey and ashley props but not brandy clark?!)

i really have tried with chance the rapper and i guess i admire it but it's just not getting to me, siiiigh

the two 2013 albums i really WISH i loved are probs chance and paramore

There isn't even a Brandy Clark browser marker in Oxford Circus HMV, nor in any other London record shops. I had to get my copy via Amazon - yes, the tax situation, yes, the workhouse deal, but WHERE'S THE ALTERNATIVE?

*coughs*

Remarkably fine and inventive record, the Brandy Clark album, and arrestingly performed.

I need to go back and give Chance another go. Didn't get very far last time cos the first song sounded like Randy Newman iirc.

though i think the spin list probably has the lowest ratio of smh-worthy inclusions - vampire weekend obv, rhye wtf, justin timberlake lol, kelela siiiiigh, and what is disclosure doing so high, but that's about it. (i assume drake right at the bottom is a zing tbh)

would place Ashley Monroe over Musgraves.

man I really tried to love the Neko Case album. It still sounds like her most leaden.

Same Trailer Different Park is one of my favourites of the year but I couldn't get into the Brandy Clark album at all.

the craftsmanship on the brandy clark blows me away, and i think very few songs hit as hard emotionally as "just like him" and "what'll keep me out of heaven" this year

i played "just like him" for my housemate and she pretty much had to leave the room to cry and play it on repeat by herself

I am pretty much fine with the Spin list but BOOOOOOOO for Daft Punk ending up rated above Run The Jewels