Year-End Critics' Polls 2013

The first four are certainly noteworthy, but I like the whole record. ymmv

Also, that Magnet poll has already been yanked.

Are Wolves in the Throne Room the main crossover precedent for Deafheaven? Seems like it has something to do with pulling off the right inversions, like eco themes or a pink cover.

possibly? wittr's rise felt a lot more organic to me....deafheaven seems like they have a good publicist.

Liturgy perhaps also a precedent: "hipsters", Williamsburg, on Thrill Jockey, silly pronouncements etc. all "inversion" tropes mentioned above

Also, that Magnet poll has already been yanked.

Ha, I did think it might be a mistake

that Moss album is really good and I totally just forgot about it. though I don't like it as well as Tombs of the Blind Dead.

Maybe because Haim were running away with it and their label complained?
xp

why would a magazine take down a poll because the label of the winning act complained? why would the label complain? you have such weird ideas of how the world works.

erm did you see what the poll was?

but carry on with your weird ideas

(It was a poll of which album shouldnt have made our list and Haim was walking it, but lets be honest the reason its pulled is because it was meant to go up after the list was published)

i think deafheaven is more of an alcest thing (though the graphic design helps), as far as that goes.

I love the album and the one before it but it still surprises me that its this years token crossover album.

that Moss album is really good and I totally just forgot about it. though I don't like it as well as Tombs of the Blind Dead.

― combination hair (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned),

I really like the fact Olly is singing now. As with Electric Wizard, it really opens them up to new styles by having actual singing instead of shouty vox all the times. It stops them treading the same old ground.

Before it was pulled down, Foxygen had taken a commanding lead (of 10 votes to 6 for Haim).

did Foxygen really happen this year? that feels like it was a million Hipster Runoff years ago by now

Haim had 27 votes when I saw it. Never heard of Foxygen

17, i mean

I keep getting Foxygen confused with Fozzy (hard rock/metal band fronted by a pro wrestler).

Årabrot, Teeth Of The Sea, John Foxx, Gary Numan, Barn Owl, oVo, lots of interesting stuff on the Quietus list that are on my playlists, but are competing with several hundred albums that are just as interesting, but likely won't be in my top 100. There's plenty I need to hear but it doesn't have me excited about new impending mindblowing discoveries.

Grumbling Fur, These New Puritans and Foals all in the Quietus top ten: a red letter day for singers in UK indie bands with terrible voices

the moaner, the mumbler and the ass

The Deafheaven's cover/packaging definitely helps in terms of not scaring off the curious but its crossover success is not surprising or hard to understand, it's all about the extroverted, emotive explosions in the sky style crescendoing, really a far cry from the other metal bands mentioned.

I really like the fact Olly is singing now. As with Electric Wizard, it really opens them up to new styles by having actual singing instead of shouty vox all the times. It stops them treading the same old ground.

I guess

I liked that ground

me too but there's only so many times they can tread it before it goes stale or not as good as before.

Did we have this already?

Spin's best songs:
http://www.spin.com/articles/best-songs-2013/

the winner is 'what does the fox say' if you can't be bothered to click through

I have adblock installed so it doesn't let me watch it at all and I'm sure as hell not disabling it for Spin.

I feel sorry for the people who think having 'what does the fox say' on their list is funny in any way. Even more for those who actually think it's a great song.

"What Does the Fox Say" is actually #42, don't believe the comedian there. i only clarify this because there seem to be a lot of people that seriously won't click through.

Aw, it's a funny novelty song. Definitely outstayed its welcome, though.

Is the Spin list meant to be so badly displayed? I don't like click-through lists anyway, but I have to click, scroll down to read, and then scroll back up to click to the next one. Is that me having a stupid computer or is it their fault?

(I mean, I realise it's not the end of the world, it just seems like bad design is all.)

Actually, scratch that. Arrow keys, man, arrow keys.

people wont click through because they hate clicking through lists nothing to do with what does the fox say im sure

i know that's why, literally no one said the opposite.

Oh I hate it so much emily! I'm too bitter to enjoy these sort of novelty songs... the 'fun' part feels too forced... maybe I just haven't heard it on the right environment.

my 2yo is obsessed w/ what does the fox say and i'm so charmed by her having a favorite pop song this year that i'll probably ballot it

so is my 2 year-old! we didn't even know that he'd heard it that often, because my wife and i can't recall ever having played it in his presence. anyway, my wife walks into his room the other night wearing these new pajama pants that have little foxes all over them. our 2 year-old looks at her, then says, "what does the fox say?" followed by what i can only gather is a 2 year-old's approximation of the "RING-DING-DING-DING" part.

I'm opinion of Johnatan Bradley on thesinglesjukebox:

where Rebecca Black was too ridiculous to be real, this is too real to be plausibly ridiculous. No one involved believes “The Fox” is reaching for deep universal truths. They’re trying to sell ESL yuks as genuine comedy. It wouldn’t even be funny were it authentic.

All the opinions on the fox over there are pretty much spot on about why it sucks so much.
http://www.thesinglesjukebox.com/?p=7908

what did the lex say?

my 2yo is obsessed w/ what does the fox say

All 3 of my kids love this, including my 1 year old daughter who usually prefers Elmo and pre-Island John Cale.

click-free version of the spin list:

50 Tech N9ne – Dwamn
49 The Band Perry – DONE
48 Chris Malinchak – So Good To Me
47 Kvelertak – Bruane Brenn
46 Volcano Choir – Byegone
45 Eminem – So Far…
44 Young Thug – Picacho
43 Major Lazer – Bubble Butt
42 Ylvis – What Does the Fox Say?”
41 Travi$ Scott, feat. 2 Chainz – Upper Echelon
40 Brandy Clark – Take a Little Pill
39 Parquet Courts – Stoned and Starving
38 DJ Rashad – I Don't Give a Fuck
37 Eric Church – The Outsiders
36 Autre Ne Veut – Gonna Die
35 Janelle Monáe, feat. Erykah Badu – Q.U.E.E.N.
34 Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Sacrilege
33 Green Velvet – Bigger Than Prince
32 Arcade Fire – Reflektor
31 Charli XCX – You (Ha Ha Ha)
30 Ciara – Body Party
29 Duke Dumont, feat. A*M*E* – Need U (100%)
28 Ashley Monroe – The Morning After
27 Phoenix – Trying to Be Cool
26 Paramore – Still Into You
25 Drake – Hold On, We're Going Home
24 Sleigh Bells – Bitter Rivals
23 CHVRCHES – Recover
22 Big Sean, feat. Kendrick Lamar, Jay Electronica – Control
21 Kacey Musgraves – Follow Your Arrow
20 Rhye – Open
19 Rich Homie Quan – Type of Way
18 Superchunk – Me & You & Jackie Mittoo
17 Todd Terje – Strandbar (Disko)
16 Vampire Weekend – Ya Hey
15 Lorde – Royals
14 Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball
13 Chance the Rapper – Chain Smoker
12 Caitlin Rose – Only a Clown
11 Rocko, feat. Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul & Jay Rock – U.O.E.N.O. (Black Hippy Remix)
10 The Knife – Full of Fire
9 Kanye West – Black Skinhead
8 Disclosure, feat. Aluna George – White Noise
7 Neko Case – Man
6 Tegan & Sara – Closer
5 Migos, feat. Drake – Versace (Remix)
4 Haim – Falling
3 Ace Hood, feat. Future, Rick Ross – Bugatti
2 Robin Thicke, feat. T.I. and Pharrell – Blurred Lines
1 Daft Punk – Get Lucky

Why would you listen to the Drake version of "Versace"?

Seriously. That's like requesting someone in the restaurant takes a shit on your perfectly good slice of pizza before eating it.

apropos of some posts a little bit up, I would be all over that fox song if I wanted/needed to entertain a kid of six or younger but I'm still completely agog at adults enjoying it apparently independent of that function

i will say this about the Fox song,

Before today, I heard it exactly ONCE (and the SNL parody, so twice) and it still would get stuck in my head all the time

Do people really like the Eminem song on that Spin list? It is jaw-droppingly bad.

you listen to pavement

spin songs list is pretty good actually

i've never heard that eminem song but it's on so many of these lists so far :\