Year-End Critics' Polls 2013

Always an interesting list, there's a few things I gotta check out, like Secret Chiefs 3 and Ensemble Pearl. Not sure what they see in Tomahawk. They must really miss Jesus Lizard. Would have guessed they'd have SubRosa, Pinkish Black, Author & Punisher, Domovoyd, Deveykus, Kayo Dot, Oranssi Pazuzu, Kvelertak, Vhöl, oVo, Sungod, Darkside and/or Locrian. But good list overall.

not my fave rock-a-rolla list :/

That Deafheaven album is a scorcher.

The Tomahawk album was abysmal.

Or is. Whichever.

rock a rolla is always my favorite list

one of these days I'm gonna move to England and do a hostile takeover of that mag

Other than it's appearance on the Quietus list I was beginning to think I am the only person who rates Ensemble Pearl.

yeah, that album is awesome.

44. Vaura - The Missing

YES

Mordy made me post this
http://blogs.forward.com/the-arty-semite/189459/top--middle-eastern-metal-albums-of-/
http://blogs.forward.com/the-arty-semite/189455/top--jewish-albums-of-/

Yeezus is #1 in the Guardian and the outrage below the line is beautiful.

shaypeshyfter
20 December 2013 10:25am

This dribble from a guy with no black rap roots? An originator? Delusions of granduer, yes, paragon of rap? I need only point you back to it's roots in the form of The Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash, Run-DMC, Wu Tang Clan, NWA, et al. Don't get me started about Missy Elliott, Nas, Busta Rhymes, Dizzee Rascal, Tupac Shakur! All of whom existed before this cum stain declared there were "no black rappers before me".
For the record I middle aged (51) and white.

David C James shaypeshyfter
20 December 2013 10:42am

I don't think you had to tell us you were middle-aged and white. It was pretty obvs.

lol irl

Akiba

20 December 2013 7:59am
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68

A rap album no.1? Oh dear oh dear.

I find it rather tragic that the best pop music was written long before I was even born, in the 1960s. The 70s was pretty good too. By the time we reached the 80s, the decline was already in evidence, with most music being incredibly lightweight. The 90s was pretty much the end of music and everything after that has been white noise. How people talking over a background rhythm is now considered music is totally beyond me.

I thought you were supposed to like the music you grew up with? Not I it seems, I like good music, which hasn't been made in many decades.

Akiba SouthgatesNose

20 December 2013 8:07am
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35

"ignorant"?

I don't regard talking over a beat to be music. Music needs a melody, a tune, it needs talent behind it.

That's my opinion. If you enjoy talking "music" then knock yourself out.

reminds me of something. Just cant think who

Isn't this thread long enough without C&Ping every fuckwit from the Guardian comments box?

The David C James smackdown is beautiful though.

Guardian comments box ain't nuthin' ta fuckwit

LWE tracks of the year:
http://www.littlewhiteearbuds.com/chart/lwes-top-25-tracks-of-2013-5-1/

top ten >>>

10. Huerco S., “Apheleia’s Theme”
09. Levon Vincent, “???”
08. Terekke, “Bank 3″
07. Marcel Fengler, “Jaz”
06. Elgato, “We Dream Electric”
05. KMFH, “Crushed”
04. Florian Kupfer, “Feelin”
03. DJ Fett Burger & DJ Speckgürtel, “Speckbass”
02. PJOTR, “True Spirit”
01. The Mole, “Lockdown Party” (Sprinkles’ Crossfaderama)

cool #1

http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/9294-guest-list-best-of-2013/

^^^ emil.y you need to read page 2 of that feature :) ^^^

Billboard best albums:
http://www.billboard.com/articles/list/5840321/15-best-albums-of-2013-critics-picks

15. Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap
14. Lady Gaga - ARTPOP
13. Chvrches - The Bones of What You Believe
12. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
11. Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience
10. Kacey Musgraves - Same Trailer Different Park
9. Arcade Fire - Reflektor
8. Rhye - Woman
7. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
6. Haim - Days Are Gone
5. Drake - Nothing Was the Same
4. Lorde - Pure Heroine
3. Disclosure - Settle
2. Kanye West - Yeezus
1. Beyonce - Beyonce

note the number one

haha its been out a week?

The Fact tracks list:
http://www.factmag.com/2013/12/16/the-100-best-tracks-of-2013/

nice to see "lay down in swimming pools" at #12

John Grant at #2 in the Guardian. Really wanted that to beat Kanye to #1 because seriously who wants to read another Yeezus thinkpiece at this stage.

― Matt DC, Thursday, December 19, 2013 8:12 AM

the "no-more-yeezus-thinkpieces" part is otm, but yeezus has been no. 1 on far fewer lists than i would've figured. that modern vampire album (lol) seems to have topped more lists (lol).

sadly, this

17 Dirty Beaches - Drifters / Love is the Devil

___________________________________

standout album, but probably will be largely overlooked in year-end polls.

― Daniel, Esq 2, Wednesday, November 20, 2013

turned out to be, otm, too. it only appeared on three lists cited here (all of whom are edgy/prominent record shops).

Reading that FACT list, I challenge anyone to find a less exciting 2013 musical trend than "minimal grime".

they seem to be really into it

slackk's stuff is really really great

I like that Dirty Beaches album ok, but it's incredibly derivative of various other things. Dude needs to work harder at getting his own thing going.

i get that, but "incredibly derivative of other things" is an albatross you can hang around the neck of a lot of universally-loved acts. also, with the right sound, it tends to bother me less (e.g., the raveonettes, when they sounded more vital).

2013: a great year for men in music http://thequietus.com/articles/14186-men-2013-robin-thicke

Boomkat charts:
http://boomkat.com/collections/boomkat-charts-2013

^ i love these things for finding stuff i missed

Resident Advisor's top 50 tracks
http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1973

10. Joy Orbison - Big Room Tech House DJ Tool - TIP!
09. Daft Punk - Get Lucky
08. Paul Woolford - Untitled
07. Galcher Lustwerk - Tape 22
06. The Mole - Lockdown Party (DJ Sprinkles' Crossfaderama)
05. Pev & Kowton - Raw Code
04. Ten Walls - Gotham
03. Florian Kupfer - Feelin
02. Tessela - Hackney Parrot
01. Matthew Herbert - It's Only (DJ Koze remix)

The Quietus: R&B In 2013 - A Round Up By Alex Macpherson

I really have to try Amel Larrieux.

Afisha's top 25 Russian albums of the year:

http://volna.afisha.ru/sounds/25-luchshih-russkih-albomov-goda/

amel larrieux album is fantastic

http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/9294-guest-list-best-of-2013/

― ArchCarrier, Friday, December 20, 2013 11:58 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

^^^ emil.y you need to read page 2 of that feature :) ^^^

― karajan up the khyber (NickB), Friday, December 20, 2013 12:04 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

*squeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*

IlovethemIlovethemIlovethem

(We also made EvTrue's "future songs of the week" list if any ilx0rs want to point and laugh at me some more)

(drunk and excitable, sorry)

the p4k individual writer and guest lists are much more interesting than the staff lists. lots of interesting stuff i hadn't heard before, like this rocker from retribution gospel choir. with nels cline!

Poll of 136 jazz critics:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/bestmusic2013/2013/12/16/251761858/the-2013-npr-music-jazz-critics-poll

http://www.splicetoday.com/music/the-2013-splice-today-music-poll

SPLICE TODAY poll

Filed my P&J ballot. I won't see anybody else's data until after voting closes, but I'm pretty sure this is going to be my own least obscurist year yet. Which isn't saying much, except that I didn't file the all-metal ballot I was contemplating at one point.

10 albums I loved desperately and yet didn't vote for:

1. Big Country: The Journey
2. Autre Ne Veut: Anxiety
3. Tonight Alive: The Other Side
4. Leprous: Coal
5. Kvelertak: Meir
6. Terra Tenebrosa: The Purging
7. Progenie Terrestre Pura: U.M.A.
8. Deafheaven: Sunbather
9. Anneke van Giersbergen: Drive
10. Mixtapes: Ordinary Silence

10 songs I could happily listen to on loop indefinitely, and yet didn't vote for:

1. Carina Dahl: NLTO
2. Keith Urban: Cop Car
3. Claire: Set Out With Me
4. Of Verona: Who Do You Love
5. The Colourist: Little Games
6. Marchenbilder: Follow the Trail of Fear
7. Paramore: Proof
8. Io: Mirrors
9. Neisha: Tandem
10. Laura Stevenson: Runner

Daniel 2 that Retribution Gospel Choir is EZSnappin's album of the year, I haven't devoted much time for it yet but it sounds dope

Hey Lex that R&B roundup wz great; who were all the R&B artists that you were rolling your eyes at for being 'futuristic'?