Editor's note: For our best of 2013 coverage, we once again reach out to some friends of the blog to get an idea of what made the year in music so great for them. For today's installment in the guest series, Matthew Danger Lippman, singer/guitarist of local rock act Brimstone Blondes, submitted his best of list.
What a year! Brimstone Blondes released an EP, When We Were Blonde. I read Infinite Jest. Lil B released a 2-hour mixtape, but it was unfortunately not very good. I was Alien from Spring Breakers for Halloween, but everyone thought I was RIFF RAFF. Vanilla Ice followed me on Twitter. I woke up outside of a Starbucks.
Which is which???
1. Spring Breakers
Now with that out of the way, here’s my list of the best albums.
Best Albums of 2013
1. Kanye West - Yeezus
Kanye West’s 2010 prog-rap instant classic My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy found him adopting maximalism as his primary aesthetic; his two subsequent collaboration albums (2011’s Watch the Throne and 2012’s Cruel Summer) found him continuing to traffic in fussy beats and samples, to diminishing returns. When he started seeing Kim Kardashian, I predicted the effective end of his career. But of course, Yeezy works best when subverting expectations.
Yeezus finds Kanye trading in prog-rock affectations for punk- and electronic-influenced minimalism. The beats are loud and aggressive, and Kanye alternatingly screams, spits racially-charged political rhetoric, and offers ribald come-ons. This is a mainstream rap album that starts with 20 seconds of straight synthesized noise. God himself is credited as a featured artist. There’s a duet between Bon Iver and Chief Keef. The last public thing Lou Reed did was write a review calling the album “majestic and inspiring.” The thing doesn’t even have a cover. What else could I have picked?
Favorite song: “Blood on the Leaves”
2. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
Call it Daft Soft-Rock: the brilliant brothers Punk reject the aggro EDM world in favor of Steely Dan-influenced hi-fi disco. The whole thing is strange and inventive: a blockbuster album made in 2013 featuring a monologue from disco innovator Giorgio Moroder, a smash single combining Chic and Pharrell, and Animal Collective’s Panda Bear over trap-rap hi-hats. It’s an expensive-sounding, misshapen mess of a record. When it came out I originally remarked that my headphones simply weren’t nice enough for me to enjoy it. But miraculously, the pure pop songcraft shines through the flashiness. It’s an ambitious album with pure intentions, and for that I ultimately came around to love it. “Giorgio by Moroder” combines spoken word, disco, smooth jazz, and hard rock, and succeeds. “Instant Crush” makes Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas sound downright adorable. “Get Lucky” was the pop creation heard ‘round the world. And the whole thing sounds flawless on vinyl. Once again the boys in Daft Punk have managed to create an original, distinctive party album.
Favorite song: “Instant Crush”
3. Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold
Recorded and given small release in 2012, Parquet Courts’ wiry post-punk debut was reissued and given wide release early this year. Light Up Gold offers up lo-fi punk with idiosyncratic humor and brazen attitude. 15 inventive, sardonic rock songs in 33 minutes.
Favorite song: “Yonder is Closer to the Heart”
4. Danny Brown - Old
Shortly before releasing Old, Detroit alt-rap prankster Danny Brown said that the album would be the Kid A to his breakout mixtape XXX’s OK Computer. Even though Thom Yorke doesn’t have any songs commanding girls to “Pop the pussy on a handstand,” I can see where he’s coming from - the album has a dark, electronic sound that acts as a stark counterpart to its more accessible predecessor. His signature “Hybrid voice” (a shrill, cartoonish yowl that made him popular with the indie crowd) is mostly gone, in favor of a more menacing cadence. Try not to break out into a cold sweat listening to songs like “Dip,” “Dope Fiend Rental,” and “Smokin & Drinkin.”
Favorite song: “Float On”
5. David Bowie - The Next Day
The Thin White Duke came out of 10-year retirement and delivered this phenomenal comeback album, a clever recontextualization of the man’s legendary status (even reusing and skewing his classic “Heroes” cover) that remarks on his past without falling prey to nostalgia. Bowie has his cake and eats it too, succumbing to old age in songs like “Where Are We Now?” while retaining his edge on the title track and “I’d Rather Be High.” Throughout, the production modernizes his aesthetic without sacrificing his distinct songwriting. At no point does this sound like an “old age” album.
Favorite song: “Where Are We Now?”
6. Arcade Fire - Reflektor
First off, an aside: if Brimstone Blondes bassist Alex Mersinger sees this, he may quit the band. We’ve been sworn Arcade Fire detractors ever since Neon Bible came out, and the decidedly maudlin and serious The Suburbs did nothing to quell my Win Butler-fatigue. But call me a sucker for James Murphy production. Of course, the band still trades in sometimes-too-serious lyrics (“Is anything as strange as a normal person?”), but the music sounds so good! The title track has a groove so funky that it actually warrants its David Bowie cameo; “Here Comes the Night Time” rides a calypso rhythm before exploding into punk fuzz. The gang may still be a bit too arch at points (and that’s not even factoring in their recent concert dress code flap), but Reflektor goes a long way towards loosening them up.
Favorite song: “Reflektor”
7. Disclosure - Settle
With Daft Punk out of the EDM game this year, the world needed a new electronic duo to light up the dancefloor. Enter the British brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence, who record surreal deep House under the name Disclosure. Their debut album Disclosure is a thrilling blend of airy synth pads, woozy bass, and immaculate vocals. “When A Fire Starts to Burn” is a manic party-starting anthem, with its infectious hook the incidental invention of a sampled motivational speaker. “You & Me” is a love ballad made up in garage beats. “Latch” rides a two-syllable yelp into a beautiful house track. The whole thing is inventive, surreal, and perfect for parties.
Favorite song: “When A Fire Starts to Burn”
8. Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels
Killer Mike and El-P delivered one of the best albums of 2012 with R.A.P. Music. Instead of taking the year off and basking in praise, the two formed supergroup Run the Jewels and released their 10-track debut for free. It sounds tossed off (it probably was), but that works to their advantage. El-P has never been my favorite rapper, but he shines when placed alongside his cohort. The beats are vicious, bass-heavy, and consistently fucking awesome. As opposed to the political lyricism of R.A.P. Music, Run the Jewels focuses mostly on braggadocio and bullshitting. But when it’s coming from two of the most talented rappers working today, it’s not a problem at all.
Favorite song: “36” Chain”
9. Janelle Monáe - The Electric Lady
Janelle Monáe is simply one of the most talented people working today. She has a beautiful voice, incredible dance moves, distinctive style, and a knack for soulful songwriting. Her newest album is a continuation of the Bowie-esque (and speaking of Bowie, check out that Diamond Dogs-aping cover!) Metropolis suite she started on her 2007 EP The Chase and continued on her 2010 masterstroke The ArchAndroid. The Electric Lady finds Monáe expanding in all directions, working with personal heroes Prince and Erykah Badu and including storyline-appropriate interludes. It feels like a transition album in some ways - it’s a bit less surefooted than the ArchAndroid was - but it still has an unbelievable streak of beautiful songs and performances.
Favorite song: “Electric Lady”
10. Drake - Nothing Was the Same
Drake has never been my favorite rapper, but he steps up his game considerably on this year’s Nothing Was the Same. The production is impeccable, opting for a slightly warped, soul-influenced sound that sounds warm while still bumping. The sound Drake opts for on his new album is more akin to the slightly menacing soul of James Blake than the sound of mainstream rap contemporaries. Drake has always sounded a bit uncomfortable with his stature in the rap game - hip-hop’s last gasps of “credibility” came in the backlash to his middle-class upbringing and Degrassi past.
But the Drake of 2013 has turned the page and come into his own. He is now comfortable enough to allude to hard-rap legends like Wu-Tang Clan (most directly on “Wu-Tang Forever,” and again on album closer “Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music 2”) while allowing himself to make music that is as far from traditional rap as he has come thus far. This gives him the chance to ditch rapping altogether on some tracks (including the immaculate ‘80’s throwback crooner “Hold On, We’re Going Home”), and allows the moody atmosphere of the production to set a mood he does not break over the course of the album.
Favorite song: “Hold On, We’re Going Home” (Seriously, I cannot say enough about this track. It’s thrilling pop music, a Jackson/Quincy homage convincing enough to have been recorded during the sessions for Off the Wall.)
Other albums I really liked:
James Blake - Overgrown
Boards of Canada - Tomorrow’s Harvest
Deafheaven - Sunbather
Death Grips - Government Plates
My Bloody Valentine - m b v
R. Kelly - Black Panties
Tyler, the Creator - Wolf
Albums I liked less than I should have:
Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap. Can’t really get over that voice.
Earl Sweatshirt - Doris. I’m convinced he was asleep for the entire album.
MGMT - MGMT. I’m convinced they were asleep for their entire career.
of Montreal - Lousy with Sylvianbriar. I adore oM, but Kevin Barnes needs to put away the thesaurus for awhile.
Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City. Okay, I only listened to it once. But, ehh...
Favorite album that had a diss of me on it:
Local boys the Cascos put out a great little garage rock gem this summer. The lo-fi home production only adds to the charm of infectious pop songs like “Andy Don’t Be So Strung Out” and “I Fell in Love with the Flute Player.” But my real reason for writing about it is that track 9, “To the Fans,” contains an intro that seeks to start trouble in the Buffalo music world by dissing me. Lead singer Jacob “Armpit” Smolinski says the Blondes’ motto, “Cool Bible music for the youth of tomorrow,” in a mocking tone, and starts playing the opening riff from our song “Reunion Tour,” before stopping. Guitarist Coleman “Meatball” Berueffy then humorously intones, “Still mad they stole that from us.” This was clearly done to start some sort of East Coast/West Coast-esque division between our respective neighborhoods (the Blondes rep the city, while the Cascos are relegated to the barren suburban wastelands of Hamburg), and it succeeded. Consider this a warning shot, Cascos. 2014 is the year the Blondes come back for ya.
One last note:
I didn’t listen to Miley Cyrus’ new album Bangerz because I was terrified it would become my favorite album of the year. I for one like trashy Miley. It’s the weirdest Cyrus career move since Billy Ray’s cameo in Mulholland Dr.
~ Post by Matthew Danger Lippman
Easliy the werst thing I ever reed. Honstly, The Suburbs are a terible band and the best albm of the yeer was obviosly J.Cole's Flag Pole Sitter.
Your post was the worst thing I've ever read. You may disagree with Matt's picks but you can't disagree with spelling. Fail.
That was meant to say comment...so I guess I fail too!
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