Our year-end countdown continues! Here are albums #6-15:
Our year-end countdown continues! Here are albums #6-15:
#15: Arctic Monkeys – AM
I first caught wind of this album on WDCE 90.1 FM. I admit, I was late for my show. They played this while I set up, and I was like, “Damn, this is right on time.” This album is a work of precision. It’s like The Black Keys gone British. Whereas the first track on the album “Do I Wanna Know” is an obvious hit, songs like “No. 1 Party Anthem” (my favorite for reasons beyond me) and “Why Do You Only Call Me When You’re High” stuck with me long after I listened. I had to play them again: just so they would leave me alone. (Video: “Do I Wanna Know”) –Black Liquid
#14: Iceage – You’re Nothing
These Danish teenagers burst onto the international scene a couple of years ago with a fascinating combo of sounds excavated from early 80s UK: Joy Division’s proto-goth postpunk, Antisect’s darkly metallic punk, Bauhaus’s dub horror. Now barely out of their teens, their second album toughens things up with an early 80s American flavor–“Ecstasy”‘s fuzzy guitar slop is pure No Wave, while “It Might Hit First” swipes the hardcore aggression of Negative Approach. But the album’s bleak heart is “Morals,” a gloomy piano-laced requiem for the innocence of youth. (Video: “Ecstasy”) –Andrew Necci
#13: CHVRCHES – The Bones Of What You Believe
While the sound of the album is definitely a throwback to the 80s, CHRVCHES do an excellent job of modernizing the music for 2013. It’s very rare to have a singer truly set the mood of a song, but the siren voice of Lauren Mayberry is able to do just that while she turns each song into a heartbreaking drama that you can’t help but empathize with. The hooks will get your blood pumping and body moving, but the singing here will make your heart ache and soar. All the while, your brain struggles to find clarity and true north amidst the near-tragedy of each song. (Video: “The Mother We Share”) –Doug Nunnally
#12: Deafheaven – Sunbather
Beware the purists who will tell you this is not a black metal album, who are fooled into thinking 60 minutes of tremolo-picking, high-pitched screams, and blast beats is “indie rock” because it has a pink cover and a couple of acoustic interludes. If you like metal that allows you to turn your brain off, this album isn’t for you, but if you can accept the challenge of an album that integrates Cocteau Twins-ish guitar melodies with the kind of hyperspeed rage you might find on a classic Emperor LP, you’ll find one of the most innovative and interesting metal albums of this young decade in Sunbather. (Video: “Dream House”) –Andrew Necci
#11: The 1975 – The 1975
I first heard The 1975 in Ireland this summer and was blown away. Their self-titled album is a throwback to 1980’s pop rock, akin to General Public and Wang Chung with just a bit more synthesizer thrown in. With Mike Crossy at the helm in production (Arctic Monkeys, Foals and Two Door Cinema Club), it is no surprise that The 1975 have cracked the Top 40 across the pond. The 1975 is a tale of growing from youth to adulthood and all the trials one overcomes. The album is skillfully produced, upbeat, and catchy with great instrumentation. It is layered with smooth vocals, great guitar riffs, and pulsating drums. This Manchester-based quartet has created a gem. (Video: “Sex”) –Rebecca Maguire
#10: J. Roddy Walston & The Business – Essential Tremors
One of RVA’s greatest musical exports from 2013 was J. Roddy Walston and The Business with their album Essential Tremors. Grungy, effusive, and catchy, their rock and roll is just plain cool. The title of the album refers to J. Roddy’s nervous system disorder and apparently being open about such really agrees with J. and the Business. The single “Heavy Bells” will kick your ass and then pick you back up to some pretty great heights. Walston’s vocals have a certain drawl until the refrain, in which he unleashes Kurt Cobain-proportionate yowl-yodels. It might as well be the anthem for 2013 while being a boon for 2014. (Video: “Heavy Bells”) –Sarah Moore Lindsey
#9: Queens Of The Stone Age – …Like Clockwork
…Like Clockwork, QOTSA’s first full length album in six years, is nothing if not a hard-hitting and triumphant return to form that also manages to explore some new avenues of sound for the group. This album, which features the deep and grinding rhythms characteristic of the band, comes off incredibly well refined and, at times, even carries an almost orchestral feel. While none of the comprising elements of the album stand out individually, they all work together quite successfully to create an incredibly cohesive and unified statement of sound. While certainly more melodic than some of the bands previous releases, it still exemplifies their love for rhythm, and even the blistering guitar solos and haunting vocal melodies seem slightly hidden amongst the beautiful chaos that is Queens of the Stone Age. (Video: “I Appear Missing”) –Samuel McClelland
#8: Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience
JT’s return this year with the first half of his 20/20 Experience is without a doubt his finest album to date. More daring and consistent than either of his past two records, 20/20 commits Timberlake to the two genres he’s flirted with since his musical career started: pure R&B and genuine blue-eyed soul. That’s not to say you can’t classify this collection of songs as pop or dance music, but these songs have so much more to offer, with a musical and lyrical maturity that’s severely lacking in today’s music. Timberlake’s charm here is the feel of yesterday with the emotional depth of modern music. (Video: “Mirrors”) –Doug Nunnally
#7: The National – Trouble Will Find Me
The National always holds a special place in my heart with its somber, yet somehow uplifting music. After making a damn near perfect album High Violet in 2010, The National sticks with what it does well and creates another spectacular collection of songs in its latest release (although the group’s best song this year goes to the re-worked Thanksgiving song from “Bob’s Burgers”). This album reminded me why I love The National so much. This band is able to perfectly pull out emotions on project them out through the songs. Being left vulnerable has never sounded so good. (Video: “Sea Of Love”) –Andrew Cothern
#6: Lorde – Pure Heroine
Ella Yelich O’Connor has written an alternate pop universe into existence. As self-aware as it is anthemic, this album has more in common with pop auteurs like The Blow and M83 than her supposed peers. The tracks are striking in their sparseness and thematic continuity, with their churning synths, punchy pastiche beats, and earnest delivery. Pure Heroine relatably captures the chimeric state of adolescence and all of its restlessness and boredom, but also its plucky spirit. Lorde has given us a different kind of buzz. (Video: “Royals”) –Matt Klimas
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Stay tuned tomorrow for our list of contributors’ best albums as well as our top five albums of the year! Click here to check out numbers 25 through 16 on our list, and click here to check out our five favorite albums that didn’t make the cut as well as a list of all contributors.
