Monday, December 30, 2013

No Postcode Envy: The Top Albums of 2013


My lifelong fantasy of securing instant access to most of the world's recorded music was realized in 2013 when streaming services became seamless.  I listened to almost 1,000 new releases in their entirety this year.  It's no coincidence that 96 of my favorite 100 selections are represented on this corresponding Spotify playlist

1. Earl Sweatshirt- Doris
2. Pat Metheny- Tap: John Zorn’s Book of Angels, vol. 20
3. Kanye West- Yeezus
4. The Grisly Hand- Country Singles
5. José James- No Beginning No End
6. Dave Holland- Prism
7. Kvelertak- Meir
8. Ghostface Killah- Twelve Reasons To Die
9. Tech N9ne- Something Else
10. Lorde- Pure Heroine

11. Beyoncé- Beyoncé
12. Terri Lyne Carrington- Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue
13. Fidlar- Fidlar
14. M.I.A.- Matangi
15. A$AP Rocky- Long Live A$AP
16. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds- Push the Sky Away
17. Mark Lowrey- Tangos for 18th Street
18. John Legend- Love In the Future
19. Daora: Underground Sounds of Urban Brasil
20. Barbara Hannigan and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France- Dutilleux: Correspondances

21. George Strait- Love Is Everything
22. Revocation- Revocation
23. King Khan & The Shrines- Idle No More
24. Gary Burton- Guided Tour
25. Otis Clay- Truth Is
26. Baptists- Bushcraft
27. Joe Lovano's Us Five- Cross Culture
28. Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba- Jama Ko
29. James Blake- Overgrown
30. The Architects- Border Wars Episode 1

31. Pusha T- My Name Is My Name
32. Bill Frisell- Big Sur
33. Charles Bradley- Victim of Love
34. Alaturka- Yalniz
35. The Haxan Cloak- Excavation
36. Pat Metheny- The Orchestrion Project
37. Buika- La Noche Mas Larga
38. Orrin Evans- It Was Beauty
39. Frank Wess- Magic 101
40. Childish Gambino- Because the Internet

40. Diarrhea Planet- I'm Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams
41. Jay Z- Magna Carta... Holy Grail
42. Monsieur Doumani- Grippy Grappa
43. Brandy Clark- 12 Stories
44. Skeletonwitch- Serpents Unleashed
45. Janelle Monáe- The Electric Lady
46. Rudresh Mahanthappa- Gamak
47. The Delfonics- Adrian Younge Presents the Delfonics
48. Vieux Farka Touré- Mon Pays
49. Willie Nelson- Let's Face the Music and Dance
50. Ka- The Night's Gambit

51. Il Sogno del Marinaio- La Busta Gialla
52. Ben Goldberg- Subatomic Particle Homesick Blues
53. Brad Goode- Chicago Red
54. Deafheaven- Sunbather
55. Deer Tick- Negativity
56. Action Bronson- Saaab Stories
57. King Carnage- Ounce of Mercy, Pound of Flesh
58. Umphrey's McGee- Live From Summer Camp
59. Salif Keita- Talé
60. Cowboy Indian Bear- Live Old, Die Young

61. Pistol Annies- Pistol Up
62. Booker T- Sound the Alarm
63. Soweto Kinch- The Legend of Mike Smith
64. Dan Nicholls- Ruins
65. Mulatu Astatke- Sketches of Ethiopia
66. L'Orange & Stik Figa- The City Under the City
67. Bad Rabbits- American Love
68. Marc Cary Focus Trio- Four Directions
69. Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell- Old Yellow Moon
70. DJ Muggs- Bass For Your Face

71. Dutch Newman- Schorre's Son
72. Quest- Live In Paris
73. Matmos- The Marriage of True Minds
74. Wavves- Afraid of Heights
75. Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle- The Freedom of Expression
76. Psychic Ills- One Track Mind
77. Damir Out Loud- Graduation Day
78. Helker- En Algun Lugar del Circulo
79. Lyal Strickland- Balanced on Barbed Wire
80. Broadcast- Berberian Sound Studio

81. Hospital Ships- Destruction In Yr Soul
82. Children of Bodom- Halo of Blood
83. Wayne Shorter- Without a Net
84. No Age- An Object
85. Wampire- Curiosity
86. Kasey Musgraves- Same Trailer Different Park
87. Pissed Jeans- Honeys
88. Samba Touré- Albala
89. Reggie B- DNA
90. The Relatives- Electric Word

91. Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside- Untamed Beast
92. Ellery Eskelin- Mirage
93. Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals- Walk Through Exits Only
94. David Binney- Lifted Land
95. Run the Jewels- Run the Jewels
96. Akkilles- Something You'd Say
97. Son Volt- Honky Tonk
98. Jaimeo Brown- Transcendence
99. Linda Oh- Sun Picture
100. Justin Timberlake- The 20/20 Experience

I conducted similar year-end surveys in 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

5 comments:

Happy In Bag said...

I accidentally left out Bobby Watson's Check Cashing Day, which I'd place 20-ish.

bgo said...

Admirable list, Bill. I'll have to play catch up for most of them. It's amazing what is available to us these days. Happy New Year.

Happy In Bag said...

Thanks for your ongoing encouragement and even for your occasional catcalls, BGO.

Anonymous said...

Interesting List. Check out John Abercrombie "39 Steps." Not on Spotify, but worth seeking out.

Happy In Bag said...

I'm aware that album exists, Anon, and I'm eager to hear it. Thanks for the tip.