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I've wasted more time doing this in Paint than writing the whole fucking article.
2013 has been a great year, both for me as a reviewer and music in general. Despite not having listened to a whole lot of music because being a college drop-out is a time consuming state to be in and that nacho department from the grocery store ain't emptying itself, it sure was diversified as fuck. Jazz, indie, electro, hip-hop, pop, hardcore, you name it.
So here are my favorite albums of the year, in a random order:
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
Daft Punk is the first electronic act I made contact with years ago and I couldn't wait for RAM to be released. I know there are other bands out there who do a great job and are full of potential, but let's face it: only Daft Punk has the gear, talent, vision and experience to create something like RAM. While Kraftwerk has pioneered electronic music, Daft Punk mastered it. From nostalgia-infused tracks like Giorgio for Moroder and The Game of Love, soul-crushing musical pieces like Instant Crush and Within to groovy, shakethatbootyish gems like Get Lucky and Loose Yourself to Dance, RAM is a welcomed fucking return from the french duo who have fortunately gotten over the barren creative period they were traversing.
Perturbator - Sexualizer EP
80's inspired synthwave concept album about a drug addicted porn star who goes on a killing spree, ends up in prison and discovers that his actions may be part of some kind conspiracy. Are we having fun yet?
This Routine is Hell - Howl
How can I NOT feature the first hardcore act ever to leave an impact on me? I just couldn't. This fucking thing has been haunting me from the moment I pressed ''play'' for the first time and I still listen to it when I'm on my way to college or to do some boring bureaucratic bullshit. There's nothing like watching an overweight, middle aged secretary whose husband is gone on voyages for most of the year because she makes his life a living hell getting red-faced and screaming at some young attractive students who had the audacity to ask for her support in filling some important college-related forms while the lead singer of TRH is shouting some lyrics about corporate soullessness and mediocrity.
YC The Cynic - GNK
GNK is one of those albums whose meaning and message I haven't truly gotten a grasp of, yet I still enjoy it as if I did. The witty lyrics, impeccable flow and top-notch production make it a joy to listen to. I might go so far as to say that it's on the same level with Jedi Mind Tricks' The Psycho Social, but that would be like poking Jesus with a stick on a Sunday afternoon. Suffice to say, while they're both as heavy and cerebral as a hip-hop album can get, GNK achieves the same level of depth without being hard to digest.
Black Sugar Transmission - The Glamour Pantomime
Mixing high-pitched industrial sounds, glam rock, synths and distorted guitars with lyrics that focus on sexual depravity and drug abuse might not sound like a good idea in theory, but Black Sugar Transmission pulled it off masterfully. If I could summarize this whole soul sucking, paranoia inducing themed roller coaster of an album in only one word, that would be fun. Fun fun fun. It's colorful, charming and full of personality. Go check it out, you horse fuckers.
Loungerie II - Devaro
I have already talked about this into great detail so I won't repeat myself. It's a great psych, funk, jazzy kind of indie album with some elements of post-rock thrown into the mix just to confuse you more. They've ditched the rap segments, upped the production values and delivered a more focused and mature album. More!
Tumbleweed Dealer - Tumbleweed Dealer
Tumbleweed Dealer is kind of a grower for me because I didn't enjoy it when I first heard it. At all. I found it to be boring and superficial. It really bummed me out because I'm a big fan of stoner-related media and I needed some good stoner music running in the background while I was calculating how much money I needed to score some decent weed for me and my friends. But as time went on and the workload for college got heavier along with the stress associated with it, I came to appreciate Tumbledweed Dealer for what it truly is: a bluesy picturesque trip through the hot, inhospitable southern swamps and Saharan Desert. It's the kind of music you would expect a lizard to listen to while relaxing on a rock under the burning sun after a hard day of fucking his pretty lizard-wife.
Justin Timberlake - 20/20 Experience
Sexy album, sexy beats, sexy rhythms, sexy Justin. He's not the first mainstream musician to go for this noire aesthetic (see Christina Aguilera and, to a lesser extent, Fergie) but he sure is the first one to do it right. Having gained such a negative connotation, I feel guilty even to include him into the mainstream category. I mean, come on, 10 minute long pop songs?! Madness! No fillers? Also unheard of. What more can I say about 20/20 that hasn't been already been said? Get over your preconceptions and give it a try. You'll have a blast, I can guarantee for it.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Arcade Fire - Reflektor
clipping. - midcity
Whores - Clean
Samsara Blues Experiment - Waiting For The Flood
Action Jackson - Miami System EP
Local Natives - Hummingbird
The Knife - Shaking the Habitual
ASAP Rocky - Long. Live. ASAP
Dropkick Murphys - Signed and Sealed in Blood
Inspectah Deck and 7L & Esoteric - Czarface
Ghostface Killah - Twelve Reasons to Die
Placebo - Loud Like Love
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