2013 Gamblers

[Machine]

Curious what everyone's gambler worthy favorite albums of 2013 are. Mine;

Califone
Small Sur
Richard Buckner
Neko Case
The National
Hiss Golden Messenger
Night Beds
Kurt Vile
Phosphorescent
Junip
The Deep Dark Woods
Son Volt
Mark Kozelek/Jim Lavalle
Andrew Coombs
Mount Moriah

[Beldo]

California X
Foxygen
Futurebirds
Jason Isbell
Mark Kozelek & Jimmy LaVelle
Mikal Cronin
Ola Podrida
Phosphorescent
Queens of the Stone Age (likely #1)
The Strokes
Ty Segall
Vampire Weekend

[Verbow]

I got a lot of thinking to do over the next few weeks - too many albums for too few spots:

The National
QOTSA
Phosphorescence
Isbell
Sebadoh
California X
Mark Lanegan and Duke Garwood
Son Volt
Okkerville River
Mount Moriah
Mikal Cronin
Meat Puppets
Frightened Rabbit
No Age
Califone
Anders and Kendall

[DADDY]

I don't think this is as tough a year as others. I have not been blown away by anything this year. The only release that I think qualifies as "Great" is "Like Clockwork". To me, that album is easily number one.

The good = Foxygen- lovable, scruffy, familiar as hell, probably will not ever release anything ever again.
Neko Case - Solid as usual, but a few skippers kept this out of the number one spot.
Arcade Fire - Still too early to tell where this will eventually fall, but disagree (strongly) with most reviews I've read. Too many good songs to dismiss
it, but too much pad to give it a pass.
Starfuckers - No skippers, should have been bigger than it was.
Desert Shore, Blitzen Trapper, Kurt Vile, Deerhunter, National, Flips, Cage The Elephant, Son Volt, Portugal The Man

The bad = MGMT- Terrible, these guys are better than this.
Phosphorescence - I don't know, bad seems kind of strong, I really liked "Here's To Taking It Easy" a lot . . . this one just bores the shit out of me.
Roots and Costello - Again, bad seems harsh, but this thing should have been so much better.

[Beldo]

I don't think this is as tough a year as others. I have not been blown away by anything this year. The only release that I think qualifies as "Great" is "Like Clockwork". To me, that album is easily number one.

Kind of agree. Bad year for some bands I like, too. I agree the Phosphorescent isn't up to snuff, but the few songs on there that I come back to are just so good. Very few of the albums listed can I listen to all the way through.

My friend who went to ACL witnessed the Foxygen meltdown. He didn't even know who they were, just that the guy on stage was shouting a bunch of nonsense about vegetables. A shame cause I was really starting to dig what those guys had going on.

[Ranchhand]

I've enjoyed the new music in 2013. I'm going to have a rough time whittlin' it down to ten.

Jonathan Wilson
Midlake
Treetop Flyers
Dirtwire
Shooter Jennings
Phosphorescent
Polyphonic Spree
Moondoggies
Night Beds
Josh Rouse
Deep Dark Woods
BPB/Dawn McCarthy

I just discovered Half Moon Run's "Dark Eyes" and am not sure if it is considered a 2013 release? Really enjoying the disc: 2/3 Radiohead, 1/3 Fleet Foxes.

[Rick V]

Son Volt - Honky Tonk
Kurt Vile - Wakin' On a Pretty Daze
Jonathan Wilson - Fanfare
Phosphorescent - Muchacho
Jason Isbell - Southeastern
Neko Case - The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight
David Bowie - The Next Day
Pearl Jam - Lightning Bolt
Richard Thompson - Electric
John Moreland - In The Throes

[track11]

After seeing them live, "Muchacho" is probably my #1 of the year. See a long term contender in this 'un.
Crow taken.

[melt]

I don't think this is as tough a year as others. I have not been blown away by anything this year. The only release that I think qualifies as "Great" is "Like Clockwork". To me, that album is easily number one.

Kind of agree.

I agree with you dudes. Not the best year for music IMO. The only thing that has really blown me away is the National album. I've liked a handful of other things and have been disappointed by others. So far, I like:

The National
Richard Buckner
Jason Isbell
Neko Case
Foxygen
Kurt Vile
Volcano Choir
Okkervil River
Phosphorescent
Waxahatchee
Mount Moriah
Caitlin Rose

[Machine]

I can't be the only one who likes the new Califone

[Verbow]

Check my list Deano! I dig it.

[RavingLunatic]

I can't be the only one who likes the new Califone

I'm a fan, though not a huge one. To me, there are three songs that flat bite: "Magdalene," "moonbath.brainsalt.a.holy.fool," and "turtle eggs/an optimist." There's something about the melody on "Magdalene" that's just repellent to me. That said, the first three songs on Stitches are dynamite, as is track seven, "Moses."

What's with the biblical themes on that album, by the way? Has anybody paid close enough attention to the lyrics to tell if there's any particular meaning to them? Or is Rutili just throwing out biblical names for no particular rhyme or reason, as is his wont?

I've been sadly remiss on listening to music this year. I'm either swamped with school work or too depressed to listen, but here's my list, much of which is based on a mere two or so listens to an album. I need badly to revisit many of these, many of which I was psyched about the first time I heard them. Despite not spending much time listening, there are already 7 or 8 albums I love from this year.

1. National – Trouble Will Find Me
2. Hayden – Us Alone
3. Atoms for Peace – Amok
4. Richard Buckner – Surrounded
5. John Moreland – In the Throes
6. Boards of Canada – Tomorrow's Harvest
7. Junip – Junip
8. Pickering Pick – Tropic
9. Torres – Torres
10. Califone – Stitches
(Ghosts) – Departure
Lotte Kestner – The Bluebird of Happiness
Houses – A Quiet Darkness
White Buffalo – Shadows, Greys, & Evil Ways
Night Beds – Country Sleep
Grenier – Voids Three
James Blake – Overgrown
Overseas – Overseas


Albums I need badly to listen to but haven't had time yet:
Blitzen Trapper
Deep Dark Woods
Four Tet
Explosions in the Sky
Adam Stafford
Jason Isbell
Small Sur
David Francey
Radical Face
Dismemberment Plan
Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker
Pillars & Tongues
Son Volt
Emily Jane White
Willard Grant Conspiracy
Lonesome Southern Comfort Company
Chvrches
Tunng
Josh Ritter

[Machine]

I like Hayden's album as well RL, but it seemingly is getting bumped out of the top 10 on my list, not because I don't like it.

Some 2013 Album of the year Lists -

Here is AOTY's Highest Rated Albums of the year - http://www.albumoftheyear.org/ratings/6 ... ted/2013/1

Here are WE Listen For You's Top 50 Albums of the Year - http://welistenforyou.blogspot.ca/p/top-50-of-2013.html

Pitchforkmedia's highest rated album's of the year - http://www.albumoftheyear.org/ratings/1 ... ted/2013/1

Metacritic's highest rated album's of the year - http://www.metacritic.com/browse/albums ... =condensed

[Charks]

Jason Isbell - Southeastern
Yo La Tengo - Fade
David Bowie - The Next Day
Neko Case - The Worse Things Get...
Dirty Beaches - Drifters/Love Is The Devil
Sarah Jarosz - Build Me Up From Bones
Ashley Monroe - Like A Rose
Futurebirds - Baba Yaga

[Tuxedo T-shirt]

Vampire Weekend is my slam dunk #1, after that it gets real iffy.