2013: Favorite Albums of the Year

Year in, year out, more great music to digest than there are minutes to listen to it. Just ran out of time, so maybe some stuff in the queue that wouldn't made the list, but in the end I listened to (and rated) over 500 albums. So much of it worthy of your attention. I did my best to plug the best of it over the course of 2013 and hopefully you made some great new discoveries like I did.

Here are my favorites, I don't believe there's any such thing as a "best album" any more than there's a best color, so your mileage may vary.

As in past years, I'm clumping these together and cheating a bit. I'll try to drum up a playlist of these albums shortly.

My top 10 albums (in alphabetical order):

Causa Sui -- Europie Tide

From Denmark, Causa Sui were one of my favorite discoveries of 2013. This is triple-A instrumental music. As I said in my JamBase column: glorious, intelligent, intense, beautiful, rocking… this is, indeed, the good shit.

Dawn of Midi -- Dysnomia

My tag on this one was "the year's most intriguing album." It takes something special to take the "generic" piano-bass-drum jazz trio and totally reinvent it. That's why I love The Bad Plus so much. These guys do that. This is what's next.

Follakzoid -- II/The Holydrug Couple -- Noctuary

Maybe it's unfair for me to lump these two awesome psych-rock albums together, but they'll always be paired together as the "Chilean Invasion" in my mind, especially after checking them out on a double bill. In fact, the music is quite divergent, but both worth the brain cells you'll burn listening to them. 

Eleanor Friedberger -- Personal Record

As a big Fiery Furnaces fan to the end, it's been interesting to watch how the Friedberger siblings diverge as time goes on. The brother half seemed to take 95% of the weirdness with him, while the sister took 95% of the brilliant songwriting and unique grooves. Still, it's the 5% of the weird she kept in her pocket that makes this album so thrilling. This is Eleanor at her very finest, excellently penned songs, just enough of that rambling humor and great energy. 

Junip -- Junip

Junip has become one of those bands who will win me over unconditionally. The sound is so incredibly singular and addictive. It just hums and resonates with something inside you. Repeated listens are a must here. 

Portugal. The Man -- Evil Friends

Speaking of unconditional love, another year, another superlative Portugal. The Man album. I was very surprised to see not a single year-end list with this album on it, because I found it to be one of the year's most exciting. Of course, I'm biased beyond belief, as all regular followers know. The addition of Danger Mouse on production brings a modern gloss to PtM's sound which continues to evolve unabated. 

Unknown Mortal Orchestra -- II

UMO went from "yeah, I like those guys" status to one of my favorites in 2013. Their live show has been elevated to do-not-miss and their sophomore album is outstanding. Their mix of psych, prog and flat-out rocking combined with one great song after another has me thinking these guys are on their way to something big. The bonus disc on the deluxe edition with acoustic versions and covers is a must-hear companion to the album proper.

Kurt Vile -- Walkin On A Pretty Daze

Probably no album summed up my listening circa 2013 quite like Kurt Vile's epic Pretty Daze album. Long, hypnotic, psychedelic guitar jams that don't feel long or psychedelic; Vile's quiet vocal presence drawing you in; and top-to-bottom monster songwriting. My favorite album of 2013.

Dustin Wong -- Mediation of Ecstatic Energy

This is a serious golden age of instrumental guitar music and I, personally, welcome our loop-happy overlords. At the top of the heap, for me, is Dustin Wong. This album is just one gorgeous, layered postmodern work of art after another. I just want to plug my brain into this album and download it straight to the center.

Yo La Tengo -- Fade

Almost 30 years into their career, YLT comes out with an album of such stunning and engaging beauty. How lucky can we get? This album is a masterpiece of subtle, patented indie rock, not a track to be skipped or overlooked. Don't miss the deluxe version which has everything you could ever want in bonus material: live versions, instrumental versions, weird covers and studio outtakes.

Honorable mention (rest of my top 50 -- in alphabetical order)

Sam Amidon -- Bright Sunny South

Beaches -- She Beats

Devendra Banhart -- Mala

Besnard Lakes -- Until In Excess...

The Blank Tapes -- Vacation

Blitzen Trapper -- VII

Bombino -- Nomad

Matt Costa -- Matt Costa

Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside -- Untamed Beast

Foxygen -- We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic

Frontier Ruckus -- Eternity Of Dimming

The Growlers -- Hung At Heart

Iron & Wine -- Ghost On Ghost

Jacco Gardner -- Cabinet of Curiosities

Jim James -- Regions of Light and Sounds of God

Glenn Jones -- My Garden State

Kiki Pau -- Pines

Lady Lamb the Beekeeper -- Ripely Pine

Lumerians -- The High Frontier

The Milk Carton Kids -- The Ash & Clay

Juana Molina -- Wed 21

Neils Children -- Dimly Lit

Parquet Courts -- Light Up Gold

Phosphorescent -- Muchacho

Pond -- Hobo Rocket

Rose Windows -- The Sun Dogs

Schnauser -- Where Business Meets Pleasure

Superhuman Happiness -- Hands

Otis Taylor -- My Time is Gone

Thao & the Get Down Stay Down -- We the Common

Chris Thile -- Bach: Sonatas & Partitas Vol 1.

William Tyler -- Impossible Truth

J. Roddy Walston & the Business -- Essential Tremors

White Denim -- Corsicana Lemonade

Widowspeak -- Almanac

...and rounding out my top 100 or so (in alphabetical order):

1939 Ensemble -- Howl & Bite

Akron/Family -- Sub Verses

Courtney Barnett -- The Double EP

Beaulieu Porch -- We Are Beautiful

Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers -- s/t

Brass Bed -- The Secret Will Keep You

Brendan Canning -- You Gots 2 Chill

Barton Carroll -- Avery County, I’m Bound For You

Neko Case -- The Worse Things Get…

Mikal Cronin -- MCII

Date Palms -- The Dusted Sessions

Daft Punk -- Random Access Memories

Dr Dog -- B-Room

Ducktails -- The Flower Lane

Dylan Ryan Sand -- Sky Bleached

Eels -- Wonderful, Glorious

Elephant Stone -- Elephant Stone

Endless Boogie -- Long Island

The Entrance Band -- Face the Sun

Steve Gunn -- Time Off

Brian Haas/Matt Chamberlain -- Frames

Hookworms -- Pearly Mystic

Hurray For the Riff Raff -- My Dearest Darkest Neighbor

Jagwar Ma -- Howlin

Sarah Jarosz -- Build Me Up From Bones

Jenny O -- Automechanic

Valerie June -- Pushin’ Against A Stone

Kingsley Flood -- Battles 

Mark Kozelek & Jimmy LaValle -- Perils From The Sea

Black Joe Lewis -- Electric Slave

Steve Martin & Edie Brickell -- Love Has Come For You

Mazzy Star -- Seasons Of Your Day

Cass McCombs -- Big Wheel and Others

The Men -- New Moon

Midlake -- Antiphon

Anais Mitchell/Jefferson Hamer -- Child Ballads

Janelle Monae -- The Electric Lady

Mountains -- Centralia

Kacey Musgraves -- Same Trailer Different Park

Bassekou Kouyate/Ngoni Ba -- Jama Ko

Of Montreal -- Lousy With Sylvianbriar

Oh Land -- Wish Bone

Plankton Wat -- Drifter’s Temple

Josh Rouse -- The Happiness Waltz

Marnie Stern -- The Chronicles of Marnia

Christopher Paul Stelling -- False Cities

Andrew Stockdale -- Keep Moving

Suuns -- Images Du Futur

Craig Taborn Trio -- Chants

Joseph Tawadros -- Chameleons of the White Shadow

Thee Oh Sees -- Floating Coffin

John Vanderslice -- Dagger Beach

Washed Out -- Paracosm

Jonathan Wilson -- Fanfare

Yellowbirds -- Songs from the Vanished Frontier

Youth Lagoon -- Wondrous Bughouse