Live for Live Music’s Top 10 Favorite Albums of 2013

So, we’re being careful with our title. Obviously, any top 10 albums list has an inherent bias. We likes what we likes. Rather than royally deeming what’s hot and what’s not, we’re simply out to recap some of our favorite musical moments of 2013. From classic rocking to debut electro-funking, we just loved listening to these ten albums in 2013…

10. Arcade Fire – Reflektor

It’s just a reflektor ektor ektor. One of the most highly publicized releases of 2013 comes from Canadian indie rockers, Arcade Fire, with their fourth studio album, Reflektor. Prior to the album’s release, the band commissioned cryptic graffiti artwork to adorn random walls of major cities, and released the title track of the album under the moniker “The Reflektors.” The music itself has an interesting array of influences, including Haitian island music (after band members Win Butler and Régine Chassagne traveled there), the electronic work by album co-producer James Murphy (of LCD Soundsystem), and, of course, the cool, disconnected style of Arcade Fire. The album nebulously floats from groove to groove, from start to finish. Check out the title track here:

9. Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience

Justin Timberlake is a treasure. Sure, he may not fall within the jammy trancey psychedelia that we usually listen to here, but hey, credit given where credit is due. Since his start in the boy band ‘N Sync and through a decade of solo musicianship and acting, JT just won’t quit. 2013 saw the release of Justin’s third and fourth studio albums: The 20/20 Experience (Parts One and Two). Each showed a somewhat-more-mature side to the artist, as it seems Timberlake is taking his music more seriously now than ever. This album was also incredibly well-produced, again exemplary of JT’s meticulousness. All in all, The 20/20 Experience is definitely worth the listen.

8. Disclosure – Settle

On what may be our favorite debut album of the year, British electronic music duo Disclosure wasted no time in asserting themselves amongst the best producers in the industry. The band released a handful of singles and quickly rose to prominence, touring internationally and appearing at several notable festivals, including Coachella and Lollapalooza. On Settle, Guy and Howard Lawrence prove their worth with a wave of electrofunky madness. The album slyly fuses hip hop and R&B vocal samplings in the midst of electronic chaos, busting constant grooves for an hour’s worth of music. Simply put, this is the dance party, and everyone’s invited.

7. David Bowie – The Next Day

It’s fairly evident what’s going on here. For his 24^th studio album, David Bowie has confirmed all rumors that he is indeed ageless. The man is timeless, and, quite honestly, he may not even exist. David Bowie is a mythical musical being, as The Next Day showed us that the legendary glam rocker is a force to be reckoned with. The album was Bowie’s first in ten years, and was recorded in secrecy. Band members and crew were even forced to sign non-disclosure agreements. For all the madness, the result is a strong showing from a rock and roll god. For a supposedly 66-year old, this is some cosmic Bowie gold. Well done, Mr. Stardust.

6. Queens of the Stone Age – …Like Clockwork

When the Queens of the Stone Age emerged in 2000, they were the youthful faces of the guitar-riff-driven-hard-rockin’ music scene. Opening with The Smashing Pumpkins. Performing at Ozzfest 2000. But now, thirteen years later, QotSA has blossomed into a dynamic musical presence. The band’s sixth studio album was long awaited, coming six years after Era Vulgaris (2007), and my oh my does …Like Clockwork deliver. The album opens into the depths of “Keep Your Eyes Peeled,” and brings song after song of some seductively sinister shit, man. It’s a real dark groove, and definitely one of the top listens of 2013.

5. Dr. Dog – B-Room

            One step into the B-Room with Dr. Dog, and you’ll never want to leave. Their distinct brand of 60’s-infused indie rock music fully develops on B-Room, the band’s eighth studio album of their fourteen year career. The album entrances the listener with its opening track, “The Truth,” a slow groove with rich harmonies and soulful guitar work. The rest is an whimsical bounce from energetic to emotional, with upbeat tracks like “Broken Heart” and passionate outbursts like, “Too Weak To Ramble,” with moving vocals from bassist Toby Leaman. It’s the groovy beauty of B-Room that earns Dr. Dog a place amongst the top 10 albums of 2013.

4. Man Man – On Oni Pond

Somehow both experimental and cohesive, Philadelphia-based Man Man show their true ingenuity as artists with their fifth studio album, On Oni Pond. The band, centered around singer/pianist Honus Honus, incorporates a multi-instrumental style that allows for a diverse musical display. The opening track, “Oni Swan,” is a smooth jazz saxophone ballad. The melody builds a rising tension, released by the groovy dance melody of “Pink Wonton.” With violins on some tracks, punk influences on the next… you never know what’s coming. But one thing’s for sure: you’ll never stop dancing. Perhaps it’s that moving grinding dancing groove that ties this masterpiece together. Whatever it is, I haven’t been able to stop listening to On Oni Pond. I guess I’m a Man Man man from now on.

3. Pretty Lights – A Color Map of the Sun

For his fourth album, Pretty Lights wanted to challenge himself. Instead of sampling other artists, the producer chose to record and produce an entirely original album. Not only that, Pretty Lights studio process included the recording of live musicians onto vinyl, pressing that vinyl into digital form, and then adding his hypnotic synthesizer blends. The entire process took over two years to complete, and the result is marvelously sublime. The album flows smoothly, mushing hip-hop and soul vocals, bluesy guitar, and jazzy horns into a slow-grooving electronic trance. Great, great music.

2. Daft Punk – Random Access Memories

There was a good period of my life where this album followed me. Every party, every casual get-together with a friend… somehow, Random Access Memories was there too.

When an artist like Daft Punk drops an album, everybody turns to look. The electronic music duo, which consists of French artists Guy-Manuel de Homem-Cristo and Thomas Bangalter, hadn’t released an album since 2005. And Random Access Memories was a serious home run. Each track seems to groove harder than the last; we simply can’t get enough of these tunes. With a sensuous blend of produced and recorded music, including an all-star cast of featured musicians, Random Access Memories wholeheartedly deserves its praise. Don’t believe us? Listen for yourself!

1. White Denim – Corsicana Lemonade

We listened to a lot of albums in 2013. This is a golden age for recorded music… an era where just about anybody can produce and distribute their creative content with ease. Sure, some albums may get more media attention than Yeezus himself, but, given the constant stream of all things new, L4LM has the privilege of choosiness.

So, when we do happen upon that indescribable groove, we know it’s our responsibility to tell you. And in 2013, nothing quite got us grooving like a good glass of White Denim’s Corsicana Lemonade. I’m not sure what they put in there, but that Lemonade is seriously addicting.

A four-piece rocker out of Austin, Texas, White Demin has mastered the art of songwriting, with tunes leaping from banging blues-rock into eloquent progressive odysseys… all within five minutes. Take a song like “Let It Feel Good (My Eagles),” which starts with a melodic refrain sung by James Petralli, shifting seamlessly into a catchy groove backed by a subtle acoustic guitar riff and a building drum beat, building up to the climactic chorus. “If it feels good, let it feel good to ya!” Riding the high, the song kicks into overdrive, ending with a rising instrumental that carries into the groovy blues lick of “Pretty Green.” Everything is smooth, cool, and well-executed.

Don’t believe us? Judge for yourself. Betcha can’t listen just once…

Honorable Mentions: Robert Randolph and the Family Band – Lickety Split, Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks, and Cut Copy – Free Your Mind.

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Well, that wraps up an exciting list of L4LM’s top 10 favorite albums of 2013. As always, we’re grateful for the bevy of artists who continually create such interesting and intriguing music, and we’re eager for what 2014 has to offer. We’re also grateful for all of you who live for live music, and for the opportunity to share our slice of the music scene with you.  Happy holidays from L4LM!