10. Beach Fossils - Clash the Truth
Good riddance to Zachary Cole Smith. He can have his heroin, and fashion show runways, and Sky Ferreira, and his band (DIIV, who are actually really good), because Beach Fossils are doing just fine without him. Gone is the ego, and what remains is a more well-rounded, exploratory version of the dream-pop band from Brooklyn. Songs like “Careless” and “Shallow” are reminders of Beach Fossils’ earlier style, but songs like “Sleep Apnea” and “Caustic Cross” show the band stretching their wings a bit. Holding true to what has worked in the past, but also opening up to different rhythms and aggressions that seemed to be missing from past albums. The band used to sound like they were stuck in a rut, but Clash the Truth shows that the Brooklyn-ites still have what it takes to make catchy, lo-fi pop music.
9. Tegan and Sara - Heartthrob
Twin sisters from Canada who traditionally made folk music caught many by surprise in 2013 with Heartthrob–a dance/pop album full of songs destined for Top 40 radio. Tegan and Sara became frustrated that entertainers like Ke$ha and Miley were getting all the attention, and set out to show people how easy it to write a dance/pop album. Not only did they write the best one of the year, but they finally got the national attention they deserved by playing big festivals and touring with fun.
8. Houndmouth - From the Hills Below the City
Old-timey music has been all the rage the last few years, but it always seems to lack authenticity *cough* Hipsters *cough*. It’s about time that backwoods music was played by backwoods artists, and Houndmouth is just the band to fill that position. The band, which hails from the Indiana/Kentucky border plays music that pays homage to true Americana. Music that makes Levon Helm smile down on us from Heaven. It’s so simple, but so rich with passion. Brevity is tough to convey in art, and Houndmouth excel at it by stripping down rock, blues, soul, and folk with the ease of drums, piano, guitar, and bass. Just the necessities when hitting the road with this band.
7. Body Language - Grammar
Many bands fall victim to the sophomore slump, and it was a wonderful breath of fresh air to see a band who released a great debut album, exceed expectations by creating a superior follow-up. Body Language is a band that mixes synth-pop with soul, funk, R&B, and disco. Their first album, Social Studies, seemed to be begging for that catchy song for the dance floor, but it never showed up. Well, Grammar changed all that. Right off the bat, “The Chasing” is more upbeat than anything on Social Studies. Then there’s “Just Because,” “Well Absolutely,” “Lose My Head” and “The First.” Body Language more than made up for the lack of upbeat songs, and still kept the smooth funk and soul going on tracks such as “I’m a Mess” and “What’s the Point.” This is another one of those albums where you never want to skip a track because each one has something different to offer. As good as Social Studies was, it didn’t have that, so it’s great to see Body Language’s songwriting getting exponentially better so quickly.
6. St. Lucia - When the Night
Sure, half of the songs on this album were released in 2012, but there is no denying When the Night as being one of the most complete albums released in 2013. The album never lets up from the 80’s-inspired, synth and dance-heavy sounds that contain a prominent Caribbean vibe. Not one hiccup to be found on this album. The only area where some complaints may exist is in the similarity of a few songs, but those are easily forgettable because every song is just so damn catchy. Be it the single, “Elevate,” the 2012 stomper “September,” or the title track closer that could inspire the most stiff bore to do The Carlton, St Lucia’s music is instant happiness. And this is the debut full-length. Here’s hoping for a long, illustrious career.
5. Okkervil River - The Silver Gymnasium
I’ve never given this band a fair chance, but The Silver Gymnasium changed all that. Okkervil River have long been one of the most respected, critically admired bands in the indie folk-rock scene. Their albums are routinely reveled, loved, admired, and for some reason I was dumb enough to not pay attention. As Bruce Springsteen is to New Jersey, so will be Okkervil River to New Hampshire. Now based in Texas, the Silver Gymnasium serves as an ode to the town of Meriden, NH, the hometown of front-man/vocalist Will Sheff and drummer Seth Warren. The songs on the album are story after story about Sheff’s childhood and adolescence, which is even further enhanced by an app developed by NPR for the band which walks listeners through the various hot spots in Meriden that are referenced in the songs. It’s an interactive experience unlike any other released this year, and Sheff and co. have done an outstanding job of opening themselves up for the listeners to learn about their history.
4. CHVRCHES - The Bones of What You Believe
Boy, did the critics love CHVRCHES this year, and for good reason. The Scottish synth-pop outfit exploded onto the scene last year with their EP, and finally released their debut full length in September after a slew of fantastic singles. Fortunately for us, the album went far beyond the singles. Tracks like “Tether,” “Lies” and “By the Throat” demonstrate CHVRCHES consistency, not in style so much as the quality of the tracks. Each track is catchy and contains those sharp, piercing synths that made us fall for them on “Recover.” And on the track “Gun,” well that is just the most perfect pop song of the year. It’s viciously infectious, and also conveys the toughness of Lauren Mayberry. Such fierceness behind such a delicate voice is the kind of juxtaposition that makes this band so damn exciting.
3. White Denim - Corsicana Lemonade
White Denim working with Jeff Tweedy of Wilco doesn’t even seem fair to the rest of the music world. Take one of today’s most talented bands and put one of the most prolific songwriters of the past 20 years at the helm, and you’re all but guaranteed gold. And gold is what we got, and then some. The blues, the improvisational freedom, the eclectic time signatures, pure unadulterated rock–it all mixes together so perfectly on Corsicana Lemonade. Many out there think this album is too polished for a band that used to have a more fuzzy, DIY, garage-rock sound, and in a way they’re right, but if anything, Corsicana Lemonade shows the band at its most diverse. The ability to stretch genres as easily as they stretch their guitar strings. And that is what continues to be the craziest thing about this band–they make it seem all too easy. As if the playing is effortless, but when watching the band live, you can sense the passion, energy, and pure enjoyment. The band’s been going strong for about eight years now, and are only getting better at what they do.
2. Cut Copy - Free Your Mind
A lot of bias went into this ranking considering Cut Copy is probably my favorite band today. But in all fairness, Free Your Mind is an outstanding album. The logical next step in the band’s ever-evolving career. Perfection was attained on In Ghost Colours, so the follow-up, Zonoscope, lagged a bit in excitement department, but still contained a number of well-crafted, adventurous pop numbers. On Free Your Mind, the band said that they were heavily influenced by the Second Summer of Love–the 1988-89 period when acid house and raves began taking form in the UK. Songs like “Footsteps” and “Meet Me in a House of Love” have the heavy rave vibe, while “Let Me Show You Love” and the title track draw from the psychedelic influence that were prominent in acid house. The most impressive among all of these songs is that Cut Copy is able to pull these influences in while remaining true to the sound that people fell in love with on In Ghost Colours. There are songs that will pack any dance floor, and other tracks like “In Memory Capsule” and “Dark Corners & Mountain Tops” that prove, above all else, that the band is excellent at writing basic, catchy pop songs. While In Ghost Colours will always be the band’s classic release, Free Your Mind shows that they are far from ever running out of ideas.
1. Local Natives - Hummingbird
This album was released in January and set the bar pretty damn high for other bands the remaining 11 months. As soon as the first lyric is sung on “You & I,” it’s game over. The band, which is often called a “West Coast version of Grizzly Bear,” went to new depths on Hummingbird by invoking a folkier sound through richly layered instrumentation and enchanting three-part vocal harmonies. “Heavy Feet” showed the band’s capability to write ambitious pop songs meant for wider audiences, but it’s the deeper cuts on Hummingbird that show the bands eclectic style that can never pinned down. Delicate numbers like “Ceilings,” “Black Spot,” and “Colombia” show a more introspective side of the band, and then songs like “Breakers” and “Wooly Mammoth” let out of all the pent-up emotion. It’s when the vocal harmonies come in that the listener is then submerged within the band’s truest form. Gorilla Manor introduced us to a unique band–one undeserving of a label because just as you think they’re going in one direction with one song, the one that follows it turns you around in an entirely new direction. It’s this element of surprise and originality that keep Local Natives such an exciting, enjoyable band. No other album came close this year, and with a January release, the band gave others plenty of time to try.
