Best of 2013

Another year, another best of list.

This is my list of my favorite "normal" music of the year.  Indie, alternative, rock, Americana, whatever you want to call it - this is not the ambient music which goes into most of my mixes.

Over the last 3 or 4 years I've been listening to more and more "normal" music.  It's hard to keep up with the pace of new releases, new bands, new artists.  One can develop a sort of obsessive disorder where you consume more and more music, ever worried that you'll miss something.

My Spotify playlist of 2013 music has nearly 3000 tracks and that doesn't really include much of  the ambient stuff I listen to.  That's a lot of music to wade through in a year.  Spotify and other streaming services are changing the way we consume music and the way we think about music.  It's difficult to say whether that change is for the better.  

I do know that I love having so much music available all the time.  I love sampling new stuff, testing it out to see if it will have the staying power to make to the end of the year.  I like having a friend send me recommendations, being able to listen to the entire album instantly and sending a reaction or new suggestion back the other way.

At this time of year, with all the best of lists, I have added about 20 albums to that Spotify playlist just in the last week or so.  Which of course just puts me further behind.  But I LOVE IT!

And now here they are, my favorite albums of 2013.  What are yours?

1. Blaudzun - Heavy Flowers



2. John Vanderslice- Dagger Beach 


3. Volcano Choir - Repave


4. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City


5. Phosphorescent - Muchacho 


6. Kacey Musgraves - Same Trailer Different Park


7. The National - Trouble Will Find Me


8. John Vanderslice - Diamond Dogs
"A Better Whirlpool"

9. Mikal Cronin - MCII


10. Darkside - Psychic


11. Jon Hopkins - Immunity


12. Vic & Gab - Love of Mine


13. Elvis Costello & The Roots - Wise Up Ghost


14. Boards of Canada - tomorrow's harvest


15. The Flaming Lips - Peace Sword ep


16. Wavves - Afraid of Heights


17. Rhye - Woman


18. Daughter - If You Leave


19. Public Service Broadcasting - inform - educate - entertain


20. San Fermin - San Fermin