Monday 16 December 2013

MY TOP 40 ALBUMS OF 2013

Following the precedent set by last year's festive post, here are my 'ALBUMS OF THE YEAR 2013'. They're ranked according to a nebulous system balanced somewhere between how many times I've listened to them and my personal and, perhaps, eccentric assessment of their quality....

1. The Besnard Lakes – Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO
2. Darkside – Psychic
3. James Blake – Overgrown
4. Julia Holter – Loud City Song
5. Jon Hopkins – Immunity
6. My Bloody Valentine – m b v
7. Factory Floor – Factory Floor
8. John Wizards – John Wizards
9. The Haxan Cloak – Excavation
10. Dean Blunt – The Redeemer

11. Foxygen – We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace & Magic
12. The Knife – Shaking The Habitual
13. Egyptrixx – A/B Til Infinity
14. Holden – The Inheritors
15. Mount Kimbie – Cold Spring Fault Less Youth
16. White Denim – Corsicana Lemonade
17. Fuck Buttons – Slow Focus
18. Machinedrum – Vapor City
19. Nosaj Thing – Home
20. Gold Panda – Half Of Where You Live

21. Zomby – With Love
22. Deerhunter – Monomania
23. Forest Swords – Engravings
24. Young Echo – Nexus
25. Maxmillion Dunbar – House Of Woo
26. Daniel Avery – Drone Logic
27. Tropic Of Cancer – Restless Idylls
28. Pissed Jeans – Honeys
29. Solar Bears – Supermigration
30. Arcade Fire- Reflektor

31. Pantha Du Prince & The Bell Laboratory – Elements Of Light
32. Four Tet – Beautiful Rewind
33. Savages – Silence Yourself
34. Hyetal – Modern Worship
35. Neon Neon – Praxis Makes Perfect
36. Toro Y Moi – Anything In Return
37. Icarus Line – Slave Vows
38. Vatican Shadow – Remember Your Black Day
39. Youth Lagoon – Wondrous Bughouse
40. Atoms For Peace – Amok

Then we come to my "COMPILATIONS OF THE YEAR 2013", which are ranked along similar lines...

1. Mutazione: Italian Electronic & New Wave Underground 1980 – 1988
2. Metal Dance 2: Industrial, New Wave, EBM Classics & Rareties 79-88
3. Deutsche Elektronische Musik 2: Experimental German Rock and Electronic Musik 1971-83
4. Cosmic Machine: A Voyage Across French Cosmic & Electronic Avantgarde (1970-1980)
5. After Dark II – Italians Do It Better
6. John Talabot – DJ Kicks Mix

And, finally, a number of "HONOURABLE MENTIONS 2013", which all had their merits, but didn't quite cut the 'Top 40' mustard...

Blondes – Swisher
!!! (Chk Chk Chk) – Thriller
Darkstar – News From Nowhere
Washed Out – Paracosm
oOooO – Without Your Love
Moderat – II
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
The National – Trouble Will Find Me
Umberto – Confrontations
Low – The Invisible Way
Sally Shapiro – Somewhere Else
Laurel Halo – Chance Of Rain

I hope you enjoy sifting through my selections.

David Harford www.harfordtherapy.com