Song of the Year
Fall Out Boy - "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light 'Em Up)"
There's a reason this track was selected as the first snapshot of Fall Out Boy's new sound. Featuring an opening crowd chant/clap segment that drives the track, Fall Out Boy announced their reunion in a bold way by bringing this song out, and the decision is still paying big dividends for the band (as of the publication of this post, the track has sold over 3 million digital copies). Thanks to Patrick Stump's newfound swagger and one of the band's most gigantic choruses, "My Songs" was the scene's soundtrack of 2013, paving the way for a huge year for Fall Out Boy.
Runner-up: The 1975 - "Chocolate"
Non-Music Related Story of the Year
Ian Watkins of Lostprophets
There isn't really much to discuss here. By now, you likely know about the heinous crimes Ian Watkins, former frontman of LostProphets, was convicted of conspiring to commit. The details are readily available on many fine news outlets who could cover the story better than we at Keep Calm ever could, so we will leave that type of reporting to the true professionals. Keep Calm wishes only the best to the victims of Watkins's maniacal, appalling behavior.
Cover Song of the Year
The 1975- "What Makes You Beautiful," Originally performed by One Direction
While it never saw a proper studio production or official release, the cover that features two of the biggest acts hailing from the UK in the world takes this home thanks to The 1975's creative spin on the 1D smash that makes it seem like it was straight from the band's self-titled debut. The track shows just how great of a band The 1975 truly are, as they take a sugary pop track and add their ambient electronic spin to it, making it a haunting, pain-stricken love song. Side note:Radio BBC 1 does a lot of these, and if you have a few minutes (when you're done reading this, of course), it's worth spending them persuing their YouTube channel.
Runner-Up: Jimmy Eat World - "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," originally performed by Taylor Swift
EP of the Year
You, Me, and Everyone We Know- I Wish More People Gave a Shit
The rebound that Ben Liebsch has been able to achieve since his entire band walked out on him a few years ago has been astounding. Liebsch has now released two EPs (a total of 7 songs) in the last two years, and this year's edition, I Wish More People Gave a Shit, is his most open and controversial yet. Tackling tough topics like rape culture ("Better Men") and the overall complacency of the average person ("I'd Contribute More Dead"), Liebsch's songs feature his classic tongue-in-cheek style, and as he widens his scope from his own issues to that of the world around him, it seems the scope of people his music reaches is about to expand as well.
Runner-Up: The 1975 - Music for Cars
Music Video of the Year
Foxing - "Rory"
The key track and first single of the band's debut The Albatross, "Rory"'s music video is just as cruel and upsetting as the song itself sounds. Showcasing the cruelty of schoolchildren, the track features a boy being tormented by three girls, while the band is seen in two separate rooms giving a subdued performance of the track, save for vocalist Conor Murphy, who conveys his emotional lyrics perfectly throughout the video. Foxing deserve an obscene amount of credit for how good of a song "Rory" is, but the music video helps add even more depth and impact to the track. On top of all that, it took the throne from Ylvis in the "Best Music Video to Feature a Fox Mask" category. And that's something we can all get behind.
Runner-up: Balance & Composure - "Tiny Raindrop"
Guilty Pleasure of the Year
Falling In Reverse - "Alone"
There were so many polarizing releases this year, but this one seemed to garner the most universal hate. Falling In Reverse were bad to begin with, but when you have a song that features two rap verses, an auto-tuned bridge, an over-the-top chorus, and a mosh call, you become something more. You become the worst thing to happen to music in over a decade. Falling In Reverse sure know how to get people talking, and I guess they deserve credit for that, because for some reason, I've deemed them a guilty pleasure of mine. There's something so endearing about how laughably bad this song is, and every now and then, when I'm having a long day, I throw this song on, and remind myself exactly how much worse things can get. So thank you, Falling In Reverse. You make my life suck less.
Runner-up: Saying the word "suppy."
Tour of the Year
Underoath's Farewell Tour
As the greatest metalcore band of the 2000s once said, "It's all in your goodbyes." Boy, do Underoath follow through with their own proclamations. Bringing out fellow stalwarts mewithoutyou as direct support, along with the original lineup of As Cities Burn and letlive., one of the most promising bands in the scene today, Underoath crafted a concert experience that was consistently loud and impactful, with each act building upon one another until the energy burst for the band's farewell set in each city. It's always sad to see bands go, but there's always a nice sentiment when it feels like a band went out on their terms, and Underoath's farewell tour makes it seem like the band accomplished everything they wanted to. And no band deserves that more than they do.
Runner-up: Fall Out Boy's Save Rock and Roll Arena Tour with Panic! at the Disco and twenty|one|pilots
Vocalist of the Year
Patrick Stump, Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy's reunion album Save Rock and Roll is among their best material to date, and the main reason for that is the leap forward Stump's vocals have taken. On several occasions, Stump's voice simply overpowers every instrument the band throw at you, and as I listen to this album now, I find myself admiring Stump's work even more. Fall Out Boy are truly in a place where their next material can go in any direction they want, and they have Stump's vocals to thank for that.
Guitarist(s) of the Year
Matty Healy and Adam Hann, The 1975
The 1975's debut album toes the line between guitar-driven tracks and electronic-based tracks, but it's the guitars provided by frontman Matty Healy and Adam Hann that combine to add depth to each track. The duo's intricate, groove-based style keeps things fresh throughout the self-titled album, and even when the band takes a turn towards electronics, the subtle sounds they conjure are the perfect touch. It's clear Healy and Hann have found a formula that works, and The 1975's music was able to stand out in such a big way because of it.
Runner(s)-up: Jean Nascimento and Jeff Sayoun, letlive.
Drummer of the Year
Balance & Composure's sophomore effort The Things We Think We're Missing was a huge step up in the band's songwriting capabilities, thanks in large part to the band's constantly improving musicianship. The most individual improvement, however, came from Bailey van Ellis, the band's drummer. van Ellis's improvements are seen all over the album, as he pounds his kit throughout, though his efforts on single "Tiny Raindrop" and "Cut Me Open" are most noteworthy.
Runner-up: Elliot Babin, Touche Amore
Bassist of the Year
Andy Trick, The Devil Wears Prada
The Devil Wears Prada's new album 8:18 is their darkest and heaviest material yet, and if you're going to make a great heavy metal album these days, your bassist needs to be on the top of his game. That's exactly what Andy Trick accomplished on the album, providing the perfect backbone for TDWP to create their bleak landscapes that they've become known for.
Runner-up: Ross MacDonald, The 1975
Songwriter of the Year
Gregory Dunn, Moving Mountains
While this award is part "Songwriter of the Year 2013" and part "Lifetime Achievement Award," Gregory Dunn certainly deserves your attention for his efforts on Moving Mountains' self-titled full-length this year. Dunn has been the mad scientist behind the band's schizophrenic, style-shifting sound, and on Moving Mountains, he churns out some of his best songs of the band's cut-too-short career. The band's turn towards more somber, subdued tracks showcase their versatility and talent across the rock spectrum, and it's all thanks to Dunn, whose vision for the band's direction was unrivaled in the current scene. Moving Mountians will be sorely missed, but give them credit: they went out with their best material.
Runner(s)-up: Patrick Stump/Pete Wentz, Fall Out Boy; Matty Healy, The 1975; Kanye West
Guest Feature of the Year
Kendrick Lamar, on Big Sean's "Control"
The verse that put the entire hip-hop world on blast, Kendrick Lamar took his chance on "Control" and blew it out of the water. Featuring scathing lines about how he's trying to establish himself as the best rapper alive and a fast-paced flow that's sure to get your head spinning, Kendrick's verse was so good that Big Sean's verse on the song, perhaps the best of his career, goes largely unnoticed.
Runner-up: Sir Elton John, on Fall Out Boy's "Save Rock and Roll"
Individual Performance of the Year
Will Pugh, Cartel
Cartel haven't been as relevant in recent years as we'd like them to be, but Will Pugh seems hellbent on keeping the band alive, even if he has to do everything himself. On the band's fourth full-length Collider, Pugh picks up the bass in the stead of Jeff Lett, who left the band after they toured behind Cycles. Without a record label, Cartel were forced to self-fund and self-release Collider, and Pugh stepped up yet again, producing the album himself in order to save the band some money and allow more creative control for the band without any outside influences. And on top of all of that, Pugh's vocal efforts on Collider, most readily seen on "Sympathy," "Mosaic," and "First Things First," along with some of his best songwriting of his career, and he carried Cartel to another solid pop-rock album.
Runner-up: Matty Healy, The 1975
Breakthrough of the Year
The Front Bottoms
Coming from modest beginnings and a cult-like following with their self-titled debut album, The Front Bottoms became the darlings of the scene this year. After supporting Bad Books on two different tours, the band announced their sophomore effort, Talon of the Hawk, which included a tour video featuring a new song from the band, "Twin-Sized Mattress." The song sent fans into a frenzy, as it quickly entered the discussion what the band's best song was. After Talon of the Hawk came out to good reviews (especially from all of us at Keep Calm), the band parlayed that success into a sold-out headlining US tour, a set during Made in America Festival, and a fall tour supporting Manchester Orchestra. Then, when Brand New was looking for openers for their discography shows, they tapped the New Jersey natives to open their Starland Ballroom date. The Front Bottoms were one of the scene's best-kept secrets, but in 2013, the world started to figure out what all the fuss was about.
Runner-up: Balance & Composure
Band of the Year
Fall Out Boy
There's not enough room to list all of the amazing things Fall Out Boy did in 2013, but I'll give it a shot:
-Announced their reunion by releasing a new single, new music video, and announcing they had a new album ready to be released in a few months.
-Played three intimate shows in three different cities in as many nights to celebrate their reunion.
-Sold out a full US tour in a matter of seconds (thanks a lot, scalpers).
-Headlined Skate and Surf Festival 2013.
-Filmed and released music videos for 8 of the 11 songs on Save Rock and Roll, with the videos for the remaining songs on the way.
-Appeared on nearly every late night talk show, the NBA All-Star Game, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, the Today Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and made countless other TV appearances.
-Went on a full US arena tour, where shows sold out more often than not.
-Made every other great band reunion over the last few years (Yellowcard, blink-182, The Early November) look like a poorly-planned mess.
Plain and simple, no band put everything together in as masterful a way as Fall Out Boy this year, and when the year started they weren't even a band. Their influence has never been larger, their music has never been better, and their future has never been brighter.
Runner-up: The 1975
As we draw 2013 to a close, it's been one interesting year for music. Did I miss anything that you feel deserves to be mentioned? What were your favorite songs, artists, and moments of 2013? Leave your thoughts in the comments, and let's get a discussion going!
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