Honorable Mentions: Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City, Phoenix - Bankrupt!, Tegan and Sara - Heartthrob, Drake - Nothing Was the Same, Silverstein - This is How the Wind Shifts, Senses Fail - Renacer, Bring Me the Horizon - Sempiternal, The Neighbourhood - I Love You., Foxing - The Albatross, Defeater - Letters Home, twenty|one|pilots - Vessel
And now, we're onto the Top 20! Obviously, these are my personal opinions, and are not to be taken as a direct reflection of the show, or anyone else other than me. Enjoy!
20. The National - Trouble Will Find Me
There's bands that make sad songs, bands that make sad music, and then there's The National. Exploring the depths of human depression and sadness, the band have become one of the most powerful indie rock acts in the world, and on Trouble Will Find Me, the band continue to perfect their craft.
19. AFI - Burials
After a four-year absence after the release (and lukewarm reception) of Crash Love, AFI returned in 2013 with Burials, and album that blended their arena-ready emo with the stellar production of Gil Norton to create the sound and energy many felt the band couldn't come up with on Crash Love. Powered by massive lead single "I Hope You Suffer," Davey Havoc's lyrics and vocals are on-point throughout the album as well, reminding everyone what AFI are capable of.
18. Dance Gavin Dance - Acceptance Speech
After volatile frontman Jonny Craig nearly torpedoed the band's career (again), Dance Gavin Dance needed something positive to go their way. And that positive shift came in the form of frontman-for-hire Tillian Pearson, whose presence on Acceptance Speech helps the band move forward with their progressive, jam-oriented post-hardcore sound. Jon Mess's screams have never sounded better, and the guitars provided by Will Swan continue to help set Dance Gavin Dance apart, as Pearson proves to be the spark the band needed to revitalize their career.
17. A Day to Remember - Common Courtesy
To say it was a rough year for A Day to Remember would be underselling it. The band's tumultuous relationship with Victory Records has been a real hindrance on their career, but on Common Courtesy, they prove that all the negativity hasn't had the same effect on their music. The band's blend of pop-punk and metalcore still has its drawbacks, but the sincerity of Common Courtesy pours through the speakers, especially on tracks like "City of Ocala" and "Life @ 11." A Day to Remember are still as polarizing as ever, but on Common Courtesy, they've proven that they can still churn out athems begging to be played on Warped Tour's main stage.
16. Moving Mountains - Moving Mountains
Never a band to stay complacent, Moving Mountains have developed a reputation as a band that can change its sound successfully with every release. In a true showcase of their talent, the band dropped their post-hardcore/post-rock sound they experimented with on Waves, opting for a more stripped-down sound on their self-titled album. Greg Dunn's moody lyrics are accentuated perfectly with his droning croon, while the band sways between acoustic- and electric-guitar-driven tracks to create yet another album that showcases what they're capable of. After announcing an indefinite hiatus, this may be the last we hear from Moving Mountains, but fans will be comforted by the fact that the band went out with their best album.
Sophomore albums are about as make-or-break for bands as debut albums. In the case of Hands Like Houses, Unimagine may end up being the album where people finally get to see how underrated they are. While their debut album Ground Dweller showed their obvious talents as songwriters, their spastic delivery was too much at times. Now, the band have come back more refined and focused, and the result is an album chock-full of anthems like "Weight," "Wisteria," and lead single "Introduced Species." If you've been looking for a band to step up and become the next Saosin, we may have finally found them.
Riding the success of Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me, Touche Amore were certainly a band to watch coming into this year. Big things were expected from the band, who became the darlings of teenagers who just discovered how to use Photoshop on Tumblr, but no one expected the creative leap forward they took on ...Is Survived By. Brimming with emotion, Jeremy Bolm's signature shouts are still there, but rather than building for his often-quoted one-liners, Bolm takes a page from fellow emo/hardcore stalwarts La Dispute, and paints himself as more of a storyteller. While Bolm is exorcising his demons, the band behind him moves at blistering paces, and the chaotic mix churns out an album that not only surpasses its predecessor, but changes the entire perception of what Touche Amore are capable of.
Ever since Suburbia came out, the pop-punk defenders (er, I mean, community) have been looking for the band to play Robin to The Wonder Years' Batman. After the brimming energy and angst-driven athems of Under Soil and Dirt, many thought The Story So Far could be that band. On What You Don't See, the band stick to their own tried-and-true formula of fast-paced pop-punk, nothing less and nothing more. The result is yet another slew of catchy tracks, but with a little more maturity and attention to detail then before. It's as natural a progression the band could have made, and the results were a pleasant surprise in a year where many of the "new wave pop-punk" bands were major letdowns.
It's almost to the point where The Dangerous Summer are boring, in the best way possible. The band have pretty much become a safe bet release an album every two years, and for that album to be just as good (if not better) than the one before. On Golden Record, AJ Perdomo's vocals take a turn towards the aggressive, as his hoarse, emotive delivery makes the album all the more impactful. Newcomers Mat Kennedy (lead guitar, formerly of The Graduate) and Ben Cato (drums) prove to add a new flavor to the songs, as things change just enough to set the album apart from War Paint and Reach for the Sun, but never strays too far from The Dangerous Summer's unique sound. The band's choruses set their sights on gigantic stages, especially on "Knives" and "We Will Wait in the Fog," while "Sins" and "Miles Apart" showcase the band's depth and creativity. After a tumultuous series of events in the band, it was great to see The Dangerous Summer get back to the business of making great music again.
Despite the album's oddly amateur artwork, Jimmy Eat World continue to be the trusted veterans of the alt-rock/emo world, able to churn out meaningful, complete albums whenever they choose to. With Damage, the band give their usual attention to detail a back seat, and focusing on a sound similar to what they showcased on 1999's Clarity. Described as an "adult break-up record," there's something listeners of all ages can relate to, from the melancholy goodbyes ("Bye Bye Love," "Please Say No," "You Were Good") to the angry venting ("Appreciation," "How'd Have Me"), with a few classic JEW cuts like "I Will Steal You Back" and the album's title track intertwined. It's great that Jimmy Eat World have earned enough respect that fans can expect great things every time they release something, but it's even better when they're able to fulfill those expectations. And on Damage, they do just that.
The indie rock/indie-pop world gets so few chances to shine in the mainstream music world each year, but Bastille is determined to make the most of it. Upon the eruption of their big single "Pompeii," the band's debut full-length Bad Blood was released in the US in September. What listeners have discovered in listening to that album is that the band is much more than a one-hit wonder. Thanks to introspective, synth-laden tracks like "Flaws," "These Streets," and "Oblivion," the album's anthems like "Laura Palmer," "Icarus," and the undeniably catchy "Pompeii" are able to shine with even more power, giving Bad Blood a continuity and cohesion that very few albums were able to achieve this year. The indie-rock world has seen its fair share of flashes in the pan, but one listen through Bad Blood will be more than enough to prove that Bastille are here to stay.
Cartel proved with Cycles that their best days were not completely behind them, even if a substantial amount of their momentum (and, unfortunately, their fans) had been lost. Nevertheless, the band have moved forward with an uncompromising vision for their sonic direction, and the result is yet another wildly catchy collection of pop-rock anthems. Collider feels like even more of an accomplishment now, considering the band self-released the album, and it was produced by frontman Will Pugh, who also picked up bassist responsibilities on the album as well. Pugh's production proves to be a key element on the album, as he adds very few extra effects, and lets the band's core sound be the focal point. The results are wonderful, booming tracks like "Uninspired," "Mosaic," and First Things First," to name a few. There are a few tender, slower moments as well, seen in "Take Me With You" and "Thin Air," but it's the more aggressive tracks like "Sympathy" and "Best Intentions" that showcase Cartel's talents best this time around. While some may say that Cartel will never top Chroma (and maybe, to a certain extent, those people are correct), but if they can still make music like this, there will always be a place for them.
It would have been understandable if letlive. weren't able to create an album that lived up to the hysteria they created with their empassioned debut Fake History. Hell, it may even have been acceptable if they hadn't. But thankfully for all of us, they have. The Blackest Beautiful finds the band taking the same creative approach to post-hardcore, with Jason Aalon Butler's chaotic presence booming forth on each track. Guitarists Jean Nascimento and Jeff Sayoun continue to provide excellent guitar work throughout the album, complementing Butler's erratic delivery and heartfelt bravado. Lead single and opening track "Banshee (Ghost Fame)" opens with a damning examination of the ways people attain fame in the world, which paves the way for the jaded, dissatisfied view of the world Butler showcases in his lyrics. With other highlights like "That Fear Fever," "Pheromone Cvlt," and "Virgin Dirt," letlive. are starting to build something very special, and it's time you starting paying attention.
With Separation building more and more momentum since its release in 2011, Balance and Composure were on everyone's short list of bands that could become huge. This year, with the release of The Things We Think We're Missing, they started to bring that hope into a reality, with an album that took them to places no one imagined. With feature articles on such publications as Spin, Pitchfork, and a music video debuted on RollingStone.com, Balance and Composure's name spread exponentially this year, and it all began with their new breathtaking sophomore album. While the aggression in Jon Simmons's vocals faded slightly, the musicianship of the entire band took a huge step forward, with lead guitarist Erik Petersen providing the perfect tones for Simmons's patented morose lyrics. The biggest improvement this time around, however, is drummer Bailey Van Ellis, who provides an impactful backbone to each track, especially on "Lost Your Name" and "Cut Me Open." Throw in an appearance from Anthony Green on "Keepsake," a couple of great singles in "Reflection" and "Tiny Raindrop," and a few breaks that went their way, and 2013 will be remembered as the year Balance and Composure started to put everything together and become the scene's next great band.
In 2013, we rang in the New Year by saying goodbye to one of the best metalcore bands of all time, Underoath. They were a band who, despite the pressures of major labels wanting them, never compromised the vision they had for themselves, who made music for themselves in a genre that had run rampant with bands chasing the dollar. Now that they are gone, there is a sizeable hole to be filled. Thankfully, The Devil Wears Prada have emerged as a band who could fill that void. Thanks to Chris Rubey's innovative, ever-evolving musicianship positions him (yet again) among the top guitarists in the scene, while Jon Gering's amospheric synthesizers provide an eerie feel to the entire album. But it's in the lyrics of Mike Hranica that 8:18 finds its true power. Displaying once again that he is a man at odds with himself, Hranica's lyrics are self-loathing, melancholy, and dark as ever, as his vocals continue to show the wear and tear of being a full-time screamer for almost a decade. Hranica sees his voice changing, however, and embraces it, as he adds a harsh yell to his arsenal, similar to La Dispute's Jorden Dreyer and the aforementioned Jeremy Bolm of Touche Amore. Jeremy De Poyster's vocals have also taken a harsher path this time around, as he strays away from using vocal effects, as he had in the band's previouw work. All of these individual successes add up to a rich, heavy album that any metalcore fan will appreciate.
So you thought The Wonder Years could top The Upsides. Then Suburbia came out, and it was even better. But it came with a price. Now that they'd outdone themselves once, surely they couldn't do it again. Surely they couldn't write an opening track as fitting and as powerful as "Came Out Swinging." They didn't have enough in the tank to come out with a lead single better than "Local Man Ruins Everything." There's too much pressure on them to come up with another album that's solid from start to finish. And even if they did, how would they be able to cap it off with a closing track as complete as "And Now I'm Nothing"? You know what? Maybe we should just keep doubting The Wonder Years. Because every time we do, they come out with something that shows us how great they are. The Greatest Generation does just that. "There, There" opens the album somberly before bursting out with energy. "Passing Through a Screen Door" shows frontman Dan "Soupy" Campbell at his most open and vulnerable. The album features tracks that highlight every band member's talents, like "Chaser," "Cul-de-sac," and "Dismantling Summer." And, in a fashion The Wonder Years have become reliable in, the album's closing "I Just Want to Sell Out My Funeral" brings the entire album into the fray to create a seven-minute epic that is without doubt the best song the band has written thus far. The Greatest Generation is a powerful, gripping album, and the maturation of The Wonder Years has proven itself to be unending.
The Front Bottoms' breakthrough self-titled album was so peculiar. The singing wasn't all that great, the musicianship was interesting, but not that talented. But there was a charm and a charisma the band displayed that was so undeniably endearing, that the band showed a great deal of potential. On Talon of the Hawk, some of that potential has begun to be realized, as the band take their free-spirited, acoustic guitar-driven rock and take it to new highs. The tracks are more structured, sure, but Brian Sella's unique vocal delivery and painfully relatable lyrics benefit from the newfound structure. The band maintains their loveable persona well, thanks to fun tracks like "Skeleton," "The Feud," and "Swear to God the Devil Made Me Do It." However, it's the deeper tracks like "Funny You Should Ask," "Everything I Own," and Song of the Year candidate "Twin-Sized Mattress" that hit the listener's hearts the hardest, and will last in the minds of anyone who comes across the album. Thanks to Talon of the Hawk, The Front Bottoms have proven that they have the talent to stay around for years to come, and their best material may still be ahead of them.
I have a difficult time trying to find a singular word that describes Kanye West's sixth studio album, Yeezus. Nothing seems to fit. Maybe "ambitious"? That's a good start, considering West's sample of "Strange Fruit," which propels the haunting "Blood on the Leaves," but some of those ambitions lead the album slightly off course. Would "wacky" work? Some people could dismiss it as such, thanks to the lack of "radio-friendly" tracks on the album, but that takes away from its creativity. Perhaps "self-indulgent"? Kanye's always leaned that way, and it's evidenced by his music video for "Bound 2," which features his topless wife showing off her post-baby body, but that doesn't really have anything to do with what went into the creation of the album itself. How about "raunchy"? You may have something there, considering the sex-crazed rhymes West unleashes throughout the album, most readily heard in "I'm In It," "Send It Up," and "On Sight." Inescapable? Sure, "Black Skinhead" and it's drum-based beat showed up everything from cell phone ads to the theatrical trailer of Leo DiCaprio's new movie The Wolf of Wall Street, but even that may not do it justice. Because none of those words help display how eye-opening "New Slaves" was when it was first seen as a projection on the sides of buildings in the major cities of the world. None of them touch on how vulnerable West shows himself to be as Kid Cudi croons over the beat of "Guilt Trip," or when Justin Vernon of Bon Iver adds his vocals to the mix in "Hold My Liquor," which also features Chief Keef in what was likely the strangest collaboration of the year. No, none of the words I tried will do. The only way to describe Yeezus, really, is the only way any one will ever be able to use to describe Kanye West: genius.
It had been brewing right under our noses, and we never even knew. While we anxiously awaited their return, Fall Out Boy were silent. They denied every reunion rumor. They made it seem as if it were never coming. They lied. Because beneath the cloak of their indefinite hiatus, Fall Out Boy had been working on a new album. An album written and recorded on their own terms, to insure that no label, agent, manager, or anyone else could have any influence. And when they announced that they had returned, they meant business. The world was introduced to "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light 'Em Up)," and promised that a new album was forthcoming. When that album finally came out, it was clear: Fall Out Boy hadn't lost a step. In fact, amidst all of their individual indulgences across the hiatus, they gained a few new tricks. The result is a unified effort that redefines what a Fall Out Boy album could be, thanks to synth-heavy tracks like "Miss Missing You" and anthemic album-opener "The Phoenix." Patrick Stump's vocals have grown immensely, seen readily on "Young Volcanoes," "Just One Yesterday," and "Rat a Tat." Joe Trohman wanted a bigger role in the band, and his thumbprint is all over "Alone Together" and "My Songs." Andy Hurley's drumming remains a key element throughout, while Pete Wentz's songwriting is at its finest, especially on "Miss Missing You" and the album-closing title track. The collaborative effort that is Save Rock and Roll was exactly the kind of album Fall Out Boy needed to make to ensure their reunion was for real, and it's even sweeter that it's one of their best albums to date.
Every year, we think we've got it all figured out, and then a band comes out of nowhere and changes everything. This year, that band was The 1975. After being an unsigned band for nearly ten years, enduring different sounds, names, and identities, the band finally scored their breakthrough thanks to a brilliant campaign of four EPs, leading up to their eponymous debut full-length. While the success of singles "Sex," "Chocolate," and "The City" are likely what drew many listeners into the album, it's what they hadn't heard yet that sets this album above the rest in 2013. Thanks to the combinations of hip-hop drums, indie rock guitars, R&B vocal melodies, and pop sensibilities tying it all together, The 1975 became a genre-bending behemoth that never once crumbles under the weight of its ambition. The ambient opener "The 1975" makes way for "The City," and then the pop-minded "M.O.N.E.Y." preps the listener for the one-two punch of "Chocolate" and "Sex" (which I'm sure everyone can agree is always a great combination). With the three lead singles out of the way, the album's second have delves deeper into frontman Matty Healy's memories, from the pursuit of a potential partner (the saxophone-enhanced "Heart Out") to the melancholy of the hopeless romantic ("Robbers," "Girls"), and from the imbalance between friends and drugs ("She Way Out," "Menswear") to the existential issues of being in a band and missing loved ones on the road ("Pressure," "Is There Somebody Who Can Watch You"). While a debate can always be made for other albums released this year, to me, no album was as carefully crafted, well thought-out, consistently catchy, easily relatable, or as meaningful as The 1975. The band's vision of what their music can be has no limits, which is complemented by their immense talent and creativity, and driven home by each and every track on this extraordinary debut album.
With that, 2013's album recap has come to a close. There was so much to dive into this year, as with every other year, and as usual, this list was very difficult to make. Impossible really. So, won't you help me out? What did I miss out on this year? Which of my rankings did I completely mess up? By the off-chance, do you agree with any of them? Leave your thoughts in the comments, and let's get a discussion going. The 2013 Recap will continue with a few more goodies, and after that, Keep Calm has a big year ahead of us. Bring on 2014!
