Individual Writers’ Lists: The Best Albums of 2013

From Joel Edelman:

These artists will inspire my IndieRockGrrls 2014 Spotify playlist, although now that you can “Start Radio” from any playlist, I have to think it’s a good thing I have a day job.

The 2013 year in music was as lackluster as the 1981 year in baseball cards. The top rookie card from that year? Fernando Valenzuela. A lot of good second-year cards, such as Rickey Henderson. Similarly, a lot of my favorites this year are records by established artists (David Bowie, Neko Case).

Anamanaguchi “Endless Fantasy”
Soft Cotton County “The Man Who Walked on the Moon”
Lederhosen Lucil “Guten Tag Gemini”
Bleached “Ride Your Heart”
The Julie Ruin “Run Fast”
Thao & the Get Down Stay Down “We the Common”
Kate Nash “Girl Talk”
Glasser “Interiors”
Moshe Kasher “Live in Oakland”
AlunaGeorge “Body Music”
Sleigh Bells “Bitter Rivals”
Paramore “Paramore”
Neko Case “The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You”
Wild Belle “Isles”
Daft Punk “Random Access Memories”
Courtney Barnett “The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas”
David Bowie “The Next Day”
Haim “Days Are Gone”
Mikal Cronin “MCII”
Superchunk “I Hate Music”

From Paige Parsons:

From my list you can tell I’m a sucker for a good pop tune, especially one with dark undertones.

1. Various Artists – After Dark II (Italians Do It Better Compilation)
2. Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe
3. Capitol Cities – In a Tidal Wave of Mystery
4. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City
5. Savages – Silence Yourself
6. Phoenix – Bankrupt!
7. The National – Trouble Will Find Me
8. Deerhunter – Monomania
9. Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
10. Alison Moyet – The Minutes

From Alan Ralph:

1. Carcass – Surgical Steel
2. Skeletonwitch – Serpents Unleashed
3. Kvelertak – Meir
4. The Dillinger Escape Plan – One Of Us Is A Killer
5. Ghost B.C. – Infestissumam
6. Amon Amarth – Deceiver of the Gods
7. Volbeat – Outlaw Gentleman & Shady Ladies
8. Soilwork – The Living Infinite
9. Gorguts – Colored Sands
10. Clutch – Earth Rocker

See Page 3 for Chad Liffmann and Kara Murphy