2013 has been a tumultuous year. As a result, music has played an even larger role as therapist, empath, and companion over the last 12 months – which is a very big statement considering how integral it is in my life under normal circumstances. From walking through Hyde Park in floods of tears, to dancing exultantly in the middle of the field, there are certain songs and bands which have become very dear friends.
As such, my year in review is heavily swayed by personal factors, and based less on musical integrity than I’d usually prefer. There were moments when only pop music could provide the comfort, solace, and understanding I needed at the time (and most weren’t from 2013 so I don’t have to uncover the true horror *cough* Leona Lewis *cough*). I do not apologise for this. Music has value if it has meaning to you, even when you know it’s terrible.
Without further ado:
ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
1. Disclosure – Settle
2. Arcade Fire – Reflektor
3. James Blake – Overgrown
4. MS MR – Secondhand Rapture
5. NIN – Hesitation Marks
Honorable mentions: Foals – Holy Fire, Kanye West – Yeezus, Daft Punk – Random Access Memories, Arctic Monkeys – AM, Fuck Buttons – Slow Focus, Flume – Flume,
SONGS OF THE YEAR
1. F For You – Disclosure
2. Retrograde – James Blake
3. Strong – London Grammar
4. Afterlife – Arcade Fire
5. All the Days – Haerts
Honorable Mentions: Is This How You Feel? – Preatures , Losing You – Solange, I Need More – Wolf + Cub, Baby I Am Nobody Now – Andy Bull, Wrecking Ball – Miley Cyrus, Trouble – Taylor Swift, Without You – Dillon Francis,
GIGS OF THE YEAR
1. MS MR – The Metro
2. Hot Chip – Enmore Theatre on THE HOTTEST DAY OF THE YEAR
3. Foals – Oxford Arts Factory
4. Brian Jonestown Massacre – Hi-Fi
5. Nicholas Jaar – Paradiso at Town Hall
Honorable Mentions: Cat Power – Newcastle Panthers, Wolf + Cub – Oxford Arts Factory, Bloc Party – Hordern Pavilion, Rave Cave – Darlinghurst Women’s Jail.
As always, numerous worthy musicians and tracks have been omitted. I’m sure there are a few that I’ve forgotten about completely, or blocked from memory in an act of self preservation. Regardless, this is my musical-emotional landscape from 2013. How does yours compare?
Flooziemagoo 