Your top 3 albums of the year 2013
Posted by: Bruce Woodhouse on 24 December 2013
Discipline yourself. Your three faves only. Get people interested in new music they can pick out of the Sales after Xmas.
Bill Callahan 'Dream River'. Wry, melodic and rich. His best ever. Head and shoulders best of the year for me.
Yo La Tengo 'Fade'. Yo La Tengo in great form early in 2013. A really good place to start if you have never dipped your toe in their (large) back catalogue as has a bit of most of their styles with an emphasis on the calmer and gentler tracks especially in the second half. One of their best 3 or 4 albums.
Nick Cave 'Push The Sky Away'. Gothic gloom and subtle menace, back to the darkness of Boatman's Call but with Warren Ellis embellishing the sound to great effect. Much more my thing than the raucous Dig Lazarus Dig or Grinderman.
(Track of the year 'Billy' by Prefab Sprout on 'Crimson Red'. Joyfully exuberant and proof Macaloon's talent is undimmed. Could have been written any time in his last 25 years).
Hope somebody finds something fresh from this list and gives it a go.
Bruce
Posted on: 24 December 2013 by BigH47
Richard Thompson - Electric
Laura Marlin - Once I was An Eagle
Steve Earle - Low Highway
Posted on: 24 December 2013 by Kevin-W
Quite mainstream for me:
1. David Bowie - The Next Day
2. Goldfrapp - Tales of Us
3. Arctic Monkeys - AM
Posted on: 24 December 2013 by dave4jazz
4jazz:
1. Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette: Somewhere
2. Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Andy Sheppard: Trios
3. Gregory Porter: Liquid Spirit
Posted on: 24 December 2013 by exiled jagsfan
Bill Callahan Dream River
Parquet Courts Light Up Gold
Laura Veirs Warp and Weft
Posted on: 24 December 2013 by Dozey
1. June Tabor - Quercus
2. Public Service Broadcasting
3. Ray Lamontaigne - God Willin'
Posted on: 24 December 2013 by Quad 33
1. AM - Arctic Monkeys.
2. Les Revenants - Mogwai.
3. Reflektor - Arcade Fire.
Graham.
Posted on: 24 December 2013 by Paul@HiFi Lounge
Queens Of The Stone Age - Like Clockwork
David Bowie - The Next Day
Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks
Posted on: 24 December 2013 by elkman70
QOTSA - Like Clockwork
Steve Wilson - the raven that refused to sing and other stories
John Grant - Pale Green Ghosts
Regards,
Elkman
Posted on: 24 December 2013 by DenisA
Posted on: 24 December 2013 by Lloydy
1. Black Sabbath - 13
2. John Grant - Pale Green Ghosts
3. Arctic Monkeys - AM
Posted on: 24 December 2013 by pixies
- Psychic - Darkside
- Random Access Memories - Daft Punk
- Immunity - Jon Hopkins
Posted on: 24 December 2013 by Chris Dolan
1. Bastille - Bad Blood
2. Goldfrapp - Tales of Us
3. Arctic Monkeys - AM
Posted on: 24 December 2013 by Huwge
Pavel Haas Quartet - schubert's Death & the Maiden tied with Takacs Quartet doing Britten's three string quartets.
Guy Clark - my favorite picture of you
The Clash - Sandanista remastered
Honourable mention to Nick Cave, especially as I got his new disc together with KCRW set for €5; June Tabor - Quercus and Bill Callahan from those mentioned by others
Posted on: 24 December 2013 by VladtheImpala
As ever, a tough call. Maybe not the best, but my favourites:
1. Prefab Sprout - Crimson / Red
Top tunes, witty lyrics but can we have Wendy back!
2. Goldfrapp - Tales of Us
Wonderful, atmospheric songs
3. Beethoven Missa Solemnis Philippe Herreweghe
Quite majestic, excellent recording
Posted on: 24 December 2013 by Olly
Daft Punk and Nick Cave both great but lots of votes already.
Tedeschi Trucks Band. Made up Mind.
Nothing too original, superb execution though.
Jimmy LaFave. Depending on the Distance.
Bending time to include this as it was released October 2012. I only discovered it in 2013 though and I'm so glad I did. Another example of intriguing cover art = excellent music. It has a cover of John Waite's "Missing You" which I'm not entirely sure works and some quite strong country (but in a good way), the opener Clear Blue Sky is my track of the year though.
John Mayer. Paradise Valley.
Has not met with universal acclaim from John Mayer fans and has been criticised with "If you like the late JJ Cale's music I suppose it might be just the ticket." which is probably why I enjoy it and they don't.
Posted on: 25 December 2013 by Jeff Anderson
My three favorites that I bought in 2013:
Patty Griffin "American Kid"
Bob Dylan "Another Self Portrait (1969-1971): The Bootleg Series, Vol. 10"
Jason Isbell "Southeastern"
Jeff A
Posted on: 25 December 2013 by GerryMcg
1. Crime &The City Solution - American Twilight
2. June Tabor, Iain Bellamy, Huw Warren - Quercus (HiRes)
3. Gary Clark Jr - Black & Blu
IMO it was a very poor year for new albums, Spotify saved me a lot of money.
Posted on: 25 December 2013 by simon, but not simple
1. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
2. Goldfrapp - One Of Us
3. The Arcade Fire - Reflektor
The best in a very poor year for new releases.
Posted on: 25 December 2013 by totemphile
No wonder, if that's the type of music you're listening to!
Posted on: 25 December 2013 by pixies
Ouch! No need for that totemphile, where's your Christmas spirit? Some good choices there Simon 
Posted on: 25 December 2013 by totemphile
It's a dirty job but someone's got to play the Scrooge role on here ;-)
Posted on: 25 December 2013 by Premmyboy
1. These New Puritans - field of reeds
thanks to DenisA for that recommendation
2. Nick Cave - push the sky away
3. Wooden Wand & The World War IV.
If u like Neil Young & crazy horse check it out.
Posted on: 25 December 2013 by Mick Roberts
1. Beethoven Quartets (complete) - Belcea Quartet
2. Bartok Violin Concertos - Isabelle Faust
3. Bach Violin Concertos - Viktoria Mullova
Posted on: 26 December 2013 by simon, but not simple
Thanks Pixies for defending my choices. As is said, the best in a bad year IMO. Not sure any would have made Top 3 in a good year. Perhaps Totemphile would like to share their choices with us so I can see what I have missed in 2013.
Originally Posted by pixies:
Ouch! No need for that totemphile, where's your Christmas spirit? Some good choices there Simon
Posted on: 26 December 2013 by andysonvolt
Dave Holland & Prism - Prism
Jonathan Wilson - Fanfare
Efterklang - Piramida
