No Ripcord's Guide to 2013

Another year has gone by in a flash, and what a year it's been. My Bloody Valentine finally released a new album, Bowie dropped The Next Day with no warning, Daft Punk ruled the airwaves, Robin Thicke had the most controversial song in years, Lorde came out of nowhere to be 2013's biggest breakout star, Arcade Fire took promotion to another level, and Beyoncé tried to eclipse them all right at the death. And that's without even mentioning Kanye. Oh, Kanye.

 

Here's our guide to the year in handy questionnaire form. Hope it was good for you as it was for us.

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: Retroactive

Artist of the year: I’m choosing Vampire Weekend by default, simply because they delivered an incredibly smart album whilst embracing a “keeping it real” disposition across all media outlets. Just listen to Ezra Koenig’s dull-witted interview with Zane Lowe, or his “autobiographical” Talkhouse review of Drake’s Nothing Was the Same. Those Oxford-wearing schmucks are smarter than you, but they don’t shove it in your face, either. 

Album of the year: Though objectively not my favorite of the year, I found myself bewildered with These New Puritans’ wonderfully sinister Field of Reeds. In a year that almost made me reconsider the importance of an album experience, this one rekindled my love of it. It’s certainly a mood crusher, though; stay away from it if you’re feeling too contemplative.

Track of the year: Call me a yokel, but in a year swept with bouncy electro-pop and boisterous noise, I couldn’t resist an old-fashioned folk ballad like Mazzy Star’s Seasons of your Day. 

Surprise of the year: I’ve just about fallen in love with Sky Ferreira. Maybe it’s the fact that she references Twin Peaks, or that she’s discovered the formula to make a Tiffany song sound broodingly atmospheric, but she’s warmed her way into my heart with an album that I couldn't stop listening to. She’s dating the dude from DIIV, but you can’t win ‘em all, I suppose.

Disappointment of the year: As much as I love Bill Callahan, I felt like he kinda half-assed Dream River. But this is the one that really hurt, since it’s personal: my hard drive decided to fail on me for good this year, which led to me losing valuable interviews I had conducted with both Torres and Julia Holter. Let’s just say I was devastated after the fact, and I do apologize for not featuring them on the site like I intended to this year.

Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: I was never a fan of darkwave, maybe because I never really embraced the critical favorites. Bauhaus and Joy Division never did it for me. Nevertheless, I’ve been exploring complete discographies by Coil, Throbbing Gristle, and SPK, embracing their cold, icy (not to mention danceable) synths with gusto. All of which led me to discover You Today by contemporary composer Martial Canterel, who manages to rewrite the genre in very inventive ways without falling into pastiche. 

Musical moment of the year: Though seeing My Bloody Valentine was a religious experience (and conflictive, since I got into a petty argument while they played in a music festival), I’ll always remember it with a mix of awe and regret. But I’ve got to give it to Bradford Cox for making his dramatic exit on the Jimmy Fallon show, a reminder that rock stars were meant to shake up the tedious normalcy of network television.

Film of the year: It was a pleasure to witness Jesse and Celine’s hyper-realistic romance come to a fitting conclusion in Before Midnight. I mean, the fact that Richard Linklater managed to evolve what started as a Gen X romance into a memorable trilogy leaves me at a loss of words.

TV show of the year: Mad Men has done it again. Speak all you want of Breaking Bad, but the impeccable writing puts every other TV drama to shame. Moment of the year: the last ten minutes of Eastbound and Down; I haven’t laughed this much in ages.

Writer of the year: It’s always a pleasure to wake up to a Chuck Klosterman piece over at Grantland, though his contributions have decreased in the past year.

Musical predictions for 2014: It’s been interesting to see Spotify become the enemy of the music industry, even if many of the artists that condone its business practices continue to feature their music on the streaming service. Tiny payments for musicians will be the norm, while corporate figureheads continue to justify why a major label is still the best means to distribute and promote an album. And to that point, advertising agencies are the future - expect an influx of more major artists getting their music featured in all sorts of ads, and that is just the beginning.

Favourite member of One Direction: I’ll buy any of those buggers a pint except for Zayn Malik, because I find it kind of insulting that he grows more facial hair than I do.

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: Comebacks, collaborations and controversies.

Artist of the year: Like many others, I’m just hugely impressed by everything about Lorde.

Album of the year: Charli XCX – True Romance

Track of the year: Daft Punk – Giorgio By Moroder

Surprise of the year: There were so many unexpected comebacks that it’s difficult to pick just one. That said, NEW BEYONCÉ ALBUM!

Disappointment of the Year: A couple of phenomenal tracks aside, Random Access Memories was such a chore.

Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: I’m pretty sure my most played album of the last twelve months is Someone To Drive You Home by The Long Blondes.

Musical moment of the year: “My name is Giovanni Giorgio, but everybody calls me Giorgio.”

Film of the year: Gravity, just for the sheer cinematic experience.

TV show of the year: It’s funny, because the way this question is phrased might lead you to believe that there’s a valid answer other than Breaking Bad, which there isn’t.

Writer of the year: Dorian Lynskey manages to be both informative and entertaining in a way few other music writers manage. His own wrangling over whether Kanye West is a force for good or bad this year has been extremely thought-provoking and intriguing.

Musical predictions for 2014: It’s so inevitable that Sam Smith will be huge next year that it’s actually a bit depressing. That aside, indie to become more dance-like, R&B to become more indie-like, and in its last throes, chart-focused EDM attempts to replicate Avicii’s success by putting a banjo and/or accordion on everything. Finally, AlunaGeorge’s album may not have hit the heights I’d hoped, but I’ve high hopes for that futuristic R&B next year, with Kelela, FKA Twigs et al.

Favourite member of One Direction: Zayn Malik. As a former Smash Hits! reader, I like pop couples, and Zayn is engaged to Perrie from Little Mix. They’re the Billie Piper and Richie from 5ive of our age.

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: I never want to hear the word “twerk” again.

Artist of the year: Pharrell Williams — Between Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines and Daft Punk’s Get Lucky, Williams became the 12th artist in music history to simultaneously be both number one and two spots in the Billboard Hot 100. 

Album of the year: Queens of the Stone Age — …Like Clockwork

Track of the year: Daft Punk — Get Lucky

Surprise of the year: Run The Jewels

Disappointment of the year: Shining — One One One

Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: Blue Öyster Cult — Tyranny & Mutation

Musical moment of the year: The death of Lou Reed.

Film of the year: The Great Gatsby (as in best dressed turd of 2013) 

Writer of the year: Marc Spitz (newest book I read in 2013 was his memoir, Poseur)

Musical predictions for 2014: I will hear the word “twerk” again.

Favourite member of One Direction: Robbie Williams

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: Surprisingly great for British music (and, oddly, this is the one year I don’t recall seeing a single article on the subject).

Artist of the year: Boards of Canada's marketing team

Album of the year: John Grant ­- Pale Green Ghosts

Track of the year: Lorde ­- Tennis Court

Surprise of the year: New Bowie album! Even if I didn't like it that much.

Disappointment of the year: That Factory Floor album really should have been better than it was (I realise I’m in the minority with that one though), but…

Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: …reviewing it did give me a good excuse to spend much of my summer revisiting industrial and post-industrial classics. Particularly Coil’s Musick to Play in the Dark (both volumes).

Musical moment of the year: Even if most of The Knife’s live show was a bit of a mixed bag of faffing about, the Silent Shout climax really was quite something.

TV show of the year: Toss up between Utopia and The Returned (I’m not sure that either will stand up to being dragged out for a second season though).

Writer of the year: Hanna Rosin’s Craigslist Killers article might be the single best thing I’ve read this year.

Musical predictions for 2014: Miley Cyrus and Sinéad O’Connor duet at the VMAs. Death Grips release a Christmas album. Everybody goes back to forgetting about Robin Thicke’s existence (I may be confusing “predictions” with “heartfelt wishes” here).

Favourite member of One Direction: Larry.

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: The best year for music since 2010.

Artist of the year: The Knife

Track of the year: Blood on the Leaves

Surprise of the year: Either the fact that we got a good Bowie album this year or the fact that we got a good My Bloody Valentine album this year. I can’t pick one.

Disappointment of the year: I was disappointed by the way the critical community failed to really delve into major efforts, to be honest. A lot of extremely ambitious concept albums came out this year and the rush to be first and get hits overwhelmed the need for great music criticism that treats the album as a form of genuine art.

Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: Lisa Germano – Geek The Girl

Musical moment of the year: Waiting for midnight so I, along with however many other people, could finally listen to the new My Bloody Valentine album, only for the site to crash so we had to wait longer… before finally getting to take in what is really a great album.

Film of the year: Upstream Color, although if we can include festival films yet to receive releases, Jafar Panahi’s Closed Curtain.

TV show of the year: Could it be anything other than Breaking Bad?

Writer of the year: Ummm…I suppose it’s bad that I can’t think of one. I’ll say that the two reviewers I have most consistently enjoyed are No Ripcord’s own Stephen Wragg and Pitchfork’s Lindsay Zoladz.

Musical predictions for 2014: I don’t know what it will be, but there will be some shake-ups in digital distribution and streaming sites. Hold on to your Spotify accounts!

Favourite member of One Direction: I honestly can’t name a single one.

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: The cool kids have finally stumbled upon the polyphonic synthesizer (retro ones, of course). 

Artist of the year: Daft Punk

Album of the year: Boards of Canada - Tomorrowʼs Harvest

Track of the year: Daft Punk - Touch

Surprise of the year: Boards of Canada made a new album! AHHHHHHH!!!!

Disappointment of the year: Ghost BCʼs new album. Thatʼs what us industry people call a sophomore slump, folks.

Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: Miles Davis - In A Silent Way

Musical moment of the year: Titus Andronicus playing their last set at the now defunct Maxwellʼs in Hoboken, NJ; further proof that good things can never last.

Film of the year: Pacific Rim (Iʼm dead serious, it was awesome!)

TV show of the year: Breaking Bad (duh)

Writer of the year: All of my favorite writers are either dead or currently inactive, so Iʼm going to abstain from this one. I hear George RR Martin is making some good money though...

Musical Predictions for 2014: An intense space-race will erupt between Lady Gaga and The Flaming Lips (feat. Ke$ha, no less) over who will be the first artist to perform on the moon. The Flaming Lips will lose, of course, but will still play a follow-up set after Gaga. Coincidentally, an otherworldly ship carrying the clandestine survivors of an extra-terrestrial race and the cure for every ailment known to mankind will pass by the elaborate musical display. Although they are plenty amused by the humansʼ elaborate use of neon lighting and plastic tubing, the occupants of the shuttle will ultimately decide to pass Earth by and chart a course directly for the Sun. In other news, former American presidential candidate Mitt Romney will form a hip-hop collective with Sisqó, Dave Matthews, and the reanimated corpse of Roger Ebert. Too soon? Definitely too soon...

Favourite Member of One Direction: BeelzeBieber

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: Uh-huh, honey!

Artist of the year: Three-way tie. Deafheaven for coming out of nowhere with one of the year’s best albums (and proving to be an incredible live force), My Bloody Valentine for proving that their music is just as vital today as it was more than twenty years ago, and Oneohtrix Point Never for cementing himself as one of the greatest artists around today

Album of the year: My Bloody Valentine – m b v

Track of the year: Deafheaven – Dream House

Surprise of the year: Surprises becoming increasingly less surprising

Disappointment of the year: No Age – An Object. It was a good album with a few highlights, but it was seriously missing the power and momentum that trademarked their previous releases. The fact that it’s been three years since they released anything beforehand also didn’t help.

Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: Regarding releases right before 2013, Waxahatchee – American Weekend and Tyvek – On Triple Beams were serious highlights I more or less missed last year, and good kid, m.A.A.d city eventually clicked with me. 2013 Should also be considered the year I officially came to good terms with emo.

Musical moment of the year: The weekend My Bloody Valentine released their new album, followed by obsessing over how great the finished product was throughout the year. It made the particularly cold and snowy winter here in New Jersey all the more beautiful.

TV show of the year: Bar Rescue (yep, I’m serious)

Writer of the year: (Incoming cop-out alert) All of my wonderful friends here at No Ripcord!

Musical predictions for 2014: Outkast, Fugazi, and Hüsker Dü will reunite, thus rounding out just about any artist anyone ever wanted to return and allowing us all to move on. Then the Smiths will reunite and the world will end.

Favourite member of One Direction: The fat one

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: I can barely trace any widespread movements from 2013, and most of the greatest musical achievements seem to be markedly singular.
Artist of the year: Kanye West. During his infamous interview with Zane Lowe this year, Kanye said something that I think illuminates why I got so into what he’s been creating: “If you’re a Kanye West fan, you’re not a fan of me, you’re a fan of yourself. You will believe in yourself. I’m just the espresso. I’m just a shot in the morning to get you going, to make you believe you can overcome the situation that you’re dealing with all the time.” And then there’s that snapshot non-sequitur on Yeezus’ opening track, On Sight, from a song the studio went to great lengths to recreate when they couldn’t get sampling rights: “He’ll give us what we need / It may not be what we want”. It sums up my conflicted feelings towards the content of Yeezus. I do feel like I needed this record this year.
Album of the year: Oneohtrix Point Never – R Plus Seven. I didn’t expect this to be my favourite, because its appeal was more academic than emotive. Or rather, I found it beautiful and engaging, but in a way that I only understood when I gave the record more scrutiny. It sounds very new, but I don’t expect it to be influential; this record is the culmination of a lot of fascinating trends in underground music (particularly the hazy “vaporwave” movement), what Oneohtrix himself described as a “dialectical wheel” between the serious avant-garde and disposable background music.
Track of the year: Kanye West – Black Skinhead. I walk about twice as fast as usual when I’m listening to Black Skinhead. I should probably take my headphones off when I’m walking through the city at night, but it’s easier to just blast this song and feel invincible.
Surprise of the year: Laura Marling’s new record absolutely bowled me over. I am amazed by how much she moves on as an artist, on every record.
Disappointment of the year: A tie between Baths’ Obsidian and Dismemberment Plan’s Uncanney Valley. Two offensively bad records from groups who’ve done much better.
Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: Smog – Knock Knock. These songs made me feel grown up. In a year where I’ve kept trying to grow up several times, Smog soundtracked a lot of my walking and thinking time. Songs like River Guard and I Could Drive Forever said so much to me about my place in the world. Sometimes Bill Callahan said things that might seem immature, like “How can I stand / And laugh with the man / Who redefined your body?” and made them sound wise. There seemed to be a lot of universal truths on this record.
Musical moment of the year: The ending of You Are The Apple by Lady Lamb the Beekeeper – jaw-dropping.
Film of the year: I never see enough films, but Upstream Colour is the one which will stay with me the longest.
TV show of the year: It has to be Breaking Bad.
Writer of the year: Although he hasn’t had a very prolific year, I wanted to reblog almost every one of Mark Richardson’s tumblr posts this year. He has both my respect and my envy – his life seems so wonderfully connected to the music he listens to (check out his sideproject Invisible Music, where he posts tracks with no ID tags along with a personal experience to which he relates them). It makes sense that I connected with Richardson’s writing the same year I got into Smog. Richardson is a huge admirer of his, and the same wise attention to detail is what made me want to learn so much from them.
Musical predictions for 2014: I think two years ago I said Azealia Banks’ album would come out and it’d be huge, so I’ll refrain from making serious predictions, and instead pick an improbable-but-not-impossible band reunion: I choose Sleater-Kinney!
Favourite member of One Direction: Man, One Direction has not even entered into my cultural sphere in any meaningful way, which I suppose is something most people would envy. 

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: Not quite there.

Artist of the year: Laura Mvula, a new talent with a fresh sound

Album of the year: Modern Vampires of the City by Vampire Weekend

Track of the year: Step by Vampire Weekend

Surprise of the year: Lou Reed’s death

Disappointment of the year: The Flaming Lips’ The Terror

Musical moment of the year: Deerhunter on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Singer Bradford Cox’s psychodrama continues offstage, past the studio audience and down the hallway, ending at the elevators. 

Writer of the year: Fiction: Donna Tart (The Goldfinch); Nonfiction: Ray Davies (Americana)

Musical predictions for 2014: A sneaky invasion of soul sisters is underway. One hopes they push aside the swill that’s played on the radio.

Favourite member of One Direction: None of them, but I’m willing to date their moms.

 

Music in one sentence: One great release after another.

Artist of the year: Darkside earns it with two great releases: their excellent debut album and their remix of Daft Punk's Random Access Memories.

Album of the year: Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City. I had zero expectations and, for the first time in their career, they were truly impressive.

Track of the year: Banana Clipper – Run the Jewels. El-P and Killer Mike were a near perfect hip-hop combination.

Surprise of the year: Vampire Weekend releasing an absolutely incredible record.

Disappointment of the year: Besides another year without a new Avalanches album? Probably AMOK by Atoms for Peace. Not a bad effort, just not great.

Album I rediscovered: I'd forgotten how great Outkast's Aquemini was. Just great. 

Musical moment of the year: The [NSFW] Bound 2 video. Kanye has been visibly high profile this year, and this topped all the other absurdities. 

Film of the year: This was the year I changed demographics. I turned 24 and, like the advertisers predicted, I dropped off the map. I didn't see many movies, so I'll have to go with The Conjuring. A horror movie that was both well done and scared the living shit out of me.

TV Show of the year: How can the answer be anything but Breaking Bad?

Writer of the year: Bill Simmons of Grantland. His weekly football column ties humor, sports and pop culture together in the best way. 

Musical predictions of 2014: Joe Jonas, the most talented JoBro, releases a halfway decent solo album on an independent label. People stop giving a shit about Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus because, let’s face it, they're just not melting down well enough. Neither can hold a candle to 2007 Britney. That's how you set up a comeback. 

Favourite Member of One Direction: Harry. He dated Taylor Swift. Maybe she'll write a song about how she knows she's beautiful.

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: 2013 let go of the vice grip on the electronic fantasy and reminded us that more exists. 

Artist of the year: Lorde

Album of the year: Long. Live. A$AP by A$AP Rocky

Track of the year: Get Lucky

Surprise of the year: Lorde’s Pure Heroine

Disappointment of the year: When I figured out that Riff Raff exists.

Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: Grimes - Visions

Musical moment of the year: When Stephen Colbert blew your mind to Daft Punk’s Get Lucky

Writer of the year: Malala Yousafzai

Musical predictions for 2014: There will be more really talented 16 year olds that make me feel bad about myself. 

Favourite member of One Direction: HUH?!

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: The best got even better, and the worst got even worse (see: Top 40; with just a couple notable exceptions)

Artist of the year: Has to be Lorde. For no other artist will life change so much from year start to end.

Album of the year: Daft Punk - Random Access Memories. Best mix of quality, innovation, commercial success, and mainstream cultural relevance.

Track of the year: Get Lucky. Summer anthem, Pharrell, funk revival, etc.

Surprise of the year: Yeezus. Whatever people were expecting from Kanye, Yeezus was almost certainly not it.

Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: Eyelid Movies by Phantogram. No new LP since this one in 2010, yet they sold out my local venue two months ago and put on one hell of a show. Loved it in 2010, but bought the vinyl and have listened a dozen times since then.

Musical moment of the year: Has to be Miley Cyrus twerking on Robin Thicke, for all the right and wrong reasons.

Film of the year: Gravity, and it isn't close. I wasn't alive when people walked out of the theater after seeing Star Wars, but I imagine the experience and subsequent sensations were very similar.

TV show of the year: Breaking Bad. I haven't even seen it, but it's all my coworkers talk about and is undoubtedly the year's small-screen phenomenon.

Writer of the year: I'm going outside the box here with Evan Spiegel. True, what he wrote was code, but not every 23-year-old is capable of conceptualizing and executing a $3billion idea.

Musical predictions for 2014: By this time next year, we'll all be in collective awe of an artist that is currently unknown. That's the modern music landscape.

Favourite member of One Direction: I'll go with Harry. No particular reason why.

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: There is more to music than Miley Cyrus

Artist of the year: The National was certainly the artist of my year; I don’t know about anyone else’s. 

Album of the year: Trouble Will Find Me – The National

Track of the year: Don’t Swallow the Cap by The National. I’ve got post-it notes all over my house with the lyrics to that song.

Surprise of the year: I really didn’t see the Arctic Monkeys coming with such a knockout album

Disappointment of the year: Lady Gaga – ARTPOP was too tame and not at all convincing. I think the novelty’s worn off.

Rediscovered Album: Sharon Van Etten’s Because I Was In Love. I almost thought it was released this year. 

Musical Moment of the year: The Miley/Robin Thicke incident at the VMA’s. For better or for worse. 

Film of the year: Gravity. It was terrifying and mesmerizing and empowering all at once. 

TV show of the year: It’s been a really great time for TV shows lately, but this one will have to go to Breaking Bad. 

Writer of the year: Aaron Bady, a contributing writer for The New Inquiry, writes some impressive articles.

Musical predictions for 2014: Britney Spears will lip-sync her way through sold-out shows in Las Vegas while her manager asserts that she is singing live; Beyoncé’s daughter will release her first single at the age of 2; Arcade Fire will win even more Grammys so that the Academy can salvage their waning credibility after nominating a Taylor Swift song for Record of the Year in 2012; Kanye West will throw another tantrum. 

Favorite member of One Direction: That Harry Styles character

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: This was a year where some of music's biggest artists returned and managed to surpass expectations.

Artist of the year: Trent Reznor

Album of the year: David Bowie - The Next Day

Track of the year: Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused To Sing

Surprise of the year: The return of David Bowie!

Disappointment of the year: Besides Mantra and Cut Me Some Slack, I didn't find much to enjoy on the Sound City soundtrack. A shame, given the level of talent involved.

Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: I've dug deeply into Blur's back catalogue this year, specifically their self-titled and 13.

Musical moment of the year: Hearing an arena full of fans drown out The National on Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks to end the concert.

Writer of the year: Neil Gaiman

Musical predictions for 2014: Blur releases a new album by the end of the year. U2's new record finally comes out, with the band adopting a mature, subtler soundscape. Arcade Fire headline a night at Glastonbury for the first time [editor’s note: Joe predicted this before the announcement was made. He’s good, isn’t he?]. The new Foo Fighters album kicks ass. And all is well with the world.

Favourite member of One Direction: I'm pretty sure they're all just clones from some sort of boy-band superbeing.

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: Interesting singer-songwriters showed the others how it's done.

Artist of the year: Lorde

Album of the year: Sky Ferreira's Night Time, My Time

Track of the year: Disclosure - White Noise (featuring AlunaGeorge)

Surprise of the year: The overreaction after Miley Cyrus twerked

Disappointment of the year: Safe pop records by the big players

Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: Tori Amos' Little Earthquakes

Musical moment of the year: The genius way the Beyoncé album was packaged and released

Writer of the year: Bob Stanley for his book Yeah Yeah Yeah

Musical predictions for 2014: The demise of derivative EDM

Favourite member of One Direction: How can I choose between a bunch so talented that they finished third on The X Factor?

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: This year we've seen a lot of 70s revival - from Fleetwood Mac to Donna Summer - with a synth-pop, forward-looking vibe.

Artist of the year: Lorde

Album of the year: Lorde - Pure Heroine

Track of the year: Daft Punk - Get Lucky (This is the track that had the biggest impact on me, although I think it's obvious that the real track of the year is Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines, as far as both musical and political impact goes.)

Surprise of the year: Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Sacrilege. Amazing track from a band that I thought had really jumped the shark since its 2003 heyday.

Disappointment of the year: CHVRCHES - The Bones of What You Believe. Our expectations were way too high for this album.

Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: Class Actress – Rapprocher. Good Lord, how could I have missed this stunning Brooklyn/Philly electro-pop trio? It's honestly transformative. I hope they release a new LP soon.

Musical moment of the year: All the fuss and fervor (well deserved, I think) over the utter rapeyness of Blurred Lines.

Film of the year: Thanks for reminding me I don't watch enough movies.

TV show of the year: Arrested Development - Season 4.

Writer of the year: I've become obsessed with Mallory Ortberg, a blogger for The Toast. Her "Texts From..." series is some of the funniest writing I've had the pleasure of reading in years.

Musical predictions for 2014: I'm really hoping we get another push for originality. It's really tough coming up with fresh ideas these days, and there's too much of a temptation to reinvent the wheel instead of spinning it in an interesting new direction. How about some more soul/funk revival? Let's go with that.

Favourite member of One Direction: David Bowie.

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: Trap went mainstream; goodbye, trap.

Artist of the year: OAP MPV Danny Brown

Album of the year: Overgrown by James Blake

Track of the year: Hold On, We’re Going Home by Drake

Surprise of the year: MBV finally releasing an album

Disappointment of the year: The-Dream’s IV Play, definitely not a radio killa.

Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: Complex Simplicity by Teedra Moses

Musical moment of the year: R Kelly singing about being a sex dolphin.

Film of the year: I ain’t been cinema enough to say, bruv.

Writer of the year: Morrissey, for the first half of his autobiography before he started moaning.

Musical predictions for 2014: The nuptials of Mr Gucci Mane and Miss Miley Cyrus

Favourite member of One Direction: The first to realise the monster they’ve become, then leave and reveal the band's fetid secrets, like how Harry Styles huffs glue out of a YSL sock.

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: Top heavy.

Artist of the Year: Queens of the Stone Age. Produced an incredible record after a dark period for the band, incorporated such an accomplished range of extended family members into their writing and played some quite simply scintillating shows towards the end of the year.

Track of the Year: QOTSA - I Appear Missing. A haunting lullaby that evolves into a tormenting vortex, and it will have you looking over your shoulder, checking your wardrobes at night, and fighting a tidal wave of foreboding. Josh used his near death experience to add astonishing texture to this one.

Album of the Year: Kurt Vile - Wakin on a Pretty Daze. Just an amazing listen.

Surprise of the Year: Bowie bringing out an LP, and it being sensational.

Disappointment of the Year: One of the best bands on the planet, Arcade Fire, bringing out a double album which fell below expectations. Double albums can make or break a band, and they break more than they make.

Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: Yuck - Yuck. 

Moment of the Year: Arctic Monkeys’ Glastonbury headline set. Revelled in the limelight and smashed it after their underwhelming previous attempt.

Writer of the Year: Dan Carson (Line of Best Fit)

Musical predictions for 2014: The Smiths will headline Glastonbury.

Favourite member of One Direction: Miley Cyrus.

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: Sophisticated, adventurous and interesting - particularly pop and hip-hop.

Artist of the year: Arcade Fire (especially for their approach to the Reflektor campaign and to their live gigs)

Album of the year: Arctic Monkeys - AM

Track of the year: Daft Punk - Get Lucky

Surprise of the year: Daft Punk announcing a new album and subsequently releasing Random Access Memories within a matter of months

Disappointment of the year: King Krule

Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: Depeche Mode - Violator

Musical moment of the year: Seeing Chic at Bestival

Writer of the year: J.K. Rowling

Musical predictions for 2014: THUMPERS and Laura Welsh will find chart success, and Banks and Cyril Hahn will release albums to high critical acclaim. Azealia Banks will delay releasing her debut album again. By the time it is finally released, everyone will have moved on.

Favourite member of One Direction: Liam Payne (I admit, I had to Google the band members' names. I also admit that I picked Liam at random).

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: The year women took over as the powerhouses of song writing, and Bowie returned!

Artist of the Year: Julia Holter. It wasn’t an easy choice, with Bowie, Morrissey speaking out more than ever and his biog bringing attention to his back catalogue, and many others, but the album of the year led me to pick this lady.

Album of the Year: Julia Holter - Loud City Song. It’s a remarkable and unique journey from start to finish that goes a long way to symbolising how high the standard of the year’s music has been.

Track of the Year: Man Man - On Oni Pond. A modern pop classic. I still can’t stop playing it months later. A remarkable song.

Surprise of the Year: David Bowie’s return. What a way to start the year and what a way to silence those who had spoken out and predicted his retirement due to the length of his absence. His album, The Next Day, had taken two years to record and hadn’t been leaked to a soul. In the age of technology THAT is one heck of a feat.

Disappointment of the Year: Still no album by The Wrens or The Avalanches. Nothing from these two acts = sorrow.

Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: Nirvana - In Utero. Time and again this album reignites all faith in loud music and reminds us of what a tragic loss it was when Kurt Cobain’s body departed this earth. A classic and by far my favourite Nirvana record.

Musical Moment of the Year: The teased and eventual return of Arcade Fire. What a campaign, what a band, what an album, what a world they created. Magical stuff all the way!

Film of the Year: Before Midnight. In the cinema it was one of the only films I saw, and I had waited it for several years. It ended somewhat brutally, but it was real. Incredibly real, in fact. At home, The Hobbit, part one.

TV Show of the Year: Parks and Recreation. A mind-blowing TV comedy. All the main characters are exceptional, the actors fit the characters remarkably well. 

Writer of the Year: Morrissey. Who else could it have been? What a mind: scathing, beautiful, lonely and completely unique. A tragic and golden story told, by a master.

Musical predictions for 2014: The year will prove that 2013 wasn’t a fluke with some more incredible releases across the board. 

Favourite member of One Direction: I don’t know anything about that act (thankfully).

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: 2013 was a great year for lo-fi; sort of.

Artist of the year: Kurt Vile for making another great album!

Album of the year: Kurt Vile - Wakin on a Pretty Daze

Track of the year: Kurt Vile’s Wakin on a Pretty Daze, it’s just so lovely!

Surprise of the year: I finally graduated from college!

Disappointment of the year: Not finishing my collection of short stories for short people.

Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: Wild Beasts - Two Dancers. It’s simply haunting.

Musical moment of the year: Justin Bieber announcing he was retiring from music. There’s still hope in the world!

Film of the year: Frances Ha.  A frank and funny tale of youth and suburban life; think of Jim Jarmusch meet Girls.

TV show of the year: American Horror Story. A woman being burned at the stake, a witch being roofied, a demonic creature being beheaded, and that’s only the first episode of the new season…

Writer of the year: Stephen J. Dubner. An author, journalist and co-host of the Freakonomics podcast, a man of many talents. His writing has been a great inspiration to me. 

Musical predictions for 2014: The rebirth of disco-punk, well sort of.

Favourite member of One Direction: The one with the hair.

 

Sum up music in 2013 in one sentence: The year of the comeback (for better or for worse)

Artist of the year: Kevin Shields

Album of the year: My Bloody Valentine – mbv. So far ahead of the rest it’s almost laughable.

Track of the year: Arcade Fire – Afterlife. The key track from a flawed yet fascinating album.

Surprise of the year: That Bowie’s comeback album is actually pretty good

Disappointment of the year: That mbv was not even considered for the Mercury Music Prize due to some arcane ruling about it having to be released on a physical format. Come on guys, how do think most people purchase and listen to music these days?

Album released before 2013 that you discovered (or rediscovered) this year: mbv made me wonder if Loveless was really as good as we all remember. The answer? Yes, it was… Fuck yes.

Musical moment of the year: The death of Lou Reed. And the sorry sight of a BBC News obit piece: a brief bit of VU, Walk On The Wild Side, then silence until the Perfect Day cover. Really? No Ripcord’s retrospective provides some welcome balance. 

Writer of the year: Donna Tartt – another stellar comeback, this time of a literary kind.

Musical predictions for 2014: Further retrenchment by the majors, further fragmentation of the mainstream, more artists exist at the margins, meaning the margins are pushed ever outwards. 

Favourite member of One Direction: Who?

 

That was us - how about you? We'd love to hear from you in that handy rectangular comment box below. Happy New Year and here's to a great 2014!