Top 50 Albums of 2013 (according to Liquid Courage Media)

Our lovely Assistant Editor-in-Chief, Shannen Gaffney, also writes for Liquid Courage Media. This is their list of the top albums of 2013, co-written with Isabel Imperatore (in alphabetical order).

image
Allison Weiss – Say What You Mean
Allison Weiss’ No Sleep Records release, Say What You Mean, was an uplifting take on the more depressing moments of being a teenager-to-twenty-something. The first track, “Making It Up,” outlined the uncertainties of defining a relationship. Our favorite is the breakup pop tune “How to Be Alone”.

image
Beyoncé – BEYONCÉ
BEYONCE released a self-titled “exclusive visual album” on iTunes in the middle of the night without any previous announcement or promotion. Do I need to say anything else? Videos/tracks to check out: ”XO” and “Blue” (and the entire album).

image
Blood Orange – Cupid Deluxe
If we can use the word ‘groovy,’ Blood Orange released one of the grooviest records this year. “You’re Not Good Enough” encompasses everything you’ve ever wanted to say to your ex, and has been stuck in our heads ever since its recent release.

image
Brick + Mortar – Bangs
It’s hard to categorize and describe Brick + Mortar, which is a duo comprised of Brandon Asraf and John Tacon. They combine elements of alternative, electronic, indie, drum and bass, noise-pop, hip-hop, and punk. It’s aggressive, anthemic and catchy. The intense drum and bass parts are overlapped with Brandon’s distinct vocals and instrumentation like synths and guitar.  Listen to “Bangs” and “Locked In A Cage” and you’ll understand.

image
Charli XCX – True Romance
Charli XCX was definitely a breakout artist of 2013, and True Romance was one of the best dance pop albums of the year. Her obvious best track was “You – Ha Ha Ha,” but “Take My Hand” and “What I Like” were also equally addictive pop gems.

Continue reading “Top 50 Albums of 2013 (according to Liquid Courage Media)”

Top Played Artists 9/9/2013 – 9/16/2013

1    NO AGE    An Object    (Sub Pop)
2    SUPERCHUNK    I Hate Music    (Merge)
3    DIARRHEA PLANET    I’m Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams    (Infinity Cat)
4    ISLANDS    Ski Mask    (Manque)
5    FOOTBALL, ETC.    Audible    (Count Your Lucky Stars)
6    JACUZZI BOYS    Jacuzzi Boys    (Hardly Art)
7    TY SEGALL    Sleeper    (Drag City)
8    HUNX AND HIS PUNX    Street Punk    (Hardly Art)
9    COKE WEED    Back To Soft    (Self-Released)
10    OCTOPUS PROJECT    Fever Forms    (Peek-A-Boo)
11    WASHED OUT    Paracosm    (Sub Pop)
12    RED DONS    Notes On The Underground [7-Inch] 
13    WEEKEND    Jinx    (Slumberland)
14    PORCELAIN RAFT    Permanent Signal    (Secretly Canadian)
15    DIANA    Perpetual Surrender    (Jagjaguwar)
16    VOLCANO CHOIR    Repave    (Jagjaguwar)
17    SHANNON AND THE CLAMS    Dreams In The Rat House    (Hardly Art)
18    LEMURIA    The Distance Is So Big    (Bridge Nine)
19    FUCK BUTTONS    Slow Focus    (ATP)
20    MINKS    Tides End    (Captured Tracks)
21    DOWSING    I Don’t Even Care Anymore    (Count Your Lucky Stars)
22    FRONT BOTTOMS    Talon Of The Hawk    (Bar/None)
23    KID CONGO AND THE PINK MONKEY BIRDS    Haunted Head    (In The Red)
24    OWEN    L’Ami Du Peuple    (Polyvinyl)
25    GAUNTLET HAIR    Stills    (Dead Oceans)
26    A GREAT BIG PILE OF LEAVES    You’re Always On My Mind    (Topshelf)
27    HEBRONIX    Unreal    (ATP)
28    BASS DRUM OF DEATH    Bass Drum Of Death    (Innovative Leisure)
29    PORTUGAL. THE MAN    Evil Friends    (Atlantic)
30    PSYCHIC TEENS    Come   

Top Played Artists 7/16/2013 – 7/23/2013

1 KING TUFF Was Dead (Burger)
2 OWEN L’Ami Du Peuple (Polyvinyl)
3 SHANNON AND THE CLAMS Dreams In The Rat House (Hardly Art)
4 SMITH WESTERNS Soft Will (Mom And Pop)
5 LEMURIA The Distance Is So Big (Bridge Nine)
6 HUNX AND HIS PUNX Street Punk (Hardly Art)
7 SPEEDY ORTIZ Major Arcana (Carpark)
8 SURFER BLOOD Pythons (Warner Brothers)
9 SALVIA PLATH The Bardo Story (Weird World)
10 CAMERA OBSCURA Desire Lines (4AD)
11 PITY SEX Feast Of Love (Run For Cover)
12 BASS DRUM OF DEATH Bass Drum Of Death (Innovative Leisure)
13 SERENGETI Kenny Dennis (Anticon)
14 PRIMAL SCREAM More Light (Ignition)
15 GAUNTLET HAIR Stills (Dead Oceans)
16 ROBERT POLLARD Honey Locust Honky Tonk (GBV Inc.)
17 WILD NOTHING Empty Estate (Captured Tracks)
18 IRON AND WINE Ghost On Ghost (Nonesuch)
19 HALF MOON RUN Dark Eyes (Glassnote)
20 PORTUGAL. THE MAN Evil Friends (Atlantic)
21 BIBIO Silver Wilkinson (Warp)
22 MIKAL CRONIN MCII (Merge)
23 SIGUR ROS Kveikur (XL)
24 GOLD AND YOUTH Beyond Wilderness (Arts And Crafts)
25 HOT CHIP Dark And Stormy [EP] (Domino)
26 DAVID LYNCH  Big Dream (Sacred Bones)
27 PSYCHIC TEENS Come (SRA Records)
28 DEAFHEAVEN Sunbather (Deathwish)
29 LIGHTNING DUST Fantasy (Jagjaguwar)
30 OBLIVIANS Desperation (In The Red)

Top Played Artists 7/9/2013 – 7/16/2013

1 PITY SEX Feast Of Love (Run For Cover)
2 OWEN L’Ami Du Peuple (Polyvinyl)
3 SHANNON AND THE CLAMS Dreams In The Rat House (Hardly Art)
4 KING TUFF Was Dead (Burger)
5 SMITH WESTERNS Soft Will (Mom And Pop)
6 PORTUGAL. THE MAN Evil Friends (Atlantic)
7 SPEEDY ORTIZ Major Arcana (Carpark)
8 SURFER BLOOD Pythons (Warner Brothers)
9 CAMERA OBSCURA Desire Lines (4AD)
10 PRIMAL SCREAM More Light (Ignition)
11 BIBIO Silver Wilkinson (Warp)
12 IRON AND WINE Ghost On Ghost (Nonesuch)
13 SALVIA PLATH The Bardo Story (Weird World)
14 MIKAL CRONIN MCII (Merge)
15 NORTHERN LIBERTIES Collaboration (Badmaster)
16 SIGUR ROS Kveikur (XL)
17 LEMURIA The Distance Is So Big (Bridge Nine)
18 SONNY AND THE SUNSETS Antenna To The Afterworld (Polyvinyl)
19 GOLD AND YOUTH Beyond Wilderness (Arts And Crafts)
20 GRANDCHILDREN Golden Age (Earnest Jenning)
21 FRONT BOTTOMS Talon Of The Hawk (Bar/None)
22 CITY AND COLOUR The Hurry And The Harm (Dine Alone)
23 LIGHT HEAT Light Heat (Domino-Ribbon)
24 ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER Personal Record (Merge)
25 ROGUE WAVE Nightingale Nights (Vagrant)
26 BASS DRUM OF DEATH Bass Drum Of Death (Innovative Leisure)
27 OBLIVIANS Desperation (In The Red)
28 SOKO I Thought I Was An Alien (Community)
29 BOSNIAN RAINBOWS Bosnian Rainbows (Sargent House)
30 COOL GHOULS Cool Ghouls (Empty Cellar)

Top Played Artists 7/2/2013 – 7/9/2013

1 KING TUFF Was Dead (Burger)
2 PITY SEX Feast Of Love (Run For Cover)
3 SONNY AND THE SUNSETS Antenna To The Afterworld (Polyvinyl)
4 NORTHERN LIBERTIES Northern Liberties (Collaborations)
5 SHANNON AND THE CLAMS Dreams In The Rat House (Hardly Art)
6 PORTUGAL. THE MAN Evil Friends (Atlantic)
7 CAPITAL CITIES In A Tidal Wave Of Mystery (Capitol)
8 OWEN L’Ami Du Peuple (Polyvinyl)
9 IRON AND WINE Ghost On Ghost (Nonesuch)
10 GRANDCHILDREN  Golden Age (Earnest Jenning)
11 SIGUR ROS Kveikur (XL)
12 NATIONAL Trouble Will Find Me (4AD)
13 CITY AND COLOUR The Hurry And The Harm (Dine Alone)
14 WILD NOTHING Empty Estate (Captured Tracks)
15 BIBIO Silver Wilkinson (Warp)
16 OBLIVIANS Desperation (In The Red)
17 SURFER BLOOD Pythons (Warner Brothers)
18 SHMNS Between Here And There (Self-Released)
19 MIKAL CRONIN MCII (Merge)
20 LIGHT HEAT Light Heat (Domino-Ribbon)
21 SAVAGES Silence Yourself (Matador)
22 CAMERA OBSCURA Desire Lines (4AD)
23 BIG DEAL June Gloom (Mute)
24 GRMLN Empire (Carpark)
25 POKEY LAFARGE Pokey LaFarge (Third Man)
26 PASTELS Slow Summits (Domino)
27 CHEYENNE MIZE Among The Grey (Yep Roc)
28 BASS DRUM OF DEATH Bass Drum Of Death (Innovative Leisure)
29 DAUGHN GIBSON Me Moan (Sub Pop)
30 PRIMAL SCREAM More Light (Ignition)

Top Played Artists 6/25/2013 – 7/2/2013

1   CAMERA OBSCURA   Desire Lines  (4AD)
2   OBLIVIANS   Desperation   (In The Red)
3   SHANNON & THE CLAMS   Dreams in The Rathouse   (Hardly Art)
4   PORTUGAL. THE MAN   Evil Friends   (Atlantic)
5   CAPITAL CITIES   In a Tidal Wave of Mystery   (Lazy Hooks)
6   KING TUFF   Was Dead   (Burger)
7   PRIMAL SCREAM   More Light   (Ignition)
8   SONNY AND THE SUNSETS   Antenna to the Afterworld   (Polyvinyl)
9   GRANDCHILDREN   Golden Age   (Earnest Jenning)
10 THE NATIONAL   Trouble Will Find Me   (4AD)
11 WILD NOTHING   Empty Estate   (Captured)
12 ROGUE WAVE   Nightingale Floors   (Vagrant)
13 SIGUR ROS   Kveikur   (XL)
14 CITY AND COLOUR   The Hurry and the Harm   (Dine Alone)
15 SMITH WESTERNS   Soft Will   (Mom + Pop)
16 GRMLN   Empire   (Carpark)
17 MELORMAN   Waves   (Sun Sea Sky)
18 SURFER BLOOD   Pythons   (Sire)
19 SHMNS   Somewhere Between Here and There   (Self-Released)
20 MIKAL CRONIN  MCII   (Merge)
21 ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER  Personal Record   (Merge)
22 SAVAGES   Silence Yourself   (Matador)
23 BIBIO   Silver Wilkinson   (Warp)
24 EMILY WELLS   Mama Acoustic Recordings   (Partisan)
25 MOUNT KIMBIE   Cold Spring Fault Less Youth   (Warp)
26 POKEY LAFARGE   S/T   (Third Man)
27 THE PASTELS   Slow Summits  (Domino)
28 THE WOOLEN MEN   The Dog Years   (Woodsist)
29 WAMPIRE   Curiosity   (Polyvinyl)
30 LAURA MARLING   Once I Was An Eagle   (Virgin)

Top Played Artists 6/18/2013 – 6/25/2013

1   OBLIVIANS   Desperation   (In The Red)
2   MIKAL CRONIN  MCII   (Merge)
3   DEERHUNTER   Monomania  (4AD)
4   CAMERA OBSCURA   Desire Lines  (4AD)
5   WILD NOTHING   Empty Estate  (Captured Tracks)
6   FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS   More Than Just a Dream   (Elektra)
7   KING TUFF   Was Dead   (Burger)
8   THEE OH SEES   Floating Coffin   (Castle Face)
9   FRONT BOTTOMS   Talon of the Hawk   (Bar/None)
10  LAURA STEVENSON   Wheel   (Don Giovanni)
11  CAPITAL CITIES   In a Tidal Wave of Mystery   (Lazy Hooks)
12  GRANDCHILDREN   Golden Age  (Earnest Jenning)
13  ROGUE WAVE   Nightingale Floors   (Vagrant)
14  PORTUGAL. THE MAN   Evil Friends  (Atlantic)
15  MOUNT KIMBIE   Cold Spring Fault Less Youth   (Warp)
16  SAVAGES   Silence Yourself   (Matador)
17  MAL BLUM  Tempest in A Teacup  (Betterweather)
18  THERMALS  Desperate Ground  (Saddle Creek)
19  MELORMAN  Waves   (Sun Sea Sky)
20  PRIMAL SCREAM  More Light   (Ignition)
21  MINDLESS ATTACK  S/T  (Cephia’s Treat)
22  FLAMING LIPS  The Terror  (Warner Brothers)
23  ALPINE  A is For Alpine  (Votive)
24  SIGUR ROS   Kveikur   (XL)
25  SHMNS  Somewhere Between Here and There   (Self-Released)
26  ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER  Personal Record   (Merge)
27  BOMBINO   Nomad  (Nonesuch)
28  SCOUT NIBLETT   It’s Up To Emma   (Drag City)
29  SONNY AND THE SUNSETS   Antenna To The Afterworld   (Polyvinyl)
30  BROTHERS IN LAW   Hard Time For Dreamers   (WWNBB)