'Tis the season for us to commence posting "Best of 2013" lists. It's been a good year for music and we've invited a couple friends to submit their favorites for us to share with you. In the first edition of guest Best of 2013 lists, we have Miguel Chen from Teenage Bottlerocket, Jon Loudon from Restorations, and the lovely Laura Stevenson. We'll be bringing you these guests lists twice a week for the rest of December. Enjoy!
Miguel Chen is the bass player of Teenage Bottlerocket.
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Jon Loudon is the vocalist and guitarist of Restorations. From Jon:
Honorable Mention: Savages, Waxahatchee, Psychic Teens, Earthless, True Widow, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Superchunk, Night Marchers. Shout outs to Paint It Blackâs Invisible and The Smith Street Bandâs Donât fuck With Our Dreams EPs, too.
10
Hell : I-III Cassette Box Set Loweryourhead
Totally missed this band while they still had things in print. "I" "II" and "III" were the best metal(?) I stumbled upon this year. Wild band.
9
The National: Trouble Will Find Me
4AD
Thereâs been enough said about this record. "Hard To Find" is their best.
8
Frightened Rabbit: Pedestrian Verse
Atlantic Records
Again, maybe not their best, but this got a ton of spins. "The Woodpile" is Olympics-grade indie pop.
7
Self Defense Family: The Corrections Officer In Me [EP]
Family Drugs
Is that new full length out yet? The most interesting band in punk.
5
The Necks: OpenNorthern Spy
Slow. Really slow.
3
Bars of Gold: WheelsBellyache Records
They finally nailed it. Brilliant, and as good as (better than, at times?) anything Bear Vs. Shark ever did.
2
Mark Kozelek & Desertshore : Mark Kozelek & Desertshore Caldo Verde
This is my second favorite songwriter, joined here by a couple of musicians from some of my favorite records of his. Droney folk music with bizarre lyrics.
1
Bill Callahan: Dream RiverDrag City
This is my favorite songwriter. Maybe not his best record, but I listened to it more than anything else since it came out. "Small Plane" and "Summer Painter" are among his best. His lead guitar player deserves a lot of credit, too.
Laura Stevenson performs solo and also with Laura Stevenson and the Cans.