RAINY DAWG RADIO’S favorite music of 2013
RDR ON THE WEB
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LETTER TO THE READER
College radio is a tradition that over the years has changed the shape of the music industry, and here in Seattle, Rainy Dawg Radio is the online station that keeps college radio alive. Rainy Dawg is entirely student-run, owned and supported by the Associated Students of the University of Washington. Our station went online in 2003 as an educational outlet for students at the UW interested in the broadcast and music industries, as well as to provide entertainment for students, staff, and faculty. Since then, Rainy Dawg has grown to become an important part of the Seattle music scene, hosting in-studio performances, organizing concerts with local and touring artists, and providing a source for student-designed media. Although the station’s priority is to provide quality and diverse programming for the University community, its reach is global, and anyone, worldwide, can tune in to our live stream at www.rainydawg.org. Here are a couple examples of the kind on air programs we have offered over the past year, in addition to our blocks of indie/variety, electronic, hip hop, local, and loud rock: • A member of the UW community is brougt in during every Mixtape Monday night to share and reminisce on nostalgiac casette mixtapes • Historical moments in electronic music are chronicled and explored through all-vinyl sets on All Tomorrow’s Parties • SLOW SHOW features live chopping-and-scewing of contemporary and classic hits This year-end magazine, originally inspired by the Amoeba Records’ Music We Like, features a series of lists compiled by our staff, DJs, and volunteers. While most lists have stuck to the traditional “Top 10 Albums” format, we received some unique submissions this year that include “Best Nicki Minaj Verses of 2013” and “Best ‘90’s Club Labels Discovered in 2013” (among several others). Read on to find out about the music we listened to in 2013 that we liked enough to spend our nonexistent printing budget to tell you about.
Sincerely,
The Rainy Dawg
STAFF FAVORITES
/////////////// CAMERON McCREERY GENERAL MANAGER
SLOW SHOW
COCK & SWAN Secret Angles
weirdo kaleidoscopic pop music from bothell. very pretty songs. very chill vibes. i want to drive a big van out into the middle of a wooded area and sit in it listening to this album.
DUCKTAILS The Flower Lane
i think i listened to this album more than anything else this past year. these songs are soo catchy. sounds like cruising down the highway in a teal convertible with yr hair blowing in the wind.
INC. No World
these dudes have really got the formula down for smooth sexy r&b jams that are kinda sad but in a very appealing way. when i saw them earlier this year their keyboardist burned a bunch of cleansing herbs and it was v spiritual.
NATASHA KMETO Crisis
most of the time when somebody is labeled as a singer/producer one takes precedence over the other. natasha kills it as both. this album is v cool and so are her live sets. thumbs up.
ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER R Plus Seven
daniel lopatin is my hero. this album continues his streak of moving further and further away from conventional song structures into something at once nostalgic and totally new. v trippy also.
PERERA ELSEWHERE Everlast
if there are jungles in space then this album would be great to listen to while floating down a space jungle river. kinda trip-hoppy, kinda folky, very weird, very cool.
PURE X Crawling Up The Stairs
pure x is my favorite band. this album kinda sounds like if conor oberst had gotten heavy into shoegaze instead of country. some very sad songs and some not as sad songs and some great falsetto.
SATAN WRIDERS Black Eyed Kids
wow this album is so much fun! these dudes
are hecka cool and make great music that is v enjoyable to listen to. when i hear these songs i want to hang out with friends. shouts to young stktn.
WEED Deserve
this album makes me think about times when i listened to louder heavier rock music than i usually do and question why that ever changed. solid dudes, solid songs, solid.
YOUNG BRAISED Japanese Tendencies
young braised is the homie, and terio’s beats on this ep take his flows to another level. if you could go inside a computer and literally surf the web like in a teen sci-fi movie i would like to do that while listening to this. 20 honorable mentions because 2013 was a good year for music:
ALEX BLEEKER & THE FREAKS - How Far Away B00RADLEY - Avalon CHASTITY BELT - No Regerts DJ RASHAD - Double Cup DRAKE - Nothing Was The Same FRIENDZONE - DX HORSE HEAD - 3D ILLFIGHTYOU - ILLFIGHTYOU KID SMPL - Armour EP MISTER LIES - Mowgli THE NARX - The Narx NICE&AO - It’s Your Close Personal Friends Nice&AO OCTO OCTA - Between Two Selves PARTYNEXTDOOR - PARTYNEXTDOOR PERFECT PUSSY - I have lost all desire for feeling RHYE - Woman RYAN HEMSWORTH - Guilt Trips SPACE GHOST - Patient Mind UBU ROI - Nice Dude EP WHITE POPPY - White Poppy
/////////////// ERIN HALLIGAN ASSISTANT MANAGER
Me Time
I’m bad at lists and there was a lot of frickin’ good music this year, so I have included these ‘honorable mentions,’ but really I probably listened to these ‘honorable mentions’ more than some of the albums I wrote ‘blurbs’ about, I just didn’t write ‘burbs’ about: UBU ROI, Nice Dude EP; So Pitted, -_- EP; The Narx, S/T EP, Royal Headache, Stand and Stare/Give It All To Me 7”; The Funs, S/T LP; Terry Malts, Nobody Realizes This Is Nowehere; Eat Skull, III; Kremlin, Drunk In The Gulag. Here are 10 releases I liked + wrote ‘blurbs’ about:
WEED Deserve
Sounds like the Weed (band) we know and love, but with more yelling, noise + abrasion. I’m wearing a Weed (band) t-shirt as I write this and that feels nerdy but will give u an idea how much I like this band/ album. Visit weed.bandcamp.com.
V/A Ground Zero
I feel like a lot of people around these parts treat NYC as ‘the place to be’ and TBH don’t really get it but after hearing this album (which features the best contemporary NYC punk / hardcore) I’m starting to get it??!!?
PERFECT PUSSY I have lost all desire for feeling EP
I’d been ignorning Perfect Pussy all over my internet for a while before I gave it a try, then I felt like a huge frickin’ DING-DONG for putting it off that long. The the lo-fi punk ‘demo’ became one of my most-listened releases of the year, then I found out that the band ft. singer Meredith Graves of the nowdefunct and at-one-time-I-couldn’tstop-listening-to-them-either band Shoppers, then EVERYTHING MADE SENSE. Visit prrfectpussy. bandcamp.com please.
THEE OH SEES Floating Coffin
S/O to my sister for giving this
record to me for my birthday.
PARQUET COURTS Tally All The Things You Broke EP
I got into Parquet Courts too late in the game to include Light Up Gold on my Best of 2012 list, so I was frickin’ jacked when they released some material that I’d be able to include in my Best of 2013 list. DO NOT ALSO BE TOO LATE TO PARQUET COURTS. (PS. they released the EP’s single on a mixtape that features some other very tight bands, I recommend checking out the mixtape, too.)
LAZY Obsession
Another release that I’d been seeing on my internet but slept on, so I didn’t get to hear Obsession during summer and this would be a solid summer album. But it still kicks major butt + is packed with snotty punk. Their Don’t Die 7” that came out in Nov. kicks even MORE BUTT than Obsession. Visit lazy. bandcamp.com.
FUZZ Fuzz
This proto-metal LP was in such high demand that it delayed In The Red’s shipments to the point that ITR began apology letters + records with delayed orders (S/O to the folks at ITR, you’re all angels) but that demand/delay makes so much sense once you listen to this album b/c YES IT IS THAT GOOD.
SATAN WRIDERS Black Eyed Kids
Satan Wriders have come a long way from a ‘drum kit’ made of buckets and now please visit satanwriders.bandcamp.com.
MONOGAMY PARTY False Dancers Scariest Album 2013!!!!!
DAUGHN GIBSON Me Moan
/////////////// MATTHEW HINEA PROMOTIONS COORDINATOR
Hatred of Music
Um, I’m not sure how to...How to make this so it...isn’t ‘annoying.’ I used to be really into this type of thing. Last year, I think, I was really into it... I don’t really know how to talk about music anymore. I have to talk about music a lot, as a part of internships and other things I’m involved in, and it feels weird now. It feels too ‘outside myself ’ and my direct experience of the world. Like, this music doesn’t really have anything to do with me; I just like listening to it sometimes, or something... Anyways, I’m not going to say anything about the list, or put it in order, or anything like that. If you want to call me to talk about these albums, my number is (509) 768-5431. I can also do SMS messaging. Um, if you want to send me nudes, you can do that too. You don’t have to. Like, you have no obligation to send me nudes; it’s just an option that is available at this time, to be mentioned among the other options here. Here are the only albums I even liked from this year. Not trying to sound like pretentious or jaded or anything. The truth is I feel pretty lame only liking a handful of albums. There are 15 of them on accident. It’s not a ‘Top 15.’ I just had a table in my word document and that’s how many I typed in that I could remember (again not trying to sound ‘cool’ or anything like that). Uh, thanks for reading this thing.
MY BLOODY VALENTINE mbv CLEM LEEK Rest
ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER I was a little nervous b/c this croon- R Plus Seven er fleshed out his sound on this album, straying from the stripped vocals + sample composition that I hecka liked of All Hell, but don’t worry, everything still works.
TIM HECKER Virgins JARED SMITH Fjall
MOSKITOO Mytosis BOARDS OF CANADA Tomorrow’s Harvest DEAFHEAVEN Sunbather NILS FRAHM Spaces NO AGE An Object WEED Deserve BENJAMIN DAUER The Pace of Which RIOT MEADOWS Biotopes PAN AMERICAN Cloud Room, Glass Room PAUSAL Sky Margin A lot of these albums were pretty good I guess. I think the only one I felt excited by, in the traditional sense of anticipating and being ‘all about’ for a period of time (lasting somewhere between one & two weeks), then seeing the band perform it live live, and then having my excitement wane, was Deafheaven’s Sunbather. I’ve I’ve actually never even received a ‘nude.’ Is that the singular form, one ‘nude?’ Anyways, I also liked the Nils Frahm record a lot because I like everything Nils Frahm does, to some degree. I want to say something about shows. The two best shows I saw this year were Shigeto and No Age. I listened to a lot of Shigeto last year, during a period of time spanning late summer-early this winter. At his show at the Crocodile he played on his drum set for basically the entirety of his performance, and he got really sweaty, which was pretty cool, to see a drummer getting really sweaty like that. Once in high school my friend showed me a picture of a ‘nude’ that he had received from a girl who went to a different high school, which was basically like receiving a nude from a girl on
the International Space Station to me at the time. The No Age show was cool because I’ve been listening to them for years and finally seeing them live felt ‘fulfilling’ or something. They’re vegans and they seem like nice guys. The show was at Washington Hall, which was this weird jaunty 1950’sesque space that the Vera Project had rented out for the evening. I learned later that this was one of a series of shows No Age were doing in “nontraditional venues.” That was the same day their new record came out, and the staff at Sub Pop threw a bunch of beach balls at them at the start of their show. The beach balls were colored with the same sherbert-orange and white used in the album art for their new release. I still have one in my room that I keep inflated just to throw into the air in front of my face while lying in bed. It’s great stress relief. Also, I had a girlfriend at the time and she came to the show with me, which is always pretty rad, having a girlfriend, that is.
/////////////// PHILIP DAVID
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
The Flow
Not in any particular order; lots of Stones Throw luv.
FIDLAR FIDLAR
Sons of classic California punk group TSOL form up with two other dudes to make classic California songs about catching perfect lefts and getting fucked up with your homies. Every track is hot fire. Their EP’s are also tight af. Top 3: “Cocaine,” “Cheap Beer,” “5 to 9”
ACTION BRONSON Blue Chips II
Never have I heard an MC so deftly wrap bars about anal sex and braised lamb into a puff of the proverbial good-good. Fun-ass rap front to back. Top 3: “Rolling Thunder,” “The Don’s Cheek”, “Through the Eyes of a G”
GUMMY SOUL ‘93 Still
From a sheer arrangement and production perspective, this is one (if not THE) most impressive hip-hop release of the year. Wally Clark of Gummy Soul Records dug through every original sample used in classic ’93 rap releases, obtained original acappellas from Souls of Mischief, and went to fucking town. Top 3: “Live and Let Live,” “What a Way to Go Out,” “Make Your Mind Up”
DJ RASHAD Double Cup
Frontman of Teklife drops a footwork banger. Its got drank, kush, AND bars. Also fun screwed. Top 3: “Drank Kush Barz,” “She a Go,” “Pass that Shit”
JONWAYNE Cassette 3: Marion Morrison Mixtape
Jonwayne produces just as well as he raps, catches some tight features, and turns out the 3rd of three tight tapes in the past year or so. Top 3: “Blaq Prussian,” “Blaq Cowboy,” “Dog It”
QUASIMOTO Yessir Whatever
Your favorite yellow chronicsmoker is back with the grade-A haze B-). Top 3: “Broad Factor,” “LAX to JFK,” “Am I Confused”
HOMEBOY SANDMAN Kool Herc Fertile Cresecent Alias Boy Sand brings perhaps the smartest bars around to some smart beats, one of the better ‘conscious’ releases of the past year plus results. Top 3: “Men are Mortal,” “Dag Philly Too,” “Lonely People”
FREDDIE GIBBS & MADLIB Deeper EP
A few of my favorite Madlib beats in a while sound lovely under Gibbs,Gibbs, who’d sound right at home on a UGK record. Hot, introspective, even emotional. Top 3: “Harold’s,” “Deeper,” “The Long Walk Home”
JAMES BLAKE Overgrown
I don’t know how to adequately explain this album, only that it’s less ‘beat’-y, more ‘sing’-y, and still hot like all of James’ releases. Top 3: “Retrograde,” “Life Round Here,” “I Am Sold”
HBK GANG Gang Forever
Hot production, hot bars, fun fun time. Top 3: “Quit Cattin’,” “Down for the Click,” “She Ready”
/////////////// VLADIMIR SEPETOV
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Feel Good Jams Best Songs of 2013 1) ISAIAH
RASHAD “Shot U Down”
I’m not a rapper, I don’t have entirely grand hopes of becoming a star in the entertainment industry, but there was a moment that this song hit me like a ton of bricks. Drunk and in the apartment I had been subletting in Los Angeles for the summer, I had been going through issues in my personal life that were hard to resolve at the moment. Half way through a bottle of Tito’s vodka and laying in my bed, ceiling fan above spinning a light breeze on my body, this song was on repeat. I laced up my running shoes at midnight and started running, with this song blasting in my earbuds. I ended up coming home later, not entirely sure when, and putting cookies in the oven while I took a shower. I fell asleep, and left the cookies in. Thankfully my roommate took them out at a beautiful burnt crisp. I still ate them in the morning, and felt a lot better about my outlook. I finally “identified with music” in the most corny and truthful ways. This is the best song of the year, and most defines my year of 2013. 2) ARIANA
GRANDE “The Way” (feat. Mac Miller)
I’ll be honest, I first heard this song through the “recommended
videos” tab on YouTube, and let’s be real it was probably paid advertising through VEVO for this song to appear there. I was sitting at my desk in the Rainy Dawg Office. Cameron came up to me and said “Hey this is really bad.” I fucking loved it. I went and even made a playlist on Rdio called ‘Guilty Pleasures.’ This was and still is the only song on that playlist. Over the course of the past year it stopped being guilty. Everything about this song rules. A Big Pun sample, Bruce Almighty references, a former Nickelodeon child star sounds like Mariah Carey. This song fucking rules. 3) JUSTIN
BIEBER “All That Matters”
Ok, so I work at Rainy Dawg as the Music Director. Albeit, you would assume I have good taste in music. The fact that this is number 3 probably makes you question my taste. But this was the year of the Bieber. We all shat ourselves over “alt r&b” last year (i.e. Miguel, Jessie Ware, Frank Ocean) and Justin Bieber says “oh you like that huh? Well I’m gonna make a whole LP of it and then announce my retirement” Then I’m gonna go bone a Brazilian prostitute, get my monkey stolen in Germany, and get on a Gas Pedal remix. This is the best r&b song to come out all year. Sensual in and out.
RAI “San Francisco Street”
away. I knew he would be a star. Then I heard Acid Rain (s/o Jake One for the production) and I couldn’t stop listening. I’ve walked from Greek Row back to my house with tears pouring from my eyes at 2am with this on repeat being played a little too loud. Still gives me shivers. 6) LUCKI ECK$ “Count On Me”
An “underground” rap release in it’s finest form. This 16 year old kid from Chicago is awesome. This is the kind of music I think I would have made were I to be 16, but this is a lot smarter. Something about the line “trust me with your money / you can count on me” just makes me laugh. 7) DANIEL AVERY
“All I Need”
I put Daniel Avery’s album on the Top 50 and told everyone to download it. It was techno with heart, but actual techno, not pretty-boy Disclosure, not molly happy Tiesto, it was cold and rhythmic and repetitive, and sexy. This song would be the soundtrack if I ever fought anyone in slow motion in a warehouse. This song reminds me of that movie Blade, which I think is a movie about slow motion futuristic fighting but I could be wrong. I’ve never seen Blade.
CAITLIN ROSE “Pink Champagne”
4) SUN
8)
This past year my friend put me onto this song and I got shivers. I literally got shivers as soon as his vocals came in. I then proceeded to play it 50 times in a row in the house that I used to live in until my roommates couldn’t handle it. I actually want to be in San Francisco when I hear this, sunlight beaming through the window onto a bed of ruffled white sheets soiled from last night’s escapades. Rhodes, bass, drums, and love.
This is the first year I actually got country music. And not like “Man screw contemporary country music, JOHNNY CASH IS ALL I NEED” Like I actually delved into myself and asked why hadn’t I liked country before? There really wasn’t an explanation, it was probably an aversion to “corniness.” But then this year I started adoring what was corny in country (I also started loving EDM and how over the top and corny it is, but that’s another story). Everything from Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line to this sassy, ball of fire Caitlin Rose. And when I understood what was corny in country I was able to see the tenderness in the genre. And you full see that in this song, one about getting married in
5) CHANCE
“Acid Rain”
THE RAPPER
I had first heard of Chance my freshman year when I downloaded 10Day. Next I heard Juice. Then I saw him at SXSW perform before Kendrick and I was literally blown
Vegas, about following through on an empty love, and letting it all fall apart. Something about Caitlin’s voice, and the steel pedal and the softness in the lyrics. God. I’m blushing. 9) KATIE GOT BANDS “Pop Out” (feat. King Louie)
Ok this is my guilty pleasure track of the year. This song fucking bangs. I literally get so hype when I hear this. I want to get into fights when I hear this. Period. Done. That’s all I’m saying about this.
10) SUPERHUMANOIDS “So Strange”
I fucking hate indie music. And not “independent” music, I mean the genre of “indie.” It’s so droll to me. This is probably one of the only albums that could be classified as “indie” that I really, really loved. This is one of my favorite songs on the album, and it reminds me of palm trees and lost love. Just a good song. Really good.
11) TEEFLII “This D”
I have a good friend in LA named Tone, and LET’S BE REAL me & him are big fans of rap and r&b music. The story I remember most that we ever talked about is how “TeeFlii fucked my baby moms last year.” And that’s literally the kind of story I expect to hear about a dude who coined the term ‘ratchet’nb’ and whose chorus to this song is “so I give her this dick / yeah she want this dick / she gone get this dick” Btw this might be the only song I know of whose clean version is better than the dirty version. Replace the word ‘dick’ in above chorus with “ohhhh!!!!!” Best Nicki Minaj Verses of 2013
NICKI MINAJ “Boss Ass Bitch” (Remix) 1)
This one almost didn’t make it for 2013. But it came out on the 30th and wow. Get ready for your face to get slapped back and forth by one of the best verses of the entire year.
2) NELLY “Get Like Me” ft. Pharrell & Nicki Minaj
Nicki basically is the Kendrick on this if we are to compare this to “Control.” Unreal verse. It took Nelly trying to revitalize his career for her to say “ok, gonna need to go Monster on this track.” By the way this is one of my favorite videos of the year. 3) RICH
GANG “Tapout”
Nicki starts out her verse by singing “million dollar pussy” and that is why I love Nicki. She struts her femininity in a way that is powerful, sexy, and dgaf. 4) CHRIS
BROWN “Love More” ft. Nicki Minaj
I despise Chris Brown, but man this beat knocks and Nicki once again murders it. I don’t have much else to say. 5) DJ KHALED “I Wanna Be With You” ft. Rick Ross & Nicki Minaj
DJ Khaled “proposed” to Nicki Minaj this year (which made me worry how Drake felt) but he retracted this proposal and this song came out. 3 Favorite Slang Terms Learned in 2013
Babbage Thot Yike
Favorite Albums In No Particular Order
ARIANA GRANDE - Yours Truly QUADRON - Avalanche CAITLIN ROSE - The Stand-In SUPERHUMANOIDS Exhibitioni CHANCE THE RAPPER Acid Rap LUCKI ECK$ - Alternative Trap MIGOS - YRN
DISK-JOCKEY FAVES
/////////////// DENISE ZHANG
**YOU CAN’T SIT WITH US** RYAN HEMSWORTH Guilt Trips
The reason I’m proud to be Canadian. DJ/ Producer Ryan Hemsworth aka Remix Ryan Gosling has finally released his debut full-length LP and it was definitely worth the wait. Guilt Trips displays an intricate blend of trap, chillwave, and hip-hop and features vocalists such as Baths and Tinashe. This is a record that you will play on repeat as you lay on the floor with your eyes closed for countless hours. Get your ears ready and don’t say I didn’t warn you. Favorite track: Small + Lost (feat. Sinead Harnett)
GIRAFFAGE Needs
Oh god where do I begin? Giraffage aka Charlie Yin is the love of my life (but actually). Needs is the follow-up to his 2011 album Comfort. There’s a strong 80’s and 90’s vibe throughout the album that makes you want to jam out 24/7. Needs is a compilation of liquid bass beats and dreamy pad breaks and is an album you just HAVE to listen to and because Charlie’s such a great guy, the album’s totally free on his bandcamp so go download that ish now! #eargasm Favorite track: Close 2 U
TOKIMONSTA Half Shadows
TOKiMONSTA (Jennifer Lee) is female (WOW) and she’s Asian (WOOOOOW), two under-represented categories in the music scene and that just makes her all the more awesome. Half Shadows jumps all over the place compared to her previous more downto-earth project, Creature Dreams. From down-tempo to experimental, she’s obviously not afraid to take risks with her music and this album demonstrates just that. Favorite track: Go With It (feat. MNDR)
ALUNAGEORGE Body Music
Vocalist Aluna Francis and producer George Reid hail from UK and are quickly taking over with their debut album Body Music. Aluna’s alluring, doll-like voice mixed with George’s skittering beats gives us fourteen swanky tracks ranging from slow jams to “I’m going to blast this from my open car window” status. Get ready to fall in love with the duo and their love for 90s R&B.
TA-KU Songs To Break Up To
Incorporating instrumental hip hop beats, r&b, and experimental music, Regan TaKu Mathews from Australia is one of my all-time favorite producers. This albums is smooth as frick and it is exactly what the title says, mellow sadness for those brokenhearted folks. Following the release of this album, Twitter exploded with tweets like “Someone please break up with me so I can fully appreciate this beautiful album.” Whether or not you’re going through a rough time, Songs To Break Up To is a record that speaks to us all. Favorite track: I Miss You More (feat. Atu)
DAUGHTER If You Leave
An album almost too painful to listen to, London singer-guitarist Elene Tonra (Daughter) bares her soul in If You Leave. The album is so raw and damaged but the beautifully orchestrated music provided by Igor Haefeli and Remi Aguilella makes it all worthwhile. Elene’s dreamy and haunting voice is captivating, but her lyrics which describes her personal demons makes me want to curl in my bed and mope. For anyone who has their heart broken, you’ll find yourself agreeing to all emotionally provoking songs. Favorite track: Winter
THE NEIGHBORHOOD I Love You
Concluding their trilogy of releases that started with Thank You and I’m Sorry, the ‘Sweater Weather’ Californian quintet released their third LP appropriately titled I Love You. With wild samples and synths in addition to singer Jesse Rutherford’s pacey out-of-breath vocals, the album is a pensive spiel of nostalgia and smoky snippets of lust and angst. Favorite track: Let It Go
JAMES BLAKE Overgrown
The Brits sure know how to do music. James Blake once argued that his music was a purer representation of dubstep, he has now strayed away from those roots. Overgrown branches out from post-dubstep to more of a pop and R&B influence with the addition of ghostly vocals and minimalist chills. The album doesn’t have a common identifiable sound which is James’s philosophy when it comes to songwriting. Overgrown is definitely one of the most adventurous albums of 2013. Favorite track: Retrograde
NOSAJ THING Home
Jason Chung IRL. I swear I’m not listing all the Asian artists on purpose, they just make real good stuff. Nosaj Thing has worked with many hip hop artists such as Flying Lotus and Chance the Rapper, but Nosaj Thing is all about that powerful electronic sound. Home isn’t about the loud snapping snares, it’s about creating a hybrid of genres floating between ambient backgrounds and hints of drum & bass. With glitchy beats and atmospheric synths, Home is a collection of autonomic-inspired lullabies. Favorite track: Eclipse/Blue
MACHINEDRUM Vapor City
Machinedrum is Travis Stewart, a rising producer whose recent work has been characterized as a splice of 90s jungle and contemporary juke. Vapor City is a whole bundle of wonderful contradictions with its oddly introverted yet high energy beats. You’ll hear ragga vocals, plodding synth melodies, and splashes of synth in this jungle-y stomper of a collection but trust me, your ears will thank you. Favorite track: Gunshotta
/////////////// KIRIN WACHTERGRENE Retro Transmission
Top 10 Shows Attended in 2013
PETER HOOK AND THE LIGHT PERFORM MOVEMENT, and POWER, CORRUPTION AND LIES Webster Hall NYC, 9/13
1.
NOBUNNY, KID PUTO, PSYGOAT The District Tavern Tucson, 1/1
2.
NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS The Beacon Theater NYC, 3/28
3.
TROMBONE SHORTY House of Blues New Orleans, 4/26
4.
PATTI SMITH The Neptune Seattle, 2/27
5.
DEPECHE MODE Barclays Center Brooklyn, 9/6
6.
NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS The Paramount Seattle, 4/7
7.
PETER HOOK AND THE LIGHT PERFORM MOVEMENT, and POWER, CORRUPTION AND LIES Neumos Seattle, 9/25
8.
DEATH IN JUNE Reggie’s Chicago, 9/16
9.
KILLING JOKE Neumos Seattle, 4/30
10.
/////////////// ERIKA GAJDA
Slow Jamz With Erykah Gadu VAMPIRE WEEKEND Modern Vampires of the City
As an East Coaster in Seattle, I am constantly made fun of for loving Vampire Weekend. But seriously VW haters, this is an exceptional album. They allude to death in their most chipper song on the album - “Diane Young.” Cool! These Columbia grads are maturing in their style and remain the indie kings of the East. I highly recommend “Step.”
KANYE WEST Yeezus
For the past eight years I haven’t been able to decide if I love orhate Kanye. A couple of months ago I realized - I LOVE Kanye. Hemight be insane, but what good artist isn’t? Perhaps I like this album because “Bound 2” is reminiscent of his songs on “College Dropout.”
M.I.A. Matangi
This album is like 2010 all over again! First of all “Bad Girls” is an empowering song for ladies it’s okay to be bad! My current favorite on the album is “Know It Ain’t Right.” This woman brings in so many global influences and girl power, I can’t say a bad thing about her. album is fantastic and their music videos are even better. I recommend “The Fall,” “Open,” and “3 Days.”
BLOOD ORANGE Cupid Deluxe
SO SO SO GOOD. I suggest everyone just listen to this whole album. It’s just another reason why the European music scene is taking over.
ARIANA GRANDE Yours Truly
I thought the likes of Whitney and Mariah would never return - until Ariana Grande came into my life. I have been embarrassingly obsessed with this album (and her Christmas songs). There is so much 90s R&B influence in this album. Her voice is that of an angel. Listen to “Tattooed Heart,” “Daydreamin,’” and “Almost Is Never Enough.”
HAIM Days Are Gone
I want to be a Haim sister. They combine all that is good and put it into this one album.
CHASTITY BELT No Regerts
Yay for local bands! I’ve seen them live on more than one occasion and they rock every time. It’s so refreshing to see an all girl punk band sing about things like male ponytails and giant vaginas. Trés progressive!
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE The 20/20 Experience
It’s Justin Timberlake. I don’t have to say more.
RHYE Woman
Sad and sexy, just what every college student wants to hear. This
album is fantastic and their music videos are even better. I recommend “The Fall,” “Open,” and “3 Days.”
DISCLOSURE Settle
I’m very upset I didn’t get to see these guys when they came to Seattle. I repeatedly feel really ashamed of my sedentary lifestyle when I listen to this album. It’s the kind of music you would see in a movie with kids doing lots of drugs and having lots of fun.
/////////////// BEN OHRINGER
UK Rock Show w/ Ben DEAD SONS The Hollers and the Hymns This album kicks ass.
ARCTIC MONKEYS AM
released is very enjoyable.
EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Some of the happiest music around. They will bring back your faith in the world.
ATOMS FOR PEACE AMOK
An interesting album by a cool group of musicians. Chill listen.
ElLLIE GOULDING Halycon Days
Definitely more electronic than her acoustic singer-songwriter roots. I still love her.
/////////////// ELYSSE FEIGENBLATT Coast2Coast Beatz
One of my favorite bands releases their fifth excellent album. Truly awesome to see how far these guys have come over the years.
1. LORDE Pure Heroine
DAFT PUNK Random Access Memories
2. EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Although some believe it didn’t live up to the hype, I’m still a huge fan of even the most overplayed tracks. “Instant Crush” is among the more under-appreciated songs on the album.
HAIM Days Are Gone
I’m liking this album more and more every time. “Falling” is one of the catchiest songs I’ve heard in a while. These girls deserve all the success coming to them.
(fave tracks: Ribs, White Teeth Teens, Buzzcut Season)
(fave tracks: Better Days, This Life) 3. CAYUCAS
Bigfoot
(fave tracks: High School Lover, Cayucos, A Summer Thing) 4. HAIM
Days Are Gone
(fave tracks: Falling, Honey & I, The Wire, Let Me Go)
PICKWICK Can’t Talk Medicine
5.
ROBERT GLASPER EXPERIMENT Black Radio 2
6. THAO & THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN We the Common
The most likeable guys around. They love music and just have fun.
It’s an experience.
BELLAMAINE An Anxious Mind
Super fun band from Anacortes, WA. They don’t have a ton of material out, but what has been
WILDCAT! WILDCAT! Wildcat! Wildcat! EP (fave tracks: Garden Grays, Mr. Quiche)
(fave tracks: The Feeling Kid, Kindness Be Conceived, Human Heart)
7. Daughter If You Leave
(fave tracks: Youth, Smother, Still)
8. SMITH WESTERNS Soft Will
(fave tracks: 3am Spiritual, Varsity, Glossed)
9. SURFER BLOOD Pythons
(fave tracks: Gravity, Demon Dance, Say Yes To Me)
10. LADY LAMB THE BEEKEPER Ripely Pine
(fave tracks: Rooftop, Crane Your Neck, The Nothing Pt. 2)
/////////////// PAULINA ALVARADO
The Down Under 1. VOLCANO CHOIR Repave
although i didn’t think it was possible, justin vernon sounds better than ever. while before with bon iver, he usually sang in falsetto, you can tell he has grown fully comfortable with belting out his deeper more genuine vocals. i am so so happy to hear his falsetto every now and then however. repave is everything from empowering to soothing and refreshing. My favorite song on repave is for sure ‘comrade’.
2. TORO Y MOI Anything In Return
dont let me hold you downnn we can be there by nOow, wow theres no way i cant boogie to this. it makes me feel like im in a clothing store in paris later getting into the vehicle of my boyfriend.. the album feels like all of my thoughts are being read and answered. the beats are so funky and romantic that you cant help but be a part of the spell. im not the kind to judge a book by its cover but even if i was, the cover itself would win me over. its like the pattern of a cool guy’s tshirt and that is exactly what this album sounds like. hes alright. im alright. were alright. i am on the coolest date when i listen to this album.
JAMES BLAKE Overgrown 3.
‘retrograde’ is one of my favorites,
the drops when blake goes ‘SUDDENLY IM HIT!’ are like doses of adrenaline in a super smoky bedroom. odly enough this song is about falling in love which makes complete sense in the context of a bedroom - being blind with passion on the verge of exploding. ‘DLM’ is another one of my favorites, he is wearing his heart of his sleeves at this point. i think james blake has shown a greater side to his musical talent with this album through his lyrics. SEE YOU IN A 8 DAYS JAMES<3
DAFT PUNK Random Access Memories 4.
i played this absolutely non stop in may and june. this is what kept me going through studio classes.. i was super naive at first about it but i think this album is absolutely timeless in terms of its song/track progression. ‘giorgio by mordor’ puts me in a trance, ‘contact’ personally speaks to me (sounds as if aliens are communicating with us), and last but not least, PHARRELL. nuff said. at this point though, daft punk could do whatever they want and be so on point with it. 5. SAMPHA
Dual
emotional and empowering vocals. perfect breakup album lol. with the emotional and empowering vocals. perfect breakup album lol. 8. V/A
Great Gatsby Soundtrack
i am equally obsessed with this album as i am with this movie. the cherry on top for me was the xx song ‘together’. it’s everything i could have ever wanted in an xx song- you can completely sense the prolonged tension meant to reflect daisy and gatsby!!!! their voices are so seductive (as per usual) and the melody of the guitar is such a tease, i just can’t!! 9. FOALS Holy Fire
perfect roadtrip album to have in the car :D
ARCADE FIRE Reflektor
10.
GREAT record. they are such weirdos and it makes me feel glad to be a weirdo too. LOOK AT THOSE NORMALS GO hehe
/////////////// ATOOSA MOINZADEH xxlifeofpainxx
UH SO GOOD PPL!!! his musical talent is everything any kind of lover would want to hear. favorite songs on this album have got to be ‘without’, ‘indecision’ and ‘can’t get close’. there is something about this album that sounds so fragile, i find it so comforting and beautiful.
Top ten lists take the fun out of everything. I had a very hard time making a “Top 10” list and gave up on ranking these, so I figured I would just list some 2013 releases I enjoyed, in no particular order:
CHROME SPARKS Sparks EP
DANNY BROWN OLD
6.
marijuaaanaaa dontchu wannaaaa??? this ep is so groovy, it just makes me wanna move ma body. my favorite one on here is ‘send the pain on’ - it just sounds as if it belongs in a dream.
7. DAUGHTER If You Leave
this is a beautiful album. its pretty sad but it just sounds like a reminder of how human we are during sad times. the intrumentals whisper and at times they shout but its always in rhythm with the
DEAFHEAVEN Sunbather
BOARDS OF CANADA Tomorrow’s Harvest TITLE FIGHT Spring Songs KING KRULE 6 Feet Beneath the Moon MOUNT KIMBIE Cold Spring Fault Less Youth
EARL SWEATSHIRT Doris KENDRICK LAMAR good kid, m.A.A.d city THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AN I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE Whenever, If Ever Additional thoughts/Shameless self promotion:~2013~ was *monumental* for mebecause I further delved into punk and hardcore music as a result of a coworker and was constantly swapping music. Punk subculture has encouraged me to channel my beliefs/rage, start a show on Rainy Dawg, and get into zine making. . . . . . . . . . . . Punk -changed- my life. . . . . . . ///I am starting the compilation of a zine for UW MiXed Club centered around “mixed identity”if this sounds appealing to you or you would like more information, please email me at amoinza@ gmail.com.\\\
/////////////// EMILY BEHRENDT xxlifeofpainxx
1. PROTUGAL. THE MAN Evil Friends 2. DEFEATER Letters Home 3. THE FRONT BOTTOMS Talon of the Hawk 4. FRENCH FILMS White Orchid 5. MIDLAKE Antiphon 6. WOLF DOWN Stray From the Path 7. WAXAHATCHEE Cerulean Salt 8. ALCOA Bone and Marrow 9. CITIZEN Youth 10. TOUCHE AMORE Is Survived By
/////////////// THOMAS NEUMAN
10. DISCLOSURE Settle
Though not a bad album by any musical means, Settle only barely worked its way into my top ten. What it comes down to is the fact that while the duo’s full-length debut was fun for a time, the appeal didn’t last very long. But, hey, a flash in the pan is still a flash, and very little else this year managed to tickle me as “Settle” did for that brief period. 9. TRANSPLANTS
In a Warzone
While the punk/rap supergroup may not be for everyone, this latest contribution from Transplants had earned a small place in my heart. It maintains the good parts of the band’s style, but it’s often repetitive and hardly novel. Regardless, it’s a solid effort, and deserves some recognition. 8. JUSTIN
BIEBER Believe (Acoustic)
As someone who still doesn’t get the near-universal hatred for the pop singer – the kid’s got a legit voice, and that’s really all that matters to me – I can assure you this album’s a good one. There’s very little new material on the album, however; it’s mostly acoustic renditions of songs that have already been released, though I personally prefer the fresh take and mellow tone. Though I can’t promise it’ll please the naysayers, it’s worth listening through at least once. 7. FALL OUT BOY Save Rock and Roll
Were the album title not completely tongue-in-cheek, it would have been disqualified on the grounds of failing at its purpose. But regardless of what it did for rock music, and regardless of whether the genre even needed saving, Fall Out Boy put out a high-quality album, returning from their hiatus on a relatively high note. Standing on its own, it sounds great, but when placed in the context of FOB’s history, I’m
forced to feel disappointed and thus can’t place the album any higher on this list. 6. SERJ TANKIAN Orca
Maybe it’s just because I’m a sucker for symphonies, but I thoroughly enjoyed Serj’s foray into classical composition. Though a bit hollow at times, and melodically predictable at others, it’s worth more than a single listen. The biggest problem with this release is that it means System of a Down isn’t back together – but that’s a different discussion, in truth. If Serj continues down his current path and chooses to write another symphony or two, I’ll be on board and expecting great things. 5. LA
LUZ It’s Alive
A very recent addition to my collection, this year’s release from La Luz came as a pleasant surprise. Though admittedly I had scarcely heard of the band before It’s Alive, this indie surf-rock album is soothing without ever being dull, and upbeat without ever being harsh. It’s good all around, and I look forward to hearing more of La Luz. 4. KANYE
Yeezus
WEST
Hell, I’m not even that big a fan of hip hop, let alone Kanye. But Yeezus is impossible to avoid (You might even be thinking about how my decision to include it on this list is completely unoriginal.) and with good reason. I don’t care who you are; this album is real good, and that’s all there is to say. 3. THE POSTAL SERVICE Give Up: 10th Anniversary Reissue
You can kick and scream all you want about how “That album came out ten years ago, it doesn’t count!” or “They only added two new songs!” The Postal Service’s sole offering may be ten years old, but it’s hardly aged a day. It’s as good an album as ever, and if the originality of new artists can’t compete with the tried-and-true quality of “Give Up,” then they’re gonna lose their spot on the list.
Sorry, get used to it. This album’s great, no matter when you put it on store “Anniversary Reissue” shelves. 2. FLATBUSH ZOMBIES BetterOffDEAD
After hearing the Zombies’ first mixtape, “D.R.U.G.S.,” it seemed as though nothing the hip-hop duo, or any modern rap artist, could do would ever top that. Then came September of this year. “BetterOffDEAD” is a stellar effort, to say the least: alternately aggressive, laid-back, and everywhere in between, and never without being as catchy as any Zombies piece.
BAD RELIGION True North
1.
After more than thirty years, Bad Religion is still kicking, and I’ll admit that their 2010 album, The Dissent of Man had me wondering on if it was time to stop. I’ve since taken their latest release, True North as a sign for me to eat my hat. It’s just about everything you could want from a BR album: it’s clever, critical, catchy, and quick as ever. If it has a flaw, it’s that it’s 36-minute runtime is not enough. I could go on and on, but I think a better idea would be for you to just give this album a listen (or five (or twenty)).
/////////////// JEFFREY ECHERT Distant Stations
NEKO CASE The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You
1.
THE NATIONAL Trouble Will Find Me
2.
OKKERVIL RIVER The Silver Gymnasium
3.
4. MAN MAN On Oni Pond
MY BLOODY VALENTINE mbv
5.
WIDOWSPEAK Almanac
6.
MOONFACE Julia With Blue Jeans On
7.
ARCADE FIRE Reflektor
8.
SAVAGES Silence Yourself
9.
10. BILL
CALLAHAN Dream River
/////////////// JEFF SABLOSKY Going Under 1. KURT
VILE Walkin On A Pretty Daze
Walkin on a Pretty Daze isn’t just a record, it’s a hazy dream world that Vile has invited his listeners to explore and enjoy. Songs like “Walkin on a Pretty Haze” and “Goldtone” are expansive landscapes that exude tranquility and provide the perfect way to just get lost in a blanket of chill sound. But what really defines this album is the depth of his lyrics mixed with the spaciousness of the music. My absolute favorite moment from this record is the song “A Girl Called Alex,” where Vile brings the listener into his fantasy infinity where no one is ever emotionally abandoned or hurt. That feeling of safety and calm encapsulates the direction of the album creating a unique and memorable experience every time you press play. No other album delivers an experience so complex while seeming so seamless like Walkin on a Pretty Daze accomplished this year.
2. PHOSPHORESCENT Muchacho
Since Muchacho’s release I’ve been on a lookout for a song better than the lead single “Song for Zula” but of course, nothing could top the Phosphorescent’s titanic offering. “Song For Zula” is unquestionably my favorite song of the year with its powerful instrumental cadence backing mixed with Matthew Houck’s emotional soul bearing lyrics. Its power never deviates and only intensifies as the song pro ceeds through its entire sixminutelength. But to say that
Muchacho’s success is entirely founded on one song is completely unfair. Muchacho in its entirety is a phenomenal mix of folk and indie sounds that captivate and leave you wanting more by the time the record’s done. 3. DANNY
Old
BROWN
Honestly prior to Old I thought Danny Brown was just another turn up rapper that was all sound with no substance. But giving Old a shot turned into a fantastic decision as the album demonstrates a cognizance in Danny Brown barely found in his peers. While you have the quintessential turn up songs throughout the album, the amazing part is the hangover detailed in the songs that immediately follow them. After each party anthem there is a hangover where Brown derides himself for his harsh decisions created a dynamic structure not found on many songs in rap. Ultimately, Danny Brown achieved a dichotomy on this album that tells the story of the up and down toxicity in his life. 4. DAWN
OF MIDI Dysnomia
After listening to Dsynomia, the only appropriate response is what was that and I have to listen to it again. Dysnoma is a free form jazz album done right, showcasing dynamic continuity with each unique song flowing perfectly into the next. The album has to be listened toas a whole to really be enjoyed and it serves as my under the radar favorite for the year. 5. LAURA
MARLING Once I Was An Eagle
Laura Marling’s release this year solidified her place as one of the brightest voices in music and the heir apparent to the career of female folk legends like Joni Mitchell and Carol King. Once I Was An Eagle is a concept album documenting the how love develops both in and out of relationships. Marling’s vocals are phenomenal and her lyrics are biting as she continuously showcasesher talents throughout the album. This album is Marling’s finest in
her young career and solidified her place as an artist to watch for years to come. 6. MIKAL CRONIN MCII
Cronin’s MCII is a vivid garage rock piece detailing the feelings of trepidation and anxiety felt by every young individual. It ebbs and flows from dank guitar riffs to piercing rock and roll shrieks. Probably the most fun album I listened to all year and definitely one of the most enjoyable. 7. DARKSIDE
Psychic
My favorite electronic album of the year, Psychic provides a lot of vibes in one compact album. From the opener “Golden Arrow” to “Paper Trails,” it’s easy to get lost in this sprawling creation. Psychic provides a continuously mellow vibe that showcases a different side of Nicholas Jaar’s creative mind. 8. BURIAL
Truant/ Rough Sleeper
Wood blocks on wood blocks on wood blocks. Burial always delivers and this years offering provides some of his most interesting work yet. 9. KA Knights Gambit
A release that didn’t get nearly enough recognition as it deserved, Ka’s Knights Gambit has no tricks but is all substance. Deviating from the overproduction found on a lot of rap right now, Ka’s release is founded on his strong lyrics and powerful flow. This record is perfect for rap traditionalists and purists who prefer message to style. But don’t look over Ka’s instrumental offerings either, his production is consistent and acts as a great compliment to Ka’s heated rhymes.
10. THE MEN New Moon
New Moon offers a more dynamic side to these punk rock staples. Less loud and more vivid, New Moon showcases varied offerings of songs that will keep you coming back for more.
/////////////// DAVID BJELLAND Nothing Ever Happens
Spending enough time ranking albums and you start to realize that between the songs themselves, the thematic unity, transitions, production, and all the other pesky intangibles, there are just too many variables to make it a meaningful exercise. Ranking songs seems like a natural choice, then, but I still run in to the same problem – after all, what is a song but the sum of individual moments across its 3-5+ minute span and the relation of all those moments to each other? The resolution I found is pretty simple: here are the top 30-second-or-less Musical Moments of 2013: 5. JAMES
BLAKE “Retrograde”, 1:36-1:40
“Suddenly I’m [whomp] HIT!” – I think this pretty much speaks for itself. 4. ARCADE
FIRE “It’s Never Over (Oh Orpheus)”, 2:55-3:33
“It seems like so important now, but you will get over it” – the warm, tender heart of the new self-aware, ironically glamorous incarnation of The Little Indie Band That Could. 3. VAMPIRE WEEKEND “Hannah Hunt”, 2:59 – 3:18
Listening to “Hannah Hunt” is kind of like listening to the Josh Groban version of “O Holy Night”. … Allow me to explain. You spend the entire song knowing, privately, precisely, the note you want to hear. You are powerless to do anything but long for this release that seems never to find you, as Josh reaches for pitches a 5th, and later a 3rd, below that earth-shattering, impossible note that will set you free. By 3:30, you are beginning to pity yourself for imagining that such release was possible with a human voice; indeed, doubting even the mechanical possibility of such a note being produced in the
mortally flawed system of lungs, throat, and resonant nasal cavities. You have gone through too many cycles of expectation, disappointment, and self-chastising to truly hope anymore, and begin the process of convincing yourself you could truly be happy with that anti-climactic but reliable and supportive “B”. Then it happens. In the final stretch, the tympanis swell, the brass announce the entrance of some unknown, majestic something, and you can basically just see the whole orchestra stretching and fidgeting, preparing to really drop the schmaltz bomb. You will your body not to hope, but hope it does. Then, at 3:42, he hits it – that godly F# - and the sky is ripped in half. Clocks around the world freeze. Oceans part. You feel like you are listening to “My Heart Will Go On” for the first time with the guileless mind of a child (I mean, it’s basically the same melody). Anyway, that’s what it feels like when Ezra hits that high B (it’s an octave higher than the one in “O Holy Night”, for the record) in the final verse - “If [wait for it] I! Can’t! Trust! You! then damn it, Hannah, there’s no future; there’s no answer”. And while I have nothing but respect for Josh Groban’s vocal talent and business sensibilities, I gotta say – the moment’s more gratifying coming from Vampy Weeks, in their absolute artistic prime, than a Josh Groban Christmas album. 2. THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE “A Picture of a Tree That Doesn’t Look Ok”, 1:45 2:12
P4K, Stereogum, and Buzzfeed are all in agreement - there is this thing called “The Emo Revival” happening right now. Just picture it: after the decade-long nuclear winter that was “mall-emo” (for lack of a better word), all the shy, sensitive, bespectacled, messengerbag-totin’ guys begin to emerge, eyes squinting against the barelyfamiliar sun, from the hatches of
their underground bunkers; revitalized by the stacks of Cap’n Jazz and Mineral and Christie Front Drive CDs that served as their only diversion from minderoding boredom and emotional starvation through their subterranean adolescence, they set out in earnest to create the music of a new millennium, combining the their forefather’s emo with a totally modern, totally blog-able vitality… it would be the people’s music. Either that, or great bands have been going this whole time in the mile-wide blind spot that is emo, and blogs needed a new “thing” to happen. Jury’s still out. However, if there’s a case to be made that emo really is undergoing a sudden reinvention, or quantum leap forward, The World is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die (TWIetc) are exhibits A, B, and C. Mixing the emotional pacing and spaciousness of post-rock, synth-lead-heavy infectiousness of power-pop, and the concrete, criminally-sincere storytelling of folk-punk, TWIetc obviously have their sights set higher than your average twinkle-core lifers. Across its #&*$-I-can’t-believe-it’s-only 35 minutes, the debut full length Whenever, If Ever seamlessly weaves together shining little moments of friendship, wanderlust, uncertainty, and the weird, liminal hinterlands between youth and adulthood into an experience that totally overwhelms you with lifeaffirming energy. The real fire-hose moment comes at 2:00 when they ask “Where do the echoes from the echoes? Where does the water go when it leaves our homes”. If it sounds dumb out of context… well, it might, but I dare you to get on their level and listen to the whole thing, loud, attentively, without shivering. 1. THE KNIFE “Full of Fire”, 8:55 - 9:17
If you know me, you know that two things I have an unabashed love for are a) inhuman, punishing, industrial “dance” music and b) radical gender politics. Knowing this (as you now do), I really
don’t even need to explain why or how much I love the new Knife album, Shaking the Habitual, and particularly its 10-minute “single”, “Full of Fire”. The Knife understand that dancing is fundamentally an out-of-body experience, and more importantly, that pretty much everything outside of our warm, cushy, hospitable bodies is cold, unforgiving, and wholly foreign to our pitiful little minds. What’s that? The floor is melting? You feel like your limbs are connected by invisible marionette strings to the hands of Old Gods as you helplessly, rhythmically convulse to the mutilated sounds of The Wasteland? That, my friend, is what dancing is supposed to feel like, and “Full of Fire” captures this disorientation and menace like nothing else you or I have ever heard. The crowning jewel comes in the home stretch, when the floor suddenly falls out beneath the beat and a horrifying androgynousandroid mutation of Karen Dreijer beckons, “let’s talk about gender baby, let’s talk about you and me”. It’s a sly, post-modern nod to third-wave feminists Salt n’ Peppa and their patriarchy-shattering hit “Let’s Talk About Sex”, and a sign that maybe – just maybe – there might be a hint of irreverence lurking behind all those brainmelting tones and radical rhetorical gestures. Either way, Karen, I’m under the spell and ready to submit - let’s talk about gender.
is a mix of old and new.
/////////////// JOHNNY HOWE
TAKU Songs To Break Up To
The Night Trail
In no particular order:
WASHED OUT Parocasm
Summer vibe soundtrack with slow jams and groovy beats.
HOLY OTHER Held
Premier album of alien harmonies and euphoric vocals.
ESTA Gradient
Hip-Hop beats with a mix of quick breaks and dreamy synth.
MOODS Seasons EP
1 of 3 superb EP’s this year, a soulful ride with futuristic rhythms.
DAFT PUNK Random Access Memories An instant classic.
JUICY J Stay Trippy
Best yet from this trap fiend, #DAMNSONWHEREDYOUFINDTHIS
DANNY BROWN Old
Schizophrenic flow, from heavy hip-hop to EDM.
/////////////// JUSTIN HWANG
**YOU CAN’T SIT WITH US** RYAN HEMSWORTH Guilt Trips
FLUME Flume Deluxe Edition
ODESZA My Friends Never Die EP
VINCE MENSA Innanetape
TEEN DAZE Glacier
DREAM KOALA Odyssey EP
Chock-full of chill sensations and funky kinetics.
Dreams galore, zone out to this before you conk out.
BOARDS OF CANADA Tomorrow’s Harvest
Intricate and haunting, this album
SON LUX Lanterns
DISCLOSURE Settle
BONDAX Gold Ep ALUNAGEORGE Body Music JAMES BLAKE Overgrown
/////////////// KYLE BERGMAN Westnorthern Music THE NATIONAL Trouble Will Find Me
It seems every time I think I cannot love The National any more; they go and put out a new album that refines and reimagines all of the qualities that make The National great. Trouble Will Find Me expands the carefully crafted morose that The National is known for into new territories. “Don’t Swallow the Cap” is probably The National’s most accessible song to date, but that does not mean that The National compromised the integrity of their previous work. The album is chock full of songs that classic National fans will love as well as draw in new ones, it is definitely one of my favorite albums of 2013.
ARCADE FIRE Reflektor
Forget everything you knew about Arcade Fire. The guitar driven indie rock anthems of Funeral? Gone. The organs and songs about cars? Gone. Reflektor is an entirely different beast, and is one to propel Arcade Fire into the upper echelon of artists. They strive to be different, creative, and will never settle for album just to appease fans of their old work. This double album is a disco tinged epic that will make you both dance and ponder your own existence. The only possible detractor from this otherwise surprising album is that some of the tracks drag on a bit too long.
MAJICAL CLOUDZ Impersonator
In the vein of Youth Lagoon’s The Year of Hibernation, Majical Cloudz’ album Impersonator is an immensely intimate album that
relies on the pathos of its lyrics and the wide open spaces created by sparse instrumentation. Album highlight “Turns Turns Turns” has yet to leave me not mouthing along and looking like a fool when I drive in the car. Each carefully crafted anecdote of Devon Welsh is a window into their world, and in turn the listener can relate his or her own stories those of Majical Cloudz.
VOLCANO CHOIR Repave
Justin Vernon seems to never take a break. Earlier this year, he put out an album with the Shouting Matches and last August he put out his second album with Collections of Colonies of Bees under the name Volcano Choir. Repave is a massive album that feels like the missing link between For Emma, Forever Ago and Bon Iver. The album swells and retreats, whispers and shouts, and never ceases to hook the listener in. From the gentle guitar intro of “Tiderays” to the cathartic shouts of “Byegones”, Repave is another win to put in Vernon’s record books.
DISCLOSURE Settle
It’s impossible to talk about the best albums of 2013 without even a mention of Disclosure. They came on the scene out of nowhere and floored fans and critics alike. Settle is both a cohesive album and a collection of catchy singles destined for dance floors across the globe. Normally a myriad of guest vocalists spell disaster for a dance album, but Disclosure’s unique style comes through on each track. Go ahead and try and listen to “Latch” or “Defeated No More” without bobbing your head.
/////////////// TIM HEROLD Indie Bandstand
1. THE HAXAN CLOAK Excavation
This is the scariest album I have ever heard, and I knew it was that scary within the first minute of my first listen, which fortunately enough occurred in broad day-
-light. I also felt immediately that it was an utterly brilliant unique soundscape, a true accomplishment of sonic craftsmanship, and that I couldn’t wait for the sun to go down so I could listen to it in its intended environment. Topping my list this year is Bobby Krlic’s major label debut as The Haxan Cloak, Excavation, a semi-concept album about the soul’s journey through the twisting corridors of the afterlife. It’s not often that albums set out to take the listener on a sonic journey, and even less frequently do these albums deliver without seeming somewhat trite. Excavation begins by dropping the listener down a blackened pit, and upon landing at the bottom you realize that things are just going to get worse from here on. What follows is 50 minutes of frigid, crystalline, bass-driven terror, an experience that plays on the listeners deep fears in the same way a finely crafted horror movie slowly unveils to its audience that no, those noises you’re hearing in that old creepy house you just moved into are not just in your head. Something’s standing in that dark corner, you can’t see it but you know it’s there. And it’s not going to let you leave. What I love about this album is how it blends genres together so seamlessly into an experience that never fails to raise the hairs on your head. We humans love a good scare, and this album provides the background music to your nightmares. The bass on tracks like “The Mirror Reflecting” isn’t just there for the hell of it, it’s there to literally make your insides tremble. You don’t just listen to individual songs on this thing, you commit to the whole ride, and by the end of it’s brilliant closing track “The Drop,” Haxan has played you like a string. I can only listen to this every once in a while, but not because I tire of it; I just have to take breaks to emotionally recover. For a musician to accomplish that in his debut album, I award it my highest praise. So the next time you’re walking to the bus at 2 in the morning, I dare you to put in your headphones and listen to Excavation. Good luck.
BOARDS OF CANADA Tomorrow’s Harvest
2.
This summer I finally read Frank Herbert’s classic novel, Dune. I say “finally” because I had tried in the past, but I guess I just wasn’t old or patient enough to read it yet. This time around, I became enthralled with the planet Arrakis, its inhabitants, and its infamous giant sand worms. I’m glad that I waited until this particular year to read it, however, because I couldn’t have been listening to better-suited music on repeat while doing so. The album I listened to more than any other this year, Tomorrow’s Harvest marks Boards of Canada’s seemingly impossible return after eight years of silence, and it was well worth the wait. Similar to Excavation, Boards of Canada’s fourth LP plays much like a soundtrack of sorts, but set to something more akin to a dystopian science fiction epic set in a barren desert of the future. Inspired by old John Carpenter movie scores, Tomorrow’s Harvest sees the Scottish duo replacing the warm lushness of their previous album The Campfire Headphase with a bleak but very inhabitable full length that draws from much of their earlier work, while ditching the creepy audio clips of children laughing and replacing them with a grand vision of the future. I say “grand” only in the sense that the scope of this album is huge, but it is also meant to be somewhat unsettling. One would not call this a particularly optimistic album; there’s a reason they held their first listening party out in an abandoned water park in the middle of the California desert. But within this world, Boards of Canada has created songs and beats unlike much else you will hear, a sound that many have tried to imitate but only Boards can fully realize. Just like their other work, Tomorrow’s Harvest can be as deep as you want it to be, as there is no shortage of their trademark coded messages and subtle hints about their true purpose. But on the other hand, you can just press play, pull out your next Asimov novel, and dive right in.
3. DISCLOSURE
Settle
The dance album of the year was made by a pair of British brothers who can’t even legally drink in the United States. When I walked by their show at Sasquatch this year, I had no idea who they were, or why so many people seemed to already know who they were. Shows how old I’m getting, I suppose. Better late than never though. Settle is full of insanely fun, infinitely replayable dance tracks that are more subtle and mature than most of the other stuff out there being made by artists twice their age. Want your house party to go insane? Just go snatch the iPod, turn on “When A Fire Starts To Burn,” crank it as loud as it will go, and watch the fireworks. People lose their shit to this music in a way that’s hard to imitate; their Seattle show sold out months in advance (I’m sure it was a lot of fun…). The guest appearances are all solid, and will likely even introduce you to other artists along the way (hello London Grammar!). May we always have this much help losing our minds. 4. BURIAL
Truant/Rough Sleeper
Technically released at the very end of 2012 (but too late to include in last year’s list), this two track EP continues the fascinating development of Burial’s thought process. The enigmatic British producer has seemed content in recent years to ditch the album format in favor of lengthy tracks released in twos and threes, and while most artists might get slammed for this type of practice, Burial is redefining what it means to make an EP: these releases feel almost like chapters to a wider work, in the same way that people would line up on the dock when they heard that the next few chapters of Charles Dickens’ latest work had arrived. This EP consists of two songs, each over ten minutes in length, both of which are comprised of what could almost be described as movements. Unlike his earlier work, these tracks switch tempos in a sort of stream of consciousness manner, but always manage
to sound like quintessential Burial while covering a lot of new ground. It’s been six years since Burial released his last proper full length, but for now I’ve been perfectly happy to enjoy the ride he’s taking us on...and we get another new one this December. Merry Christmas, and may God bless us, every one! 5. DJ KOZE Amygdala
DJ Koze knows how to make you smile, and he can be as weird as he likes in the process. Describing his latest work as his own Sgt. Pepper’s, DJ Koze’s Amygdala is yet another addition to 2013’s list of brilliant electronic albums. After an opening that sees someone take what can only be presumed to be some sort of hallucinogen, the following 80 minutes of material proceed to take the listener on a trippy daydream full of fantastical sideshows and even better guest appearances. Probably the grooviest album I’ve had fun vibing to this year, Amygdala is just pure fun, and was one of my happiest accidental discoveries of 2013. So go for a ride, and watch out for Matthew Dear, an awesomely strange cover of a Kings of Convenience song, and a strange German man riding caribou through the forest.
6. THE FLAMING LIPS The Terror
Wayne Coyne and crew have come a long way from singing about hope and love and pink robots while shooting off confetti and rolling around in hamster balls. 2009’s Embryonic saw the band completely revamp their sound into something wild, sinister, and paranoid. While that album has become my favorite of their career, this year’s follow-up The Terror focuses that sound into a fascinating statement about the loss of love, the potential meaninglessness of existence, and most of all, terror of the implications of that knowledge. Whereas Embryonic was a sprawling sonic exploration, The Terror announces its intentions from the start and doesn’t let you out until the very end. There are few release valves
in this journey, and it has an eerie claustrophobic effect…which of course is exactly the point. There are a lot of political parallels here too (drone warfare and the surveillance state, anybody?), and moments of profound beauty. It is one of their boldest pieces of music, and to think that this is coming from a band that started making music before I was even born says a lot about their amazing creative capacity. 7. DEAFHEAVEN
Sunbather
I do not listen to a lot of metal. Most of the time it’s just too much for me, I can’t handle all the screaming, and I don’t own enough oversized black shirts with wolves on them. But even I can toss my preconceptions aside when a hand is outstretched, beckoning me to give you a chance to at least get my feet wet and see how it feels. With Sunbather, I still can’t understand the lyrics, there’s still a lot of screaming, and it’s still loud as all hell, and…it’s beautiful. Absolutely, stunningly, emotively beautiful, in a way in which nothing else this year even came close. I ‘d almost call this a post-rock album in the tradition of Explosions in the Sky, but that would do a disservice to the insane amount of raw human emotion present on each of these songs. For once, even the screaming totally does it for me. When Dearheaven came to Seattle in July, I couldn’t get anybody to go with me, and I was a bit intimidated by the idea of attending a metal show by myself. But, as I try to remind myself, “do one thing every day that scares you.” So alone I went, only to see a performance I’ll never forget. And near the end, the lead singer George Clarke reached his hand out into the crowd to lock fingers with anyone who would take it. I reached as high as I could, and took hold of it. It was beautiful. 8. GESAFFELSTEIN
Aleph
And they said banger was dead. Coming fresh off the heels of
assisting Kanye West with his newfound for all things electro on Yeezus, France’s Gesaffelstein released this overlooked electo debut. And let me tell you, if this guy keeps it up, you’ll know who he is soon enough. Aleph is just straight fierce, and while I’m sure Kanye will get more attention this year for cultivating this sound, I just want the pure stuff. Aleph clocks in just under an hour, and it’s one hell of a ride. This is not music to be listened to while driving on the freeway, because you won’t realize when you’re doing 90 while cutting off cops. I’m looking forward to more from this artist, and a live show in the process wouldn’t be all that bad either. 9. DAFT
PUNK Random Access Memories
One day, if I ever have kids, they will inevitably at some point see their father dancing like an absolute moron to music by this weird French band that decided they were tired of making music with computers and wanted to resurrect The Funk. I will then sit my embarrassed children down, and I will tell them the story of The Funk. The sad tale of the Day The Funk Died, and how the world thought it was better off without The Funk. And how, one day in the year 2013, when even their father himself had no idea that he even needed The Funk in his life, these strange robots dressed in shiny disco attire came down from a spaceship shaped like a pyramid bearing the reincarnation of The Funk. That the world instantly became a better place, a more complete place… this became the stuff of legend, I will tell them. And they will understand. 10. KURT VILE Wakin’ On A Pretty Daze
Rounding out my list is Kurt Vile’s latest 70s-inspired, sun-bleached roadtrip album, Wakin On A Pretty Daze. This is a great album to toss on when you want to slow your life down for an hour and just take stuff in, for Vile is in the mood to hang out and do exactly the same thing with you. Most of
the songs on this LP are nice, long and lazy, but they somehow never lose any momentum. The lyrics are crisp and funny, with plenty of nostalgic moments, but to me the real strength of the album is its comfort with finding grooves and sticking with them long enough to really explore their possibilities. It’s in no hurry to get anywhere, which is fine by me. As another one of my favorite bands once sang, “hey man, slow down!” Preach.
/////////////// HART BOYD
All Yesterday’s Parties Top 10 1990s Club Labels I Discovered/Re-Discovered in 2013 With the renewed interest in vinyl, especially in “classic” or “obscure” albums, that surged hard in 2013, used vinyl supply and quality has grown by leaps and bounds in the last year. I noticed more and more DJ collections being parted out and sold or just dumped into singles bins in local shops. I had some big finds this year digging through some of the strangest collections, and I discovered a lot of interesting music that will probably never see shine of a reissue, but were club favorites in their time, and some stuff that it turns out is now getting the re-issue treatment. THE LABELS:
OUTER RHYTHM (new discovery)
01.
Outer Rhythm was started in 1989 as a dance/rave sub-label of the The U.K. based Rhythm King label, which was originally parented by Mute. Many 1990s mainstream crossover rave associated artists (Moby, Leftfield, & Aphex Twin, to name the three biggest ones) had early hits on Outer Rhythm or Outer Rhythm associated releases. In addition they helped to establish Warp records and co-released Warp’s first singles and worked closely with R&S for a brief period in the early
1990s. Outer Rhythm was one of the gateways between the 1980 Acid and House scenes to what would become the Intelligent Dance Music or Armchair Techno take over in the early 1990s. 02. CHAIN REACTION (new discovery)
A sub-label of the infamous Basic Channel imprint, Chain Reaction had a similar deep/dark/dub techno sound to Basic Channel, but unlike the Basic Channel label Chain Reaction put out releases by artists other than the label owners (also known as Basic Channel). Some of the artists on the roster included Porter Ricks, Vladislav Delay, Fluxion, & Monolake. Supposedly, despite being based in Berlin all of the Chain Reaction vinyl was pressed in the same Detroit plants as the early Detroit Techno releases that inspired them. This was done to retain the same rough sound quality all of the Detroit releases. Most, if not all, of the Chain reaction catalog is now being remastered and reissued on the Type label.
CRYDAMOURE (re-discovered)
03.
Founded by Guy-Manual de Homem-Christo (1/2 of Daft Punk) and Eric Chedeville in 1997, post-”Homework,” as a way to put out House records of their own, the duo went under the name Le Knight Club, as well as those of their friends. It ran until 2003 and their catalog sounds like two friends with good taste having a good time together. A lot of the tracks do sound like the middle ground between “Homework” and “Discovery,” the aggressiveness of “Homework” mixed with the Pop & Soul qualities of “Discovery.” My favorite touch though was the fact that they created an illustrated graphic for each song they released. It was a short lived, but very fun imprint, that seems to hold up through time. (“Crydamoure” is French for “The Skream of Love.” 04. ROULé (re-discovered)
Founded by Thomas Bangalter (the other 1/2 of Daft Punk) in
1995, pre-”Homework” and also lasting until 2003. It for the most part functioned as an outlet for Bangalter’s personal projects. Roulé’s releases sounded more raw and basic than those on Crydamoure. Daft Punk has said they work by having Bangalter create the initial sound and HomemChristo functions as an editor, and that sort of becomes evident when they work separately. The underground hit by Stardust (Thomas Bangalter, Alan Braxe, and Benjamin Diamond), “Music Sounds Better With You” was Roulé’s most notable release. The soundtrack to Gaspar Noé’s film “Irreversible,” which was mostly a collection of tracks from Bangalter’s Roulé EPs and 12 inch releases. Most, maybe all, of the Roulé 12 inches have been reissued over the last few years. (“Roulé” is French for “roll” and in addition Bangalter created a very short lived, it had one release by “The Buffalo Bunch” (Paul de Homem-Christo & Romian Séo) called “Scratché” which translated to “Scratch.” Together they were “Rollin’ & Scratchin’.”)
GHERKIN (new discovery)
05.
I don’t know a lot about “Gherkin” other than it was a Chicago based independent Dance label founded by Brett Wilcots and Jim Stivers and that had it’s own distribution. Early House and Techno stars like Larry Heard (who had releases on Gherkin as both Mr. Fingers and Gherkin Jerks), Robert Ownes (who was in the seminal Chicago House group Fingers Inc. with Larry Heard), and Rhythm Is Rhythm (Derrick May) made appearances on the label. It was a very short lived imprint only lasting from around 1987-1991, but their releases were pretty solid down the line. From the one DJ I’ve talked to who was active in that era and had heard of this label it seems like it was kind of a secret for whatever reason, but always came through with top tracks. 06. UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE (new discovery)
This is the only label on this list I actually can’t really listen to very
much, it’s mainly on this list because I think it’s a fascinating creation. Underground Resistance (UR)was a Detroit based group and label that always rolled out with hard and ruthless tracks. The group was mainly anonymous and was always seen and photographed with their faces covered, and maintained a kind of militant aesthetic. Other acts on the label maintained a similar aesthetic, one of the most renowned being Drexcyia, who’s only confirmed member was James Stinson, who was confirmed to be a member only after his death. Underground resistance is a purely Detroit sound, drawing from all of the city’s trials and tribulations as well as it’s own infamous musical history. It something I’ve tried to enjoy for some time, and can take it in small amounts, but mainly I’m just glad it’s around. It’s the balance, and also the seed, to so much other electronic music. (Drexcyia’s 1990s catalog, including their work on UR, was remastered and reissued to much praise on three double LP collections that were released from 2011-2013 on the Clone Classic Cuts label.) 07. BLACK MALE RECORDS (new discovery)
Like Roulé and Crydamoure this was a label for personal projects. Black Male Records was run by the New Jersey producer, DJ, singer, and black male Romanthany, who is most know for his vocal work on Daft Punk’s “One More Time.” It ran from the early 1990s to around the early 2000s. It a labels I stumbbled upon while ready about Romanthany after he died earlier this year, but I didn’t really have the time to pay it much mind at that point. It popped up in my life again last week and I decided to look into it. I haven’t found much info about the label, but Romanthany was a prolific and talented singer & musician and it appears that Black Male Records acted as an outlet for his own ideas and work under several aliases. Good House music with lots of original Soul.
08. WONDERGRAM (re-discovered)
Wondergram had one release back in 1997, “El Producto” by The Avalanches. It was The Avalanches’ second release and first EP. I’m not sure if anything else ever got released on Wondergram, but it was supposedly a sub-label of the Australian label Shock Records, so it may have been set up strictly for this release. Wondergram is mainly on here because “El Produco” was the last Avalanches album I needed to have all of their original official material. I’m a massive Avalanches completest and this was a big find, as copies of this don’t show up a lot and when they do sellers want around $70-$100 for it. It’s not a greatest album, it’s kind of what you think of when you think of early 1990s white party rap/rock/ pop, but there are one or two decent cuts. The Avalanches have said that most things they did before their 2000 breakthrough “Since I Left You” was them trying to sound like what they thought people wanted to hear. “Since I Left You” was never meant to be released, it was mainly an inside joke among the core members of the group, that became a surprise success. This is probably why most things they did in the 1990s are pretty so-so in comparison. Mainly I need to have everything they ever made and I got this rare bird for $20. This is also the only CD only label on the list.
09. MAJOR FORCE (new discovery)
Major Force was a Japanese HipHop and Dance label with a roster that includedJapanese fashion and cultural icon Hiroshi Fujiwara, KUDO, and UK’s DJ Milo (who was a founding member of Bristol Sound System The Wild Bunch, from which came key members of Massive Attack, and Soul II Soul). A Bathing Ape founder and Billionaire Boys Club co-founder N.I.G.O. has credited Fujiwara as a major influence on his own fashion and music. Major Force, and N.I.G.O. as well, ended up having ties with Mo Wax’s James Lavelle, who used to get Major Force records from Japan by finding rare Psychedelic Rock records
for Japanese customers while working at Honest Jon’s Records in London and trading them for Major Force releases. Most of the catalog sounds like it would have been new and fresh in its time, but is now fairly dated, but as with a lot of independent Japanese imprints the releases all have great packaging and interesting graphic work. There are some undated gems in there as well, early work by Sexy T.K.O. which has more of a Soul bend still sounds nice. It’s an interesting label to pick though and understand within a historical context. 10. G-STONE (re-discovered)
I first heard about G-Stone back in high school when a friend of mine bought Kruder and Dorfmeister’s K&D Sessions™ double CD on a whim. It is one of the few albums from that time that I still listen to and enjoy today. I got into G-Stone this year when I realized the duo had other projects under other names, all of which are on G-Stone, which is their label. The whole catalog is basically relaxed electronic dub that is really structured to soundtrack getting massively stoned. Lots of hits and misses. The K&D Sessions™is still solid in my opinion though. If you ever wanted to know what it was like to get really reefed while being a teen in white middle-class America in the 1990s G-Stone’s got your back.
/////////////// DANIEL SANDOVAL Folk U
Original Music From a Rainy Dawg DJ in 2013 Recorded in the heart of the valley (Corvallis) of Oregon, About A Girl is a project which has gone through multiple iterations of sounds. Today, it tells a story of a man as he sings about a girl. I am very excited to present my latest release, About A Girl EP. The songs were written over a
three years and represent a part of my life that I wish to share with others. Although the story within the album is not mine, it is told from my point of view within the mind of the character that I have created. The kick off song shares its title with the EP itself. As the crickets start to chirp and the guitar fades in, “About A Girl” sets the tone for the songs to follow. The next song is the oldest of the four. Written in the fall of 2011, the lyrics of “Better Man” detail a struggle of a long distance relationship as it takes its toll on a man and his far-away love. As its peaceful aura fades into the distance, a storm arises with the start of “Music to My Ears”. This song continues the conflict established in its predecessor. The thunder within was recorded in my father’s backyard during a summer storm in Oregon. With the conclusion of the rain, the finale begins. “Don’t Hold Onto Silence” represents the future of those within the story and of my life as a whole. Its passion represents who I may become as an artist and its lyricism closes the character that has been presented throughout About A Girl. In the future, I hope to continue making music for audiences outside my current comfort zone. Throughout the process of creating this EP I have received generous critical feedback which I appreciate to the fullest. I would like to thank Peter Sanchez and Sarah Rain for being my inspiration. You’ll hear more from me very soon. In the meantime, I’m on the air every Wednesday from 6-8 presenting folk music from all sources on Rainy Dawg Radio’s Folk U. Enjoy the music at music. desandoval.net.
THE END Thank you for reading. Thank you for listening to Rainy Dawg Radio.
RAINY DAWG RADIOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S favorite music of 2013
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