Songs from albums released in 2013

Presented in alphabetical order by name of artist

I made a decent effort to listen to a lot of new music in 2013. I made it through about half the albums I wanted to hear. This list may grow if 2014 starts out slow. The links go to Youtube videos, and there's a Spotify playlist at the end. Please add your favorites.

Arcade Fire: Reflecktor

Sorry. I tried. Sometimes albums creep up on me a few years after I first hear them. Maybe that will be the case with this one. Songs I didn’t skip immediately include Talking Heads-infused Normal Person and You Already Know.

The Black Angles: Indigo Meadow

The Austin scene, the fuzzy guitar, and the unapologetic nod to the Doors make me love a little shot of the Black Angles from time to time. The Day and Broken Soldier are my top two picks from the album.

The Blind Boys of Alabama: I’ll Find A Way

I raise my southern roots to the heavens and say “amen” to I Shall Not Be Moved. As an aside, did they steal Bon Iver’s back up band for I Am Not Waiting Anymore?

Bombino: Nomad

Whatever Auerbach. You’re killing it. The fusion of sounds from the Middle East, Africa, and the American Delta is amazing, but not entirely unique (Ali Farke Toure, Tinariwen). Anyway, I have no idea what he’s saying, but it makes me happy. Here’s the hit song, Amidine.

The Bryan Ferry Orchestra: The Jazz Age

Listen to this and, voilà, you get to go back in time. Love Is The Drug … so damn good. Other favorites include Do The Strand and This Island Earth.

Daft Punk: Random Access Memories

Proof positive that disco’s not dead. See previous post. 

David Bowie: The Next Day

I need more time with The Next Day. I don’t love it yet, but I probably will one day. No songs selected, but I felt obligated to mention this album.

Depeche Mode: Delta Machine

What is there to say? They're legends. Many of the songs sound out of touch and dated, but others such as Heaven and Angel deliver the classic, gliding vocals and heavy hitting beats that transcend time and genre.

Devendra Banhart: Mala 

Time to let the freak folk flag fligh. Best song on Mala? I can’t really tell you because they’re all a bit odd. Try Never Seen Such Good Things. Should he ever decide to start a cult, I’d look into it.

Foxygen: We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic

If a bunch of great bands from the 60s and 70s got together in a pot and made a stew and simmered for like half a century and then emerged as a group of young people in a band, they would make the album We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic. It’s just like that. I recommend Shuggie for starters.

Franz Ferdinand: Right Thoughts, Right Words,Right Action

I could nerd out all day dancing to the title track. You never saw such moves! But with 23 songs on the album, I didn’t get around to all of them.

Iggy & The Stooges: Ready to Die

It’s a long way from 1969’s I Wanna Be Your Dog to 2013’s Unfriendly World. There’s a good dose of humor on the new album starting with the cover. Gotta love his eternal punk rock spirit.

Junip: Junip

I’m a big Jose Gonzalez and Junip fan, so it’s easy to give this album my seal of approval. However, I don’t like it as much as the last one. Line of Fire is a clear favorite.

The National: Trouble Will Find Me

Demons. Holy shit this is one of those songs made me stop breathing for a minute when I first heard it. And I only caught a few seconds of it playing on NPR. Don’t Swallow the Cap is getting the glory on most lists, but not mine.

Paul McCartney: New

Are you kidding me? Sir Paul McCartney is 71 and making songs like Alligator?! Awesome.

Valerie June: Pushin’ Against a Stone

Totally original. The entire album is solid, but these stay with me: Pushin’ Againsta Stone, Workin’Womans Blues, and Shotgun. 

Vampire Weekend: Modern Vampires of the City

Likable at first listen and interesting enough to come back to. Step and Hudson standout.

Listen to the list on Spotify: