60 Albums From 2013 You Have To Listen To [Part 5]

So 2013 is over and instead of doing a Top Ten list, which there are a lot of out there, I’m doing a really, really long list of albums that have been haunting me all year long. Most of them will stay with me long into 2014. It’s a huge range of albums from a diverse group of artists so this list should have some things you like and some things you haven’t listened to but will love.  And probably stuff you hate.

The 60 albums are listed alphabetically and there will be a post of 12 each day this week. Click on each album’s cover to listen to one of the many great songs on that album.

Part 5. Thank god. Alright, let’s wind this up quickly.

First up, feisty New York duo Sleigh Bells with their sophomore return. As usual their sound is blistering fun. Fun music you say? How about our very own St. Lucia who has literally taken the world by storm. Jean-Phillip was actually even here over Christmas and we never even got a DJ set.

Next up is probably one of my favorite summer song bands, Swim Deep. If you haven’t heard their amazing single Honey just click that album art now, do it. Funky and sexy, Thundercat surprised no one because we all knew that his return would be fantastic.

Never really ever leaving our hearts, Toro Y Moi returned with his third studio album. This guy just constantly steps up his game, doesn’t he? Always a pleasure hearing music out of him.

Another album which I was easy to dismiss rather quickly (and to my own error) was Vampire Weekend‘s latest offering. You gotta hand it to those guys. They do have a way of creeping up on you and setting up shop in your ear.

A personal pleasure and the best person making chillwave, Washed Out is an utter joy to listen to any time, anywhere.

How can I not love anything by Spoek? The man has been part of my staple music diet since I was 19-years-old through all his various projects. His latest offering Wave Crusher is no different and it’s fucken free! You have no excuse under the sun not to have this in your iTunes right now, none.

Wavves makes the simple magnificent, don’t they? This is a band I urge all of you to start listening to. They are everything Garage and Lo-Fi should be and then some, just go and listen now.

I got to Wild Belle a bit later in the year, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t listened to the album at least 50 times. The Bergman sibilings’ Psychedelic Pop mixed with Ska and Reggae is so contagious, you’ll find yourself playing one song over and over again before you even notice. It’s fucken hypnotic.

But if you’re looking for something a little deeper, little darker and a lot more serious, Woodkid is your man. This French jack of all trades proved that he is actually master of many with his debut album. Haunting, enthralling, large and in charge, this is how you debut.

Talking about guys with guts, we end our list with Joburg’s favorite fruit abuser Yo Grapes. Giving his album away for free a single track at a time, Craig showed us that he is super confident in himself and that Yo Grapes is most definitely going places. Read our interview with him here.

And that’s it. Hope you guys found some new stuff to listen to. And if you think I missed anything, which I’m sure I did, please let me know in the comments section below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miss the earlier posts? Catch them here Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4

Part 5 includes: Sleigh Bells - Bitter Rivals, St. Lucia - When the Night, Swim Deep - Where The Heaven Are We, Thundercat - Apocalypse, Toro Y Moi – Anything In Return, Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires Of The City, Washed Out - Paracosm, Wave Crusher - Wave Crusher, Wavves - Afraid Of Heights, Wild Belle  - Isles, Woodkid - The Golden Age and Yo Grapes - Grape Juice