“The number one album of 2013 was Dormarion by Telekinesis. I have a hard time thinking of anyone who’s doing pop music now better than Michael Benjamin Lerner. Love the tension, the restraint, build and dramatic release in these cuts, especially on this opening song, ‘Power Lines.” via Robin Hilton, NPR: All Songs Considered
“Man’ is a thrilling, gender-bending, fun and funny anthem, and certainly the grabbiest moment on The Worse Things Get… But the rest of the album delves deeper and more provocatively into a brilliant and complex mind: Neko Case has wrapped her luxuriantly powerful voice around some terrific songs in her time, but she’s never wrapped it around statements this bold, or nerves this exposed. When, in her cover of a Nico ballad, Case sings “You are beautiful and you are alone,” the loneliness and beauty are profound enough to overwhelm.”
“A perfect mix of music and performance art, the voice/stories/songs of Khaela Maricich match beautifully with the electronic backbone/textures of Melissa Dyne. This is a spare record that I found a refreshing counterbalance to the world of electronica, where the incessant beats can be both amazing and suffocating. The Blow is a breath of fresh air.” via Bob Boilen, NPR: All Songs Considered
These are simply in alphabetical order. It’s hard enough to rank my top 10, i don’t want to do it more than once a year. Enjoy all of these on Spotify, which i’ll continue to update throughout the rest of 2013. And with some highly anticipated releases still on the horizon, including new albums from Porcelain Raft, Smith Westerns, and Elton John, i’m sure this list will evolve.
But enough babbling, enjoy my favorite albums of 2013 (so far) and please check back in December to see which (if any) make the cut for my top 10 of the year.
A few of my favorite new releases this week, including new stuff from Caveman, Generationals, Surrogate, Telekinesis, and the highly anticipated b-side/rarities/unreleased tracks compilation from Rilo Kiley. As always, be sure to visit Largehearted Boy for more new music. And one more thing, HAPPY 30th birthday to my Honey Bunny!!!
Telekinesis is back with news of a brand new album, along with a new track (“Ghosts and Creatures”) to tide us over while we wait. The new album, Dormarian, will be released April 2 on Merge, followed by a Spring tour in support of the new release.
p.s. big thanks to Paste for bringing this to my attention.
April
21 – Portland Ore., @ Doug Fir Lounge
24 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Bottom Of The Hill
25 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Echo
26 – Long Beach, Calif. @ Alex’s Bar
27 – San Diego, Calif. @ Casbah
28 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ The Crescent Ballroom
30 – Austin, Texas @ The Parish
May
1 – Denton, Texas @ Dan’s Silverleaf
3 – Birmingham, Ala. @ The Bottletree
4 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Drunken Unicorn
5 – Chapel Hill, N.C. @ Local 506
6 – Washington, D.C. @ Black Cat Backstage
7 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Johnny Brenda’s
9 – New York, N.Y. @ Bowery Ballroom
10 – Allston, Mass. @ Brighton Music Hall
11 – Montreal, Quebec @ Il Motore
12 – Toronto, Ontario @ Horseshoe Tavern
14 – Cleveland Heights, Ohio @ Grog Shop
15 – Chicago, Ill. @ Lincoln Hall
16 – Madison, Wis. @ High Noon Saloon
17 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ 7th St. Entry
18 – Kansas City, Mo. @ Riot Room
20 – Denver, Colo. @ Hi Dive
21 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ Urban Lounge
