Category Archives: 2013

2013, 31 days of good, best of 2013, music

(31) Days of Good: 12.18.13

December 18, 2013 Concrete Opinions Leave a comment

I can’t wait to hear more from these up-and-comers…

♩ Ex Cops – James [from True Hallucinations]
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♩ Jamaican Queens – Water [from Wormfood]
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♩ Foxygen – San Francisco [from We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic]
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♩ On An On – Ghosts [from Give In]
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♩ Dresses – Blew My Mind [from Sun Shy]
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♩ Little Green Cars – Harper Lee [from Absolute Zero]
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What is (31) Days of Good?

2013, 31 days of good, best of 2013, music

(31) Days of Good: 12.17.13

December 17, 2013 Concrete Opinions Leave a comment

A few picks from NPR: All Songs Considered…

“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

♩ Telekinesis – Power Lines [from Dormarion]
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“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.”

♩ Neko Case – Man [from The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You]
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“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

♩ The Blow – Make it Up [from The Blow]
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What is (31) Days of Good?

2013, 31 days of good, best of 2013, music

(31) Days of Good: 12.16.13

December 16, 2013 Concrete Opinions Leave a comment

♩ Divine Fits – Ain’t That the Way [from Ain’t That the Way / Chained to Love]
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♩ FIDLAR – No Waves [from FIDLAR]
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♩ Baths – No Eyes [from Obsidian]
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♩ Camera Obscura – Troublemaker [from Desire Lines]
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What is (31) Days of Good?

2013, 31 days of good, best of 2013, favorites of 2013, music

Favorite Albums of 2013

December 15, 2013 Concrete Opinions 2 Comments

#10 – Gliss//Langsom Dans

♩ Waves
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#9 – Telekinesis//Dormarion

♩ Ghosts and Creatures
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#8 – Diego Garcia//Paradise

♩ Dónde Estás
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#7 – Son Lux//Lanterns

♩ Lost It To Trying
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#6 – Porcelain Raft//Permanent Signal

♩ Echo
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#5 – CHVRCHES//The Bones of What You Believe

♩ We Sink
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#4 – Autre Ne Veut//Anxiety

♩ Play By Play
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#3 – My Bloody Valentine//m b v

♩ She Found Now
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#2 – Arcade Fire//Reflektor

♩ Afterlife
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#1 – David Bowie//The Next Day

♩ Valentine’s Day
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A few more favorites:
#11 – Guards//In Guards We Trust
#12 – Deltron 3030//Event II
#13 – Sleigh Bells//Bitter Rivals
#14 – Surrogate//Post-Heroic
#15 – Kavinsky//Odd Look
#16 – Childish Gambino//because the internet
#17 – Desert Stars//Habit Shackles
#18 – Rhye//Woman
#19 – Youth Lagoon//Wondrous Bughouse
#20 – Disclosure//Settle

Stream all of my Favorite Albums of 2013 on Spotify.

Check out my Favorite EPs of 2013 here.

2013, 31 days of good, best of 2013, music

(31) Days of Good: 12.15.13

December 15, 2013 Concrete Opinions 1 Comment

Had David Bowie not released a new album this year, Reflektor would have been my #1. This record is full of excellent tracks, but “Afterlife” definitely stands out and is easily my favorite.

♩ Arcade Fire – Afterlife [from Reflektor]
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Easily my favorite track from Jim James’ (My Morning Jacket) solo debut. I’m a sucker for slow-building doo-wop and strings, which this track combines beautifully.

♩ Jim James – A New Life [from Regions of Light and Sound of God]
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This track is absolutely stunning, which explains why it’s been one of favorites all year. Had Johnny Cash ever collaborated with Enigma, I imagine it would’ve sounded a bit like this.

♩ Phosphorescent – Song For Zula [from Muchacho]
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