2013 in Music

There's a good deal of great music out already! What have you listened to so far? What have you enjoyed? Right now, I'm really liking:

• Fire! Orchestra - Exit!
• Föllakzoid - II
• Rob Mazurek - Skull Sessions

I still need to give mbv a relisten, though I wasn't really blown away the first time.

Crimson Reign's The Calling more or less came out of nowhere and blew my socks off. They're a one man traditional heavy metal band but they don't quite sound like any of the revivalist/neo-traditionalist/"retro" acts and instead a slightly modernized if explosive, dynamic, and even slightly ballad centric take on heavy/power metal. The vocals take a bit of time getting used to but when a song by these guys takes off, it doesn't stop until everything around it is completely levelled.

UK's progressive/technical death/black metal act Abyssal follow up last year's mighty six song explosion Denouement with a doomier, lengthier, and even proggier album that takes the dreary, bitter, vitriol further into the new wave of dissonant/atonal/wonky sounding death/black metal. It's quite accomplished instrumentally and of an epic scope compositionally but they are rigorously strict with how their songs are constructed and never masturbatory with their technical talents.

Vex, currently one of the scant handful of melodic death metal bands that hasn't forgotten the DEATH METAL part of the equation, follow up the excellent Thanatopsis album with the somewhat "shorter" but still incredible ''Memorious''. The progressive/folk elements are now at the forefront and this results in smooth, dynamic songwriting that adds a sense of vastness yet native familiarity to their linear narrative approach to death metal composition. There are quite a few interludes and a final song that feels more fitting on a Primordial release but it's excellent overall.

Voivod's Target Earth is proving to be a very strange prog metal album that shows the band returning to their roots... which sounds a lot weirder than what that usually entails considering that even back then they sounded like some bizarre semi-punk derived dissonant alien sci-fi phenomenon whose influence only now are we really seeing in the more dissonant metal bands.

The ever reliable Manilla Road, hammering away since the late 70's, put out yet another album that's far better than Playground in the Damned. While it's not anything really "new", it does start to reach back into their 80's catalogue (power/thrash) while still keeping the more monolithic doom of the post-reunion material on hand. As usual they prove that they are every bit as good, if not better, than UK giants like 'Maiden and 'Priest.

Attacker releases Giants of Canaan which is more less the most aggressive and also the best album they've done so far. With Bobby "Leather Lungs" Lucas of Overlorde and Morbid Sin fame on board, they deliver an album that is fiercely focused, as aggressive as any thrash band, and while it can be elaborate with its lead tradeoffs, knows how to get to the point and cave your chest in while it does so.

I'd written these guys off as generic party/retro/PIZZA!!!!! thrash initially but Deceptor, in spite of a silly music video, is actually closer to technical power metal like Tension (USA) or ''Nosferatu''-era Helstar set at the higher registers. Every member of the band can play at around the same level of say, Watchtower or Coroner, allowing their songs to have enough twists and turns to rival those of death metal. At the same time, they don't forget the soaring, sweeping power and triumphant, barbarian attitude that makes old-style metal like this such a beloved figure to the metal community.

The Gift Of Life by Dreamshade is good and Empyrean by Mechina is not too shabby either... but yeah, ''The Living Infinite'' takes the cake. It's probably the best thing I've listened to since Devin Townsend's Deconstruction.

If country radio will make room on its playlists for something as challenging, deep, and thought provoking as "Merry Go Round" by Kacey Musgraves, then things are definitely looking up.

I feel that country seems to be slowly embracing more "challenging" material. Many songs lately have had a lot more meat to them, and interesting sounds and production (e.g. Eric Church).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=922-y641Ask&feature=share&list=UUriuAhjNMUq6A-WJ0VSYVyQ

Oh yes, this year will be awesome.

edited 4th Mar '13 6:37:22 PM by GREGTHECAT

Jaga Jazzist. Live with Britten Sinfonia.

Holy wow.

Kacey Musgraves hit Top 10 her first time out, with a challenging, deep, and cynical song called "Merry Go 'Round". You bet your ass I'm happy.

I know you were probably being serious there, but still.

So I hear talk of a new Daft Punk album?

Function's debut album on Ost Gut Ton, Incubation, I think is the first real great record of the year. The perfect example of a successful techno album, full of dark cuts, excellent atmospheric moments and an impressive overall coherence and flow. The only real criticism I have would be the tracklist (Psychic Warfare as a final track feels less natural than Voiceprint Reprise, which is even more present in the cd version that adds another track at the end), but apart from that, if you like classic techno from the likes of Jeff Mills or the Tresor label and if you've followed Sandwell District, I can't recommend this one enough.

Indeed. I heard the 10-second snippet or something like that. Nile Rodgers is definitely there.

edited 14th Mar '13 7:52:05 PM by Quag15

Iceage's new album is great. Good mix of classical punk styles.

For the Neo-Psychedelics out there, there have so far been 2 Good Neo-Psychedelic Rock Albums released so far this year (In my opinion):

Youth Lagoon's Newest Album, Wondrous Bughouse (I consider this a lot better then their Debut Album)

&

DRGN King's Debut Album, Paragraph Knights.

Of course, MGMT is also releasing their third Album, MGMT, Out this year.

David Bowie released an album this year after a decade of silence.