2013 is drawing to a close and yeah, it was pretty shitty. But here’s what we were into for this final stretch of the year.
1. Jail Weddings ”It’s Not Fair” (LA)
Something like the Pogues and Arcade Fire joining up for some gritty, epic rock ‘n’ roll with gorgeous harmonies.
2. Juniore ”Dans Le Noir” (France)
Timeless French pop with a Belle & Sebastian/Camera Obscura feel, except for the fact that those acts were pillaging timeless French pop to begin with.
3. Holograms ”Meditations” (Stockholm, Sweden)
Post-punk of the The Scream-era Siouxsie & the Banshees variety, but with male vocals. Which is to say it’s cool and terrifying and you can still dance to it.
4. Moodie Black ”Hipster Death” (Minneapolis)
OG noise rap, with tighter structures and more hooks than Death Grips, but just as much nastiness. If you’re in Austin, you can catch them at the Loser City Free Week show at Spiderhouse.
5. Lips ”Ghosts and Demons” (NYC)
A New Zealand expat who refuses to believe that pop music has to be soft, Lips bridges the worlds of Man Ray art deco and industrial music for dance floor vixens.
6. Pony Time ”What If You Caught Me” (Seattle)
Danceable garage rock from a Seattle duo that gets heaps of mileage out of fuzzy bass and drums.
7. Chastity Belt ”Giant Vagina” (Seattle)
What if the B-52s were a feminist punk band that were clever enough to troll Buzzfeed? That’s Chastity Belt, and they’re awesome as all fuck.
8. Oddateee ”The Fame” (NY/NJ)
Is post-punk hip-hop a thing? If so, Oddateee could be its poster boy, with an aggro flow that makes the most out of delay drenched guitar samples and clankety beats. He’s also on that Loser City Free Week bill so, uh, go.
9. Phranchyze ”Doper” (ATX)
If you miss Subtitle and ever wondered how he might sound with club ready production, then Austin’s Phranchyze is here for you, with his new album 3showing how well he’s grown into his unique flow.
10. Diggs Duke ”Is It Love” (DC)
Gorgeous, soulful R&B from DC, a city with a rich history of R&B that has long gone overlooked in favor of its white punk scene. Here’s hoping Diggs Duke can help change that.
11. SOL ”Tomorrow (ft. Shayhan) (Seattle)
Seattle emcee on the verge of blowing up, thanks in part to some incredible production from Elan Wright as well as SOL’s own melodic flow.
12. Heavy Color ”Cloudy (ft. Yusuf Lateef)” (Toledo)
A beatmaking collective out of Ohio, Heavy Color’s sound is a singular mixture of international rhythms and Western pop hooks. They’re a group to watch in the New Year.
13. Dump “Secret Blood”
A semi-secret project from James McNew from Yo La Tengo, Dump is sweetly crafted indie pop that recalls Sebadoh at its most intimate.
14. Gospel Gossip ”Sad Machines” (Minneapolis)
Melancholic, doomy post-punk in the vein of Echo & the Bunnymen, but the breathtaking vocals of Sarah Neinaber keeps Gospel Gossip from being just another sad pretender to the Echo throne.
15. Wintercoats ”Halogen Moon” (Melbourne, Australia)
Australian dream pop with a snowy feel that suits the name, Wintercoats are more than your standard bedroom confined electronic outfit.
16. Vox Mod ”Ecophony Infinitum (ft. Erik Blood)” (Seattle)
An electronic supergroup, basically, Vox Mod have my vote for winter song of the year with “Ecophony Infinitum,” which has one of the greatest winter pop melodies in recent memory courtesy of super producer and PNW legend Erik Blood.
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