Post by Ian from 616Entertainment. on Nov 14, 2013 3:38:52 GMT -5
As stated in the title. We're approaching the end of the year and I thought it would be fun to share what our favorites albums of 2013 have been. I figure five albums is comfortable. If you're a music nut and want to do ten, go ahead, that's awesome. To keep this thread as interesting as possible, I think we should write a little something about each one of the albums we choose and say why we chose it.
1. HIM, 'Tears On Tape'
I waited over three years for this album, and after three years of hype, it blew my balls off. I got my hands on this album a few weeks before release (don't worry, I bought the physical copy on four different colored vinyls, 3 different CDs, etc.) and lit up the fireplace. I kicked my feet up, put in my headphones, closed my eyes and just listened. 2012 was an extremely shakey year for me. My four year relationship ended, I lost my uncle shortly after, things just weren't okay. There were three separate instances over the course of the album that things got a little too heavy for me, emotionally, and it really hit me that this was always going to be extremely important album to me. Stand out tracks for me are 'All Lips Go Blue, 'Tears On Tape,' and 'Drawn and Quartered.'
2. AFI, 'Burials'
AFI was never really a band I cared much about until 2013. For several years I was very set in my ways, listening to a lot of music that sounded the same. I was disgusted with the music being played on the radio and found solace in bands from overseas. HIM, The 69 Eyes, Hanoi Rocks, The Rasmus, you get the picture. I wouldn't even dip my toes into the punk scene, the rap scene, none of it. Over the past two or three years my musical horizons have broadened considerably. I like a little bit of everything these days and I love the variety. This year specifically, I've grown strongly attached to AFI. I don't know if its because I've gotten older and I've seen and done more or what, but there are few lyricists out there that hit me the way Davey Havok does. I'm a massive fan of the new album. I was expecting a lot after falling head first into 'Sing The Sorrow,' 'Decemberundgeround,' and 'Crash Love,' in such a small window, and I wasn't disappointed one bit. Track to check out are 'Deep Slow Panic,' 'Greater Than 84,' and 'Anxious.'
3. Eminem, 'Marshall Mathers LP 2'
From the very first track ('Bad Guy') where Em is rapping as Stan's little brother who is now on a mission to finally get revenge on Shady, god dammit, Marshall Mathers LP 2 is amazing. He's covering a lot of ground on this album and I love it. Whether it's answering and slaying his critics on 'Rap God,' sampling tracks like a champion on 'Rhyme or Reason,' or making you cry on 'Headlights,' Em shows everyone he's still got it on MMLP 2. I am driven crazy by the people who hate on Eminem nowadays just because its the cool thing to do. "He's too mainstream." "He sucks now." "He lost it a long time ago." If you don't like Eminem because he's not what you're into, that's fine. That's you're opinion. But to say the can't doesn't set the mic on fire, man, you're just wrong. Definitely check out 'Rap God,' 'Legacy,' and 'Brainless.'
4. Panic! at the Disco, 'Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die'
To paraphrase my good friend Dan Jarvis (the musician I'm interviewing in my sig), "Yea, it's pop, but why does pop have to be a bad thing?" Panic!'s fourth album is a dancey, energetic, good time. Catchy choruses, clever lyrics and an uplifting sound don't mean an album sucks. After their last effort, 'Vices and Virtues' seemed to go almost completely unnoticed, I was worried about this new album, because I like these guys as people and musicians alike and wanted to see them do well. The first single that was released, 'Miss Jackson' actually took a few listens to grow on me. My first impression was, "Yea, this is alright, but really? This is where we're going with this?" After a few more listens, I was hooked. At 33 minutes its extremely short, but it also doesn't overstay it's welcome. Gone are the extremely long song titles and several interludes. In their place are 13 tracks that are here to get you thinking, moving and enjoying the sound. Great album. Make sure you listen to 'This Is Gospel,' 'Nicotine,' and 'Casual Affair.'
5. Everlast, 'The Life Acoustic'
There's a good chance that Everlast is a name you haven't heard in a while. It's alright. It's just a damn shame. He's put out two really good albums over the past few years chronicling his evolution as a man and as a musician. 'The Life Acoustic' feels like you and Everlast chilling in a basement or a bar just messing around with a guitar. Your heart is going to fall apart on 'Weakness,' where Everlast sings about a woman with a crippling drug addiction, struggling just to see another day. On 'Stay,' we hear about a relationship that fell to pieces. A cover of Bill Withers' 'Grandma's Hands' hits home before the album is rounded out with an acoustic version of House Of Pain's 'Jump Around' which is will have you smiling like an idiot. One of these days when it's raining or you've just got nothing to do, make sure you give 'The Life Acoustic' a listen. For now, get on YouTube and check out 'Weakness,' 'Stay,' and 'Jump Around?'
1. HIM, 'Tears On Tape'
I waited over three years for this album, and after three years of hype, it blew my balls off. I got my hands on this album a few weeks before release (don't worry, I bought the physical copy on four different colored vinyls, 3 different CDs, etc.) and lit up the fireplace. I kicked my feet up, put in my headphones, closed my eyes and just listened. 2012 was an extremely shakey year for me. My four year relationship ended, I lost my uncle shortly after, things just weren't okay. There were three separate instances over the course of the album that things got a little too heavy for me, emotionally, and it really hit me that this was always going to be extremely important album to me. Stand out tracks for me are 'All Lips Go Blue, 'Tears On Tape,' and 'Drawn and Quartered.'
2. AFI, 'Burials'
AFI was never really a band I cared much about until 2013. For several years I was very set in my ways, listening to a lot of music that sounded the same. I was disgusted with the music being played on the radio and found solace in bands from overseas. HIM, The 69 Eyes, Hanoi Rocks, The Rasmus, you get the picture. I wouldn't even dip my toes into the punk scene, the rap scene, none of it. Over the past two or three years my musical horizons have broadened considerably. I like a little bit of everything these days and I love the variety. This year specifically, I've grown strongly attached to AFI. I don't know if its because I've gotten older and I've seen and done more or what, but there are few lyricists out there that hit me the way Davey Havok does. I'm a massive fan of the new album. I was expecting a lot after falling head first into 'Sing The Sorrow,' 'Decemberundgeround,' and 'Crash Love,' in such a small window, and I wasn't disappointed one bit. Track to check out are 'Deep Slow Panic,' 'Greater Than 84,' and 'Anxious.'
3. Eminem, 'Marshall Mathers LP 2'
From the very first track ('Bad Guy') where Em is rapping as Stan's little brother who is now on a mission to finally get revenge on Shady, god dammit, Marshall Mathers LP 2 is amazing. He's covering a lot of ground on this album and I love it. Whether it's answering and slaying his critics on 'Rap God,' sampling tracks like a champion on 'Rhyme or Reason,' or making you cry on 'Headlights,' Em shows everyone he's still got it on MMLP 2. I am driven crazy by the people who hate on Eminem nowadays just because its the cool thing to do. "He's too mainstream." "He sucks now." "He lost it a long time ago." If you don't like Eminem because he's not what you're into, that's fine. That's you're opinion. But to say the can't doesn't set the mic on fire, man, you're just wrong. Definitely check out 'Rap God,' 'Legacy,' and 'Brainless.'
4. Panic! at the Disco, 'Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die'
To paraphrase my good friend Dan Jarvis (the musician I'm interviewing in my sig), "Yea, it's pop, but why does pop have to be a bad thing?" Panic!'s fourth album is a dancey, energetic, good time. Catchy choruses, clever lyrics and an uplifting sound don't mean an album sucks. After their last effort, 'Vices and Virtues' seemed to go almost completely unnoticed, I was worried about this new album, because I like these guys as people and musicians alike and wanted to see them do well. The first single that was released, 'Miss Jackson' actually took a few listens to grow on me. My first impression was, "Yea, this is alright, but really? This is where we're going with this?" After a few more listens, I was hooked. At 33 minutes its extremely short, but it also doesn't overstay it's welcome. Gone are the extremely long song titles and several interludes. In their place are 13 tracks that are here to get you thinking, moving and enjoying the sound. Great album. Make sure you listen to 'This Is Gospel,' 'Nicotine,' and 'Casual Affair.'
5. Everlast, 'The Life Acoustic'
There's a good chance that Everlast is a name you haven't heard in a while. It's alright. It's just a damn shame. He's put out two really good albums over the past few years chronicling his evolution as a man and as a musician. 'The Life Acoustic' feels like you and Everlast chilling in a basement or a bar just messing around with a guitar. Your heart is going to fall apart on 'Weakness,' where Everlast sings about a woman with a crippling drug addiction, struggling just to see another day. On 'Stay,' we hear about a relationship that fell to pieces. A cover of Bill Withers' 'Grandma's Hands' hits home before the album is rounded out with an acoustic version of House Of Pain's 'Jump Around' which is will have you smiling like an idiot. One of these days when it's raining or you've just got nothing to do, make sure you give 'The Life Acoustic' a listen. For now, get on YouTube and check out 'Weakness,' 'Stay,' and 'Jump Around?'