As 2013 wound to a close, I was left wondering: Have I seen everything there is to see? Most pop-culture events left me feeling blas\u00e9\u2014even Miley Cyrus\u2019 VMA performance. I may have been several Moonman-tinis into the evening, but I didn\u2019t see what the big deal was. A shocking VMA performance? Try Madonna\u2019s \u201cLike a Virgin\u201d in 1984. Former Disney starlets asserting sexier images? There\u2019s the 2003 VMAs with Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears\u2014and Madonna again. Props to Miley, at least, for getting tongues wagging, even if she had to start with her own.<\/p>\n
This year, nothing was even worthy of my ire. And trust me, I have plenty of ire to go around.<\/p>\n
The only band to raise my hackles this year was an inconsequential opening band that looked like they may have been trying to do that old hipster irony to the extreme. But their gold chains and tight clothes and funny haircuts seemed somewhat earnest. I stayed in the bar room while they performed so I wouldn\u2019t boo and heckle their tired schtick.<\/p>\n
At a recent Psychic TV show, I found myself lamenting that nothing even scares people anymore. Granted the performance was at the Brooklyn Night Bazaar shopping event, but as a girl in front of me filmed the performance on her phone\u2014even as she posed for selfies with her friends and leaving me filled with regret at passing up an optimum photobombing opportunity\u2014I really missed the days when people were scared <\/i>of some of the music I liked. I mean, what is it going to take? Another G.G. Allin?<\/p>\n
That said, I had more trouble than usual winnowing down my best-of list for 2013. There were plenty of bright spots cutting through my musical ennui, and I was occasionally (and pleasantly) surprised. It was also a great year for live shows, though most of my list is made up of old favorites.<\/p>\n
Johnny Marr, The Messenger <\/i>(Sire\/ADA)
\n<\/b>Johnny Marr created legendary riffs as The Smiths’ guitarist and subsequently gone on to multiple projects, including stints with The The, The Pretenders, and Modest Mouse, as well as Electronic (with New Order\u2019s Bernard Sumner). So it\u2019s not surprising that his solo record is good. But why hasn\u2019t he being doing more of this? Among the standouts are the lushly beautiful \u201cNew Town Velocity,\u201d the ballad \u201cSay Demeane\u201d and the infectious \u201cLockdown.\u201d It\u2019s tempting to say that a few of the songs sound reminiscent of other British bands, but since Marr has influenced almost all of them, it\u2019s not really a fair comparison. In fact, for much of the album, including tracks like \u201cThe Right Thing Right\u201d and \u201cEuropean Me,\u201d he seems to effortlessly channel the Brit-pop sound he helped define.<\/p>\n
Parquet Courts. Light Up Gold <\/i>(What\u2019s Your Rupture?)
\n<\/b>This Brooklyn quartet succinctly delivers laid-back punk sensibilities, catchy guitar hooks and clever lyrics, usually in less than three minutes. The band tears through 15 tracks on their full-length debut, when they\u2019re not meandering in the style of Pavement on tracks like \u201cN Dakota,\u201d \u201cNew Ideas\u201d and \u201cPictures of Health.\u201d While the band has Texas roots\u2014referred to in the witty \u201cDonuts Only\u201d\u2014vocalist Andrew Savage does an impressive \u201cForget about it,\u201d in \u201cMaster of My Craft.\u201d The record\u2019s magnum opus, clocking in at over five minutes, is \u201cStoned and Starving.\u201d It\u2019s the tale of an epic journey in a quest for munchies by a modern-day Odysseus stoner in Ridgewood, Queens, devouring Swedish fish and contemplating his nutritional choices. Despite the lighthearted approach, there\u2019s often a serious, thoughtful undercurrent, like in \u201cCareers in Combat,\u201d as Savage lists off jobs that aren\u2019t available, save for the one referenced in the title. Though there have been a lot of Pavement references, the chord of dissonance mined by the band is very contemporary\u2014and it happens to be a lot of fun to listen to.<\/p>\n
Forest Swords, Engravings <\/i>(Tri Angle)
\n<\/b>Forest Swords is as if ancient rituals around the world had a DJ. British producer Matthew Barnes creates finely crafted musical collages with modern electronica, samples, and elements of global traditional music for a truly unique sound. While the song titles have a New Age bent (\u201cThor\u2019s Stone,\u201d \u201cThe Gathering\u201d) this isn\u2019t necessarily soothing music. Just when you\u2019re lulled, a new element is introduced\u2014an Asian influence, distorted chanting, an R&B sample, a beat. It\u2019s mysterious and haunting, often ethereal, but always mesmerizing.<\/p>\n
Black City Lights, Another Life<\/i> (Stars & Letters)
\n<\/b>In this digital age, I sometimes miss those old promo sampler CDs. I came across a bunch of record company promos in a used CD bin and fondly recalled listening for the one or two standout tracks (if you were lucky). So I picked up a sampler of New Zealand bands at CMJ and months, later, finally played it and heard the Black City Lights\u2019 goth-tinged electro-pop with the arresting and haunting \u201cGive It Up.\u201d Though trotted out to promote the full-length debut, Another Life<\/i>,\u00a0that\u2019s not even the best track. Producer Calum Robb\u00a0and vocalist\u00a0Julia Catherine Parr prove to be a powerful duo, creating gorgeous soundscapes of updated Goth with pop and indie sensibilities. Think Zola Jesus meets Beach House on tracks like the ethereal \u201cChildren\u201d and \u201cTried So Hard,\u201d the latter rich with strong vocals and expansive, soaring synths but still starkly beautiful. There are hints of Siouxsie Sioux\u00a0and Cocteau Twins on \u201cOffering,\u201d yet Black City Lights create something new and captivating.<\/p>\n
Ghost Wave, Ages <\/i>(Flying Nun)
\n<\/b>On the other end of the Kiwi spectrum from Black City Lights, there\u2019s Ghost Wave, a five-piece delivering guitar-driven melodies and sunny garage-pop with their debut, Ages<\/i>. The upbeat, carefree \u201cI Don\u2019t Mind\u201d sounds like California beach rock by way of Auckland. Mixed and engineered by Thomas Bell who’s also worked with The Clean, another Flying Nun alum, the record\u2019s a fairly melodic and laid-back joyride. From the summery rhythms of \u201cCountry Rider\u201d to the pop harmonies of \u201cHere She Comes,\u201d Ghost Wave sweeps listeners into its daydream realm.<\/p>\n
Charles Bradley, Victim of Love <\/i>(Daptone\/Dunham)
\n<\/b>If you\u2019ve ever seen Charles Bradley perform live, you know he lives up to his \u201cscreaming eagle of soul\u201d moniker, with colorful costumes, dance moves and charisma that\u2019s palpable. This is all second, of course, to the music and the one-man soul powerhouse that is Bradley. Since his 2011 debut, No Time For Dreaming<\/i>, Bradley has consistently been compared to Otis Redding, Al Green, and James Brown. With Bradley\u2019s follow-up, he applies his golden voice to a variety of styles, including the ’60s Motown of \u201cPut a Flame on It\u201d and the ’70s groove of \u201cLove Bug Blues.\u201d The record also contains some surprises, like the guitar funk of \u201cConfusion.\u201d But Bradley is perhaps at his soulful best when he\u2019s pleading in \u201cLet Love Stand a Chance\u201d or in the sorrowful-yet-optimistic \u201cI\u2019m Crying My Last Tear.\u201d Despite the inevitable comparisons to voices of a bygone era, Victim of Love<\/i> proves Bradley is a true original.<\/p>\n
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, English Electric <\/i>(BMI)
\n<\/b>Best known for the iconic pop ballad \u201cIf You Leave\u201d of Pretty in Pink<\/i> fame, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, a.k.a. OMD, is still doing what they do best: making great pop music. In 2010, the band picked up where they left off as if no time had passed at all with the release of History of Modern<\/i>, and with this year\u2019s English Electric<\/i>, the band once again asserts itself as masters of synth-pop, making the creation of catchy hooks and soaring melodies seem as effortless as breathing. It\u2019s hard not to associate OMD with the \u201880s, yet the entire album is filled with references to the future\u2014or rather, the disillusionment of the retro-future we were promised years ago, from the loopy beats of \u201cThe Future Will Be Silent\u201d to the vocal samples featured in \u201cAtomic Ranch,\u201d where a disembodied voice asserts, \u201cI want a house and a car and a robot wife.\u201d But the album also looks to the past, with haunting, soulful samples of Abbey Lincoln\u2019s \u201cLonely House\u201d (from 1959) incorporated into \u201cFinal Song.\u201d So while we may have been cheated of the flying cars and robot mates version of the future, for the present, at least we have OMD, a band that sounds oddly timeless.<\/p>\n
Wooden Shjips, Back to Land <\/i>(Thrill Jockey)
\n<\/b>The title track, which leads off the Wooden Shjips fourth album, sets the stage for the rest of the record: groove, repeat. The keyboard and rhythm section lay down the mesmerizing foundation for such a groove, with Ripley Johnson\u2019s vocals barely registering above the music before his guitar makes an appearance for an intricate interlude. As repetitive as this may sound on paper, each song is hypnotically beautiful, comprised of tightly woven melodies and rhythms that build upon the other. Meanwhile, the Shjips add just enough fuzz to keep things earthy and casual, so while the distortion at the beginning of \u201cEverybody Knows\u201d seems to belie the formula, the song quickly asserts a hypnotic pattern with the addition of an acoustic guitar\u2014something new to the Shjips\u2019 repertoire that pops up throughout the record. There\u2019s also a nearly imperceptible croon and rise in urgency to Johnson\u2019s vocals (by comparison, he usually makes Snoop Dogg sound like Busta Rhymes), and this record displays a slightly cleaner sound than its predecessors. With every track completely captivating, though, Back to Land<\/i> is the Shjips’ best record yet.<\/p>\n
Joanna Gruesome, Weird Sister <\/i>(Slumberland)
\n<\/b>People seem to think Joanna Gruesome is either the best name or the worst name for a band. No matter your feelings on the name, the debut from this Cardiff fivesome is worth a listen. It\u2019s often beautiful with razor sharp edges, melding sweet melodies, dark lyrics and frenetic fuzzy distortion. Alanna McArdle\u2019s voice can range from angelic to full fury. Poppy \u201cSugarcrush\u201d sounds as if someone roughed up Pains of Being Pure at Heart, while the ballad of the album is simply called \u201cSatan.\u201d While some songs are more overtly punk\u2014\u201cSecret Surprise\u201d and \u201cGraveyard\u201d\u2014every single song has a disarmingly beautiful sound amid the chaos.<\/p>\n
My Bloody Valentine, MBV <\/i>(self-released)
\n<\/b>Nearly seven years ago, my best friend got married to someone from Dublin, Ireland, and the groom mentioned one of the other guests was related to a member of My Bloody Valentine. After several glasses of French sparkling wine at the reception, my boyfriend asked the question that had been plaguing My Bloody Valentine fans since 1991: \u201cDo you know when the next record is coming out?\u201d He got his answer this year, finally, with the release of MBV<\/i>. The album is full of meandering soundscapes, from the gentle rhythms of \u201cShe Found Now\u201d and jangly, distortion-filled \u201cOnly Tomorrow\u201d to the slow build of \u201cWho Sees You\u201d and rhythmic and clean (by comparison to the fuzz)\u201cNew You,\u201d with vocals by Belinda Butcher. Over two decades is a long time, but good things sometimes come to those who wait.<\/p>\nFavorite Performances<\/h4>\n
Johnny Marr, November 16, Webster Hall
\n<\/b>Why hasn\u2019t Johnny Marr been singing? I could have easily spent another hour watching Marr, who was full of boundless energy, bouncing up and down during the anthem-like \u201cGenerate! Generate!\u201d and, at one point, striking the pose on the cover of The Messenger<\/i>. While he performed an array of songs from his solo record, including \u201cLockdown\u201d and \u201cNew Town Velocity,\u201d his set also included Smiths songs like \u201cStop Me If You think You\u2019ve Heard This One Before,\u201d \u201cPanic,\u201d \u201cThere Is a Light That Never Goes Out\u201d and \u201cBigmouth Strikes Again,\u201d as well as Electronic\u2019s \u201cGetting Away with It.\u201d Marr was joined onstage by former Smiths bassist Andy Rourke for \u201cHow Soon is Now?\u201d and \u201cPlease, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want.\u201d (It was somewhat of a family affair too; Marr\u2019s son, Nile, played with opener Meredith Sheldon.) Even the most jaded concertgoers were yearning for more by the end of the encore.<\/p>\n
Peter Hook & the Light, September 13, Webster Hall
\n<\/b>Was this the year the guitarist\u2014or in this case, the bassist\u2014of a legendary band stepping fully into the spotlight? With his musical progeny in tow? Possibly. I was in the middle of reading Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division<\/i> by former New Order\/Joy Division bassist Peter Hook, so I felt smug in knowing that the opener, Slaves of Venus, was a rejected name for the band that eventually became Joy Division. I managed to catch Hook doing a few Joy Division songs, including \u201cIn a Lonely Place,\u201d before the headlining set of his band (including his son, Jack Hook) did Movement <\/i>and Power, Corruption & Lies<\/i>. Beginning with the single \u201cCeremony,\u201d a Joy Division song that was New Order\u2019s first single, Hook\u2019s voice\u2014a bit deeper than New Order\u2019s Bernard Sumner\u2014did songs like \u201cProcession\u201d and \u201cAge of Consent\u201d justice. Hits like \u201cBlue Monday\u201d and \u201cTemptation\u201d were saved for the encore, which ended with \u201cLove Will Tear Us Apart.\u201d The same song ended the summer show put on by his former bandmates in New Order, but while New Order played a flashier set, Hook\u2019s barebones renditions\u2014with his trademark basslines\u2014were my favorite.<\/p>\n
Depeche Mode, September 8, Jones Beach
\n<\/b>One day this summer, as we walked through the West Village, my boyfriend suddenly grabbed my arm. \u201cI\u2019m on the phone,\u201d<\/i> I hissed. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with you?\u201d I added, as he frantically pointed to a man with a shock of blonde hair in a plaid jacket heading towards us. It was Martin Gore. My boyfriend and I stood around debating whether we should follow him, but he managed to lose us. We did get to see him at Jones Beach four days later, when he sang the love-song-for-people-who-hate-love-songs, \u201cSomebody,\u201d among others. As always, Depeche Mode put on a memorable show complemented by video. The set included a lot of songs I considered \u201cnew\u201d (as in the late \u201990s and beyond, including \u201cWelcome to My World\u201d and \u201cJohn the Revalator\u201d), but I realized it had been 13 years since I\u2019d last seen them. The band did do some classics, including \u201cEnjoy the Silence,\u201d \u201cPersonal Jesus\u201d and \u201cNever Let Me Down Again,\u201d as well as a surprise\u20141981\u2019s early synthpop hit \u201cJust Can\u2019t Get Enough.\u201d Has David Gahan always wiggled his butt so much? It\u2019s possible he is one of those musicians who is aging backwards.<\/p>\n
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, July 17, Terminal 5
\n<\/b>Terminal 5 would ordinarily never fall into my top shows, because it\u2019s quite possibly the worst place to see a band. Or to not<\/i> see a band, as the case often is, considering the horrible sightlines. Anyway, this time I could see the band, and pros like OMD can overcome the abysmal atmosphere, with hits like \u201cElectricity\u201d and, of course, \u201cIf You Leave,\u201d as well as tracks from their more recent albums, History of Modern<\/i> and English Electric<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Simple Minds, October 17, Count Basie Theatre
\n<\/b>Also on my John Hughes soundtrack tour was Simple Minds of \u201cDon\u2019t You Forget About Me\u201d fame. To avoid the poor sightlines of the flat Roseland Ballroom, we traveled to Red Bank, New Jersey\u2019s Count Basie Theater, packed with a crowd of enthusiastic fans (not to mention a fair number of their tweenagers and teenagers) who seemed to know the entire catalog. The two sets also included crowd-pleasers like \u201cSomeone Somewhere in Summertime\u201d and \u201cUp on the Catwalk.\u201d And, of course, the band, led by an energetic Jim Kerr, a true showman, obliged with the hits, including the very last song of the set, \u201cAlive and Kicking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Modern English, August 22, Mercury Lounge
\n<\/b>It\u2019s possible I\u2019ve seen almost every New Wave\/post-punk band there is to see in the past few years, so when the original lineup of Modern English booked a show at the intimate Mercury Lounge, I felt compelled to go. Led by the dapper Robbie Grey, the band held the key to a successful reunion snow, truly looking as if they were enjoying themselves. And somehow guitarist Gary McDowell managed to pull off a look that involved loose-fitting leather pants and sandals. Of course, the highlight was the biggest hit, \u201cI Melt with You,\u201d but the audience was also treated to \u201cSwans on Glass,\u201d \u201cSomeone\u2019s Calling\u201d and \u201cLife in the Glad House.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jungle Brothers, August 6, Marcus Garvey Park
\n<\/b>Every now and then, the audience makes the show even better, and this was the case with the Jungle Brothers show this summer. The celebratory vibe was contagious from the moment the hip-hop pioneers took the stage. Credited with bridging rap and house music, the Jungle Brothers reunited for early hits like \u201cI\u2019ll House You\u201d and \u201cStraight Out the Jungle.\u201d<\/p>\n
My Bloody Valentine, November 11, Hammerstein Ballroom
\n<\/b>Well, we all know that My Bloody Valentine shows can get a bit loud. I had earplugs in the entire time\u2014something recommended by signs posted throughout the venue\u2014and my ears still rang for about three days afterward. What I did hear that night was the famous wall of sound as the band played a set that included \u201cWhen You Sleep\u201d and \u201cHoneypower,\u201d as well as tracks from the latest album, such as \u201cNew You\u201d and \u201cWho Sees You.\u201d The set ended with \u201cYou Made Me Realise,\u201d by far the loudest song that defied my earplugs and nearly shook my fillings out.<\/p>\n
Wooden Shjips, November 14, Knitting Factory
\n<\/b>After seeing My Bloody Valentine, Wooden Shjips continued psychedelic week. I feel as if I spent a lot of that week rooted to the ground, mesmerized.<\/p>\n
Pere Ubu, September 12, Bowery Ballroom
\n<\/b>Somehow, I have always missed seeing this seminal band from my hometown of Cleveland, but won\u2019t let that happen again. With no visas for non-U.S. band members Gagarin and guitarist Keith Molin\u00e9, the opening set featured Dave Thomas and Gararin playing from his home in England via Skype\u2014as well as a man in a rooster mask. Guitarist Dave Cintron\u00a0stepped in for the Pere Ubu set, which included \u201cHeaven,\u201d \u201cVacuum in My Head\u201d and plenty of banter from Thomas, who is a pretty funny guy.<\/p>\n
Dinosaur Jr, June 7, Irving Plaza
\n<\/b>I keep forgetting that Doc Martens are back in style. A few times this year, when I dug out my old pair of Docs, something magical from the ’90s happened. One of the first times I wore them, my boyfriend returned from work, checked his email and discovered he\u2019d won tickets to a late Dinosaur Jr. show, an afterparty for the evening\u2019s earlier Governors Ball. It was already late and rainy, but who would deny this magic gift from the ’90s bestowed by the Doc Martens? So shortly after 1 am, I found myself wearing the magic Docs and watching Dinosaur Jr. Lou Barlow announced themselves as Kings of Leon (whose Governor\u2019s set was rained out) and Beach House, as the band played a set that included \u201cFeel the Pain,\u201d \u201cFreak Scene,\u201d and \u201cThe Lung.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Breeders, March 29, The Bell House and May 6, Irving Plaza
\n<\/b>Speaking of the ’90s, seeing The Breeders play Last Splash<\/i> in its entirety as the band launched its 20th anniversary tour was as great as you\u2019d expect it to be. Kim and Kelly Deal, Josephine Wiggs and Jim MacPherson recreated the record right down the bullhorn beginning of \u201cCannonball,\u201d and the switching up of the band, with bassist Wiggs on drums as it was recorded. The show was so good, that when the opportunity to see it again came around, I went to see The Breeders at Irving Plaza, this time with the energetic, punky trio of Tweens and the infectious, delightful Parquet Courts.<\/p>\nReading and Watching<\/h4>\n
Revenge of the Mekons
\n<\/i><\/b>Filmmaker Joe Anglo examines the evolution of the Mekons from an art project in 1977\u2014comprised of people who couldn\u2019t play their instruments\u2014to a legitimate band and how success continually eluded the influential group. Even if you\u2019re not a fan (and I can’t say I was), the film is fascinating and often funny look at the beloved band.<\/p>\n
The Punk Singer
\n<\/i><\/b>This documentary follows Kathleen Hanna from feminist to riot grrrl icon as the singer of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. And it provides a poignant look at the crisis that nearly sidelined the formidable Hanna, who in the end, shows she\u2019s still a force to be reckoned with.<\/p>\n
Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division
\n<\/i><\/b>At times, reading this book is like having Peter Hook, bassist for legendary Joy Division, regale you with tales from the early days of Joy Division. Hook has quite a memory, with detailed anecdotes about shows from decades ago, plus detailed lists of shows the band played from their beginnings. It also shows another side to singer Ian Curtis, different from the mysterious, brooding figure portrayed in 24 Hour Party People<\/i> and Control<\/i>. Hook also shows the goofy guy in a band, as well as the grief and guilt that haunted Joy Division\u2019s remaining members who went on to form New Order after Curtis\u2019 1980 suicide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As 2013 wound to a close, I was left wondering: Have I seen everything there is to see? Most pop-culture events left me feeling blas\u00e9\u2014even Miley Cyrus\u2019 VMA performance. I may have been several Moonman-tinis into the evening, but I didn\u2019t see what the big deal was. A shocking VMA performance? Try Madonna\u2019s \u201cLike a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":618,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2479],"tags":[242,260],"class_list":["post-634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-best-of-the-year","tag-best-of-2013","tag-josie-rubio"],"yoast_head":"\n