MCCh 2013 (04) March, 15

[Otisredding]

The best albums of 2013 (update March, 15)

The final numbers is the average rating and number of reviews in brackets (over 31)
New Entry or Re Entry

The magazines I used for the ratings were:
EUR: Gaffa-dk; Gaffa-sw; Jenesaispop; Laut; LesInrocks; MagicRPM; Mondosonoro; Music-story; Nojesguiden; Plattentests; Playgroundmag; Sentire Ascoltare; Storia Della Musica
UK: Bowlegs; DIY; Drowned In Sound, The Guardian, Music OMH, NME, No Ripcord
USA: Allmusic; AV Club; BeatsPerMinute; Blurt; Consequence Of Sound; Paste; Pitchforkmedia; Popmatters; Rolling Stone; Spin; Tinymixtapes

Out:
Broadcast: Berberian Sound Studio
Night Beds: Country Sleep
Local Natives: Hummingbird
Mountains: Centralia

25 - Unknown Mortal Orchestra: II - 75,6 (23)
[imgsize 160x160]http://exclaim.ca/images/umo.jpg[/imgsize]

24 - The Men: New Moon - 75,7 (13)
[imgsize 160x160]http://cdn3.pitchfork.com/news/48859/3714c8da.jpg[/imgsize]

23 - Youth Lagoon: Wondrous Bughouse - 75,9 (16)
[imgsize 160x160]http://beatsperminute.com/wp-content/up ... ghouse.jpg[/imgsize]

22 - Villagers: {Awayland} - 76,1 (19)
[imgsize 160x160]http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9 ... cpL99X3VYA[/imgsize]

21 - Caitlin Rose: The Stand-In – 76,2 (11)
[imgsize 160x160]http://entertainment.guardianoffers.co. ... AA_870.jpg[/imgsize]

20 - Frightened Rabbit: Pedestrian Verse – 76,3 (16)
[imgsize 170x170]http://wmuk-apache.co.uk/frightened_rab ... nVerse.jpg[/imgsize]

19 - Atoms For Peace: Amok - 76,4 (28)
[imgsize 170x170]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9 ... 4EFpBjZ8A-[/imgsize]

18 - Toro Y Moi: Anything In Return – 76,4 (28)
[imgsize 170x170]http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9 ... lP5IylUulv[/imgsize]

17 - Suuns: Images Du Futur – 76,6 (15)
[imgsize 170x170]http://static.nme.com/images/gallery/20 ... 010313.jpg[/imgsize]

16 - Foals: Holy Fire – 76,6 (26)
[imgsize 170x170]http://www.clashmusic.com/sites/default ... OT_800.jpg[/imgsize]

15 - Foxygen: We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace And Magic - 76,9 (23)
[imgsize 180x180]http://www.thelefortreport.com/blog/wp- ... 00x600.jpg[/imgsize]

14 - Torres: Torres - 76,9 (7)
[imgsize 180x180]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ENSpWWA7fHg/U ... torres.jpg[/imgsize]

13 - Pissed Jeans: Honeys – 77,2 (19)
[imgsize 180x180]http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af10 ... bec94a.jpg[/imgsize]

12 - Iceage: You're Nothing - 77,7 (23)
[imgsize 180x180]http://audioaddictmag.files.wordpress.c ... =300&h=300[/imgsize]

11 - John Grant: Pale Green Ghosts - 79,1 (13)
[imgsize 180x180]http://www.theartsdesk.com/sites/defaul ... ts_web.jpg[/imgsize]

10 - Autre Ne Veut: Anxiety – 80,0 (17)
[imgsize 190x190]http://www.indiefermag.com/wp-content/u ... 21c8e0.jpg[/imgsize]

09 - Steven Wilson: The Raven That Refused To Sing - 80,1 (8)
[imgsize 190x190]http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/8 ... +cover.png[/imgsize]

08 - Grouper: The Man Who Died In His Boat - 80,5 (15)
[imgsize 190x190]http://factmag-images.s3.amazonaws.com/ ... .20121.jpg[/imgsize]

07 - Rhye: Woman - 80,8 (18)
[imgsize 190x190]http://www.nowtoronto.com/_assets/issue ... _large.jpg[/imgsize]

06 - Yo La Tengo: Fade - 81,3 (27)
[imgsize 190x190]http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9 ... 6qEX7IiSpQ[/imgsize]

05 - David Bowie: The Next Day - 82,6 (27)
[imgsize 200x200]http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2013/03/ ... t-Day1.jpg[/imgsize]

04 - Parquet Courts: Light Up Gold - 83,3 (10)
[imgsize 200x200]http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9 ... P5aomDD-Ow[/imgsize]

03 - Matthew E. White: Big Inner - 84,0 (16)
[imgsize 200x200]http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9 ... PiFD-WoY1Q[/imgsize]

02 - Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds: Push The Sky Away – 84,5 (31)
[imgsize 200x200]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JSjvhQ1dTCI/U ... /front.jpg[/imgsize]

01 - My Bloody Valentine: MBV - 87,4 (30)
[imgsize 200x200]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iiqxZZtNgeY/U ... er+(2).jpg[/imgsize]

[irreduciblekoan]

Thanks again, Otis! Quick question. Small detail, but it's important to me. Does the Big Inner score include 2012 reviews such as P4k's and Rolling Stone's, or does the chart only make use of 2013 reviews?

[guigs2910]

Finally Torres is in! I was really cheering for that! It's an incredible debut album. I am also cheering for more recognition of the Fear Of Men album ... let's wait!

[Otisredding]

Does the Big Inner score include 2012 reviews such as P4k's and Rolling Stone's, or does the chart only make use of 2013 reviews?

Yes: 81 from Pitchfork and 70 from Rolling Stone

[Future Critic]

With four albums receiving scores above 80 on metacritic this week (Kacey Musgraves, Low, Suede and Phosphorecent), the next update should be quite interesting.

Thanks again for all your hard work on this Otis!

[irreduciblekoan]

Thanks for the reply, Otis.

Yeah, I'm excited to see how well Phosphorescent fares in the next update. It's an awesome album. I'm surprised at how "low" John Grant is. 79 is still great but with all the high scores I've seen (8.5 overall on anydecentmusic.com with seven perfect scores) I expected him to jump into the top 5.

[Harold]

I'm surprised at how "low" John Grant is. 79 is still great but with all the high scores I've seen (8.5 overall on anydecentmusic.com with seven perfect scores) I expected him to jump into the top 5.

Well, don't forget that it's only out in the UK and Europe right now - its official U.S. release date isn't until May 14. (I ordered it on import via eBay, and it arrived today.) Hopefully it'll jump up by then. (Similarly, the Villagers album won't see U.S. release until April 7.)

[Honorio]

Throughout the weekend I've been listening to this Top 10 and I've enjoyed it a lot, especially:
- Three brilliant exercises on styles usually not too appreciated by the critics: sophisti-pop (the excellent "Woman"), soft-rock ("Big Inner") and even prog-rock ("The Raven That Refused to Sing").
- Two albums from artists/bands that showcases their permanent state of inspiration that last for decades and still got no signs of exhaustion ("Push the Sky Away" and "Fade").
- Two long-awaited comebacks that in my opinion are good but not great ("m b v" and "The Next Day").

The rest of the Top 10 got interesting things too:
- The drone-based dream-pop of "The Man Who Died in His Boat" is very original but it gets boring after a while.
- The funny albums, the punk-pop "Light Up Gold" and the synth-pop "Anxiety," were also very good within its own styles but on a first listen they failed to cause an impact on me.

By the way, I suppose you all know that #3 and #4 albums are from 2012 (but I suppose they are getting reviews during 2013).

[Harold]

Anyone else starting to wonder when the new list is getting posted? I assume that the holiday yesterday is partially responsible for the delay.

[dr_Robert]

Anyone else starting to wonder when the new list is getting posted? I assume that the holiday yesterday is partially responsible for the delay.

I am. And I mean this as an encouragement (there is an interest in the update!) rather than as a complaint.

[Eddie Snide]

Anyone else starting to wonder when the new list is getting posted? I assume that the holiday yesterday is partially responsible for the delay.

I am. And I mean this as an encouragement (there is an interest in the update!) rather than as a complaint.

Me too, and me too.

[Otisredding]

MCCh 2013 (05) March, 31