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             The Best of 2013!

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So, 2013 is almost done and dusted! Seems like a good time to share with you which albums have topped our lists from Australia and abroad, which tracks we had on high rotation, the videos we rated most highly and the live gigs that blew us away throughout the year. 
 

Top 10 Australian Albums of 2013

It was such a great year for Australian music that we struggled to stop at 10 albums and had to include an Honourable Mention as well! 
  1. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Push The Sky Away
  2. The Drones – I See Seaweed
  3. Machine Translations – The Bright Door
  4. Jen Cloher – In Blood Memory
  5. Pikelet - Calluses
  6. Jagwar Ma – Howlin’
  7. Adalita – All Day Venus
  8. Horrorshow – King Amongst Many
  9. Pond – Hobo Rocket
  10. Bushwalking  - No Enter
Honourable Mention: High Highs – Open Season


Check out The Orbweavers' Top 5 Australian albums of 2013.
Picture
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds image courtesy of picstopin.com

Listen to the MadfaMusic Top 10 Australian Albums of 2013

Listen to the albums in full via the Spotify playlist below, or check out the two tracks we've handpicked from each album via the 8tracks playlist below. You can also listen to a single track from each album via Soundcloud or Bandcamp below.
 
 

MadfaMusic Top 10 Australian Albums of 2013 from MadfaMusic on 8tracks Radio.

 

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds -Push the Sky Away

Push The Sky Away, the 15th album from Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds is a captivating listen from start to finish, and as always, it's lyrically diverse, encompassing Cave's recurring themes of sex, death and religion. Cave manages to disturb, even on the gentle, lilting opening track, courtesy of the creepy lyrics "and we know who you are, and we know where you live, and we know there's no need to forgive" ("We No Who U R"). With this eery softly-spoken threat, even the innocent feel guilty. Cave is the quintessential literary, cantankerous intellectual, however on this album, it's the lyrics rather than the music that's dark - the end result of which is that the music is accessible (perhaps moreso than ever before for a Bad Seeds album). Push The Sky Away is the first Bad Seeds album since the departure of long time Cave collaborator and guitarist Mick Harvey, and it's Warren Ellis' loops and electronic sounds that provide the frame on which Cave has hung these songs.  Above all else, this album has a warmth and lushness that makes it eminently listenable. Standout tracks: "We No Who U R", "Water's Edge", "Jubilee Street", "We Real Cool" and "Higgs Boson Blues". 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Top 10 International Albums of 2013

  1. Kurt Vile - Wakin On A Pretty Daze
  2. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - II
  3. Matthew E. White - Big Inner
  4. Laura Marling - Once I Was An Eagle
  5. Phosphorescent - Muchacho de Lujo
  6. Jessica Pratt - self titled
  7. Bill Callahan - Dream River
  8. Washed Out - Paracosm
  9. King Krule - 6 Feet Beneath The Moon
  10. James Blake  - Overgrown
Honourable Mention: The Black Angels - Indigo Meadow
 

MadfaMusic: Top 10 Albums of 2013 (non Australian) from MadfaMusic on 8tracks Radio.

Kurt Vile - Wakin On A Pretty Daze

PictureImage courtesy of theguardian.com
Philadelphia's Kurt Vile was a member of the indie rock band The War on Drugs in its early days before he went solo and delivered a slew of albums and EPs. Since releasing the phenomenal "Wakin On a Pretty Daze", Vile is so revered in Philly that the city awarded him the Liberty Bell Award and has named August 28th "Kurt Vile Day". Knowing this, the clip for standout track "KV Crimes" (which shows Vile wearing a crown and being carried through the streets on a throne) seems apt. His music is guitar driven and lo-fi and can only be described as mope rock. He comes across as a stoner, dreamer and introvert who just happens to play some seriously good guitar which often delivers the melody that his vocals lack. Even the louder tracks on the album are mid paced and leisurely, and 3/4 of them come in at over 5 minutes. His music has a spacious, hypnotic quality to it which is undeniable is its appeal. New to Kurt Vile? First stop for you should be "Never Run Away". 

 
 
 

Top 20 Music Videos of 2013

1.     Toro Y Moi – Rose Quartz
2.     Devendra Banhart – Mondo Taurobolium
3.     Janelle Monae – Q.U.E.E.N.
4.     Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark) (NSFW)
5.     MGMT - Alien Days
6.     Junip – Line of Fire (Part 1) and Your Life Your Call (Part 2)
7.     Brighter Later – The Woods
8.     Atoms for Peace – Before Your Very Eyes
9.     James Blake – Overgrown
10.   Flume & Chet Faker – Drop the Game
11.   Snakadaktal – Hung on Tight
12.   Cloud Control – Dojo Rising
13.   David Bowie – The Stars Are Out Tonight (NSFW)
14.   Hanni El Khatib – Family (NSFW)
15.   James Blake feat. Chance the Rapper – Life Round Here
16.   Arcade fire – Reflektor        
17.   Fat Freddy’s Drop – Clean the House
18.   Spiderbait – It’s Beautiful
19.   The Black Angels – Don’t Play with Guns
20.   Julia Holter – This is a True Heart

See Courtney Barnett's Top 5 videos of 2013.
 

Best Gigs of 2013

  • Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - Corner Hotel, January
  • Hunx and his Punx - The Tote, January
  • David Byrne & St Vincent- Hamer Hall, Melbourne, January
  • Neil Young - The Hill Winery, March
  • Ainslie Wills - Northcote Social Club, April
  • Yacht - Ding Dong, May
  • Something For Kate (supported by Courtney Barnett) - Theatre Royal, Castlemaine, May
  • Matthew E White - Northcote Social Club, June
  • Milk Carton Kids - Thornbury Theatre, June
  • Jen Cloher - Corner Hotel, June
  • Chris Russell's Chicken Walk - 
    Northcote Social Club, Northcote,  August
  • Matt Walker & Ross McLennan - The Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick, September 
  • Something for Kate - 3RRR Live Performance Space, October
  • Underground Lovers - Queenscliff Music Festival, November
  • Machine Translations - Northcote Social Club, November
  • Melody Pool - Queenscliff Music Festival, November
  • East Brunswick All Girls Choir - The Old Bar, November
  • Franz Ferdinand - The Forum, November
  • Courtney Barnett - Meredith Music Festival, December
Picture
Hunx & His Punx. Photo courtesy of eelliottee.tumblr.com
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Best Tracks of 2013

We've put together a Spotify playlist of 150 or so of our favourite tracks from 2013, plus added some Soundcloud and Bandcamp files below for tracks that aren't on Spotify. Read the full list below. Tracks that aren't on Spotify are denoted by **. Enjoy!
  • A Lesson From Mr Gray - The Paper Kites
  • A Moat You Can Stand In - The Drones
  • A Tooth For An Eye - The Knife
  • A tout a l'heure - Bibio
  • Alice - Dick Diver
  • All My Friends - Jimmy Tait
  • Always Forever - Cults
  • Always Maybe - The Black Angels
  • America - Laura Veirs
  • Anonymous Club - Courtney Barnett
  • Autumn Sun - Emiliana Torrini
  • Avant Gardener - Courtney Barnett
  • Avenger - The Bamboos
  • Back To Land - Wooden Shjips
  • Back To The Middle - Deerhunter
  • Bagboy - Pixies
  • BC - Montero
  • Big Wheel - Cass McCombs
  • Black Sky, Yellow Moon - Ben Mason
  • Blue - Summer Flake
  • Blue Sky - Adalita
  • Bonnie & Clyde - Tricky
  • Border Line - King Krule
  • Breathe - Laura Marling
  • Bushel Hyde - Jessica Pratt
  • Byegone - Volcano Choir
  • Campo - Toro Y Moi
  • Check Check Check - Heads of Charm
  • Cocoon - Day Ravies
  • Combo - Pikelet
  • Come and Go - Brighter Later
  • Come Save Me - Jagwar Ma
  • Country Life - JEFF The Brotherhood
  • Deadbeat Sweetheart - World's End Press
  • Deep - Snakadaktal
  • Defriended - Beck
  • Doin' It Right - Daft Punk, Panda Bear
  • Don't Gamble - Super Wild Horses
  • Don't Play With Guns - The Black Angels
  • Don't Swallow The Cap - The National
  • Dust In The Gold Sack - Swearin'
  • Emkay - Bonobo
  • Faded In the Morning - Unknown Mortal Orchestra
  • Fighting Kind - Ainslie Wills
  • Freaking Out The Neighborhood - Mac Demarco
  • Funky Train - The Poets of Rhythm
  • Get Ready (feat. Fishing) - Alison Wonderland** 
  • Get This - Ross McLennan
  • Giant Tortoise - Pond
  • Give Me - The Child of Lov
  • Great Escape - Washed Out
  • Harbinger - The Bamboos
  • Head In The Dirt - Hanni El Khatib
  • Hey Now - The Ancients
  • Higgs Boson Blues - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
  • High Hogs - Bushwalking
  • Home Recording - Mount Kimbie
  • How To Fly - Sticky Fingers
  • How To See Through Fog - The Drones
  • Hung On Tight - Snakadaktal
  • I Am Sold - James Blake
  • I Like The Things About Me - Mavis Staples
  • I See Seaweed - The Drones
  • I Should Live In Salt - The National
  • I Won't Be Long - Beck
  • In The Green Wild - Julia Holter
  • In the Kingdom - Mazzy Star
  • It All Feels Right - Washed Out
  • Jasmine - Day Ravies
  • Keep My Cool - Aluka
  • Keep On Breaking Through - Beaches
  • King Amongst Many - Horrorshow
  • King Of The Past - The Paradise Motel
  • KV Crimes - Kurt Vile
  • Land Lols - Bushwalking
  • Listen Close - Horrorshow
  • Look Across The Sky - Deltron 3030 feat. Mary Elizabeth Winstead
  • Love - Palms
  • Love Is To Die - Warpaint
  • Luck Now - Big Scary
  • Malleable Beings - The Paper Kites
  • Man - Neko Case
  • March Over To Me - Little Scout
  • Master of My Craft - Parquet Courts
  • Maxim's I - Julia Holter
 
 
 
 
 
  • More Mess On My Thing - The Poets of Rhythm
  • Mount Beauty - Jen Cloher
  • Movie Music Kills A Kiss - Califone
  • Never Run Away - Kurt Vile
  • Night Faces - Jessica Pratt
  • Ninja - Banoffee
  • No One Knows Nothing Anymore - Billy Bragg
  • Nono/Yoyo - Standish/Carlyon
  • Ocean Repeating (Big-Eyed Girl) - Wild Nothing
  • Ode to Viceroy - Mac Demarco
  • One of These Days - Matthew E. White
  • Open Season - High Highs
  • Oxygen - Sebadoh
  • Parachutes - Sweet Jean
  • Parts Of Speech - Swearin'
  • Perfect Crime - Machine Translations
  • Plastic Bag In A Hurricane - Pluto Jonze
  • Pool - Zeahorse
  • Pressure Cooker - Pikelet
  • Pure Pain - Kurt Vile
  • Raise A Glass - Citizen Kay, BKBB
  • Rattle The Chain - The Murlocs**
  • Red Eyed Birds - Kieran Ryan
  • Reflektor - Arcade Fire
  • Reformation Age - World's End Press
  • Ride On/Right On - Phosphorescent
  • Riding - Underground Lovers
  • Sacriledge - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Saggin - Remi
  • Saved - The Darling Downs**
  • Say It Isn't So - Ron S. Peno & The Superstitions
  • Seal Rock Hotel - Mark Kozelek, Desertshore
  • Sex In The Chillzone - Ooga Boogas**
  • Shape - Glasser
  • She Will - Savages
  • Shikaakwa - Cave**
  • Shut Up - Savages
  • So Good At Being In Trouble - Unknown Mortal Orchestra
  • So Many Details - Toro Y Moi
  • Sometimes - Mick Turner
  • Speed Of Dark - Emiliana Torrini
  • State Of The Art (A.E.I.O.U.) - Jim James
  • Step - Vampire Weekend
  • Stop Pulling The String - Ainslie Wills
  • Stray Current - Baptism of Uzi
  • SUGAR Won't Work - Elvis Costello And The Roots
  • Sun Song - Laura Veirs
  • Talking to a Stranger (Planets Collide Remix) - The Avalanches
  • Tanzanite - Beaches
  • Team - Lorde
  • Tennis Court - Lorde
  • That Loneliness - Jagwar Ma
  • The Man Man - Ty Segall
  • The Sing - Bill Callahan**
  • This Last Year - Palms
  • This Lonely Morning - Best Coast
  • This Way - Grey Reverend
  • Through The Grass - Wild Nothing
  • Tiff - POLICA feat. Justin Vernon
  • Toe Cutter - Thumb Buster - Thee Oh Sees
  • Toothless Tiger - Jen Cloher
  • Trust Is Rust - Adalita
  • Turn All The Lights Down Low - Snout**
  • Uncertainty - Jagwar Ma
  • Walk Us UPTOWN - Elvis Costello And The Roots
  • Water Damage - Dick Diver
  • Water Met The Sky - Machine Translations
  • We No Who U R - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
  • Widow Maker - Boomgates
  • Xanman - Pond
  • You Can't Give It Back - Machine Translations
  • Your Life Your Call - Junip
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