Allbrook/Avery - Big 'Art (Spinning Top)
The Babies - The Babies (Shrimper Records)
Blues Control & Laraaji - FRKWYS Vol. 8 (Rvng)
Cut/Copy - Zonoscope (Modular)
The Men - Leave Home (Sacred Bones)
Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will (Sub Pop)
Run DMT - Dreams (Culture Dealer)
Toro y Moi - Underneath the Pine (Carpark)
True Widow - As High As the Highest Heavens and From the Center to the Circumference of the Earth (Kemado)
Warm Brains - Old Volcanoes (Marshall Teller)
25. Sic Alps - Napa Asylum (Drag City)
24. Dope Body - Nupping (Hoss)
23. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds (Sour Mash)
22. Panda Bear - Tomboy (Paw Tracks)
21. Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica (Mexican Summer/Software)
20. Gauntlet Hair - Gauntlet Hair (Dead Oceans)
19. WU LYF - Go Tell Fire to the Mountain (Self-Released)
18. Bass Drum of Death - GB City (Fat Possum)
17. Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde (Fat Possum)
16. Ducktails - III: Arcade Dynamics (Woodsist)
15. Death Grips - Exmilitary (Third Worlds)
14. Real Estate - Days (Domino)
13. Ty Segall - Goodbye Bread (Drag City)
12. Radiohead - The King of Limbs (XL)
11. Rangers - Pan Am Stories (Not Not Fun)
10. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Mirror Traffic (Matador)
Mirror Traffic is probably the finest album Malkmus has written since his Pavement days. I feel like he can write perfect pop songs without breaking a sweat. What a jerk.
9. Grooms - Prom (Kanine)
This is one of those albums where you gotta listen to it on a drive at night. Reminds me of the Smiths Meat is Murder era. Grooms is definitely one of my favorite bands I've discovered this year.
8. The Horrors - Skying (XL)
Once again, the Horrors made another masterpiece. Shifting away from their shoegaze vibes on Primary Colours, Skying is filled with psychedelic pop gems that your weird Pink Floyd obsessive uncle will approve of.
7. Big Troubles - Romantic Comedy (Slumberland)
I've been playing this album for a solid three months now. Every track reminds me of when I was 16, listening to britpop bands and pretending I was Noel Gallagher. I still don't get the hate for this album but everyone should give it a chance 'cause you're really missing out on something special.
6. John Maus - We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves (Ribbon)
I've been a huge fan of John Maus' since 2009. It was understandable to see people ripping on him for making weird synth pop and singing songs about having sex on top of cars. Personally this is not my favorite release from him but I think he still does a fine job at making haunting and catchy synth driven tunes. It's still a little weird how everyone is in love with him now but it's about goddamn time.
5. Arctic Monkeys - Suck It and See (Domino)
Suck It and See is the fourth album by the Arctic Monkeys and it's their finest and maturest album to date. There's really nothing too much different from what they've done on their past releases but they've continue to make solid indie rock hits. I recall listening to this album about eight times on the day it was released. I think I choked up a bit around the third listen.
4. Iceage - New Brigade (What's Your Rupture?)
At first, I didn't understand the hype around this band. In fact, I don't understand a lot of hypes but whatever. New Brigade is an exciting post-punk record made by a group of eighteen/nineteen year-old's from Denmark. It's only twenty four minutes long but it's enough to keep your attention.
3. The Field - Looping State of Mind (Kompakt)
I was never the biggest fan of the Field until this album came out. The first track, "Is This Power", is the most infectious dance track I've heard all year. I'm shit at explaining electronic music but Looping State of Mind is a beautiful, atmospheric record that could be labeled as Axel Willner's masterpiece.
2. Atlas Sound - Parallax (4AD)
Parallax is Bradford Cox' most personal and greatest album to date. Definitely not as experimental as Logos but the songwriting has improved. They're simple but memorable. Songs like "Praying Man" where Cox sings, "Kick me while I'm down, why don't you? Stick me in the ground, I'll rise again" show more of his religious side. Parallax is a grower but it's well worth it in the end.
1. Battles - Gloss Drop (Warp)
A lot of people seemed to be upset when Tyondai Braxton left Battles. After all, he was the lead vocalist but he was certainly not the focal point of the band. With Gloss Drop, Ian Williams, Dave Konopka, and John Stanier managed to make the most energetic and outstanding record of their music careers. Almost every other track features a guest vocalist who adds an extra twist on the vibrant instrumentals. One of the highlights is Blonde Redhead's singer Kazu Makino's vocals on "Sweetie & Shag", which could be considered as the first pop song Battles has undoubtedly perfected. "Sundome" is the mind-blowing finale that features vocalist Yamatanka Eye from Boredoms, howling gibberish onto a layer of cheesy 80s synths and a pulsating drum beat. I wouldn't call this album a sequel to Mirrored but more of a step up from their dark, post rock sound. It's Battles without chipmunks.
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