st. tropez Albums of the Year 2013

These days I know I don't make it around as much as I once did. Work keeps me pretty busy, but I still manage to check the site and read the posts from time to time, even if I am unable to contribute on the message boards or in the updating of new posts. However, as has become customary over the last few years, I still compile a EOTY list of my favorite albums. Being the member of n-a-r that has quite an eclectic taste in music, mostly stuff few people have heard of, I look forward to sharing with you yearly. Below you will find my top 20, with a more detailed message for the top 10. Enjoy.

EPs of the year: American Authors S/T EP, Magic Man You Are Here EP, Sir Sly Gold EP, Bear's Den Without/Within EP, Smallpools S/T EP, and Little Children Falling EP.

20. James Blake "Overgrown" (electronic downtempo singer)
19. Jason Isbell "Southeastern" (blues americana, former lead singer of drive-by truckers)
18. CHVRCHES "Bones of What You Believe" (electropop from Ireland)
17. Tunde Baiyewu "Diamond in a Rock" (singer/songwriter adult alternative from England. Imagine Aloe Blacc meets Tracy Chapman)
16. Air Review "Low Wishes" (indie rock)
15. Bastille "Bad Blood" (alternative/indie rock)
14. Andrew Belle "Black Bear" (singer/songwriter with moments of intertwined electronic sounds)
13. Justin Timberlake "The 20/20 Experience" (mainly part I)
12. Sleeping at Last "Atlas" (indie singer/songwriter)
11. Kacey Musgraves "Same Trailer Different Park (country/grammy winner)

10. Penny & Sparrow "Tenboom"

Easy listening folk duo from Texas. Reminds me of The Swell Season minus the accent, but deep, honest, and hurting lyrics. Great listen, and a band that is on the rise within the industry. 

9. Green River Ordinance "Chasing Down the Wind"

Americana, almost borderline country with some of their tunes, GRO is a band i've been fans of for some time, and as their sound keeps evolving, I continue to be infatuated with their sound. Nothing amazing about this album, just very well written and an album I can turn on during most any mood and connect with. 

8. John Mayer "Paradise Valley"

Mayer is Mayer. I love everything he puts out, and while i'm still waiting for another album to hold a light to the powers of Continuum, I welcome the grassroots change he's brought about. You look at musicians he admires like Clapton, and you see the growth and change during their career, and Mayer is experiencing that now. Before long, I think we all will get a revisit from the Mayer that made him great. 

7. J. Cole "Born Sinner"

I never claim to be a rap connoisseur, but I can usually listen to a rap album and tell if it's good or not in the context of flow/lyrics/etc. Born Sinner blew me away, mainly with the first track "Villuminati". All around, I thought this was the best rap album of the year.

6. Vampire Weekend "Modern Vampires of the City"

This album got a ton of love this year from everyone, and I agree with the love. I never touted myself as a VW fan, not really understanding the hype of the first albums, but I understood it with this. Infectious indie pop rock with hooks that are just great. Enjoyable album, and I think I am buying into the bands hype now. 

5. There Will Be Fireworks "The Dark, Dark Bright"

The bands first album was a top 10 album for me a few years back, and the sophomore album did not disappoint. From the second I heard the song/saw the video for "Youngblood", I knew this album was going to hit me just as well as the first album.

4. Gabrielle Aplin "English Rain"

Again, nothing special here. English singer/songwriter who broke out this year, touring with John Mayer and the likes . Infectious songwriter with crazy well written pop songs. This album came along to me at the right time and at the right place. Can't argue with fate. 

3. Volcano Choir "Repave"

I never really was a huge Bon Iver fan, but I enjoyed the first VC album. Not enough to become a huge fan, but enough to be excited about Repave. My excitement was blown away by this album, and I personally think it's better than anything Bon Iver ever released. Call me a cynic, or just call me someone who thinks Justin Vernon is great at his craft, but better when I can actually understand what the hell he is singing and saying.

New band on the block

2. The 1975 "S/T"

New band on the block, and I was absolutely blown away by the album. I'd been following their progression from EP to EP, but put them all together with a more polished sound and you hit a wonderfully mastered disc. "Success is brittle." Wise words spoken from a young man who, at the age of 18, was addicted to cocaine. The battle of life, love, drugs, rock & roll, and teenage angst shine through in the bands debut S/T, the band was given tour dates with Bastille and were even hand-selected to open some dates for The Rolling Stones. For a group of youngsters, that is a huge thing -- and for their overly enjoyable brand of pop rock, it's something that will take them a long way. 

1. Foy Vance "Joy of Nothing"

I realized this year that I pretty much love everything Glassnote Records puts out. From Mumford and Phoenix, to Two Door Cinema Club and CHRVCHES. Foy is another. Irish singer/songwriter just hit it out of the park in my opinion with this release. I caught wind of the first single, "Joy of Nothing" probably in March, and since that day I became obsessed with it. Once the album as a whole was released, I realized how much heart and soul this album had. Lots of outlets have been getting behind Foy and pushing him as the next big thing, with iTunes declaiming him of the best albums of the year for his genre, to websites saying he is a "must watch" in 2014. The album didn't really take off upon release, but thanks to songs appearing in movies and TV shows (namely "Feel for Me"), he continues to slowly climb the charts. Eerily similar to the road that The Fray took when they first launched their major label debut, and how it wasn't until 4-5 months after the release that they just blew up everywhere. 

That is all for now. I hope you enjoyed this little rundown, and I hope you check out some new music. Best to you all in 2014.

Albums of the year 2012, part II

Without further ado, here comes the final part of my list.

#10 Django Django
Django Django

Having received rave reviews from just about everyone, this album became increasingly harder to avoid. Needless to say, when I finally gave in, I didn't regret it one bit. There's always something fascinating and refreshing about debuting indie bands, and Django Django certainly made quite an entrance.

#9 Born and Raised
John Mayer

When you rate Born and Raised, it all comes down to whether you like folk music or not. Thus, it's gonna be either your most favourite Mayer's album or the least. Considering it's in my top ten, it must be clear where I stand on this. (My review)

#8 Blunderbuss
Jack White

After an admirable 22-year-long career in music, dozens of projects and collaborations, everyone's favourite guitarist finally set off to release his solo debut. And its outstanding moments by far outweigh the few flaws. One of the bussiest and most prolific men in the bussiness hardly ever lets his fans down, even though it may have taken some time for people like me to appreciate the record. I'm only wondering if Jack White will ever run out of the tricks up his sleeve.

#7 Come of Age
The Vaccines

The Vaccines delivered again. Come of Age is arguably and quite surprisingly an even better album than their massively hyped debut. (My review)

#6 Handwritten
The Gaslight Anthem

Despite the lack of progress, this is still a rather fantastic output. It's been always very exciting for me to witness the band's continual rise to fame, and frankly, I hope it won't stop anytime soon. (My review)

#5 Lonerism
Tame Impala

A fantastic psychedelic album, that grabs you and doesn't let go. Expect no stoner music, though, this is a very focused and elaborate set of songs. It was yet another big surprise for me and will be an important entry in every respectable magazine's guide to 2012's essential albums. (My Review)

#4 Celebration Rock
Japandroids

It's hard to resist the raw energy of this album. I may be overly enthusiastic, but it is thanks to bands like Japandroids, that rock'n'roll will never die. (My review)

#3 Given to the Wild
The Maccabees

Compelling third studio album from the UK indie rockers, that clearly shows their musical maturity and a great deal of ambition, which don't go unfulfilled. (My review)

#2 Some Nights
fun.

It's increasingly difficult to avoid cheap puns, but the band's name really says it all. For me, this has been the feel-good album of 2012. I would always come back to it and be amazed by the sheer talent on display. Despite a few missteps along the way, it's simply a great record and I'm glad fun.'s singles dominated the airwaves this year. (My review)

#1 Battle Born
The Killers

Ever since the release, there was little doubt this mammoth of an album would eventually end up seizing the top spot of my list. Considering the long break, we might have doubted whether The Killers still got what it takes to dominate the world. Thankfully, the answer to that is a resounding "yes". Great hooks, grand statements, perfect execution... An instant classic. (My review)

Born and Raised

Remember the time before st. tropez started his journey into the history of '90s and '00s music? There was an album we all talked about and were looking forward to... Yes, the latest John Mayer effort. Here are my thoughts. Don't consider this to be a proper review, though, because I'm no John Mayer expert...

Firstly, I just love the artwork.

Anyways, half a year ago, I wasn't exactly a John Mayer fan. The amount of praise his albums were getting repelled the little hipster in me. Besides, this solo singer/songwriter stuff was never my cup of tea. But then a friend of mine forced me to actually give his albums a shot and I did. Well, I didn't love it, but I liked it enough to give it a few spins and enjoy it for the while. Then suddenly, as the release date of his new album approached, I found myself looking forward to Born & Raised.

It's the folkier sound which I find most appealing about the new album. Many great musicians go folk eventually, and hardly ever there comes anything bad out of it. This isn't the case either. Although it wasn't that big of a change for Mayer as he still stays clearly recognisable and never wanders outside his own niche...



...with a notable exception, of course. The song Walt Grace's Submarine Test, January 1967, as st. tropez already mentioned, isn't like anything we ever heard from Mayer. So let's give the man some credit for that. It's a fantastic song. If only he did something like that more often, because it shows everything I miss in the rest of Mayer's music. If only I knew how to put it in words... Stronger melodies? More passion? Probably. Nevertheless, when Mayer hits the strings, you know it's always worth the time. In the end, this is an all-around great record and the folkier sound shouldn't put anybody off.

Best tracks: Queen of California, Shadow Days, Walt Grace's Submarine Test, January 1967

Queen of California

Listen to the new John Mayer song. His next album, Born and Raised is due out May 22. To read a track-by-track review, head over to st. tropez's blog.