Month: December 2013

My Favourite Music of 2013

One of the only reasons I enjoy this time of year is reading and assembling Year-End Lists. I nearly always make lists of my favourite albums and songs; in putting this year’s together, I can confidently say that 2013 wasn’t remotely as good for new music as 2012 was. I love choosing favourites and I can’t decide on my favourite album of 2013. I heard lots of great new music – I probably listened to We Are The City’s Violent, Queens of the Stone Age’s …Like Clockwork and Atoms For Peace’s AMOK the most this year – but I’m reluctant to crown a favourite. I was able to choose my 10 favourite songs of the year (last year I chose 20) and they are, in a particular order:

  1. “Nightcrawlin” by Royal Canoe
  2. “Bugs Don’t Buzz” by Majical Cloudz
  3. “I Love You” by Said The Whale
  4. “King David” by We Are The City
  5. “Comrade” by Volcano Choir
  6. “We Sink” by CHVRCHES
  7. “River” by The Belle Game
  8. “Various Methods of Escape” by Nine Inch Nails
  9. “The Vampyre of Time and Memory” by Queens of the Stone Age
  10. “Lie to Me” by Jasper Sloan Yip

All of these songs can be found on Youtube or your music discovery tool of choice. Since I favour Spotify, here’s a playlist: Best Songs of 2013

I will mention that the album I was most excited about was the 20th anniversary re-issue of Nirvana’s In Utero and it did not disappoint – I own it on vinyl and the new master sounds amazing. More than loving new albums by old favourites, this year was about discovering new artists – Royal Canoe and Daughter being the two that stand out the most. One of my favourite live experiences this year – not ignoring mind-melting shows by Sigur Ros, Nine Inch Nails and Atoms For Peace – was The Great Escape Festival in Brighton, where I got to see Royal Canoe twice as well as loads of other great bands. (I posted about this here).

Since I previously posted Royal Canoe and Majical Cloudz’s videos, here’s my pals Said The Whale: 

Let’s hope 2014 sounds even better than 2013 and brings about more discovery!

Roll The Dice

I always look forward to the start of a new year. As 2014 approaches, I am setting goals and renewing my vigour, so I am confident it is going to be an incredible, landmark year for me. Here’s a beautiful poem to set the stage: 

Roll the Dice

if you’re going to try, go all the
way.
otherwise, don’t even start.

if you’re going to try, go all the
way. this could mean losing girlfriends,
wives, relatives, jobs and
maybe your mind.

go all the way.
it could mean not eating for 3 or 4 days.
it could mean freezing on a
park bench.
it could mean jail,
it could mean derision,
mockery,
isolation.
isolation is the gift,
all the others are a test of your
endurance, of
how much you really want to
do it.
and you’ll do it
despite rejection and the
worst odds
and it will be better than
anything else
you can imagine.

if you’re going to try,
go all the way.
there is no other feeling like
that.
you will be alone with the
gods
and the nights will flame with
fire.

do it, do it, do it.
do it.

all the way
all the way.
you will ride life straight to
perfect laughter,
it’s the only good fight
there is.

– Charles Bukowski

Source: http://ashlynnfenton.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/roll-the-dice-by-charles-bukowski/