I’ve got plans for Austin Writes Music in the coming year. First, you might notice that the “About Me” page has been updated. I’ve finally decided to declare this my own personal music blog, since I’ve only ever had one other contributor since I founded this thing in 2009 (although she is written into history forever as our fabulous site designer. Thank you, Brittany!) You’ll be getting regular posts once more, with recommendations, reviews, and general music-based musings, and I hope you like all of it. For now, let’s look back at what was truly a stellar year for music, and life in general. I give to you, Austin Writes Music’s Top 10 of 2013.
1. Beyonce – Beyonce: Go with me to a place where you’ve been getting to know someone. You think they’re really, really cool, and you admire them. You call each other friends, but you haven’t quite made it to that next level with them — you can still get closer. Then, there’s that moment. It can happen for different reasons: You take a long car ride somewhere fun. You spend hours at a party bonding over music and bearing your soul. You have a sleepover in a hotel room and watch your favorite movies and drink champagne. Something clicks, and this warm feeling rushes over you — this is your best friend. When you put on Beyonce, that is the exact feeling you get. Queen Bey takes a seat with you and commiserates about the infuriating standards women are held to, gushes over the loves of her life, berates her own past mistakes, and, it seems, even finds bravery in your presence, her friend. It is incredible to me that a star as universally known as Beyonce can reach the depths of vulnerability she does on this record. It is empowering that she exposes her sexuality. It is energizing, when she stands with feminists. I can only imagine what it must be like for women of color to experience this record, and I won’t muse on it, because it’s not my right to do so. But as a woman, every time I put on this record or watch the theatrical accompaniments that were crafted to go with them, I find myself moved to tears. By pop music! It feels like some barrier I wasn’t even totally aware of has been broken down. I am moved to be better, stronger, and love myself harder because of this album — which, just on its own merit, is a damn great album. It’s forward-thinking, incorporating sounds from different eras and bringing them all together for a modern twist of raw excellence. Experimental, soulful, and chock-full of jams, this could easily be the record of the decade.
Honorable Mentions
Yes, I am denoting that the rest of my Top 10 list consists of “honorable mentions.” I have been listening to Beyonce non-stop for the past week-and-a-half, and the more I sit with it, the more it changes my life. This record is important in a way that no other record can be this year. It’s important for women in a broad scope, for women of color specifically, for moms, for sisters, for lovers, for friends. There have been many other brilliant records crafted and released this year, and I want to pay them their due and I want you all to go and listen to them. But first, you need a weekend (or month-long) getaway with Beyonce.
2. Reflektor – Arcade Fire: My three favorite bands all put out albums this year, and before I even pressed “play” on any of them, I feared having to make a Sophie’s Choice among the trio. It wasn’t a difficult decision. Arcade Fire has once again penned a moving, forward-thinking masterpiece on love and identity in the digital age. When it was announced that this record would be co-produced in part by LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, I just about lost my mind. You can hear Murphy’s danceable rhythms and insistent, gut-twisting drum beats in a lot of the music, but they are most present on the title track, “Reflektor,” and the surprising, woeful “It’s Never Over (Hey Orpheus).” The latter has magic laced throughout it, like for the harmonious refrain of, “Just wait until it’s over/Wait until it’s through.” “Haiti” has long been the most personal and beautiful Regine Chassagne-led song, but this one gives it a run for its money. Here, Chassagne is singing words meant to comfort, but in a tone that is threatening — she’s powerful and in charge. For lead singer Win Butler’s part, he is comforting and melancholy, hopeful that this, too, will pass, but unsure if he’s right. “Afterlife” is a gem, and quite possibly one of Arcade Fire’s best songs, ever. It’s an anthem for a dying planet that longs to live again, like that moment in It’s a Wonderful Life where George Bailey is begging for his life back, and then he gets it, and it’s still not perfect but it’s back in perspective for him. Ending the album on heavy-hearted “Supersymmetry” after the explosive “Afterlife” forces you to reflect, which is such an appropriate come-down. It’s hard to tell how biographical any of these songs might be for Win and Regine, but the themes of love with all its imperfections, confusion and occasional strife make this band, who have always seemed so close in spirit with the fans they play for, closer than ever.
3. Bankrupt! – Phoenix: I’ll be honest — I was worried about this record. I felt like a lot was riding on it, because Phoenix has long been one of the most special bands in the world to me. At every live performance, I feel I am my most complete, ascending daily worries and frustrations and stresses and simply existing with the music this band of Frenchmen performs. Their genuine love of what they do and who they do it for is so apparent that they whisk you away in their electronic beats and plunky guitar rhythms. When I first played Bankrupt! front to back, I wasn’t immediately sold. In some ways, it felt too shiny, too preened — cold. However, as with so many brilliant records, the ice melted away the more times the record spun. This is the kind of album where, with each new listen, you hear some guitar part, some synth riff, some vocal styling you missed the last time. It blooms ever wider, and soundtracks confident catwalks through city streets. Plus, can we just go ahead and talk about the transition from “Drakkar Noir” to “Chloroform”? Hot DAMN, is it a payoff! I love both songs, although “Chloroform” edges out “Drakkar Noir” just the teensiest bit — and yet, I can never allow myself to skip ahead, because I love how the beat drops as everything slows down to a sultry crawl, after all of the sparkling lights and smiles that came before. And within “Chloroform” itself, the declaration from Phoenix’s Thomas Mars: “I will marry you on Tuesdays.” Moment of silence while we all mentally “Squeeee!” The best song on the record, however, is “Bourgeois.” It’s a call to arms against those who would try to make you conform, those who unthinkingly accept whatever they are told they should buy into. All of this, sung gorgeously to a rich, thundering soundtrack — it’s the kind of thing that makes you feel invincible.
4. Kveikur – Sigur Ros: When Sigur Ros released Valtari last year, it felt ethereal and light, transcending the daily grind to reach out to the heavens and beyond. This year, the band digs deep into the roots of earth and flesh and blood. Kveikur is darker, heavier, and more threatening — a warning to respect what is here beneath our own feet. As he always does, lead singer Jonsi Birgisson manages to meet the occasion, with vocals that keep the music from feeling too bogged down, and yet swell in swirls and cries and bellows that pull you in with each passing note. Even more exciting, this record seems to echo the rich compositions of Sigur Ros’ past catalogue, building full sounds that seem to harness the power of the elements for which the songs are named. It’s not all darkness and dirges on Kveikur, either: life is breathed into the album by “Rafstraumur,” which translates to “Electric Current.” It is soft and rushing, evoking a musical rebirth. Though the band is now less one member, they proved with Kveikur that their sound is bigger than ever.
5. True Romance – Charli XCX: Just one year ago, I had no idea that there was a goth-pop wunderkind writing flawlessly catchy and danceable love songs in the UK, and then there was South by Southwest in March and suddenly, I was obsessed. Charli XCX is a fierce and fearless songwriter and performer, and her debut full-length record, True Romance, is the kind of thing that you find yourself singing at all hours for all reasons. It’s great for the heartbreaks, for the love aches, for friends and for enemies. There are so many elements coming together to make each song that it can make your head spin. For example, take the breakup jam “You – Ha Ha Ha.” There’s a mishmash of squirrely vocals, booming synth echoes, sprinkles of piano and a constant, driving beat. Charli not only sings beautifully on the song, but also laughs with an edge of pain, and throws down a quick spoken-word verse about her woes. Perhaps because of her youth, Charli allows herself to play with multiple styles and vibes: “Nuclear Seasons” could be a song off of a Marina & the Diamonds album, “How Can I” is a dark goth-rock anthem, and “Lock You Up” feels like an homage to Madonna. Despite these echoes of influence, Charli makes her sound all her own, twisting tracks in unexpectedly awesome ways.
6. Impersonator – Majical Cloudz: So many of the albums on my top 10 list this year are richly orchestrated, filled to the brim with layers of sounds and heavy production. This makes Majical Cloudz’ Impersonator feel like a cool breeze in comparison. Minimal and gorgeous, lead singer Devon Welsh’s voice is put front and center, bare-bones and nakedly on display. This heightens the emotion of the words he sings, which are typically about relationships and love. Welsh’s love is unlike other starry eyed loves, though. His love seems to come from so deep within him that it breaks him apart as it is released — there is pain in it. The entire album is breathtakingly beautiful, but if you have any doubts, start yourself off with the sexy “Turns Turns Turns” (it will physically move you with its sultry rhythms, I promise), and then with the stark and devastating “Bugs Don’t Buzz,” which opens with a lone piano and Welsh singing, “The cheesiest songs all end in a smile/This won’t end with a smile, my love.” If you’ve ever sought comfort in the tragedy of song after a big loss, “Bugs Don’t Buzz” is what you need.
7. Modern Vampires of the City – Vampire Weekend: It took Contra for me to finally come around on indie pop’s vampire darlings, but when I finally got it, I really got it. Vampire Weekend has a knack for crafting the catchiest, most danceable pop songs, and yet they always have a substance of cultural critique — the medicine that helps the sugar go down. Modern Vampires of the City is chock-full of memorable ditties, but two stand out more than any. First, there’s the ode to atheism, “Unbelievers,” where our protagonist is simultaneously lamenting his status as outcast in a religious world, and wistfully requesting that his love continue to love him, despite his disbelief. Then there’s “Ya Hey,” where a person (in my mind, an awesome woman) is described as being outside of the accepted norm, and therefore someone the protagonist can’t be with — and yet, the woman does not seem to be bothered by it. She lets it go and loves everything anyway. This album is a bit more deliberately paced than Contra or the self-titled debut album, but Vampire Weekend still wrap you in gorgeous melodies and intricate story lines, and the immersion in their delicately constructed world seems more complete for it.
8. Bad Blood – Bastille: After watching these Brits perform at this year’s South by Southwest, I hotly anticipated their debut full-length album, because the stuff they played live was fun, anthemic and clever. Luckily, Bad Blood did not disappoint. It’s repeat-worth in a major way, with hooks that beg friendly sing-alongs with your best mates. The hits just keep coming, from opener “Pompeii” and even extending out into the “bonus tracks” on the extended version. And really, you must listen to the extended version, if only for “The Silence,” wherein lead singer/heartthrob Dan Smith coos “Now you’ve hit a wall, and you’ve hit it hard/My dear, my dear, oh dear.” Truly, Smith’s voice is that perfect mix of angelic and lived-in, and he has the chops to back up the album production in a live setting. The band’s first single still stands out as the most iconic, with a video game-like beeping synth rhythm and chorus mantra that someone you love brings out the worst in you and makes it what’s best about you. This fresh-faced band kept the promise of their initial live performances, and are poised to have a momentous year.
9. Matangi – M.I.A.: While Beyonce went and released an opus for the greater populous, M.I.A. retained her crown as Baddest B On The Underground. She’s always had the ability to envision the sound of the future, and after releasing the difficult-to-digest MAYA in 2010, she’s managed to be just as aggressive and dangerous with this year’s Matangi, and yet it is infinitely more listenable (and danceable). Just like Beyonce, M.I.A. explores themes of female sexuality, sexist double-standards, and the different roles a woman can take in the world, but her world views and music both are more challenging. If you’re afraid to dive in to this record, I’d recommend starting with “Only 1 U,” a self-affirming head-bobbing jam that will make you feel like you can conquer the world. There’s also “Y.A.L.A.,” which deconstructs the challenges M.I.A. faces as a revolutionary, a mom and a daughter, and pokes a bit of fun at the “YOLO” mantra: “YOLO/I don’t even know anymore/What that even mean though/If you only live once why we keep doing the same shit? Back home where I come from we keep being born/Again and again and then again and again/That’s why they invented karma.” Finally, there is the fearless “Bad Girls,” a mash-up of Indian and hip-hop sounds all crashing together in a storm of awesome. While there are a few songs that just don’t quite land right on the record (see the obnoxious “aTENTion” and weirdly trying-to-be-sexy-but-so-far-off-the-mark “Exodus”), overall it is exciting to see M.I.A. is still boundary-pushing after all these years.
10. Days Are Gone – Haim: When you first listen to this album, you’ll think to yourself, “I feel like I’ve heard these songs before!” That’s because they are all hits. As the sisters Haim worked to put out this full-length debut, they teased us with handfuls of EPs, featuring slightly different versions of songs that ended up on Days Are Gone. As has been written, Haim capture a sound from the past that is equal parts Fleetwood Mac and Michael Jackson, and breathe new life into it so that it grabs you on a nostalgic and a true-to-now level. “Falling” is a slow jam with a big heart drawn around it on somebody’s notebook; “Forever” boogies down in a roller rink; “The Wire” blasts out of speakers on a classic rock tour. The highlight is the fiercely rocking “Let Me Go,” which breaks into a drum-circle where all three sisters beat the crap out of a drum during live performances. It’s soulful and driving and demanding, and it rounds out the reasons I am so excited to be a music lover and a woman alive during these times.
