This gets said almost every December, but this year was one of the biggest ones for music in recent memory. My Bloody Valentine and Nine Inch Nails returned after long hiatuses. Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams owned the summer. Hip-hop titans and newcomers made big splashes in more general circles. Releases from Vampire Weekend, Phoenix and Arcade Fire set the standard by which the rest of 2013’s indie music was judged.
A lot happened in a lot of different areas, so this year, The Maine Campus teamed up with WMEB, the student radio station of the University of Maine, to try to make sense of it all.
25: Julianna Barwick, “Nepenthe”
“Nepenthe” features some of 2013’s most beautiful and cinematic music. Barwick takes her cues from Sigur Ros, with whom she’s toured in the past, writing music that is often ambient, haunting and laden with loads of reverb. Barwick’s evocative voice elevates these tracks to a level of peaceful sublimity — this is music for relaxation and quiet contemplation. -Dan Sullivan (DS), WMEB Station Manager
24: The Men, “New Moon”
Last year, The Men proves that punk is not dead with their fantastic record, “Open Your Heart.” A year later, they’ve calmed down a little for another great ride. To say they’ve mellowed is misleading, though: Essentially, they’ve introduced acoustic guitar into the mix, which grounds the chaos inherent in their music. -Derrick Rossignol (DR), Editor in Chief
23: CHVRCHES, “The Bones of What You Believe”
CHVRCHES deliver exuberant synth-pop on their much-hyped debut, a hype they live up to. Songs like “Lies,” “The Mother We Share” and “Recover” showcase lead singer Lauren Mayberry’s powerful vocals, and feature some of 2013’s most infectious melodies to boot. The Scottish trio delves into territory that has been well-covered in recent years by synth-pop revivalists, but they approach their songcraft with enough flair to leave a mark on the musical landscape. -DS
22: James Blake, “Overgrown”
On “Overgrown,” Blake further expands on the downtempo R&B that he so masterfully manifested on his debut. The production is sparse and chilly, and Blake’s vocals are hauntingly subdued. The album also features a couple memorable guest performances: RZA lends a helping hand with a rap verse on the love song send-up, “Take A Fall For Me,” and Brian Eno makes his presence known on the standout “Digital Lion.” Lead single “Retrograde” features Blake’s best melody to date. -DS
21: The National, “Trouble Will Find Me”
The baritone of Matt Berninger, if used improperly, could lull anybody to sleep. The National’s style is calm but driving, which many boring bands try to pull off but fail it. Building tracks like “Graceless” and “Demons” could have been done poorly by other groups, but The National have moody midtempo figured out. -DR
20: Mac Miller, “Watching Movies with the Sound Off”
The prankster of rap has gotten serious. Mac Miller shows his maturity in his newest release with songs like “Objects in the Mirror” and “Aquarium.” With this record, Mac proves he is more than just “Frick Park Market.” -Josh Deakin (JD), for The Maine Campus
19: Arctic Monkeys, “AM”
The Arctic Monkeys have shifted their sound away from a garage rock/punk hybrid to a melodic groove: it works well. The opening track “Do I Wanna Know?” is a perfect pace-setter right out of the gate. “AM” will go down as one of the best releases for the UK-based band. -JD
18: Nine Inch Nails, “Hesitation Marks”
After a bit of a hiatus, Nine Inch Nails are back. The album is less dark compared to their previous efforts, and it features an even more electronic sound. “Find My Way” and “Came Back Haunted” are a couple highlights of Trent Reznor’s glorious return to form. -JD
17: Iceage, “You’re Nothing”
Uncompromising and angry as hell, this Danish hardcore band’s sophomore album exceeds their debut in almost every respect. The production is raw and cacophonic and vocalist Elias Bender Rønnenfelt sounds like a man possessed by demons … in short, it’s everything a good hardcore album should sound like. This album also finds Iceage expanding their sonic palette: the rapid fire riffs after the chorus of “In Haze” and the strange martial rhythm of “Morals” show display their songwriting chops. -DS
16: Deerhunter, “Monomania”
Deerhunter’s trademark mellowness takes a backseat to gruff, old-fashioned rock music on their latest LP. The guitars are often loud and aggressive, and lead singer Bradford Cox’s vocals are muffled and distorted throughout. Songs like “Monomania,” “Dream Captain” and the album’s best cut, “Back To The Middle,” find the band letting loose, dropping some of their artsier ambitions and having fun. -DS
15: Foals, “Holy Fire”
“Total Life Forever,” Foals’ 2010 album, gave the group a lot to live up to: it was a critical smash and “Spanish Sahara” was named song of the year by NME Magazine. Foals revamped and returned with a slightly edgier vibe, working in crunchier guitar while retaining their idiosyncratic, dance-ready indie rock. -DR
14: Deltron 3030, “Event II”
It’s been 13 long years, but at last, Deltron 3030’s second album has arrived. Not only does it live up to its predecessor, but it surpasses it tenfold. Del The Funky Homosapien and Dan the Automator are in top form, with Del’s unique drawl and Dan’s perfect production guiding the second part of a story set in a dystopian future. -DR
13: Arcade Fire, “Reflektor”
Arcade Fire swung for the fences on “Reflektor,” and for the most part, succeeded admirably. The ambitious Canadian band added new influences to their stadium-ready indie rock by bringing on LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy to help produce the album. Murphy’s presence, combined with frontman Win Butler’s newfound affection for Haitian-influenced rhythms, makes this the most danceable Arcade Fire album to date. Highlights include the title track and the epic one-two punch of “Awful Sound” and “It’s Never Over.” -DS
12: Jay Z, “Magna Carta… Holy Grail”
Jay Z is probably the most consistent rapper out there. Everything he creates is great and “Magna Carta… Holy Grail” is no exception. The album sounds more like a sequel to “Watch the Throne” than a solo Jay Z record, but that does detract from it. The best track is a collaboration with former rival Nas, titled “BBC.” The album also has a song that features the late Notorious B.I.G., which offers an amazing dynamic. -JD
11: Local Natives, “Hummingbird”
Local Natives were criticized early on for being part of the indie folk movement that was en vogue in the late 2000’s, being lumped in with groups like Fleet Foxes and other beard-having, acoustic guitar-touting mountain men. On “Hummingbird,” there are still hints of that style in their soaring vocal harmonies, but beyond that, they’ve carved out a sound that’s theirs. One of the most consistent albums of the year, highlights include the melodramatic opener “You & I” and “Ceilings,” which should be in contention for the prettiest tune of the year. -DR
10: Foxygen, “We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic”
Armed with an array of melodies that recall the spirit of the late ’60s and a penchant for crazy stage antics — courtesy of frontman, Sam France — Foxygen’s delivered a debut LP that proved one of the most refreshing releases of the year. The territory they cover in their music has been well tread on, but they perform these songs with such earnestness and intensity that the band never comes off as mere imitators. The album builds on their previous EP, “Take The Kids Off Broadway,” with some slicker songwriting and more refined production. Highlights include the breathtaking “On Blue Mountain,” with a subtle melodic nod to Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds,” and the MGMT-esque “Shuggie,” featuring one of the year’s most memorable melodies. Sam France takes a memorable jab at New York hipsters in “No Destruction” when he declares, “There’s no need to be an a–hole / You’re not in Brooklyn anymore.” -DS
9: Julia Holter, “Loud City Song”
Holter’s third album doesn’t aim for immediately ear-catching hooks. Instead, its songs grow subtly with their slow, stately atmospherics, letting their melodies gradually reveal themselves. “Loud City Song” is loosely based on the musical “GiGi,” but the lyrics are abstract and largely up for interpretation. Holter acts as a passive, detached narrator on several songs, coolly observing the behavior of a cafe’s patrons in “Maxim’s I” and declaring “there’s a humor in the way they walk” on “In The Green Wild.” Musical highlights include the two part “Maxim’s” and the haunting “Hello Stranger,” a cover of Barbara Lewis’s classic R&B tune. Holter transforms Lewis’s tune into something transcendently beautiful by slowing the tempo down to a crawl and layering the track with reverbed violins, rendering it almost unrecognizable. “Loud City Song” is a minor masterpiece, a quirky album that showcases Holter’s unique songwriting skills. -DS
8: Pearl Jam, “Lightning Bolt”
Pearl Jam’s latest record is a slight depart from the experimental new wave style of their previous album “Backspacer.” The album draws similarities with lead singer Eddie Vedder’s solo efforts, so the songs are, for the most part, tamer in sound: this is not early ’90s Pearl Jam. The album is different and quite good: it contains “Sirens,” one of the best songs Pearl Jam has ever written. After all these years, Pearl Jam is still growing as a band, and the results are fantastic. -JD
7: Kurt Vile, “Wakin on a Pretty Daze”
In the age of short attention spans where it’s rare to go a minute without checking our phones to see the innocuous comments and pictures of lunch friends are posting on social media, it’s a bold move to begin a record with a 10-minute song. Kurt Vile isn’t that crazy: album-opener “Wakin on a Pretty Day” is only 9-and-a-half minutes long. It may seem insane, but it’s a completely logical move: it’s the best song on the album and indicative of what’s to come: a chilled-out hour of light rock that’s anything but light on adventure and intrigue. -DR
6: Eminem, “The Marshall Mathers LP 2”
Eminem has finally released an album that lives up to the expectations. “The Marshall Mathers LP 2” shows Eminem going back to the hard-hitting rhymes featured on his earlier records. The album also shows how Eminem has matured over the years. One track that sticks out in particular as a highlight of the album is “Headlights,” which features Nate Ruess of fun. and offers an apology to his infamous mother. With tracks like “Rap God,” in which he spits 97 words in a mere 15 seconds during one stretch, Eminem has proved that he is on top of his game. -JD
5: My Bloody Valentine, “mbv”
My Bloody Valentine’s third album, “mbv,” is the band’s first release in over 20 years, but they haven’t missed a beat. When the woozy guitars and muffled vocals of opening track “She Found Now” come drifting out of your speakers, it feels like being transported back in time to the early ’90s. It makes sense: many of these songs were written shortly after the band released their 1991 opus, “Loveless,” and have been in gestation ever since. Stylistically similar to the songs on “Loveless,” the tracks on “mbv” assault with disorienting guitars, warped with all kinds of reverb, tremolo and distortion. This is an album that is best appreciated through headphones, because its sonic tricks only reveal themselves subtly. The band pushes out of its comfort zone on a few tracks, most notably “New You,” with its pulsing, Stereolab-esque drumbeat, and “Nothing Is,” which almost sounds like a “Lightning Bolt” outtake. The album reaches its delirious peak on “Who Sees You,” a stunning shoegaze masterpiece. It kind of makes you wonder how many other gems frontman Kevin Shield has been hiding up his sleeve for the last two decades. -DS
4: Phoenix, “Bankrupt!”
In 2009, it was tough to find anything catchier and more infectious than “1901” or “Lisztomania,” even on pop radio. It’s been four years since those songs came out on 2009’s “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix,” the group’s fourth record. “Bankrupt!” dominated the musical zeitgeist upon its release this April, probably because it didn’t stray too far from the winning formula of its predecessor. The style is similar, with maybe a couple new tricks thrown into the mix, but even the pacing is almost the same, with a longer, building track around the middle of the tracklist. While this lack of change could cause complaints, you don’t see Nabisco changing the recipe for the Oreo. It’s a staple in American snacking that has it figured out. The same principle applies to Phoenix. -DR
3: Vampire Weekend, “Modern Vampires of the City”
Vampire Weekend are hard to pin down. In their self-titled 2008 album, they emerged with an interesting blend of indie pop and African percussion that gave them an aura of pretentiousness. Their seemingly dismissive or condescending tone during interviews and other public appearances seems to reinforce that view, that of Ezra Koenig and company sitting on their parents’ yacht with boat shoes, imported wine and some album you’ve never heard of playing in the background. Like any celebrity, it’s impossible to tell if that’s actually what they’re about, but what they have proven is their creative spirit cannot be tamed. “Modern Vampires of the City” is unconventional and exotic, yet instantly catchy and sing-along ready. Their latest effort allowed Vampire Weekend to make the leap to not just indie superstardom, but universal recognition: It debuted at No. 1 in the U.S. and Rolling Stone named it the album of the year. At this point, it’d be hard to protest if Koenig stepped to my girl. He can have whatever he wants. -DR
2: Daft Punk, “Random Access Memories”
Anchored by the ubiquitous (and brilliant) hit single “Get Lucky,” Daft Punk’s latest made a great deal of noise when it was released this summer. Returning from a long hiatus, the two masked Frenchmen brought on a vast and diverse list of collaborators to work with on their fourth album, and as a result, “Random Access Memories” challenges “Discovery” as the duo’s finest work. Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers, Panda Bear, Julian Casablancas, and the legendary Giorgio Moroder all have guest spots, and their collective efforts make this album encyclopedic in its scope. As always, Daft Punk’s music is exceedingly danceable: tracks like opener “Give Life Back To Music” and the fittingly titled “Lose Yourself To Dance” are almost impossible not to groove to. But the album’s finest cut is “Giorgio By Moroder” a 10-minute pop symphony. The song builds and builds on a menacing rhythm and moves into orchestral territory before culminating in a phenomenal guitar workout. -DS
1: Kanye West, “Yeezus”
Kanye West is the biggest megalomaniac this side of Jonestown. Rarely does an artist emerge who is as out of touch with reality as Kanye is. While his outrageous ego has rendered him a pop culture punchline, it also led him to “Yeezus,” the larger-than-life record that is the best of 2013. Ignore the awful, Kardashian-assisted video for “Bound 2.” Ignore the constant flood of quotes in which Kanye claims himself to be nothing short of a second coming of God. Punishing bass, deafening hubris and wild mood swings define the 40-minute journey through the over-inflated head of the most important person to ever exist — according to him, anyway. Kanye’s ambition is far loftier than anybody else would dare have theirs. With “Yeezus,” Kanye proves that sometimes his bite can measure up to all his barking. -DR