2013 - A record year for good music!

[Sid Smith]

There's been so much good music released this year. When it came to completing my best of list I have to confess I had real trouble narrowing it down to say a top ten or twenty.

In the end I just jotted down all the albums that I'd heard throughout the year that stopped me in my tracks. And there were quite a few. Never known a year as good as this one!

For anyone who's interested here my list broken down into handy bite sized chunks.

Best of 2013 A - F

Best of 2013 G - J

Best of 2013 K - P

Best of 2013 R -Z

[Scrotum Scissor]

My own top ten of this year, in no particular order:

Jack O' The Clock - All My Friends
Not a Good Sign - [same]
Grand General - [same]
Ingranaggi della Valle - In Hoc Signo
Pixel - We Are All Small Pixels
These New Puritans - Field of Reeds [on Kavus Torabi's recommendation, and I can't stop listening to it]
Rhùn - Fanfare du Chaos
Jean Louis - Uranus
Sanguine Hum - Weight of the World
Kayo Dot - Hubardo

But *SO* much I haven't got around to hearing; Chrome Hoof, Opium Cartel, Unit Wail, Mary Halvorson Septet, Miriodor, MiRthkon, Stormy Six, Psycho Praxis, Birds & Buildings, Caillous, Zevious etc. etc. etc.

[sergio]

Leprous-Coal, I've been waiting on that one since Bilateral. And keep playing it on mp3, speakers and headphones.
Karnivool-Asymmetry. Many years of waiting, 10 or 15 spins just to get my head around it. That is just farking insane! Give me the next one, now.
Nemo-le Ver Dans le Fruit. I am the devoted fan.
Haken-Mountain. These guys just keep getting better. Aquarius made me cry... Jennings going from strength to strength.
Animals As leaders-Weightless. That is how you play a guitar.
Beardfish-Void.
Bulbs-On
Felix Martin-the Scenic Album
Godsticks-the Envisage Conundrum
Guapo-History of Visitations
Jeremias-Foreshadow... that is how rock opera should be. Ayreon what?
Jolly-Happiness prt 2
Spock's Beard-Nocturnes. Was sceptical re T. Leonard abilities. But with SB he is just in the right place.
The Aristoctrats-Culture Clash
Tesseract-Altered State
Virgil Donati-In This Life
Alter Bridge-Fortress. If they continue like that, in couple years they ll be top progmetal act.
Sky Architect-Billion Years. There was #1, #2 and that is the pinnacle.
The Flower Kings-Desolation Rose. Rise from the ashes
Kompendium-Beneath The Waves... starting to like it. Can't get enough of N.Barrett bending those strings. Hope new Pendragon is coming sooner rather than later

[zravkapt]

There's been so much good music released this year. When it came to completing my best of list I have to confess I had real trouble narrowing it down to say a top ten or twenty.

In the end I just jotted down all the albums that I'd heard throughout the year that stopped me in my tracks. And there were quite a few. Never known a year as good as this one!

Thanks for sharing that, lots of stuff to investigate. IMO I thought 2013 was one of the worst years for music in awhile; I thought both 2011 and 2012 were much better (for both prog and non-prog).

[Scrotum Scissor]

IMO I thought 2013 was one of the worst years for music in awhile; I thought both 2011 and 2012 were much better (for both prog and non-prog).

I have to agree with the latter, although I obviously didn't find 2013 to be any sort of "worst" year at all.

[NogbadTheBad]

Great post Sid, I have and like 6 of these and have added others to the to buy list, especially the jazz. Surprised you didnt have Mirthkon, Miriodor and Pixel didn't make the cut.

[Guess Who]

IMO I thought 2013 was one of the worst years for music in awhile; I thought both 2011 and 2012 were much better (for both prog and non-prog).

I'm absolutely sure that 2013 is (was) the greatest year for the melodic spectre of progressive music - for a long, long, long time. Although, I haven't any interest in RIO and Avant...

[mnprogger]

meh, 2013 has had it's share of good records, but I can cite the fact I haven't heard 1 definitive 5-star record this year, just by that shear fact, makes 2013 a worse year than more or less every year since 2006.

[Hobo Chang Ba]

I'd put this year up near the top of the recent years. 2010 would probably still be my favorite, but I'd say 2013 was on par (or at least near enough as makes no difference) with last year, at least as my memory goes.

[Facelift]

Thanks for these lists. I personally didn't hear a single album that was released this year that I felt particularly positive about, so now I have some things to check out.

[Joey JoJo]

2013 was a special music year for me, as my FIRST ELEVEN new releases purchased (Jan thru early April) I would rate as 4 stars or better. I've never had such a good run at the beginning of the year (or anytime for that matter). Here they are:

My Soliloquy- The Interpreter (Jan 30)
Riverside- Shrine of New Generation Slaves (Feb 2)
Kingcrow- In Crescendo (Feb 8)
Lifesigns- Lifesigns (Feb 16)
Steven Wilson- Raven That Refused to Sing (Feb 25)
Big Big Train- English Electric Pt 2 (Mar 7)
Jolly- Audio Guide to Happiness Pt 2 (Mar 7)
Brother Ape- Force Majeure (Mar 23)
Votum- Harvest Moon (Mar 25)
Comedy Of Errors- Fanfare & Fantasy (Mar 28)
Spock's Beard- Brief Nocturnes... (Apr 2)

And the one that broke the streak: Todd Rundgren- State (Not a bad album, prob about 2.5 stars)

[Trane]

Thanks for sharing that, lots of stuff to investigate. IMO I thought 2013 was one of the worst years for music in awhile; I thought both 2011 and 2012 were much better (for both prog and non-prog).

Not a strong year, but worst???

From memory, I'd say that 2011 was less interesting than this year....
Gnosis rating 10 or above:
11 North Sea Radio Orchestra I A Moon Eng 2011
11 P.G. Six Starry Mind USA 2011
10 Corea, Chick / Stanley Clarke / Lenny White Forever USA 2011
10 Parrenin, Emmanuelle Maison Cube Fra 2011
10 Van der Graaf Generator A Grounding in Numbers Eng 2011


for 2012, I have 20 albums rated at 10 or above

For 2013, I so far have the following:
12 Wrong Object, The After the Exhibition Bel 2013
12 Setna Guerison Fra 2013
11 Miriodor Cobra Fakir Can 2013
10 Birds and Buildings Multipurpose Trap USA 2013
10 Caillou Caillou Fra 2013
10 Flat Earth Society 13 Bel 2013
10 Soft Machine Legacy, The Burden of Proof Eng 2013
10 Unit Wail Retort Fra 2013

And I expect a few to join that list in the coming weeks (Thinking Plague, Red Masque, etc...)

I have to agree with the latter, although I obviously didn't find 2013 to be any sort of "worst" year at all.

yup... Average "at worst"

[Haruspex Carnage]

so...much...homework.

[zravkapt]

These are the prog albums that impressed me the most this year...

Guapo - History Of The Visitation
Zletovsko - s/t
InSonar - L'Enfant et le Ménure

[FredOCal]

Some truly amazing stuff on this list, Sid. It's a testament to how good this year has been that you left the Pixel, Steven Wilson, and Jaga Jazzist albums off! All of those would have been on my list but I also have to hear 23 discs from yours.

[Zalmoxe]

There's been so much good music released this year. When it came to completing my best of list I have to confess I had real trouble narrowing it down to say a top ten or twenty.

In the end I just jotted down all the albums that I'd heard throughout the year that stopped me in my tracks. And there were quite a few. Never known a year as good as this one!

For anyone who's interested here my list broken down into handy bite sized chunks.

Best of 2013 A - F

Best of 2013 G - J

Best of 2013 K - P

Best of 2013 R -Z

Wonderful selection and a valuable source of information on albums I did not know. Just ordered Hejira, sounds very interesting.

[TheH]

Wonderful selection and a valuable source of information on albums I did not know. Just ordered Hejira, sounds very interesting.

Felt the same about it and ordered this one too (alongside Arborea and "Susanna and the Neon Ensemble")

[gibberish]

2013 was my favorite for my neo leaning prog. Bought more CDs this year for sure.

Top 10, No particular order.

Haken- The Mountain
Sanguine Hum- Weight Of The World
Not A Good Sign- S/T
Steve Hackett- GRII
The Custodian- Necessary Wasted Time
Ampledeed- A Is For Ampledeed
The Tangent- Le Sacre Du Travail
Lifesigns- S/T
Sound Of Contact- Dimensionaut
The Flower Kings- Desolation Rose

Riverside, Spocks Beard, Nektar, Ayreon, Tied for 11th