Year In Review 2013 - Top Ten Albums - Part 3 (5-1)

Another great year is finishing up for Rock The Body Electric and we wouldn't be a proper music site if we didn't end the year with a "Best Of" list, so without further verbiage RtBE Presents it's third part of the Best of 2013 Top Ten Albums (5-1):

In the instance that RtBE has reviewed the album either on the site or somewhere else we will link to that review and just give a quick summation, just click on the name and title and you can read it.  RtBE worked with the Glide Team to give input on the their Top 20 so expect some overlap. Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but full releases you can slap on and listen to the all the way through.

This year was a bit of a down year for us, but we got a few that we feel we will still be reaching for many years down the road. While not as bountiful as 2012 these are all great albums and worth your time, energy and hard earned ducets, capped by a trio of animal's:

5. Graveyard Lovers - Dreamers

 A great local find, Graveyard Lovers are a dynamic NYC rock band that has splashes of NOLA and lots of magical energy swirling around. We hope to have more on them for the site soon, but for now just check out their sound, it is fantastic.


4. Jason Isbell - Southeastern

A powerful disk from an artist that is finding a second act very early in his career after recently getting sober. Isbell is a immensely talented songwriter, an emotive singer and constructed a hell of disk on Southeastern. Personal, honest, even when he is going through his story songs like "Elephant" you get a sense that all of this is "real". A true classic fans of country should enjoy as well as fans of good music.

   

3. Dr. Dog - B-Room

Buy the disk here!

This band is in a real groove on B-Room. Pretty much the only negative to be said about the Philly groups newest disk is that it doesn't have one true standout song, but that also speaks to the overall quality of things on this disk."Too Weak To Ramble" shows of the stripped down goodness of the band, while "Long Way Down" continues the band's homage to the world of classic rock heroes. Dr Dog nails it with seeming easy on B-Room, making it one of the best releases of the year.
  

2. Arctic Monkeys - A.M.

Buy the disk here!

We talked about the album cover here and we almost had a double winner for album of the year too with A.M. This disk was another odd one from The Monkeys, and a winning one at that. We like the Monkeys sound but this really raised the level of this band with a slinky late night disk that hits a fun 3am chord. Groovy when that wasn't really expected from the lads as well as rocking at times make this one of the best disks of 2013 to listen to at any time. It also had our favorite single of the year which you can listen to in a Bacardi Commercial or right here:


1. Frightened Rabbit - Pedestrian Verse

Buy the Disk Here!

All three of our animal based bands had the top spot at some point during this lists creation they are all great disks, but in the end it was the first one we heard that we gave the top spot too. Where Dr. Dog and the Arctic Monkeys have both put out amazing disks in the past, this felt like the first proper group album from the Scottish lads. We loved Midnight Organ Fight, but it always felt like Scott Hutchinson was playing a solo gig with a backing band, Pedestrian Verse is where the group has completely gelled. Songs like "The Woodpile" "Oil Slick" "Backyard Skulls" are all dynamic, big and still emotionally resonate. The bass on "Holy" bumps and the piano on opener "Acts of Man" sets the tone for everything to follow.

The album tops our list in the end because it is a full work of art that sticks around your brain longer then you will expect it too, songs are complex, lyrics are layered, a disk of this quality should break FR in a big way, and makes us excited for what steps they will take next.




There's our list, agree, disagree, feel free to voice your opinion in the comments. All the best and as always thanks for reading.

1. Frightened Rabbit - Pedestrian Verse
2. Arctic Monkeys - A.M.
3. Dr. Dog - B-Room
4. Jason Isbell - Southeastern
5. Graveyard Lovers - Dreamers
6. Rough Seven - Codebreaker
7. The Men- New Moon
8. Hanni El Khatib- Head In the Dirt
9. Valerie June- Pushin' Against A Stone
10. Kanye West- Yeezus