End of Year List CAT5's Best of 2013!

[CAT5 9075]

In what's become a tradition here at MH, some of the staff members compile their own, personal list of the releases they've enjoyed the most over the past year - so here is my personal best-of contribution. As usual, I've divided it into 2 parts (Japanese releases and Non-Japanese releases). I've also provided samples for anything that might pique your interest.

Do feel free to leave any comments!

JAPANESE MUSIC PICKS

ai kuwabara trio project - THE SIXTH SENSE

tags: jazz, fusion

Sample song: Brainwork

While the big names in Japanese Jazz have all been on a steep decline these past few years, the underdogs have been picking up the slack. Having only released her debut album last year, pianist Ai Kuwabara 2nd's album offers up a fresh set of tunes that heavily draw from rock and fusion. Her work even reminds me of Hiromi at times, though overall Kuwabara's style is much more contemplative. Definitely one of the most welcome newcomers to the Japanese Jazz scene!

Akira Kosemura - 虹の彼方 -Seven Colors Variations- EP

tags: electronic, ambient, idm

Sample song: 虹の彼方 (I Am Robot and Proud Remix)

This is actually a single, but it plays more like an EP. Each track is a different remix of Akira Kosemura's dreamy title-track, but each remixer infused enough of their own style that each song sounds completely different from the last. Remixers include I Am Robot and Proud, Metome, Toshiyuki Yasuda, Madegg and more!

babi - Botanical

tags: indie-pop, electronic

Sample song: アルルカンと踊り子

babi produces a specific kind of pop music that reminds me of kotoringo (whom i love with a passion), except this is much more sugary and playful. If your toy box had a soundtrack, this would be it. (if any of you actually have toy boxes, color me concerned)

bomi - ビューティフォー - EP

tags: Jpop

Sample song: Midnight Station

Bomi is one of my go-to artists when I want to hear fun, upbeat, light-hearted and unrelentingly catchy pop music. She's not particularly well-known, but I don't think she's in any rush to reach stardom. Neither her marketing nor her musical choices scream "I want to be the next Ayu or Kyary" lol. In fact, I think she might have more appeal to Japanese indie fans than others.

cokiyu - Haku

tags: electronic, ambient, idm, dream-pop

Sample song: Pulsation (with Geskia!)

cokiyu is perhaps Japan's princess of ambient-pop. She doesn't release original music often (she's only had 2 albums since 2007), so when she does, it's usually a cause for celebration. Funnily enough, this release is also touted as a "single", but also plays like an EP (what's up with these electronic artists? - see akira kosemura). Each track is an original work featuring a guest electronic musician (geskia!, Baths, and madegg make an appearance).

dip - HOWL

tags: rock, shoegaze

Sample song: Spider in my hair

These guys have been around since 1991, so don't expect anything new, gimmicky or uber flashy - dip plays straightforward rock with hints of shoegaze. They play it so well that the relative simplicity of their songs actually comes off as refreshing!

Dirty Androds - Wanderlust

tags: electro, dance, house, nu-disco

Sample song: See the Future

Since Nakata went a different route with capsule this year, Dirty Androids makes the list as my favorite dance/electro album of 2013. Unlike Nakata's work - don't expect any high-pitched, heavily synthesized vocals - "Wanderlust" is completely instrumental!

Doppelzimmer - 田園

tags: folk, bossa, acoustic

Sample song: 青い花の子守歌

I owe one of my good friends for introducing me to this obscure gem of an album, as I wouldn't have known about it otherwise. 田園 (DENNEN) is an absolutely delightful set of intimate folk and bossa tunes sung in Japanese, German, and (good) English! I love it!

downy - 第五作品集『無題』

tags: post-rock, alternative

Sample song: 燦

I didn't discover downy until about 07 or 08, but I have friends that have literally been waiting the past 9 years for this album. Thankfully, downy returned in top shape. In my attempt to explain downy to newer indie fans, I usually describe them as the dark side of sleepy.ab mixed with the musical aesthetics of haisuinonasa. This album has such a thick, beautifully gloomy and other-wordly atmosphere...listening to it, you almost feel as if you've been transported to some cold and desolate, post-apocalyptic land that never sees the sun (think ergo proxy). It's brilliant!

heaven in her arms / COHOL - 繭 SPLIT

tags: screamo, hardcore, post-rock

Sample song: 不毛の地 (COHOL)

I'm a pretty big fan of COHOL, but I've always had a love/hate relationship with Heaven in her arms - so going into this SPLIT, i had mixed expectations. Much to my surprise, these 2 make a killer pairing. Splits are usually pretty polarizing (i like one band and not the other), but these 2 both delivered their A-game and even managed to compliment each other. Honestly one of the best splits I've ever heard.

Jinmenusagi - ME2!

tags: hip-hop, experimental, electronic, abstract, underground

Sample song: Ai Ga Tarinai (Prod by Lidly)

LOW HIGH WHO? is an independent Japanese label that specializes in alternative and left-field hip-hop. Jinmenusagi is probably my favorite artist on the label since he not only understands how to properly flow on a beat (you'd be surprised how many Japanese can't), but he also knows how to camouflage with just about any genre of hip-hip. 'ME2!' is a stylistically diverse hip-hop record featuring a handful of creative producers and emcees.

kamomekamome - BEDSIDE DONORS

tags: hardcore, post-hardcore

Sample song: 頭の中お大事に

'BEDSIDE DONORS' is kamomekamome's 4th album and they've finally collaborated with a proper engineer/producer - one that has made their sound sonically plausible without sacrificing the band's ferocity. The band's songwriting has also become a bit more accessible (with two or three pop-punkish hooks), but the album remains intense from start to finish.

KOJOE - 51st State

tags: hip-hop, underground

Sample song: Far Away

KOJOE was born in Japan and bred in Queens, New York, but he's much more than just another bilingual rapper. Having worked extensively with the Japanese and American underground (he's collaborated with artists like Talib Kweli and Raekwon of WU-Tang), KOJOE is bridging a cultural gap between the 2 scenes. 51st State is his first official album after a slew of mixtapes and features.

LAGITAGIDA - TUTELA!!

tags: rock, progressive, instrumental

Sample song: Sensya

LAGITAGIDA's first full length after 2 impressive EPs. To quote myself - "45 minutes of balls-out progressive rock with hardly a dull moment". At this moment, LAGITAGIDA resides as my top Japanese instrumental rock band (at least until toe or mudy on the sakuban release something).

Lantern Parade - Orange Moon Soul

tags: experimental, indie, folk, soul, hip-hop, electronic

Sample song: 鏡張りの部屋の中で

Lantern Parade is an interesting character. He took a new direction with his music a few years ago and began playing folk/folk-rock (which he does amazingly), but it seems the crate-digger inside of him has resurfaced. "Orange Moon Soul" is a mix of obnoxious (and often dissonant) soul music samples, lantern's subdued crooning, and other oddities.

Lycoriscoris - Until Then

tags: electronic, ambient, glitch, idm

Sample song: I

Although relatively unknown, Lycoriscoris is one of the most promising young Japanese ambient/electronic musicians. I bought his first album last year after being wowed by the samples I heard and it instantly became a favorite of mine. "Until Then" is quickly doing the same. The album shows growth in his ability to engulf you in different melodies without being too overt about it. If I had to compare him to other artists in this field, ametsub and serph would definitely come to mind.

nayuta - miraklo rakonto

tags: indie-rock, progressive

Sample song: Manchicken

One of the coolest indie bands you've probably never heard of. nayuta released one album prior to this way back in 2007 titled "solar ribbon,solar children", but went largely unnoticed due to it's obscurity. Everyone I knew that heard it loved it. In a way, it was kind of an underground cult classic. 'miraklo rakonto' is their followup six years later - they've lost a few members and their sound has changed a bit, but it's just as brilliant, if not more brilliant than the first.

Pastacas & Tenniscoats - Yaki-Läki

tags: folk, alternative

Sample song: Pihlaja

Beautiful collaboration between Japanese dream-folk duo, Tenniscoats and Estonian experimental folkster, Pastacas.

PLAY DEAD SEASON - JUNKHEAD

tags: hardcore, alternative, indie

Sample song: Scapegoat

PLAY DEAD SEASON's debut album. Raw hardcore with an emphasis on disharmonic melodies.

RAIZEN - 始動 -SIDOU-

tags: hip-hop

Sample song: 心友

2nd album from underground hip hop artist RAIZEN. The production on 始動 -SIDOU- is great because it mixes samples with modern electronic sounds, but maintains a very old-school hip-hop aesthetic.

REGGAELATION INDEPENDANCE - NEW DAY

tags: funk, afrobeat, reggae

Sample song: Emperor's New Mind

This band's name might be a bit misleading. While certain reggae and dub elements are present, REGGAELATION INDEPENDANCE actually plays a style closer to funk and afrobeat. These guys are still pretty unknown, but their debut album is BEYOND impressive. Nothing but top-notch grooves here.

RIDDIMATES - Zion Rhapsody

tags: ska, jazz, funk

Sample song: Zion Rhapsody

Another band whose name misleadingly alludes to reggae. RIDDIMATES play a mixture of ska and funk with hints of jazz thrown in. These guys have been around since 2007, but I've never heard of them until this year. Better late than never - these guys jam.

Tam Tam - Polarize

tags: dub, indie-pop, female vocals

Sample song:Moonlight

A great record that seamlessly fuses indie-pop and reggae/dub. I wrote a much more detailed review of this for the general staff list, so be sure to check that out.

THE NOVEMBERS - zeitgeist

tags: indie-rock, alternative

Sample song:Wire (Fahrenheit 154)

It's been wonderful observing the progression of THE NOVEMBERS. I first heard them sometime in 2007 or early 2008. Back then, they were kind of your average, run-of-the-mill indie band, but their sound has expanded and matured for the better over the years. THE NOVEMBERS were never an overtly cheery or uplifting band, but they've really gotten in touch with their dark side (or even darker side) these past few years. 'zeitgeist' is the band's best effort yet in exploring the balance between beauty and grotesqueness.

Tomy Wealth - Table Manners

tags: hip-hop, instrumental, beats

Sample song: Drums Of Death

I usually avoid albums released by Japanese beat-makers. Most of the time they're either cheap nujabes wannabes or cheesy piano melodies slapped over boring drum-loops. Tomy Wealth is a different story, though. He actually plays the drums himself instead of using recycled drum loops. He usually plays in the accompaniment of various cinematic or jazz-oriented samples - which to me is the icing on the cake.

Tri4th - Five Color Elements

tags: jazz, club-jazz

Sample song: Jazzholic

Tri4th is one of the lesser known acts of the Japanese Jazz scene, but that makes sense when you consider that their efforts haven't been particularly exceptional - until now at least. Tri4th have stepped their game up on 'Five Color Elements' by delivering a straightforward club-jazz album that effectively steals the reigns from some of the more prominent, but ever-declining bands like Jabberloop, Quasimode, and Soil&Pimp Sessions.

umiuma - kaiba

tags: indie-pop, math-pop, female vocals

Sample song: 虹がかかる

Obscure is the word here. Finding information and pics of this band is a bit troublesome (the pic above is actually screencap from a youtube video). Nonetheless, this is a pretty fortuitous find. Umiuma plays pretty standard indie-pop, but their guitarist provides some pretty neat, and often mathy riffs that gives them a bit an edge!

コトリンゴ - ツバメ・ノヴェレッテ

tags: jpop, piano-pop

Sample song: Let me awake

Being a handpicked protege of the legendary Ryuichi Sakamoto, you'd think Kotoringo would be more well known, but unfortunately her genius goes unnoticed by many J-music fans. ツバメ・ノヴェレッテ is yet another fantastic kotoringo album in which she combines her soft vocals and classically-trained, jazz-tinged piano skills to produce some of the most buoyant and elegant pop tunes around.

ポテコムジン - 効率のいいあきらめかた

tags: indie-rock, alternative

Sample song: めいれいさせろ

Potekomuzin plays an unrefined, but quirky and jovial style of indie-rock that hasn't been seen much lately (with the exception of 88kasyo and nayuta) - their sound is somewhat reminiscent of a younger usotsuki barbie actually.

ミツメ - うつろ

tags: indie-rock

Sample song:会話

Since OGRE YOU ASSHOLE seems to be going through an identity crisis, mitsume have slipped in and became the uncrowned kings of Japanese "slacker-rock". Seriously some of the most chill, laidback indie-rock tunes around.

八十八ヶ所巡礼 - 0088

tags: rock, progressive, experimental

Sample song: 漆・黒・の・と・き・め・き

If you've been following my best-of lists these past 2 years, then this band being here should come as no surprise. Heaps of talent, creativity, and general "kickassitude". What more could you ask for?

凛として時雨 - i'mperfect

tags: rock, alternative

Sample song: Metamorphose

This band should also come as no surprise. Rin Toshite has been riding their high-horse since 2007 and they haven't fallen off yet - in fact, they just seem to be getting better. "I'mperfect" is the band's most full-on rock record since "INSPIRATION is DEAD".

宇宙コンビニ - 染まる音を確認したら

tags: math-rock, post-rock, female-vocals

Sample song: Compass

Lush and mellow female-fronted math-rock that sounds heavily influenced by the UK scene. I always describe them as a more technically refined and less aggressive tricot.

清水ひろたか - 3579

tags: world, acoustic

Sample song: Colors

Composer and multi-instrumentalist Hirotaka "Shimmy" Shimizu has been around for a long time now. He's been a member of The Cornelius Group, The Plastic Ono band, Mi-gu, and recently If By Yes. 3759 is his first solo venture. Shimizu puts his versatility on display as he tackles a variety of different styles. Splendid!

鎮座DOPENESS - T.U.B.E EP

tags: hip-hop

Sample song: Ok!!Ee!!Ne!!

CHINZA DOPENESS is always active, appearing as a feature and popping up in several different projects, but he rarely releases any original material of his own. Essentially, Chinza has only one album from 2009, and one EP from 2006 - everything else has either been a remix of a new rendition of those works. Unfortunately, the T.U.B.E EP only consists of 4 new songs, but it's well worth it since CHINZA is probably the most consistently entertaining Japanese emcee I can think of. On T.U.B.E CHINZA embraces a more pop oriented sound as well as the trap & southern hip-hop styles that have become trendy as of late - and he tackles them flawlessly. CHINZA has yet to meet a style of hip-hop that didn't agree with him.

阿部芙蓉美 - HOW TO LIVE

tags: singer-songwriter, acoustic, alternative

Sample song: 8月

There are few voices in Japan as smoky and sultry as Abe Fuyume's. In fact, I could probably listen to her sing a cappella and be just as satisfied. This is one case where the actual music is just a bonus. The music on "HOW TO LIVE" to live is simple and easy-going, but it does a wonderful job in supplementing Fuyume's gorgeous vocals.

青葉市子と妖精たち - ラヂヲ

tags: acoustic, folk

Sample song: 日時計

Ichiko Aoba and Fairies (fairies = Cornelius, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Haruomi Hosono, and U-zhaan). If that lineup doesn't doesn't convince you, then I don't know what will. "Radio" consists of original Ichiko Aoba songs reworked with the help of the four aforementioned Japanese music vets/legends. Aoba was already amazing alone, but this A-list collaboration just catapults her music to new heights. 2013 was an amazing year for Aoba - in addition to this album, she also released a new solo album and landed a handful of different features - most notably her collab with Cornelius for the new Ghost in the Shell Soundtrack.

類家心平 - 4 AM

tags: jazz, fusion, experimental, free-jazz

Sample song: KARAGI

Trumpeter Shinpei Ruike is no newcomer to the Japanese Jazz scene. He got his start back with the club-jazz band Urb in the early 00s and later joined Naruyoshi Kikuchi's Dub Sextet before striking out on his own as band leader. 4AM is his third album as leader and it is utterly magnificent. The recoding quality of this album and the band's performance is so immaculate that you wouldn't even be able to tell that this is a live recording!

[CAT5 9075]

NON-JAPANESE PICKS:

NON-JAPANESE MUSIC PICKS

¡MAYDAY! - Believers

tags: hip-hop alternative

Sample song: Forever New (feat. Stevie Stone)

¡MAYDAY! is a 6-member hip-hop signed to Tech N9ne's "Strange Music" label (the biggest independent hip-hop label). I got into them sometime last year (and strange music in general) and became especially fond of one of their rappers named Wrekonize (who also doubles as a vocalist). The band often borrows bits and pieces from other genres while maintaining their hip-hop focus. Sometimes their genre-dabbling falls a bit short, but for the most part, the results are quality.

AlunaGeorge - Body Music

tags: electronic, pop, r&B, female vocals

Sample song: Body Music

AlunaGeorge is a duo consisting of vocalist Aluna Francis and producer George Reid (see what they did there?). Their musical aim is as simple as the meaning behind their name - to make great pop music with a forward-thinking palette. Reid likes to experiment with a variety of different electronic sounds, and it is indeed his ambitious production that gives the duo an edge, but he also stays firmly within pop-ground.

Arctic Monkeys - AM

tags: rock, alternative, indie

Sample song: R U Mine?

Arctic Monkeys have gone from antsy indie-rock upstarts to mature and refined rock-stars in a matter of 8 years. AM is perhaps my favorite Arctic Monkeys record yet. It's not as upbeat and radical as their earlier work, but it's more soulful and groovy than they've ever been.

Blood Ceremony - The Eldritch Dark

tags: stoner-rock, psychedelic, occult, folk

Sample song: Witchwood

Canada's Blood Ceremony have been continually honing their 70's-rock sound through the years and their third album "The Eldritch Dark" is undoubtedly their finest offering yet. From the sabbath-influenced riffs, the 60's psch organs, to the jammin' flutes - Blood Ceremony's retro-fervor is astounding!

Blue Hawaii - Untogether

tags: indie, electronic, dream-pop, ambient

Sample song: Yours to keep

Blue Hawaii consists of vocalist Raphaelle Standell-Preston (of Braids) and Alexander Cowan. "Untogether" is a purposely disjointed album that explores themes of alienation, separation, and belonging - not only lyrically, but melodically as well. Standell Preston and Cowan actually recorded this project seperately - the irony of their "untogether-ness" being that they still work wonderfully together.

Bonobo - The North Borders

tags: electronic, downtempo, chillout, trip-hop female vocals

Sample song: Towers (Ft. Szjerdene)

Almost 3 years after his last release, the king of down-tempo returns with another fine album. Bonobo's work is so densely layered and brimming with ideas that it's hard not to be enveloped in his sounds. I do wish there were more featured vocalists, though - his work with the young British vocalist Szjerdene is particularly incredible.

Braids - Flourish // Perish

tags: electronic, experimental, indie, female vocals

Sample song: When My Train Pulls In

Even though Blue Hawaii is Raphaelle Standell-Preston's side-project, the new album from Braids (her main band) sounds almost like a continuation of "Untogether". It's just as spacious, has a similar cold veneer, and is even more electronic than the first Braids album. Flourish // Perish is very cerebral in it's nature (which may be offputting to some), but the whimsical electronics paired with Standell-Preston's enchanting vocals makes it easy to listen to.

Buke and Gase - General Dome

tags: indie-rock, math-rock, alternative

Sample song: Hard Times

Quirky and inventive indie-rock from the duo of Arone Dyer and Aron Sanchez. Their band name originates from their handmade instruments: The "Buke" (an electrified six-string baritone ukulele) and the "Gase" (a guitar-bass hybrid).

Ces Cru - Constant Energy Struggles

tags: hip-hop

Sample song: Juice (Featuring Tech N9ne)

Signed to tech n9ne's independent hip-hop powerhouse "strange music", Ces Cru's debut album proves that they're on of the brightest young hip-hop duos to appear on the scene. The production is thoroughly slick and Ubiquidous and Godemis flow with a clear-cut passion. Ces Cru is out to prove themselves and their competitive spirit in a welcome site in a world where even underground rappers have a sense of entitlement just because they picked up a mic.

Colleen - The Weighing of the Heart

tags: experimental, ambient, eletronic, acoustic

Sample song: Raven

Cécile Schott's 4th album after a six year hiatus. This time, it's a much more acoustic affair (violas, cellos, bells, vibes, glockenspiels, and more) and she's even managed to incorporate her own voice into a few a tracks. The result is a dreamy, ethereal set of tunes that also have an earthy feel to them.

Daughter - If You Leave

tags: indie, singer-songwriter, folk, post-rock, female vocals

Sample song: Smother

Debut album from the London-based Trio Daughter. This album is depressing - it's all very beautiful sounding, but the mood and lyrics are endlessly melancholic. Even though Elena Tonra's vocals and mournful lyrics take center stage, the actual music being played is very close to post-rock and shoegaze most of the time.

Dead Meadow - Warble Womb

tags: psychedelic-rock, stoner-rock

Sample song: Rains in the Desert

Dead Meadow has been around for 15 years and "Warble Womb" is a noticeable departure from the band's signature sound - one that has disappointed many long-time fans. I've only been listening to these guys for 2 (maybe 3) years, so the change in their style is a bit less bothersome for me. It may be lighter and a bit less "stonery" than their previous efforts, but it is worthwhile nonetheless.

EF - Ceremonies

tags: post-rock

Sample song: Where G. Mallory sleeps

Swedish post-rcokers EF prove with their new latest album "Ceremonies" that good, old-fashioned post-rock can still be powerful even today. Post-rock can become incredibly stale and boring if not executed correctly, and while "CEREMONIES" touches on all of the usual tropes of the genre, it remains engaging in it's entirety. It's a wonderfully immersive album.

Eldar Djangirov Trio - Breakthrough

tags: Jazz

Sample song: Point of View Redux

Kyrgyzstan-born Eldar Djangirov was a child prodigy, playing piano at the age of 3 and playing back solos by ear at the age of 5. His latest album "Breakthrough" puts all of that natural talent to great use as he joins his equally talented jazz trio. "Breakthrough" a phenomenal jazz album with top-caliber musicianship.

Emilíana Torrini - Tookah

tags: electronic, acoustic, alternative, pop

Sample song: Tookah

4th album from Iceland's Emilíana Torrini, 5 years after her critically acclaimed "Me And Armini". "Tookah" is a made-up word that Torrini coined to mean something along the lines of "one's true self". That alone hints at the content of the album - there aren't many hooky/radio-ready songs here, "Tookah" is heavily acoustic and deeply introspective.

Enemies - Embark, Embrace

tags: math-rock, post-rock

Sample song: Love Unlimited

Embark, Embrace is the second album by Ireland's math/post-rock outfit Enemies. Their sound is bright and optimistic and they play with a calculated restraint - never unnecessarily overindulging in their own technical ability.

Eric Lau - One of Many

tags: soul hip-hop, female vocals

Sample song: Here (feat. Rahel)

The 2nd, highly anticipated album from UK producer/DJ Eric-lau is a collection of smooth, sophisticated hip hop and soul tracks featuring an abundance of talented vocalists and rappers ( Georgia Anne Muldrow, Fatima, Oddisee and more). You know you're making good music when even Robert Glasper gives you a shout-out!

Esmerine - Dalmak

tags: experimental, post-rock, world

Sample song: Lost River Blues II

Even though Esmerine consists of members from the legendary post-rock bands Godspeed You! Black Emperor (Bruce Cawdron) and Thee Silver Mount Zion (Rebecca Foon), the scope of their sound expands far beyond the genre. On this album, the band finds themselves combining Turkish folk music with their post-rock roots. "Dalmak" is a Turkish verb that can mean many things – to contemplate, to become absorbed by, to dive into, to plummet - and it aptly describes the content and tone of the album

F.S. Blumm & Nils Frahm - Music For Wobbling Music Versus Gravity

tags: modern classical, ambient, experimental, minimal

Sample song: Ten

Berlin natives Nils Frahm and Frank Schultge Blumm are two masterminds of quiet, minimalistic music and together they've crafted a superb album fraught with soft melodies and unobtrusive experimentation.

Frandé - 随波逐流我不介意

tags: post-rock, indie, female vocals

Sample song: 二十一

Frandé was a rather serendipitous discovery for me since my knowledge of Taiwan's music scene is non-existent. They play melancholic, vocal-driven post-rock. Wonderfully atmospheric.

Glasser - Interiors

tags: electronic, experimental, glitch, pop

Sample song: Forge

I fell in love with Glasser's 2010 debut album, "Ring" - She was like a more experimental version of Florence and the Machine. On her 2nd album, she's completely embraced electronics - mostly garnering comparisons to Bjork. Glasser has carved out a magnificent digital landscape for herself on "Interiors".

Goldfrapp - Tales of Us

tags: Pop, alternative

Sample song: Alvar

Goldfrapp is known to genre-hop with each new release, and on "tales of us", they've traded in their electronic/disco style for a more stripped-down, but lavish sound. This album accompanied by a film, so that explains it's cinematic tone. Gorgeous!

Gregory Porter - Liquid Spirit

tags: Vocal-jazz, soul

Sample song: Lonesome Lover

I can be very picky when it comes to vocal-jazz - too often I find that I enjoy the vocalist, but the music isn't up to par or vice versa. Thankfully, Gregory Porter's work is competent on both fronts. His rich baritone voice cuts straight through to your soul.

I AM Robot And Proud - Touch/Tone

tags: electronic, idm

Sample song: Mono The Planet

I AM Robot And Proud is the name Toronto native Shaw-han Liem. His compositions are complex, but his end-goal is to simply delight the listener, and that's exactly what he's done here on his 4th album "Touch/Tone". This is hands down my favorite "bleep bloop" album of the year.

Janelle Monáe - The Electric Lady

tags: soul, pop

Sample song: Sally Ride

I remember hearing Janelle's first EP back in 2007 and being simply astounded by her creativity and talent - her being associated with Outkast was also a major plus for me. In fact, I considered her a female version of what Outkast stood for, and even though she's become a huge pop sensation since then, I still feel the same way about her. Her music is soulful, danceable, and radio-friendly, yet the level of artistic and lyrical integrity that Monae injects into her music is sensational. She is undoubtedly one of the finest artists of our time - mainstream or not.

Jex Thoth - Blood Moon Rise

tags: doom, psychedelic, female vocals

Sample song: The Four of Us Are Dying

Jex Thoth's sophomore album presents slow-burning, yet powerful doom-rock centered around Thoth's incredibly emotive vocals. While certainly not the most creative take on the genre, it is an extremely compelling release with a wonderfully ominous atmosphere.

Jhené Aiko - Sail Out

tags: R&B, hip-hop

Sample song: Stay Ready (What A Life) Feat. Kendrick Lamar

Singer-Songwriter Jhené Aiko (full name Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo) has been making a name for herself by lending her voice to a variety of trendy hip hop artists (Drake, J-Cole, and Childish Gambino to name a few) and also by releasing free songs and mixtapes over the past few years. Out of all the newschool artists that tread the line between mainstream r&b and mainstream hip-hop, Jhene is among the most convincing. Although she's no vocal gymnast, her voice is extremely fitting atop the cold, ambient-r&b production that's been trending lately. There's also an underlying darkness and angst to Jhene's music - With the exception of one track, none these songs are particularly cheery or uplifting, but that works in her favor as it helps to set her apart from her peers.

Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience

tags: pop, soul, r&b

Sample song: Don't Hold the Wall

Just a little over a decade ago, Justin Timberlake was at the forefront of a boy-band fad that (thankfully) fizzled out - it's hard to imagine, but he's become one of the most viable pop musicians of our time. The 20/20 Experience is Justin's 3rd studio about and his first new album in 7 years. He's hooked up with producer Timbaland again and the two work magic together. With most of the song lengths exceeding 7 minutes, it's obvious that Timberlake is more concerned with making good, lasting pop music instead "flavor-of-the-week" radio hits.

Kacey Johansing - Grand Ghosts

tags: indie, folk, singer-songwriter

Sample song: Honey.sugar.molasses

Kacey Johansing is interesting - her voice has an "old-timey" jazz/soul feel to it, but the music she makes falls somewhere between indie-folk and chamber-pop. "Grand Ghosts" is her sophomore album and it's a definite improvement over her first.

Lanterns On The Lake - Until The Colours Run

tags: dream-pop, post-rock, indie, female vocals

Sample song: Our Cool Decay

Lanterns On The Lake is a five-piece indie band from the UK. Their second album titled "Until The Colours Run" is an absolutely sublime dream-pop album with post-rockish aesthetics!

Laura Marling - Once I Was an Eagle

tags: folk, singer-songwriter

Sample song: I was an eagle

Laura Marling has always seemed like an old soul trapped in a young shell of woman. She released her first album at the tender age of 18, and now at the age of 23, her fourth album "Once I Was an Eagle" trumps her previous efforts and proves to be her most mature and polished album to date.

Linda Martini - Turbo Lento

tags: alternative, post-rock, portuguese

Sample song: Sapatos Bravos

Hailing from Portugal, Linda Martini has active since 2003. They play a seamless mix of hard alt-rock and post-rock. While "Turbo Lento" has a few moments of quiet intensity, this is probably the band's most audacious album yet.

Local Natives - Hummingbird

tags: indie-rock

Sample song:Breakers

2nd album from Local Natives and possibly my all-time favorite indie-rock release of the year. There's something I can't quite put my finger on, but for some reason this album touches me on a level much deeper than others. There's something about the somber guitar riffs, the rhythmic drumming, Taylor rice's affectionate crooning...

Native - Orthodox

tags: math-rock, hardcore, post-hardcore

Sample song: Books On Tape

Noticably more melodic, their highly anticipated sophomore album once again displays innovative rhythms, dynamic shifts, nimble fretwork and intricate song structures – the band has matured a lot since their 2009 debut album and succeeded in chanelling their impeccable musicianship into songs that breath fresh air into a genre that grown fairly stale.

Orgone - NEW YOU

tags: Funk

Sample song: Ronin

"NEW YOU" is Los Angeles based funk band Orgone's latest offering and it's almost like a blast from the 70's past. The album is fraught with heavy dance-beckoning rhythms, soulful singing, swaying grooves, intricate horn parts and tight licks. In short, these guys jam!

Rhian Sheehan - Stories From Elsewhere

tags: ambient, electronic, modern classical

Sample song: La Boîte À Musique

New Zealand based composer and producer Rhian Sheehan's 4th album is a cinematic amalgam of ambient, electronic, and orchestral sounds. It's a beautifully expansive album that, at times, even resembles a movie soundtrack.

Robert Glasper Experiment - Black Radio 2

tags: r&b, hip-hop, soul, jazz

Sample song: Let It Ride (feat. Norah Jones)

Robert Glasper's 2nd experiment in fusing jazz ingenuity with r&b and hip-hop is just as successful as his first. This time he's brought even more friends along for the ride - including, but not limited to the likes of Common, Jill Scott, Norah Jones, Lupe Fiasco and more!

Rose Windows - The Sun Dogs

tags: rock, folk, psychedelic

Sample song: Native Dreams

The debut album from Seatlle-based Rose Windows is heavily rooted in the psychedelic and stoner-rock of the 60's and 70's, but has an Eastern flare (can you tell that I'm a complete sucker for this style of music by now? ). I wish they'd tap into those stoner and psych influences a bit more, as the album is much more folk-oriented than you'd expect, but it's still highly enjoyable as is. I hope this band will be around for a while - they have heaps of potential.

Ross McHenry - Distant Oceans

tags: jazz, fusion

Sample song: Prayers

One of my favorite jazz discoveries of 2013 comes from Australian bassist Ross McHenry. McHenry is a member of the Fela Kuti inspired band The Shaolin Afronauts, and Distant Oceans is his first solo venture. And what a beastly debut it is. I love how McHenry builds his compositions around a single idea and evolves it into spastic, free-jazz-like craziness.

Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels

tags: hip-hop

Sample song: DDFH

I'm from the same city as Killer Mike, so I've been aware of his rapping prowess since my high-school days (fuck i'm old), but I had no idea about EL-P. Zess tried to put me on to EL-P on several occasions as I recall, but I never bothered to explore his music beyond the youtube links that zess shared with me. Boy what a mistake that was - I should travel back in time and kick myself in the head for that. Repeatedly. Run the Jewels is simply some of the best hip-hop that i've heard in a while. Killer Mike is a beast on the mic, and while EL-P's voice isn't as commanding, he's just as competent lyrically. But for the little (very little) that EL-P lacks as an en emcee, he more than makes up for with his production. His beats are hard-hitting and grimy - the perfect setting for his and Mike's lyrical onslaught.

Sister Crayon - Cynic EP

tags: trip-hop

Sample song: Floating Heads

Sister Crayon has an ethereal sound that harkens back to the early trip-hop days of Portishead and Tricky. Terra Lopez's vocals are especially haunting. The group released an album back in 2011, but this new EP displays the band's potential much more clearly than before.

SPC ECO - Sirens and Satellites

tags: electronic, shoegaze, dream-pop

Sample song: Zombie

SPC ECO (pronounced SPACE ECHO) is the father-daughter duo of producer Dean Garcia and vocalist Rose Berlin. Garcia was actually one-half of a 90's shoegaze duo called Curve. While Garcia is still very passionate about shoegaze, his production for SPC ECO is also highly electronic - which is why you might often see this outfit described as "nu-gaze". This album is perhaps a bit too long for it's many slow-burning numbers, but on the bright side, there's always something new to hear on repeat listens.

Submotion Orchestra - 1968 EP

tags: electronic, downtempo, dub

Sample song: Breathe It In

If you haven't noticed by now, I'm also a sucker for beautiful female vocals in electronic music lol. These guys made my list last year with their stunning album "Fragments". The 1968 EP very much sounds like an extension of that album, which isn't a bad thing because their sound is so fabulous. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what this band does next - they have a ton of different influences that they can embrace - from broken beat to nu-jazz and more.

The Cactus Channel - Wooden Boy

tags: Funk

Sample song: Who Is Walt Druce?

Listening to this, you probably wouldn't imagine that the musicians in this band are just barely out of high-school. Yep, The Cactus Channel is a band full of Australian kids in their late teens and early twenties, but they play exciting funk music with a confidence that far exceeds their age.

The Hics - Tangle EP

tags: electronic, soul

Sample song: Tangle

Igoring the picture above, The Hics is actually a sextet from London that studied jazz and classical music in school together. They've condensed all of their musical know-how into four atmospheric future-soul tracks and the results are amazing. Very impressive first EP.

The Internet - Feel Good

tags: neo-soul

Sample song: You Don't Even Know (feat. Tay Walker)

Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA - tyler, the creator, frank ocean, earl sweatshirt, etc) is a music collective that I usually steer clear of - not because they're bad (they're not), but because the music they produce doesn't quite resonate with me. So I was shocked, to say the least, when I decided to spin The Internet's sophomore album and found myself repeatedly clicking "love" on my last.fm app. "Feel Good" is a chilled neo-soul album that, well, feels good lol. It's just that simple - one of the best I've heard in genre in a long time actually.

The Low Frequency In Stereo - Pop Obskura

tags: indie-rock, experimental

Sample song: Colette (Subie Subie)

I see this The Low Frequency In Stereo described as "post-rock" almost everwhere, and while that may be an accurate description of their past work, the Noregian band's fifth album "Pop Obskura" sees them playing a more garage-y, vocal-driven rock style influenced 80's pop and psychedelia. There are a few brief, droning post-rockish moments, though.

Tiny Hearts ® - Stay EP

tags: electronic, trip-hop, alternative, experimental

Sample song: Calling

Tiny Hearts ® is a trio consisting singer Dede and producers Tim K and Waajeed. While their music is undoubtedly electronic, it's hard to pinpoint their sound beyond that - writing them off as "trip-hop" is probably the best I can do in my fruitless attempts to pigeonhole them lol, but their sound is much more progressive and forward-thinking than that. Whatever the case, the "STAY" EP is a fine debut with an intriguing sound.

Toro Y Moi - Anything In Return

tags: electronic. chillwave

Sample song: So Many Details

Toro y Moi is another artist that's hard to pin down genre-wise. "Anything In Return" is a cohesive blend of house, hip hop, psychedlic-rock, funk, pop and more all wrapped up in a quirky, but exceedingly hip package. Sidenote: Chaz is cool and his afro is amazing.

Wolf People - Fain

tags: Psychedelic-folk, folk-rock

Sample song: All Returns

2nd album from the London quartet Wolf People. They put a rather interesting spin on the retro-rock craze by incorporating English folk sensibilities into their work

Wrekonize - The War Within

tags: hip-hop, alternative

Sample song: Galil

First solo album by Wrekonize of ¡MAYDAY!. Wrek is perhaps my favorite rapper on tech n9ne's strange music label. He's lyrical, he has a dynamic flow, he can sing (no, not that auto-tune bullshit), and he has a great ear for beats. While Wrekonize's role in ¡MAYDAY! is rather restrained, he really cuts lose and puts his versatility on display for this album. "The War Within" is a concept album that explores the inner-workings of Wrekonize's mind, and it plays out like you're listening to his stream of consciousness. It's a cleverly conceived and diverse album that will appeal to a variety of hip hop fans.

おわり。。。

[Bear 1817]

I'm gonna check out Cokiyu, Abe Fuyume and Ichiko Aoba and Fairies for sure. The tags and your description made me curious, especially about Cokiyu.

 

I can also go good for Blood Ceremony, Jex Thoth and Run the Jewels. All released great album this year.

 

Blood Ceremony's "The Eldritch Dark" was a step in the right direction for me. With each album they've gotten less doomier and more psychedelic/prog rockish, something which I really enjoy. There's simply less Black Sabbath and more Jethro Tull and Blue Öyster Cult here. It's on par with "Living with the Ancients" for sure, maybe even better. Great album!

 

Jex Thoth's "Blood Moon Rise" was a huge surprise. I've been following the band since their Totem days, so I knew I would get a geat record. But I was surprised they left most of their doom metal behind and went for a more psychedelic rock sound ala Jex Thoth's previous band, Sabbath Assembly, which plays a ritualistic form of psychedelic rock. "Blood Moon Rise" almost sounds a lot more like a natural follow-up to Sabbath Assembly's "Ye Are Gods", than to Jex Thoth's "Jex Thoth". A bit weird that.

[fitear1590 2414]

*SLOW CLAP*

This might be the first year, where I’m familiar with/ actually listened to a handful of the artists on your list, haha.  Even though they didn’t make my own AOTY lists, I’m really pleased to see Toro y Moi, Sister Crayon, Blue Hawaii, Wolf People, and Gregory Porter.

I remember you saying you enjoyed the Purson album, so I was sad it didn’t make the cut, but I guess you have Blood Ceremony and Jex Thoth instead, I’ll have to check those out when I get time.

Babi sounds like it could almost fit in the Azumanga Daioh anime, haha.  I like the “portuguese” tag on Linda Martini,

Based on the samples, I am definitely interested in hearing the releases by Doppelzimmer, Lantern Parade, Lycoriscoris, Play Dead Season, ミツメ, Daughter, Frandé, Jhené Aiko, and Lanterns on the Lake, among others.

One late addition to my own list that could interest you as well is "Department M" and their self-titled mini-album.  You were a fan of GRAMMATICS, right? Well, this is the solo project vocalist/guitarist Owen Brinley and this time he's making dark, 80's inspired electronic stuff.

Slightly off-topic, but how did you get mp3 samples to work?  The last time I tried the usual dropbox method, it didn’t work…

[Tokage 5930]

Aw yis, I Am Robot And Proud is great. I couldn't get into Braids' latest thing at all, though despite how I heard part of it live last summer. It didn't really captivate me for some reason.. On the other hand, I remember hearing some of Local Natives' new stuff live and really liking it, but I haven't managed to listen to the studio version yet... Should really get around to it. I'll check some of the hip-hop stuff on your list out too, I feel like I haven't listened to enough hip-hop in the last year.

 

In terms of japanese artists, I agree wholeheartedly with all the ones I actually know. Especially 88kasyo and The Novembers continue to sweep me off my feet every year with what they manage to release..

[Champ213 1858]

Why is everything bold!?!?!

 

 

 

Seriously though, that's some long-ass lists! And I know barey any of it. XD I definetely need to check out that new Laura Marling, didn't know she had another album.

I also grabbed Rian Sheehan and Pastacas & Tenniscoats from you a while ago. I was a bit confused to see the latter in the japanese category, until I realized it's an Estonian-japanese collab. XD I still haven't listened to either though. Will have to go through some of your samples later too.

[Peace Heavy mk II 7200]

I think this is the first year I actually knew albums on Cat's list before trying any of the samples.

 

I'm going to go through the samples on your list and report back with things I'd like to try further.

[CAT5 9075]

Why is everything bold!?!?!

Apparently, I screwed something up with the html lol. It's all good, though.

@Bear - thanks for commenting. I absolutely love that whole psychedelic/stoner/doom area of music. 70's inspired music in general tends to strike a chord with me.

@Fitear - I'll check out department m soon, but as far as mp3 samples go - the admins enabled html for this us mods, and that's why I was able to implement the player.

@PH - I'm glad that my list isn't completely foreign to you. I find that as I get older my music tastes are gradually settling and I've stopped caring about whether the music I enjoy is super-obscure or not. Hopefully you'll run across something that piques your interest - if not, that's cool too!

[DeithX252 1266]

I am gonna check the very long japanese list, I need some indie pop reference, so far I am interested in babi and kotoringo

 

the other indie rock bands that hooked me are nayuta, Potekomuzin, and umiuma, might check them out!

 

btw, why you didn't include Ichiko aoba's 0 album in the list? That album is pretty good IMO

[Jigsaw9 6783]

Dang it, forgot to listen to the new downy and LAGITAGIDA albums... gonna have to aid this mistake~

 

Also, I agree, 88kasyo's and kamomekamome's releases were strong this year! However I didn't find THE NOVEMBERS' album that interesting, only 'kinda okay-ish.' Same goes for Arctic Monkeys (or that was more progressively boring rather xD). Ah right, The Internet is pretty sweet, one of my pleasant 2013 discoveries!

[yakihiko 1480]

You pick many good albums in both.

Jinmenusagi - ME2!, is very cool one.

I AM Robot And Proud - Touch/Tone, Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience. JT did a good job in this album.

Also I gonna check some groups I don't listen yet.

Thank you.

[greeeeen 49]

I love you and I love the list to the point where I shouted "YEEESSSS!" upon seeing the topic yesterday--loud enough to make both my brother and mother snapped back at me in annoyance because they were still sleeping; which I believe doesn't come off as a surprise. So many feels... There's also Dirty Androids! <3 I already have like half of the albums you mentioned on your non-Japanese list (all thanks to the hours spent on extensive stalking and whatever) and I shall also give Play Dead Season, Raizen & Lycoriscoris a try. Haven't gotten around to listening to the new Kamomekamome as their previous release wasn't particularly memorable... but I agree with Heaven in Her Arms / COHOL split especially; HIHA's a hit-and-miss and yet the release was filled with awesome badassery.

 

I am letting you know I am ready to feel you. ♫

[Zeus 7997]

CAT YOUR BOLD IS LEAKING!

Anyway, great list! I can alway see where our tastes line up and where they differ. I might have to try out a few of these artists on that mixtape that you haven't gotten back to me about

[saishuu 3220]

I didn't know many bands/artists from these lists at all, but going through some samples was great! Ended up discovering some really good things (Daughter, bomi, ミツメ, etc). And I do agree that Local Natives' album is special - there's this live video of them singing Wooly Mammoth and Ceilings on Youtube that's simply amazing.

 

[Saaam-chan 50]

Cant wait to check out this list... your choices are always soo good to try out

[Pretsy 1343]

What should I say then xD? Too many good discoveries to mention, but it's all thanks to you CAT! You're a genius

[Miasma 162]

I like the Japanese list and happy to see Ichiko Aoba, Abe Fuyumi, and 88kasyo Junrei, among others.

 

But I'm focused more on the non-Japanese releases, because I feel like I didn't listen to enough this year. I've already listened to a few of these like AlunaGeorge, Toro y Moi, and Buke and Gase.

 

Loved the previews for these artists and I'm gonna check them out later: Blood Ceremony, Braids, Esmerine, Frande, Rose Windows, Ross McHenry, SPC ECO, The Internet. I hope I enjoy them as much as you did!

[keyinjpop 89]

Really enjoyed both lists. Actually downloaded some of the songs.

[doaseternity6 93]

I realize we liked a lot of the same things this year on the non-Japanese side of things but that's mostly in part because I've been really behind on the J-indies scene this past year. Definitely going to be going through and catching up on many of these and share my thoughts on my new listens. 

 

One thing though I will say is actually I was disappointed in this Toro Y Moi album. I was really looking forward to it as a fan and after "So Many Details" was released I had high hopes but the overall album was so-so to me. I'm not sure if it was because I felt he hit too many of the same beats over and over again on it or if the lyrics just really started to irritate me lol. On the subject of the latter: I think his lyrics have always been kind of annoying non-sense but I don't think he's sung so much or more like his vocals/lyrics weren't as much of a focal point. Like... Underneath the Pine it is easy to get lost in the lushness of the music but on Anything in Return I kept getting taken out of the groove by them.

[Atreides 454]

Thanks for mentioning about Ichiko Aoba and the Fairies. I've been a huge fan of YMO for years but haven't listened to them in awhile. I was wondering what happened to Harry Hosono