My Top 90 Albums of 2013

Christopher Owens

It was a robust year for music (as always). There is barely enough time to listen to all these albums, let alone many of the all-time great discs. 

There is lots to choose from here. But if you are a fan of hook-laden pop/rock music, don't hesitate to start with dropping everything you're doing right now and go buy the top 10 on this list. Then you can make your way to discovering 11 through 90.

Yuck, when they still had Daniel Blumberg

Much like my list of 2011's Top 70 Albums, Girls beats out Yuck for the top spot. This time, it's Girls' lead singer Christopher Owens' underrated solo album at #1 (made even more personally amazing after being blown away by his intimate show at the 9:30 Club). But Yuck gets some laughs too, because their album is at #2, which is incredible considering former leader Daniel Blumberg's breakway solo debut by his new band Hebronix clocks in at #3.

To listen to lots of highlights from this list, check out my free Spotify Best of 2013 list.

90. My Bloody Valentine – mbv

89. Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band – Take Me to the Land of Hell

88. Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark – English Electric

87. Steve Martin and Edie Brickell – Love Has Come For You

86. Adam Ant – Wonderful

85. Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP2

84. Kanye West - Yeezus

83. Deerhunter - Monomania

82. Fonda – Sell Your Memories

81. 18^th Dye – Amorine Queen

80. Tennis – Small Sound

79. MGMT - MGMT

78. Lee Ranaldo and the Dust – Last Night on Earth

77. Jason Isbell - Southeastern

76. Johnny Marr – The Messenger

75. British Sea Power – Machineries of Joy

74. Empire Of the Sun – Ice On the Dune

73. Rogue Wave – Nightingale Floors
72. The Olms – The Olms

71. The Little Ones – The Dawn Sang Along

70. Dean Wareham – Emancipated Hearts

69. Jack Johnson – From Here to Now to You

68. Elf Power – Sunlight on the Moon

67. The Boy Least Likely To – The Great Perhaps

66. Treetop Flyers – The Mountain Moves

65. Mandolin Orange – This Side of Jordan

64. The Paranoid Style – The Purposes of Music In General

63. Pop Levi – Never Never Love

62. Big Dipper – Crashes on the Platinum Planet

61. Jimi Hendrix – People, Hell & Angels

60. Dent May – Warm Blanket

59. Ducktails – The Flower Lane

58. Ra Ra Riot – Beta Love

57. Thao – Know Better Learn Faster

56. Robyn Hitchcock – Love From London

55. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

54. Islands – Ski Mask

53. Jim James – Regions of Light and Sound

52. Father John Misty – Fear Fun

51. Taken By Trees – Other Worlds

50. Grouplove – Spreading Rumours

49. Lorde – Pure Heroine

48. Darlings – Perfect Trip/Warma

47. The Strokes – Comedown Machine

46. Minor Alps – Get There

45. Kings of Leon – Mechanical Bull

44. Belle & Sebastian – The Third Eye Centre

43. Snoop Lion - Reincarnated

42. Free Energy – Love Sign

41. Kurt Vile – Wakin On a Pretty Daze

40. David Bowie – The Next Day Extra

39. Yo La Tengo – Fade

38. Eternal Summers – Correct Behavior

37. Tegan & Sara – Closer

36. Haim – Days Are Gone

35. The Coup – Pick a Bigger Weapon

34. Sebadoh – Defend Yourself

33. Weinland – Los Processaur

32. Mikal Cronin – MCII

31. Eleanor Friedberger – Personal Record

30. Surfer Blood – Pythons

29. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Split/Fly By Wire

28. Robert Pollard – Honey Locust Honky Tonk

27. Camera Obscura – Desire Lines

26. Daft Punk – Random Access Memories

25. Iron & Wine – Ghost On Ghost

24. Jacobites – Old Scarlett

23. The Polyphonic Spree – Yes, It’s True.

22. Arcade Fire - Reflektor

21. Superchunk – I Hate Music

20. Of Montreal – Lousy With Sylvianbriar

19. Mazes – Ores & Minerals

18. Palmyra Delran – You Are What You Absorb

17. Jamaica – No Problem

16. Dead Stars – High Gain

15. Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion – Wassaic Way

14. Okkervil River – The Silver Gymnasium

13. The Blank Tapes – Vacation

12. Phoenix – Bankrupt!

11. The Postelles - … And It Shook Me

10. San Cisco – The Awkward EP

09. The Babies – Our House on the Hill

08. The Virgins – Strike Gently

07. The Replacements – Songs For Slim

06. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City

05. Paul McCartney - NEW

04. Parquet Courts – Light Up Gold

03. Hebronix – Unreal

02. Yuck – Glow and Behold
01. Christopher Owens - Lysandre

Christopher Owens, Formerly of Girls, Mesmerizes a Sit-Down 9:30 Club

Many dozens of shows viewed at the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C. and this was a first for me. A sit-down concert.

So there Gordie, Dan, Rachel, and I were in the third row Sunday night where we got a thrilling display from Christopher Owens, formerly of Girls (a band I missed back in 2009 when they were very obscure).

I thought it might simply be an acoustic, one-man set. But no, all the pieces from his brilliant new solo album - saxophone, flute, two female backup singers, lead guitarist, bassist, drummer, keyboard - were there. I also thought Owens (seated in the photo) would be the only stage presence capturing our attention. But he has recruited a fascinating and mesmerizing cast of characters.

And that's saying a lot. It's not easy to compete with Owens, a guy whose back story includes growing up in California's way-out Children of God cult (which apparently hired thousands of female escorts to recruit members into their sexually, shall we say, adventurous, family).

Further, Owens is a premiere musician. I've waited a long time to see him. (Girls' album Father, Son, Holy Ghost was ranked #1 in my top 70 list of 2011 and the band's self-titled debut was a way under-ranked #16 in my 2009 top 40.) The wait may have been wise, because I would be shocked if the solo album, called Lysandre, will be anywhere lower than my top three of 2013, but we'll see.

In short, his two-and-a-half Girls albums and now his solo one are almost entirely flawless. This was really, really apparent Sunday night because the first half of the show consisted of songs off his new album and had arguably much better lyrics and music than the second half of the show, which was made up of well-done soft-rock covers all largely regarded as classics in the rock 'n' roll cannon like "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel, "Wild World" by Cat Stevens, "Lalena" by Donovan, and "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" by Bob Dylan. It was almost as if Owens was trying to rub it into his idols' faces that he's better.

My only complaint is that he didn't play any of those great songs off his Girls albums. But that's a small complaint. Hopefully he'll release another solo record in the next year or so, and he can play his original material for a lot longer into the night next time. (Openers Melted Toys provided an enjoyable jolt of 80s wave with memorable guitar licks liberally scattered throughout.)

****1/2 out of ***** stars