First, the caveats: I haven’t yet given thorough listenings to this year’s releases by My Bloody Valentine, Pearl Jam, Quasi, Colin Stetson, Upset, or Swearin’, . But here are my ten favourites as of right now, listed alphabetically:

1. Bass Drum Of Death . Bass Drum Of Death
2. Black Angels . Indigo Meadow
3. Basia Bulat . Tall Tall Shadow
4. Heliotropes . A Constant Sea
5. Little Hurricane . Stay Classy
6. National . Trouble Will Find Me
7. Phosphorescent . Muchacho
8. Rogue Wave . Nightingale Floors
9. Marnie Stern . The Chronicles Of Marnia
10. Vampire Weekend . Modern Vampires Of The City

The biggest shock for me by far was how disappointing Arcade Fire‘s Reflektor was. I was disappointed by the albums from Low, Neko Case, and Frightened Rabbit, but Reflektor just stunned me.

Anyway, here’s what comprises my “best songs of 2013” playlist, again in alphabetical order only:

1. Courtney Barnett . “Avant Gardener”
2. Bass Drum Of Death . “Shattered Me”
3. Black Angels . “You’re Mine”
4. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club . “Let The Day Begin”
5. Basia Bulat . “Never Let Me Go”
6. Neko Case . “Local Girl”
7. Dodos . “Confidence”
8. Heliotropes . “Awake”
9. Valerie June . “Somebody To Love”
10. Little Hurricane . “Grounds For Divorce”
11. Lorde . “Royals”
12. Majical Cloudz . “Bugs Don’t Buzz”
13. Men . “I Saw Her Face”
14. Phosphorescent . “Ride On/Right On”
15. Joel Plaskett . “Lightning Bolt”
16. Quasi . “You Can Stay But You Got To Go”
17. Radioactivity . “World Of Pleasure”
18. Rogue Wave . “Everyone Wants To Be You”
19. Marnie Stern . “Year Of The Glad”
20. TEEN . “Big Talk”
21. Thermals . “You Will Be Free”
22. Vampire Weekend . “Worship You”
23. Yeah Yeah Yeahs . “Despair”
24. Yo La Tengo . “Ohm”
25. Phosphorescent . “Sun’s Arising (A Koan, An Exit)”

.:.

Photo by Clint McMahon, used under Creative Commons license