Jacob Tender’s ‘Best Of 2013′ In Music

‘Tis the season to make the most difficult choices I have to make all year. Seriously, my life is easy enough to make that statement true. I hate making these lists, more-so this year than any year previous. Yet I’m obligated to do so. So here I am.

You see, in January, I told myself that it would be a good idea to listen to more music. What resulted in that was a fine list of albums that I liked, some that I loved, and some that surprised me. Come December, I had roughly 90 records in a tidy Google Drive spreadsheet. Narrowing those down has taken me two weeks.

I like sharing what I listen to with people. I don’t like to be the music snob or the pushy fan, but I do enjoy being the guy who always has a suggestion for someone who asks. That’s what this list is. A list for future reference for anyone who asks “What sort of music do you listen to?”

The 23 LPs and 15 EPs listed below are some of my favorites from this year. There are plenty more, but these are the ones I think you should check out if the music discovery mood strikes. You can easily purchase each the albums below by clicking the image. You will be redirected to the most convenient point of purchase. In some cases, I have linked my review of a particular album. If you’d like some more in-depth and likely outdated thoughts on that release, feel free to read those as well.

I hope you enjoy these albums as much as I did. If so, do as you do and share it with some friends! Then leave me your lists in the comments. I want to know what I’m missing out on!


Best Full Length Albums of 2013

01. Mansions – Doom Loop | Clifton Hotel Records (my review)

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02. Bastille – Bad Blood  | EMI / Virgin Records

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03. Coheed and Cambria – The Afterman: Decension | Hundred Handed / Everything Evil Records (my review)

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04. Paramore – Paramore | Fueled By Ramen Records

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05. The 1975 – The 1975 | Dirty Hit / Polydor Records (my review)

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06. Lorde – Pure Heroine | Universal Records

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07. Owel – Owel | intheclouds

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08. Tiny Moving Parts – This Couch Is Long and Full of Friendship | Kind Of Like Records

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09. AlunaGeorge – Body Music | Vagrant / Island Records

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10. Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience Part 1 of 2 | RCA Records

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11. Cartel – Collider | Self-Released / LAB Records

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12. HRVRD – From The Birds Cage | Equal Vision Records

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13. Fall Out Boy – Save Rock and Roll | Island Records (my review)

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14. John Mayer – Paradise Valley | Columbia Records

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15. Boy & Bear – Harlequin Dream | Universal Records

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16. CHVRCHES – The Bones of What You Believe | Virgin Records

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17. Tilian – Material Me | Vital Records

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18. The Dear Hunter – Migrant | Triple Crown Records

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19. Shone – Heat Thing | Procrastinate! Music Traitors

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20. letlive. – The Blackest Beautiful | Epitaph Records

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Honorable Mentions

Fossil Collective – Tell Where I Lie | Dirty Hit Records

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Daughter – If You Leave | 4AD Records

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The Maine – Forever Halloween | Eighty One Twenty Three Records

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Best Extended Plays of 2013

01. X Ambassadors – Love Songs Drug Songs | KIDinaKORNER / Interscope Records

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02. Smallpools – Smallpools | RCA Records

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03. Wake Owl – Wild Country EP | Vagrant Records

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04. Betty Who – The Movement | self-released / RCA Records

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05. YMAEWK – I Wish More People Gave A Shit | Self-Released

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06. Diamond Youth – Orange EP | Topshelf Records

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07. Jaymes Young – Dark Star | self-released

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08. Magic Man – You Are Here | Neon Gold Records

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09. American Authors – American Authors | Island Records

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10. Squid The Whale – Four More | self-released

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11. Envoi – Changes | self-released

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12. Jane Decker – Clean Hands | self-released

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13. Glass Kids – Unblinded | self-released

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14. FS – Cheers and Fears From The Past Year | Brain Fuse Records

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15. Carousel – Palms | Left Right Records

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That’s it! Here’s a playlist of some of my favorite songs from each release for both Rdio and Spotify.


Jacob is in the midst of reorganizing his growing vinyl collection. Follow him on Twitter and sell him your copy In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3.

Jacob Tender
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