My 2013

[Soot and Stars]

MY



This is the time of year I revisit all my purchases and favorites from the year. ​

Index Links (Ongoing)

2Cellos-Intuition (Cello Rock, Rock, Pop, Classical)
The Airborne Toxic Event-Such Hot Blood (Indie Rock, Alternative Rock)
Alice In Chains-The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (Alternative Metal, Grunge, Heavy Metal)
Alice Smith-She (Rock, R&B, Blues, Jazz and Soul)
The Almost-Fear Inside Our Bones (Emo, Alternative Rock,
Alternative CCM, Post Grunge, Post Hardcore)
Atlas Genius-When It Was Now (Alternative Rock, Indie Rock)
Atoms For Peace-Amok (Alternative Rock, Experimental Rock, IDM, Electronica)
Avantasia-The Mystery of Time (Power Metal, Symphonic Metal, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock)
Avicii-True (Progressive House, EDM, Electro House, Folktronica)
Bastille-Bad Blood (Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Synthpop)
Beth Hart-Bang Bang Boom Boom (Blues Rock, Jazz Fusion, Soul, Storyteller)
Biffy Clyro-Opposites (Alternative Rock, Experimental Rock, Math Rock)
Billy Joe + Norah-Foreverly (Folk)
Black Sabbath-13 (Heavy Metal, Blues Rock)
Blue October-Sway (Art Rock, Alternative Rock, Experimental Rock)
Bon Jovi-What About Now? (Rock, Hard Rock, Glam Metal)
Capital Cities-In A Tidal Wave of Mystery (Acid Jazz, Indie Pop, Synthpop, Indietronica
Charles Bradley-Victim Of Love (Funk, Soul)
Chvrches-The Bones of What We Believe (Electronic, Synthpop)
City and Colour-The Hurry and the Harm (Folk, Alternative Rock, Blues Rock, Singer Songwriter)
The Civil Wars-S/T/A Place At The Table SNDTRK (Americana, Folk, Indie Folk, Singer-Songwriter)
Coheed and Cambria-The Afterman: Descension (Progressive Rock, New Prog, Alternative Rock, Progressive Metal, Alternative Metal, Post-Hardcore)
Colton Dixon-The Messenger (Christian Rock)
Crystal Bowersox-All That For This (Rock, Indie Folk, Acoustic, Blues, Gospel, Soul, Blues-Rock, Country)
Daft Punk-Random Access Memories (French House)
Daughter-If You Leave (Indie Rock, Alternative Rock, Ambient
David Bowie-The Next Day (Singer Songwriter)
David Ford-Charge (Singer-Songwriter)
Deep Purple-Now What (Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Blues Rock, Progressive Rock)
Depeche Mode-Delta Machine (Synthpop, New Wave, Alternative Dance, Alternative Rock)
Dropkick Murphys-SIGNED and SEALED in BLOOD (Celtic Punk, Oi!)
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros-S/T (Indie Folk, Indie Rock, Folk Rock, Gospel, Roots Rock, Neo-Psychedelia)
Eisley-Currents (Indie Rock, Indie Pop)
Eric Clapton-Old Sock (Rock, Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Hard Rock, Blues)
Fall Out Boy-Save Rock N' Roll/PAX AM EP (Pop Punk)
Five For Fighting-Bookmarks (Soft Rock, Heartland Rock, Pop Rock, Alternative Rock)
Foals-Inhaler (Indie Rock, Alternative Rock, Dance-Punk, Post-Rock, Math Rock)
Frank Turner-Tape Deck Heart (Singer Songwriter, Folk, Punk)
Frightened Rabbit-Pedestrian Verse (Indie Rock, Indie Folk)
Gabrielle Aplin-English Rain (Folk, Pop, Indie, Country, Singer-Songwriter)
Garth Brooks-Blame It All On my Roots: Five Decades of Influences (Country, Singer-Songwriter)
Goo Goo Dolls-Magnetic (Rock, Alternative Rock, Pop Rock, Punk Rock)
Grouplove-Spreading Rumours (Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Indietronica, Alternative Dance)
Hanson-Anthem (Pop Rock, Teen Pop, Indie Rock, Indie Pop)
Hopsin-Knock Madness (Hip-Hop)
How To Destroy Angels-Welcome Oblivion (Post-Industrial, Experimental, Electronica)
Jillette Johnson-Water In A Whale (Pop, Singer-Songwriter)
Jimmy Eat World-Damage (Alternative Rock, Emo, Power Pop, Pop Punk, Punk Rock)
Johnny Cash-Out Among The Stars (Country, Blues, Rock and Roll, Gospel)
Jonathan Wilson-Fanfare (Folk, Psychedelic Rock, Country, Rhythm & Blues)
Josh Krajcik-Blindly, Lonely, Lovely (Blues, Rock, Soul)
The Joy Formidable-Wolf's Law (Alternative Rock, Dream Pop, Shoegazing, Indie Rock
Justin Timberlake-The 20/20 Experience 1 and 2 (Pop, R&B)
Kacey Musgraves-Same Trailer, Different Park (Country, Traditional Country, Americana, Alt-Country

 

[Soot and Stars]

Katy Perry-Prism (Singer-Songwriter)
Kanye West-Yeezus (Hip Hop)
Katie Trotta-Twentysomething (Singer-Songwriter)
Kings Of Leon-Mechanical Bull (Alternative Rock, Garage Rock, Southern Rock)
K-Os-Black On Blonde (Alternative Hip-Hop)
Local Natives-Hummingbirds (Indie Rock, Indie Pop)
Laura Marling-Once I Was An Eagle (Contemporary Folk, Folk Rock)
London Grammar-If You Wait (Singer-Songwriter, Electronica, Trip-Hop, Indie Pop)
The Lone Bellow-S/T (Alt-country, Alternative Rock, Blues, Country Rock, Folk Rock, Indie Folk, Indie Rock, Pop Rock, Roots Rock, Soul)
M83-Oblivion SDTRK (Synthpop, New Wave, Electronica)
Natalie Maines-Mother (Country, Alternative Country, Bluegrass, Country Rock)
The Neighbourhood-I Love You (Indie Rock, Dark Pop, Alternative Rock)
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds-Push The Sky Away (Alternative Rock, Post-Punk, Experimental Rock)
Nine Inch Nails-Hesitation Marks (Industrial Rock, Industrial Metal, Alternative Rock, Dark Ambient)
O'Brother-Disillusion (Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Sludge Metal, Post-Hardcore, Post-Rock, Experimental Rock)
The Ocean-Pelagial (Post-Metal, Sludge Metal, Progressive Metal, Experimental Metal, Art Rock)
One Republic-Native (Pop Rock, Alternative Rock)
Panic! At The Disco -Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die (Pop Punk)
Paramore-S/T (Alternative Rock, Punk, Emo)
Passenger-All The Little Lights (Folk Rock, Indie Rock, Singer-Songwriter)
Paula Cole-Raven (Adult Contemporary, Pop Rock, Experimental Music, Art Rock)
Pearl Jam-Lightning Bolt (Alternative Rock, Grunge, Hard Rock)
Queens of The Stone Age-...Like Clockwork (Alternative Rock, Stoner Rock)
Red-Release The Panic (Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal, Christian Rock, Christian Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Post-Grunge)
Relient K-Collapsible Lung (Alternative Rock, Christian Rock, Pop Punk)
Rhye-Woman (Alternative R&B, Downtempo, Soul
Scott Stapp-Proof of Life (Hard Rock, Post Grunge)
Sigur Ros-Kveikur (Post Rock)
Skylar Grey-Don't Look Down (Pop, Singer-Songwriter)
Sound City SNDTRK (ft. Dave Grohl, Stevie Nicks, Paul McCartney, etc.) (Rock)
Steven Wilson-The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories) (Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, Psychedelic Rock, Ambient Rock, Art Rock, Krautrock, Alternative Rock, Post-Punk, Jazz Fusion, Experimental Rock, Progressive Death Metal, Musique-Concrete, Industrial, Post-Industrial, Electronic, Drum and Bass)
Stone Sour-House of Gold and Bones Part 2 (Alternative Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Post-Grunge
Thirty Seconds to Mars-Love, Lust, Faith + Dreams (Alternative Rock, Space Rock)
Tom Odell-Long Way Down (Indie Pop, Singer-Songwriter)
Trapt-Reborn (Hard Rock, Alternative, Post Grunge, Nu Metal)
Volbeat-Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies (Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Groove Metal, Rockabilly)
Volcano Choir-Repave (Indie, Ambient, Experimental, Indie Folk)
Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs-Mosquito (Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Art Punk, Dance-Punk, Post-Punk Revival

Hummingbirds


Since 2009's Gorilla Manor I've fallen for this dreamy pop rock with soaring harmonies powerful enough to take you up to the clouds above. At the same time there's a lightness to the music that will set you upon the same cloud drifting into the melodies. This is music of the upper atmosphere combining the air, the birds and the heavens singing to you.

You and I, Black Spot & Breakers
​

 

[Soot and Stars]

Katie Trotta

Twentysomething


Katie Trotta is an artist I discovered about a year after her 2003 release "Release". The songs were very young in sound but there was something about her voice that had a very mature weight to them. The best part of following this artist is she's a coming of age artist virtually untouched by the unreality of fame. It's not often you see an artist write about the stages of there life and go through the stages of finding your voice as a musician. Katie has been going to an actual music school while releasing music. On this release there are still themes of love and growing up but they are especially intertwined here as real life is. I find Katie one of my most endearing female artist to follow and one of pure beauty and talent.

Shouldn't Be Thinking About You, Twenty Something & Boston
​

 

[Soot and Stars]

The Messenger

Colton is not a singer I was in a rush to pursue. He has a horrible mohawk and he's a talent show contestant who made a Christian album. The cover alone is cringe inducing. I like Christian Rock and I do like some talents that come from those shows but the genres together never create stimulating music. After listening though there's plenty of chops, heart and soul behind this artist where he does what Christian music should most aspire to which is to inspire. He has some great piano rock that reminds me of Something Corporate. In fact, he's reminiscent of the vocalist, Andrew McMahon but with a better overall voice and range. At his heaviest (heavy being very loosely used) he has a cool space rock vibe like 30 Seconds to mars that almost does the cover justice. I can see why my friend who was going through hard times felt this artist and subsequently I'm a fan for the same reason now!

Never Gone, Love Has Come For Me & Let Them See You
​

 

[LG]

I'll give them a listen later when I have a little more time Sooty.

It's not that I have given up on new music, it's a matter of time there is never enough to get around to everything.

You always do a top notch jobs on your thematic threads like this one.

 

[Soot and Stars]

Thanks LG! I'm not doing a countdown format this year! I'm simply going by what I own and obviously like in the order they were released!

 

[LG]

I've always read your "Opuses" but didn't have time to fully immerse myself in the horde of artists you list every year.

You are the person I would ask about new bands/artists first, except for the hard rock/metal bands, those I do manage to keep up with although not this year. Collecting old vinyl classics has dominated the entire year for me.

 

[Soot and Stars]

I've also been no stranger to classic rock as I've listened to the entire discographies of Queen, Elton John, Daryl Hall and John Oates, Nick Cave and Black Sabbath this past year. It was about time to get back to my bread and butter as much as I liked a lot of what I heard!

 

[Sunny]

As always, great work Soots!

Most of the new music I've been listening to this year is from Australian artists that most likely nobody else here would have heard of.

 

[Soot and Stars]

As always, great work Soots!

Most of the new music I've been listening to this year is from Australian artists that most likely nobody else here would have heard of.

Thanks Sunny! I may be mentioning one of your bands (I believe you have a band thread for them) in the following!