6. WASHED OUT - PARACOSM

6. WASHED OUT - PARACOSM

My oh my, Ernest Greene is extraordinary.

Ever since I heard the song, "Feel it All Around" from the 2010 EP, Life of Leisure, I have been hooked on Washed Out.

Paracosm is the second album from Washed Out, their first, Within and Without being released in 2011 when I did my first ever uni exams. I interchanged between listening to Washed Out - Within and Without and Bon Iver, Bon Iver during those winter months and both albums hold very special places in my heart... I digress.

We are introduced to Paracosm with "Entrance" which is an instrumental track with birds as backing (?vocals) then we are drawn into the glorious second song, "It All Feels Right" and I can assure you when listening to that song, it does all feel right.

The album follows the same pretence as Within and Without and you know what? that's totally ok. There are some new sounds from Greene but it's always good to stick to what you know.

Dreamy, ethereal and even poignant, this album ends with "All Over Now", the perfect ending to an almost flawless album.

Well fucking done.

listen to
Don't Give Up

It All Feels Right

All Over Now

7. VOLCANO CHOIR - REPAVE

7. VOLCANO CHOIR - REPAVE 

If anyone knows me well or has read this blog, they'd know that I have a big, big, big thing for Justin Vernon (Bon Iver mastermind)... my affinity for his music does not stop with Bon Iver, I am as equally enchanted by Volcano Choir. 
Volcano Choir's original line-up consisted of Jon Mueller, Chris Rosenau, Daniel Spack, Justin Vernon

and Thomas Wincek. Mueller and Wincek both left the band and Matthew Skemp on bass was added. Volcano Choir formed in 2005 and the band released their debut album, Unmap in 2009. The followup to Unmap, Repave is so dense and heavy yet it has a kind of spiritual air to it. 

Repave features Vernon's trademark falsetto-prone and at times husky strains are as evident as ever. 

This album is a delight, I wouldn't expect any less from Volcano Choir and indeed Justin Vernon. 

Listen to 

Byegone

Comrade

and 

Tiderays

8. LORDE - PURE HEROINE

8. LORDE - PURE HEROINE 

If you were to describe this album in one word it would have to be "cool". 

This debut album from the 17 year old Ella Yellich-O'Connor from New Zealand is freaking COOL. 

You really have to hand it to Ella, she has made a pretty awesome name for herself.

Drawing upon themes that may not necessarily mirror her life, they have most certainly struck a chord with her fans worldwide. 

Again, I was lucky enough to catch her perform at Laneway festival and she did not disappoint her adoring fans. She's a unique, fresh and exciting new artist and I can only predict that her successes are only going to grow. 

With a hip vibe Ella's debut album is freaking awesome. This outspoken teen is the real deal! 

listen to 

Tennis Court

400 Lux

and of course

Royals

9. BORN RUFFIANS - BIRTHMARKS

9. BORN RUFFIANS - BIRTHMARKS 

"I belong to no one
Like the watermelon 
Rolling with momentum, spitting out its seeds
Buried under snow and waiting just to show us
How it grow and knows how yummy it will be

I belong to no one
A song without an album
Long forgotten maxim spoken to the sea:
I belong with no one/ I belong with no one/ I belong with no one...
you belong with me"

Born Ruffians - Needle

I have followed Born Ruffians ever since I first saw them live at Laneway festival in 2009 - when they toured to promote their first album, "Red, Yellow & Blue" (2008) and I fell in LOVE with them. They released their second album, "Say It" in 2010 but I didn't get to see them when they toured in 2011 but I digress.

Birthmarks is an album that is definitely different to their older more acoustic based tunes and definitely explores singer Luke LaLonde's vocal range a whole lot deeper. He's pretty damn amazing and he makes these tunes sound oh so sexy - don't believe me? listen to the album and you'd understand why I swoon. I can guarantee you won't find many bands who have such a distinct sound as Born Ruffians do. If you've never heard of them then this is your chance to right your wrongs! 

I don't know what exactly makes this album so good but it definitely helps that I want to get up and dance to the majority of tunes on this album - there are some melancholy exceptions, see: Never Age & So Slow which is about a person's battle with cancer. They lament, 

"oh, so slow

slow like a thunder roll

my pollution rolls off the earth into a hole

black and white slow mo

treat it with the chemo

but it breeds and grows

and it comes

so

slow"

My favourite tunes are:

"Needle"

"Permanent Hesitation" 

& 

"So Slow" 

10. FRIGHTENED RABBIT - PEDESTRIAN VERSE

10. Frightened Rabbit - Pedestrian Verse

Frightened Rabbit are a bunch of cool dudes from Glasgow, Scotland who formed in 2003. The band currently consists of Scott Hutchison (vocals, guitar), Billy Kennedy (guitar, keyboards), Grant Hutchison (drums, vocals), Andy Monaghan (guitar, keyboards) and Gordon Skene (guitar, keyboards).

I recently saw them at Laneway Festival as well as their sideshow. I've seen them a couple of other times over the years and they're fantastic, though Scott did exclaim at Laneway, "We're fat, we've got bad hair and you'll probably hate us. Fuck it we're playing for you anyway." Which really couldn't be further from the truth - everybody loved them! A solid dance fest was had.

I just love the fact that Scott Hutchison sings with hints of his Scottish accent - it's really cool and the lyrics are very thoughtful.

Their 4th album, Pedestrian Verse did not disappoint hence why it is in my top 10 albums of 2013.

Sometimes the greatest albums come from tried and tested sounds for bands and although Pedestrian Verse does step away from previous sounds heard on the likes of Sing the Greys (2006), The Midnight Organ Fight (2008), and The Winter of Mixed Drinks (2010), you can still feel the same moods and effect that Frightened Rabbit are known for.

My favourite tracks include "The Woodpile"

"Late March, Death March"