We always say this, but picking the Scottish albums of 2013 was pretty tricky. We’ve tried to limit ourselves to a top 40 in a pop pickers kind of way (if you imagine that phrase then choose your DJ who’s voicing it very carefully).
As with last year’s chart, the order of our favourite 40 long players is fairly fluid, but the number one has been a fairly constant fixture at the top of the list.
Anyway, without further ado, in the humble opinion of the staff writers (ahem) at jockrock.org… the top 40 albums of 2013.
1. Adam Stafford – Imaginary Walls Collapse (Song, by Toad)
2. The Pastels – Slow Summits (Domino)
3. Scunner – The Cult of Bast ( )
4. Saint Max and the Fanatics– Saint Max is Missing and the Fanatics are Dead (Armellodie)
5. Curators – The Cold In The Walls (Anti Manifesto)
6. The Strangers Almanac – Those Tremendous Mountains ( )
7. Spare Snare – Her Jazz (Chute)
8. Rick Redbeard – Foolish Heart (Chemkial Underground)
9. Man Without Machines – The Kreuzberg Press (Man Vs Man)
10. RM Hubbert – Breaks & Bone (Chemkial Underground)
11. Edwyn Collins – Understated (Domino)
12. Frightened Rabbit – Pedestrian Verse (Atlantic)
13. National Jazz Trio of Scotland – Standards Vol II (Karaoke Kalk)
14. Kid Canaveral – Now That You Are A Dancer (Fence)
15. Kill The Captains – Sounds Mean (Armellodie)
16. Fat Goth – Stud ( )
17. There Will Be Fireworks – The Dark, Dark Bright (Comets and Cartwheels)
18. The Grand Gestures – Second (Chute)
19. A Band Called Quinn – Biding Time (Remix) (Tromolo)
20. Woodenbox – End Game (Olive Grove)
21. Camera Obscura – Desire Lines (Domino)
22. Washington Irving – Palomides (Instinctive Raccoon)
23. Mouse Eat Mouse – Woof ( )
24. The Pictish Trail – Secret Soundz Vol. 2 (Fence)
25. Reverse Cowgirls – Hokum ( )
26. Franz Ferdinand – Right Thoughts Right Words Right Actions (Domino)
27. eagleowl – This Silent Year (Fence)
28. Jazzateers – Rough 46 (Creeping Bent)
29. Boards Of Canada – Tomorrow’s Harvest (Warp)
30. Chris Flew – White Notes on Minor 9ths ( )
31. Monoganon – FAMILY (Lost Map)
32. The Paraffins – Subhuman (Earspook)
33. Ritterskamp – The Last Third ( )
34. Miss The Occupier – Keeping Company With Wolves ( )
35. Capitals – A National Service ( )
36. Hey Enemy – Random Acts of Malpractice (Winning Sperm Party)
37. Attic Lights – Super De Luxe (Elefant)
38. Collar Up – Ghosts (Permwhale)
39. Galoshins – EP1 / EP2 (Armellodie)
40.= Conquering Animal Sound – On Floating Bodies (Chemikal Underground)
40.= Homework – 13 Towers ( )
In true Oscars style, we come to the spcecial category section…
Trips and Falls was well up in the top 20, but our adjudicator stepped in – the Canadian band are Jockrock-friendly but not Scottish in any other way bar their Edinburgh label Song, By Toad (which has done very well already, thanks very much).
E&OE – betwen making the list and publishing it someone mentioned that Biffy were absent. Not actually heard it, was never sent a review copy… enjoyed the singles on the radio etc but didn’t go out of my way to hear / buy it as there’s so much music on the go. (Actually, the same applies to Franz whose album I’ve not heard in one go but it has made the chart on the strength of tunes heard here and there with the rest filled out at the preview gig – which is a bit odd maybe, but there you go).
Martin John Henry’s was one of a few EPs which kind of snuck out – indeed, ‘Rarities’ seems to be just that as I can’t actually find a link to it…
Same goes for ballboy – ‘Merry Christmas to the Drunks, Merry Christmas to the Lovers‘ IS a proper chargeable download but just a wee bit late. And in that no man’s land of ‘is it a single or album?’ (no, it’s an EP).
Speaking of which, no finer at bending the rules is The Littlest Album series – 7” single, 12 tracks each one minute long Volume 4 came out this yer and should be mentioned. As should the kind of related (personnel-wise) releases by GUMS! – Antipathy – 6 tracks there was well – and the relentless onslaught of eccentric pop from Colin’s Godson, whose mini=albums / EPs usually come disguised as 7” singles with elaborate cartoon sleeves (They also seem to come out every few months.
We dn’t hold truck with compilations either, well, not that there were that many in 2013, but the Human Is Not Alone one is of particular note.
Not maney reissues I’m aware of, but AC Acoustics‘ extended version of ‘Victory Parts’ is the top scorer.
Finally, singles – Book Group‘s first EP ‘Homeward Sound’ nicks it ahead of ahead of Behold The Old Bear‘s ‘Own Worst Enemy’.
Oh, and really finally – for a more cosmopolitan take on 2013’s albums, have a read at is this music?’s writers’ poll
4 Responses »
Erm… Steve Mason?
oh aye, there’s another one I’d not heard. Any good? 😉
Quickbeam?
see above! Saw them live early on, rather enjoyed them, need to track down the album sometime in 2014!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.