Best of 2013

Punknews.org's picks (2013)

Bryne Yancey

All!

Since 1999 Punknews.org has been the shameful secret hobby of a transient batch of volunteer contributors who eke out spare moments from their real lives to talk about angry music on the internet. We have no full time staff, no real editorial mandate, and no consensus on what bands we should even be writing about. If we've ignored, overlooked, or completely misjudged something you've loved this year, by all means tell us by submitting some news or writing a review.

No! All!

This overall list is calculated from the records chosen by our editors, staff and alumni on their individual lists. We provide those individuals with no real guidance as to how they format their lists, so long as they're based on a ranked list of the top albums of the year. Even that gets fuzzy, as sometimes when you squint hard enough January 2013 and December 2012 seems to all blur together. Punknews writers create their lists in private and with no guidance from any higher authority as to what should be on them. Granted, it's entirely possible that Toby from Red Scare buys certain writers speedboats to favour Direct Hit. We leave that for for the courts to determine, in any case.

With all the lists published we turn our everyone's secret boyfriend, math. The individual lists are weighted so that we can tally up the results (A person's #1 pick was worth 20 points, #2 was 19 points, and so on down to 1). The summation of those rankings determined the list you see below. No additional weighting was given to how many times a record appeared on those lists (except in the instance of ties, which we didn't have this year). Over 220 full-lengths were voted on overall. By all means, see for yourself: here's the spreadsheet.

While this list reveals at least what some of us here at Punknews agree upon, you're best to check out the individual lists to really see what an individual writer was into this year. Also, don't forget to check out YOUR list, the top 20 releases of the year as voted by the Punknews community. That list should be posted following this one. See you in 2014, punks.

Punknews.org's Top 20 of 2013

20
Crazy Arm: The Southern Wild
Xtra Mile Recordings
I make no secret of my love for this band. Both the previous and the new lineups have provided me with some of the most enjoyable live music experiences I've had in the past five years. The Southern Wild shows a band who can rock out with the best of them, deliver an acoustic long player influenced by a plethora of roots, country and folk artists yet one which still has Crazy Arm written all through it like a piece of rock. The messages are slightly more personal this time around, and Darren Johns' lyrics open a door into another part of his head/heart which adds to the depth that this record contains. –Rich Cocksedge

19
Allison Weiss: Say What You Mean
No Sleep
What a wonderfully, earnest album this is! I want to be friends with her. Choice track: "Making It Up" –Kira Wisniewski

18
The Front Bottoms: Talon of the Hawk
Bar/None Records
I didn't know what I was getting into when I got a copy of Talon of the Hawk. I couldn't decide if it was too whiny, nasally or if it told the perfect story of relatively mundane life events (with the obvious exception of "Lone Star"). Suddenly it was the only album I was listening to and the simplicity of the frank and vulnerable stories are a lullaby to the rough days we all experience. –Britt Reiser

17
The Bronx: The Bronx IV
ATO / White Drugs
I can always depend on the Bronx to release a heavy, eye-opening dose of reality and good lyricism. And while this latest album is a bit lighter than the rest, like all Bronx records, it gets my blood going every time I listen to it. After taking a brief (but glorious) hiatus to make some mariachi music, IV is a solid return to the rock and roll roots they started with. While most songs are more straight-up rock (and even borderline pop - gasp!) than hardcore, the snarl and grit and sentiment are still present throughout and I love every moment of it. Favourite tracks are "Ribcage," "Too Many Devils" and "Torches." –Gen Handley

16
Beastmilk: Climax
Svart
Ignore the ridiculous band name. Imagine Morrissey and Danzig had a lovechild that went on to front a band that listened to a lot of Ghost BC and you're halfway there. Beastmilk combine all these disparate influences into something uniquely their own, and ended up making one of the coolest, weirdest, most unclassifiable records in recent memory. –Tori Pederson

15
Red City Radio: Titles
Paper and Plastick
Loud, harsh and gruff pop-punk done right. That's what this is. The charisma, aggression and versatility no doubt play to the band's tout that they are fucking juggernauts. This album cannot emphasize that any more. Punk connoisseurs would have no problem absorbing Paul Pendley's commanding vocals and the band's take on politics, life and the overall disposition on why punk is something that'll never die or fade away. This is one of the year's most cutthroat records, in the best way possible. –Renaldo Matadeen

14
Defeater: Letters Home
Bridge Nine
I was completely addicted to Empty Days, Sleepless Nights so when they announced Letters Home, I couldn't wait to see what the band would be bringing to the table. Such a perfect follow-up to the story within their last two releases and I loved how they really went back to their roots for this release. –Amelia Cline

13
Off With Their Heads: Home
Epitaph
Off With Their Heads are one of my "staple" bands which in turn causes me to see them every time they're in town and purchase any release of theirs I come across. They have yet to disappoint me with a release and I will be requesting songs from this album at shows just as much as their previous releases. It was also oddly comforting in a way to hear "Janie." Granted, I still prefer the original but it's always nice to find something familiar in a new place. –Brittany Strummer

12
Nightmares for a Week: Civilian War
Broken English / Suburban Home
Nightmares For A Week wrote a very heartfelt album this year. Working off of their 2010 release Don't Die, Nightmares For A Week really gave a new dimension to their music with the inclusion of keys to the mix and lyrically, this album can be relatable to anyone. "Bloodshot Mondays" is the perfect jam for every weekend. –Samantha Barrett

11
Iron Chic: The Constant One
Bridge Nine
While The Constant One doesn't rise to the heights of Iron Chic's first record, Not Like This, it still does enough to merit inclusion on any list of top records of 2013. It's a testament to the quality of this band that even when they disappoint, they still manage to produce one of the better albums of the year. –Adam Eisenberg