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The Self-Hating Hipster’s Top 50 Albums of 2013

26 Mar

2013 Albums
Two years ago (and change) I compiled a list of  the Top 11 Albums of 2011.  Last year I put together the Top 12 Albums of 2012.  Both articles were compiled of selections culled from lists of approximately 40 albums respectively.  After not publishing an article in six months I decided that those once dedicated SHH readers deserved something much more comprehensive for 2013.  Instead of publishing a predictably titled Self-Hating Hipster’s Top 13 Albums of 2013 three weeks into January of 2014 I would, as I am wont to do, aim way too high and likely disappoint myself–a Top 50!

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The First Quarter of 2013 in Music

14 Jun

Almost exactly three months ago I posted this article with a list of twenty albums in alphabetical order which I had purchased in the first quarter of 2013.  The intent was to have the article out by mid-April.  In classic SHH fashion I decided that it would be better to do a review of twenty albums Continue reading

Guided by Voices – The Bears for Lunch

5 Mar

The-Bears-for-Lunch-album-art This was supposed to be published 12/14/2013 and then it wasn’t.

Though Guided by Voices didn’t have any big winners this year, they would definitely be up for a Most Productive of 2012 nomination.  The Bears for Lunch was the third LP released this year Continue reading

The Self-Hating Hipster’s Top 12 Albums of 2012

24 Jan

2012 Albums

Year-end articles always seem rather arbitrary and questionably pointless, but one thing is for certain…this year-end article is late.  It’s already the fourth week of January 2013!  To make the list even more arbitrary I decided to do the Top 12 of 2012 (I did the Top 11 of 2011 last year) and you can expect the Top 52 Tracks of 2012 soon.  I refuse to make honorable mentions as that defeats the purpose.  I hope that you deem this article worthy of reading despite its tardy release. Continue reading

Crystal Castles – (III)

5 Dec

Since Crystal Castles’ proper formation in 2004 they have attracted a lot of attention.  The tongue-twisted Toronto duo of Ethan Kath and Alice Glass burst onto the scene in 2008 with their first self-titled LP which sounded like a panicked Tetris tournament at a rave. Continue reading

Emeralds – Just to Feel Anything

11 Nov

Review originally posted on Pop ‘stache

Emeralds is a trio from Cleveland comprised of John Elliott and Steve Hauschildt on synth and guitarist Mark McGuire. Their sound is a modern electronic spin of the 1970s kosmische artists–something in between Continue reading

Godspeed You! Black Emperor – ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!

26 Oct

Review originally posted on Pop ‘stache

Some fans were introduced to Godspeed You! Black Emperor in 1998 upon hearing “East Hastings” off of their debut album F#A#∞, featured on the soundtrack to the instant cult-horror classic 28 Days Later.  Others were Continue reading

Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes

12 Oct

Review originally posted on Pop ‘stache, but expanded upon (for better or worse) below…

Flying Lotus, alias of Los Angeles producer Steven Ellison, has come a long way from creating beats for Adult Swim.  His 2006 debut 1983 had listeners Continue reading

Grizzly Bear – Shields

19 Sep

Review originally posted on Pop’stache

Since its conception, Grizzly Bear has a seen a tremendous evolution.   The eerie, lo-fi bedroom musings of leading man Ed Droste were appropriated for their debut Horn of Plenty with the aid of drummer Christopher Bear.  Grizzly Bear’s second release, Yellow House, saw an unexpected and exponential sonic expansion with the admission of multi-instrumentalists Daniel Rossen and Chris Taylor.  With the ante upped and Continue reading

Animal Collective – Centipede Hz

6 Sep

Review originally posted on Pop’stache

Animal Collective has clown shoes to fill following 2009’s stellar Merriweather Post Pavilion on their ninth proper album, Centipede Hz.  The Collective: Avey Tare (David Portner), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) and Geologist (Brian Weitz) are rejoined by fourth founding member Deakin Continue reading