I'm sure ALL of y'all have been anxiously awaiting my choices for my favorite albums of 2013. Well, here they are, with convenient videos to sample by. In no order, really, because they're all number one on certain days. The "best of the rest" that I listened to are listed at the bottom, sans video proof. There was a LOT of good music this year, plus I was still highly grooving on some "last year" stuff like Rival Sons and the Darkness' "Hot Cakes".
Lindi Ortega - Tin Star: An absolutely lovely album by Miss Lindi. Lily loves this particular song!
Queensryche
- Queensryche: The new Todd LaTorre-fronted 'Ryche recaptures what made them great in the first place on this EP. Well done, gents!!
The Bronx
- IV: The Bronx are one of the finest rock bands of our time, and the 4th self-titled album is as bad-ass as the first three.
Calabrese
- Born With A Scorpions Touch: Calabrese have long transcended just being a "horror rock" band into mere awesomeness. I think this is the best tune they've done!!
Clutch
- Earth Rocker: Earth Rocker - the album - is one of Clutch's finest, and a return to rawer rock after several bluesier albums.
David Bowie
- The Next Day: Who would've thought Bowie would sneak out on of his very best albums this late into his career?
The Paris Thieves
- The Paris Thieves: Shelby, NC's own Paris Thieves are, quite simply, awesome.
Valentine Wolfe
- Once Upon a Midnight: Never mind the fact that Valentine Wolfe's Once Upon a Midnight is one of my favorite albums, it also gets my vote as one of my favorite album packages. After a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign, the album came packaged in a hardbacked graphic novel (both of which are based on the works of Poe) with art by Jacob Wenza.
Volbeat
- Outlaw Gentlemen and Shady Ladies: I am a late convert to Volbeat, but I really dig what they do.
Huntress - Starbound Beast: Huntress are just awesomely metal.
Wolfgang Parker
- "The Father/The Son": Wolfgang Parker's "The Father/The Son" song -- an 8-plus minute epic -- gets special mention on my "favorite albums" list because, quite frankly, there's more substance in this tune than many full albums I've heard.
Below are the rest of the albums that I loved this year. I could very easily see many of these qualifying as "best of the year" if I chose at a different time. Either way, not a slouch to be found here:
Black Sabbath
- 13
AFI
- Burials
Deep Purple
- Now What
Alter Bridge
- Fortress
Danko Jones
- Rock and Roll is Black and Blue
Deep Swell
- Lore of the Angler
Ghost
-Infestissumam
HIM
- Tears of Tape
Little Black Bottles
- Red Velvet Werewolf
UFO
- Seven Deadly
Monster Magnet
- The Last Patrol
Motorhead
- Aftershock
Queens of the Stone Age
- ...Like Clockwork
Rob Zombie
- Venomous Rat Regenerator
Scorpion Child
- Scorpion Child
Voivod
- Target Earth
Wednesday 13
- Dixie Dead
Buckcherry
- Confessions
Orianthi
- Heaven in this Hell
Black Star Riders
- Black Star Riders
