Top 100 Music Albums of 2013
by buzzdainer

From buzzdainer 03/16/2018 16:44 | #211056

Thanks for that kind comment, desh79! If you haven't heard Jason Isbell yet, and you like Americana music, you're in for a huge treat. I consider him one of the best living songwriters in any genre. I like Holly Williams a lot, too--there are some really good songs on The Highway, an album definitely worthy of her family name.

From desh79 03/16/2018 07:05 | #211041

Another great list! Jason Isbell and Holly Williams are two artists I definitely need to look up. Once I've updated my end-of-year-lists to reach 100 (I will soon start on my 2014 list) I will try and have as many detailed comments and descriptions as yours, though I can already see that is quite a challenge. :) Thanks for your comments and also sharing some interesting biographical bits, for giving some context.

From buzzdainer 03/10/2018 20:57 | #210600

Thanks, Graeme2! The Silver Gymnasium and Once I Was an Eagle are my favorites by Okkervil River and Laura Marling, respectively. I love The Silver Gymnasium for its nostalgic appeals and creative storytelling, and Once I Was an Eagle is a fantastically bitter breakup album with amazing musicianship. The multi-song suite that opens the album is the strongest collection of songs in her career, in my opinion.

From Graeme2 03/03/2018 23:39 | #210049

I enjoyed reading the comments. I shall check out that okkervil album. Living near the southern Appalachians sounds swell. Think I've heard every marking record apart from that, need to hear it. Good stuff.

From buzzdainer 11/26/2017 21:41 | #202115

For some reason a lot of people didn't like The Silver Gymnasium, including some pretty diehard Okkervil River fans. I will agree that it's different from a lot of their previous stuff, in part because of some major lineup changes in the band. I think it's some of Will Sheff's most personal work, and I like the cleanness of the production compared to, say, Black Sheep Boy (which I also love, though some of it sounds like it was recorded at the bottom of a well). I'd start with "Down the Deep River," which I think is a great song. If you like that one, you might like the rest of the album.

Thanks for the nice comments you made on my chart - I also enjoyed reading the comments youve got against your albums here, great job! I think I need to give this Okkervil River more attention

From buzzdainer 06/09/2017 15:11 | #192289

Thanks for the comment and rating, Exist-en-ciel! I think it would be quite rare for me to come across someone here on BEA who shares my musical tastes perfectly. But we do share a common appreciation for a lot of stuff, and I'm especially pleased to see Jason Isbell's Southeastern on your chart. It really is a brilliant album, so full of passion and insight. He tells stories in an incredibly clear and authentic way--lately I've really been appreciating "Elephant," although that one is usually bound to make me cry. Maybe that's what I'm looking for these days.