Albums Of The Year (Industry Folk): Billy Philhower (Too Far Gone Records)

LPs

1. State Lines - For the Boats 

Their debut LP, Hoffman Manor, was so fantastic that I didn’t think their sophomore effort could come even close to matching it. Thankfully I was dead wrong. Album is far too good to be so unknown. Punky raw Long Island jams. I can’t really say too much more, you should be listening by now.

2. Old Gray - An Autobiography

 Easily one of the more anticipated releases of the year in terms of emo/screamo stuff. Production quality is really top notch, emphasizing the screamed vocals as well as the driving drums and guitar. I think this album marks a further departure from the emo/mathy stuff found on their demo. One of the most solid bands in the genre and this album really shows off their strongest qualities. 

3. Our Sunday Affairs - Cave

 Perhaps I’m slightly biased because of my close association with these album, but regardless this is one of the best albums of 2013. The culmination of years of EPs and splits is the band’s first and only full length album. The difference between this album and both the band’s earlier material and albums typically found in the “twinkly” genre discussion is astronomical. If I had to describe Cave in one word, it would be “mature”. Stellar, coherent instrumental composition and superb lyrics and delivery. I’m not kidding, you should be listening to this.

4. Moving Mountains - Moving Mountains 

This is an album that I think has been very severely overlooked. As always MovMou has stellar instrumental work, the album begins with an acoustic guitar and only builds from there. With the band announcing a hiatus shortly after its release, this album could take on a very different significance. A departure somewhat from their last full length effort in a sense that there seems to be a little less of an alternative vibe and more of the post-rock/ambient feeling that existed in their earlier material. An all around beautiful album.

5. The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - Whenever, If Ever 

Another incredibly, incredibly anticipated album that did not disappoint. 36 minutes of music which is at times lulling and at other times the total opposite. A ton of instruments are fused into these 10 songs and they all work to complement each other. One of those albums that I think needs to be listened from beginning to end, without any skips or pauses, in order to be fully appreciated. I have a feeling that this album will have some definitive lasting power.

6. Coma Cinema - Posthumous Release

7. I Kill Giants - I Kill Giants 

8. Marietta - Summer Death

9. Car Seat Headrest - Nervous Young Man

10. Park Jefferson - Park Jefferson 

Honorable mentions: The Front Bottoms - Talon of the Hawk, Chris Cappello - Could Be Bitter Forever 

EPs 

1. You’ll Live - Lost. Forgotten. Abandoned. Buried. 

http://youlllive.bandcamp.com/album/lost-forgotten-abandoned-buried 

2. The Whoopass Girls - More Soda http://thewhoopassgirls.bandcamp.com/album/more-soda 

3. Mallard - Summer 2013 http://mallard.bandcamp.com/album/summer-2013 

4. Moaded - Coyote Nerd Demo http://moaded.bandcamp.com 

5. SMOOTHER - GUYS TILL WE DIE http://thesmoothguys.bandcamp.com/releases