The Alternative Tone

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. For The Boats by State Lines 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.  An Autobiography by Old Gray 3. Our Sunday Affairs - Cave  Perhaps I’m slightly biased because of my close association with these album, but regardless this is one of...

In no order, my favorite LP's of 2013  1. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City  2. Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic   3. Cayucas - Bigfoot  4. Arctic Monkeys - AM 5. Arcade Fire - Reflektor  6. STRFKR - Miracle Mile 7. Camera Obscura - Desire Lines  8. Phoenix - Bankrupt!   9. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - II   10. Kakkmaddafakka - Six Months Is A Long Time   EP'S (because they're not LP's)  1. The Vaccines - Melody Calling EP  2. Divine Fits - Ain't That The Way / Chained To Love  (But I also enjoyed these record very much)  1. The Black Angels - Indigo Meadow   2. Washed Out - Paracosm  3. Mac Demarco - 2 4. Tegan and Sara - Heartthrob   5. The Stepkids - Troubadour  6. The Strokes - Comedown Machine  7. San Cisco - S/T  8. Spinto Band ...

Next up in our industry folk lists is written by Anthony Stano on behalf of The Alternative Tone favourites Haverford !  1. I Can See Mountains – Life On A Houseboat   This band is criminally underrated, and they put out he absolute best album of 2013. It makes me want to go outside and spend some time with my best friends, fall in love, and follow my dreams. This is everything you could ask for from an album and is unbelievably inspiring. Please go take a road trip and listen to this album. 2. Into it. Over it. – Intersections Instrumentally my favorite body of music; the guitars and drum work so well together. 3. A Great Big Pile Of Leaves – You’re Always On My Mind  Some of my favorite bass lines, one of the grooviest albums of 2013 4. Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience  The most insane harmonies ever recorded. Definitely not what I expected to hear from this album. 5. Earl Sweatshirt – Doris  Some of the darkest...

Our third industry folk list comes from Tyler Chau of Long Island's post-hardcore band Sunning . The five piece released the wonderful Losing Youth EP this November and are set to tour with other The Alternative Tone favourites, Haverford , this December. 1. State Lines - For The Boats I listen to this album while driving all the time. I like that they expanded on the pop/indie/rock aspect of the band, but you can still hear aspects of their older releases shine through. "Water song" is my jam for sure on this album. "Indian Burn" is also a good one.  2. Tiny Moving Parts - This Couch Is Long & Full of Friendship I'd heard this band's name around everywhere for the longest time before I decided to check them out. I don't even remember how it happened, but I came across the song "John P" one day & was immediately drawn in by the string arrangement...

The second in our industry folk albums of the year lists comes from David F Bello of The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, arguably the biggest success story of 2013 with the mindblowingly good "Whenever, If Ever" winning hearts from all corners of the internet as well as minor success on the Billboard 200.  1. Self Defense Family - Try Me This just came out and made everything else that came out in 2013 feel like garbage.   2. Dawn of MIDI - Dysnomia A long, confusing instrumental groove.  3. Rozwell Kid - Unmacho Imagine a universe where Weezer kept getting better after Pinkerton instead of more and more awful. This is the album that alternate Weezer would release in 2013. 4. Longmont Potion Castle - Volume 10 I want to drape giant sheets of magnet over my lasers. I'm not talking about oysters, here.  5 . Animal Logic - I Hate my Voice and Everything th...

As well as finding out what the good folks behind The Alternative Tone rate as the best albums of the year, we've got a bunch of musicians, industry folk and generally cool people to let us know what records pleased their ears in 2013. First off is Robert John Wilcox, member of Topshelf Records' By Surprise , arguably one of the standout small bands of the year. 1. Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold (What's Your Rupture) 2. Superchunk - I Hate Music (Merge) 3. Pity Sex - Feast Of Love (Run For Cover) 4. CHVRCHES - The Bones Of What You Believe (Glassnote) 5. Waxahatchee - Cerulean Salt (Don Giovanni) 6. The Front Bottoms - Talon Of The Hawk (Bar/None) 7. The So So Glos - Blowout (Votiv) 8. California X - California X (Don Giovanni) 9. Arctic Monkeys - AM (Domino) 10. Nona - Through The Head (Mandible Records) Honorable Mention: The Replacements – Songs For Slim (New West)