As well as choosing our top releases of the year and polling you lot to see what our readers think of the past 12 months, we asked the bubbling UK underground for their opinions on the best records of 2013. The results are lists filled with your usual suspects alongside some more obscure entries, and even the occasional pop gem.
Bear in mind that some of these choices are collaborative, and some are the thoughts of one member of the band. Try not to tarnish them all with the same brush. Some are in order, some are not. Some of the bands (and we’re not naming names) might have even got their 2013s confused with 2012s on occasion too, but we chose to let them off.
If anything, here’s proof of the eclectic bunch of music fans we have breaking through into the UK scene.
Check out the choices by these up-and-comers:
Astroid Boys
British Teeth
Calls Landing
Drones
FOES
GIANTS
Golden Tanks
Home Advantage
In Dynamics
LostAlone
Moose Blood
Nathan Detroit
Otto
Palm Reader
Press To Meco
ROAM
Rob Lynch
Stillbust
Swan Dive
Trails
Wicked Snakes
Youth Man
Astroid Boys
#01 Death Grips – Government Plates
#02 Suicidal Tendancies – 13
#03 King Krule – 6 Feet Beneath the Moon
#04 Baths – Obsidian
#05 Rejji Snow – Rejovich
#06 Transplants – In A War Zone
#07 Earl Sweatshirt – Doris
#08 Mac Miller – Delusional Thomas
#09 Mortification – Erase the Goblin
#10 SZA – S EP
British Teeth
#01 Iron Chic – The Constant One
#02 Restorations – LP2
#03 Arliss Nancy – Wild American Runners
#04 Touche Amore – Is Survived By
#05 Nightmares For A Week – Don’t Die
#06 The Front Bottoms – Talon Of The Hawk
#07 Lemuria – The Distance Is So Big
#08 Saves The Day – Saves The Day
#09 Owen – L’Ami Du Peuple
#10 Modern Life Is War – Fever Hunting
Calls Landing
#01 Balance and Composure – The Things We Think We’re Missing
#02 The 1975 – The 1975
#03 Lydia – Devil
#04 Sainthood Reps – Headswell
#05 Chvrches – The Bones of What We Believe In
#06 The Wonder Years – The Greatest Generation
#07 Tegan and Sara – Heartthrob
#08 Daylight – Jar
#09 Ivy League – Transparency
#10 Polar Bear Club – Death Chorus
Drones
#01 Bring Me The Horizon – Sempiternal
#02 Rise Against – Long Forgotten Songs
#03 letlive. – The Blackest Beautiful
#04 Antillectual – Perspectives & Objectives
#05 Funeral For A Friend – Conduit
#06 Defeater – Letters Home
#07 Fall Out Boy – Save Rock N Roll
#08 Polar – Inspire, Create Destroy
#09 The 1975 – The 1975
#10 Paramore – Paramore
FOES
#01 Karnivool – Asymmetry
#02 Arcane Roots – blood & chemistry
#03 Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks
#04 Chelsea Wolfe – Pain is Beauty
#05 Foals – Holy Fire
#06 The Civil Wars – The Civil Wars
#07 Sigur Ros – Kveikur
#08 Queens of the Stone Age – Like Clockwork
#09 The Dillinger Escape Plan – One Of Us Is The Killer
#10 Caspian – Hymn For The Greatest Generation
GIANTS
#01 Sights and Sounds – Silver Door
#02 Balance and Composure – The Things We Think We’re Missing
#03 Malevolence – Reign Of Suffering
#04 Modern Life Is War – Fever Hunting
#05 Pints – Drinking. Smoking. Gambling.
#06 Counterparts – The Difference Between Hell and Home
#07 Power Trip – Manifest Decimation
#08 This Will Destroy You – Live in Reykjavik, Iceland
#09 Title Fight – Spring Songs
#10 Drones – Free Marked Kid
Golden Tanks
#01 Justin Timberlake – 20/20
#02 letlive. – The Blackest Beautiful
#03 Sharks – Selfhood
#04 The Wonder Years – The Greatest Generation
#05 TesseracTÂ – Altered State
#06 Northlane –Â Singularity
#07 Giants – Vinyl
#08 Norma Jean – Wrongdoers
#09 Pints – Drinking. Smoking. Gambling
#10 Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP2
Home Advantage
DISCLAIMER: These thoughts and opinions are those of guitarist Alex Mills, and Alex Mills alone.
#01 Hatebreed – The Divinity of Purpose
#02 Bring Me The Horizon – Sempiternal
#03 Funeral For A Friend – Conduit
#04 Jason Derulo – Tattoos
#05 Boysetsfire – While A Nation Sleeps
#06 Transit – Young New England
#07 Killswitch Engage- Disarm The Dissent
#08 Falling In Reverse – Fashionably Late
#09 Save Your Breath – There Used To Be A Place For Us
#10 On My Honor – I Never Deserve The Things I Need
In Dynamics
#01 Jamie Lenman – Muscle Memory
#02 Arcane Roots – Blood & Chemistry
#03 Biffy Clyro – Opposites
#04 Lonely The Brave – Backroads
#05 TesseracT – Altered State
#06 Tom Odell – Long Way Down
#07 letlive. – The Blackest Beautiful
#08 City And Colour – The Hurry and the Harm
#09 Acoda – Yours To Defend
#10 The 1975 – The 1975
LostAlone
#01 Paramore – Paramore
#02 Charli XCX – True Romance
#03 David Bowie – The Next Day
#04 Roger Taylor – Fun On Earth
#05 Biffy Clyro – Opposites
#06 Crash of Rhinos – Knots
#07 Les Miserables – Official Soundtrack
#08 Tonight Alive – The Other Side
#09 Ghost Twins – Unknown Animal
#10 Mojo Fury – The Difference Between
Moose Blood
#01 Balance & Composure – The Things We Think We’re Missing
#02 Into It. Over It. – Intersections
#03 State Lines – For The Boats
#04 Turnover – Magnolia
#05 State Faults – Resonate/Desperate
#06 Daylight – Jar
#07 Nai Harvest – Whatever
#08 Laura Stevenson – Wheel
#09 Citizen – Youth
#10 Deafheaven – Sunbather
Nathan Detroit
#01 Great Cynics – Like I Belong
#02 Transit – Young New England
#03 Moving Mountains – Self Titled
#04 Senses Fail – Renacer
#05 The Reason I Failed History – Old Ted
#06 The Front Bottoms – Talon Of The Hawk
#07 Turnover – Magnolia
#08 Citizen – Youth
#09 The Wonder Years – The Greatest Generation
#10 Polar Bear Club – Death Chorus
Otto
#01 Queens of the Stone Age – …Like Clockwork
#02 Nai Harvest – Whatever
#03 The Wonder Years – The Greatest Generation
#04 Alkaline Trio – My Shame is True
#05 FIDLAR – FIDLAR
#06 Wavves – Afraid of Heights
#07 Foals – Holy Fire
#08 Peace – In love
#09 Balance and Composure – The Things We Think We’re Missing
#10 The Story So Far – What You Don’t See
Palm Reader
#01 Norma Jean – Wrongdoers
#02 Cult Of Luna – Vertikal
#03 The Dillinger Escape Plan – One of Us is the Killer
#04 The Catharsis – Romance
#05 The Bronx – IV
#06 Stray From The Path – Anonymous
#07 Deafheaven – Sunbather
#08 Nails – Abandon All Life
#09 Pure Love – Anthems
#10 Half Moon Run – Dark Eyes
Press To Meco
#01 Balance and Composure – The Things We Think Are Missing
#02 Chvrches – The Bones Of What You Believe
#03 Jamie Lenman – Muscle Memory
#04 Laura Mvula – Sing To The Moon
#05 Protest The Hero – Volition
#06 This Town Needs Guns – 13.0.0.0.0
#07 Kevin Devine – Bubble Gum
#08 Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid m.A.A.d City
#09 Paramore – Paramore
#10 Ghost – Infestissunam
ROAM
#01 Daylight – Jar
#02 Knuckle Puck – The Weight That Your Buried
#03 Counterparts – The Difference Between Hell and Home
#04 Citizen – Youth
#05 Balance and composure – The Things We Think We’re Missing
#06 Touche Amore – Is Survived By
#07 State Champs – The Finer Things
#08 Moose Blood – Moving Home
#09 Hundredth – Revolt
#10 Real Friends – Put Yourself Back Together
Rob Lynch
#01 Chvrches – The Bones Of What You Believe
#02 Red City Radio – Titles
#03 Deaf Havana – Old Souls
#04 Twenty One Pilots – Twenty One Pilots
#05 Fall Out Boy – Save Rock And Roll
#06 The Wonder Years – The Greatest Generation
#07 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – The Heist
#08 Transit – Young New England
#09 The 1975 – The 1975
#10 Lonely The Brave – Backroads
Stillbust
#01 Fausto – Fausto
#02 Baby Godzilla – Knockout Machine
#03 Deafheaven – Sunbather
#04 A Wilhelm Scream – Partycrasher
#05 The Dillinger Escape Plan – One Of Us Is The Killer
#06 Hey You Guys – Gasp!Shock!Horror!
#07 Fighting Fiction – The Long And Short Of It
#08 Retarded Fish – Self Titled
#09 Heroes Die Too – Women and Children First
#10 The Colour Line – Riff City
Swan Dive
#01 The Vestals – Perfect Pain / Seventeen Single
#02 Whirr – Around
#03 Kendrick Lamar – good kid M.A.A.D city
#04 The Story So Far – What You Don’t See
#05 Night Sins – To London Or The Lake
#06 Rotting Out – The Wrong Way
#07 The National – Trouble Will Find Me
#08 Wavves – Afraid Of Heights
#09 Queens Of The Stone Age – Like Clockwork
#10 Deafheaven – Sunbather
Trails
#01 Future Of The Left – How To Stop Your Brain In An Accident
#02 These New Puritans – Field of Reeds
#03 Darkside – Psychic
#04 Follakzoid – II
#05 The Bronx – IV
#06 TesseracT – Altered State
#07 Deafheaven – Sunbather
#08 Kverlertak – Meir
#09 John Grant – Pale Green Ghosts
#10 Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City
Wicked Snakes
#01 Deafheaven – Sunbather
#02 Queens Of The Stone Age – Like Clockwork
#03 Brotherhood Of The Lake – Desperation Is The English Way Vol. 2
#04 Tyler, The Creator – Wolf
#05 Lady Gaga – Artpop
#06 Palm Reader – Bad Weather
#07 Clutch – Earth Rocker
#08 Church Of Misery –Â Thy Kingdom Scum
#09 Eager Teeth – Eager Teeth
#10 Arctic Monkeys – AM
Youth Man
#01 Queens of the Stone Age – Like Clockwork
#02 MIA – Matangi
#03 The Flaming Lips – The Terror
#04 The Dillinger Escape Plan – One of Us is the Killer
#05 Terminator 2 – Part 1
#06 Foals – Holy Fire
#07 Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City
#08 MGMT – MGMT
#09 Savages – Silence Yourself
#10 Iceage – You’re Nothing