The Aural Premonition’s Best of 2013

One of the best parts of 2013 was getting invited to write for this here website, Bearded Gentlemen Music! For the last two years however, I have been running my own project, The Aural Premonition. So I’m sharing a portion of my end of the year picks, highlighting lesser known and local bands. Thanks again to Jon for getting in touch! Now get listening.

The following is an excerpt from The Top 13 of 2013, published on December 13th.

The Best Bands You’ve Probably Still Never Heard Of

It kills me that loving these bands makes me appear like a hipster because whenever I get asked, “what’s your favorite band lately?” I get tired of them replying to my answer of someone like “Nerves Junior,” with “oh I haven’t heard of it,” and so I just end up saying “you haven’t heard of them.” But no, really, you probably have never heard of them,but they are the best things that happened to me this year.

Nerves Junior 

 

Khushi

Pinegrove

 

Valley Maker

 

^De La Warr


KIEV

Secret Someones

Ladyfrnd

Wildcat Wildcat

Fyfe

Absofacto

Lost Lander

Milagres

Square Peg Round Hole

Wolf Collage

Best New Releases

True all-stars of 2013, enough said. Only one bad song out of the bunch, and that’s the one where the guy from Metric tries to sing (…tries).

^The Franklin Electric – This How I Let You Down

 

**Typhoon – White Lighter

 

**Royal Canoe – Extended Play

 

*Half Moon Run – Dark Eyes

Metric – Synthetica

*Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe

Local Natives – Hummingbird

Son Lux – Lanterns

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – The Speed of Things

Washed Out – Paracosm

Night Beds – Country Sleep

Young Galaxy – Ultramarine

*Chelsea Wolfe – Pain is Beauty

Laura Mvula – Singing to the Moon

Lorde – Pure Herion

Sleigh Bells – Bitter Rivals

 

Best Local Minneapolis Bands

Drop all other commitments and responsibilities to get to a show by one of these artists A.S.A.P. If they aren’t hitting the national scene and selling out shows already, they will be very soon. These guys make me damn proud to call Minneapolis home.

Poliça

 

*On an On

 

Caroline Smith

 

Jeremy Messersmith

 

*The Farewell Circuit

 

**^Bomba de Luz

Haley Bonar

**^Bad Bad Hats

*Solid Gold

*Now, Now

*Dessa

**^The Ericksons

**^Greycoats

Sombear

**Chris Koza (+ **Rogue Valley)

Strange Names

 

Best Music Videos

1. Bombay Bicycle Club “Carry Me”

 

2. **^The Parlour Suite “Pressure”

 

3. Electric Guest “The Bait”

 

4.  Stromae “Papaoutai”

 

*seen live

**seen live and met in person

^interviewed for a written review

P.S. For the latest and greatest in 2014, make sure to like the Facebook and follow on SoundCloud!