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
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
**^Bad Bad Hats
**^Greycoats
**Chris Koza (+ **Rogue Valley)
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!