Our Favorite EPs, LPs, and Compilations of 2013: Abroad

This post is a luxury. Our decision to start a local music blog was based on a number of motives: the desire to offer a grassroots alternative to The Stranger and the Seattle Weekly, the potential to intimately interact with the musicians and labels we wanted to promote, the opportunity to support quality musicians at the point when they need it the most, etc. However, with the blog-o-sphere being the size that it is, it was also sort of a no-brainer that a national music blog would be pointless. So, we specialized, and I think I speak for Nik when I say that we couldn’t be happier about the results, or more grateful for all the support we've received.

With all that said, I’d hardly be a fanatic if I didn't have a list of my favorites to share from the world abroad. So, for the second time since we began (the first time was our 2013.5 post) I am going to break the rules and post about the greater musical community. Personally, I think this list beats the hell out of most of the “Best Of” lists, but at the very least I can promise that Kanye West is no where to be found here. 

The above picture is from the My Bloody Valentine show at the Showbox SoDo back in August.  

The List:
Blood Orange, Cupid Deluxe (Domino) -- Electronic, Funk/Soul, Pop
Classix, Hanging Gardens (Innovative Leisure) -- Synthpop, House, Electro
Daft Punk, Random Access Memories (Columbia) -- Disco, Funk, Synth-pop
Deafheaven, Sunbather (Death Wish Inc.) -- Black Metal, Hardcore
DJ CLAP, Best Night Ever (Magical Properties) -- Experimental, Electro, Ghetto
DJ Rashad, Double Cup (Hyperdub) -- Footwork
FKA Twigs, EP2 (Young Turks) -- Downtempo, Ethereal, Pop
Grouper, The Man Who Died In His Boat (Yellow Electric)--Ambient Folk, Experimental, Ethereal
Haim, Days Are Gone (Polydor) -- Pop Rock
The Haxan Cloak, Excavation (Tri Angle) -- Dark Wave, Ambient Electronica
Hyetal, Modern Worship (True Panther Sounds) -- Electronic Dance
Idiot Glee, Life without Jazz (Atelier Ciseaux) -- Electro-Soul
John Grant, Pale Green Ghosts (Bella Union / Partisan) -- Folk Rock, Synth-Pop
Julianna Barwick, Nepenthe (Dead Oceans) -- Ethereal, Ambient, Minimal Choral
Lab Coast, Editioned Houses (Night People) -- Indie Rock
Laurel Halo, Behind The Green Door (Hyperdub) -- Experimental, Dubstep, Ambient
The Lovely Bad Things, The Late Great Whatever (Burger /Volcom) -- Punk, Power Pop, Garage
Magical Cloudz, Impersonator (Mythryl, Matador) -- Minimal Experimental
Mount Kimbie, Cold Spring Fault Less Youth (Warp/Beat) -- Leftfield, House, Breakbeat
My Bloody Valentine, m b v (Pickpocket) -- Shoegaze
Oneohtrix Point Never, R Plus Seven (Warp Records) -- Experimental Ambient
Perfect Pussy, I Have Lost All Desire For Feeling (self released) -- Noise Pop
Pete Swanson, Punk Authority (Melting Bot) -- Noise
Porches, Slow Dance in the Cosmos (Exploding in Sound) -- Experimental Folk
Pure X, Crawling Up The Stairs (Acephale) -- Psych-Rock, Indie-Rock
Rhye, Woman (Polydor) -- Electronic Pop
Tim Hecker, Virgins (Kranky) -- Ambient, Modern Classical, Drone
Toro Y Moi, Anything In Return (Carpark) -- Synthpop, House, Hip Hop, Soul
Various Artists, After Dark 2 (Italians Do It Better) -- Disco, Synth-Pop
Waxahatchee, Cerulean Salt (Don Giovanni Records) -- Indie Rock, Indie Punk