LISTEN: '2013: The Best Of'

Now for the final post of 2013, and also my favourite time of the year. The day that my annual 'Best Of' compilation is created. I began making these in 1997 and haven;t stopped since. In 2010 and 2011, I made 100 track, 6 part compilations. But I've decided to slim them down to the bare essentials over the last couple of years! This year I began the process while listening back to all the best albums of 2013, picking out the finest tracks and noting them down. Then after adding lots more songs to the contenders list, I slimmed it down to about 100 songs. That then became 50, and then a high level of quality control was needed in order to trim off a few songs so the compilation would fit onto 2 CDs. So here they are, the best tracks of the year. There are loads more that I didn't have room for, proving that 2013 was indeed an amazing year for music. Unless you were listening to what was in the charts that is...

Happy New Year to all readers, bands, artists, labels, PR people and others who have supported this site over the last year. May 2014 bring you all the very best.

PART 1

PRIMAL SCREAM - 2013

ZOO ZERO - FRAKTION

JOHN GRANT - PALE GREEN GHOSTS

THE FALL - THE REMAINDERER

TEETH OF THE SEA - BLACK STRATEGY
SAVAGES - CITY'S FULL
ATOMS FOR PEACE - JUDGE, JURY AND EXECUTIONER
JAGWAR MA - THE THROW

TEMPLES - KEEP IN THE DARK
ATLANTER - TREE SONG
PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING - SIGNAL 30
CROCODILES - HEAVY METAL CLOUDS
PARQUET COURTS - YOU'VE GOT ME WONDERIN' NOW
EDWYN COLLINS - 31 YEARS
OCEAN COLOUR SCENE - PAINTING
NEON NEON - MID CENTURY MODERN NIGHTMARE
CHARLIE CLARK - SUNKEN SHIPS
NORTHERN UPROAR - ALL THAT WAS HAS GONE

PART 2

EUROS CHILDS - TETE A TETE

STEVE MASON - A LOT OF LOVE

YUCK - MIDDLE SEA

THOUGHT FORMS - GHOST MOUNTAIN YOU AND ME

TOY - JOIN THE DOTS

DEPECHE MODE - HEAVEN

THE HOSTS - SEPTEMBER SONG

THE PASTELS - SUMMER RAIN

MIDLAKE - THE OLD AND THE YOUNG

SUEDE - HIT ME

LOW - HOLY GHOST

TROUMACA - LAYOU

MELT YOURSELF DOWN - RELEASE!

METAMONO - DEUCE

THE LEISURE SOCIETY - FOREVER SHALL WE WAIT

I AM KLOOT - SOME BETTER DAY

DAVID BOWIE - (YOU WILL) SET THE WORLD ON FIRE

MANIC STREET PREACHERS - 30 YEAR WAR