The Best Records of 2013

It's time for the Rolling Clone Blogazine's annual list of the year's best records . . . 

1.) Fall Out Boy – Save Rock And Roll


Fall Out Boy came back in a big way, showing that a few year apart didn't take away from the band's pop boldness or their ability to construct a collection containing 2013's catchiest jams.  This album is killer pop-rock and delightfully over-the-top.  Welcome back boys!  Read the full review here
 
2.) Tegan & Sara – Heartthrob

 
Tegan & Sara experimented and expanded their sound by embraced Top 40 dance-pop production, while continuing to write poignant and heartfelt songs.  The results were excellent.  Read the full review here.  
 
3.) Paul McCartney – NEW


At age 70, Beatle Paul delivers his best album of the new millennium and put his younger competition to shame.  The record perfectly blends classic Paul with modern production.  Read the full review here
 
4.) Eleanor Friedberger – Personal Record
 

Eleanor Friedberger successfully combined pop hooks and rich poetic lyrics for a masterpiece of a record.  Read more about it here.  Here's to hoping she does some more extensive touring for this album in 2014!
 
5.) Jake Bugg – Jake Bugg


With his excellent self-titled debut, Jake Bugg showed that he wasn’t just some teen idol, but one of the best emerging young songwriters around.  Read the full review here.
 
Honorable Mentions:
 
6.) Franz Ferdinand – Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action

 
It has been nearly ten years since Franz Ferdinand released their self-titled debut record.  They are no longer as big in the US as they once were, but that doesn’t mean that they’ve stopped making great records.  Pay attention to this band.  Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Actions is glorious from start to finish.  
 
7.) Arctic Monkeys – AM

 
The Arctic Monkeys took their distinctive brand of British rock and mashed it with Black Sabbath-style riffs and drumming.  It made for a great time and their best record to date.
 
8.) Houndmouth – From The Hills Below The City


This under-rated band released their debut this year and sounded like an intelligent blend of the Lumineers and the Band.  Read the full review here.
 
9.) Free Energy – Love Sign
 

A mixture of 2013 pop-rock mentality mixed with T-Rex crunch and the Cars' good times, Free Energy's Love Sign is delightful from start to finish.  Read the full review here.
 
10.) Best Coast – Fade Away


It may not be a full-length record, but there was not a bad song in the bunch.  Check out the full review here

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