Albums:
A$AP Ferg – Trap Lord
The debut album of the self proclaimed “hood pope” was one of the year’s most ridiculously enjoyable albums, merging the grittiest hip-hop beats with Ferg’s eccentric rapping.
Death Grips – Government Plates
The experimental hip-hop outfit returned with their most bizarre album yet. Torn between noise rock, hip-hop and dance music, the album is one of the darkest, most mysterious and yet catchiest albums of the year.
Giraffage – Needs
“I went through the worst time of my life and also the best time of my life while recording the songs on this album.” This message, left by electronic music producer Charlie Yin (aka Giraffage) on his bandcamp page, completely sums up the feeling of sampled R&B nostalgia that “Needs” perfectly provided.
Nails – Abandon All Life
In the 17 minutes found on Nail’s sophomore release, the Californian hardcore extremists unleashed the most unrelenting and aggressive music that 2013 had to offer.
Melt-Banana – Fetch
By infusing the catchiness of J-Pop with the energy of hardcore punk, the Japanese noise rock legends returned after a studio hiatus to give the world the most beautifully bizarre and joyous album of 2013.
Movies:
A Band Called Death
This documentary, while a tribute to the work of the forgotten black proto-punk pioneers, was also a powerful testament to the power of family. The movie ultimately stands as a monument to three brothers who put their artistic vision ahead of financial prosperity and after 30 years are finally seeing the fruit of their labor.
Gravity
Most movies aim to suspend disbelief, but few try, let alone accomplish, to put you into a new reality. While the plot was ultimately bland and somewhat forgettable, the cinematography of this film was easily the best of 2013.
The Conjuring
Harkening back to the glory days of 1970s horror films, “The Conjuring” relied upon atmosphere and quality scares rather than gore to earn its place as 2013’s best horror film.
Prisoners
The disappearance of two young girls after a Thanksgiving dinner causes an unraveling of mysteries in this tense thriller. Anchored by Hugh Jackman’s Oscar-worthy performance, “Prisoners” was one of the year’s must-sees.
12 Years A Slave
The most emotionally devastating film released in 2013, “12 Years A Slave” swallows the viewer in the tragic tale of kidnapped freeman Solomon Northup, in a film that managed to be equally poignant and horrifying.
Her
Is it a science fiction movie with a romance subplot or a romance film utilizing a science fiction plot device? Regardless of what lens you view Spike Jonze’s masterpiece, it is quite obvious that the film succeeds on all levels. A touching examination of love and relationships, “Her” was easily the best film of 2013 for me.
Moments:
Miley Cyrus’ VMA performance
No other moment in 2013 was as talked about as this pop culture spectacle. Whether you saw it as vapid or you saw it as rebellious bravado, there was no doubt that you were hearing about it.
The Iron Bowl and the War Damn Miracle
Auburn’s last second win over their in-state rival, who was the number one team in the nation, completely captured the excitement that only college football can provide.
The Breaking Bad Finale
No other moment in television could compare to the range of emotions that both viewers and Walter White felt as his swan song played out. It was the perfect conclusion to one of television’s finest offerings.
What to look for in 2014
Film – Wes Anderson’s next project, the star studded “The Grand Budapest Hotel” looks very promising, as does “22 Jump Street,” the sequel to the hilarious “21 Jump Street.” “Inception” director Christopher Nolan will return to science fiction with his next project, “Interstellar,” which is slated for a November release. The highly anticipated movie adaptation of “The Fault in Our Stars” is due for release in June.
Music – Both R&B crooner Frank Ocean and modern electronic music legend Flying Lotus have announced work on new albums. Up-and-coming New York rapper Joey Badass is slated to release his highly awaited debut album “B4.Da.$$.”. According to Fuse, Californian punk outfit Joyce Manor was reported to have been recording their next full-length record in late 2013 with a potential spring release in 2014. Mississippi’s reigning rap heavyweight, Big K.R.I.T. has an album slated for release in 2014, his second full-length “Cadillactica.”
