Best Songs of the Year 2013: 50-26

Chapter III of our favourite 100 tunes of the year. The next 25 songs, now comprised between positions 50 to 26. Again, you have the complete (21 tunes) playlist at our newly created Soundcloud page, and if the song isn't available there, you'll have an alternative direct link. As we explained on the previous list, only three songs per band, so we've been able to include more groups (bands "affected" by this limitation are The National, Savages and Go Violets). Fourth and last part coming very soon, with the best 25 songs of 2013. Stay tuned!

50. Send Them Away- Beaches
49. Ken- Ex Cops
48. Pretty Colors- Chalk and Numbers
47. When It Happens- Wax Idols

46. Rue Savage- Dub Noir
45. Are You With Me Now?- Cate Le Bon
44. Next Stop- Bleached
43. New Life- Jim James
42. San Francisco- Foxygen
41. Waiting for Something to Happen- Veronica Falls
40. Sleeptalking- Hella Better Dancer
39. Youth- Daughter
38. Miracle Mile- Cold War Kids
37. Jean’s Waving- Amor de Días
36. Wolf Pack- Arts & Leisure
35. Little Games- The Adelines
34. New Year’s Resolution- Camera Obscura
33. After You- Pulp

32. Amarillo- Wiggum
31. Timothy- Tennis (link to video)
30. Morning Sun- Big Summer
29. It Can’t Be You- Basia Bulat
28. I Am the Past- Eleanor Friedberger (link to video)
27. She Will- Savages (link to video)
26. Graceless- The National

Click here to check the SoundCloud playlist!

Stop Awful Covers 8

A new year has begun... but the disaster continues. I'm just selecting new or just announced covers from forthcoming releases on this 2013. They all compound the disgusting latest chapter of this Awful Covers Series, showing there's a year ahead full of music... but also full of bad taste. Please musicians, think about what you are doing to your art. Please stop...

ARTWORK ATROCITIES

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Mosquito
Even bands I love commit visual atrocities. Will be the first record I won't bother buying from the group. No matter what the author says to justify his creation, it's horrible.

Mystical Weapons: Mystical Weapons

I get the "weapons" thing, but where's the mystic? Can only see awfulness here...

SBTRKT: Live
A wolf? A mask? Whatever, this is just a very very poor work.

  Hookworms: Psych for Sore Eyes EP
I see the ad: Enjoy the ugliness in 3D! Yes my friends, add a new dimension to bad taste!

Tilbury: Exorcise
At least the title is quite appropriate.If you are high on something... that is.

Tall Firs: Out of It and Into It
Contradictory title, but I quickly align myself among the ones completely out of it. No doubt. 

 

 Foxygen: We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace And Magic Another interesting match between artwork and album title. Bad album title, equally bad album art.

 

David Bowie: The Next Day

"Often the most simple ideas can be the most radical", say the sleeve designers of Bowie's forthcoming record. And its true, but not in this case. This is just laziness and lack of effort, and as they also say, the result is "an album cover with a white square on it".