Mike Scales writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2013: Mike Scales

Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its members’ top albums of 2013. Our next list is from DJ Mike Scales.

1. Ghost B.C. – Infestissumam (Lorna Vista)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   Blasphemous on-stage attire, strict anonymity of its band members and an eerily good mix of traditional heavy metal, doom and classic rock; There simply hasn't been a band like Sweden's Ghost in quite awhile. Infestissumam is the epic, melodic follow-up to there critically acclaimed debut.
2. Queens of the Stone Age – …Like Clockwork (Matador)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   QOTSA brought us the rock comeback of the year with ...Like Clockwork, the band's best written and produced material since 2002's Songs for the Deaf. And having Dave Grohl once again man the kit for a handful of these killer tunes especially didn't hurt the cause.
3. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – II (Jagjaguwar)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   The sophomore record from these trippy New Zealand by-way-of Portland indie/psyche rock darlings, II is near perfect in its execution with some unforgettable songwriting and quite unique production.
4. Holograms – Forevere (Captured Tracks)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   Forever continues in the same heart-felt and spirited vein of the band's 2012 self-titled debut yet it's skillfully reinforced with a bigger, more cohesive and fully-realized sound that is capable of becoming a worthy benchmark for post-punk in years to come. These Swedes have done it again.
5. In Solitude – Sister (Metal Blade)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   "[They] took a cloven bow to slit [their] tender veins." While the spry Uppsala hesher's sound on breakthrough record The World. The Flesh. The Devil recalled a youthful Glenn Danzig fronting the heavy metal of early Mercyful Fate, Sister is a ghostly horse of a different shade with a decidedly more raw and unhinged production, riffs and structures that lean more towards heavy occult rock and a heavy emotional impact unlike any other rock record of 2013.
6. Daft Punk – Random Access Memories (Columbia)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   We knew the French electro duo still had it after skillfully producing Tron: Legacy's killer soundtrack, but nothing could have prepared us for the truly epic deconstructed disco funk space odyssey that is Random Access Memories.
7. Jel – Late Pass (anticon.)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   Anticon cofounder, producer/dj and occasional rapper Jel's third LP Late Pass is his first official solo material since 2006's Soft Money. It's a stone-cold classic full of wobbly, dubwise boom-bap, hushed raps and super chill vibes that might just be crowning achievement of Jel's production career.
8. Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels (Fool's Gold)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   In my opinion, pretty much anything master producer and emcee El-P touches turns to gold and his team-up with OutKast associate Killer Mike has been no exception. From El-P's Cancer 4 Cure to Killer Mike's R.A.P. Music and now their official collaborative debut, RTJ have proven themselves to be one of if not the best and most dynamic rap duo in the last decade of indie hip-hop.
9. Clutch – Earth Rocker (Weathermaker)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   The Maryland band's 10th slab of pro-rock and second official full-length release on their own label is a beast of a record that boasts the heaviest and most up-beat tunes since 2004's high watermark Blast Tyrant. It is an ass-kicking return-to-form musically and Fallon's vocal performance remains as sharp as ever. As they say, "Hurry, clear the airstrip and light up that stove, by Jove," Clutch has come to rock the Earth once again.
10. Coliseum – Sister Faith (Temporary Residence Ltd.)
    BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
    
    Three releases into the rebirth of this Louisville punk/hardcore trio, Coliseum's Sister Faith is a dark, catchy and driven post-punk record that simply freakin' rocks. It's the noisy and intense but highly appropriate follow-up up to 2010's breakthrough House With A Curse and 2011's underrated EP Parasites.