Tony Breed writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2013: Tony Breed

Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its members’ top albums of 2013. Our next list is from DJ and CHIRP Board member Tony Breed.

How do I pick my top 10 albums? What is a top album, anyway? I used to try to judge artistic merit and consistency, but I found that albums that became favorites over time had been left off the list altogether. (My apologies to The Owls for leaving Daughters & Suns off my 2007 list. That oversight still feels like it was a grave disservice.) So lately I've tried to take a different approach: I try to ask myself, what will I listen to again and again? What will I get the most enjoyment from in the future?

First though, Songs of the Year. Typically this list is for amazing tracks from albums that didn't make my top 10. You will hear these songs on my shows again and again.

Daft Punk feat. Paul Williams – “Touch.” This song is insane and so, so good; a sort of high-drama electronica cabaret number.

The Strokes – “Tap Out.” Remember the Strokes? They disappeared and then came back as Yeasayer. The album was just OK but this opening track is a near-perfect pop song.

1. Baths – Obsidian (Anticon)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   This album got under my skin more than any album I've heard in a very long time. I am not a person to listen to the same album on repeat, but that's exactly what I did for about 6 weeks this summer. “A big vision for the record was to write pop music about apathy," Will Wiesenfeld, AKA Baths, told Fact magazine; it's not a theme that hits you over the head, though. For me it's more about the quality of the songs, musically. They are dense and layered, with odd pops and clicks reminiscent of Hauschka's prepared piano. Listening to it is an immersive experience. I'm not listening to it on repeat anymore, but any time I hear the first few bars of the opening track, I feel compelled to listen through the whole album.
2. Superhuman Happiness – Hands (Royal Potato Family)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   And on the other hand, this album. This is high energy fun, start to finish (no surprise for a band whose members include alumni of TV on the Radio, Antibalas, and Phenomenal Handclap Band).
3. Neko Case – The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You (ANTI-)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   A singer-songwriter in the classic sense, Neko Case has a powerful, emotive vocal style, and I think she gets better with each new album.
4. Owen – L'Ami de Peuple (Polyvinyl)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   Owen is the solo project of long time Chicago indie musician Mike Kinsella. He sings songs of aching beauty and nostalgia with a sweet vocal style that sounds as though he's smiling while he sings.
5. Mutts – Object Permanence (8eat8)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   Sounds like a cross between Tom Waits and Man Man, but even more fun to listen to.
6. The Blow Monkeys – Feels Like a New Morning (Cherry Red)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   Yes, the Blow Monkeys are back. Actually, they came back in 2008, and this is their third album since reconstituting. Stylistically, they've returned to their post-punk origins, but with strong roots and blues influences. This album comes with a bonus disk of Dr. Robert (the lead singer and songwriter) performing older Blow Monkeys tunes acoustically, which alone is worth the price of the 2-disc set.
7. Jason Moody – Nowhere Near Here (Self-Released)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   Local musician Jason Moody has been riding the periphery of the Chicago indie scene for years, and I think he deserves a lot more attention than he gets. He's a songwriter who crafts well-structured pop songs, which makes them ripe for covering (check out Daniel Knox's cover of “Halcyon Days”). Moody has a way with melody and hooks. He's also got a lovely voice.
8. Laura Marling – Once I Was an Eagle (Ribbon)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   I love an album that is truly an album, a cohesive set of music. The first several tracks of Once I Was an Eagle, in particular, flow one into the other like a story; like you've been pulled into Marling's mind and she's telling you who she is, laying herself bare for you.
9. Fabie Anstee Trio – Home (Self-Released)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   A trio of Chicago jazz musicians who just wanted to make the kind of music that they wanted to make. The beauty of being able to record and release music on your own is that people can create albums like this, a throwback to the days of Gershwin and Cole Porter, but all new and original.
10. JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound – Howl (Bloodshot)
    BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
    
    Brooks has always been a great performer, but the first recordings were hit or miss. With each new release, though, the songs and the albums get better and better. Howl finds them exploring different styles, revisiting the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s.

Honorable Mentions

• Janelle Monáe – Electric Lady
  Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
  John Vanderslice – Dagger Beach
  Nynke – Alter