Cher Vincent writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2013: Cher Vincent

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

1. Disclosure – Settle (Interscope)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   What can I say? I like to dance. In a year that brought some of the smoothest, sexiest songs that dominated the airwaves and hard drives, this album takes the cake. I may listen to this album at any given week at least three times, so it only seemed plausible that it would end up at the top. There is so much about this album that shouldn’t work, from the dizzying amount of guest stars to the EDM tendencies it could have easily taken. However, those elements are what make it such a stellar listen. The English brothers, both wunderkinds in this industry, have cultivated the ultimate dance playlist. After months of trying to deny my love for it, I’ve succumbed. Listen: White Noise
2. Savages – Silence Yourself (Matador)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   I had a conversation with my best friend a few years ago, during a lengthy Joy Division obsessive period. My only wish was to have a band of girls, that played their songs, but did it better. With Savages, I got that, and then some. The only real question is: why haven’t I gotten this sooner? Here’s hoping that I won’t have to wait much longer for their follow-up. Listen: City’s Full
3. Rhye – Woman (Polydor)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   I was a huge fan of Milosh back in 2008, but shortly forgot about him until I saw his mysterious music video for “Open”. While I was aware of singer’s gender, it was everything else that was completely cloak and dagger. In an age that is constantly exposed and documented either for bragging rights or for self-archriving, it was a relief to wonder and explore the true nature of its release. The results: a heartfelt love letter. It’s just about a man that really loves his wife. What could be more honest than that? Listen: Last Dance
4. Thundercat – Apocalypse (Brain Feeder)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   After losing his friend in 2012 at the age of 22, Thundercat’s Stephen Bruner released an anguished album that is filled with emotions both high and low. He has made a name for himself as a terrific bassist, and working with everyone from Erykha Badu to Snoop Dogg, his most prominent is his work with Flying Lotus. This album has the ability to pull him out of the LA producer’s shadow. He has a voice like Marvin Gaye, a groove like Prince, and the bass talent like Frank Zappa. Yeah, it’s worth a listen. Listen: Heartbreaks + Setbacks
5. Digable Planets – Blowout Comb (Light in the Attic)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   Yeah, I know it’s a reissue. But it’s substantial to most of the music in hip-hop that has been released this year. It was released at the height of the crack epidemic in New York in the 90s, and twenty years later, those same streets are littered with multi-purpose strollers and bistros instead of the gang-infested, graffiti-ridden avenues. The infusion of jazz was a salute to their forefathers, to the Harlem Renaissance; to the life and sounds they heard on their streets and in their minds. Hearing it again recently, I couldn’t help but hear so many imitators that it influenced. Sometimes, to make something new, you have to look back. While Butterfly has gone on to Shabazz Palaces, it’s his work with Jeru and Ladybug that makes this a masterwork. Listen: Graffiti
6. My Bloody Valentine – m b v (self-released)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   Biggest surprise of the year? Definitely. I’m still heartbroken I missed them when they played at the Aragon Ballroom late this year. But I still think that this music is best heard alone, with massive speakers, in a darkened room. At least, that’s how I roll. Listen: Only Tomorrow
7. Chance the Rapper – Acid Rap (self-released)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   Is it his nasal delivery that separates him from the rest of the MCs out there? Maybe. For me, he makes the genre fun to listen to again. While his flow is an adjustment, he has become one of the most heralded rappers in the game right now. From his Chicago roots, he has a curious range that it impressive for someone who just made 20. The guest spots are great and are many, but it’s the moments when he’s doing it alone, just his words, that make this such an exciting release. Listen: Na Na
8. Chastity Belt – No Regerts (Help Yourself)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   I’ve made it my personal mission this year to make anyone listen to this album. They’re a band of girl out of Walla Walla, Washington, currently residing in Seattle. They got together in college, and taught themselves to play guitar. Sound familiar? While they could have been found on the roaster of either Kill Rock Stars or K Records in the '90s, this band of ladies has the versatility to play ballads and full-out punk anthems. I’m a fan, and I want everyone else to be one too. Listen: Black Sail
9. Pusha T – My Name is My Name (G.O.O.D. Music)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   
   I have loved Clipse for many years, so when I heard that Pusha would be on his own, outside of mixtapes, I couldn’t be more excited. And he didn’t’ disappoint, with his production, due in part to Kanye West, takes it to completely different level. Like Chance, the guest spots are on nearly every track, but they only reinforce Pusha’s abilities, not overshadow. Simply, he’s impossibly cool. Listen: Nosetalgia
10. Kanye West – Yeezus (Def Jam)
    BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
    
    Oops. I guess this one snuck up on me. My feelings for this album ranged from apathy, to anger, to confusion, to eventual admiration. Only Kanye could use a sample of a Billie Holiday song, sung by Nina Simone about the Civil Rights Movement, and make it about him and a relationship. His ego made me furious. His lyrics made me either shake with anger or roll my eyes with its audacity. But the sound, my God. What can I say? I like to dance. Listen: Blood on the Leaves

Honorable Mentions

• Laura Marling - Once I Was An Eagle
  CHVRCHES – The Bones of What You Believe
  Majical Cloudz – Impersonator
  Foals – Holy Fire
  Aluna George – Body Music
  James Blake – Overgrown
  Kacey Musgraves - Same Trailer Different Park