Patrick Seymour - Dizzy Spells writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2013: Patrick Seymour

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

• Mikrokolektyw – Absent Minded (Delmark)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  
  This Polish duo’s release is an experimental post-everything jazz album that should appeal to fans of Chicago Underground Duo.
• Juana Molina – Wed 21 (Crammed Discs)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  
  After five years Juana Molina returns with another solid album and a step forward in her already skilled songwriting ability.
• Zeena Parkins & The Adorables – The Adorables (Cryptogramophone)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  
  Harpist Zeena Parkins enlists a couple of friends to record as the Adorables resulting in a colorful and playful album of electronic blips, curious sounds, and their take on modern exotica.
• Jerusalem In My Heart – Mo7it Al-Mo7it (Constellation)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  
  Experimental album full of arpeggiated keyboard, field recording, and powerful vocals by this multimedia trio. Debut release, I can’t wait to hear more.
• Frank Rosaly – Cicada Music (Delmark)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  
  Frank Rosaly is a fixture in Chicago’s jazz/improvisation community and this is his first album as a group leader. Turns out drumming isn’t the only thing he excels at. Great music and great players - Jason Roebke, Jason Stein, Keefe Jackson, James Falzone and Jason Adasiewicz.
• Petra Haden – Petra Goes to the Movies (ANTI-)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  
  Anyone who can pull off an amazing a capella version of the theme of “A Fistful of Dollars” is good in my book.
• Sarah Neufeld – Hero Brother (Constellation)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  
  Not what you’d expect as a solo release from one of the members of Arcade Fire but Sarah Neufeld’s album Hero Brother is a solid release of Bela Bartok-esque solo violin pieces.
• Steve Arrington + Dam Funk – Higher (Stones Throw)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  
  Dirty wobbly funk from Dam Funk and former member of Slave, Steve Arrington singing songs about German chocolate cake amongst other things.
• Acteurs – Acteurs (Public Information)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  
  Brian Case has been on a hot streak with his highly prolific band Disappears. As much as I like their most recent album Era, I wanna give some love to the album he recorded this year with Jeremy Lemos of White/Light. Full of brooding dark synths and a fondness of the group Suicide.
• Rob Mazurek Octet – Skull Sessions (Cuneiform)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  
  Joining together to of his groups Starlicker and Sao Paulo Underground, Mazurek leads them in five long form cosmic Jazz weirdness.

Honorable Mentions

• Runners Up:
  William Onyeabor - World Psychedelic Classics 5: Who is William Onyeabor? (Luaka Bop)
  Implodes - Recurring Dream (kranky) - local dark fuzz rockers are two for two in my book
  Bryan and the Haggards Featuring Dr. Eugene Chadbourne - Merels Just Want to Have Fun (Northern Spy) - free-jazz country weirdness
  Joanna Foster - I’m A Dreamer (Fire)
  
  Favorite EPs:
  Advance Base - The World Is In a Bad Fix Everywhere EP (Ordinal)
  U.S. Girls - Free Advice Column EP (Bad Actors)
  
  A couple of favorite songs that were the highlights of good albums:
  "Low" by Clarence White
  "Matmos" by Green Triangles
  "Javelin Unlanding" by Bill Callahan