More so than in any of the 13 years in which we’ve devoted too much time to writing about music, it feels silly to pick the best of it for 2013. So much of what we heard this year was wonderful, and the year certainly exceeded our expectations. This despite our fervently held belief that there is *always*, every year, an abundance of excellent music waiting to be discovered; the trick is finding it. Which is kind of why this blog is here. And while we struggled with tough decisions that excluded deserving acts including Fat History Month, Heyward Howkins, It Hugs Back and Bent Shapes from the final top 10, well, dammit, rules are rules.
1. Speedy Ortiz — Major Arcana — Carpark Records
2. Krill — Lucky Leaves — Self-Released
3. Veronica Falls — Waiting For Something To Happen — Slumberland
4. My Bloody Valentine — mbv — Self-Released
5. Los Campesinos! — No Blues — Wichita/Turnstyle
6. Radiator Hospital — Something Wild — Salinas
7. Calories — III — Self-Released
8. Ovlov — am — Exploding In Sound
9. Guillermo Sexo — Dark Spring — Midriff Records
10. Joey Sweeney — Long Hair — La La Société Expéditionnaire