It was another banner year for the music of the Bay State. Both ends of Massachusetts held down 2013 with a string of excellent releases, and even Worcester got into the game instead of watching the rock bounce from Boston to Northampton and back again. From the first few months of 2013 via Boston Accents on WFNX (how long ago does that feel?) to the last seven-and-a-half here on Vanyaland, here are the records from our home state that made enough noise to be remembered at year’s end.
By no means is this a definitive list, and advance apologies to those who may have been accidentally omitted (some December 2012 records, like those from the Field Effect and the Milling Gowns, were considered out of play). This is just a loose rundown of our favorite sounds from our own back yards, ones that have filled our playlists and news feeds and headspaces a bit more than the rest.
Like Jonathan Richman once said, “I’m in love with Massachusetts,” and we’re sure you are, too.
See you in 2014. It’s going be a banger.
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Ariel + The Undertow, Ariel + The Undertow
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Bad Rabbits, American Love
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Bent Shapes, Feels Weird
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Carousel, Palms
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[Note: Carousel is now based in Los Angeles but the duo met at Berklee and this record kills so fuck it we’re including it here. We make the rules. Sue us.]
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Case & Point, Upgrade
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Caténine, split 7-inch with Funeral Advantage
