2013 Music Review, Pt. 001: EPs & Honorable Mention List

Greetings!

To start out my 2013 Music Year in Review, I am going to start with some brief reviews of brief releases—EPs!

For those unaware, an EP (or Extended Play) can consist of anywhere between 2-8 tracks, often clocking in at well under 30 minutes in length. These releases tend to be released as extensions of previous releases or previews of music to come. EPs also tend to be the quickest way for new acts to release their first pieces of music.

I will quickly Tweet (in 140 characters or less) about each EP, and then I will list a few albums that narrowly missed my top 100 albums of 2013!

And then I will release the remaining four parts of this review over the coming weeks!

[Key: Album Title in Bold Italics, Artist Name in Bold]

20. The Silent Cry, Collapse Under the Empire

Released: April 12, 2013

This spacious instrumental album reminds me of God is an Astronaut. Powerful, yet soft—all around dynamic instrumental rock.

Play: Collapse Under The Empire – Infernal

19. Go North, yOya

Released: July 16, 2013

The Corvallis, OR-native duo crafted an EP that explores a lot of new territory for their sound, proving their maturity along the way.

Play: Yoya – King of Nothing

18. Little Mind Alike, Twiceyoung

Released: May 07, 2013

Light atmospheric rock for anyone afraid of radio rock and wants a quick fix. I was drawn to this EP a few times; “Way Down” is so damn smooth.

Play: Twiceyoung – Way Down

17. ARC, This is Your Captain Speaking

Released: May 23, 2013

Another solid instrumental EP. Very exploratory.

A new band searching for their sound.

Lots of open space with room for discovery.

Play: This is Your Captain Speaking – Whisky Waltz

16. EP1, Pixies

Release: September 2, 2012

Pixies returned this year! This EP shows their maturity.

EP1 is less chaotic than 90s Pixies.

Solid exploration of chill rock & atmosphere.

Play: Pixies – What Goes Boom

15. 8, Uneven Structure

Released: June 03, 2013

Some heavy prog/djent metal right here.

Many tracks seem to just end, yet the entire EP composition flows dynamically well.

Play: Uneven Structure – Egocentric Focus

14. The Corrections Officer in Me, Self Defense Family

Released: August 27, 2013

Rock and roll, dude. If you want rock and roll, you got it right here. There are twinges of Black Flag and Fugazi—need I say more?

Play: Self Defense Family – It's Not Good for the Man to Be Alone

13. Hymn for the Greatest Generation, Caspian

Released: November 11, 2013

These instrumental post-rock mainstays prove they are consistently dominant. This EP was such a tease! I honestly wanted a little more.

Play: Caspian – The Heart That Fed

12. Blinded, Harms Way

Released: July 9, 2013

Brutal. From beginning to end, Blinded brings the brutality. There are few chances to breathe—but not too many. Just enjoy the hardcore beauty.

Play: Harms Way – Mind Control

11. Pattern Language, A.M. Architect

Released: February 05, 2013

If you need study music, turn on this EP.

Chill beats with a hint of atmosphere—you’ll be lost in no time.

Play: A.M. Architect – Window

10. Magnesium Dreams, Rags + Ribbons

Released: October 08, 2013

This trio of virtuosos has crafted six absolutely wonderful pieces of music. R+R are a dominant force in the PDX music scene.

Play: Rags & Ribbons – Rubikon

9. Drive All Night, Glen Hansard

Released: December 03, 2013

Glen Hansard is building a folk empire. Eddie Vedder was enlisted for vocals on a great Springsteen cover. Then Hansard does his own thing.

Play: Glen Hansard – Renata

8. Wild Country EP, Wake Owl

Released: January 29, 2013

I am drawn to Wake Owl’s elegant simplicity.

Folksy singer-songwriter telling stories like only a folksy singer-songwriter can tell.

Play: Wake Owl – You'll Never Go

7. [Loners]: Vol. I, Absofacto

Released: June 04, 2013

Chill pop with contagious beats and a wonderful female vocalist.

Highly tolerable, delightfully catchy.

Play: Absofacto – Backfire

6. Inspire, Polyphia

Released: April 21, 2013

These kids shred! Instrumental djent at its finest. Pull up one of their videos and watch these bros plays the hell out of those 7&8-strings.

Play: Polyphia – Persevere (feat. Aaron Marshall)

5. Skisser, Alice Bowman

Released: September 25, 2013

Skisser is a starkly intimate release from this soft-spoken Swede. Bowman’s minimalist approach—an organ, her voice—makes this hauntingly wonderful.

Play: Alice Boman – Skiss 2

4. To Call Each Thing By Its Right Name, Man Mountain

Released: May 24, 2013

Simply: Dazzling post-rock instrumental tunes that rival Caspian, Mogwal and Explosions.

My go-to cyclizing music first-thing in the morning.

Play: Man Mountain - What Has Been Will Always Be



3. Here Goes Nothing, There Goes Everything, These Paper Satellites
Released: June 02, 2013

This Cali-based band shows how it’d sound if Casey Crescenzo & members of White Denim joined Circa Survive. Brilliant exploratory rock.
Play: These Paper Satellites - Murders

1 & 2. Other Things & Sweet Nothings, Plini

Released: March 11, 2013 & October 11, 2013, respectively

When I first happened upon Plini I laughed at the name. Then I pressed play and watched my mouth drop to the floor. Both EPs this man released in 2013 showcase his incredible guitar dexterity. Chill, heavy, prog, jazz, classical. It is all here. And it is all Plini.
Play: Plini – Selenium Forest
Plini – Tarred & Feathered

You can hear all of these EPs, and the others I considered in 2013, at this playlist:

2013 EPs


Prelude to 2013:

Honorable Mention Albums (alphabetical)

These albums just missed the cut for my top 100 albums of the year list:

- A is for Alpine, Alpine (chill indie tunes)

- We Must Be Feeling the Full Moon, Apollo (PNW post-hardcore)

- Reflektor, Arcade Fire (experimental indie rock)

- Amok, Atoms for Peace (rock, Thom Yorke brain-child)

- The Things We Think We’re Missing, Balance and Composure (post-hardcore)

- Obsidian, Baths (somewhat noisy, solid lyrics)

- Ritual Tradition Habit, The Belle Game (chill indie rock, female-fronted)

- Cupid Deluxe, Blood Orange (industrial trip-hop)

- In Spirit, Buried Beds (actual Folklore folk)

- 8:18, The Devil Wears Prada (metal)
- More Than You Think, The Ember Days (post-rock spiritual)

- Lines We Trace, Hey Marseilles (Orchestral indie rock)

- Enola, I Can Make A Mess (acoustic full-band)

- Sky Burial, Inter Arma (post-metal, sludge)

- Letters from the Lost, Jay Nash (singer-songwriter)

- Love in the Future, John Legend (hip-hop)

- Dead Nostalgia, Junior Astronomers (rock, punk)
- Collateral Happiness, Kalabi (chill instrumental beats)

- Meir, Kveltertak (Sludge metal)
- Waves, Melorman (chill instrumental beats, atmosphere)

- Into the Eventyr, Norman (Rock and Roll, man!)

- Summer’s Gone, Odesza (upbeat, chill beats)

- The Slowdown, Pilote (chill industrial instrumental)
- Feast of Love, Pity Sex (Art Punk)

- Evil Friends, Portugal. The Man (experimental indie rock)

- The Storm Has Come, Preacher and Bear (acoustic duo, female vocalist)

- Beta Love, Ra Ra Riot (math pop)

- The Migration, Scale the Summit (Instrumental prog-djent)

- What You Don’t See, The Story So Far (pop punk)

- Keep it Safe, Wild Ones (experimental indie rock, female-fronted)