Albums

1. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories. My god. Come on. It's such a rare thing that an album so completely fulfills expectations while simultaneously redefining everything we think we know about the modern state of a genre ... that has to be rewarded and it would be even if RAM wasn't also filled with the best tracks of 2013. Had this more or less penciled in since it came out.

2. Shad - Flying Colours. All over the place, a total revelation, smart, funny, sad. Hip hop. What I wish Donald Glover did, what I think everyone should've been talking about when they were worshiping Chance the Rapper.

3. Robert Delong - Just Movement. Best live experience of the year, probably. "We call that progress/But it's just movement." Dance yrself dirty.

4. Anamanaguchi - Endless Fantasy. The internet's soundtrack.

5. The National - Trouble Will Find Me. The latest addition to my list, because although the National have now made four world-class albums in a row, each one caught me by surprise for some reason. I'll make the same mistake in 2016.

6. Sol - Eyes Open EP. This wasn't going to not make it on here. Probably not better than his 2012 album, but it has the telling advantage of being from this calendar year. Hip hop so self-aware it's going to start replicating itself soon.

7. Sigur Ros - Kveikur. I may enjoy his more than I've enjoyed any other Sigur Ros album, somehow. Realized that today and couldn't believe it. The AllMusic reviewer pretty much has this one pegged.

8. The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - Whenever If Ever. Great synthesis of styles. Some emo, not too much, or at least it's lost in the haze.

9. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City. Enjoyed much more than any previous VW album, pretty much earned its place on various year end lists.

10. Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels. El-P and Killer Mike.

11. FIDLAR - FIDLAR. Criminally overlooked, maybe because it came out 361 days ago. Surf punk, yelling, drugs.

12. The Front Bottoms - Talon of the Hawk. In my opinion most exciting indie outfit we've got right now. Probably not as good as their first album, but their first album was for the ages.

13. Typhoon - White Lighter. Portland, there are a dozen of them, but White Lighter rises above that stigma.

14. Darkside - Psychic.

15. Atlas Genius - When It Was Now. Considered at least 13 albums for this last spot, including some I didn't get enough time to really judge, like Ka's thing and the Arctic Monkeys from a few months ago. Thundercat and Jagwar Ma both made albums that could be here. Honorable mention section germinated from this indecision.

Honorable Mention: Bombino - Nomad. Thundercat - Apocalypse. Jagwar Ma - Howlin'. The Flaming Lips - The Terror. Burial - Rival Dealer EP. James Blake - Overgrown. Ka - The Night's Gambit. The Arctic Monkeys - AM. Pusha T - My Name Is My Name. Buke and Gase - General Dome. Holograms - Forever. Autre Ne Veut - Anxiety. David Bowie - The Next Day. Kanye West - Yeezus.

And so many more. I probably listened to about 65 albums these past couple weeks but I still missed a lot of good material, especially a lot of NPR's international-centric list. I also haven't yet heard the new albums from old standbys like Los Campesinos!, QotSA, Local Natives, The Men ... skipped the Toro Y Moi for now but I bet I'd love it. Couldn't fit Streetlight Manifesto's The Hands That Thieve, or the new Beach Fossils, or a handful of albums ButterflyEffect mentioned in his list. Cold War Kids has a 2013 album that I vaguely remember enjoying. Tim Hecker. Etc. So it's not a complete list but I think it's a pretty good one.

I left out Because the Internet from sheer confusion.

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Tracks

The best three songs of the year were all on the Daft Punk album, no that's not fair; it's only somewhat accurate. Instant Crush combined two of my favorite things perfectly. Best song Casablancas has ever been a part of? Surely not. Meanwhile, Giorgio by Moroder was overlooked, the synth, the orchestral fusion, the way the song mirrors the narrative.

He Say She Say, from Shad, is one of the most moving and well-constructed hip hop tracks I've ever heard. Remember Nujabes? The torch is being carried.

The Stars Are Out Tonight needs no introduction. Off the new Bowie. Weird and wild. thenewgreen I promised to shout-out to you for this post and right here seems appropriate.

New Slaves. Kanye. The electric performance on SNL. I admit this song has something other songs this year just didn't have. I'm not sure what to think about the whole album, but New Slaves by itself is an anthem. It'll be around for a long fucking time loved or hated.

Modern Jesus from Portugal. The Man. Probably the best non-Shad, non-Daft Punk song of the year even though the album that surrounded it wasn't too great. Chorus of the decade.

Song for Zula off of Muchacho by Phosphorescent.

Cigarette Daydreams, the wonderful closing track of Cage the Elephant's new album.

Brennisteinn, the most explosive song from Kveikur.

Everything Is Embarrassing, off of Sky Ferreira's album. Surprise!