BEST OF 2013

Half the things I discovered that were good this year were old so I'm including those anyway.

OS MUTANTES

I guess I'd heard these guys before but never got into them until this year. Brazil psychedelic superstars from the 60s that have reunited.

THE FREE DESIGN

New York sunshine pop, I guess they were featured on Peanut Butter Wolfs Badd Santa Mixtape but I didn't really check them out til this year. They are so happy it almost makes you sick. They are like camp counsellors drunk on power....they have an album called "Kites Are Fun'

HULU PLUS

This is Awesome. Fuck Netflix. Simon and Simon, The Fall Guy and the Criterion Collection. It's a commplete pain in the ass to get this in Canada but entirely worth the effort and expense. They have Return to the Planet of the Apes cartoon, I,Claudius, and I Love Lucy. What other tv shows are there? Well, Rockford, but they have that too.....

RDIO

At first i thought this was stupid but now I love it. Access to tons of obscure and popular music. For some reason I get it free. You can make your own playlists (like a mix tape) and people can follow you and you can follow them. Fuck facebook. Also, you can see everybodies listening history, which is hilarious! Now everybody knows you listen to Lady Antebellum and Nickelback!

ROBERT RANKIN

I discovered this author by accident. He is bizarre and hilarious. Calls his books 'far-fetched fiction'. Check him out. My favourites are The Witches of Chiswick and Nostradamus Ate My Hamster. I learned about the amazing painting "Fairy Fellers Master Stroke" by Richard Dadd (which inspired a Queen song) from him. Thank you. It's really funny but deep too.

CLAMS CASINO

He came out a couple years ago but I didnt get his instrumentals album til this year. Dark, haunting, unique...His dj mix kinda stinks though....but is still enjoyable.

WILLIAM ONYEABOR

I don't know anything about this guy but ATOMIC BOMB was the most played song in my house this year.

THIS IS THE END

There was some other alright movies but this was the one. So genius. I actually screamed in the theatre during a scary part.

MIDLAKE

New album is stellar. Makes me appreciate the old stuff all over again....I'm annoyed that it didnt make Qs top 20. Fuck Gion Gemeche.

MAGIC GARDEN by the 5th Dimension

I didn't know this album existed because it's unavailable in Canada. Fuck it's embarrassing to be Canadian. This is the 5th Dimensions concept album. A bunch of the songs are on greatest hits compilations but they are seen in a new light on this....find it if you can.....thanks to my friend PJ for gifting me a copy on vinyl! It does sound better on wax.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

RIFF RAFF

I listened to every thing this guy did this year and fully enjoyed James Franco's impression of him too.....the best remixes of the year were PROBLEM-LIKE WHAAAAAAT Skeemix and that GRIMES Riff Raff Remix. His Lyrics are so out there but still clever, he sounds so white but kinda not. 

He probably should be on the list but I didn't wanna be so obvious. Even if he sucked musically he has the best style going besides TRINIDAD JAMES.

AUSTRA

Embarrased that I slept on this til CBC told me about it. Amazing band. One of the few good things to come out of Canada since SCTV. Makes me feel like a 14 year old girl that is considering cutting for the first time but elects to shoplift make up instead. Great live show too. 

JONATHAN LETHEMs 'DISSIDENT GARDENS'

One of my all time favourite authors, his new epic novel that annoyed me at first because it didn't give me what I expected....turns out to be a heart wrenching and funny and intimate portrait of an American family...

     "I wouldn't entrust a kid to either one of you-but I am the kid who was entrusted to both...."