Stop Breathing by Donovan Wolfington

As Emo is one of my favorite genres of music, I was excited to give this album a listen, and while I was expecting a generic emo-punk album, this one really blew me away.  Some of the songs on here have that classic emo sound everyone loves, and others have a more punk sound to them that really adds variety to this album.  The songs alternate from slow and calm to loud and emotional.  One of the best albums of 2013.

12/10

The Bones of What You Believe by Chvrches

The Bones of What You Believe is the debut album by Scottish synthpop band Chvrches, and was met with a lot of acclaim from most critics.  Generally, to me at least, the synthpop genre seems to be really repetitive and un-creative, and not many bands deviate from that norm.  This album was an exception.  Vocally and lyrically, it was masterful, and musically it was the same.  This is definitely one of the better albums of 2013.

11/10

Sunbather by Deafhaven

Sunbather is the second album released by American black metal band Deafhaven, when it was released the internet practically exploded with praise.  They praised the band's sound, which is so different than just about any group out there today.  While I can respect that the sound is different, experimental, and new, I simply don't think I understand the praise this album receives.  Maybe it was the vocals, which maybe I'm too dense to respect.  Despite that, I do love the music in this album, it's the airy kind of sound that you've come to expect with shoegazing, and it goes just excellently with the vocals.

8/10

Government Plates by Death Grips

This new soundtrack from Sacramento based experimental hip-hop group Death Grips dropped today unexpectedly, to much surprise from fans.  Government Plates, which is the fourth soundtrack released by Death Grips, has a lot to love on it, bringing in influences from previous albums and EPs and as a result creating a soundtrack that is different from their other albums, while still retaining some of the features of Death Grips's sound that we all have come to know and love.  While to some people, myself included, prefer the louder, grittier sound of soundtracks such as Exmilitary, fans of albums with more emphasis on the lyrics such as No Love Deep Web may enjoy this album more.  Overall, I think that this LP shows that Death Grips is not dead as many have come to believe, and that they are still pumping out great music.

11/10

Reflektor by Arcade Fire

Reflektor was Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire's fourth studio album, and arguably their most highly anticipated.  Because of how much I enjoyed their previous albums, I was quite excited to give this one a listen.  It's hard to think that the band that released an album as perfect as Funeral would release anything bad right?  Maybe it was the new sound they tried to take on in this album, but I was left wholly unsatisfied with this LP.  The sound of this album reminded me more of the art rock, electronic kind of sounds that you would hear in an album like Kid-A by Radiohead, which worked for that album, but I feel as though Arcade Fire couldn't pull it off.  Overall, it wasn't the worst album I had ever heard, but it was by far Arcade Fire's worst.

5/10

My Top 5 Favorite Albums

Music is a big hobby of mine and I listen to virtually every genre of music, although my genres I listen to the most are indie rock and alternative hip-hop music.  I listen to music by the album, but I do listen to the occasional EP and single.

My Top 5 Favorite Albums Are

1. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel

14/10

This album has a lot of nostalgic value for me personally, and as of lately, the more I listen to it the better it gets.  Beautiful lyricism and music that's just gorgeously minimalistic makes this album, in my opinion, the greatest album of all time.

2. Pink Moon by Nick Drake

14/10

This album has the best atmosphere of just about any album in history.  Only a little over 28 minutes long, this album, while somewhat happy sounding, also gives you a sense of sadness.  The sound and music is very somber and soft.

3. Revolver by The Beatles

13/10

It may be controversial to say with all the love of Abbey Road and Sgt. Peppers out there, but I believe Revolver is the greatest Beatles album.  The sound and harmony of this album is just, to me, more enthralling than that of the other highly acclaimed Beatles albums.

4. Illmatic by Nas

13/10

It may not be a surprise to other hip-hop fans that I chose this, but Illmatic is, without a doubt, one of the greatest albums in history.   Nas's lyrics are not as gritty as other east coast hip-hop artists, but they're deeper, and the beats in this album are masterpieces of complex simplicity.

5. The Airing of Grievances by Titus Andronicus

13/10

This album is proof that rock music is not dead.  I've always loved Titus Andronicus for their music, but I feel like this album is their lyrical masterpiece.  In every song, there are references to love, death, and philosophy.  Growing up seems to be the major theme in this album.