Ryan's Top Albums of 2013

When I originally created this list, it was significantly longer, essentially ranking every album I've listened to this past year. After some trimming and clipping though, I've managed to narrow it down to the top 25 albums of the year. I present them to you now:

Album Review: Owen - L'Ami du Peuple

Album Rating: A

Anytime a new Owen album surfaces, there somehow always manages to be a place for it on my list of top releases. L'Ami du Peuple is no different - Kinsella's fine ear for instrumentalism continually improves, and each of his releases are essentially stepping stones towards the newest point in his musical history. The emotional presence on each of his albums is slightly varied as the man himself grows to adopt new ideas and his own life story changes a little bit every couple of years, but it's no less present on this album as his self-titled debut. In fact, probably the most impressive thing about Mike Kinsella is his ability to reflect a different side of himself on each album, and L'Ami du Peuple is a powerful example of just that.

Various Artists: The Sound Supply: Supply Drop #2

Indie music is a wonderful thing. Artists releasing albums without having to cater to the wants and desires of record labels have a step-up to those chained down to demanding producers. A big problem for indie artists, though, since they don't have the label to back up their distribution, is getting their music out to the public. They don't have a lot of press unless the listener already knows who they are, and it's difficult for them to get word out. The Sound Supply is one of those fantastic mediums that helps indie artists really spread their sound, opening a small artist up to a group of people that will take to their musical ideas with widespread arms. If you haven't heard of The Sound Supply before, it's really worth a look at their "Supply Drops", because they sell a LOT of great music for a most excellent price. They feature bands like Owen, Matt Pryor, Jeremy Enigk, TS and the Past Haunts, and other indie names to get to know and love. If you want to support indie bands but don't have a lot of income, it's definitely worth it.

You can find the second Supply Drop at Sound Supply's site here.

Artist of the Day: Mike Kinsella

Mike Kinsella has brought so much to both modern indie rock and emo music that it's quintessential to look at his history before really going in-depth with his current activity. Since the early 90's, Mike and his brother Tim, as well as cousin Nate, were involved in the underground music scene of Chicago, Illinois.

First, Cap'n Jazz brought an experimental taste to emo music, branching out what was considered the "second wave of emo music," and helping, along with bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and Mineral, to establish a melodic side to a previously punk-influenced genre. After Cap'n Jazz, he contributed to the still-active project of Tim Kinsella, Joan of Arc, and continues to make contributions to this addition to the indie rock / emo genre that has a habit of quickly cycling through members. Mike actually established the short-lived math-rock / emo project American Football without Tim or Nate, moving away from other indie-rock flavored projects in exchange for simple lyrics and a softer, more complex musical side.