Tapes on the Floor's Favorite Albums of 2013

Congratulations on living through 2013. No seriously, congrats. It wasn't an easy year. There were some great times, to be sure, but there were doubtlessly some moments within the past twelve months that made you question the point of it all. Luckily, amid the political squabbling, unprovoked violence, global warming and lackluster summer blockbusters, there was a crate of records that helped to lift your spirits when the going got tough. Listed below are the ten albums that helped get me through the past 365 days. Put them to good use in 2014.

Tapes on the Floor's Favorite Tracks of 2011 (Part I)

Every year when I sit down to write these lists, I find myself enjoying the process of compiling my favorite tracks more and more. Originally I started making this list as a sort of consolation for my inability to include each and every record I enjoyed on my favorite albums list. Now, I almost feel as if it's the more important and rewarding list—the outlet for my inner DJ, intent on sequencing hour after hour of exemplary music. These are the songs that serenaded a year of intense upheaval, as I left my home state for the bustling city. Each of them are something more that the sum of their chords, melodies and lyrics. They are the 40 songs that accompanied cross-country drives, late night train rides and walks through the neighborhood. In the year 2011, these are the tracks that meant the most to me.