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 2013 (Pt. I)

In 2013, I found myself getting attached to individual songs more so than the albums from which they originated. It's strange, because I've always thought of myself as the type of person who appreciates records as a sum of all their parts, rather than being defined by a handful of tracks. Have I finally succumbed to the piecemeal, playlist culture that surrounds services like Soundcloud, Spotfy and Rdio? Or am I just becoming increasingly sentimental about three-five minute moments in time? Who knows.

This is all a lengthy way of saying that when I sat down to list my favorite tracks this year, it was a longer list than usual. As such, I've increased the scope so that it encompasses my 50 favorite tracks from the past year. It's a longer read, but I think it provides a more accurate encapsulation of my listening habits over the past 12 months. You'll be forgiven if you doze off while you peruse it.

Monitoring: Fuzz - "Loose Sutures"

No longer held back by the time constraints of the seven-inch singles that have been their favored medium, Fuzz stretches out on the first single from their self-titled full length debut. One glance at the cover of said record and you get the feeling that Ty Segall, Charlie Moothart and Roland Cosio have been listening to a bit of '70s prog rock. The opening salvo of "Loose Sutures" reinforces that notion, settling into a crunchy, Sabbath-indebted groove that wraps itself around Segall's vocals. Shortly after breaking into an energetic guitar solo, the track takes a strange left turn, grinding to a halt and transitioning into a meandering drum and bass interlude (is that the "Take Five" cadence I hear?) before abruptly nailing the finale. Here's hoping that the LP comes in a blacklight poster format.

Fuzz will be released by In The Red on October 1. The group recently announced a fall tour.