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The Best New Music of 2013

Cd's in a stack

December 28, 2013 - 10:10 pm

Looking for that perfect gift? Maybe our music experts can help! We asked our DJ’s to compile a list of their favorite new releases of 2013.

Ash Odedra
Waveform Transmission

Huerco S. – Colonial Patterns (Software)
Boards Of Canada – Tomorrow’s Harvest (Warp)
Jon Hopkins – Immunity (Domino)
The Haxan Cloak  – Excavation (Tri Angle)
Mountains  – Mountains Mountains Mountains (Thrill Jockey)
Various Artists- I Am The Center: Private Issue New Age Music In America, 1950-1990 (Light In The Attic)
Young Echo – Nexus (Ramp)
Laurel Halo – Chance Of Rain (Hyperdub)
Diamond Version – EP 1-5 (Mute)
Forest Swords – Engravings (Tri Angle)
“Just a sample of some fine releases in 2013… not necessarily ‘Top Ten’…”

Atlee-A.Treasure
City Soul

James Blake – Overgrown (Republic)
Janelle Monae – Electric Lady (Bad Boy)
Jay Z – MCHG (Roc Nation)
Disclosure – Settle (Cherrytree)
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories (Columbia)
Kelela – Cut 4 Me (Fadetomind)
Toro Y Moi – Anything In Return (Carpark)
Alex Barck – Reunion (Sonar Kollektiv)
Rhye – Woman (Universal)
FaltyDL – Hardcourage (Ninjatune)
“This year electronic music made a real push expanding its audience with truly forward yet accessible releases.  2013 was a great year for music! “

Bob Dixson
Sunday’s Hornpipe

Colleen Raney – Here This Is Home (Little Sea)
Linda Thompson – Won’t Be Long Now (Pettifer Sounds)
The Outside Track – Flash Company (Castlesounds Studios)
Childsplay – As the Crow Flies (independents)
Ten Strings & a Goat’s Skin – Corbeau (independent)
Rig the Jig – Passing Through (Toucan Cove)
We Banjo 3 – Roots of the Banjo Tree (independent)
Skara Brae – Skara Brae (Gael-Linn)
Russ Barenberg – When At Last (Compass)
Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh – The Small Hours (independent)

Carlotta Spears
Womanotes

Rokia Traore – Beautiful Africa (Nonesuch)
Mary Gautier – Live at Blue Rock (independent)
Shannon McNally – Small Town Talk (Sacred Sumac)
Lisa Biales – Singing In My Soul (independent)
Della Mae – This World Oft Can Be (Rounder)
Alice Smith – She (Rainwater/Thirty Tigers)
Mavis Staples – One True Vine (Anti)
Dayna Kurtz – Secret Canon, Vol 2 (M.C. Records)
Anoushka Shankar – Traces of You (Deutsche Grammophon)
Various Artists – 20 Feet From Stardom (Columbia)

Chelan Lippincott
Membership Director

HAIM – Days are Gone (Columbia)
Gregory Porter – Liquid Spirit (Motéma)
Holly Williams – The Highway (independent)
Neko Case – The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You (Anti)
Rhye – Woman (Universal)
Various Artists – The Great Gatsby (Interscope)
Valerie June – Pushin Against a Stone (Concord)
“In no particular order of greatness!”

Christine Linde
Music Director

Gregory Alan Isakov – The Weatherman (independent)
Valerie June – Pushin’ Against The Stone (Concord)
Amy Speace – How To Sleep In A Stormy Boat (Wind Bone)
Linda Thompson – Won’t Be Long Now (Pettifer Sounds)
Lissa Schneckenburger – Covers (independent)
Hannah Shira Naiman – Tether My Heart (Merriweather)
Paul Kelly – Spring and Fall (Universal)
Shannon McNally – Small Town Talk (Sacred Sumac)
Cécile McLorin Salvant- WomanChild (Mack Avenue)
Jimmy Cliff – The KCRW Session (Universal)
“A few more records you may have missed but should check out.”

Christine Linde
Bluegrass Ramble

Steep Canyon Rangers – Tell The Ones I Love (Rounder)
Gibson Brothers – They Called It Music (Compass)
John Reischman – Walk Along John (Corvus)
Claire Lynch – Dear Sister (Compass)
James King – Three Chords and The Truth (Rounder)
Pharis & Jason Romero – Long Gone Out West Blues (Lula)
Junior Sisk & Rambler’s Choice – The Story of the Day I Died (Rebel)
Noam Pikelny – Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe (Compass)
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen – On The Edge (Compass)

Christine Linde
Walkin’ the Floor

Robbie Fulks – Gone Away Backwards (Bloodshot)
Holly Williams – The Highway (independent)
Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison – Cheater’s Game (Premium)
The Carper Family – Old-Fashioned Gal (independent)
Lindi Ortega – Tin Star (Last Gang)
Sturgill Simpson – High Top Mountain (independent)
Emily Herring – Your Mistake (independent)
Slaid Cleaves – Still Fighting The War (Music Road)
Patty Griffin – American Kid (New West)
Cale Tyson – High On Lonesome (independent)

Claire Angeles
Sugar Free

Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City  (XL)
Arcade Fire – Reflektor (Merge)
The National – Trouble Will Find Me (4AD)
Arctic Monkeys – AM (Domino)
Yo La Tengo – Fade (Matador)
Guided By Voices – English Little League (Fire)
The Strokes – Comedown Machine (RCA)
Telekinesis – Dormarion (Merge)
Savages – Silence Yourself (Matador)
Franz Ferdinand – Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action (Domino)

Devon Leger
Sunday’s Hornpipe

This Is How We Fly – This Is How We Fly (independent)
Eamonn Coyne & Kris Drever – Storymap (Compass)
Mick Conneely & David Munnelly – ‘Tis What It Is (Cló Iar-Chonnacht)
The Paul McKenna Band – Elements (Compass)
Celtic Fiddle Festival – Live in Brittany (Loftus Music)
Dervish – Thrush in the Storm (Whirling Discs)
Karine Polwart – Traces (Borealis)
Childsplay – As The Crow Flies (independent)
Various Artists – Classic Celtic Music (Smithsonian Folkways)
Capercaillie – At the Heart of It All (Compass)

DJ Niko
Away from the Numbers

Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City (XL)
Waxahatchee – Cerulean Salt (Don Giovanni)
Arcade Fire – Reflektor (Merge)
Bleached – Ride Your Heart (Dead Oceans)
Camera Obscura – Desire Lines (4AD)
Atoms for Peace – AMOK (XL)
Klaus Dinger + Japandorf – Japandorf (Grönland)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Mosquito (Interscope)
The Strokes – Comedown Machine (RCA)
Best Coast – Fade Away (Jewel City)

Don Ramon
The Around Town Show

Daft Punk – Random Access Memory  (Daft Life Limited)
Bill Callahan – Dream River (Drag City)
Portugal. The Man – Evil Friends (Atlantic)
Arctic Monkeys – AM (Domino)
Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience (RCA)
Jason Isbell – Southeastern (independent)
HAIM – Days are Gone (Columbia)
Kurt Vile – Wakin On a Pretty Daze (Matador)
Disclosure – Settle (Interscope)
La Santa Cecillia – Treinta Dias  (Universal Music Latino y Arju Productions )

Duffy Graham
Away from the Numbers

Bleached – Ride Your Heart (Dead Oceans)
Drowners – Between Us Girls (independent)
Emily’s Army – Lost at Seventeen (independent)
Fidlar – Fidlar (Mom+Pop)
The Fratellis – We Need Medicine (BMG)
Guided by Voices – English Little League (Matador)
Tommy Keene – Excitement at Your Feet (Second Motion)
Twylight Zones – The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre [single]
Off with Their Heads – Home (Epitaph)
Palma Violets – 180 (Rough Trade)

Eric Hardee
Folksounds

Helene Blum – But with my eyes open (Gateway)
David Francey – So say we all (Red House)
Lily Henley – Words like yours (independent)
Pharis & Jason Romero – Long Gone Out West Blues (Lula)
Sutton, Holt and Coleman – Ready for the times (High Windy)
Claire Lynch – Dear Sister (Compass)
The Onlies – Setting Out to Sea (independent)
Tradish – Beyond the Borders (GO’Danish Folk Music)
Tim O’Brien & Darrell Scott – Memories and Moments (Full Skies)
Brad & Ken Kolodner – Skipping Rocks (independent)
“Great music from near and far”

Eric Wolff
Backtracks

Thundercat – Apocalypse (Brainfeeder)
HIatus Kaiyote – Tawk Tomahawk (Flying Buddha)
The Stepkids – Troubador (Stones Throw)
Rhye – Woman (Republic)
Homeboy Sandman – Kool Herc: Fertile Crescent (Stones Throw)
Robert Glasper Experiment – Black Radio 2 (Blue Note)
Julian Lage and Chris Eldridge – Close to Picture (independent)
Noam Pikelny – Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe (Compass)
Prince – Breakfast Can Wait (NPG)

Gus Denhard
Early Music Northwest

Vox Luminis – Domenico Scarlatti: Stabat Mater (Ricercar)
Vox Luminis  – Heinrich Schutz (Ricercar)
Rafael Bonavita – Musica Moderna (enchriadis)
Rose Ensemble – Il Poverello (Rose)
Stile Antico – Puer natus est (Harmonia mundi)
Ensemble Caprice – Brandenburg Concertos (Analekta)
Trio Settecento – An English Fancy (Cedille)
Philippe Jaroussky – Vivaldi Heros (Virgin Classics)
Byrd Ensemble – In the Company of William Byrd (Scribe)
La Nef – Dowland in Dublin (ATMA Classique)
“Some old favorites, some new, some just new to me. Enjoy!”

Iaan Hughes
Walkin’ the Floor, Road Songs, Music + Ideas

Robbie Fulks – Gone Away Backward (Bloodshot)
Shannon McNally – Small Town Talk (Sacred Sumac)
Son Volt – Honky Tonk (Rounder)
Emily Herring – Your Mistake (independent)
Valerie June – Pushin’ Against a Stone (Concord)
My Darling Clementine – The Reconciliation? (Five Head Entertainment)
Songs: Ohia – Magnolia Electric Co. (10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) (Secretly Canadian)
Gregory Porter – Liquid Spirit (Universal)
Dawn McCarthy & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – What the Brothers Sang (Drag City)
Rick Shea – Sweet Bernardine (Tres Pescadores)
“It little profits that an idle DJ…mete and dole unequal laws unto equal records.”

J-Justice
City Soul

James Blake – Overgrown (Polydor)
Toro Y Moi – Anything In Return (Carpark)
Machinedrum – Vapor City (Ninja Tune)
Mount Kimbie – Cold Spring Faultless Youth (Warp)
DJ Rashad – Double Cup (Hyperdub)
Justin Timberlake – 20/20 Experience (RCA)
Shigeto – No Better Time Than Now (Ghostly)
Swindle – Love Live The Jazz (Deep Medi)
Quadron – Avalanche (Universal)
Alex Barck – Reunion (Sonar Kollektiv )

Jean Geiger
Folksounds

David Francey – So Say We All (Red House)
John Reischman – Walk Along John (Corvus)
Pharis & Jason Romero – Long Gone Out West Blues (Lula)
Bruce Molksy – If It Ain’t Here When I Get Back (independent)
Kruger Brothers – Remembering Doc Watson (Double Time)
Claire Lynch – Dear Sister (Compass)
Tim O’Brien & Darrell Scott – Memories And Moments (Full Skies)
Sutton, Holt & Coleman – Ready For the Times (High Windy)
John McCutcheon – 22 Days (Appalsongs)
Alice Gerrard – Bittersweet (Spruce and Maple)

John Gilbreath
The Caravan

Cecile McLorin Salvant – Woman Child (Mack Avenue)
Jamieo Brown – Transcendence (Motema)
Jimmy Cliff – The KCRW Session (Universal)
Southwire – Southwire (Chaperone)
Gregory Porter – Liquid Spirit (Blue Note)
Lala Njava – Malagasy Blues (Riverboat)
Laura Marling – Once I was an Eagle (Ribbon)
Alice Russell – To Dust (Tru Thoughts)
Roberto Fonseca – Yo (Jazz Village)
Vijay Iyer & Mike Ladd – Veterans Dreams Project (Pi)
“And so many more!!”

John Midgley
Jazz Sub on Straight No Chaser, Giant Steps

Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society – Brooklyn Babylon  (New Amsterdam)
Terry Lyne Carrington – Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue (Concord)
Steve Coleman and Five Elements – Functional Arrhythmias (Pi)
Ben Goldberg – Subatomic Particle Homesick Blues (BAG Production)
Charles Lloyd/Jason Moran  – Hagar’s Song  (ECM)
Rudresh Mahanthappa – Gamak (ACT)
Pat Metheny – Tap: John Zorn’s Book of Angels, Vol. 20 (Nonesuch)
Luis Perdomo – Links (Criss Cross)
Wayne Shorter Quartet  – Without A Net (Blue Note)
Craig Taborn Trio – Chants  (ECM)
“Selections are alphabetical by artist last name, not ranked by best within the list”

John Seman
Flotation Device

Little Women – Lung (Aum Fidelity)
The Thing – Boot! (independent)
Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog – Your Turn (Northern Spy)
Nicole Mitchell’s Ice Crystals – Aquarius (Delmark)
William Parker – Wood Flute Songs (Aum Fidelity)
Black Host – Life In The Sugar Candle Mines (Northern Spy)
Mike Keneally – You Must Be This Tall & Sluggo! [2013 Mix] (Exowax)
Victor Noriega & Gust Burns – Two Trios (independent)
Carolin Widmann, FRSO – Morton Feldman, Violin and Orchestra (ECM)
Joe McPhee – Nation Time: The Complete Recordings [1969-70] (Corbett vs. Dempsey)
“plus Blue Cranes, Tera Melos, Adam Lane, Joshua Abrams, Daniel Carter, Miles, Watt, Beefheart, FZ…!”

Jonathan Lawson
Flotation Device

Lori Goldston – Film Scores (Sub Rosa)
William Parker – Wood Flute Songs (Aum Fidelity)
Bill Orcutt – A History of Every One (Palilalia)
Syrinx Effect – Gnarly and Sweet (self-released)
Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog – Your Turn (Northern Spy)
Powerdove – Do You Burn? (Circle Into Square)
Jessika Kenney, Eyvind Kang – The Face of the Earth (Ideologic Organ)
Neil Welch – 12 Tiny Explosions (Table and Chairs)
Figeater – Sweet Figeater Surprise (independent)
Chuck Johnson – Crows in the Basilica (Three Lobed)

Kevin O’Connor
Sunday’s Hornpipe

Éamonn Coyne & Kris Drever – Story Map (Compass)
Tony McManus – Mysterious Boundaries (Greentrax)
Faustus – Broken Down Gentlemen (Compass)
Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas  – Abundance (Greentrax)
The Paul McKenna Band  – Elements (Greentrax)
Liz Carroll – On The Off Beat (independent)

Kurt Hamilton
Thom Hartmann (Formerly)

Birth A.D. – I Blame You (Unspeakable Axe)
Inquisition – Obscure Verses For The Multiverse (Season of Mist)
Rusty Hacksaw Project – What Are Heroes? (Rusty Hacksaw)
Darrow Chemical Company – Plastic Smile (W.H.B. Records)
Imprecation – Satanae Tenebris Infinita (Dark Descent)
Gama Bomb – The Terror Tapes (AFM)
Deicide – In The Minds of Evil (Century Media)
Immolation – Kingdom of Conspiracy (Nuclear Blast)
Motorhead – Aftershock (UDR)
Sodom – In War And Pieces (Steamhammer)

Larry Jacobson
The Caravan

Bahama Soul Club – The Cuban Tapes (Buyú)
Bombino – Nomad (Nonesuch)
Carla Bruni – Little French Songs (Verve)
Curumin – Arrocha (Six Degrees)
Etran Finatawa – The Sahara Sessions (Riverboat)
Robert Glasper Experiment – Black Radio 2 (Blue Note)
Valerie June – Pushin’ Against a Stone (Concord)
Anoushka Shankar – Traces of You (Deutsche Grammophon)
Rokia Traoré – Beautiful Africa (Nonesuch)
Various Artists – South Side of Soul Street – The Minaret Soul Singles  (Omnivore)

Larry Lewin
Our Saturday Tradition

John McCutcheon – 22 Days (Appalsongs)
Eric Bogle – Roll Call (Greentrax)
April Verch – Bright Like Gold (Slab Town)
Slaid Cleaves – Still Fighting the War (Music Road)
Various Artists – Unsung Hero: A Tribute to the Music of Ron Davies (Warner / Chappell)
Pharis & Jason Romero – Long Gone Out West Blues (Lula)
Alice Gerrard – Bittersweet (Spruce and Maple)
Various Artists – Acoustic America (Putumayo)
Bill Kirchen – Seeds and Stems (Proper)
The Carper Family – Old-Fashioned Gal (independent)
“Honorable Mention: Big Country Bluegrass, Beppe Gambetta, Yvette Landry, Erynn Marshall, Laura Smith and Robin and Linda Williams”

Mary Kelly
Sunday’s Hornpipe

Pat Broaders, Liz Knowles, Kieran O’Hare – Open The Door For Three (independent)
Mick Conneely & David Munnelly – ‘Tis What It Is (Clo lar-Chonnacht)
Brian Miller & Randy Gosa – The Falling of the Pine (independent)
Joey Abarta – Swimming Against The Falls (independent)
Edel Fox & Neill Byrne – The Sunny Banks (independent)
Téada – In Spite Of The Storm (Gael Linn)
Éamonn Coyne & Kris Drever – Storymap (Compass)
Linda Thompson – Won’t Be Long Now (Pettifer Sounds)
Colleen Raney – Here This Is Home (independent)
Kieran Wade – Out On The Back Roads (independent)

Patrick Whalen
Insomnia Salon

Alex Barck – Reunion (Sonar Kollektiv)
Andy Bey – The World According to Andy Bey  (HighNote)
Willis Earl Beal – Nobody Knows (HXC)
Roberto Fonseca – Yo (Concord)
The Foreign Exchange – Love in Flying Colors (FEM)
Yasmine Hamdan – Ya Nass (Crammed)
Lapalux  – Nostalchic (Brainfeeder)
Anais Mitchell & Jefferson Hamer – Child Ballads (Wilderland)
Kendrick Scott Oracle  – Conviction (Concord)
Maylee Todd – Escapology (Do Right)

Patty Fong
Musica de la Raza  

Leticia Rodriguez – La Americana (Chicken and Beans)
Bola Suriana – Canto Vivo (independent)
Sones de Mexico – 13 Baktun (independent)
Los Cenzontles – Regeneracion (independent)
Mexican Dubwiser – Revolution Radio (KoolArrow)
Las Cafeteras – It’s Time (independent)
Los Vega Son Jarocho – En Tonos Muy Diferentes (Audioflot)
Chicano Batman – Joven Navegante (independent)

Pete Goodall
Bluegrass Ramble

Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice – The Story Of The Day That I Died (Rebel)
The Bluegrass Regulators – One Step Closer (independent)
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen – On The Edge (Compass)
James King – Three Chords And The Truth (Rounder)
Della Mae – This World Oft Can Be (Rounder)
The Steeldrivers – Hammer Down (Rounder)
Noam Pikelny – Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe (Compass)
Jim Lauderdale – Old Time Angels (Sky Crunch)
Rebecca Frazier – When We Fall (Compass)
Sideline – Session 1 (Mountain Fever)

Rus Thompson
Road Songs

Holly Williams – The Highway (independent)
Jason Isbell – Southeastern (independent)
Willie Nelson – To All The Girls (Legacy)
Townes Van Zandt – The Sunshine Boy Demos: 1971-72 (Omnivore)
Robbie Fulks – Gone Away Backward (Bloodshot)
Jessie Payo – Down The Mountain (Payote Records)
Mandolin Orange – This Side of Jordan (Yep Roc)
Tom Jones – Spirit in the Room (Rounder)
Glen Campbell – See You There (Surfdog)

Samia Panni
Raizes

Andrea Dutra – Jamba (Carlos Mills Brasil)
Andre Mehmari/Sérgio Santos/Chico Pinheiro – Triz (Buriti/Monteverdi)
Dani & Debora Gurgel Quarteto – Um (Tratore)
Ed Motta – Aor (Dwitza Music)
Itibere Zwarg & Grupo – Identidade (Delira Música)
Dom Salvador Sextet – The Art of Samba Jazz (Salmarsi)
Nana, Dori e Danilo – Caymmi (Som Livre)
Djavan – Rua Dos Amores (Universal)
Téka – So Many Stars (Blue In Green Productions)
Edu Lobo – Edu Lobo & Metropole Orkest (Biscoito Fino)

Sandy Macdonald
Sunday Folks

Pharis & Jason Romero – Long Gone Out West Blues (Lula)
Bruce Molsky – If It Ain’t Here When I Get Back (independent)
Lauren Sheehan – The Light Still Burns (Wilson River)
Banjo Babes – Banjo Babes (Wepecket Island)
Pokey LaFarge – Pokey LaFarge (Third Man)
Alice Gerrard – Bittersweet (Spruce & Maple)
Martha Redbone Roots Project – The Garden of Love – Songs of William Blake (Blackfeet)
Old Buck – Old Buck (Tin Halo Music)
Veronica Sbergia & Max Di Bernardi – Old Stories For Modern Times (independent)
Dave Van Ronk – Down In Washington Square (3 CD set) (Smithsonian Folkways)

Scott Farley
Neon Interstate

Neko Case – The Worse Things Get (Anti)
Rose Windows – The Sun Dogs (Sub Pop)
David Bowie – The Next Day (ISO)
Iggy & The Stooges – Ready To Die (Fat Possum)
Black Sabbath – 13 (Republic)
Patricia Barber – Smash (Concord)
Various Artists – Sound City – Real To Reel (Roswell/RCA)
Various Artists – 20 Feet From Stardom (Columbia)
Cash Box Kings – Black Toppin’ (Blind Pig)
Star Anna – Go To Hell (Spark & Shine)
“Where the lights shine bright at night!”

Sharon Stevens
Raizes  

Dani & Debora Gurgel Quarteto – Um (Dapavirada)
André Mehmari, Chico Pinheiro, Sérgio Santos – Triz (Buriti)
Marcio Local – Na Raça (Independent)
Joyce – Tudo (Far Out)
Rogério Santos – Crônicas Paulistanas (AA)
Rogê – Brenguelé (Coqueiro Verde)
Nilson Matta – Nilson Matta’s Black Orpheus (Motema)
Mario Adnet – Amazônia – On The Forest Trail (Adventure)
Jovino Santos Neto – Piano Masters Series Vol. 4 (Adventure)
Antonio Adolfo – Finas Misturas (AAM)

Sonya Green
Music + Ideas

Gregory Porter – Liquid Soul (Universal)
Alice Russell – To Dust (Tru Thoughts)
Robert Glasper Experiment – Black Radio 2 (Universal)
Alice Smith – She (Rainwater)
The Greyboy Allstars – Inland Emperor (Knowledge Room)
Robin McKelle – Soul Flower (Sony)
Dumpstaphunk – Dirty Word (Louisiana Red Hot)
Booker T. Jones – Sound the Alarm (Stax/Concord)
Various Artists – The Ladies of Joe Gibb (VP)
Bahama Soul Club – The Cuban Tapes (Buyú)

Steve Ramsey
Caravan Substitute, Hawaii Radio Connection  

Richard Thompson – Electric (New West)
Çiğdem Aslan – Mortissa (Asphalt Tango)
Natacha Atlas – Habibi: Classics & Collaborations (Nascente)
Bill Frisell – Big Sur (Sony Classical/OKeh)
Patrick Landeza – Slack Key Huak’i (Addison Street)
Linda Thompson –  Won’t Be Long Now (Pettifer Sounds)
Various Artists – Greek Rhapsody: Instrumental Music from Greece, 1905-1956 (Dust-To-Digital)
Ashley Monroe – Like A Rose (Warner Brothers)
Billie Jo Armstrong + Norah Jones – Foreverly (Reprise Records)
Fanfara Tirana meets Transglobal Underground – Kabatronics (World Village)

Tamara Lewis
Sunday Folks

Valerie June – Pushin’ Against a Stone (Concord)
Gregory Alan Isakov – The Weatherman  (independent)
Milk Carton Kids – Ash and Clay (Anti)
Slaid Cleaves – Still FIghting the War (Music Road)
David Francey – So Say We All (Red House)
Patty Griffin – American Kid (New West)
Shannon Whitworth and Barrett Smith – Bring it on Home (independent)
Amy Speace – How to Sleep in a Stormy Boat (Wind Bone)
Lissa Schneckenburger – Covers (independent)
Grace Pettis – Two Birds (Blue Rock)
Best EP: The Living Sisters – Run for Cover (Vanguard)

Thomas Sudassy
Al Lado Latino, Sabor

Cesar Pupy Pedroso y Los Que Son Son – Siempre Pupy (BIS)
Buika – La Noche Más Larga (Warner Music Latina)
Yoruba Andabo –  El Espíritu De La Rumba (BIS)
Mayito Rivera – Alma De Sonero (Connector)
Pedrito Martinez – The Pedrito Martinez Group (Motema)
Rumbata – La Rumba Del Siglo  (BIS)
Yunior Terry & Son De Altura – Mi Bajo Danzon (Palo Santo)
Giraldo Piloto Y Klimax – Toda Esta Bien (Cuba Music Records and Colibri )
Maykel Blanco Y Su Salsa Mayor  –  A Toda Maquina (Planet Records)
Timbalive – Con La Musica Cubana NO! (Latin Power)
“My top 10 for 2013 focuses on the music of Cuba, but I have many other favorites from Haiti, Brazil, Ethiopia, Congo, and the U.S.”

Tom Keeney
Bluegrass Ramble

Jr. Sisk & Joe Mullins – Hall of Fame Bluegrass (Rebel)
Chris Brashear – Heart of the Country (Dog Boy)
Adam Steffey – New Primitive (Organic)
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen – On the Edge (Compass)
Peter Rowan – The Old School (Compass)
Alan Bibey & Wayne Benson – Mandolin Chronicles (Pinecastle)
Boxcars – It’s Just a Road (Mountain Home)
James King – 3 Chords and the Truth (Rounder)
Jim Lauderdale – Old Time Angels (Sky Crunch)
Gibson Brothers – They Call it Music (Compass)

Tracey Wickersham
Womanotes

Sarah Jarosz   – Build Me Up From Bones  (Sugar Hill )
Laura Marling – Once I Was An Eagle (Ribbon)
Aiofe O’ Donovan  – Fossils (Yep Roc)
Valerie June – Pushin’ Against a Stone (Concord)
Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison  – Cheater’s Game  (Premium/Thirty Tigers)
Laura Veirs  – Warp & Weft  (Raven Marching Band)
Mavis Staples   – One True Vine  (Anti)
Laura Cortese – Into the Dark  (independent)
Rokia Traore – Beautiful Africa  (Nonesuch)
Pharis & Jason Romero  – Long Gone Out West Blues  (Lula)
“Great year!  Honorable mentions: Amanda Shires, Shannon McNally, Caitlin Rose, Mazzy Star, Pepper Proud, Patty Griffin, Lindi Ortega, Linda Thompson, Alela Diane, Norah Jones & Billy Joe Armstrong, Anoushka Shankar, Holly Williams, Dayna Kurtz, Juana Molina, Maylee Todd, Neko Case, Over the Rhine, Lily & Madeline, Ruth Moody, Amy Speace, Cara Luft, Karine Polwart, Lissa Schneckenburger, Thao & the Get Down Stay Down”