December 28, 2013 CHIRP Radio Playlist (Show #189)

Today I played selections from my Top 20 albums of the year. Those albums will be identified with their rank in parentheses.

9:02 AM Laura Mvula • Sing to the Moon • Sing to the Moon • Sony (#20)

9:06 AM Outrageous Cherry • Wonderful • Stereo Action Rent Party • Third Gear

9:08 AM John Grant • Pale Green Ghosts • Pale Green Ghosts • Partisan (#19)

December 21, 2013 CHIRP Radio Playlist (Show #188)

This week, I played songs from albums 21 through 40 on my Top 40 of 2013 list. Thus, next week I'll do the same with 1 through 20.

9:04 AM Corin Ashley • Badfinger Blues • New Lion Terraces • Murray Hill (#40)

9:07 AM Tracey Thorn • Snow In Sun • Tinsel and Lights • Merge

9:09 AM Franz Ferdinand • Fresh Strawberries • Right Thoughts Right Words Right Action • Domino (#39)

My Top 40 LPs of 2013

Well, another year of music in the books. With the sheer volume of stuff coming out in any given year, of course there is plenty of good stuff. This year, I didn't find many definite classic albums, but scads of good ones. Which is why I think I ended up ranking 40 of them. I think I listened to roughly 130 or so albums this year, and maybe 10 or 20 more, to give you an idea of the pool I drew from. As always, the rankings are less fine tuned after 15, and even more so past number 25. It's just fun to list and write about the records I enjoyed the most. So let's go from the bottom to the top, Casey Kasem style.

December 14, 2013 CHIRP Radio Playlist (Show #187)

9:00 AM Paul Weller • Stanley Road • Stanley Road • London

9:05 AM The Well Wishers • Good Luck • Dunwoody • self-released

9:08 AM Eef Barzelay • So Down We Go • So Down We Go • self-released

9:15 AM Nick Lowe • Christmas At the Airport • Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family • Yep Roc

9:18 AM Ronderlin • Wave Another Day Goodbye • Wave Another Day Goodbye • Hidden Agenda

9:20 AM Antony & the Johnsons • Hope There's Someone • I Am a Bird Now • Secretly Canadian

9:27 AM Sparks • When I'm With You • Terminal Jive • Virgin

9:32 AM ShowYouSuck • 80's Boobs • Dude Bro EP • Closed Sessions

9:35 AM Charles Mingus • Roland Kirk's Message • Mingus Plays Piano • Impulse!

9:39 AM Bruce Springsteen • It's Hard To Be A Saint in The City • Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. • Columbia

9:42 AM Shearwater • Tomorrow • Fellow Travelers • Sub Pop

9:45 AM Catarina Dee Jah • Kay Fora • Oi! A Nova Música Brasileira! • Mais Um Discos

9:49 AM Andrew Bird • Hover I • I Want To See Pulaski at Night • Grimsey

9:53 AM The Cowsills • We Can Fly • We Can Fly • MGM

9:55 AM Beach House • Lazuli • Bloom • Sub Pop

10:01 AM The Marmalade • Bad Weather • Songs • Decca

10:04 AM Sonny And The Sunsets • Those Drawings I Told You About • I Need You Bad • Polyvinyl

10:07 AM KLANG • The 4:08 • Other Doors • Allos Documents

10:12 AM Eiren Caffall • Burdensome and Rich • Slipping the Holdfast • self-released

10:15 AM ABC • How To Be A Millionaire • How To Be A... Zillionaire! • Mercury

10:19 AM Vampire Weekend • Campus • Vampire Weekend • XL

10:24 AM Mark Gardener • Snow In Mexico • These Beautiful Ghosts • United for Opportunity

10:28 AM Logos • Swarming (feat. Rabit) • Cold Mission • Keysound Recordings

10:32 AM Future Islands • An Apology • In Evening Air • Thrill Jockey

10:37 AM The Idle Race • I Like My Toys • The Birthday Party • Liberty

10:39 AM John Legend & The Roots • Hard Times (featuring Black Thought) • Wake Up! • Columbia

10:44 AM Daedelus • Flat Faded • Drown Out • anticon.

10:50 AM David Garza • Silent Night • Little Strummer Boy • self-released

10:52 AM The Sneetches • What I Know • Blow Out The Sun • spinART

10:55 AM M83 • Car Chase Terror! • Before the Dawn Heals Us • Mute

11:00 AM Hookworms • In Our Time • Pearly Mystic • Domino

11:04 AM Tim Kinsella • 100 Kinds of Crazy • Tim Kinsella Sings the Songs of Marvin Tate by Leroy Bach Featuring Angel Olsen • Joyful Noise

11:06 AM Paleo • You in Your New Winter Coat • A View of the Sky • Parisan

11:11 AM Los Campesinos! • As Lucerne/The Low • No Blues • Wichita

11:16 AM Rockpile • Oh What A Thrill • Seconds Of Pleasure • Columbia

11:19 AM Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine • Another Brick in the Wall • Ruby Trax • NME

11:24 AM Sylvester • Do You Wanna Funk • A Night To Remember • Unidisc

11:29 AM Melt-Banana • Schemes Of The Tails • fetch • A-Zap

11:33 AM Ravin' Seeds • Turn On Your TV • The Violence Inherent In Our System • NKVD

11:36 AM Creedence Clearwater Revival • Penthouse Pauper • Bayou Country • Fantasy

11:40 AM Bottomless Pit • Null Set • Shade Perennial • Comedy Minus One

11:44 AM Flying Lotus • Arkestry • Cosmogramma • Warp

11:49 AM Bad Religion • Little Drummer Boy • Christmas Songs • Epitaph

11:51 AM Pete Shelley • Telephone Operator • XL1 • Arista

11:54 AM Boo Williams • Snare Tappin' • Home Town Chicago • Anotherday

December 7, 2013 CHIRP Radio Playlist (Show #186)

9:01 AM Dolly Varden • The Dumbest Magnets • The Dumbest Magnets • Evil Teen

9:06 AM Espectrostatic • Smokeface Appears • Espectrostatic • Trouble In Mind

9:09 AM XTC • Standing In For Joe • Wasp Star • TVT

9:12 AM Fabie Anstee Trio • No Money, No Whiskey • Home • self-released

9:17 AM Rosanne Cash • Heartaches By the Number • The List • Manhattan

9:20 AM The Rural Alberta Advantage • Stamp • Departing • Saddle Creek

9:25 AM The Sweet • Reflections • Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be • RCA

9:27 AM Mike Reed's People, Places & Things • Basil Outside • Second Cities: Volume 1 • 482 Music

9:33 AM Pinback • Charborg • This Is a Pinback CD • Ace Fu

9:38 AM The dB's • She's Not Worried • Stands for Decibels • Albion

9:41 AM bEEdEEgEE • Overlook • SUM/ONE • 4AD

9:44 AM Charlie Deets • Skinny Girl with C's • The Power of Suggestion • Paribus

9:48 AM Helado Negro • Detroit • Island Universe Story Two • Asthmatic Kitty

9:52 AM The Pretty Things • Death Of A Socialite • Get A Buzz • Fontana

9:55 AM Massive Attack • Babel • Heligoland • Virgin

10:01 AM Nat King Cole • Mr. Cole Won't Rock 'n' Roll • Nat King Cole • Capitol

10:08 AM Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks • Lariat • Wig Out at Jagbags • Matador

10:13 AM Conway • Hustler • Big Talk EP • Columbia

10:17 AM The Maccabees • Pelican • Given to the Wild • Fiction

10:20 AM The Christians • Hooverville • The Christians • Island

10:26 AM Wire • I Am The Fly • Chairs Missing • EMI

10:29 AM Higgins Waterproof Black Magic Band • Wpic • Higgins Waterproof Black Magic Band EP • ZNA

10:33 AM cub • Pillow Queen • Box Of Hairs • Mint

10:37 AM Bobby Womack • Home Is Where The Heart Is • Greatest Hits • Capitol

10:40 AM You Am I • Ain't Exactly Good • Songs for Slim: Rockin' Here Tonight • New West

10:43 AM Judson Claiborne • Any Day Woman • Before Midnight Scholar • self-released

10:47 AM Cut Copy • In Memory Capsule • Free Your Mind • Modular

10:51 AM Edwyn Collins • Dilemna • Understated • AED

10:55 AM Frankie Gee • Date With The Rain • Groove Merchant Turns 20: 14 Selections from Behind the Counter • Luv N Haight

10:57 AM Splitsville • The Misfits • Ultrasound • Big Deal

11:00 AM Public Enemy • Miuzi Weighs a Ton • Yo! Bum Rush the Show • Def Jam

11:06 AM Mount Eerie • Clear Moon • Pre-Human Ideas • P.W. Elverum & Sun

11:09 AM My Dad Is Dead • Let's Be DIY • The Engine of Commerce • Vital Cog

11:14 AM M.I.A. • Bring The Noize • Matangi • N.E.E.T.

11:18 AM The Fall • I've Been Duped • Imperial Wax Solvent • Sanctuary

11:21 AM Willie Dixon • I Ain't Superstitious • I Am the Blues • Columbia/Legacy

11:26 AM The Smugglers • Useless Rocker • Rosie • Lookout!

11:29 AM Big Business • No Vowels • Battlefields Forever • Gold Metal

11:33 AM The Walkmen • On the Water • You & Me • Gigantic

11:37 AM Toots and the Maytals • Broadway Jungle • Time Tough The Anthology • Island

11:40 AM The Limiñanas • My Black Sabbath • Costa Blanca • Trouble In Mind

11:43 AM Swiss Dots • Let's Fade • Glaciers • Vinahyde

11:48 AM Magik Markers • Crebs • Surrender to the Fantasy • Drag City

11:52 AM Big Drill Car • I Don't Mind • Something's Gone Wrong Again • C/Z

11:54 AM John Berberian and the Rock East Ensemble • Flying Hye • Middle Eastern Rock • Rev-Ola