My favorite albums of the year, in no particular order:

1. Body/Head – Coming Apart

2. Bob Dylan, 50th Anniversary Collection 1963

3. Throwing Muses – Purgatory/ Paradise

4. Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell – Old Yellow Moon

5. Bob Dylan – Another Self-Portrait

6. La Lux – It’s Alive

7. Savages – Silence Yourself

8. M.I.A. – Matangi

9. Arcade Fire – Reflektor

10. Joanna Gruesome – Weird Sister

11. Boards of Canada – Tomorrow’s Harvest

12. Deerhunter – Monomania

13. Sky Ferreira – Night Time, My Time

14. Bill Callahan – Dream River

15. Neil Young – Live at the Cellar Door

16. Haim – Days Are Gone

17. Son Volt – Honky Tonk

18. Personal Records – Eleanor Friedberger

19. William Onyeabor – Who Is William Onyeabor?

Best Comp/Reissue/Box Set:

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band, Trout Mask Replica (Zappa Records)

Also of note, though it was released in 2012: Captain Beefheart, Bat Chain Puller

Favorite Music Film/Other Film

These are films I watched this year and really dug: The Butler, Beautiful Losers, Not Fade Away, The Last Mistress, Band of Outsiders

Favorite Music Book / Other Book

The Story of a New Name – Elena Ferrante

I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen – Sylvie Simmons

Just Kids – Patti Smith

I Dreamed I Was A Very Clean Tramp – Richard Hell

Musical Highlights of 2013

Dylan’s Another Self Portrait; the rollout of Arcade Fire’s Reflektor; the unfolding of Kim Gordon’s solo career; a highlight not in a good way was Lou Reed’s death; the return of My Bloody Valentine and Neutral Milk Hotel; Jeff Tweedy solo tour; Sleater-Kinney on stage with Pearl Jam singing ‘Rockin’ in the Free World.’

-– A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –-