The top 10 Atlanta albums of 2013

From Paracosm to Run the Jewels, it was a stellar year in music

After much deliberation, CL music scribes weigh in on the top 10 Atlanta albums of 2013.

10) Curtis Williams, Half Forgotten Daydreams: OutKast’s Big Boi once rapped, “I’m a family type of person but I’m deadly dolo too.” The line sums up the feeling of an artist branching out from the group (or in this case collective) that generated his or her initial buzz. From the smoked-out chill of “Face It” to the bass-knocking “Automatic,” Curtis Williams’ latest effort shows and proves the Two-9 figurehead can sonically and lyrically stand on his own. — Gavin Godfrey

9) Noot d’ Noot, Horn of Plenty: Swaying through a host of musical genres ranging from R&B, funk, Afrobeat, and ’60s rock, the eight-piece Noot d’ Noot offered up its most cohesive album yet. Horn of Plenty reaches deeper and higher into the outer limits of stylistic fusion while keeping the party weird. — Sonam Vashi


8) deadCAT, Transientualism: In many respects, Transientualism took charge this year as the leader of Atlanta’s weirdo music scene. The album highlights a primal but honed rhythm section, flanked by ephemeral glitches of melody and structure, composed from a catchy but caustic sound palette that reveals deeper rewards with each listen. — Bobby Power

7) The Difference Machine, The Psychedelic Sounds of...: When it comes to experimental or psychedelic hip-hop in Atlanta, nothing comes close to touching DT and Dr. Conspiracy’s debut LP. The 16 songs that make up the album give rise to a sonic world that’s wholly unique: hypnotic, disturbing, and endlessly beautiful. No other album produced in Atlanta achieved — let alone attempted — the aural curiosities contained within The Psychedelic Sounds of.... — BP

6) Little Tybee, For Distant Viewing: The album’s violin-infused textures and inspired pop songwriting ooze with charm, blending innocence with a sense of musical artistry that carry the brain and the ears to a refined higher level of sensory bliss. — SV

5) Dead in the Dirt, The Blind Hole: Muddying the lines between hardcore, grindcore, and metal, Dead in the Dirt’s debut is an unrelenting onslaught of drilling rhythm and brutal vocals, creating an album rooted in the balance between anxiety and catharsis, pushing the influence of many extreme strands of music to new physical, emotional, and intellectual highs. — SV


4) Washed Out, Paracosm: On the heels of releasing his 2011 Sub Pop debut, Within and Without, Ernest Greene reinvented the chillwave sound that’s so often pegged to his name. Using a more commanding set of sounds, while upping the strength of live performances, Greene blew out every detail of the album, from the cover art to the balance of organic and electronic textures that give it such a rich and vibrant presence. — SV

3) Deerhunter, Monomania: Vacillating between bouts of ominous and wide-eyed noise in the album’s title track, and the touching pop modesty of “Back to the Middle,” Monomania is Deerhunter’s boldest offering yet. The album stands as a testament to the group’s 13-year legacy, which has cycled through a few members, but hasn’t lost an ounce of potency, even when plowing into completely new sonic terrain. — BP

2) Janelle Monáe, The Electric Lady: Taking her futuristic Metropolis opera to the next level, the “Q.U.E.E.N.” of neo-R&B delivers an extraordinary journey into soulful sci-fi grooves with her sophomore release. — SV


1) Run the Jewels, Run the Jewels: Remember when certain rap songs made you want to hide that gold chain grandma got you? Well consider this collaboration between Killer Mike and Brooklyn’s El-P as hip-hop’s answer to Deebo from Friday. With chants like, “Do dope, fuck hope,” Killer Kill from Adamsville and his New York partner in rhyme top the list by releasing one of the best “gangsta rap” albums in a long time. — GG