Here are 13 tracks from this year that I feel really define my taste and are particularly groundbreaking in some way or another. I hope you find a band or two you really like from our collective playlists, that you keep up with TMD in 2014 for more badassery, and that you have a wonderful new year!

For each of us this was a difficult task. How does one compare Postiljonen, Two Door Cinema Club and The Knocks? Each one feels so different and fills such a unique niche that we could debate their individual merits well into 2014. At the end of the day, sometimes you just have to go with your gut. Fortunately, that is pretty much what we do around here which is how we made it through this harrowing experience.

Unlike my cohorts, I was unable to pare down my selection to fewer than twenty tracks. Anything less than that seemed unrepresentative of the wonderful tapestry of music that has passed through our collective imagination here at TMD. I hope you enjoy this installment and please let us know if any of your faves that were left on the chopping block (we all have some there, trust me). Happy holidays and enjoy!!!

The Spotify playlist is the unabridged version of my favorites from 2013. It is arranged in no particular order so shuffle might be the best way to enjoy it.

Claire bio
The three young musicians and producers, Matthias Hauck, Nepomuk
Heller and Florian Kiermaier, who share a studio in the south of
Munich, decided at the beginning of 2012, to produce a track with the
singer-songwriter Josie-Claire Bürkle, for a film project amongst friends.

The evening was to become legendary and aspired ambitions to
immediatly do more.

Three months of intensive studio work followed, at the end of which
an EP emerged that achieved in a short space of
time, 30.000 Soundcloud plays and caught the attention of
labels, bookers, radio stations and blogs.

Now Claire is born, a band that finds itself somewhere
between synthpop, electronic-pop, half-time beats, hip-hop and indie
and they´re ready to be let loose on the stages of the world.

I’ve started slow here, like you would if you were up as the sun was just peeking over the horizon. The tempo climbs as we move in the the early afternoon and slows down for a delicious sunset. There are some mellow tracks and some bangers in there, something for everyone! If you don’t have time for the whole mix in one sitting I would especially recommend Always by Panama. It’s not to be missed. Enjoy the rainbow and the jams and as they say here in Hawaii, Mahalo!