2013: The Year in Review

Every year I do one of these review things, and every year I think really, why add to the overwhelming volume of people ranking and comparing things that have almost nothing to do with each other except that they happened in 2013? And each year I think, well, I'll just do it for me so I can get a semblance of unity to things and briefly look back instead of constantly focusing on what is happening or about to happen.

One theme that stood out from my restricted view seating at the arena show that was music and culture this year is the preoccupation that Australian men have with being Australian men. Artists like Kirin J Callinan and Standish/Carlyon got acres of press coverage, millions of clicks and thousands of views and attendees at their shows as they (along with less bombastic artists such as Jonny Telafone, The Paradise Motel and Geoffery O'Connor) picked apart the notion of masculinity and, intentionally or not, sought to stake their claim as artists by thrusting frailties and weaknesses into the spotlight. Even Fringe Festival performances from Ben Pobje, Sabrina D'Angelo and Grit Theatre seemed to find a wealth of material in this shifting world of gender in mainstream media. 

Quite separately, the inevitability of gay marriage dominated the news, and social media chewed over where the lines for 'too much' were going to be drawn as Miley twerked and Kanye and Kim got incredible milage for their boundary pushing. Kirin J Callinan singing Embracism in the shower is a hard watch for most people, and that discomfort is, for me, 2013 in a sentiment. Is it his hoarse voice, his naked body filmed casually yet edited strikingly, is it the images in the song of child on child violence, is it the crap tattoos and the lack of make up and flattering lighting? Whatever it is, it felt more real and powerful than almost anything else this year.

The pope addressed difficult issues with sensitivity, films like Blue is the Warmest Colour and Only God Forgives provoked strongly divergent reactions due to their content, the sudden spotlighting of the Bechel test - a gauge of feminism in film that has been around for decades, the wild success and 'ironic misogyny' from hair metallers Steel Panther and from the sprawling impact of Odd Future and Kanye; discussions around the boundaries between sex, gender and identity were rarely, if ever, more prevalent in the media. Not to mention the litany of fascinating and complex female protagonists from that still-patriarchal world of Hollywood (Blue Jasmine, Frances Ha, Before Midnight, Frozen). And that, politics and environmental issues aside, is a reason to be positive about 2014.

TOP TWENTY ALBUMS

1. No Blues LOS CAMPESINOS!

2. m b v MY BLOODY VALENTINE
3. Dallas THE NATIVE CATS
4. Light Up Gold PARQUET COURTS
5. Purple Skies, Toxic River TV COLOURS
6. Heavy Flow ABSOLUTE BOYS
7. Silence Yourself SAVAGES
8. Centralia MOUNTAINS
9. Tussles DAY RAVIES
10. Electric PET SHOP BOYS
11. Fade YO LA TENGO
12. Dream River BILL CALAHAN
13. Calluses PIKELET
14. Wakin on a Pretty Daze KURT VILE
15. The Loving Gaze MONTERO
16. Slow Focus FUCK BUTTONS 
17. Tomorrow’s Harvest BOARDS OF CANADA 
18. Slow Summits THE PASTELS
19. Anxiety AUTRE NE VEUT
20. Random Access Memories DAFT PUNK

TOP FIVE MISCELLANEOUS ALBUMS 
1. Community 3 – A Compilation of Hobart Music VARIOUS
2. The Stickmen/Man Made Stars (reissues) THE STICKMEN
3. Solaris (Soundtrack) BEN FROST AND DANIEL BJARNASON 
4. You Can't Hide Your Love Forever (reissue) ORANGE JUICE
5. Only God Forgives (Soundtrack) CLIFF MARTINEZ

TOP TWENTY SONGS 
1. Stoned and Starving PARQUET COURTS
2. Rival Dealer BURIAL 
3. Clear Sailing / Alpha World City #2 MONTERO
4. Alligator SUPER WILD HORSES 
5. Wakin’ on a Pretty Day KURT VILE
6. What Death Leaves Behind LOS CAMPESINOS!
7. Shut Up SAVAGES
8. Nono/Yoyo STANDISH/CARLYON
9. Stay (feat. Hayden Calnin) TULLY ON TULLY
10. Morning PRUDENCE REES-LEE 
11. Embracism KIRIN J CALLINAN 
12. Lost Highway TV COLOURS
13. Play By Play AUTRE NE VEUT
14. I’m Gonna Get Dressed Up TIDY TOWNS
15. I Remember Everyone THE NATIVE CATS
16. Royals LORDE
17. Love is a Bourgeois Construct PET SHOP BOYS
18. Get Lucky DAFT PUNK
19. I'm the Worst CATSUIT 
20. Song For Zula PHOSPHORESCENT

BEST NEW ARTISTS 

1. Absolute Boys
2. TV Colours
3. Day Ravies
4. Prudence Rees-Lee
5. The Stevens

TOP FIVE INTERNATIONAL ARTIST GIGS 
1. ESG HI FI BAR

2. Television MONA
3. My Bloody Valentine THE PALACE
4. Fuck Buttons FESTIVAL HUB
5. The Stone Roses FESTIVAL HALL 

TOP FIVE AUSTRALIAN ARTIST GIGS 

1. Lowtide, The Stevens, Day Ravies, Zone Out THE TOTE
2. The Native Cats THE GASOMETER
3. Ainslie Wills NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB
4. The Caribs FESTIVAL HUB
5. The Night Before Tomorrow STICKY INSTITUTE 

TOP FIVE TV SHOWS 

1. Game of Thrones
2. Media Watch
3. Homeland 
4. Mad Men
5. Top of the Lake 

TOP TEN MOVIES 
1. The Act of Killing

2. The Hunt
3. A Field in England
4. Good Vibrations
5. Cloud Atlas 
6. Gravity
7. Blue Jasmine
8. Frances Ha
9. Before Midnight
10. Drinking Buddies 

TOP FIVE RADIO SHOWS/PODCASTS 

1. Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo’s Film Reviews – Radio Five Live
2. Lime Champions - RRR
3. In Our Time With Melvyn Bragg – BBC Radio 4 
4. Friday Night Comedy – BBC Radio 4
5. Consequential Lyrics - Cassettes & Chocolate Milk

PREDICTIONS FOR 2014 
The government to make a lot of unpopular decisions that serve themselves and their cronies, an apathetic majority to ignore them, great art to be made about their repercussions and Lowtide to release a killer LP that has nothing to do with them. I also predict I will be arrested for peacefully protesting. 

THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES AWARD 

Arcade Fire’s Reflektor 

QUOTE OF THE YEAR 

"A man can meet another man in a bar. On the sportsfield. At his place of work. Or in his own apartment. OR ON THE INTERNET RIGHT NOW." - Kirin J Callinan