Music

The top albums of 2013

Hardeep’s #1: Kanye West

“Yeezus”

He will never be as good as he thinks he is, but with “Yeezus,” Kanye proves he’s still better than anyone else out there. The 11 tracks are as erratic and electric as his rants, covering everything from stinging electro to dense dancehall and tender soul. But all of “Yeezus” is designed to provoke: If you love it, Kanye wins; if you hate it, Kanye still wins.

Michaelangelo’s #1: Brandy Clark

“12 Stories”

A country-hit songwriter stepping onstage isn’t new, but done this well, it’s startling. Clark’s writing (usually with Shane McAnally), singing and arrangements are spare but endlessly compelling. Narratives this good are rare. So is wanting to hear them repeatedly, whether funny (“Stripes”) or heartbreaking (“Hold My Hand”).

Hardeep’s #2: The Flaming Lips

“The Terror”

After 30 years and 13 studio albums, you’d expect the Oklahoma oddballs to dial back their weirdness a little. Not a chance, because “The Terror” is one of the most far-out and freaky psychedelic rock adventures undertaken in recent times.

Michaelangelo’s #2: DJ Koze

“Amygdala”

From a tricky German dance DJ and producer — whose 2009 collection of remixes is better than most people’s real albums — this is, instantly, one of the most gently dizzying head-trip records of all time. Amid all the zooming bass and crazy brass, you go away humming melodies like “Nices Wölkchen.”

Hardeep’s #3: Savages

“Silence Yourself”

On their debut album, the London quartet channels Joy Division and Siouxsie and the Banshees with such force, it feels like their songs could leap out of the speakers and take your head clean off. A firecracker of feminine rage.

Michaelangelo’s #3: Le Grand Kallé

“His Life, His Music”

Born Joseph Kabasele, Kallé was the lodestone of modern Congolese pop, and these 38 glorious guitar songs not only changed the country’s music, it rippled out all over Africa and then the world (see Vampire Weekend). Recorded from 1951 to 1970, these songs are his legacy — unrelentingly lovely, tuneful and lively.

Hardeep’s #4: Blood Orange

“Cupid Deluxe”

He might be a Brit, but on his second album, adopted New Yorker Dev Hynes managed to add a new dimension to American soul/R&B of the ’80s and ’90s, as well as bringing the characters of Gotham’s nocturnal underbelly to the surface. The sound of Prince married to the words of Lou Reed.

Michaelangelo’s #4: Disclosure

“Settle”

Siblings from London, Guy and Howard Lawrence make garage-jumpy, energetic house music with itchy accents and a slew of eager guest singers like AlunaGeorge. The tracks do everything right, from slinky bass undertow to songs that lodge in your head, like the sermon-sampling “When a Fire Starts to Burn.”

Hardeep’s #5: Factory Floor

“Factory Floor”

EDM euphoria got music fans reaching for the ceiling this year, but those who prefer dance music with an added bite were more interested in Factory Floor. The British trio mixes techno grooves with industrial aggression to create a sound that thrills both on and off the dance floor.

Michaelangelo’s #5: Derrick May and Jimmy Edgar

“We Love Detroit”

One of Detroit techno’s founding fathers (May) and a younger DJ-producer (Edgar) each pick a CD’s worth of dance tracks that define their home city. May goes for big, boisterous grooves with jazzy coloring, like Andrés’ “New 4 U”; Edgar’s picks, like Magda’s “Late Night Woodward,” are spikier. Both are a blast.