KEXP DJs have chosen their Top Albums of 2013. You can check out their lists below. And don’t forget to tune in to KEXP on Thursday, December 19, to listen to our 2013 90.3 Top Album Countdown, as determined by you the listeners.
JOHN RICHARDS
DJ and host of The Morning Show every Monday through Friday from 6am to 10am
| rank | artist | album | label |
| 10 | Nine Inch Nails | Hesitation Marks | Columbia |
| 9 | Washed Out | Paracosm | Sub Pop |
| 8 | Phosphorescent | Muchacho | Dead Oceans |
| 7 | Daughter | If You Leave | 4AD |
| 6 | Jagwar Ma | Howlin | Mom + Pop |
| 5 | Lucius | Wildewoman | Mom + Pop |
| 4 | Arcade Fire | Reflektor | Merge |
| 3 | Portugal, The Man | Evil Friends | Atlantic |
| 2 | The National | Trouble Will Find Me | 4AD |
| 1 | Foals | Holy Fire | Warner Bros. |
CHERYL WATERS
DJ and host of The Midday Show every Monday through Friday from 10am to 2pm
| artist | album | label |
| Phosphorescent | Muchacho | Dead Oceans |
| Wooden Shjips | Back To Land | Thrill Jockey |
| The Besnard Lakes | Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO | Jagjaguwar |
| Portugal. The Man | Evil Friends | Atlantic |
| Parquet Courts | Light Up Gold | What’s Your Rupture? |
| Bill Callahan | Dream River | Drag City |
| Superchunk | I Hate Music | Merge |
| Foals | Holy Fire | Warner Bros/Transgressive |
| The Moondoggies | Adios I’m a Ghost | Hardly Art |
| The National | Trouble Will Find Me | 4AD |
KEVIN COLE
DJ and host of The Afternoon Show every Monday through Friday from 2pm to 6pm
| rank | artist | album | label |
| 10 | Cloud Cult | Love | Earthology |
| 9 | The National | Trouble Will Find Me | 4AD |
| 8 | Portugal.The Man | Evil Friends | Atlantic |
| 7 | Jonathan Wilson | Fanfare | Downtown |
| 6 | Parquet Courts | Light Up Gold | What’s Your Rupture? |
| 5 | Sin Fang | Flowers | Morr Music |
| 4 | John Grant | Pale Green Ghosts | Bella Union |
| 3 | Julianna Barwick | Nepenthe | Dead Oceans |
| 2 | Yo La Tengo | Fade | Matador |
| 1 | Bill Callahan | Dream River | Drag City |
DON SLACK
DJ and host of Swingin’ Doors every Thursday night from 6pm to 9pm
| rank | artist | album | label |
| 10 | La Luz | It’s Alive | Hardly Art |
| 9 | Chance The Rapper | Acid Rap | self-released |
| 8 | Ashley Monroe | Like A Rose | Warner Nashville |
| 7 | FIDLAR | FIDLAR | Mom + Pop |
| 6 | Courtney Barnett | The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas | Milk! |
| 5 | Robbie Fulks | Gone Away Backward | Bloodshot |
| 4 | The So So Glos | Blowout | Shea Stadium |
| 3 | Danny Brown | Old | Fool’s Gold |
| 2 | Phosphorescent | Muchacho | Dead Oceans |
| 1 | Brandy Clark | 12 Stories | Slate Creek |
TROY NELSON
DJ and host of the Variety Mix every Saturday Afternoon from 3pm-6pm
| rank | artist | album | label |
| 10 | Daft Punk | Random Access Memories | Columbia |
| 9 | Devendra Banhart | Mala | Nonesuch |
| 8 | Cults | Static | Columbia |
| 7 | Jagwar Ma | Howlin’ | Mom + Pop |
| 6 | MGMT | MGMT | Columbia |
| 5 | Jon Hopkins | Immunity | Domino |
| 4 | Tricky | False Idols | K7 |
| 3 | Queens of the Stone Age | …Like Clockwork | Matador |
| 2 | Darkside | Psychic | Matador/Other People |
| 1 | Vampire Weekend | Modern Vampires of the City | XL |
DJ EL TORO
DJ and host the Variety Mix every Wednesday night from 9PM-1AM
| artist | album | label |
| John Grant | Pale Green Ghosts | Partisan |
| Patrick Cowley | School Daze | Dark Entries |
| The Stepkids | Troubadour | Stones Throw |
| Kitchens of Distinction | Folly | 3 Loop Music |
| Natasha Kmeto | Crisis | Dropping Gems |
| Junip | Junip | Mute |
| Frankie Rose | Herein Wild | Fat Possum |
| The Dirtbombs | Ooey Gooey Chewy Ka-blooey! | In The Red |
| Julianna Barwick | Nepenthe | Dead Oceans |
| Daft Punk | Random Access Memories | Columbia |
LARRY ROSE
DJ and host of Larry’s Lounge every Tuesday night from 9PM-1AM
| artist | album | label |
| Kurt Vile | Wakin On A Pretty Daze | Matador |
| Parquet Courts | Light Up Gold | What’s Your Rupture? |
| Janelle Monae | The Electric Lady | Bad Boy |
| Juana Molina | Wed 21 | Crammed Discs |
| Mind Spiders | Inhumanistic | Dirtnap |
| Jagwar Ma | Howlin | Mom + Pop |
| Foxygen | We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic | Jagjaguwar |
| Disclosure | Settle | Cherrytree/Interscope |
| Danny Brown | Old | Fool’s Gold |
| Chastity Belt | No Regerts | Help Yourself |
KID HOPS
DJ and host of Positive Vibrations every Saturday from 9am to noon and Expansions every Sunday night from 9pm to midnight
Kid Hops’ 2013 Top Ten Albums for Positive Vibrations
| rank | artist | album | label |
| 10 | Popcaan | Everything Nice | Mixpak |
| 9 | Deadbeat feat. Paul St. Hilaire | The Infinity Dubs Vol 2 | BLKRTZ |
| 8 | Dub Club | Foundation Come Again | Stones Throw |
| 7 | Various Artists | Fashion In Fine Style: Significant Hits Volume Two | Reggae Archive |
| 6 | Keith Hudson | Torch of Freedom | Hot Milk |
| 5 | Chronixx | Here Comes Trouble | Overstand |
| 4 | Cecil Lloyd | A Night In Jamaica With Cecil Lloyd | Federal/Dubstore Japan |
| 3 | Xoki & Hieronymous | Butter Bridge / Super Whale | Zam Zam Sounds |
| 2 | Lee Perry & His Upsetters | Roaring Lion: 16 Untamed Black Art Masters & Dub Plates | Pressure Sounds |
| 1 | The Invaders | Soulful Music | Rock-a-Shacka |
Kid Hops’ 2013 Top Ten Albums for Expansions
| rank | artist | album | label |
| 10 | Troumaca | The Grace | Brownswood |
| 9 | Various Artists | Hospitality 2013 | Hospital Records |
| 8 | Jessy Lanza | Pull My Hair Back | Hyperdub |
| 7 | Trus’me | Treat Me Right | Prime Numbers |
| 6 | Strategy | Clocky Man / Snowdrift Dub | Zam Zam Sounds |
| 5 | Various Artists | Future Foundations | 2nd Drop |
| 4 | Chroma | Intermission / Knock Knock | CIA |
| 3 | Quadrant, Kid Hops & Iris | Convergence / Borealis | Dispatch |
| 2 | Mr. G | Retrospective | Rekids |
| 1 | Calibre | Spill | Signature |
MICHELE MYERS
DJ and host of the Variety Mix every Friday night from 9pm to 1am
| artist | album | label |
| Janelle Monae | The Electric Lady | Bad Boy/Wonderland |
| Daft Punk | Random Access Memories | EMI |
| Big Deal | June Gloom | Mute |
| Submotion Orchestra | 1968 | Circus |
| Mitzi | Truly Alive | Future Classic |
| Deltron 3030 | Event II | Bulk |
| Franz Ferdinand | Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action | Domino |
| Kelela | Cut 4 Me | Fade to Mind |
| Polica | Shulamith | Memphis Industries |
| M.I.A. | Matangi | Showbiz |
ALEX
DJ and host of the Variety Mix every Saturday night from 9pm to 1am
| rank | artist | album | label |
| 10 | Ka | The Night’s Gambit | Iron Works |
| 9 | Hammock | Oblivion Hymns | Hammock Music |
| 8 | Chad Valley | Peace & Understanding | self-released |
| 7 | Larry Gus | Years Not Living | DFA |
| 6 | Cock & Swan | Secret Angles | Hush Hush |
| 5 | Autre Ne Veut | Anxiety | Mexican Summer/Software |
| 4 | Lapalux | Nostalchic | Brainfeeder |
| 3 | Drake | Nothing Was The Same | Cash Money/Young Money Entertainment/Universal Republic |
| 2 | Kanye West | Yeezus | Def Jam |
| 1 | Classixx | Hanging Gardens | Innovative Leisure |
DJ MR. WEST
Rotating DJ and Host for “Sonic Reducer” every Saturday night from 9pm-midnight
| rank | artist | album | label |
| 10 | Iron Lung | White Glove Test | Iron Lung |
| 9 | Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds | Push the Sky Away | Bad Seeds ltd. |
| 8 | Galactic Cannibal | We’re Fucked | Encapsulated/Lost Cat/Underground Communiqué |
| 7 | Radioactivity | Radioactivity | Dirtnap |
| 6 | Great Falls | Accidents Grotesque | Hell Comes Home |
| 5 | Mind Spiders | Inhumanistic | Dirtnap |
| 4 | Broadcast | Berberian Sound Studio: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | Warp |
| 3 | His Electro Blue Voice | Ruthless Sperm | Sub Pop |
| 2 | Föllakzoid | II | Sacred Bones |
| 1 | FRUSTRATION | Uncivilized | Born Bad |
TANNER ELLISON
Rotating DJ and Host of “Seek & Destroy” every Sunday morning from midnight-2am
| artist | album | label |
| Inquisition (Seattle, WA./Cali, Colombia | Obscure Verses for the Multiverse | Season of Mist |
| Carcass (Liverpool, UK) | Surgical Steel | Nuclear Blast |
| Vallendusk (Jakarta, Indonesia) | Black Clouds Gathering | Pest Productions |
| Necrowretch (Rhône-Alpes, France) | Putrid Death Sorcery | Century Media Records |
| Oranssi Pazuzu (Tampere, Finland) | Valonielu | 20 Buck Spin/Svart Records |
| Fjorsvartnir (Copenhagen, Denmark) | A Praise to My Ancestors Preponderance | Grom Records |
| Thrawsunblat (Fredericton, Canada) | Wanderer on the Continent of Saplings | self-released |
| Inter Arma (Richmond, Virginia) | Sky Burial | Relapse Records |
| Eschatos (Riga, Latvia) | Hierophanies | self-released |
| Arsis (Virginia Beach, Virginia) | Unwelcome | Nuclear Blast |
JOHN GILBREATH
DJ and Host of “Jazz Theater” every Monday morning from 1am-3am
| artist | album | label |
| Cecile McLoren Salvant | Woman Child | Mack Avenue |
| Dave Douglas Quintet | Time Traveler | Greenleaf |
| Endangered Blood | Work Your Magic | Skirl |
| Robert Glasper Experiment | Black Radio 2 | Blue Note Records |
| Gregory Porter | Liquid Spirit | Blue Note |
| Jameio Brown | Transcendence | Motema |
| Charles Lloyd & Jason Moran | Hagar’s Song | ECM |
| Roberto Fonseca | Yo | Jazz Village |
| Chris Potter Group | Sirens | ECM |
| NEXT Collective | Cover Art | Concord |
CHILLY
DJ and Host of “El Sonido” every Monday evening from 6pm-9pm
| artist | album | label |
| La Vida Bohème | Sera | Nacional |
| Boogat | El Dorado Sunset | Maisonnette |
| La Yegros | Viene De Mi | ZZK |
| Chico Trujillo | Gran Pecador | Barbes |
| Making Movies | A La Deriva | self-released |
| Systema Solar | La Revancha Del Burro | self-released |
| Natalia Clavier | Lumen | Nacional |
| Bflecha | βeta | Arkestra Discos |
| Various Artists | Geko Jones and Atropolis present: Palenque Records Remixed | Dutty Artz |
| Juan Cirerol | Cachanilla Y Flor De Azar | self-released |
DAREK MAZZONE
DJ and Host of “Wo’ Pop” every Tuesday evening from 6pm-9pm
| artist | album | label |
| Bombino | Nomad | Nonesuch |
| Lo’Jo | Cinema El Mundo | World Village |
| Various Artists | Qat, Coffee, Qambus | Dust to Digital |
| Jupiter & Okwess International | Jupiter | Out Here |
| Skip & Die | Riots In The Jungle | Crammed Disc |
| Tigana Santana | The Intervention Of Color | Painted Dog Records |
| Tamikrest | Chatma | Glitter Beat |
| Congo Natty | Jungle Revolution | Big Dada |
| Mayra Andrade | Lovely Difficult | Sony |
| Various Artists | Sedayeh Del: Funk, Psychedelia and Pop from the Iranian Pre-Revolution Generation | Pharaway Sounds |
SEAN
DJ and Host of the Overnight Variety Mix every Thursday morning from 1am-6am
| rank | artist | album | label |
| 10 | The Courtneys | The Courtneys | Hockey Dad Records |
| 9 | King Krule | 6 Feet Beneath the Moon | True Panther Sounds |
| 8 | Oneohtrix Point Never | R Plus Seven | Warp |
| 7 | Dean Blunt | The Redeemer | Hippos In Tanks |
| 6 | Chastity Belt | No Regerts | Help Yourself |
| 5 | Ducktails | The Flower Lane | Domino |
| 4 | Merchandise | Totale Nite | Night-People |
| 3 | Algebra Suicide | Feminine Squared | Dark Entries |
| 2 | Fear of Men | Early Fragments | Kanine |
| 1 | Pure X | Crawling Up the Stairs | Acephale |
MELISSA
DJ and Host of the Overnight Variety Mix every Friday morning from 1am-6am
| artist | album | label |
| Queens of the Stone Age | …Like Clockwork | Matador |
| Portugal. The Man | Evil Friends | Atlantic |
| The Black Angels | Indigo Meadow | Blue Horizon |
| Primal Scream | More Light | Ignition |
| Foxygen | We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic | Jagjaguwar |
| Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Mosquito | Interscope |
| DJ Koze | Amygdala | Pampa Records |
| Jagwar Ma | Howlin | Mom + Pop |
| Nine Inch Nails | Hesitation Marks | Columbia |
| Washed Out | Paracosm | Sub Pop |
QUILTY 3000
DJ and Host of the Variety Mix every Sunday Afternoon from 3pm-6pm
| rank | artist | album | label |
| 10 | Phosphorescent | Muchacho | Dead Oceans |
| 9 | No Joy | Wait To Pleasure | Mexican Summer |
| 8 | Yo La Tengo | Fade | Matador |
| 7 | Veronica Falls | Waiting For Something To Happen | Slumberland |
| 6 | The Moondoggies | Adios, I’m A Ghost | Hardly Art |
| 5 | Crocodiles | Crimes of Passion | French Kiss |
| 4 | Wavves | Afraid of Heights | Mom + Pop |
| 3 | Palma Violets | 180 | Rough Trade |
| 2 | Telekinesis | Dormarion | Merge |
| 1 | Foals | Holy Fire | Warner Brothers |
MR. WEST
Rotating DJ and Host for “Sonic Reducer” every Saturday night from 9pm-midnight
| rank | artist | album | label |
| 10 | Iron Lung | White Glove Test | Iron Lung |
| 9 | Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds | Push the Sky Away | Bad Seeds ltd. |
| 8 | Galactic Cannibal | We’re Fucked | Encapsulated/Lost Cat/Underground Communiqué |
| 7 | Radioactivity | Radioactivity | Dirtnap |
| 6 | Great Falls | Accidents Grotesque | Hell Comes Home |
| 5 | Mind Spiders | Inhumanistic | Dirtnap |
| 4 | Broadcast | Berberian Sound Studio: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | Warp |
| 3 | His Electro Blue Voice | Ruthless Sperm | Sub Pop |
| 2 | Föllakzoid | II | Sacred Bones |
| 1 | FRUSTRATION | Uncivilized | Born Bad |
