Even though Henry Rollins hasn’t heard Daft Punk and dislikes the “shit” that Rolling Stone covers, he’s still prepared to weigh in on the music of 2013. Like Queens of the Stone Age, The Mountain Goats, and The Julie Ruin before him, Rollins has shared his favorite albums of the year.
He prefaces his picks by first sympathizing with those who mourn the current music industry. “There really isn’t much for me in the world of big music, either,” he says. “I am glad it’s there for all those who like it, but its existence neither twists my arm nor picks my pocket. You can always look elsewhere. The options are plenty and there is seemingly no end of great music to be had.”
While he’s “sorry” that “many will never experience the joy of analog playback,” he goes on to praise Record Store Day and reassure industry disbelievers, stating, “The state of music is absolutely fine.” Adding, “The only problem is that there is not enough time to listen to all the good records being released and to attend all the shows happening. I think that 2013 was an amazing year for records.”
Rollins’ albums of the year list includes punk, folk, and experimental records from David Bowie, Marnie Stern, The Julie Ruin, and Thee Oh Sees, with his special MVP accolades awarded to Ty Segall. Check it out below.
Henry Rollins’ Top Albums of 2013:
Marnie Stern – Chronicles of Marnia
The Julie Ruin – Run Fast
David Bowie – The Next Day
Ty Segall – Sleeper, Gemini, Ty Segall Band Live at Death by Audio
White Fence – Cyclops Reap and Live in San Francisco
Thee Oh Sees – Floating Coffin and Moonsick
Fuzz – Fuzz
VUM – Psychotropic Jukebox
Steven R Smith – Ending/Returning
Omar Souleyman – Wenu Wenu
Melt-Banana – Fetch
Ashtray Navigations – Spray
Hisato Higuchi – Otomeyama Bottoms
Fushitsusha – N/A
Last year, Rollins also offered up his 20 favorite punk albums of all time.
