It’s tough to get a good handle on Lupe Fiasco. Ever since his debut, Food & Liquor, Lupe has been an artist that dishes out excitement and disappointment in nearly equal doses. Albums like The Cool were ambitious and reached for admirably high themes, but failed to deliver on the level of some of rap’s greater concept albums. Other releases, like Lasers, went for a more mainstream and accessible sound without gaining much momentum (Although who can say they don’t like “The Show Goes On”?).

Tetsuo & Youth seems to be where Lupe has finally put it all together. Lupe is undeniably Lupe – with the typical references to social activism, nerd culture, Islam. But here, unlike any time before, Lupe has dropped the sledgehammer pretension without  skimping on edginess and intellectual content. Instead, what Tetsuo & Youth offers is something far more raw, something that cuts straight to the bone. This album is a real portrait of an artist who, after 5 albums, is finally putting all of the pieces together and finding their true voice. It’s awesome. One can hope that this is just the beginning of a new chapter in Lupe’s career.

I’ll admit – I’ve been slacking. Still been listening to quite a bit of music this summer, so it’s time for an update.

BADBADNOTGOOD – III (Jazz/Instrumental/Hip Hop)

Featuring a multitude of jazzy hip hop beats that sometimes sound like videogame soundtracks (artsy videogame soundtracks), III is one of the tightest instrumental records of the year. Always compelling and never pretentious, BADBADNOTGOOD have crafted a well-together album that expands the mind while moving the body.

Kishi Bashi – Lighght (Pop/Electronic)

The electric violinist of Of Montreal returns with a second solo album full of catchy hooks and trippy melodies. The end result is something like Electric Light Orchestra, with a little bit more poetry and a little less prog. Lighght is a big improvement over the solid solo debut.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu – Pika Pika Fantajin (Pop/Electronic)

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s newest record is the musical version of a kid shotgunning pixie sticks. It’s childish, cute, addictive, and probably not very good in the long term, but did I mention how cute it is? Pika Pika Fantajin is an overwhelmingly fun album. It sticks to you and grows, and with repeat listens reminds you of all those great previous listens.

This month wasn’t great for music, especially compared to the awesome new releases from Beck, Marissa Nadler, Sun Kil Moon and Nicole Atkins in February. But I still found myself enjoying a few records.

Animals as Leaders – The Joy of Motion (Instrumental; Fusion; Metal)

Until recently, Animals as Leaders were a band that fell through the cracks for me. Having heard more than my fill of generic instrumental progressive metal over the years, I was reluctant to try out another band that might blast me with djenty tones and sci-fi levels of virtuosity. Man, was I wrong. Animals as Leaders aren’t prog metal as much as they are a tasty blend of fusion that combines energy with atmosphere and technique. Tosin Abasi is quick becoming one of my favorite electric guitar players.

Hozier – From Eden EP (Singer-songwriter; Folk)

None of the songs on “From Eden” are as good as “Take Me To Church” on last year’s phenomenal EP of the selfsame title. But this release still displays Hozier’s uniqueness in lyricism and phrasing that should make for an awesome Hozier album in the future. Both EPs are brimming with potential, but I’m still waiting in anticipation for the eventual full-length from the Irish bard. In some ways, Hozier feels to me like a male counterpart to Florence – with a voice that can haunt or uplift in equal proportions.

La Dispute – Rooms of the House (Spoken Word Hardcore)

-Core music has never really been a favorite genre of me, but I found something alluring about the jagged stream-of-consciousness delivery on “Rooms of the House”. The album is tight instrumentally too, but really it’s the words that paint all the pictures – if you can get over the monotone and follow along.

* * *

Well, that’s it for this month. I was hoping there’d be more, but like I said above, this month was weak. Plus, I’ve been doing a lot less desk work, so I’ve been listening to less music overall. Next month looks to be pretty promising, with new releases from Nickel Creek, Cloud Nothings, Devin Townsend, and Manchester Orchestra.

The new year started off slow, but by the end of them month I already found myself behind on a ton a new great music to listen to. Here are some of my favorites:

Alcest – Shelter (Shoegaze; Black Metal derivative)

Alcest have veered away from their trademark blackgaze style, and moved 100 percent into the realm of pure shoegazing music. While the music is atmospheric and dreamy, and there is a greater diversity of soothing shimmery sounds than ever, I would be lying if I said that I didn’t miss the light/dark dichotomy of previous records. However, Shelter still reaches melodic and emotional heights that are as heart wrenching as can be, and while the black metal elements are missed, I can’t fault the artist for moving in a new direction.

Cities Aviv – Come to Life (Hip Hop; Cloud Rap)

Gavin May’s unique beats and production defy genre. Voices are old school, atonal, gritty, but most of all, exuding confidence. Rhymes rely more on philosophical content than pure word play, but really percussive instrumentals are what drives that songs home. “Come to Life” sounds raw and harsh at times, and isn’t for everyone, but to its credit it is never, ever boring.

Sithu Aye – Invent the Universe (Progressive Metal)

Sithu’s sense of melody continues to be astounding – but over time, he’s made solid improvements to his tone, production sense, and chops as a songwriter. Pristine guitar tones, tasteful solos, intriguing rhythms, and glorious melodies scatter through “Pulse”, making the short EP his strongest and most concise work to date.

Transatlantic – Kaleidoscope (Retroprog)

Crisp instrumentation and a punchy, one-of-a-kind rhythm section make Transatlantic one of my favorite bands to listen to. This time around, songs feel more like genuine collaborations rather than simple Neal Morse epics which some additional arrangements. Ultimately, “Kaleidoscope” is a ton of fun, and it’s not all that often you see such a talented group of people come together to make music so pristine and glittering that it can take weeks to wash off.

Warpaint – Warpaint (Indie; Dream Pop)

If Dream Pop, as a genre, offers swooning soundscapes, Warpaint offer an echo of a trance murmur heard from the opposite end of a dark tunnel. I think I like it. The vocals are lethargic but ghastly, with lyrics too loaded to be considered mundane. Instrumentals emote, giving plenty of reverb-washed sonic space to the trio’s endeavor. There are times, though, where the production clips. A softer mix would have helped keep the brooding magic of the album in the bottle, and it’s a shame the record was mixed so loud.

So much new music, so much time commuting to listen to it all.

Here were my favorite albums in 2013.

1. Olafur Arnalds – For Now I Am Winter
2. Laura Marling – Once I Was an Eagle
3. Protest the Hero – Volition
4. Laura Stevenson and The Cans – The Wheel
5. Levin, Minneman, Rudess – Self-titled
6. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampies of the City
7. Boards of Canada – Tomorrow’s Harvest
8. Steven Wilson – The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories…)
9. Sigur Ros – Kveikur
10. Vali – Skolslandskap
11. Blackfield – IV
12. Chrvches – The Bones of What You Believe
13. Volcano Choir – Repave
14. Bob Dylan – Another Self Portrait
15. The Dear Hunter – Migrant
16. Scale the Summit – The Migration
17. Haim – Days are Gone
18. Deafhaven – Sunbather
19. Ulver – Messe X.I – X.VI
20. Chance the Rapper – Acid Rap

Honorable Mentions –

1. Cloudkicker – Subsume
2. Tyr – Valkrya
3. Devranda Banhart – Mala
4. Junip – Junip
5. Laura Veirs – Warp and Weft