Darryl, I think that's a question absolutely warranting a reply, and it frankly deserves more time than I can devote to it right now (though I'd like to come back to it ...). I think Reese's answer covers a lot of it. In the case of the Black Market specifically, I think there's probably some institutional bias -- I'm primarily a "black metal guy," and have been for five years or so -- but the causes for that are worth analyzing. If I don't get to it in this comments section, I'll try to do so in the next Black Market.
When I was doing research on the persistent "Is Burial Four Tet?" theory/hoax, I decided that Burial COULD BE Four Tet or pretty much anyone else. It might be a guy named William Bevan, but no one would be surprised if it's not.
Windhand and In Solitude are clean vox front to back, same w/ Uncle Acid and Pinkish Black. The new Darkthrone has a lot of clean vox. There's some clean stuff on the Bolzer, VHOL, Woe, Sadgiqacea, and A Pregnant Light records. Lotsa clean singing! It's definitely the minority tho.
I won't address all these types of comments individually, but will say this up here in response to the "why wasn't [x] on the list?" queries: for whatever reason, the album in question didn't get enough support in our balloting process. Obviously this left a lot of excellent records somewhere outside the top 50. But there were more than 50 excellent records in 2013 -- it was a really good year!
Thanks, Jack! We were in limbo for a minute, but we'll be back next week with our list of the year's best metal albums, and after that, we'll return to our regular monthly publishing schedule, starting at the end of this month.
A lot of my honorable mentions will be included on our metal albums list next week, so here are my non-metal honorable mentions (in alphabetical order):
AFI - Burials
ASG - Blood Drive
Beastmilk - Climax
Biffy Clyro - Opposites
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away
Charli XCX - True Romance
Ducktails - The Flower Lane
Foals - Holy Fire
Frightened Rabbit - Pedestrian Verse
The Haxan Cloak - Excavation
Heirlooms Of August - Down At The 5-Star
Jesu - Everyday I Get Closer To The Light
Mark Kozelek & Jimmy Lavalle - Perils Of The Sea
Majical Cloudz - Impersonator
Pissed Jeans - Honeys
Pity Sex - Feast Of Love
The Strokes - Comedown Machine
Swearin' - Surfing Strange
Vaura - The Missing
Weekend - Jinx
Young Galaxy - Ultramarine
Gah! Thanks Santiago for this correction -- I have amended the text above to reflect the correct information and erase from history Miles's grievous error.
Thanks, Amrit! We miss and love you too. I am firmly and decidedly down for this meta/metal reunion of which you speak, especially if it involves an OutKast show. And perhaps an adult beverage, as well? We'll work out the details. Keep holding it down in LA, and keep up the great work!
I think Chris actually already wrote that Deconstructing back in March: http://www.stereogum.com/1287331/deconstructing-frightened-rabbit-macklemore-and-the-perils-of-earnestness/top-stories/
Love Louisville, love Kentucky. No shade. I just looked at a handful of the arenas being played by Arcade Fire and picked the one with the most incongruous name: KFC Yum! Center.
Thanks Jim! The column isn't actually dead, was just in limbo for a minute. We'll be back next with our list of the year's best metal albums, and after that -- assuming there are no radical realignments in store -- back on schedule with the monthly feature. Just the same, it's great to hear such kind words regarding our work. Thanks!
Also: You forgot Aaron!
Yeah for me it almost feels like a fairytale world that has somehow been captured in this one. I've lived with that album for 18 years and it still doesn't seem like a thing I actually own and can listen to whenever I want; it feels like something I experienced in an amazing dream that I can't quite remember, that I'm always trying to get back to. I really think it's miraculous.
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