What 2013 Has To Offer So Far...

We're half way through the year already and Christmas will be here before you know it! Some brilliant, and not so brilliant albums have been released in 2013 so I thought I'd share with you my favourites that I've been listening to.

Rudimental - Home
I've never been into many drum and bass bands before I heard about Rudimental. I first heard of them early last year when Zane Lowe played 'Feel The Love' on Radio 1 for the first time. Absolute brilliance. The album features John Newman, Ella Eyre and Emeli Sande and whilst some of the songs can sound quite competitive, songs such as 'Baby' and 'Right Here' 100% make up for them.

Listen: Rudimental - Baby

Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires Of The City

I absolutely adore Vampire Weekend and they've been one of my favourite bands for many years now. I've been anticipating 'Modern Vampires Of The City' for about 3 years since they brought out Contra in 2010, they've made me wait so long! I had actually not listened to Contra in months after playing it to its death, listening to that album again was so lovely as I had forgotten that songs such as 'Giving Up The Gun' and 'White Sky' even existed!

On my first listen I wasn't too keen on 'Mondern Vampires Of The City' and was pretty disappointed as the songs are very mellow compared to the previous two albums. However, since listening to it numerous times after I've come to notice how brilliant this is. It will never beat their self titled debut for me but songs such as 'Worship You', 'Hey Ya' and 'Unbelievers' are definitely up there with the best of them!

Listen: Vampire Weekend - Unbelievers

Crystal Fighters - Cave Rave

Crystal Fighters are a British/Spanish Alternative Dance band who formed in Spain in 2007. Their second album entitled Cave Rave was released in May with the title single 'You and I'. Crystal Fighters sound a lot like early Arcade Fire and this is definitely an album for the summer!

Listen: Crystal Fighters - Wave

Bastille - Bad Blood

I am obsessed with Bastille. If you follow my twitter (@lucyrebecca) then you'll know how obsessed I am with this band! They are one of those artists for me that once I start to listen to them, I cannot stop.

This is their debut album, although they have released two mix tapes of incredible covers in which they've incorporated  parts of their own songs and film/programme clips such as American Beauty and Twin Peaks. Listen to their covers of Rhythm Of The Night and What Would You Do?

The album is completely different to anything I have heard before as they choose to write about stories or myths rather than his own personal experiences. This is shown in tracks like Icarus and Pompeii. This album went to no.1 in the UK and is definitely worth a buy.

Listen: Bastille -  These Streets

Gabrielle Aplin - English Rain

I went on holiday to Cornwall a couple of months ago and took this album along with me on my IPod. It was literally the only thing I played all week. Whenever I listen back to it now I can imagine myself lying on Carbis bay beach relaxing (and dodging my brother throwing about the frisbee every now and again) My favourite songs off the album are Human and Keep on walking.

Listen: Gabrielle Aplin - Human

Jagwar Ma - Howlin

Jagwar Ma are two guys from Sydney but their sound echoes a band that came out of Manchester in the late 1980s. Title track 'Man I Need' does just sound like Ian Brown could have written it, so you can assume who their influences are. There is a perfect mix between guitar pop and dance on this album to which Jagwar Ma make look effortless.

Listen: Jagwar Ma - Man I Need

♥