The 2013 MEBBIES

2013 is over, and we have lots of music to show for it. What follows is a list of the best (and worst) of the year, as voted by the Mind Equals Blown staff. Leave us your opinions at the bottom!

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Best New Artist

The 1975
The 1975 crept into the “Best New Artist” position by demonstrating just exactly who and what they were. They took their debut, self-titled album and produced something raw, giving a true testament to their quirks and personalities but staying honest about their faults. Everything on the album, including the volume produced, which on some deluxe editions totaled to 39 tracks, is an indication of the dedication and emotions put into their art. These boys held nothing back, and the noise they created speaks to a general audience, of starving adolescents who seek a better outlet. This band deserves this recognition because of their effort and further potential. The 1975 is different, with their futuristic, awkward, catchy melodies, but they sincerely display it. They are the voice we’ve been craving. – Megan Ammer

Worst New Artist

Ronnie Radke’s Rap Supergroup
Perhaps the weirdest piece of news that (sort of) made headlines in the world of alternative music this year was Falling In Reverse frontman Ronnie Radke’s announcement that he’d be forming a “supergroup” of sorts, involving Andy Biersack of Black Veil Brides and Danny Worsnop of Asking Alexandria. If you’re reading this wondering how this could possibly get any worse, it actually does – Radke also revealed that the project would be a rap mixtape, with Biersack and Worsnop, among others, singing on the hooks. Needless to say, the still-nameless group was the landslide winner for the Worst New Artist of 2013. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how well Radke can spit rhymes, especially considering how bad his lyrics are to begin with. Regardless, I’m sure that fans of any of the artists involved will eat it up. – Eli Shively

Biggest Surprise

Deafheaven
Deafheaven was a band I was always aware of, but never really familiar with. But when folks starting singing the praises and hype for the band’s new record Sunbather, I was easily intrigued. The praise was well-deserved though, as the band made waves critically throughout the music world. But what is more important about what Deafheaven did on this record is the fact that they made an otherwise somewhat segregated genre of music both approachable and memorable without watering it down or simplifying it. Whether you’re measuring artistically or critically, Deafheaven’s laser beam to the top was a huge surprise – but a well-deserved one at that. – Jason Gardner

Biggest Disappointment

Eminem
One of 2013’s most divisive albums of the year was undoubtedly Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP 2. Many might cry foul that MMLP2 won this category, but there are multiple reasons it’s been awarded “Biggest Disappointment.” To begin with, the hype surrounding MMLP2 was insurmountable. It was the sequel to one of his best albums, and fans had high hopes. Then, he released the embarrassingly bad “Berzerk” as the first single. He almost made up for it with “Rap God,” a decent enough track, but not even Eminem’s formidable rap prowess could save him from a mess of an album. There are maybe four or five good tracks on the 21 track LP, and it’s an absolute chore to get through the entire thing. In all, Eminem is much, much better than most of the dredge on MMLP2, and while not all is lost for the hip-hop star, he’s going to need a hell of a comeback for fans to forget about this one. – Justin Peterson

Most Improved

Bring Me The Horizon
Bring Me The Horizon has always been one of those bands that people listened to, but never took too seriously. After the release of their most recent album, Sempiternal, BMTH certainly made a name for themselves. This record contains some of their best tracks to date, including “Shadow Moses,” “Sleepwalking,” and my personal favorite “Can You Feel My Heart?” Sempiternal incorporates new elements including the use of electronic-influenced hooks and clean vocals. Surprisingly, this new-found sound wasn’t a disaster at all, but the band’s most clean work to date. Bring Me The Horizon has shown much improvement, since many of these elements were attempted and poorly executed in There Is A Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is A Heaven, Let’s Keep It A Secret. Sempiternal has certainly earned Bring Me The Horizon the title of most improved band of 2013. – Alexa Rahmanparast

Best Comeback

Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake made his return to the music scene this year after a few years of acting and other short stints, and boy, was it a glorious return. Fans were rewarded with not just one album, but two with The 20/20 Experience, and while the first outshines the second, the amount of hits between the two discs was astounding. The single that thrived the most was “Mirrors,” which dominated radio stations for a good length of 2013. But the snazzy “Suit & Tie” and scratchy “TKO” also received some airtime. The songs are longer, the musicality is revamped, and the presence and popularity of JT is at an all-time high. I mean, the highest-rated episode of SNL in recent years featured Timberlake as host and musical guest. That – and the fact that he beat out Fall Out Boy for this award – shows how grand JT became this year not just music-wise, but image-wise as well. – Tim Dodderidge

Best Unsigned Band

Akeldama
One of the great things about new music is the excitement you can hear in someone’s resolve when they show you a band for the first time. When MEB’s own Drew Maroon showed me some music from Florida metal outfit Akeldama last year, I was pretty floored by the songwriting and production from a band that wasn’t even signed. Fast forward to now, and Akeldama find themselves with their debut album under their belts – a banger of an album chock with fantastic riffs, confident vocals and a quite memorable approach to boot. Please take our word when we say we have every belief that this band is going to explode in the near future. – Jason Gardner

Best Music Video

Earl Sweatshirt – “Hive”
Qualifying what makes a great music video is often dependent on the music accompanying it – look at a video like the one for Fireworks’ “Arrows” and you’ll be hard-pressed to disagree. So when Earl Sweatshirt’s visual for the gritty track “Hive” dropped, it was tough not to feel engulfed by the sense of the entirety of the track and the video closing in on you. It might not have led to the massive success we all hoped Doris would achieve, but “Hive” left a buried mark on our minds – making it our favorite video of the year. – Jason Gardner

Best Collaboration

Balance And Composure/Anthony Green – “Keepsake”
After 2011’s cult classic, Separation, Balance And Composure stepped it up in every possible sense with The Things We Think We’re Missing. Musically, it’s a triumph. The three-pronged guitar assault brings an unassailable density to their overwhelmingly atmospheric songs, and the rhythm section adds the low-end grunge to give this thing the guts to get it over the line. Lyrically, however, it’s a torturous slog through Jon Simmons’s internal torment. It’s bursting with self-loathing and utter devastation, and ‘Keepsake’ is no different. Whomever suggested recruiting Anthony Green to help out on this song is a freaking genius. Green’s vocals intertwine brilliantly with Simmons’ pensive drone and take an already incredible song to a different plane of existence. As for the song’s content, I’ll let Simmons tell the story himself: “I wrote it after a relationship of mine ended. It’s about not being real with somebody and never really showing yourself, or opening up, or letting the person really get to me. It’s torturous to me knowing that she wants me, but I can’t do it. It would be wrong for both of us.” So, there you have it, guys – ‘Keepsake’ is a heart-wrenching account of an emotionally unavailable man ‘White Fang’-ing a girl who desperately wants him. Hell of a song. – Jeremy Vane-Tempest

Best Split/EP

Title Fight – Spring Songs
After wowing critics and fans alike with last year’s incredible Floral Green, Title Fight kept its momentum going with Spring Songs, a collection of four tracks that demonstrates that Title Fight is poised to dominate the scene for years to come. From the frantic riffs on the heavy-hitting opener “Blush” to the fuzzed-out bounce of the melancholy “Be A Toy,” Spring Songs highlights the strengths of the band, as well as showing their advancement and evolution. Title Fight showed that they were capable of making a great record with Floral Green, and the sheer power and ferocity of Spring Songs shows that they can build upon that success. – Nick Niedzielski

Rock/Pop AOTY

Twenty One Pilots – Vessel
Fueled By Ramen’s newest success story is Columbus, Ohio’s golden boys Twenty One Pilots. The two-piece, self-proclaimed “schizoid pop” band has been causing excessive amounts of buzz on the radio and the internet, thus making 2013 their year to shine. Upon signing, the band seemingly went to radio at mach five speed with their bombastic first single “Holding On To You.” Their full-length album Vessel touches upon the triumphs and pains of living, accompanied by emphatic beats (“Guns For Hands”), fierce quasi-hip hop verses (“Car Radio”), and even touching, mellow ukulele twangs (“House Of Gold”). If that wasn’t enough, placing this wild record in a venue creates an unforgettable live experience. Twenty One Pilots is enough proof that great things come in small packages and we can’t wait to see what 2014 has to offer them. – Connor Feimster

Indie AOTY

Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires Of The CityAs a follow-up to the disappointment of 2010’s Contra, Modern Vampires Of The City stands as a fantastic return to grace for Vampire Weekend. Even if its predecessor had been excellent, though, Modern Vampires would’ve been a roaring success. It’s an album that’s masterfully balanced: slower, more somber tracks like “Obvious Bicycle” and “Hudson” are tempered by bursts of reckless abandon in songs like the alt-country tinged “Unbelievers” and “Diane Young,” which is possibly the most danceable indie rock track of 2013. Gone are the days that Vampire Weekend songs were about one-night stands and oxford commas…Modern Vampires is firmly set in adulthood, with tracks that tackle the disillusionment, morality, and loss of faith that accompany growing up. And it’ll make you want to get up and dance throughout every minute of it. – Alexandra Brueckner

-core AOTY

Bring Me The Horizon – Sempiternal
Bring Me the Horizon really laid some serious pipe in 2013. As much as I would love to call it a surprise – it really was not, at all. Being one of the most anticipated records of the year, especially after their groundbreaking performance in 2011 (There is a Hell, Believe Me I See It…), which completely surpassed anything imaginable – after what was heard on Suicide Season, yuck. Sempiternal is completely brilliant in that it never lets up, not one bit. Sure, there are down moments (in momentum, that is), but it only makes the heavier instances more noteworthy. Finding themselves a much more complete and well-rounded, modern-day “metal” band, Oli Sykes fronts an epic “force to be reckoned with…” type record, which will be compared to for years and years to come. A necessary evil, unfortunately – greatness comes with a price. – Jarrod Church

Metal AOTY

Protest The Hero – Volition
After a massively successful crowd-sourcing campaign, Protest The Hero returned with Volition. I’ll try to sum this up a simply as possible. Volition, without question, is PTH’s weakest album. However, PTH has established itself as such an interesting, exciting, and downright memorable band that their worst work rivals that of other bands’ best. Riffs are back in full force, Jada appears on multiple tracks, and Rody, along with the return of his screams, sounds better than ever. Dumbed down: Volition is a guilty pleasure PTH album – it hits all of the points make the band great, but it fails to explore any new ground. It is worth noting that Norma Jean’s Wrongdoers was one vote off of winning this category and is equally as deserving. – Drew Maroon

Hip Hop/Rap AOTY

Kanye West – Yeezus
It may come as no huge surprise that Kanye West is being awarded the hip-hop album of the year. But, I really can’t think of an album that deserves this award as much as Yeezus. Kanye’s sixth solo record stunned critics and audiences alike with its brash sound and intoxicating intensity, all beginning with his face projected on buildings across America. There isn’t a bad song on the album, and there’s something for every Kanye diehard. There’s “Blood On The Leaves” for those auto-tune fans, “Bound 2” is just straight silly, and “Black Skinhead” was one of the most ambitious singles of 2013. The record changed the rap game in more ways than one, which is incredible considering it’s only ten tracks long. While there were plenty of great hip-hop releases this year, none have made as big an impact as Kanye West’s Yeezus. It’s a true game changer. PS: If you haven’t seen the James Franco and Seth Rogen shot-for-shot reincarnation of Kanye’s “Bound 2” video, check it out immediately; you won’t regret it. – Justin Peterson

Electronic AOTY

Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
In one of the better years of electronic music, the competition for the best of the year would have been fierce if not for the old masters returning to the fold. With Random Access Memories, Daft Punk takes you through the history of the music that shaped who they are today. Backed with a diverse array of tracks, the rolodex of sounds they throw at you combined with the endlessly catchy “Get Lucky,” make for a feast of sound. These elements along with the impeccable array of guest spots and old-school funk grooves culminate into the finest electronic album of the year. – Johnny Frazier

Most Anticipated

Brand New
Not going to lie, Brand New could have won this award every year for the last three years. Anticipation is always high among their fans, and that anticipation has thus far only resulted in heartbreak. The fans are starved for new music. Hell, a year ago when the Shone viral marketing was being rolled out, the mere speculation that it maybe might possibly be Brand New nearly broke the Internet. So now, with Brand New suddenly being thrust back into the limelight with their recent discography shows and the promise of more activity next year, the anticipation has been ramped up once again. So when the 2014 MEBBIES roll around, we will either be praising a new Brand New record, or we will be right back here, wiping the tears from our eyes, wondering why Brand New must hurt us so, and repeating to ourselves “maybe next year.” But for now, we’re just going to keep on believing that 2014 will be the year. – Nick Niedzielski