TCCT 2013 ballots: How each critic voted

JAY BOLLER, Vita.mn assistant editor

1. Fury Things, "EP2"

2. Hollow Boys, "It's True"

3. Kitten Forever, "Pressure"

4. Lizzo, "Lizzobangers"

5. Caroline Smith, "Half About Being a Woman"

6. The Stnnng, "Inward Empire"

8. Low, "The Invisible Way"

9. The Cloak Ox, "Shoot the Dog"

10. The Cactus Blossoms, "Live at the Turf Club"

JON BREAM, Star Tribune music critic

1. Caroline Smith, "Half About Being a Woman"

3. Dessa, "Parts of Speech"

4. Low, "The Invisible Way"

5. Lizzo, "Lizzobangers"

6. The Suburbs, "Si Sauvage"

7. Frankie Lee, "Middle West"

9. Sena Erhardt, "All In"

10. Various, "Purple Snow: Forecasting the Minneapolis Sound"

SONGS

1. Low, "Plastic Cup"

2. Caroline Smith, "Magazine"

4. Dessa, "Call Off Your Ghost"

5. Har Mar Superstar, "Lady, You Shot Me"

TIM CAMPBELL, Star Tribune Senior A&E Editor

(unranked)

The Cloak Ox, "Shoot the Dog"

Dorothy Doring and Phil Mattson, "Compositions by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn"

Grant Hart, "The Argument"

Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank, "Number One Contender"

Dakota Dave Hull, "Under the North Star"

Lizzo, "Lizzobangers"

Poliça, "Shulamith"

The Stnnng, "Empire Inward"

SONGS (unranked)

The Ericksons, "Gone Blind"

Lizzo, "Batches & Cookies"

Caroline Smith, "Magazine"

The Suburbs, "Turn the Radio On"

LIVE ACTS (unranked)

Doomtree

Erik Koskinen

Marijuana Deathsquads

The Replacements (!)

CYN COLLINS, KFAI "Spin With Cyn" program host, freelance journalist

(unranked)

1. Grant Hart "The Argument"

3. "Rockin' Here Tonight: Songs For Slim" /The Replacements: "Songs For Slim"

4. Enemy Planes "Beta Lowdown"

5. First Communion Afterparty "Earth Heat Sound"

6. Cactus Blossoms "Live at the Turf Club"

7. The Cloak Ox "Shoot the Dog"

9. The Chambermaids "Whatever Happened Tomorrow"

10. Tie: BBGun Self-titled/Frankie Lee "Middle West"

LIVE ACTS (unranked)

The Blind Shake

Eleganza

Enemy Planes

Tie (in punk, hardcore rock): Buildings/Ex Nuns/Nightosaur

Tie: (in country/honky-tonk) Cactus Blossoms Erik Koskinen Band

SONGS (unranked)

Grant Hart, "Is the Sky the Limit"

The Blind Shake, "Garbage on Glue"

Ex Nuns, "Crash Meditation"

Eleganza, "High Country"

No. 1 sign the local music scene was alive and well in 2013:

"It is nearly impossible to narrow the lists down due to the huge number of great bands and releases in all genres across the board. There were more promising new bands cropping up near weekly it seemed – many more in hardcore, punk, metal, and garage than ever – and many veterans returning to the stage and releasing brilliant new records. Our music scene is thriving as much as, if not more than, ever."

1. Low, "The Invisible Way"

2. Marijuana Deathsquads, "Oh My Sexy Lord"

3. Hollow Boys, "It's True"

4. Lizzo, "Lizzobangers"

5. Actual Wolf, "Actual Wolf"

7. American Cream, "Nathan"

8. Grant Hart, "The Argument"

9. Retribution Gospel Choir, "3"

10. Wolf Lords, "Wolf Lords"

SONGS

2. Jeremy Messersmith, "Tourniquet"

3. Greg Grease, "Continuum"

4. Caroline Smith, "Magazine"

5. c. Kostra, "Your Call"

PAMELA ESPELAND, MinnPost arts writer, Bebopified jazz blog

Atlantis Quartet, "Expansion"

Mary Ellen Childs, "Wreck"

Dave King Trucking Company, "Adopted Highway"

Dessa, "Parts of Speech"

Dorothy Doring and Phil Mattson, "Compositions by Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn"

Maud Hixson, "Don't Let a Good Thing Get Away"

Illicit Sextet, "Chapter Eleven"

Peter Kogan, "Cornucopia"

Sidewalk Café, "Crème Brulee"

SONGS (unranked)

Dorothy Doring and Phil Mattson, "Lush Life"

Fathom Lane, "Perfect Day"

Sonny Knight and the Lakers, "Day Tripper"

Jana Nyberg Group, "Aguas de Março"

LIVE ACTS (unranked)

Happy Apple

Bryan Nichols Quartet/Quintet

Real Bulls (Dave King, with antlers, and JT Bates)

Osmo Vänskä's farewell concert with the Musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra

No. 1 sign the local music scene was alive and well in 2013:

JEFF GAGE, City Pages contributing writer

1. Rebtribution Gospel Choir, "3"

2. Caroline Smith, "Half About Being a Woman"

3. Greg Grease, "Black King Cole"

4. Is/Is, "Is/Is"

6. Lizzo, "Lizzobangers"

7. Har Mar Superstar, "Bye Bye 17"

8. No Bird Sing, "Definition Sickness"

9. France Camp, "France Camp"

10. Crimes, "Thin Sunlight"

1. Har Mar Superstar, "Lady You Shot Me"

2. Polica, "Torre"

3. Caroline Smith, "Child of Moving On"

4. Frankie Teardrop, "Killed a Man"

5. Low, "Stay"

"Drone, Not Drones."

ABBIE GOBELI, Music Director at Radio K

1. Marijuana Deathsquads, "Oh My Sexy Lord"

2. Kitten Forever, "Pressure"

3. Hollow Boys, "It's True"

5. France Camp, "France Camp"

6. The Blind Shake, "Key to a False Door"

7. Hunting Club, "Mosaic"

8. Sun Gods to Gamma Rays, "The Water, The Wave"

9. Hot Freaks, "Hot Freaks"

LIVE ACTS

1. Marijuana Deathsquads

2. Strange Names

3. Gay Witch Abortion

4. Carroll

SALLY HEDBERG, freelance writer

1. Frankie Teardrop, "Tough Guy"

2. Pony Bwoy, "Pony Bwoy"

3. Tree Blood, "Tree Blood"

4. Strange Names, "Strange Names"

6. France Camp, "France Camp"

7. Hollow Boys, "It's True"

8. Marijuana Deathsquads, "Oh My Sexy Lord"

9. Kitten Forever, "Pressure"

10. Gloss, "Between Themselves"

1. Pony Bwoy, "Ipanema/Evol"

2. Frankie Teardrop, "Chicago"

3. Carroll, "Halloween Head"

4. Caroline Smith, "Magazine"

JON HUNT, l'etoile music writer

2. Fathom Lane, self-titled

3. Gloss, "Between Themselves"

4. The Suburbs, "Si Sauvage"

5. Sun Gods to Gamma Rays, "The Water, The Wave"

6. Har Mar Superstar, "Bye Bye 17"

8. The Replacements, "Songs for Slim"

9. Low, "The Invisible Way"

10. BNLX, "Produit Collecté"

SONGS

1. Har Mar Superstar, "Lady, You Shot Me"

3. Fathom Lane, "Sugardown"

4. Low, "Plastic Cup"

5. Prince & 3rdeyegirl, "Fix Ur Life Up"

No. 1 Sign the Music Scene Was Alive and Well in 2013

"To me, the revival/reunions of 'old people' bands like the Suburbs and the Replacements (not to mention live reunions from Trip Shakespeare and Run Westy Run) are the most heartening sign of life — wha? Moreso than whatever new movement might be coming down the pike? Yes, frankly. The fact that these bands can get attention/respect/love from our local scene in an era that values meme-of-the-moment, youth (see: "twerking"), online presence and prettiness more than talent says a lot for the quality of fan our scene produces. We don't give a fig how old someone is — is their new record good/credible/cool? We love you. This is a beautiful thing."

1. Fathome Lane, "Fathom Lane"

2. Cactus Blossoms, "Live At The Turf Club"

3. Pennyroyal, "Baby I'm Against It"

4. Bad Bad Hats, "It Hurts"

5. Hollow Boys, "It's True"

7. Chris Koza, "Live At The Pearl"

8. Usonia, "Whats Fresh"

9. Moonstone Continuum, "Salon Edition"

KYLE MATTESON, mega-tweeter (@solace)

1. Actual Wolf, "Actual Wolf"

3. Taj Raj, "Fine Hearts Alive"

4. Frankie Lee, "Middle West"

5. Caroline Smith, "Half About Being a Woman"

6. The Ashtray Hearts, "The Strangest Light"

7. Van Stee, "We Are"

9. No Bird Sing, "Definition Sickness"

10. The Chambermaids, "Whatever Happened Tomorrow"

SONGS

1. Four Fists, "MMMMMHMMMMM"

2. Taj Raj, "Begging The Devil"

4. Pony Bwoy, "Ævum (time crawls)"

5. The Suburbs, "Turn The Radio On"

LIVE ACTS

1. The Cloak Ox

2. The Replacements

4. Astronautalis

5. Actual Wolf

No. 1 sign the local scene was alive and well in 2013:

"Even in a year when The Replacements reunited and Prince played more local shows than he has in a decade, so many local acts managed to make headlines and churn out more amazing local records and live shows than I can recall in my 14 years of living here."

ZACK MCCORMICK, freelance writer

Nato Coles & BDB, "Promises to Deliver"

France Camp, "France Camp"

Total Trash, "You Don't Try"

Frankie Teardrop, "Tough Guy EP"

IBE & Benzilla, "This That & The Third"

Lioness, "Queen"

Greg Grease, "Black King Cole EP"

Jr. Thomas, "Meets the Venditions"

Mixed Blood Majority, "Mixed Blood Majority"

SONGS (unranked)

Southside Desire, "Casualty of Love"

Fury Things, "Vapors"

Sonny Knight & The Lakers, "Hey Girl"

The Prizefighters, "Cold Shoulder"

LIVE ACTS (unranked)

Meta/Metasota

Grrrl Party

L'Assassins

Crescent Moon

No. 1 sign the music scene was alive and well in 2013:

JASON NAGEL, 96.3 KTWIN FM "MN Music" host

1. Caroline Smith, "Half About Being a Woman"

2. Actual Wolf, "Actual Wolf"

3. The Cloak Ox, "Shoot the Dog"

4 Dessa, "Parts of Speech"

6. Pennyroyal, "Baby I'm Against It"

7. Various, "Rockin' Here Tonight (Songs for Slim"

8. Ashtray Hearts, "The Strangest Light"

9. Taj Raj, "Fine Hearts Alive"

10. The 4onthefloor, "Spirit of Minneapolis"

1. The Cloak Ox, "Run the Dog"

2. Caroline Smith, "Half About Being a Woman"

3. Van Stee, "We Are"

4. BBGun, "BBGun"

5. Marijuana Deathsquads, "Oh My Sexy Lord"

7. Dessa, "Parts of Speech"

8. Lizzo, "Lizzobangers"

9. Martin Devaney, "House of Rust"

10. Gingko, "Manopause"

No. 1 sign the music scene was alive and well in 2013:

JAHNA PELOQUIN, Vita.mn contributor & l'étoile magazine editor-in-chief

1. The Cactus Blossoms, "Live at the Turf Club"

2. Poliça, "Shulamith"

3. Lizzo, "Lizzobangers"

4. Har Mar Superstar, "Bye Bye 17"

6. First Communion Afterparty, "Earth Heat Sound"

7. CLAPS, "Lies/White Lies" EP

8. Marijuana Deathsquads, "Oh My Sexy Lord"

9. Aby Wolf, "Wolf Lords"

10. Allan Kingdom, "Talk to Strangers"

1. Poliça, "Chain My Name"

2. Lizzo, "Batches & Cookies"

3. Har Mar Superstar, "Prisoner"

4. Four Fists, "MMMMMHMMMMM"

5. c.Kostra, "Your Call"

1. Polica

2. Marijuana Deathquads

3. Tickle Torture

4. Har Mar Superstar

5. Four Fists

1. Low, "The Invisible Way"

2. Cloud Cult, "Love"

3. Fathom Lane, "Fathom Lane"

4. Ginkgo, "Manopause"

5. Joey Ryan and the Inks, "Pause"

7. Lizzo, "Lizzobangers"

8. Actual Wolf, "Actual Wolf"

9. The Suburbs, "Si Sauvage"

10. Various Artists, "Rockin' Here Tonight (Songs For Slim)"

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER, Star Tribune music critic

2. Low, "The Invisible Way"

3. Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank, "Number One Contender"

4. The Replacements, "Songs for Slim EP"

5. The Cloak Ox, "Shoot the Dog"

6. The Stnnng, "Inward Empire"

8. Frankie Lee, "Middle West"

9. Haphduzn, "Whittier Alliance"

10. Pennyroyal, "Baby I'm Against It"

SONGS

1. Mason Jennings, "Wilderness"

3. Dessa, "Call Off Your Ghost"

4. Low, "Just Make It Stop"

5. Polica, "Chain My Name"

LIVE ACTS

1. The Replacements

3. The Cloak Ox

4. The Blind Shake

5. Kinda Kinky

No. 1 sign the music scene was alive and well in 2013:

"Between Low's "Drone, Not Drones" set at Rock the Garden, Prince's pajama party and "Chappelle Show" homage, the Replacements' coy and self-effacing approach to cashing in, half of Lizzo's great album and the fact that Prof might've had the biggest breakout year of all locally, our scene reiterated one of its greatest attributes this year: We're all a bunch of smart-asses."

(unranked)

Aby Wolf, "Wolf Lords"

Blind Shake, "Key to a False Door"

Frankie Lee, "Middle West" EP

Greg Grease, "Black King Cole" EP

Low, "The Invisible Way"

Marijuana Deathsquads, "Oh My Sexy Lord"

Mixed Blood Majority, "Mixed Blood Majority"

Polica, "Shulamith"

Sombear, "Love You in the Dark"

Aby Wolf, "Permission"

Fury Things, "Harsh"

Grrrl Prty, "Wegula"

Low, "Just Make It Stop"

The Replacements, "I'm Not Sayin'" (Gordon Lightfoot cover)

1. Dessa, "Parts of Speech"

2. Polica, "Shulamith"

3. The Ericksons, "The Wild"

4. Dosh, "Milk Money"

5. And The Professors, "Our Postmortem"

7. Kristoff Krane, "Mixxy 4"

8. Har Mar Superstar, "Bye Bye 17"

9. Various Artists, "Minnesota Beatle Project Vol. 5"

10. Bella Ruse, "Those Were Good Times, Weren't They?"

SONGS

2. Caroline Smith, "Half About Being A Woman"

3. Prince, "Breakfast Can Wait"

4. PROF, "The Reply"

5. Low, "Just Make It Stop"

LIVE ACTS

2. Zoo Animal

3. Mayda

4. Prince

5. The Suburbs

No. 1 sign the music scene was alive and well in 2013:

DANNY SIGELMAN, freelance writer

1. Caroline Smith, "Half About Being a Woman"

2. Cloak Ox "Shoot the Dog"

3. Dosh "Milk Money"

4. Black Market Brass "Big Muffler"

6. Polica "Shulamith"

7. Har Mar Superstar "Bye Bye 17"

8. The Replacements, "Songs for Slim EP"

JACK SPENCER, freelance writer

(unranked)

Metasota, "#BlackFriday"

P.O.S., "WDELH/MDS/RMX"

Lizzo, "Lizzobangers"

Up Rock, "Let That Bass Shake"

VANDAAM, "VANDAAM"

Various Artists, "Purple Snow: Forecasting The Minneapolis Sound"

Bisento, "Hinterlands"

Pony Bwoy, "Pony Bwoy"

SONGS (unranked)

Poliça, "Tiff"

Cory Grindberg, "W8 4 U"

Pony Bwoy, "Ævum (time crawls)"

Metasota with Greg Grease, "Penny Wise"

LIVE ACTS (unranked)

Marijuana Deathsquads

Metasota

GRRRL PRTY

Dem Atlas

No. 1 sign the local scene was alive and well in 2013 :

Local shows and festivals have gotten bigger and more impressive, live acts have gotten tighter and more insane, and there's several options for great local acts to see every night.

1. Dorothy Doring/Phil Mattson, "Compositions by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn"

2. Illicit Sextet, "Chapter Eleven"

3. Martin McHugh (with Daithi Sproule and Laura McKenzie), "The Master's Choice"

4. Maud Hixson, "Don't Let a Good Thing Get Away"

5. Graydon Peterson Quartet, "Graydon Peterson Quartet"

7. The Suburbs, "Si Sauvage"

8. Dakota Dave Hull, "Under The North Star"

9. Tom Lieberman, "Common Denominator"

10. The Replacements, "Songs For Slim EP"

LIVE ACTS

2. Curtiss A's John Lennon Tribute Band

3. Sonny Knight and the Lakers

4. Bingham & Thorne

5 (tie) -- Bill Simenson Orchestra, Chris Bates' Red 5.

Honorable mention (old faves): Butanes Soul Revue, Lamont Cranston Blues Band.

(unranked)

Poliça, "Shulamith"

Lizzo, "Lizzobangers"

Southwire, "Southwire"

Aby Wolf, "Wolf Lords"

VANDAAM, "VANDAAM"

Frankie Lee, "Middle West"

The Cloak Ox, "Shoot the Dog"

Allan Kingdom, "Talk to Strangers"

Caroline Smith, "Half About Being a Woman"

Low, "Stay"

Taj Raj, "Pollice Verso"

Zach Sobiech, "Clouds"

The Ericksons, "Gone Blind"

The Suburbs, "Turn the Radio On"

Lizzo

Dem Atlas

Weird Visions

Ashley DuBose

The Replacements

1. Gospel Gossip, "Gospel Gossip"

2. The Blind Shake, "Key To A False Door"

3. On An On, "Give In"

4. STNNNG, "Empire Inward"

5. Sombear, "Love You In The Dark'

7. Marijuana Deathsquads, "Oh My Sexy Lord"

8. The Cloak Ox, "Shoot The Dog"

9. Polica, "Shulamith"

10. Caroline Smith, "Half About Being A Woman"

SONGS

2. Fury ThingsErik Thompson, music journalist (City Pages, The Current)

Albums

1. Gospel Gossip - 'Gospel Gossip'

2. The Blind Shake - 'Key To A False Door'

3. On An On - 'Give In'

5. 'Sombear - 'Love You In The Dark'

6. Aby Wolf - 'Wolf Lords'

7. Marijuana Deathsquads - 'Oh My Sexy Lord'

8. The Cloak Ox - 'Shoot The Dog'

9. Polica - 'Shulamith'

SONGS

1. Gloss, "Front Porch"

2. Fury Things, "Harsh"

3. On An On, "Every Song"

4. CLAPS, "Lies"

BEST LIVE ACTS

1. The Blind Shake

2. Marijuana Deathsquads

3. Fury Things

4. The Cloak Ox

No. 1 sign the music scene was alive and well in 2013:

"While the outdoor festival season in the Twin Cities can occasionally become a drag because of the overall similarities of the various lineups, this year you could see 5-10 completely different local bands from one weekend to the next--without experiencing a drop in talent or energy level, with plenty of new discoveries and cool collaborations in abundance."

Rob van Alstyne, freelance writer

1. Carroll, "Needs EP"

2. BBGUN, "BBGUN"

4. Hunting Club, "Mosaic"

5. The White Whales, "Lakestate"

6. The Cloak Ox, "Shoot the Dog"

7. Dan Mariska & the Boys Choir, "Bummer Songs"

8. Hot Freaks, "Hot Freaks"

10. Ginkgo, "Manopause"

SONGS (unranked)

Bad Bad Hats, "Super America"

Caroline Smith, "Magazine"

Hot Freaks, "Heartache"

The Cloak Ox, "Josephine"

YOUA VANG, freelance writer

1. Mason Jennings, "Always Been"

2. The Parlour Suite, "Pressure"

3. And the Professors, "Our Postmortem"

5. Monica LaPlante, "Jour"

6. Sun Gods to Gamma Rays, "The Water, The Wave"

7. Marah in the Mainsail, "Devil Weeds & Dour Deeds"

8. Joey Ryan and the Inks, "Pause"

9. Party House, "Tonight"

SONGS

1. Chris Koza, "Last Tuesday"

2. Haley Bonar, "Last War"

3. A Piano in Every Home, "Meridian"

4. Fathom Lane, "Perfect Day"

LIVE ACTS

1. Rogue Valley

2. Ben Rosenbush & the Brighton

3. Gramma's Boyfriend

4. The Farewell Circuit

JIM WALSH, freelance writer and author of "The Replacements: Waxed Up Hair and Painted Shoes: The Photographic History"

(unranked)

Various artists, "Songs For Slim: Rockin' Here Tonight"

Frankie Lee, "East Side Blues"

Mason Jennings, "Always Been"

Alison Rae, "I Wrote You A Letter"

The Suburbs, "Si Sauvage"

Actual Wolf, "Actual Wolf"

Patches & Gretchen, "Who The Hell Is Richard Manuel?"

The Ashtray Hearts, "The Strangest Light"

SONGS

Polica, "Chain My Name"

Frank Randall/The Sycamores, "Get Well Slim"

Doug Collins, "Davenport, Iowa"

Dan Wilson, "Disappearing"

LIVE ACTS

Haley Bonar

Cactus Blossoms

Bloom

Frankie Lee