Welcome back! Today continues our coverage of the Top Thirty 7″ Records of 2013. If you missed the first half, we’d recommend you backtrack and take a look – see the beginning of the countdown right here before moving on!

(As 2013 comes to a close, we’ve put together the fourth edition of our annual year-end lists covering the most crucial records of the year. We’ll begin this year’s wrap-up by counting down 7″ singles, ranked in order to represent our anticipation of the band’s future releases in the new year. It’s also a list of anything we thought stood out in 2013, so save up some extra cash and make sure you cop these premium singles before it’s far too late. Happy holidays and most of all, happy reading. Now sit tight for the next round of countdowns, the Top 25 Albums of 2013!)

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15.)
Ex-Cult – Mister Fantasy 7″
Label: Goner Records
A-side:
Was it possible for these guys to sound any angrier than they did on their debut LP? That’s exactly the case with both of these raw and bloody cuts of punk rock. It’s like taking a 7″ out of it’s sleeve and finding a circular saw blade that trims your little fingers right off your hand. Proceed with caution.

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14.)
Natural Child/ Guantanamo Baywatch – Surf ‘n’ Turf Split 7″
Label: Suicide Squeeze Records
A-side:
Suicide Squeeze Records truly left us with a gem at the tail end of the year. Combining the landlocked blues of Natural Child with the surfy and honest twangs of Guantanamo Baywatch means this 7″ couldn’t have a better title. It almost goes without saying, but watch out for either crew in 2014. Also, it’s up for debate that this is Natural Child’s best standalone track yet.

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13.)
Fuzz – Sleigh Ride 7″
Label: In the Red Recordings
A-side:
2013 turned out to be the year of Fuzz, dropping a slew of 7″ singles and eventually their crushing debut. Sleigh Ride was the second of three 7-inches, becoming the first indication that the trio wasn’t just messing around. “Sleigh Ride” is an anthem in itself, boasting a burly, blues-fueled crunch wrapped around a jolting time-signature change-up. Throw in the gnarled metallic shards on the B-side and it’s a done deal.

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12.)
GOLD – Losing Your Hair 7″ EP
Label: Mammoth Cave Recording Co.
A-side:
Chris Reimer, late guitarist of the band Women played drums on this EP. The band used his equipment to record the four songs too, appropriately dedicating the 7″ to him. Jewel-toned guitars and a chilling atmosphere fuels their entrancing dream pop, delivering a remarkable debut from the one and only Mammoth Cave Records.

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11.)
Golden Pelicans – The Earls 7″
Label: Total Punk Records
A-side:
Once again, Total Punk means Total Punk and you get the feeling Golden Pelicans know that too. This 1-2 punch follows their debut 7″ from last year, berating us with a snarling and shredded take on rowdy punk rock. The 7″ ends up leaving a garbage-flavored aftertaste and you never would’ve thought it tasted (or sounded) this good.

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10.)
Natural Child – CRS Blues 7″
Label: Jeffery Drag Records
B-side:
What would any of these year-end lists be without these Nashville scoundrels? They crammed in a late entry from Suicide Squeeze, but this CRS Blues 7″ steals the show. They channel their inner-Stones on the B-side “Nathan’s Blues,” while the A-side is a bluesy 6-minute burner filled with smoke. It’s moody and silky smooth, leaving us to say the Natural Child boys can do no wrong.

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09.)
Slushy – Candy 7″
Label: Randy Records
B-side:
Randy Records churned out gem after gem in 2013 and the sugary sweet 7″ debut from Slushy was right on point. Recorded with an extra sticky analog twang, the fun-loving duo from Chicago only has this single and a pair of cassettes under their belt. Even so their future is looking up without a doubt in our minds, so we’ll see what happens going forward.

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08.)
Ancient Slang – Fake Future 7″
Label: Gloryhole Records
A-side:
Ancient Slang came out from way in left field during 2013, bringing this 3-track debut with them comprised of angular and shadowy post-punk. The single has a stunning cohesiveness even though it’s only tree tracks long, leaving us highly anticipating anything from this grungy Indianapolis trio going forward.

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07.)
Vacation Club – Daydream 7″
Label: Randy Records
A-side:
Randy was at it again with this two-song banger from Indianapolis garage crew Vacation Club. These guys lay down some gritty garage tunes loaded with an undeniably ecstatic approach. These two songs are fun and loose, fully exposing us to their progressively innocent and noisy garage pop.

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06.)
The Young Sinclairs – Hurt My Pride 7″ EP
Label: Croque Macadam/ Requiem Pour un Twister Records
B-side:
Talk about a busy year. The Young Sinclairs busted out at least four different singles in 2013, all of which end of making up an album’s worth of twangy, folk-inspired garage. Hurt My Pride stood out from the rest, delivering three clean and wholesome tracks for an ultimately timeless sound.

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05.)
Feel Alright – Oahu Ohio 7″
Label: Mammoth Cave Recording Co.
A-side:
The Mammoth Cave released a handful of quality records on the year, but none we’re as memorable as this stunning debut from Feel Alright. Penning their pop with an airy and featherweight approach, this is about as charming and pristine as garage could come. Our fingers our crossed for more in 2014, because as promised this stuff will restore your faith in humanity.

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04.)
Jensen Serf Company – Electric Sister 7″ EP
Label: Daddy Kool Records
A-side:
The duo in Jensen Serf Company turned in this stellar 7″ EP at the beginning of the year. Combining a good bit of psych, surf and punk rock, the band has honed in on a sharp and wild sound that is all their own. They’ve turned our heads with two killer EPs now and we’re thinking 2014 will have some more of that.

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03.)
Uh Bones – Only You 7″ EP
Label: Randy Records
B-side:
No label impressed us more than Randy Records in 2013. This Uh Bones 7″ EP was the initial reason for the infectious love, exposing us to their heavily-reverberated take on soulful garage pop. The 7″ unfolds with a grainy analog twang, decorated with Luke Trimble’s crooning over a hazy layer of colorful synth. We already know there’s bound to be more from this Chicago crew in the new year, so let’s hope they don’t keep us waiting for too long.

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02.)
Straight Arrows – Never Enough 7″
Label: Hozac Records (Hookup Klub #31)
B-side:
For those who kick themselves (myself included) for not subscribing to Hozac’s Hookup Klub, this Straight Arrows 7″ is one huge reason surrounded by almost 30 others. It was their lone release in 2013, but boy is it heavy. B-side track “Can’t Stand It” could be their best standalone track to date, offering up an absolutely dazzling combination of garage, psych, punk and ecstasy that will steamroll you. They haven’t dropped an LP since 2010 and we’re really not sure what to expect going forward, other than we’re expecting.

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01.)
The Living Eyes – Eat It Up 7″
Label: Goodbye Boozy Records
A-side:
From down under in Geelong, Australia, garage sensation the Living Eyes destroyed the year of 2013. Goodbye Boozy in Italy dropped this sick little 7″, starting a new era for the band as they take their punk in a different direction. There’s a sophomore album on the horizon for these guys, and quoted from Billy Gardner himself, “it’s a bit more ‘Eat It Up’ style.” We’re still patiently waiting for details on said LP, but we’re certainly not asking them to rush anything either. Just as long as there is more of this streamlined punk in our future, all is well.

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There you have it, folks. The conclusion of our Top Thirty 7″ Records of 2013 right before your eyes. Before the end of the year we still plan on bringing you our Top 25 Albums of 2013, which you should be expecting shortly after the Christmas holiday. Please sit tight and stay tuned!

While you wait, take a look at our album countdown’s from the past three years: 2012, 2011, 2010

As 2013 comes to a close, we’ve put together the fourth edition of our annual year-end lists, covering the most crucial records of the year. We’ll begin this year’s wrap-up by counting down 7″ singles, ranked in order to represent our anticipation of the band’s releases in 2014. It’s also a list of anything we thought stood out in 2013, so save up some extra cash and make sure you cop these premium slices of wax before it’s too late. We covered a total of 97 different 7-inches this year and we hand-picked 30 of them right below, beginning with a list of some that just couldn’t fit. Happy holidays and most of all, happy reading – Part 2 comes tomorrow covering records #15-01, so sit tight!

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Just Missed:
Zig Zags – Scavenger 7″ (Who Can You Trust?)
Dumb Doctors – I Am You 7″ (Academia CHS PVD)
Rabbit Holes – It’s Not Alright 7″ (Big Action Records)
Ar-Kaics – She Does Those Things To Me 7″ (Speakertree Records)
Nervous Talk – Introductions 7″ (Mammoth Cave Recording Co.)
Ancient Sky – Castle 7″ (Wharf Cat Records)
Les Rivals – Sugar Babies 7″ (Mauvaise Foi Records)
Dead Ghosts – I Sleep Alone 7″ (Randy Records)
The Hussy – Way With Words 7″ (Black Gladiator Records)
Thee Commons – Sunburn at Midnight 7″ EP (self-released)
Space Agency – Bombay Potatoes 7″ (Market Square Records)
Painted Palms – Carousel 7″ (Polyvinyl Records)

Victims of time:
The Lees of Memory – We Are Siamese 7″ (Velocity of Sound Records)
Missing Monuments – Blast! 7″ EP (Slovenly Records)
The Soupcans – Parasite Brain 7″ EP (Jackshack/ Telephone Explosion)
Ubu Roi – Nice Dude 7″ EP (Help Yourself Records)
Kyle Kaos – Negi Zonin’ 7″ EP (Party Nogg Records)

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30.)
Energy Gown – I Watch the Sun 7″
Label: Self-released
B-side:
Chicago drone-rockers in Energy Gown self-released their own mesmerizing debut in 2013. Strung-out and spacey, their brand of psych is hypnotic and soaked in acid. After a 16 minute 7″ there has to be more up their sleeves heading into 2014, so we’ll have to wait and see.

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29.)
Cop City/ Chill Pillars – Gift Shop 7″
Label: Hozac Records
A-side:
Nobody twists and bends their psychedelic pop like the Pillars of Chill. After an excellent sophomore album in 2012 these guys continue the illness with two cuts of mutated pop seemingly from the same batch as their previous LP. Listen long enough and you’ll feel a second head grow out of your shoulders.

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28.)
Ttotals – Spectrums of Light 7″
Label: Twin Lakes Records
A-side:
After a killer EP in 2012 the Nashville duo followed up with this 7″ on Twin Lakes. Their take on psych rock is murky and saturated in smoke, employing colorful electronic samples to go with their menacingly bluesy sound. They’re taking their time dropping these records and we’re patiently waiting.

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27.)
Blank Range – Scrapin’ 7″
Label: Sturdy Girls Records
B-Side:
Blank Range brought two top-notch releases in 2013: Their Phase II cassette and this two-song 7″ from Sturdy Girls. Both give us a look at their kaleidoscopic take on hazy rock and roll as they only begin to get started.

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26.)
Gap Dream – Chill Spot 7″
Label: Burger Records
A-side:
Gabe Fulvimar and Burger Records started the second wave of Gap Dream with this 7″. His sophomore LP was announced shortly afterward, delivering a magnified version of this blurry and warbled electronic pop. It’s probably still too early to say, but Fulvimar probably has much more going on under his hat for 2014.

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25.)
Cannon – It’s Cool, No Worries 7″ EP
Label: Bon Voyage
A-side:
Bon Voyage doesn’t always drop a ton of records, but whenever they do we’ve been sure to pay attention. 2013 brought us the dense and twisted pop from Brisbane-based Cannon, leaving us with a smoking batch of mangled and ecstatic garage pop nuggets.

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24.)
Shark Week – Santurce 7″
Label: Analog Edition Records
B-side:
After a solid debut this Washington DC trio came back even stronger than we could have predicted with this single. They named the 7″ after the neighborhood in Puerto Rico it was recorded in, delivering their honest and soulful take on rugged, Western-tinged rock and roll.

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23.)
Last Year’s Men – Clawless Paw 7″
Label: Sophomore Lounge Records
A-side:
Chapel Hill wrecking crew Last Year’s Men dropped this 7″ loaded with two explosive cuts of their jagged, garage-minded rock and roll. With at least 3 records to their name since 2010, they clearly value quality over quantity.

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22.)
Travel Check – Wild Tropics 7″
Label: Howlin’ Banana Records
B-side:
Monster garage rock label in Paris Howlin’ Banana Records released this 7″ from Parisian psych-outs Travel Check. Their trippy rock sounds cloudy and sinister, backed by a thud and veiled in vapor. 2014 would be a lot better if we heard from them again.

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21.)
Buck Biloxi & the Fucks – Holodeck Survivor 7″
Label: Total Punk Records
A-side:
Buck Biloxi & the Fucks have a nasty attitude and it shows on this blown-out piece of wax. They eventually released their debut full-length this year on Germany’s Red Lounge Records too. Total Punk means Total Punk and these guys fit the mold, no questions asked. Hopefully they’re up to no good in 2014 – take a look at Hozac’s upcoming releases for some added insight.

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20.)
Red Hex – Shoulda Known 7″ EP
Label: Negative Fun Recordings
A-side:
Negative Fun Records unleashed this bloody sucker punch and knocked our heads clear out of the park. Red Hex concoct an absolutely raw and gruesome blend of angry punk and post-punk, complete with shrieking vocals and shredded guitars for a heinous and angular sound.

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19.)
Fuzz – Sunderberry Dream 7″
Label: In the Red Recordings
A-side:
Fuzz began turning heads right at the end of 2012. Since then this turned out to be their third 7″, released just shortly before their monstrous debut album. Included is a menacing non-album track and an absolutely lethal cover of King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man.” They speak for themselves.

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18.)
Ketamines – All the Colours of Your Heart 7″
Label: Pleasence Records
A-side:
The Ketamines came back in a wave this year, dropping their sophomore album and enough 7″ singles that we started losing track. All the Colours of Your Heart was the first in a set of four, leaving us with two fun-filled cuts of twisted bubblegum pop that’s as menacing as it is catchy. Besides their relentless pop, this 7″ has a bit of a jazzy feel weaved into it, naturally leaving us to wonder where they’ll go next.

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17.)
Bad Vision – 112 7″
Label: Every Night Is A Saturday Night/ Adagio 830 Records.
A-side:
From down under in Melbourne, Bad Vision came into our lives at the beginning of 2013. That’s when this rotten little 7″ first came out and it was eventually followed by their full-length debut at the end of the year. Sharp and melodic, this self-described “garage rock/proto punk” will absolutely flatten you.

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16.)
Lantern – Mr. Mars 7″
Label: Goodbye Boozy Records
A-side:
Loving Philadelphia trio cleaned it up this year with a slew of releases on labels all over the globe. This is one of their most vibrant releases yet, shoving their soulful strand of punk n’ roll down our throats with the squeal of a saxophone. These guys have the heart and the soul and they’re only getting started.

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That’s all for today – follow the link to see Part 2 (#15-01) of the 7″ Countdown! Now join us in saying happy (belated) birthday to the Styrofoam Drone – the blog turned four years old yesterday on the 18th.

Welcome back! Today is the continuation of our coverage of the Top Thirty 7″ Records of 2012. If you missed it, you can find the first half of the countdown right here.

(We’re going to begin with 7″ records which just may be the toughest category considering we covered over 110 unique singles throughout 2012. As you’re going through the list below, you’ll notice that each record has a rank – our ordering is representative of our anticipation for future releases from these bands in the new year, but also just as importantly, anything that we thought stood out throughout 2011. Bear that in mind as you go through! So without further ado, here goes nothin’.)

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15.)
Natural Child – Mother Nature’s Daughter 7″
Label: Jeffery Drag Records
A-side:
By now we all know what to expect from this rowdy Nashville crew – electrified blues rock and a filthy attitude. They had a busy year and this was a big part of it, coming out between their other two full lengths on Burger Records – it even came with its own rolling papers! After their busiest year yet we’ll have to see how they follow it up.

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14.)
Thresholder – Beyond the Far Horizon 7″
Label: Self-released
B-side:
This 7″ came out from fucking nowhere and blitzed us all. These guys live in Brooklyn now but originally came from places like Texas and Canada. We’re glad they met each other. Right now there’s no telling what we’ll hear next, but let’s just hope there’s more of this brooding post-punk to come in the new year.

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13.)
Useless Eaters – Black Night Ultraviolet 7″
Label: Manimal Vinyl
A-side:
This 7″ shows us Seth Sutton at his most pivotal moment. Nothing in his ever-expanding discography has sounded quite like this, yet we’re still left wondering what we’re going to hear next. His 7″ on Anti Fade has dropped since this, however predictions for the future are still up in the air. At this rate Sutton will probably be even busier in 2013.

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12.)
Fins – Lawnmower 7″
Label: ObscureMe Records
B-side:
This grungy trio blindsided us all with their noisy, melodic grunge-punk, coming off equally as pissed-off as it is sloppy. Four tracks sustain this wild pace with shredded guitars and plenty of scuzz, leaving us anticipating any future beat downs from Fins.

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11.)
Shiva Trash – Bleach Bath 7″
Label: Cholo Punks Records
A-side:
Well-crafted garage rock with a touch of twisted surf thrown in, we really couldn’t ask for much more but to bring them to Philadelphia. Their 7″ features three original tracks, each of which has a demented mind of its own, characterized by tight, metallic guitars and spastic energy. We know these guys have more up their sleeves so sit tight!

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10.)
Straight Arrows – All the Time 7″
Label: Goodbye Boozy Records
A-side:
If it’s from Goodbye Boozy it’s always guaranteed to be loud, crude and noisy. This Straight Arrows 7″ is no expection. Clocking in at just under five minutes, the two tracks on this single combine for a rowdy, hard-hitting pummel comprised of dire post-punk and twangy alt-country stompers. Let’s hope we hear some new stuff from them in the new year.

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09.)
Protomartyr – Baseball Bat 7″
Label: X! Records
B-side:
One 7″ led to another which eventually led to their debut LP on Urinal Cake Records this year. This 7″ sees Protomartyr hitting their stride just before the release of their debut album No Passion All Technique, going to show that these guys are just getting started.

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08.)
Cold Showers – Decay 7″
Label: Art Fag Recordings
A-side:
2012 finally saw the much-needed release of more material from LA’s own Cold Showers. This 7″ eventually led to their debut LP on Dais Records, giving us an idea of what to expect with an instantly memorable track like “So I Can Grow.” It could be awhile before we hear something new from these guys, so now is a good time to catch up if you’ve been slacking.

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07.)
Crystal Swells – HarshSide/ SludgeFreaks 7″
Label: TRBLFKR Records
B-side:
Hailing from Vancouver, the manic surf-rock monstrosities on Crystal Swells debut 7″ knocked the ball clean out of the park. All four tracks are blown-out and berserk in their own sloppy, deranged way, showing off reverb-drenched guitars with a gritty, acid-soaked complexion in splitting burnout tracks like “Harsh Flux” or “Freaks in Heat.”

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06.)
Gap Dream – Ali Baba 7″
Label: Suicide Suqeeze Records
A-side:
If you were to ask us, we’d tell you Gap Dream blew up this year. After an excellent debut LP in January that’s now onto its second pressing, Gabriel Fulvimar was back with this 7″ in September. It’s a continuation of where he left us on his Burger Records debut and “Generator” just may be his best individual song to date.

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05.)
Heavy Times – I’m Single 7″
Label: Hozac Records
B-side:
By now we’ve been over it a million times – Heavy Times are capable of bringing us some of the catchiest and tightest guitar hooks in the game. Consistency has been a huge part of their constantly growing discography and they appear to be far from slowing down. They even had a second 7″ this year on Windian Records that we sadly did not get a chance to cover. But with 2013 on the horizon, we’re expecting another full-length from these filthy Chicago punks, so be patient!

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04.)
Spider Bags – Papa Was a Shithead 7″
Label: Sophomore Lounge Records
B-side:
Considering their evolution since the A Celebration of Hunger-era, there’s probably no other band that grew into themselves better than Dan McGee’s Spider Bags. There’s an excellent LP titled Shake My Head to show for that from this year, going hand-in-hand with the sweaty ruckus found on this 7″ – the fiery progression of a track like “I Wish That I Never Had Fed You” should become instantly memorable.

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03.)
The People’s Temple – Looter’s Game 7″
Label: Hozac Records
A-side:
The two songs on this 7″ are polar opposites of each other, going to show just how dynamic this brotherly band can be. These guy play with an unmatched level of passion that is easily palpable in their songs, going from bluesy and invigorating to dazey and strung-out within two short tracks. Their new album dropped a bit later than we wanted, but this single still did its job by holding us over.

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02.)
Hot Lunch – Killer Smile 7″
Label: Who Can You Trust? Records
A-side:
This debut 7″ from Hot Lunch caught us so off-guard it wasn’t even fair. There’s not another single that could equal the caliber of intensity that radiates off these two scorching songs, suggesting a live performance that is probably out of this world. They’re currently working on their debut full length for 2013 on Who Can You Trust? Records, so be on the look out for Hot Lunch in the new year.

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01.)
Zig Zags – Monster Wizard 7″
Label: Tubesteak Tuesday Records
A-side:
2012 saw an awesome beginning for these grungy punks. Based out of Los Angeles, Zig Zags dropped two smoking singles of their own and then a third split with Iggy Pop, quickly setting themselves up with an initial batch of material that is extremely difficult to match. We haven’t heard much about their future plans, but we’re definitely banking on something new sooner or later. Catching them live is a top priority right now, mainly for the fact that the four songs on their own singles are absolutely (and consistently) catastrophic. Here’s to hoping we get to hear more from Zig Zags in 2013.

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That does it for 7″ records – our year-end coverage continues in a few days with a list of EPs/Cassettes and full length LPs. Please stay tuned for more!