SOUND BITES

SUPERCHUNK Me & You & Jackie Mittoo From: I Hate Music Released: August 27 That it took a 90's alt-rock revival to get people talking about Superchunk is a borderline travesty; much worse bands had massive success in the 90's while Superchunk released a slew of great singles and albums that went largely unnoticed outside of the fringe culture. Still, better late than never, and it certainly doesn't hurt that Superchunk's last couple albums have matched (hell, maybe even surpassed) the quality of their "heyday" output.

As much fun as it is watching a band grow and evolve over the years and through their assorted projects, sometimes it's nice to see them take a step back, shrug their shoulders and try walking in someone else's shoes for four minutes. Whether it's a faithful reconstruction or a sonically shapeshifted alternate vision, it's always fun to hear what an artist can do with a song that's not theirs. Here are ten artists whose interpretations of familiar songs got the biggest smiles from me in 2013:

THE WILD FEATHERS The Ceiling From: The Wild Feathers Released: August 13 With the flux of major labels hoarding anything with a remotely Mumford quality about them, a lot of disingenuous folk-tinged alt bands are beginning to dot the landscape. Refreshingly, The Wild Feathers' debut album owes more to seventies lite rock than folk. The album as a whole lacks teeth, but does have fine moments that point to the potential for the band to go to amazing places. As far as singles go, The Ceiling is already there.

BLOC PARTY Ratchet From: The Nextwave Sessions (EP) Released: August 12 Considering the inter-band problems leading up to its release, it's a minor miracle that Bloc Party's fourth album (2012's Four ) ever got recorded (go ahead and look into that). That said, it's not entirely surprising that they're on another hiatus. I'd never rule out a reformation at any time, but if The Nextwave Sessions and its pulsating single Ratchet end up being one last thing to remember them by, Bloc Party left us with a formidable body of work.

SURFER BLOOD Demon Dance From: Pythons Released: June 11 Domestic violence is an ugly thing; after being arrested for domestic battery last year, Surfer Blood frontman John Paul Pitts at least had a jumping off point for writing Surfer Blood's sophomore album. There is remorse, shame and regret all over this record, an appropriate musical response to an unforgivable situation where (cough cough) others have carried on like nothing's wrong. Like it or not, this has become part of Pitts' legacy if he leaves one; he might as well own up to it, and on Pythons he seems to be doing just that.

THE MOTORLEAGUE Failsafes From: Acknowledge, Acknowledge Released: June 11 Here at the blog, I try to keep things as universal as possible; as such, I don't usually mention "local" bands (not even my own ... oops) unless they've done truly impressive. It's not that I'm not proud of my region, I just never wanted this to be a region specific blog. Anyway, I'm a New Brunswicker, and I do feel quite a bit of pride that a band from Moncton released a really good record this year, and then topped it off with an awesome video for that album's best track.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE Kalopsia From: ...Like Clockwork Released: June 4 What song from Queens Of The Stone Age's sixth album I call my favourite has changed countless times since the album's release, which can only mean one thing: this is a really good album. When it came to choosing what song to highlight as a Song of the Year nominee, I decided to go with the one that I feel best represents the album as a whole. Sinister, surprising, explosive, cathartic; those words and so many more describe Kalopsia and ...Like Clockwork .

PORTUGAL. THE MAN Creep In A T-Shirt From: Evil Friends Released: June 4 Long admired for their uniqueness and prolificness (to date they've released seven albums in seven years), PTM is finally starting to gain a little traction; Evil Friends , their second album for Atlantic, has seen moderate radio success. Given that Danger Mouse (best known for helping The Black Keys go nuclear) had a hand in its creation doesn't hurt, of course, but let's give credit to the band's penchant for crafting an album with so much appeal without compromising the band's core sound. Just listen to all the lunacy going on during highlight (and yet non-single) Creep In A T-Shirt , then try to get it out of your head for the rest of the day. Good luck with that.

CITY AND COLOUR Thirst From: The Hurry And The Harm Released: June 4 As the former side project (and now main gig) of Dallas Green, City And Colour was always sort of intended to act as the antithesis of Alexisonfire, a pensive and sensitive chaser to AOF's raw, furious attack. Now that Alexisonfire is no more, there are more rock elements creeping into City And Colour; see the fuzzed-out groove of lead single Thirst . Giving its tender core a little more muscle works to its advantage, and I hope Dallas continues to explore these sounds on future recordings.

KYLESA Unspoken From: Ultraviolet Released: May 28 Kylesa's fifth album, Spiral Shadow , was one of 2010's most pleasant surprises; metallic and murky yet melodic and majestic, it got high praise from this writer. The follow-up continues down the same path, with a heavy focus on groove. Without the element of surprise, Ultraviolet doesn't hit me as hard as Spiral Shadow did; however, it's probably the better album with better songs, such as the monstrous groove they lock into on album highlight Unspoken .

THE NATIONAL Demons From: Trouble Will Find Me Released: May 21 Now, years removed from the blog buzz that threatened to paint The National as a larger than life transcendent experience rather than just a very good band, excitement has been tempered and the band's work can be taken on its own merits. Trouble Will Find Me sees The National doing what they do best; packing in songs that may seem harmless and unassuming until they hit under just the right conditions. Then and only then, they can tear down and build a soul; a truly shining example like Demons is the musical equivalent of the night sky; we may take it for granted most of the time, but in the right circumstances it's majestic and awe-inspiring.

TRIBES Dancehall From: Wish To Scream Released: May 20 Sometimes, I wish it were still the 90's; to have my youth back would be awesome, and it'd be great if the music I grew up with still dominated the airwaves (not to mention MuchMusic and MTV still playing videos). But then, I consider Tribes. You see, Tribes' sophomore album Wish To Scream still hasn't seen an official release in North America; however, thanks to the age we live in, I get to hear the world's music at my slightest whim. A whim led me to this song, easily one of the best you won't hear on your local radio station unless you're from the UK. P.S. If you're from the UK, please buy me a plane ticket; I need to check up on my ancestors and buy records from your finest shops.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND Diane Young From: Modern Vampires Of The City Released: May 14 It's hard to pass proper judgment on an album like Vampire Weekend's so close to its release date; the promotional cycle for Modern Vampires Of The City was hard and fast, a barrage of lyric videos, webcasts, and other assorted performances and previews. Upon release, I opined that it couldn't possibly live up to the hype no matter how good it was. Now, six months removed from its marketing campaign, MVOTC can be taken on its own merits. And I'm happy to report that, six months removed from its marketing campaign, MVOTC lives up to the hype.

HEADSTONES Far Away From Here From: Love & Fury Released: May 14 Regrouping after an extended break is always a risky proposition, as there's the chance time has passed you by or, worse, that your fans have forgotten you. Headstones got around that by involving their fans directly through a Pledge Music campaign. With an overwhelming level of support, they were compelled to craft the hardest, fastest, most satisfying record of their career. And, while it's a fool's errand to hope for a return to their gold and platinum heyday with today's music economy, Love & Fury did give Headstones their first ever top ten charting album.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN One Of Us Is The Killer From: One Of Us Is The Killer Released: May 14 The main criticism of Dillinger Escape Plan's fifth album is its lack of surprises; indeed, there doesn't seem to be anything happening here that they haven't attempted before. But, that's hardly reason to dismiss it; if a more finely tuned attack and improved songwriting is bad for a band, I must have missed the memo. Calm down, hardcores, there's plenty of screaming on this album. There's also the album's title track, a slithering slow jam with a chorus that stabs and tears with expert precision, proof that DEP's greatest weapon isn't their talent but what they choose to do with it.

VOLBEAT Lola Montez From: Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies Released: April 9 Volbeat aren't likely to top many year-end lists, nor are they likely to be hailed for their originality. But, at least they're honest with their intentions; they want to tell stories, rock hard, and have fun. The success they've seen in recent years is well earned, a suitable reward for a band who honed their skills and sharpened their craft instead of pretending to be something they're not. Rock and roll needs visionaries to progress, true but they also need bands like Volbeat: respectful of rock's history and true to themselves.

STONE SOUR House Of Gold & Bones From: House Of Gold & Bones Part 2 Released: April 9 The last of the rationed double albums from the fall of 2012 to make good on their own completion, Stone Sour's House Of Gold & Bones showed more complexity, chops and songwriting muscle than most folks will readily admit. As a double album, it does have its share of filler, but as a concept it's well executed and consistently rewarding. And the title track brings it all to a thrashing, glorious climax.

COLD WAR KIDS Miracle Mile From: Dear Miss Lonelyhearts Released: April 2 A couple of years ago around this time, I predicted the transformation of Cold War Kids into Maroon 5; thankfully, that didn't happen. However, what has started to develop is a disturbing pattern; a moderately well performing lead single, then nobody pays any mind for two years. It seems like Cold War Kids have painted themselves into a bit of a corner, too mainstream for the indie critics' acceptance and too off the wall for the public's adoration. Oh well, I enjoy Miracle Mile , even with all that piano. See you in 2015!

Today, the blog hit 15000 views. That completely breaks my head. THANK YOU! #proudpapa — Sound Bites (@soundbitesrocks) November 13, 2013 We'll get back to Year in Rock 2013 tomorrow, but I felt the need to commemorate what I feel is an insane accomplishment for this tiny, poorly maintained blog (especially since I missed visit #10000 in the stampede for the Arctic Monkeys stream back in September). I don't even know what to say; when I started this thing just over 2 years ago,I couldn't fathom ever accumulating 5000 views, let alone triple that. Somehow, someway, people have found this place and (I can hope and/or assume) have come back despite the guy running it not having all that much of interest to say. Regardless, I do hope you've enjoyed what you've seen, and I have equal hope that you'll continue to do so in the months/years ahead. This has always been a really fun way for me to spend my spare time, and that someone presumably appreciates what I...

THE BLACK ANGELS Don't Play With Guns From: Indigo Meadow Released: April 2 To say The Black Angels' first three albums can be classified under "stoner music" is kind of like saying salt is kind of an okay seasoning. The haze hasn't dissipated on album number four, but it's lifted ever so slightly, letting in a few rays of sunshine. It's still psychedelic, but at least they're aren't any Vietnam war references this time out; in fact, as lead single Don't Play With Guns illustrates, they've developed a bit of a penchant for uncovering the cosmetics of the "hippie" period and finding the timelessness in it.

WAVVES Demon To Lean On From: Afraid Of Heights Released: March 26 If you believe in the cyclical nature of music, you'll recognize the 90's rock revival we're currently in the throes of. Aside from all manner of 90's alt groups coming out of the woodwork for reunions, not to mention the few who never left continuing to produce high quality albums, we've even got relatively new groups trying their hand at the game. Case in point: Wavves; the noisy lo-fi puink snarl of earlier releases evaporates on major label debut Afraid Of Heights to the point it becomes an exercise in nostalgia listening to these songs for the first time. Doesn't make the Wezzvana crunch of Demon To Lean On any less inviting, though.

CLUTCH Crucial Velocity From: Earth Rocker Released: March 19 After two decades of carving their own path to success, Clutch have finally reached a pretty comfortable place in their careers. One could be forgiven for assuming that they might rest on their laurels a bit, and maybe even phone it in a bit on their tenth album. Instead, they sound hungry as ever; Earth Rocker rocks hard, fast and often, a high-octane thrill ride that unquestionably ranks up there with Blast Tyrant and their self titled album as career highlights.

BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB Hate The Taste From: Specter At The Feast Released: March 19 After over a decade of existence and seven solid albums, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club haven't set the world on fire by any stretch. What they have managed to do is become one of the most dependable rock bands to come along in the last fifteen years. They've grown without completely mutilating their core sound, and have never turned in a bad album. If we're being completely honest, they've yet to turn in a masterpiece either, but Specter At The Feast brings them as close as they've ever come to one.

ATOMS FOR PEACE Default From: AMOK Released: February 26 Practically an extension of Thom Yorke's solo album The Eraser , the debut album by Atoms For Peace is nonetheless an intriguing listen with lots to offer to Yorke's (and Radiohead's) fans. In fact, many fans (myself included) would rank AMOK higher than Radiohead's 2011 album The King Of Limbs , although that's much more an insult to Radiohead than it is a compliment to Atoms For Peace.

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS Jubilee Street From: Push The Sky Away Released: February 19 As long and illustrious as Nick Cave's career had been up to 2013, not many could have predicted the quality of Push The Sky Away , his fifteenth studio album. It may not rock all that hard, but its lush orchestration and Cave's ever-endearing way with words give the album substantial emotional weight, especially on album highlight Jubilee Street and its sordid portrayal of the seedy side of town. If you enjoy the video, make sure to seek out his performance of the track at this past year's Glastonbury festival for full effect.

FOALS Inhaler From: Holy Fire Released: February 12 They may have made inroads in North America with the energetic pop of My Number , but it was lead single Inhaler that brought Foals to my radar; interesting, melodic and groovy with a bit of a mean streak, Inhaler has a little something for everybody and weaves it all together to create perhaps a bigger sounding song than it had any business being.

COHEED AND CAMBRIA Dark Side Of Me From: The Afterman: Descension Released: February 5 A little over a year ago, a posted an article on the audacity of some artists to split their double albums in two and charge double price to the consumer. Coheed and Cambria took it a step further, releasing their Afterman album in two parts and then releasing it together with a third disc consisting of live tracks as a nice kick in the balls to fans who'd already shelled out twice. The saddest part is, Afterman 's penultimate track is so good they also milked two Year in Rock nominations out of me.

THE BRONX Youth Wasted From: The Bronx (IV) Released: February 5 Having more success for your mariachi side project than your main band doesn't seem to have deterred The Bronx from doing what they do best. While the tunefulness they honed over the course of two mariachi albums finds its way onto their fourth album, there's still plenty of edge to be had. Plus, you can't fault the humour and/or confrontational nature of a hard rock band using male strippers in the video for its lead single.

PURE LOVE Bury My Bones From: Anthems Released: February 4 After plenty of promotion and delays, early 2013 saw the UK release of Frank Carter's post-Gallows band's debut release. Straying from the snarling punk fury of Gallows, Anthems is an aptly named record; stadium-ready rock with tunefulness and heart, Pure Love is a project that shows maturity and growth for Carter. As for the bellyaching fans who just want to hear him scream? Feel free to grow up with him.

TOMAHAWK White Hats / Black Hats From: Oddfellows Released: January 29 Dialing back on experimentation somewhat yielded what amounts to Mike Patton's most straightforward rock album since... well, Tomahawk's debut album. And, even if Oddfellows doesn't quite live up to that debut, it's refreshingly accessible while maintaining some of the skewed sonic sensibilities that make Patton one of music's most intriguing figures.

BIFFY CLYRO Victory Over The Sun From: Opposites Released: January 28 The main criticism for Biffy Clyro in recent years is their increasing reliance on radio friendly stadium rockers, but that's an overreaction on critics' part; radio friendly stadium rockers are what Biffy Clyro is good at, as evidenced by the material on double album Opposites (released as a butchered 14-track single disc in North America). Yes, it's streamlined, but the tunes are solid; besides, when you're packing European stadiums like Biffy Clyro do, you need big tunes like these.

FIDLAR Cheap Beer From: FIDLAR Released: January 22 Brash, loud, raw, fun; if these four words don't tell you all you need to know about FIDLAR, I challenge you to come up with better descriptors. Maybe they'll grow into an important band as they mature, but right now FIDLAR are the embodiment of living fast. Their debut full-length is stoned, drunk and lazy, but it's also a nice change from the super-serious majority of bands coming up in the current generation.