ALARM's 51 Favorite Albums of 2013

ALARM’s 51 Favorite Albums of 2013

Saving the best for last, we’ve chosen our 51 favorite albums of 2013, pulled from the acclaimed and the unsung — some of the best as well as most boundary-pushing releases from rock and beyond.

Kenan Bell

Album Download: Kenan Bell’s Summer Solstice Vol. 3

Kenan Bell: Summer Solstice Vol. 3Kenan Bell: Summer Solstice Vol. 3 (12/21/11)

Kenan Bell: “Book of the Month (feat. Ayomari & Carl Roe)”

[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/04-Book-Of-The-Month-featuring-Ayomari-Carl-Roe.mp3|titles=Kenan Bell: “Book of the Month (feat. Ayomari & Carl Roe)”]

Indie rapper Kenan Bell releases the third installment of his Summer Solstice mixtape series tomorrow, the summer solstice for the Southern hemisphere. On this collection, the former Montessori schoolteacher samples the likes of Caribou (“Caribou”), Lovage (“Book of the Month”), the Talking Heads (“Home”), and plenty more, layering his signature nerd rap over each and making them his own.

A day before its official release, ALARM presents an exclusive download of SSV3. (And if you haven’t already, be sure to download Summer Solstice Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.)

Bell also provided some commentary below for SSV3. We advise that you listen to it in its entirety while enjoying his behind-the-scenes notes.