We’re big fans of music here at the American Craft Beer compound. We think that music and craft beer were made for each other. And when it comes to the best music, we’ve got opinions, big time…So here are, in no particular order, our picks for the Best Music of 2013.

Kanye West / Yeezus – Love him or hate him, this was an audacious and ambitious release. Don’t be a hater.

Arcade Fire / Reflektor – Although this double album was dismissed by many, we’re big fans. This is Retro-alternative music at its best and most personal.

Daft Punk / Random Access Memories – No one saw this one coming! The French electronic duo paid homage to Los Angeles Pop from the late 1970s and early 80s – and delivered the biggest surprise of 2013.

Atoms for Peace / Amok – Some may call this Thom Yorke-fronted project “RadioheadLite” – we just call it awesome.

Queens of the Stone Age / …Like Clockwork – We’d almost given uphope that this band would ever matter again. …Like Clockwork is a totally unexpected return to form for Josh Homme and company -rock music at its most redemptive.

Best Songs of 2013

Daft Punk / Get Lucky & Lorde / Royals – If you don’t like one of these songs, you don’t like pop. Again, don’t be a hater.

Some of our executive team and regional correspondents were adamant about their best music picks – so here’s what our crew liked.

ACB Staff Picks

Nick Villaume / ACB Tech Samurai – Bad Veins is a winner. I’m also a big fan of Ben Sollee. I also want to give a shout to my girls at Elms District and Handsome Fallacies (aka Isabel Villaume).

Chris Pavetto / ACB Tech Samurai II – I’m also into Ben Sollee and after months and months, I am still listening to Portugal. The Man / Evil Friends (produced by Danger Mouse) beginning to end. For something a little more mainstream, Bastille and Lorde are doing it for me. I’m also enjoying Chvrches at the moment.

Juliana Casale / Boston Correspondent – Arcade Fire / Reflektor FTW!

Jeanna Malines / Florida Correspondent – Amon Amarth / Deceiver of the Gods…The giants of Viking melodic death metal brought it in 2013 and their 9th studio album did not disappoint. Not only does Amon Amarth have one of the first music/brewery collaborations with 3 Floyd’s, they are true craft beer enthusiasts who had an impromptu bottle share with us after a show this summer. This is an album to drink a stout to… actually served out of a Viking drinking horn m/

Dave Stratton / LA Correspondent – I’m an Indy guy – but it’s getting harder to know what’s considered Indy and what’s mainstream anymore. Here are my top five in no particular order:

Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr / The Speed of Thing

Deltron 3030 / Event 2

Capital Cities / In a Tidal Wave of Mystery

Portugal. the Man / Evil Friends

Cage the Elephant / Melophobia

For more popular music, you could go with Lorde and the new Pearl Jam / Lightning Bolt, even though it’s not one of their best.

Sara Simonsen / Nebraska Correspondent – I really loved the entire Walk the Moon album – listen to it all day long! Also Lorde‘s entire album is awesome – I can’t believe she’s just 17!

Bailey Wiegel / Pittsburgh & Eastern Great Lakes Correspondent – As far as full, complete albums are concerned, I really loved Daft Punk / Random Access Memories. It’s weird and it’s funky but it’s complete and ridiculously listenable. The smooth transitions and surprisingly genuine melodies kept this on repeat for me. It was the perfect music when I wanted to feel good but didn’t want to get too distracted. 

Lindsay Evans / Seattle Correspondent – Chris Thile, mandolinist and 2012 MacArthur Genius Fellow, has been breaking down musical barriers for a while. Since 2013, he has been on a mission to bring Bach back in a big way. Known primarily for his work with progressive folk/bluegrass bands Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek, Thile defies artificial genre limitations and has long experimented with Bach sonatas on the mandolin (though there were written specifically for the violin). He released a solo album of Bach this year and has been touring the country making converts of anyone lucky enough to get their hands on a ticket.

Kevin / Chicagoland Correspondent – Paws / Cokefloat! The reason why I love these Scots so much is that their brand of music could find itself nestled nicely in the indie charts anytime from 1990 through today and still sound relevant. 

Thee Oh Sees / Floating Coffin – Hailing from San Francisco, this band builds a wall of sonic sound with their catchy songs. I’d be stunned if they didn’t continue to grow in popularity.

Wolf People / Fain – I saw this British quartet live a couple months back and had goosebumps the entire set. Mixing Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, and Tool in a blender, the guitar riffs are absolutely epic.

I’m not a huge rap/R&B guy, but Statik Selektah / Extended Play and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis/ The Heist are a couple of the most listenable and profound rap albums I’ve come across in a long time.