HONORABLE MENTIONS PART 1

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Busta Rhymes & Q-Tip, The Abstract & The Dragon

With its December release date, The Abstract & The Dragon was the latest entry into our album of the year discussion. Had it been released a few months earlier, the collaborative mixtape from hip hop legends Busta Rhymes and Q-tip may very well have made the top 25. However, we still need more time to fully digest this heavy hitter in order for us to fully know what’s the scenario.

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Rhye, Woman

It seems every year now a new indie R&B darling emerges and this year that act was Rhye. The duo captured our listening attention with songs like “The Fall” and “Verse” and in turn, the band’s debut effort was included on the 2013 long list for Canada’s illustrious Polaris Music Prize.

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Waxahatchee, Cerulean Salt

Singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield followed up her 2012 debut album American Weekend, with a breakout sophomore effort titled Cerulean Salt that harkens listeners back to the nineties era of female songwriters.