ListenUp

Remembering Benjamin Curtis and Phil Everly, White Lies' album art, Afrika Bambaataa and more in music this week

School of Seven Bells: Painting a Memory 2014 started off with the sad news of musician Benjamin Curtis passing at the young age of 35 after a battle with cancer. The distinctly talented artist began as a drummer in Dallas-based bands UFOFU and Tripping Daisy before becoming the rocking guitarist in Secret Machines and ultimately the multi-instrumentalist in NYC’s beloved indie rock band School of …

1. Lou Reed: See That My Grave Is Kept Clean

The top songs, albums and artists influencing an incredible year in music

As 2013 comes to a close, we take a moment to reflect upon the hundreds of songs that hit our headphones, had us dancing and influenced daily life throughout the year, many of which we reported on in our weekly feature, ListenUp. Below are 12 of our favorite singles and albums, as well as sadly, several musical tributes to the legends we lost in 2013.

2. George Jones: He Stopped Loving Her Today

The top songs, albums and artists influencing an incredible year in music

After 71 colorful years, the immensely influential musician Lou Reed (born on 2 March 1942) passed away on Sunday, 27 October 2013. Not since Elvis has rock’n’roll received such a loss, and the indelible mark this distinctly talented artist left on the world is seen in the innumerable bands he inspired, the expressive music he created both as a solo act and with The Velvet …