We asked the world famous DJ, Marco Collins, what his favorite Seattle albums of 2013 were – and in classic Marco form, he gave us a plethora of information, including his top 25 albums, and which records he’s looking forward to for 2014! Also, he let us know a little info about his upcoming acoustic holiday show, which he’s hosting in Ballard this month!

— Jake Uitti, Managing Editor, The Monarch Review

Marco Collins: What a great year for Seattle music. It only took me a month to put together this list of the Top 25 Seattle Records of 2013 and I pray I didn’t miss anything. This is, of course, a list of MY favorites (most listened to) and records I felt were important to the scene. There were several records on this list that I thought should have received WAY more attention than they did: Glitterbang, Nissim, Jaymes Young and my number one record of the year, Timothy Robert Graham! (A few of these are EPs (The Flavr Blue & Mary Lambert) and one is a record that came out in 2012 (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis). I included “The Heist” because it hadn’t really made an impact on me until this year).

1. Timothy Robert Graham – The Hidden Rose
2. Pickwick – Can’t Talk Medicine
3. Rose Windows – The Sun Dogs
4. Mary Lambert – Welcome to the Age of My Body
5. Glitterbang – Occasionally, Love Is War
6. Hobosexual – Hobosexual II
7. La Luz – It’s Alive
8. Nissim - Nissim
9. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – The Heist
10. The Flavr Blue – Brite Vices
11. Hey Marseilles – Lines We Trace
12. Jaymes Young – Dark Star
13. Nacho Picasso – High & Mighty
14. Campfire Ok – When You Have Arrived
15. Ra Scion – The Sickle & The Sword
16. Walking Papers - Walking Papers
17. Monogamy Party – False Dancers
18. Moondoggies – Adios I’m a Ghost
19. Cock & Swan – Secret Angles
20. Grave Babies – Crusher
21. Cumulus – I Never Meant It To Be Like This
22. Ravenna Woods – The Jackals
23. Mudhoney – Vanishing Point
24. Aaron Sprinkle – Water & Guns
25. Pearl Jam – Lightening Bolt

And here are my most anticipated Seattle Records of 2014:

Katie Kate – LP 2
Cataldo – Gilded Oldies
Motopony – New!

Of The Acoustic Christmas Show In Ballard (Night 1 + Night 2), Marco says:

The line up is very eclectic, which reflects my taste in music. I’ve never believed that certain artists don’t belong on the same bill just because of their sound. I think it more than works to put rock bands, hip-hop artists and acoustic musicians on the same bill. I also thought that it would be a challenge to the artists to strip down their songs AND have to learn a few Christmas songs!

Some of the artists on the bill VERY RARELY perform acoustic. Braden Blake, who fronted the 90’s Seattle power pop group, Superdeluxe, will be performing some old Superdeluxe Christmas songs and more! Hollis Wong-Wear NEVER plays acoustic solo shows! She’s always on stage with Macklemore or her electronic dance group, The Flavr Blue, so this is very special. Hobosexual is one of Seattle’s noisiest rock duos so seeing them in an acoustic mode is going to be amazing! And Wanz!! Yes, Wanz from Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” performing acapella! “This is fuckin awesome”!

Doing the show at the Volterra Drawing Room is very exciting to me because the venue is so intimate. There are ONLY 125 tickets available for each night! Ballard also looks amazing during the holiday season. We’d love to invite people to make it a night! Have dinner next door at Volterra and then enjoy a holiday show curated for a very different listening experience. The shows are all ages and there’s a full bar in the venue! Bring your kids!