Do you know anyone who insists that "it was a bad year for music"? That person is always wrong — and especially wrong if they’re talking about 2013. The deeper you dug for new music this year, the more treasures you found. So in that spirit, check out this list of country duets, noise-assault donnybrooks, Fela Kuti tributes, smooth-tronic British electro-pop, and 23 other examples of under-the-radar brilliance. 

By Jon Dolan, Caryn Ganz, Joe Gross, Will Hermes, Christian Hoard and David Marchese