Few people in the South Bay know more about classic soul, psychedelic rock and other traditional genres than the Bang’s Derek See. His blog, Derek’s Daily 45, has uncovered countless obscure singles from the 60s and 70s and his band the Bang, accesses the look, feel and sound of the classic girl-fronted soul groups in an authentic and creative way.

That isn’t to say See isn’t hip to new releases, as well. Here, in the first of our series of “Best of” lists from local musicians and tastemakers, he shares his picks for nine best releases in 2013.

My Bloody valentine – MVB
The most eagerly anticipated album of my lifetime snuck out without much warning at all on a sleepy Saturday night in February of 2013. My Bloody Valentine was a highly influential band throughout my teenage years—one that showed the potential of turning traditional song structure inside out, and it was as though time had stopped between when I saw them in the summer of 1992 and the release of this album. It picks up where their masterpiece LP Loveless left off, after a more than 20 year gap. The music is haunting, moving and just as inspiring as it was in the early 90s.