Albums of the year 2023
I love music, I love albums; I love getting to know them and getting my imagination invested in an artist’s little 30-60 minute vision. If that is old-fashioned in 2024, then I am old-fashioned. This is my 36th annual list. Every list from 1987 can be seen here (view source for entries below number 20).
Here’s a playlist with one song from each of my 40 favourite albums of the year, and the list is below.
1 ALBION – Harp
2 DEAD MEAT – The Tubs
3 HOLY RED WAGON – Bruiser and Bicycle
4 FURLING – Meg Baird
5 THE LAST ROTATION OF EARTH – BC Camplight
6 WESTERN CUM – Cory Hanson
7 WALK AROUND THE MOON – Dave Matthews Band
8 ROMANTIC PIANO – Gia Margaret
9 A LITTLE TOUCH OF SCHLEICHER IN THE NIGHT – Katie Schleicher
10 3D COUNTRY – Geese
11 NORM – Andy Shauf
12 POINT CLEAR – Candidate
13 TROPER SINGS BRION – Mo Troper
14 DREAM IN DREAM – Cornelius
15 TRIPLE FANTASY/TAKING IT EASY – Joey Joesph
16 THE WINDOW – Ratboys
17 A LITTLE BIT OF SUN – Semisonic
18 HOT FRUIT – Adeline Hotel
19 WOW – Kave NV
20 SUNDOWN – Eddie Chacon
21 EVERYTHING HARMONY – Lemon Twigs
22 SONG & DANCE EP – Dylan Moon
23 THERAPY – Brendan Eder Ensemble
24 NOTHING LASTS FOREVER – Teenage Fanclub
25 GLASS PASTURES – Dusk
26 WALLSEND WEEKEND TELEVISION – Novelty Island
27 TAKEN BY FORCE – Civic
28 NEXT DOOR – Leo Takami
29 SUBLIMINAL CLAVE – Joey Joesph & Jake Borgemenke
30 UGLY BEAUTY – DENIMS
31 THIS STUPID WORLD – Yo La Tengo
32 FALSE LANKUM – Lankum
33 MOVE – The Westerlies
34 JAVELIN – Sufjan Stevens
35 INFINITE SPRING – Superviolet
36 BB/ANG3L – Tinashe
37 JOAN OF ALL – Sarabeth Tucek
38 RADIO DAZE/GLAMPING – Roger Joseph Manning Jr
39 OTHERBODY – Dazy
40 I/O – Peter Gabriel
I look forward to this every year! I’ve gotten worse at discovering new music over the years (unless it’s instrumental or ambient albums I can listen to while editing), and this is always full of great music that I’m completely unfamiliar with.
Thanks John. It’s always a treat.
Amazing that ol Pete is still releasing albums!
Misspelling on #19 – I believe you meant Kate NV
John. I have always loved your lists and there’s alot.of shared favs (GBV,jayhawks,rem,decemberists,etc). I am also impressed at how your still out hunting for new music and not just retreads from old favorites like myself. I am eager too check out a bunch of these 2023 bands. Exploring your lists from the past like a I do a lot after I have found new loves to see if they were ever listed, I am surprised to see Wussy never making the lists. Discovered wussy this year and fell in love since they sound like so many of my old favorites but also there own thing entirely. Anyways keep.doing what your doing and thanks for all the great comics and particularly for.the the online ones which I found a few years ago and had a blast reading 20 odd years worth of story. I feel like your stuff and Usagi yojimbo are in a special place where its just different having all that continued story fun over all that time.
A!so love seeing some Lankum and Geese on here and the new YLT get some love
I didn’t realize Semisonic released a new album last year! Thank you for the list.