This guy is a fairly respected music writer/blogger. Not necessarily a “dweeb,” despite this dweeb take.
Next you’ll be telling me that “albums of the year” is too literal as a reason for why I can’t nominate my dinner last night for the best release of 2023.
I swear to god I’ve been checking for a new album from them every few weeks all year until and managed to miss it. God damn. Might shake up my list.
Alphabetical order: All Time Low - Tell Me I'm Alive Anberlin - Convinced Andrew McMahon - Tilt at the Wind No More Bayside - Blue EP blink-182 - ONE MORE TIME... Fall Out Boy - So Much (For) Stardust Foo Fighters - But Here We Are The Gaslight Anthem - History Books Knucklepuck - Losing What We Love M83 - Fantasy The Maine - The Maine Manchester Orchestra - Valley of Vision The Menzingers - Some Of It Was True Metallica - 72 Seasons MxPx - Find A Way Home New Found Glory - Make the Most of It Night Verses - Every Sound Has A Color In The Valley Of Night: Part 1 Paramore - This is Why Portugal. The Man - Chris Black Changed My Life Post Malone - AUSTIN Royal Blood - Back To The Water Below Story of the Year - Tear Me to Pieces Taking Back Sunday - 152 Vacationer - Cherish Yellowcard - Childhood Eyes What a year
1. JMSN - Soft Spot 2. Khamari - A Brief Nirvana 3. Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist- VOIR DIRE 4. Larry June & The Alchemist - The Great Escape 5. Billy Woods - Maps 6. blink-182 - ONE MORE TIME... 7. Daniel Caesar - NEVER ENOUGH 8. RAAHiiM - BUT IF iiM HONEST 9. Boldy James - Indiana Jones 10. Drake - For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition Honourable Mentions: Brent Faiyaz - Larger Than Life Sufjan Stevens - Javelin ††† (Crosses) - Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete. Armand Hammer - We Buy Diabetic Test Strips YUNGMORPHEUS - From Whence It Came Gallant & Terrace Martin - sneek Majid Jordan - Good People Paramore - This Is Why Tinashe - BB/ANG3L They. - Nü Moon Q - Soul,PRESENT Cautious Clay - KARPEH Carly Rae Jepsen - The Loveliest Time MIKE - Burning Desire
In no order: Superviolet Infinite Spring Fust Genevieve Wednesday Rat Saw God Ratboys The Window Petey USA Bully Lucky For You The Japanese House In the End It Always Does Hotline TNT Cartwheel Slow Pulp Yard Drop Nineteens Hard Light Sufjan Stevens Javelin Empty Country Empty Country II Beach Fossils Bunny Slowdive Everything is Alive
This was my favorite year of music since probably 2017-2018. Last year was relatively slow for me, but this year I was genuinely overwhelmed at points and felt like I couldn't give enough attention to everything I wanted to. I've been keeping a running list so I had this pretty much ready, and barring any surprise releases nothings going to change, so here goes: Paramore: This Is Why Lana Del Rey: Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd The Maine: The Maine Kali Uchis: Red Moon in Venus Mitski: This Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We Slaughter Beach, Dog: Crying, Laughing, Waving, Smiling boygenius: The Record Miley Cyrus: Endless Summer Vacation Jeff Rosenstock: HELLMODE Fall Out Boy: So Much (For) Stardust Sufjan Stevens: Javelin blink-182: ONE MORE TIME... The Menzingers: Some Of It Was True Pierce the Veil: the Jaws of Life Superviolet: Infinite Spring Janelle Monáe: The Age of Pleasure Origami Angel: The Brightest Day Ratboys: The Window Wednesday: Rat Saw God Mat Kerekes: You Look Like a Stranger Manchester Orchestra: The Valley of Vision Runnner: Like Dying Stars, We're Reaching Out Jenny Lewis: Joy Y'all The Dirty Nil: Free Rein to Passions Militarie Gun: Life Under the Gun Honorable Mentions: Heart Attack Man: Freak of Nature Citizen: Calling the Dogs Kesha: Gag Order Taking Back Sunday: 152 Paul Simon: Seven Psalms Caroline Polachek: Desire I Want to Turn Into You PVRIS: EVERGREEN Doja Cat: Scarlet Drain: LIVING PROOF Zach Bryan: Zach Bryan Sincere Engineer: Cheap Grills Chappell Roan: The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess Troye Sivan: Something To Give Each Other Sampha: Lahai Queens of the Stone Age: In Times New Roman Madison Beer: Silence Between Songs Palette Knife: New Game+
Quick top 20. Number 1 is easy for me, the rest are a bit vaguer. There Will be Fireworks - Summer Moon Young Fathers - Heavy Heavy The Tallest Man on Earth - Henry St. Yeule - Softscars Dessa - Bury The Lede Polinksi - Telex from MIDI City Hot Mulligan - Why Would I Watch Enter Shikari - A Kiss For The Whole World The National - Laugh Track Boygenius - The Record Girl Scout - Real Life Human Garbage Haru Nemuri - Insaint Spanish Love Songs - No Joy Empire State Bastard - Rivers of Heresy Parannoul - After the Magic Bob Dylan - Shadow Kingdom Daughter - Stereo Mind Game The National - First Two Pages of Frankenstein Fucked Up - One Day Yaeji - With a Hammer
Considering there are like 8 or 9 records here that will also land high up in my list, I’m surprised to have not even heard the one you cared to list first. Guess I need to get on that
I feel like I really want to like Empty Country but the singer's voice, especially on the first song, grates on me. I did listen in full once or twice and enjoy it by the end, but the vocals in the first track are tough to get into. EDIT: I lied, track 2-3 are the ones that usually stop me from listening. First track is good.
Yeah I’m kinda with that. It’s not a bad record but I didn’t go back to it as much as I would’ve otherwise
Some of my favorite releases this year in no order. Fireworks - Higher Lonely Power Hot Mulligan - Why Would I Watch Dave Hause - Drive It Like It's Stolen Manchester Orchestra - The Valley Of Vision The Gaslight Anthem - History Books Teenage Wrist - Still Love Taking Back Sunday - 152 Josiah and the Bonnevilles - Endurance The Menzingers - Some Of It Was True Ruston Kelly - The Weakness Foxing - Albatross (10 Years) Zach Bryan - Self Titled Balance and Composure - Too Quick To Forgive
Babe, Terror - Teghnojoyg The Armed - Perfect Saviors James Blake - Playing Robots Into Heaven Sprain - The Lamb as Effigy many tiny boxes - Many Tiny Boxes MODEL/ACTRIZ - Dogsbody Laurel Halo - Atlas Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn Into You Katie Gately - Fawn / Brute Lana Del Rey - Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd? Snow Strippers - April Mixtape 2 Young Thug - BUSINESS IS BUSINESS Fever Ray - Radical Romantics Queens of the Stone Age - Times New Roman Lil Yachty - Let’s Start Here Protomartyr - Formal Growth in the Desert Blonde Redhead - Sit Down for Dinner underscores - Wallsocket The National - First Two Pages of Frankenstein Squid - O Monolith KMRU - Dissolution Grip Jockstrap - IUQTINVU Setting - Shone a Rainbow Light On Susanne Sundfør - Blómi Rick Ross & Meek Mill - Too Good To Be True
I always try to listen to new music and I feel accomplished and happy when I check out a new album from a band but then I realized I've actually only listened to about 6 new albums this year and I'm a loser. There's a lot from great artists I like that I need to check out before the end of the year. I don't have a list so I'll just say this: New The Sleeping is rad Gorillaz was a solid album, but nothing mind blowing or revolutionary like Demon Days (duh) Origami Angel was sick Fall Out Boy didn't do it for me Neither did Taking Back Sunday Blur had an amazing single, but an album style I don't usually vibe with Hoping Enter Shikari's next album slays because A Kiss For The Whole World was not a kiss for me It's just nice to see Yellowcard again I have to catch up on so so so much, but everything points to this being a really good year for music if what everyone says is true
No real order, these are the records I fucked with SZA- SOS Wednesday- Rat Saw God Hotline TNT- Cartwheel yeule- softscars Lana del Rey- Ocean Blvd Sufjan Stevens- Javelin Zach Bryan- Zach Bryan Mitski- The Land is Inhospitable Ratboys- The Window Superviolet- Infinite Spring feeble little horse- Girl With Fish 100 gecs- 10,000 gecs Florry- The Holey Bible I’ve had to curb some vinyl spending, but I have 7 of these on wax, need to rectify that and purchase the rest. Always a goal of mine to buy my 15-20 fav albums of the year to show some support.