Favorite Recordings of 2023
Posted: 2024-01-012023 was a great year for music and here are the nine (one of my favorite numbers) albums and EPs that were on constant rotation in my ears. If you have seen my lists in the past then you may be asking yourself, Justin where are the singles? Good question, they are in a short list below. Usually I like to sprinkle singles in amongst the list, but this year I decided not to do so. Why? Well, a lot of amazing albums came out this year and I had a hard time sorting my list into the normal three groupings of two albums / EPs and one single. So I said to myself, why not just list nine great albums / EPs and then leave people with a short list of kickass killer singles. So that's what you have here. There is also a "one more thing" at the end of this post.
Enjoy listening and here is to 2024 and the killer year for music I know it will be!
Covers for each of the releases listed below
- Janza Slope - "Horse Algebra"
Released: 2023-10-16
Type: Album / EP
Label: ABHORRENT A.D.
Listen: Bandcamp
What you will hear: Minimal noise.
- Spiritbox - "The Fear of Fear"
Released: 2023-11-03
Type: EP
Label: Pale Chord Music / Rise Records
Listen: Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube Music
What you will hear: The best breakdown of 2023.
- Forecast - "Utopia"
Released: 2023-10-06
Type: EP
Label: Self-released
Listen: Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube Music
What you will hear: Post-hardcore beauty.
- The Maine - "The Maine"
Released: 2023-06-03
Type: Album
Label: Photo Finish Records / 8123
Listen: Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music
What you will hear: Indie pop brilliance.
- Taku Unami - "bot box boxes"
Released: 2023-10-18
Type: Album
Label: Erstwhile Records
Listen: Bandcamp
What you will hear: A guy and his boxes.
- Ascended Dead - "Evenfall of the Apocalypse"
Released: 2023-05-12
Type: Album
Label: 20 Buck Spin
Listen: Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube Music
What you will hear: Pure chaos.
- Anunaku - "063"
Released: 2023-04-14
Type: Album / EP
Label: AD 93
Listen: Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube Music
What you will hear: 90's inspired techno bliss.
- BIG|BRAVE - "nature morte"
Released: 2023-02-24
Type: Album
Label: Thrill Jockey Records
Listen: Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube Music
What you will hear: Heavy noisy drony airy unease.
- Nate Smith - "Pocket Change 2: Mad Currency"
Released: 2023-12-14
Type: Album
Label: Waterbaby Music, Inc.
Listen: Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube Music
What you will hear: Solo drumset jams.
Three singles that are killer!
- The Anchor - "Masterpiece"
- Chvrches - Over
- Your Broken Hero - "Red Light Kisser (ft. Jordan Pundik of New Found Glory)"
One last thing...
The lists above encompasses my favorite recorded musical releases of 2023, but the recorded audio that I probably listened to the most all this year can be found in this head massage video. Yes, a video featuring a head massage. The video was filmed in India by Nomad Barber as part of his travels across the world looking for cool barbers. I’ve been watching, or just straight up listening to it, once or more a day since it was released on Oct 30th. I love the street sounds of cities in India.