Lots of good stuff this year. Here’s a playlist:
## My very favorites
Additionally, here are a few albums and singles I wanted to call special attention to. They’re presented alphabetically becasue I’ve choosen to ditch the “best of” framing I often go with; I’m not writing music criticism here, and I have no editor telling me what to do. I don’t even know how many things I called out, so this isn’t a top-ten list, either! It’s just What I Loved in 2023. Mostly captured for me, but if others get something out if it, all the better.
### Album: [Animal Collective: Time Skiffs](https://anmlcollectve.bandcamp.com/album/time-skiffs) ✅
Their best group of songs since MPP, for my money.
### Album: [Big Thief: Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You](https://bigthief.bandcamp.com/album/dragon-new-warm-mountain-i-believe-in-you) ✅
A rare double record that never overstays it’s welcome, but rather creates a world I want to live inside, not unlike the White Album or Wildflowers.
### Album: [Destroyer: Labyrinths](https://destroyer.bandcamp.com/album/labyrinthitis) ✅
After nearly two decades of dabbling, I have finally become fully Bejar-pilled.
#### Song: [Gabriels: Remember Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHdS9P1L_es)
If you’re not moved when the full strings kick in at about 2:30, I don’t know what to tell you.
#### Song/Video: [Ghost: Spillways](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9DV1eHQpcA)
I have no commentary on this band or their schtick, but I do know a well-written sugary pop-metal jam when I hear it.
#### Song: [Goose: Dripfield](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bl-Izuc68g)
The vapors of this song have seeped into my bones.
#### Song: [Hammered Hulls: Abstract City](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwb8Wnal3vA)
We all need a bit of classic Dischord sound in our lives, and this tune checks that box with authority.
### Albums: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s entire 2022 output, specifically [Omnium Gatherum](https://kinggizzard.bandcamp.com/album/omnium-gatherum) and [Changes](https://kinggizzard.bandcamp.com/album/changes)
I am intimidated by this band. They are very Extra in the best sense of the word.
#### Song: [Steve Lacy: Bad Habit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF-FGf_ZZiI)
R&B from another planet. I dig. A lot.
### Album: [The Mountain Goats: Bleed Out](https://themountaingoats.bandcamp.com/album/bleed-out)
John Darnielle is a national treasure.
### Album: [Aofie O’Donovan: Age of Apathy](https://aoifeodonovan.bandcamp.com/album/age-of-apathy) ✅
I’ve really been enjoying Aofie’s work since I fell down a deep [Live From Here](https://www.livefromhere.org) well several years ago. She truly brings all of her unique talents as a songwriter, vocalist, arranger and guitarist together on this record. (Related: this [Tiny Desk concert](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJDx_8PIqxk) is delightful.)
#### Song: [Angel Olsen: Go Home](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9oA2fshdAs)
Haunting.
### Album: [Beth Orton: Weather Alive](https://bethorton.bandcamp.com/album/weather-alive)
Haunting, but in a different way. So great to have new music from Beth Orton.
### Album: [Plains: I Walked With You A Ways](https://plainsband.bandcamp.com/album/i-walked-with-you-a-ways)
This record gave me a lot of reminders of my mom’s early-90s pop country radio phase. (I mean this as a compliment, obviously.)
#### Song: [Maggie Rogers: That’s Where I Am](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdrNXRdkuG4)
Another single that grabbed me by the lapels and demanded my full attention from its first notes.
### Album: [Will Sheff: Nothing Special](https://willsheff.bandcamp.com/album/nothing-special)
I couldn’t describe this record better than Sheff himself did in [this wonderful interview](https://fluxpod.podbean.com/e/will-sheff-on-his-new-album-nothing-special/) with Fluxblog’s Matthew Perpetua:
> My experience of art is like the wind in the trees. You blink and you miss it. A little bit of it is like “Did you guys hear what I heard?” It’s a very quiet, subtle thing that gets under your skin.
### Album: [Sister Ray: Communion](https://sisterray780.bandcamp.com/album/communion) ✅
If I had to pick a “favorite” record of 2022, it would probably be this. Those that know me and my tastes will have no problem figuring out why.
### Album: [Soccer Mommy: Sometimes Forever](https://sopharela.bandcamp.com/album/sometimes-forever) ✅
A nearly perfect distillation of my late-90s record collection. I mean this as a high, high compliment. Truly another one of my absolute faves on the year.
### Album: [Spoon: Lucifer On The Sofa](https://spoontheband.bandcamp.com/album/lucifer-on-the-sofa)
Their best since probably 2007’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. All killer, no filler.
#### Song: [SRSQ: Winter, Slowly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KOQiYR5TnQ)
The first time I heard that little whammy-bar vocal effect on the chorus (starts around 0:50), something in my brain slipped loose and my thoughts still aren’t thinking right.
### Album: [Bartees Strange: Farm to Table](https://barteesstrange.bandcamp.com/album/farm-to-table) ✅
This is truly an Important Record, a call-to-arms, a statement of purpose.
#### Song: [Tenci: Two Cups](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n6waJHf6kQ)
Tenci came onto my radar after [seeing them open for Hop Along in 2021](https://lendami.co/2021/09/22/hop-along-at.html), and I’m really glad they did.
### Album: [Sharon Van Etten: We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong](https://sharonvanetten.bandcamp.com/album/weve-been-going-about-this-all-wrong) ✅
Much like the Destroyer record, this was the one that converted me from “hey, SVE is pretty cool” to a full-fledged fan.
### Album: [Immanuel Wilkins: The 7th Hand](https://wilkinsimmanuel.bandcamp.com/album/the-7th-hand) ✅
A gifted arranger who can still layer sheets of sound with the best of them.
—
(✅ indicates that I’ve purchased the album on vinyl, for accountability’s sake. Support the musicians you love, folks!)
Playlist available on [Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/2023-shortlist/pl.u-BGJWu3pryx), [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6TosAVzXELudJzaCTP5Vht?si=dd0b9edca72841a9) and [Last.fm](https://www.last.fm/user/lendamico/playlists/12530803).
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