Another year has passed and this was the first year in ages where I had reserved enough time for music and proper listening sessions. Also, I never bought more music in my life as in 2023. 45 vinyl records according to my Discogs profile. Lets dive into it. I don’t write reviews or review albums in general. Therefore, I will not get into details why I picked them. I just played them a lot or was impressed by it. Also, I suck in at writing (German & English).

Top Albums 2023

Jamie Branch – Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die (World War)

I didn’t know Jamie Branch until this album was released. I also didn’t know that it was posthumous released and that Jamie died in 2022. This put the entire experience into a complete different perspective. It took only one play to be completely overwhelmed with the record. I had to dig deeper into her past and previous records and Fly or Die (2017) went straight to the list of my all time favorite Jazz albums.

It’s really sad to hear how young she died and the circumstances around it. I wish I could have seen her live.

Sufjan Stevens – Javelin

Wow, a new Sufjan Stevens album is announced. The first single sounds fantastic (Will Anybody Ever Love Me?). The release is set for early autumn. How fitting. The day has come and it is released. It is sad and warm as you would expect it to be. And then he drops the official statement about his partners death and that this album is dedicated to him. What a gut punch.

As sad as it is, it might be his best album and it stills growth on me. This will be in many peoples top 5 albums of 2023 list. I bet on it.

The Armed – Perfect Saviour

Another year, another The Armed album. This is not their best but it is still a fun record. And it is surprisingly dance-able. Which is nothing you would expect from The Armed. Or maybe you would. It is the next logical step after Ultrapop.

Thee Oh Sees – Intercepted Messages

I think this is the 21 record from Dwyer and his friends (I did not double check when I wrote this) and it is the second album I witnessed. Found these guys during the last years KEXP session (link below) which was such a blast. The new record is yet another style but still very fun to listen to. When I am very old, I will sit in a chair and work myself through the previous 21 records.

The Hirs Collective – We’re Still Here

“How many guests do you want to have on your record?”
“Yes.”
If I remember correctly, I found this band through Dan Yemin from Paint It Black / Lifetime / Kid Dynamite. He is on this record (for like 6 seconds) and it is still noticable and enjoyable. If you like to get screamed at.

Scream – DC Special

Do we still need these old farts from the 80s in 2023? Is new Dischord music still relevant today? When I heard the first single, I was not convinced in this record. But after the full release and a first listen, it somehow grew on me. Scream would not be on my list if you would ask me about the most important D.C. bands. But maybe they are now.

I still listen to this album at least once per week. It is not “D.C.” special but it is still a good record to play when you cock or work. And I think they still make entertaining music.

RIP Stax.

Fake Names – Expendables

Ok, wow. More old farts. This time as a super group? I lost track of all the Brian Baker projects (Beach Rats was just 12 month ago) and when this album was announced, I was surprised that this was already the second record from this band. But this time, it had Brendan Canty on drums. I like Dennis Lyxzén and there are some very good Brian Baker bands out there but all of that was 20 years ago. I would not have checked them out because of the … age of these guys. But they got Brendan Canty? Ok, let’s give it a try. Oh yeah, ok, yeah this works out for me, now I start to sing along.

Maybe these old farts still have it. Maybe it works because I got older, too.

Home Is Where – The Whaler

I can’t remember how I found these guys but I play this record a lot ever since. Do yourself a favor and check them out.

More Albums from 2023

A lot worth mentioning but not the best albums of 2023. Still some very nice projects and it feels like a good year for music in general.

Algiers – Shook
Asia Menor – Enola Gay
Black Country, New Road – Live at Bush Hall
DJ Shadow – Action Adventure
Fiddlehead – Death is Nothing to Us
Fucked Up – One Day
Gorillaz – Cracker Island
Home Front – Games of Power
MAN ON MAN – Province Town
Neil Young – Chrome Dreams
Paint It Black – Dominion
Poison Ruin – Härvest
The Robocop Kraus – Smile
Roisin Murphy – Hit Parade
slowthai – UGLY
Soft Kill – Metta World Peace
Stranded – Again
Swiss Army Wife – Medium Gnarly
Team Scheiße – 0421
TV Cult – Colony
Wednesday – Rat Saw God
100 gecs – 10,000 gecs (because Fantano said it would be good)

None 2023 Albums / Bands

Pears – Green Star (Most played non 2023 record this year!)
Mahler – Symphony No. 2 (Yeah, Bernstein)
Be Well – The Weight and The Cost (Nice, goes well with Pears)
Jamie Branch – Fly or Die (So god damn good.)
Saetia – Collected (I forgot to get one of the re-issues in time 😦 )
Choking Victim (Ska was never dead)
The Chisel – Retaliation (Looking for the 2024 release)
Miles Davis – Bitches Brew
Gil Scott-Heron – Pieces of a Man
Aretha Franklin – Spirit in the Dark
Build To Spil
Black Country, New Road (Still listening last years record)
High Vis (Jesus, what a fuck up it was this year. Had to throw away my ticket.)
Einstürzende Neubauten
Natalia Lafourcade – De Todas las Flores (Still listening last years record)
Trail Of Dead (Always)
Dinosaur Jr. (Always)
Drug Church – Hygiene (Album of the year 2022)
The Specials (RIP)
De La Soul (RIP)

Crosby

I was already a big CSNY fan but when Crosby died this year, I jumped into the discography of him and the others. I never really cared who wrote what in CSN(Y) but after some reading and listening it was clear, the stuff from Crosby was always the part that I liked most. And everything I read and every video I saw made me realize, he was the asshole back then but the nice guy at the end. Where the others turned out to be the annoying boomers, he became the grumpy old uncle who has made peace with his past and is now able to give you great advises about life. I will miss him!