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100 Best Albums of 2023: 50-26

Tired of this yet? I am! For previous coverage, check out: Songs | 100-76 | 75-51 | 25-1

We continue on with my expertly planned-out, lab-tested top 100 albums of 2023. No reason to say any more here, so let’s dig in.

#50. Olivia Rodrigo – GUTS

Gatekeepers be damned, this kid rocks. Rodrigo has an obvious affinity for rock and alternative bands of years passed, and incorporates them into her pop music in ways that her peers haven’t even attempted to do. I mean, she’s got the Breeders opening for her next year. The Breeders! Anyways, this album is full of appropriately youthful energy, full of high school tales and music that is both digestible, bouncy pop and punchy rock elements. She also corrects the one flaw I had in her debut – too many slow tunes. This album is a more consistent collection, a rare sophomore album that stays in the same lane as a debut while improving on it steadily.

RIYL: Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, i mean chances are you know this one already

#49. Susanne Sundfør – Blómi 

Easily, and I mean easily, one of my favorite artists, the Norwegian singer-songwriter is constantly reimagining things. Her first two solo albums are ho-hum singer-songwriter stuff, but every album since then has had a unique, fascinating identity. Her newest is in some ways a continuation of the sparse, acoustic guitar-vocals-piano of her last record Music For People in Trouble, but where that album had a creeping ominous aura, this one feels warm and nostalgic. That may be due in part to fewer songs in English, as well as a “back to basics” feel that feels refreshing after a journey through a bunch of other influences. Her music is often complex and difficult, but this record is still very approachable. That she isn’t on the radar of Americans is criminal.

RIYL: Marissa Nadler, Angel Olsen, pulling the covers back over your head

#48. Everything But the Girl – Fuse

I went into this one as an outsider. The softer side of new wave (i.e. Tears for Fears) is something I have only very recently learned to appreciate, so I didn’t have the highest hopes for this. It’s their first album in 24 years! Instead, I absolutely ate it up. This is a collection of dance songs for a sophisticated audience, a reminder for professional adults to go out and have some damn fun. It is difficult to make dance music that doesn’t sound at least a bit plastic, but these songs are emotional and raw, not to mention immaculately produced. With mixes of electronic and acoustic, it is a diverse set, all brought together by earnestness, crisp mastering and raw vocals. 

RIYL: Tears For Fears, Massive Attack, stretching before you dance

#47. Frankie and the Witch Fingers – Data Doom

Many of the artists on this list I have a deep knowledge on. This is not one of those artists. I know practically nothing about this group, but I saw them mentioned alongside plenty of bands I love. It’s easy to say that this band is name-brand Oh Sees. But, Dwyer & gang are one of my favorite bands, and their sole release this year was super underwhelming, so there was a hole to be filled. This is incredibly fun psych-rock, designed purely to stimulate and clear the seats of butts. When I say “psych-rock,” don’t think prolonged, meandering Jerry Garcia jams. These are brief songs jampacked with energy, rawness and a million little ideas. A pure blast.

RIYL: Thee Oh Sees, early Tame Impala, two hits of acid

#46. Billy Woods/Kenny Segal – Maps

Billy Woods was one of my favorite finds of 2022, releasing two albums I adored, and he keeps the train rolling here. His sole album is a travelog, chronicling the intense touring schedule he underwent “post”-COVID. Segal provides production across the album, and both men keep things simple and serene. Woods is a natural raconteur, and the stories he weaves across the album are so innately interesting and revealing. Woods might be one of the most undersung talents in the rap scene, hopefully this one proves to be the breakthrough. 

RIYL: Ghais Guevara, R.A.P. Ferreira, telling your friends you were listening to the hot new artist five years ago

#45. Lana Del Rabies – Strega Beata

Yeah yeah, the name is a throwaway pun, but it lets you into the music too. LDR – this LDR, the primary one is coming later – is a harsh noise artist, chunneling in the exact opposite of Lana Del Rey in every possible way. This specific album, though, is a much lighter approach, incorporating hefty amounts of ambient. The fishhook divide between harsh noise and ambient is one that has been explored countless times, but rarely as effectively as here. This is sheer catharsis, at the hands of both extreme noise and the absence of. Very limited audience on this one, but those that stumble on it should appreciate it.

RIYL: Pharmakon, Uboa, that one particular Deafheaven album where they pissed people off by doing ambient music

#44. Paris Texas – MID AIR

Just some good ass rap. When you name yourselves after one of the most notoriously despondent films, you’re already setting yourself apart from your peers. Paris Texas makes very thrilling and bombastic music, avoiding both the cliches of conventional hip-hop and the noisiness of experimental rap. Their debut album sees a hefty load of songs that are occasionally difficult, but always fun. For bonus points, check out the tongue-in-cheek late addition “Lana Del Rey,” named as such because Lana put a song on her album called “Paris Texas.”

RIYL: OutKast, Injury Reserve, your car’s speakers

#43. Slowdive – everything is alive

There are a hundred million different timelines where we aren’t getting new Slowdive albums, so we should take anything from the shoegaze legends as a blessing. The fact that their reunion albums are this good, especially when the shoegaze reunion albums are usually awful? Unbelievable. Everything about this release is soft, even for them. Even the title is lowercase. This album is a gentle touch, a spring breeze, a bunny hopping through a field. Some songs have rhythm and percussion, some are just aura, but all are full, affirming and warm. It’s a nice antidote to much of the hostility on this list.

RIYL: Cocteau Twins, Mazzy Twins, opening the windows for some spring air

#42. James Blake – Playing Robots Into Heaven

After a solid debut and a sophomore album I adored, the English alt-electronic artist James Blake went on a run of albums that were at worst total duds and at best decent but forgettable. Luckily, that streak is over, as his newest recaptures the energy that made his early music so palpable. This album is all over the place – cohesion is the biggest drawback – but Blake is clearly playing with competing aspirations. Nearly everything works, from the moodier, slower songs that we’ve become used to, to the wall-to-wall electro-bangers of years past. If you’re into dance music, then rest assured: James Blake is back. 

RIYL: Hot Chip, Jamie XX, crying in da club

#41. Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean – Obsession Destruction

From my home city and named after a Thou song, this band already had points in their favor for me. But the album is that good, too. I’m not a big doom metal guy, but I appreciate good doom when I hear it, and this is some of the best of the year. With titles like “Ten Thousand Years of Unending Failure” you know you’re going to get some sludgy, heavy and morose stuff. The riffs are incredible, the songs are extended without ever growing tedious, and there’s just enough non-doom influence to spice up every song. If doom is your thing, you may have missed this one – rectify that.

RIYL: Sleep, Thou, the misery of continued existence

#40. Arlo Parks – My Soft Machine

I had lofty expectations for the Arlo Parks sophomore album. Her debut Collapsed in Sunbeams was arguably my favorite album of 2021. This one doesn’t quiiiite live up, but it’s still remarkable. Parks somewhat trades in the jazzy and loose elements of her debut in favor of more standard pop instrumentation and songwriting, to no diminished effect. There’s still plenty to pull apart here, mostly surrounding her consistently heartfelt and earnest lyrics. Her voice is as strong as ever. Her music remains an enigmatic mix of alternative and R&B that sounds totally natural. This one goes down real smooth.

RIYL: Sudan Archives, SAULT, morning snuggles

#39. Yaeji – With A Hammer

Yaeji first popped up on my radar way back in 2018 with an introductory single, but I didn’t keep much of a tab on her until she rocketed back into the limelight with her debut album. The title and accompanying image make a grand statement, that the multi-genre pop singer isn’t here to play. Like many of the best pop singers out there now, she’s reinterpreting the genre to be diverse tunes that aren’t factory-assembled chintzy radio bangers. These are songs with incredible amounts of depth, influence and unpredictability. It isn’t really hyperpop, but more along the lines of a very mature and patient type of pop like we’ve seen out of Rina Sawayama. It’s super unique stuff.

RIYL: Rina Sawayama, Toro Y Moi, hooks upon hooks upon hooks

#38. Lifeguard – Dressed in Trenches

Another one that snuck past debatability! I normally do not include EP’s but there were too many excellent ones this year. Unlike some headier entries on this list, this is just 18 minutes of rippage. These kids (yes, children) know how to write a damn good rock song, or five. “Alarm” features one of the simplest but most effective riffs you’ll hear all year, coupled with one of the catchiest choruses. The other four songs mostly follow this path, with some slower deviations. This group has the energy of literal teenagers with the confidence of musicians much older. 

RIYL: Superchunk, Sleater-Kinney, moshing in dry heat at a festival

#37. Pacing – Real poetry is always about plants and birds and trees and the animals and milk and honey breathing in the pink but real life is behind a screen

I don’t know anything about this artist. I don’t know how they ended up on my listen-to queue, whether it was a recommendation from someone or they’re friends with a friend, or what. What I do know is that it caught me completely off-guard. I’m hit and miss on lo-fi bedroom stuff, but this was a collection of songs that were mostly fun, occasionally dramatic, and 100% earnest. These quick ditties are full of earworm melodies, jokes, honest reflections, and uncomfortable truths. Every song wins. Genuinely loved this.

RIYL: Kimya Dawson, claire rousay, still spinning the Juno soundtrack

#36. Ada Rook – Rookie’s Bustle

Alright so I listened to this one early in the year and I don’t remember it fondly, but it’s a great Ada Rook so I can tell how it goes anyways – a blend of particularly forceful and strained screamo mixed with synths and a healthy touch of pop music. Rook is part of Black Dresses, hyperpop extraordinaires, and their solo music pushes the intense elements even further. Rook is my favorite screamer in music right now, and this mini-album is chock full of it. Heavy and emotional stuff.

RIYL: Uboa, Pharmakon, the hottest and most deranged goth girl you’ve ever seen

#35. Burner – It All Returns to Nothing

I’ve mentioned it elsewhere on this list, but there is a current trend in making the most abrasive and dense music possible. Burner might have cracked the code completely. This album, which exists on the fringes of noise and metal, is 34 minutes of relentless chaos designed to shun away even the most ardent noise fan. It is a pure spectacle, and the fact that these are well-constructed songs takes a backseat. But they are, as otherwise this would be a pointless exercise in noise. I’m rambling. Check this out if you like the heaviest of heavy.

RIYL: Nails, Full of Hell, folk horror

#34. Lana Del Rey – Did you know that there’s a tunnel under ocean boulevard

I’m an unabashed Lana fan, but I always take her new releases with a grain of salt. Her catalog has been so inconsistent over the years; thankfully, this is a top 3 Lana album. Despite the daunting length, every song feels important. We also get Lana at her most diverse – we have trap on A&M, we get Jon Batiste, we get a Father John Misty collab that’s the most 50’s song either artist has ever done. It’s a winding collection of inspired tunes. It’s not quite the best album Lana has done, but it’s easily the best album Lana has done. But surely you’ve already got an opinion on this one.

RIYL: Adele, Ethel Cain, being a housewife in the 1950’s

#33. Sightless Pit – Lockstep Bloodwar

The band/album names may insinuate something heavy. The members of Sightless Pit – Dylan Walker of Full of Hell and Lee Buford of the Body – insinuate something disgustingly heavy. And for the most part, it is. Members of two of the heaviest and most unpredictable bands in all of music come together for their second official collaboration. Two kings of sheer noise bring a natural melding of their music. But they bring other influences too – across this album, there’s all sorts of trap, jazz and ambient influences mixed into the normal abrasive chaos. Everyone from melodic ambient upstart claire rousay to rap legend Gangsta Boo make appearances. The album brings everything you’d expect, and everything you wouldn’t, from the men involved.

RIYL: Lingua Ignota, Nothing, just any kind of music you don’t hear on the radio

#32. Foo Fighters – But Here We Are

I’m not much of a big Foo guy. I think they’ve got a pair of great albums, and a career of weak ones that have 2-4 great songs. On the whole, low batting average. But sometimes a tragedy can bring out the best in a group, even when it’s the biggest rock band in the world. The Fighters haven’t sounded this energized in decades, and haven’t sounded this despondent ever. It’s obvious the band looked inward, trashed their template and wrote from the heart. These songs are earnest, difficult and affirming, declarations from a band that is choosing to soldier on without Taylor Hawkins. These songs also, of course, rip total ass. 

RIYL: Queens of the Stone Age, the Smashing Pumpkins, did you really need to read this one?

#31. Portrayal of Guilt – Devil Music

Upstarts Portrayal of Guilt had already established themselves as one of the most ambitious and unique bands in modern metal before this album, which boasts one of the most intriguing concepts of the year. Side A of this album is five standard POG songs, aka short and abrasive noise jams that stray away from anything melodic or familiar and thrust the listener into a world of unknown. Side B consists of the same songs, performed with a string section instead of the normal band. The whole album is only 31 minutes, and frankly both sides could’ve had more juice. The concept just flat out works and provides for one of the single most unique releases of the year.

RIYL: Full of Hell, the Body, dreams that start out scary but get weirdly normal

#30. GEL: Only Constant

There is a new (?) blend of punk out there, with bands pushing the ‘hardcore’ label to the extreme levels and producing something that sounds like thrash metal’s dirtbag cousin. The divide between hardcore punk and noise music has never been more blurry, and GEL is just one of a few examples of it on this list. This album – all 16 minutes of it – is blistering, bruising hardcore specifically designed to pummel your senses in a convention hall basement. This band seems to have rockets strapped to their backs, so if you see their names crop up on a festival bill or as an opening act, get there in time. 

RIYL: Mannequin Pussy, Knocked Loose, music venues that are fire hazards

#29. Yves Tumor – Praise A Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)

The multi-genre music athlete Yves Tumor follows the trend he hinted at in his previous LP, ditching the abrasive and complex synths in favor of sultry guitar tracks. There is a lot of uncharted territory here for Sean to explore, and they touch most of it. A whiplash of tracks sends the listener through indie, experimental and hard rock tunes, all wrapped together in seductive production and appropriately religious lyrics. Fans of their older work will eat this one up, even with a general change-up in instrumentation. The one drawback of this album, it seems to be lacking in staying power; it was hotly discussed upon its release in March and is barely registering a blip these days. Still, it’s a powerful release.

RIYL: Lenny Kravitz, Miguel, fornicating

#28. The Men – New York City

No reason to spend a lot of time on this one – it’s just some exceptional garage rock. The Men sometimes like to drift off into other territories, so it’s refreshing to hear them pivot back to their punky, noisy roots. This album is super back-to-basics, even in its title; a simple declaration from one of the premier NYC bands. Rock on.

RIYL: Cloud Nothings, Ty Segall, getting the band back together

#27. Perennial – The Leaves of Autumn Symmetry

This EP doesn’t even crack 8 minutes but it’s some of the most fun you’ll have with headphones on. I’m pals with them so of course I had to include them. The five songs here show the band at their most chaotic, quick little fireballs of dance-punk. You don’t need more than 8 minutes here because you’ll be out of breath by the end.

RIYL: The Hives, The Fratellis, adderall

#26. Yo La Tengo – This Stupid World

I’ll hold my hands up and say I went into this album knowing little about YLT. There’s a handful of legacy indie bands – YLT, GBV, New Pornographers, Belle & Sebastian, etc – who have lengthy catalogs that I’ve just never tackled. Well I’m halfway through theirs now, because I loved this album. Patient, mature, and still refreshingly energetic, this album represents a legacy band still at their highest ambitions. I’ve listened to a number of YLT albums now, and I still think the opening track here (“Sinatra Drive Breakdown”) is my favorite. Yo La Tengo has the confidence to be ambitious, and the experience to know where to stop. Legacy bands aren’t supposed to be this good.

RIYL: Wilco, Belle & Sebastian, taking your son to the music festival

Before we jump into the final section, I should point out that there are so many albums from 2023 I still haven’t gotten to. Nicki Minaj and DJ Shadow dropped albums late in the year I didn’t have time for. Drake, Kim Petras, Metric, Sofia Kourtesis and Blackbraid all released albums I simply haven’t gotten to. I haven’t finished the Andre flute album yet. I missed new ones from Marnie Stern and Radiator Hospital until it was too late. Bell Witch, the Drums, Chris Stapleton, and who can forget Smokey Robinson’s “GASMS”? My apologies to the artists and their 99 albums still on my listen-to list. I won’t adjust this list, but if your favorite is missing – it’s possible I simply haven’t gotten to it yet!

Check back tomorrow for the big finale! You can expect: a metal band turned grunge, hyperpop, a death metal demo, a raucous rap collab album, multiple indie debuts, hardcore legends, and something that I normally disqualify from a best of list – a live album.

35 Songs I Loved This Year

Jump to: Fav albums 100-76 | 75-51 | 50-26 | 25-1

Hello and welcome to another edition of excessively long year-end coverage courtesy of me, someone who has had too much time on their hands lately. 2023 was a great year for music, yet again. My Spotify playlist where I dump all new songs I like is up to 563 (!!) tunes as of the time of writing. And while a condensed version of songs I loved is at 77 entries, I decided to cap it at 35 for my own sanity. I have a lot of album posts coming up.

These are 35 songs, from 30 artists, that I really enjoyed. I didn’t put a great deal of thought into these since there were so many to choose from, and I’ve left this list alphabetical. Also, I should note, much of the new music I discovered this year was thanks to the Sirius indie station I listened to on my commutes, so both my songs and albums lists are heavily indie-skewed this year.

100 Gecs – “Frog on the Floor”

I mean how else could this start? One of Gen Z’s most shining bands is out here reflecting their generation in shedding away any sort of musical norms. Is this a pop band dropping a ska song in the middle of the album? Yes. Is this just a song about a frog? Yes. Is it catchy as hell? Yes. I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t one of my most-played songs this year, despite really sounding like a children’s song. Hell it’s basically made by children. 

KEY FROG PUN: I heard he was telling croaks at the party.

Arlo Parks – “Devotion”

The sophomore Arlo Parks album was excellent, but it did see the alt-R&B singer move away from jazzy indie in favor of more rote pop beats. So it makes this song – which starts off as a sultry coital anthem before doing a hard reset into straight rock – all the more out of place. Catch a Deftones namedrop early as a hint of what’s to come. Loud and catchy R&B rock; it’s simple, yet unique.

KEY NAMEDROP: Shaking to Deftones, glitter in my bones

Big Thief – “Vampire Empire”

Even in a year where indie titans Big Thief have only released two songs, they make the list. The Best Band In Music is known primarily for disastrously sad songs, so this seemingly genuine love ode feels extra suspicious. But whether there’s a flipside to this one or not, it’s one of the band’s most inventive tracks yet, with some of Adrienne Lenker’s best-ever vocals. 

KEY LYRIC: I wanted to be your woman, I wanted to be your man / I wanted to be the one that you could understand

Bully – “Days Move Slow” & “Lose You”

There’s a few instances on this list where I couldn’t narrow it down to one song per artist, and they always relate anyways (except one instance). Alicia Bognanno’s grunge-flavored indie has always been filled with a certain sense of ennui, but on her best-yet album, it comes with a purpose. The album is dedicated to Alicia’s late dog, Mezzi, and these two tracks about the impermanence of life – and the impermanence of grief – represent some genuine and complex emotion. Some assistance from Soccer Mommy bolsters the latter track, but they’re equally great.

KEY GOOD BOY: RIP Mezzi, the best boy

Cherry Glazerr – “Ready For You”

Cherry Glazerr have always been an indie group of the guns-a-blazing type, edging closer to straight rock than anything else. The second single off their new album is their best track yet, with heavy melodies and Clementine Creevy’s best-ever vocals. Her powerful vocal rhythm dominates this song and adds a hefty layer of confidence into the lyrics. Although the lyrics are actually quite vulnerable, they sound vaguely threatening under the guitars and vocals. Side note: catch this band live if you have the opportunity.

KEY I’M THE JOKER: Wish I could meet you with my eyes / I’m sick inside my twisted mind

Clark D – “It’s a Stickup!”

I didn’t listen to much rap this year, just wasn’t in the mood really! But this song by local rapper Clark D fell into my lap at the end of the year and hot damn is it one of the most fun tracks of 2023. An absolutely manic and tongue-in-cheek track with the highest possible energy. It’s a banger to the max, and doesn’t even stretch to 2:30. Add in a wild verse from kei and you’ve got a monster song. He cleaned up at the Boston Music Awards and proved that this song translates very, very well to a live setting.

KEY SCREAM IT: BITCH YOU GETTIN’ ROBBED

Death Cab For Cutie – “An Arrow in the Wall”

It’s been 15 years since I said “hey I really like this new Death Cab song,” and naturally this is the one that sounds the least like Death Cab. The Postal Service tour must have had a positive effect on Ben Gibbard’s primary indie group, as they trade in their guitars for a gloomy, minimalist beat. There’s a sense of foreboding in this that is totally foreign to DCFC, and it’s a welcome change.

KEY LYRIC: This machine was built to be broken

Faye Webster – “But Not Kiss”

Faye Webster exists in the same tragic indie-folk sad girl scene as, say, Phoebe Bridgers, but she’s always had a comical innocence to her music. That’s stripped away on this cold, baroque tune centered on a pounding, two-chord piano line and a simple but powerful “yeah yeah” in the chorus. It’s simple, but good luck getting it out of your head.

KEY LYRIC: I want to sleep in your arms………..but not kiss

feeble little horse – “Steamroller”

I’ve obviously been listening to mainly indie here this year, but there aren’t many indie bands like this anymore. These young upstarts are channeling the likes of Dino Jr. and Pixies in the way they layer their stuff under fountains of distortion. Underneath all the peels is a paranoid and apologetic tune about personal space, but it’s okay if you never make it that deep. Just enjoy the experience.

KEY RELATABLE PARANOIA: I’m the only one who sees me naked

Genesis Owusu – “Leaving the Light”

This list isn’t ordered at all (hopefully you’ve figured that out by now), but if it was, this would be #1. This absolute banger is my favorite song of the year, as it stands. It isn’t a particularly unique or wheel re-inventing song, but it is a paranoid dancehall banger. Owusu’s album STRUGGLER, which will be found on my albums list, is an album that is about a paradoxical concept – humans surviving an apocalypse. The song’s lyrics are simultaneously paranoid and prideful, and the music is blood-pumping synthy funk. It’s extremely easy to overlook the fact that the song is intended to be violent and depressing! The biggest party of the year is, in fact, the apocalypse.

KEY EARNED BOAST: Crush me with your holy hell, I feel no damage

The Hives – “The Bomb”

God bless the Hives. Their first album in 11 years sees the dance-punk legends stretching out a bit, crafting some songs that aren’t quite as high-energy as before. Logical – they’re in their mid-40’s now, even if Pelle Almqvist did split himself open and soldier on recently. But the Hives blueprint still works. “The Bomb” is a barely-two-minute track with a BPM of 1000 and the most ridiculous lyrics of the year. There isn’t a point to songs like this, it’s just extremely high-energy, goofy fun. And if the Hives can still do it this well, then they’re never going to lose it.

KEY PELLE ALMQVIST: What do you wanna do? Get down! What don’t you wanna do? Get up! What don’t you wanna not don’t do? Not get down! What don’t you wanna not don’t wanna not do? Not get up! 

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit – “Deathwish”

I’m a big fan of everything Isbell has done, but there’s something specific that permeates all of my favorite tracks of his – vocal melodies. This song, the first track off his country band’s “Weathervanes” album, starts immediately with a lengthy but simple and effective vocal rhythm. It’s something that runs through the course of the whole song, very repetitive but never tiring. Isbell’s songs are often lyrically despondent, but not necessarily sad songs – this one feels downtrodden immediately, which only adds to the effectiveness. This is downright hopelessness.

KEY EXTREMELY RELATABLE OPENING LINE TO YOUR ALBUM: Have you ever loved a woman with a deathwish? 

Jenny Lewis – “Psychos”

I love dirtbag Jenny Lewis. Twenty years ago, she was singing youthful and introspective indie ballads about love and loneliness. Now, she recognizes that her era has passed, and is singing offhand country-folk songs like this one with vaguely problematic lyrics like a cool aunt. To be clear, the lyrics of this song are not good, but the 11pm-on-a-weeknight-in-a-bar vibe of this song is excellent. And, her voice has improved significantly since the Rilo Kiley days. I hate to say it, but she’s a lot cooler now than before. 

KEY RELATABLE NONSENSE: This shit is crazy town

Jungle – “Back on ‘74”

I get that I have a broader spectrum of music than most people, but one of my hardest beliefs around music is that I can’t trust anyone who doesn’t like funk. The band’s latest hit, their biggest in both America and their native UK, is a smooth and sultry vocal song ripped out of the 70’s. The nostalgic lyrics touch on past innocence and lost opportunities, but it’s more than acceptable to shut the thoughts out and just enjoy the fluid melodies. This is a banger, after all. I believe this song has gotten big on The Tik Tok website, so here’s to a whole new generation getting into soul music. Oh, and if you’re only going to watch one video on this list, make it this one.

KEY CRY-DANCE: Never gonna cry anymore, where did it all go?

JW Francis – “Swooning”

Some of the artists on this list are ones I’m extremely knowledgeable on. This is not one of them. I know absolutely nothing about this guy, but I do know that this is one of the most well-constructed songs of the year. At its core, it is a simple indie song about struggling to find the words to tell someone you’ve fallen for them deeply. But there is a lot going on – a rumbling guitar rhythm backs a sweet synth, there’s a guitar freakout, there’s a riff that mimics a butterfly, and there’s a late-song octave change. For people who like to analyze individual elements of songs, this one is a goldmine. Really fun stuff.

KEY LYRIC THAT REFLECTS THE MUSIC: Oh my, I’m swooning / I think we hit the right chord, new tuning

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – “Gila Monster”

The second proper Gizz metal album is unlike the first, which was loose thrash. This album is dense, slow and heavy. But much like “Infest the Rat’s Nest,” it centers on an apocalypse and the animals that take over afterwards. In this one, we’re praising the new king, a Gila Monster, whose adorable face graces the album cover. This one is raw and catchy, bolstered by Ambrose taking over for vocals at the bridge and pumping things into a new gear. 

KEY SCREAMABLE CHORUS: Gila! Gila! Gila!    Gila! Monster!

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – “Set”

I couldn’t keep these together. The second Gizz album of 2023, “The Silver Cord,” is an electronics one, cashing in their Kraftwerk tickets. Like “Gila” this one is just fun as hell. And like “Gila,” it kicks into high gear off a bridge where Ambrose loses his mind. There’s five different things going on at once musically, which doesn’t even address the cryptic lyrics about ancient Egypt. Everything here is manic. I didn’t think I would like electronic Gizz this much, but I was wrong.

KEY NONSENSE: Eighty years of conflict, crocodile dog birth, Lucifer inverted, slender usurper, piece of work

Lifeguard – “Alarm”

My, where did this one come from? One of the most rousing rock songs of the year comes out of these upstarts, literal children who are channeling the best days of Pixies and Bikini Kill. The song is intensity above all, but it remains extremely catchy too. It’s an absolute bruiser, and it makes the band sound both as youthful as they are, and far more experienced than it. Although I’ve heard this one on indie rock radio, I’d hesitantly call it punk.

KEY VAGUE BUT SCREAMABLE CHORUS: Switch! Switch! Trip or take me!

Lil Uzi Vert – “Nakamura”

Almost no one has a better entrance theme in the world of professional wrestling than Shinsuke Nakamura, so much so that he had to add Japanese lyrics to it to try and quell American audiences from singing it throughout his matches. It was also begging to be sampled. Well Uzi was of course the man to do it. That wildly memorable violin line serves as the foundation of this song, with Uzi rapping over it. This was an easy slam-dunk for any artist, and a shoo-in for this list.

KEY GO WATCH IT RIGHT NOW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn from NXT Takeover: Dallas

Little Dragon – “Slugs of Love”

There isn’t much to say about this one other than it’s just one of the most fun bangers of the year. There’s a sax hit just seconds into the song that lets you know it’s gonna be a fun one. The music is fast and funky, the vocals are upbeat, and the lyrics are chaotically funny and sexual. Try getting this one out of your head.

KEY NO THANKS: Have a feast at the table / slugs of love 

M83 – “Amnesia”

Easily one of my favorite songs of the year; I absolutely did not think that Anthony Gonzalez had songs like this one left him. The slow synth build-up feels ominous, building to one of the biggest cinematic choruses you’ll ever hear. It’s Kaela Sinclair’s short but powerful lines during the chorus that really make this one stand out. The song sounds like a late night drive through a crowded but sleepy city on a warm night. It’s got a fullness to it that feels free and warm, even with a touch of dread thrown in. It might be the best song of 2023.

KEY PHRASE I’VE BEEN SHOUTING IN MY CAR: Four minutes with you

Mandy, Indiana – “Pinking Shears”

One of the best new bands of 2023 is also one of the most confounding. Quite possibly the shortest song on this list, this Mandy, Indiana track mixes mechanical percussion, heavy synths and buried vocals into one burst of sound that is very catchy while still dense and wholly unique. Oh, and it’s all in French. The end result isn’t really classifiable, and it sounded out of place on indie rock radio. It isn’t quite my favorite song of the year, but it might be the new one I’ve listened to the most times.

PHRASE CLÉ: Je suis fatiguée, tu sais parce que je suis fatiguée

MJ Lenderman – “Rudolph”

It wasn’t enough for the band Wednesday to drop an all-timer album on us, the guitarist had to drop this excellent solo track too. A crisis of faith plagues the speaker, professing his love to someone from within the walls of a seminary. Throw in some self-doubt, Rudolph the Reindeer and a Pixar reference, and you get a rollicking spellbinder. As with his other solo songs, this is an americana-grunge tune, with rough guitar and loose vocals.

KEY LYRIC: I wouldn’t be in the seminary if I could be with you. 

Model/Actriz – “Donkey Show”

The opening track from my favorite debut album of 2023 is a manic mess. The group starts hauntingly soft, with just a little synth line that sounds like a bug crawling around, until the rest of the band kicks in heavily. The song wastes no time in getting intense – singer Cole Haden sounds like a man who has just realized he is in deep trouble. On the first few listens of this song, I thought “wow this is heavy.” After a few more, I thought, “this is also….groovy.” It’s not like anything I’ve heard before. The song sounds comparable to “City Song” by Daughters, but it swaps out 50% of the paranoia in favor of funk. You can absolutely dance to this, but it might only happen in the nightclub from Blade. 

KEY TROUBLING VAGUENESS: All night, me and my wretched device

The New Pornographers – “Really Really Light”

There’s hardly anything new about the pornographers, who admittedly wear out the formula a bit on their ninth album. But the opening track is an absolute delight of breezy indie. The lyrics are both poetic and empty, singing about nothingness. The fading guitar lick that runs the song sounds like wind entering your car windows on an empty Midwestern highway. There’s a certain listlessness to this song, like everything about it exists only to kill time, but it’s a pleasant feeling. A distinct balance that only a band this deep into the game can pull off. 

KEY BOREDOM: We sit around and talk about the weather / My heart just like a feather / really, really light

Orbit Culture – “Vultures Of North” & “Descent”

Sometimes you just need some good death metal. Orbit Culture’s newest album is a victory lap and a breakthrough, with a bunch of great songs that do a lot with a little. These two songs feature rhythms that are, quite frankly, very simple! But they’re super fun and incredibly catchy while still being heavy and brooding. The growled vocals are top notch and the production is stellar. The metalheads probably have this band on radar already, but here’s a note in case you don’t.

KEY BROODING: The descent into madness is all I see, and it’s all I’ve seen

Palehound – “Eye on the Bat”

How much fun can one song be? Local legends Palehound hit an absolute home run (pun intended) on their latest album’s title track. The song kicks off with a fun and complex acoustic guitar line, with bright and cheery vocals and one quick slide guitar hit thrown in too. Although the song is ostensibly about how grueling a tour can be, the lyrics cherry-pick some nostalgic moments too. This feels like a song we’ll still be listening to in a decade. Spin it a couple times:

KEY SAME: Black Sabbath as the sun goes down ‘cause I like heavy metal / We’re the only people for miles around and we’re headbanging to Paranoid.

The Rolling Stones & Lady Gaga – “Sweet Sounds of Heaven”

I’m not gonna sit here and pretend that the new Stones album is anything really worth listening to, but you’re doing yourself a disservice if you skip this one. This 7+ minute track is possibly the best Stones song since…the 80’s? Gaga brings the best out of the Stones, who face down mortality on this apocalyptic track. Her background vocals provide a moving aura that earnestly feels akin to “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” There is also a vulnerability here that we don’t see from Mick much, though it’s still wrapped in ego too. 

KEY LYRIC: No, I’m not goin’ to Hell, in some dusty motel / And I’m not goin’ down in the dirt.

Sleep Token – “The Summoning”

One of the first new songs I heard in 2023 ended up being one of the best, a heady and highly conceptual song that acts as metal, but dissuades any real classification. A simple and pounding riff comes and goes as huge choruses rise and fall, as the song meanders between radio rock and straight metal. The whole thing has this aura that there’s a great bridge coming, but where it ends up going is unpredictable – an extended ambient segment followed by a poppy, jazzy coda. The song messes around with genres and expectations, with supreme confidence.

KEY RADICAL TONAL SHIFT: Oh, and my love, did I mistake you for a sign from God?

Slowdive – “Alife”

This is aural Xanax. We should be so thankful that Slowdive reunited back in ~2015 because the niche they left behind had been imitated by countless bands, but never perfected. While many of their shoegaze contemporaries like My Bloody Valentine and Ride often searched for bliss and clarity in sheer volume, Slowdive did it in minimalism. “Alife” recaptures the stunning and cathartic aura of their original 90’s work. Everything is so slight that it feels improvised, but it’s all so polished that it could’ve only been done by perfectionists.

KEY LYRIC: Two lives are hard lives with you. 

Slow Pulp – “Cramps”

Slow Pulp is an indie-pop group that would usually not get mistaken for doing anything heavy or edgy, but the first single off their newest album is just that. The song, which yes is about period cramps, comes complete with fuzzy guitar and full-to-the-brim vocals. It’s an extremely fun song, reminiscent of a more 90’s indie pedalboard sound, and helps the band expand their sound some. It’s a simple song, but I spun it a whole bunch this year.

KEY I AM NEVER JEALOUS OF PEOPLE WITH PERIODS: I play out the same scene, bleeding on my new sheets / I wanna bake out on the concrete

Wednesday – “Bull Believer,” “Chosen to Deserve,” “Quarry”

One of these things is not like the others! I couldn’t help but include three songs by the Band of the Year in here. For those unfamiliar, Wednesday deliver a brand of americana-infused indie with a healthy amount of heavy guitar, in a total package that feels similar to Neil Young on paper, though not in practice. “Chosen to Deserve” and “Quarry” are country-fried indie tunes that tell tales of American loneliness; the former is a first-person tale of two bored people forcing a relationship, the latter is a walk down a poor street deep in the suburbs. “Bull Believer,” meanwhile, is a 8+ minute dose of heavy grunge that culminates in minutes of screaming. You simply won’t believe it’s from the same album. 

KEY STORYTELLING TIME: Somebody called the cops on Mandy and her boyfriend / When they busted in they found that her house was a front for a mob thing / Pulled guns and cocaine from the drywall wrapped in newspaper / We gathered in the tall grass and watched unblinking as they cuffed ’em and hauled ’em away

There were of course many, many other songs I wanted to write about for this list. Real quick, here’s five that just missed the cut: 26Fix – “Stonekiller” (electronic/indie), Full Body 2 – “wonder limit” (shoegaze/hyperpop), The Kills – “New York” (guitar indie), Nation of Language – “Sole Obsession” (electronic/indie/new wave), Slaughter to Prevail – “Viking” (deathcore)

Check back in tomorrow when I start my official countdown of *cough* my 100 favorite albums of 2023!

My 30 Favorite Songs of 2022

Well we’ve hit the end of the year, the time where I spend hours writing about the music I loved for 1-12 readers! As with most years, I focused more on albums than individual songs, so a grand albums post will be forthcoming. But there were more than a few songs I loved at first sight listen, and unlike my albums post, I’ve decided to try and feebly do a ranking of them. I did not put much effort into the actual list and have absolutely forgotten something necessary, but I did work on the rankings. So here’s 30 songs I truly loved:

#30. Archive – “Mr. Daisy”

I came into this band by chance from a Facebook group talking about a song of theirs from 2009, only to discover that they’re still going strong and remain very popular in Europe. The band doesn’t contain themselves within genre, venturing anywhere between trip-hop and nu-metal. They released 2 albums this year, and a standout song is this track, a post-rock inspired alt tune that’s simple, fun and nostalgic. I’m excited to dive deep into this band’s catalog next year.

#29. Robert Stillman – “Cherry Ocean”

This is likely the most divisive and maybe the most obscure song on this list, as something that probably won’t appeal much to my core audience (those 4 people). Stillman’s soft, somber, 8+ minute jazz track sets the tone for the following album, though it’s the only song on it with lyrics. The song is sparse and drone-adjacent, but the scraps of melody are haunting and intriguing. Even though it’s a repetitive minimalist song, I find myself coming back to it repeatedly. It’s a warm and forgiving place to be.

#28. Meat Wave – “Honest Living”

This is my kind of thing – two-minute sucker punch of fuzz guitar and wicked vocals. I’m a sucker for even the worst garage rock, it’s my go-to and my comfort music, and Meat Wave’s recent album more than satisfies that crave within me. “Living” is a punk bruiser with depressingly satirical lyrics about the grind of the workforce. Throw in some good vocal rhythms to boot and you’ve got a memorable little garage punk tune.

#27. Gladie – “Born Yesterday”

A lot of indie-punk bands like to play it safe and merely threaten to go full throttle. Gladie aren’t that band, and they kick off their recent release with a amp-busting banger that makes a statement. I wasn’t aware of this band just a few weeks ago, and now I’m excited to see where they go from here. I’ve also just seen them live and can confirm that this track kills in a concert setting.

#26. Björk & serpentwithfeet – “Fungal City”

Leave it to Björk to make a “mushroom” album, a delightful and occasionally suspicious soundscape that makes it sound like you are lying on the forest floor. The album’s highlight and most on-point track is “Fungal City,” which barely hangs on to any rhythms to create a damp, foresty environment. It starts soft, gets heavy, and stays weird. I don’t know how you even approach crafting a song like this, but it is yet another Björk classic.

#25. The Smile – “You Will Never Work in Television Again”

I’m not really interested in debating whether Radiohead is done or what this offshoot means for their legacy – it’s a different project, no more no less. While the album mostly just sounds like Radiohead, this song has some rough energy that hasn’t been in the band’s music for many years. Very funny that they’ve played this on late night shows, hopefully they’ll play on Corden soon.

#24. The Beths – “Expert in a Dying Field”

If I were to somehow manage to actually list out my 10 or so favorite songs, the Beths would be the only repeat artist on that list. Count this one among the handful of their songs that I really love. Lush and heartbreaking lyrics and vocal melodies all contain themselves within a simple indie/punk song. This group always seems to find interesting ways to sing about despair and ennui, and this one is no different. Add in some of Elizabeth Stokes’s characteristically intriguing vocal rhythms and you’ve got another Beths banger.

#23. Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard – “The Harvest”

I treat doom metal like a sandwich – if it’s plain then fine, I’ll take it, but I probably won’t really enjoy it. Doom metal to me has to do something to tinker with the formula, and this song does just that. The Best Band Name in the World take a classic doom metal song structure and add synths and dreamy vocals into something fuller. It’s heavy and brutal, while still feeling fun and atmospheric. The band has always done stuff like this well, but this song and album is a high watermark for them.

#22. Van Buren Records – “FOUL”

One of my favorite rap records of the year came from a local group, Van Buren Records. The large collective makes fun and urgent music with a cascade of voices. The group is at their best when they’re moving quickly, as they do here. No voice or idea overstays its welcome, especially with key features. This is such fun stuff.

#21. Slipknot – “The Chapeltown Rag”

Slipknot’s new album was a divisive one – there was a lot of really stupid discourse around it including the phrase “Slipknot’s Radiohead album.” I loved it for the way it wraps together a more mature, balanced sound with some of their old angry bangers. Well this is the latter, just an old-fashioned Slipknot ear-gouger. Dopey lyrics about violence, manic drums (RIP Joey) and unexpectedly good vocals, this is classic Slipknot. It’s great that they’re finally moving past this kind of stuff, but it’s wild they can still do it so well, too.

#20. Billy Nomates – “spite”

“Don’t you act like I ain’t the fuckin’ man” rips Tor Maries across the chorus of this indie banger. I’m very unfamiliar with her work – I’ve heard a few songs and keep forgetting to check out more. But, this one recently grabbed my attention on the radio. It’s bold and brash while staying well within an indie song, a contained anger that’s delightful as it is genuine. It feels like a victory lap set to music, a ceiling-puncher and a song that probably kills live. I’m on board, now.

#19. 8 Kalacas – “Frontera”

I’m aware the phrase “ska metal” sounds about as off-putting as fruitcake but this song is wild. I first wrote about it in my “Songs You May Have Missed” midyear post and I’m going after it again. This song has horns and riffs and it’s an absolute blast to listen to. A sonic assault that lies more in metal than ska, this really isn’t like anything I’ve heard before. Part of that also lies in the lyrics – silly music is mixed with a dead serious story about a Mexican immigrant realizing the American Dream is a lie and sadly moving back home. The band has Latin roots that add an authenticity to the music that is often missing in wretched, ironic white guy ska. I urge folks to give this one a chance.

#18. Big Thief – “Simulation Swarm”

Big Thief make so many songs that are so heartbreakingly gorgeous that it doesn’t feel fair to other bands. “Simulation Swarm” isn’t nearly as good as 2019’s “Not” or 2020’s “anything” (from singer Adrienne Lenker solo), and yet it still makes the list. The music is calm and patient, featuring the effortless, minimalistic melancholy that the band is known for, and it’s complemented by Lenker’s soft, earworm vocal rhythm. As always, her unique voice elevates this into classic territory. Big Thief forever.

#17. My Chemical Romance – “The Foundations of Decay”

It’s so amazing to me that this exists at all. MCR’s first new release in nearly a decade, and it follows their path of switching up their sound with each album. I don’t know if a proper album is to follow – maybe they don’t, either – but I’d be intrigued if it does. This is slower and denser than you’d expect from MCR, more grown-up now than before. As per usual, the song rests on Gerard Way’s deceitfully strong vocals, but the whole band sounds great. This isn’t as flashy as the group used to be, and therefore the song is a grower – I wasn’t impressed on first listen, but after getting to see it done live (twice!) it’s won me over.

#16. Soul Glo – “Gold Chain Punk (whogonbeatmyass?)”

I didn’t plan for this to be so close to 8 Kalacas but it’s only fitting. Soul Glo presents an equally scorned genre – rap-rock – in a way that’s genuine and refreshing. The opening track to their downright remarkable album Diaspora Problems is a manic, full-octane track that sounds dangerous. Inspired as much by hardcore punk and glitch as they are traditional rap and rock, this is “rap-rock” in the same sense that Death Grips is, not Machine Gun Kelly.

#15. Chat Pile – “Why”

Why do people have to live outside? is the simple question and refrain posited by post-hardcore upstarts Chat Pile. The centerpiece of a Top 5 of 2022 album is also one of the most bluntly political songs of the year (or ever, really). It’s a shakedown of America’s quiet housing crisis sung with a genuine, guttural anger. It feels like everyone in the country is boiling over with anger over their beliefs of choice, and that’s palpable on this barely-contained song. Anyone with an ounce of empathy can relate here, even if it’s abrasive on the ears.

#14. The Mountain Goats – “Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome”

It only took 21 studio albums for Mountain Goats to do their first true rock song. An album centered around low-budget action movies needed an energetic boost, so Darnielle et al up the energy for really, the first time in their storied career. Admittedly there are better songs across the unexpectedly great album, but this is my list dammit so I’m picking this one. Although the Goats have carved out their own niche in alternative music, I’d be curious to hear more of this side, too!

#13. Paramore – “The News”

I nearly disqualified this one for recency bias, it was released only a few days before I started this post. But it’s so damn good. Save for a pop-punk heavy debut recorded when they were all around 15, Paramore hasn’t released a bad song, and I’m delighted this stretch is continuing after a multi-year hiatus. The song abandons their more recent new-wave stuff for a return to fiery pop-rock, with more bite than they’ve ever had. There’s a fierceness that cuts through the music here, but also the melody is an instant earworm. I’ve only heard this song twice and it’s already so high.

#12. Fontaines D.C. – “Jackie Down the Line”

Imagine my frustration in 2019 when I first heard this group, a severely Irish post-punk group, only to be sufficiently bored by their album. I wanted to like it and decided to dive into the follow-up with an open mind and, thankfully, liked it much more. This is definitely the song I “sang” the most this year (as it’s not sung but spoken), because it allowed me to practice a ridiculous Irish accent. But it’s a great tune that’s simultaneously despondent and lively. There’s a lot of talk-sing post-punk bands coming out of the UK area (alongside IDLES, Black Country New Road and Dry Cleaning) and I’ve got varying opinions on it; this band has thankfully fallen in my good favor.

#11. MJ Lenderman – “Tastes Just Like It Costs”

Lenderman is an artist I ignored for a while because I thought he was the same brand of tired, acoustic stuff that Father John Misty occupies. My face was red when I finally spun an album, the great Boat Songs. This was my favorite song, a lively and fuzzy guitar track with a touch of humor but a melancholic vocal melody. This song, like much of the album, owes a debt of gratitude to the early alt groups like Meat Puppets and Dinosaur Jr. – a well I will never run dry. This is another catalog I will be diving into soon.

#10. black midi – “Sugar/Tzu”

I loved black midi’s debut only to be frustrated by the sophomore album. Their third righted the course and gave me what I think is their best song yet. “Sugar/Tzu” is one of the most raucous songs I’ve heard all year, manic talk-sung vocals mixing with a steady, revolving central rhythm and frequent…interruptions? The music video follows a boxing match, which is very fitting, as the resembles what it feels like to get beat up. The song sounds borderline improvised, closer to prime era Lightning Bolt than any of their more radio-friendly peers. I cannot overstress how wild this song is.

#9. L.S. Dunes – “Permanent Rebellion”

In most cases, I will side with any artist’s louder, more energetic tunes. This debut track from emo supergroup L.S. Dunes is no exception. The expectation-obliterating album’s penultimate song is also the loudest and most abrasive of the bunch, a throwback to all of the respective members’ heydays. The verses here are standard rock stuff, but the choruses hold a thrilling punch that separate Dunes from most supergroups; this isn’t a fun side project, this is a group with a statement to make. The emo revival will never die, baby.

#8. Weyes Blood – “It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody”

Natalie Mering is two albums into a trilogy that’s essentially about going through the rough of it. It’s sad enough on principle, and this album follows in the footsteps of 2019’s Titanic Rising by opening with the best song of the bunch. “Not Just Me” is a gorgeous chamber pop song, a heavenly ballad set over little more than vocals, harp and drums. It’s a dreamy, absorbing song with nightmarish lyrics about human suffering and ignorance. The album that follows is more of the same – and it’s one of the best of the year. But this one in particular is just a completely devastating yet rewarding listen.

#7. Weird Nightmare – “Searching For You”

When I heard that METZ frontman Alex Edkins was releasing a solo record, I had a feeling I knew what it would sound like – more melodic and alternative-based than his primary band, while retaining much of the energy. I was right, this song sounds like the crushing assault of (loudest band I’ve ever seen live) METZ filtered through the Minutemen. It’s loud and aggressive but it’s got a great rhythm and a more subdued approach. Like a few other songs on this list, it owes some to 90’s guitar alternative, revamped for today.

#6. Spoon – “Wild”

It’s very rare that a band can maintain a similar sound for decades and keep it fresh; they’ll either start to sound repetitive (AC/DC) or settle into a relaxed vibe (Wilco). But Spoon isn’t most bands, and “Wild” sounds like the same Spoon from 2005. They’re revamped and reinvigorated and they’re all the better for it. Britt Daniel’s odd singing voice remains the band’s best strength, as this would be a very standard song without it, but the Neil Young-like vocals elevate this to a Certified Spoon Classic.

#5. Leikeli47 – “Chitty Bang”

This song is just about as fun as music can get. The masked rapper kicks off her consistently excellent third album with this immaculately-produced bop. I don’t understand how this song isn’t topping the charts, I challenge anyone to spin it and sit still. A hip-hop song with pop structure and production, this song should really appeal to just about everyone. Although the artist has chosen to remain private, I hope 2023 sees her absolutely blow up.

#4. Gogol Bordello – “Fire On Ice Floe”

This one is circumstantial – after Peter Murphy checked into rehab and Bauhaus canceled their reunion tour, Riot Fest had to scramble to book a medium-big, evening act. Eugene Hutz and gang filled in, and delivered the best festival set I’ve ever seen (and went 10 minutes over, much to the chagrin of Glenn Danzig). I didn’t know this song when they played it, as it had only been released days prior, but they jammed on the chorus for an extended period. The easy, melodic refrain of “dance, dance, dance into the fire” had the massive audience all singing and dancing along. Although the band was there to promote defense for Ukraine, they still turned the set into an absolute party. This may or may not be a great song, but my vision will always be blinded by how I was first introduced to it.

#3. Perennial – “Tooth Plus Claw”

Again I am blinded, because my first interaction with this band’s music was when I had a chance to interview them (they’re really fun people to chat with, folks). This song doesn’t eclipse 90 seconds, just a dance-punk whirlwind that’s extremely high energy and just as fun. It’s loud and brash, but – like the rest of their album – is done entirely as a party. This is a throwback to The Hives and Be Your Own Pet, bands with short songs and contained chaos, that always still rely on melody above all. Love this so much.

#2. Arlo Parks – “Softly”

Arlo Parks just missed out on both my favorite song and album lists last year, and her sole release in 2022 is better than everything she delivered in 2021. This is one of those songs that will have you crying in seconds even though it’s a wholesome love song. The vocal melody perfectly matches the pure lyrics, a quiet message to a (potential?) lover. Her voice dominates over the music, seemingly mixed at a higher volume than a normal song would be. I’m not one for listening to songs on repeat but I could easily play this one for an hour.

#1. Orville Peck – “Daytona Sand”

Big surprise, the guy who goes by Orville Shrek on twitter loves the music of Orville Peck. There’s something about the mysterious, masked, Canadian, queer outlaw country/alternative singer that just works for me. The opening track to his stellar sophomore album Bronco picks up where Pony left off; the forlorn western lyrics, the driving snare drum and Peck’s deliciously commanding bass voice all propel this to the #1 spot. It’s catchy, fun and yet melancholic, and it’s probably my favorite song of the year.

For fun, here’s some songs that didn’t make the cut:

Beyoncé – “Break My Soul” (should’ve made the list, but do I really need to tell you about this one?)

The Linda Lindas – “Racist Sexist Boy”

Interpol – “Gran Hotel”

Rammstein – “Angst”

HEALTH & The Body – “AD 1000”

Thanks for reading this far! I wouldn’t have! I’ll be posting more year-end stuff, specifically an albums post on NYE and a films post sometime when I feel like.

By Andrew McNally