Top 25 Songs of 2023

[transformers2]

My honorable mentions (in alphabetical order by artist):
Dying Fetus-Feast of Ashes


Foo Fighters-But Here We Are


JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown-Kingdom Hearts Key (feat. redveil)


Paramore-Running Out of Time


Year of the Knife-Sometimes

[numbersix]

And here we are, in honor of Shryke's annual songs of the year, let the Favourite Songs of 2023 commence

#25


John

Silkroad Ensemble (w/ Rhiannon Gibbens): Oh Death

I'll kick things off with an interesting take on an old folk standard.





Leetsu

Triángulo de Amor Bizarro: La condena

The closing track from the latest album (their seventh) from this Spanish shoegaze on the noisy side band, and it has that epic feel of a closing track that I like...and it took me too long to realise they are named after a New Order song






Transformers

Mutoid Man: Frozen Hearts

Let's ease into what just might be my most metal-happy list since we started doing this a few years back with this roughly 3-minute rocker of a track that features no screaming vocals and minimal indulgent guitarwork.





Six

Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter: I Will Be With You Always

Formally known as Lingua Ignota, Hayter (oh the irony) has ditched her creepy gothic songs about wishing revenge on her abusers, only to make religious folk music that’s even creepier and more gothic. I’m not sure if her delirious delivery is to satirise such revelations, or if she’s truly a believer, but either way this song is delightfully feverish.




Surfer

Bonnie Prince Billy, ''Crazy Blue Bells''





Ron will be joining us from #20 onwards. And if anyone else wants to contribute, let me know!

[Leestu]

Oh Death was probably my song I liked most here but nothing is a keeper for me. I've heard a few Mutoid Man songs but not this one. They do interest me but I don't think I liked this one as much as others I've heard. The Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter song is interesting and I like the direction she takes here after some draining albums but it possibly overstays its welcome a bit (much like my song does too I guess lol)

I put the the just missed songs in a playlist to listen to conveniently at a later stage but we will be seeing one of them again

[Chienfantome]

Maybe I'll join you later on, because there's no way I can make a Top 25. But at least I'll throw in a few songs when you reach the top of the top.

[numbersix]

That would be amazing, Chien!

Thoughts on 25 (still going through the honorable mentions, although one track will be in my top 20)

John: A lovely way to start the year. Although could have used less flute. This ain't 1969, longhair.

Leetsu: Was a little dull at first but it got better. Very shoegazy. Don't know why you have to go all the way to Spain to get your shoegaze. There's plenty good English language shoegaze. We don't need no foreign shoegaze coming over here and taking our jobs and gazing at OUR shoes..

Tranny: Without the screaming and indulgent guitarwork, it just sounds like an average metal band.

Surf: Brings back memories. I was a fan of BPB since the late 90s, and even got to see him in a tiny bar on my birthday a long time ago. I haven't stuck with him in the last couple of years, and this kind of explains why. Lovely music, but probably won't stick with me, not in the way his stuff on I See A Darkness and Ease Down the Road did.

[JohnErle]

I'm glad to see you're coming in hot with the snark because I doubt I'll have much to offer this year. Keep it up!

[transformers2]

Per usual, I'll mostly be lurking at the start of the countdown, but I promise I will start commenting daily once my writing commitments are completed in roughly a week's time.

[numbersix]

#24


John

Buffalo Nichols: You're Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond

And now, a fresh take on a blues standard.





Leetsu

Blossom: Forlorn

A new band from California even further out on the noisy side of dream pop than my last song with a big debut single. They do have a 2022 EP but I haven’t heard it, just blown away with this song on first listen





Transformers

Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves: I Remember Everything

Two of contemporary country's most interesting artists came together to make a slow, somber Americana breakup song and it somehow made it all the way to the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. I don't know how the miracle happened, but it's really cool that it did.





Six

Aphex Twin: Blackbox Life Recorder 21F

The father of experimental techno returned last year with an EP, fronted by this track. There’s lots going on underneath the hood, but the overall feeling is of something serene and ambient.





Surfer

PJ Harvey: Seem an I

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24 of 24 thoughts

John: A fresh take on a blues standard would be some sort of glitchy experimental tropical trap pop blues assembly. This was pretty by-the-book but the vocals grew on me.

Leetsu: More shoegaze-inspired music! It's everywhere! Like a very slow, downbeat virus you can't escape. It's like the indie-kid version of COVID. Anyway, I really loved this song, it reminded me of early Smashing Pumpkins when they tried out being dreamy.

Tranny: If this is representative of country's most interesting aspects, well I'm glad I don't listen to it. Seriously, though, it was okay but nothing special.

Surf: An album that at first felt a little underbaked, but slowly it enveloped me in its sort of folk-psychological-horror mood. It's an album that's more than the sum of its parts, but there are a few that stand out as great songs. More coming much later.

[Leestu]

The Aphex Twin song had a lot going on to keep me interested. Sometimes they are too much for me but this one I could get into the zone with

Buffalo Nichols was a good quality song, nothing I would come back to but happy to listen to when it is on

The songs I've heard from the PJ Harvey album are not making me rush out to hear it. I think the direction she is going in is the opposite direction to where my tastes are going lately

I doubt I'll remember anything about I Remember Everything in an hour or so

[numbersix]

I doubt I'll remember anything about I Remember Everything in an hour or so

That's the kind of snark I aspire to make!

[numbersix]

#23


John

The Golden Dregs - How It Starts




Leetsu

Island Of Love, Big Whale

With their modern take on slacker indie rock, this opening track from their debut album traverses some territory in its 5 minute runtime with some interesting song writing




Transformers

Genesis Owusu-Freak Boy

The shortest proper song on Genesis Owusu's sophomore LP "Smuggler" also happens to be my favorite. It distills the best parts of his punky, funky sound into a very compact package that is so absurdly heavy on bouncy hooks and breakneck energy that it's almost hard to comprehend.




Six

Grian Chatten: Fairlies

I was sceptical of the lead singer of Fontaines DC’s debut solo album. Partly because his name is Grian, and partly because he never seemed particularly musically gifted. But his more folksy, acoustic-y record has plenty of charm to it, including this lively ditty.




Surf

Black Belt Eagle Scout: Nobody

[Leestu]

I liked all the songs today. Fairlies got a few plays from me throughout the year. the GOLDEN DREGS moodiness reminded me of Arab Strap. Black Belt Eagle Scout had some lovely music in that song. And Genesis Owusu was enjoyably catchy

[numbersix]

#22


John

Kylie Fox: Confetti

When I first left New Brunswick there wasn't much of a music scene here, apart from one reggae band and Eric's Trip, who managed to jump on the grunge bandwagon and get signed to SubPop.

The scene has grown a lot in my absence, and from what I've heard so far the artist with the biggest breakout potential is Kylie Fox. No hip Seattle label has come calling yet, but she has the potential to move beyond her hometown. If I didn't know she was from here, I wouldn't know she was from here.




Leetsu

Deeper: Everynight

Deeper showed potential and they have come through with a couple of great songs on their latest album




Transformers

Sampha: Suspended

Reclusive British singer-songwriter-producer Sampha returned from a 6-year hiatus of putting out his own music earlier this year and unsurprisingly, his skills are as sharp as ever. During the (probably too brief) time I've spent with his new record "Lahai", "Suspended" is the track that has managed to really stand out from the rest of the pack. Both the production and vocal lines have this hypnotic, ethereal quality to them that is incredibly infectious and make it one of those uniquely special songs that I'm eager to frequently revisit in a short window of time.




Six

Caroline Polachek: Bunny is a Rider

So pop music isn’t normally my thing, but the rave reviews drew me to Polachek’s second solo album, and while I’m not as excited about it as most, it does have some very accomplished and imaginative songs, such as this very simple but catchy number.




Surf

Pardoner: Short Song

[numbersix]

23 and 22

John: Agreed with Leetsu - an Arab Strap vibe off The Golden Dreg, and that's a good thing. Kylie Fox didn't really grab me beyond the interesting voice at times.

Leetsu: Island of Love didn't do a lot for me. I enjoyed the Deeper record too. This isn't my favourite from the album (and none made my Top 25), but it's pretty good!

Transformers: I panicked a little when I saw Genesis in the band name, but that was a fun song with a great bassline. And like you, I haven't had much of a chance to get into the Sampha album, with Spirit 2.0 being the obvious highlight, but this track was great.

Surf: BBES was okay, a little too soft and delicate at times. Very much enjoyed Pardoner, reminded me of early Parquet Courts