Top Albums of 2023

I've been publishing a top 10 album of the year list since 2018, it's one of my favorite things I write and I work all year on finding the best of the best. This year was probably one of the best years for music since I started sharing my list - I could make a whole other list of just bomb ass singles and more EPs, but this one took me long enough to write so I'll let this speak for itself.

Top 10 list for 2023

10. Simon Grossman - Mostly Fresh EP
I only came on Simon Grossman in recent years, however the music he makes perfectly unifies all of the ideal aspects of Latino Indiepop that I've adored for years. "Atardecer" is one of my fav tracks of the year and it's delicious to listen to on repeat for hours, hope your hips are ready to swivel. 

9. Aphex Twin - Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / In a Room7 F760 EP
I actually enjoyed this 4 tracker way more than Syro, his 12 track grand return in 2014 -  and first album since 2001's critically-acclaimed Drukqs. Only now in typing this out do I realize that he's put out an absolute banger every decade, which I think is a much more reasonable pace than most others operate at. I can wholeheartedly appreciate that cadence. It's easy to leave on repeat for hours and find something new with every play through to key in on and appreciate.

8. Cannons - Heartbreak Highway
E got me hooked on this band, and since she did every time they have a release it usually ends up on this list. This is about as poppy as I'm into these days, it's delicious because of its shimmery, etherial fairy vibe. Its driving beat is ideal for working out, cleaning and cranking out a big project.

​7. Sampha - Lahai
J posted one of these tracks to his IG stories - we have over a dozen shared playlists so I was excited to check it out. I was instantly impressed with that one track that I dove straight into the full album and was blown away. Never heard of them before and was converted into a forever fan. Every year Frank Ocean doesn't put out a new album is a sad one, and when that happens I look for a runner up and this is it. 

6. Ladytron - Time's Arrow
On the contrary, I've been a fan of Ladytron since they broke ground with their first full length album 604 in 2001, "Another Breakfast With You" being a favorite anthem in 8th grade (shoutout emo kids on Napster with impeccable playlists). It's been a joy to grow up with a band as badass as Ladytron, especially when most of the music I listened to growing up was made by all dudes. Fast forward to now and I appreciate how influential they've been on my own music making endeavors. Sonically and aesthetically speaking they are pretty untouchable.

5. Oneohtrix Point Never - Again
Let me just say I'm very thankful my friends have such a great taste in music, otherwise my life would be far less rich than it is. I learned about this album when P posted a meme that said "they don't even know the best album of the year is about to drop" and I was instantly hyped bc their taste in music is *chef's kiss.* From the first single "A Barely Lit Path" I was left speechless - it's the apex of so many genres I love deeply -  experimental electronic, classical, glitch, pop. This album is so complex, it keeps blooming and reinventing itself as it moves you through the halls of avant-garde delights. This album is something special and had a huge impact on the music I make.

4. Chemical Brothers - For That Beautiful Feeling
I mean, it's the fucking Chem Bros. Highly delightful, an ancient satisfaction. The OGs of the industry did not disappoint with this drop, and we haven't had a full length one since 2019's No Geography. While my favorite albums of theirs are the 90's releases, with one of my all time fav albums being Come With Us, 2002, this album will absolutely be added to the lifelong tops list. Every song feels like a feature-length film, a world onto itself. They will forever be the very definition of goals.

3. Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World
I've been a fan of them for so long, I was beyond stoked to be able to finally see them for the first time - and in Michigan of all places! They're the closest thing we have to experiencing The Velvet Underground live and I wish more people would give them the credit they deserve. I'd go so far as to say they're one of the most underrated bands in the genre. With seventeen studio albums, six compilation albums, sixteen extended plays, twenty-two singles, two film score albums, four collaborative albums, and one album of cover songs (re: wiki) - they are at Zappa status when it comes to a prolific career. But everybody sleeps on them because they are older, not showy, not into clout-chasing and very lowkey - don't make this mistake. The opening track has been in my top 5 for almost a year, the perfect album to drive to. 

2. Blonde Redhead - Sit Down for Dinner
I haven't been this obsessed with an album of theirs like this since their 2007 release, 23. I'll always count the title track as one of the best songs the band ever put out, and a staple of the indie cannon. It's driving, sexy and the way the drums seem to waterfall on top of each other, splashing into haunting rhythms - it hits all the right spots for me. It also set the expectation really high for all subsequent releases. "Melody Experiment" picks up where the song "23" leaves off, and based on Spotify's top play list - I'm not the only one who is completely consumed by how remarkable it is. "I Thought You Should Know" feels like walking in a Michigan snow drift. It's cool to mark different parts of my life with their albums, I'll always associate this one with my first year living in Michigan, like I associate 23 with hanging out in my partner's dorm room in 2010 or falling asleep in the Ravenswood apartment a decade later. This album is a femme dom, for which we are all too eager to sub.

1. KAROL G - MAÑANA SERÁ BONITO (BICHOTA SEASON)
I'm going to make a bold statement - KAROL G is possibly the closet we'll ever get in this lifetime to the soulful excellence that only Selena is known for. This is galvanized by “Mi Ex Tenía Razón,” where she echos the brilliant cumbias that are signature to La Reina. She makes no mistake where her inspiration comes from, sporting a Selena shirt in her music video for the song. This album has no skip tracks and feels like summer drives down to San Antonio to visit family and day trips to Mexico. Track 1 "BICHOTAG" is pure party, you can bet you'll hear this play as my walk out music for a future House of Egregious shows. We all love Kali Uchis so it was really rad to see her guest on this album, her feature on "ME TENGO QUE IR" is sooo fucking hot I really cannot with them. This album is unlimited joy and an instant favorite, bump it loud if you want some sultry summer vibes to warm you up from the biting cold.