Songs of the Year 2023

1. Skin Meadow - Home is Where
2. Strawberry (Probably) - AJJ
3. Mantra - A Beacon School
4. 1999 - Phantom Youth
5. Vampire Empire - Big Thief
6. Dare Me - Beach Fossils
7. Floral Organs - Home is Where
8. Waiting for You - Velvet
9. Moving On - Explosions in the Sky
10. Highlands - Middle Kids
11. Sunlife - Castlebeat
12. Seconds - Beach Fossils
13. Everyday Feels Like 9/11 - Home is Where
14. Nothing More Nothing Less - High Sunn
15. Tough Love - Beach Fossils
16. Yes! Yes! A Thousand Times Yes - Home is Where
17. Final Summer - Cloud Nothings
18. Promises - Phantom Youth
19. Angelic Beginnings - High Sunn
20. Chris Farley - Home is Where
​

This was an interesting year in music. And the chart of my top 20 shows why. Littered with new bands, or bands new to me, at least. At the top of the charts is Home is Where, a Brooklyn band originally from Florida who I got to see in an intimate venue (Elsewhere's basement stage) in Brooklyn. I never heard of this band two weeks before the show but I got turned onto the album, fell in love, bought tickets, and got to hear them live right next to the stage. They blew me away. It's kind of awesome and equally amazing that young new bands still have the power to bring me joy at my somewhat more advanced age. Every few years I kind of think "well that's it, there's nothing new out there that will excite me anymore, all the music has changed or I've changed and I'll just be listened to old Superchunk tracks from now on." And then this happens. And Superchunk is still touring. All in all a great year in music.

​Other bands brand new to me this year include #3 and 4 on this list -- got to see A Beacon School at Elsewhere as well-- and #8 Velvet, who are high school / college-aged playing shoegaze / punk that sounds like Slowdive meets Mogwai or something, I don't know but I've seen them twice this year and been quite impressed by the sound. They haven't even released an album yet.  Beach Fossils and Big Thief and AJJ are long time favorites at the top of the top 10 and Australian band Middle Kids have hit my top 10 in recent years. Explosions in the Sky has been making incredible post-rock since 2001 so there are older bands a plenty but really they are the exception. And so 2023 has become a year of new music. And I couldn't be more pleased.