My Year in Lists — 2023
My favourite 10 records of 2023, plus a bunch of other things music related that I've enjoyed throughout the year.
Sunday 10th December 2023
Here we are again. End of year list time. They come around quickly don't they? The other week I was sitting outside a bar in Berlin before going to see Explosions in the Sky, and Rough Trade dropped their end of year albums list. The date was the 14th of November. A whole 6 weeks before the end of the year! I hadn't even begun to think about Christmas by this point.
Fast forward to December, our tree is up, it's -6ºC and snowy in Berlin and I'm scrolling through my 2023 'Smart' playlist on Apple Music, trying to figure out what will make this year's top 10 albums list.
It's only now that I realise so many artists that I listen to have released multiple albums this year: The National, Cleo Sol, The Coral and bar italia.
We've seen the likes of Orbital, Everything But The Girl, Blur, and even The Beatles, make a comeback and release new music this year. The latter really did surprise me.
There Will Be Fireworks released their first album in 10 years; Sigur Rós the same. Semisonic - you know, of 'Closing Time' fame, released their first album in 22 years, and New York indie rock outfit The Van Pelt returned after a 25 year absence with 'Artisans & Merchants'.
I've spent a lot of time exploring the experimental and contemporary jazz genre this year, with Leeds' Gotts Street Park getting a lot of plays, as well as Manchester's Matthew Halsall - how I've not listened to this guy before, I'll never know. His back catalog is superb. Yussef Dayes released the excellent 'Black Classical Music', his debut solo record, this year too; someone I've kept an eye out for ever since he released 'What Kinda Music' with Tom Misch in 2019.
Like most years, I listen to a lot of stuff throughout the course of a year and could easily have a top 50, but I like to keep a favourites list to a minimum. So, without further ado...
Top 10 albums of 2023
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Yo La Tengo — This Stupid World
Buy on Bandcamp -
Gotts Street Park — On The Inside
Buy Directly from the Band -
bar italia — Tracey Denim
Buy on Bandcamp -
Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan — The Nation’s Most Central Location
Buy on Bandcamp -
The Van Pelt — Artisans & Merchants
Buy on Bandcamp -
Kelela — Raven
Buy on Bandcamp -
Matthew Halsall — An Ever Changing View
Buy on Bandcamp -
Slowdive — Everything Is Alive
Buy on Bandcamp -
Yussef Dayes — Black Classical Music
Buy on Bandcamp -
Young Fathers — Heavy Heavy
Buy on Bandcamp
I knew back in February that 'Heavy Heavy' would be my album of the year. Coming in at just over the 30-minute mark, it's packed full of energy that will take you in many directions. It's a joyous, mesmerising listen which encompasses everything Young Fathers stand for. Their live performance brought a whole new energy and intrigue to these 10 tracks. Highly recommended.
As always, there are a few honourable mentions that I'd like to give a shout out to, which are; 'End' by Explosions in the Sky. I wasn't expecting much from this record to be honest, but with hints of their earlier material fused with a slightly new approach, it makes for a great listen. Is the the end of EitS, or just the end of a specific chapter?
BC Camplight — The Last Rotation of Earth. Wity lyrics that are brutally honest and packed full of heartbreak, David has released another great album. This one was hard to leave out of the top 10.
Favourite Tracks of 2023
I didn't have time to compile a list of tracks last year - I must have been sidetracked by the World Cup. Below is a collection of tracks I've enjoyed from albums released this year. Sorry Spotify users, you'll have to go without.
Probably best enjoyed with shuffle enabled, there's no running order or carefully planned sequence of tracks.
Gigs of the year 2023
This will be a very short list. I went to 4 shows this year, which is the fewest I've been to in a very, very long time. Excluding the covid years, obviously.
I don't really have an excuse, I was just far too lazy to book tickets. There were plenty of shows I wanted to go to here in Berlin, but left it far too late to book tickets, or I was out of town.
Next year will be different, as I've booked tickets for quite a few things already. So, given the list is so short, I'll just list the ones that I went to! They were all great, so in date order:
Young Fathers
Saturday 18th February
Astra Kulturhaus, Berlin
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Saturday 25th February
Huxley's Neue Welt, Berlin
The Walkmen
Wednesday 30 August
KOKO, London
Explosions in the Sky
Tuesday 14th November
Astra Kulturhaus, Berlin
Re-issues of the Year
I picked up a few vinyl reissues this year, specifically 20th Anniversary Editions, so I thought I'd take a moment to mention a couple.
Having just looked at my 2003 playlist on Apple Music (I still call it iTunes as I have all of my mp3 catalog stored there), I think that 2003 deserves its own post - similar to my 2005 one I wrote a few years back. There were so many albums released that year that I absolutely adored.
After years of having it on my Discogs wantlist and being priced out by the cost of an original, 'Phantom Power' by Super Furry Animals finally got a re-press. The 6th album to be released by the Welsh band, includes singles 'Hello Sunshine' and 'Golden Retriever'. A beautiful re-issue with a die-cut sleeve and new liner notes by the album's executive producer, Kurt Stern.
The second one that has also been on my list for a while is 'Sumday' by Grandaddy. Originally released on V2 records in the spring of 2003, the third album by Jason Lytle and co., was given the deluxe treatment for its 20th Birthday. A 4 LP box set was released, which included demos, rarities and b-sides from that era. However, that was also pretty pricey, so I opted for the standard reissue on white vinyl.
'Veneer', the debut album by Swedish singer-songwriter José González, also turned 20 this year. Back in 2005 when I was studying Interactive Design at university, we would often have sessions where we'd share inspiration, and discuss current work from within the creative industry. Sony launched their successful 'bouncy balls' advert for their TV brand, Bravia, that year which featured José's song 'Heartbeats' (Originally by The Knife). I remember loving both the commercial and the track, and have been a fan of his music ever since.
The delightfully packaged anniversary edition of Veneer comes with a bonus live LP, which includes a cover of Joy Division's 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' and a 24 page book with track-by-track notes written by José. Pressed on light blue vinyl. If you're a fan, it's definitely worth picking up.
Did anyone pick up New Order's 'Substance' on Red & Blue vinyl? It looks like a beauty! I should have preordered that one, as I fear that I've left it too late to pick up a copy. Explosions in the Sky re-issued 'The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place', which has been given a packaging upgrade and released on red vinyl. I own an original pressing, so I was somewhat reluctant to pick up a second copy.
Anyhow, I could go on about re-issues for ages. This list only includes the ones that I purchased...
Top 5-Reissues of 2023:
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Athlete — Vehicles & Animals (20th Anniversary Edition)
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Delays — Faded Seaside Glamour
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Grandaddy — Sumday Twunny (20th Anniversary Edition)
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Super Furry Animals — Phantom Power
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José González — Veneer (20th Anniversary Edition)
That's a wrap for this year.
Stay healthy and be kind to one another.
Aaron. x