Top 10 Songs of 2023
A little something before I leave you for the Holidays
I’m taking a break until the second week in January. I’ll be back with more socio-political commentary and musings. With a vengeance really, as I have some thoughts about how Men’s Right Activists weaponize legitimate critics as an entry point to misogyny by way of a Taylor Swift post. Next year is going to be spicy in the realm of politics.
So, let’s end our 2023 together with ten songs I absolutely loved that came out this year. And then a playlist of a bunch of songs I loved this year.
“Sun” by mauve - A six minute epic from their album About the Weather, closer “Sun” is a fitting cap to a very good album. A quiet build off a Mineral-esque intro that kicks into gear sooner and faster than Mineral would have. You can hear the influence of cross overs like Grade and Thursday on the vocals.
“The Lone Ranger” by Frankie Traandruppel - A rip roaring, garage punk anthem. This feels like it would have had a great home in the heyday of “The” bands.
“Bangs” by Woolworm - I talked about this song extensively earlier this week, but what an absolutely stunning mash up of post-hardcore, post-punk and shoegaze.
“Sleepyhead” by Fiddlehead - I love the little nod to Braid in the intro, post-hardcore supergroup Fiddlehead surprised me with how much I loved their new record. The music video reminds me a lot of classic era Foo Fighters. This pulse pounding take on dealing with depression lingers with me long after it is over.
“Now On” by As A Sketch Pad - Another supergroup with a slightly different pedigree, As A Sketch pad makes energetic, throwback emo that sounds like a band every genre of DIY indie-punk would lay claim to.
“I’ll Wait” by Petey - Petey’s major label debut USA is a really strong, mainstream record. Petey, who has two separate claims to fame as both a sketch TikToker and a recording artist blends New Wave and Death Cab for Cutie to make anthemic, keyboard driven rock. “I’ll Wait” feels like “Don’t Tell The Boys” part deux, but it is still a rager.
“Holding in a Cough” by Liquid Mike - Dillinger Four as done by Vagrant Records. A power-punk classic about the bastards grinding you down despite your best efforts. Liquid Mike is a band that rightfully drew attention to anyone who listened to them this year. The whole record is bangers, but this might be my favorite.
“To Know You’re Screwed Is To Know A Lot” by Mediocre - If this song had been on a teen movie soundtrack in the 90s, it would have been legendary. Bands would have formed out of this song. They haven’t quite fulfilled the promise this song displays, but their pop instincts channel the best parts of bands like the Muffs and The Donnas.
“Sitting Down” by Camping - Singapore’s Camping popped up with this lo-fi masterpiece earlier this year and I worried this was all I was going to get. Thankfully, a very promising record dropped a little later. Occupying the same indie-emo space that Oso Oso’s earliest work did, Camping evokes nostalgia and longing and youthful optimism. Made up of members of other veterans of Singapore’s DIY scene, Camping is a band that will only get better with more experience and better production.
“if and when” by Tommy Oeffling - This song hooked me from the second I heard it. Oeffling was caught off guard by the DIY spotlight he picked up earlier this year. He continues to make music as an art project, with his goal of being a high school history teacher. “if and when” is a slacker rock, power pop anthem. This is Oeffling at his most Dino Jr. and it speaks to me directly.
Most of these songs are on this playlist, but there’s many more. Check it out and let me know some of your favorites.
See ya next year!