Best is subjective so how about we call this the list of my favorite albums of 2023 - check them out
The Baseball Project- Grand Salami Time (Omnivore). Come for the Buck/Mills/Easter reunion, stay for the songs about Mark Fidrych, Jim Bouton and Sadaharu Oh
The Bomboras-Songs From Beyond (MuSick) Rob Zombie championed horror surf band returns after 25 year hiatus
Zach Bryan - self-titled (Belting Bronco/Warner) Hot buzz country artist makes album worthy of the buzz
Bug Club- Green Dream in F# (Bingo/We are Busy Bodies) if you want to argue this is a 2022 release (it got its larger label and Bandcamp releases in April of 2023) then substitute it for one of the other two releases of theirs that came out this past year
Maher Cissoko - Kora World (Ajabu!) The prolific master of the 21 string West African instrument draws from history for this meditative work.
Crocodiles - Upside Down In Heaven (Lollipop) Rejuvenated by their 2021 cover EP project, the band finds the melodic side of their Jesus and Mary Chain style noise rock.
The Damned- Darkadelic (Edel/EARmusic) Building on the promising 2018 reunion Evil Spirits, with Paul Gray added as a cowriter for four tracks, the band hits its nearly 50 year career potential
Galen and Paul - Can We Do Tomorrow Another Day (Sony) - Sea Shantys,Ye-ye Pop and romantic ballads hardly seem to be the expected from The Clash’s Paul Simonon and prog royalty Galen Ayers but this one is hard not to like
The Gaslight Anthem - History Books (Rich Mahogany/Thirty Tigers) - Rejuvenated by a near decade hiatus, the band returns to Springsteen inspired Heartland Rock with actual Springsteen included.
Gorillaz- Cracker Island (Parlophone/Warner) Now an eight album institution, more simple than ambitious, their best album in awhile.
HD Harmsen -Glaciers (Strawberry Jam Jams) Veteran of the glory years of the Ames/Des Moines scene (2012-13), Harmsen returns with a quirky Shimmy Disc style pop record.
Mick Harvey and Amanda Acevedo - Phantasmagoria in Blue (Mute) - Australian goth country icon Harvey teams with actress Acevedo for an album of more perfect goth country.
Inna De Yard- Family Affair (Wagram) - Third album from Jamaican collective that mixes reggae legends (this time Keith and Tex) with new talent.
Jim Bob- Thanks for Reaching Out (Cherry Red) - Clever social commentary on third album of former Carter USM main man’s trilogy that started with 2020s Pop Up Jim Bob
Don Letts- Outta Sync (Cigale/Cooking Vinyl) - Filmmaker/Clash colleague/Big Audio Dynamite cofounder releases his debut which is a fun producer party record.
Lydia Loveless - Nothing’s Going to Stand in my Way Again (Bloodshot) Loveless continues to be one of the best songwriters on the planet.
Metal Marty- Greatest Hits (Acetate) A de facto Supersuckers album from the band’s guitarist brings the old fashioned rock n roll
Theory of Ghosts-EPs 1 and 2 (Theory of Ghosts) - Ex Piano Magic main man Glen Johnson delights with a mix of slowcore and Bunnymen style alternative rock
The Ventures- New Space (Hi-Tide). Essentially a Ship of Theseus band led by producer/long time member Bob Spalding that captures a modern version of the Ventures sound as close as could be possible
WITCH- Zango (Desert Daze) Jagari Chanda has relaunched the 70s Zamrock legends with a sound that equally recalls their classic songs and a modern sound.
And one bonus pick
Gentlem3n- Mochyn Dall (Kinder Gentler) I can’t have an impartial opinion about my friend Jesse’s love letter to 90s Champaign scene
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