Best of 2023: Adam J’s Picks

Another weird year done! As we always do, we’re using the end of the calendar year to collect the music that we loved from this year. The music that got us dancing, the music that got us through hard times, the music that broke through and resonated even after years of listening to thousands of albums of new music. Below you’ll find Adam J’s favorite albums, songs and shows of 2023. We hope you’ll find something you like or maybe something new to check out. Onward!

Like a lot of folks these days I work/live a bit of a solitary working life. Delivering mail is a busy, but lonely, type of day-to-day that is best supplemented (for a person like me) with lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of unassuming stimulation. Music has always been the magic combination, and since everyone else would rather order from Amazon and Shutterfly, here’s what I have been very necessarily enjoying this year:

Best of 2023 Local Releases

Double Grave – Till the Ground (Disposable America)

• Whenever my out-of-state musician friends ask about Minnesota, I usually point them toward this band. Audaciously meeting an impregnable winter day with a song in your heart. 

Obscurity or Bust – Kinda Dancing (4219707 Records)

Obscurity or Bust – Space Age Loner Music (4219707 Records)

• You’re going to notice a pattern here. When it comes to “bedroom projects”, the pilot of this project sure has their wings. We’ve come a long way from Link Wray, but surf rock is still going strong.

Falcon Arrow – Patterns In Noise (Falcon Arrow)

• Everyone’s favorite instrumental space rock duo celebrate their 15th year of jamming in style with this fabulous long player.

Ivan Cunnigham’s Freedom Pie – One Eye Closed/One Leg Lifted (Bumpy)

Obscurity or Bust – s/t (4219707 Records)

Battery Eyes – Zero Two (Battery Eyes)

• Minneapolis cannot stop producing killer singing drummers, and this band keeps the tradition alive in spades. It also doesn’t hurt that the songs are really well written. I, too, wish the “Sky Was Bigger”. 

12 Rods – If We Stayed Alive (Terrible Hands)

• Don’t call it a comeback. Just call it another good 12 Rods record. Yay.

Harper’s Jar – With The Birds (Harper’s Jar)

Loser Magnet – “Cinnamon” (Loser Magnet)

• Fine. Play “Hard To Get” with singles and EPs. See what I ca- MAKE A FUCKING ALBUM!!!

Kooky Bombshell – Paradise Inside (Malfestive Records)

• Speaking of bedroom projects, you’d never suspect this absolutely gorgeous EP was composed, performed, recorded, mixed, and produced by ONE dude who ISN’T Todd Rundgren. But…the 90s.  “Don’t Hide Away Too Long” was my Most Listened To song this year for a reason.

Obscurity or Bust – Still Spins (4219707 Records)

The Symptones – s/t (The Symptones)

• Every time I revisit this album I have to check online to remind myself they are a Minneapolis band. They are almost too good.

Diie – Diiemetrics Totale (MPLS LTD)

• If Devo had grown up listening to Acid Mothers Temple, but thought they were actually a religious movement instead of a far-out psych band, it might sound something like this.

American Cream Band – Presents (Quindi Records)

• If the Jabberjaw crew found themselves on the Wicker Man island the musical interludes may sound a little something like this latest offering from the Twin Cities’ own resident shamans. And we thank them, very much, for the gifts.

Another Heaven – IV: Heaven Sent (MPLS LTD)

• This is “mood music“ for banished Lovecraftian gods. Beautiful, but heavier than a black hole.

The Replacements – Tim (Let It Bleed Edition)* (Rhino Records)

• My favorite ‘Mats album finally gets its due. And it’s everything I always hoped it would be.

Bob Dylan – Shadow Kingdom (Columbia)

• Whoever this young man is, I think they may do well. In all seriousness, I’ve been bored by Mr. Zimmerman for many many many many years, but this is a fun listen.

Vacant – We Wear Our Traumas Well (South American Pleather Records)

• It takes a lot for hard-core punk rock to impress me these days, but this certainly did the trick.

Products Band – Some Sudden Weather (Solid Brass Records)

Extraterrestrials – Terrestrial (Orion Treon)

• Editors meet THE Pink Floyd to great effect. I would gladly patronize whatever outer space bar these hep cats play regularly (until they are done, and then I leave because it is a pretty scary joint).

Crush Scene – Rejection Therapy (5365283 Records DK)

• If all riot invitations sounded this good I’d be more inclined to incitement. That’s a lie – but this record is great.

Spit Takes – “God Bless (Holy Tits)!”

• “White Girl Problems”
• “Groomers”
• “Hog Wash”
• “Teeth” (Crash Room Recordings)

Obscurity or Bust – The Inevitable Unraveling of (4219707 Records)

• Probably one of the more expansive and reaching offerings thus far. Instrumentation and expectations keep progressing in exciting directions.

*Ed Stasium Mix

Best of 2023 Wide Releases

Purling Hiss – Drag On Girard (Drag City)

• 2023 played like an episode of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse where the secret word was “guitar”, because goddamn was there a ton of kick-ass Dinosaur, Jr. and Radio Birdman worship this year. And the best of the best, imho, was Purling Hiss.

The Menzingers – Some Of It Was True (Epitaph)

• I don’t enjoy “mope rock”. Never have. And Epitaph? Fool me once, yadda yadda yadda. But this album is probably going to make my Best of the Year. Earnest and yearning and fucking rocking, this TikTok confession sounds like the rainy street corners of yore and I’m here for it.

Abraded – Unadulterated Perversity (Aggressively Uninterested)

• “Best”? Heavens, no. But this is my favorite Heavy Metal release of the year. When a record starts with a declaration of “I WANT TO HEAR SOME OF THAT PERVERT MUSIC!!!” I am automatically in attendance.

CIVIC – Taken By Force (ATO Records)

• Speaking of Radio Birdman, these Aussies hopefully will never stop. Holy crap.

Caroline Polacheck – Desire, I Want To Turn into You (Perpetual Novice)

William Tyler & The Impossible Truth – Secret Stratosphere (Merge Records)

• I usually don’t enjoy live records, but this is an absolutely stellar set of forward thinking American jam music. I still feel the Grateful Dead are worthless shit, but if they ever sounded like this I might be in the conversation.

Altin Gün – Ask (ATO Records)

Death Valley Girls – Islands in the Sky (Suicide Squeeze Records)

• I was never much of a Dum Dum Girls fan. Too…contrived. And my foot is probably in my mouth when I endorse this group, but this record kicks ass.

Rodrigo y Gabriela – In Between Thoughts…A New World (ATO Records)

• If I ever learn to play guitar half as well as one of these two I could finally sleep at night.

Smoulder – Violent Creed of Vengeance (Cruz Del Sur Music SRL)

GoGo Penguin – Everything Is Going to Be OK (XXIM Records)

• If Smoulder are the Elvira of this list, GoGo Penguin are the Fred Rogers. Delightful.

Dragon Inn 3 – Trade Secrets (American Laundromat Records)

• Synth-Pop perfection. Did I recognize a few “inspired” melodies and phrases? Sure. But hey. You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.

Air Raid – Fatal Encounter (High Roller Records)

Haunt – Golden Arm (Iron Grip)

• Lots of great Metal this year, and these last two are beautiful examples of epic Guitar Metal. Beer-drinking, pot-smoking, making-bad-decisions Metal at its finest.

Nightmarer – Deformity Adrift (Blood Blast Distribution)

Jessie Ware – That! Feels Good! (Universal Music Operations Limited)

Tinariwen – Amatssou (Wedge)

• The Desert Blues refugees check back in with the modern world. Sounds like they’re doing pretty well.

Frozen Tomb – Glacial Domination (Century Media Records)

Island of Love – s/t (Third Man Records)

Foo Fighters – But Here We Are (Roswell Records)

• If I have to give any credit to the major label rock ‘n’ roll band, it’s their grace in dealing with tragedy and tribulation. I haven’t given a shit about Dave Grohl‘s songwriting in probably…20 years?

Khanate – To Be Cruel (Sacred Bones Records)

• If you want to bang your head and be totally scared to death at the same time this is the album for you. 

Dream Wife – Social Lubrication (Lucky Number Music Limited)

• Yes, I am a man. But holy crap were there a bunch of kick-ass ladies making rock ‘n’ roll this year. Whether or not their gender (or gender identity) is indicative of talent is still up for debate (it’s not), but making people dance to their insecurities is a pretty substantial feat, regardless.

Squid – O Monolith (Warp Records)

• If Beck were British and grew up on Radiohead it would probably sound like this. Only Squid are better. Way better.

Boris/Uniform – Bright New Disease (Sacred Bones)

• The Ric Flair of modern rock ‘n’ roll, Boris can paint anything and everything their own particular shade of sound. They get ample help from Uniform, but Boris are still the boss Kaiju in charge.

Killer Mike – MICHAEL (VLNS, LLC)

• Boasts and threats go a long way for a great MC, but what makes one mighty is their honesty. And Killer Mike basically establishes a dynasty with this record.

Cory Hanson – Western Cum (Drag City)

• One of the best releases of the year happens to boast one the worst titles. If you wondered how Wilco would sound with Stephen Malkmus in charge, it might go a little something like this…

Church of Misery – Born Under A Mad Sign (Rise Above Records)

Alex Lahey – The Answer Is Always Yes (Liberation Records)

Hellwitch – Annihilation Intercention (LISTENABLE RECORDS)

• Man, I wish Slayer had done this instead of what they did after Jeff Hanneman passed away.

Body Type – Expired Candy (Poison City Records)

Blackbraid – Blackbraid II (Blackbraid)

• Probably all-in-all the best Heavy Metal release this year, Black or otherwise. To the risk of sounding grandiloquent, this is epic shit in every right. If “Black Metal” were a Native American entity, it would be Blackbraid.

Penguin Cafe – Rain Before Seven… (Erased Tapes Records)

• Contemplative and beautiful, kinetic and graceful. Yadda yadda yadda, maybe listen to something else besides Metal.

Chepang – Swatta (GURKHA COMMANDO BLAST TEAM)

• Raging, engaging, and wholly collaborative in the finest of artistic senses, bypass Adderall altogether and listen to this instead.

Militarie Gun – Life Under The Gun (Loma Vista Recordings)

Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog – Connection (Knockwurst Records)

• My living guitar hero keeps kicking ass into his 70s. Finally got to see him live this year. If there were ever a player to burn the stage down without even standing, it’s Brother Señor Ribot. I don’t even mind the Marxist “poetry”; this man can play the guitar and lead a band.

Claud – Supermodels (Saddest Factory Records)

• Queer and otherwise “otherly” rock ‘n’ roll narratives composed with care and spirit. That patented Big Muff (probably) fuzz doesn’t hurt, either. 

Various Artists – Superunknown (Redux) (Magnetic Eye Records)

• One of my favorite albums gets an interpretive makeover from some of underground Metal’s best and brightest. I didn’t think I would like this based on the concept alone but man was I wrong.

Upper Wilds – Jupiter (Thrill Jockey Records)

• Probably my “new favorite band“. Their last two albums have been my favorite releases of the respective year.

Post Malone – AUSTIN (Mercury Records/Republic Records)

• I do not engage with much modern Pop music, but this surprised the hell out of me with its competence and clarity. If he would just find a little more confidence in his natural vocal range rather than relying on the vibrato gimmick so much, he could do spectacular things.

High Pulp – Days In the Desert (Anti-)

• When I’m waiting on new Grails material these label-hopping wizards surprise and delight me in the meantime. Fantastic.

Mutoid Man – Mutants (Sargent House)

Gabriels – Angels & Queens (Atlas Artists)

• Affirmative soul music exploring alternative narratives to great effect. And what a voice. Get your ass to Church.

Blind Folded and Led To the Woods – Rejecting Obliteration (Prosthetic Records)

High On Fire – The Art of Self Defense (Reissue) (Melody Catalog)

• My favorite modern Heavy Metal band’s debut finally gets its proper due with this stellar reissue. “10,000 Years” into “Baghdad” doesn’t get much better than that.

URNE – A Feast of Sorrow (Candelight Music Group)

• Evocations of grief are nothing new in Heavy Metal, but URNE have made a true testament to the pain of loss. The mixing is divine, as well. 

Hurry – Don’t Look Back (Lame-O Records)

MAN ON MAN – Provincetown (Poly-vinyl Record Co)

• Roddy Bottem and his husband make some fucking stellar Electro music with an edge (which happens to be lots and lots of distorted guitars AND gay sex).

Horrendous – Ontological Mysterium (Season of Mist)

Genesis Owusu – STRUGGLER (OURNESS)

Darsombra – Dumesday Book (1350621 Records)

• “What a sycophant – writing about Darsombra as much as he can…” Yeah. I do…They’re great.

Raw Poetic – Away Back In (Def Pressé)

• Another stellar collaboration from Raw Poetic and Damu The Fudgemunk. (Actual sentence and cogent thought)

Werewolves – My Enemies Look and Sound Like Me (Werewolves)

Punter – s/t (Active Dero & Drunken Sailor)

The Whiffs – Scratch ‘n’ Sniff (DIG!)

• I’m not sure how these folks conjured the ghosts of John Lennon, Alex Chilton, and Phil Lynott all at once but bless them. I would never get rid of that Ouija board, personally.

Dead and Dripping – Blackened Cerebral Rifts (Transcending Obscurity Records)

Jeff Rosenstock – HELLMODE (Polyvinyl Record Co.)

• Between this cat and Ezra Furman I have yet to be disappointed by a kick-ass rock ‘n’ roll singer-songwriter in the last few years.

Boris – me when the when i (4942045 Records DK)

• “Two Boris releases in one list – jeez…” Yeah – fuck you. They’re great. 

Mammatus – Expanding Majesty (Silver Current)

Speedy Ortiz – Rabbit Rabbit (Speedy Ortiz)

Empire State Bastard – Rivers of Heresy (Roadrunner Record UK)

A Giant Dog – Bite (Merge Records)

• Everyone was peeing their pants over this band, so I thought I would see what the fuss was about. Yes. It’s very good…

Frankie and the Witch Fingers – Data Doom (RAS/Greenway)

• Honestly, I think I finally found the “Ridiculously Long and Aggressively Solipsistic Band Name” band that’s right for me. *Mission Accomplished banner unveils*

Holm – Alien Health (PNKSLM Recordings)

Low Cut Connie – ART DEALERS (Contender Records)

• If “indie rock“ is your thing, then definitely put the last two records on repeat for a few hours. Stellar.

Vulture Feather – Liminal Fields (felte)

Carly Rae Jepsen – The Loveliest Time (School Boy/Interscope Records)

• Taylor Swift can enjoy her custom skybox in Heaven. I’m going to stick with Carly Rae Jepsen. What a talented young lady.

Static Abyss – Aborted From Reality (Peaceville Records LTD)

Ringworm – Seeing Through Fire (Nuclear Blast)

• Holy fuck is this a mean record. Angry as hell and tight to boot.

Dengue Fever – Ting Mong (Tuk Tuk Records)

• I don’t get it, either, but damn this is cool.

Lalalar – En Kötü iyi Olur (Dunganga Records)

• Same.

The Machine – Wave Cannon (Majestic Mountain Records)

Half Japanese – Jump into Love (Fire Records)

Grails – Anches En Maat (Temporary Residence Ltd.)

• My favorite band without vocals finally returns to me and does not disappoint.

Teenage Fanclub – Nothing Lasts Forever (Merge Records)

Pkew Pkew Pkew – Siiick Days (Stomp Records)

Cannibal Corpse – Chaos Horrific (Metal Blade Records, Inc.)

Armand Hammer – We Buy Diabetic Test Strips (Fat Possum Records)

• Did I engage this album thinking it might be some type of Blues? Absolutely. Was I confused and delightfully wrong? Again, absolutely.

No-No Boy – Empire Electric (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings)

• I think this is some type of concept album, but I’m still not sure. And I’ve listened to it three times. Still, very good.

The Cult of Lip – Marsha (108508081 Records DK)

• Again, I am no sycophant. Just because I know this bands doesn’t mean I like them any more or less, but they are probably the best Shoegaze band in the Midwest at the moment.

HUNNY – new planet heaven (Epitaph)

Orions Belte – Women (Jansen Records)

James and the Cold Gun – s/t (Loosegroove Records)

• I listened to the Hive’s new album, and then I found this. Man, am I glad I found this. 

Bushman’s Revenge – All the Better for Seeing You (Is It Jazz? Records)

The Gaslight Anthem – History Books (Rich Mahogany Recordings)

• Again, I am not a big fan of “heart on my sleeve“ Pop-Punk, but these guys have grown the fuck up and it shows. “Positive Charge” is my second favorite song this year behind Superchunk’s “Everything Hurts”.

Fuming Mouth – Last Day of Sun (Nuclear Blast)

SPINE – Raíces (Convulso Records)

• Mexican Hardcore contemplating identity and safety in an unsafe world. What’s more “Metal” than that?

Morne – Engraved With Pain (Metal Blade Records, Inc.)

Filth Is Eternal – Find Out (MNRK Records LP)

The Scratch – Mind Yourself (Perrystown Music Limited)

• If you swore off Irish music because you thought all the bands trying to sound like the Pogues were obnoxious, try out these guys. They. Are. Awesome. And they rock. Just because they are from Ireland and they use a few Irish beats and musical modes doesn’t mean they are sucking off Flogging Molly. OK. I’ve had too much to drink, sorry…

Gong – Unending Ascending (Snapper Music Ltd)

Ragana – Desolation’s Flower (The Flenser)

Butcher Brown – Solar Music (Concord Jazz)

• Good soul and funk still jams hard when it hits right. And this is right on time and all kinds of correct.

Juliana Hatfield – Juliana Hatfield Sings ELO (American Laundromat Records, Inc.)

• I really dig her Police album, but this one is almost better.

Vince Clarke – Songs of Silence (Mute Artists Ltd.)

André 3000 – New Blue Sun (Epic Records)

• Everyone needs to mind their own fucking business and let this man do whatever the fuck he wants. Damn. Again—alcohol. I apologize.

Mon Laferte – Autopoiética (Universal Music Group México, S.A. de C.V.)

• International Pop divas seem to be leagues ahead of American practitioners. Because this lady is a genius.

Blondshell – s/t (Partisan Records)

• Guitar heroics, lyrical chops, and song-writing skills that would (should) embarrass most of her peers (let alone the males, specifically): “I’m going to tell you a very personal and uncomfortable story…now listen to this fucking guitar solo.”

Eternal Rot – Moribound (981990 Records DK)

• Vomit Metal of the highest order. I haven’t banged my head so hard and laughed in equal measure as much as listening to this album in a long time.

Blind Adam & the Federal League – The Fields We Know (Bypolar Records)

• I don’t think it would be too far off to call these Chicago rabble rousers the new Clash. They may not have money, but they sure have mouths. And they know exactly where to put them.