25 felt like the right cutoff point for numerous reasons. I also didn't know what to do with Janelle because I just started listening to it yesterday. BUT it's really good and I have a feeling it'll wind up in my top 5.
And I specifically want to shout out Geese: 3D Country and Grian Chatten's Chaos For the Fly neither of which I've seen mentioned here. Both have been on repeat for the past week on my end.
Tier 1:
Caroline Polacheck- Desire, I Want to Turn into You (art pop)
Yves Tmor: Praise a Lord Who Chews (art/indie rock)
Geese: 3D Country (rock)
Wednesday: Rat Finds God (indie rock)
Killer Mike: Micheal (Rap)
Bully: Change Your Mind (alt-rock)
Danny Brown & JPEG MAFIA: Scaring the Hoes (experimental rap)
Janelle Monae: The Age of Pleasure (r&b)
Tier 2:
The Murder Capitol: Gigi's Recovery (post-punk)
Grian Chatten: Chaos for the Fly (folk)
Boygenius: The Record (indie folk / rock)
Paramore: This is Why (pop punk)
SlowThai: Ugly (rap)
Clark: Sus Dog (downtempo electroic)
Maya Ongaku: Approach to Anima (folk, world, jazz)
Sbtrkt: The Rat Road (electronic)
US Girls: Bless This Mess (art pop)
Tier 3:
Foo Fighters: Here We are (alt-rock)
Kari Faux: Real Bitches Don't Die (rap, r&b)
Overmono: Good Lies (electronic)
Shame: Food for Worms (post-punk)
James Holden: Imagine This is a High Demensional Space (downtempo techno)
Caroline Rose: The Art of Forgetting (indie rock)
Jessie Ware: That Feels Good (new disco)
Yo La Tengo: This Stupid World (indie rock)
This summer has been kind to my best of 2023 list.
Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World
The Men - New York City
Wednesday - Rat Saw God
100 gecs - 10,000 gecs
Shame - Food For Worms
Lana Del Ray - Did You Know There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.
The National - The First Two Pages of Frankenstein
Brian Dunne - Loser On The Ropes
Bonny Doon - Let There Be Music
Blake Mills - Jelly Road
KOTA The Friend - Protea
Geese - 3D Country
These are in no particular order other than approximately when there released and added to my list. Blake Mills has released another exceptional example in f his understated brilliance. KOTA The Friend is the Summer rap album I have been craving. Geese was definitely not what I was expecting in the best way possible. The National likely won’t make it til the end of the year but a subpar National albums is still better than a lot of things. I am glad I finally gave the new Lana Del Ray a listen it’s not quite as good a Norman Fucking Rockwell but it’s still a very pleasant album overall.
I don't even know how to describe it. I think it's technically folk/country but she reminds me of Bedouine and Spellling. Maybe even a little Tracy Chapman at times.
To all of you who posted about/praised/recommended the new Geese album 3D Country, thank you! I finally gave it another chance today and it really hit this time. Definitely a standout for the year
This summer has been kind to my best of 2023 list.
Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World
The Men - New York City
Wednesday - Rat Saw God
100 gecs - 10,000 gecs
Shame - Food For Worms
Lana Del Ray - Did You Know There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.
The National - The First Two Pages of Frankenstein
Brian Dunne - Loser On The Ropes
Bonny Doon - Let There Be Music
Blake Mills - Jelly Road
KOTA The Friend - Protea
Geese - 3D Country
These are in no particular order other than approximately when there released and added to my list. Blake Mills has released another exceptional example in f his understated brilliance. KOTA The Friend is the Summer rap album I have been craving. Geese was definitely not what I was expecting in the best way possible. The National likely won’t make it til the end of the year but a subpar National albums is still better than a lot of things. I am glad I finally gave the new Lana Del Ray a listen it’s not quite as good a Norman Fucking Rockwell but it’s still a very pleasant album overall.
Thank you for shouting out Kota The Friend. I had never heard of him before, but your simple description was enough to get me to listen. And I really dig it. It’s definitely a great summer rap album. It’s what I was hoping for from Kaytranimé based on the descriptions of that one (didn’t live up to it in my eyes). Had a lot of fun listening to Kota’s album while driving around last night.
Thank you for shouting out Kota The Friend. I had never heard of him before, but your simple description was enough to get me to listen. And I really dig it. It’s definitely a great summer rap album. It’s what I was hoping for from Kaytranimé based on the descriptions of that one (didn’t live up to it in my eyes). Had a lot of fun listening to Kota’s album while driving around last night.
ALBUMS Paris Texas – MID AIR Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah – Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lightning Gabriels – Angels & Queens John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy – Evenings at the Village Gate Blackbraid – Blackbraid II Knoel Scott featuring Marshall Allen – Celestial K!mmortal – Shoebox Haviah Mighty – Crying Crystals Nathanael Larochette – Old Growth EPs Various – Red Hot & Ra: Nuclear War REMIXES Aphex Twin – Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / in a room7 F760 Taxi Girls – Coming Up Roses
Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah’s new album, “Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lightning,” is his first on which he doesn’t touch the trumpet. Instead, he extends the legacy of Black masking Indians in New Orleans.
Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah’s new album, “Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lightning,” is his first on which he doesn’t touch the trumpet. Instead, he extends the legacy of Black masking Indians in New Orleans.
*7: 
www.nytimes.com
it's great to see SBTRKT getting some recognition!