KC’s Top 40 albums of 2023
2023 marked a year of new ventures, a lack of focus for myself in multiple avenues and as always, still plenty of tunes. I failed to revisit much of the new music I found myself drawn to in 2023. I struggled to dive into new books, a longtime source of great personal contentment.
I began coaching track and field (shot put & discus) and girls wrestling.
I turned 30. My sister had a beautiful bouncin’ baby.
I struggled to make time for myself.
Consider this an acknowledgment of the need for self-indulgence in 2024.
As always, my year-end lists, my top albums and tracks, are a means of starting and keeping conversations. These lists bring me great joy to share, and ultimately I end up introducing people to new music, one of my own favorite means of self-fulfillment.
About 100 records spun on my end this year, woefully short of what I aimed for (wanted around 300).
Of this list, I saw AJJ live this year, was supposed to see Jeff Rosenstock and Andy Shauf as well, but both canceled due to health issues.
I thought of extending the list to 50 albums this year, higher than the traditional 40 or 35, but it felt like a stretch to want to include 10 more, as the 40 here felt a step up better than the next few records on my document I keep throughout the year of albums and tracks I dig.
A few albums that I dug that didn’t make the list:
Carly Rae Jepsen — The Loveliest Time
Birdy — Portraits
Arlo Parks — My Soft Machine
John-Allison Weiss — The Long Way
Wednesday — Rat Saw God
Cut Worms — Cut Worms
40. The Armed — Perfect Saviors
Favorite Track: Sport Of Form
39. Fever Ray — Radical Romantics
Favorite Track: Shiver
38. U.S. Girls — Bless This Mess
Favorite Track: Daedelus
37. Kara Jackson — Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love?
Favorite track: No Fun/party
36. Ratboys — The Window
Favorite Track: Black Earth, WI
35. Margo Cilker — Valley of Hearts Delight
Favorite Track: I Remember Carolina
34. MSpaint — Post American
Favorite Track: Hardwired
33. Noname — Sundial
Favorite Track: Namesake
32. Local Natives — Time Will Wait For No One
Favorite Track: Hourglass
31. Gorillaz — Cracker Island
Favorite Track: Oil
30. Runner — Like Dying Stars We’re All Reaching Out
Favorite Track: I Only Sing About Food
29. Paramore — This Is Why
Favorite Track: This Is Why
28. Sufjan Stevens — Javelin
Favorite Track: Will Anybody Ever Love Me?
27. Tyler Childers — Rustin In The Rain
Favorite Track: In Your Love
26. ANOHNI — My Back Was a Bridge For You To Cross
Favorite Track: It Must Change
25. Chris Farren- Doom Singer
Favorite Track: Only U
24. Bonny Doon
Favorite Track: Crooked Creek
23. Woods — Perennial
Favorite Track: Sip Of Happiness
22. Sincere Engineer — Cheap Grills
Favorite Track: Anemia
21. Wilco — Cousin
Favorite Track: Evicted
20. Yo La Tengo — This Stupid World
Favorite Track: Until It Happens
19. McKinley Dixon — Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!
Favorite Track: Beloved Paradise Jazz
18. Genesis Owusu — STRUGGLER
Favorite Track: Leaving The Light
17. Animal Collective — Isn’t It Now
Favorite Track: Soul Capturer
16. Blink 182 — One More Time
Favorite Track: Dance With Me
15. The Tallest Man on Earth — St. Henry
Favorite Track: In Your Garden Still
14. Another Michael — Wishes To Fulfill
Favorite Track: Wishes To Fulfill
13. Cory Hanson — Western Cum
Favorite Track: Driving Through Heaven
12. Youth Lagoon — Heaven Is a Junkyard
Favorite Track: Rabbit
11. AJJ — Disposable Everything
Favorite Track: Dissonance
10. Mitski — The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We
Favorite Track: My Love Mine All Mine
9. Being Dead — When Horses Would Run
Favorite Track: Last Living Buffalo
8. Yves Tumor — Praise A Lord
Favorite Track: Lovely Sewer
7. Geese — 3D Country
Favorite Track: 3D Country
6. Shame — Food For Worms
Favorite Track: All The People
5. Jeff Rosenstock — HELLMODE
Favorite Track: LIKED U BETTER
4. Alex Lahey — The Answer Is Always Yes
Favorite Track: Shit Talkin’
3. King Tuff — Smalltown Stardust
Favorite Track: How I Love
2. Home Is Where — The Whaler
Favorite Track : Yes! yes! A thousand times yes!
1. Andy Shauf — Norm
Favorite Track: Wasted On You
