Top 20+ Songs of 2023

My picks for top songs released in 2023 – in no particular order and no Spotify algorithms involved! Listen on Spotify, enjoy!

1. "Oceans Niagra" – M83

2. "From the Hill" – Nation of Language

3. "Goodbye to Music" – Flyying Colours

4. "The Fringe" – Cheekface

5. "Build a Bridge" – Deeper

6. "Wrong Side" – Tourist Activities

7. "My Love is Like" – Maps

8. "Back 2 It' – Teen Daze

9. "The Narcissist" – Blur

10. "Odyssey" – Beck, Phoenix

11. "Tropic Morning News" – The National

12. "Echolalia" – Yves Tumor

13. "Three Drums" – Four Tet

14. "Night Fell" – Hibou

15. "KITM" – The Beacon School

16. "Days Go By" – SBTRT, Toro y Moi

17. "Always/Never" – STRFKR

18. "Live Again" featuring Halo Maud – The Chemical Brothers

19. "Enjoy Your Life" – Flamingosis

20. "The World's Biggest Paving Slab" – English Teacher

21. "Each Night" – Poolside, Mazy

22. "Cousin" – Wilco

23. "prayer remembered" – Slowdive

24. "Blóòberg" – Sigur Rós

Summer 2023 New Music Playlist

Listen on Spotify, enjoy!

1. "Three Drums" – Four Tet

2. "Odyssey" – Beck, Phoenix

3. "The Narcissist" – Blur

4. "Doomscrollers" – Quasi

5. "No More Lies" – Thundercat, Tame Impala

6.  "DAYS GO BY" – SBTRKT, Toro y Moi

7. "Slugs of Love" – Little Dragon

8. "Little Bit Of Sun" – Semisonic

9. "Potion' – A Beacon School

10. "Ordinary Love" – Roosevelt

11. "Repeat (If You Remind Me)" – Wye Oak

12. "Psychos" – Jenny Lewis

13. "Live Again (featuring Halo Maud)" – The Chemical Brothers

14. "Rainy Summer" – Teen Dave

15. "Become" – Beach House

16. "Blóoberg" – Sigur Rós

Spring 2021 New Music Playlist

Listen on Spotify, enjoy!

1. "Jazz (In the Supermarket)" – Goat Girl
2. "Knives" – Ya Tseen, Portugal. The Man.

3. "Half a Human" – Real Estate

4."Identical" – Phoenix

5. "Not Dad Yet" – Lord Huron

6. "The Last Man On Earth" – Wolf Alice

7. "Gutters of Love" – Quivers

8. "Solstice" – The Antlers

9. "Price of Blue" – Flock of Dimes

10. "Only One" – Yotto, Stephan Jolk

11. "Soft Spot" – Claud

12. "Heartlow" – Jane Weaver

13. "Rocky" – Still Woozy

14. "The Melting of the Sun" – St. Vincent

15. "Helpless" – Caveman

16. "Low" – Chet Faker

Late Spring 2017 New Music Playlist

Ready to kick off the warm weather season with another soundtrack of new tunes bookended with the much anticipated Gorillaz album and LCD Soundsystem singles? There are teaser singles by Phoenix, Broken Social Scene and Local Natives, plus a debut by baby band Hoops. Chill out to instrumentals by The Octopus Project, Geotic and Poolside while Sondre Lerche’s crooning sets a summery mood. The political scene also brought a bevy of emotionally charged music, represented by Woods and Toro y Moi. Listen on Spotify or as a YouTubePlaylist.

1. “Andromeda (featuring D.R.A.M.)” – Gorillaz

After six years, the ageless cartoon façade of the U.K. band Gorillaz (animated by Jamie Hewitt) is rejuvenated yet again by the musical vision of Blur’s Damon Albarn with the fifth studio album since 1998, Humanz. “Andromeda” takes its name from an 80s nightclub, represented in synth swirls and positive dance energy, with some ad libbing and vocal harmonies by D.R.A.M.

2. “Halfway Home” – Broken Social Scene

Toronto collaborative Broken Social Scene is working on its first album since 2010, (its fifth since 1999) with this single “Halfway Home” heralding the return of the band’s signature choral onslaught and thick instrumental arrangements. Thirteen musicians are credited for this song “Halfway Home,” as members of associated acts such as Stars and Metric contribute their talents.

3. “J-Boy” – Phoenix

French quartet electro pop band Phoenix will soon release its sixth album since 1999, Ti-Amo. “J-Boy” is essentially a dark love song, but the zap of synthesizers quickly turns it all into escapist dance music in the best possibly way.

4. “Oh the Saviour” – Temples

English psych rock quartet Temples is back with a self-produced second album since 2012, Volcano, after recording sessions at the band’s own studio. The gritty garage sound blends storytelling vocals that build into a cascading chorus.

5. “On Top” – Hoops

Indiana quartet Hoops is ready with a full length album after forming in 2014, taking the name from greenhouse structures where frontman Drew Auscherman worked. The single “On Top” boasts melodic guitar lines and intricate drum patterns with an easygoing vibe.

6. “Everything Goes (Instrumental)” – Poolside

L.A.’s best-named duo Poolside (Danish producer, DJ and multi-instrumentalist Filip Nikolic plus San Fran DJ Jeffrey Paradise) dropped this stand-alone single without the clutter of vocals for a blissful take of unabashed sunny synths.  The two have but one album and one EP since forming in 2010, but countless singles, mixtapes and remixes.

7. “Actually Smiling” – Geotic

L.A. native Will Wiesenfeld is a classically trained musician who creates electronic music as Baths and Geotic, which he explains is for more passive listening. The tenth album since 2008, Abysma, features the smooth soundscape “Actually Smiling.”

8. “Disco Kid” – Chaz Bundick Meets the Mattson 2

South Carolina native and CA transplant Chaz Bundick (a.k.a. Toro y Moi) has yet another side venture with the Californian twin-brother jazz duo, The Mattson 2. The jamming riff of guitars and crazed keyboards brings out a boldly animated side of this chillwave musician.

9. “So Tied Up” ­– Cold War Kids

Long Beach indie rock quintet Cold War Kids released its sixth studio album since 2004, L.A. Divine. The pulsing drive of “So Tied Up” showcases the fierce backing vocals of British musician Bishop Briggs (Sarah Grace McLaughlin).

10. “Baby Come to Me” – Sondre Lerche

Norwegian singer Sondre Lerche (now based in NYC) cites an interesting combination of influences from Brazilian music to 80s pop. The cool swagger of “Baby Come to Me” is found on his eighth studio album since 2001, Pleasure.

11. “Love Is Love (Sun on Time)” – Woods

Brooklyn folk rock band Woods released a tenth studio album since 2005, Love Is Love, in response to the Trump era’s divisive policies. In this song, “Love Is Love (Sun on Time)” singer/songwriter and bandleader Jeremy Earl echoes Lin-Manual Miranda’s poem from last year’s Tony Awards that pleads for tolerance.

12. “I Saw You Close Your Eyes” – Local Natives

L.A. indie rock band Local Natives are currently on tour supporting the 2016 album Sunlit Youth, but teased a single imploring fans to unplug and listen to the new song with eyes closed. (The website closeyoureyes.net played the music only after a webcam detected this action.) The swaying melody “I Saw You Close Your Eyes” also serves as a live concert highlight as fans sing along to the new tune.

13. “Omaha” – Toro y Moi

Chaz Bundick contributed a new song as Toro y Moi to Our First 100 Days, a musical fundraising project benefiting advocacy groups (such as People’s Climate Movement, Southerners New Ground and All Above All) in protest to the Trump administration. The laid-back groove of vocals over vintage synths and funky bass line provide a nice tonic against this new era of political strife.

14. “Same Dark Places”­ – JR JR

Detroit indie-pop band JR JR glosses over dark lyrical content with the upbeat single “Same Dark Places,” complete with horns and strings to buoy the composition (it was also picked for the Neflix series about teen suicide, “13 Reasons Why”). The songwriting team of Josh Epstein and Daniel Zott has three albums of infectious songs since 2010.

15. “This Song” – RAC, Rostam

Andre Allen Anjos has created music as RAC for ten years, with “This Song” celebrating how it all began back in his dorm room. This collaboration enlists the honeyed vocals of Rostam Batmanglij, a former member of Vampire Weekend now known as Rostam.

16. “Leven”  – The Octopus Project

Austin’s experimental pop indietronica band The Octopus Project released its sixth album since 1999, Memory Mirror. “Leven” slows things down into a charming, gauzy haze capped with a Ttheremin solo by Yvonne Lambert.

17. “Thinking of a Place”  – The War on Drugs

This epic single provided a special vinyl collectible for fans on this year's Record Store Day and heralded the upcoming fourth album since 2005 by Philly’s indie rock band The War on Drugs. At over ten minutes, “Thinking of a Place” concentrates our attention on the languid guitar and unique vocal stylings of frontman Adam Granduciel.

18. "call the police" – LCD Soundsystem
Hit the dance floor again with the Brooklyn band that broke up then didn't, as LCD Soundsystem released two singles in advance of the fourth album since 2002 expected this year. "call the police" follows the winning of formula in so many soaring LCD anthems of the past, from blasting synth chords and disco ball beats to the layered harmonies lead by mastermind James Murphy.

19. "american dream" – LCD Soundsystem
This second tune is a dreamy send-off until fans can dig into another morsel of sound from this seminal indie juggernaut.  Melodically building to the final chorus, "american dream" ends in a blissful buzz of hope.

ACL Music Festival 2013 Day Three Highlights - October 6

Bikes Galore Across From the Entrance

We arrived for Day Three of ACL, I could hear the powerhouse vocals of Lizzy Plapinger of New York band MS MR. Heading towards that stage, the group began the teasing percussive intro of LCD Soundsystem's "Dance Yrself Clean"  (major bonus points in my book!) They made the song their own by adding pauses and backing off the chorus -- it was a thrill to hear this fave song covered in the wide open space of Zilker Park.  With the heat already baking the field, Plapinger told the crowd to have a "face melting good time" for the rest of the day before ending the set with their first single, "Hurricane."

Grabbing some Stubbs BBQ, we sat under a tent across from Twin Forks doing a cover of "There She Was," by another fave band the Talking Heads.  (Maybe it was covers day - more bonus points!)  This alt/folk outfit has a similar sound to The Lumineers, as led by Dashboard Confessional vocalist Chris Carrabba.  We did two flybys by just walking place to place -- the country rock of Nashville based Wild Feathers and then Paper Diamond, an electronic music producer from Colorado known as Alex B.  

Getting to the Franz Ferdinand stage early for a decent spot, it felt so good to be a devoted fan again.  There's just something about seeing a band for the beginning, middle and end of their performance.  I found that the festival mantra of catching bits and pieces of a set adds up to a very difference experience musically.  Since I've loved this Scottish indie rock quartet through all four albums, I didn't want to miss a thing.

Singer Alex Kapronos sauntered on stage to huge cheers in a bright red shirt and black jeans. He picked up the mike and said merrily, "Hullo Austin!"  They launched into "No You Girls,"a the tale of romance from a male's point of view, which created instant audience participation especially with the guys in the audience.  Next up was the single, "Right Thoughts," off the new album Right Thoughts Right Words Right Action. It showed the band back in their finest form, with an infectious mix of blistering fast guitars over a dance beat with lyrics that have repeated lines or simply vowels for singing along to Kapronos' commanding vocals.  New songs such as "Evil Eye" and "Bullet" fit right into older song "Do You Want To," "This Fire," and their breakout hit, "Take Me Out."

Franz Fans

Kapranos was quite the showman, with his Bowie-esque lunges, kicking and gesturing to the audience.  When he put down the guitar, he caressed the mike and allowed himself to be quite the crooner.  But this is a band, as guitarist/background vocalist Nick McCarthy and bass player Robert Hardy joined him at the edge of the stage and everyone took turns visiting with Paul Thomson at the drum riser. To illustrate the connection to dance music, the group broke into a cover of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" (another cover!)  The set ended with a blazing version of "Let's Get High."

Alex Kapranos

It took a while for the large crowd to disperse as we kept will the flow like cattle.  It took us past another large gathering in front of the stage with a fave chillwave musician Toro Y Moi.  I would have loved to linger but wanted to catch some of the Divine Fits way across the venue.  The band was on their last song, the smoldering "Shivers," but it was still worth it to bask a bit in local guy and Spoon frontman Britt Daniels' rock aura.

Britt Daniels

Within a minute Brooklyn based band The National took to the stage next door.  These indie road warriors seem to be everywhere lately, rolling out new songs from their album Trouble Will Find Me.  They began with the opening track, the plaintive "I Should Live In Salt" before the more moderate tempo of "Don't Swallow the Cap." Many in the crowd knew the words already and were even happier to add audience participation when their hit "Bloodbuzz Ohio" was rolled out.  Older songs "Alligator" and "England" were added in the set, which continued in the  backgound I went to check out a few songs by Phosphorescent.  Although I saw this band back in April, Alabama native Matthew Houck was under the weather so I thought take another listen.  His voice is raw and emotional anyway, finding a way under my skin whether in studio produced song or any concert performance.

Aaron Dessner & Matt Berninger 

The National

Phosphorescent

Singer Matthew Houck

Afterwards it was a quick run over to Australian psych rockers Tame Impala in time to hear my favorite songs back to back, "Elephant," and "Apocalypse Dreams." When not busy with his guitar, singer/songwriter Kevin Parker took to holding a stuffed tiger aloft to the delight of the rabid fans up front. Then I took another dash to the Phoenix stage to see the French band enter the stage to begin "Entertainment," their single off their latest album, Bankrupt! Even far from the stage, I could hear singer Thomas Mar count off their hit "Lisztomania" in French, "Un, deux, un deux trois!"

Grouplove

Tame Impala

A few songs later it was time to grab a good spot for the Atoms for Peace show.  Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke did not disappoint, rolling out the multi-layered compositions with collaborators bassist Flea from the Red Hot Chillipeppers and Nigel Godrich, long time producer for Radiohead. Yorke came to the mike center stage to begin the show with a greeting, "Hey, we're called Atoms for Peace. Pleased to make you acquaintance." With his ethereal voice, facial whiskers and stubby pony tail, he really appeared to be of another world. Plus, he really does dance like the videos!  For the encore, Yorke asked the tremendous crowd in the dark, "Guess what?" "What?" Everyone replied in unison. He said how they had two more songs, "If you want them." Yorke said with an impish smile. The audience roared with conviction as the set continued into the night, well worth it to the very end. Enjoy video highlights of the day at the end of this post.

Atoms for Peace

Atoms for Peace

Austin City Limits Music Festival 2013 - Must See Bands

I'm finally going to Austin -- the line up for this year's Austin City Limits Music Festival was too tempting!  They've expanded it to two weekends just like Coachella, which may not be the best way to create a unique sense of excitement around an event. But at least it's not in the desert (or on a sprawling farm like Bonnaroo), but in a contained city park as depicted in the video at the end of this post. The festival website has the official schedule up with a handy "My ACL" customization to share your picks and get updates.  I've also shared my to-do list below with my thoughts behind each choice (most have appeared on my new music playlists), however I'm going to have some tough decisions come Sunday's line up.

I've reconnected with a friend from my hometown who lives within "biking distance" from the park and I'm also armed with a nice list of recommendations from a local (that would be Josh Lambert of The Octopus Project and to use his favorite word during concerts, a very enthusiastic thanks!) I even have a tab opened to the Weather.com's 10-day forecast for the city, to see if I'll need to sport that lovely poncho look. It all looks great weather wise but what to pack? After checking out last year's fashions online, it looks like starting with messy hair is a must. At least that should be easy to keep going hours from gig to gig!

MUST SEE:

Friday: 
Smith Westerns (Playlist Pick a few times, never seen them)
Saturday: 

Dan Croll (Playlist Pick with a favorite song, never seen them)

Sunday: 

Franz Ferdinand, (Playlist Pick & HUGE FAN through all four albums)

Toro Y Moi (Playlist Pick & solid fan since day one, have a link on the band's Wikipedia page)

Atoms for Peace (Playlist Pick & big fan of Thom Yorke/Radiohead)

CATCH SOME:
Friday: 
Wild Nothing (Playlist Pick, never seen but getting into town around then)
Thao & the Get Down Stay Down (Playlist Pick, never seen)
Local Natives (Playlist Pick, never seen)
Okkervil River (Interesting new concept album about growing up, The Silver Gymnasium)
Fun. (Huge pop band with singer that looks like my brother, why not see what the fuss is about)
Vampire Weekend (Playlist Pick, seen but it's been a while)
Wild Belle (Playlist Pick, never seen)
Purity Ring (Playlist Pick, never seen)
Depeche Mode (band you could not escape from back in the 80s, will check out a few songs)
Muse (Another huge band, interested to see why people seem to think they really rock live)
Saturday:
Parquet Courts (Playlist Pick, just saw them and have a conflict but wanted to put them on list anyway)
Junip (Playlist Pick, never seen)
Portugal.The Man. (Seen as CMJ 2011 headliner, been awhile)
Wild Cub (Not a huge fan of their music but a favorite of KEXP so thought I should check them out)
The Joy Formidable (Favorites of the hipster scene, might bypass this one)
Passion Pit (Playlist Pick & solid fan, have a link on this band's Wikipedia page too)
Wilco (Playlist Pick though not a huge fan of everything they've done)
The Cure (Another 80s band you could not escape from at the time, actually saw them back then)
Sunday: 
Bear Mountain (Playlist Pick, never seen)
Foxygen (Playlist Pick, never seen although I hear they are falling apart at the seams)
Ms Mr (Playlist Pick, never seen)
Divine Fits (Playlist Pick & seen lots but local guy Britt Daniels is such a rock star)
White Denim (Good solid band from Austin, never seen)
The National (Playlist Pick, seen but it's been a while)
Tame Impala (Playlist Pick, was supposed to see the band but then Hurricane Sandy hit so still need to)
Phosphorescent (Playlist Pick, seen a few months ago but love love love Matthew Houck's voice)
Phoenix (Playlist Pick and would love to see Sophia Coppola's adorable hubby Thomas Mars)

Youtube Playlist of Spring 2013 New Music Songs

Here's some visuals for the latest Spring 2013 Playlist via YouTube.  It's always interesting to see what's available online to illustrate the list -- official videos, ones with lyrics provided for instant sing alongs, and live performances from the professional publicity events to fan filmed (check out the one of Toro y Moi in Moscow!) Cayucas' video for "High School Lover" was already featured on an earlier blog post but in context with the others it takes on another life. And The Shout Out Louds have posted a video with snippets of their entire CD, so take a listen to it all or find the song "Circles" at 8:50.

Spring 2013 New Music Playlist

The groundhog predictions were just plain wrong this year as snow stayed in the forecast, along with the cold weather, through the first day of spring.  At least there was plenty of new music to dig through with new albums by Toro y Moi, Frightened Rabbit, Phosphorescent, and Youth Lagoon, to spice up the continuum of life indoors.  Teaser singles from upcoming albums featuring The Flaming Lips, Fitz and The Tantrums, and Phoenix also kept music fans longing for spring, while new bands Parquet Courts, Cayucos and Painted Palms reinforced the seasonal theme of renewal.  Link to listen here. 

**EXTRA CREDIT IF YOU CAN NAME EVERY BAND WITH BROTHERS IN THE LINEUP (ANSWER AT END OF THIS POST!)

1. "Sun Blows Up Today" -- The Flaming Lips

Oklahoma’s own house band, The Flaming Lips, keep the party going with this latest psych rock experiment, which debuted on the Super Bowl as a Hyundai ad.  This single provides a blast of fun from the upcoming thirteenth studio album, The Terror.


2. "Rose Quartz" -- Toro y Moi

Chaz Bundwick of Toro y Moi decided to indulge in R&B and 90s house music influences for his third album, Anything In Return.  His smooth delivery still gives off the chillwave vibe he’s known for, even in this varied context.


3. "High School Lover" – Cayucas

This Santa Monica based quartet knows firsthand about that sunny California mindset pervading their music, layering their pop tunes with ambient party noise and other samples to keep things interesting. “High School Lover” is a tale of unrequited teenage love from their upcoming debut album, Bigfoot.


4. "Out of My League"-- Fitz and The Tantrums

Fitz and The Tantrums are back after their retro sound and constant touring caught the ear of many new fans.  This single from their sophomore album, More Than Just a Dream, expands the sound to incorporate 80s synths while threatening to bury Fitz’s stellar blue-eyed soul voice.


5.  "Borrowed Time" -- Parquet Courts

Brooklyn based band Parquet Courts brings a resurgence of punk attitude in their debut album, Light Up Gold.  Inspired by the NYC bands before them, the quartet charges through songs with a no holds barred approach to vocals and raucous rock performance.


6. "Weird Shapes" -- Surfer Blood

West Palm Beach alt rock quartet Surfer Blood is getting ready to release their sophomore album, Pythons. Singer John Paul Pitts lets loose in a yelping chorus, describing the song as an individual's manic episode (which unfortunately might remind fans of the domestic battery charges filed against him last year).


7. "Circles" -- Shout Out Louds

Swedish indie pop quintet Shout Out Louds return to the music scene with their fourth album, Optica.  The instrumental crunch of synths introduce this dreamy tune set in a 80s dance groove.


8. "The Woodpile" -- Frightened Rabbit

Singer/guitarist Scott Hutchinson is responsible for yet another heart on the sleeve story highlighting his honest, earthy delivery.  The Scottish indie rock quartet recently released their fourth studio album, Pedestrian Verse.


9. "Song for Zula" – Phosphorescent

Alabama native Matthew Houck, now based in Brooklyn, has been recording under the name Phosphorescent since 2001.  This song is from his fifth album of indie folk infused with a rock music sensibility, Muchacho.


10. "Entertainment" – Phoenix

French alt rock quartet Phoenix is returning since 2009’s breakout Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix with album number five, Bankrupt! After an Asian influenced intro, singer Thomas Mars commands another signature soaring chorus, instantly reminding fans of the band’s appeal.


11. "Click" -- Painted Palms

San Francisco based duo Painted Palms released this track as part of a preview for their upcoming debut album, Carousel.  The tune crafts an indie pop treatment of introspective, interwoven vocals over a percussive foundation.


12. "Dropla" -- Youth Lagoon

Idahoan Trevor Powers of Youth Lagoon branches out from personal shoegazing to low-fi conceptualizations of metaphysical musings, along with some ascribed pop music influences.  This floating meditation is from his sophomore album, Wondrous Bughouse.


13. "Trojans" -- Atlas Genius

Australian indie rock quartet Atlas Genius creates tightly formed pop songs with an infectious vengeance.  This catchy single is a solid introduction to their debut album, Through the Glass.


14. "Sacrilege" -- Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Alt rock trio Yeah Yeah Yeahs have served as a point of pride for New York City since 2000.  This single from their fourth studio album, Mosquito, adds a gospel choir as the only really appropriate background singers for the majestic voice of singer Karen O.


15.  "Photon"-- Pantha du Prince & The Bell Laboratory

German electronic music producer Hendrick Weber, a.k.a. Pantha du Prince, has teamed up with Norwegian percussion group The Bell Laboratory to layer chiming bells over his synth universe.  The resulting collaboration is Weber’s fourth studio album under this moniker, Elements of Light.


16. "You Were Afraid" -- Night Beds

23-year-old Nashville native Winston Yelten writes spare songs late at night and it shows. This is the first tune he wrote (at age 18) as Night Beds, dealing with the bittersweet realization that a relationship would soon end.

DID YOU GUESS 4 BANDS?  (IT COULD BE 5 IF WAYNE COYNE’S BROTHER MARK WAS STILL IN THE FLAMING LIPS!)  BONUS POINTS FOR ADDING TWINS AND THREEPEATS…

1. PARQUET COURTS
2. FRIGHTENED RABBIT

3. CAYUCAS -- TWINS
4. ATLAS GENIUS -- THREE OF THEM!!!