I spent the last week digging into year-end lists from smaller Substacks and writers I found particularly interesting that counter-programmed the (increasingly boring) critical consensus. I was blown away by how much I’d missed, and hope you dig these finds from 2023. Now that Twitter is a full-on racist hellhole, why even bother getting mad at the big publication lists? Dig deeper, my friends.
But first, some Good Links!
Superman that World Record – kids are speedrunning making the “Crank That (Soula Boy)” beat in FruityLoops
Seasonal Affective Direction – Really loved this video for Majorette’s “One Glove” by friend-o-the-stack Paul DeSilva
Banger or Cheugy? My friend Matt shared this 2020 piece on the Gen Z/Millennial gap on 90’s hits. Gen Z doesn’t know “All My Life”??? Be cautious at your office Xmas karaoke parties, fellow olds!
Ranking 93 Til Infinity – Noz posted his Best of 1993 playlist, and it’s great, lots of justice for the Bay and the South in here.
If you’re still shopping for gifts, don’t forget we dropped a very good gift guide the other week!
On to the best of the week – you can follow along on our playlists on Spotify and Apple Music, which update every Tuesday along with the newsletter. Enjoy!
Sofia Kourtesis – Si Te Portas Bonito
The benefit of having friends who DJ on the regular is they flag cool songs like this (s/o Harrison!). Peruvian producer/DJ Sofia Kourtesis dropped her debut album Madres in October, and “Si Te Portas Bonito” is a Balearic-inflected slow burner with an absolutely irresistible and incandescent chorus that I put on repeat for the last two weeks. If you have a DJ night, or playlist tracks for an imaginary set, this one’s for you.
Miya Folick – Bad Thing
This was a new-to-me record I found via Miya’s interview with Last Donut of the Night. Her album ROACH is imbued with post-COVID neurosis, shaking off too many days on the same couch. “Bad Thing” has a particularly good mix of catharsis and anxiety as Folick talks through making the same mistakes again and again and trying to break cycles of regret. It helps that the track shines with a Los Angeles shimmy, a ray of light amidst the looming darkness of the song’s lyrics.
Big Dumb Baby – Jenny’s Place (Alternate Version)
I got to share a stage with Big Dumb Baby aka Ashley Mayorquin last friday, and spent time with her very good EP Terrible Twos that dropped back in April. The songs showcase some of her Nashville roots thanks to their easygoing storytelling and melodicism, but there’s a touch of Jenny Lewis’ sunstreaked melancholy, especially on the string-laden alternate version of “Jenny’s Place.”
Dusk – Changes
I’ve called out how much I’ve enjoyed Josh Terry’s Substack earlier this year, and his year-end list delivered on a lot of post-punk/indie/country I had totally missed. Dusk’s Glass Pastures in particular felt like walking into your local bar and hearing a band absolutely kill it to a low-lit room of barflies. “Changes” opens with a big solo and drops right into CSNY-style harmony, but the band’s musicianship is always in service of fun, memorable songs. The swooning “Organized Crime” is just as excellent, showing their prowess with a big ballad worthy of a tipsy slowdance.
MCR-T & horsegiirL – My Barn My Rules
I saw this track in David Drake’s top 10, and at first I thought it was for the LOLs until I realized that outside of the slightly silly concept, “My Barn My Rules” is filled to the brim with perfect club hooks. “Saddle on/ I’m ready now” is a coo’ed refrain, reminiscent of 90’s Miami Bass-inflected radio hits, and the insistent, squelchy bassline is pulled straight from 80's Detroit techno cassettes. It's openly silly ("I walk, I trot, I lope, I gallop") but it's irresistable.
Overmono – Good Lies
Just a huge miss on my part to not spend time with Overmono’s long-awaited debut LP. “Good Lies” is one of those casually unstoppable tracks that feels like it’s always existed, a perfect dance track that’s been just out of reach in big rooms you haven’t been to yet.
Mor Elian – Double Dip
Like David Drake’s list, Shawn Reynaldo’s First Floor Best Of is a glimpse in another pocket of the musical world. This is taken from Shawn’s “Bangers” best of – and it’s properly unstoppable, stripped back techno.
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The Human League – Love Action (I Believe In Love)
This track is a banger, but also I had no idea that my favorite Juan Maclean song cribbed this melody wholesale. A jam is a jam is a jam, I guess.