The year end routine continues with the Finnish albums of the Year. A good year of Finnish music again and even though the list is fairly long, I still had to leave out a lot of good albums. As usual, this is list is 100% subjective. I do not try to cover everything and make any kind of objective best Finnish albums of the year list. It’s just my favorites and the music that I loved during the year. I did put the numbers there, but it’s kind of arbitrary. Album of the year was obvious, because that’s the album I loved by far the most in 2023 even if you take all countries into consideration. #2 was pretty set as well, but after that I could easily move albums up or down 5 spots and be just as happy with the list. Music is love, not a competition.
There’s a playlist link with one song each, if you are into such things. An easy way to give an introduction, but do try to the buy music that really matters to you. If you are able to do that of course. Food, rent and staying alive are always more important no matter how hard one wants to support the arts. Oh and I was lazy and didn’t write any blurbs, but I think most of you would only check the albums on the list anyway. Bandcamp embeds only for top three, because otherwise the page just slows down.
It’s the time of the season. The year end routine starts with the albums of the year. A good year of music again and even though the list is ridiculously long, I still would have loved to be able to squeeze in another 50 or so. If you are not on this, it doesn’t mean I don’t like your album. There’s just a few hundred excellent albums out there and I listen to a lot of music. I did put the numbers there this time around, but it’s totally arbitrary. Music is love, not a competition. Maybe half a dozen at the top were somewhat obvious and my biggest favorites this year. After that it could have been alphabetical order just as well. I could move these albums up or down 30 spots and be just as happy with it. So the numbers are only there to give you a vague idea of what I loved the most, because everyone isn’t a music addict and willing to investigate 100 albums.
I left out a lot of the bigger names, because I just didn’t listen to them all that much. Some of them I know I would like, but there’s just not enough time for everything. So that’s why there’s some surprise absence of albums that most likely would be here if I had listened them enough. I still haven’t even really given a proper spin even to that Sufjan Stevens albums and I know I’m going to love it. Tyler Childers was a tricky one too, because there’s a couple of songs that I really love, but it almost felt like an EP with some covers and fairly short length. So yeah love parts of that for sure, but I think he will be alright even if I don’t include it. Many others would fall into this category too. This whole list is also entirely subjective. I never try do any kind of objective best of the year. It’s just about albums/songs that I personally love.
There’s a playlist link with one song from each, if you are into such things. Apple, Tidal and Spotify. I made it on Spotify and transferred to the other ones. Therefore it seems to sometimes take the single instead of the album cut, but I’m sure you’ll find the correct albums from Tidal and Apple too. I only added Bandcamp/youtube embeds to top three. The page just seem to load forever, if there’s a hundred embed on it. So sorry about that. Most of these can be found on bandcamp (and well record stores).
One more before the holiday season. After this one there will be about a month long break. Unless I suddenly decide to throw in the towel the new music weekly should be back on your favorite evil streaming platform either week 2 or 3 in January. A lot of year end action to come before that. I had a busy day job week and didn’t manage to finish anything, but all the pointless lists should be here within a week or so. I’m taking the lazy route and probably don’t write anything. Just the lists with a playlist. Just don’t have the time and don’t think many cares about the writings anyway. Most will just look what’s on it. Anyway, here’s the final new music weekly of 2023. Did this very quickly so probably missed a thing or two.
Not many album releases anymore, but the quality is high. Bory and Michael Nau can share the album of the week title. I really like them and might get on the aoty list too, if I want to go back into the drawing board with that one. Probably not, because I’m not sure I have the heart to take anything out that I already have there. Great new albums also from BenBen, Smith and Tegio, Theo Lawrence, Apollo Flowerchild and Muireann Bradley.
From the Finnish side of things we have a new album from Lintudisko plus singles from Ty Roxy, Ruissalo Amping, Fernet Underground and Rohkeat Kuvat.
Some excellent international singles too from Itasca, Adrianne Lenker, The Tyde, Joanna Sternberg, Laura Jane Grace, Hallelujah the Hills and so forth. As usual the christmas stuff are on their own playlist.
That’s all for now. Like, share, follow and all the usual promotional matters. It all matters if you want this to continue. Back with this on week 2 or 3. That’s the current plan. Now back to the eoty lists. Love love love.
1. Bory – Wreck (Who’s a Good Boy, Earth Libraries, 2023) 2. Michael Nau – Painting a Wall (Accompany, Karma Chief Records / Colemine Records, 2023) 3. BenBen – Walkins Welcome (Sincere Gifts, Perpetual Doom, 2023) 4. Smith and Tegio – Think I’ll Just Sing (Can’t Stay Here, 2023) 5. Theo Lawrence – Trail of Signs (Pickin’ & Singin’, Tomika Records / Modular, 2023) 6. Muireann Bradley – Delia (I Kept These Old Blues, Tompkins Square, 2023) 7. Apollo Flowerchild – Anynomous Treasure (Drawing 101, 2023) 8. Itasca – Imitation of War (single, Paradise of Bachelors, 2023) 9. Adrianne Lenker – Ruined (single, 4AD, 2023) 10. The Tyde – Heal Thyself (single, Spiritual Pajamas, 2023) 11. Joanna Sternberg – Without You (single, Fat Possum Records, 2023) 12. Thee Sinseers – For You (single, Colemine Records, 2023) 13. Ty Roxy – The Return (single, Fonal Records, 2023) 14. Ruissalo Amping – Ruusupuutarha (single, Svart Records, 2023) 15. Rohkeat Kuvat – Lupaukset (single, Soit Se Silti, 2023) 16. Lintudisko – Jos olisi kysymys (Elämä lymyilee, 2023) 17. Fernet Underground – Keinu (single, Kynsinauhat, 2023) 18. Hallelujah the Hills – Alone, In Love (single, Discrete Pageantry, 2023) 19. Jamie Turner – A Girl Just Like You (single, 2023) 20. Jimmy Montague feat Chris Farren – All the Same (single, 2023) 21. Laura Jane Grace – Cuffing Season (single, Big Scary Monsters, 2023) 22. Sarah Shook & the Disarmers – Backsliders (single, Abeyance Records / Thirty Tigers, 2023) 23. John Craigie & The Holy Know-Nothings – Good to You (single, 2023) 24. The Roseline – I Was a Gun (single, RPH Records, 2023) 25. Thunder and Rain – Wilted Flower Waltz (single, 2023) 26. Joe Wunderle – The Moon is on Roll Tonight (single, Anti-Corp, 2023) 27. Rod Smoth + Spirituals – Wad (single, 2023) 28. Samantha Crain – Time After Time (single, Real Kind Records, 2023) 29. Emmett Morris – Glimpse of Beyond (Emerald EP, 2023) 30. Gonzalez Smith – Something Good (Roll Up a Song, Bobo Integral, 2023)
Oh and do buy the vinyl/cd/download. Spotify and other streaming services are perfect for these introductory purposes, but try to buy at least the music that matter the most to you
I’ll make the playlist on Spotify and then transfer it to Tidal. This means a few tracks might be missing from the Tidal version, if they are not available on that platform. Usually it’s 1-3 tracks that are not on Tidal. There’s a bunch of older episodes on my Spotify profile, if you miss an episode or want to revisit.
If you are looking this after a week has gone, the embedded Spotify will show the latest playlist. I’ll just update the same playlist because if someone wants to follow it, they can just follow that one list and will get a new set of songs each weekend.
It’s December and therefore most of my spare time goes to pointless but fun year end lists. I will do one more of these next weekend and after that the new music weekly will be on hold until early or mid-January. If it even continues. I guess it will.
Album of the week is probably the new Gonzalez Smith collaboration. Also very fond of the Emmett Morris EP. Other great new album releases came from Pop Filter, Sarah Goldstone, Zach Russell, Maiden King, Taco Tapes (well this a week or two ago, but I missed it) and Thorsten Nesch (EP). Oh and a great Adam Green tribute too.
The Finnish section of the playlist has the new album from Voikukat plus a singles from Pillow, Penniless, Nuoruus, Samanna, Vellamo, Viitasen Piia, FER, Honey Crisp and Tuomo & Markus. Billy Reeves should be mentioned here too, because his great new single is taken from the Mummypowder song vault.
The international song of the week is the new Frontier Ruckus single. Long time readers know that it’s my favorite band of the past decade or so. So thrilled to get a new Frontier Ruckus album in early 2024. Another big favourite Clay Parker and Jodi James also have a new album on the way with a first single out now. It looks like there’s plenty of reasons to keep the blog alive for another year. Other early faves came from The Mellons, Matt Michell Music Music Co, Shawn Hess, The Satchel Kid and BenBen. Again just to name a few.
That’s all for now. Like, share, follow and all the usual promotional nonsense. It all matters. One more of these next weekend. Maybe some year-end list action before that, but that’s not a definite promise. But if I have enough time and energy, I try to do the EP list or Finnish album list next week. Love love love.
1. Emmett Morris – Golden Meadow (Emerald EP, 2023) 2. Gonzalez Smith – Kiss as Good (Roll Up a Song, Bobo Integral, 2023) 3. Pop Filter – See What You Like (CONO, Bobo Integral, 2023) 4. Sarah Goldstone – I Know My Way Around (Waving, Ruination Record Co, 2023)* 5. Maiden King – Footprints (Who Else Were We Supposed to Be, Space Cowboy Studios, 2023) 6. Zach Russell – I Thought I Was the Trees (Where The Flowers Meet the Dew, Carlboro Records / Thirty Tigers, 2023) 7. Taco Tapes – Skip Town (Keep on the Shady Side, American Standard Time Records, 2023) 8. Thorsten Nesch – Could Have Been the Rain (Could Have Been the Rain EP, Polterzeitgeist Records, 2023) 9. Frontier Ruckus – On the Northline (single, Loose Music / Sitcom Universe, 2023) 10. The Mellons – Make Me Feel (single, Earth Libraries, 2023) 11. Clay Parker and Jodi James – Nothing at All (single, 2023) 12. Matt Mitchell Music Co – Country Gonna Kill Me (single, 2023) 13. Shawn Hess – A Tear For You (single, 2023) 14. The Satchel Kid – Adrian’s Beard (single, Ella Ruth Institutet, 2023) 15. Melissa Erin – Indigo Skies (single, 2023) 16. Jenny Lewis – Breaking Locks (Moping in Style: A Tribute to Adam Green, Capitane Records, 2023) 17. BenBen feat Camellia Hartman – Endless Summer (single, Perpetual Doom, 2023) 18. Lee Baggett – Zipper Ride (single, Perpetual Doom, 2023) 19. Sea Dramas – Long Goodbye (single, Royal Oakie Records, 2023) 20. Alluvial Nuggetts – Codeine (single, Lost and Lonesome, 2023) 21. Billy Reeves – Trying to Ride a Donkey (single, Last Night From Glasgow, 2023) 22. Pillow – Ideas (single, Panama-levyt, 2023) 23. Penniless – 44 (single, Soit Se Silti, 2023) 24. Voikukat – Astma (Rauniola, Alakulttuuritalo, 2023) 25. Nuoruus – Piha (single, This is not a dog 🙁 2023) 26. Viitasen Piia – Outo tyttö (single, 2023) 27. Joonas Hauveli – Siskoni Suomi (single, Helmi Levyt, 2023) 28. Samanna – Kuoleman sykli (single, Humu Records, 2023) 29. Vellamo – Savuna ilmaan (single, 2023) 30. FER – Maple Tree (single, JM Records, 2023) 31. Honey Crisp – Stuck (single, 2023) 32. Tuomo & Markus feat Jonathan Wilson – Hearing Voices (single, Grandpop Records, 2023) 33. Real Estate – Water Underground (single, Domino Recording Co, 2023) 34. Deepest Bison – Real Heads Will Know (single, 2023) 35. Ducks Ltd. – Hollowed Out (single, Carpark, 2023) 36. Lolas – Shut Me Down (single, 2023) 37. Sylvia Rose Novak – Broad Strokes (single, World Lies Waiting, 2023) 38. Katy Kirby – Party of the Century (single, Anti, 2023) 39. Asha Wells – Impermanent I (single, Anxiety Blanket Records, 2023) 40. Justin Golden – Bad Luck Blues (single, Vocal Rest Records, 2023) 41. Aaron Boyd feat Abby Hamilton – Hard Times Like These (single, 2023) 42. Chatham County Line – Magic (single, Yep Roc, 2023) 43. Country Risque – Drove Me Crazy (single, Rocks In Your Head Records, 2023) 44. Kayla Von Der Heide – Mining Town (single, 2023) 45. Mali Obomsawin & Magdalena Abrego – Bounty (single, 2023) 46. Humbird – Child of Violence (singe, Nettwerk, 2023) 47. Bess Atwell – The Weeping (single, Real Kind Records, 2023) 48. Good Good Blood – Let’s Go Burn It All Down (single, Fox Food Records, 2023) 49. (Sulut) – Maailman kaunein paikka (Maailman kaunein paikka, 2023) 50. Orvokki – Tämä on kaikki sulle (Kasvotusten, Luova Records, 2023)
Oh and do buy the vinyl/cd/download. Spotify and other streaming services are perfect for these introductory purposes, but try to buy at least the music that matter the most to you
I’ll make the playlist on Spotify and then transfer it to Tidal. This means a few tracks might be missing from the Tidal version, if they are not available on that platform. Usually it’s 1-3 tracks that are not on Tidal. There’s a bunch of older episodes on my Spotify profile, if you miss an episode or want to revisit.
If you are looking this after a week has gone, the embedded Spotify will show the latest playlist. I’ll just update the same playlist because if someone wants to follow it, they can just follow that one list and will get a new set of songs each weekend.
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