It was a good year. 2023 had some great moments and also a lot of great albums. My family and I have officially lived in Arkansas for one full year! There are a lot of wonderful things in Northwest Arkansas and the close proximity to Dallas, Kansas City, and Tennessee give way to checking out concerts that I thought I’d never get to see. As for the what I wish this area supplied more of, that would be more snow, orchards, and good pizza. Maybe in a few years we will move to a place where I can get some of those again, only time will tell. As for music this year, there were a lot of amazing releases this past year. So many that it was hard to narrow it down to ten, and some honorable mentions are MxPx, Foo Fighters, Bouncing Souls, and Durand Jones. I feel like my top ten this year was all over the place, from punk to jazz to ska to soul, I really hit on my favorite genres. I don’t know how 2024 is going to beat 2023 since I only know of maybe five new releases as of now, but I am always excited for new music and what the new year will bring!

10. Vintage Trouble – Heavy Hymnal

Vintage Trouble has been a band I’ve been rediscovering for the past couple of years. The first time I heard of them was years ago when they opened for The Who. Their show during that tour was amazing, and I always remembered them. However, it wasn’t until recently that I started to really dive into their discography and really wish I did it earlier. Heavy Hymnal is their seventh effort which was mostly recorded separately during quarantine, but doesn’t sound as if it was. As the cover suggests this album focuses on civil injustice, life, and current world views, but with melodies that Vintage Trouble has always brought. From soul to R&B to rock and pop, Vintage Trouble will always be one of those bands that should’ve been broadcasted everywhere. Imagine them on something like the Super Bowl, they would’ve great to see on that stage. Sadly, at the time of this writing, Vintage Trouble announced they would be taking a break with no indication if they will return. If not, at least we have some wonderful albums we can always go back to.

Listen To: “Baby What You Do”

9. The Inciters – Bring Back The Weekend

Sometimes the aesthetic of a band catches my eyes and I want to see what exactly they are all about. This is what happened with The Inciters. I saw a live photo of them and thought they must play soul or ska? I also thought maybe they sounded like the now defunct The Pepper Pots, whose music I adored. I was right on all accounts. The Inciters take the 60’s/70’s Motown, soul, doo wop sound with the mod aesthetic and make it new and exciting. The band has been around for quite some time, but Bring Back The Weekend is their first album on Pirate Press Records. The record is a time warp of that older sound with amazing harmonies. Each song is non skippable and is a perfect soundtrack to just having fun and dancing. I am glad I came across that photo and took a chance, I only wish the album came out earlier because I think it would’ve been higher on my list if I had more time with it.

Listen To: “Waiting By The Phone”

8. Okonski – Magnolia

Okonski is the last name of Steve Okonski who is the piano player in Durand Jones & The Indications. I first heard of his solo work through the Colemine Records email list and being a fan of Durand Jones I took a listen. The all instrumental piano jazz driven song was a wonderful taste of what to expect. I bought the album off that one song and I wasn’t disappointed. The record is instrumental, jazzy, classical, and soothing. A perfect album for a rainy, snowy, or sun set day. It is no surprise that this would’ve been a great composition of work, because everyone in Durand Jones & The Indications are very talented which can be heard in that band alone. Should be mentioned that the other musicians on this recording are Aaron Frazer and Michael Isvara Montgomery from the Indications. I wasn’t expecting a jazz album in my top 10, but this album really is a gem to listen to. 

Listen To: “Old Friend”

7. Jonathan Jones – Euphoria

I am going to be honest, I didn’t think Jonathan Jones would be putting out material again. Lately he has been producing other musicians, but it was very rare to see him behind the piano on social media. Then that changed and he was posting videos, then releasing songs, and next thing you know he puts out this album Euphoria. There wasn’t any promotion or major talk about it, but for someone that has been following his career since Waking Ashland, it was exciting to hear new material from him. I personally love all his outputs, some are big parts of life, to which I knew I was going to like this album. I will say this album has some of his ambitious sounding songs. I thought the We Shot The Moon album Love And Fear was a big change for him, but this album tests his musicianship in a good way. Check out the title track to see what I mean. Regardless, I am glad Jonathan is still putting out music and if this was released on vinyl I think it would’ve been higher on my list.

Listen To: “Green Eyes”

6. St. Paul & The Broken Bones – Angels In Science Fiction

Anytime that St. Paul & The Broken Bones announce a new album, I am on top of it. I wouldn’t say I have been there from the beginning, but I was close to when this band came onto the scene. I have seen them gone through all their phases, and the best part is they are always different. Each album has a different feel, and you will never know where they will go next. For their latest album Angels In Science Fiction, the backstory of the album made me think this was going to be a more slower and personal record. It sure is and is a perfect soundtrack to a fall/winter day. The feel of the album has a lot more slower numbers, but still has those fun and danceable numbers St. Paul is known for. I heard three of these songs last time I saw them before the album was even announced and I was blown away by them This made me buy this version of the vinyl instantly when it became available. It is a type of vinyl I always wanted but could never find a band to buy one from. What this vinyl is a sand filled vinyl with the sand being from the beaches of Alabama. Very limited and unique vinyl which fits this album.

Listen To: “Sea Star”

5. Fiddlehead – Death Is Nothing To Us

I am not going to lie, I really am kicking myself for not jumping on the Fiddlehead bandwagon sooner. I am a huge Have Heart fan, and I think when I heard Fiddlehead I was still in my Have Heart phase. Knowing me I probably listened to one song and thought this is a lot slower and doesn’t have that anger like Have Heart. As I got older my tastes change, I still love Have Heart, but Fiddlehead is just as good and I shouldn’t have written them off early on. Fiddlehead’s latest album, Death Is Nothing To Us, is making a splash because it is that good. I know their previous albums are praised, but there is something about this album that catapults them. The lyrics are dark at times, but there is light that shines through which really reminds me of Have Heart’s Songs To Scream At The Sun. I hope to go back into their catalog and hopefully see them live in 2024.

Listen To: “Sullenboy”

4. Unwed Sailor – Mute The Charm

When I moved to Arkansas and realized that I wouldn’t be able to attend as many concerts I did in Pennsylvania I started looking at what concerts were available. I would look at the names of bands and if I knew the name, or heard of it, I would take a listen to see if I should go to the show. The first band I did this with was Unwed Sailor. They weren’t playing far from my home and what I heard I very much enjoyed. Surprisingly the tour was in support of their latest album Mute The Charm. The album itself is instrumental, but lyrics aren’t needed for Unwed Sailor has a way to captivate you with the music. The best way I can sum this album up is that it is a road trip album. For me when I listen to it, I am transformed back to my solo road trip I took years back. Each song has a personality that fits with a state, let it be the deserts of Arizona, or the loneliness of the Montana highways, or the North California State Parks, this album somehow creates a soundtrack to that road trip. After seeing Unwed Sailor live, I continued seeing other bands I didn’t know much about and to my surprise I would see Unwed Sailor again in 2023 at the same venue. I’ve since dug through Unwed Sailor’s discography and must say it was a right choice taking a chance on them.

Listen To: “Windy City Dreams”

3. The Menzingers – Some Of It Was True

The Menzingers are a band that took me awhile to enjoy for some reason. Maybe it was their first effort that put me off, but after seeing them live constantly they grew on me and their album After The Party has become one of my favorites from them. However, their latest release, Some Of It Was True, is now up there as one of my favorites. I think what sets this album apart from their other albums is that it has a different feel. I wouldn’t say that all their albums are the same, but if you look at their producers, all the albums have producers with a punk background. This time they went with Brad Cook who has a much different background and you can tell on this album. I am not saying there is no punk on this album, there is, but the production is just very different than any other Menzingers album. The vinyl version of the album will be release in 2024 due to production delays.
Listen To: “There’s No Place In This World For Me”

2. Mustard Plug – Where Did All My Friends Go?

There are certain bands that when I hear they will be releasing a new album I am 100% excited for, and Mustard Plug is one of those bands. I think I get excited because without this band, I don’t think I would be listening to ska. They are the main reason why I love the genre. I knew they were recording a new album, but had no idea when it would be released. To my surprise 2023 would be it and it would be released on Bad Time Records, which was also a huge surprise. The album is classic Mustard Plug that for anyone that has been listening to them for years will appreciate this album. I always felt like Mustard Plug was on the same level as the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and with Bosstones gone, it if great that Mustard Plug is keeping that flame alive.

Listen To: “Everyday Wait”

1. Austin Plaine – Faded Feathers

This was a given as soon as I heard Austin Plaine was releasing a new album. I knew right away that this was going to be my top album of 2023. Ever since I heard Austin Plaine years ago, I’ve been loving his music as the days go on. There is something about his words and music that I relate to in some way. Also that when I hear his songs, I can tell from his voice that everything he sings is genuine. For this album, it really felt like his debut album. It was raw, but you can hear that a lot of production went into the instruments, but it has the appealing sound that this is as real as it gets. I am still unsure how Austin hasn’t broken out to be one of the biggest song writers there is. I know I’ve said that about multiple artists, but Austin Plaine deserves to be a household name. If he doesn’t, I hope he continues putting out music, because this album and his previous work is the soundtrack to my life. I can never get enough of music. This album wasn’t released on vinyl, and I don’t think there are plans for it to be released that way. However, it would be great if it was.

Listen To: The whole album.