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While Taylor Swift emerged as the top artist of 2023 (26+ billion global streams on Spotify alone), I mainly sought refuge in the long tail of the continuous stream of releases (not a favorable position: from 2024 tracks must have reached at least 1,000 streams to get royalties from Spotify’s money grubbers – all the more important that we’ll support<\/strong> these artists in other ways). Of the 2,600+ new albums I listened to, I added 130 to my longlist of wantlist-worthy releases – the ones I liked and played the most are in the Top 50<\/strong> below. What struck me? Besides the usual themes – life and death (and the search for meaning), love and loss (and longing), fun and sadness (and anger), sex and drugs (and rock ‘n’ roll) – songwriters seem to struggle with time and place more than before. There is a kind of conflict going on in society between people who want to move forward or want to hold on to the past, but many songs reflect the realization that we live in the here and now. Tristan Peach from The Small Intestines dreamed that George Harrison and Tom Petty were on motorcycles circling one of the huge roundabouts in Canberra (Australia), their long hair blowing as they sang “You can’t hide in time”<\/strong> – it became the title from their debut album. It’s just one of the many references to this intriguing theme in my favorite albums from last year. Floodlights’ On The Television<\/em>, one of the standout tracks from their Painting Of My Time<\/em> LP, probably puts it most powerfully: “The time is now!”\u00a0<\/strong>Let’s listen.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Without further ado, here’s my year-end list of 2023 (you can also find most of it in a playlist<\/a> on Spotify). Links point to Discogs or Bandcamp (the headings), and to our previously posted reviews (in the body text). As always: add to your wantlist<\/strong> (or better: your collection) what you like. First: the top position.<\/p>\n 1. Tito Ram\u00edrez || El Prince<\/a><\/strong>
\n[Psychedelic Rhythm & Blues, Spain || Antifaz Discos \/ El Volc\u00e1n M\u00fasica \/ Nu-Tone Recordings] The Kink Of Mambo<\/em> returned as El Prince<\/em>, but as far as I’m concerned, the genius behind these aliases – Pedro Poyatos – can trade his mask for a crown. I can’t get enough of his eclectic mix of timeless Latin soul, 60s garage beat and 50s rock ‘n’ roll. The thirteen sensational and provocative songs here feel both familiar and exotic<\/a> at the same time, but every time you think ‘this reminds me of’ the musicians take a weird and wild different direction. The clip below doesn’t do justice to the richness of this record, so do yourself a favor and immerse yourself in the entire journey. Exciting in every way.<\/p>\n