John’s Top Ten Albums of 2023

I once read a survey that said on average, most people stop looking for new music at the age of 30.5. I’m older than that so the fact that I find any new bands is a good feeling, but if I ever reach an age where I do stop looking, I’m okay with that.

2023 was the first year I didn’t stress about “discovering” new music. I am no longer concerned with trying to “out-cool” anyone by slotting “hip” new artists into my top ten. I check Pitchfork sometimes. I listen to KEXP when I can. Occasionally, I find cool new stuff on my Spotify “Discover Weekly” and occasionally, I don’t.

I’ve been spending a lot more time digging into artists from the past I’ve never given much time to. Just today, I finished listening to Cat Stevens’ last album he did before leaving music for 28 years. Did I really need to listen to 11 Cat Stevens’ albums instead of seeking out more 2023 albums? Probably not, but it made me happy, and at the end of the day, that’s why we do it, don’t we? So here is my stress-free list of 2023 albums I somehow listened to.

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Sean’s Top 10 Albums of 2023

There’s no denying that 2023 was the year of Taylor Swift. Her tour set all sorts of records, including here in Seattle, where she caused record-breaking seismic activity; she saved the NFL just by showing up (debatable if this is a good thing); then her concert film revitalized post-Barbenheimer cinema; and of course she was the person of the year. This was, without a doubt, peak Taylor Swift (arguably as big a peak as anyone has ever had) and while you can feel another backlash coming on (and also people just naturally starting to look for someone new to worship) as a relative newcomer, this has been a lot of fun. That said: despite releasing two albums and being the artist I listened to the most, Taylor Swift will not be appearing on my top 10 this year. And the very simple reason for that is that the majority of Swiftie-ing I did was a playlist of the Eras Tour setlist, most of which did not come out in 2023. To make up for that, I’ll give you some Taylor opinions after the break.

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Colin’s Top 10 Albums of 2023

We’re starting our top ten lists a little bit later than usual this year, which may affect my other lists, but not so much albums. It’s always the list I have the easiest time putting together at the end of the year, perhaps because I’m still fairly in tune with what’s going on in music these days, though the passage of time and the feeling of getting older never helps. But also, new music is just a lot easier to fit into the rhythms of your day-to-day than a new TV show or movie, and considering all of us have to fit our music listening habits into the constraints of our dayjobs, that certainly impacts what music we respond to.

For me, this was a year spent mostly listening to music while walking to work, riding the bus/subway, cooking, doing chores, or just enjoying a day off. Would I have responded to different albums in a year of different circumstances? Probably. But we’re dealt the year and the music we’re given, and these were the albums that intersected in just the right way with whatever was going on in my day-to-day. Continue reading →

The Twelfth Annual Mildly Pleased Awards

Just when you thought 2023 was over, we’re here to take a slightly belated look back at the year that was. Kicking things off before we get into posting our Top Tens of 2023 over on Mildly Pleased is, of course, the award show that bears the site’s name. We’re talking about awarding the “good but not great” moments in culture, pop and otherwise, that defined last year. Recurring topics include ChatGPT/AI, the weird state of movies, the absurd state politics, and just a tiny bit of Taylor Swift (because she was already talked about enough this year). We even rename one of our awards mid-show in honor of a truly mildly pleasing entertainer. As always, it’s a long one, but a fun one.

Read on for the nominees and winners! Continue reading →

The Pick: The Preacher’s Wife

Every time an underrated Christmas movie is acknowledged, an angel gets its wings. Or at least, that’s what we’d like to think after talking about The Preacher’s Wife, a Christmas movie that we enjoyed quite a bit despite it not being one of the big holiday movies everybody watches this time of year. We delve a little bit into why that is, while also lauding the movie’s very ’90s charms. Also, we really stretch out the Little Picks by getting sidetracked by lengthy conversations about Siskel & Ebert and the Pink Floyd discography. It’s the last The Pick of the year, so better savor it like a comfy Christmas morning! Continue reading →

2023 Music Reconciled: That! Feels Good!

Jessie Ware – That! Feels Good!

I did not share by Apple Music year-end wrap-up thing with anyone this year, since my listening habits are never quite as interesting or eclectic as I want them to be. Also, does anyone really care what indie-famous artist I listened to the most? Anyways, That! Feels Good! by Jessie Ware was my most listened-to album of 2023, which isn’t all that surprising considering just how punchy and deliciously well-crafted the album is. It is quite simply the type of album that begs to be played over and over again, so I made a habit of it back when it came out in late Spring and served as a nice segue into the feel-good vibes of the Summer. Continue reading →

2023 Music Reconciled: Jenny From Thebes

The Mountain Goats – Jenny From Thebes

One of the fonder music memories I have from 2023 was finally sitting in on one of KEXP’s in-studio sessions when I was in Seattle for the summer. The session I managed to see was for The Mountain Goats, a band that I had a lot more enthusiasm toward hearing than the group of friends I was with.

This seems to speak to the fact that The Mountain Goats appeal to a very particular type of obsessive fan, which I apparently am, having heard probably at least a dozen of their albums. However, the band kind of lost me in the course of their last few releases. They were always a very prolific band, but freed from an equally active touring life, it seems like the pandemic compelled John Darnielle to write even more songs than usual, many of which failed to hook me all that much. This is why I barely recognized any of the songs The Mountain Goats played during their KEXP session, since they were mostly from recent albums that I’d probably give a listen or two at most. Continue reading →