Before sitting down to write about my Top 23 Albums of 2023, I reviewed my previous articles to see how my tastes might have changed over the last four years. As expected, punk and ska still dominated all my lists, but I noticed my ear was a bit more open in the past than it is this year. So, what changed? I’m a music lover, and I’ll listen to anything once, but this year, I didn’t stray too far from my comfort zone. The more I thought about it, the clearer the answer became.
This year, more than others, music was my security blanket .
That’s the beauty of year-end lists. No standard rules exist on how to formulate what goes on yours. Music is subjective. Which means my top albums for 2023 were the ones that made me happy and helped me get through the year.
If you take a close listen to my Top 23 albums, you’ll start to see a pattern.
Each entry covers one (or more) of the following three topics:
- Politics
- Mental Health
- Getting Older
Those three themes weighed extremely heavy on my mind and heart all year, and their influence is splattered all throughout my list. Here’s to hoping 2024 brings about a more positive outlook on life. I want to get outside my comfort zone again and try some music I wouldn’t normally listen to.
I do have a few rules for list-making.
If this is your first time reading one of my year-end wrap-ups, I use some additional criteria when creating my Top Albums lists:
- The albums have to be released in calendar year 2023.
- They must be full-lengths consisting of a majority of original material.
- Cover albums, EPs, live albums, soundtracks (unless it’s a soundtrack of original tunes), and singles are not eligible. (Have no fear EP lovers – stay until the end for some bonus content)
Without further ado, these are my Top 23 Albums of 2023.
23. Matt Wixson – Redacted Memories
I’m most familiar with Matt Wixson because of his ties to the ska world. The last thing I expected to hear from him this year was an acoustic folk-punk album that touches on mental health, society’s ills, and politics. While songs like “What’s the Matter?” are reminiscent of Chris Murray, overall, Redacted Memories is more Pat the Bunny than it is Venice Shoreline Chris. Extremely heartfelt and cathartic, mixed with sarcasm, humor, and cynicism. It’s everything I feel about myself and the world right now as well as the defense mechanisms I use to protect myself from everything.
22. Plastic Presidents – Good Times Can’t Last
Plastic Presidents is a relatively new ska-punk band based out of Omaha, NE. While they stick to that genre as their framework, they’re not afraid to mix things up a little. With dashes of 2 Tone, Third Wave, up-tempo skate punk, and hardcore, Plastic Presidents are just scratching the surface of their potential. They’re an extremely high energy band with an album filled with songs you can dance to and anthemic choruses you can pump your fist along with while shouting them back to the band. This is an exciting debut, because if they’re already this good, the next release is going to be ridiculous.
Read my review of Good Times Can’t Last
21. The Abruptors – Noticeably Cheerless
I mentioned in my introduction that most of the album on this year’s list focus on one of three main topics. The Apruptors definitely follows that trend, but a subplot popped up. Noticeably Cheerless is the first example on this list of a band who put out a great album before 2023, only to level up in multiple ways this time around. For example, Love and Other Disasters is an amazing album in its own right, but a certain attitude and confidence oozes out of each song on Noticeably Cheerless. It’s a band finding themselves in the best way. Noticeably Cheerless tackles uncomfortable topics like anxiety, mental health, and relationships head-on. The honest songwriting mixed with a more refined upbeat ska and rocksteady sound is a winning combination.
Read my review of Noticeably Cheerless
20. Sgt. Scag – At Least More Than Halfway Dead
Don’t call it a comeback, because they’ve been here for years. After a nearly two-decade hiatus, Connecticut’s Sgt. Scag released a brand new album. While the band has been around since the tail end of the Third Wave Explosion in the late ’90s, Sgt. Scag never really got the credit they deserved. Well, that changes with their brand-new full-length on Ska Punk International. Scag’s brand of ska includes heavy riffs and plenty of social and political commentary. Now, approaching music at a later stage in life, the songs also host a bevvy of cynicism, sarcasm, and self-awareness. As de facto elder statemen, there’s a hardened edge to the music. Sure, the band is still playful, but they’ve seen some shit, and their not afraid to sing about it, no matter how dirty and uncomfortable the topics might be.
Read my review of At Least More Than Halfway Dead
19. Barbicide – Songs About Heartbreak & Nazis
Songs About Heartbreak & Nazis sounds equal parts fresh and familiar. It’s like a visit from old friends you haven’t seen for awhile. Comprised of founding members of Mephiskapheles, Brendog Tween, and Mikal Reich, Barbicide’s lineup is completed by bass player and chanteuse Irena Hyena. The irreverent trio is joined by the original Meph hornline for this album as well, which is another welcome addition. This isn’t just a rehash of Mephiskapheles though. Barbicide stands on their own two feet and shines. Equal parts silly, political, and shocking, there are no punches pulled with this album packed full of New York ska along with splashes of oi, first wave, ska-punk, and Broadway.
Read my review of Songs About Heartbreak & Nazis
18. Sweet Gloom – Reverie
Sweet Gloom is one of my favorite new bands I discovered this year. They’re a melodic punk/power-pop hybrid in the same vein as bands like The Menzingers, Hot Water Music, and Blind Adam & The Federal League. They play their instruments in a way that makes them sound bigger than the trio they are. Plenty of intricacies with guitar work, shout-along anthems, and a lead singer with the gravelly voice of Chuck Ragan mixed with the cool crooning of the Rat Pack.
17. Claud Six, OKnice, and Zepeda – It’s a Fine Line Between Planted and Buried
MCs Claud Six and OKnice collab with producer extraordinaire Zepeda in what was the only hip hop album I consistently went back to all year. Even though Claud and Nice have two very different flows and personas, the music sounds like they’ve been together for years. The credit goes to Zepeda, as he created beats that accentuate the strength of each MC’s game. These three dudes elevated each other’s game, which only makes me want more. They already deserve to be spoken about in the same breath as musicians signed to Def Jux and Rhymesayers.
16. Dollar Signs – Legend Tripping
Legend Tripping is an album about the complications of going home again after becoming who you are in life. Ambitious in scale and scope, it’s absolutely punk without sticking to the typical punk form. Instead, it’s packed with influence from hardcore music and ’70s rock. Since the album is one about family and home, the songs are basically short stories, B-movie horror flicks, and folktales set to music. An engaging project that’s refreshing packs a punch, I’m really glad Dollar Signs stepped out of their comfort zone.
Read my review of Legend Tripping
15. Thirsty Guys – … Out to Lunch
If The Hippos were a skacore band, they would be Thirsty Guys. Featuring members of The Best of the Worst, Thirsty Guys offers them a new avenue to flex their creative muscles. If more aggressive ska music isn’t quite your thing, Thirsty Guys are the perfect gateway drug.
Read my review of … Out to Lunch
14. The Dirty Notion – False Starts & Broken Hearts
It’s been too long since The Dirty Notion released new music. I’m glad the wait is over, because I’ve been listening to them since 2016. With False Starts & Broken Hearts, they haven’t lost a step. Ska, reggae, and rocksteady are the base here, with whiskey-soaked songs about loves lost and found. A griminess in the recording adds an extra level of character. The love and reverence The Dirty Notion has for that classic Jamaican sound is evident with every note.
Read my review of False Starts & Broken Hearts
13. Teenage Halloween – Till You Return
Teenage Halloween isn’t afraid to voice their stance on any topic. They use their powerful and soaring punk arrangements to make you think about important matters. Most of the album focuses on mental health, feelings of isolation, the queer experience in America, bad actors in the music industry, and how governments don’t really support their citizens. Along with finding flaws, they also offer solutions, push for answers, and seek community. The music showcases a lot of pain, angst, and vulnerability, but it also comes with a side order of hope.
Read my review of Till You Return
12. Public Serpents – The Bully Puppet
With The Bully Puppet, I think crack rocksteady as a genre will start regain some of the credibility it lost because of bad actors in the scene. A highly political blend of ska, punk, rocksteady, metal, and hardcore, Public Serpents are one of the best active ska bands today. I love the album’s unapologetic rawness and aggression with the lyrical content. It’s cathartic and a call to arms.
Read my review of The Bully Puppet
11. Frenzal Rhomb – The Cup of Pestilence
The Cup of Pestilence is one hell of a punk album. Clocking in at just over 30 minutes, Frenzal Rhomb blazes through 19 tracks filled with heavy riffs, machine gun drums, pounding bass lines, and their signature blend of lyrical sarcasm and poignancy. Produced at The Blasting Room, the band has never sounded better. I just hope they get back to the USA one of these days to tour.
Read my review of The Cup of Pestilence
10. Sincere Engineer – Cheap Grills
Seriously, how can Chicago have so many good punk bands in one city? It’s just not fair. Sincere Engineer is one of the top bands in the city, and more people should know about them. On Cheap Grills, lead singer Deanna Belos and crew belt out catchy power pop-infused punk music with a dash or two of emo and folk music. The songs feature an additional level of polish that only comes from growing together as a band. Even though the lyrics regularly discuss several sad topics, the album is so damn catchy. You can’t help but to dance, tap your toes, or otherwise be engaged.
9. PWRUP – Just Devils
History will prove Just Devils to be a game-changing album within the realms of heavier skacore. PWRUP sticks works mostly with metal and hardcore elements, but they masterfully blend in ska when it makes sense. The album is highly political and isn’t afraid to let people know. The songs punch you in the face enough to knock you down, but then keep you conscious enough to understand what the band says. With guest stars including members of The Best of the Worst, Dissidente, Death by Stereo, and Voodoo Glow Skulls, this album is a must have for skacore fans.
8. Mustard Plug – Where Did All My Friends Go?
It had been just shy of a decade since Michigan’s Mustard Plug released a new full-length. As bands get older, the temptation to make “safe” albums to keep fans appeased is strong, but Mustard Plug went the opposite direction. With Where Did All My Friends Go?, they released their most vulnerable album to date. The songs discussed getting older and looking back at the good old days, while also pushing forward to what’s next. The band revealed itself to be a bottle of fine wine, getting better with age.
Read my review of Where Did All My Friends Go?
7. The Prizefighters – Punch Up
While The Prizefighters have some modern sensibilities, they wear their vintage influences on their sleeves – traditional Jamaican ska, rocksteady, and reggae. No matter the subject matter, each song on Punch Up is a dance song firmly grounded in ’60s Jamaican music. Given the current political climate, as well as being a band from Minnesota in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, The Prizefighters stepped firmly into the realm of political songwriting on this album. I hope the band continues down this path in the future, as I enjoyed their sociopolitical tunes the most.
6. J. Navarro & The Traitors – All of Us or None
Jay Navarro loves playing music with a passion. How else do you explain the sheer number of bands he’s currently in, much less bands he’s started in the past. The band he splits his time with the most after Suicide Machines is likely J. Navarro & The Traitors. He brings a more punky, reggae, and 2-Tone feel to this group. The rest of the Traitors is an all-star team of some of the best players in Michigan and Ohio. Each of them brings an important element to the band that helps elevate everyone. Lyrically, the record overflows with calls for unity, solidarity, and support in the face of an oppressive world. It’s a battle cry and an inspiration for positive change.
Read my review of All of Us or None
5. Common Sense Kid – A for Effort, E for Attainment
During the height of the pandemic, Common Sense Kid used the extra time at home to learn how to play music. With a debut EP in his back pocket as proof of concept, Common Sense Kid tackled the next natural progression in 2023 – releasing a full-length. While part of his schtick is that he’s not very good, that is nowhere near the truth. A for Effort, E for Attainment features an immense amount of talent. The tracks on the album run the gamut from cheeky ska about relationships to ska-punk, EDM-laced ska songs with heavy Terry Hall influences, and fast-paced punk rock. Personally, I think CSK is at his best when he experiments the most. It’s a fresh take on ska music that gets me excited for what’s next.
Read my review of A for Effort, E for Attainment
4. Omnigone – Against The Rest
Omnigone’s debut album was birthed after lead singer Adam David realized how much he truly enjoyed making music. The result? No Faith. That album was raw, filled with energy, and arrived when I needed it the most. Fast forward to 2023. The follow-up album, Against the Rest, also comes along again at the perfect time. It’s evident Davis is more confident and comfortable in his new role as lead singer and primary songwriter. Everything about Against The Rest improves upon Omnigone’s debut. Carrying the spirit of the East Bay, California punk, ska, and hardcore scenes, Against The Rest is a punch in the face filled with motivation and positive affirmations. Its ultimate goal? To build a welcoming community of like-minded people and make sure you live your life to the fullest. It’s definitely succeeding with me.
Read my review of Against The Rest
3. Codefendants – This is Crime Wave
When forming, the members of Codefendants didn’t want to get pigeonholed into just one musical genre. Thus, each song on This is Crime Wave is a grab bag of styles that fit together extremely well. It’s easiest to say this album blends punk rock with hip-hop, but it’s so much more. The band weaves together new wave, pop, acoustic, electronic, and even flamenco. Thematically, the album focuses mainly on crime, specifically the influences and circumstances driving people people to crime and the personal and social effects crime has on people. It discusses the fentanyl epidemic in America, police brutality, prison, and racism. The album rewards multiple amazing, but tough, listens.
Read my review of This is Crime Wave
2. The Pomps – Bottom of the Pomps
The Pomps are my favorite new (to me) band of 2023. The group released Bottom of the Pomps in February, and it stayed with me the entire year. Their take on ska music is both original and refreshing, as it contains new wave synth, power pop, indie, and 2 tone inspirations. Pairing these influences with ska music made for a refreshing take on my favorite genre of music. Each song is just so infectious and celebrates getting older and being comfortable with, and accepting, the aging process. It’s a sweet reminder that it’s okay to get older. The sooner we embrace it, the better the next chapters of our lives will be.
Read my review of Bottom of the Pomps
1. Flying Raccoon Suit – Moonflower
One way my ADHD manifests itself is through the careful curation of my Top Albums list each year. It’s something I obsess about throughout the year – swapping albums in and out, then back in again. I was reaching a point of satisfaction with my choices, and I just needed to figure out their final order. Then, like an October surprise, Flying Raccoon Suit announced a new album, entitled Moonflower, and put out a few singles leading up the their Bad Time debut.
Over the last few years, Flying Raccoon Suit has not only become one of my favorite ska bands, but also one of my personal favorite bands in general. I couldn’t just give them my number one spot though. They had to earn it. And, boy, did they ever. Moonflower represents an enormous step forward as a band. If Afterglow was Super Mario 3, then Moonflower is Super Mario World – a more complex and layered release that elevates the band like never before. This album is an innovative cornucopia of multiple genres, compelling songwriting, and musical mastery. After listening to it multiple times, there was no other place this album belonged than at my number one spot.
Read my in-depth review of Moonflower and my interview with the band
Beyond the Top 23 Albums – Honorable Mentions
Now, as an added bonus, here are the two albums that would have been 24 and 25 if I wasn’t doing the cutesy “Top 23 of 2023” with this feature. Don’t worry, I’ll be back to only doing Top 25 starting with the 2025 season.
BONUS! In No Particular Order – Top EPs of 2023
And, last, but certainly not least, here’s the list of my favorite EPs in 2023. I usually exclude EPs from my year-end Top Albums list, but there were just so many good ones this year, I couldn’t ignore them completely!
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- Joystick – Dwell
- Devon Kay & The Solutions – Fine, a Ska EP
- Killer Diller – Extended Play
- Fishbone – S/T (2023)
- Mega Infinity – Chaos Magick
- Atlas & Oracle – the 777 Trilogy
- Buena Suerte – El Feeling, El Sueno
- The Casper Fight Scene – Haymaker
- Baby Got Back Talk – Wince, Repeat
- The Belmarks – Ain’t No Coming Back
Now that you’ve read my Top 23 Albums of 2023 Column, feel free to look back at my previous offerings.