Top 20 Favorite Albums from 2023: The Viewer's Choice List!

My Viewer's Choice list for 2023.  These albums were curated from the identical pool of albums that I went through this year, but were selected by my viewership through the same selection process that I used.  I love that its significantly different than mine.  In truth, I get to live a bit vicariously through it, because I really do love all these albums, but they just got edged out for one reason or another

Are you not entertained?

Below is the Viewer's Choice playlist, which includes selections from both the mid-year top 12 and the Top 20.

2024 Album Preview Series - Tier 1: Part 1 of 12

An overview of the music that will shape my listening for 2024, including:

Peter Gabriel - i/o (Dark Side Mix) (2023) Foxygen - Hang (2017) The Night Terrors - Pavor Nocturnus (2014) Billy Woods and Kenny Segal - Maps (2023)

And the all-new for 2024 Dr. Spin Radio!

Favorite Albums of 2023 Part 2: The Top 10

A motley crew of albums make up this year's top 10! Including (alphabetically)

Adventures of Jet - Part 3: Coping With Insignificance Alvvays - Blue Rev Beauty Pill - Blue Period Crown Lands - Fearless Colin Hay - Going Somewhere Jantra - Synthesized Sudan Lunatic Soul - Through Shaded Woods The Lemon Twigs - Everything Harmony Xenia Rubinos - Una Rosa Steven Wilson - The Harmony Codex

Below is a curated playlist culled from the Top 20 and Honorable Mentions.

Favorite Albums of 2023: Part 1 - #'s 20-11

A thoroughly vetted list of my favorite music of 2023, including (alphabetically):

100 Gecs - 10,000 Gecs Laurie Anderson - Big Science The Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca Brendan Eder Ensemble - Therapy Gunship - Unicorn HHY & the Kampala Unit - Lithium Blast Mammoth WVH - Mammoth II Trevor Rabin - Push Soccer Mommy - Sometimes, Forever WITCH - Zango

Dr. Spin's TikTok

And below - a playlist of selections from this list. We'll complete it next week.

2024 Album Roundup Series: Previews of Coming Attractions

New music - too late for 2023 consideration....but 2024?

Richard Wright - Wet Dream (1978) Chvrches - Screen Violence (2021) Babadoobie - Fake It Flowers (2020) Massive Attack - Mezzanine (1998) Sanam - Aykathani Malakon (2023) Venetian Snares - The Chocolate Wheelchair Album (2003)

And presenting... the newly minted 2024 Radio playlist!

2023 Album Showdowns: Viewer's Choice Tier 7 Results

Its very exciting to announce the results of my Viewer's Choice results for tier 7.  Just like the prime bracket, this group of albums will go on to the Viewer's Choice Finals for the top 20 of 2023 list.  The participants all started with a bracket identical to the prime one, and its fascinating to see how the two lists have diverged and converged.  

Vulfpeck - Thrill of the Arts VS. Drums & Tuba - Box Fetish

Vulfpeck - Thrill of the Arts

Gunship - Unicorn VS. The Lemon Twigs - Everything Harmony

Lemon Twigs - Everything Harmony

Khruangbin - Mordechai VS. Arlo Parks - My Soft Machine

Khruangbin - Mordechai

Witch - Zango VS. Mong Tong - Tao Fire

Witch - Zango

Steve Reich - Runner/Music for Ensemble and Orchestra VS. Weyes Blood - And in Darkness, Hearts Aglow

Weyes Blood - And in Darkness, Hearts Aglow

MammothWVH - Mammoth II VS. Crown Lands - Fearless

MammothWVH - Mammoth II

Steven Wilson - The Harmony Codex VS. Yes - Mirror to the Sky

Steven Wilson - The Harmony Codex

Panchiko - D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L VS. Charlotte Wessels - Tales from Six Feet Under v. 1&2

Charlotte Wessels - Tales from Six Feet Under v. !&2

Aiming for Enrike - Empty Airports VS. Alvvays - Blue Rev

Alvvays - Blue Rev

Sigur Ros - Atta VS. Astronoid - Radiant Bloom

Sigur Ros - Atta

Lisa Bella Donna - Destinations VS.Frank Sinatra - Watertown

Frank Sinatra - Watertown

Beverly Glenn-Copeland - The Ones Ahead VS. Chouk Bwa & the Angstromers - Somanti

Beverly Glenn-Copeland - The Ones Ahead

The Fall Top 12: Full Tier 7 Results - and All the Shorts!

What's that?

You want all the Tier 7 results in the same place?

Actually, me, too.

Let's GOOOO.

This final Fall tier produced what is essentially a Top 12 list for Fall of 2023.  These results will move forward to the Finals to be compared with the Mid-Year Top 12, along with another 12 saves, and produce the 2023 Favorites list.  

I have experimented on and off for the past year and a half with creating short posts that cover a bit of my thought processes with the showdowns.  I think I developed a format that I feel OK with and have been posting them on TikTok and the Reels circuit.   In the interest of time management, however, I limited them to this tier (also partially to tier 3 earlier this year).  I’ve embedded the entire series below for your convenience (with three left to go that I will post once I have completed them).

I’ve had fun making them - what do you think?

By the way, I know I called all these showdowns Tier 6. Let's keep that blunder between us, shall we?

Anamanaguchi - Endless Fantasy VS. Black Country, New Road - For the First Time

Black Country, New Road - For the First Time

@drspin317

Tier 6 winners head to thethe finals! #anamanaguchi #blackcountrynewroad #music #showdown

♬ original sound - Dr Spin

Khruangbin - Mordechai VS. Arlo Parks - My Soft Machine

Khruangbin - Mordechai

@drspin317

Tier 6 winners head to the finals! #khruangbin #arloparks #music #review #showdown

♬ original sound - Dr Spin

Colin Hay - Going Somewhere VS. Robert Plant - Lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar

Colin Hay- Going Somewhere

@drspin317

♬ original sound - Dr Spin

MammothWVH - Mammoth II VS. 88Kasyo Junrei - SYG88

MammothWVH - Mammoth II

@drspin317

Both great albums, but only one shall pass. Tier 6 winners qualify for the 2023 Finals! #mammothwvh #88kasyojunrei #music #review #showdown

♬ original sound - Dr Spin

Ekiti Sound - Drum Money VS.Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals - King Cobra

Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals - King Cobra

@drspin317

Tier 6 winners head to the finals! #ekitisound #infinityknives #brianennals #music #review

♬ original sound - Dr Spin

Nordic Giants - Build Seas, Dismantle Suns VS. Astronoid - Radiant Bloom

Astronoid - Radiant Bloom

@drspin317

Tier 6 winners head to the finals! This is the third of twelve showdowns. #nordicgiants #astronoid #music #review

♬ original sound - Dr Spin

Beauty Pill - Blue Period VS. Faye Webster - I Know I’m Funny…Haha

Beauty Pill - Blue Period

@drspin317

♬ original sound - Dr Spin

Lisa Bella Donna - Destinations VS. Gentle Giant - In’terview

Lisa Bella Donna - Destinations

@drspin317

Tier 6 showdown with a bit of an upset! Link to my YT channel in the bio. #lisabelladonna #gentlegiant #music #review #showdown

♬ original sound - Dr Spin

Trevor Rabin - Rio VS, Steven Wilson - The Harmony Codex

Steven Wilson - The Harmony Codex

@drspin317

Really tricky showdown, but I do have a favorite that will go on to the finals! Link to my YT channel is in my bio. #stevenwilson #trevorrabin #music #review #showdown

♬ original sound - Dr Spin

The Sun Ra Arkestra - Living Sky VS. HHY & the Kampala Unit - Lithium Blast

HHY & the Kampala Unit - Lithium Blast

Vulfpeck - Thrill of the Arts VS. Drums & Tuba - Box Fetish

Vulfpeck - Thrill of the Arts

Gunship - Unicorn VS. The Lemon Twigs - Everything Harmony

The Lemon Twigs - Everything Harmony