Another year is finishing up and @RockBodElec wouldn't be a proper music site if we didn't end the year with a "Best Of" list, so RtBE presents 2023's Favorite Albums Part 1 (Honorable Mentions and Let Downs):
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Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen all the way through. We know these are a dying breed, but it still is the way we consume music, no shuffle, Spotify, AI curated playlists, or streaming for us.
These are the albums that just missed out on being included in our top ten favorite for the year (coming soon). After some very excellent albums, we have a few releases from artists we dig, which we were let down by.
Like all of our lists or 'best of'' these are meant to start conversations, not end them...
In no particular order:
These unique, LA rockers put out some interesting tunes on their 2023 album Data Doom. A mix of post punk, psych rock and afrobeat? Don't mind if we do.
A nice, catchy collection of breezy, Nashville inspired tunes. Not earth shattering, but a fun ride from Lewis this go around.
A good slice of midwestern indie rock in the vein of The Replacements.
Some solid post punk mixed with lots of Sleater-Kinney inspiration, a very good record from Cable Ties.
Kyle Roussel - Nola A La Mode
A cool solo jazz piano release from one of the best doing it in NOLA today.
A really solid record with a lot of excellent songs from one of the best songwriters in any genre.
A great throwback, metal/hard rock album that has a killer cover and spirit. Bang your head accordingly.
A cool mix of jazz and NYC downtown rock from this collection of immensely talented players.
Bombino returns with more Tuareg guitar greatness. Another solid album from him and his band.
A cool instrumental album that has it's foot in the jamband world, a touch of jazz and a heaping of older rhythm and blues eras (Stax/Motown/Muscle Shoals). A fun listen.
A really great slice of pop rock with pop-punk influences. Excellent songwriting from this up and coming band.
Dynamite, noisy, revved up rock from The Kills. God Games is their first album in a long time, and it is a good one.
The 90 year old American legend is still putting out great music, this cover album is a testament to that.
The Let Down's:
Now for the bad news...some albums that let RtBE down...we had high hopes for these...no dice. These are by no means the worst albums of the year; they are just from artists RtBE like/respect that went a different route which we didn't particularly care for.
There are always releases RtBE does not particularly like that others seem to, but these let downs are harder for us to swallow because these are artists we enjoy, love, or at least respect:
Now for the bad news...some albums that let RtBE down...we had high hopes for these...no dice. These are by no means the worst albums of the year; they are just from artists RtBE like/respect that went a different route which we didn't particularly care for.
There are always releases RtBE does not particularly like that others seem to, but these let downs are harder for us to swallow because these are artists we enjoy, love, or at least respect:
Love the cover, not a fan of the music. With this and her last album, Price seems to be going through a transitional time and while these didn't hit home with us musically, we will be there to see where she lands next.
With WE ARE Batiste soared to fame and GRAMMY love. With World Music Radio, he went for it all and wound up well short, so it goes, at least he is trying, and like Price he is an artist we will always check out.
A pretty tame, bordering on dull, affair from these long running indie rockers.
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