2023 is behind us, but we're still reeling from all the great music the year gave us. We've already seen top albums from our DJs and our listeners in the Best of 2023 countdown, but what about the rest of the KEXP staff? Below find lists from the behind-the-scenes crew of KEXP.
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Caroline Rose | The Art of Forgetting | New West Records |
| Jungle | Volcano | Caiola Records |
| boygenius | the record | Interscope |
| The Chemical Brothers | For That Beautiful Feeling | EMI |
| Unknown Mortal Orchestra | V | Jagjaguwar |
| Ratboys | The Window | Topshelf Records |
| Nation of Language | Strange Disciple | PIAS |
| M83 | Fantasy | Mute |
| La Fonda | We Are Infinite | self-released |
| Caroline Polachek | Desire, I Want To Turn Into You | Perpetual Novice |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Durand Jones | Wait Til I Get Over | Dead Oceans |
| Black Belt Eagle Scout | The Land, The Water, The Sky | Saddle Creek |
| Damien Jurado | Motorcycle Madness | Maraqopa |
| Jamila Woods | Water Made Us | Jagjaguwar |
| Kara Jackson | Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love? | September |
| Amtrac | Extra Time | Openers |
| L'Rain | I Killed Your Dog | Mexican Summer |
| Brandee Younger | Brand New Life | Impulse! |
| Squid | O Monolith | Warp |
| Spirit Award | The Fear | Share It Music |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Lil Yachty | Let's Start Here | Quality Control |
| Kelela | Raven | Warp |
| Yo La Tengo | This Stupid World | Matador |
| Yves Tumor | Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) | Warp |
| Nabihah Iqbal | DREAMER | Ninja Tune |
| Jayda G | Guy | !K7 |
| Mitski | The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We | Dead Oceans |
| Eartheater | Powders | Chemical X |
| Blonde Redhead | Sit Down for Dinner | section1 |
| Andre 3000 | New Blue Sun | Epic |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Jessie Ware | That! Feels Good! | Interscope Records |
| Romy | Mid Air | Young |
| Geese | 3D Country | Partisan |
| Arlo Parks | My Soft Machine | Transgressive Records |
| Say She She | Silver | Karma Chief/Colemine Records |
| Young Fathers | Heavy Heavy | Ninja Tune |
| boygenius | The Record | Interscope |
| Jungle | Volcano | Caiola/AWAL |
| Olivia Rodrigo | GUTS | Geffen |
| Caroline Polachek | Desire, I Want to Turn Into You | Perpetual Novice |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Palehound | Eye on the Bat | Polyvinyl |
| Blondshell | Blondshell | Partisan |
| Bully | Lucky For You | Sub Pop |
| Nabihah Iqbal | DREAMER | Ninja Tune |
| Janelle Monae | The Age of Pleasure | Bad Boy |
| Little Dragon | Slugs of Love | Ninja Tune |
| Blonde Redhead | Sit Down for Dinner | section1 |
| Nation of Language | Strange Disciple | PIAS |
| Black Pumas | Chronicles of a Diamond | ATO |
| Slow Pulp | Yard | Anti- |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kara Jackson | Why Does the Earth Give us People to Love? | September Recordings |
| 2 | Agriculture | Agriculture | The Flenser |
| 3 | The Murder Capital | Gigi's Recovery | Human Season |
| 4 | Temachii | flora maniia | self-released |
| 5 | Outer Heaven | Infinite Psychic Depths | Relapse Records |
| 6 | Sufjan Stevens | Javelin | Asthmatic Kitty |
| 7 | Youth Lagoon | Heaven is a Junkyard | Fat Possum Records |
| 8 | Tomb Mold | The Enduring Spirit | 20 Buck Spin |
| 9 | Gia Margaret | Romantic Piano | self-released |
| 10 | Green Gardens | This is Not Your Fault | Come Play With Me |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Miss Grit | Follow the Cyborg | Mute Records |
| L'Rain | I Killed Your Dog | Mexican Summer |
| Mega Bog | End of Everything | Mexican Summer |
| Tanukichan | Gizmo | Company Records |
| SPELLLING | SPELLLING & The Mystery School | Sacred Bones |
| boygenius | The Record | Interscope |
| Blonde Redhead | Sit Down for Dinner | section1 |
| Mitski | The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We | Dead Oceans |
| Yaeji | With a Hammer | XL |
| Palehound | Eye on the Bat | Polyvinyl |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Slowdive | Everything is Alive | Dead Oceans |
| The Album Leaf | Future Falling | Nettwerk |
| Arvo Pärt | Tractus | ECM Records |
| JFDR | Museum | Houndstooth |
| Grian Chatten | Chaos for the Fly | Partisan |
| Emma Anderson | Pearlies | Sonic Cathedral |
| Jonathan Bree | Pre-Code Hollywood | Lil' Chief Records |
| Yussef Dayes | Black Classical Music | Brownswood Recordings/Nonesuch |
| Depeche Mode | Memento Mori | Columbia |
| Lars Vogt & Friends | Live in Heimbach, Volume I & II: Dvořák, Mussorgsky, Saint-Saëns, Shostakovich, Mozart, Brahms, Schumann, Berg, Komarova, et al. | Ondine |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Bombay Bicycle Club | My Big Day | Island, AWAL |
| boygenius | the record | Interscope |
| Caroline Polachek | Desire, I Want to Turn Into You | The Orchard |
| Caroline Rose | The Art of Forgetting | New West |
| Jungle | Volcano | AWAL |
| Jenny Lewis | Joy'all | Blue Note Records |
| Jessie Ware | That! Feels! Good! | EMI |
| Janelle Monae | The Age of Pleasure | Wondaland/Bad Boy/Atlantic |
| Wild Nothing | Hold | Captured Tracks |
| Yves Tumor | Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) | Warp |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Depeche Mode | Memento Mori | Columbia |
| Yves Tumor | Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) | Warp |
| Lil Yachty | Let's Start Here. | Quality Control Music |
| Genesis Owusu | STRUGGLER | (Ourness/AWAL) |
| Jayda G | Guy | Ninja Tune |
| Chemical Brothers | For That Beautiful Feeling | EMI |
| DEBBY FRIDAY | GOOD LUCK | Sub Pop |
| Slowdive | Everything Is Alive | Dead Oceans |
| La Sécurité | Stay Safe | Mothland |
| DAIISTAR | Good Time | Fuzz Club |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Jalen Ngonda | Come Around and Love Me | Daptone |
| The Bug Club | Rare Birds: Hour of Song | Jigsaw Records |
| Blonde Redhead | Sit Down for Dinner | Section1 |
| Geese | 3D Country | Partisan |
| Grrrl Gang | Spunky! | Green Island Music |
| Christian McBride & New Jawn | Prime | Mack Avenue |
| Lil Yachty | Let's Start Here | Motown |
| Sofia Kourtesis | Madres | Ninja Tune |
| Yussef Dayes | Black Classical Music | Brownswood Recordings |
| Goat | Medicine | Rocket Recordings |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caroline Rose | The Art of Forgetting | New West |
| 2 | ANOHNI and the Johnsons | My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross | Secretly Canadian |
| 3 | Blondshell | Blondshell | Partisan |
| 4 | Jessie Ware | That! Feels Good! | Interscope |
| 5 | Jorja Smith | falling or flying | FAMM |
| 6 | Bully | Lucky For You | Sub Pop |
| 7 | Tkay Maidza | Sweet Justice | 4AD |
| 8 | Vagabon | Sorry I Haven't Called | Nonesuch |
| 9 | Young Fathers | Heavy Heavy | Ninja Tune |
| 10 | Sampha | Lahai | Young |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Yo La Tengo | This Stupid World | Matador |
| Rose City Band | Garden Party | Thrill Jockey Records |
| Lil Yachty | Let's Start Here. | UMG Recordings |
| Young Fathers | Heavy Heavy | Ninja Tune |
| Osees | Intercepted Message | In The Red Records |
| The Chemical Brothers | For That Beautiful Feeling | EMI/Virgin |
| Fruit Bats | A River Running To Your Heart | Merge Records |
| Night Beats | Rajan | Suicide Squeeze |
| Hooverii | Pointe | The Reverberation Appreciation Society |
| Psychedelic Porn Crumpets | Fronzoli | What Reality? Records |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Drab Majesty | An Object In Motion | Dais Records |
| Teenage Sequence | Teenage Sequence | Everything Sucks Music |
| The Bug Club | Rare Birds: Hour of Song | We Are Busy Bodies |
| Nation Of Language | Strange Disciple | PIAS |
| Yves Tumor | Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply: Hot Between Worlds) | Warp |
| Beach House | Become | Sub Pop |
| Orbital | Optical Delusion | Orbital |
| Super Passive | Lost Souls Welcome | Circuit Church |
| Film School | Field | felte |
| The New Division | Modern Life | Division 87 Publishing |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Pascuala Ilabaca y Fauna | Porteña | Warner |
| Matorral | Acto Reflejo | Capsula |
| The Waeve | The Waeve | Transgressive |
| Mon Laferte | Autopoiética | Universal |
| Altın Gün | Aşk | Glitterbeat |
| Vanishing Twin | Afternoon X | Fire Records |
| Alex Anwandter | El diablo en el cuerpo | 5AM Records |
| Yussef Dayes | Black Classical Music | Brownswood |
| Avalon Emerson | & the Charm | Another Dove |
| Paramore | This is Why | Atlantic |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jessie Ware | That! Feels Good! | EMI |
| 2 | Roosevelt | Embrace | Counter Records |
| 3 | Say She She | Silver | Karma Chief/Colemine |
| 4 | Sampha | Lahai | Young |
| 5 | Kassa Overall | ANIMALS | Warp |
| 6 | Yaeji | With a Hammer | XL |
| 7 | Black Pumas | Chronicles of a Diamond | ATO |
| 8 | Shabazz Palaces | Robed in Rareness | Sub Pop |
| 9 | Caroline Polachek | Desire, I Turn Into You | Perpetual Novice |
| 10 | Nation of Language | Strange Disciple | PIAS |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | bar italia | Tracey Denim | Matador |
| 2 | ANOHNI and the Johnsons | My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross | Secretly Canadian |
| 3 | Animal Collective | Isn’t It Now? | Domino |
| 4 | Jeff Rosenstock | Hellmode | Polyvinyl |
| 5 | Sufjan Stevens | Javelin | Asthmatic Kitty |
| 6 | Yves Tumor | With Praise a Lord Who Chews but Does Not Consume (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) | Warp |
| 7 | Wilco | Cousin | dBpm |
| 8 | Johnny Osbourne | Right Right Time | Easy Star Records |
| 9 | Home Is Where | The Whaler | Wax Bodega |
| 10 | Youth Lagoon | Heaven Is a Junkyard | Fat Possum |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Y La Bamba | Lucha | Tender Loving Empire |
| 2 | Yves Tumor | Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) | Warp |
| 3 | billy woods & Kenny Segal | Maps | Backwoodz Studioz |
| 4 | Andre 3000 | New Blue Sun | Epic |
| 5 |
Julie Byrne |
The Greater Wings | Ghostly |
| 6 | Kelela | Raven | Warp |
| 7 | Black Belt Eagle Scout | The Water, The Land, The Sky | Saddle Creek |
| 8 | Fit of Body | Far From the Rhythm | 2MR |
| 9 | Mitski | The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We | Dead Oceans |
| 10 | Loraine James | Gentle Confrontation |
Hyperdub, Ltd |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| The Circling Sun | Spirits | Soundway Records |
| James Blake | Playing Robots Into Heaven | UMG Recordings, Inc. |
| King Krule | Space Heavy | Matador |
| Liam Bailey, St Francis Hotel | Enfant Terrible | SFH + LB |
| Slowdive | everything is alive | Dead Oceans |
| André 3000 | New Blue Sun | Epic |
| The Thugs | Holy Cobra Dub | Love Boat Records |
| Resavoir | Resavoir | International Anthem |
| Lil Yachty | Let's Start Here. | Quality Control Music |
| Kassa Overall | ANIMALS | Warp |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slowdive | Everything Is Alive | Dead Oceans |
| 2 | Follakzoid | V | BYM Records |
| 3 | Say She She | Silver | Karma Chief Records |
| 4 | Gorillaz | Cracker Island | Warner Brothers |
| 5 | El Michels Affair & Black Thought | Glorious Game | Truth and Soul Records |
| 6 | Young Fathers | Heavy Heavy | Big Dada |
| 7 | Lil Yachty | Let's Start Here. | Quality Control Music |
| 8 | Jesse Ware | That! Feels Good! | PMR Records |
| 9 | The Budos Band | Frontier's Edge | Daptone Records |
| 10 | Vagabon | Sorry I Haven't Called | Father/Daughter Records |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Sweeping Promises | Good Living Is Coming For You | Feel It Records |
| superviolet | Infinite Spring | Lame-O Records |
| Dusk | Glass Pastures | Don Giovanni |
| Kara Jackson | Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love? | September |
| Slow Pulp | Yard | Anti- |
| Hayden | Are We Good? | Arts & Crafts |
| Slaughter Beach, Dog | Crying, Laughing, Waving, Smiling | Lame-O Records |
| Lewsberg | Out And About | 12XU |
| Dean Johnson | Nothing For Me, Please | Mama Bird Recording Co. |
| Wednesday | Rat Saw God | Dead Oceans |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Isbell | Weathervanes | Southeastern |
| Colter Wall | Little Songs | Black Hole Music |
| Lucero | Should've Learned by Now | Liberty & Lament |
| Turnpike Troubadours | A Cat In The Rain | Bossier City Records |
| Rodney Crowell | The Chicago Sessions | New West Records |
| Hiss Golden Messenger | Jump For Joy | Merge Records |
| Gregory Allen Isakov | Appaloosa bones | Suitcase Town Music |
| Margo Price | Strays | Margo Price |
| Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway | City of Gold | Molly Tuttle |
| Dean Johnson | Nothing for Me, Please | Mama Bird Recording Co. |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| A. Savage | Several Songs About Fire | Rough Trade Records Ltd |
| BCUC | Millions of Us | On the Corner |
| Blonde Redhead | Sit Down for Dinner | section1 |
| Geese | 3D Country | Partisan |
| Heartworms | A Comforting Notion EP | PIAS |
| M83 | Fantasy | Mute |
| No-No Boy | Empire Electric | Smithsonian Folkways |
| Rose City Band | Garden Party | Thrill Jockey |
| Young Fathers | Heavy Heavy | Ninja Tune |
| Yussef Dayes | Black Classical Music | Brownswood Recordings / Nonesuch Records |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| FM Attack | Cosmic | self-released (bandcamp) |
| NAVVI | V | Hush Hush |
| Nation of Language | Strange Disciple | PIAS |
| King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard | The Silver Cord | KGLW |
| Pure Bathing Culture | Chalice | self-released |
| Lusine | Long Light | Ghostly International |
| Omni Gardens | Golden Pear | Moon Glyph |
| Suzanne Ciani & Jonathan Fitoussi | Golden Apples of the Sun | Transversales Disques |
| Mount Maxwell | Littlefolk | Hotham Sound Recordings |
| Altın Gün | Aşk | ATO Records |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Daughter | Stereo Mind Game | Glassnote Records |
| Hannah Georgas | I'd Be Lying If I Said I Didn't Care | Real Kind Records |
| Al Menne | Freak Accident | Double Double Whammy |
| Kesha | Gag Order | Kemosabe Records |
| Fever Ray | Radical Romantics | Mute Records |
| Slow Pulp | Yard | Anti- |
| Mitski | The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We | Dead Oceans |
| Cat Valley | Bingo Queen | Courgette Records |
| Lung | Adult Prom | Lung Records |
| Courtney Barnett | End Of The Day | Mom+Pop |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Everything but the Girl | Fuse | Buzzing' Fly |
| Janelle Monae | The Age Of Pleasure | Bad Boy Records |
| Jorja Smith | Falling Or Flying | FAMM |
| Joni Mitchell | Joni Mitchell At Newport | Rhino Records |
| Black Pumas | Chronicles Of A Diamond | ATO |
| Kassa Overall | ANIMALS | Warp |
| Y La Bamba | Lucha | Tender Loving Empire Records |
| NAVVI | V | Hush Hush Records |
| Gabriels | Angels & Queens | Parlophone |
| Cassandra Lewis | Always All Ways | Low Country Sound |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Jessie Ware | That! Feels Good! | EMI |
| Portugal. The Man | Chris Black Changed My Life | Atlantic |
| The National | First Two Pages of Frankenstein | 4AD |
| The National | Laugh Track | 4AD |
| Nation of Language | Strange Disciple | PIAS |
| Little Dragon | Slugs of Love | Ninja Tune |
| Sofia Kourtesis | Madres | Ninja Tune |
| Jungle | Volcano | Caiola, AWAL |
| Gregory Alan Isakov | Appaloosa Bones | Suitcase Town Music, Dualtone |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Puma Blue | Holy Waters | Blue Flowers |
| Fever Ray | Radical Romantics | Rabid Records |
| ĠENN | unum | Liminal Collective |
| Nabihah Iqbal | DREAMER | Ninja Tune |
| Hania Rani | Ghosts | Gondwana Records |
| Christian Cohle | WETLANDS | N-6 Records |
| Meshell Ndegeocello | The Omnichord Real Book | Blue Note |
| VEiiLA | Sentimental Craving For Beauty | Projekt Records |
| Derek Carr | Archive | Pariter |
| Sofia Kourtesis | Madres | Ninja Tune |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis Owusu | Struggler | Ourness/AWAL Records |
| Caroline Polachek | Desire, I Want to Turn Into You | Perpetual Novice |
| Jessie Ware | That! Feels! Good! | EMI |
| Jungle | Volcano | Caiola Records and AWAL |
| Black Pumas | Chronicles of a Diamond | ATO |
| Sipho | Prayers and Paranoia | Dirty Hit |
| Say She She | Silver | Karma Chief |
| Jalen Ngonda | Come Around and Love Me | Daptone Records |
| Burna Boy | I Told Them... | Bad Habit Records |
| Bully | Lucky For You | Sub Pop |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Tubs | Dead Meat | Trouble In Mind |
| 2 | The Clientele | I Am Not There Anymore | Merge |
| 3 | Spice World | There's No I in Spice World | Meritorio Records |
| 4 | The Smashing Times | This Sporting Life | K, Perennial |
| 5 | Brigitte Calls Me Baby | This House is Made of Corners | ATO |
| 6 | Janelle Monae | The Age of Pleasure | Bad Boy |
| 7 | Coral Grief | Daydrops | Den Tapes |
| 8 | Protomartyr | Formal Growth in the Desert | Domino |
| 9 | Kassa Overall | ANIMALS | Warp |
| 10 | Miss Chain & The Broken Heels | Storm | Wild Honey Records |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Faiyaz | Larger than Life | ISO Supremacy / UnitedMasters |
| Yaeji | With a Hammer | XL |
| Dana and Alden | Quiet Music For Young People | Self-Release |
| Paris Texas | MID AIR | Self-Release (Paris Texas LLC) |
| Y La Bamba | Lucha | Tender Loving Empire Records |
| Nabihah Iqbal | DREAMER | Ninja Tune |
| Kali Uchis | Red Moon In Venus | Geffen Records |
| Sufjan Stevens | Javelin | Asthmatic Kitty |
| Lil Yachty | Let's Start Here. | Quality Control Music / Motown Records |
| Nicki Minaj | Pink Friday 2 | Young Money Entertainment / Republic Records |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Ragana | Desolation’s Flower | The Flenser Records |
| Black Belt Eagle Scout | The Land, The Water, The Sky | Saddle Creek Records |
| Weval | Remember | Technicolour |
| Hammock | Love in the Void | self-released |
| Fvnerals | Let the Earth be Silent | Prophecy Productions |
| Public Memory | Elegiac Beat | felte records |
| Good Weather For An Airstrike | Indian Summer | Valley View Records |
| Mathbonus | Hellband | self-released |
| BIG|BRAVE | nature morte | Thrill Jockey Records |
| Brad | In The Moment That You’re Born | Loosegroove Records |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| FEMI | CULTURA FAMÉLICA | self-released |
| Milo J | 1 1 1 | DALE PLAY Records |
| NAFTA | II | self-released |
| Él Mató a un Policía Motorizado | Súper Terror | Nacional Records |
| Fito Páez | EADDA9223 | Sony Music |
| Tripolar | Usted Señálemelo | Sony Music |
| LVROD :: CRUZ | CAUDAL | self-released |
| EVLAY | 333 | Caraza Records |
| Daniel Caesar | NEVER ENOUGH | Republic Records |
| Slowdive | everything is alive | Dead Oceans |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Moonlight Sorcery | Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle | Avantegarde Music |
| Mortuary Drape | Black Mirror | Peaceville Records |
| Tomb Mold | The Enduring Spirit | 20 Buck Spin |
| Vastum | Inward to Gethsemane | 20 Buck Spin |
| Wayfarer | American Gothic | Century Media |
| Lamp of Murmuur | Saturnian Bloodstorm | Night of the Palemoon |
| Fatigue | Precious Rage | Brainwasher Records |
| Re-Buried | Repulsive Nature | Translation Loss Records |
| Blood Oath | Lost in Eternal Silence | Caligari Records |
| The HIRS Collective | We're Still Here | Get Better Records |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Youth Lagoon | Heaven Is A Junkyard | Fat Possum Records |
| 2 | Hozier | Unreal Unearth | Universal-Island Records Ltd. |
| 3 | Arlo Parks | My Soft Machine | Transgressive Records |
| 4 | Sufjan Stevens | Javelin | Asthmatic Kitty |
| 5 | Mitski | The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We | Dead Oceans |
| 6 | boygenius | The Record | Interscope Records |
| 7 | Sigur Rós | Átta | Von Dur - BMG |
| 8 | Jungle | Volcano | Caiola Records |
| 9 | Yves Tumor | Praise a Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume | Warp |
| 10 | Gorillaz | Cracker Island | Warner Records |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Cable Ties | All Her Plans | Merge Records |
| feeble little horse | Girl with Fish | Saddle Creek |
| Ivy | Apartment Life Demos | Bar None Records |
| La Fonda | We Are Infinite | self-released |
| Land of Talk | Performances | Saddle Creek |
| La Sécurité | Stay Safe! | Mothland |
| Los Campesinos! | NO BLUES | Wichita Recordings |
| The Replacements | Tim (Let It Bleed Edition) | Rhino |
| Subsonic Eye | All Around You | Topshelf Records |
| Winter | What Kind of Blue Are You? Remixes | Bar None Records |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Maltese | Driving Just to Drive | Tonight Matthew |
| 2 | Alan Palomo | World of Hastle | Mom + Pop |
| 3 | Video Age | Away From the Castle | Winspear |
| 4 | M83 | Fantasy | Mute Records |
| 5 | Wild Nothing | Hold | Captured Tracks |
| 6 | Hard Light | Drop Nineteens | Wharf Cat Records |
| 7 | Nabihah Iqbal | DREAMER | Ninja Tune |
| 8 | Beach Fossils | Bunny | Bayonet Records |
| 9 | Unknown Mortal Orchestra | V | Jagjaguwar Records |
| 10 | Rodrigo y Gabriella | In Between Thoughts...A New World | ATO |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thee Retail Simps | Live on Cool St | Total Punk |
| 2 | Sweeping Promises | Good Living is Coming for You | Feel It/Sub Pop |
| 3 | billy woods & Kenny Segal | Maps | Backwoodz Studioz |
| 4 | Tee Vee Repairman | What's on TV? | Total Punk |
| 5 | MIKE | Burning Desire | 10k |
| 6 | XV | On the Creekbeds On the Thrones | Ginkgo |
| 7 | Earl Sweatshirt & the Alchemist | Voir Dire | Tan Cressida/ALC |
| 8 | Tyvek | Overground | Ginkgo |
| 9 | Larry June & the Alchemist | The Great Escape | The Freeminded/ALC |
| 10 | Famous Mammals | Instant Pop Expressionism Now! | Siltbreeze |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Kelela | Raven | Warp |
| La Dame Blanche | Atómica | Nacional |
| Sofia Kourtesis | Madres | Ninja Tune |
| Meshell Ndegeocello | The Omnichord Real Book | Blue Note |
| ANOHNI and the Johnsons | My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross | Secretly Canadian |
| Brandee Younger | Brand New Life | Impulse! |
| Fever Ray | Radical Romantics | Mute |
| Jenny Lewis | Joy'All | Blue Note |
| Jayda G | Guy | Ninja Tune |
| Beverly Glenn-Copeland | The Ones Ahead | Transgressive |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Jess Williamson | Time Ain't Accidental | Mexican Summer |
| Julie Byrne | The Greater Wings | Ghostly International |
| Rahill | Flowers At Your Feet | Big Dada |
| Noname | Sundial | self-release |
| Fine | don't talk just be hot | self-release |
| Caroline Polachek | Desire, I Want To Turn Into You | Perpetual Novice |
| L'Rain | I Killed Your Dog | Mexican Summer |
| Molly Burch | Daydreamer | Captured Tracks |
| Taylor Swift | 1989 (Taylor's Version) | Self-Re-Release |
| Juan Wauters | Wandering Rebel | Captured Tracks |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Caroline Polachek | Desire, I Want To Turn Into You | Perpetual Novice |
| Pardoner | Peace Loving People | Bar None Records |
| Hotline TNT | Cartwheel | Third Man Records |
| Tanukichan | Gizmo | Company Records |
| MSPAINT | Post-American | Convulse Records |
| Superviolet | Infinite Spring | Lame-O Records |
| Genesis Owusu | STRUGGLER | OURNESS/AWAL Recordings Ltd |
| 100 Gecs | 10,000 Gecs | Dog Show Records/Atlantic Records |
| Sword II | Spirit World Tour | Teen Metal Soundboard |
| Greg Mendez | Greg Mendez | Forged Artifacts |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Jungle | Volcano | Caiola Records |
| Hozier | Eat Your Young | Rubyworks |
| Mudhoney | Plastic Eternity | Sub Pop |
| Bad Bunny | Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Manana | Rimas |
| Janelle Monáe | Age of Pleasure | Wondaland |
| Mumu Fresh | Vintage Babies | The Vintage Babies |
| King Gizard & the Lizard Wizard | PetroDragonic Apocalypse | KGLW |
| Kim Petras | Feed the Beast | Amigo Records |
| The Beaches | Blame My Ex | Island |
| Nation of Language | Strange Disciple | PIAS |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| The Chemical Brothers | For That Beautiful Feeling | Republic |
| Black Pumas | Chronicles of a Diamond | ATO |
| DAIISTAR | Good Time | Fuzz Club |
| Golden Features | Sisyphus | Foreign Family Collective |
| James Blake | Playing Robots into Heaven | Polydor |
| Jungle | Volcano | Caiola/AWAL |
| Lusine | Long Light | Ghostly International |
| Roosevelt | Embrace | Counter / Ninja Tune |
| Say She She | Silver | Karma Chief / Colemine |
| Sofia Kourtesis | Madres | Ninja Tune |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Say She She | Silver | Colemine Records |
| Cable Ties | All New Plans | Merge Records |
| The Hives | The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons | Disque Hives |
| Stephanie Anne Johnson | Jewels | Independent Label |
| Dean Johnson | Nothing For Me, Please | Mama Bird Recording Co. |
| Surprise Chef | Education & Recreation | Big Crown Records |
| Raw Poetic | Space Beyond the Solar System | Redefinition Records |
| Medejin | The Garden | Medejin Music Records |
| Tallest Man on Earth | Henry St. | ANTI- |
| Black Pumas | Chronicles of a Diamond | ATO |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geese | 3D Country | Partisan |
| 2 | Jeff Rosenstock | Hellmode | Polyvinyl |
| 3 | JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown | Scaring the Hoes | AWAL |
| 4 | Sufjan Stevens | Javelin | Asthmatic Kitty Records |
| 5 | Squid | O Monolith | Warp |
| 6 | Black Country New Road | Live at Bush Hall | Ninja Tune |
| 7 | Danny Brown | Quaranta | Warp |
| 8 | Mitski | The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We | Dead Oceans |
| 9 | King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard | PetroDragonic Apocalypse | KGLW |
| 10 | boygenius | The Record | Interscope |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Gabriel Teodros | From the Ashes of Our Homes | self-release |
| Arlo Parks | My Soft Machine | Transgressive Records |
| Black Pumas | Chronicles of a Diamond | ATO |
| Christian McBride’s New Jam | Prime | Mack Avenue |
| Dean Johnson | Nothing for Me Please | Mama Bird Recording Co |
| Jorja Smith | falling or flying | FAMM |
| Kelela | Raven | Warp |
| Noname | Sundial | self-release |
| Shabazz Palaces | Robed in Rareness | Sub Pop |
| WITCH | Zango | Desert Daze Sound |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nation of Language | Strange Disciple | PIAS |
| 2 | Black Belt Eagle Scout | The Land, The Water, The Sky | Saddle Creek |
| 3 | Slowdive | everything is alive | Dead Oceans |
| 4 | Roosevelt | Embrace | Counter Records |
| 5 | Arlo Parks | My Soft Machine | Transgressive |
| 6 | Jenny Lewis | Joy'All | Blue Note Records |
| 7 | Jamila Woods | Water Made Us | Jagjaguwar |
| 8 | Belle and Sebastian | Late Developers | Matador |
| 9 | Yves Tumor | With Praise a Lord Who Chews but Does Not Consume (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) | Warp |
| 10 | Jungle | Volcano | Caiola AWAL |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| boygenius | the record | Interscope |
| Deeper | Careful! | Sub Pop |
| Ryuichi Sakamoto | 12 | Milan |
| Jalen Ngonda | Come Around and Love Me | Daptone |
| Foo Fighters | But Here We Are | Roswell |
| Caroline Polachek | Desire, I Want to Turn Into You | Perpetual Novice |
| Skrillex | Quest For Fire | OWSLA/Atlantic |
| Everything But the Girl | Fuse | Buzzin' Fly/Virgin |
| Cecile McLorin Salvant | Mélusine | Nonesuch |
| Guided By Voices | Nowhere To Go But Up | GBV Inc |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Hotline TNT | Cartwheel | Third Man Records |
| Elvis Depressedly | Who Owns the Graveyard | self-released |
| Youth Lagoon | Heaven Is A Junkyard | Fat Possum Records |
| Tanukichan | Gizmo | Company Records |
| Cory Hanson | Western Cum | Drag City |
| Rippedd | maybe in another life? | electricity |
| yeule | softscars | Ninja Tune |
| Fiddlehead | Death is Nothing to Us | Run For Cover Records |
| Film School | Field | Felte |
| Flyying Colours | You Never Know | Poison City Records |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Hammock | Love in the Void | Hammock Music |
| Explosions in the Sky | End | Temporary Residence Limited |
| Sigur Rós | ÁTTA | Von Dur and BMG Rights Management |
| Grails | Anches En Maat | Temporary Residence Limited |
| The Album Leaf | Future Fallings | Eastern Glow Recordings |
| Youth Lagoon | Heaven Is a Junkyard | Fat Possum Records |
| Fred again.. and Brian Eno | Secret Life | Text Records |
| Lusine | Long Light | Ghostly International |
| Benjamin J. Rosenbach | Compositions for Moog Semi-Modular | N/A |
| Symbol | I Am Humble and Powerful | Mystery Circles |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avalon Emerson | & The Charm | Another Dove |
| 2 | Bella Boo | DreamySpaceyBlue | Studio Barnhus |
| 3 | Rozi Plain | Prize | Memphis Industries |
| 4 | Pangaea | Changing Channels | Hessle Audio |
| 5 | K-Lone | Swells | Wisdom Teeth |
| 6 | Speakers Corner Quartet | Further Out Than The Edge | OTIH Records |
| 7 | Conic Rose | Heller Tag | Conic Rose |
| 8 | Calibre | Rudy | Signature |
| 9 | Sampha | Lahai | Young |
| 10 | Two Shell | lil spirits | Mainframe Audio |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Avalon Emerson | & the Charm | Another Dove / One House |
| Bully | Lucky for You | Sub Pop Records |
| Caroline Polachek | Desire, I Want To Turn Into You | Perpetual Novice |
| Christine and the Queens | Paranoia, Angeles, True Love | Because Music |
| The Dare | The Sex EP | Republic Records |
| The Japanese House | In the End It Always Does | Dirty Hit |
| Key Glock | Glockoma 2 | Paper Route / EMPIRE |
| Samia | Honey | Grand Jury Music |
| Sauce Walka | Sauce Ghetto Gospel 3 | The Sauce Familia / EMPIRE |
| SZA | SOS | Top Dawg Entertainment |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis Owusu | STRUGGLER | OURNESS |
| Wednesday | Rat Saw God | Dead Oceans |
| Dreamer Isioma | Princess Forever | AWAL |
| Deerhoof | Miracle-Level | Joyful Noise Recordings |
| Slow Pulp | Yard | Anti- |
| Ratboys | The Window | Topshelf Records |
| Sampha | Lahai | Young |
| Sir Chloe | I Am The Dog | Atlantic Records |
| Black Belt Eagle Scout | The Land, The Water, The Sky | Saddle Creek |
| yeule | softscars | Ninja Tune |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis Owusu | Struggler | OURNESS |
| El Michels Affair featuring Black Thought | Glorious Game | Big Crown Records |
| Jalen Ngonda | Come Around and Love Me | Daptone Records |
| BJ the Chicago Kid | Gravy | Reach The World Records |
| boygenius | The Record | Interscope |
| Shabazz Palaces | Robed in Rareness | Sub Pop |
| Bar Italia | The Twits | Matador |
| Yussef Dayes | Black Classical Music | Nonesuch |
| Nation of Language | Strange Disciple | PIAS |
| Killer Mike | Michael | Loma Vista Recordings |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Petty | Into The Great Wide Open | Geffen Records |
| 2 | Pixies | Frank Sinatra | September Of My Years |
| 3 | Pixies | Surfer Rosa | 4AD |
| 4 | Temple Of The Dog | Temple Of The Dog | A&M Records |
| 5 | Blue Scholars | Blue Scholars | self-released |
| 6 | Loma | Loma | Sub Pop |
| 7 | Marilyn Manson | Holy Wood | Interscope |
| 8 | N.W.A | Straight Outta Compton | Priority Records |
| 9 | Melvins | Houdini | Atlantic |
| 10 | Charlie Parr | Cheap Wine | Charlie Parr LLC |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Dean Johnson | Nothing For Me, Please | Mama Bird |
| Rose City Band | Garden Party | Thrill Jockey |
| The Sons of Rainier | Take Me Anywhere | Self-Released |
| Mapache | Swinging Stars | Innovative Leisure/Calico Discos |
| Mikaela Davis | And Southern Star | Kill Rock Stars |
| FIDLAR | That's Life EP | Self-Released |
| Who Is She | Goddess Energy | Father Daughter Records |
| Sam Blasucci | Off My Stars | Innovative Leisure/Calico Discos |
| Laith | Lightning | Fluff and Gravy Records |
| Margo Cilker | Valley Of Heart's Delight | Fluff & Gravy |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Abraxas | Monte Carlo | Suicide Squeeze |
| WITCH | Zango | Desert Daze Sound |
| Sextile | Push | Sacred Bones |
| Hooveriii | Pointe | Reverbaration Appreciation Society |
| Kölsch | I Talk to Water | Kompakt |
| Robbie Robertson | Killers of the Flower Moon | Masterworks |
| Frankie & The Witch Fingers | Data Doom | RAS / Greenway |
| Nation of Language | Strange Disciple | PIAS |
| Ritmo Cascabel | Self Title | Coolarrow Records |
| Various Artists | Pop Ambient 2024 | Kompakt |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nation of Language | Strange Disciple | PIAS |
| 2 | Spencer Krug | I Just Drew This Knife | Pronounced Kroog |
| 3 | Fruit Bats | A River Running to Your Heart | Merge Records |
| 4 | Belle & Sebastian | Late Developers | Matador Records |
| 5 | The New Pornographers | Continue as a Guest | Merge Records |
| 6 | Matt Maltese | Driving Just to Drive | Tonight Matthew |
| 7 | James | Be Opened By The Wonderful | Nothing But Love Music |
| 8 | Beirut | Hadsel | Pompeii Records |
| 9 | Bully | Lucky for You | Sub Pop Records |
| 10 | boygenius | the record | Interscope Records |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Portugal. The Man | Chris Black Changed My Life | Atlantic Recording Corporation |
| Jungle | Volcano | Caiola Records under exclusive license to AWAL Recordings Ltd |
| Milky Chance | Living In A Haze | Muggelig Records GmbH |
| Black Pumas | Chronicle of a Diamond | ATO |
| Pahua | Habita | Nacional Records |
| Lusine | Long Light | Ghostly International |
| Youth Lagoon | Heaven Is a Junkyard | Fat Possum Records |
| Olivia Rodrigo | GUTS | Geffen Records |
| The New Pornographers | Continue As a Guest | Merge Records |
| Rodrigo y Gabriela | In Between Thoughts...A New World | ATO |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Angelica Garcia | El Que/ Y grito | Partisan |
| 2 | Cleo Sol | Heaven | Forever Living Originals |
| 3 | Shabazz Palaces | Robed in Rareness | Sub Pop |
| 4 | Meshell Ndgeocello | The Omnichord Real Book | Blue Note |
| 5 | Altin Gun | Ask | ATO |
| 6 | James Blake | Playing Robots in Heaven | Polydor |
| 7 | Slowdive | Everything is Alive | Dead Oceans |
| 8 | Black Pumas | Chronicles of a Diamond | ATO |
| 9 | Black Belt Eagle Scout | The Land, The Water, and The Sky | Saddle Creek Records |
| 10 | Janelle Monae | Age of Pleasure | Bad Boy Records |
| artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit Bats | A River Running to Your Heart | Merge Records |
| Boygenius | the record | Interscope Records |
| Big Thief | Vampire Empire/ Born For Loving You | 4AD Ltd |
| Lana Del Rey | Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd | Universal Music Operations Limited |
| Gregory Alan Isakov | Appaloosa Bones | Dualtone Music Group |
| Olivia Rodrigo | Guts | Geffen Records |
| Durand Jones | Wait Til I Get Ovrt | Dead Oceans |
| Jungle | Volcano | Caiola Records |
| Chappel Roan | The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess | KRA International Inc |
| Lil Yachty | Let's Start Here. | Quality Control Music |
2023 is behind us, but we're still reeling from all the great music the year gave us. We've already seen top albums from our DJs and our listeners in the Best of 2023 countdown, but what about the rest of the KEXP staff?
Albina Cabrera from El Sonido and all the Latin 'cosas' at KEXP selected 50 must-listen albums, EPs, and compilations of the year. Take a look at the eclectic music of 2023 that once again demonstrates the musical prowess of Latin America, Spain, and the global diaspora in creating generational ant…
2023 is coming to a close, and it's time for the KEXP DJs to share their Top Albums of the year.
