1. “Taxes” – Noah Jones
Noah Jones debuts his solo project with the new and ephemeral single, “Taxes.” Released 2/19/24, “Taxes” boasts composition, lyrics, writing, and instrumentation from Noah Jones- alongside some pearly production from Jay Hurtt VI.
The track opens with eerily comforting harmonies and a dazzle of keys before a funky drum beat sets the song to motion.
Within the chamber of keys and swirling psychs, Jones sings, “go to college, get a job, pay your taxes, and bury your heart.” He manages to make the mundane sound anything but, and there’s a wisdom amidst the Wonder-esque callbacks and other signature sounds from The Psycodelics.
As the track builds and blends, we’re showered with an array of diverse instrumentation from interesting percussion to strange synths. You can get lost in it all as Jones sings, “People come and they go / cogs in the machine.” He continues, “see what matters to most / doesn’t matter at all to me.”
It’s a brilliant beginning to what I hope is a long journey and I’m eager to see what’s next for the young artist.
2. “leaves” – i will be pretty when i die
The quietly intimate “leaves” is breathtaking in the sense that its power comes from barely a breath. As we’re rocked to sleep by guitar strumming, a voice in the background remarks, “I feel like I’ve been sleeping forever.” 2 minutes and 3 seconds are gone in the blink of an eye as this song slips by in elusive vocal trails. Something truly beautiful. This is my most streamed song of all time.
3. “Hell of a Ride” – Nourished by Time
We spear through shimmering synths on the opener to Nourished by Time’s newest project “Catching Chickens EP.” Time can’t seem to stand still as the beat shifts from swift to slo-mo on this track. “Hell of a Ride” melds R&B and hypnagogic pop into a beautiful display of personality for Marcus Brown. It’s also just a total bop.
Nourished by Time’s Erotic Probiotic made our top ten list for best albums of 2023.
4. “Rosey” – Breach Inlet
Jackson Wise makes a long-awaited return with a 4 track Demo EP from his new band Breach Inlet. Joined by Jake Phillips on drums and Parviz Faiz on bass, the SLC emo rockers bring us in with gentle slowcore before shoegazin’ it up over a sea of distortion, drowning us in screams. The track is tender and thorny, like a rose- exploding into an intimate post-punk performance from Wise. The track ends the way it began, a lullaby of slowcore.
This song is also really special to me because I recall sitting in a boatyard in late December of 2023 hearing Wise perform an acoustic rendition of “Rosey”. Now, chalk full of effects, the track hits hard.
5. “Are You Looking Up” – Mk.gee
Minimalist guitar driven lo-fi indie rock with R&B hooks in every vocal melody. In the background, behind jangling guitars, a lively arcade sounds off.
After emerging in constant rotation, I find that the words summon themselves as Mk.gee sings,
“What’s keeping you fenced off?
And who’s got the power in your mind?
How’re you gonna waste it all?
When somebody’s playing to no one every night
So are you looking up? Are you asking why?
‘Cause if you wanna go then baby go wide”
6. “Solitary” – Breach Inlet
Doom and gloom sink in between guitar riffs and impassioned vocals from the one and only Jackson Wise (the boat goat). The opening lines of this track (and therefore the EP) make this an america spanning project- with the band name, Breach Inlet, residing on Kiawah Island in South Carolina and the Golden Gates out in San Francisco, California. Screams and distorted riffs battle it out for dominance on this bellowy trip to the bottom as Wise sings, “this ship is going down.” As the track comes to an end, all that remains is the sound of flushed out feedback
7. “#RICHAXXHAITIAN” – Mach-Hommy
The lead single and title track “#RICHAXXHAITIAN” couldn’t be more deserving of its position. No one is rapping like Mach-Hommy. Period. KAYTRANADA’s beatwork is erratic, in constant flow, providing the perfect backdrop for Mach-Hommy and 03 Greedo to rattle out banger bars. As the two tag team between verse and chorus, the track doesn’t lose the slightest bit of momentum, catapulting us forward with every switch off.
8. “Poison-Soaked” – Nourished by Time
Feels like we’ve gotten lost in a Coctea Twins song where, instead of Elizabeth Fraser’s bewitching vocals, we’re enchanted by Marcus Brown’s buttery voice. All the while, we’re washed away in a current of synthesizer. It’s a gorgeous piece of psychedelia and a real chiller.
Nourished by Time’s Erotic Probiotic made our top ten list for best albums of 2023.
9. “River Ain’t Safe” – villagerrr
Wholesome words wind around the listener while acoustic guitar melodies rock us back and forth. Every piece of this song, from the vocal hook at the start, to the rolling piano, to the closing words of the album, “that was the end,” is just perfect. The lyrics on this one ring through clean on villagerrr’s most polished album to date. “River Ain’t Safe” is a song that would’ve fit in seamlessly on Alex G’s ‘God Save The Animals.’
10 “On God (feat. Earl Sweatshirt and Tony Shhnow)” – MIKE
“Stop sellin’ them phones that’s wired to the federal government”
MIKE, Earl Sweatshirt, and Tony Shhnow sliiiiide on Tony Seltzer’s electric trap beats On God, on god! First off, it’s Earl opening with the chorus as he raps, “I’m in it first”, then it’s MIKE with an insane verse to follow up. Earl pops back in dropping his opening chorus and then finally it’s Tony Shhnow coming in with the mix up flow before one more chorus from Earl. It’s an incredibly dense yet concise display of skill in under 2 and a half minutes.
MIKE’s Burning Desire made our top five list for best albums of 2023.
11. “The Show” – Cry Baby
Guitar lines on “The Show” rip through a vortex of polished indie pop production, blasting us out of supercharged verses into blissful choruses. There’s always something happening in the track as it spins in your headphones alongside vocal cuts and sparks of guitar. Cry Baby is a #rockband.
12. “euphoria” – Kendrick Lamar
“Am I battling ghosts or AI?”
13. “bones&all” – temptress
Raw and raring to go- “bones&all” opens dirt-teen with grit and speed. The track, which clocks in at just under 2 minutes, pairs perfectly with the skeletal album art of the project. Alex Dee’s lo-fi approach to production coupled with her angsty guitarwork and punkish vocal delivery makes this a total banger for your next skate compilation.
14. “Alesis” – Mk.gee
Bumpin’ gainy bass sets the stage for illustrious vocals to tear up the track. Mk.gee is unpredictable in his experimentation, only managing to reign in these wildcard sounds through succinct song structure. As voices swirl in the background, the song opens to a portal into the night. To enter, one must simply listen.
15. “Crashing Through” – Friko
It’s just that. Crashing through walls of steel as we blaze forth from “Crimson to Chrome” into “Crashing Through.” The riffs pick up quick as we fast forward through the shortest 3 minute and 44 second song ever. Huge shoutout to David Fuller who’s now touring with Friko as their bassist. Charleston loves ya!
16. “Backroom (nightcore)” – Rex Laurent
I’m not ashamed. Not only did I discover this song on tiktok, I also freaking love nightcore. The earworms in this song rule- and if that’s not what hyperpop is about, I don’t know nothin’. I honestly see a great potential in Rex Laurent and I’m excited to hear what comes next.
17. “Mary Jane” – PINKIE
Charleston punk rockers Lyla Carpenter and Alex Dee have been tearing it up the past year, with plenty of projects between the two of them from Dee’s temptress to Carpenter’s Lefty Lucy. This collaboration making it to streaming marks the end of their rocking days as PINKIE but it’s left us with this sick ass track. Rock music!
Fun Fact: PINKIE played the very first NCC show!
18. “The Expanse” – maticulous & Hus KingPin
The beat instantly transports you into the city. As you slick under the night sky and street lights, Hus KingPin raps about luxury and the streets- casting himself as a dreamer. The track pulls from Dilla styles, letting soul samples sing free in the background. Hus KingPin also credits Portishead as a huge influence for his music.
19. “Right Back To It” – Waxahatchee & MJ Lenderman
Two of the biggest forces in alt country right now joined forces to give us “Right Back To It”. As banjo rips throughout the whole track, Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman trade off hooks, sharing sweet sentiments about a love they can’t seem to shake. And to 1 million Waxahatchee fans with “Right Back To It” on loop, this is that “song with no end.”
“Song of the summer” -Mr. Jackson Wise
20. “Love On The Outside” – Wishy
An adrenaline rush manifested through crashing cymbals, groovin’ basslines, tender vox, and ripping shoegazey riffs that erupt into epic guitar solos… Yup, “Love On The Outside” has got it all. The songwriting on this track is so cool. Wishy is so cool.
Wishy made two spots on our year end list for 2023.
21. “krillin” – They Are Gutting A Body Of Water (TAGABOW)
Whispered gain and glowing guitars wail throughout the corridors of this track. It all coalesces in a classic shoegaze sound as we hear a hollow “I will make it” dive through the mix. Rips.
22. “I do not pray” – Rex Laurent
As we dance through hypnotic trip hop, melodic hooks run aplenty- catching earworms with every line. It’s one of those tracks that’s simply bound to get stuck in your head, causing you to run up the track over and over.
Rex Laurent you will always be famous.
23. “have your say” – sunnbrella
Sparks fly on sunnbrella’s newest Valentine’s Day single, “have your say.” With 3 minutes and 40 seconds to work with, the song darts through breakbeats and bursts of guitar. These breakaways are blissful and feel so fitting to the track’s motion throughout. As we approach the end, ”have your say” coalesces into a storm of washed out shoegaze sounds and angelic vocals. A perfect soundtrack for any futuristic city free-running you may get up to.
sunnbrella’s Heartworn was one of our two AOTYs for 2023.
24. “Halo Flip” – Vegyn
Vegyn has succeeded tremendously in creating house music with heart. “Halo Flip” offers a hand to the lost with its lyrical content, issuing a promise of return,
“And even when you disappear you know that you can come right back
And when your fear starts creeping in well you can call like that
Cos you’re my brother and that way I know it’s all on track
And when we drift and fall away still know it’s just like that”
The track’s opening words admittedly hit me hard with the lines, “I was seven years old / I blinked I was 23.” Time seems to be passing faster than ever now.
25. “cicadas” – i will be pretty when i die (Goth Lipstick + Gustavo Nome)
The delicate and aptly named “cicadas” meanders between soft intimate songwriting and muted screams from the background. Clementine Teare sings, “I love you like a bug in a bottle / I love you even if it’s just a little / I see how the leaves all sing for you” overtop beautiful acoustic playing as digitized sounds cry from afar. It’s a choice many would stray away from but it pays off in spades here to create a tumultuous sense of emotion.
26. “Fool” – Adrianne Lenker
Adrianne Lenker is one of the best songwriters of our generation (if not simply of all time).
As she story-tells about the passage of time and her friends growing up, she does so with a wonderful sense of motion, sprung forward by gorgeous fingerpickin’ and Lenker’s chipper vocal approach. Her music sounds like life.
27. “Earthly” – Glitterspitter
This track walks the eternal question of: “is it dreampop or is it shoegaze?” On “Earthly”, we’re lifted up into the clouds, where we’re Poured Back into Heaven. Soft ethereal guitars fill the soundscape while vox trail alongside. For such an unknown artist to be making such amazing music, I really believe they’ve got the world ahead of ‘em.
28. “Talk To Me Nice” – Slim S.O.U.L & Caminator
Slim S.O.U.L drops bars over a D’angelo type beat with a minimalist execution to really let Cam Wescott’s bass playing speak. As the track grows, they use voices to paint vibrant sounds throughout, entwining in RNB magic.
29. “Neverrr Everrr” – villagerrr, Merce Lemon
“This is the beginning”, these are the first words we hear on “Neverrr Everrr” as we dive into the world of Tear Your Heart Out. The track churns in blissful indie folk as it unveils itself in Mark Allen Scott and Merce Lemon’s dueted storytelling.
30. “Dusk” – Chelsea Wolfe
The first two minutes of this track are a gentle slow burn that ignites in epic guitar riffs. Whispered words that seem to carry the weight of the world paint the inferno around Wolfe as she sings, “I will go through the fire.”
Honorable Mentions:
“Dream police” – Mk.gee
“river” – i will be pretty when i die
“Knock Yourself Out XD” – Porter Robinson
“Like That” – Future & Metro Boomin Featuring Kendrick Lamar
“KLTB 333” – Kid Lake
“2014 ford ranger” – 1kboducka
“broken black kids with big dreams” – wont stop dreaming.wsd
“At The Bottom” – Wadaness
“I’m A Man” – Kim Gordon
“Joke” – the apology club
You can listen to 100 of our favorite songs from the year so far on the playlist below!
We will continue to update, curate, and rank our favorite tracks throughout the year.
