#NewMusicFriday: Favorites of 2023

December 22, 2023 Michael Lavorgna #NewMusicFriday

Each Friday, Stephen Mejias, AudioQuest’s Director of Communications and former Stereophile and Audiostream columnist, will browse through the many exciting albums released that day and select 15 worth a closer listen.

To cap off 2023, we’ve put together a highlight playlist of some of our favorites from across the year. Happy listening!

Listen on Qobuz

  1. “Chet Baker” by Esther Rose from Safe to Run
  2. “220180512” by Mac DeMarco from One Wayne G
  3. “Greyhounds” by DM Stith from Fata Morgana
  4. “Lost Keys” by Nicole Yun from Matter
  5. “It’s Amazing” by Lucie Antunes from Carnaval
  6. “Slouching Toward Bethlehem” by Devon Church from Strange Strangers
  7. “Be On Your Way” by Daughter from Stereo Mind Game
  8. “Answered Prayer” by Dinner Party from Enigmatic Society
  9. “Difficult Grace” by Seth Parker Woods from Difficult Grace
  10. “HI 5” by Frost Children from SPEED RUN
  11. “160” by Nakibembe Embaire Group from Nakibembe Embaire Group
  12. “Cowboy in London” by Allie Crow Buckley from Utopian Fantasy
  13. “Cowboy Grass” by Jeffrey Silverstein from Western Sky Music
  14. “I. Allegro ma non troppo (Cadenza: Dueñas)” by María Dueñas from Beethoven and Beyond
  15. “sunrise mtn” by Jenny Owen Youngs from OFFAIR: from the forest floor
  16. “Alone (feat. Madison Cunningham)” by Rufus Wainwright from Folkocracy
  17. “When She Dance” by Jayda G from Guy
  18. “Glóð” by Sigur Rós from ÁTTA
  19. “black joy” by Aja Monet from when the poems do what they do
  20. “Love Reaches Out” by A Place To Bury Strangers from See Through You
  21. “Solid Gold” by Miles Miller from Solid Gold
  22. “Jelly Road” by Blake Mills from Jelly Road
  23. “My Favorite Things (Live)” by John Coltrane from Evenings At The Village Gate: John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy
  24. “Moon Journey” by Mort Garson from Journey to the Moon and Beyond
  25. “Pink (From Barbie The Album)” by Lizzo from Pink (From Barbie The Album)
  26. “We Are Giants” from Half Japanese from Jump into Love
  27. “Why Am I Alive Now?” by ANOHNI from My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross
  28. “I Inside the Old I Dying” by PJ Harvey from I Inside the Old Year Dying
  29. “Keyboard Sonata in G Minor, Kk. 12” by Sergio Gallo from D. Scarlatti: Complete Keyboard Sonatas, Vol. 27
  30. “Evergreen” by Duane Betts from Wild & Precious Life
  31. “HEALMODE” by Jeff Rosenstock from HELLMODE
  32. “Did You Know” by Alabaster DePlume from Come With Fierce Grace
  33. “A Spell, A Prayer” by Corinne Bailey Rae from Black Rainbows
  34. “Ten Billion People” by Explosions In The Sky from End
  35. “Crush On You Pt. II” by Maura Weaver from I Was Due For A Heartbreak
  36. “In ár gCroíthe go deo” by Fontaines D.C. from Skinty Fia go deo
  37. “Pon di Plaza” by Yussef Dayes from Black Classical Music
  38. “Milk & Honey” by Mick Harvey from Phantasmagoria in Blue
  39. “Say You Love Me (Live at the Fabulous Forum, Inglewood, CA, 08/29/77” by Fleetwood Mac from Rumours Live
  40. “Can’t Love Wrong” by Nanci Griffith from Poet In My Window
  41. “shake my bones” by Matana Roberts from Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the garden…
  42. “Free Love” by Irreversible Entanglements from Protect Your Light
  43. “hold me down” by NoName from Sundial
  44. “20220302 – sarabande” by Ryuichi Sakamoto from 12
  45. “SANCTUS- Holy, Holy, Holy” by Angel Bat Dawid from Requiem for Jazz
  46. “Kandy” by Fever Ray from Radical Romantics
  47. “Muhammad Ali’s Spiritual Horizon” by Wadada Leo Smith from Fire Illuminations
  48. “borealis dancing” by Jaimie Branch from Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))
  49. “The Number 3 (Live at Sydney Opera House)” by Khruangbin from Live at Sydney Opera House
  50. “River” by Bonnie Montgomery from River
  51. “Love Theme (4K VHS)” by Mandy, Indiana from i’ve seen a way
  52. “Cool About It” by boygenius from the record
  53. “Love Is” by Mega Bog from End of Everything
  54. “My Love Mine All Mine” by Mitski from The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
  55. “დრო [Time]” by Beqa Ungiadze from ს ა დ გ უ რ ი [Station]
  56. “Pet Rock” by L’Rain from I Killed Your Dog
  57. “Summer Glass” by Julie Byrne from The Greater Wings
  58. “Turquoise Galaxy” by Yussef Dayes from Black Classical Music
  59. “Meteora Blues” by Yves Tumor from Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
  60. “Tell Somebody” by Young Fathers from Heavy Heavy
  61. “Elimination Dances” by Protomartyr from Formal Growth In The Desert
  62. “FOMO” by Maple Glider from I Get Into Trouble
  63. “Weak In Your Light” by Nation of Language from Strange Disciple
  64. “Welcome To My Island” by Caroline Polachek from Desire, I Want To Turn Into You
  65. “Ninety Three ‘Til Infinity And Beyoncé” by André 3000 from New Blue Sun
  66. “Dimensional Collapse” by Salami Rose Joe Louis from Akousmatikous
  67. “Follow the Cyborg” by Miss Grit from Follow the Cyborg
  68. “Capable of love” by PinkPantheress from Heaven knows
  69. “Haruspex” by Maria BC from Spike Field
  70. “Virgo” by Meshell Ndegeocello from The Omnichord Real Book
  71. “Dreamer” by Laufey from Bewitched
  72. “Fool’s Gold” by Yazmin Lacey from Voice Notes
  73. “Lipstick Lover” by Janelle Monáe from The Age of Pleasure
  74. “The Grants” by Lana Del Rey from Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd
  75. “Bluebirds Revisited” by Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band from Dancing on the Edge