12 Rods, If We Stayed Alive
Ryan Olcott revived his critically beloved, turn-of-the-millenium indie rock band with a sleek and tight new album that mined and repurposed old 12 Rods demo, positing what it would have sounded like if the band stayed intact all those years. It sounds just as fresh in 2023 as it did then.
Ber, Halfway
No Twin Cities songwriter sounded like they were having this much fun in the past year as the rising pop artist Ber did on her Halfway EP, which found her eviscerating shitty boys on dating apps and expounding on why “everybody needs a slutphase.” We can’t wait to hear what new Ber-isms are in store in the future.
Bully, Lucky for You
Nashville-via-Minnesota rocker Alicia Bognanno’s solo project, a little grunge and a little punk, reached new heights with this year’s Lucky for You album, a ferocious record that plumbed the depths of grief and addiction to come out the other side on top, fists swinging. It’s an album for the underdogs that still have some fight left in them, teeming with the power of newfound resolve.
Durry, Suburban Legend
There have been many iterations in the musical life of Austin Durry (half of brother-sister duo Durry), but this last one hits the spot as “Who’s Laughing Now” came to light via TikTok in 2021. Their lyrics gaze inward – part introspection, part self-deprecating, part laughing along with the pop-dense tune.
Haley, Hunca Munca
Haley: mother, artist, musician. Call her what you may, but just continue to call her as she sings her heart out on her latest album Hunca Munca. The record may not see many shows surrounding its release, but she seems okay with that and much more relaxed to nest and settle at home than being on the road. It seems so simple, but in a lot of Haley’s work, she hides complicated time signatures, chord changes, and walloping heavy lyrics that hit you right in the gut.
Libianca, Walk Away
The breezy Afrobeats of Libianca were a highlight this year, and we didn’t just notice: The Cameroonian artist captivated TikTok and the internet at large with her mega-viral hit “People” this year, a prelude to her Walk Away EP that is also endlessly replayable.
Lucy Michelle, Womanly
It’s somewhat a surprise that Womanly is Lucy Michelle’s second solo album. The artist has been making music for decades, but it’s always fallen under different umbrellas—Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles, Little Fevers, to name a couple. It took the better part of a decade for Womanly to make an appearance, even getting waylaid by the pandemic, but it was worth the wait to absorb all of the ways Michelle encapsulates what it is like to be a mother in today’s America.
Mae Simpson, Chandelier & Bloom
2023 is a feather in Mae Simpson’s cap, or should we say “Cap Gun”? Simpson’s new album Chandelier & Bloom kicks ass and needles into your mind with her knack for crafting melodies that rival Justin Bieber. When she drops to a low growl, her voice runs parallel to Brandi Carlile and the tunes that flit through Chandelier carries brilliantly carefree joy that you would get running through a field of wildflowers.
The Replacements, Tim (Let It Bleed Edition)
Does an album remixed and remastered from 1985 count? The Ed Stasium mix of Tim captures The Replacements at their peak, and showcases a band that could’ve been if they kept it together instead of blowing apart spectacularly. To many fans, this is the definitive version of the album that could’ve presaged an entirely different era of the Minneapolis band, one that could’ve seen them burn even brighter with bigger hits on the radio. But at least we have this time capsule today.
Toussaint Morrison, The Very Best of Ricky & Jane
Toussaint Morrison is an enigma, someone who can’t be contained in a box, and that seems fine with him. Outside of music, Morrison spends time writing poetry and creating content for social media to bring to light social injustices. Inside of music, his album The Very Best of Ricky & Jane tickles your fancy to get your groove on and out on the dance floor. At times the record is pop and candid, at others it’s lush and orchestral, yet still soft and open enough to hold your thoughts.