February. The perfect time to look back at the last year in music!

Previously, on ROTY: ROTY 2023, ROTY 2022.

SONGS OF THE YEAR playlist available now on Spotify and Apple Music.

That’s right. There are 12 of them. Not just because they fit in a nice 4×3 grid. I just don’t know where I’d even start if I had to rank them, and I think all 12 are worthy of the title Record of the Year. Here’s a bit about each, plus a list of other records I enjoy and recommend. All lists are in alphabetical order by artist.

a place for owls - how we dig in the earth

The journey of this record takes us from an admission of struggle, to the opportunity of struggle. It’s okay to not be okay. Name it, accept it, turn to a trusted friend. Have faith as you reach out to your people. Have faith as you reach out and put your hands in the soil and begin the work of cultivating the world you want to see. A kinder, loving world where our shared humanity is celebrated. The Manchester Orchestra comparisons are fitting but after two great records in three years, A Place For Owls isn't the next anyone. They are the first APFO. Beautiful, intense, sincere.

Annabel - Worldviews

After almost ten years since their last LP, Annabel came roaring back this year sounding better than ever. Part midwest emo, part jangly pop, all completely worth the wait. It is criminal that they have less than 1,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.

Combat - Stay Golden

A concept record full of meta and self-referential lyrics, Stay Golden is a sharp, smart, ambitious, explosive blast of emo/punk from Baltimore. I saw them live in October and it was one of the best sets I saw all year.

Downhaul - How to Begin

Downhaul blends alt, country, folk, and emo into songs and stories that are elemental; How to Begin is full of motifs like plants, leaves, roots, trees, fire, water, and the sun, but also full of images of everyday life and huge, catchy hooks.

The Dreaded Laramie - Princess Feedback

Their live shows are absolutely electric, and they’ve captured that fun and humor on their debut LP, while also unleashing their trademark double barrel guitar shredding attack.

Ekko Astral - Pink Balloons

This record is a special, seismic event. It is moving, it is gripping, it is fierce, it is defiant, it is relentless. It finds joy in harsh experimentation, it flips the finger around each corner, it jumps and thrashes against the world and against itself, living on the edge of brutal and bittersweet. It engages in clever wordplay at times and takes direct aim at others. It takes the ominous overstimulation and confusing chaos of the world, talks justified shit, and adds just the right layers of humor and snark while remaining dead serious that “nothing’s funny anymore.” The line “I have friends still hiding while you throw a parade” is a loud, haunting statement that speaks to just how far we still have to go for trans equality in this world. The Josaleigh Pollett guest appearance on the final track only adds to the greatness. May the aftershocks reverberate for years.

Megan From Work - Girl Suit

The bridge of the title track: "I'd rather be honest than consistent." The record is both as it speaks to the genderqueer experience of "feeling the pressure to perform in ways that are both consciously and unconsciously imposed on you." This record is a tender punk blast of hope and a beacon of positivity.

Mister Goblin - Frog Poems

There are some people who just know how to write a pop song, and Sam Goblin is one of those people. Fans of Liquid Mike, The Sidekicks, and Owen, this one is for you. A guy with a guitar writing clever, catchy, poppy tunes. I can’t resist a song about getting stoned at Olive Garden and eating until you puke; I can’t resist a song that mentions one of my favorite things, Magic: the Gathering; and a song called “Mike Shinoda” that features a sample of Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park) is just good shit. Whether full band or solo, holding back or charging forward, these are just damn good songs.

MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks

I think everything has been said about this one already. A great example of hype matching reality. "It gets dark, we all got work to do."

Restorations - S/T

Just a massive rock record. The band has never sounded better. Criminally underrated. This is a rock record’s rock record. It’s got urgent vocals, wistful lyrics, hooks everywhere, big guitars, bouncy keys; these songs sound massive. You’ll find your arms pounding the air drums before your brain has even caught up. This is a career achievement. This is a culmination of everything that came before. Self-releasing and self-recording this finds the band self-refreshed. There’s a moment in the opening track where the band steps on the gas (“now all your friends are living in the wild / now all your friends are living in the clouds”) and they don’t let up until the slow, repeated ring out of the ninth and final track, where they coast downhill to victory, arms raised in the air. Triumph.

Teens in Trouble - What’s Mine

What’s Mine is a record that is fuzzy, dynamic, warm, and full of poppy, anthemic jams. The old Weezer influence can be heard all over these tracks in both the music and the lyrical content. These songs are open and inviting, and feel like a big hug from an old friend who understands just how hard it can be to exist some days. Lizzie Killian seamlessly folds big hooks and even bigger riffs into her relatable songs about being “a weirdo,” feeling out of place, and playing back on loop those embarrassing things you said out loud. We’ve all been there. A guest spot from PUP’s Stefan Babcock on the opening track is perfect. In “Playlist,” a standout track, she sings about human connection via music playlist (“if this is how to be close to you / I wanna know what you’re listening to”) which is beautiful, and also the reason I write this blog. That’s what it’s all about. “I’ve got my own thing going / if everyone is gone / I’ve got me / it’s just me,” she sings on “Awkward Girl.” Teens in Trouble has their own thing going for sure, with an incredible debut record that marries classic vibes with something new and exciting.

Tiny Stills - We Really Felt Something

This band makes such sad songs sound so fun. These songs are there for you as the world is literally and figuratively melting down but you’re putting on a brave face and trying to navigate life with grace and love and friendship.

So Many More Bangers!

I recommend you bookmark this. Pick one. Check it out. Come back. Pick another. Repeat.

95COROLLA - LONG TIME LISTENER / FIRST TIME CALLER
The Arrival Note - …Home is so Far From Here
Autumn Rhythm - Nothing Gold
Blushing - Sugarcoat
Bottom Bracket - I’m So Afraid of Where
Bright Eyes - Five Dice, All Threes
Buddy Bench - Dibs on First Rips!
Carly Cosgrove - The Cleanest of Houses Are Empty
Carpool - My Life in Subtitles
Charly Bliss - Forever
Chelsea King - I’ll Meet You in Dreams
Cliffdiver - birdwatching
Coral Moons - summer of u
Cuni - Prescribed Burn 
Diva Bleach - We Don’t Talk About It EP
Gulfer - Third Wind
Haunt Dog - Filbert
Heart to Gold - Free Help
I Saw the TV Glow soundtrack
Liquid Mike - Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot
Louisa Stancioff - When We Were Looking
Macseal - Permanent Repeat
Mallcops - Vacationland
Merce Lemon - Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild
Mud Whale - Humans Pretending to be Human
Noise Beneath the Floor - WHAT IF I’M ALWAYS GONNA BE THIS WAY
Origami Angel - Feeling Not Found
oso oso - Life Till Bones
Perennial - Art History
phoneswithchords - The Speed of Time
Pouty - Forgot About Me
Razor Braids - Big Wave
Riley! - Keep Your Cool
So Totally - Double Your Relaxation
Strelitzia - Winter
Talking Kind - It Did Bring Me Down
VIAL - burnout
Virginity - Bad Jazz
Wild Pink - Dulling the Horns
Worlds Greatest Dad - Better Luck Next Time 

I look forward to listening to all of these more into this new year and falling even more in love with some. I’m sure there’s other good shit I missed and I can’t wait to discover it soon. If there’s something I need to hear, let me know. I always love how some records on this longer list end up becoming favorites.