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The CHIRP Blog
Sarah Spencer writesCHIRP Radio’s Best of 2023: Sarah Spencer
Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2023. Our next list is from DJ & Special Events Co-Director Sarah Spencer.
2023 was another great year for music. When it comes time for me to decide my top 10 list, that fact becomes a bit of a challenge. And it's a great challenge to have! My approach this year was to go with the records that a) I played the most, and b) the records that really stayed with me this year. It's in that spirit that I present my top ten albums of 2023:
#1 Hit Parade by Róisín Murphy (Ninja Tune)
If I'm going to choose my top record, it's got to be the one that I played the most this year. I would be embarrassed to venture a guess as to how many spins I’ve given this LP so far. It’s a masterpiece six years in the making: a collaboration with DJ Koze that will undoubtedly influence the genre for years to come. I’ve been following Róisín Murphy‘s career for the better part of the last 25 years and this is without a doubt her best record. She’s at the top of her musical game. For a woman who just turned 50 this year, that’s an incredible achievement. That’s not to say, this album is without its problems, and unfortunately, those have nothing to do with the music. I’ll leave it to you to read the background, but suffice to say as a result you won’t find this record on a lot of top 10 lists this year. While I don’t share her opinion, Róisín's comments reveal her stance on a topic of active debate in her home country of Ireland; while controversial, the comments were not hateful in nature. At a time when Pablo Picasso has a current exhibit at the Art Institute, and a newly finished John Lennon song is all the rage, it feels entirely inappropriate and over-the-top to censor Róisín Murphy.
subtextclapper writesCHIRP Radio’s Best of 2023: Matthew Jaccarino
Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2023. Our next list is from Assistant Music Director Matthew Jaccarino.
#1 Maps by Billy Woods & Kenny Segal (Backwoodz Studioz)
Bobby Evers writesCHIRP Radio’s Best of 2023: Bobby Evers
Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2023. Our next list is from CHIRP DJ Bobby Evers.
I always struggle with narrowing down a ranking of the best albums of the year. There was a lot I didn't get to and a lot that didn't quite make the cut, even though it was perfectly resplendent and full of talented production, songwriting and good vibes. Alas! Here it is.
#1 The Loveliest Time by Carly Rae Jepsen (Interscope)
If you told my high school self that my musical taste would primarily become dominated by POP, he might have have just died of emabrassment right there. But here's the thing: the genre of pop has never been better, and CRJ proves that with her latest b-side entry to her 2022 album, The Loneliest Time. This album had everything, from synth hooks, to heartbreak anthems, to certified bops and bangers galore. Her b-side albums are always somehow better than her a-side albums, and I am here for it.
DJ Duggery Presents the Frontiers of Weird writesCHIRP Radio’s Best of 2023: DJ Duggery
Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2023. Our next list is from Weekly DJ DJ Duggery.
Eyo eyo, sup y'all? Man, what a year. Going into my top 10s, I looked back at what I listed from last year and...yeesh, I haven't listened to half of those in, well, a year. So we tried to hone it down to the ones that I think'll really stick with the lot of us. There were some funky jelly jams this year, let's give 'em a lil' gander. Hope ya enjoy!
#1 DJ E by Chuquimamani-Condori (self-released)
I've been saying it for years, the future of electronic music lies in the hearts and souls of latine trans women. Maybe I'm a bit biased as a nonbinary latine person myself, but Chuqumamani-Condori (Elysia Crampton)'s new release has solidified my opinion to a fine diamond. Experimental, future-forward maximalist club deconstructions seep through this record to create a new sound that I can truly say I've never heard before or since. It's challenging for sure, but if you stick with it this album can change your entire perception of what music can sound like. At least, that's what it did for me.
Eric Wiersema writesCHIRP Radio’s Best of 2023: Eric Wiersema
Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2023. Our next list is from DJ/Assistant Music Director Eric Wiersema.
At the risk of sounding cliche, 2023 was a great year for music! To be fair though, during my seven-year tenure with CHIRP, I can’t recall a bad year for music. As a DJ and an Assistant Music Director, I consider myself extremely lucky to be exposed to around 20 great new albums per week and always having an endless supply of great music from all genres at my fingertips. However, this blessing can also be a curse during the year-end list season. I often struggle to remember everything I listened to throughout the year and the nonstop influx of new music makes it increasingly difficult for even some of the best albums to have the staying power they deserve. After an extensive review of my vinyl and streaming habits this year, I still managed to come up with quite a few albums that left a lasting impression and will be revisited for years to come. As an accountant by trade, I like lists and rankings, but please take this order with a grain of salt. I probably already changed my mind ten times before this list was published!
#1 The Window by Ratboys (Topshelf)
The only album on my list whose ranking most definitely won’t change is my AOTY, the fifth and latest release from our hometown heroes, Ratboys. I have been a huge fan of this alt-country/emo outfit ever since I first discovered them six years ago when a band photographer friend brought me to their GN album release show. I was instantly blown away and went straight to the merch table to pick up a vinyl copy immediately after the show. Every subsequent album has been better than the previous and The Window is no exception. It is insanely catchy, heartfelt, and frontwoman Julia Steiner’s twangy vocals perfectly compliment their incomparable blend of folk, country, and emo. Favorite Tracks: “Morning Zoo”, “Crossed That Line”, “It’s Alive!” “The Window”