{"id":3409,"date":"2024-01-06T12:16:18","date_gmt":"2024-01-06T20:16:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/?p=3409"},"modified":"2024-01-06T15:38:27","modified_gmt":"2024-01-06T23:38:27","slug":"rankstravaganza-my-30-favorite-songs-of-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/2024\/01\/rankstravaganza-my-30-favorite-songs-of-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Rankstravaganza: My 30 Favorite Songs of 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Back when I got paid to write about music, back when such things were possible, I always made an effort to seek out new bands, try new genres, and talk to the kids about what they were listening to. I thought <\/em>I was doing a decent job of continuing that endeavor, even as my paycheck no longer depended on it. I thought <\/em>I was still growing and stretching and discovering. But what do I find as 2023 gives way to 2024? That when I tally up my most-played artists of the last year, the vast majority of my Top 10 is basically indistinguishable from my Top 10 most-payed artists from 20 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A year ago<\/a>, I lamented that my year-end list was dominated by styles and sounds well within my musical comfort zones, but at least it was populated by new artists trading in the familiar and nostalgic. This year it’s literally the same bands and songwriters that I loved in my 20s. Is it my fault they insist on still putting out strong, fresh material 20 years on? Am I supposed to just ignore a new The Hold Steady album and pretend I don’t like it better than Lil Yachty or whatever? What am I, Rolling Stone<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damn it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s what I can promise you: The songs on this list are all well crafted, worthy of attention, and a rewarding listen. And (outside the Top 10), there’s a fair number of local, independent, Oakland and East Bay musicians that I discovered in the last year via Bandcamp before all that got ruined<\/a> by debt financing and union busting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damn it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For your listening convenience, here is a Spotify playlist of the complete countdown, or if you prefer, you can follow this link to listen on YouTube Music<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n