Time for another annual album round-up! What can I say, 2023 has been an exciting year for rock! While metalheads keep waffling about Sleep Token, I'll remember it by subgenres like Zoomergaze and "bubble grunge" getting more traction.
For this album list, we'll focus on what we like to put under the rock umbrella, which includes the likes of alt-rock, pop-punk, post-punk, grunge and shoegaze. Not so much metal or hipster indie. If that sounds alright, then feel free to follow along!
PONY - Velveteen
According to my Spotify Wrapped, "bubble grunge" was one of my top genres this year, and I suspect that bands like PONY are what this would refer to.
Not to be confused with the Scots Dead Pony, PONY is a Canadian band describing their music as "glitter power-pop". The whole 90s aesthetic is really popular right now but I'd say PONY is more than just another 90s revival band. Most of all, their music is positive, and upbeat and gets you in a great mood with its sprawling energy.
For anyone wondering about the album title, it may or may not be a nod to Transvision Vamp's '89 album of the same name, I honestly don't know.
Regardless, Velveteen is a pure joy to listen to and the perfect album for these dark times when the whole bloody world seems upside down. Standout tracks: Sucker Punch, Sick, French Kiss, Très Jolie, Do it Again ... the whole damn album, really.
Black Honey - A Fistful of Peaches
Brighton quartet Black Honey has a thing for '70s movie aesthetics. Something that becomes quite clear if you watch any of their videos.
Sonically, they're more reminiscent of fuzzy garage and indie-rock of the 90s, though. Black Honey's third album A Fistful of Peaches is really solid with no fillers. It's churned out no less than six singles so far, including Heavy, Up Against it (video included below), Out of My Mind, OK, Charlie Bronson and Tombstone. Album tracks like Cut the Cord and Rock Bottom are great choices should they decide to expand their repertiose of even more singles.
Cemented Minds - The Future Is the End
Cemented Minds is a French Post-Punk quartet with a guitar player based in Linz, Austria. They debuted with an EP in 2019 and in 2023 came their first full-length effort. The music is very melodic and has a bit of an 80s vibe to it, that brings early Killing Joke and U2 to my mind.
Check out the video for the song A Hooded Witness below!
RedHook - Postcard From a Living Hell
Sydney quartet RedHook's mission is to make music you can mosh to. While I'm not a big fan of either moshing or hardcore dancing, I can appreciate the energy and punch in this band's catchy blend of modern alt-rock with a touch of metalcore. The single Jabberwocky was one of my favourite tracks of the year, and other tunes like Imposter, The Critic and SAY are also definitely worth a few spins!
ARXX - Ride Or Die
Female alternative pop-rock duo ARXX caught my attention last summer (2022) with the brilliant single Deep with its clever use of guitar effects (tremolo in the choruses and phaser for that underwater sound in the bridge, I would guess...for the fellow guitar geeks) that made it very memorable. In 2023 the full-length album Ride Or Die finally saw the light of day, and it's pretty darn solid debut album.
The loud, riff-heavy title track (that drops F-bombs like a MF) features some more of that sweet tremolo, as does God Knows. The album is a pretty chill listen for the most part.
Other standout tracks for me include Baby Uh Huh, Not Alone, The Last Time, What Have You Done.
Hundred Reasons - Glorious Sunset
Two decades have passed since the UK's post-hardcore treasure Hundred Reasons dropped their beloved debut album Ideas Above Our Station.
To celebrate, they not only took fellow contemporaries in Hell Is For Heroes and My Vitriol for a Spring tour in 2023 but also released a brand spanking new album called Glorious Sunset.
The title track and also lead single of the LP gave a taste of a more polished, and effect-laden sound that made them almost sound like U2 or something. The band also shows it has aged (or matured, however you see it) a bit with songs that are more mellow and melancholic than their former works. On tracks like It Suits You, they bring back their rockier sound for a bit, though.
Frontman and vocalist Colin Doran spoiled us with new music from his side project They Fell From the Sky in 2021, and fans of Hundred Reason's heavier, more energetic songs might actually prefer that album over this. Still, both are great in their own right. With regards to both bands, I wished the guys would actually appear in their videos, though. Especially since they've been away from the spotlight for so long, they tend to get really anonymous and forgettable with these generic, animated videos.
Iggy Pop - EVERY LOSER
Starting to feel old lately? Check out Iggy Pop and snap the F outta it! The old grandfather of punk is pushing 80 and still kicks rectum.
The first taste of the 2023 album Every Loser was the aptly titled Frenzy - a song that made it damn clear; Uncle Pop can still rock your socks off. Even when he does more mellow and melodic songs, like the following single Strung Out Johnny, he still knows how to keep it interesting with a haunting guitar line and rocking choruses. Reminds me a bit of the song Tsunami by the Manic Street Preachers during the mellow parts. Very enjoyable and dynamic album overall, mixing raw Stooges-esque punk with more melodic tracks.
Standout tracks: Strung Out Johnny, Frenzy, All the Way Down, Comments
VV - Neon Noir
Ville Valo of Finnish gothic rock band HIM fame, caught me a bit off guard with his 2023 solo effort Neon Noir, released under the acronym VV. I never got deep into HIM's music, but this album has some darn good tunes on it, including the singles Echolocate Your Love, the title track Neon Noir, as well as The Foreverlost. Throughout the long stretch of the LP, I would have liked a bit more edge to it, though, especially during the latter half of the album where it gets a bit stale and samey, making me lose the engagement somewhat.
Wayside - What Does Your Soul Look Like
Australian alternative rock duo Wayside formed in 2017 when high school best friends Thomas Davenport (vocals) and Josh Ehmer (guitar) came together after years of playing in various other bands around Melbourne. The duo draws inspiration from alternative rock/emo (and 2000s nu-metal, apparently, something I can't quite hear...maybe a bit of Deftones' more melodic songs?) and their sound has a strong emphasis on modern shoegaze elements.
What Does Your Soul Look Like is the band's second album, and it's very solid. It has some great melodies to it, mixed with heavy detuned guitar riffs. The whole record is played in drop-C, apparently.
Pærish - You're in both dreams (and you're scared)
Staying on the same sort of blend of shoegazy alt-rock as the aforementioned Wayside, French quartet Paerish dropped their third full-length album in 2023. It's big, loud and beautiful and has the typical soft-loud dynamic you know and love of classic grunge bands of the '90s.
The album lures you in with the tune pretty, melodic Sequoia that slowly builds up to a bigger and bigger sound. Then it hits you with three singles in succession; Daydreaming, Houses of American Style (video included below), and Still There, making you hooked.
Also check out Narrow Head's 2023 album Moments of Clarity, listed further down if you like this type of sound.
We Are Scientists - Lobes
Dance rock trio We Are Scientists debuted in the mid-2000s, but are quite new acquaintances to me. Their 2023 album Lobes is among the most electronically flavoured efforts so far with synths and drum machines being equally important as guitars. Lobes undeniably has a fair share of 80s synth-pop nostalgia in its soundscapes, and the songs are upbeat, fun and lighthearted.
Check out the video for Turn it Up below.
Foo Fighters - But Here We Are
Foo Fighters and frontman Dave Grohl especially, has had a rough time since their last record; the dance-friendly Medicine at Midnight, followed by the disco live cover album Dee Gees/Hail Satin, both of which came out in 2021. Since then, both the band's drummer Taylor Hawkins and Grohl's own mother tragically passed away, both of which took the band on a more serious path than the previous two releases.
There is obviously a lot of grief in Grohl's lyrics, and by the end of the closing track Rest, you will likely go "I'm not crying, you're crying!" with a shivering voice. That said, the album still sounds like a classic Foo Fighters record even though Grohl isn't screaming his balls off (apart from on the title track). Because musically, it never gets too melodramatic, either. As tragic as the circumstances may be, But Here We Are is a powerful and emotional return to form for the Foos.
There has also been some talk about Dave Grohl losing his hearing, and some might argue that it's noticeable in how this album is mixed. As someone who already felt the classic album The Colour and the Shape sounded too metallic and shrill I can agree with this criticism as well. The treble bleed is quite harsh and unpleasant throughout BHWA. To what extent it's due to Grohl's impaired hearing is of course hard to tell, though.
My favourite track off the album is probably Show Me How, featuring Dave Grohl's daughter Violet. Below you can watch a live video of the song since the official video mostly looks like generic B-roll footage of nature.
Meet Me @ The Altar - Past // Present // Future
Pop-punk trio Meet Me @ The Altar debuted in 2018 and has since then built up quite a following. In 2023 they finally blessed us (get it?) with their debut album.
The music is upbeat and fun bubblegum pop-punk, delivered with the band's signature spunky, cocky energy.
The lead single Say It (To My Face) deals with Internet criticism, and how most people writing them down probably wouldn't have the backbone to do so IRL. In the accompanying video to the song (included below), the band deals with Internet criticism by tracking down and invading the naysayer's property with a f***ing baseball bat. Sure enough, the little weasel doesn't dare share his opinion to their faces - while trashing the place and assaulting his sorry ass.
I'm not poking fun at the video or anything. Beating the crap out of everyone who doesn't enjoy your music is a completely sound and proportionate response, after all. Good on you, girls! ;)
Paramore - This Is Why
The highly influential alt-rock/emo band Paramore made countless young women dye their hair orange and start emo bands with their guy friends, back in the late 2000s and early 2010s. As everyone who's not been under a rock since then knows, the original gangstas have evolved a lot throughout the years, and seem quite determined to do the alt-pop thing they started moving towards since the self-titled album of 2013. Their direction has been wildly successful, appealing to hipster music snobs as well as old-time fans.
While I personally would love to see them go back to a rockier sound, the softer style of This Is Why has its appeal as well. The band is the most energetic on The News (video below), so that would be my top track on the album.
Recently, the band deleted their website and all their social media, making the future of the band seem highly uncertain.
Also, check out the album Re: This Is Why, listed further down, where other artists reimagine the songs on this Paramore album.
Filter - The Algorithm
With industrial rock outfit Filter, every album seems to be a counter-reaction to the one before it. Looking back at the beginning, they went from the raw, aggressive debut Short Bus to the more polished and radio-friendly Title of Record. Then we got a harder sound again on The Amalgamut, followed by the softer Soldiers of Misfortune, and so on. The band, whose only steady member at this point is frontman Richard Patrick, returned in 2023 with another slightly more accessible album, after the heavier Crazy Eyes of 2016, and a couple of edgier singles (Murica, Thoughts and Prayers) a couple of years ago.
The lead single Obliteration (video below) is very familiar territory for fans of the band's more polished rock tracks. Face Down is a bit more chill and quite groovy for a Filter tune, while For the Beaten explores more of their electronic influences with some dubstep-type sounds.
Fortunate Losers - (Self-titled)
Canada's Fortunate Losers seem to draw a lot of influence from the late '90s to early '00s and bring bands like Life of Agony, Cold and my personal fave; Whitfield Crane-fronted supergroup Medication to my mind.
While Fortunate Losers don't reinvent the wheel, it's a welcome reimagining of the post-grunge sound of the era, that many love, myself included.
The Hives - The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons
Sweden's most recognisable garage rockers The Hives came back with a bang in 2023 with the horror-themed single Bogus Operandi, which had a slightly heavier and doomier sound than what we usually would expect from the preppy Fagersta lads, and sounded like something The Hellacopters could have made.
The singles and album that followed sounded more typical of The Hives, though, with their trademark simple punk-rock riffs, shouty vocals and narcissistic humour.
The Hives have been around for decades at this point, but they haven't forgotten what rock n roll is about; entertainment, and they would probably rather retire than make a boring, laid-back album.
Danko Jones - Electric Sounds
Canada's second most well-known rock trio (after Rush) Danko Jones has been around since the late-90s, with albums dropping every other year or so, since their 2001 debut. While a lot of bands 25+ years into their careers tend to buy flat caps and sing mellow songs reminiscing about the olden days, Danko Jones does the opposite and makes perhaps their most juvenile album to date, with songs about getting high as a kite, partying and f-ing sh-t up.
The first single Guess Who's Back was very formulaic even by Danko Jones standards and didn't leave that strong of an impression on me, but the follow-up single Good Time had a great guitar lead almost as infectious as the old hit single Code of the Road, off 2008's Never Too Loud. With Electric Sounds, Danko Jones shows they're still in high form and keep the spirit of rock-n-roll very much alive and present.
Bully - Lucky For You
Bully is the solo project of American singer, songwriter and guitarist Alicia Bognanno. Bully originally began as a rock band in 2013 but transformed into a solo endeavour in 2020. Signed to the classic Seattle label Sub Pop which churned out bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden and Mudhoney in the late 80s and early 90s, and the grungy sound is very prevalent on Lucky For You, with heavy, fuzzy guitars mixed with pop hooks.
Check out the video for the song Days Move Slow below!
Motive Black - Auburn
Auburn is the debut album of the promising Los Angeles-based band Motive Black, fronted by actor-turned-singer Elana Justin. The album has some interesting guest appearances from guitarist Marcos Curiel (P.O.D.), drummer Ray Luzier (Korn), and vocalist Carla Harvey (Butcher Babies). Musically, it's pretty straight-up hard-rock. It may not be the most innovative or memorable, but it's definitely worth a listen if you're into similar bands, like Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless.
Check out the video for the song Broken below!
More Rock Albums of 2023 to Check Out
3rd Secret - 2nd 3rd Secret
As December Falls - Join the Club
Ash - Race the Night
Bethany Cosentino (of Best Coast) - Natural Disaster
Black Star Riders - Wrong Side of Paradise
blink-182 - ONE MORE TIME...
Blondshell - (S/T)
blur - The Ballad of Darren
boygenious - the record
Citizen - Calling the Dogs
Coach Party - KILLJOY
††† (Crosses) - Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete.
Declan Welsh and The Decadent West - 2
Demi Lovato - REVAMPED
Dream Wife - Social Lubrication
Droïd Fantôm - Emptiness Takes Time
Econoline Crush - When the Devil Drives
Fall Out Boy - So Much (for) Stardust
Fiddlehead - Death Is Nothing to Us
GAYLE - hello this is the setlist for my tour
Godsmack - Lighting up the Sky
Hot Mulligan - Why Would I Watch
The Killers - Rebel Diamonds
Lacey Sturm - Kenotic Metanoia
Lord of the Lost - Weapons of Mass Seduction
Luca Brasi - The World Don't Owe You Anything
Mando Diao - Boblikov's Magical World
Meg Myers - TZIA
Metallica - 72 Seasons
Metric - Formentera II
Narrow Head - Moments of Clarity
Nita Strauss - The Call of the Void
The Struts - Pretty Vicious
Olivia Rodrigo - GUTS
Palehound - Eye on the Bat
Paramore - Re: This Is Why
PJ Harvey - I Inside the Old Year Dying
Poppy - Zig
Public Image Ltd. - End of World
PVRIS - EVERGREEN
Queens of the Stone Age - In Times New Roman...
Royal Blood - Back to the Water Below
Sevendust - Truth Killer
Sløtface - AWAKE/ASLEEP
Slowdive - Everything Is Alive
Still Talk - St. Banger
Suzy Quatro & KT Tunstall - Face To Face
The Smashing Pumpkins - ATUM
Speedy Ortiz - Rabbit Rabbit
Swans - The Beggar
Taproot - SC\SSRS
Teenage Joans - The Rot That Grows Inside My Chest
Wednesday - Rat Saw God
WARGASM (UK) - Venom
Waterparks - INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
The XCERTS - Learning How to Live and Let Go
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