As I was sitting here in my spacious corner office at DS HQ fanning myself with our quarterly profit-sharing checks earlier, it dawned on me that the close of 2023 brings with it the close of the first full calendar year since the resurrection of Dying Scene a couple of summers ago. It’s still a colossal work in progress (seriously – buy some of our merch so we can keep feeding the hamster in the wheel) so whether you’ve been reading us for years or you just checked in for the first time in 2023…thanks! Now let’s get on with the wrap-up!
I know what you’re thinking: “Jay usually does a super long Top 25 or whatever at the end of every year so I can’t wait to see how many he listed this year!” Well the joke is on you! I looked back at a lot of my old year-end lists and realized how many albums I had ranked super highly and then never listened to again, and how many albums I missed or ranked like #22 that became desert island albums over time, so I decided to go a different route. Yes, Samiam is a clear #1 “Best Album Of The Year.” The rest…well…you’ll see! Every release mentioned appears in the handy dandy little Spotify playlist at the bottom, so maybe pull that up while you read, yeah?
#1 HANDS DOWN BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR
SAMIAM – STOWAWAY
Much like its predecessor, 2011’s Trips, Stowaway had me hooked from the opening alarm bell guitars in the opening track “Lake Speed.” By about the 30-second mark, I had pretty much made up my mind that Stowaway would be my favorite album of the year, and ten months later that’s still the case. That’s not to say there weren’t other killer full-length records this year. You’re probably aware of my love of all things Lucero-related, and Should’ve Learned By Now is another dynamite album in ever-diverse catalog. The Fiddlehead record was excellent as always, and the debut Codefendants record has been in constant rotation since the summer. The new Bollweevils record is a welcome addition to any diehard punk-rock record collection. The Crossed Keys record rips. The new Gaslight Anthem record is not only great, but also great to have because it means they’re back and as good as ever. Northcote‘s new record was a great, stylistic departure that brought him in some new songwriting directions. Both Hause brothers put out home runs. Even the new Rancid record was super enjoyable. But this was Samiam’s year. This album is damn-near perfect in just about every tangible way.
COVER SONG OF THE YEAR
ULTRABOMB – “SONIC REDUCER”
This was a tough one. The national treasure that is Joshua Ray Walker put out a pretty killer album called What Is It Even? that consists of eleven covers of tracks made popular by female pop artists like Lizzo and The Cranberries and Cher and Whitney Houston. The other national treasure that is Austin Lucas also put out an EP called Reinventing Against Me! that is – you guessed it – an album of reworked Against Me! classics. But as a standalone song, I had to go with UltraBomb’s take on the Dead Boys’ classic “Sonic Reducer.” It’s the one song Greg Norton actually sings on the record, and it’s a cover of one of the first punk rock songs I remember ever hearing.
BEST SOLO RECORD BY SOMEONE WHO USUALLY FRONTS A PUNK BAND
CHRIS CRESSWELL – THE STUBBORNNESS OF THE YOUNG
This was another tough one. Jason Cruz put out another Howl record this year, and while I have loved Strung Out for many, many years, I really dig the Howl project and I’m glad he leaned back into it this year. But my goodness, the Chris Cresswell record floored me. Granted, it would probably floor me if Cresswell put out a record of him reading the York, Ontario phone book, but still. His voice is unique and his careful attention to the way he crafts a melody and a song is as tremendous here as it is in his “day jobs” with either The Flatliners or Hot Water Music.
BEST BOSTON AREA RECORD
REBUILDER – LOCAL SUPPORT
This was another tough one, as there are so many cool bands in a scene that is growing ever more musically interesting and diverse. Fiddlehead obviously put out another amazing record this year. We can sorta claim Warn The Duke, and their record was great as well. Jesse Ahern has long been a personal favorite and he put out his best record to date. Cape Crush and Trash Rabbit and One Fall and Trailer Swift were all new on my radar this year. The K.C.U.F. record is super enjoyable in a throwback Lawrence Arms sorta way. Matt Charette‘s “4×4” is one of my favorite individual songs of the year by anyone. But I’ve gotta give the nod to Rebuilder. They capped off their tenth year as a band by releasing their long-long-long-awaited new full-length, Local Support. Their sound has grown – matured? – over the last decade and they’ve damn near perfected their melodic pop-punk thing. Stellar job, fellas.
BEST EP OF THE YEAR
SAMMY KAY – INANNA
Another bang-up year for releases of the sub-full-length variety. Depressors released a few new songs for the first time in way too long and they’re wonderful and Rachel Quarrell is a wildly talented songwriter. The new Proper. EP is wild and aggressive and raw. Grumpster put out a new single that has me eagerly-awaiting their new record, which is exactly the point of releasing a new single, isn’t it? The Space Cadet Suede Originals record is so, so fun. I love those guys. The Drowns continued their flawless run. But the nod hear goes to Sammy Kay. You may have heard some of these songs in other iterations, but the work-ups on Inanna are raw and sparse and allow Kay’s one-of-a-kind voice to add layers of depth and gravity to the material.
BEST GOOD OLD-FASHIONED PUNK ROCK RECORD
TESS & THE DETAILS – RUNAWAY
We should probably talk about the surprisingly solid Rancid record here. We could definitely tip our caps to the new Bollweevils record here. We could definitely give some love to the Grade 2 record here. We could definitely give props to the new Bouncing Souls record here. But holy hell, the debut record from San Francisco’s Tess & The Details rules. I have to admit that I had no real prior knowledge of this band before I heard the record, which landed in my email inbox which is and always shall be embarrassingly full of stuff I haven’t gotten to. I decided one day back in September to start sifting through it and came across a press release that started “Punk Rockers Tess & The Details…” and decided that’s what I’d listen to as the soundtrack for sifting and what a great choice. This album hits like a buzzsaw. The melodies are tight and catchy and the rhythm section keeps the pedal down and Tess’s voice and storytelling are honest and raw and compelling.
BEST RECORD I’M NOT REALLY SURE HOW TO CLASSIFY EXCEPT TO SAY IT’S GREAT
CODEFENDANTS – THIS IS CRIMEWAVE
The Codefendants’ record gets a category of its own because realistically, the Codefendants band exists in a category that’s all their own. Sure they’re probably best known in these parts for being Fat Mike’s latest side project, but the real stars of Codefendants are Get Dead‘s Sam King and New Haven’s own Ceschi Ramos (shout out to the Elm City). King has long brought his hip-hop background and sensibilities to Get Dead’s unique sound, and Ceschi is a compelling storyteller and songwriter in his own right. Plus, the album features cameos from Onry Ozzborn and the incomparable Stacey Dee and the one-and-only D.O.C. (no one can do it better).
BEST COMEBACK ALBUM
THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM – HISTORY BOOKS
Is it weird that even though I think the Samiam record is my hands-down favorite record of the year AND that it marked their first record in eleven years, I don’t really consider it a “comeback” record? Samiam didn’t really break up or go on an official hiatus. They still toured periodically – or at least played a handful of shows most years – so they didn’t really “come back.” But Gaslight did. They went on an official hiatus and then kinda got back together for the ’59 Sound anniversary shows, but stayed busy putting out solo records (Brian) or joining new projects like Mercy Union and Dead Swords and Bottomfeeder, and so it seemed like they were really gone. But now they’ve returned older and no doubt wiser and with new sounds and textures and perspectives to refresh their sound. I already reviewed the album earlier this year, but it’s good enough to deserve mention on this list.
BEST ALBUM BY A HAUSE
TIE: DAVE HAUSE – DRIVE IT LIKE IT’S STOLEN & TIM HAUSE – TIM
Okay, yes, I took the easy way out here. Whatever, it’s my website, and if you’ve ever checked in here previously – say, over the course of the last dozen – you’re no doubt aware that Dave Hause is one of my favorite songwriters and performers and, frankly, people in this scene. Drive It Like It’s Stolen is my favorite of his solo records since Devour, and that’s high praise in my book. His personal and songwriting relationships with his younger brother Tim have been nothing short of admirable to watch grow and develop, and Tim has turned into a powerhouse songwriter and melody crafter in his own right. I hope they continue to write and record together for many, many years because it seems to me like they’ve got different enough styles and influences to continue to grow separately as artists while collaborating on their core.
There are definitely a few albums that didn’t fit into one of the above categories but are no-less worthy of mention too. The Nathan Mongol Wells record is super fun. Lydia Loveless’ new record is a grand slam home run. The Le Big Zero album is solid post-punk garage rock goodness. Oh wait, the new Sincere Engineer is awesome too. The Billy Liar album is a great listen, especially that song with Frank Turner. Oh, and let’s not forget the Structure Sounds record. The best thing to come out of Rhode Island since Del’s Lemonade or at least since Dave’s Coffee Syrup. The Inciters are a great DapTone-style soul group. The new Flying Raccoon Suit is probably the best ska record of the year. Wait, why wasn’t that a category? Next year, I guess. Check out all that and more in the playlist below (if you haven’t already)!
