the 2023 music longlist
for myself and that one friend...
who mentioned in passing that he read my 2022 post and found an artist or two. Not much context needed here if you’ve read the first post, just a time capsule to the self for the upcoming years. Noteworthy artists here are the four that made the top 10 again from 2022. Zhou Xun, My Little Airport, The Pancakes and Lamp. Here is the disparity in scrobbles of the top 20 for your perusal.
I’m very fortunate to have seen five of the artists above. Four in one fell swoop at Fuji Rock, Ayano Kaneko, Ohzora Kimishima, Mei Ehara and Hakushi Hasegawa. Lil Ugly Mane at Max Watt’s in March.
Over the other 80 artists, glad to have caught these too – Weezer (briefly) before hurrying over to Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Hitsujibungaku at FJR, Even As We Speak in Marrickville Bowling Club Sydney with YL, Mouseatouille with Milos at The Retreat in April, Armand Hammer with Ashan at Corner Hotel in March, George Clanton with YL at The Night Cat, mitsume with YL in Tokyo, Ichiko Aoba in February at ABC, The Motifs with Simon at MISC, Shintaro Sakomoto & Cornelius with YL at Rising Festival and other artists not in the top 100.
Late last year was the big Minimum Chips push. After visiting IME in October, my love for them rekindled and it was cool to bump into some Lost and Lonesome folk again at their 25th anniversary show. Other than the personal much anticipated The Cat’s Miaow, the day was filled with label mates that spanned decades. The crowd comprised of families with children running about and people like me who came for an act or two, just to be won over by the rest. I was trying to draw with red and blue colour pencils in the corner, they did not turn out very well.
Just finished a piece I wrote about my Dad last night. It got pretty emotional and I’m glad the parents enjoyed reading through. The central thesis of it was his relationship to the music around him, how it shaped him and those around his orbit. A bit tangential to include this tidbit here, maybe. Oh well then, not really much else to add.
Ooh actually the 2024 list out next year might look very different to the past two, at least according to my listening activity as of April. So I guess you’ve got that to look forward to.