Our Top 10 Albums of 2023

Recess Party - Paid in Full

Written by Sammy Kapoor

Recess Party’s debut album, “Paid in Full,” hits the ground running with “Foot,” providing the perfect taste of their emo rock sound with vocals from Riley Stillwagon. Tracks like “Unreleased” stand out with unique guitar melodies, and both “Hypocrite” and the title track “Paid in Full” feature mesmerizing backup vocals from bassist, Sam Smith.

Beyond catchy tunes, the album is a doorway to Recess Party’s unique musical world.

With Stillwagon’s expressive voice and memorable melodies, “Paid in Full” promises not just an introduction but a glimpse into the band’s promising musical journey within the 'Atlanta Sound' and beyond, leaving listeners eager for more of

their heartfelt and engaging music.

Big Yellow - Lofi Panic

Written by Samuel Mecum

Since the first moment I heard Alex Valverde utter the words “Freakcore” I have been consistently intrigued by what defines this quirky little sub-genre of Atlanta Musicians. In my opinion, there is no group that better exemplifies the aesthetic of Freakcore more than Big Yellow. Everything about their presentation is riddled with deliberate intent, from their self-produced Artwork to the Auteur qualities of their music videos, directed by Guitarist Nicolas Ruiz (Nico!). However, the visual aspect of this group is just the tip of the iceberg as they have made their undeniable debut with LOFI PANIC.

With 9 songs clocking in at a furious 20 minutes, you can feel the urgency in these songs without the pacing feeling rushed. Everything feels as long as it should be. The record begins with its lengthiest track in “I Hope It’s You”, a mantra-esque opener stuffed with grief that does a fantastic job of establishing the chip atop the shoulders of these three young artists and builds to a crescendo that immerses the listener in a flurry of noise and emotion.

Tracks like “Headache” and “Out By Wednesday” showcase not only the dual vocal nature of the group, featuring bassist Alex Valverde on vocals, but also feature fresh mixes from Nico in yet another example of how they continue to push themselves and refuse to rest on their laurels. Not to leave out Atlanta veteran percussionist Musashi Albert, who’s work on the kit matches the energy of the rest of the trio while still maintaining a sense of voice and direction throughout the record that makes each song feel unique.

Sonically, the record takes aspects of noise and garage rock and incorporates them in a tasteful manner but songs like “Baseball” and “Sirens” that feature more Post-Punk elements, relay more of the range that this group is capable of, if they choose to do so. All that to say, Big Yellow has one of, if not the most defined sense of direction and vision of all the groups currently coming out of Atlanta; so whatever route they decide to pursue, you can bet on two things: it won’t resemble anything else around here, and that we will be eagerly waiting.

Rae and the Ragdolls - Sunshine in a Shadow Vol. II

Written by Samuel Mecum

With their sophomore entry, SUNSHINE IN A SHADOW VOL II, Atlanta jam-rockers Rae and the Ragdolls are establishing themselves as a blossoming name in the Jam/Blues circuit, and deservedly so.

‘SUNSHINE II’ does its best to keep a genre fresh that has seemingly been approached from every angle imaginable. A driving record that gracefully dances between aspects of blues and country but is full of guitar rock riffs that make you want to roll the windows down. Tracks like “Cherry Trees” and “Tip The Mystic” produce some catchy grooves. Alternatively, tracks like “Amelia” and “Soul Sugar” showcase more of the band's softer

dynamics. 2023 was only the start though, as the group has already released a new single and have another due out in early January.

15,000 Guns - Teratoma

Written by Hayden Locke

15,000 Guns broke new ground on their sophomore project, Teratoma. The album immediately sets a tone of mystery and intrigue on the track “The Blade Goes Deeper, I love you more”. And only builds as the album Progresses, hitting notes of abrasive noise rock and even bordering on No Wave with tracks like Penelope and P!nk Dr!nk, while applying this same noise to push the boundaries of shoegaze with tracks such as Gormeh Sabzi, In My Angels Eyes You, and Pinprick. 

This collage of tracks all culminates in the epic Teratoma Testimony/Teratoma Tragedy, undoubtedly the highlights of the album. This multi sectional masterpiece ties this freakcore staple up with a bow and really cements the album as a staple and future classic from this new wave coming out of Atlanta. 

Upchuck - Bite the Hand That Feeds

Written by Sammy Kapoor

Recorded live on tape in only five days, Upchuck's sophomore album exudes raw energy that is just as intense as watching them live. It encapsulates classic punk with garage rock and a DIY spirit, showcasing the band’s unburdened simplicity in both music and lyrics. This sophomore release captures the essence of 'Atlanta Sound', offering a straightforward approach to punk rock. From the first guitar strums to the final note, Upchuck delivers a high-energy punk experience, making “Bite The Hand That Feeds” a powerful addition to their discography.

Karaoke - A Safe Place for Negative Space

Written by Samuel Mecum

Homegrown Dream-Pop group Karaoke make their presence known with their 2nd Full-Length, A SAFE PLACE FOR NEGATIVE SPACE. With their first releases since 2020’s BLOOD, PISS, RELIGION, PAIN Karaoke have returned with a solid delivery of 8 moody tracks that explore aspects of lust, loneliness, and every feeling in between.

Tracks like “New Queen” and “Red Silk Dress” set the record in motion with tight dance pop rhythms over vocalist Grace Bellury’s ethereal vocals, while the back half of the record explores more somber tones and dreamscape aesthetics with “Official Dating Profile” and “Alone”; the latter of which builds around a series of haunting reflections by Bellury. This may be the last we hear from Karaoke for a little while, but if they accomplished anything with (Negative Space) it’s that we want to see what comes next.

Buice - One Day You'll See the Sun

Written by Nicolas Ruiz

"Buice" pronounced like "rice" but with a B, not "booose" or "busss" Seems like a funny word, indescribable, contextless, its own thing. This became a very important word for me perfectly describing a band with no context needed. One Day you'll see the sun, is their very anticipated 2nd Album, an album I've been waiting for since they debuted "Grifter" at a secret basement show years ago. The album is a pretty big statement, on the band's sound and evolution as a whole. One day you'll see the sun finds itself almost surgically creating a world with each song, diving into difficult themes such as abuse, mental health, political grifters, gender identity. Hayden's lyrics don't hold back either if Buice has a problem with you they'll call you the fuck out. I think that's what makes this album so special, it's unapologetic and dangerous, yet made by some of the most thoughtful musicians I've ever met.

The album opens up with Hayden (frontman, bassist) opening up a musical worm hole, a dizzy bass loop that begins to melt you into the tense atmosphere this album creates. Immediately after single "The Sun" punches you in the stomach so unexpectedly with one of my favorite riffs on the album.  Other notable moments include the very black midi inspired "221935" a song that to me the guitars don't even sound like guitars. They sound like some weird alien technology from a 90s scifi movie. I also can't talk about this album without mentioning Jack Pace and Josh Rubin's guitar contributions to this album, my favorite riff being "Lake City MO". Also, important to mention Karina's performance on "Untitled" this is the one song off the album that doesn't fail to give me goosebumps, the descriptions of abuse and being taken advantage of paired up with Karina pouring their heart out, this might be my favorite vocal performance of the year seriously check this one out. The album closes out with " I am mothman" a low-key outro at first, but slowly building towards a passionate and energetic finale. This song is really fun live as well, and some of my favorite drumming appears here from Robert Lloyd (the new drummer who transformed buice from a good band to a great band) speeding the song up and playing with the stamina of a god. Please if you can watch this dude drum live do it, the word impressive doesn't do it justice. Though influences can be seen, at this point the best band to compare Buice to, is Buice itself. As you listen to this album, forget any context, much like the word, Buice needs none.

Fuck Buice.

Atticus Roness - Square One

Written by Sammy Kapoor

After disbanding The Corduroy Blue, Atticus Roness had to, as the title says, start at square one and find a new sound to explore. Inspired by Big Star and The Beach Boys, Roness forged a unique, stripped-down sound akin to John Lennon and Elliot Smith.

Notable Tracks such as “Litterbug” convey themes of abandonment, comparing it to being left behind ‘like litter in a cage.’ The single for the album, “So What,” delicately unravels the complexities of a relationship’s end. “Square One” is Roness’s musical rebirth, a testament to his ability to create emotive narratives in a fresh, stripped-down style.

Left to Suffer - Feral

Written by Samuel Mecum

An organic writing process led the charge for the newest full-length from Atlanta’s Heaviest Titans in Left To Suffer. Feral is packed full of ear splitting guitar riffs and a vocal performance that could only have spawned within the deepest pits of hell from Frontman Taylor Barber. I caught up with Bassist, Christian Nowatzki, to ask him some questions about both the writing process of Feral, and what representing Atlanta means to them.

On Feral-

“When we were writing Feral, everyone’s influences were more balanced in this record, as we spent 2 weeks having everyone together to write this record and review it face-to-face as we progressed in the writing process. It was also our first time since our debut album that we got to work face-to-face in the studio, which helped facilitate more experimentation with different ideas. Matt Thomas, our engineer for the record, also had a tremendous influence on the album and helped things on the record to become more unique, and with everything mentioned combined, we all felt the most confidence in this record out of all of our releases, and seeing the reception after the release, the listeners and fans can see and believe that as well.”

On representing Atlanta-

“Atlanta has always seemed to have a thriving scene of metal, hardcore, and anything adjacent to those genres. Being in that hat with bands based from Atlanta, such as Mastodon, Sevendust, Norma Jean, The Chariot, Attila, and Issues to me is an honor. And Atlanta will continue to be a great breeding ground for new bands to rise up and go on to do great things. The Callous Daoboys are another ATL band crushing it right now.”

Downgrade - Absence Speaks

Written by Alex Valverde

One of the best records of the year, full stop. Lean but still more than strong enough to handle a whirlwind of emotions, this album hides a huge (albeit hurt) heart under noisy guitars and stripped back minimal production. “Wasp Nest Stings” has the biggest guitar riff ever if I say so myself. Each song is a grainy digital camera snapshot of yearning and the many feelings that tag along with it. My friends and I reference “Gutted” practically weekly (he has a camera…). Milo, Max, Max, and Jake made something really, really special and I’m very glad I got to experience it.