Top Eleven Indie Rock and Adjacent Albums I Heard in 2023, Ranked

 

1) Bailey Miller (US) - love is a dying 2xCS (Whited Sepulchre)
Incredible debut full-length (she has previous releases) an incredible new singer-songwriter.  A multi-instrumentalist, she even plays the harp.  While she is a Christian, she lets her art speak for itself.  Mostly in the shoegaze and dream pop realm, but transcends that.  Best explanation I could give would be MAZZY STAR meets GROUPER, but that's just scratching the surface.  Highly recommended.  I listen to it all the time. https://baileymillermusic.bandcamp.com/album/love-is-a-dying

2) Backworld (US) - For the Life of the World (Self-Released)
Catholic neo-folk with (mostly) excellent vocals from New York City.  It's incredible and even has an appearance from David Tibet of CURRENT 93.  His song is excellent, but the vocals on it sound like a strangled cat, as per usual.  Anyhow, the songs have a traditional Catholic liturgical feel to them, but much better than what you'd hear at a Novus Ordo mass...
https://backworld1.bandcamp.com/album/for-the-life-of-the-world

3) The Julies (US) - Always and Always (Lost in Ohio)
Shoegaze/dream pop/post-punk band that was around in the nineties, came back, and have now put out their best work.  I've listened to this album over and over and over...
https://thejulies.bandcamp.com/album/always-always

4) The Drin (US) - Today My Friend You Drunk the Venom (Feel It)
Incredible mix of post-punk, kraut rock, and who-knows-what else.  Members of THE SERFS, CRIME OF PASSING, SORRY ERIC, MARDOU, etc.  For an idea of how good they are, they were chosen to play THE NATIONAL's "Homecoming" showcase, along with PAVEMENT and others.  Another heater from Feel It Records...
https://thedrin.bandcamp.com/album/today-my-friend-you-drunk-the-venom

5) The Serfs (US) - Half-Eaten by Dogs (Trouble in Mind)
Post-punk/industrial from the wasteland that is Ohio, but sounds like it was from 1980's Germany.  Check out all their stuff.
https://theserfsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/half-eaten-by-dogs

6) Big Acid (US) - The Loser King (Self-Released)
Solo project from an Ohio indie rock veteran, stand-up comedian, and graphic artist.  I'm honestly not sure which art form he's best at.  Anyhow, influences range from WHY? to NICK CAVE to David Eugene Edwards' bands (16 HORSEPOWER, WOVEN HAND).  Past bands he's done/been in include NEW ZION HASTE (one of my all-time favorite Ohio bands), THE FIDEL CATASTROPHE, and THE POMEGRANATES/HEALING POWER.
https://bigacid.bandcamp.com/album/the-loser-king

7) Ralph (US) - 2019 Hi-Fi Demos (Self-Released)
ROBERT JOHNSON by way of DANIEL JOHNSTON, pre-Mellow Gold BECK, and bands from The Elephant Six Recording Company.  It's weird, of course.  And thank God for that.  Check out all of his other material, which is all lo-fi in that early Elephant 6 way...
https://ralphkralph.bandcamp.com/album/2019-hifi-demos

8) Traindodge (US) - The Alley Parade (Spartan)
Burly guitar-driven post-hardcore, which is a meaningless term, but I don't know how else to put it.  Big guitars?  Whatever, this band's been around since the nineties and the album rocks.
https://traindodge.bandcamp.com/album/the-alley-parade

9) Jordan Darby (US) - Through The Intercession (Self-Released)
Beautiful Christian folk from a former member of DRY-ROT, URANIUM ORCHARD, The MIND, etc.
https://hissingobjects.bandcamp.com/album/through-the-intercession

10) Coast Off (US) - The Big Split (Self-Released)
Indie rock band, but this album is a huge collaboration between them and other artists (like BIG ACID, POMEGRANATES/HEALING POWER, among other Midwestern friends).  THE FLAMING LIPS and THE BEATLES are major influences.
https://coastoff.bandcamp.com/album/the-big-split

11) Mateo Paz (US) - Requiem (Self-Released)
Second neo-folk album from this excellent Catholic project out of Olympia, WA.  Almost didn't include this because now it's not a top ten, but its inclusion is warranted.
https://mateopaz.bandcamp.com/album/requiem