Best Songs Of 2023 (Singles/Covers)

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know that I do an annual albums of the year post. Well, this year I decided that I need to make two posts- one for full length albums/EPs & one for singles/covers. So many bands/artists are no longer releasing albums & it feels unfair to exclude them when sometimes they make some of my favorite songs. Do I miss the days of CDs & actually going to a store to buy a physical album? Absolutely. But I also realize that we have two choices in life- evolve or die. I still refuse to use Spotify other than for podcasts because it pays artists so little for their music, but I have started downloading albums on Amazon music & only buying physical CDs for smaller bands that I know really need the monetary support, especially since I have a newer car now that doesn’t have a CD player. (Gosh, I miss having a CD player!!) I’m not sure if musicians get better returns off of Amazon Music (or YouTube, which I also use a lot) but since I do pay a monthly subscription (vs there are free options for Spotify), I’m hoping it pays them a little better. If not, at least I buy concert tickets & merch as often as I can.

Anyway, on with the show- I mean post. Please remember, I am not a professional music reviewer. I am a nurse who just happens to love music. I don’t owe anyone anything, so I feel no obligation to choose certain bands/artists, even if I know they are being universally praised this year. So, without further ado, here is my list for my favorite songs of 2023. These are in particular order, other than the first two.

Dark Thoughts by The Funeral Portrait: A few months ago I heard this song on Octane & was immediately entranced. I swiftly looked up the band, who are based out of Atlanta, on Instagram only to realize I’d already been following them- but hadn’t actually listened to their music. Crazy! Anyway, Lee has one of those powerful, soulful voices that you absolutely cannot forget. Think Brent Smith of Shinedown, Chris Robertson of Black Stone Cherry, Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, or Jared Weeks of Saving Abel (incidentally all of these singers are Southerners except for Patrick- hmmm….). In fact, the band have often been said to have a Shinedown type sound but with a My Chemical Romance image/aesthetic. I think that’s a pretty accurate description. In any case, this song has an infectious chorus with insanely fun guitar riffs & is one of those that will quickly find its way into your head. Moreover, the lyrics are so dear to my heart. Lee wrote this about his struggles with OCD & boy, can I relate. The song may be called DARK thoughts but it definitely leaves me feeling pumped up & ready to fight those dark thoughts. No question about it- this is my song of the year, & I know it will be one that I’ll cherish for many, many years to come. If you don’t check out anything else on this list, I beg you to check out this one, even if rock isn’t normally your thing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8DP5vhiDTk
Watch the World Burn by Falling in Reverse: You never know what you’re going to get with Ronnie Radke & this song is the epitome of that. It starts off with some crazy rapping- arguably the fastest he’s ever done- but then builds into a giant breakdown with full on screaming. As always, the music video that accompanies the song is basically a miniature movie. I’ll be honest- my first listen of this song left my head spinning. I wasn’t sure what to think because the song structure is so bizarre. It literally has no chorus! But I quickly found that I couldn’t stop listening to it. My favorite lines are at the end: “One day you’re gonna figure out that/Everything they taught you was a lie/Watch the world burn/The fear is what keeps you alive/Break the fucking chains, take back your life/The fear is what keeps you insane/Break the fucking chains, take away the pain.” If that doesn’t fire you up, what will? P.S. Yes, the band can & does perform this live. I’ve seen it done twice. Bassist Tyler Burgess helps with the vocals, including the rapping, & the synergy between him & Ronnie & the rest of the band is phenomenal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMXESlny4-I
Artificial by Daughtry: Chilling & heavy, both lyrically & musically, Daughtry leaves no doubt about the potential dangers of Artificial Intelligence with this banger. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSmySDrz9ko
Drive You Out of My Mind by Kassi Ashton: Yes, I do love some country music too. And this right here is one of the most cleverly written country songs I’ve ever heard. The rhyming she uses is brilliant & her slightly husky voice is perfect for the raw emotions of the song. I confess a lot of female country singers sound whiny & almost childish to me- but not Kassi. This is a woman whose voice I could listen to all day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ipRfLf79WU/s
Your Place by Ashley Cooke: Since we’re on the subject of country music, let me go ahead & throw this one out for consideration. While clearly written about a break-up (“you made your bed & I ain’t sleeping in it”), I think the song can apply to anyone who’s tried to stick their nose where it doesn’t belong. Sometimes it simply “ain’t your place!” . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l21ubH2_Z70
Viking by Slaughter to Prevail: Now let’s switch gears entirely to what is undoubtedly the heaviest song on this list. Alex once again proves he is at least part beast with his impressive growls & screams. I can confirm that he does make these same crazy animal-like noises live. There is also a fantastic guitar riff that sounds very reminiscent of Slipknot- but without being an outright copy of course. Basically, I’m here to tell you that you do in fact need some Russian death metal in your life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fdqJhNbnSY
Spirits & Demons by Michael Ray (with Meghan Patrick): Ok, back to country one more time. I’d never heard of Michael (or Meghan) but I came across this song on satellite radio & fell in love. Once I realized Michael wrote it about his own divorce from fellow country singer Carly Pearce, it became even more powerful. The message of the song is that no matter what society tells you, you won’t find healing in alcohol. “Getting over you drunk is the only thing about us lasting forever, & ever, & ever/Spirits & demons won’t bring no healing/Ain’t no miracle at the bottom of the bottle I’m drinking/It’s just a buzz on a broken heart barely beating.” In a culture that often glorifies alcohol & encourages people to drink their cares away, that’s a powerful & timely message.
Flowers by Miley Cyrus: I have a whole blog post about this song. I’ve never followed Miley closely but this song is brilliantly written & performed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7KNmW9a75Y
Devil You Know by Tim Montana: Here’s another artist I discovered thanks to Octane this year. This song is the perfect blend of rock & country- so naturally I love it. The emotion in Tim’s voice is undeniable here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwEaKJrxDEY
Dead to Me by Palaye Royale: Anything these brothers touch is gold. I wasn’t expecting any new music from the guys this year since they released a stellar album last year AND their mother is struggling with advanced stage cancer. But out of nowhere they dropped an EP just last week which includes this catchy song that is lyrically one of the most overtly personal songs Remington has ever written. The rage in his voice goes perfectly with the almost rap-like verses & contrasts nicely with the softer chorus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t2yMEizfa4
Jaded by Spiritbox: This band has massively grown on me this year, especially this song. It is gorgeous, haunting, & super catchy all at once. Courtney is a goddess, end of story. I’m sure her husband (guitarist for the band) agrees. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjnZVpVvJ-k
Bite Your Tongue by Atilla: Atilla Frontman Chris Fronzak has never been known for keeping his mouth shut- which is largely the gist of this song. While I don’t support his career as an Only Fans star, I do admire him as an entrepreneur in general (he has several businesses outside of Atilla & Only Fans). This is a man who is not afraid to work. I recently listened to a podcast where he talked about selling golf balls & mowing lawns in his neighborhood before he was even a teenager! I may not agree with every facet of his life, but I do respect him, & there’s no doubt that this is a fun song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAwlewK-Xbo
Lost by Bring Me the Horizon: Infectious, upbeat, & beyond catchy, this is a song that is lyrically very dark & yet still somehow manages to be uplifting. I think we’ve all felt lost at some point or other & can relate to the angst here.
Dance Song by Austin John Winkler: Damn, it’s good to hear Austin’s voice again (the original singer for Hinder)! Having finally recovered from years of alcoholism that almost killed him (literally), he’s back & better than ever. This is a funky, groovy piece that will leave you wanting to dance & just have fun. I also love the honesty of the lyrics: “I’m not shy about the mess I’m in because we’re kind of all doing the same dance.” So true! In the age of perfectly curated social media accounts, it’s important to be reminded that none of us really has our shit together. We’re all just bumbling our way through this crazy world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwTJJ8XRr6M

Now for the covers:

Every Time We Touch by Electric Callboy: I’m convinced these Germans can’t possibly make a bad song so it’s no surprise that this cover is brilliant. As usual for this band, the video is hilarious. If you need to smile, check out the bromance between Kevin & Nico to get a laugh. (In case you watch the video & wonder, no they are not actually a couple. Both are heterosexual, married to women, & fathers. But they do have a great bromance.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuBXeF5acqE
What’s Love Got to Do by Black Stone Cherry: This was released as an homage to the great Tina Turner after her death earlier this year. Covering a song this massive isn’t easy but BSC proved they were up to the task (no surprise with their talent). Chris’s soulful voice is perfect for this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTi5XSaRLag
Lips of an Angel, Part 2 by Shaylen & Austin John Winkler: I’m not sure if this counts as a true cover but I don’t know where else to put it, so I’m putting it here. If you loved the original, like I did, you have to hear this. Austin’s sexy, husky voice is as brilliant as ever & combining it with country singer Shaylen makes for a powerful combination. I also hadn’t realized this but Austin wrote the original song in just one night based on his own real-life experience. He was only 23 at the time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU1qcb5steI
Closer by Palaye Royale: The original is plenty sexy but Remington’s raspy voice makes it even sexier. I don’t think I need say anything else. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOjl_L2aXsQ
Separate Ways by Daughtry & Lzzy Hale: This is my favorite Journey song, an absolute classic. Daughtry & Lzzy Hale together are a phenomenal combination, so naturally this is a stellar cover. Of note, it was released exactly 40 years to the day of the original song.
Last Resort: Reimagined by Falling in Reverse: The stakes were definitely high covering a song as massive as this. Naturally Ronnie nailed it. If he’d done a standard cover that sounded roughly similar to the original- well, that just wouldn’t work. You can’t beat Papa Roach at their own game. So what did Ronnie do? He turned it into a slowed down piano ballad (a la his own reimagined songs) that serves to really highlight the gut-wrenching lyrics of this classic piece. It got the seal of approval by Jacoby Shaddix himself- that, my friends, is how you know you’ve made it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESOjt2_yJrU

0 Comments Leave a comment

5 Songs for Hard Days

I recently came across a series of videos on Revolver’s YouTube channel called “Songs for Black Days.” These videos feature short interviews with various musicians discussing their choices of “songs for black days-” in other words music that has helped them get through hard times in their lives. I found this series of videos while searching for Bad Omens interviews, by the way, as Noah Sebastian was featured in one of them. I didn’t recognize any of the songs he chose but his insights on why they were helpful to him were- as you would guess if you know anything at all about Noah- very compelling. In any case, I thought it would be fun to create my own list of “Songs for Black Days.” The first four songs are ones I’ve been coming back to over & over again over the past 8+ years, probably closer to 15 yrs on some of them. The last one is a much newer one that only came out this year but has quickly become a favorite of mine & is one I predict I’ll be returning to over & over as well.

I know a lot of people who are struggling right now- between divorce, death of loved ones, addiction, miscarriages, infertility, & more, there’s no shortage of sadness in this world. So if you’re enduring some black days yourself, consider checking out some of these songs. I hope they will be as much of a comfort to you as they have been to me.

Times Are Hard by Redlight King: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IziTRWzTUo. I’ve loved this song from the moment I first heard it, which was probably almost ten years ago. But it’s one I specifically remember playing over & over during the early days of Covid. Between the endless quarantines, the social isolation, losing hours at work (as a NURSE no less!), shortages at stores, & the general panic in which the entire world was caught, 2020 in particular was a very trying time for me, as I suspect it was for most everyone. I love that this song doesn’t shy away from the fact that life is hard sometimes, yet it still offers a hopeful message that no matter how dark it gets, we can find a way through it.

How Can I Help You Say Goodbye by Patty Loveless: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBc09fKRDy0. Oh man, this one right here is a tear-jerker. If you need to have a good cry, this song will make it happen. I have listened to this song a number of times in my life when I was struggling to say goodbye to a certain person or a time/stage of my life. But one moment I will never forget is driving home from college for my grandmother’s funeral & hearing this song on the radio. It was just one of those MOMENTS. I remember exactly where I was- on 220A, the route that connects I-81 & 460 right outside of Roanoke, VA. It’s been 14 years, but every time I hear this song now, I’m transported right back to that drive & all the emotions & memories that overcame me when I heard it that day. It was the perfect healing song for me in that moment that allowed me to grieve when I wasn’t really sure how, if that makes any sense. As Patty’s stunningly clear voice sang “It’s ok to hurt & it’s ok to cry,” that’s exactly what I did. And it was so cleansing & healing in a way I don’t think anything but music could have been for me right then. And yes, just in case you were wondering, I did cry while writing this because I am listening to it right now. Never fails. But you see, I’m of the philosophy that tears can be healing, so I don’t mind that at all.

Painting Pictures of Egypt by Sara Groves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC9cKaELnG8. I’m not sure how I first found this song. Someone at my church may have sang it when I was a teenager, but I’m really not sure. In any case, it’s one I’ve returned to over & over for over a decade now. It was especially meaningful to me when I was graduating college & was both excited for getting married & starting my nursing career but also really mourning the end of my college years which were up to that point the best years of my life. Now if the title confuses you, as I can see it might, let me explain it. Painting pictures of Egypt is a reference to the Israelites of the Old Testament who were wandering in the wilderness with Moses & starting to miss Egypt. They started remembering it as better than it really was because they were afraid for the future that was scary & unknown. The beautiful thing about this song is that you don’t need to be Christian or Jewish to relate to every word of this song. All of us have had times when we’re overwhelmed by nostalgia, when we’re scared for the future & find ourselves wanting to go back to something “easier.” The truth of course is that often what we’re thinking of as easier wasn’t necessarily easier- we’re just remembering it with rose-colored glasses. I’m going to include the lyrics for the whole song here because I think they are so incredibly profound & so incredibly well written that they deserve to be shared in full.

I don’t want to leave here
I don’t want to stay
It feels like pinching to me
Either way
And the places I long for the most
Are the places where I’ve been
They are calling out to me
Like a long lost friend

It’s not about losing faith
It’s not about trust
It’s all about comfortable
When you move so much
And the place I was wasn’t perfect
But I had found a way to live
And it wasn’t milk or honey
But then neither is this

I’ve been painting pictures of Egypt,
I’ve been leaving out what it lacks
The future feels so hard,
And I wanna go back!
But the places that used to fit me,
Cannot hold the things I’ve learned
Those roads were closed off to me
While my back was turned!

The past is so tangible
I know it by heart
Familiar things are never easy
To discard
I was dying for some freedom
But now I hesitate to go
I am caught between the Promise
And the things I know

If it comes to quick
I may not appreciate it
Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?
And if it comes to quick
I may not recognize it
Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?

The Climb by Miley Cyrus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG2zyeVRcbs. Yes, I am including a Miley Cyrus song here. No, I am not ashamed of doing so. Say what you want about Miley, the fact remains that this song is damn good. It’s so simple & yet so profound all at once. What I find particularly inspiring about this song is that it’s a reminder that we’re always going to face challenges in life & that sometimes we DO have to lose. None of us can win all the time. We have to learn to enjoy life for the journey of it more than for the destination. For a born perfectionist like me, that’s a lesson I have really struggled with at times, but this song is always a good reminder for me to keep things in perspective.

Punching Bag by Set It Off: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb5-s5qwlCQ. Like I said, this last song is a new one that only came out this year, but it has swiftly become a favorite of mine. While the other songs I’ve discussed here are more appropriate for times when you’re feeling sad, disappointed, or generally “broody,” this one is for the times you’re feeling angry or taken advantage of. I suspect the song was inspired by a toxic romantic relationship- with lines like the following:

Hanging on by the strings that you’re pulling
So you cut me down just to push me around

Like I’m your punching bag
Just another pot calling the kettle black
Take it out on someone who won’t hit you back
‘Till we’re all as broken as you

However, the beauty of this song to me is that it’s broadly written & thus can also easily be applied to a toxic relationship with a family member, a friend, or even a job. Or even just life in general. As someone who was born a natural people pleaser but has slowly learned to move beyond that the line “people pleasing’s never good for your health” really hits me hard. Word of warning though, all the other songs on here are very G rated but this one is a bit more R rated. But hey, it’s an angry song- it’s SUPPOSED to be.

Ok, I’d be totally remiss if I ended this post without including one of my new favorite bands. I can’t remember exactly when I discovered them (though it was definitely less than a year ago) but they fit squarely into the category of Band I Fell in Love With at First Listen. And Have Been Obsessed With Ever Since. Who am I talking about? None other than the German outfit Electric Callboy. These guys are exactly the kind of band I might have scoffed at a few years ago, but nowadays I find them incredibly fun. Why do I say that? Well, their music videos & lyrics are frequently over the top & full of humor & double entendres. It’s very obvious that these guys do not take themselves seriously AT ALL. And yet, they take their music & their overall career VERY seriously. And that, my friends, is why they are so damn good! No, most of their music isn’t what I want to listen to when I’m TRULY hurting. BUT it is the absolute PERFECT thing to listen to on the average stressful day when I just need something to make me laugh. Furthermore, the band actually does have some excellent, more serious songs, so they aren’t ALL about the laughs. But I’ll be the first to admit that the humorous songs are the ones that drew me in initially. I mean, if you aren’t amused by six German guys in their 30s dancing & running around in wigs, mustaches, & ridiculous outfits, I don’t know what to tell you. I guess I just can’t help you. Furthermore, where else can I find the amazing, heavy breakdowns I love paired with soaring vocal melodies AND a ton of humor thrown in for good measure? Nowhere. But Electric Callboy’s got me covered for all of that! I’m including a few of their songs/videos below for your viewing/listening pleasure because I’m cool like that.

Hypa Hypa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75Mw8r5gW8E

Tekkno Train: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFlhlZbeKgE This is the first song I ever heard by them (& the first video I saw by them). Love at first listen/sight, I tell you. If you don’t agree, we can’t be friends. Just kidding. But I do have to wonder about your sense of humor…

Pump It: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnzkhQsmSag

P.S. Not only does the band make hilarious music videos, they also make fantastic vlogs about their tours & behind the scenes stuff. There is nothing better after a stressful day at work than to sit down & laugh at the antics of these guys. Yes, a lot of it is in German but trust me, the subtitles & body language are enough to ensure that the humor is not lost in translation. Do yourself a favor & check them out on YouTube. Immediately.

P.P.S. There is a German doctor at work so naturally I had to mention this band to him. He’d never heard of them, sadly, but hopefully he took my suggestion & looked them up. If so, he probably now thinks I’m a loon. Oh well. Worth it!

1 Comment Leave a comment

Share this:

Share this: