So it’s been a little while since the last year-end to-do in this here corner of the Internet. I love year-end lists, and there are aspects of making them that I enjoy — most of all the way it nudges you toward revisiting albums you liked but didn’t get to know front-to-back — but things had gotten a little out of hand by 2020. I found myself stressed out during holiday family time, carving out more and more laptop hours so I could finish multi-thousand-word, multi-category, multi-post extravaganzas. Too much blurbing, too little late-December loafing.

I’m still steering clear of those over-the-top listing endeavors, but some sort of look back seemed worthwhile as a result of the Style Weekly site redesign, which improved the site’s look dramatically (take a look!) while changing the URL of each and every article I worked on this year. I thought I’d share a list of updated links, along with a few other lists tacked on below — shows, albums, songs, etc.

2023 was like a dream. I’ll probably keep the URL of this post handy for when I need to be reminded it all really happened.

Articles I Wrote

Memorable Merch Table Moments: One of our writers looks back at some thrilling live music moments from 2023.
Style Weekly, December 28, 2023

Sounds of Solidarity: Charlottesville’s WarHen Records is releasing a 40-artist compilation aimed at fundraising to resist the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
Style Weekly, November 30, 2023

Press to Remember: Two new Richmond record labels have launched with the goal of surfacing sonic time capsules.
Style Weekly, November 28, 2023

Finding a Groove: Funk Trunk Records owner Quinn Cunningham on Crates, the semiannual record show series he’ll conclude on Nov. 5.
Style Weekly, October 25, 2023

Celestial Navigation: Notes on Butcher Brown’s new LP, “Solar Music,” and on witnessing the group’s Newport Jazz Festival debut.
Style Weekly, October 23, 2023

Our Bingo Card: Some of our music writers give their picks for Richmond Folk Fest.
Style Weekly, October 12, 2023

‘Kind Ghosts’: More than a decade after Mark Linkous’ death, his final album debuts
Richmond Magazine, October 11, 2023

Q&A: Kendall Street Company: Catching up with the Charlottesville jam band upon the release of its new LP, “Separation95.”
Style Weekly, October 4, 2023

Comic Book Flow: Rapper Nickelus F awoke from suspended animation to make a super-heroic new LP that combines his love of comic books and hip-hop.
Style Weekly, September 26, 2023

That One Song: “Don’t Settle Down” by Illiterate Light
Style Weekly, September 14, 2023

Autumn Albums: Six Richmond (and Richmond-adjacent) artists releasing new music this fall.
Style Weekly, September 13, 2023

PICK: Deau Eyes Tour De Richmond: Spaghetti Dinner + Strings Style Weekly,
September 11, 2023

Expanding Sounds: Downtown record store Vinyl Conflict to commemorate 15 years with a show at the Broadberry.
Style Weekly, September 6, 2023

That One Song: “Exit Check” by Opin
Style Weekly, August 28, 2023

PICK: Fighting Gravity, Cracker and Everything on Brown’s Island, Saturday, Aug. 19
Style Weekly, August 18, 2023

PICK: Model Citizen at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Sunday, Aug. 20
Style Weekly, August 16, 2023

Fanning the Flame: Ember Music Hall aims to stoke Richmond’s passion for immersive performances.
Style Weekly, August 15, 2023

A Musical Family: Veteran local rockers the Atkinsons will celebrate their 20-year anniversary at Hardywood this weekend.
Style Weekly, August 7, 2023

From RVA to Bristol: Hardywood will play host to a preview of this year’s Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion lineup — and a very special guest.
Style Weekly, July 18, 2023

Ghostly Meditations: Ambient artist Gregory Darden on losing himself during the creation of his spellbinding new album, “Forgotten Gardens.”
Style Weekly, July 17, 2023

That One Song: “Lately.” by Tre. Charles
Style Weekly, July 5, 2023

The Stage Is Set: Producer Ant The Symbol on “I Know Who I Am,” the album he’s always wanted to make.
Style Weekly, June 14, 2023

That One Song: “Checks” by Dead Billionaires
Style Weekly, June 6, 2023

Dream to Convene: Daydream Fest returns to Main Line Brewery with 16 bands across two days and a mission to foster the music scene.
Style Weekly, May 23, 2023

Give the Drummer Some: Kelli Strawbridge shares a pair of self-produced solo EPs as tan.gent.
Style Weekly, May 16, 2023

That One Song: “Stranger” by Dogwood Tales
Style Weekly, May 8, 2023

PICK: “Let’s Talk Records!” with Matt Patton, Friday, April 28
Style Weekly, April 25, 2023

Roaming Where the Heart Is: Drive-By Truckers co-founder Patterson Hood reflects on the relationships that make Richmond a unique tour stop.
Style Weekly, April 19, 2023

A Musical Monument: Curt Sydnor’s new symphony depicts Lincoln’s visit to Richmond in the final days of the Civil War.
Style Weekly, March 29, 2023

Built to Chill: Chilton House hosts one-of-a-kind concerts with a living room feel in Forest Hill.
Style Weekly, March 23, 2023

Paying Inspiration Forward: Christina Marie Gleixner of Turkish-language band Yeni Nostalji on Friday’s earthquake relief benefit at Gallery5.
Style Weekly, March 14, 2023

That One Song: “Cosmic Changes” by Lonnie Liston Smith
Style Weekly, March 8, 2023

Q&A: Bill McGee
Richmond Magazine, March 1, 2023

Back to the Future: Neo-soul artist Ms. Jaylin Brown is on the rise — and raising money for graduate study in Spain.
Style Weekly, February 28, 2023

Projecting the Unexpected: Free jazz label Out of Your Head Records kicks off a new “Second Mondays” concert series at Artspace.
Style Weekly, February 10, 2023

49 Rising: 49 Winchester lead singer Isaac Gibson looks back on an ascendent year for the Virginia alt-country outfit.
Style Weekly, January 31, 2023

Live from Musical Nirvana: Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams will perform at Richmond Music Hall in support of their new album, “Live at Levon’s!”
Style Weekly, January 25, 2023

That One Song: “Around Your Eye” by Gold Connections
Style Weekly, January 23, 2023

Side Gig: The Sefton Listening Room strives for harmony in more ways than one.
Style Weekly, January 13, 2023

Shows I Saw

I didn’t manage to keep a running list, but I did write out that list of favorite merch table moments from the second half of 2023, and here are the ones I was able to recall before New Year’s Eve shenanigans started:

1/19 Alan Parker and Minor Poet at Sefton Listening Room
2/10 Angel Olsen and Erin Rae at the National
2/13 Adam Hopkins and Scott Clark at ArtSpace
2/16 David Shultz and Russell Lacy at Sefton Listening Room
3/4 Django Haskins at Chilton House
3/13 Adam Hopkins’ School Work and Michael Hawkins & The Brotherhood at ArtSpace
3/16 Andy Jenkins and Liza Kate at Sefton Listening Room
4/13 Pippin Barnett & Gary Kalar and Scott Clark & Laura Ann Singh at Sefton Listening Room
4/18 Wild Pink, Downhaul, and Always Other at Richmond Music Hall
4/28 Drive-By Truckers, Lydia Loveless, and No BS! Brass Band at Brown’s Island
5/5 Snail Mail, Water from Your Eyes, and Dazy at Brown’s Island
5/11 Ms. Jaylin Brown and Landon Elliott at Sefton Listening Room
5/12 Sierra Ferrell and Chris Leggett & the Copper Line at Brown’s Island
5/24 Baba Commandant and the Mandingo Band at Get Tight Lounge
5/29 Daydream Fest at Main Line Brewing from Sunday, May 28
6/3 Dead & Company at Jiffy Jube Live!
7/5 The Smile and Robert Stillman at the National
7/17 Pippin Barnett & Gary Kalar at ArtSpace
7/20 Jake Xerxes Fussell and Sam Moss at Richmond Music Hall
8/4-6 Newport Jazz Festival
8/8 Jason Isbell and S.G. Goodman at Brown’s Island
8/18 William Tyler & the Impossible Truth and Burke Ingraffia at Richmond Music Hall
9/11 Curt Sydnor & the Trembling Hand and Tear Ducts at ArtSpace
9/12 James McMurtry and Betty Soo at Richmond Music Hall
9/18 Trey Anastasio Band at the National
9/23 Hotspit at Richmond Music Hall
9/27 Sylvan Esso at the National
10/12 Tre. Charles and Ryan Irby at Sefton Listening Room
10/15 Richmond Folk Festival
10/19 Hiss Golden Messenger and Sylvie at Richmond Music Hall
11/13 Adam Hopkins’ Crickets SOUTH, Peni Candra Rini, and Scott Clark at ArtSpace
11/17 Curt Sydnor, Peni Candra Rini, and Au Fromage at Gallery5
11/24 Butcher Brown at the Broadberry
11/25 Modern Groove Syndicate and Ben White at the Camel
11/27 Bob Dylan at the Altria Theater
11/29 Patterson Hood at Chilton House
12/8-9 Goose at Hampton Coliseum
12/22 J. Roddy Walston at the Broadberry

Albums I Enjoyed

For the third time (I think?), I contributed a top-10 to Uproxx’s critics poll. I stand by it, though with such a painfully small number of spots to work with, I necessarily left off a zillion albums I love. For a fuller picture of what resonated in 2023, see the Albums I Acquired list below.

Songs I Enjoyed

I also gave Uproxx a top-5 songs list — double what I said about the albums list, in terms of feeling incomplete. Here are a few more that feel worthy of special recognition:

Ant The Symbol — “This Is Your Life”
boygenius — “Emily I’m Sorry”
jaimie branch — “take over the world”
Butcher Brown — “I Can Say to You”
Tyler Childers — “Phone Calls and Emails”
McKinley Dixon (feat. Ang​é​lica Garcia) — “Sun, I Rise”
GEORGE — “Grey Funnel Line”
Margaret Glaspy — “Get Back”
Jason Isbell — “Death Wish”
The Mountain Goats — “Fresh Tattoo”
The National — “New Order T-Shirt”
Andy Shauf — “Wasted On You”
Sparklehorse — “Kind Ghosts”
Curt Sydnor — “Catastrophists”
Daniel Villarreal — “Traveling With”
Water from Your Eyes — “14”
Youth Lagoon — “Idaho Alien”

Albums I Acquired*

Animal Collective — Defeat
Animal Collective — Isn’t It Now?
Daniel Bachman — When The Roses Come Again
Blue Lake — Sun Arcs
boygenius — The Record
Jaimie Branch — Fly Or Die Fly Or Die Fly Or Die ((World War))
Butcher Brown — Solar Music
Tyler Childers — Rustin’ in the Rain
Scott Clark — Dawn & Dusk
Alabaster DePlume — Come with Fierce Grace
McKinley Dixon — Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?
Dogwood Tales — 13 Summers 13 Falls/Rodeo
Kurt Elling — SuperBlue: The Iridescent Spree
Elkhorn — On the Whole Universe in All Directions
Vincent Neil Emerson — The Golden Crystal Kingdom
Fachada — Cidade Da Selva
Feist — Multitudes
Florry — The Holey Bible
Fruit Bats — A River Running to Your Heart
Asher Gamedze — Turbulence and Pulse
GEORGE — Letters To George
Margaret Glaspy — Echo the Diamond
Goose — Autumn Crossing
Steve Gunn & David Moore — Reflections Vol. 1: Let the Moon Be a Planet
Gunn Truscinski Nace — Glass Band
Hiss Golden Messenger — Jump for Joy
The Hurricane Party — CAT. 2
Jason Isbell — Weathervanes
Durand Jones — Wait Til I Get Over
L’Rain — I Killed Your Dog
Julian Lage — The Layers
Mary Lattimore — Goodbye, Hotel Arkada
Lionmilk — Intergalactic Warp Terminal 222
M. Ward — Supernatural Thing
Gia Margaret — Romantic Piano
Beck Meek — Haunted Mountain
Model Citizen — Live at Dial Back Sound
The Mountain Goats —Jenny From Thebes
Mutoid Man — Mutants
Fabiano Do Nascimento — Das Nuvens
The National — First Two Pages of Frankenstein
Bill Orcutt — Jump On It
Doug Paisley — Say What You Like
Misha Panfilov — In Focus
Misha Panfilov Septet — Gala!
Natural Information Society — Since Time Is Gravity
Andy Shauf  — Norm
Paul Simon — Seven Psalms
Lonnie Liston Smith — Jazz Is Dead 17
The Smile — Europe: Live Recordings 2022
Son of Buzzi — Die Hand Der Riesin
The Southern Belles — IV: Reprise
Sparklehorse — Bird Machine
Sufjan Stevens — Javelin
Sunwatchers — Music Is Victory Over Time
Sylvan Esso — No Rules Sandy
Dudu Tassa and Jonny Greenwood – Jarak Qaribak
William Tyler & The Impossible Truth — Secret Stratosphere
Various — STOP MVP: Artists From WV, VA & NC Against The Mountain Valley Pipeline
Daniel Villarreal — Lados B
Water from Your Eyes — Everyone’s Crushed
Wednesday — Rat Saw God
Wilco — Cousin
Sven Wunder — Late Again
Youth Lagoon — Heaven Is A Junkyard

*Listing just stuff I have a physical copy of, and 2023 only — no archival releases. If you’re looking for those, might I recommend Evenings at the Village Gate, Live At Manchester Free Trade Hall, Manchester, U.K. July 29, 1977, Pacific Breeze 3: Japanese City Pop, AOR and Boogie 1975-1987, This Is The Place: American Soul Music Vol. 9 (1963-1974), Pharoah, or Epoch?