Music Tracking 2023

These are 2023 releases that I've taken note of, listed alphabetically by artist, with VA comps at the bottom. My grades, where available, are in brackets at the end of the line (stars in B+ range, ~ indicates the grade is for a previous release of the album). Lines in blue indicate that I have a physical copy (albeit sometimes just a promo CDR); in green are records that I graded based on a Rhapsody stream or other such source. Most records have release dates and a brief generic note.

Unheard records are prioritized 0-3 (graded records are 4-5). The prioritization is based subjectively on personal interests, reviews I've noticed, reviewers I particularly respect, what I know about the artists, etc. Roughly speaking: 0 is something I have no reason to consider (default page omits 0); 1 has been noted as having some cred somewhere; 2 is something I have some specific reason to search out; 3 is something I'll listen to ASAP.

Option selectors:

Genre switches (selection not implemented yet):

New Releases

  • Colby Acuff: Western White Pines (Sony Music Nashville) [08-18] - country [***]
  • Tanner Adell: Buckle Bunny (Columbia -EP) [07-23] - country [***]
  • Lauren Alaina: Unlocked (Big Loud -EP) - country [**]
  • Jason Aldean: Highway Desperado () - country
  • Victoria Bailey: A Cowgirl Rides On () - country
  • Kelsea Ballerini: Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (Black River, EP) [02-14] - country [**]
  • Kelsea Ballerini: Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good) (Black River) [08-11] - country
  • John Baumann: Border Radio () - country
  • William Beckmann: Here's to You. Here's to Me () - country
  • Dierks Bentley: Gravel & Gold () - country
  • Bloody Jug Band: How to Train a Spooky Horse (self-released) - country
  • Pony Bradshaw: North Georgia Rounder (Black Mountain Music) [01-27] - country [**]
  • Brothers Osborne: Brothers Osborne (EMI Nashville) [09-15] - country-rock [*]
  • Zach Bryan: Zach Bryan (Warner) [08-25] - country [***]
  • Zach Bryan: Boys of Faith (Warner, EP) [09-22] - country [**]
  • Billy Joe Burns: I've Seen a Lot of Highway () - country
  • Sean Burns: Lost Country () - country
  • Colbie Caillat: Along the Way () - country
  • Laura Cantrell: Just Like a Rose: The Anniversary Sessions (Propeller Sound) [06-09] - country [A-]
  • Mackenzie Carpenter: Mackenzie Carpenter (Valory Music -EP) - country [***]
  • Tyler Childers: Rustin' in the Rain (Hickman Holler) [09-08] - country [***]
  • Margo Cilker: Valley of Heart's Delight (Fluff and Gravy) [09-15] - country [***]
  • Brandy Clark: Brandy Clark (Warner) [05-19] - country [***]
  • JD Clayton: Long Way From Home (Mulberry) [01-27] - country
  • Michael Cleveland: Lovin' of the Game () - bluegrass
  • Slaid Cleaves: Together Through the Dark (Candy House Media) [03-03] - country [***]
  • Brent Cobb: Southern Star (Ol' Buddy/Thirty Tigers) [09-22] - country [**]
  • Julia Cole: Country Sugar () - country
  • Jessi Colter: Edge of Forever (Appalachia) [10-27] - country [**]
  • Luke Combs: Gettin' Old (River House Artists) [03-24] - country [*]
  • Ashley Cooke: Shot in the Dark () - country
  • Easton Corbin: Let's Do Country Right () - country
  • Country Side of Harmonica Sam: Back to the Blue Side () - country
  • Charley Crockett: Live from the Ryman (Son of Davy) [08-18] - country [A-]
  • Rodney Crowell: The Chicago Sessions (New West) [05-05] - country [**]
  • Croy and the Boys: What Good's the Medicine? (Spaceflight) - country
  • Dan and Shay: Bigger Houses () - country
  • Brandon Davis: Life's Too Short () - country
  • Jordan Davis: Bluebird Days (MCA Nashville) [02-17] - country [*]
  • Ward Davis: Sunday Morning () - country
  • Summer Dean: The Biggest Life (The Next Waltz) - country
  • Jason Eady: Mississippi (Old Guitar) [08-11] - country [**]
  • Jade Eagleson: Do It Anyway () - country
  • Dylan Earl: I Saw the Arkansas () - country
  • El Dorodo: Unincorporated () - country
  • Myron Elkins: Factories, Farms & Amphetamines () - country
  • Vincent Neil Emerson: The Golden Crystal Kingdoms (La Honda/RCA) - country
  • Ernest: Flower Shops (The Album) () - country
  • Drayton Farley: Twenty on High (Hargrove/Thirty Tigers) [03-03] - country [B]
  • Drayton Farley: Twenty on High (Hargrove) [03-03] - country [B]
  • Amanda Fields: What, When and Without (Are and Be) [02-28] - country [**]
  • Flatland Cavalry: Wandering Star () - country
  • Larry Fleet: Earned It () - country
  • Wyatt Flores: Life Lessons () - country
  • Joey Frendo: Bound for Heartache (Horton) [04-21] - country
  • Robbie Fulks: Bluegrass Vacation (Compass) [04-07] - bluegrass [***]
  • Gibson Brothers: Darkest Hour () - bluegrass
  • Vince Gill & Paul Franklin: Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & the Cherokee Cowboys (MCA Nashville) [08-04] - country [*]
  • Kezia Gill: Misfit (W21) - country
  • Charles Wesley Godwin: Family Ties (self-released) [09-22] - country [*]
  • Tim Goodin: True Stories and Flat Out Lies () - country
  • Goodwin Brothers: If You Hadn't Noticed () - bluegrass
  • Graves: Gary Owens: I Have Some Thoughts () - country
  • Riley Green: Ain't My Last Rodeo () [10-13] - country
  • Luke Grimes: Pain Pills or Pews () - country
  • Logan Halstead: Dark Black Coal () - country
  • Abby Hamilton: #1 Zoo Keeper (of the San Diego Zoo) (Blue Gown) - country
  • Waylon Hanel: New Old Outlaws () - country
  • Hardy: The Mockingbird & the Crow (Big Loud) [01-20] - country [**]
  • Jaimee Harris: Boomerang Town (Thirty Tigers) [02-17] - country [**]
  • Jesse Hawk Harris: Thin Places () - country
  • Walker Hayes: Good With Me () - country
  • Robert Henry and the Repeaters: The Way It Usually Goes () - country
  • Posey Hill: No Clear Place to Fall () - country
  • Matt Hillyer: Glorieta (State Fair) - country
  • Malcolm Holcombe: Bits & Pieces (Singular) [06-23] - country [***]
  • Evan Honer: West on I-10 () - country
  • Heather Lynne Horton: Get Me to a Nunnery (Pauper Sky) [09-22] - country [B-]
  • Tyler Hubbard: Tyler Hubbard () - country
  • Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley: Living in a Song () - country
  • Jackson Hollow: Roses () - bluegrass
  • Nicholas Jamerson: Peace Mountain () - country
  • Chris Janson: The Outlaw Side of Me () - country
  • Jelly Roll: Whitsitt Chapel (BBR Music Group) [06-02] - country [**]
  • Royce Johns: Thank Ya Kindly () - country
  • Cody Johnson: Leather (Warner Music Nashville) [11-03] - country [B]
  • Dean Johnson: Nothing for Me Please () - country
  • Josiah & the Bonnevilles: Endurance () - country
  • Jude Brothers: Render Tender/Blunder Sunder () - country
  • Kyle Keller: The Great American Highway () - country
  • Ruston Kelly: The Weakness (Rounder) [04-07] - country [*]
  • Corey Kent: Blacktop () - country
  • Elle King: Come Get Your Wife (RCA) [01-27] - country [A-]
  • Laid Back Country Picker: Go West () - country
  • Ella Langley: Excuse the Mess (Sawgood) [05-19] - country [*]
  • Jim Lauderdale and the Po' Ramblin' Boys: The Long and Lonesome Letting Go (Sky Crunch) - country
  • Theo Lawrence: Cherie () - country
  • Roberta Lea: Too Much of a Woman () - country
  • Gabe Lee: Drink the River (Torrez Music Group) [07-14] - Americana [A-]
  • Bob Lefevre & the Already Gone: Two () - country
  • Leftover Salmon: Grass Roots () - bluegrass
  • Brennen Leigh: Ain't Through Honky-Tonkin' Yet (Signature Sounds) [06-16] - country [***]
  • MJ Lenderman and the Wind: Live and Loose! (Anti-) [11-17] - country [**]
  • Lindsay Lou: Queen of Time () - country
  • Tony Logue: The Crumbs () - country
  • The Long Ryders: September November (Cherry Red) [03-10] - country rock [**]
  • Low Water Bridge Band: Back to the Valley () - country
  • Lucero: Should've Learned by Now (Liberty & Leisure) [03-24] - country
  • The Malpass Brothers: Lonely Street (Billy Jam) [05-12] - country [***]
  • Mamma Coal: Dance Hall Crush () - country
  • Dillon Massengale: Buckleshiners () - country
  • Ashley McBryde: The Devil I Know (Warner Music Nashville) [09-08] - country [**]
  • Parker McCollum: Never Enough () - country
  • HC McEntire: Every Acre (Merge) [01-27] - alt-country
  • Lori McKenna: 1988 (CN) [07-12] - country [A-]
  • Bryan Martin: Poets and Old Souls () - country
  • Buck Meek: Haunted Mountain (4AD) [08-25] - alt-country
  • Mike and the Moonpies: Live From the Devil's Backbone () - country
  • Buddy & Julie Miller: In the Throes (New West) [09-22] - country [**]
  • John R Miller: Heat Comes Down () - country
  • Miles Miller: Solid Gold () - country
  • Bonnie Montgomery: River (Gar Hole) [11-03] - country [*]
  • Dallas Moore: No God in Juarez () - country
  • Justin Moore: Stray Dog () - country
  • Kip Moore: Damn Love () - country
  • Megan Moroney: Lucky (Sony Music Nashville) [05-05] - country [***]
  • Jenni Muldaur/Teddy Thompson: Once More: Jenni Muldaur & Teddy Thompson Sing the Great Country Duets (Sun) [09-08] - country [A-]
  • Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers: Let Time Ride () - bluegrass
  • Ian Munsick: White Buffalo () - country
  • Sam Munsick: Johnny Faraway () - country
  • Muscadine Bloodline: Teenage Dixie () - country
  • Bobbie Nelson and Amanda Shires: Loving You (ATO) [06-23] - country [***]
  • Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real: Sticks and Stones (Six Ace) [07-14] - country
  • Willie Nelson: I Don't Know a Thing About Love: The Songs of Harlan Howard (Legacy) [03-03] - country [**]
  • Willie Nelson: Bluegrass (Legacy) [09-15] - bluegrass [*]
  • Willie Nelson: Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90 Live at the Hollywood Bowl (Legacy) [12-15] - country
  • Nickel Creek: Celebrants (Thirty Tigers) [03-24] - prog bluegrass [B]
  • Kyle Nix & the 38's: After the Flood Vol 1 () - country
  • Tim O'Brien: Cup of Sugar () - bluegrass
  • Ol' Moose: No Forever Road () - country
  • Old Crow Medicine Show: Jubilee (ATO) [08-25] - country-rock [B]
  • ONE the Duo: Blood Harmony () - country
  • The Panhandlers: Tough Country () - country
  • Jon Pardi: Merry Christmas From Jon Pardi () - country
  • Dolly Parton: Rockstar (Butterfly/Big Machine) [11-17] - country [B]
  • Jenna Paulette: The Girl I Was () - country
  • Kimberly Perry: Superbloom () - country
  • Sara Petite: The Empress (Forty Below) [06-09] - alt country [A-]
  • The Pink Stones: You Know Who () - country
  • Dougie Poole: The Rainbow Wheel of Death (Wharf Cat) [02-24] - alt-country [*]
  • Grace Potter: Mother Road (Fantasy) [08-18] - country-rock [A-]
  • Margo Price: Strays (Loma Vista) [01-13] - country [*]
  • William Prince: Stand in the Joy (Six Shooter) - country
  • Restless Road: Last Rodeo (Sony Music Nashville) - country
  • Jobi Riccio: Whiplash (Yep Roc) - country
  • Chase Rice: I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go to Hell (Broken Bow) [02-10] - country [A-]
  • Lance Roark: Better Man () - country
  • Emily Ann Roberts: Can't Hide Country () - country
  • Reyna Roberts: Bad Girl Bible Vol 1 (ReynaRed/Empire) - country
  • Esther Rose: Safe to Run (New West) [04-21] - singer-songwriter [**]
  • Whitney Rose: Rosie (MCG) [05-19] - country [***]
  • Rose City Band: Garden Party (Thrill Jockey) [04-21] - alt/indie
  • Darius Rucker: Carolyn's Boy () - country
  • Zach Russell: Where the Flowers Meet the Dew () - country
  • Carter Sampson: Gold (self-released) [04-07] - country
  • Ray Scott: Billboards & Brake Lights () - country
  • Sophia Scott: Barstool Confessions () - country
  • Brian Setzer: The Devil Always Collects () - country
  • Jordyn Shellhart: Primrose (Warner Music Nashville) - country
  • The Shootouts: Stampede (Soundly Music) [02-24] - country [***]
  • Nick Shoulders: All Bad (Gar Hole) [09-08] - country [**]
  • Slackeye Slim: Scorched Earth, Black Heart () - country
  • Slaughter Beach, Dog: Crying, Laughing, Waving, Smiling () [09-22] - alt-country
  • Caitlyn Smith: High & Low (Monument) [04-14] - country [*]
  • Nate Smith: Nate Smith () - country
  • Austin Snell: Muddy Water Rockstar () - country
  • Son Volt: Day of the Doug: The Songs of Doug Sahm (Transmit Sound) [04-22] - country [*]
  • Scott Southworth: Comin' Round to Honky Tonk Again () - country
  • Joe Stamm Band: Wild Man (self-released) [08-11] - country [*]
  • Chris Stapleton: Higher (Mercury Nashville) [11-10] - country [*]
  • Starlet and Big John: Living in the South () - country
  • The Steel Woods: On Your Time () - country-rock
  • Steep Canyon Rangers: Morning Shift (Yep Roc) [09-08] - bluegrass [*]
  • Tamara Stewart: Woman (self-released) [04-11] - country [**]
  • Billy Strings: Me/And/Dad () - country
  • Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives: Altitude (Snakefarm) [05-19] - bluegrass [B]
  • Sundy Best: Feel Good Country (self-released) [02-03] - country [*]
  • Brit Taylor: Kentucky Blue (Cut a Shine) [02-04] - country [***]
  • Dulcie Taylor: Edges of Silver (Mesa/Bluemoon) - Americana
  • Willie Tea Taylor & the Fellership: The Great Western Hangover (self-released) [10-27] - country [**]
  • Them Dirty Roses: Lost in the Valley of Hate & Love Vol 1 () - country
  • Teddy Thompson: My Love of Country (self-released) [08-18] - country [**]
  • Tobacco City: Tobacco City USA (Scissor Tail) [01-30] - folk
  • Tommy and the Ohs: Box Truck Boogie () - country
  • Josie Toney: Extra (Like You Mean It) [04-07] - country [**]
  • Treaty Oak Revival: Have a Nice Day () - country
  • Tanya Tucker: Sweet Western Sound (Fantasy) [06-02] - country [**]
  • Turnpike Troubadours: A Cat in the Rain (Bossier City) [08-25] - country-rock [B]
  • Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway: City of Gold (Nonesuch) [07-21] - bluegrass [***]
  • Shania Twain: Queen of Me (Republic Nashville) [02-03] - country pop
  • Dan Tyminski: God Fearing Heathen (8 Track Entertainment) [06-23] - bluegrass [A-]
  • Carrie Underwood: Denim and Rhinestones () - country
  • Tanner Usrey: Crossing Lines () - country
  • Erin Viancourt: Won't Die This Way () - country
  • Morgan Wade: Psychopath (Ladylike/RCA) [08-25] - country [A-]
  • Joshua Ray Walker: I Opened for the Killers () - country
  • Colter Wall: Little Songs (Black Hole/La Ronda) [07-14] - country [***]
  • Morgan Wallen: One Thing at a Time (Big Loud) [03-03] - country [*]
  • The War and Treaty: Lover's Game (Mercury Nashville) [03-10] - country [**]
  • Dale Watson: Starvation Box () - country
  • The Watson Twins: Holler () - country
  • Bella White: Among Other Things () - country
  • Whitehorse: I'm Not Crying, You're Crying (Six Shooter) - country
  • Hailey Whitters: I'm in Love (Big Loud/Pigasus -EP) [07-28] - country [**]
  • The Wilder Blue: Super Natural () - country
  • Chancey Williams: One of These Days () - country
  • Hank Williams IV: Honky Tonk Habit (Lone Star Reserve -EP) [08-11] - country [*]
  • Jess Williamson: Time Ain't Accidental (Mexican Summer) [06-09] - alt country [***]
  • Channing Wilson: Dead Man () - country
  • Stephen Wilson Jr: Son of Dad (Big Loud) [09-15] - country [A-]
  • Jake Worthington: Jake Worthington () - country
  • Cameron Wrinkle: In My Heaven () - country
  • Jaime Wyatt: Feel Good (New West) [11-03] - country [B]
  • Brett Young: Across the Sheets () - country
  • Warren Zeiders: Pretty Little Poison () - country
  • Bailey Zimmerman: Religiously: The Album (Warner Nashville/Elektra) [05-12] - country [**]
  • One Night in Texas: The Next Waltz's Tribute to the Red Headed Stranger (The Next Waltz) - country
  • Stoned Cold Country (Broken Bow) [03-17] - country

Reissues, Etc.

  • Reba McEntire: Not That Fancy () - country
  • Gram Parsons & the Fallen Angels: The Last Roundup (1973, Amoeba) [11-24] - country-rock
  • I Am a Pilgrim: Doc Watson at 100 (Fli/Buddle) - country
  • The "Mojo" Man Presents: Rhythm & Western Volume 7: Jambalaya (Koko-Mojo) [02-17] - country
  • The "Mojo" Man Presents: Rhythm & Western Volume 8: Oh Lonesome Me (Koko-Mojo) [02-14] - country
  • The "Mojo" Man Presents: Rhythm & Western Volume 9: You Are My Sunshine (Koko-Mojo) [05-09] - country
  • The "Mojo" Man Presents: Rhythm & Western Volume 10: Nine Pound Hammer (Koko-Mojo) [05-09] - country
  • A Way to Make a Living: The Dolly Parton Songbook (Ace) - country

Priority Counts

  • Priority 1: 144
  • Priority 2: 4
  • Priority 3: 0
  • Priority 4: 88
  • Priority 5: 0

Total: 236