OOPS! 2023 / #30 – 26: Detroit’s Own, The Blues and A Spirit

The OOPS! list keeps growing. I love doing the OOPS! list and listening to all the great music I missed. We have a rapper from Detroit, which I love because my extended family is from Detroit, so I have a soft spot in my heart for that city. We also have some great indie tracks you will love. So, let’s get going!

30. Billy Woods, Kenny Segal and Danny Brown: Year Zero

Danny Brown had a big 2023. He came out and made a record with JPEG Mafia, which we will talk about later, but out his own record late in the year (which will come back in the top 50 of 2024) and featured on this track. Woods, Segal and Brown flow over a stripped back track of bass and horns with a sense of doom and discord as notes bend and shriek behind bars about the downfall of society. Drugs, mass shootings, the loss of love in society and solving violence with violence all document the downfall of the world. Not uplifting, but there is some hope with the belief that the next generation will build a better world to replace this one.

29. MJ Lenderman: Knockin’

Do you love 90s alt country like Sun Volt or Wilco? Well, MJ Lenderman is for you! With all the slide and rolling guitar sway of early Wilco with some excellent storytelling, MJ Lenderman takes the best parts of that mid 90s genre and amps it up to 11. It has this country rock dive bar feel that is both true to the genre, but also keeps the track fresh.

28. Water From Your Eyes: Barley

This is one weird track, which is why I love it. The track itself is like if a computer went to a rave, got super high and started talking about their vacation to the Rockies. The mix of discordant guitar riffs, 8 bit sprites, synth and TV static behind some of the most uninterested vocals on mountains sounds like an unexplored level of pain in Hellraiser. However, it all comes together beautifully and becomes hypnotic. This track is more of a vibe than a song and it really worked for me.

27. Kara Jackson: Dickhead Blues

A cross between blues and spoken word poetry, Kara describes what it feels like to be pulled into the vortex of narcissistic men and wondering how she got there. This gets extended into how toxic masculinity more widely in society and she feels surrounded by dickheads on the news, on the street and in her personal life. She explores the emotional toll of being within an abusive relationship and the realisation that she is worth more than the dickheads that surround her. Kara moved from blues, to soul and even into some acid jazz. This track is an emotional and music journey you have to experience.

26. Sampha: Spirit 2.0

A cross between Sade and modern electro R&B, Spirit 2.0 has a warmth and love that is undeniable. Lyrics about live, love, spirit and faith outline how one can find healing and connection within an overwhelming modern life. The love and faith exuding from this track envelopes you and soothes your soul. It is that love and soulfulness that reminds me of Sade and has me returning to this track multiple times. The entire record is amazing, but this track is a standout for me.