Rough Trade’s albums of 2023 list

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Here’s the top 20 and the exclusive release bits

01 Nation of Language: Strange Disciple

Nation of Language’s Strange Disciple has been pressed to yellow marble vinyl. The band is also sharing a companion piece that’s pressed on green marble vinyl.

02 Sufjan Stevens: Javelin

Javelin will be available on yellow vinyl with a bonus CD exclusive to Rough Trade. Sufjan Stevens is also making five unreleased songs available on an exclusive Rough Trade vinyl.

03 Caroline Polachek: Desire, I Want To Turn Into You

Rough Trade is making available a new clear vinyl edition of Caroline Polachek’s Desire, I Want to Turn Into You.

04 Lankum: False Lankum

Along with a new edition of False Lankum, Lankum will release the Live in Dublin vinyl.

05 Young Fathers: Heavy Heavy

The pink vinyl edition of Young Fathers’ Heavy Heavy comes with a foldout poster. The Scottish trio is also releasing a 10" Live in Parisvinyl.

06 Yussef Dayes: Black Classical Music

Yussef Dayes’ Black Classical Music is getting pressed on mint green vinyl. In addition, Rough Trade is selling a vinyl edition of Live From Malibu.

07 Baxter Dury: I Thought I Was Better Than You

Baxter Dury has an exclusive vinyl edition of I Thought I Was Better Than You, as well as a pink 12" edition of the album’s megamix, on the way.

08 Armand Hammer: We Buy Diabetic Test Strips

Armand Hammer are releasing a vinyl LP and a 7".

09 Overmono: Good Lies

Good Lies is coming out on sky blue vinyl, and Overmono’s “Everything U Need” is getting released as a white 12" vinyl.

10 Grian Chatten: Chaos for the Fly

Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten is releasing a new vinyl edition of Chaos for the Fly.

11 Wednesday: Rat Saw God

Rat Saw God is coming on bubblegum vinyl, and the radio session Live From WXPN is pressed on an opaque pink 12" vinyl.

12 Slowdive: Everything is Alive

The new vinyl LP release of Everything Is Alivecomes with an exclusive photo print featuring a still from the “Kisses” music video.

13 Beach Fossils: Bunny

The indie edition of Beach Fossils’ Bunnycomes with a signed print.

14 Incendiary: Change the Way You Think About Pain

Incendiary’s Change the Way You Think About Pain has a new exclusive cover and comes with a zine feature exclusive recording session photos.

15 Altin Gün: Aşk

Altin Gün’s Aşk is being made available as a marbled white and clear vinyl LP.

16 Black Pumas: Chronicles of a Diamond

Through Rough Trade, Black Pumas are releasing a new splatter vinyl edition of Chronicles of a Diamond.

17 Durand Jones: Wait Til I Get Over

Along with Wait Til I Get Over, Duran Jones is sharing a 7" vinyl with “Gerri Marie” and “That Feeling.”

18 Everything But the Girl: Fuse

Everything But the Girl’s comeback album, Fuse, is being released on vinyl with a pink/purple splatter colorway.

19 Blondshell: Blondshell

Blondshell’s self-titled debut comes with a signed obi strip and a bonus CD.

20 Mandy, Indiana: I’ve Seen a Way

Mandy, Indiana’s I’ve Seen a Way is being released as a cloudy clear vinyl LP, and it comes with a bonus 12".

Full 100 here Top 100 Albums of the Year 2023 | Rough Trade

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I’m a huge Nation Of Language fan, thanks to people here mentioning them.

The new album despite being excellent isn’t quite AOTY material, despite being my top pick in the month of its release. Their previous two albums were far stronger.

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Is there going to be a new thread for every list?

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Only the big ones I reckon?

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Just seems a lot when you include 2 general threads as well.

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it’s a strong list. And maybe this is just me. But I do feel like it is undermined by the fact that they sell exclusive editions of their top 20 albums. If you say no to an exclusive, are you out of the top 20? I don’t know.

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You are 100% out of the list. This isn’t a lofty artistic evaluation, it’s purely a unit shifting exercise cooked up in conjunction with the labels.

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Disqualifies it from being a “big one” imo