THE NEW YEAR HOLIDAY STARTS HERE:

...with THE BEAT FARMERS!  Making a tradition of this more sober than usual, professionally-shot, early BF gig recorded at Universal Studios, including "There She Goes Again" (VU); "Road to Ruin," "Bigger Fool," "Reason to Believe" (Springsteen), "Powderfinger" (N. Young), "Happy Boy," "Big Ugly Wheels," "Bigger Stones," "Gun Sale at the Church," "Dallas Blues," "I Wanna Be Free," "Lakeside Trailer Park," "Death Train," and "Seven Year Itch."  If you're new to the band, my picks would be "Bigger Stones," "Happy Boy" and the cover of your choice.  BONUS:  Now how much would you pay?  But wait... there's more!  If you really want to see someone put the "bar" in "bar band," watch these NSFW clips from Houston, TX of the late Country Dick Montana leading the band through "Lucille" (K. Rogers) -- complete with his favorite beer bottle stunts -- followed by "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Wino," "Are You Drinkin' With Me, Jesus?" and "Mondo."  SUPER-SPECIAL BONUS: Country Dick rolls out "California Kid" and "Anarchy in the UK" (Language warning).

U2: Crushingly obvious, I know. 

NICK CAVE & SHANE MacGOWAN: "What a Wonderful World."

ABBA wishes you a "Happy New Year,"  but it doesn't sound anywhere as celebratory as "Take A Chance On Me." 

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS perform "This Year" at the M-Shop in Ames, IA.

OTIS & CARLA have a "New Year's Resolution."

CLAUDE PATE: Don't forget you can stream "New Year" on the Tube, with comments from a member of The Eclectics and Friend of Pate Ken King.

AULD LANG SYNE: All my life, I don't know what this song means.

JOE JACKSON: Pate frequently attempted "One More Time" to often hilarious effect, so today I stick with Joe's early material, including "Sunday Papers" live on the OGWT, "Kinda Kute" on the Kenny Everett Video Show, and a Beat Crazy-era run of "On Your Radio."  The Rock Goes To College show provides live takes on "It's Different For Girls,"  "I'm The Man," and this pulsing version of his signature "Is She Really Going Out With Him?"  BONUS: The appropos finale, "Got The Time?

THE 2023 FLUBLOG SURVEY, playlisted at Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube (abridged).

BROOKLYN VEGAN's Top 55 Albums of 2023.

MAGNET's Top 25 Albums of 2023.

BILL'S INDIE BASEMENT's Top 40 Albums of 2023. Also, 2023’s best reissues and box sets.

AQUARIUM DRUNKARD's 2023 Year in Review.

THE BEST INDIE ALBUMS of 2023, according to Uproxx.

THE 2023 UPROXX MUSIC CRITICS' POLL: Over 300 critics weigh in.

THE 50 BEST ALBUMS of 2023, according to NPR.

STEVEN HYDEN's Favorite Albums Of 2023.

THE 50 BEST ALBUMS of 2023, according to Pitchfork.

THE 50 BEST ALBUMS of 2023, according to Stereogum.

THE 37 BEST ROCK ALBUMS of 2023, according to Pitchfork. 

THE 50 BEST ALBUMS of 2023, according to Consequence.

THE 50 BEST ALBUMS of 2023, according to Alternative Press. 

PASTE's 50 Best Albums and 30 Best Rock Albums of 2023.

POPMATTERS' 80 Best Albums of 2023.

THE 50 BEST ALBUMS of 2023, according to NME.  

MOJO's Top 75 Albums of 2023. 

ROLLING STONE's Top Albums of 2023.

THE TOP 100 ALBUMS of 2023, according to The Quietus.

THE ZOMBIES: "This Will Be Our Year."

THE BEST MOVIES OF 2023, according to The Ringer.

THE TEN BEST MOVIES of 2023, according to Uproxx. 

THE BEST TV SHOWS of 2023, according to The Ringer. And Uproxx.

THE 20 BEST MOVIES of 2023, according to Rolling Stone. 

THE GREAT PERFORMANCES of 2023, according to Roger Ebert dot com.

THE TEN BEST FILMS of 2023, according to Sonny Bunch.

THE GREAT CRAFT OF 2023, according to Roger Ebert dot com.

A CLEVER DOG, a ball, and a treat.

I IMMEDIATELY regret this decision.

NOTHING'S GONNA STOP US Now.

RYAN SEACREST: Don't drink and host. The More You Know. Whoosh.