Joanna Sternberg tells us about their favorite music of 2023

Joanna Sternberg‘s I’ve Got Me was one of the most celebrated albums of 2023 (it made our list too). If you’re curious about what albums Joanna liked last year, they just sent us their Top 5, which includes upcoming tourmate Johanna Samuels, Cut Worms (who included Joanna on his list), Country Westerns, and more.

Check out Joanna’s list with commentary for each, below.

Joanna Sternberg’s favorite music of 2023

1.Aliah Sheffield – These Songs Are For Anyone Sick Of Earth
The pandemic is like a nightmare that can be understandably impossible for people (including me) to consciously decide to think, feel and ruminate about. I believe that it permanently changed all of us in endless amounts of ways. I first heard Aliah Sheffield’s song “Earth Is Ghetto” at the start of the pandemic while scrolling through instagram. I was so struck by her incredible voice and the song’s lyricism. I became obsessed with the song as it completely validated my humanity and all of my feelings. I also apply these songs on this album to so many other aspects and moments and memories of my life and my overall existence amongst other humans. Her musicality is so brilliant: the melodies, the lyrics, her amazing singing and piano playing! incredible and inspiring!

2. Johanna Samuels – Bystander
Johanna Samuels is an artist in every sense of the word. She is so completely herself in all of her music and all of her visual artwork, music videos and amazing sense of style and fashion. A poet, a writer — a true renaissance woman! Her songs make you feel nostalgic for things that you don’t even understand or remember. You just believe her and know its true. It is a safe comfort to have her music as a beautiful form of support: her songs and her amazing voice feel like they were written especially for you. I am lucky to be friends with Johanna Samuels! (we are going on a tour together in a few months!)

3. The Lemon Twigs – Everything Harmony
I got to open for The Lemon Twigs on tour this fall! They are so talented and such natural performers / musicians / songwriters. (And they are such kind people!) You can tell how much they care about their craft and their fans. The songs are so beautiful with their numerous unexpected twists and turns and grooves. They have created their own magical sonic world that draws and invites any listener in. When Michael and Brian sing together it is like a concerto for two cellos (them singing together being the cellos!) with Danny and Reza as the orchestra playing amazingly and singing angelic-yet-rock-n-roll background harmonies (also with Brian and Michael’s instrumental playing!) And the conductor is their amazing arrangements, musicality and overall chemistry as a band! Also they dress so cool! The fashions are so totally FASHIONED! Maybe they have pioneered a new genre of music: “psychedelic-angel-rock-n-roll!”

4. Cut Worms – Cut Worms
I got to open for Cut Worms over the summer and was truly blown away by them. Max Clarke’s songs and singing and band all have that timeless quality that I am unable to adequately describe in words. Hearing them makes me really want a band. (Someday I will hopefully be brave enough to try it again! I don’t do it for many reasons but all of the reasons have to do with my deficits.) This album really captures any listener and takes them on a much-deserved-solo-sentimental-road-trip-or-journey.

5. Country Westerns – Forgive The City
I also got to open for Country Westerns in Nashville! It was my first time there and I loved it. Country Westerns live in Nashville and NYC, and I would say their songs are an exact mixture of everything I love about music from this strange country we live in. Their sound is so original with Joey’s voice bursting out of any speaker. (Certain singers have this powerful iconic quality to their voice, sadly I’m not one of them!) I am completely obsessed with this album and all the songs on it! Each member of the band sounds like they are playing two instruments at once, so the trio’s sound is as full as a 6 piece band. I wish I could come up with melodies like these! (Produced by the incredible Matt Sweeney who also produced my record! and they are also my label mates of Fat Possum Records!)

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As Joanna mentioned, they have West Coast dates with Johanna Samuels in February and March, and will be in Knoxville in March for Big Ears, Salt Lake City in May for the Kilby Block Party, and Fort Adams, MA in June for Wilco’s Solid Sound. All dates are here:

JOANNA STERNBERG – 2023 TOUR DATES
FEB 23, 2024 VASHON ISLAND, WAREHOUSE SHOW *
FEB 24, 2024 SEATTLE, WA FREMONT ABBEY*
FEB 25, 2024 PORTLAND, OR POLARIS HALL*
FEB 27, 2024 SAN FRANCISCO, CA SWEDISH AMERICAN HALL*
MAR 01, 2024 LOS ANGELES, CA BARNSDALL GALLERY THEATER*
MAR 22, 2024 KNOXVILLE, TN BIG EARS FESTIVAL
MAY 10 – MAY 7, 2024 SALT LAKE CITY, UT KILBY BLOCK PARTY 5
JUN 6-8, 2024 PORTO, PORTUGAL – OPTIMUS PRIMAVERA SOUND 2024