After looking at all the Substack alternatives, I feel like the best move is just...build a WordPress site? They have a newsletter plugin that seems to do everything I need it to do. Tell me if I'm crazy.
Oh if you care, my favorites of the year, no particular order: Wednesday, MJ Lenderman live, The Tubs, Bug Club, jaimie branch (RIP), DJ Sabrina, the entire Bob Dylan discography.
As always, be sure to check out the Sleepers tab, which is my favorite for year-end music discovery. It gathers albums that appeared on only a few lists but ranked very highly when it did. Highlights obscure artists like *checks data* Paul...Simon?
My New Year's gift to you -- the 2023 Albums of the Year List spreadsheet. 44 lists, 809 albums. Better late than never.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mlSJ5DU0RKccuNBfAgsiw-_xUApis7zC3ZjJofXyZB4/edit?usp=sharing

Top Albums 2023
Classic
ALBUM,<a href="https://www.getalternative.com/the-alts-top-releases-2023-and-award-winners/">ALTRNV</a>,<a href="https://beatsperminute.com/bpms-top-50-albums-of-2023/">BPM</a>,<a href="https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-albums-2023/">BLBRD</a>,<a href="https://www.brooklynvegan.com/br...
Google DocsThe finale of 1998 marked the end of Phish's imperial phase. But they went out partying, as Prince would have wanted.
https://phishcrit.substack.com/p/imperial-garden
#phish

Imperial Garden
12/31/98, New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
Phish EssaysThe 1998 NYE run summarized the preceding #phish year as well as any in the 90s, which meant that one show had to be weirdly all over the place:
https://phishcrit.substack.com/p/remains-the-same

Remains The Same
12/30/98, New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
Phish EssaysThe final 2001 of 1998 completed a trilogy of monumental versions and provided a montage of the year's accomplishments:
https://phishcrit.substack.com/p/beyond-the-infinite
#phish

Beyond The Infinite
12/29/98, New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
Phish Essays25 years ago today, #phish moved into the Garden for its first full NYE run and wasted no time making it weird.
https://phishcrit.substack.com/p/big-shots

Big Shots
12/28/98, New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
Phish Essays