Welcome to the 4th annual roundup of this series, where we asked WKNC’s DJs and Staff to submit their 3 favorite tracks, artists, and albums of 2023!
You can check out each staff member’s Spinitron through the link in their name, to see all their sets and all of the other music they’ve been playing on WKNC, as well as their Instagram or other contacts if they chose to link those.
As always, you can check out the playlist on our Spotify page.
*Denotes songs not available on Spotify.
Erie/valkerie; General Manager, DJ
- SONGS
- Fever Ray – Carbon Dioxide
- Tzusing – Balkanize
- MarAxe – Demon
- ARTISTS
- The National
- Sylvan Esso
- Setaoc Mass
- ALBUMS
- Fever Ray – Radical Romantics
- Tzusing – Green Hat
- Snow Strippers – April Mixtape 3
Eilee/space cadet; Promotions Director, DJ
- SONGS
- Kitchen – Fall
- Car Colors – Old Death
- Greg Mendez – Goodbye/Trouble
- ARTISTS
- Kitchen
- The Wrens
- Wednesday
- ALBUMS
- Kitchen – Breath Too Long
- Wednesday – Rat Saw God
- Greg Mendez – Greg Mendez
Isabella/BEL$; Daytime Music Director, DJ
- SONGS
- MSPAINT – Titan of Hope
- feeble little horse – Freak
- Pinkshift – Lullaby
- ARTISTS
- Joyce Manor
- Sweet Pill
- Turnstile
- ALBUMS
- feeble little horse – Girl With Fish
- Truth Club – Running the from Chase
- MSPAINT – Post-American
William/dj bluegill; Underground Music Director, DJ
- SONGS
- McKinley Dixon – Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!
- Dana and Alden – Dragonfly
- Sufjan Stevens – Will Anybody Ever Love Me?
- ARTISTS
- Danny Brown
- Yussef Dayes
- Sufjan Stevens
- ALBUMS
- McKinley Dixon – Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!
- Yussef Dayes – Black Classical Music
- Sufjan Stevens – Javelin
chalcopyrite; Assistant Afterhours Music Director, DJ
- SONGS
- Material Girl (feat. Childboy) – Mikahel
- lostrushi – INFINITUDE // UROBOROS
- Oneohtrix Point Never – Plastic Antique
- ARTISTS
- Naked Flames
- Purity Filter
- Frost Children
- ALBUMS
- Kikuo – Kikuomiku 7
- Poison Damage – KSA
- lostrushi – SISTERHOOD
Maddie/cowball; DJ
- SONGS
- Truth Club – It’s Time
- Slow Pulp – Cramps
- Laurel Halo – Belleville
- ARTISTS
- Wednesday
- Cindy Lee
- Snow Strippers
- ALBUMS
- Wednesday – Rat Saw God
- Xiu Xiu – Ignore Grief
- Laurel Halo – Atlas
Mason/DJ Crush; DJ
- SONGS
- Jessie Ware – Begin Again
- beabadoobee & Laufey – A Night To Remember
- Chappell Roan – Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl
- ARTISTS
- Florence + The Machine
- Jessie Ware
- Rina Sawayama
- ALBUMS
- That! Feels Good!
- The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
- This Is Why
Alex/DJ Sles; DJ
- SONGS
- feeble little horse – steamroller
- deux visages – cheetah
- billy woods & kenny segal – Soundcheck
- ARTISTS
- julie
- blue smiley
- Panchiko
- ALBUMS
- JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown – SCARING THE HOES
- feeble little horse – Girl With Fish
- billy woods & kenny segal – Maps
Sleepyhead/Emi; DJ
- SONGS
- Lucki – Super Ski
- Pupil Slicer – The Song at Creations End
- our eyes go blank tonight – Monster Reserve
- ARTISTS
- Lucki
- Pupil Slicer
- Dying Wish
- ALBUMS
- Lucki – sex.money.drugs
- Pupil Slicer – Blossom
- Dying Wish – Symptoms of Survival
Erik/Erik++; DJ
- SONGS
- SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE – really happening
- Läuten der Seele – Molch, Pfütze, Schilf & Stein
- Yeat – Mysëlf
- ARTISTS
- Spirit of the Beehive
- Playboi Carti
- Yeat
- ALBUMS
- Spirit of the Beehive – I’m so lucky
- Tara Clerkin Trio – On the turning ground
- PinkPantheress – capable of love
DJ Hubcap; Board Op, DJ
- SONGS
- McKinley Dixon – Live! from the Kitchen Table
- 100 gecs – 757
- Danny Brown feat. Bruiser Wolf – Y.B.P.
- ARTISTS
- Fiona Apple
- In Love With a Ghost
- Kero Kero Bonito
- ALBUMS
- Screaming Females – Desire Pathway
- McKinley Dixon – Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?
- Temps – PARTY GATOR PURGATORY
rensenware; DJ
- SONGS
- Camellia – Tempo Katana
- Camellia – Lost Technologie – Data Scraper (Long Version)
- Hail the Sun – Mind Rider
- ARTISTS
- Us, From Outside
- Camellia
- Goreshit
- ALBUMS
- Goreshit, Lil Kevo 303 – X61
- Camellia – Ashed Wings
- Hail the Sun – Divine Inner Tension
Erin/Pink Milk; DJ
- SONGS
- Aphex Twin – Blackbox Life Recorder 21f
- Four Tet – Three Drums
- Sluice – Fourth of July
- ARTISTS
- Yo La Tengo
- The Magnetic Fields
- Bladee
- ALBUMS
- Parannoul – After the Magic
- Yo La Tengp – This Stupid World
- Jeff Rosenstock – HELLMODE
Dante/Wizard of Gore; DJ
- SONGS
- Odz Manouk – The Last Bastion of the Serpent’s Tongue*
- Demoniac – La caída
- Afterbirth – Angels Feast on Flies
- ARTISTS
- Odz Manouk
- Savage Oath
- Infibulated
- ALBUMS
- Odz Manouk – Bosoragazan (Բոսորագազան)
- Demoniac – Nube negra
- JPEGMAFIA x Danny Brown – Scaring the Hoes
Annabelle / DJ Big Anthony; DJ
- SONGS
- Wednesday – Chosen to Deserve
- Colin Miller – Off the Mountain
- Lil Yachty – drive ME crazy!
- ARTISTS
- Fugazi
- Sunny Day Real Estate
- Rick James
- ALBUMS
- Lil Yachty – Let’s Start Here.
- Indigo De Souza – All of This Will End
- JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown – SCARING THE HOES
twerp; DJ
- SONGS
- BeautyWorld – “Beautycore”*
- desert sand feels warm at night & Mindspring Memories – “Eighty Four, Zero One”
- greenhouse – “theriocide”*
- ARTISTS
- hoverman
- Pasocom Music Club
- Windows 96
- ALBUMS
- hoverman – “Wasting Man”
- BeautyWorld – “Beautiful World”
- greenhouse – “arc,regn”
FULLMETAL RACKET; DJ
- SONGS
- Initiate – Waste Your Life
- Jeff Rosenstock – HEAD
- JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown – Run The Jewels
- ARTISTS
- Circuit Circuit
- Corrupt Vision
- Soulkeeper
- ALBUMS
- Initiate – Cereberal Circus
- Jeff Rosenstock – HELLMODE
- JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown – SCARING THE HOES
Ben; Blog Content Creator; DJ
- SONGS
- Gonemage – Dream Surfing the Astral Corridors
- Aesop Rock – Salt and Pepper Squid
- Washer – Answer to Hell
- ARTISTS
- Gonemage
- Washer
- Screaming Females
- ALBUMS
- Rat Saw God
- Celestial Invocation
- Desire Pathway
Ezra Kinsch / Poncho Diego; DJ
- SONGS
- Mutant Strain – “Words Fall”
- Sheer Mag – “All Lined Up”
- Electric Chair – “Fatal Disease Pt. II”
- ARTISTS
- Van Halen
- Dark Thoughts
- Paint Fumes
- ALBUMS
- Paint Fumes – Real Romancer
- Electric Chair – Act of Agression
- Mutant Strain – Murder of Crows
MJ; Blog Content Contributor
- SONGS
- MIKE feat. El Cousteau, Niontay – Mussel Beach
- King Krule feat. Raveena – Seagirl
- bar italia – my little tony
- ARTISTS
- MIKE
- bar italia
- King Krule
- ALBUMS
- MIKE – Burning Desire
- Yves Tumor – Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
- King Krule – Space Heavy
DJ Mithrax; DJ
- SONGS
- KNOWER – I’m The President
- Battle Tapes – One Night In Burbank
- Red Vox – Almost A Stranger
- ARTISTS
- GUM
- KNOWER
- Battle Tapes
- ALBUMS
- GUM – Saturnia
- Kane Parsons – Backrooms (Original Score), Vol. 2
- Blur – The Ballad of Darren
Sarah/Scrimble; Board Op, DJ
- SONGS
- 100 gecs – 757
- Wednesday – Chosen to Deserve
- Nicki Minaj – Red Ruby Da Sleeze
- ARTISTS
- Tegan and Sara
- Chappell Roan
- Ice Spice
- ALBUMS
- Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
- 100 gecs – 10,000 gecs
- Lil Yachty – Let’s Start Here.
Auxymoron; DJ
- SONGS
- underscores – “Locals (Girls like us) [with gabby start]”
- Sufjan Stevens – “Sh*t Talk”
- Spiritbox – “Cellar Door”
- ARTISTS
- Jane Remover
- Parannoul
- Model/Actriz
- ALBUMS
- underscores – “Wallsocket”
- Dispirited Spirits – “The Redshift Blues”
- 100 gecs – “10,000 gecs”
Kelly/ dj kellykares; DJ
- SONGS
- BRUTALISMUS 3000 – DIE LIBRE KOMMIT NICHT AUS BERLIN
- Machine Girl, Special Interest – Concerning Peace
- Bktherula – TATTI
- ARTISTS
- Steve lacy
- 100 gecs
- Eartheater
- ALBUMS
- Steve Lacy – APOLLO XXI
- Rico Nasty – Las Ruinas
- Death Grips – The Money Store
Reid/Rub.E; DJ
- SONGS
- Full Body 2 – “nokia login”
- Tanukichan & Enumclaw – “Thin Air”
- BrokenTeeth – “138”
- ARTISTS
- Cocteau Twins
- All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors
- Subsonic Eye
- ALBUMS
- Full Body 2 – “infinity signature”
- feeble little horse – “Girl with Fish”
- Unrecovery – “It’s Agreed, My Willing Test”
Justin/JustinTime; DJ
- SONGS
- Tyler, The Creator – “What a Day”
- JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown – “Jack Harlow Combo Meal”
- Lil Yachty – “drive ME crazy!”
- ARTISTS
- Jeff Buckley
- Elliott Smith
- Björk
- ALBUMS
- JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown – “Scaring The Hoes”
- Lil Yachty – “Let’s Start Here.”
- Black Country, New Road – “Live At Bush Hall”
sai <3 / dirty chai; DJ
- SONGS
- Little Dragon and April + VISTA – Layers
- SBTRKT and LEILAH – NO INTENTION
- KAYTRAMINÉ – UGH UGH
- ARTISTS
- Paradis
- Khruangbin
- KAYTRANADA
- ALBUMS
- Little Dragon – Slugs of Love
- “KAYTRAMINÉ”
- SBTRKT – THE RAT ROAD
Zen/Zach; DJ
- SONGS
- The Brook & The Bluff – “Bluebeard”
- The South Hill Experiment – “Gabo’s Last Resort”
- redveil – “captain”
- ARTISTS
- The Brook & The Bluff
- boygenius
- Daft Punk
- ALBUMS
- boygenius – The Record
- Billy Woods – Maps
- JPEGMAFIA – SCARING THE HOES
Ewan/Eweecorn; DJ
- SONGS
- Maebi – The Lobotomy
- Rumskib – Troløs blomst
- boggio and Key After Key – SENSORY OVERLOAD
- ARTISTS
- The Shins
- Spellcasting
- Jason Falkner
- ALBUMS
- The New Pornographers – Continue as a Guest
- Maebi – Saudade
johnny ghost; DJ
- SONGS
- DADDY LONG LEGS – “Street Sermon”
- Low Cut Connie – “WHIPS AND CHAINS”
- Miranda and the Beat – “Concrete”
- ARTISTS
- Warren Zevon
- Townes Van Zandt
- Bob Dylan
- ALBUMS
- DADDY LONG LEGS – Street Sermons
- Low Cut Connie – ART DEALERS
- The Nude Party – Rides On