2024 RECAP ✨

A quick round-up of some of my favorite albums, songs, and music moments FROM this year.

ALBUMS

HONORABLE MENTIONS

I’ll avoid a cheesy preamble trying to summarize the year in music, what the different trends we heard signify culturally, and so on and so forth. What I will say, though, is that 2024 felt like a solid music year with some pretty monumental releases—also plenty that I never got around to or didn’t spend enough time with. Putting those ones aside (sorry Christopher Owens, Beth Gibbons, The Cure, Kims Deal and Gordon, and many others), let’s kick it off with some of my honorable mentions. In an order that can only be described as “alphabetical:”

DIIV — Frog in Boiling Water
First one in a while from the shoegazers, and I’m glad they reemerged this year amidst the genre’s return to relevancy. Not game-changing, but good, vibey guitar music and some compelling lyrics.
Jamie xx — In Waves
Upbeat, fun, and clubby. I appreciate how easy it all feels, although I’m sure the mix was painstakingly crafted. That’s the sign of a master!
Japandroids — Fate & Alcohol
It feels wrong to not mention Japandroids, who put out their final album this year, even if it’s probably my least favorite in their discography. The band touched greatness with 2012’s Celebration Rock and seem to have chased that high ever since. While it’s true that it feels like they lost most of their juice, there are still some great moments on this record, so it’s not a complete pity vote—they’re going off on a good note with this one.
Kneecap — Fine Art
One of the easiest groups to root for right now. Lively, political music, rapped in both Irish and English; its subject material is never too self-serious, and there are bops abound. Very happy for their success, and their live show was one of my favorites this year.
Songs: Ohia — Live: Vanquishers
Really great live recording of a 2000 performance that was just released this year. The band sounds incredible, and the songs’ live versions go a lot harder than their studio counterparts. This album aside, Jason Molina deserves a shout out this year because his influence has been so prominent (see the music of MJ Lenderman, Waxahatchee, and more).

TOP 20

Without further ado, here are my twenty favorite albums of 2024:

20. Foxing — Foxing

Powerful record by the emo band. Leaning screamo at points, this one is much heavier than a lot of band’s earlier output, especially the material that first gained them their following on 2014’s The Albatross. Left-field in some ways but the experimentation and aggression are worn with pride, signified by the fact that the band chose to offer this album as a self-titled piece. I still prefer Nearer My God but dig this album.

19. Clairo — Charm

Over the past five or six years, Clairo’s albums have been of consistent quality, and this one delivers, too. Strong production, whispery vocals, and some truly catchy tunes (“Sexy to Someone” and “Juna” being the standouts for me). It’s pretty much what you should expect from a Clairo album, which has come to be quite a good thing. Go ‘Cuse!

18. Hovvdy — Hovvdy

A light and breezy collection of songs. With 19 tracks over 53 minutes, these are shorties but all feel really thoughtful, and the energy keeps this album from sounding like background music. There’s a cool mix of drum machines and guitars on here—it’s like if David Gray were from Texas!

17. Jack White — No Name

One of the best albums to come out of Jack White’s post-Stripes career with some super catchy and hard-hitting riffs. He’s definitely trying to channel Jimmy Page on here and Zeppelin’s overall energy, but his own talent and style still come through.

16. Maxband — On Ice

Side project fronted by Parquet Courts drummer Max Savage, whose musical tendencies happen to sound quite a bit like his brother’s. Solid post-punk songs but also a few more dynamic tracks with multiple vocalists, like their collaborations on here with A Beacon School. My favorite is the opener, “Nothing’s Changed.”

15. JPEGMAFIA — I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU

I feel confident that the peak of my JPEGMAFIA fandom has passed at this point, but this album has everything that I always appreciated about him. The production is standout and really makes this feel like one of his most experimental records, leaning as equally on guitar-based instrumentals as he does on the glitchy electronic beats that he’s better known for. JPEG is as funny and petty as ever on this album, too, and there are some fun features from Vince Staples and Denzel Curry.

14. Midwestern — Reflections

Genuinely strange and exciting music. The quick songs move between lowkey, beachy tracks with lush singing to more aggressive raps with shouted vocals; the constant back-and-forth is wild and unique. I should also mention that this band has a whopping 36 monthly listeners on Spotify, so let’s try to boost that up a bit. (And when I checked a month or two ago, they actually had 37…)

13. Fontaines D.C. — Romance

While my heart lies more with the band’s earlier, talky pub rock (I’d happily deal with them making different versions of “Big” and “Boys in the Better Land” for the rest of their career), I can definitely respect the direction they’ve started to go in, considering how well they pull it off. The title track and “Favourite” are cool and see the band displaying their musical talents a bit more, and there are rippers in “Here’s the Thing” and “Death Kink.” It makes complete sense how they’ve blown up this year. But what’s up with that album cover?

12. Waxahatchee — Tigers Blood

Great singing, great vibes, and a high replay value. Love the twangy sound and her storytelling on here. This album also has one of the year’s best songs on it in “Right Back to It.” I’m always amazed by how she can sneak such catchy melodies into laidback tunes.

11. Amen Dunes — Death Jokes

Cool project that sees Amen Dunes dabbling with sampling and various production techniques that feel like new ventures for him. I got into 2014’s Love this year and prefer that stripped-back style from him more, but I still like this one quite a bit, and the vibrato in his voice hasn’t gone anywhere.

10. Cola — The Gloss

Maybe not the most unique sound, as this band sounds like Television and the many post-punk bands Television influenced, but we’re not getting any other Television records in 2024! Still, songs like “Keys Down If You Stay” and “Bitter Melon” do feel like they have their own character to them. I don’t think Cola has yet hit on what made the members’ former group Ought so special, but this album is good and a step up from their debut.

9. This Is Lorelei — Box for Buddy, Box for Star

Really fun side project from a member of Water from Your Eyes. Has a lot of the same charm as Hovvdy’s album from this year in its jangly alt-country swagger, but this one also touches on some sad-boy, bedroom pop stuff; it feels very of-the-moment for featuring both fashionable genres. Speaking of which, the album cover looks like an Online Ceramics shirt.

8. Shellac — To All Trains

Released just a few days after Steve Albini sadly passed away earlier this year. And if you know what to expect with anything Albini, that’s what you’re getting here. Strong and repetitive guitar riffs, magnificent sounding drums, and Albini being weird as hell on the mic. It feels on-par with much of Shellac’s back catalog and even as good as some Big Black stuff.

7. Father John Misty — Mahashmashana

I was admittedly a little burnt out on Father John Misty after over-listening to his first few albums for years on end, but I was ready to jump back in with this one. It helped that this record is both a return to form and also sees him playing around with longer, bigger, shaggier jams. The lyricism and wit is still there, but the instrumentation is the real standout. The last few minutes of the opening track alone are pretty incredible.

6. Charli xcx — BRAT

I think it’s true that this album was a little overhyped and bloated by online popularity. I also think it’s true that this album is undeniably fun and has hits on end. The production goes hard, it’s full of attitude, and the more introspective cuts (like her tribute to SOPHIE on “So I”) are sweet and honest. However, I won’t concede that “I think about it all the time” is a bad song.

5. Bondo — Harmonica

Late entry for me, as I just heard this album (and of this band!) for the first time less than a month ago, but it really grabbed me. Lots of instrumental tracks with slow post-rock builds that fans of Slint, Fugazi, and Unwound will enjoy. There’s some Duster in there, too.

4. Vampire Weekend — Only God Was Above Us

At this point, I think Vampire Weekend has established that everything they put out is going to be pretty impeccable—which isn’t necessarily to their favor. It can be easy to overlook this band in 2024, but when you dive in, you’re hit with such incredible craft in terms of songwriting, playing, and concept. This album sounds like the band stepping back into their earlier style a bit, while also leaning into some heavier and more complex production.

3. Mk.gee — Two Star & The Dream Police

Even though I feel like this album’s demographic is TikTok users half my age, a lot of these songs really hit for me. There’s some interesting guitar and vocal work going on and an air of mystery to this record and its cloudy, warped production that’s super intriguing. If you care to look past the more experimental elements, you’ll find that his style is actually pretty ‘80s.

2. MJ Lenderman — Manning Fireworks

Definitely my most listened to album this year, and it pretty much checks every box for me. MJ really rose to the occasion with this record after his popularity had been building for a few years. And while I think it lacks the intangible element of what makes some of his earlier output (such as “Toontown” and “You Are Every Girl to Me” from 2022’s Boat Songs) so special, this album is still an absolute masterclass. The songwriting is funny and sad and very unique to him, and the lampooning of lame, often hotheaded dudes feels welcome this year. Now that he’s proven himself with this album, I hope to see him get a little weirder with it again, or even revisit the sound of his self-titled album from 2019, which wore the Jason Molina and Neil Young influences very much on its sleeve.

1. Cindy Lee — Diamond Jubilee

This album is magic. It is so immersive and captivating, and truly feels like it’s from another time—but not in a try-hard, lo-fi indie way. I genuinely can’t envision many of these songs being put together, which gives it such an unshakeable quality. Its nearly two-hour runtime gives this album the space to venture into different styles and genres altogether and constantly surprise you, and every time I listen through, I pick up on new elements that I hadn’t noticed before. The fact that this album wasn’t released onto streaming platforms (it can be found on YouTube, for download on GeoCities, and was recently added to Bandcamp) totally works in its favor; I think it’s best listened to as if it’s something you just so happened to stumble upon, hardly aware of song titles, track times, or what comes next. And it should be said that the guitar-playing on here is transcendent!

SONGS

Ranking things in music can be pretty frivolous. Which I know is an annoying thing for me to say right after ranking music things. But where I personally can’t even attempt to do so is with individual songs. For example, it’s hard to say if I like a certain Shellac song more than a Charli xcx song, when they serve completely different purposes (i.e., Shellac songs are to be listened to while scowling, and Charli songs are for doing ketamine I think); it’s hard enough to even rank the songs from a single album against each other.

With that being said, here’s a Spotify playlist with just one favorite from each of the above albums, plus a few non-album cuts, and some others I loved this year (featuring Xiu Xiu, DARKSIDE, Fcukers, etc.). As mentioned, Cindy Lee’s Diamond Jubilee album is not on streaming platforms, but their collaboration with Panda Bear (“Defense”) is and just so happens to be one of my favorite tracks of the year, so that’s an okay proxy.

PLAYLIST HERE

CONCERTS

Still bummed about the Cindy Lee show I was supposed to see at Baby’s All Right in May being cancelled last minute… Sucking it up and reflecting on some of my favorite concert-viewing experiences in 2024:

Cheering on my new family friend Shwayze at a bar venue in Saint John, Virgin Islands

Seeing Dirty Projectors noodle around with some new stuff and play a few classics at Union Pool
Sweating and somehow not falling through the floorboards at the Ovlov Market Hotel gig (someone please make sure that venue is up to code)
Upping the ‘RA with Kneecap at Warsaw
Stumbling into Dehd’s Rockefeller Center set, where we coined something called the “Rockefeller swig,” in which you take a sip of your drink while looking at the top of the Rock
Taking in the sights of Lake Geneva while PJ Harvey and The National performed at Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival
Hearing tunes from A. Savage’s entire repertoire during his solo set at Union Pool
Witnessing Vampire Weekend put on a practically perfect show and then struggling through some random crowd requests in Charlottesville (e.g., “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea,” “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” etc.)
Singing every single word and probably being pretty annoying while MJ Lenderman ripped it up at Music Hall of Williamsburg
Nostalging at Modest Mouse playing Good News for People Who Love Bad News in full for the album’s 20th anniversary in Detroit