I’m very happy I found this Substack! Some great pix on your list. I haven’t paired my top 20 songs of 2024 (yet?) but I have a big playlist of all my favs from the year. Check it out on Apple Music if you do that one.
Help please. In one of these posts you mentioned an app that linked with Spotify which you described as similar to going to a Japanese underground nightclub where the music was all new (paraphrasing). It had a name like “Groove,” or “Track,” - some kind of play on an album or a turntable. I’ve lost the name … and the post. Thanks!
I’ve really enjoyed seeing all your picks over the last few weeks. Some I love, some I’ve still not listened to!
Two of my very favourite albums from this year that haven’t been mentioned anywhere are Engines of Honey by Bull and Faith Crisis, Part One by Middle Kids. This might well be because I’m basing it on what brings me joy rather than viewing with a critical lens but I think they are both worth checking out.
Um, hi. Just circling back to say that I listened to the Fat Dog album per your review and holy shit, it blew my mind. How did I not find this earlier? Each track is amazing. Can’t possibly pick a favorite. Thanks for the rec.
I'm an idiot for leaving Juniore off this overall list. I knew I would biff something at some point! Anyway yes King of the Slugs knocked my socks off for real
As you already know, Lily Seabird’s ‘Alas,’ and Robber Robber’s ‘Wild Guess’ are my standouts (Alas, being far and away my favorite), and I’m really glad you connected with the music and that Lily made your 50 list. Wanted to leave a comment so that others might see it and check them out.
A few other relatively undiscovered gems are ‘Abundance’ (2023) by NYC’s Sister. (the period is intentional, as is the comma on Alas,), Merce Lemon’s ‘Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild,’ ‘Hot Sass’ by Liz Cooper, ‘Inside the Marble’ by Margaux and ‘Girl with Fish’ by Feeble Little Horse. I could go on, but I’ve probably already lost the reader at this point lol. 🎅🏿🥷🌮
I was sure that Abundance wasn’t but for some reason I thought Liz Cooper’s & FLH were, but it’s bc I just discovered them. Everything else is 2024. (So 3 are not 2024 - oops)
Interesting list. As someone else stated earlier, our tastes have diverged with this post. But that’s to be expected. I can’t argue with any of the albums on your list, they just didn’t do much for me although Beyonce and the Last Dinner Party were close. It’s been fun reading these end of year posts and discovering plenty of new-to-me artists, thank you!
there's just too much great music out there honestly. i'd be surprised if my tastes fully lined up with anybody! but i'd love to know what won out for you
Thank you for this and all the recs throughout the year! The Fat Dog album is such an unexpected 2024 blessing. I wish I loved anything as much as Spotify loved that Last Dinner Party album though haha
This is where our tastes diverge. I respect all of these choices but they all fall into a category of things that I know are good and expect to like but just didn’t find myself enjoying them or listening to them repeatedly. Charli XCX lost me with the auto tune, which I realize is just an aesthetic choice that just doesn’t fit my tastes. I haven’t finished my own list and don’t know if I can make a case for all my #1s, especially things I think should be others #1s.
that happens to me all the time! i know things like MJ Lenderman, the Cure (who I generally love), Waxahatchee, Jessica Pratt, Adrianne Lenker, etc etc etc should all by crazy high up on my list, but then they just didn't do much for me. I did think we'd agree on Cindy Lee, though! That one floored me. Regardless, you don't really have to make a case for anything... you like what you like.
I just started listening to Cindy Lee and I love it so far. I'm only 4 tracks in so we'll see. I'm not sure why it took me so long to even try to listen to it. I've been moving and dealing with a bunch of other stuff over the last month though. The Cure, Waxahatchee, and Jessica Pratt are among my favorites this year. I linked to my favorite albums and other lists elsewhere, and mostly wanted to reply specifically about Cindy Lee, but have included my favorite albums again below. Reached track 6 while composing this and still going strong, so it may get added. Apologies, I'm still on Spotify or I'd provide an Apple Music playlist.
2nd Grade: Scheduled Explosions
ALVILDA: C'est Déjà L'heure
The Asteroid No.4: Several Shapes of Solar Flares
AURORA: What Happened To The Heart?
Bab L' Bluz: Swaken
Bibi Club: Feu de garde
Blushing: Sugarcoat
BODEGA: Our Brand Could Be Yr Life
Boeckner: Boeckner!
Boogarins: Bacuri
Camera Obscura: Look to the East, Look to the West
I’m very happy I found this Substack! Some great pix on your list. I haven’t paired my top 20 songs of 2024 (yet?) but I have a big playlist of all my favs from the year. Check it out on Apple Music if you do that one.
https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/2024/pl.u-4vJDtaj4y46
Help please. In one of these posts you mentioned an app that linked with Spotify which you described as similar to going to a Japanese underground nightclub where the music was all new (paraphrasing). It had a name like “Groove,” or “Track,” - some kind of play on an album or a turntable. I’ve lost the name … and the post. Thanks!
Great list and I love your writing!
that's mighty kind of you!
Fontaines DC
What a relief by katie gavin is amazing
I’ve really enjoyed seeing all your picks over the last few weeks. Some I love, some I’ve still not listened to!
Two of my very favourite albums from this year that haven’t been mentioned anywhere are Engines of Honey by Bull and Faith Crisis, Part One by Middle Kids. This might well be because I’m basing it on what brings me joy rather than viewing with a critical lens but I think they are both worth checking out.
i haven't listened to those, but i will! i trust your recs. thanks for following along.
The Cindy Lee record is astounding
it's so good.
Um, hi. Just circling back to say that I listened to the Fat Dog album per your review and holy shit, it blew my mind. How did I not find this earlier? Each track is amazing. Can’t possibly pick a favorite. Thanks for the rec.
aw man that's awesome! i'm so glad you like it
Same here, thanks for the recommendation of Fat Dog. (that and Juniore). King of the Slugs is just bloody amazing!
I'm an idiot for leaving Juniore off this overall list. I knew I would biff something at some point! Anyway yes King of the Slugs knocked my socks off for real
La Luz - News of the universe is very good and might be my fav of the year
Your Best Songs of 2024 playlist on Spotify is the best thing to happen to me all year. Thank you. You like about music what I like about music.
You have a day job - where do you find the time??
honestly i don't know, i'm so sleepy!!!
i 100% love brat but will always choose the remix album to throw on instead of actual brat now which is not very brat
oh no it's very brat
As you already know, Lily Seabird’s ‘Alas,’ and Robber Robber’s ‘Wild Guess’ are my standouts (Alas, being far and away my favorite), and I’m really glad you connected with the music and that Lily made your 50 list. Wanted to leave a comment so that others might see it and check them out.
A few other relatively undiscovered gems are ‘Abundance’ (2023) by NYC’s Sister. (the period is intentional, as is the comma on Alas,), Merce Lemon’s ‘Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild,’ ‘Hot Sass’ by Liz Cooper, ‘Inside the Marble’ by Margaux and ‘Girl with Fish’ by Feeble Little Horse. I could go on, but I’ve probably already lost the reader at this point lol. 🎅🏿🥷🌮
good recs but of course many (all?) of these aren't 2024 releases :)
I was sure that Abundance wasn’t but for some reason I thought Liz Cooper’s & FLH were, but it’s bc I just discovered them. Everything else is 2024. (So 3 are not 2024 - oops)
Hahahaha I hear ya
"too sleepy to fact check" is my middle name
OMG HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN???
‘Not God’ by Finom and
‘Spittake’ by Meg Elsier
DO NOT MISS THESE TWO!!! 😎💯
https://triple3.bandcamp.com/album/3?logged_out_mobile_menubar=true&search_item_id=3692813112&search_item_type=b&search_match_part=%3F&search_page_id=3913874085&search_page_no=0&search_rank=1
This EP from Chicago power trio Triple is to the point and rocks real hard.
Interesting list. As someone else stated earlier, our tastes have diverged with this post. But that’s to be expected. I can’t argue with any of the albums on your list, they just didn’t do much for me although Beyonce and the Last Dinner Party were close. It’s been fun reading these end of year posts and discovering plenty of new-to-me artists, thank you!
there's just too much great music out there honestly. i'd be surprised if my tastes fully lined up with anybody! but i'd love to know what won out for you
I recently posted my honorable mentions if you’re interested: https://open.substack.com/pub/joyinthejourney/p/2024-honorable-mentions
Thank you for this and all the recs throughout the year! The Fat Dog album is such an unexpected 2024 blessing. I wish I loved anything as much as Spotify loved that Last Dinner Party album though haha
This is where our tastes diverge. I respect all of these choices but they all fall into a category of things that I know are good and expect to like but just didn’t find myself enjoying them or listening to them repeatedly. Charli XCX lost me with the auto tune, which I realize is just an aesthetic choice that just doesn’t fit my tastes. I haven’t finished my own list and don’t know if I can make a case for all my #1s, especially things I think should be others #1s.
that happens to me all the time! i know things like MJ Lenderman, the Cure (who I generally love), Waxahatchee, Jessica Pratt, Adrianne Lenker, etc etc etc should all by crazy high up on my list, but then they just didn't do much for me. I did think we'd agree on Cindy Lee, though! That one floored me. Regardless, you don't really have to make a case for anything... you like what you like.
What are your #1s?
I just started listening to Cindy Lee and I love it so far. I'm only 4 tracks in so we'll see. I'm not sure why it took me so long to even try to listen to it. I've been moving and dealing with a bunch of other stuff over the last month though. The Cure, Waxahatchee, and Jessica Pratt are among my favorites this year. I linked to my favorite albums and other lists elsewhere, and mostly wanted to reply specifically about Cindy Lee, but have included my favorite albums again below. Reached track 6 while composing this and still going strong, so it may get added. Apologies, I'm still on Spotify or I'd provide an Apple Music playlist.
2nd Grade: Scheduled Explosions
ALVILDA: C'est Déjà L'heure
The Asteroid No.4: Several Shapes of Solar Flares
AURORA: What Happened To The Heart?
Bab L' Bluz: Swaken
Bibi Club: Feu de garde
Blushing: Sugarcoat
BODEGA: Our Brand Could Be Yr Life
Boeckner: Boeckner!
Boogarins: Bacuri
Camera Obscura: Look to the East, Look to the West
Crumb: AMAMA
The Cure: Songs Of A Lost World
Desperate Journalist: No Hero
Donna Blue: Into the Realm of Love
Dummy: Free Energy
Fleur: Fille Sauvage
Claude Fontaine: La Mer
Myriam Gendron: Mayday
Beth Gibbons: Lives Outgrown
Juniore: Trois, Deux, Un
Kindsight: No Shame No Fame
Kit Sebastian: New Internationale
La Luz: News of the Universe
Letting Up Despite Great Faults Reveries
Mo Dotti: opaque
MOOON: III
Omni: Souvenir
Parannoul: Sky HundredShadow Show Fantasy Now!
Jessica Pratt: Here in the Pitch
Laetitia Sadier: Rooting for Love
St. Vincent: All Born Screaming
The Smile: Cutouts
The Smile: Wall Of Eyes
The Soundcarriers: Through Other Reflections
Mary Timony: Untame the Tiger
Waxahatchee Tigers Blood
Jane Weaver: Love in Constant Spectacle
Nilüfer Yanya: My Method Actor
I love your list. I'm so happy you're liking Cindy Lee so far. it hooked me very quickly and improves with every listen.
I wish there was more I was enthusiastic about and loved this year instead of just things that were pleasant.
Favorite songs is probably a better indicator of my preferences:
“Here Comes The Love” Bomb - Kate Clover - The Apocalypse Dream
“Gold” - Louisa Stancioff - When We Were Looking
“HIND'S HALL” - Macklemore - HIND'S HALL
“Will You Do Me A Kindness” - Merce Lemon - Will You Do Me A Kindness
“Highlands” - Middle Kids - Faith Crisis Pt 1
“The Moon Is In The Wrong Place” - Shannon & The Clams - The Moon Is In The Wrong Place
“They Never Mean What They Say” - Voxtrot - They Never Mean What They Say
“Crowbar” - Waxahatchee - Tigers Blood
“Telepathic Love” - Lifeguard - Ministry / Energie
“Docket (feat. Bully)” - Blondshell - Docket (feat. Bully)
“How Will I Know” - Bully - Atom Bomb
“What Happened to You, Son?” - Belle and Sebastian - What Happened to You, Son?
“Vertigo’” - Beach Bunny - Clueless
“Super Breath” - Karen O - Super Breath
“Anagram” - Mighty Clouds - Anagram / Just Friends
“You Are Impossible” - Sondre Lerche - Two Way Monologue (20th Anniversary Edition)
“Please Please Please” - Sabrina Carpenter - Short n' Sweet
“All In My Head” - The Linda Lindas - All In My Head
“Join Our Death Cult” - Chemtrails - The Joy of Sects
“Blood” - Marika Hackman - Big Sigh
“I Can’t Find You” - J Mascis - What Do We Do Now
“Deleted Scenes” - Ducks Ltd. - Harm's Way
“Where I Live” - Screaming Females - Clover
“Grace” - IDLES - TANGK
“Plastic Pyramid” - Omni - Souvenir
“Une Autre Attente” - Laetitia Sadier - Rooting for Love
“On Our Own” - Elephant Stone - Back Into The Dream
“No Thirds” - Mary Timony - Untame the Tiger
“Howl” - The London Suede - Bloodsports (Deluxe Edition)
“Eye Contact” - The Klittens - Butter
“Lose” - Boeckner - Boeckner!
“Gen-X Cops” - Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us
“Koshish” - Sheherazaad - Qasr
“Univers” - Jane Weaver - Love in Constant Spectacle
“Tremors” - The KVB - Tremors
“Headspace” - cruush - Nice Things Now, All The Time
“Dores no Varal” - Papisa - Amor Delirio
“The Insulation” - Menomena - The Insulation EP
“Tarkovski” - BODEGA - Our Brand Could Be Yr Life
“Eyelids” - Kindsight - No Shame No Fame
“Ebb and Flow” - Agent blå - STAB!
“The Prophecy” - Taylor Swift - THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY
“Reescreve” - Céu - Novela
“Violent Times” - St. Vincent - All Born Screaming
“Opus” - Lightning Bug - No Paradise
“We're Going to Make It in a Man's World” - Camera Obscura - Look to the East, Look to the West
“The Last Year” - Jessica Pratt - Here in the Pitch
“Training Season” - Dua Lipa - Radical Optimism
“Seafoam” - Blushing - Sugarcoat
“I Could Never Beat You” - Shanghai Baby - EP02
“Dark Side of Paradise” - Messer Chups - Dark Side of Paradise
“Legendary Tippers” - Les Savy Fav - OUI, LSF
“Strawberry Moon” - Arab Strap - I'm totally fine with it don't give a fuck anymore
“Estagnação” - Maria Reis - Suspiro...
“Long Way Home” - Myriam Gendron - Mayday
“PS1” - Magic Fig - Magic Fig
“My Mood Wave” - The Lovely Eggs - Eggsistentialism
“Rewind” - Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown
“Claw Machine” - Sloppy Jane - I Saw The TV Glow (Original Soundtrack)
“AmmA” - Bab L' Bluz - Swaken
“I Can't Have It All” - Yea-Ming and The Rumours - I Can't Have It All
“Good Luck With Your Secret” - La Luz - News of the Universe
“Dead Stars in your Eyes” - The Reds, Pinks and Purples - Unwishing Well
“Vertigo” - Miki Berenyi Trio - Vertigo
“Aey Nehin” - Arooj Aftab - Night Reign
“Jangle Bop” - World News - Escape
“The Blade” - AURORA - What Happened To The Heart?
“If It's Gone” - Good Looks - Lived Here For A While
“Golden Days” - Strip Joint - 飛ぶという行為
“All My Friends” - Queen of Jeans - All Again
“Bang - Peanut Butter Wolf Remix” - Melenas - Ahora Remixes
“If You Don't Love Me Anymore” - The Shivas - Can't Stop Coming Around
“Allarme” - Charif Megarbane - Hamra / Red (Habibi Funk Limited 002)
“My Kink Is Karma” - Chappell Roan - The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
“Mucho Mistrust” - Fake Fruit - Mucho Mistrust
“Calling You Out” - Charly Bliss - Forever
“This Thread Is a Green Street” - The Innocence Mission - This Thread Is a Green Street
“Nine Stories” - Hazel English - Real Life
“Backwards” - Parannoul - Sky Hundred
“Nine Clean Nails” - Dummy - Free Energy
“All I Ever Wanted” - Ivy - All I Ever Wanted
“Relíquia” - Claude Fontaine - La Mer
“The City Was” - The Soundcarriers - Through Other Reflections
“labour” - Paris Paloma - Cacophony
“Darkness At Noon” - Astrel K - The Foreign Department
“sozinho numa bike pra 2” - casü - nosso terceiro e último verão
“Like I Say (I runaway)” - Nilüfer Yanya - My Method Actor
“feminine adornments” - julie - my anti-aircraft friend
“lucky boy” - Mo Dotti - opaque
“Swansea” - Ex-Vöid - Swansea
“Odyssey” - Kit Sebastian - New Internationale
“Colour Me In [Demo]” - Broadcast - Distant Call - Collected Demos 2000 - 2006
“Lamplighter” - MEMORIALS - Memorial Waterslides
“Escola Construtivista” - Oruã - Passe
“Caroline's Gone” - The Asteroid No.4 - Several Shapes of Solar Flares
“En fumée” - Juniore - Trois, Deux, Un
“The Slip” - The Smile - Cutouts
“Adah” - Desperate Journalist - No Hero
“Tomber de Haut” - CŒUR A L'INDEX - Adieu Minette
“Goatbrain” - Goat - Goat
“Le Froid” - ALVILDA - C'est Déjà L'heure
“The War In My Mind” - Pixey - Million Dollar Baby (Deluxe)
“Swirl” - Letting Up Despite Great Faults - Reveries
“I Wanna Be On Your Mind” - 2nd Grade - Scheduled Explosions
“Human Touch (feat. Bahamas)” - Kathleen Edwards - Crawling Back To You
“Patterns” - Laura Marling - Patterns in Repeat
“Nous Continuerons à Marcher Ensemble” - Fleur - Fille Sauvage
“Black Eye” - Allie X - Girl With No Face (Deluxe)
“Free Energy” - Bananagun - Why is the Colour of the Sky?
“Head In Flames” - EggS - Crafted Achievement
“Don’t Feel Right” - Sleater-Kinney - Little Rope (Deluxe)
“A Fragile Thing” - The Cure - Songs Of A Lost World
“Kiss Bang Bang” - Kylie Minogue - Tension II
“Mộng Mơ” - Saigon Soul Revival - Mối Lương Duyên
“Hey Heron” - Rosali - Hey Heron
“Didi & Gogo” - Brave Boy - Didi & Gogo
“Double Vision” - Night Talks - Double Vision
“Downtown Girls” - Luther Russell - Downtown Girls
“Trains in the Night” - The Clientele - Trains in the Night
“Want You” - Francis of Delirium - Lighthouse
“On a Cloud” - Shadow Show - Fantasy Now!
“Le feu” - Bibi Club - Feu de garde
“Don't Forget Me” - Maggie Rogers - Don't Forget Me
“Labyrinthe” - Donna Blue - Into the Realm of Love
“Alone in a Room of Mirrors / James Cagney” - The Psych Fi's - Can Con
“Magical Lies” - En Attendant Ana - Magical Lies
“You Got Me” - A Place To Bury Strangers - Synthesizer