Traditions are great. Now that I am a working parent, however, it is time for a new tradition: spending a lot less time on my annual year-end music roundup! Before you fret (or shrug because you haven't looked at these since at least 2019 anyway), I am still compiling a list of my twenty favorite albums of the year with corresponding playlists. But I am pretty sure "sorry honey, I can't help with the baby right now because I need to spend 45 minutes writing the perfect sentence to describe MJ Lenderman's guitar tone" isn't gonna go over so well with my wife. So, minimal blurbage this year.
Another caveat: I definitely did not cast a super wide net musically-speaking this year. Again, baby's fault; one can only hear so much Fisher Price play mat music before wanting to reach for old favorites during rare moments of free time. So the list/playlist is pretty heavy on the genre in which I am most associated (Indie Rock™) as well as bands/artists I already liked prior to this year. If anyone reading this has recommendations of music I missed, please reach out—especially if you heard some good stuff outside of the rock realm.
Honorable Mentions
Kendrick Lamar- GNX
Cassandra Jenkins- My Light, My Destroyer
Doechii- Alligator Bites Never Heal
Vampire Weekend- Only God Was Above Us
Top Twenty
20. Peel Dream Magazine- Rose Main Reading Room
Ever wonder what it would sound like if Sufjan Stevens made an album with Stereolab? Me neither, but the result would be something like this.
19. Charli XCX- Brat
I have nothing to add to the discourse about this one, but no doubt it is a very good pop album that had a massive cultural impact in 2024.
18. Friko- Where We've Been, Where We Go From Here
This Chicago band makes indie rock that feels like it was made in 2005 (lots of strings and big sweeping choruses). Personally, I am here for it.
17. Adrianne Lenker- Bright Future
The Big Thief frontwoman is possibly the best songwriter going right now, and this nice solo album further increases her pedigree. Just skip Track One if a song about putting down the family dog seems unpleasant. Track Two (the beautiful "Sadness as a Gift") is a tad easier to digest.
16. Tyler, The Creator- CHROMAKOPIA
Tyler's always up to something interesting. Wouldn't rank this among his very best but it's a good listen with impeccable production as always.
15. Liquid Mike- Paul Bunyon's Slingshot
Loved these guys before I heard a note of their music (inspirational band name, plus they are from the UP of Michigan. Love a Yooper band). They make big dumb rock music with maximum riffage, shouty choruses, etc. Super fun stuff.
14. Rosali- Bite Down
Musically comforting (album cover, maybe less so) roots rock by this North Carolina (via Philly and Michigan) singer-songwriter. I reached for this whenever I wanted something in the vein of Waxahatchee but didn't want to over-play Tigers Blood (see below).
13. Jack White- No Name
Never was a big Jack White/White Stripes guy but that changed in 2024. Really dig this album. It' is a "back to basics" record (in this case, filled with catchy blues-rock numbers) done right. It inspired me to do a proper deep dive into The Stripes and hey, turns out they're pretty good! (Breaking news, I know).
12. Mount Eerie- Night Palace
A great encapsulation of everything Phil Elverum does well (catchy indie rock! abrasive noise! poignant first-person narratives! anti-capitalist screeds!) across 26 songs and 80 minutes. Wholly inaccessible but very enjoyable for me personally.
11. Mk.gee- Two Star & the Dream Police
This guy's trajectory from underground favorite at the start of 2024 to being the musical guest on SNL come November was a sight to behold. An immensely talented guitarist and songwriter who makes music that sounds like the '80s but filtered through a modern lens.
10. Wild Pink- Dulling the Horns
These heartland rockers have been getting better with each album. Nice to see them break out the distortion on this one and really rock out.
9. Nala Sinephro- Endlessness
Endlessness takes the crown as the most gorgeous piece of music I heard this year. A mesmerizing work of ambient jazz with some electronic elements. Perfect music to relax to (or make your workday a little less terrible).
8. Jessica Pratt- Here in the Pitch
Pratt always delivers on the Slightly Spooky but Very Pretty Folk Music front. She has gradually expanded the instrumentation with each subsequent album, and her newest (which incorporates some unexpected bossa nova vibes) could be her very best.
7. Hurray for the Riff Raff- The Past is Still Alive
I thought this one was pretty underrated! Really nice country-rock record. The band's only constant member, Alynda Segarra, is a great storyteller and vocalist. I just learned they moved to Chicago, which is obviously another plus in my book.
6. This is Lorelei- Box for Buddy, Box for Star
The first proper album from Nate Amos, aka one half of the excellent Brooklyn band Water From Your Eyes. Whereas Amos' main band favors glitchy disjointed electronics, this album is a rootsy indie rock album that reminds me of Alex G or (on the gentler numbers) Wilco. Really excellent tunes that will get stuck in your head (try hearing "I'm All Fucked Up" without humming it the rest of the day).
5. Father John Misty- Mahashmashana
This one really surprised me! I have always liked Josh Tillman's songwriting but I was not sure he could do anything new to excite me. Turns out he very much could— this album is flat-out gorgeous. He really went for it with the production, which is Phil Spector "Wall of Sound"-esque at points. There are also a few groovy danceable numbers to move the album along.
4. Waxahatchee- Tigers Blood
One of the most successful musical reinventions in recent memory is Waxahatchee's Katie Crutchfield's decision to shift from DIY indie rock to alt-country/Americana. She is not necessarily breaking any new ground on Tigers Blood compared to its predecessor St. Cloud (an album my wife and I loved so much we had it in cookie form as a party favor at our wedding). But dang does she know how to write a pleasing melody, and her band is enhanced this time around by fellow 2024 favorite MJ Lenderman's guitarwork and backing vocals. Their collaboration "Right Back To It" might be the most perfect song I heard this year.
3. MJ Lenderman- Manning Fireworks
I have loved pretty much everything Lenderman has touched since getting on my radar a few years back (including his band Wednesday's Rat Saw God, which topped my list last year). Lenderman plays the sideman role well, as with Wednesday and on the aforementioned Waxahatchee record. But he is a killer songwriter in his own right, and Manning Fireworks is an irresistible listen. Lenderman's hype got a little out of control this year and if you are looking to have your mind blown, this album won't deliver. But if you want to hear some great country rock tunes with a healthy dose of wit and humor (that will have you googling "What is a Himbo Dome?") you will be very satisfied.
2. Magdalena Bay- Imaginal Disk
An absolutely resplendent synth pop masterpiece. Imaginal Disk is a concept album (Wikipedia will fill you in if you want details), but it works just fine if all you desire is to bob your head to the infectious music. Magdalena Bay write hooks worthy of an ABBA album, but with a dose of psychedelia. The end result is endlessly replayable and a whole lot of fun.
1. Cindy Lee- Diamond Jubilee
Cindy Lee is the drag alter ego of Patrick Flegel, who I knew way back in the day as the vocalist for Canadian indie/post-punk band Women. So Diamond Jubilee did not quite come out of nowhere, but it found a remarkably wide audience this year for an album literally released via Geocities (and remains unavailable on traditional streaming platforms. It is on YouTube, though!). Across two hours and 32 songs, the album is a trippy journey through a lo-fi '60s radio dial. Fuzzy guitars and girl group harmonies are a constant thread, and Flegel's wonderful guitarwork and vocals are quite moving. All of the individual songs are good, but this is definitely a "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" record. The atmosphere Flegel conjures is magical, and the album is remarkably captivating throughout its extended runtime; I found something new to appreciate on every listen. Since it is not on Spotify, Diamond Jubilee is not represented on my playlist so I will highlight the song I would have chosen here: the absolutely stunning "Kingdom Come" encapsulates the album quite well.
Best of 2024 Playlist: 12 Favorite Songs
Here are my twelve favorite (non-Cindy Lee) tunes of the year.
Best of 2024 Playlist: Long Version
And here's an extended playlist of the best songs I heard this year. I spent some time sequencing it so it should flow pretty well if you play it in order (but if you are more of a shuffle kind of person, that works too!).
