The Best Of 2024 So Far

[JohnErle]

Since we've reached the half-way point of the year, I've decided to do a short countdown of some of my favourite songs of the year so far on FB, so I may as well post them here too.

I'm sure most of these will re-appear on my year-end list, but it might be interesting to see how many of them rise or fall between now and January.

Feel free to join in if you feel like it, and if you'd rather save your picks until the dead of winter, that's fine too.

#10
KROY - JOLIGENTIL
Camille Poliquin is one half of a Montreal-based electropop duo called Milk & Bone, and based on this track I need to check out more of KROY's solo work and also Milk & Bone.

[transformers2]

I'll refrain from posting my own list for now (what fun would it be to share songs from such future Fantaverse favorites like 200 Stab Wounds and Alpha Wolf now when I can just let the excitement build for another 6 months?), but I'll definitely keep tabs on this and let you know if anything tickles my fancy.

[numbersix]

Same as Tranny, except with less bands like Decaying Unicorn Slaughter or Vomit Eruption Apocalypse Brigade.

[transformers2]

Same as Tranny, except with less bands like Decaying Unicorn Slaughter or Vomit Eruption Apocalypse Brigade.

You did a particularly excellent job with this joke as I just learned last week that there's a death metal band from Connecticut called Vomit Forth.

[JohnErle]

#9

Pure - Issues

The most surprising song of the year so far is this tune that popped into my Spotify playlists back in January.

Pure were my favourite local band when I first moved to Vancouver, but they broke up ages ago, and lead guitarist Todd Simko passed away back in 2012, so the last thing I expected to hear in 2024 was a new song from Pure featuring guitars that sounded like the band in its prime.

It was hard to find info on this song at first, so I wasn't sure if it was an old b-side or a long lost demo, but apparently it's something new from lead singer Jordy Birch, who's resurrected the band name in limited capacity, but it's still hard to find out if anything will come of this, like a new album or a tour.

While I generally disapprove of young bands trying to mimic the sounds of my youth, hearing this song for the first time was a blissful blast of pure nostalgia.

[JohnErle]

#8

Trunks - Meanwhile In South Carolina

Not much time for a pitch today, but if you enjoyed Botticelli Baby last year you might enjoy this as well.

[JohnErle]

#7

The Black Ice Machine - Bears

This seven-minute track from a Portland indie band keeps going in unexpected directions and has an interesting mix of influences, which is good enough for it to crack my list.

[Buscemi2]

I know we don't talk about music all that much anymore but anyone familiar with Chappell Roan? I've never listened to any of her music but I know she's kind of a big deal and I found out she grew up not that far from me. This was a surprise as no one in my area really even talks about her. But then again, I don't really get out much and I graduated from college several years ago. I'm sure the local, non-Evangelical universities are obsessed with Chappell Roan though.

My area also doesn't seem to make a big deal about Cailee Spaeny either, even though there was a special DCP of Alien: Romulus that had a Livestream Q&A with her that played at the Drafthouse for a week recently.

[transformers2]

Like a lot of people, I've only become familiar with Chappell Roan over the last few months. No one has burst onto the pop music scene with such fury since Lady Gaga and it's already apparent that she has the talent and artistry to put together a long, successful career. Plus, it's pretty fucking cool that a lesbian artist with a stage persona inspired by drag performers has become a star at this moment in time where people are so eager to dehumanize and vilify people from these communities.

[numbersix]

Yes definitely heard her music, and she is definitely becoming the next big thing in music. That's really cool.

Makes me wonder which famous folk, in music or film, is from where you all live.

Obviously Dublin/London doesn't count, although Charlie XCX does have a flat down the road from me. From my hometown the closest is Chris O'Dowd, who lived in the nearby town. I went to university with him and found him to be obnoxious. Apparently he only got worse.

[Buscemi2]

Brad Pitt went to high school in my area. So he would be the one my age group would be told we could grow up to be like. John Goodman was college roommates with my uncle. And my mom still has a bit of a grudge towards Kathleen Turner over trashing the area on Carson something like 40 years ago. The most famous figure from my hometown is actually a fictional character: Jason Bourne.

I can't wait to tell my nephew in the next several years when his grandma or mom probably takes him to a basketball game where the high school alma mater goes to Willard, "Chappell Roan graduated from high school there". They usually beat Willard in basketball and football, by the way.

[transformers2]

The list of public figures that have an attachment to my hometown is shockingly large for a pretty small place (population just over 15,000). Here's a sampling.

From Here:
Lesley Stahl
Dick Jauron
Dave Portnoy
Todd McShay
Piper Kerman
Spencer Chernas (vocalist of Ice Nice Kills)

Live/Lived Here:
Barry Goudreau (he actually came and spoke at my career day in middle school since he lived about 4 doors down from the building )
Barry Pederson
Charlie Baker
Johnny Pesky

David Lee Roth and Nan Goldin also briefly lived here as kids.

The Angiulos (aka the heads of Boston's Italian Mafia) also live in my neck of the woods and still run a very successful "towing company" in the area.