Top 25 Songs of 2024

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Thanks to six for putting this lovely party together once again and John for his reliably hilarious commentary. Now, let's get onto the final piece of music that I love that you guys certainly won't!


1.Knocked Loose-Blinding Faith
"Blinding Faith" was the lead single for Kentucky metalcore outfit Knocked Loose's long gestating 3rd LP "You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To" and while it's the penultimate song on the actual album, it does an exceptional job of setting the tone. The album deals with a theme that many a metal has dealt with before: the evils, hypocrisies, etc. of organized religion. What makes Knocked Loose's spin on this theme so effective is they approach it with the kind of unrelentingly fury that could only be spawned from growing up attending church in the American south. Even after a few dozen listens over the past 11 months or so, I remain gobsmacked by just how pure, pervasive anger flows through every single ounce of this composition and allows it to hit with an astounding level of force. I could go on and on about the ominous guitar sound, beautiful force of the snare drums and feral rage present in the vocals, but it's probably best that I stop gushing about this track before it gets completely out of hand.

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My Top 25:
25.Kacey Musgraves-Jade Green
24.Poppy-Push Go
23.Tommy Richman-Million Dollar Baby
22.Kendrick Lamar-Squabble Up
21.Better Lovers-Future Myopia
20.Chappell Roan-Good Luck, Babe!
19.JPEGMAFIA-Sin Miedo
18.Denzel Curry-ULTRA SHXT (feat. Key Nyata)
17.Undeath-Disputatious Malignancy
16.Job for a Cowboy-The Sun Gave Me Ashes So I Sought Out the Moon
15.200 Stab Wounds-Manic Manual Procedures
14.St.Vincent-Sweetest Fruit
13.King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-Field of Vision
12.Bring Me the Horizon-Kool-Aid
11.Sabrina Carpenter-Taste
10.Coheed and Cambria-Searching for Tomorrow
9.Knocked Loose-Piece by Piece
8.SeeYouSpaceCowboy...-Subtle Whispers to Take Your Breath Away
7.FKA twigs-Eusexua
6.Better Lovers-Drowning in a Burning World
5.Remi Wolf-Wave
4.St. Vincent-Broken Man
3.SZA-Saturn
2.King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-Le Risque
1.Knocked Loose-Blinding Faith

[JohnErle]

Knocked Loose – The intro actually worked and had an interesting guitar sound, but once the vocals and the kick drum started I totally zoned out while it played in the background. I had been wondering where all the metal had gone in your top 5, so it was oddly soothing to hear the familiar sounds of the devil's music as your #1. In a topsy-turvy world, at least some things never change.

[transformers2]

Knocked Loose – The intro actually worked and had an interesting guitar sound, but once the vocals and the kick drum started I totally zoned out while it played in the background. I had been wondering where all the metal had gone in your top 5, so it was oddly soothing to hear the familiar sounds of the devil's music as your #1. In a topsy-turvy world, at least some things never change.

Glad I could provide a sign of normalcy in these trying times. What's ironic about the lack of metal in my top 5 is that 4 of my top 5 albums of the year were metal records, there just didn't end being much overlap between the two on an individual song level.

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Ron: Clairo's record Charm was among the last few records I listened to last year and while I didn't hate it, it kind of went in one ear and out the other. A little over a month later and that's the still the case (with Add Up My Love at least). Anyways, your list on the whole was a very much refreshing departure from the rest of the group with all its short, sunny pop tunes and occasional departures into the world of R&B and hip hop. Lithonia, reincarnated, Birds of a Feather and Starburster were my favorites.

[Leestu]

#1

Yard Act: We Make Hits

I like a lot of songs that convey negative emotions like pain, anguish, anger, angst, etc but when it comes down to my favourite song each year it is usually always something positive that just makes me feel good and brings a smile to my face, usually with a catchy earworm or beat and lyrics I find interesting, and that is the case again this year with my go to feel good singalong song being this one



My top 25

25. Yard Act: "Fizzy Fish"
24. Lambrini Girls: "Big Dick Energy"
23. Geordie Greep: "Blues"
22. Water From Your Eyes: "The Good Ship Lifestyle"
21. Hey Spiro!: "Penguin S. Penguin"
20. Parannoul: "Gold River"
19. Mdou Moctar: "Funeral for Justice"
18. Wine Lips: "New Jazz"
17. Sunnata: "Chimera"
16. Pond: "Neon River"
15. Bag of Cans: "Favourite Shirt"
14. Parannoul: "Painless"
13. Wine Lips: "Fried IV"
12. Meatbodies: "ICNNVR2"
11. S:Bahn: "New Day"
10. Water From Your Eyes: "Warm Storm"
9. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: "Phantom Island"
8. Prostitute: "Harem Induction Hour"
7. Geordie Greep: "Holy, Holy"
6. Parannoul: "Evoke Me"
5. Maruja: "The Invisible Man"
4. Squid: "Crispy Skin"
3. Library Card; "Well, Actually"
2. Sprints: "Heavy"
1. Yard Act: "We Make Hits"

[JohnErle]

Leestu,

Like I said before, Yard Act's new direction didn't work for me. I applaud them for trying to inject some fun into the normally po-faced UK indie scene, but the way they're going about it doesn't click for me. The Trench Coat Museum was okay, but that was last year.

I haven't taken the time to do the math, but I'm pretty sure you had more ADDEDs than anyone else, as usual, and The Invisible Man was my song of the countdown, along with Mdou Moctar, who probably would have made my list if I had known the new album was out.

[JohnErle]

#1

Hurray For The Riff Raff - Snake Plant (The Past Is Still Alive)

"Tattoo with a needle and thread
Most of our old friends are dead
So test your drugs, remember Narcan
There's a war on the people, what don't you understand?"

Unlike Leestu, it's the usually the songs that make me misty-eyed or bring a lump to my throat that end up being my #1s, so Snake Plant was my clear favourite in 2024.

Like Shane MacGowan, Lou Reed, or Art Bergmann, Alynda Segarra writes about people on the margins of society in a way that's raw, honest, and full of empathy. And like Jason Isbell at his best, there's an amazing attention to detail in the lyrics, and it feels like its coming from a place of truth based on lived experience.

To me, this is powerful stuff, and probably closer to the indie folk shit Tranny was expecting.



Full list:

1. Hurray For The Riff Raff - Snake Plant (The Past Is Still Alive)
2. Bat For Lashes - Dream Of Delphi
3. Gibson & Toutant - The Click
4. Max Richter (w/Sparks) - Don't Go Away
5. Hurray For The Riff Raff - Vetiver
6. The Decemberists - Oh No!
7. Gaby Moreno - New Dawn
8. Wild Pink - Air Drumming Fix You
9. Leyla Mcalla - Scaled To Survive
10. Loma - How It Starts
11. The Black Ice Machine - Bears
12. Adam Green - Magic Spells
13. Sad Canyons - The Gold Dust Butterfly
14. The Lovely Eggs - My Mood Wave
15. My Name Is Nobody - Early Morning
16. Trunks - Meanwhile In South Carolina
17. Marcellus Hall - I Wouldn't Mind
18. I'm A Cloud Now - The Dead Tongues
19. The Dip - Head On A Swivel
20. Kroy - Joligentil
21. Daniel Romano - Where's Paradise?
22. Big Man - Thee Conductor, Bonnie Prince Billy
23. Isobel Campbell - 4316
24. Pure - Issues
25. The Decemberists - Joan In The Garden

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Catching up on your #1s

Ron
A fine enough list of songs this year. Was delighted to see Fontaines and Kendrick in there, as I had songs from both of them too. A lot of your stuff is more upbeat and euphoric. How disgusting. We don't listen to that in the dungeons, I'm afraid. With that said, the Clairo song was pretty good, and certainly one of th ebest of your list.

Tranny
I was secretly hoping for some experimental hip-hop to end on a strong note. I should have known we'd be subjected to the growling. At least there was a second vocalist making screeches to balance out the usual guttural noise. The song is too stereotypically heavy with its bass sound to make it stand out, although it did play around with tempos in an interesting way. Generally, though I enjoyed your list. JPEGMAFIA and SZA were highlights, and I'm digging the new FKA Twigs album in general, and of course Kendrick too.

Leetsu
I do like YA's new direction, mostly because if they remained making the same music it would have staled swiftly. We Make Hits isn't my favourite on the album. I like the lyrics, but the music doesn't grab me as much as others, like the single When the Laughter Stops or your other choice, Fizzy Fish. But it's another fine choice in a list of fine choices. Some of the softer psych-rock doesn't interest me, but loved hearing Squid, Prostitute, Lambrini Girls (where Big Dick Energy is definitely a highlight), Water From Your Eyes, Maruja (who I'll try to see live next time they play near me).

John
For some reason I'm convinced Hurray for the Riff Raff are a pop-punk band. Must be the name. Anyway, this song was, unnsurprisingly, pleasant but sounded just like any indie country song I've heard from the last few decades, and I failed to hear why this sounded superior to any of the other ones. Perhaps it's just a case of not knowing the genre well enough. Though I did prefer Vetiver to this.

I could be wrong, but I think I enjoyed your 2024 list more than previous ones. Is bland folk and country the soundtrack of one's middle-age existence? There was nothing particularly offensive, and a lot was pleasant. There were some standouts, particularly The Decemberists and The Black Ice Machine, who were a revelation.

[numbersix]

My Songs...

#25 – Osees – "Look at the Sky"
#24 – Still House Plants – "M M M"
#23 – Goat Girl – "Words Fell Out"
#22 – J.R.C.G. – "Dogear"
#21 – Kim Gordon – "I’m A Man"
#20 – Ekko Astral – "uwu type beat"
#19 – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – "Cinnamon Horses"
#18 – Crack Cloud – "Blue Kite"
#17 – The Cure – "Alone"
#16 – Porridge Radio – "In a Dream I’m a Painting"
#15 – Mdou Moctar – "Oh France"
#14 – Wu-Lu – "Daylight Song"
#13 – Yard Act – "A Vineyard For the North"
#12 – Amyl & the Sniffers – "U Should Not Be Doing That"
#11 – The Last Dinner Party – "On Your Side"
#10 – Gurriers – "Come and See"
#9 – Fontaines D.C. – "Horseness is the Whatness"
#8 – Beth Gibbons – "Lost Changes"
#7 – Lip Critic – "Sermon"
#6 – Mount Kimbie – "Fishbrain"
#5 – Kendrick Lamar – "Not Like Us"
#4 – Lambrini Girls – "God’s Country"
#3 – DIIV – "Everyone Out"
#2 – IDLES – "Gratitude"



#1: Hannah Frances: “Keeper of the Shepherd”

The great thing about music is the way it can surprise you, as long as you’re open to it. I never thought this country song would be my favourite song of the year, but here we are. I’m pretty sure I discovered this through a Pitchfork review, which I suppose means there’s still some point in the fastly fading music website.

I’m still not sure what drew me to the track. Maybe it’s the Johnny Cash-like toe-tapping rockabilly rhythm, with a dash of detuned guitars scattered throughout. Or maybe it’s Frances’ wonderfully beautiful yet raw vocals. Or maybe it’s the lyrics, about needing to take care of yourself before you can take care of others, even in the midst of grief. Or a combo of all of the above. Regardless, it was a song I went back to again and again over the year, and that’s enough to make it my song of the year.





Thanks to you all for participating, and introducing me to plenty of fine new music to keep track of

[JohnErle]

Six – As soon as you invoked the dreaded name of Pitchfork I thought “Oh boy, here we go. Finally I'll have a chance to label one of your picks as pretentious, and possibly insufferable and dreary as well.”

To my surprise, Hannah Frances was quite good, and easily your best pick this year. I've already started listening to the album, and the sound is only very marginally country. The best comparison is Big Thief, with a hint of KD Lang at times, so hipster-friendly indie freak folk is a better description. Good stuff.

I suppose even an entity as historically useless as Pitchfork can be right on occasion. I double-checked and they gave Hurray For The Riff Raff an even better review than Hannah Frances, so maybe they're finally employing some writers who care about music more than the sound of their own voices.

And yes, embracing folk and Americana is a sure sign that you're getting older and wiser, so when you finally realize that the kids at the punk clubs are looking at you funny, the welcoming arms of the folk community will be waiting. And when you start enjoying jazz, like I have, you'll know your youth is but a distant memory.

[transformers2]

Catching up on the #1's

Leestu: Didn't love We Make Hits, but the looser vibe made it more enjoyable than the other Yard Act songs that I've heard over the years in these parts. On the whole, your list once again provided a pretty eclectic collection of punk, shoegaze, garage rock and post-rock acts. The Parannoul tracks and "Funeral for Justice" were my favorites.

John: This is indeed closer to what I expected them to sound like initially, although they're still not even remotely close to reaching the milquetoast bummer level of the artists I mentioned earlier. The lyrics here are actually quite good too!

As always, your list delivered more folk music than I hear over the other 11 months of the year combined and got a range of reactions out of me that were so vast that it could stretch from Novia Scotia to British Columbia. Dream of Delphi was my favorite.

six: While it's probably about 45 seconds too long, I enjoyed "Keeper of the Sheperd". Progressive folk is a term that gets tossed around a bit too liberally in my eyes, but it's a more than apt description here as there's some real scale and melody behind these compositions. Biggest takeaways from your list for me were the smaller number of hip-hop picks compared to the past few years and finding out that Crack Cloud has moved on from being a Silent Alarm-era Bloc Party rip-off to flirt with becoming the worst New Wave act of all time. My favorite tracks were Look at the Sky, Oh France, On Your Side, Sermon and Not Like Us.

[JohnErle]

Well, well. Look who's back to ruin Tranny's 2025.

This is actually the second single from My Morning Jacket's upcoming album, and both are likely to appear in my year-end countdown, but the reason I decided to post this today is because it sounds like something Leestu and maybe even Tranny would like.

I never really understood what it is about this band that triggers Tranny, but I always figured it had something to do with the singer's voice, or the band's tendency to go all hippy dippy. This song has a more greasy sound than MMJ are typically known for, and the singer drops his voice down a few octaves, and since I'm still in a post-countdown mindset I was genuinely curious to know if this is an MMJ song that Tranny could actually tolerate.