Top Twenty Albums of 2024
1. Fontaines D.C. Romance. Ireland's best band's fourth album took them to another level. Huge. Enormous. Big.
2. MJ Lenderman. Manning Fireworks. Anticipation couldn't have been higher for this album from this rising Americana star, who has a solo career, plays guitar for Wednesday with his ex-partner Karly Hartzman, and recently was a prominent guest artist on....
3. Waxahatchee album Tigers Blood. Americana at its best. "Get Right Back To It" with MJ Lenderman, one of the best singles of the year.
4. Bright Eyes. Five Dice, All Threes. New release from Conor Oberst & Friends, a return to form.
5. The Hard Quartet. The Hard Quartet. Fantastic debut from the latest indie supergroup to grace our shores, The Hard Quartet, featuring Stephen Malkmus (from Pavement), as well as Matt Sweeney, Emmett Kelly, and Jim White, who have played with musicians such as Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Ty Segall, and The Dirty Three.
6. Beth Gibbons. Lives Outgrown. Very ambitious debut solo album for the singer from Portishead. Swings for the fences. Successfully.
7. Shellac. To All Trains. Very strong album, featuring the late, great super-producer Steve Albini on guitar and vocals. We were looking forward to the band's first new release in ten years, and were shocked by Albini's sudden death on May 7, 2024, only a week before the album's scheduled release. We added this album to classics produced by Albini for The Pixies, PJ Harvey, and Nirvana to create a Steve Albini Memorial Playlist.
8. St. Vincent. All Born Screaming. Sometimes she is a bit much, but I am grateful for her role in saving the guitar and rock n roll. (Check out the wild title song, feat Cate Le Bon...) There's also a cool Spanish language version, Todos Nacen Gritando.
9. The Libertines. All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade. The boys are back in town.
10. Jack White. No Name. Surprise release, originally only available as a bootleg online or vinyl-only hand-given to customers at Third Man Records in Nashville. Many comparing it to The White Stripes.
11. David Rawlings & Gillian Welch. Woodland. Very satisfying Americana.
12. Liam Gallagher & John Squire. Liam Gallagher & John Squire. Liked it.
13. Hurray For The Riff Raff! The Past Is Still Alive. Instant classic.
14. Idles. Tangk. Something different from them. More production but still powerful.
15. Ty Segall. Three Bells. An old fave. Always reliable.
16. Jay Mascis. What Do We Do Now. Love him.
17. The Pixies. The Night The Zombies Came. Return to form with a new bass player who sings... and, at the same time, a release from their original bass player Kim Deal called Nobody Loves You More. Also great.
18. Elias Rønnenfelt. Heavy Glory. Iceage frontman's cool solo project. Think Dylan and Conor.
19. Sleater-Kinney. Little Rope. Another return to form. My favorite trend of 2024.
20. The Decemberists. As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again. Very strong double album of Americana gypsy country magic. Compare and contrast with The Felice Brothers. Valley Of Abandoned Songs. Both very, very good.
HONORABLE MENTION: Ride, Yard Act, Oneida, Arab Strap, Blitzen Trapper.
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