Music in 2024 was big, wild, and incoherent. We saw dis-track exchanges that ranged from brutal (RIP, Drake) to empathetic (grazie, Charlie and Lorde), superstar releases from Billie, T-Swift, Queen B, and triumphant returns from rock giants of the 80s (The Cure, Nick Cave), 90s (Pearl Jam, quasi-Radiohead), and 2000s (Jack White, Vampire Weekend). And this just scratches the surface.
This posts discusses the music that Caleb, Adam, and Nate have been bingeing this year. Michael has been listening to classics from yesteryears (Queens of the Stone Age, System of a Down, Three Six Mafia) while John has been focusing on snowboarding, entrepreneuring, and forgetting the solo in “Banditos.” These are noble pursuits, but their discussion will need to wait for a later post.
Band of Townies - Favorite Music of 2024
Caleb’s picks
If I had to choose one theme that distinguishes 2024—and let’s pretend that I do—it’s that I’m digging the pop hits. I’m not sure if my indier than thou give-a-fucks have gone on vacation or if pop music has gotten better… or at least less predictable. Consider the Billboard number ones. The year opened with a 1950s Christmas classic (Brenda Lee’s “Rockin Around the Christmas Tree”) before transitioning to Jack Harlow’s ode to BDSM ambivalence (“Lovin on Me), three tunes each by Kendrick Lamar and Post Malone, and sing-along smashes by Hozier, Teddy Swims, and Shaboozy. Beyoncé proved that she can do anything, including trample intersectionality by taking a country song to number one. Taylor Swift swept award shows, shifted currency exchange rates, and helped the Chiefs win a Super Bowl. Looking beyond the number ones, we learned that 21 Savage is a Kubrick cinephile, Tyler the Creator is not done creating, Tyla is more than a one-song wonder, and Billie Eilish just keeps getting better. We heard breakout hits from Chappel Roan, Addison Rae, Doechii, and Sabrina Carpenter, whose “Espresso” inspired more conspiracy theories than the John Birch Society. There are plenty of other treats that never graced the charts (see below), but 2024 is the year when I welcomed pop candy back into my diet and washed it down with a can of “Diet Pepsi.”
You can listen to my picks here.
Favorite Albums
The Past is Still Alive, Hurray for the Riff Raff
Manning Fireworks, MJ Lenderman
HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, Billie Eilish
All Hell, Los Capesinos!
Mahashmashana, Father John Misty
Don’t Forget Me, Maggie Rogers
Tigers Blood, Waxahatchee
Small Changes, Michael Kiwanuka
Two Star & the Dream Police, Mk.gee
Here in the Pitch, Jessica Pratt
Dunya, Mustafa
Songs of a Lost World, The Cure
Wall of Eyes, The Smile
Romance, Fontaines D.C.
Passage Du Desir, Johnny Blue Skies / Sturgill Simpson
Santa Cruz, Pedro the Lion
Only God Was Watching Us, Vampire Weekend
Short & Sweet, Sabrina Carpenter
BRAT, Charlie xcx
Alligator Bites Never Heal, Doechii
Dark Times, Vince Staples
GNX, Kendrick Lamar
CHROMAKOPIA, Tyler, the Creator
What Now, Brittany Howard
That Ain’t No Main That The Devil, Jessie Murph
TYLA+, Tyla
Visitor, John Moreland
Woodland, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings
The Great American Bar Scene, Zach Bryan
Trail of Flowers, Sierra Ferrell
Revelator, Phosphorescent
Bite Down, Rosali
No Name, Jack White
Saratoga, Eddie 9V
Ohio Players, The Black Keys
COWBOY CARTER, Beyoncé
Made by These Moments, The Red Clay Strays
Dulling the Horns, Wild Pink
Highway Prayers, Billy Strings
My Light, My Destroyer, Cassandra Jenkins
Bright Future, Adrienne Lenker
Mantras, Katie Pruitt
X’s, Cigarettes After Sex
Lives Outgrown, Beth Gibbons
My Method Actor, Nilüfar Yanya
As It Was, So It Will Be Again, The Decemberists
Charm, Clairo
THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT, Taylor Swift
empathogen, WILLOW
Sugar Honey Ice Tea, Latto
Favorite Singles
“Diet Pepsi” Addison Rae
“SPEYSIDE” Bon Iver
“Death Valley High” Orville Peck & Beck
“redrum” 21 Savage
“Lovin On Me” Jack Harlow
“Lose Control” Teddy Swims
“Too Sweet” Hozier
“Home to You” Random Somebody
“Ain’t No Love in Okahoma” Luke Combs
“Good Luck, Babe!” Chappell Roan
Adam’s picks
Fontaines D.C. - Romance
The Smile - Wall of Eyes
The Smile - Cutouts
Smashing Pumpkins - Aghori Mhori Mei
King Gizzard and Lizard Wizard - Flight b741
Pearl Jam - Dark Matter
Osees - SORCS 80
Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - NO TITLE AS OF 13 February 2024 28,340 DEAD
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Wild God
Mount Eerie - Night Palace
Geordie Greep - The New Sound
Nate’s picks
King Gizzard and Lizard Wizard - Flight b741
Billy Strings - Highway Prayers
Kendrick Lamar - GNX
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Wild God