Ten(ish) Of My Favorite Songs of 2024
Plus Bands I Slept On!
I’m not ranking these, albums are going to get a ranking though. I don’t even know if these are my ten (plus some) favorites this year, but they ARE ten of my favorites. After I list these ten great songs, I’m going to share one of my favorite things of the year, the bands I missed. It can take me years to find some of my favorite records, there’s just too much great music out there.
“Shed” by Sub*T
I made a playlist for Adrianne earlier this year when she wanted more indie-rock bands in her life. It lead me to a lot of bands I like as well. If you saw my top live shows, that playlist got me into Monsoon. “Asterisk” is my favorite Sub*T song, but that didn’t come out this year. Very excited to see where this two piece band goes, but I bet they don’t have a bassist either. Driving indie rock with a feminist bent.
“Prey” by Old City
This was the first song I heard by Old City and what an introduction. An 8 minute journey into the merging of hip-hop and hardcore, this is a meditation on organized religion that I found personal and profound. If you know me, you know I don’t do 8 minute songs and yet, this one lived in my rotation from the first time I heard it.
“Think I’d Be Fine Without You” by Janelane
Janelane is, I suspect, named after the character from Daria. If not, what a coincidence. This pop rock gem has a buzzsaw guitar pulling you through the angst of a troubled relationship. Sophie Negrini has a fantastic voice and this callback to the height of 90s power pop stole my heart.
“Crateless” by dave. the band
There are no videos for this song (or any from this record) and picking one was too hard anyway. dave. the band stole my heart with their Slob Stories. It was my favorite discovery of last year and one of the best records of the 2020s. This follow up isn’t quite as good, but still if you want well crafted rock songs it doesn’t get much better than dave and company.
“I Want To Be Invisible” by Glitterer
Ned Russin’s follow up to Title Fight has kept my interest from day one. What started as a solo project has blossomed into a full band and this moody, keys-laden record is their latest record. “I Want To Be Invisible” is my stand out track from Rationale, encapsulating everything that makes the band work for me, as if the Cure grew up on hardcore and chiptunes.
“Body in the Water” by Gaffa Tape Sandy
Canaan, the same who procured the D4 ticket for me in an earlier adventure, turned me onto Gaffa Tape Sandy. This band exists in the same wavery, quivering voice emo-influenced punk world as The Menzingers and Spanish Love Songs. That’s not really my cup of tea, but they bring a manic energy, dynamic vocals and a wash of pop vocal fun to the mix. This song is a highlight from their record Hold My Hand, God Damn It.
“jeans” by Tommy Oeffling
Prolific college student Tommy Oeffling is in a dozen bands and puts out new songs/records as often as some students drink water. Bob Pollard would tell him to take it easy. Seriously, two records out this year and this song isn’t on either of them. Oeffling veers too much into sleepy music, as my friend Damien likes to call it, but this song nails his vibe. Short, sweet and melancholy.
“That’s What Time Does” by Oso Oso
Oso Oso followed up Sore Thumb with their best record since Yunahon Mixtape. Jade has continued to progress as a songwriter, impressive when you consider the body of work to date, and this album moves the band past their emo and punk foundations into Beatles-eqsue pop rock. An album build around the permeance of time, this song might be lynchpin of the whole record.
“What Nietzsche Wanted” by Swiss Army Wife
“Last time I check we were all gonna die” is a hell of a way to start out 2024. Emo trendsetters Really Rad Records put out the Ultimate Emo Album featuring some of their up and coming bands and this was my standout track from that release. Swiss Army Wife is on the verge of putting it all together and making a leap similar to Pool Kids on their self-titled release.
“Waste Away With You” by Shred Flintstone
Hate the band name, love the riff. Maximum rock riffage.
“Martian Wisconsin” by Nihiloceros
This song has been in my top ten since the second I heard it. A little blink-182 in the pre-chorus, nasally vocals that aren’t tinny and ear-bleeding and some heavy riffs at the bridge. Really, this song just rocks. I wish more bands would just rock sometimes.
New To Me (And Maybe You)
Jobber
Sleeper of the year for sure, this is a blending of Hum, Helmet and the Breeders as told by a pro wrestling jobber. I love everything about this band and I am obsessed with them. I can not wait to see them live, I even considered taking the train to NY just to see a show (and ended up seeing my best show of the year in Richmond, c’est la vie). The entire Hell in a Cell ep is fantastic. “Entrance Theme” is my favorite song of this year.
Perve Endings
Australia has one of the best indie rock scenes in the world right now and Perve Endings are in the center of that. Their EP Better Than I Have Been is equal parts witty and catchy, calling on a vast history of power pop. “You’re Not On My Mind” is one of the best songs I’ve heard all year.
Beach Bunny
I wrote off Beach Bunny when they first came on my radar, because I’m a dummy. Adrianne had “Good Girls” on one of her playlists and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. “You’re not a ghost/I’m not afraid of you” is delivered with so much passion it breaks my heart. Emo-pop in the vein of Paramore, I am glad I was shown the light on Beach Bunny.
Home Front
New wave hardcore. This is like you took everything I loved about the 80s and put it in a blender. Damien was listening to them as we drove up to see Dillinger Four and I had to know more. The whole record is excellent, the band rules. I love this era of alternative hardcore that’s coming out right now.
Monsoon
Gothic horror indie rock that rips live. Both Sienna Chandler (guitar/vox) and Joseph Kegel (drums) are consummate performers and you can tell they have put a lot of work into their show. If you dig their recorded output, see them live. It is so much better.
Puppy Angst
“I’m just killing time until it kills me.” Puppy Angst does shoegaze the way I like it, fast and noisy. Lots of ambient noise, haunting vocals and a ripper of a song in “Perpetual” showcases what they do so well. I can’t wait to see them live.
Monday will have my top albums of the year!