Welcome to The New Curious City. The point of this list is to celebrate the very best music of the year and hopefully put you onto some new gold. Another goal is to recount the impact this year has left on the greater tapestry of music- and what’s to be- to quote Friko – Where we’ve been, Where we go from here.
More music was released on a single day in 2024 than in the entire year of 1989. What a time to be alive!
We saw PC dominate the world with a lime green paint stroke, A. G. Cook’s 3 disc hyperpop odyssey, and SOPHIE’s posthumous work.
We saw fem popstars shine in the spotlight like the aforementioned Charli xcx, the chart topping Sabrina Carpenter, the antistar Billie Eilish, and the Femininomenon Chappell Roan.
Although a 2023 release, Chappell Roan’s “Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” blew up into an international sensation in this year, where she planted her flag with “Good Luck, Babe!”, a fierce contender for Song Of The Year that we placed at #12.
We saw the first real hiphop beef in some time, with Kendrick Lamar shooting at the hip with GNX. Even more impressive than the record though were the tracks that came out of the battle: “Like That”, “Euphoria” (#31), “6:16 in LA”, “Meet The Grahams”, and “Not Like Us”.
We saw Mk.gee stun the world with a timeless sound, issuing in a past to the future by bringing back guitars to the spotlight of pop music.
We saw MJ Lenderman become the poster boy of indie rock from the bogs of Carolina.
Now we’ll see what all that adds up to, let’s get into the list:
*numbers throughout the article correspond to SOTY rankings which you can access here*
AOTYs (2 per year):
1. Demo – Breach Inlet
Genre: Skramz/Shoegaze
Stories from the east coast and west coast converge on this 4 track Demo as we hear the opening lines of a final voyage, “Golden Gates slumber – the echoes sung to sleep / when the morning sun rises, I’ll be home in the deep.” In a beat, we’re rocking back and forth, as if sailing across a sea of distorted sound waves.
The EP has a duality to it, with “Solitary” & “Rosey” leaning towards melodic shoegaze and “To Forget” & “Shins” letting loose on that skramz instinct. The two sides together bring a catharsis of counterpoint.
This project has a special place in my heart for its tether to my hometown and the band’s presence in a lineage of my favorite rock groups like Dawning, Worlds Worst, and Koshe.
#breachinletisanindustryplant #realslcemo #suckaoftheweek
Favorite Tracks: all of them
2. BRAT – Charli xcx
Genre: Dance/Hyperpop
With a worldstopping showcase of new gen club pop, what more can be said that hasn’t already been said. Fantano gave it a 10 (we rated it first though and gave it a 9.5 [NCC declared this as AOTY on June 10th, so… read up on that review if you want to get into it]). Then they dropped a starstudded remix record which brought it back like it never left, cuz it really never had. Brat Summer 4eva.
Favorite Tracks: “Sympathy is a knife” & “Girl, so confusing”
Favorite Remixes: “Sympathy is a knife feat. Arianna Grande” & “Girl, so confusing feat. Lorde”
And moving on to the remainder of the top 5…
3. Britpop – A. G. Cook
Genre: Hyperpop
Magnanimous. This album spans 2 hours across 3 discs. The first hones in on Cook’s DJ sensibilities while the second (my favorite) focuses on a guitar basis, with the third being the fusion of the two. The track “Without” is a beautiful ode to his lost friend and PC music compatriot, SOPHIE. Once again, A. G. Cook solidifies himself as one of the most forward-thinking producers on the planet.
Favorite Tracks: “Without” (#1), “Bewitched”, “Lucifer (ft. Charli xcx)”, “Pink Mask”, “Green Man”
4. If I don’t make it, I love u – Still House Plants
Genre: Experimental
A vortex of avant garde, post-punk, soul, & shoegaze characterized primarily by its experimental nature. The wonder of this band to me is how they manage to take dissonance and turn it into the most beautiful sounds imaginable by the dreamwork of this trio from Britain. Intoxicatingly hypnotic and vulnerable.
Favorite Tracks: “Silver grit passes through my teeth” (#8), “M M M”, & “More More Faster”
5. Two Star & The Dream Police – Mk.gee
Genre: Indie Rock
Without question, one of the most important albums of the year: Lofi guitar driven RNB through a minimalist lens akin to Frank Ocean’s Blonde. Mk.gee accomplishes all of this with a stunning sense of groove and texture. Goodshitarchive poignantly puts it as, “wistfully smooth.”
Many believe Mk.gee to be the messiah who’ll bring guitar back to the forefront of music. As a result, it’s the album of the year for many musicians- to name a few: Cameron Wescott of the Psychodelics, David Zbirka of sunnbrella, and Coulson Geltz of the Fiori. Also, Charlie Puth believes Mk.gee should be a bigger artist and Eric Clapton believes he’s the second coming of Prince.
I got to catch his show in Atlanta Georgia on 9/18 and it was nothing short of magic.
Favorite Tracks: “Are You Looking Up”, “Alesis”, “Candy”, & “DNM”
And now, rounding out the remainder of our top 10
6. Where we’ve been, Where we go from here – Friko
Genre: Indie Rock
The darling duo of Niko Kapetan and Bailey Minzenburger bring us the most exciting record of the year with a heart of gold. Every sonic on this record is indie rock perfection, from its blazing noise-rock guitars and thrashing drums to its delicate piano ballads- but it’s the earnest and well-meaning wisdoms throughout that sew the album together. My favorite lines from the record are lining the whole project but I’m really grateful for the pre-chorus on “Crashing Through”, which has Kapetan singing, “Haven’t said what I meant to say / haven’t done what meant to do.”
It’s got all the makings of something timeless.
Favorite Tracks: “Crashing Through”, “Where We’ve Been”, “For Ella”, & “Crimson & Chrome”
7. Singles – Cameron Winter
Genre: Folk/Singer-Songwriter
Albeit 2 songs, these tracks topped my song of the year list- though they did not appear on Cameron Winter’s (frontman of NYC post rock band, Geese) solo debut record (which we’ve got at #12 on our list). Winter’s voice is like molasses and it fits perfectly for the lonesome cowboy character he plays in his music. “Vines” feels like wandering into a parlor, where the downtrodden man at the keys plays you the saddest song you’ll ever hear.
Favorite Tracks: “Vines” (#4) & “Take It With You” (#3)
8. Manning Fireworks – MJ Lenderman
Genre: Alt-Country/Slacker Rock
The people’s champion. This album reminded me how brave it was to tell a joke. Behind the pinestraw strings that score this record, there’s a vulnerability present. If you wanna dive more into lyrics behind this record, check out our article where we deep dive through the project!
Favorite Tracks: “She’s Leaving You”, “Joker Lips”, “Rudolph”, “Manning Fireworks”
9. No Depression In Heaven – Midwife
Genre: Slowcore/Ambient/Shoegaze
Every track on this record slowly lowers the listener deeper into a state of sleep. While the drum track plugs along, whispered vocals carry us further into that dreamstate- where past memories reel across the mind like passing stars. It’s sad, but comforting. I like this record very much: 9/10
I’ll never forget the night this came out. It was the same night MJ Lenderman dropped Manning Fireworks. Something incredible.
Favorite Tracks: “Droving”, “Rock N Roll Never Forgets”, “Autoluminescent”, and “Vanessa”
10. Alive & In Person – Geese
Genre: Post-Rock
A live album from the phenomenal NYC post-rock band Geese, highlighting favorites from 3D & 4D Country. The banter in between tracks reminds me of listening to The Strokes’ The New Abnormal for the first time. “Domoto – Live” is among the most beautiful piano ballads I’ve ever heard. I had to put this top 10 as a means of redeeming myself for putting 3D Country at #28 last year (which has since become a contender for my favorite LP of the decade).
Favorite Tracks: “Domoto – Live” (#2) & “St. Elmo – Live”
As far as I’m concerned, the seasons were Britpop Spring, Brat Summer, Manning Fireworks Fall, & Cameron Winter.
and now, without further ado, the best 100 albums of 2024:
*titles for our top 100 ranking*
