123 Favorite Albums Of 2024
Ok! Congrats on surviving yet another bout with linear time and arriving here. The number this year, as predicted, is larger. So, if you’ve been here for many years, you’ll know that this number was once arbitrary, entirely based on nothing. But in recent years, I’ve started actually using Real Math to land on a number. So, if you’ll remember last year, I broke down the formula by hours of new music I had in front of me through the year. I mentioned last year was the most hours of new music I’d encountered, though I also thought that number would continue to increase as the years went on.
And, of course, it has. However, there is a difference between “hours of new music in front of me” and “hours of new music I listened to.” I can calculate the former, but it’s harder to calculate the latter. There were a decent amount of albums I didn’t finish this year, or that I moved on from after a few tracks (I won’t go into A Whole Thing, but there’s a real growing issue I’m seeing and sensing with quantity running over quality to a degree that is more alarming to me than it has been.)
So, the numbers that led to the number: I had about 825 hours of new music in front of me this year. As folks know, my commitment to finding new releases is obsessive, spending a couple of hours every Friday morning accumulating new listening for the weekend, often times in the 25–30 album per week range. So, with that said, I would guess (again, I have no firm way to track this) that if I calculated that 825 number with the amount of albums I didn’t finish, the hours would drop to right around 700 or so (this seems like a lot, but averages out to about 13 hours per week.)
But, the math I use operates with the total number in front of me. As I mentioned last year, picking the number relies on what I think a good Top Percentage is (which is, a bit, arbitrary.) I’m sticking with last year’s conclusion: 10% is too generous, 5% is maybe leaving too many albums behind that I deeply love, so I decided on 7.5%. Doing that math, I end up around 61.5 hours as the top percentile of albums I loved the most. The average album length that I had this year was around 30 minutes, so easy math leaves us with 123 albums.
I’ve made a version of this list for nearly two decades now, starting it back when I was just writing a blog no one read but a few pals and peers. And the purpose of this list is very intentional. I simply wanted to offer a place for people to discover and engage with music. I share a lot of links, not just ot the music itself, but to things people have written about the artists, or performances. I’m not positioning anything as the “best,” exactly, but I’m saying “I listen to more new music than most people who are alive, and this is what I loved most, and here are some ways to engage if you’re interested.”
I never anticipated this list getting attention from people and because it has I have felt, in past years, like I have to explain the concept of Liking Things More Than Other Things, and I’ll condense that this year and say the reason I lay out how much I listen to and how I arrive at this number is also to say that I listen to a whole lot of stuff. Some of it I do like more than other bits of it and some of what I like isn’t listed here, which doesn’t mean it wasn’t some degree of enjoyable to me. But there actually is never a good answer for the question of “where is (insert album)?” The only answer I ever have is the same one I’ve had for the 18ish years I’ve been doing this: I love some things more than others, I almost certainly loved some things more than you did, you maybe loved some things less than I did, and I think that’s just gonna have to be ok! it’s exciting to have this much stuff to enjoy at all, I think!
OK, TO BEGIN, HERE ARE SOME EPs AND MIXTAPES I LOVED, AND A SPECIAL MENTION OF AN ALBUM:
Future — Mixtape Pluto
Cise Greeny — Master Sword
Pardoner — Paranoid In Hell
Skullpresser — Positions Of Power
Collateral — We Still Know
Nourished By Time — Catching Chickens
Che Noir — The Color Chocolate
HavinMotion — Motion
BigXthaPlug, Ro$ama, Yung Hood — Meet The 6ixers
Biking With Francis — BRUNETTE
Rose Chamber — State Of Affairs
Memory Cell — Holding On To It
Little Simz — Drop 7
Idlework — Where The Pear Trees Grow
Screaming Females — Clover
Hana Eid — I Exist Because You Say So
nasir lownark — Midnight Show
Kississippi — damned if i do it for you
SOME NOTES ON TWO ALBUMS:
Cellar Dwellar — In The Shape Of A Swan: I am actually on this album, and had the honor of being on it, and so I left it off of the final list, but it would have been on it and I hope you listen to it.
Kasey Anderson — To The Places We Lived: I was very involved with this album, I wrote the liner notes and bio, and beyond that, Kasey is one of my absolute dearest friends, and it felt odd assigning a number and order to this album, so I didn’t, but it absolutely would be on this list in a proper fashion if Kasey was just Some Guy. I hope you listen to this album.
OK! Here are the albums. Click on the album title for Bandcamp links, and reading/listening links where applicable.
123. Radical Kitten — Uppercat
122. The Greeting Committee — Everyone’s Gone And I Know I’m The Cause
Here is a good interview with the band.
121. Flower Festival — AGE
120. Vince Staples — Dark Times
This piece focuses on the Netflix show, but I really liked it.
119. Spirit Of The Beehive — YOU’LL HAVE TO LOSE SOMETHING
Here’s a great piece on the album, and a great Creative Independent interview with Rivka Ravede.
118. CENSORED dialogue — PYREX HOUSECAT
117. Orion Sun — Orion
116. Kidz At Play — Boyhood
This album had one of my favorite album covers of the year.
115. Topographies — Interior Spring
114. We Hate You Please Die — Chamber Songs
113. Nicolette and the Nobodies — The Long Way
I love any piece that revolves around vintage shopping.
112. Liniker — CAJU
Supremely beautiful album, this was. Good piece here.
111. Tapir! — The Pilgrim, Their God and The King Of My Decrepit Mountain
This album, this band, kind of requires some reading, because they are so unique and expansive in approach, which I admire. Here’s a good starting point.
110. Julie Christmas — Ridiculous and Full of Blood
109. Semiratruth — The Star Of The Story
Usually only go text-based, but there’s a lot of good stuff in this video interview.
108. Westside Gunn and DJ Drama — Still Praying
Another year, and I can’t seem to keep DJ Drama off of these lists in some way or another.
107. Revival Season — Golden Age Of Self Snitching
106. Think About You — Don’t Die On Me
105. Aziza Brahim — Majwa
This is an older interview, and she gave some good ones this year, but I felt like this was a great one.
104. Lazy Sunday — Another Summer
103. Laughing — Because It’s True
102. Feltface — Camp Feltface
101. Los Bitchos — Talkie Talkie
Good profile!
100. TSHA — Sad Girl
99. Half Waif — See You At The Maypole
I really loved this interview a lot.
98. Alice Longyu Gao — Assembling Symbols Into My Own Poetry
From last year, very worth reading now.
97. The Chisel — What A Fucking Nightmare
96. Natalia Beylis — Lost — for Annie
I love the approach Beylis takes to found sounds, which she gets into a bit here.
95. BINA — Chaos Is Her Name
94. Zeal & Ardor — GREIF
Great interview with Manuel.
93. Rachel Chinouriri — What A Devastating Turn Of Events
92. Sheer Mag — Playing Favorites
91. Chelsea Wolfe — She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She
good tiny desk!
90. Ganavya — like the sky I’ve been too quiet
89. Channel Tres — Head Rush
88. Lutalo — The Academy
I really liked this interview piece where Lutalo and Nilüfer Yanya are in conversation while on tour together (I also liked a lot of Yanya’s album this year.)
87. Frances Chang — Psychedelic Anxiety
86. Arooj Aftab — Night Reign
85. BbyMutha — sleep paralysis
84. Mary Sue — Voice Memos From A Winter In China
Good Bandcamp piece.
83. Normani — Dopamine
(this is one of those albums I feel like I loved more than many other people, it seems? It be like that, etc etc, but I really enjoyed this project!)
82. Pom Pom Squad — Mirror Starts Moving Without Me
81. BLK ODYSSY — 1–800 FANTASY
Tiny! Desk!
80. Katie Gavin — What A Relief
This album felt like an achievement to me — it is not easy to be in a band (MUNA, in this case,) for that much time, and step out with a sound that is definitively your own, reflects your interests that are singularly yours.
79. Masta Ace and Marco Polo — Richmond Hill
Masta Ace has one of the greatest careers in rap history. Has been putting out quality for (literally!) almost the entire time I have been alive.
78. Grande Mahogany — As Grande As
77. TAAHLIAH — Gramarye
Wonderful interview here.
76. Amaro Freitas — Y’Y
75. Wave Generators — After The End
Cabbages Interview!
74. Jordan Mackampa — WELCOME HOME, KID!
I thought they did a Tiny Desk, but I feel like I just dreamed it entirely, because of how wonderfully this album would fill that room.
73. Eliza And The Delusionals — Make It Feel Like The Garden
72. Enumclaw — Home In Another Life
71. Yasmin Williams — Acadia
loved this piece about how Williams got great at the instrument through Guitar Hero(????)
70. YATTA — PALM WINE
(A lot of “don’t sleep if you have slept” albums on this list, but this is one of the big ones)
69. Poison Ruin — Confrere
68. Jlin — Akoma
I read many, many, many good Jlin things this year. She’s excellent at talking about her vision/work. Also I didn’t see much live stuff this year, but I saw Jlin in March, and what an experience.
67. Mdou Moctar — Funeral For Justice
I give myself like two forgiveness links of putting my own shit in these spots, but I profiled the band earlier this year.
66. La Luz — News Of The Universe
65. Porridge Radio — Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me
PR just consistent as hell, every time out.
64. Illuminati Hotties — POWER
63. Clothing — From Memory
62. Soccer Mommy — Evergreen
Very much enjoyed this interview.
61. Rejoice — All Of Heaven’s Luck
(Columbus, Ohioans)
60. Contention — Artillery From Heaven
59. Ariana Grande — Eternal Sunshine
(I still haven’t seen Wicked, sadly)
58. Knocked Loose — You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To
read this.
57. Charli XCX — Brat
56. Nubya Garcia — Odyssey
Loved this lil piece about pottery kinda, and also this Passion of the Weiss interview.
55. Sleater-Kinney — Little Rope
I fear I have already used my two forgiveness links up and I also fear I may have to go over and use another one BUT NONETHELESS — I profiled S-K.
54. Samora Pinderhughes — Venus Smiles Not In The House Of Tears
53. Tierra Whack — World Wide Whack
Good NPR piece here (also I am now realizing that there is perhaps more Philadelphia Representation on this list than any other geographical place???0
52. Lava La Rue — STARFACE
Some reading.
51. Hurray For The Riff Raff — The Past Is Still Alive
50. JPEGMAFIA — I Lay Down My Life For You
49. Joy Oladokun — Observations From A Crowded Room
Yet another great Creative Independent interview.
48. Cavalier — Different Type Time
back to POW, great interview again.
47. Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties — In Lieu Of Flowers
46. Euclid — Revelator
45. Nappy Nina — Nothing Is My Favorite Thing
44. Jean Dawson — Glimmer of God
Good convo takes place in this piece.
43. Mustafa — Dunya
A lot of good writing with and talks with Mustafa this year (I wrote one of them) — but landing on this one
as the one that moved me the most.
42. manners manners — I Held Their Eyes, I Kissed Them All
41. Blu — This is cheating a bit, but Blu had a sensational year with Multiple Great Albums And I’m Bundling Them As One — I liked Los Angeles and Love (the) Ominous World the best, but all four are special releases.
40. Serpentwithfeet — Grip
I liked this interview, which I think gets at the heart of this album as a song cycle so wonderfully and relentlessly about touch.
39. State Faults — Children Of The Moon
38. Helado Negro — Phasor
Great Rolling Stone interview.
37. Dawn Richard & Spencer Zach — Quiet In A World Full Of Noise
Dawn Richard, what a career, truly. I am endlessly impressed by how expansive he has been, continues to be.
36. The Hope Conspiracy — Tools Of Oppression / Rule By Deception
There weren’t many albums that matched my rage this year, this is the one. Great interview with the band. Glad they returned, angry as ever.
35. ShrapKnel — Nobody Planning To Leave
34. Nemahsis — Verbathim
My beloved sibling Safia profiled Nemahsis, and it is good.
33. Queen Of Jeans — All Again
32. Omar Apollo — GOD SAID NO
Much like his last record, this one grew on me as the year went on, and it is also my favorite album title of the year, which I have incorporated into my every day living, like if I drop a little treat I have gotten myself on the ground outside, I will whisper god said no as a way of mourning the loss. Anyway, read this!
31. Mannequin Pussy — I Got Heaven
Well well, if it isn’t another Creative Independent interview.
30. Kaia Kater — Strange Medicine
29. Tasha — All This And So Much More
28. Contour — Take Off From Mercy
27. Ka — The Thief Next To Jesus
It didn’t feel right to just pick one piece eulogizing Ka and his brilliance, but it also didn’t feel right to link all of the many great ones. I landed on this one.
26. Sports Bra — Spite World
25. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings — Woodland
To speak again of consistency, my admiration for these two is great — they continue to improve upon their already brilliant writing and songmaking. They just don’t stop growing.
24. Tinashe — Quantum Baby
23. Heave Blood & Die — Burnout Codes
22. Bilal — Adjust Brightness
I feel like people maybe just didn’t notice that Bilal dropped his first album in nearly a decade???? and that it was perfect???? Here’s reading.
21. Speed — Only One Mode
Interview with Jem here.
20. Waxahatchee — Tigers Blood
Good interview to read here.
19. The Cure — Songs Of A Lost World
18. Tyler, The Creator — Chromakopia
17. Cuni — Prescribed Burn
I loved this album so much, a real Proper Emo Record that isn’t trying to cash in on nostalgia.
16. Missouri Executive Order 44 — Salt Sermon
Man, this band. They wear bike helmets, they play anarchist bookstores, they make antifascist hardcore, I’m very into them.
15. Ducks LTD — Harm’s Way
Interview!
14. Tems — Born In The Wild
At a small desk!
13. Oceanator — Everything Is Love And Death
Was immensely thankful for this record this year.
12. Blackstarkids — Saturn Dayz
Long Live Blackstarkids. Thanks for your service.
11. Chat Pile — Cool World
Good reading.
10. Meshell Ndegeocello — No More Water: The Gospel Of James Baldwin
I enjoyed this profile.
9. Wishy — Triple Seven
8. Fontaines DC — Romance
Well, there’s reading on the band you could do, but instead, here’s this clip from the Rolling Stone Awards.
7. Regional Justice Center — FREEDOM SWEET FREEDOM
I especially enjoy linking to Treble, because it’s one of the first places that let me write about music on the internet. Here’s an interview.
6. Mavi — shadowbox
5. Jordan Deal — Seas of Triple Consciousness
Massive achievement. I don’t believe that all impressive undertakings have to end up being good, and I don’t believe that all good art has to simultaneously be or have been an impressive undertaking, but when something hits that intersection as mightily as this project does, it is appreciated.
4. Mk.gee — Two Star & The Dream Police
This is my “I think this is as good as everyone else seems to” album this year
3. Cruza — Cruzafied
There hasn’t maybe ever been a gap between how much I love an album and how much I dislike an album title than this, but when the album is this good, the title can be anything.
2. Doechii — Alligator Bites Don’t Heal
At a desk! of minimal size!
- MICHELLE — Songs About You Specifically
Ok! See you next year!
