Josh
Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us
Nap Eyes - The Neon Gate
John Cale - POPtical Illusoon
Cindy Lee - Diamond Jubilee
Charlie XCX - Brat
Ryuichi Sakamoto - Opus
William Basinski - September 23
Cass McCombs - Seed Cake On Leap Year
Alvilda - s/t
Yu Ching - The Crystal Hum
Veronika
Linda Smith - Nothing Else Matters
Rave Ami - No Arc
Ex Pilots - Motel Cable
Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us
MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks
The Hard Quartet - S/T
The Smashing Times - Mrs Ladyship and the Cleanerhouse Boys
Peter Perrett - The Cleansing
Aerial M - Peel Sessions
Fivel Is Glauque - Rong Weicknes
This is Lorelei - Box for Buddy, Box for Star
Charli XCX - Brat
Love Child - Never Meant to Be
The Pheromoans - Wyrd Psearch
Nonpareils - Rhetoric & Horror
Kim Gordon - The Collective
Duster - In Dreams
Cary
Alan Sparhawk - White Roses, My God
Marbled Eye - Read The Air
J.R.C.G. - Grim Iconic Sadistic Mantra
Nonpeirels - Rhetoric & Terror
Underworld - Strawberry Hotel
Topographies - Interior Spring
Yesness - See You At The Solipsist Convention
Harald Grosskopf - Strom
Aerial M - Peel Sessions
Beak - >>>>
The Drin - Elude The Torch
Goat - s/t
Oneida - Expensive Air
Plastikman - Musik reissue
Thine Retail Simps - Strike Gold Strike Back Strike Out
Royal Headache - Live In America
Strange Party - Sleepwalk Through Life
Sewerheads - Despair Is A Heaven
Ween - Chocolate And Cheese reissue
Lora Logic - Pedigree Charm deluxe
Zombi - Direct Inject
Conner
MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks
Speed Plans - D.U.I
Ex Pilots - Motel Cable
Gina Gory - Died Laughing
Geordie Greep - The New Sound
The Lemon Twigs - A Dream is All We Know
The Hellp - LL
Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want To Turn Into You: Everasking Edition
Gawshock - Unless If
Ian
Ty Segall - Love Rudiments
Naked Roommate - Pass The Loofah
Artificial Go - Hopscotch Fever
The Initima - Peril & Panic
Soul Jazz Records - D.I.Y. Compilation
Clickbait - At Your Leisure
Modest Mouse - Baron Von Bullshit Rides Again
Gina Gory - Died Laughing
Unwound - A Single History
Alan
The Hard Quartet - S/T
Broadcast - Distant Call (Collected Demos 2000-2006)
Zamova - Expositions
Kenzy
Joywave - Permanent Pleasure
Cage the Elephant - Neon Pill
Timeless - Kaytranada
Justice - Hyperdrama
Here in the Pitch - Jessica Pratt
Kendrick Lamar - GNX
Joshy
Gas - S/T
Cicada - Wicked Dream
Cindy Lee - Diamond Jubilee
R.N.A. Organism - R.N.A.O Meets P.O.P.O
Normal Nada the Krakmaxter - Tubo de Ensaio
Skylar
Tyler, The Creator - Chromakopia
Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft
Tierra Whack - World Wide Whack
Khruangbin - A La Sala
Idles - Tangk
Mk.gee - Two Star & The Dream Police
Joey Valence & Brae - No Hands
Mannequin Pussy - I Got Heaven
Freddie Gibbs - You Only Die 1nce
BADBADNOTGOOD - Mid Spiral
NxWorries - Why Lawd?
Hiatus Kaiyote - Love Heart Cheat Code
Remi Wolf - Big Ideas
Still Woozy - Loveseat
Michelle - Songs About You Specifically
Mya
Kim Deal - Nobody Loves You More
Cindy Lee - Diamond Jubilee
Ghost Funk Orchestra - A Trip To The Moon
Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us
Charli xcx - Brat
Baby Rose / BADBADNOTGOOD - Slow Burn
MGMT - Loss of Life
Fivel Is Glauque - Rong Weicknes
Amen Dunes - Death Jokes
Cumgirl8 - the 8th cumming
Natasha
MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks
Adrienne Lenker - Bright Future
Vampire Weekend - Only God was Above Us
Jessica Pratt - Here in the Pitch
Gillian Wench & David Rawlings - Woodland
Cindy Lee - Diamond Jubilee
Sabrina Carpenter - Short and Sweet
Charli xcx - Brat
Veronika – Words about my top record(s) of 2024
These Linda Smith reissues originally recorded in the mid 90s and released via Captured Tracks this past spring are probably my favorite releases from this year. I have always been a fan of hers and was so excited to hear different versions of songs i knew + some songs I have never heard before. These records abbbsolutely blew me away though. I was very fascinated reading about her recording process, these songs are very modestly recorded at home with Linda playing all instruments which I think that lends perfectly to her songwriting. Who needs all that fancy recording gear! All the songs share a lo-fi vibe that is very haunting & beautiful but the style of each track is alllll over the board! For that reason, it is hard to compare it to anything but if I had to I’d say it draws similarities to bands / artists like Hermine, Movietone, Marine Girls, Minimum Chips, Cynthia Dall, Parsley Sound, Hydroplane, Jeanette, and 80s lofi post punk type stuff.
Josh – Words about my top record of 2024
Hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Nap Eyes’ music has always evinced a strong sense of space. The sound is clean, and neat without any notion of being fussed over. The guitars have ample room to breathe, evoking something like a folkier version of Sterling Morrison or Vini Reilly. Vocalist Nigel Chapman sings in a distant affect, a polite Canadian who exists outside of any scenes or current cultural conversations. These songs feel immediate and timeless, and upon repeated listenings offer a rich web of possible worlds to untangle. The lyrics often ride a wave of informal banter, eventually cresting with a moment of profound poetry that leaves the listener utterly gobsmacked. He reminds me, in this way, of Lou Reed at his most conversational, or Jonathan Richman at his most contemplative. This latest album, The Neon Gate, adds new wrinkles both sonically and lyrically, with the occasional synthesizer and lengthy ruminations drawing on Pushkin and Yeats. There’s a lot going on, and yet it all feels intimate and welcoming, a world worth hanging around in until you feel at home.
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