Your best new releases of 2024

[Mrs_Maureen_OPinion]

As the year draws towards its close, it’s time to consider the new albums you’ve enjoyed the most in 2024 - fuck the critics: what are you loving?

For me:

#1 Chemtrails : The Joy of Sects - fun, bang-modern take on a punk vibe; intelligent, well-written lyrics too.

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#2 HAAL : Return to Shilmarine - picks-up post-rock where the likes of Russian Circles and Slint leave-off. They’re young, and have much to learn, but they’ve started good and have ample scope to improve.

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#3 Kit Sebastian : New Internationale - French/Turkish duo craft enjoyable bilingual pop without getting too preachy.

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#4 Claire Martin : Almost in Your Arms - Chanteuse delivers beautifully recorded hifi-show jazz that includes an ace take on Tom Waits’ ‘This One’s From The Heart’ and Winkler/Smith’s ‘Train in the Desert’. There’s some dross, too. I’m getting old - it’s official.

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#5 The Rye Sisters : Distant Light - talented close harmony Lincs folk duo deliver self-penned songs to enjoyable effect.

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#6 Oneida : Expensive Air - feels like a real return to form by the long-established New York electro-psych-rockers.

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#7 Thee Headshrinkers : Head Cheese - patchy but fun mashup of punk, rap and 2020s urban sprechgesang.

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#8 Philipp Greter : Greter Than Dub - does for Swiss electro-dub (who even knew?) what Yello did for whatever genre they get pigeonholed into nowadays. Decent.

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Been a damn good year IMO.

[unclepuncle]

Well I’ve added a whole seven albums to my favourites list on Tidal that were released this year but I could probably delete six of them as I doubt I’ll play them again.
That leaves:

Soccer Mommy - Evergreen

I did also buy this off Bandcamp - not an official album release as such but still bloody good.

[htm_1968]

The Wolfgang Press: A 2nd Shape.

I also quite like the new one from The Cure although it is not grim enough.

[Pan]

[Gyroscope]

A combination of unpleasant tinnitus and Sonos bumfucking my main means of playback has resulted in me buying nothing like the amount of music that I normally do.

That said, despite my posturing around the more extreme fringes of the musical world I think the queens have it this year.

Nadine Shah Filthy Underneath

Beth Gibbons Lives Outgrown

Honourable mentions to shouty Brummies Big Special Postindustrial Hometown Blues

Einstürzende Neubauten Rampen (apm: alien pop music)

and Antwerpenaar dafties Gnome with Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome

All of the above except Gnome were backed up by some pretty barnstorming gigs. Gnome will have to wait until next May (I think).

[Gyroscope]

Oh yeah, and the Fat Dog one, whatever it’s called.

[TMC]

@Gyroscope

Honourable mentions to shouty Brummies Big Special Postindustrial Hometown Blues

They were support for John Grant. Definitely very shouty.

[Gyroscope]

There’s some sort of bromance between them and John Grant.

They pitched up as last-minute, unannounced support for Creep Show (Grant and Stephen Mallinder).

And they recently released a track together “Stay Down, Lazarus”.

[Waxy]

In no order…

The Sorcerers - I Too Am A Stranger

Chemtrails - The Joy Of Sects

Johnny Halifax - A​ç​id Bl​ü​ü​s R​ä​ä​gs Vol​.​2

Hologram People - Isola Dei Morti Viventi

Oddarang - Oddarang

Ufomammut - Hidden

Mdou Mocter - Funeral For Justice

Hermanos Guiterrez - Sonido C​ó​smico

Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere

Nala Sinephro - Endlessness

Tristwch Y Fenywod - Tristwch Y Fenywod

Lowen - Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran

Castle Rat - Into The Realm

Work Money Death - People Of The Fast Flowing River

[Mrs_Maureen_OPinion]

Lots of stuff I need to check-out bubbling-up in this thread - nice one

[Griffo]

Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere

Tides From Nebula - Instant Rewards

Oh Hiroshima - All Things shining

[MJ2]

Hopium for the Masses has to be worth a spin, purely for the Crassesque title

[MJ2]

Quite a playlist to be explored there.

[spacehopper]

I didn’t think I had bought much this year - however I’m a forgetful twat

New stuff

Amen - Joy Guidry

Realistic IX - Belong

You Only Die 1nce - Freddie Gibbs

Breath - Ocoeur

Rooting For Love - Laetitia Sadier

Re-releases / Compilations etc

Without doubt this years most poignant releases

Alley Of The Sun compilation

[

and last but certainly not least

Sorry this turned into a bit of an epic

If you click the picture it should (hopefully) take you to a link for more info (if you’ve got any will to live left )

[spacehopper]

I knew I’d missed one - a belter as well

BadBadNotGood

[MJ2]

Quite a haul, and I know about 3 of them

[spacehopper]

Maybe not a lot that would tickle your fancy Mike but at least if you want a listen you can check the bandcamp link on most of them (not all).

The Ben Felton, Belong & the Alley Of The Sun compilation might be worth a try.

[spacehopper]

Special mention for this one - I only found out about it last week so didn’t include it in my big list but it’s a belter as well

I did say I was a forgetful twat

[Waxy]

Must check out that Greg Foat

[spacehopper]

There are a quite a few that I think would be up your strasse Gareth - the late comer Causa Sui is superb.