For first-time readers, I do this music wrap-up annually. The format may be a bit tired, but I do it as much for myself to capture a moment in time. For others, I do hope to draw attention to great music that might be off of the usual lists. Feel free to read some of the previous years to get a vibe for what I listen to.
I really can’t stand having a bunch of sentimental objects dragging my life down. This is almost undoubtedly a legacy of my mother’s tendency to throw things away with a savage compulsion as a child. One day I would be organizing some collected ephemera, and the next day it would be strangely missing.
While I found this behavior quite frustrating as a kid, I now have a bit of sympathy as a parent of two young children (Do you know how many pockets full of rocks I’ve emptied from the clothes dryer?!). Needless to say, I try to avoid attaching sentimental baggage to physical objects.
Music, however, is another story. As I looked back at the albums that really resonated with me in the past 12 months, I’m struck by how deeply sentimentality runs throughout them. Whether it’s nostalgia for an earlier time that I missed on the first go—like punk rock in its heyday—or music that brings me back to a specific time in my life. More so than in any other form of art that I appreciate, this desire for a connection to past times runs deep.
Indeed, music is an art form for me that is constantly striving for a balance of what came before and something new and novel. Music often has the power to connect to another time or place. The intro bars or a great hook immediately transport me to that time when I first heard a record or was really into a particular album. No other medium does this in the same way, so music is the only art form that gets the nostalgia pass from me.
With that in mind, let's get into it. For the lazy among you, I've dropped all the albums into this convenient Spotify playlist.
My Favorite Releases From 2024
Drunk Mums - Beer Baby
I realize that it’s lazy to generalize about the scene of an entire country, but damn Australia is turning out some killer punk bands these days. Amyl and the Sniffers, The Chats, and now this release from Drunk Mums. From start to finish, this one is a ripper and it never lets up until the end.
Heems - LAFANDAR
Over the past few years, I’ve really been going down the Heems rabbit hole. I first stumbled on his project with Riz Ahmed (Swet Shop Boys). Then I back-tracked to Das Rascist, who I somehow missed the first time around. Now I’m totally digging his solo stuff (well, OK, not totally. His other release this year—VEENA—was just a waste of time). LAFANDAR comes in like Heems picking up right where he left off with Das Rascist, but with a bit of time to grow. Where Das Rascist was goofy at times, this release feels genuine and sincere.
High On Fire - Cometh The Storm
High On Fire have always been a bit of a mixed bag for me. Some releases I like, while others lack that special spark that elevates them from a more generic stoner metal outfit. Cometh The Storm is the band at their best. The riffs are thick and sludgy, delivered via an all-out assault over thunderous drum beats. Mike Pike’s vocal delivery is in peak form. No question that it’s their best album in quite some time.
I Hate My Village - Nevermind The Tempo
I really don’t know how to classify I Hate My Village, which is some of their initial hook. There’s a lot of influences being funneled through here, with some Mars Volta underneath plinky guitars and distorted synths. Stream-of-consciousness vocals layer over afrobeat rhythms by way of the boot of Italy. I really loved their first record, and this one is no different.
IDLES - TANGK
It seems like IDLES can do no wrong these days. They’re the vanguard for the latest wave of loud rock music that is flirting with the peripheries of the mainstream. Some friends have told me that they don’t particularly like TANGK, though I’m of the belief that it’s their finest record. It’s surely no Joy as an Act of Resistance, marked by a growing maturity in musical and lyrical depth. The rage here is merely just under the surface, waiting to eventually boil over but rarely reaching a crescendo. In the end, TANGK is more successful in its range and sensitivity.
Jack White - NO NAME
Jack White is one of—if not the—hardest working artists in music right now. This album showed up with zero fanfare, and is all the better for it. With no build-up or PR buzz, you can more easily take the album on its own merits. Those merits are chiefly damn good guitar-driven blues rock that White is so known for. While there aren’t many surprises here, this is just a record of fantastic tracks of Jack at the top of his game.
OSEES - SORCS 80
Going from guitar rock to rock with no guitars. Seriously, there are no guitars on this latest OSEES (Thee Oh Sees? Oh Sees? OCS? Who knows) record. I listened to it several times before I realized it, though this should come as no surprise if you’ve followed the band. John Dwyer and crew are always mixing things up. SORCS 80 is a total scorcher. Swapping guitars for synths has resulted in no loss of edge or the psych-laced garage sound that has been the band’s hallmark. It may be a bit more funky or spacey, though at no time does SORCS 80 lose its course or let off the gas.
Perennial - Art History
With Perennial’s Art History, we enter the New England section of amazing releases. And while Perennial may get slight preferential treatment due to their provenance, that doesn't mean that they’re not fantastic. They play a particular strain of angular garage punk fueled by a ceaseless explosive energy. Hell, this whole record is 12 tracks that clock in at 21:13. While they've previously flown under the radar, I’m glad to see Perennial start to get some of their due.
Psychic Graveyard - Wilting
The other New England entry on this list is Psychic Graveyard’s latest, Wilting. My stint in Providence in the early aughts gave me a taste for weirdo dance punk that I just haven’t been able to shake. While I can’t say that this is necessarily an easy listen, it’s a challenge that I would highly recommend undertaking.
Sleater-Kinney - Little Rope
I’m privileged to have seen Sleater-Kinney in mid-2025, shortly after the release of Little Rope. I was in awe for the entirety of the set and the encore. While I wasn’t intimately familiar with the new album at the time, I really enjoy this current incarnation of the band. While they may be somewhat toned down, Carrie and Corinne have dialed up the musicality without losing the emotional intensity. Little Rope, like the albums before it, feels personal and raw but also universal to the human experience. Exactly what you’d expect from this band.
That's it! It's a wrap. Putting 2024 to bed. For each artist, I've linked to their Bandcamp page where you can listen to the music (and maybe purchase it). If you're digging any of these releases, I hope you'll support the artists.