I've never done a top 10 list, and I didn't intend to this year. Really, I just wanted to remind people how amazing the Charlie Ivan Band LP is. A top 10 list seemed to be the ideal way to accomplish this task. I wanted only to review 2024 on this blog - not necessarily just 2024 releases. I decided the actual top number would be whatever I came up with after looking over every post of 2024. I actually assumed it would be more than 10, but my fairly cursory review led me to exactly 10, so I'm sticking with the first run through.
You can review the year by clicking "ARCHIVE" on the left. Here we go:
10. Love Banana 7". "Get In" sucked me in with its Clean-like sound.
9. theCatherines "If I Had Known Then". "Minigolf" might be the sweetest childhood song I've ever heard.
8. fantasy of a broken heart "Feats of Engineering". I immediately thought of Frog, but what kept me coming back was all the unexpected musical directions with still great melodies.
7. Maple Fyshh, "You Are Leaving My Mind: The "Mariko" and "Dokitto Station!!" Era". Sometimes surfy, always poppy. I spent November listening to this over and over.
6. Balloon "Gas 'n' Air". There's definitely a bit of recency bias here, but "Hooligan" and "There Is Love" are really two of my favorite songs of the year.
5. Mekons "Fear and Whiskey". Any band that simultaneously can make me think of The Pogues and The Go-Betweens moves to the front of the class. I can't believe I waited this long in life to give into the magic of Mekons.
4. BMX Bandits "Dreamers On The Run". I bought two BMX Bandits LPs this year, but "Dreamers On The Run" gets the nod as the 2024 release. "Setting Sun" is just amazing. "Bee Stings" was also reissued in 2024.
3. Beachwood Sparks "Across The River Of Stars". Probably my most listened to LP from the 2024 posts. "Torn In Two" is beautiful as are many songs off this album. I also saw them play at The Great American Music Hall.
2. Charlie Ivan Band "Where The Dogs Go To Die". This one just won't let go. I can't help but think of fellow Aussie Michael Beach, but there are just so many good songs here. "Sky's Bleeding" into "I'll Take You Down" was my favorite one-two punch of the year.
1.cpnpc "XLEP". One of the vehicles for the work of Cas Halliwell, cpnpc's "XLEP" has at least 5 songs that bear repeated listenings and my full attention: "Two Soldiers", "Allison", "Pissing Into Water" and "Erased?" and "Wars". That's just amazing to me.
