Two Top Five Lists for 2024
No one asked for this – but no one asked for any of the things I post, and I post them anyway. So here I go, capping off 2024 with some “best of” lists – Top Five Records Released in 2024, and Top Five Records Purchased in 2024. Those two are strictly vinyl, but also scroll down for the local artists whose 2024 releases deserve real love.
New In 2024: Top 5 (6)
These are my six favorites that actually came out this year – because I really couldn’t decide a tie for fifth.
No. 5: Bite Me Bambi – Eat This
I worried a little bit that my fascination with Bite Me Bambi would turn out to be partly because their videos are just so fun and their lead singer, Tahlena Chikami, is one of the cutest human beings ever – but I found myself listening to their stuff digitally and this record, brand new this year, has seen a lot of spins. They’ve definitely contributed to my late-blooming renewed interest in ska/two-tone (and I’m not nearly literate enough in the genres to tell ska from two-tone from ska punk from all the other variants that are out there). Now I want to go back and get the repress their debut.
Also No. 5: The Fleshtones – It’s Getting Late (And More Songs About Werewolves)
Maybe I’m just constantly repenting for basically ignoring a friend who preached the importance of The Fleshtones in the mid-’80s, but I find more and more to love about this band. (Look for a great documentary on them, last seen on Tubi, called “Pardon Us For Living But the Graveyard’s Full.”) I still buy every new release and this is their first since 2020’s “Face of the Screaming Werewolf.” Well, goddamn, what other 48-year-old bands are still together and still putting out great new music? Their entire catalog should be getting the kind of RSD reissue packages that artists I’ve never heard of are routinely enjoying. Their songs should be tabbed on Ultimate Guitar – you can’t find even one. They should be known. But until they are, I’ll just keep repenting and preaching the importance of The Fleshtones. And listen to this, which is more and more my mood some days:
No. 4: Sue Foley – One Guitar Woman
I’ve already written about how I took a long pause on Sue Foley that I have come to regret, and last year I bought three new Sue Foley records (one of which was one of my top records of 2023). This year she released this revelation. Did I know Sue Foley is a devastating acoustic finger-picker? I did not. She uses her amazing skill to showcase songs by female guitar pioneers. This record is absolutely breathtaking. Play loud.
Listen to this incredible rendition of Libba Cotten’s “Oh Babe It Ain’t No Lie:”
No. 3: Shemekia Copeland – Blame It On Eve
I only just discovered Shemekia Copeland last year, with her brutally honest “Done Come Too Far.” With this one, she again just kills. Less political but no less emotional. She’s a stunning talent who absolutely commands attention on a wide range of song styles here. I’m very curious about the magic at work here in her collaboration with producer/songwriter/instrumentalist Will Kimbrough – one would swear these were her songs, her words. It’s a powerful combination.
No. 2: Bernie Worrell – Wave From the Wooniverse
I still remember the look on my friend’s face when he put this on the turntable, thinking it was some kind of collection of older, unreleased Bernie Worrell/P-Funk-related material. The look as he said, “This was made . . . this year?!” Yeah – April 2024 Record Store Day release, and one of the most amazing, inventive records of the year from the estate and friends of Worrell, who apparently wasn’t letting his 2016 death stop him. There’s a full explanation of what’s going on here. Usually when other artists try to make something out of the snippets a genius has left behind, it’s a mess. This album? The whole damn thing is gold. But this is the one that kills me:
No. 1: The Soul of . . . The Fabulous Courettes
The Courettes were my revelation for 2024. As with Bite Me Bambi, I discovered them on YouTube and quickly became fascinated – okay, obsessed – with their incredible sound. Two people (for the most part – they do get filled out a bit on this new release) completely dedicated to a retro sound is something that could, and really should, get a bit thin. And yet it doesn’t – because it’s not a retro sound, it’s their sound. (In this way, they’re very much like The Fleshtones.) And their sound is just a breath of fresh air. I’m just gonna admit this: I bought five Courettes albums this year. Out of 90 new records, The Courettes were 5.5% of my buys. (Out of 11 2024 releases, their two made up 18%!).
Just listen to this gloriousness:
Old in 2024: My Top 5 Purchases of the Year
No. 5: Fanny – Live on Beat-Club ’71-’72
Technically, this is a 2024 release, and it was one of the few records I was anxiously anticipating this year. Along with discovering Fanny a few years ago now, I’d become absolutely fascinated by these perfect Beat-Club performances on YouTube. They’re just spectacular, and show that the amazing energy of Fanny as a live band never really got captured properly on vinyl. But YouTube audio is, after all, only so good, and I really wanted to be able to blast this through my stereo, so I was very excited when this release was announced, pre-ordered it months in advance, and have played it over and over.
Is there a better cover of “Hey, Bulldog”? There is not.
No. 4: John Mayall – The Turning Point
A number of factors prevented me from giving John Mayall much of a thought until just a few years ago. I was always aware of his importance to the British blues. I knew the talent he’d discovered and given support to, I knew his reputation – and yet, I’d never really listened to John Mayall, and I didn’t understand both the quality of his songwriting and the constantly experimental nature of his approach to music. Then I discovered his fusion records, an incredibly free approach to the blues. Somehow it still wasn’t until this year that I discovered “The Turning Point,” a remarkable live document from 1969.
Okay, technically, I first got a copy of this record at the very end of 2023. But I got a very special gift from my friend Shawn in October when he found an absolutely pristine copy – autographed both outside and on the booklet by John Mayall. I don’t chase autographs, but coming so soon after Mayall’s death, and as such a lovely gesture from a friend, I was touched and treasure this.
No. 3: Laufey – Bewitched: The Goddess Edition
I had never heard of Laufey, had no idea how to pronounce her name (closest an American tongue is going to get is probably “lay-vay”), until encountering her record on the hype rack at Forever Changes and wondering what was up. Shawn played a little bit, and suddenly I knew what was up. Whatever it is she’s doing is so outside my usual orbit of interest – a jazzier (and yet not very) version of that Linda Ronstadt/Nelson Riddle style that also captivated me in the ’80s – and yet, I had to have. This really quickly became our Sunday morning music. Beautiful, sweet, and sometimes very, very funny music.
No. 2: Return of the Funk Soul Sisters
After the wild success of the “Funk Soul Sisters” compilation I found at Siren Records last year, you’d better believe I snatched up a second volume there when I saw it. Another set of absolutely stunning, largely forgotten tracks by female funk and soul artists, some produced by the likes of James Brown and Curtis Mayfield. Ace Records tells the whole story here. All I need to know is, this makes my wife dance and be happy, and that makes me happy. Every track is a banger.
No. 1: The English Beat – Special Beat Service
I worry about recency bias – after all, I just got this at the Black Friday RSD last month. But I play it nearly every damn day. I know, I just discovered The Beat (or The English Beat), and I’m just rediscovering the world of ska, two-tone, ska adjacent. But this 1982 album is a masterpiece. I can’t stop listening. It’s my favorite new record for 2024.
Don’t Forget the Local Heroes!
It’s not just hype: I listen to local musicians as much as the famous acts, especially if I’m listening digitally. I buy their physical media when I can, and support them however I can. These days, vinyl is almost a privilege for artists, so I don’t want to leave these great musicians out of my year-end appreciation just because they can’t easily access a pressing plant. And they’re in no order whatsover because I’m not gonna rank my friends. (Hoping I didn’t miss anybody who had an official release this year!)
Nervous Nikki and The Chill Pills – St. Anthony’s Fire
Nervous Nikki and The Chill Pills are doing a mix of electric rock and rap that, to my ears, is unlike anything else out there. They’re exciting, fun to watch, and Nikki’s inventive lyrics come fast and furious. This album came out on digital and CD earlier this year – check out the whole thing at their Bandcamp. Their videos are a whole lot of fun – how can you not love “Day Off”?
Anna Spackman – Precipice
I mean, there’s a reason packets of tissues are distributed at Anna Spackman’s shows. She’s always written from a place of both observation and emotion – and this year I’ve heard her try songs that are getting more direct, more willing to take on some thoughts and topics that make us uncomfortable. This album is a remarkable document of love, beauty, growth, sadness, hope, and more. Just listen at Bandcamp.
Cliff Hillis & Dennis Shocket – Pop, Girls, Etc.
Cliff Hillis may have been the first local musician I met when we moved to Phoenixville, and his power pop sensibilities and love of an irresistible hook certainly meant his songs would find their way into my brain. He’s also one of the nicest people you’ve ever met. “Pop, Girls, Etc.,” the title of which is a nice nod to “High Fidelity,” is a perfect little pop confection. You can find the album at his Bandcamp page.
John Faye – The Long Game
Another of the nicest people you’ve ever met, and another of the finest songcrafters, John Faye actually did release his new album on vinyl – but I haven’t had a chance to get it that way yet and it’s eating at me. I will! But since I couldn’t wait, yes, I bought the digital copy on Bandcamp and you should too. “The Long Game” indeed – John’s been at it for a minute, and yet as he says, it keeps evolving.
Yay, Beat! Yay, Bernie! Yay, John Mayall! And yay for stuff I don’t know but need to investigate!