Over the previous two years, i suffered a health issue that affected my mobility. Now, after a few surgeries, i am mobile again. I'm not 100% of where i was, but i continue to get stronger.  Due to this, my perception of the music released in 2024 might be a little skewed -- pain meds do weird things to a person.  But as a bonus, i was able to start getting back out to see live music again!

2024 was not the best year for records, well, when compared to the strength of releases out the last few years. But there are still some that, i think, i will still be listening to years from now.

1. Oyster Cuts by Quivers. This Australian four-piece makes insanely catchy tunes. This is timeless with great musicianship. I hope they tour the East Coast of the US this upcoming year.
   
   
2. The Gloss by Cola. This second full length from quirky post-punk act Cola finds them relaxed and stretching out in their songs. The result is the loosest album they have released. It's good to hear a band enjoy themselves so much.
   
   
3. Only Hinting by Clinic Stars. This record is a mess of echo, distortion, and washed out female vocals. This is sort of my niche for music, and Clinic Stars do it well.
   
   
4. The Clearwater Swimmers by The Clearwater Swimmers. Debut record from folkish, americana-ish act from Maine. Lovely tunes.
   
   
5. Eleven Fugues for Sodium Pentothal by Adam Wiltzie. Adam Wiltzie is the surviving half of post-rock legends Stars of the Lid, and here he shows us exactly why. Glorious ambient music.
   
   
6. Songs For a Lost World by The Cure. I have been listening to this band longer than the Internet has been a thing that people are aware of, and it is great to have them back after 16 years. It's a solid record with some really great tunes.
   
   
7. Double Your Relaxation by So Totally. Another band that makes 1990s post-grunge pop. I have a weak spot for this sort of thing, and this Philly band does it well.
   
   
8. Elude the Torch by The Drin. The Drin are a band from Cincinnati, Ohio that take being from a large immigrant culture (they sing one song on this record in modern Greek) and a fondness for the echoed to hell and back dubbed out psychedelia of the late 60s/early 70s and make something that is both refreshingly unique and engaging.
   
   
9. Sugarcoat by Blushing. Clean, sparkly contemporary shoegaze from this Austin quartet. The songs are bright, catchy, and full of distortion -- distortion you can dance too!
   
   
10. Burden by REZN. REZN are an odd band that walks in the borderlands of heavy metal while also having a saxophonist and making some tunes that are flat out dub. I like the variety in what they do, and this is another great record from them.

Now that vinyl is super-trendy, lots of records i have loved are coming out with new remasters in that format. This is seriously draining my expenses, and although i appreciate the work labels are putting in to these, i need people to slow it down a little bit, thanks!

1. The Moon and the Melodies by Cocteau Twins with Harold Budd. This is one of my favorite records ever. I have listened to it thousands of times, and the music here is outside of anything else that exists. As part of 4AD's continuing re-release series, Robin Guthrie remastered this record, and it sounds even better than it did before. Go track this down.
   
   
2. Selected Ambient Works, Volume II by Aphex Twin. This classic of ambient electronica was re-released on deluxe vinyl in October. This is one of those records that there is no comparison too, and i am glad to finally have it on vinyl.
   
   
3. Four Calendar Cafe by Cocteau Twins. Robin Guthrie remastered the penultimate album from the band. This new version sounds great, and i spent a lot of time diving back into this record.
   
   
4. Flux by Love Spirals Downwards. In 1998 when i heard this record, it blew my mind. It took folkish music in Spanish, slow pretty goth tunes, and drum and bass beats and made something fun and unique. I was glad to see this re-released on vinyl, and have enjoyed diving back into this record. It still holds up, after 26 years.
   
   
5. The Blurred Crusade (blue vinyl edition) by The Church. I have been listening to the Church since 1985 or so, and i have never owned a copy of their second album! When the band announced this re-release, i snatched it up. They sound so young here, but it's still a solid release from one of my favorite bands of all time.
   
   
6. Consciousness by Windy and Carl. I reviewed this back in the very early days of EvilSponge, and i have enjoyed revisiting the record with this nice vinyl re-release.
   
   
7. Triple Point by Loscil. This year Kranky re-released the debut Loscil record on vinyl. I reviewed the CD when it came out in in 2001, but i admit that i have not revisited it much lately. The strength of this record led me to a decades-long fondness for this artist, but going back and listening, these beginnings are humble indeed, and his later work has a lot more depth to it. Still, it was nice to give this a spin on vinyl at last.
   
   

I didn't come across many short releases this year. I wonder why?

1. Atlas by Robin Guthrie. Mr. Guthrie has long excelled at the short release format, and this brief EP of delicate tracks shows him in great form.
   
   
2. Liily by Liily. This band makes catchy, spastic dance rock, and this self-titled EP moves fast and leaves you both exhausted and wanting more when it is complete.
   
   
3. Everybody Dies b/w As In a Blender by Superchunk. I love that Superchunk still releases these little singles every few months. And the songs are always fun.
   
   
4. Fire in the Western World by Superchunk b/w Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind by Quivers. The Australian pop act who released my favorite record of the year is actually signed to the label owned by one of my favorite bands. Go figure. Quivers played the west coast opening for Superchunk on their tour, and together they put out this 7" of both bands doing covers. Fun.
   

With my legs repaired, i was able to get out and see some live music again.

1. The The on Friday 11 October at The Tabernacle. I have been listening to The The since the mid 1980s, and I was pleasantly surprised to get them back after a long absence. The The started out this show by playing Ensoulment, their new record, in full. It sounded nice live. Then they took an intermission and came back to play an encore of "the hits", starting with a blistering rendition of 1986's Infected, tearing through an hour of songs that have been with me for years, then ending with the perfect coda of Uncertain Smile and GIANT, the whole crowd swaying and singing along with Matt Johnson. It was as near of a perfect show as I have ever seen.
   
   
2. Mint Field on Tuesday 15 October at 529. A few days after Matt Johnson's triumphant return at a large venue, i went to a a tiny dive to see a band just starting out. This was the Atlanta data on Mint Field's first US tour, and they played to maybe 20 people. But they put on a great show.  Singer and guitarist Estrella del Sol is actually really great with the guitar, something i guess I never realized when listening to the records. They put on a fun show, and i am glad i got to see them on the way up.
   
   
3. Slowdive on Friday 17 May at The Eastern. When Slowdive reformed in 2017, i was surprised but grateful. Since then they have released great music and played amazing shows.
   
   
4. Adam Ant with The English Beat on Sunday 14 April at The Eastern. Two bands that i have loved for a long time, and both are still rocking it live. This was an oldies show, i guess, us old people shaking it a little bit to these 80s tunes. Both bands are still playing very well.
   
   
5. Johnny Marr on Thursday 3 October at The Eastern. When my girl (a known deadhead) and i head head out on vacation, invariably a battered old Smiths CD (or 2) accompanies us. Seeing Johnny play some of his really good solo stuff in addition to six Smiths tunes was great. His solo stuff sounds good live. I guess i should track down one of his records at some point.
   
   
6. Superchunk on Friday 25 October at The Variety Playhouse. For the 35th anniversary of Foolish, Superchunk (well, Mac and Jim with bonus bassist Jason Narducci and a new drummer), played the record. This is one of my favorite albums, and i was really curious to see how the final few (slow, and painfully mournful) tracks would come across in concert. Well, the band just skipped those. But it was a great show.
   
   
7. Duster on Friday 27 September at The Variety Playhouse. Slowcore greats Duster are back after a long absence, and they played a wonderful set.
   
   
8. Hatsune Miku Expo 2024 on Tuesday 30 April at The Gateway Center Arena. So, this is a weird one. Hatsune Miku is a computer generated Japanese popstar -- basically a cartoon that makes sugar-rush addled Japanese dance music. My girl's daughter is a big fan, so we took her to see Hatsune and the other characters associated with her "perform". Basically, this was 90 minutes of cartoon characters projected on a screen singing and dancing to a live band, while teenagers screamed and danced. The future is a strange place, man.
   

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