Short post this year as I’m preparing to leave the country tomorrow and was focusing on other writing the past few weeks—you’re welcome—including a brief end-of-year round-up over at Even Better. Also I have a cold. This is my tenth year compiling lists of my favorite albums and songs; while my general enthusiasm for following new music and going to shows has waned a bit, I continue to love the December push of really digging into the best of the best.
I’ll keep writing in 2025 and it will always be at infrequent intervals—stay tuned!
Top 13 Albums
Los Campesinos! – All Hell
Cindy Lee – Diamond Jubilee
Spirit of the Beehive – You’ll Have To Lose Something
This Is Lorelei – Box for Buddy, Box for Star
Jessica Pratt – Here in the Pitch
Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood
Dehd – Poetry
Guitar – Casting Spells on Turtlehead
MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks
Joshua Chuquimia Crampton – Estrella Por Estrella
Young Jesus – The Fool
Flesh Tape – Flesh Tape
Wild Pink – Dulling The Horns
Top 50 Songs
This Is Lorelei – “Dancing in the Club”
Chief Keef – “1,2,3”
Charli XCX featuring Addison Rae – “Von Dutch A.G. Cook Remix”
MJ Lenderman – “She’s Leaving You”
ScHoolboy Q – “Yeern 101”
Chanel Beads – “Police Scanner”
Dehd – “Dog Days”
NLE Choppa – “Slut Me Out 2”
Two Shell – “Be Somebody”
Jessica Pratt – “Life Is”
Waxahatchee – “Tigers Blood”
O. – “Sugarfish”
Los Campesinos! – “A Psychic Wound”
Adrianne Lenker – “Sadness as a Gift”
Bon Iver – “S P E Y S I D E”
Spirit of the Beehive – “Let the Virgin Drive”
Mannequin Pussy – “I Got Heaven”
Kassie Krut – “Reckless”
Tinashe – “No Broke Boys”
Magdalena Bay – “Death & Romance”
High Vis – “Mind’s a Lie”
Hovvdy – “Forever”
The Hard Quartet – “Killed By Death”
Jack White – “Archbishop Harold Holmes”
Tems – “Love Me JeJe”
El Cousteau featuring Earl Sweatshirt – “Words2LiveBy”
Another Michael – “I’ve Come Around to That”
Combat – “Epic Season Finale”
Jane Remover – “Magic I Want U”
Beyoncé – “Riiverdance”
Father John Misty – “Screamland”
Young Jesus – “MOTY”
Little Kid – “Bad Energy”
Geordie Greep – “Holy, Holy”
Nilüfer Yanya – “Like I Say (I runaway)”
Friko – “Get Numb To It!”
Shaboozey – “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
22° Halo – “Orioles at Dusk”
Ice Spice featuring Central Cee – “Did It First”
Camila Cabello featuring Playboi Carti – “I Luv It”
Fcukers – “Homie Don’t Shake”
Guitar – “Baying of Dogs”
Vampire Weekend – “Mary Boone”
Growing Stone – “Country Song”
SahBabii – “Belt Boyz”
Tyler, the Creator featuring Doechii – “Balloon”
HiTech – “SPANK!”
Lipworms – “Handshake”
Cloud Nothings – “Final Summer”
Porter Robinson – “Knock Yourself Out XD”
Playlist: