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Happy New Year Sorry Staters! What a wild ride 2024 was. I hope everyone had a great year! For me, I always like to reflect and think about the new experiences I went through during the year, whether it be new foods, new places I traveled or, most importantly, new music that I have listened to. I am grateful that working at a record store/label offers the opportunity to listen to stuff that I would never find on my own. Also, working with an eclectic group of folks helps too! My list is quite like my brain at any given moment—all over the place—but I would not have it any other way. This list is in no particular order and if you haven’t checked any of these out, I hope you do!
Chat Pile – Cool World
This record was so hyped when it came out, and it definitely lived up to it. This noise rock band from Oklahoma City continued where they left off with 2022’s God’s Country. From the start, the tracks are just heavy riff after heavy riff with punishing vocals, which cover the horrors of modern human suffering.
Dan Spencer – Return To Your Dark Master
Black metal influenced country music. What more could you ask for? Dan Spencer has been blowing up this tour non stop and for a very good reason. This record rules and has some fun songs about vampires and other evil shit.
Zorn – Endless Funeral
Evil, dark metal-punk from Philly, PA on Sorry State. My favorite Sorry State Records release this year by far. I unfortunately have not seen them live, but I hear they put on one hell of a live show.
The Dogs – Total Dog Shit
This record caught me by surprise one day while randomly clicking on records to listen to on Bandcamp. The Dogs are a drum machine backed oi/punk band from the UK and as you guessed it all the tracks are about dogs. This record is super fun and super catchy.
Poison Ruin – Confrere
This record quickly became one that I play consistently play at work when it came out. This record is has tons of catchy hooks and medieval imagery just makes it that much more fun.
The Cure – Songs Of A Lost World
It would surprise me if this record was not on many people’s end-of-year list. It took Robert Smith a long time, but he finally released this masterpiece of an album this year. I can’t say anything you didn’t already know about this record. It’s quintessential Cure from beginning to end. The record is beautiful and melancholic. It almost plays out like a dream sequence to a movie you have seen a thousand times before. If I had to put my list in order, this would easily be at number one.
Nala Sinephro – Endlessness
London, UK based ambient jazz that will make your brain tingle. I went back to this record a lot over this year when I need something to listen to help clear my mind and to get my mental creative juices flowing. The music throughout the record seems to go in and out of consciousness with really great highs and really great lows. One of my favorite modern jazz records of this year.
SIKM – Now I Must Comply
Everything about this album I love. It’s infectious and full of great riffs, and the cover art by Jeff Polen is one of my favorites of the year. You can hear the French oi influences on this one, which made it a top record for me. It was hard to pick my favorite oi album this year, and it was hard not to have a list full of them.
Chain Cult – Harm Reduction
Dark, gothic influenced punk done so very very well. This band never seems to disappoint from release to release. This record has some heavy T.S.O.L. vibes, which is probably why I love it so much. I’m a sucker for anything dark, fast and heavy as you can tell with my previous pick of the new Zorn record. If you are living under a rock and have not checked this out yet, please do so.