Every year since 2014, I’ve taken time at the end of my Best of the Year list season to survey the field, to take stock in the music that defined my year, and not just the tracks that came out that year. You can find the whole list HERE. Sure most of the songs in the playlist were brand new so of course they will sound like 2024 looking back, but some weren’t from this year. I wanted to catalog how each year sounded, with the week-long obsessions or radical discoveries woven in, and provide a resource for me to be able to say “hmm I wonder what mid-year 2017 sounded like… oh here’s the playlist”, and get warped back to another time. This isn’t escapism (ok maybe some shred of it is), but it’s mostly just preserving memories and the music associated with them. 

Kind of crazy to think about how this is the 10th year I’ve done this. Looking back at my first in 2014, aka my rowdiest year alive, I was living it up. Partying often, working in NYC, making new friends, experiencing new things, the works. You can check out that feature HERE, although you’ve been warned that it was written by a 22 year old. 10 years later, I’ve never felt more stagnant. That’s not to say there wasn’t any enjoyment, or good music being bumped regularly, but I need to claw out. Make the year feel as dynamic as 2014 reads.

But let’s get back to 2024 – below you’ll find 100 songs that soundtracked my 2024, followed by my listening stats (basically my “Wrapped”, a little log of other non-music media consumed in 2024, and finally a short diary section summarizing my thoughts on the year as a whole. There’s also a playlist that you can follow along with below as well.

THE SONGS THAT DEFINED MY 2024:

You can listen along to the 100 songs that soundtracked my 2024 HERE. This is a chronologically organized list, so the songs that made an impact January 1st will be first, and the ones that rung in my head on New Year’s Eve on the precipice of 2025 are listed last. This is not a ranked list. 

1. Hiroshi Yoshimura – “Time after time”
   Early on in 2024 I received my vinyl copy of Hiroshi Yoshimura’s 1986 masterpiece Surround, and after a turbulent 2023, decided I’d start my year off like I did 2020: by binging Hiroshi. Literally one of the first things I did in 2020 was play Scrabble with my partner while we listened to this LP. We were both sipping on Liquid IV cocktails since we were both recovering from separate illnesses. This record grounded me in an incredibly turbulent and stressful year, and for that I am grateful.
2. Enya – “Boadicea”
   At the start of the year I like to chip a few more albums off my 80s project (yes I’m still working on that) since the new releases are slow. One super solid listen was Enya’s self-titled record (or The Celts as listed on Spotify), and the moody “Boadicea”. Instantly I realized that Fugees sampled it on “Ready Or Not”, which, hell yes. Fantastic sample, and starting the year off with Enya and Fugees is a great choice.
3. Cocteau Twins & Harold Budd – “The Ghost Has No Home”
   My partner and I vacationed in Puerto Rico the third week of January, our first time on the island. The whole trip was fantastic, especially our sidebar to Vieques, but the biggest imprint was when we ate breakfast at the Dreamcatcher Hotel (twice) in San Juan. You don’t have to be a guest at the hotel to eat there – fun fact. It’s an incredibly peaceful locale, with overflowing flora, tasteful furniture, natural light filtered through rippled, golden glass windows, and an immaculate playlist. Imagine eating a delicious breakfast, in blissful comfort, listening to “The Ghost Has No Home”. I’d go back just for that alone.
4. Shout Out Louds – “Impossible (Possible Remake by Studio)”
   I have to list the original on Spotify, but this spot should be for the Studio remix of the song on their Yearbook 2 release. Went through a big Studio + Dan Lissvik binge early in 2024, and look where it lead me. A long-awaited reissue of their 2007 album West Coast coming next year. Studio heads, rise up.
5. Two Shell – “Mainframe”
   Not sure what brought me back to Two Shell’s Icons EP but I hit it HARD in February. It reached a point where if I were ever to take up animation as a hobby (I know, I’m insane), I have a whole music video directed for each song. The EP’s closer “Mainframe” has a fun idea paired with it, where the AI-powered main character (AI as in like, the 1990s version of AI, a sentient intelligence powering a human shell, not AI slop) is traveling down into a maze-like subway system to find a Matrix-like mainframe and escape the clutches of a malignant virus plaguing them. Throughout their journey, our MC is helped navigate the labyrinth by platform performers like bucket drummers, showtime dancers and DJs (called “the shell brothers”), as the virus blasts the subway ad screens with her influence (the virus is portrayed through the female vocal sample in the song), trains scream through the tunnels. It’s fun having an imagination, and great music to pair along with it.
6. Waxahatchee – “Right Back To It (feat. MJ Lenderman)”
   The first song of 2024 that I was truly wowed by. This song is widely beloved for good reason.
7. Jordan Rakei – “Freedom”
   The second song of 2024 I was truly wowed by. Jordan Rakei’s voice is incredible, and wouldn’t you know it he’s super kind in person.
8. Brian Eno & Harold Budd – “The Plateaux of Mirror”
   More 80s ambient from the GOATs. Always start your year off with ambient, folks. Cleanse the palette.
9. Yellow Magic Orchestra – “Tighten Up (Japanese Gentlemen Stand Up Please!)”
   Checked off a few YMO releases I had foolishly overlooked this year. This song (and the record it comes from) is outrageous, but the video of the band (with Akiko Yano dancing and playing keyboards!) playing the song on Soul Train is an internet delight. I don’t think any of the instruments were even plugged in.
10. Mk.gee – “Alesis”
    I remember listening to this album on a downtown bus early on in the year and not being sold initially, but man. Once it clicked… it was hard to put down. 
    ~~
11. Contrahouse – “Streetcorn”
    Shout out Ulyssa for sending this record over to me early / alerting me to its presence. Was a staple for me throughout the year.
12. Corinne Bailey Rae – “Like A Star”
    Had the privilege to catch Corinne Bailey Rae at one of her many shows at Blue Note, where she played her new album Black Rainbows in full. She also performed “Like A Star” and it brought me RIGHT back to 2006 when this record was everywhere. She is a star!
13. ML Buch – “Working it out”
    ML Buch’s Suntub continued to be a massive presence for me crossing over from 2023. The album’s closer, “Working it out”, was especially cathartic and moving to me this year.
14. Ryuichi Sakamoto – “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence”
    Somehow never heard this song until this year. Sakamoto is a genius of melody and craft.
15. Janet Jackson – “Someone To Call My Lover”
    Heard this in a restaurant my partner and I were at for our anniversary dinner. I probably hadn’t heard the song since 2001 or 2002 and in the time since then being obsessed with modern artists like Erika de Casier and Jessy Lanza, two artists greatly inspired by Janet Jackson, hearing this song was a revelation. A perfect pop song. IN-CRED-I-BLE.
16. Bowery Electric – “Without Stopping”
    With the hell we’re currently living in, a few morning commutes to work necessitated blasting Bowery Electric’s Beat in my earbuds at dangerous volumes.
17. Suzanne Ciani – “The Fifth Wave – Water Lullaby”
    Got the chance to see Suzanne Ciani perform Seven Waves with quadrophonic audio in a massive church on the Upper East Side and folks, I was in heaven. Time Wharp opened too. Hearing the waves crash over us from multiple directions, with buchla synth percolating our brains… magic.
18. Hurray for the Riff Raff – “Alibi”
    Saw Hurray for the Riff Raff live three times in the first few months of 2024 and listened to the album’s singles pretty regularly. Totally defined my Q1 2024.
19. Solange – “Down With the Clique”
    Decided to put this back on my phone after being away from it since 2019 and man, it really clicked. Maybe it was because I put together that John Carroll Kirby had a hand in producing the record and I love JCK. Maybe since I realized this record was five years old in 2024. Either way, I BINGED this record hardcore in the spring. Had a great time doing it.
20. Kim Gordon – “BYE BYE”
    Listened to this for the first time on a walk to Trader Joe’s. Felt like I could kick something over. My partner does not like this song at all.
    ~~
21. Mulatu Astatke – “Munaye”
    Went to a bougie listening bar in Austin, TX for a listening party, but the DJ afterwards was spinning some good shit, including this Mulatu Astatke. Never bothered to go beyond his Ethiopiques record. Stupid! Shout out to that DJ at the listening bar, they had the sauce.
22. Shannon & The Clams – “Real Or Magic”
    Definitely cried the first time I heard this song!
23. Fcukers – “Mothers”
    My main obsessed leaving Austin, TX for SXSW was by far Fcukers. I saw them three times during the week and closed the fest out with them as they played a 1am set that felt like one of the best parties I’ve ever attended. “Mothers” is a bonafide hit that turned the room ALL THE WAY UP no matter where they played. If you were at the Creek & The Cave set on the last day of SXSW… you know what’s up. Dragged my friends to see the band later in NYC at a “rave” in a drained rooftop pool atop a burgeoning bougie fitness center in Bushwick. Worth it. Definitely one of the groups that defined my 2024.
24. Beck – “Archangel”
    Made a playlist for a dear friend and stumbled across this song. Beck made this piece of wonderful ambiance for a compilation record inspired by birdsong. I would love if he made a whole album that sounded like this. Beautiful stuff + perfectly timed for spring.
25. Saki Kabata – “Lonely Rolling Star”
    Played a lot of Katamari Damacy + We ❤ Katamari in Spring 2024. If you don’t know about those games, just know they have fantastic soundtracks. Many nights about to break my Switch because I was one millisecond away from “full-clearing” a level.
26. Zsela – “Fire Excape”
    First time I heard this song my jaw dropped. Striking voice, but a total hurricane instrumentally, too.
27. Erika de Casier – “My Day Off”
    Hearing this song live helped it click. It helped that the audience was SO into the set, singing along to every song and popping off, while Erika stayed pretty cool throughout.
28. Cindy Lee – “Kingdom Come”
    Did you know a record called Diamond Jubilee by Cindy Lee came out in 2024? Shout out to Troy in Victoria, BC for sending me a tour-exclusive seven inch. You’re a MVP.
29. Reyna Tropical – “Lo Siento”
    “No lo se, lo siento”
30. Adrianne Lenker – “Free Treasure”
    Listened to this album for the first day on the first semi-warm day of spring, a day where the buds were really popping on the trees. Really perfect timing on Adrianne’s part.
    ~~
31. Bruno Berle – “Te Amar Eterno”
    Another perfectly-timed spring release, a breezy and refreshing sweep of bliss.
32. Vegyn – “The Path Less Traveled”
    Had this on super heavy rotation on my “walking-around” playlist. Lots of riding the subway and listening to this song over and over.
33. Cassandra Jenkins – “Only One”
    New Cassandra is always cause for celebration, but a song about NYC? Cmon now.
34. Kylie Minogue – “Padam Padam”
    I somehow avoided “Padam Padam” until it was used in the finale lip sync of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16. Shout out to Nymphia Wind + Sapphira Cristál for making a super entertaining final lip sync, along with the queens sidestage who were so fun to catch quick glimpses of.
35. Tommy Richman – “Million Dollar Baby”
    This song was unavoidable early on in 2024, but it helps that it felt different than pretty much everything out there at the time. 
36. Maria Chiara Argirò – “Light”
    LOTS of Maria Chiara Argirò listened to in the spring, just like the last time she put out an album in the spring. 
37. Elkka – “Air Tight (feat. Dot Major)”
    BANGER ALERT!! Truly obsessed with this song and nearly rinsed/killed it before it even came out. 
38. Dissolve – “Sunflower Search Engine”
    Not sure why I decided to check this record out but I’m so glad I did. Scratches the itch of hazy, blown out psychedelic guitar freakouts I’ve been looking for since getting obsessed with early Sun Araw material. Whole album Third Album for the Sun (1997) is great and a wonderful discovery.
39. Jessica Pratt – “The Last Year”
    Cried the first time I listened to this song! My #1B pick for favorite song of the year for a reason.
40. Underworld – “Two Months Off”
    Thank you Kara for inspiring me to finally listen to Underworld. “Two Months Off” isn’t even the biggest hit of theirs, but listening to this song in early May, walking around Philly for a work conference. Pure energy, electric sensations shooting through my body.
    ~~
41. The Sea and Cake – “Transparent”
    A very good song to decompress to after a work conference! The Sea and Cake continues to be a presence in my life after they were my most listened-to band of 2022 and 2023.
42. Fennesz – “Transit (feat. David Sylvian)”
    When the social battery has died and becomes corroded, take the time on a flight to listen to Fennesz a few times and appreciate his link up with David Sylvian on “Transit”. Battery acid-corroded music that’s as beautiful as it is haunting.
43. Washed Out – “Feel It All Around”
    On my first trip to Portland, OR, I had to listen to “Feel It All Around” in the car as we drove around. Portlandia was one of the first bonding agents my partner and I had when we started dating. It was awesome.
44. Grouper – “Kelso (Blue sky)”
    My partner and I also made a pitstop to Grouper’s home base of Astoria, OR as we motored up from Cannon Beach on Oregon’s Pacific coast. On the way back to Portland we saw the exits for Kelso, so I immediately had to put on “Kelso (Blue sky)”. A good amount of Grouper was listened to on this trip, and I have to say that visiting Astoria was a really special moment for me. It was a quick visit, and we went up in the Astoria Column, but being in that environment, seeing the long bridge, the water, the hilly neighborhoods, the decaying infrastructure, the tight-knit small-town of it all, helped put into perspective Grouper’s work. I also found her split with Inca Ore in a record store in Portland – a big check off the list of essential things to do in the PNW.
45. musclecars – “Running Out Of Time”
    First album I went to while running errands and being back in the city after two weeks away was musclecars. Was super-powered with New York City energy thanks to this one.
46. Winged Wheel – “From Here on out Nothing Changes”
    Terrific closer to a terrific album. I think at one point I said I’d include this in every DJ set I could if I DJ’d. It’d be a hit for sure.
47. Iglooghost – “flux•Cocoon”
    Something about listening to this album, a record that vaguely gestures at the impending climate crisis, on one of the hottest days on record, was not lost on me. Intense, suffocating heat and pounding sun on my treks to the grocery store + other errands, Iglooghost blasting in my ears. This song also quelled my need for new Oli XL, who’s uncredited but featuring on this song.
48. Lip Critic – “Spirit Bomber”
    So many repeated listens of Lip Critic’s Hex Dealer this summer. A lot to be upset about, so might as well listen to something that makes me feel like my skeleton is about to rip itself from my body and start running for the hills.
49. Chanel Beads – “I Think I Saw”
    I love this song. It made my Top 10 Songs of 2024. Free Yourself From This.
50. Mary Lattimore & Walt McClements – “The Poppies, the Wild Mustard, the Blue-Eyed Grass”
    Not much else to say except that it’s supremely beautiful. Mary never misses.
    ~~
51. Camera Obscura – “Baby Huey (Hard Times)”
    Got to see Camera Obscura live at long last. They didn’t play this song, but this was my favorite from their new album.
52. Directions – “Track 4”
    Shout out Jetski on Twitter for randomly tweeting about this record. Put me on a mini-rabbit hole of late 90s Thrill Jockey records, but Directions and Directions In Music really took the cake and were a defining sound of my summer. I remember one weekend in July specifically when I was up visiting my parents and my partner had to take a very stressful exam – driving around on a humid, rainy summer morning listening to this record. Something I definitely will hope to hang onto as my music tastes morph and evolve.
53. Charli XCX – “Sympathy is a knife”
    Brat summer, baby.
54. Kendrick Lamar – “Money Trees (feat. Jay Rock)”
    Didn’t really care enough to get wrapped up in the whole rap beef, but when Kendrick played “Money Trees” at the Popout? NOW my attention is clearly grabbed. Amazing song.
55. Peaking Lights – “Tiger Eyes (Laid Back)”
    Sometimes the hottest moments of the summer need the meltiest band around, Peaking Lights. They’ve been a summer staple for me since this song came out in 2011. Shout out Gorilla Vs. Bear.
56. Charli XCX – “Girl, so confusing featuring lorde)”
    Brat summer, continued, baby. Also I’ve never seen a venue explode like it did than when Lorde came out for this song at Madison Square Garden. Absolute insanity.
57. SOPHIE – “Reason Why (feat. Kim Petras & BC Kingdom)”
    Got to have this song played for me on a Zoom call and I definitely cried. Later on I got to hear SOPHIE’s posthumous album played on $100k speakers and this song’s bass definitely rocked me.
58. Julie Byrne – “Sleepwalker”
    Surprised my partner with a birthday gift of catching two of her favorite artists, Julie Byrne and Mary Lattimore, performing at Storm King Art Center in upstate NY. Sitting with her on a great lawn and listening to one of her favorite musicians (and then another one of her favorite musicians), then going to get donuts at the best place in the world, Peaceful Provisions, I felt a rare peace that was fleeting in 2024.
59. Marina Allen – “Swinging Doors”
    Always fun when you dig a record and introduce it to your partner – and they love it too!
60. Fever Ray – “Kandy (Tiga Remix)”
    This remix flew under my radar until summer 2024, when it immediately entered “endlessly repeat until sick of it” rotation. Lots of my music memories this year are when I listened to something at or walking to the grocery store. I tore up a Whole Foods to this song. I can’t remember what I was buying exactly, but it was a fun trip.
    ~~
61. Fcukers – “Homie Don’t Shake)”
    MORE FCUKERS. MORE JAM. HOMIE DON’T SHAKE. A pure shot of happiness.
62. Denzel Curry – “Hot One (feat. TiaCorine & A$AP Ferg)”
    Went to Michigan for a friend’s wedding and was able to pop over a few days early and see friends before the wedding. Still had to work so I camped out at one of Ann Arbor’s public libraries. Spent nearly the whole day absolutely BLASTING this Denzel Curry album in my headphones. Just felt funny going absolutely nuts to this banger album in a quiet library.
63. Brijean – “Laura”
    In another ultra-blissful moment, I listened to a lot of the Brijean album while I was in Michigan, driving around with the rental car windows down in their perfect summer weather. Pulling up to my childhood grocery store to pick up drinks for a friend’s backyard barbecue listening to this, at sunset… it was a perfect vibe. I love renting cars. I love driving. I hate cars, I will be honest. But I love to drive a car and listen to music in a place.
64. Kordhell – “Murder Plot – Slowed + Reverb)”
    I forget how I came across this song exactly but it was definitely in some Instagram video on my discover page. It just kept getting stuck in my head, and here we are. Thanks Instagram.
65. salute – “maybe it’s u (feat. Sam Gellaitry)”
    One of those songs that feels like it spikes blood sugar while listening. Directly in my veins!!
66. Kelly Lee Owens – “Night”
    Shout out AP for getting me to listen to Kelly Lee Owens’ Inner Song again. It was much better than I remembered it. I also associate this record now with getting totally wrapped up in the massive Delta flight delays that stranded me and some friends in Michigan this summer. Good times!
67. Stevie Wonder – “Maybe Your Baby”
    Realized I hadn’t spent enough time with Stevie Wonder’s Talking Book, and holy smokes maybe the funkiest song in his discography is right here.  ULTIMATE STANK.
68. Beverly Glenn-Copeland & Sam Smith – “Ever New”
    The final track of Red Hot Organization’s monumental album Transa – a new version of Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s angelic “Ever New” featuring Sam Smith. The first time I listened to the album in full, I full on cried once I reached this song. It’s a beautiful project and one I feel so lucky to have had a part in. 
69. Fontaines D.C. – “Desire”
    “Desire”, while it isn’t my top favorite song off of Fontaines D.C.’s Romance, is damn near the perfect encapsulation of the mood and theme the band is going for on this record. The dejection and misuse of youth in the world. Itching with desire.
70. Sofi Tukker – “Guardian Angel (Stand By You)”
    Calling back to my Dan Lissvik obsession from earlier in 2024, this song’s rhythm section sounds like it could have been lifted from a balearic house / indie revival track from the late 00s / early 10s, and I love it for that. The bass tone, the guitar, the chorus groove, it’s all there. Sofi Tukker’s album also was a mainstay for me this summer, an honest surprise since I haven’t been super crazy about their past releases. This one slaps in a big way.
    ~~
71. Tinashe – “Getting No Sleep”
    With this record and last year’s, I’ve been fully converted into a Tinashe fan. Shout out to my bud Omar for helping me along.
72. Pearl & the Oysters – “Cruise Control”
    New Pearl & the Oysters giving my summer meaning.
73. The Other People Place – “Lifestyles of the Casual”
    Shout out to my boss for letting me read her copy of Dan Sicko’s Techno Rebels, which filled my summer with lots of Detroit techno and home state pride.
74. Nico – “These Days”
    I forget how this song came across my mind, but it is 100% perfect in every way.
75. Total Blue – “Jaguarundi”
    Romping around NYC after catching Cigarettes After Sex at Madison Square Garden, wrapped up in the buzz of Midtown on a random Friday night, walking from there to the East Village for the afterparty… an electric experience. This album likely exists in the same universe as The Blue Nile’s Hats. Still working on the canon / lore for that one.
76. Nilüfer Yanya – “Just A Western”
    Stayed up late one night to build Ikea furniture alone in my apartment and listened to My Method Actor maybe three times in a row. One of those albums that feels impossible to pick a favorite song.
77. Jamie xx – “Waited All Night (feat. Romy & Oliver Sim)”
    Was up late cooking one night (not sure why or for what), but I first-listened the Jamie xx album on speakers (not laptop speakers or bluetooth earbuds) and oh man. I had a GOOD TIME blasting this thing. Again shout out AP for being the person I was live texting about it with.
78. Ginger Root – “Only You”
    Loved the whole Ginger Root record, but it was only when I realized how much I loved “Only You” was when the rest of the record started to open up for me.
79. Malibu – “So Far Out Of Love”
    Expect to see Malibu’s Palaces of Pity EP rank rather highly on my Best of the 2020s So Far list. The way the massive sweeps of sound envelop me in cool sheaths of liminality is hard to match. Masterful.
80. Still House Plants – “Pant”
    There were still tickets to see Still House Plants at Knockdown Center (Ruins) a few days before. What were these people thinking? Seeing the band live helped connect the dots for me with their new LP; from hearing the singer’s voice live, to seeing how the guitarist and drummer synced up, to seeing how the fans already clued in to Still House Plants mutant heartbeat reacted to the music. It was a beautiful show, albeit the persistent clouds of cig smoke I was surrounded by. Yes I am a baby.
    ~~
81. Caribou – “Volume”
    Ok I didn’t realize this song was almost a complete lift of electronic classic “Pump Up The Volume”, but uhhh man it goes hard. Also braved my least favorite venue Brooklyn Mirage to see Caribou live and they opened with this song. It ripped. Thanks Alex!
82. James K – “Scorpio (feat. hoodie)”
    Somewhat of a centerpiece in my playlist Camcorder Diary, despite it coming 19 songs in. This song is an incredibly dreamy, blissed out portal to 90s, putting a basic trip hop beat into a quaalude zone, and vocals sounding Liz Fraser-esque. It’s eight minutes of pure vibe.
83. Molina – “Organs (feat. ML Buch)”
    Just when we needed one more hit of ML Buch-like substance, this Molina record arrived.
84. Magic AL – “There Was A Moon (feat. Molly Sarlé)”
    Made a playlist for my partner and I’s trip up to Acadia National Park in Maine with this on it (btw it’s Old-Growth, New Sprouts, which you can find here on the blog + my Spotify). Listening to this song felt magical as we roved around the beautiful landscapes + took in the immaculate fall foliage. 
85. Kelly Lee Owens – “Higher”
    This is a need, not a want. I need to hear this song in a massive room and lose my mind.
86. Confidence Man – “I Can’t Lose You”
    I ranked this as my favorite song of 2024 for good reason. It’s a bright, synapse-frying morsel of dance pop perfection. As you’ll see in my listening stats below, it was by far my most listened-to song of the year. This song is so endlessly replayable that it was my highest listened track since 2017’s retrospective, when I listened to Dntel’s “Connections” 96 times in one year. This was mostly blasted on the way to and from shows at night, or on the way to the grocery store, or work. Basically if you saw me walking around the city at any time past mid-October, I was likely listening to this song or two songs away from listening to this song.
87. Sade – “Young Lion”
    My Q4 of 2024 was absolutely dominated by TRANSA thanks to my real-life job. It’s an incredible record that I’ve had the delight of promoting and working with an amazing team behind. One amazing moment that I was able to share with them was when the project’s executive producer sent through the video for Sade’s “Young Lion” unexpectedly in our group chat, around 9pm or so one night. I was on my way to a show and watched it on the subway, tearing up watching the intimate home video footage of her young son, Izaak, who the song is about. The surprise, emotions and delight pouring in from the team from this video too was so touching, as they had put in so much work to make this record happen. This was a crown jewel on the whole project – it was their right to revel in it. Thank you Sade!
88. Emma Ruth Rundle – “Real Big Sky”
    Bought a ticket to see Emma Ruth Rundle and Ora Cogan on a whim, mostly because I knew hearing Rundle’s voice live would be good. Boy was I correct. Also shouting out Ora Cogan again because her set was fantastic as well and featured a double fiddle moment. Rundle though commanded the room with just her voice and guitar, performing songs off her 2014 album Some Heavy Ocean, along with career highlights like “Real Big Sky”, a devastating song that Rundle really cut through the audience with live. There were moments where she just moved off mic and let her voice ring throughout the room. The audience was so enraptured and silent that Rundle actually got bugged out. Fabulous show.
89. Laura Marling – “Caroline”
    Had a fall of Laura Marling, from her residency at Bowery Ballroom, to accompanying her to WFUV in The Bronx. Just a wonderful human being, and this song has the power to bring some tears to my eyes even with the opening guitar.
90. Mk.gee – “ROCKMAN”
    This one gave all the songs on Two Star & The Dream Police a run for their money as my favorite Mk.gee song of the year. Also shout out to the guy for playing SNL the week of the election. Also shout out to his PR guy who snagged that. That’s insane.
    ~~
91. Deerhunter – “Monomania”
    Shout out to the Such Great Heights twitter account, posting classic indie band late night television performances that I used to obsess over in high school and college. Deerhunter performing “Monomania” on Fallon, with Bradford Cox walking off the set and into an elevator as the band played on, is a PURE MOMENT.
92. Fleet Foxes – “Meadowlarks”
    I had held tickets to this show for months: Robin Pecknold playing solo at Bowery Ballroom. I went with my partner, who similarly loves Fleet Foxes. It was a magical night, but “Meadowlarks” stole the show. A good song to sum up this year.
93. Blood Incantation – “The Message [Tablet I]”
    Another ticket bought on a whim, I figured that every time I go to a metal show I have a good time. That proved correct again when I caught Blood Incantation at Elsewhere, who had it absolutely packed out, their obelisks flanking the stage. They performed their new album Absolute Elsewhere in full, which was excellent. Hearing the opening guitar harmonies of “The Message [Tablet I]” live was a magical moment, just blasting my face all the way off. Many devil horns were raised that night.
94. Hop Along – “The Knock”
    I dunno, I just decided to listen to Hop Along’s Painted Shut one night doing the dishes and phew… this band is really, really good. Still deserving of my #3 album of the 2010s honor.
95. Kassie Krut – “Reckless”
    Joined the Kassie Krut brigade pretty hard with their debut EP. If I wasn’t listening to Confidence Man’s “I Can’t Lose You” while walking around in December, I was likely listening to this. “K-A-S-S-I-E-K-R-U-T.”
96. CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso – “EL ÚNICO”
    Came across the Argentinian duo’s Tiny Desk on Instagram and this is some good shit. “Para para para para para…”
97. Joanna Sternberg – “This Is Not Who I Want To Be”
    Caught Joanna Sternberg play a very jolly, guest-packed show at Bowery Ballroom in mid-December with my partner, which started as a showcase of songwriters and musicians Sternberg loves, along with playing songs with their dad and brother. Eventually they performed their own songs, and man. If I don’t get up off my butt after the way I was moved by “This Is Not Who I Want To Be”… is that really how I want to be?
98. Brandy & Monica – “The Boy Is Mine”
    How out of touch am I? I was in a car going back to my place after being home for the holidays and the driver had pop radio on. This song came on and uh, I didn’t know what it was. Of course I know the name “The Boy Is Mine”… but I never knew the song. Anyways I was like “wow this song is amazing, is this new? It’s a great throwback, they’re doing it so well!” I get home and look up the lyrics and… yeah. It’s Brandy & Monica. It’s really good.
99. Boards of Canada – “Skyliner”
    Malibu listed Boards of Canada’s Trans Canada Highway as her favorite release of 2024 (it came out in 2006), but that mention was all I needed to get back into a Boards of Canada phase for the waning days of 2024. Feeling like 2025 will see a nice resurgence.
100. Yo La Tengo – “What Can I Say”
     Ending the list as most years should: with a Yo La Tengo song. They performed this as the last song of the Hanukkah set I saw with my good friend I always see YLT Hanukkah with. Fun wrinkle is that this is an NRBQ cover and they played with Joey Spampinato of NRBQ. Cute moment was Ira telling Georgia to play one more solo so they can keep playing with Joey for a bit longer. Hadn’t seen Ira that starstruck before with a Hanukkah guest!

LISTENING STATS:

TOTAL STATS FOR 2024:

• 27,966 total plays, 76 plays per day
• 1,732 different artists
• 2,734 different albums
• 10,316 different tracks

The stats above were pulled from my last.fm page, which you can find HERE. 2024 was my highest listening year of the 2020s so far, narrowly edging out 2023 by ~600 listens, despite listening to less unique artists, tracks and albums compared to the year prior. I was more in the pocket with a smaller amount of artists, which feels right when thinking back to my listening habits + my retrospective above. Check out the full stats of most listened-to artists, albums and songs below, along with a month-to-month breakdown.

MOST LISTENED-TO ARTISTS OF 2024:

1. Jessica Pratt – 422 plays
   –> (prev. #3 in 2021 & #15 in 2019)
2. Mk.gee – 381 plays
3. The Sea and Cake – 373 plays
   –> (prev. #1 in 2023 & #1 in 2022)
4. Cindy Lee – 354 plays
   –> (prev. #3 in 2020)
5. Iglooghost – 340 plays
6. Kelly Lee Owens – 334 plays
7. Hiroshi Yoshimura – 273 plays
   –> (prev. #4 in 2020)
8. Winged Wheel – 272 plays
9. Two Shell – 259 plays
   –> (prev. #16 in 2022)
10. Confidence Man – 256 plays
11. Charli XCX – 248 plays
    –> (prev. #6 in 2020, #3 in 2019 & #1 in 2018)
12. Fcukers – 222 plays
13. Maria Chiara Argirò – 220 plays
14. Coco – 211 plays
15. Brijean – 207 plays
16. Jamie xx – 197 plays
17. Marina Allen – 196 plays
18. Laura Marling – 189 plays
19. Lip Critic – 188 plays
20. ML Buch – 181 plays
    –> (prev. #19 in 2023)

One caveat I must add when it comes to my artist counts is that my partner shares my Spotify account. Her listening habits however is that she picks five artists to be obsessed with over the course of the year and binges the heck out of them. I would have no doubt that Jessica Pratt would have been in the running for my most listened-to artist without my partner’s involvement, but with both of us chalking up spins for JP, there was no way she’d lose. Elsewhere, my listening was (per usual) artists who released albums that year, plus the prerequisite The Sea and Cake (yes I’m a little sad they weren’t able to three-peat as my #1 artist), Hiroshi Yoshimura, and ML Buch (who granted put out a record in Q4 2023, so she kind of bled into 2024). Everything else is super current. 

MOST LISTENED-TO ALBUMS OF 2024:

1. Mk.gee – Two Star & The Dream Police (2024) – 369 plays
2. Iglooghost – Tidal Memory Exo (2024) – 340 plays
3. Jessica Pratt – Here In The Pitch (2024) – 310 plays
4. Cindy Lee – Diamond Jubilee (2024) – 309 plays
5. Winged Wheel – Big Hotel (2024) – 246 plays
6. Confidence Man – 3AM (LA LA LA) (2024) – 238 plays
7. Kelly Lee Owens – Dreamstate (2024) – 198 plays
8. Brijean – Macro (2024) – 190 plays
9. Lip Critic – Hex Dealer (2024) – 188 plays
10. Marina Allen – Eight Pointed Star (2024) – 182 plays
11. ML Buch – Suntub (2023) – 169 plays
    –> (prev. #10 in 2023)
12. Solange – When I Get Home (2019) – 167 plays
    –> (prev. #13 in 2019)
13. Jamie xx – In Waves (2024) – 160 plays
14. Charli XCX – brat (2024) – 155 plays
15. Discovery Zone – Quantum Web (2024) – 155 plays
16. Marci – Marci (2022) – 150 plays
    –> (prev. #20 in 2023)
17. Maria Chiara Argirò – Closer (2024) – 147 plays
18. Fcukers – Baggy$$ EP (2024) – 146 plays
19. Two Shell – Icons (2022) – 137 plays
    –> (prev. #10 in 2022)
20. Hiroshi Yoshimura – Surround (1986) – 134 plays

More of the same 2024 listening, with my favorite albums of the year near the top. Confidence Man’s 3AM (LA LA LA) is buoyed by “I Can’t Lose You”, and Dreamstate is primarily up there thanks to its first five songs. The non-2024 records were ML Buch’s Suntub, Solange’s When I Get Home, which I mentioned above in the 100-song retrospective, Marci’s self-titled 2022 debut (which also appeared in my 2023 Top 20, but interestingly not my 2022 report), Two Shell’s Icons EP (heavy repeater on my early 2024 walks to concerts + work), and finally Hiroshi Yoshimura’s Surround, which I wanted to set the tone in 2024. It did its best.

MOST LISTENED-TO SONGS OF 2024 (*one song per artist):

1. Confidence Man – “I Can’t Lose You” – 84 plays
2. Mk.gee – “I Want” – 63 plays
3. Jessica Pratt – “The Last Year” – 52 plays
4. Fcukers – “Homie Don’t Shake” – 46 plays
5. Chanel Beads – “I Think I Saw” – 40 plays
6. Winged Wheel – “Sleeptraining” – 40 plays
7. Kelly Lee Owens – “Higher” – 39 plays
8. Hiroshi Yoshimura – “Time After Time” – 38 plays
9. Brijean – “Laura” – 37 plays
10. Two Shell – “Mainframe” – 37 plays
11. Doss – “On Your Mind” – 36 plays
12. Iglooghost – “Geo Sprite Exo” – 35 plays
13. Kim Gordon – “BYE BYE” – 34 plays
14. Maria Chiara Argirò – “Light” – 33 spins
15. Laura Marling – “Patterns” – 32 plays
16. Contrahouse – “Streetcorn” – 30 plays
17. Reyna Tropical – “Lo Siento” – 30 plays
18. Vegyn – “The Path Less Traveled” – 29 plays
19. Kassie Krut – “Reckless” – 28 plays
20. ML Buch – “Working It Out” – 27 plays

As you can see, Confidence Man’s “I Can’t Lose You” absolutely dogwalks the other songs that came out this year, logging as my most listened-to song in one year since 2017. The rest all make sense, with many landing in my Top 10 Songs of 2024. Two Shell’s “Mainframe” and Doss’ “On You Mind” are walkin’ around classics, and again Hiroshi Yoshimura + ML Buch made their presences known. Aside from that it’s the total 2024 show. Will I stray from the path in 2025? Likely not!

MONTHLY BREAKDOWN:

• January – 2,076 plays
  –> Top Artist of January: Kate Bush (83 plays)
• February – 2,528 plays
  –> Top Artist of February: Mk.gee (113 plays)
• March – 2,431 plays
  –> Top Artist of March: Solange (154 plays)
• April – 2,250 plays
  –> Top Artist of April: Cindy Lee (146 plays)
• May – 2,035 plays
  –> Top Artist of May: Jessica Pratt (120 plays)
• June – 2,382 plays
  –> Top Artist of June: Charli XCX (113 plays)
• July – 2,814 plays
  –> Top Artist of July: Brijean (112 plays)
• August – 2,528 plays
  –> Top Artist of August: Kelly Lee Owens (99 plays)
• September – 2,152 plays
  –> Top Artist of September: Jamie xx (113 plays)
• October – 2,284 plays 
  –> Top Artist of October: Kelly Lee Owens (115 plays)
• November – 1,824 plays
  –> Top Artist of November: Confidence Man (199 plays)
• December – 2,662 plays
  –> Top Artist of December: Kassie Krut (120 plays)

Nearly had a different artist each month as my most listened, but I just had to unlock my favor for Kelly Lee Owens’ Inner Song in August, I guess. Kate Bush being my #1 in January showed how slow that month was for new releases. I listened to The Sensual World a few times and that was enough to vault it to the top. A nice little collage of what colored my year as it happened.

MORE MEDIA CONSUMED IN 2024:

I do more than just listen to music. Sometimes I uhhh… uhhhhhh….

I read books on my way to work, and occasionally watch movies with my partner.

BOOKS:

• Cicadas – Riley Gale (editor) + more contributors
• The City of Belgium – Brecht Evens
• The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic – Jessica Hopper
• Killing Yourself To Live: 85% of a True Story – Chuck Klosterman
• Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly – Anthony Bourdain
• Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor, 1980-1983 – Tim Lawrence
• Stay True – Hua Hsu
• Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk – Dan Sicko
• Uproot: Travels in 21st-Century Music and Digital Culture – Jace Clayton

Kept up the uptick in reading I experienced in 2023 thanks to the rise in public transportation  when my partner and I moved midyear. I actually read one more book than in 2023, but to be fair the Chuck Klosterman book I got maybe a third of the way through and gave up on (that was so trash and he should be ashamed), and there were two graphic novels. 

I also indulged in one of the longest books I’ve ever read in full, Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor, 1980-1983, written by Tim Lawrence. I’d been eyeing it for a while since I’m greatly interested in that era of NYC and lord did it deliver on helping me learn more about it. The book was more like a textbook than a non-fiction breakdown, with damn near whole paragraphs made of proper nouns, pictures, countless footnotes and references, esoteric knowledge and insider quotes abound. It was a dense read, at times feeling like a chore. But I crushed that shit, and it helps me see NYC in a whole new light.

My favorite book I read all year was the graphic novel The City of Belgium, a pure masterpiece of the form, weaving three characters’ storylines of debauchery together through the use of breathtaking, colorful and vibrant watercolor paintings. I’ll say it again. Masterpiece. You will be blown away by some of the pages and illustrations in here. I’ll also say that it’s the piece of media that most reminds me of how I feel about The Avalanches Since I Left You, which is my favorite album of all time. Take that how you want. Also very happy to have read Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, even though he disparages vegans quite a bit. Miss him still.

MOVIES:

• Anatomy of a Fall (feat. Justine Triet)
• Best In Show (dir. Christopher Guest) *rewatch
• Coraline (dir. Henry Selick)
• The Darjeeling Limited (dir. Wes Anderson)
• Eyes Without A Face (dir. Georges Franju)
• The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (dir. Wes Anderson)
• Lost Highway (dir. David Lynch)
• Moonrise Kingdom (dir. Wes Anderson) *rewatch
• Mulholland Drive (dir. David Lynch) *rewatch
• The Passion of Joan of Arc (dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer)
• Rap World (dir. Danny Scharar & Conner O’Malley)
• True Stories (dir. David Byrne)
• Wicked (dir. Jon M. Chu)
• The Zone of Interest (dir. Jonathan Glazer)

Like my year in books, I watched one or two more movies in 2024 than in 2023. We powered through a few new-to-me Wes Andersons, rewatched some classics, and saw some films in the theater, too. The Zone of Interest and Anatomy of a Fall caught me wrapped up in Oscar fever, despite not watching nearly any other Best Picture nominee. I saw Wicked with my parents, not realizing it was “part one of two” until like halfway through the movie. That tanked my opinion of it pretty significantly. Lastly, I got to see silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc with a live orchestra + choir performing a piece written to be a potential score for the film and holy crap y’all – have you seen this movie? This is an incredible piece of cinema? And the performance of the ensemble was excellent as well. Overall – good year for movies! Need to watch more in 2025!

Further Thoughts on 2024 / Diary Section:

Looking back on what I wrote for this section last year, I was shocked I had that much to say. But then thinking about it again, 2023 was full of change, almost to an aggressive degree. There’s no wonder I’d had a lot to talk about. However, if 2023 was “the year of change”, 2024 was “the lost year”. There are swathes of ’24 that I hardly remember, either due to stress haze blocking it out, or that I truly wasn’t doing anything but sitting on my ass watching YouTube videos and eating way too many sweets.

One shining bright spot was that I got to travel a good amount with my partner this year, first hitting San Juan and Vieques in Puerto Rico in January (finally going somewhere warm in the winter has warped my brain), then hitting the PNW with jaunts in Portland, the Oregon coast, Mt. Hood area, Seattle and the Olympic National Park in May, and finally driving up to Acadia National Park in Maine in October. I also was able to take a trip back to my hometown in Michigan for a friend’s wedding, satisfying my dumb urge to rent a car so I can listen to music while driving around. I also made three new playlists, Ennui Potpourri, Camcorder Diary, and Old-Growth, New Sprouts. Outside of that, this year felt like a smear. A quick flash in the pan that left a nasty cloud of colored smoke in its wake. Will I crowbar myself out of this self-destructive funk and will my state of mind + health to that of 2021 / 2022 levels? Let’s hope, y’all. I don’t want another lost year. 

Outside of my own personal bubble, it felt like 2024 was hard across the board. Lots of terrible things happening around the world (obviously), and people in my orbit weathering pretty regular tragedies. Not even mentioning the election because duh – the more dispiriting thing was how easy it felt for the winner. How lost and out of touch the people we’re supposed to lean on to help usher in change come across. Social media as well felt especially grating, too. Look y’all, I love Luigi Mangione as much as the next day, but the total avalanche of memes got stale after half a day. The meme / press cycle became even more of an instant ouroboros – a loop I’d like to dismount at any time, please. 

Here’s hoping the pulverizing press of 2024 inspires us to blossom out of the manure we’ve been ground into. I’ve already done a ton of redecorating in my apartment… is a facelift like this all I need? Am I a mental wellness millionaire now? Leaving this note for future me to see when I’m a kajillionaire music blogger. Thanks, me! And thanks for reading! Happy 2025!