Swim Into The Sound's 2024 Song Showdown

(Editor’s Note: for maximum impact, please read this introduction in your best wrestling announcer voice)

Folks, it’s been a long, emotional year, but it’s all been building to this: Swim Into The Sound’s 2024 Song Showdown. This is a knock-down, drag-out, no-holds-barred, bare-knuckle brawl for the title of 2024’s best song. Many a hope and dream will be shattered today as only a single, shining beacon of collective agreement can be awarded the fame, the fortune, and the title of Swim Into The Sound’s 2024 Song Showdown Champion.

36 songs enter, only one leaves. These tracks are ready to hop in the ring to see who comes out on top. It’s a royal rumble of epic proportions, and we’re getting the privilege of watching it unfold live right here, right now. So grab your popcorn, listen along, and enjoy as the greatest artists of the year go head-to-head for your entertainment.

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36 | Linkin Park – The Emptiness Machine

Coming back from your lead singer’s death is a challenge that few bands have undertaken without alienating their audience. As such, Linkin Park’s first single with new vocalist Emily Armstrong, “The Emptiness Machine,” had a lot to prove. Cleverly, this one starts with bandleader Mike Shinoda taking vocals, reminding fans that this is still the Linkin Park they know and love before Armstrong comes in half a minute later to make her first impression. It’s an introduction that works for me; impactful as if to say that, although things will be different now, it’s all being done in honor of the legacy that’s been established. Throughout the song, you can feel that it was written eight years ago, intended for the late Chester Bennington, and it lands as a reminder that death need not be the end of all things good.
- Noëlle Midnight

35 | HiTech – SPANK!

I’ve mostly listened to NTS Radio this year and have fallen in love with it. I’ve had a lot of fun learning about house, techno, and all the subtle subgenres. “SPANK!” is the ghettotech hit of 2024 and represents all of what I’ve been listening to most of my days this past year. It is sticky, manic, and, above all, a perfect embodiment of modern electronic music.
- Kirby Kluth

34 | Charli xcx – Girl, so confusing featuring Lorde

Easily one of the most noteworthy collabs of the year, Charli xcx and Lorde linked up to work it out on the remix of this mid-album BRAT cut, and things were never the same again. Perhaps it was hearing Lorde over a synth-pop beat for the first time in years, perhaps it was hearing these two speak honestly about the way society pits women against each other, perhaps it’s just a humanizing look at two of my generation’s greatest popstars, but “Girl, so confusing featuring Lorde” made me weepy, and I think that’s beautiful.
- Taylor Grimes

33 | Katie Gavin – Inconsolable

MUNA’s frontwoman takes a breather from windows-down, upbeat, synthed-out queer anthems to deliver a tender and thoughtful 90’s-ified solo effort. Among the many highlights, “Inconsolable” elevates Gavin’s unshakeable vocals (and violin playing) on a cloud. “We’re from a long line of people we’d describe as inconsolable. We don’t know how to be helped. We’re from a whole huddle of households full of beds where nobody cuddled. We don’t know how to be held” has lived in the front of my brain since the moment I heard it.
- Caleb Doyle

32 | Charli xcx – 360

The conceit of Charli xcx’s “360” is simple: everywhere you turn, there she is. For an entire season of 2024, that was true. BRAT achieved an omnipresence seemingly unachievable in our fractured cultural landscape, and outside of all the post-post-irony and the chartreuse low-bit memes and the wilted coconut trees, its success came from the fact that it’s very first track is just that good. Impeccably produced (by A.G. Cook, Cirkut, and Easyfun) and tonally potent, its synthetic bounce and infectious melodic pattern - so sugary, so sour - destined it to be stuck in the heads of seemingly everyone with a pulse. It makes you wish pop weren’t so damn ephemeral, but I guess that’s also what makes it so Julia.
- Rob Moura

31 | Magdalena Bay – That’s My Floor

We all know it’s been a year for Mag Bay: a TikTok explosion, a Grimes feature, a Jimmy Kimmel spot. They seem to be getting a whiff of the Tame Impala treatment as far as psychedelic rock-meets-hyperpop is concerned. While “Image” is the single getting all the attention, I’d argue the song of the year is tucked away on the Imaginal Disk B-side. Equal parts prog rock grit, psych jam, and pure electronic soundscape, “That’s My Floor” brings together everything wonderful about Magdalena Bay and ties it all up in three and a half iconic minutes. It’s a song that can soundtrack everything from the first day of grad school to the ride home from a tougher-than-usual therapy appointment (confirmed through personal experience). Also, for what it’s worth, Album Cover of the Year.
- Cassidy Sollazzo

30 | Kabin Crew – The Spark

The last quarter of this year has been so abysmal and apocalyptic that some people may have forgotten that a group of Irish schoolchildren composed one of the most joyous and uplifting grime rap songs of 2024. Created as part of the Rhyme Island Initiative, celebrating the National Day of Youth Creativity, “The Spark” is a two-and-a-half minute b a n g e r, with several kids getting a few bars each that could go toe to toe with any underground posse cut this year. Lines like “If you’re proud of who you are and what you do, shout it” and “I create my own way of feeling super slay” feel like evergreen mantras we could all use in our lives these days.
- Logan Archer Mounts

29 | Foxing – Hell 99

Few moments in music this year have been as electrifying as the first ten seconds of “Hell 99” by Foxing. The track is a downright hardcore rager from the St. Louis indie rockers, a bone-jolting pivot that they pull off beautifully as the members excavate all their pain and frustration with the current millennia. Ultimately, nothing captures that cocktail of dread and dismay better than screaming along, “FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!!!”
- Taylor Grimes

28 | Rosali – Rewind

In its best moments, love erases every regret, worry, stressor, and annoyance. It feels like you can time travel through your life and off into the infinite unknown. For five minutes, Rosali captures that very feeling on “Rewind” with high-flying vocals and a beautiful chorus that encases love in amber and traps it in the groove of a vinyl record. 
- Taylor Grimes

27 | Superchunk - Everybody Dies

"Everybody Dies" dropped all the way back in January, and after a year of listening to great new releases, I still haven't found a better-sounding chorus. It's a track that shows Superchunk aren't just relevant for their influence; they're still right in the thick of things, consistently proving themselves to be one of the best guitar bands going. Julio Franco-type longevity. Long live Superchunk.
- Josh Ejnes

26 | Blood Incantation – The Message

If you’ve participated in any online music community in the last five years, or you’re just a big old nerd like me, you’re at least tangentially aware of Blood Incantation. If not in name, then at least by their now iconic unreadable logo, one of the best of the modern death metal era. The Denver progressive death metal band seems to turn more heads with every new release, and their latest Absolute Elsewhere is no different. Anchored by two 20+ minute, album-side-length, multi-movement tracks, Blood Incantation cements their place as master purveyors of their craft. Absolute Elsewhere’s second half, “The Message,” has everything you want, from blistering metal passages to David Gilmour-inspired swells, and it’s all topped off with a collaboration with Tangerine Dream’s current lineup. You can listen to it broken up into three chunks, but I guarantee once Part I begins, you’ll be convinced to finish the whole piece.
- Logan Archer Mounts

25 | Ok Cowgirl – Larry David

Ok Cowgirl start this song with the couplet “Everything is fucked / To the left to the right,” and that’s a phrase I found myself coming back to time and time again throughout the back half of the year. With production from Alex Fararr and a video that sees the band members donning gray-haired bald caps, “Larry David” spins everyday frustration into something more good-natured because if we can’t laugh, what else is there?
- Taylor Grimes

24 | Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us

From the over-the-top costumes to trash talk, hip-hop and wrestling go hand in hand. The great rap war of 2024, Kendrick vs. Drake, ignited an unbridled jolt of electricity to the genre. Sparking one of the most celebrated diss song finishing moves of all time in “Not Like Us.” Kendrick, with sharpshooter-like precision, lyrically assaulted the biggest brand name in hip-hop with a vicious anthem that made his opponent tap out almost instantly from humiliation. The cultural impact, plus the overall entertainment of the song, became sweet chin music to my ears. 
- David Williams 

23 | Combat – Stay Golden

Maybe I just live close to Baltimore. Maybe my keys are on a Text Me When You Get Back keychain. Maybe I am biased because I reviewed the damn album, but for the love of god, how many times do I have to say it? Broken-hearted kids don’t party like their parents did in the 90s!!!!! Combat utterly tore out of the gates with the titular single off their album, Stay Golden. This is a cartoon tornado of a song, a total jangly rush that feels like space and time are ripping apart around me. It’s an immediate anthem for jaded Gen Zers like yours truly and an absolute barnstormer at any live gig (this is me telling you that you have to see Combat live). And if you don’t listen to me, that hurts, but at least I still got my Black Flag t-shirt.
- Caro Alt

22 | Truman Finnell – Palm of Thorns

I love all forms of weird, vaguely unsettling media, from Wes Anderson’s films to Ray Bradbury’s short stories, and “Palm of Thorns” by Portland artist Truman Finnell fits neatly into that niche. The song paints a visceral image of meeting someone in an orchard, highlighting the rotten fruit on the ground “writhing with larvae” as it starts to “move on its own.” The music is a skillfully woven blend of delicate acoustic guitar, field recordings, and elements of genres such as ambient, folk, and skramz. Each listen reveals another layer of the strange, fantastic, and eerie world of Truman Finnell - and I simply can’t get enough.
- Britta Joseph

21 | Merce Lemon – Will You Do Me A Kindness

Suspiciously left off Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild, Merce Lemon released “Will You Do Me A Kindness” as a standalone single early on in the year, perhaps because she knew the six-minute track was a meal all its own. This song signaled an immediate level-up from Merce’s previous work, a naturalistic indie rock update, complete with a guitar solo that incinerates me every time I hear it. Point the sun right into my flesh, baby. 
- Taylor Grimes

20 | Merce Lemon – Backyard Lover

To a dude like me, the backyard is a holy place. I spent most of the summer back at my parent’s house in Oregon. I’d get off work, sit in a big, red Adirondack chair, crack a book, stare at the clouds, and enjoy a smoke or a beer while listening to Merce Lemon’s singles. It was a calming way to unplug from work, center myself, and reflect on the day. The slow-simmering build and searing guitarwork of “Backyard Lover” proved to be an utterly transfixing way to score these moments of internal peace. The backyard is abundant, and so is the world.
- Taylor Grimes

19 | Geordie Greep – Holy, Holy

On August 10th of this year, Geordie Greep announced the split of black midi with an unceremonious series of comments on an Instagram livestream: “No more black midi / It’s over / Over.” Ten days later, he released “Holy, Holy.” Recorded in Sao Paulo with an impressive cast of Brazilian musicians, Greep’s narrator puts on the guise of a swaggering womanizer. He’s a confident man! He’s a regular here, but he’s well-traveled and debonair! He fucks more than he breathes, and the whole world knows it, too! And then, over the jazz-rock, salsa-inflected, horn-dense instrumental, he draws back the curtain in a litany of instructions and entreaties to his unnamed partner. Can you kneel down all night so I look taller? Would that be all right? Can you meet me in the bathroom, he pleads, can you put your hand on my knee? “How much will that cost? How much will that cost?” 
- John Dietz

18 | Lily Seabird – Waste

Blessed with an Adrianne Lenker-like timbre and the heft of a shoegaze superstar, Lily Seabird taps into some immortal melody with “Waste,” crafting a colossal and crushing track that never fails to mystify me no matter how many times I listen to it—a lament for the ages.
- Taylor Grimes

17 | Jimmy Montague – Here Today (Without You Tomorrow)

Jimmy Montague’s effortlessly complex and effusive arrangements rarely sound as cool as they do on “Here Today (Without You Tomorrow).” With a propulsive piano pushing it forward, the song feels like running through an endless series of hallways, sure that each new door will lead to some sort of resolution. Like Royal Scam-era Steely Dan, this yacht rocker takes on an ominous tone as Mr. Montague chases – or runs from – a long-distance breakup. This song is so good that I don’t even mind that it has a wah-wah guitar solo – and I fucking hate wah-wah. 
- Joshua Sullivan

16 | The Civil War in France – Maybe Next Time…

Chiptune isn’t nostalgic for me. I have no memories of Pokemon Silver's soundtrack, despite it being my first video game, because the volume on my Gameboy was always off out of fear my dad would tell me to shut it down. Today, when I want to play Halo, I ask my girlfriend if it’s okay because I don’t want to make her put in headphones, deprive her of access to the TV, or make her go to the other room. I have never wanted to be in the way of someone else’s desires, even if it deprived me of what I wanted or needed. It’s why I relate to Evangelion’s Shinji and why “Maybe next time…” from The Civil War in France’s There You Are ! is one of my favorite songs of the year. When Eva Hammersla screams, “So maybe I’ll try harder to be a better person / so maybe then I’ll be, I’ll be happy with me,” I want to turn back time and raise the volume slider for little Lillian. Maybe then she’d advocate for herself.
- Lillian Weber

15 | Jeff’s World – Someday

You ever spend a day scrolling through the digital morass, watching the soulless husks that run the planet bloviate, fuck things up, rinse and repeat? You ever feel that gnawing feeling you’re powerless to stop it all? Appetite waning, thoughts racing, not enough beer in the world to drown the endless flurry of sounds and images fighting for your attention? Sometimes, the only solution is to let it all out, and on “Someday,” Jeff’s World offer up three minutes of primal scream therapy. For what it’s worth, I hope the Kool-Aid served at the end of the world is blue. 
- Jason Sloan

14 | Carpool – Thom Yorke New City

“That’s why I try to keep the bottle half full” is a perfect summation of Carpool’s mixture of sad-sack neuroticism and unabashed sentimentality. “Thom Yorke New City” rounds out their excellent LP My Life In Subtitles, wraps up everything you know about Carpool so far, and hints at the shape of ‘pool to come with its dime-turn structure. Extra points for the blissed-out post-rock bridge, reprising the opening track to give a sense of distance traveled. It also just rocks real hard. 
- Joshua Sullivan 

13 | Florist – Riding Around In The Dark

“Riding Around In The Dark” effortlessly arrives partway through I Saw the TV Glow, rising like the moonglow reflected off neon pink chalk caked on the driveway. Emily Sprague and company summon the brief apocalypse of twilight, faces coming and going, burbling electronics shrouding gentle strums. There’s a glum mundanity to the way they sing of the world’s end, blushing with awe and fear. Without changing up their familiar naturalism, Florist still conjure vibrant, nostalgic sounds.
- aly eleanor

12 | MJ Lenderman – Pianos

“Pianos” might be the saddest song MJ Lenderman has ever written. The track was included as one of the 136 that make up Cardinals At The Window, a benefit compilation whose proceeds go to Hurricane Helene relief in Western NC. Released just a month after Manning Fireworks, it’s unlikely that Lenderman planned to release this song so soon, but truth be told, I’d take “Pianos” over just about any song on that album’s B-side. Sonically, it’s a somber, slow-walking reflection that builds to a searching, meditative guitar solo. Structurally, the song’s 8-minute runtime harkens back to the laid-back ramble of Lenderman’s self-titled album. Essentially, he gives the listener enough time to ponder, wander, freak out, have an epiphany, cry, and then gently return to earth with a newfound direction. 
- Taylor Grimes

11 | Fontaines DC – Favourite

Did you know I could claim the dreamer from the dream? Hot off the panting, Korn-inspired, anxiety attack that is “Starburster,” Fontaines DC released “Favourite,” another experimental single off their new album, Romance. This time, instead of capturing a new sound, Ireland’s hottest rock band tried to capture a new feeling. Originally 12 verses but cut back to 4, “Favourite” is an attempt at a truly endless love song. It’s trancey, it’s circular, and it’s as desperate as it is sentimental. They swear up and down that they didn’t want to create the next “Champagne Supernova,” but would it be so bad if they did? I’ve listened to it like 200 times, according to last.fm. 
- Caro Alt

10 | Ther – a wish

I have a sincere hope that godzilla isn’t the final album from Philadalephia’s Heather Jones. Their faith-damaged introspections and gorgeous wordplay find a noisier yet no less ornate home on “a wish,” the first track and lead single. It’s a pristine encapsulation of a wandering mind, hopeful and determined to field whatever the dawn may throw at us.
- aly eleanor

9 | This Is Lorelei – Dancing In The Club

I love songs about dancing. I love songs with inventive instrumentation. I love Nate Amos, better known as This Is Lorelei. “Dancing In The Club” was the first single released for the first genuine This Is Lorelei album, and I can’t think of a better introduction to the project. A song about fucking up, being a loser, and giving all your diamonds away. Infinitely relatable.
- Taylor Grimes

8 | SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE – 1/500

I was hooked on SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE’s “1/500” immediately upon hearing the opening notes – a looping intro that segues into hypnotic layers of guitar and pulsing drums. Compared to the rest of their catalog, “1/500” is a fairly straightforward indie pop song, but many of the band’s signature touches are present and help the track stand out. The often-anxious delivery of vocalist Zack Schwartz and abrupt starts and stops from the rhythm section are contrasted with loud, catchy melodies. There’s an almost sinister tension underlying the music, and at times it pierces through the traditional elements with dissonance or the sudden absence of noise. I believe one of the marks of a great band is the ability to write accessible pop songs while staying true to their sound, and SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE does that and more here.
- Nick Miller

7 | bonus – Lose

I checked out “Lose” back in February because of a tweet claiming that Bonus sounded like an emo version of Liquid Mike. I was initially dubious of the claim (despite the poster’s clarification that he wasn’t on some bullshit), but it was very accurate. I’ve had “Cuz I’ve been waiting for so long for you to let go” playing repeatedly in my head ever since. I think the term “rips” has been a bit overused lately, and propose that this song be put in the dictionary as the prime example of what rippage really means. Going to make a supercut of skate clips and Pavel Datsyuk highlights set to it, which I assume will make my phone explode. Just thinking about the guitar sound gets me so hyped. Great song. 
- Josh Ejnes

6 | Cheem – Charm Bracelet

The monarchs of Nu-Pop Cheem came out swinging with their second single of the year, “Charm Bracelet.” Equal parts bubbly fun and heavy-hitting hooks, I can't think of another song from this year that pulls me in quite like this one. Every time I hear the buttery production and seemingly endless sonic layers, I find myself smashing the replay button before the song is even finished playing. Cheem has this natural ability to meld together the warm feelings of nostalgia with the effortlessly cool swagger of the cutting edge, and “Charm Bracelet” is the shiniest example of that marriage. Running short of even two minutes, “Charm Bracelet” proves you don't need a lengthy song to make a lasting impact.
- Ciara Rhiannon

5 | MJ Lenderman – She’s Leaving You

“It falls apart. We all got work to do.” Brother, ain’t that the truth. The lead single to MJ Lenderman’s breakthrough record isn’t just great because of the humanity that hides at its center; it’s great because it delivers that revelation in one of the best choruses I’ve heard all year and then tags it with a rockin’ guitar solo for good measure. Its story is a universal cautionary tale of selfishness and love gone wrong, the exact type of thing that goes down easier when it’s delivered in a Trojan Horse of 90s-influenced slacker rock. 
- Taylor Grimes

4 | Ethel Cain – For Sure

If you were to look at me, round glasses, black jeans, and corduroy button-up, you’d probably guess (correctly) that American Football’s self-titled record really did a number on me in high school. It’s clear the same can be said for Hayden Anhedönia, better known as Ethel Cain, who transforms “For Sure” into a transcendental 10-minute slowcore sprawl that allows even more beauty to seep through the cracks. While that sounds like a far walk for a simple Midwest Emo song, it recontextualizes the work of both artists, exalting a tale of uncertain love into a territory that’s more holy than it has any right to be.
- Taylor Grimes

3 | One Step Closer - Leap Years

One does not simply drop a song on February 29th just to let it drift away in the winds of time, especially when “Leap Years” is about just that. One Step Closer brings a whirlwind of throttling instrumentation fit for a mosh pit and passionate lyrics with a special co-writing credit from the legendary Mat Kerekes, complete with a fantastic tempo shift during the outro to take the song home. There’s really nobody crushing the melodic hardcore game like One Step Closer.
- Samuel Leon

2 | Braino – Unkind

Who doesn’t love an underdog story? “Unkind” is one of six total songs this LA group has ever made in their short, sporadic life, and it’s one of the best things I’ve heard in 2024. It is a beautifully gentle composition of uncomplicated piano and guitar, coupled with soft percussion and layered vocals—A.K.A., indie as all hell. The song is a constant internal monologue, with unhelpful thoughts taking up space and the feeling of losing ground after a positive change. I think we want to believe that we can wake up one day and be different, but the reality is it takes months or years to train ourselves to be more like our ideal selves. This song is a gorgeous lullaby to rock yourself to sleep to, placed somewhere on your journey after a backslide into nasty habits and just before a brave step forward.
- Braden Allmond

1 | Waxahatchee – Right Back To It

“Right Back To It” is timeless. Featuring a spellbinding banjo, classically confessional Crutchfield lyrics, and complete with an MJ Lenderman feature that frames the song as a loving (possibly treacherous) duet, it already feels like this melody has been in my life for decades. The music video is just as serene as we watch the two alt-country superstars float down the river in a pontoon boat, serenading the world as it passes by. This is the type of song that makes me happy to be alive, the type of chorus I’ll be singing for as long as I’m kicking around, the kind of art other musicians spend their entire lives working towards. “Right Back To It” is four and a half minutes that will live for eternity. 
- Taylor Grimes

Swim Into The Sound's Staff Favorites of 2024

Early on in 2024, I put out a call for new writers thinking that a small handful of people might want to join our team to write about emo music and under-the-radar indie rock. What actually happened is roughly 60 people applied, and I was overwhelmed for weeks sifting through all of these super thoughtful responses from incredibly talented people who wanted to be a part of Swim Into The Sound.

Over the course of the year, some of those people naturally dropped off or had other obligations come up, but a majority of them stayed on to write reviews, retrospectives, premieres, and interviews. This year more than any other, I felt a sense of community form around this silly little website as the self-dubbed Swim Team spent 2024 turning out one fantastic piece after another, lifting each other up, and shooting the shit in our Discord. It’s really amazing. 

I’m just some guy who writes about music online; all of these people who make up our team (including all the older writers who were on board before 2024) have set the tone, pace, and tenor for what Swim Into The Sound actually is, and that’s an incredible thing to find myself at the helm of. 

With all of these new people jumping on board, I had to be more of an editor than ever before, but it was all in service of sharing music we love. Over the past twelve months, we’ve published 128 articles containing a collective 170k words. That’s staggering to me. There were some stretches where we published an article every day for a week, and while that wasn’t entirely sustainable for me as an editor, it was thrilling to feel like a cutting-edge publication for a little bit. 

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m incredibly proud of these people and all their work. They’ve helped shape Swim into something far grander than I ever could have conceived, and it’s an honor to write alongside them, to edit their work, and to share it with the world. This has been a banner year for Swim Into The Sound, and I’m already excited to see where we collectively take things in 2025. 

Without any further blabbering or maudlin reflecting, I’d like to turn things over to the Swim Team to allow each writer to talk about their favorite album of 2024, plus any other secondary favorites they might have. Below, you’ll find 36 recommendations from 36 different people, an eclectic snapshot of what 2024 had to offer. You can also access every one of these albums in this Spotify playlist if you’d like to listen as you read or save them for later. As usual, I hope you discover something new and exciting here to love; I definitely have. 

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Britta Joseph | Touché Amoré – Spiral In A Straight Line

Rise Records

Touché Amoré creates albums that feel like diary entries - entries that we, as listeners, are unsure we should even be privy to. The melodic hardcore giants’ sixth album, Spiral In A Straight Line, chronicles the grief and shock that accompany devastating change. The first time I listened to this album, I was sitting in my living room, tears silently streaming down my cheeks as each pain-laced line of poetry pierced me through the heart. Jeremy Bolm hands us a record capturing a new chapter in his life, allowing a moment of connection and humanity, though it comes at a great personal cost. Heavily referential, brutally emotive, and sonically challenging, Spiral In A Straight Line is a beautiful tribute to heartbreak.

Other stand-outs for 2024:

• EP of the year goes to FlyOverStates’ Ghosts (a brilliant post-hardcore release that feels like it’s straight out of the early aughts)

• Cover of the year goes to Anthony Green’s rendition of “Numb, But I Still Feel It (Live at Nomad)” by Title Fight (bittersweet and simple; I was lucky enough to hear this on his spring tour this year)

• Song of the year goes to Truman Finnell for the haunting single “Palm of Thorns” (visceral, atmospheric, brilliant; an incredible piece of art)

Caro Alt | Johnny Blue Skies – Passage Du Desir 

High Top Mountain Records

As I write this, I am standing in a sprawling crowd to see Johnny Blue Skies, a.k.a. Sturgill Simpson. People are craning their necks just to get a better view of the stage setup; everyone seems to be in flannel, and I waited in line for 10 minutes to get a beer. That’s how excited everyone is to hear his latest record and my album of the year, Passage Du Desir, live. It’s clear to everyone in this room that Sturgill Simpson is the closest thing current country music has to a legend. For five albums, Simpson has become a larger-than-life musician who blends the more traditional sounds with metamodern tricks, produces contemporary country staples, plays in other artists’ bands, and even starred in a Scorsese movie. For these reasons, Simpson had to kill Sturgill. 

Under the guise of an altar ego, Simpson created a new, stripped-down world for his latest album. Compiled during his time in Paris and recorded with essentially just a guitar and an amp, the record grapples with private love, mundane misery, and suffocating grief. One of Simpson’s strengths as an artist has always been making his guitar speak for him, and in just eight songs, Simpson’s musical compositions create his most heart-aching stories yet. I still lose myself in the depth of “Jupiter’s Faerie” and “Right Kind of Dream.” I’m finishing this write-up after the concert and was reminded how, in an interview about the new name, Simpson suggested that it’s easier to release vulnerable albums under a pseudonym. After hearing the crowd sing those same lyrics with him, it’s hard not to be moved by the window of vulnerability this album created for not only himself but all of us, too.

Other Stuff I Liked:
- Compilation Album: Cardinals at the Window: A Benefit for Flood Relief in Western North Carolina ft. Various Artists
- Live Album: Live at the Rio Market by Horse Rider
- EP: I’d Think I Know by Oldstar
- Song: “Favourite” by Fontaines DC

Rob Moura | Haley Heynderickx – Seed of a Seed

Mama Bird Recording Co.

When I first acquired my Apple Watch, I spent almost a week in its possession. I only ever took it off to charge it. In between, I took remote pictures of myself like James Bond, downloaded more notes apps than I had words to fill them, and pulled the compass out to let it direct me north, which at the time was toward a billboard advertising airplane food. In the summer, my skin paled underneath the band, a pallid ring of flesh revealing itself upon every removal. One day, in the forest, a dime-sized hive blossomed under the aluminum carapace, and though the welt grew so itchy it seemed made of electricity, I still refused to take it off. Greater was my desire to have my steps tracked, proof I had taken them.

Haley Heynderickx’s Seed of a Seed is perhaps not the greatest album I’ve heard this year, but it is the one that has impacted my life the most. It is the one that offers the most kindness. Too many invisible voices insist on music - that which has been absorbed into a gummy hypnotizing media amalgamation shorthanded as “content” - as a distraction or a tool for someone’s avaricious intentions. Seed of a Seed is of a different breed. The guitar is gentle and hearty, and Heynderickx’s voice soothes like a poultice. It reminds me “to pull the fuck over, just to stare at purple clover off the highway.” Maybe it’s not a coincidence that my watch sits on its charger, dormant for over a week now: a parasite successfully pulled from the fold.

Bits and Bites, Faves and Craves:
- Jessica Pratt - Here in the Pitch (transcendental folk transmission)
- DoNormaal & Welp Disney - PALMSPRINGA (hip-hop from the chaos rift)
- Zookraught - VIDA VIOLET (clamorous queer dance-punk)
- Mannequin Pussy - I Got Heaven (heavier than heaven?)
- The Lemon Twigs - A Dream Is All We Know (scraping the ceiling of pop-rock pastiche)

Nick Miller | Mount Eerie – Night Palace

P. W. Elverum & Sun

I don’t remember where or how old I was when I first heard one of Phil Elverum’s songs, but if I had to venture a guess, I would say that I was probably about 16, sitting at the desktop computer in my childhood bedroom. Since then, his projects Mount Eerie and The Microphones have become a recurring presence in my life, not exactly on repeat, but always around. Night Palace is the first new Mount Eerie album in five years, and while it was just released in November, it has instantly cemented itself in my mind as one of Elverum’s best releases.

Across the album’s 81 minutes and 26 tracks, Elverum covers familiar ground and explores new genres, including screamo on “Swallowed Alive” and straightforward rock on “Empty Paper Towel Roll.” The album’s lyrics cross equally vast territory, with standouts like Elverum’s imagined conversation with a fish on the aptly-named “I Spoke With A Fish” and a touching meditation on depression with “Wind & Fog, Pt. 2.” There are noticeable callbacks to his previous work, but none of it feels forced or corny. Instead, Night Palace feels more like a culmination of everything that came before it.

Other Favorite Albums of 2024:
- Manning Fireworks by MJ Lenderman
- YOU’LL HAVE TO LOSE SOMETHING by SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE
- Tigers Blood by Waxahatchee
- GNX by Kendrick Lamar
- Lived Here For A While by Good Looks

Russ Finn | Callahan & Witscher – Think Differently

Post Present Medium

Throughout their careers, Jack Callahan and Jeff Witscher have released experimental electronic music under their own names or monikers, like Die Reihe and Rene Hell. On Think Differently, their debut album as the duo Callahan & Witscher, the two avant-garde musicians execute their ultimate musical experiment—pop accessibility. 

Think Differently is an experimental concept album about making experimental music. Callahan & Witscher duet on every song with back-and-forth auto-tuned choruses and dry, spoken-word tales about the struggles of being touring experimental musicians who share deeply personal art to an indifferent world. In “Boiler Room,” for example, Witscher tells the tragicomic story of the time he played his music at a Boiler Room set where everyone was expecting “techno DJs.” On “Columbus,” Callahan “bares his soul to thirteen people who he’ll never meet” at a show in a laundromat.

Callahan & Witscher couple their self-deprecation and ennui with late 90s and early 2000s pop-rock stylings. Sugar Ray, Beck, Linkin Park–it’s all there, mashed together with samples of Taco Bell bongs, dueling banjos, and a calculated use of “listen to this track, bitch.” Though the jokes never stop, it would be a disservice to call this a comedy album. Think Differently is funny in the same way hanging out with your best friends is funny–you’ll crack jokes but still make room to lift each other up and have serious discussions.

The album is loaded with humor and a persistent jadedness toward the music industry, but the album isn’t a bitter, irony-poisoned piece of juvenilia. Think Differently is a sweet album that challenges musicians and artists to never give up on doing what they love, and it’s the most fun I’ve had listening to an album in a long time.

2024 releases deserving more attention:
- Tinker Bell’s Cough by F.G.S.
- Twisted Teens by Twisted Teens
- The Circus Egotistica by Floral Tattoo
- Hope and Fear by Stella

Caleb Doyle | Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood

ANTI-

Katie Crutchfield’s arc as a musician is well familiar to middle-of-the-country people like me who grew up on Martina McBride and Montgomery Gentry; we rejected country radio as teens by turning to indie rock and then let the hometown twang seep back in as we got older. Waxahatchee is bona fide 2010s indie rock royalty, and yet Crutchfield has had the bravery and curiosity to follow what’s felt good down the Americana dirt road. 

Tigers Blood is both an improvement on Saint Cloud from a song-writing standpoint and an evolution of her sound. Perhaps “evolution” isn’t the proper term; maybe we’ll call it a “leaning-in.” Sonically, Tigers Blood is full-bore alt-country rock. Crutchfield channels Patsy Cline and her beloved Lucinda Williams in her vocal performance and does not hesitate to dial up the twang. As for the rest of the gang: Brad and Phil Cook, Spencer Tweedy, and MJ Lenderman lay down backing tracks as strong as anything Buck Owens’s Buckaroos ever played.

Lyrically, Crutchfield’s themes feel warmly familiar with an added wisdom and an un-clenching that comes with the freedom of playing music she is comfortable with. This is still the Waxahatchee from Cerulean Salt, just with a glass of sweet tea on a screened-in front porch. It is fascinating to hear words like “didactic,” “reticent,” and “a paradox poetic” through the lens of Crutchfield’s Alabama-raised, Kansas City-steeped twang. The warm country tones are a deep comfort amid nakedly human lyrics about grief, self-consciousness, and trying to make love work.

Each track is a meal. From hopeful lover’s ballad “Right Back To It” (my front-runner for Song of the Year) to acidic lovers’ quarrel over a Byrds riff “Crowbar,” each song on Tigers Blood feels immediately familiar upon first listen. The sounds are timeless, and we can only hope this is just the beginning of the alt-country Renaissance.

The rest of my Top 5:
2. Rosali - Bite Down
3. MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks
4. Jessica Pratt - Here in the Pitch
5. Cindy Lee - Diamond Jubilee

Elias Amini | girlsnails – california kickball

Self-released

Of all the records that came out this year, from sumptuous screamo delights to achingly delicious alt-country jawns, I never thought that girlsnails’ six-song mathy emo album-length EP would have the unshakeable grip on me that it does. I first broadly gestured towards my favoritism for the band earlier on in our Q1 Roundup, where I could certainly say I was excitedly picking up what they were putting down. Then, this year happened. I buried friends and family alike, I struggled with my own mental health, I lent what strength I could to my comrades and loved ones. Through all this, california kickball did something miraculous for me: it just made more and more sense. The grappling with oneself, your shortcomings, your longing, your aches and scrapes and bruises and fractures. Every warble of pain felt reflective of something in my life; each pining for release I saw as flickering images of passed-on loved ones. And as powerful or elated, or melancholy or crazy as so many other projects from this year made me feel, none made me feel as seen as girlsnails did. It’s wild how an album about struggling through love and bad breakups became my philosopher's stone for digesting and metabolizing a huge amount of grief. But I suppose that is the most remarkable thing about music, isn’t it? This alchemical quality to become what you may need at a given moment in time and have it basically change a piece of you in the process. How wonderful that a batch of songs about clunky, dissolving connections and abstract longing could give me such peace. I don't know what girlsnails has up their sleeve next, but I can only hope whatever wondrous form it takes that it makes itself a home for anyone willing to listen. 

Other releases I loved from this year:
- Obsidian Wreath by Infant Island
- We Have the Answer by Heavenly Blue
- Quarto Vientos Cinco Soles by Massa Nera and Quiet Fear
- Sweethearts, a split by Aren't We Amphibians and Just Let Me Go

Josh Ejnes | Sinai Vessel – I SING

Keeled Scales

One reason that Sinai Vessel’s I SING hit so hard for me is that, at its heart, it is an incredibly angry record. Though it doesn’t display many of the sonic hallmarks you might expect from angry music (it’s not particularly loud, not particularly fast, not particularly explosive), the simmering undercurrent that drives things throughout is the kind only born from a battle between rage and resignation. It carries the anger of the overthinking and over-observant, a brand of emotion that hits close to home for me, especially this year. On first listen, I remember being particularly struck by the opening of “Challenger,” which starts: “Loved snow til you realized it’s / Rain that sticks to the ground / The weight prix fixe of consciousness / Does not fuck around.” There are so many lyrics like this where I felt equally seen and punched in the gut, always sung beautifully over masterful arrangements ranging in style from alt-country to bossa nova and heartland rock. There’s just so much that works here. It’s an amazing record that came right when I needed it, and to me, it’s the best of the year.

Other Releases I loved:
- Flesh Tape - Flesh Tape
- bonus - was a dog
- Bad Moves - Wearing Out The Refrain
- bedbug - pack your bags the sun is growing
- Ekko Astral - Pink Balloons

John Dietz | Lucy (Cooper B. Handy) – 100% PROD I.V.

Ulyssa

If you listen to only one Lucy project from this year, make it this one. It’s a collaborative effort with producer i.v., who’s worked with a remarkable assortment of artists ranging from Shed Theory’s Tek lintowe to ambient folk musician Kaho Matsui. It’s hard to make any generalizations about the sound of Lucy’s work, mostly because he’s explored so many different styles and worked with so many producers, but 100% PROD I.V. feels truly unique. I’m struck by the sparseness of the songs, the fragility of the interlocking synth melodies, the way the MIDI guitar riffs and hi-hats complement Lucy’s double-tracked vocals.

One highlight for me is album opener, “Make My Bed,” kicking off with a bright MIDI guitar sound that features prominently throughout the project. Accompanied by an understated, smooth bassline, his lyrics flow back and forth between inscrutable couplets like “I used to think I would fall off / But the dog’s fur is so soft” and utterly sincere confessions: “I heard when you said / That things are gonna get better / That's why I wake up in the morning, and I make my bed.” Lucy’s writing and persona feel especially welcome now when a lot of songwriting seems to feel increasingly wry, tongue-in-cheek, or despondent. His Instagram features lots of little aphorisms like “If you’re reading this ur smart+lucky+loved” and “TurnUp - Tune Out - Drop In.” He ends many of his posts with “HMU ILY.”

As I continue to explore his massive discography, I’ve realized that maybe what I love most about Lucy is his long-running habit of interpreting pop songs, refracting tunes like “Beauty and the Beast” and “All You Need Is Love” through his unique brand of off-kilter pop. 100% PROD I.V. includes maybe my favorite example of this to date, a cover of 2000 chart-topper “Breathe” titled “Faith Hill.” A lesser, more cynical artist might use this as a chance to jab, poke fun, mock — but Lucy and i.v.’s stripped-down version of the pop country hit feels entirely earnest. MIDI guitar riffs and glittering synth lines give way to a sparse, trap-inflected drum pattern and Lucy’s double-tracked vocals as he croons, “I can feel the magic floating in the air / Being with you gets me that way.” 

Here are some other albums I really enjoyed this year:
- Endlessness by Nala Sinephro
- Here in the Pitch by Jessica Pratt
- The Cime Interdisciplinary Music Ensemble by Cime
- Cold Visions by Bladee
- Real Home by Kiran Leonard

Ben Sooy | Pedro the Lion – Santa Cruz

Polyvinyl Record Co.

I’ve been tracking David Bazan’s music since the year of our Lord 2002, and his most recent record is, in my opinion, his best work. Santa Cruz is part three of five planned albums, each chronicling an era of Bazan’s childhood and adolescence. Bazan is kind and tender to his past self, his family, and all the complicated and heartbreaking things that happened to him. The magic thing about this record is how much of myself I see in Bazan’s story. Our childhoods certainly have parallels, but it’s not just the stuff we have in common. Like all great autobiographical storytelling, the more specific the story gets, the more universal it feels. 

On paper, a musical autobiography could have had self-indulgent, cringeworthy music-theater-bullshit energy, but instead, these albums feel like the rock music equivalent of East of Eden. In the same way Steinbeck’s book was tied to place and family history and the implications of how faith gets inherited, these records feel like that sort of literature. And the songs are well-crafted rock songs. Simply amazing.

Other albums that are very good: 
- Stay Inside - Ferried Away
- Elliott Green - Kintsugi 
- mealworm - mealworm 
- Sinai Vessel - I SING
- Flight Mode - The Three Times

Lillian Weber | Punitive Damage – Hate Training

Convulse Records 

When confronted with genocide, how close to your conditions does the other need to be for you to start caring? How close to you does it need to be before you do something? Will it take until there is literally blood on your hands? 

Punitive Damage’s new EP, Hate Training, grapples explicitly with these questions as they relate to the ongoing genocide in Palestine (“raze the strip, cleanse them / accept their fate, it’s how it is”), those with power who try and convince you what is happening before your eyes is fine (“my word is truth / so swallow the shit”), and those who willfully buy into the lie that their comfort doesn’t come on the backs of the oppressed (“find comfort in their chains / basic needs- a cause of shame”). 

Hate Training also serves as a rallying cry. The gang vocals shouting “I won’t beg” on the highlight “Humanity Upon Request” remind us that asking nicely of those who hate us to please, treat us with respect, will never work. In the face of genocide, we will not prostrate ourselves, we will not be told how brave we are for speaking up, we will make our own world possible. 

OTHER NOTABLES:
- Gouge Away’s excellent comeback LP, Deep Sage, is a comfort blanket.
- Black Button’s Internal Life is what my panic attacks sound like.
- Crush Fund’s New Fixation x100.

Cassidy Sollazzo | Coco & Clair Clair – Girl

Nice Girl World

What other 2024 album has lines like “Write a hit song then I read a big book / I’m all about the lovin’ you can call me bell hooks” and “You’re a wannabe heartthrob, broke ass with no job / Grown ass Thingamabob, no TP at his spot”???? The answer is none of them. Only Coco & Clair Clair’s Girl, the follow-up to their 2022 breakout, Sexy. The term “sophomore slump” doesn’t even exist in the Atlanta duo’s vocabulary, with their lyricism wittier and nastier than ever, dripping in confidence and begging for confrontation. This album has lifted me from the depths of various breakdowns and depression pits like no other. When I hear the opening synths of “Martini,” I can literally feel my soul transcend to a different plane, and “My Girl” is the perfect song to strut (commute) to. Who else would have the sheer gall to make a synth-trap cover of CSNY’s “Our House”?? Two girls who do not give two fucks. 

Girl also gets points for being the only album I’ve ever sent in my group chat that actually ended up in everyone’s rotation. Now we’re all obsessed. My best friend crashed her car while blasting “Kate Spade” (the song the pair calls their ‘magnum opus’), having the type of listening experience God (Coco & Clair Clair) intended. I got to see the duo at Irving Plaza with said friends at the beginning of November, and it was the most I screamed, danced, and sweated at a show since my days riding the rails at One Direction concerts. This album is cunty, hot, brain-scratchingly synthy, and the best mood booster I’ve ever encountered. It’s helped me push past insecurities and quiet feelings of existential dread, it’s soundtracked pregames and girls nights, it’s the most likely thing to be playing through my headphones at any given moment, and it is my absolute favorite album of 2024.

Some other albums I’ve loved this year:
- Liana Flores, Flower of the soul
- Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
- Shaina Hayes, Kindergarten Heart
- Brittany Howard, What Now
- Rosali, Bite Down

David Gay | Water Damage – In E  

12XU

On one of their shirts, the band Water Damage describes themselves with the following mantra: “Maximal Repetition, Minimal Deviation.” In 2024, when there were so many things to be stressed out about, In E, an album that features “volume, repetition, volume, repetition,” became a refuge for me from the day-to-day pressures and an antidote to life’s complexities. 

Getting lost in a piece of art is a special experience. Whether moving as one with a crowd at a live concert or being completely enthralled by a character’s story in a movie theater - it’s rare when I get to turn my brain off and truly let go for a period of time. Each time I listen to this band, and this album in particular, it provides that escape. No matter what circumstance I am in at a place and time, I could always rely on “maximal repetition” and “minimal deviation” to at least get me through 82 minutes. I’m thankful and grateful for that, and that’s why it’s one of my favorite albums of 2024.

Some of my other favorites: 
- Stay Golden by Combat
- Dulling The Horns by Wild Pink
- Sentiment by Claire Rousay
- Pink Balloons by Ekko Astral 
- “Ghost” and “Soul Planet” from the 8/4/24 Phish show in Noblesville, Indiana

Logan Archer Mounts | Mary Spender – Super. Sexy. Heartbreak.

Self-Released

At this time of writing, I have yet to finalize any placements for my favorite albums of the year, so I’m using this space to talk about what I believe will be the least-talked-about album that will likely land in my top 10. Mary Spender is a singer-songwriter from Bristol who I’ve been following for a number of years via her YouTube channel. She’s put out a handful of gorgeous singles like “The Great Wave” and “Primrose,” and last year saw the release of her double album Songbook, which she doesn’t technically consider to be her debut as all of those songs are strictly acoustic recordings. Turns out that it was a bit of an intentional teaser to Super. Sexy. Heartbreak. as almost all of the songs were originally included on Songbook. 

Her full band renditions of songs like “Getaway Sun” and “I’ll Stay Quiet” were absolutely worth the wait, acting as the culmination of years of growth as a musician and online personality. I still can’t quite nail down a particular style or subgenre to describe Spender’s music, which is part of the reason I love it. She’s cited artists like John Mayer and Suzanne Vega as influences, and there are certainly notes of what used to be called “adult alternative,” but her proficient guitar work puts her in an instrumental class adjacent to math rock and progressive-emo artists like Closure In Moscow, Delta Sleep, or The Reign Of Kindo. Her music is profoundly British, which is just another one of the many things I love about this album while having plenty of lyrical references to her time spent in Chicago and Los Angeles. All of that is accented by Spender’s beautiful, soulful voice, which she shows off strongest in songs like  “Church Bell” and “I Blame Myself.” Super. Sexy. Heartbreak. is one of the year’s most distinct singer-songwriter albums that everyone should be giving a chance.

• The real AOTY was the friends we made along the way

Ben Parker | A Place For Owls – how we dig in the earth

Broom of Destruction 

Once I learned of its existence, I knew that once how we dig in the earth was released, it would be my album of the year. What I didn’t know, however, is that this album would be something that would carry me through potentially the heaviest grief of my life. I have never felt more hope than when I listen to this album on repeat, and I have sadly had to come back to it far too many times this year. Each time the final notes of “help me let the right ones in” play, I am left sitting in the dark, listening to my own breathing and understanding that hope truly is a weapon. A Place For Owls have crafted an album that is full of heart. This record comes to you as a warm hug from a lost friend that, as soon as you touch, the memories flood back into your brain. 

Other Important Releases:
- Garden Home - S/T
- Combat - Stay Golden
- Excuse Me, Who Are You? - Double Bind
- Barely Civil - I’d Say I’m Not Fine
- Leisure Hour - The Sunny Side

Alex Couts | Lifecrusher – In Death, We All Rot the Same

Side 2 Side Records / Inhumano Records

Blistering, relentless, and unforgiving. Lifecrusher’s 2024 effort In Death, We All Rot the Same is a 23-minute celebration of decades-old hardcore tradition, adored and interpreted with a fresh cultural lens. With the incoming tsunami of Sunami-style-rip-off-acts popping up around the globe, it can feel easy to put young hardcore bands in a box, but Lifecrusher is demolishing borders across Europe with friends at their side. The band conjures frenetic and participatory live shows with the likes of Deconvolution, XOXO., Wonderful World, and SLOPE, delivering 8KHC across Europe and next: the globe. If you desire the kinesis of formative acts like Cross Me, Soul Search, and Mindforce tied together with deep vocal incisions of Amygdala and Code Orange Kids, you should tune into Lifecrusher before they become the coolest band on the planet. In Death, We All Rot the Same is simply another stepping stone on that journey for Lifecrusher. 

Other notable releases: 
- State Power – Year of the Harvest
- Wonderful World – Universal Tension 
- Big Ass Truck – Big Ass Demo
- Logic1000 – Mother
- No Cure – I Hope I Die Here

Samuel Leon | Knocked Loose – You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To

Pure Noise Records

With regards to having a metal album as your AOTY in 2024, is this a “basic” choice? Sure, but there is a reason Knocked Loose has gotten so much praise and sold out larger headlining shows than their contemporaries. Every second of You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To feels like a wrestling match between your listening device and the Oldham County quintet to see if they can successfully break your speakers. Songs like “Piece By Piece” and “Don’t Reach For Me” prove Knocked Loose is at the top of their game right now, and they have no plans of slowing down.

Honorable Mentions Include:
- Songs of a Lost World: The Cure
- Imaginal Disk: Magdalena Bay
- Glimmer of God: Jean Dawson
- All You Embrace: One Step Closer
- Self-Titled: Foxing

Kirby Kluth | Memorial – Redsetter

Real Kind Records

Could you do me a favor? The next time I think about getting off social media, I need you to stop me and read aloud from Swim Into The Sound’s Staff Favorites of 2024. All of the potentially harmful effects of exorbitant screen time and my declining attention span have been completely outweighed by the time Lomelda’s Instagram Story told me she and her brother helped produce Memorial’s sophomore album, Redsetter, and that I should listen to it. My year has been one of deep grief and tremendous joy, and during all of the in-between times where the growth comes, Redsetter offered comfort and a leg for me to stand on. The whole album is coated in warmth. Jack Watts almost always sounds to me as if he is smiling while he sings. It's drums and finger picking provide a pattern to nod my head along to, and there are moments scattered throughout that give me chills and well up a momentum within me. Hannah and Tommy Reed’s fingerprints are all over this record, making Redsetter feel like a home from the first listen. They lent Memorial their sound in ways that work to deepen the record. Redsetter is full-bodied, endlessly kind, and my favorite album of 2024.

2024, according to Kirby:
- NTS Radio
- A slew of new-to-streaming The Sundays singles
- Big Nick - DOPE MUSIC
- Hovvdy - Hovvdy
- Nourished by Time - “Hell of a Ride”
- Faye Webster’s discography

Braden Allmond | Charly Bliss – Forever

Lucky Number Music

For reasons known only to my unconscious mind, hearing good power pop makes me philosophical and thankful for this century of human history. The third album from Charly Bliss is a good reminder to participate in your life–not to just wake up and shuffle to work, but to open windows and breathe with the world, to make time to watch the sunset, to learn constellations with someone you love, to ask your coworker how their kids are. This album is a reminder that the news cannot stop you from living your life. Fireworks in March, cowbells in an unsuspecting field, an indescribable cappuccino at 3 PM, a welcome-back-to-the-continent kiss, whatever makes your heart beat, you have to find and deliver yourself those experiences. I spent most of my year searching for comfort and found an infinite source here. Enduring brightness, childlike hope, teeth-hurting sweetness, teenaged desire, and unabashed happiness, Forever by Charly Bliss delivers all of this on every front.

Other 2024 releases I particularly enjoyed and think you should listen to:
- Ogbert The Nerd — What You Want (The only emo band from New Jersey)
- Knifeplay — Pearlty (2024 Remaster)
- I Love Your Lifestyle — Summerland (Torpa or Nothing)
- ANORAK! — Self-actualization and the ignorance and hesitation towards it
- Lobby Boxer —Head Shoulders Knuckles Floor

Nickolas Sackett | Sam Wilkes – iiyo iiyo iiyo

Self-released 

2024 has been a weird year for me, one awash with hues of pain, financial hardship, health scares, travel, and love. Since the day I chanced upon its serene shade of blue, iiyo iiyo iiyohas been a constant source of comfort that has soundtracked countless cooking sessions, sleepy drives home from my girlfriend’s apartment, and late-night Balatro sessions in bed. It’s strange that a live-jazz album I chanced upon flicking through Instagram Stories would eventually become so prevalent in my life- but then again, is anything so strange? If I asked a certain person, they might even tell me that the universe wanted me to find the album, that it was all preordained, and that there was no way I wouldn’t find it. Someone else might tell me I’m on that damn phone too much. Whatever your take is, iiyo iiyo iiyo is a wonderful recording of a brilliant show. It’s hard not to marvel at it all with music like this.

Brandon Cortez | Macseal – Permanent Repeat

Counter Intuitive Records

The Long Island indie-emo quartet drops listeners into snapshots of nostalgia on their second LP, Permanent Repeat. Having built their success off of their 4th/5th-wave emo hits such as “Cats” and “Next to You,” Macseal lean into their hook-infested indie soundscape this time around. Even with a five-year gap between albums, they manage to pick up exactly where they left off, plus some. Track two, “Golden Harbor,” sets the stage for reminiscing as the listener is heaved through memories of the group's early days–all set to the backdrop of Golden Harbor Authentic Chinese Cuisine, nestled in Champaign-Urbana. I could write indefinitely about this album, however, I’d be remiss not to focus on the album’s titular track, “Permanent Repeat.” In my humble opinion, this song should be crowned as the group's magnum opus. Coming in at a just-right three and a half minutes, the song hits everything we’ve come to know and love from Macseal. Soft, emotional lyrics that all lead up to an unbelievably catchy chorus which is preceded by a jarring guitar solo to yoink the listener out of their perpetual yearning. Permanent Repeat has been just that; on an endless loop whenever I find the time. Even when the album is not sonically present, it’s the never-ending soundtrack to my daydreaming. A love letter to the way things used to, and could be, Permanent Repeat leaves listeners nostalgic for moments that haven't yet happened. 

Other 2024 favorites:
- Kerosene Heights - Leaving
- Mini Trees - Burn Out 
- Ben Quad - Ephemera
- Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties - In Lieu of Flowers

Noëlle Midnight | Better Lovers – Highly Irresponsible

Sharptone

Formed by three members of the now defunct metalcore outfit Every Time I Die, plus vocalist Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan) and Will Putney (Fit For An Autopsy), Better Lovers’ debut LP comes out swinging, ensuring listeners know that nobody here is wasting time merely trying to recapture the past.

With Highly Irresponsible, Better Lovers deliver Southern-tinged metalcore that’s bursting at the seams with anger and accusations. It’s hard to listen to this record without thinking about how the end of ETID transpired, with vocalist Keith Buckley being abruptly removed from the band, ultimately resulting in a full collapse. From that context, we see Puciato screaming, “Can you believe you thought yourself sophisticated,” the alternating lyrics of “We all look blameless” and “We all look guilty,” followed a few songs later with “You want your flowers, but you threw out the seeds.” A narrative, whether intended or not, begins to form as we see what appears to be the pain of a bad breakup.

Musically, if you liked the Southern riffs that defined much of ETID’s sound, you’ll find yourself delighted by tracks like “Drowning In A Burning World.” Pair that with choruses brought to life by Puciato’s incredible alternation between a variety of vocal techniques to create texture that is all too often missing from mainstream metalcore releases. It’s hard to listen to this record without singing along to the impeccably written choruses and repeated vocal themes and frankly? I wouldn’t want to.

Some of my other favorites: 
- Santa Cruz by Pedro The Lion
- Leap of Death by Left to Suffer
- empathogen by WILLOW
- Winter by Strelitzia
- Prelude to Ecstasy by The Last Dinner Party

Aly Eleanor | Kali Malone – All Life Long

Ideologic Organ

All Life Long is Kali Malone’s fifth “record,” roughly speaking both in terms of number and what defines a body of work. If you only focus on the big stuff, that could entail over 100 minutes of pipe organ drones, Éliane Radigue homage, three hours of sine waves, or even shoegaze. Her latest unfolds across a suite of melancholy, arranged for brass, organ, and voice — it’s a dense, dynamic chunk of liturgy that nevertheless holds a glacier’s worth of beauty within. As I revisit “No Sun To Burn” and “Fastened Maze,” once again greeted by the biting grasp of winter winds, it is easy to be struck by how heavy they sound. Malone’s compositions are weighed down by their stellar core, a glowing resolve frozen underneath the icy surface. All Life Long leans into the furrows of her electroacoustic eclecticism and produces the closest thing to what a minimalist could call a “crossover hit.” It holds the odd distinction of being my fourth favorite Kali Malone record while still being my favorite record of the year. Set aside some time to immerse yourself.

Nick Webber | Apples with Moya – A Heave of Lightness on the Ground

Den Tapes

Apples with Moya found me nestled in the covers of a guest bed during the Minnesota springtime, slowly returning from dreamland. As I pressed play, I was casually familiar with the band as part of the Great Grandpa extended universe, but I wasn’t at all prepared to be swept away so dramatically in those 32 minutes laying next to my sleeping wife in the early morning light. 

A lot of what makes this record (and Great Grandpa) special to me has to do with the melodic sensibility; it feels rare to hear folks really going for it when it comes to writing compelling and catchy tunes, especially when “vibe” often seems to get more shine than songcraft in buzzy music as of late. LaFlam’s vivid and often mercurial lyrics land in captivating ways, oscillating between the impressionistic and the earthly, nestled in unabashedly gorgeous arrangements. Sometimes Sufjanesque, sometimes power poppy, always memorable, A Heave of Lightness on the Ground is an album shot through with humor, movement, bracing specificity, and revelation. It feels like the sort of music that can only come out of the Pacific Northwest, and it’s the only album I know of that name-checks both Pedro the Lion and Montucky Cold Snacks. To a guy like me, this stuff is magic.

Wes Cochran | Foxing – Foxing

Grand Paradise 

Many 2024 albums have inspired me or brought me comfort, but none have lit a fire under my ass like Foxing. In the decade-plus since the release of their modern emo classic The Albatross, the indie rock quartet have amassed a cult following for frontman Conor Murphy’s expressive vocals and the band’s restless evolution. From the sounds of it though, all that hard work has left them exhausted and without much in the way of material gains to show for it. After one last swing for the rafters with their previous full-length, any and all guardrails came off on their self-funded, self-produced, self-titled, and self-released fifth album. The band makes hairpin turns between everything from disaffected dream pop to vicious hardcore, sometimes within the same song. The mix can go from perfectly balanced to completely blown out (I’ve probably done permanent damage to my ears listening to “Gratitude”), and each member has several moments across the record where it sounds as if they might lose control at any given moment. 

As someone “liked-but-didn’t-love” the band going in, I spent my entire first listen feeling like I had been sucker-punched. Not just at the sonic mayhem I was subjecting myself to, but the emotional intensity of Foxing. If I had to summarize the thematic crux of the album, it would be a crisis of faith - in music, love, your country, God, or anything else you’ve devoted a significant portion of your life to, only to realize you may not believe in it anymore. You’re forced to search for purpose again in an endless cultural vacuum of regurgitated ideas, view and sales counts, and just general suffering. It may sound like I’m describing the “feel-bad Album of the Year,” and on some level, I am, but no amount of words can describe how awe-inspiring and thrilling it is to actually hear that search on Foxing. After all, how many albums will I ever be able to say started a chain reaction that led to me picking up my guitar for the first time in more than a year and trying to create things again? 

Throughout a stressful final quarter of the year that included but was not limited to: my car being totaled, death and illness within my family, and the American presidential election, I caught myself repeating the refrain of “CONSTANT FATIGUE!” from “Hell 99,” but recently I’ve decided to literally change my tune. I’ve spent far too much of my life wallowing and waiting, and it’s gotten pretty old - it’s time to rally. To put it in Foxing’s own words: “Make your mother proud, you’ve got to sharpen those dead dreams.” 

Here’s some more music that made my 2024 that much more fulfilling: 
- Everything Everything - Mountainhead
- Father John Misty - Mahashmashana
- Haley Heynderickx - Seed of a Seed
- Los Campesinos!, just Los Campesinos! as a band
- Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk
- Mount Eerie - Night Palace
- Vince Staples - Dark Times

David Williams | Wishy – Triple Seven

Winspear

The Indianapolis five-piece cinched the title “Rookies of the Year” with their debut record, Triple Seven. The music is a love letter to their indie rock predecessors, creating a well-thought-out alternative rock experience delivered with the confidence of Larry Bird shooting jump shots in his backyard. The melodies are intoxicatingly addicting and will be swirling in your head for hours, days, months, maybe even years after first hearing them. “Love On The Outside” will have you in a Ving Rhames-like chokehold, packing a wallop of a chorus that somehow rises to match the stadium-level guitar riffs. If you’re not blasting the record at maximum volume that could potentially result in hearing loss or a surly neighbor, you’re not listening to it properly. 

Other albums that restored that feeling:
- MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks
- Kendrick Lamar - GNX
- Wild Pink - Dulling The Horns
- Charli XCX - Brat
- Ducks LTD. - Harm’s Way

Lindsay Fickas | Hovvdy – Hovvdy

Arts & Crafts 

2024 was an odd year where I was constantly clinging to any glimpse of nostalgia I could find. I needed a reminder of a time when things didn’t feel as though they were marching steadily into darkness. I found it in Hovvdy’s self-titled release. The album brings a fresh take on an older sound, delivering songs that could have fit in comfortably on a 2011 indie folk album sandwiched between Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes. At times, the songs feel new and electric, utilizing effects and jaunty hooks to pull you in. Other times, they’re stripped-down and bare. If a John Steinbeck character pulled out a guitar around a campfire and played “Song for Pete,” I wouldn’t dare question the authenticity. And while many of the songs feel as though they’ve emerged straight from a Pitchfork Editor’s Pick 15 years ago, they never veer toward pretension, opting instead for full-throated sincerity with off-the-cuff lines like “Goddamn, I swear I will always love you.” It’s a warm and gorgeous record at a time I need it most. 

A few other favorites: 
- Foxing - Foxing
- Ekko Astral - Pink Balloons
- Friko - Where we’ve been, Where we go from here
- Waxahatchee - Tigers Blood
- A Place for Owls - how we dig in the earth

Ciara Rhiannon | With Sails Ahead – Infinite Void

Self-released

Prior to this year, With Sails Ahead's discography had been a concise collection of singles and EPs that have each operated as a window into the influences and ambitions of the band, but we haven't seen the full magnitude of what they have been building towards – until now. Infinite Void is not only the first full-length album by With Sails Ahead; it is a testament to everything they have learned so far and the effort they’ve put in as a band. The work that goes into creating an album is intense, especially an album that accomplishes as much as Infinite Void – from its staggering instrumental range to its subtle references – all imprinted onto this record by each individual member. It’s difficult to think of many debut albums that are this technically impressive and ambitious straight out of the gate. You can genuinely feel the way this band collaborates and informs each other’s abilities across every single track on Infinite Void, and the result is one of the most staggeringly cohesive records I have ever heard.

Honorable Mentions:
- CLIFFDIVER - birdwatching
- Zach Benson - Music For You And Your Friends
- stop.drop.rewind - stop.drop.rewind
- Hey, ily! - Hey, I Loathe You!
- Eichlers - IKE WORLD
- Ekko Astral - Pink Balloons

Joshua Sullivan | MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks

ANTI-

Two weeks before the diluvian Helene radically transformed the town, I was visiting friends in Asheville, North Carolina. Manning Fireworks had just come out, and as we drove the Blue Ridge Parkway listening to “Joker Lips,” I found myself in deep gratitude – here is a record that feels like it was always with me and always will be. As I spent the ensuing weeks in horror of what close friends and family experienced during and after Hurricane Helene, the album became a balm – which might be surprising, given the content of the record. 

The fractured, predatory world of modern masculinity runs deep throughout MJ Lenderman’s understated, assured, and altogether brilliant album. The stories of cocksure failsons or manosphere marks update the cadre of fools found in Steely Dan songs for a new world. It’s a world that sets us up to fail, that dunks on us when we’re down – but was it the strong headwinds or the shorts full of sand that sank the bird in the end? This downtempo collection of double entendres, ending in a blissful seven minutes of meditative feedback, is a sanctuary for the soul, stuffed full of dumbasses and cowards. We laugh at them, but it can often feel like self-defense. Because, as Lenderman tosses off in the great “She’s Leaving You”: “We all got work to do.” The roads in Asheville are crumbled while the failsons continue to ascend. We all got work to do. 

Honorable Mentions:
Magdelena Bay – Imaginal Disk | Jimmy Montague – Tomorrow’s Coffee | Carpool – My Life In Subtitles | Color Temperature – Here For It | Mach-Hommy — #RICHAXXHAITIAN

Jason Sloan | Climax Landers – Zenith No Effects

Gentle Reminder

Will Moloney has spent the better part of the 21st century as one of the New York underground’s most quietly influential figures; Bandcamp once crowned him “the Best Indie Rock Songwriter You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of.” Now, after twenty years and almost as many monikers, he’s perfected his blend of wry non-sequitur and shaggy grooves with the apotheotic Zenith No Effects. “Play It Cool” weaves defunct Brooklyn venues, superhero pornography, and Styx into an anthem for all those too weird to ever work a room. And I’m not sure there’s a better thesis for Moloney’s whole oeuvre than “Blessed by health and love and weed / Find the truth dialectically” from “Ad Hominem.” But the dual parenthetical bookend tracks are Zenith’s crowning achievements: a two-part tale of the Climax Landers literally riding in to save an oppressed city-state through the power of collective unity and rock and roll. In lesser hands, it would prove unbearable, but the winking delivery and Charlie Dore-Young’s buoyant bassline are too infectious to scoff at. By the time the album’s triumphant saxophone outro comes around, you’re right there with them, liberated and ready to seize your one chance to dance.

Joe Wasserman | Young Jesus – The Fool

Saddle Creek

Young Jesus himself, John Rossiter sings like I’m the only one listening. His voice almost replaces the one that narrates my thoughts thanks to the intimate production on The Fool. With songwriting full of parables, I often feel like I’m sitting at the bar hearing an old-timer drop nuggets of wisdom that I have to parse through. All the while, though, I’m enraptured in their story. There is a yearning and mourning in Rossiter’s voice (e.g., “Rabbit,” “MOTY,” “Dancer”) that is hyper-specific in description, but universal in emotion. In addition to the impeccable arrangement, The Fool is sonically textured and layered. Despite an emphasis on naturalistic vocal deliveries, there are digital glitches, noise-gated distortions, and delays galore here. Somehow, it all fits together. Sure, you can name a few songs as singles with their hooks and accessibility, yet it’s the album as a whole that overwhelms me every time I hit play on “Brenda & Diane.” Thematically, The Fool offers a compelling, progressive look at masculinity in 2024. Rossiter laments love and family; you can hear his heart breaking and fighting to stay in one piece on every track. This is an album that is as fun as it is incisive and insightful. The Fool is ultimately just fascinating in its depth and rewards repeated listening.

Connor Fitzpatrick | Christopher Owens – I Wanna Run Barefoot Through Your Hair

True Panther Records

I used to be neighbors with Christopher Owens when we both lived in San Francisco. After Girls disbanded and his solo career seemed to dissipate, I’d see him around from time to time. Sometimes he’d be playing his guitar, but more often than not, he was just another dude in the neighborhood. I wondered occasionally if he’d ever make more music, but eventually, it seemed as though things had moved on. But now he’s back after nine years with a new solo album, the breathtaking I Wanna Run Barefoot Through Your Hair. In many ways, this feels like a long-lost Girls album with its deep yearning, gorgeous melodies, and background gospel vocals. It’s a massive triumph from Owens as he sings about heartache, loss, and loneliness, but also about the beauty in life and that, through all of the hardships we face as humans, life moves on and is worth living. Owens is at the top of his game on the album, and his guitar solos have never been lovelier. The album ends with what might be the best song he’s ever written, “Do You Need A Friend,” a seven-minute colossus that climaxes with Owens lamenting how he’s “barely making it through the days” and “the loneliness is always the same.” It’s a harrowing listen, but his vulnerability is so powerful and defiant because, despite all of it, he’s still here with a song to sing.

Dishonorable Mentions:
- Fontaines D.C. - Romance
- Rosali - Bite Down
- Schoolboy Q - Blue Lips
- Hurray For The Riff Raff - The Past Is Still The Same
- Nap Eyes - The Neon Gate

MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks | Album Review

On Monday, June 24, 2024, I woke up to great news. For one, it was my birthday, and I was thrilled to be turning a supple 31 years old… but that wasn’t the news. After making sure I was sufficiently awake, my girlfriend alerted me, “MJ Lenderman dropped a new song and has an album coming out in September.” Perfect. It felt like a little gift delivered right to me. 

Together, we watched the video for “She’s Leaving You” and basked in the bummer lyrics, soaring chorus, and charismatic talent show visuals. As MJ shredded a guitar solo while his band moved around him at half-speed, the song immediately felt like yet another masterstroke in Lenderman’s already full canvas of fruitful fuck-ups and off-putting weirdos. The melody is immaculate; the instrumental is covered in a layer of grit, while the lyrics embody a type of dejected divorcee energy that you’d usually find in a Drive-By Truckers song or, at the very least, penned by someone about twice Lenderman’s age. It's not like this is MJ’s first brush with these types of broken-down boomerisms (“TV Dinners” would like a word), but even still, it’s shocking to hear sentiments like these from the mouth of someone only midway through their twenties. Above all else, “She’s Leaving You” is catchy as hell and has remained on repeat all summer long, soundtracking sunny trips to the beach, lackadaisical days in the park, and sweltering excursions into the city. It was an excellent way to start my 31st year.

Between the record’s first three singles and MJ’s contributions to the incredible new Waxahatchee record, I was fully having an MJ Lenderman Summer. Blessed with an early advance of Manning Fireworks, I waited until just the right moment to crack this LP open and enjoy it to its fullest capacity. Turns out what that looked like for me was a sweaty day in Brooklyn on the Fourth of July. After spending the morning scraping and cleaning my girlfriend's family’s grill, I escaped to Prospect Park with a beach blanket, a half-smoked joint, and my AirPods. I spent a little while walking around the busy park, taking in the swirl of conversations, volleyball games, and family get-togethers. I absorbed all the smiles of passersby and inhaled deeply, feeling the sun on my skin and relishing the smell of hot dog smoke in my lungs. I found a nice little secluded spot under a tree, laid out my blanket, and hit play to enjoy all 38 minutes and 54 seconds of Manning Fireworks uninterrupted and unimpeded. It was one of my favorite music-listening experiences I’ve ever had in my life. 

If you’ve followed this blog for long enough, you probably know I’m a bit of an MJ Freak. While I’d been following his work for a minute, it wasn’t until a fateful Fourth of July a few years ago that I found myself kicking back to Boat Songs over the course of a relaxing four-day weekend on the Oregon Coast and felt everything click. From there, I became infatuated with his country-flavored guitar fuzz, one-of-a-kind observations, and funny-ass lyrics. If he wasn’t so thoroughly North Carolinian, he felt exactly like the types of dudes I grew up with, obsessed with wrestling, Jackass, and rock music. Over time, I tended to drift more towards the dirty lo-fi stylings found on his early work, like Knockin’ and Ghost of Your Guitar Solo, but Boat Songs grew on me more and more with each listen until I considered myself a pretty hardcore MJ fan. A couple of years later, a knockout live album helped his entire body of work coalesce into one hour of personable alt-country indie rock. A patio album through and through, And The Wind (Live and Loose!) offers a quick way to get up to speed with MJ’s body of work, acting as a career-spanning already-greatest-hits that feels like both an introduction to prospective new listeners and a celebration of everything Lenderman had released up to that point.

If you’re familiar with any of the three albums or four EPs that came before this, one of the first things you might notice about Manning Fireworks is how cleanly produced these songs sound. Gone is the garage rock haze of “Tastes Just Like It Costs” and sub-fi strums of “Dan Marino,” which were oftentimes more artistic affectation than technical limitation. Also gone are the winding runtimes found on MJ’s self-titled first album, where most of the tracks clocked in around 7 minutes. On his fourth LP, virtually every song hovers around the three-minute mark, save for the ten-minute closing track, “Bark At The Moon,” and even that’s kind of cheating since it ends with a long stretch of wordless drone. To that end, I’ve found Manning Fireworks feels much more spiritually parallel to Ghost of Your Guitar Solo than Boat Songs, but maybe that’s just because both lean into Lenderman’s impulse to throw a scratchy instrumental track into the mix. 

I think it’s easy to see Manning Fireworks as less raucous and “fun” than Boat Songs, but this really is an album of halves. There’s no song as upright and victorious as “Hangover Game” or as bright-eyed and loving as “You Are Every Girl To Me,” but this record still has plenty of energy, ideas, and riffs to dole out. I also think it’s easy to lose sight of how incredibly fun each of these singles have been since they’ve been strategically doled out over the course of 14 months. 

The origins of Manning Fireworks technically started back in 2023 with the release of “Rudolph” smackdab in the middle of July. Originally positioned as a standalone single meant to accompany his signing to ANTI-, the song signaled a level-up in more ways than one. Boasting an infectious four-beat countdown and whining pedal steel, the track recounts an ill-fated meeting between the famously outcast reindeer and Lightning McQueen of Pixar’s Cars franchise. Like all great MJ songs, these pop culture references mainly serve as goofy totems the listener can grasp onto as Lenderman uses them to ladder up to a more profound point. In the case of “Rudolph,” the song mounts up to a pathetically lovestruck confession as he sings, “I wouldn't be in the seminary if I could be with you.” 

A month later, “Rudolph” was revealed to be a 7” single that gave Lenderman an excuse to revisit “Knockin,” the original version of which is, on a good day, my personal favorite MJ song. While it’s obviously different than the scrappy rendition from a couple of years prior, MJ has a history of re-recording his own material: he’s got alternate versions of “TLC Cagematch,” “SUV,” and “Tastes Like It Costs,” just to name a few. This is an artistic quirk that I like a lot; it rewards longtime fans and offers the artist a new way to interface and interpret his own work. [Fun Fact: he does just this on Manning Fireworks, turning “You Don’t Know The Shape I’m In” from a crunchy homespun groove off a Bandcamp comp into a Beat The Champ-esque waltz adorned with clarinets, upright bass, and something called a “slide bebo”]. While I initially thought this “Rudolph b/w Knockin” package was just another in a long line of these re-recordings, I actually think it was MJ tipping his hand a bit in terms of shifting away from that lo-fi sound. It’s not exactly a rejection of the original “Knockin,” but it’s a revisitation that almost implies this is how the song was always meant to be heard. Maybe it was a primer for this record; maybe it was just a send-off to that era. 

This upgraded fidelity is noticeable throughout Manning Fireworks, but not a knock against it (see what I did there?). On the contrary, this record sounds impeccable. It was recorded by Alex Farrar at Drop of Sun Studios in Asheville, NC, which currently feels like an absolute hotbed of scene-shaping indie rock. Not only have the last few MJ releases gone through Drop of Sun, but Fararr has also touched records from Wednesday, Squirrel Flower, Indigo De Souza, Hotline TNT, and Horse Jumper of Love. Drop of Sun’s output ranges in scale from local North Carolina talent like emo punks Kerosene Heights and Durham folksters Fust all the way up to indie rock household names like Angel Olsen, Snail Mail, and Plains. The place also looks incredible; I’ll drop a gallery of photos here just in case you’re as struck by the vibes as I am. 

When all’s said and done, you have a very pretty album that feels like a clearly realized version of what MJ Lenderman’s music can be when he lets his singer-songwriter tendrils unfurl. Manning Fireworks is a fairly traditional-length album that posits a familiar structure. You’ve got a slow-starting opening, a Side A that’s slammed wall-to-wall with singles and heaters, then a more introspective (but still rockin’) back half, all capped off with a meditative six minutes of feedback. I’m here for it. 

Throughout the album, Lenderman phrases his words in endlessly mystifying and charming ways. Sometimes, the thing he’s Actually Talking About feels like it’s veiled in fifteen layers of mystery; other times, it’s only ten. Pretty consistently, Lenderman is obtuse to the point where it almost feels like its own language. You can parse his phrasing in a few different ways and get vastly different interpretations. Even when he’s just singing something as commonplace as Guitar Hero, there’s a specificity to it that suggests there could be a deeper layer. Other times, it’s just meant to be funny. No matter which way you interpret it, there’s an undeniably benign beauty to a lyric like “We sat under a half-mast McDonald’s flag.” 

This is not just esotericness for esotericness’ sake. In fact, it’s all so earnest that the listener is encouraged to take it all at face value, which becomes just one possible way to read the album. Lyrics on Manning Fireworks often feel like brief little barbs or self-dispensed idioms, leaving the listener to either laugh or fill in the gaps. As soon as one line lands, the next one is already there to sweep you off into a separate thought or tasty riff. Whenever Lenderman happens to settle in and tell a story, things are gripping and compelling. They usually depict down-on-their-luck people who are pathetic to various points of return. Are they losers for life or just in that moment? Did we happen to catch them on a bad day, or is this their irredeemable day-to-day existence? On the opening title track, Lenderman depicts a guy who’s ultimately surmised to be a “jerk.” 

Some have passion
Some have purpose
You have sneakin' backstage to hound the girls in the circus

Interestingly enough, he also chooses to address this all directly to the audience, sketching this caricature while attributing every quality to you. He continues on in a biblical batch of lyrics that hit me as Father John Misty-esque on first listen. 

You’ve opened the Bible in a public place
You’ve opened the Bible to the very first page
And one of these days
It will all end
Your tired approach to original sin

As this story unfolds, the rest of the band slowly emerges behind him: guitar, drums, and a fiddle that carves its way through the mix beautifully. This track also features an upright bass and trombone courtesy of Landon George and backup vocals from Karly Hartzman. Other than a handful of assists like these, the guitar, drums, and bass found throughout Manning Fireworks were all played by Lenderman himself. Many familiar occupants of the Wednesday Cinematic Universe still appear throughout the album: you’ve got Xandy Chelmis on pedal steel, Ethan Baechtold on piano, and Colin Miller on trumpet as well as the aforementioned “slide bebo.” 

For all the talk of Lenderman’s Rorschach-like lyrics, there are moments when even Lenderman himself seems befuddled by others. At one point in “Rip Torn,” he recounts a confounding exchange

You said, “There’s men and then there’s movies.
Then there’s men and ‘Men in Black’”
You said, “There’s milkshakes and there’s smoothies.”
You always lose me when you talk like that

It’s nice to know that sometimes Lenderman gets turned around too. Usually, you’re not sure if he meant what he said to be so profound or funny, but usually, somehow, it’s both. I think the man himself addresses this pretty succinctly on “Joker Lips,” where he sings, “Please don't laugh only half of what I said was a joke / Every Catholic knows he could've been pope.”

On his early work (especially), it was easy to draw a clear connection between MJ and artists like Jason Molina. Some of that’s vocally, but a lot of it is spiritual, too. I think there are similar connections to be made between Lenderman and Neil Young, David Berman, Jim James, and Doug Martsch. Across his discography, there are in-song nods to classic rock legends like Dylan, Clapton, Zevon, and The Band, so this dude obviously knows his stuff. Even with all those reference points in mind, above all else, MJ Lenderman sounds like himself.

Nobody else could pen a line like “Kahlua shooter / DUI scooter” and deliver it like that. Only this mind could come up with, “I’ve got a houseboat docked at the Himbo Dome.” Only MJ Lenderman could write, “It falls apart / We all got work to do / It gets dark / We all got work to do” and make it sound that revelatory. The balance between these two polarities is what makes him one of my favorite songwriters to emerge this decade. 

Throughout these incredible lyrical flexes, there are a handful of artistic throughlines. Religion comes up a few times, as does romance and separation or misinterpretation. While you could read into the interpersonal stuff any type of way, I tend to think of those examples as little brush strokes that add detail to each individual character and, ultimately, MJ as a narrator. When all’s said and done, I take Manning Fireworks as a depiction and rejection of being a jerk. On “Rudolph,” the record’s lead single, MJ bemoaned

How many roads must a man walk down til he learns
He’s just a jerk who flirts with the clergy nurse til it burns?

Then, on the album’s opening track, Lenderman and Hartzman harmonize as the two sing a verse that seems to explain the record’s namesake. 

Once a perfect little baby
Who’s now a jerk
Standing close to the pyre, manning fireworks

How does one start so pure and end up so muddled? Well, the answers are infinite, and Manning Fireworks delves into but a handful of examples. To me, this record reads as a tome dedicated to documenting a select few of these journeys from a faultless point of origin to a messy, conflicted, and flawed person. The record is populated with odd people who are at once relatable and sympathetic yet ultimately feel like cautionary tales of who not to be. Sometimes, it’s an outright condemnation; most of the time, however, MJ seems content just to tell these stories and let the listener take their own interpretation away from his words. Anyone can be a jerk, but there’s much to be mined from how they got that way. 

In an interview with The Guardian earlier this year, MJ Lenderman was asked about the concept of “Dudes Rock,” a term that emerged in shitposty left-leaning spaces online whenever a man was seen doing something stupid, kinda dangerous, possibly ingenious, but mostly harmless. Over time, the phrase got obscured, watered-down, and over-used to the point where it became tired and cringey. Lenderman rejects this notion outright, explaining, “I don’t really resonate with whatever ‘dudes rock’ is. I don’t want the music to come across like it’s not inclusive to everybody – like somebody who’s not a dude.” Which is totally right. 

While that phrase was once meant to evoke carefree institutions like Jackass or, musically, bands like Japandroids, it’s since been perverted into something a tad more sinister. As astutely pointed out in his essay “The Death Of The Dude,” Jay Papandreas lays out the solitary dark side of Dudes Rock, explaining an important distinction in the namesake: “The Dude cannot rock alone. It's Dudes Rock, not Dude Rocks.”

To that end, the record wraps on “Bark At The Moon.” The song begins with Lenderman in free fall and looking for a connection.

I’ve lost my sense of humor
I’ve lost my driving range
I could really use your two cents, babe
I could really use the change

This unnamed other offers some advice in return.

You said it takes revision
You said it takes finesse
Don’t move to New York City, babe
It’s gonna change the way you dress
It’s gonna change the way you dress

After throwing up an SOS, the pair within this song splits off, with one person drinking to excess and the other hopping on a plane. “You’re in on my bit / you’re sick of the schtick / well what did you expect?” Lenderman says, sounding world-weary as ever. Our narrator goes on to detail his perceived lack of experiences, singing

I’ve never seen the Mona Lisa
I’ve never really left my room
I’ve been up too late with Guitar Hero
Playing “Bark At The Moon”
Awoooo
Bark at the moon

We’re treated to one more rippin’ guitar solo, and then the instruments crash to a stop. All that’s left is a distorted singe of feedback. As this feedback sustains, it’s almost like you’re waiting for the band to come back on stage to play an encore. The air is still abuzz with energy and noise, but then… nothing. The band doesn’t come back. Instead, the drone stretches on for a little over six minutes until the song winds to a close and we’re left with silence on the other end of the record. 

I think that’s a super bold way to end an album, and I kinda love it. At first, I thought it was just a novel way to undercut a more traditional closer. I could close my eyes and practically see Lenderman’s guitar leaned up against an amp, each squealing into the other. Then I noticed something important in the album credits. 

Not only is this drone attributed to Lenderman, but practically every other featured player on the album. Karly Hartzman, Colin Miller, Landon George, Shane McCord, and Adam McDaniel are all credited on the track. To me, that attribution acts as one of the most poignant reminders of community and togetherness. This buzz that could have been achieved by one guitar is actually the work of multiple people. Imagining all these musicians in the studio (or on stage) sustaining this feedback like the shoegaze bands of yore, all building and mounting this one sound, is really beautiful. Most importantly, and most tellingly, that all-hands-on-deck feeling of bringing in all these friends and collaborators is a far cry from the jerk we heard about at the outset of the record, standing off by himself, manning fireworks.

Pitchfork Music Festival 2024 Recap

As far as music festivals go, Pitchfork tends to be one of the better ones. It may not be as gargantuan as Lollapalooza, as buzzy as Coachella, or as tapped-in as Rolling Loud, but you know what Pitchfork has that most other festivals don’t? Identity. 

For better or worse, Pitchfork is a festival designed around one of the world’s most influential music publications and the particular tastes of its readers. Since this festival is centered around such a longstanding entity, the lineup tends to be more curated and intentional than other festivals which often fall into the trap of trying to be everything to everyone. Sure, it’s easy to look at lineups for bigger festivals and imagine how cool it would be to see Megan The Stallion, Deftones, Ethel Cain, and blink-182 in the same place, but in practice, it’s sweaty, messy, overpriced, and you rarely get to “see” many of those artists in a genuine way. 

In contrast, Chicago’s Union Park also translates to a near-perfect festival layout, converting its 13.5 acres of grassy fields and tree-lined borders into wide-open spectacles and tucked-away stages that each feel like distinct areas. There’s ample room for the festival’s three main stages, food vendors, beer tents, merch stations, record stores, local artists, companies handing out free tchotchkes, and a smaller side stage dedicated to artist interviews. It can get pretty packed, but it’s never that hard to traverse, and you can generally get a pretty great view of any artist’s set, especially if you plan ahead a little bit. 

Location aside, the “indie”-leaning lineup of Pitchfork feels like it typically strikes a nice balance between up-and-coming bands, recent breakthroughs, and more enduring legacy acts of all genres. This year, the top-level headliners closing out each day were Black Pumas, Jamie xx, and Alanis Morissette. Directly beneath them, you had artists like Jai Paul, 100 gecs, Carly Rae Jepsen, and MUNA, all legendary projects to a very specific type of person. I personally was excited for Saturday’s shoegaze gambit, where the schedule flowed from Hotline TNT to Feeble Little Horse and Wednesday, each stacked one after the other like the promoters took a page directly from my Spotify Wrapped. 

I’ve only attended one other Pitchfork Music Festival in 2022, so I was eager to return and see what’s changed in the last couple of years. Going in, I was interested in how Pitchfork’s recent fusing with GQ under Condé Nast would impact the vibe, if at all. Truthfully, I wasn’t planning on  until Swim Into The Sound’s own David Williams approached me with a behind-the-scenes photo pass, and I didn’t want to miss out on that opportunity. Below, you’ll find thoughts from me, David, and Logan Archer Mounts on the weekend, along with David’s photography, all shot on 35mm film for maximum coolness. 

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Day 1

Jeff Rosenstock

Jeff Rosenstock

Jeff Rosenstock

Jeff Rosenstock

Yaeji

Yaeji

My group ambled into Union Park at 1 pm on the dot, right as the first band was ramping up. The fields were empty, the sun was out, and all the vendors were at the ready with beer and hot dogs. It’s always fun to see festival grounds like this before they get trampled in and filled out by the crowds; there’s a sense of boundless possibilities knowing that three full days of live music await you. Black Duck prattled through a jazzy improvised set that felt like a nice way to roll into the day with relaxed vibes. Angry Blackmen were true to their name, bringing an aggro hip-hop energy that felt like it properly set the festivities off before ML Buch took us to gazy dreamland.

Rosali was one of the first acts on the lineup that I was actively excited for; her album from earlier this year is excellent and has one of the most striking covers of 2024. Exactly as I had hoped, Rosali brought the homespun southern rock vibes, with her backing band locked in for a couple of inspiring jams, including a particularly rousing version of “My Kind.” The group closed their set with “Rewind,” an absolutely undeniable song that was joyful to watch unfold live on stage after being obsessed with it since January.

After a quick lunch break (aka paying $20 for a chicken wrap), I caught slices of Billy Woods, Amen Dunes, and Sudan Archives, each of whom had their own commanding presence. Billy Woods and Kenny Segal kept the crowd on their toes with off-kilter beats and urgent lyricism while Sudan Archives strutted through a solo set of hip-hop-infused R&B, pulling out her violin at key moments and shredding a melody before sheathing it and returning to vocal duties. 

Back in May, we published a review of Amen Dunes' most recent album, which I quite enjoyed but leaned in a reserved, ambient direction. I was surprised to see him playing with a full band and playing such “band” type songs. Their whole set was super fun, oscillating between a DIIV-like grooviness and slightly more upbeat numbers that sounded almost like Future Islands.

Yaeji graced the Red Stage with a theatrical performance shelving out hit after electronic hit during the tail end of day one. Dressed in Shaq-sized cargo shorts and a black tank top, Yaeji moved and grooved through the summer sun with ease. Her blend of R&B, techno, and synth-pop had everyone’s attention the moment she started her set. The crowd erupted when one of her biggest hit songs, “Raingurl,” bled through the speakers, sparking an impromptu dance-off among the fans.
– David Williams

Yaeji to 100 gecs was a pretty lateral move, but definitely brought the Friday Energy that we needed and helped make it feel like the party was really starting in earnest. I watched about half of the 100 gecs set and realized I barely knew their latest album. I still enjoyed seeing “stupid horse” live and will admit that I got full-body goosebumps during the chorus of “Hollywood Baby,” but the set could only feel so “big” given that it was just two people playing songs off a computer. It's still cool to see 100 gecs live after following them for so long, but I’m not sure their set quite hit it home for me. 

I didn’t watch all of Jai Paul’s set, but I did walk by Red Stage just to see the man in the flesh with my own two eyes. I had places to be, specifically catching Jeff Rosenstock’s set over on the blue stage, which was exactly as energetic, shouty, and boisterous as any Jeff Rosenstock set I’ve ever witnessed. The crowd was jumpin, Jeff crowd-surfed while playing sax, and I ate a Chicago dog while taking it all in, a great way to cap off day one. 

I left before Black Pumas started playing both because I didn’t care to catch their set but also because I was headed over to Subterranean to catch Hotline TNT’s aftershow, which was more like a pre-show since they were playing the next day. I watched the opening band, Graham Hunt, from the upper-level balcony, and then I was able to make it right up front for Hotline’s set, which was a swirling delight of hypnotic riffs and loud-ass guitars. I was beyond tired at the end of day one, but it was worth it to see a band like that play an entire set from less than ten feet away.

Day 2

Hotline TNT

Hotline TNT

Feeble Little Horse

Feeble Little Horse

Wednesday

Wednesday

Wednesday

MJ Lenderman

(Half of) Wednesday

De La Soul

Chicago’s own Lifeguard kicked off day two with the sort of youthful energy only achievable by a group of kids still approaching their twenties. At various points, the trio shifted around from a traditional lineup of guitar, drums, and bass to drums and two guitars, all rendered in an impressive and jagged post-punk style. The lead singer, Kai Slater, was on crutches, so he played the entire set seated, but with that loss of mobility came the opportunity to use one of his crutches during a solo, which was a helluva way to start things off as we sipped on our free coffee.

I caught parts of L’Rain and Kara Jackson before Saturday’s shoegaze onslaught. L’Rain brought the dreamy vibes with lots of slow post-rock builds, mellow beats, and gorgeous vocals layered on top of everything. I only caught a song or two from Kara Jackson, but they were jaw-droppingly beautiful. At one point, she interpolated SZA’s “Love Galore,” and the crowd let out a “Woo!” of recognition. 

Starting at 2:45, Hotline TNT rocked reliably, fusing together into one giant mass of riffage, and even broke out a few songs that they hadn’t played the night before. The crowd was consistently swaying and head-bobbing but didn’t seem to erupt into the same type of chaos I had witnessed at Subterranean, presumably because people were saving their energy for the rest of the weekend.

Feeble Little Horse were wild to see in concert after feeling like they were on the brink of breaking up after an untimely hiatus right as they dropped their second album. It was still too close to Black Country, New Road’s shakeup, and fans were bummed but understanding as we wished the band the best and hoped for their eventual return. Seeing a song like “Chores” live was an experience; there are so many janky little beats and knotty twists in their songs, it was impressive to see them break that all out live. At one point between songs, the guitarist stepped up to the mic and said, “These are songs from an album Pitchfork gave a seven,” which got a laugh from the crowd before he continued incredulously, “We’re like, ‘why are we here?’ Why do they want us?”

At one point, we were halfway through Feeble Little Horse’s set, and I was glimpsing over my shoulder to see Wednesday sound-checking on the Green Stage and felt like I was in my own personal slice of heaven. To be sandwiched between these two bands I’ve been listening to obsessively for years was almost too much for my brain and brain to compute. 

Shortly after that, Wednesday ripped through a scorching set of career-spanning material, rolling through songs from all three of their albums, plus a Drive-By Truckers song thrown in for good measure. They played a few new songs and lightly teased their upcoming album in an interview directly after the set, with Karly stating she’s even more proud of this batch of songs than their last but promising it very much feels like a continuation of Rat Saw God. Of course, the North Carolinians ended their set with the titanic “Bull Believer,” allowing the audience a chance to air out any anger and frustrations they might have had at that moment, either with life or just the state of the world. It was cathartic, it was twangy, it was beautiful.

De La Soul’s set was a celebration for hip-hop, and as DJ Maseo yelled over the microphone, “40 years of friendship!” Legendary rap group gave the crowd exactly what was advertised with a nostalgic trip down memory lane, performing their biggest hits, “Potholes in My Lawn,” and my personal favorite, “Me, Myself and I,” courtesy of the film Good Burger. Surprise guests Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monche kept the crowd jumping nonstop. Posdnuos made it a point to tell the fans in attendance that it was his duty to bring it for them every night. De La Soul lived up to that reputation tenfold.
– David Williams

Between sets, I got to chat with MJ Lenderman and capture his portrait in 35mm film, which I like because the photos look cleaner and more classic. Film is timeless; there's a reason why movies today still look better shot in 35mm instead of digital. The portraits of him and the band give a vintage feel that, if you didn’t know better, you might not know if the photo was taken yesterday or 30 years ago. Lenderman's reputation of having an everyman demeanor was right on the mark as he couldn't have been a more gracious and friendly guy as he put up with my silly questions like "Who's your all-time favorite wrestler?" (Rey Mysterio and Mick Foley) or "What ‘dumb hat’ were you singing about that drew so much ire in "Taste Just Like It Costs?" (A golf visor). Truly a hat so hideous that it’s worthy to be sung about with such disgust. 
– David Williams

After screaming it out to Wednesday and catching Karly Hartzman’s post-set interview, it was time for a pulled-pork sandwich and Bratmobile, who brought hearty doses of Pacific Northwest riot grrrl energy. After that vent session, it was time to get a good spot for The Queen, aka Carly Rae Jepsen. We scootched up as close as we could comfortably get while still having ample room to dance and jump around for a solid hour as Carly jumped from one sugary confection to the next. I had seen her back in 2019, and this set was just as elating and life-affirming as the one I saw five years ago. 

Day 3

Jessica Pratt

Crumb

Crumb

Grandmaster Flash

MUNA

MUNA

Brittany Howard

Brittany Howard

Day three started a little slower (because I’m in my thirties, and three days of music festing was beginning to take a toll), so we headed over to Union Park an hour or two after doors to catch glimpses of Joana Sternberg, Maxo, and Nala Sinephro.

I took a chance on Nala Sinephro from a friend’s recommendation as “a killer ambient artist,” which was enough to sell me. Although at my first Pitchfork Fest back in 2011, I caught ambient titan Tim Hecker on the Blue Stage, who played right around the golden hour while other, louder acts played on the mainstages, and I can’t say it was the perfect setting. Sinephro was much more than just drones, though; her band ran through spaced-out jazz and rhythmic electronic music as Sinephro alternated between harp and keyboards. It was a beautiful way to ease into day three, and I’m anxiously awaiting her new album in September.
– Logan Archer Mounts

Model/Actriz frontman Cole Haden started the band’s set by coming out, applying lipstick, then walking across the stage and posing with a purse before grabbing the mic. That was about all I saw before catching MUNA and Mannequin Pussy interviews on the side stage, which was a much chiller (and much needed) way to start the day on a relaxed note. 

From there, Jessica Pratt brought some of the prettiest vibes of the whole fest, with everyone in the band sitting, so it really felt like an intimate, laid-back show you’d catch in a backyard or a beer garden. “I look like a pallbearer,” Jessica Pratt slyly says into the mic, dressed in all black, practically melting under the hot mid-July sun. Fortunately, that heat didn’t stop her from delivering an intimate set that the crowd enjoyed with a hushed tone during the full hour, giving Pratt the space to clear out for her brilliant storytelling and gorgeous melodies.
– David Williams

Mannequin Pussy started a few minutes late and dealt with a couple of technical difficulties, but they are true rock stars and ran through their scheduled set exactly as intended. Missy is probably one of the best front people in music right now, dancing, posing, and strutting across the stage without missing a growl. At one point, Missy asked all the boys in the audience to raise their hands because she “wanted to see what kind of fucked up dude would go to a Mannequin Pussy Show” then asked us all to scream “pussy” as loud as they could and simply replied “pathetic” when it wasn’t loud enough. She then asked the entire crowd to scream the same thing simultaneously because everything’s better together, right? They played all the hits off this year’s I Got Heaven and slammed all their one-minute punk tracks back-to-back toward the end of the setlist for a full-throttle injection of adrenaline that kept the pit in constant motion. Simply one of the best. 

How many opportunities do you get to see a hip-hop pioneer live in the flesh? Grandmaster Flash is hip-hop’s Lewis and Clark, so this was a must-see set if only to see the face of the man who helped lay the groundwork for an entire genre. Grandmaster Flash was on DJ duty, spinning the 1s and 2s, keeping everyone’s energy up under the humid heat. Getting to hear the beat to “White Lines” live, one of the greatest straightedge anthems ever, was an absolute treat. Only second to Flash dropping in “Sweet Home Alabama” and then immediately shouting “FUCK A STATE TROOPER!” At the Visit Austin Interview stage, I got genuinely emotional listening to Flash talk about the birth of sampling and his “quick mix theory,” how he used to buy two copies of one record, mark them up with crayon to count how many times a record revolved with one beat loop, and switching between turntables to create the endless pattern. Also, he invented the turntable slipmat with the help of his seamstress mother because there was too much traction on his early decks for him to be able to do his scratching and backmasking. An absolute legend.
– Logan Archer Mounts

I generally think of MUNA as something not for me, but I’ll admit, watching the band bounce around the stage (and off each other) as the sun set was a pretty picturesque music festival experience. The songs started to blend together a bit toward the end of the set, but you know I had to show up and throw down for “Silk Chiffon.”

Care to witness a show based solely on chillwave vibes? Then look no further to the psychedelic rock group Crumb. Their song "AMAMA" was a personal favorite of mine, where it feels like you just get strapped in and feel the grooves from the jump. Whenever you see them, just know that they will have you swaying back and forth like one of those inflatable tubes you spot at random gas stations. 
– David Williams 

Les Savy Fav is exactly the type of band I want to see more of at Pitchfork. I grew up on 2000s indie rock, and even though Les Savy Fav wasn’t my most listened-to band of the time, I had always hoped they would get back out there after their hiatus began in the early 2010s. After an exhilarating performance on Riot Fest weekend in 2021, the NYC group brought the same energy back to Pitchfork, now on the heels of their excellent new album OUI, LSF. Like Model/Actriz earlier in the day, singer Tim Harrington spent most of the set in the audience, beginning minutes before the first note was even played by riding a Lime scooter around the crowd, then straight down the center to the barricade before jumping onto the stage. Harrington was covered in glitter with a neon-dyed hair/beard combo and a shirt that read “I’M JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE,” which was removed a few songs into the performance to reveal the same message scrawled onto his stomach. Whether they were playing their ten-week-old songs or their ten-year-old songs, Les Savy Fav was an uncontrollable ball of energy for the duration of their 45 minutes, raucously closing out the Blue Stage for the weekend. 
– Logan Archer Mounts

Brittany Howard brought electronic-infused funk rock to the Red Stage on Sunday night, going deep into her seemingly endless bag of skills. She quarterbacked the entire set, using each instrument at various points and playing each one with the confidence and panache you would expect from someone of her caliber. She pulled off an effortless and joyous performance that felt like the perfect soundtrack as the sun wound down to night. 
– David Williams

Finally, the inimitable Alanis Morissette closed out Sunday with a set that pulled heavily from Jagged Little Pill in addition to tracks from her entire repertoire, sometimes only playing a verse and a chorus of a song as a transition between two others. It felt theatrical, with potential inspiration from her Jagged Little Pill musical that’s been running the last few years. She had the crowd wrapped around the hand in her pocket the entire time; her voice is still absolutely unreal, and watching her close out such a fantastic and full weekend was special.

Summer BBQ Bangers Courtesy of Swim Into The Sound

The dog days of summer are officially here, which means for the next couple months, it’s time to make the most of the scorching temperatures and extensive sunlight; just don’t forget your sunscreen. The time is now to venture outdoors and embrace everything the summer has to offer, from outdoor festivals to walks around the park and ice cream excursions (save me a scoop of strawberry). 

Here at Swim HQ, we firmly believe the best part about summer is backyard barbecues with your friends and family. There’s something about that grill smell combined with the warm weather and people you love that brings the summer together better than the macaroni and cheese your favorite aunt cooks. There’s only one thing that separates an all-day rager from a total snooze fest. Can you guess what that is? No worries, I’ll just go ahead and tell you it’s all about the music. 

Music is the key component at any pool party, barbecue, or box social you have ever attended. The stakes get raised even higher during the summer because everything revolves around large gatherings of people outside trying to live their best lives in the heat. So, a perfectly curated playlist created by your own bare hands is the cherry on top of the sundae. 

There's no better feeling than seeing everyone bobbing their heads and strutting their stuff to songs you painstakingly sourced from your streaming services. Setting the party off with an immaculate playlist in America is the equivalent of being knighted in England. The only difference is that people across the pond get medals for their achievements. What laws must we pass to get trophies handed out to people who can turn a party out with their musical taste? Imagine showing up to a barbecue holding three trophies from your musical dalliances; talk about an icebreaker. 

I know what you're thinking: what makes for a good summer barbecue rock song? You can go a few different ways. The nostalgic approach is a surefire home run; go with a song everyone knows that brings back memories of yesteryear. Alternatively, uptempo pop-leaning rock is another genre that can't miss, music that is easy to digest while people are eating food that isn't so digestible. Lastly, if you want to show off your musical knowledge, sneak some underground bands into the playlist. What better feeling is there than seeing folks trying to Shazam the songs that you’re severing up off the queue? 

The only “BBQ don't” is to avoid any Nu Metal, and I say that from personal experience. Heed my warning: if you play even three Limp Bizkit songs, a gang of bros will magically appear like Beetlejuice, breaking glasses and stepping on furniture while wearing backward caps. Instant mood killer, trust me. 

Now that you know the rules of the game, it’s time to construct your playlist. Below, you will find some choice selects from our esteemed Swim Team. Feel free to use these songs as jumping-off points for your own backyard summer barbecue to set the vibes in the right direction and maybe even earn some bragging rights as a supreme music curator. 

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Nickelback – “Photograph”

Roadrunner

I personally guarantee that more than 75% of BBQ attendees will pretend not to know the lyrics to this song, but I posit that Nickelback is the ultimate summertime guilty pleasure. Despite pushing 20, “Photograph” still sounds like just as much of a hit single as it did when it was first released. Plus, the song is the perfect conduit for classic BBQ conversations like ‘Remember when we went and did that thing at that place?’ and ‘Hey, what do you think Blank is up to these days?’ With the benefit of hindsight and time, these middle-school-joke songs have now become dad-rock classics. And even though it’s incredibly indulgent, the song is self-aware, reminding us that memories are meant to push us forward, not trap us in the past. Bonus points for giving a Canadian cultural export airtime at the USA’s birthday party.

Braden Allmond - @braden.allmond

Oso Oso – “all of my love”

Yunahon Entertainment

It’s important to have a song at your BBQ with some quick claps in it. Clap-clap-clap. There’s a good chance your get-together will be made up of people you’ve met at various stages of your life, some of whom don’t really know each other. Giving everyone a chance to clap together will do a lot to build comradery/save you the headache of an awkward party. Not everyone will know this song, but because it’s short and very good, you can probably get away with playing it like five or six times over the course of a few hours; once repetition three hits, people should get what’s going on, and from there, you’re all set. Everyone will be clapping together (clap-clap-clap), laughing, and sharing stories; it’ll just be a good time. Getting a bunch of people together can be stressful, let “all of my love” do some of the heavy lifting so you can focus on the grill.  

Josh Ejnes - @joshejnes

XTC – “Summer’s Cauldron”

Virgin Records

Almost 40 years later, I’m still not sure why you’d release an album like XTC’s Skylarking in October. Beyond the sounds of bees and heavy humidity that open “Summer’s Cauldron,” the British band’s Todd Rundgren-produced masterpiece is essential dog days music. It might evoke walking through a wooded clearing at sunrise after taking mushrooms more than grilling brats, but it welcomes a warm weather mindset no matter when or where you’re listening. You don’t have to be lying in an English countryside field to appreciate “Summer’s Cauldron” — in fact, it proves just as potent out on the porch, soaking up Minnesota’s eclectic summertime. XTC’s dappled psychedelic pop shouts for the sun to join in the party, even while Andy Partridge sings of drowning “under mats of flower lava.” This is also how I would want to go.

Aly Eleanor - @purityolympics

D’Angelo – “Spanish Joint”

Virgin Records

D'angelo's Voodoo is a hot, thick, sweaty, and bright delight for all five of your senses. The album is peak summer for me, largely due to my association of it with the Texas heat I was enduring when I first heard Voodoo, but also because of how perfectly the drums ooze along with D'Angelo's sighs and cries. “Spanish Joint” falls on the bright and hot side of my earlier sensory evaluation. The song bounces through plumes of charcoal smoke and screened doors with ease and is sure to have everyone within earshot head-bobbing along. “Spanish Joint” is the open-toe shoe that is sure to fit your summer backyard BBQ, and if it isn't, then please don't invite me.

Kirby Kluth - @kirbykluth

Switchfoot – “Meant to Live”

Sony BMG

The pineapple is fresh off the grill, the jackfruit shredded and coated in sauce, and spirits are high. Suddenly, you hear it: the riff. Despite the arena rock energy of “Meant to Live’s” opening, vocalist Jon Foreman finds space between the larger-than-life instrumentation to softly tell of someone who feels as though the world is passing him by before building into a raucous, infectious plea of a chorus as he longs for something greater than merely drifting through life. Going into the bridge, Switchfoot briefly pulls the song towards a softer dynamic space as Foreman pleads for “more than the wars of our fathers.”

I take this song as a reminder that there’s so much work to do if we want to ensure we’re not fighting our parents’ wars and passing them down to future generations. It’s a call to action in the face of multiple genocides, civil rights being rapidly stripped away in America, and an election that seems as though it’s destined to make both of these issues worse no matter the outcome. I also take it as an invitation to remember that within the community that’s built and reinforced through the summer BBQ, we have managed to find part of the “so much more” that Foreman cries out for. The riff comes back. You get a second sandwich. After all, “we were meant to live.”

Noëlle Midnight - @noellemidnight

AC/DC - “Shot Down in Flames”

Leidseplein Presse B.V.

When in doubt, the Godfathers of Summer Barbecue Rock will never steer you wrong. You want something familiar and catchy when at a barbecue or party, especially in the summer. Something that casual music fans can latch on to for dear life and will get everyone to start tapping their feet uncontrollably. AC/DC checks off more boxes than an election form. From the chunky riffs, up-tempo music, and absolutely filthy guitar solos, they will have your party cooking with gasoline. “Highway to Hell” is the obvious choice here, but it’s incredibly too expected; that song has been played a kajillion plus 1 times to death. Instead, go with a song from the same album, “Shot Down in Flames,” it’s just as energetic and rowdy also, you still get that same jolt of electricity as “Highway to Hell,” but it feels light a slight flex by picking a deeper cut.

The good thing about AC/DC is that they have generational music, and Bon Scott’s raspy/high-pitched vocals pack a knockout punch that will scratch every itch in any generation. So fear not, kids today would be crushing hard seltzers all day under the scorching sun to this song. Say you’re with an older crowd, though, it’s an instant light bulb moment for them to reminisce about listening to them for the first time or hearing about how AC/DC was their soundtrack for all the youthful shenanigans they got into. Were your Mee Maw and Pop Pop rebels back in the day? Who knows? Let’s find out by putting on “Shot Down in Flames” to see what happens.

David Williams - @davidmwill89

Chicago – “Saturday in the Park”

Columbia Records

Few records are worthy of making the cut for a summer BBQ playlist, but anything by Chicago is a non-negotiable add. Maybe my love for the band is driven by nostalgia or maybe it’s my unabashed love of wearing socks with my Birks. Either way, “Saturday in the Park” is a guaranteed success for the backyard bash you’re planning. Robert Lamm and Peter Cetera’s smooth harmonies, backed by chipper drums and warm brass, are impossibly catchy - before you know it, the whole party will be singing along: “Saturday in the park / I think it was the Fourth of July.” Hot dogs sizzle on the grill, the Miller Lites in the cooler are icy cold, and your new neighbors Tom and Barb just arrived with potato salad in tow. You’re wearing the “Kiss the Chef” apron that your brother-in-law gifted you for Christmas (you pretended to hate it, but secretly, you’ve been dying to bust that bad boy out). Like Robert said, it’s “a real celebration, waiting for us all.” Cheers!

Britta Joseph - @brittajoes

Petey – “I Tried to Draw a Straight Line”

Terrible

From his raspy voice to his NASCAR enthusiast aesthetic, Petey feels like he belongs at a barbecue with a Miller Lite in a koozie. You look at his vintage tees and beaten-up hats and can instantly smell the charcoal lingering. While all of his 2023 album, USA, is ideal for flipping hot dogs, “I Tried to Draw a Straight Line” is the quintessential grilling song. On the surface, it’s charming background music with a dancey beat to which people nod their heads without even noticing. The lyrics are a stream of consciousness you can easily hear being spoken over the sound of sizzling beef. “Yeah, I’ve been kind of angry since the Kings lost to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.” These seemingly banal thoughts are interrupted by moments of sheer panic. “Why you looking at me like that? Are you wishing that I was dead? Am I making you feel uncool? Is it something that I said?” Later, he spirals as he goes from talking about tricks he learned in his childhood to wondering whether he deserves to one day be a parent. This is a millennial barbeque at its finest: Nathan’s Ballpark Franks, Boca Burgers, and existential crises. If no one has volunteered yet, I’ll bring some tomato salad. 

Lindsay Fickas - @lindsayfickas

The Menzingers – “Bad Catholics”

Epitaph Records

It could be the religious background, the Irish heritage, growing up as a suburban white kid raised on rock and roll, or my penchant for consuming more alcohol than I should. Whatever the reason, The Menzingers are a band that have resonated with me deeply ever since my best friend showed me their song “Midwestern States” back in our early college days. Not only are they one of the best millennial American rock bands of our time, but there is something about their sound and identity that bleeds classic rock vibes, Americana, drinking too much, hanging out with your buds, and causing trouble. Given those qualifications, it would not be out-of-place to hear one of their more sunny, easy-going tracks blaring out of a waterproof speaker in a millennial dude’s backyard somewhere in Anytown, USA on a sweltering summer day. While just about any track off their 2017 record After the Party could fit the bill, “Bad Catholics” has been on my summer playlists since it first graced my ears. The straightforward riffs, steady pre-chorus, and sunny, danceable hooks create the best environment for cracking open a cold one in a beach chair that’s one light breeze away from breaking in half. Lyrics describing a church picnic and children running around with “orange soda mustaches” further elevate the spirit of the season in this banger that, once you hear it, is sure to make its way onto your own BBQ playlists this summer. 

Ciara Rhiannon - @rhiannon_comma

MJ Lenderman – “You Have Bought Yourself A Boat”

Dear Life Records

“It's plain to me to see / You have bought yourself a boat.” Never before in the history of music have the stakes of an artist’s entire vibe been captured so accurately and so succinctly with the opening line of a song. With a charming North Carolina drawl and plenty of breezy twang, MJ Lenderman has been a staple of my summertime playlists for a few years running now. In fact, my love affair with Lenderman’s particular style of southern slacker rock ignited on July 4th of 2022 as I kept Boat Songs on a constant rotation throughout my entire four-day weekend while hanging on the Oregon Coast with my family. I came out the other side half hungover, buzzed on burgers, and with a newfound zeal for all things MJ. In the time since then, my adoration for his personable, everyman aura has only grown, amplified with each subsequent single and live album. While you might have thought I’d go with a more grill-based MJ song, the bright, summertime breeze of “You Have Bought Yourself A Boat” feels like the ultimate summation of feel-good grillin’. I’ll see y’all at the cookout.

Taylor Grimes - @GeorgeTaylorG

Funkadelic – “Can You Get To That”

Westbound

When I started to brainstorm a perfect BBQ song for this prompt, my shortlist borrowed heavily from my dad’s music library (he’s the one who got me into The Hold Steady and Wilco and Steely Dan). But only one of those songs was one that my grill-enthusiast father once asked me to play at his funeral. That’s right, when my dad no longer has a life (or rather, when life no longer has him), he wants to go out to the bluesy psych rock grooves and shimmering harmonies of Funkadelic’s “Can You Get To That” (Bonus points if you also add Sleigh Bells’ “Rill Rill,” a track that brilliantly interpolates Fubkadelic’s timeless melody into  futuristic electropop Americana.) This backstory might seem morbid, but at this point, I’m used to having the kind of parents who have no qualms about dropping their funeral requests into casual conversation. We only have so much time on this earth, so why not use it to grill some burgers? While you’re at it, why not throw on all of Maggot Brain in its mind-bending entirety?

Grace Robins-Somerville - @grace_roso