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Alex Archibeque writesCHIRP Radio’s Best of 2024: Alex Archibeque
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After years of reading countless music blog "Best Of" lists, I figured I should give it a go! This was a great year for music in my opinion and there are many other albums that narrowly missed my list (see honorable mentions). Despite the number of quality albums, I do feel pretty good about where I landed. With that, here are my top albums of 2024! |
#1 Charm by Clairo (Self Released)
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#2 Imaginal Disk by Magdalena Bay (Mom+Pop)
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#3 Three by Four Tet (Text)
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#4 I Got Heaven by Mannequin Pussy (Epitaph)
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#5 Brat by Charlie xcx (Atlantic)
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#6 Manning Fireworks by MJ Lenderman (Anti)
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#7 Triple Seven by Wishy (Winspear)
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#8 Only God Was Above Us by Vampire Weekend (Columbia)
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#9 Tigers Blood by Waxahatchee (Anti)
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#10 Mahashmashana by Father John Misty (Sub Pop)
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Honorable MentionsFontaines DC, Floating Points, Nilufer Yanya, Caribou, The Smile, Diiv, Hovvdy, Kendrick Lamar |
Throughout December, 
My most listened to album of the year! To be honest, this album took a few spins to really grab onto me, but it still hasn’t let go - I still revisit this all the time. I love the production on this record. All of the instruments sound so organic and live to complement Claire’s breathy and delicate vocals. The mouth trumpet solo on Juna is also an unforgettable moment that had me singing (tooting?) along.
This was the album that kept me company the most during the bulk of my Chicago marathon training. Dense production, cosmic synths, and groovy bass-lines make this one stand out. Every track still feels fun and playful even on my (potentially) 50th listen.
Every year I have an album that I consider my “airplane album” of the year. Usually an instrumental album that sets a transitory mood that lets me space out while I play sudoku and solitaire on a flight. This album nailed the assignment with its melodic synths and natural-sounding drum programming.
“Mature”, “aggressive”, and “angry” are a few words I would use to describe this album. The songwriting is very tight with excellent melodies and simple structures. However, many tracks still make you want to open up a circle pit. Fun fact: I saw Mannequin Pussy open for Best Coast on March 11, 2020 aka the first official day of the pandemic in America (I got news that Tom Hanks got Covid and the NBA was shutdown all during the show).
I won’t write a ton on this one because it was inescapable. It truly was a brat summer.
MJ Lenderman had been gaining steam with his work on Boat Songs and with his other band Wednesday, but he really came into his own with this one. After all these years, catchy hooks, witty lyrics, and guitar solos are still all you need for a good time. I’m expecting MJ Lenderman to be a part of the indie rock conversation for a long time.
Many critics really focused on the shoegaze aspects of this band when I think that takes away from this band’s greatest strength: writing catchy pop rock songs. There was a time I listened to Love On The Outside about 10 times in a row this year and never got tired of it. That’s when you know you have a great song on your hands!
I think that Vampire Weekend may have the most successful career out of any indie band from the late 2000s at this point. Every album they put out is high quality and this is no exception. They are also one of the top live acts out there at the moment.
I always need a good country-leaning album each year to scratch a small Americana itch I tend to get. This Alvin did that for me with is perfect harmonies, pedal steel guitar, and banjo plucking. Also, seeing the album release show at the Empty Bottle was a top live music moment of the year for me.
FJM is back and sounding more like himself after his previous album that I wasn’t as fond of. Screamland is one of the best songs of the year.Next entry: CHIRP Radio’s Best of 2024: Craig Reptile
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