Best of 2024: Josh’s Favorite Albums, Reissues, Songs and Concerts

by josh keller · Published December 26, 2024 · Updated January 12, 2025

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Best Albums

An album that, despite the silly hype that surrounded it, lived up to every ounce of praise it got. A massive double album of rock and pop music that, despite its quintessential roots, remains uncategorizable. The content and music is expansive and boundary pushing while ensuring the music is the message. Every time I listened I wondered was this made this year or is it a lost classic garage rock album from the 50s remixed for our broken times?

Nala Sinephro – Endlessness

Over just two albums Sinephro has become one of my favorite current artists, blending jazz and glistening ambient to create records that I’ve found myself lost inside of more times than I can recall.

Water Damage – In E

An absolutely massive album of droning, overdriven guitars. Unlike the other albums on this list that try to entice you in with tranquil, peaceful repetition, Water Damage grab you by the throat and smash the repetition in your face, creating a dizzying, almost euphoric chaos. In addition to their latest LP that once again holds to their “one song per side of a vinyl” rule, they have been posting live concerts on their Bandcamp where you can hear their live improvisations that often last up to 45 delirious minutes.

The Anna Butterss triplet (I.E SML – Small Medium Large + Anna Butterss – Mighty Vertebrae + Jeff Parker and the ETA IVtet – The Way Out of Easy)

Cheating a bit, but jazz bassist Anna Butterss played on three of my most listened to albums this year, so by Butterss association with all three I’m combining them into one slot on my top 10. SML is more adventurous jazz/electronic, their solo album bridges the divide with a soulful jazzy pulse while Jeff Parker’s quartet is a monster that doesn’t seem to miss, showcased most recently on this amazing live LP from what had been a monthly residency in LA.

Mdou Moctor – Funeral for Justice

These guys just don’t miss. Not sure it expands dramatically from their previous works, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Cowboy Sadness — Select Jambient Works Vol. 1

When I first saw this band and album title I just hoped it didn’t suck because I loved the name so much. Luckily it’s really great, and one of the best guitar-based ambient albums I’ve heard in a bit. It’s pretty much as advertised…a chilled out record by a bunch of people who come from the indie/alternative/country world making 70 minutes of wistful ambient music.

Body Meta – Prayer in Dub

A firecracker of an album that brings together some big names from the experimental scene, creating an album that often feels like it’s just about to go off the rails, but somehow keeps chugging along. It might raise your blood pressure a bit, but who cares since everything else is so calm in the world right now, amirite?

Drew Gardner – Cygnus A

Gardner has made a name for himself as a rock guitarist par-excellence in pysch bands like Elkhorn, Jeffrey Alexander + The Heavy Lidders and Flowers in Space, but this solo album finds him using zither and mbira to create a warm blanket of a record that I never seemed to bore of throughout this year. Many naps on the couch were kicked off with this on the record player.

Basic – This is Basic

A couple of jammy guitarists (virtually) got together during COVID and made an album based on their love for a 1980s Robert Quine LP called BASIC. A risky proposition for a record, but it turned out aces. A taught, almost funky exploration of how guitar music can be weird and still have a groove.

Honorable Mention: Bill Orcutt – How to Rescue Things (late period Bill Orcutt is basically gospel for me, and this seems no different. It probably would be in top 10 if came out earlier before my list was basically done); Antenna – Antenna (my favorite EP of the year by the frontman for Royal Headache, my favorite band of the 2010s); Fling ii -2; Shane Parish – Repertoire ;Winged Wheel – Big Hotel

Best Reissues

Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru – Souvenirs

Beautiful, haunted music of piano and vocals that is somehow both brittle and a battering ram.

Alice Coltrane – The Carnegie Hall Concert

One of the all time greats at the tail end of her jazz phase with her legendary band at a legendary venue. Sublime.

Can – Live in Paris 1973

My favorite band of all time, with their classic lineup, at the peak of their powers? Yes please. It’s hard to believe these Can live albums have existed all these years and hadn’t been released.

Virtual Dreams II: Ambient Explorations In The House & Techno Age, Japan 1993-1999

A collection of songs to put on and then zone out to in the best way possible.

Bliss Out for Days

See directly above.

Lou Reed – Hudson River Wind Meditations

In the final years of his life, the legend who made such abrasive and challenging music made some eye-wateringly beautiful music to accompany his tai chi work. This album had been floating around but got a proper full release this year.

Ghana Special 2: Electronic Highlife & Afro Sounds In The Diaspora, 1980-93

A label and series that you can’t miss, hitting the mark again with a record of bangers.

Abdallah Oumbadougou – The Godfather of Tuareg Music – VOL. 1

I didn’t know him, and am not clear if he is actually the godfather of this now ascendent genre, but the album is great so who really cares?

Cosmic American Music: Motel California

There are holes in the LP, but overall it captures what I would say is the best of a genre that can very easily fall into annoying tropes. When it hits, you can almost feel the California sun on your face.

Best Local Albums