ON REPEAT: Best of 2024
Even if you never read these, read this one!
I’m counting down 40 of my favorite songs from the past year. If you just want the playlist here it is, but be nice and read my plugs real quick:
This year had big ups and downs but I’ll mention the ups: I helped produce The Best Show (which enters it’s 25th year at a new earlier start time in 2025), I started a new monthly show in LA with Bridey Elliott (the next one is on January 22nd at Lyric Hyperion following Scott Thompson’s show) and I would be remiss to not do one final cheap plug for The John Gentle Show:
You can catch all the video episodes on YouTube or via podcast, with Broadway sensation Cole Escola, Jon Daly and Rachel Kaly. John also met SNL’s Sarah Squirm, the Hollywood Handbook boys and Tim Heidecker on Office Hours Live.
Also a quick shout-out to Vin Forte, who included The Special’s A Warlords Christmas in a rundown of great holiday television moments, which included Ike Ufomadu, Lloyd Kaufman, the woman from Terrifier who gets cut in half and Darren gets legitimately concussed in a headbutt battle with Weird Luke.
Geordie Greep “Holy Holy”
My song of the year! I’ve Portman-Braff’d it to people. I still haven’t listened to the full record because I just keep coming back to this one. I like this song in the same way I like a dish at a new favorite restaurant. I’ll eventually poke around the menu but right now, I want THAT DISH AGAIN.
What’s the deal…with this song? Immediately I was like “I don’t know if this is for me” but also I immediately wanted to listen to it again.
I’m pretty much fully unfamiliar with Geordie’s group Black Midi, I’ve sampled songs here and there and nothing caught for me. They’re “theatrical” and maybe a little bit “math-y” and yes, this is that kinda.
But here, there’s also like a Ian Dury or Pere Ubu or Was (Not Was) or even Destroyer element going on. Buster Poindexter? He kinda looks like James Chance. I don’t know, man. Definite post-punk but also jazzy disco but also salsa? And it’s from the point of view of like, a lonely and delusional drunk trying to talk himself up to a SOPHISTICATED TART.
Erika De Casier & They Hate Change “ice”
I could have picked one of many Erika De Casier songs this year for this list but settled on this one which was the first one from this new record. She remains one of my top favorite artists in music and evolved her Janet Jackson-esque sound by finding her Jermaine Dupri with Miami’s They Hate Change, making a good case for themselves in this music video’s Florida vs Denmark comparison.
Clairo “Juna”
You may have heard this song on a million TikToks already but it’s well-deserved! I texted my teenage niece about it.
I already liked the song before I saw this video, which is after my heart. Seriously, if you haven’t sampled your local 300-capacity indie wrestling show please do, it’s a great time, like a sweaty Medieval Times.
The bit where all the fans do the mouth trumpet thing? That’s like the perfect summation of how wrestling fans can be (also sometimes loud and dumb, okay), just watch this clip of a match between two invisible men.
Kendrick Lamar “Not Like Us”
The Kendrick vs Drake feud was so damn diabolical, and so hard to keep up with because of the very 2024 speed it escalated. As a longtime hater of Drake it was so fun to watch him get scorched with Euphoria, then dismembered with Meet The Grahams, then for everyone to dance on the ashes with the party song of the summer with some wild cover art. Here in LA, I heard it multiple times daily because it doubles as an anthem! Drake even released a response song that nobody cared about because he was already six feet under.
I’ve watched hour-long recaps of the feud, dissections of the symbolism in the video, video editor breakdowns and wonderful mashups of live reactions to the song:
It was such a treat to see the perfectly timed Forum show which had him do this song over and over, first as a tease with Dr. Dre, then the full thing, then the arena version of the red/blue bandanas tied together in front of a HUNGRY crowd and it felt like a real moment in time. He followed it up with an incredible album that I’m still digesting.
Magdalena Bay “Image”
This might be just my album of the year! I’m picking this song but the whole album is full of great pop jams.
Sofie Royer “I Forget I’m So Young”
One of my favorites of the year from Austria’s NTS darling Sofie Royer, thanks to a snippet I saw on Instagram that got me sent on a mission where I roped in a ton of people to determine what the church bells part reminded me of. (It was this.)
Marci “Stop”
I like TOPS but there’s something about Marci’s solo stuff that really catches me. One of my most-played songs of the year.
Kassie Krut “Reckless”
A fun jam from former members of Philly’s Palm, which serves as an introduction—I love songs that are like, “Hey we’re the Monkees!” I’ve seen comparisons to Water From Your Eyes and a cross between Liars and Sleigh Bells and yeah, correct.
JD Cliffe “BUSS YOUR HEAD”
We’re seeing the generation that grew up on early grime and Bloc Party emerge and it results in this, and as someone whose favorite records in high school included Silent Alarm and Run The Road Vol. 1 & 2, I love to see it. JD Cliffe is from London he’s invited much of London along with him to perform this in what looks like a public toilet. It’s so fucking infectious, I love it.
Mary Shelley “Goin To The Beach”
I already liked this song by NYC’s Mary Shelley, who just crashed at my house on tour with Gogol Bordello but seeing it live totally changed my already positive opinion for the better. An unbelieveably fun band with a great sense a humor and a Les Savy Fav-esque habit of climbing onto high things. They’re not afraid of a performance. FFO The B-52’s, Suburban Lawns, Devo, Talking Heads (particularly when they get cowpoke).
XiAOWANG “Stasii”
Didn’t expect one of my favorite punk songs of the year to come from Beijing of all places but here we are!
Kim Gordon “Bye Bye”
If I told you this song is a 71-year-old sorta rapping about packing a vibrator before a flight you might get an idea in your head what it might sound like. But this is Kim Gordon who is eternally cool and making music like nobody else over beats that sound like they come from a busted subwoofer.
It also reminded me of her conversation with LL Cool J from a 1989 Spin Magazine issue, that reads like a first contact between two alien species.
Yaya Bey & Exaktly “eric adams in the club”
Brookyln’s Yaya Bey made this forlorn club hit. I love the title (remember this?), nod in agreement with the little intro and the X-Files-y sound throughout.
Yaeji “Booboo”
My hometown hero (let’s say my hometown is Bushwick) and I love the 2nd half of the song where she incorporates a “Raingurl” sample while talking about how she wasn’t ready for the song to be such a hit back then. Special shout out to Yaeji’s Boiler Room set which has a great moment that flips the Wii music.
Shout out to my friend Chandler who is a regular in Yaeji vids, I sincerely hope you still have the code to my old apartment by Maria Hernandez and throw parties on the roof!
Mannequin Pussy “I Got Heaven”
YUP
Heartworms “May I Comply”
This music video is the Wednesday dance for grown-ups.
J.R.C.G. “Dogear”
Justin R. Cruz Gallego from Tacoma came from the city’s punk scene but has evolved his sound, signed to Sub Pop and delivered this Kraut-y post-punk record that I loved this year.
Doechii “Boiled Peanuts” / “Denial is a River”
One of my favorite artists of the year is earning respect from her most-admired peers, blending MF Doom weirdness, Nicki Minaj versatility, Missy Elliott creativity and seems destined for bigger things. This performance was immediately iconic.
Kenny Mason “JUMPIN IN”
I have to credit the Vanderslices (check out their guest list) for sparking my love for Atlanta’s Kenny Mason this year. This song flips a Love Apple sample and the video is relatable because I have also spent a lot of time waiting for food in Chinese takeout spots.
H31R & Semiratruth “Glass Ceiling”
H31R (pronounced heir) is the hip-hop/electronic duo of JWords (seen here making sick beats on the spot) and maassai. And they’re from…JERSEY, BABY.
Previous Industries “Showbiz”
An all-star trio of LA transplants via Chicago: Open Mike Eagle, Video Dave, and STILL RIFT. You really can’t go wrong with building a song around a Humpty Dance homage but nobody else would make it sound quite like this.
illuminati hotties “Can’t Be Still”
I was fortunate enough this year to get to book a number of my favorite acts on The Best Show and showcase them to a wider audience and this was one of them. This is a song that’s full of cool quirks and I could also see it being a big radio hit. Show it to your mom!!
Jessica Pratt “World on a String”
The folky stuff doesn’t always hit with me, and that’s a “me” problem but I love Jessica Pratt. Her music successfully achieves the hiraeth that lots of musicians aim for, and it’s one of my records of the year for sure.
The Marias “No One Noticed”
This band first band I’ve heard in a long time to hit the pop near-perfection of the Cardigans, so much so that I’m ok with them covering “Lovefool” live on tour.
Heize, DEAN & dj friz “And July”
Shout out to my friend Katie who made me a K-pop mix that led to my 2nd most-listened-to song of the year, according to the little Spotify thing. I was suprised to learn this fact but the song is so smooth and I’ve probably added a few listens since then. Good job you beautiful South Korean children.
BIBI “Bam Yang Gang” / “Sugar Rush”
I’m unfamiliar with BIBI’s place in the K-pop realm, I’m sure there’s some statistic that she’s actually bigger than Madonna twice or something. My love for either of these songs is fully related to the wide chasm between the two. These were released together as a single, and it’s perfect—one sounding like Margo Guryan and the other sounding like a lost Timbaland song from 2003.
Camila Cabello feat. Playboy Carti “I LUV IT”
Look, I probably don’t need to tell you who this is, but in case you’re old or something she’s very famous for broadly appealing songs like “Havana” and “Never Be The Same” that you either absorb via direct listen or osmosis, like in a bodega or H&M or something. But none have hit me quite like this one, which came with a chaotic Spring Breakers-y video made by CANADA, who made iconic music videos that made you feel simultaneously horny and scared. Speaking of…
charli xcx “Von Dutch”
I AM NOT IMMUNE.
Peggy Gou “Back To One”
house music all night long
Sam Akpro “Death By Entertainment”
Mellow but charging post-punk from Chicago’s Sam Akpro: “This song is about the numbing feeling of repeating the same day again and again, and how we entertain ourselves to death just to get through it – an easy cop-out from actually thinking or changing a situation.”
Vampire Weekend “Gen-X Cops”
I first heard this song on SNL! If that was my main source of music, you’d see a lot more Renee Rapp and Tate McRae on here. But it reminded me to not underestimate one of the few bands that have managed to successfully stick around for fifteen years.
bar italia “the only conscious being in the universe”
I continued my love of my favorite band from last year when they were spamming good records and I couldn’t keep up.
Astrid Sonne “Boost”
First listened to this one near the start of the year and it didn’t immediately catch me, but fast forward ten months and this one is a real low-key grower.
ketamine-shoppe “case file”
John Vanderslice is more known for great indie rock and his Tiny Telephone studio, but he has reinvented himself in the past several years with experimental sounds and techniques. I had the honor of opening up for John’s new project with James Riotto, the Pitchfork-approved and hard-to-Google Google Earth in their first show earlier this year, but it was this release that flew under my radar so much I didn’t realize it was him until I looked at the cover art.
SEES00000 “RAL2222”
With a name like that, I only see(so) great things. Would have booked on The Special just for the Steve Whalen jokes about the name.
Delores Galore “Calls For You”
One of my favorite discoveries of the year, I got to see her live and even got her and Sexxy Dexx on The Best Show.
Tems “Burning”
I like songs that sound like I maybe heard them on Vh1 in 2001.