Alright, another great year of music is in the books. Below is my top songs playlist as well as some other random musical things that really did it for me this year. Feel free to leave a comment or reach out with anything else I should be listening to. Also, people always ask me if they can share this with others, the answer is YES.
I'll be following up with my Top 20 albums as soon as possible, so stay tuned. In the meantime, happy listening!
Top Songs of 2024
Head here for my Top Songs of 2024 playlist. It started at 100, but continues (and will continue...I consider this to be a living and breathing entity) to grow. These are in order as I ranked them, with my favorite songs appearing first. This is a deep list though with so many great releases this year. If you don’t like something, just skip to the next one. There’s plenty more to dive into!
P.S. HERE is the link to the playlist on Apple Music. Shout out to my cousin Lucas for making this happen!
Rising Stars of 2024 - Cardinals
Last year I included a blurb about the burgeoning indie scene in Chicago that included bands like Dehd, Friko, … and more. A couple of months later, the Chicago Sun Times wrote the same article, so, you heard it here first! This year, I’m giving a plug to Cork, Ireland band Cardinals. They’ve released a smattering of songs the past couple of years, and they RULE. Standouts “Unreal” and “Twist and Turn” made my year-end songs list. Keep an ear on these guys. Big things ahead!
Malcolm Gladwell/Paul Simon - Miracle and Wonder Audiobook
Last year, the Dissect podcast breakdown of Radiohead’s In Rainbows COMPLETELY BLEW MY MIND. It made me a better fan of music, a better fan of Radiohead, and a better musician myself. It’s still one of the coolest, most informative and inspiring things I’ve ever listened to.
This Paul Simon audiobook is right on par with that. In a way only he can, Gladwell dives into the career of one of our greatest songwriters ever. Along the way, he touches on what makes Simon tick, what makes him special, how he created some of the greatest songs and albums of all time, and how he still chases his muse by following his ear.
He also touches on some of the more controversial topics of Simon’s career (like traveling to South Africa during a genocide during the making of Graceland), adding new layers of justification and vindication from Simon’s perspective. It’s a spellbinding listen that made me well up with tears of joy multiple times. My only complaint is that I wish they did an even deeper dive on Simon's post S&G (not to be confused with S&G in Chicago) output. I need more! It's available on most streaming services, as well as for purchase on Gladwell's Pushkin site.
A quick non-musical sidenote - After seeing that Gladwell released a new book this year, Revenge of the Tipping Point, I went back and listened to The Tipping Point again and followed it up with a listen of the new one. Many of the original's key points about how epidemics work have only been further validated by the technology/social media boom since it was released (not to mention the pandemic), and the new one is a spellbinding sequel with new case studies that will blow your mind as only Gladwell can. I don't know if he's always right, but gee golly does he make a compelling case.
Wilco
Wilco didn’t release a new album this year, but did release an excellent EP with two of the most “Wilco” songs they’ve released this millennium (I know that’s only 24 years at this point, but it feels like it adds gravitas!). “Annihilation” sounds like a Summerteeth staple run through 30 years of Wilco decay, complete with skronky* guitars, a bubble gum lead line and pop melody, and a title about doom. That’s pretty much Wilco in a nutshell! “Say You Love Me” is another gem, especially given Mr. Tweedy’s wife's recent health struggles. It’s just a beautiful, yearning pop song.
*I thought I had made up the word “skronky,” but it turns out that it is a word and it means exactly what I wanted it to mean.
Neil Young/Crazy Horse - Early Daze
Neil Young released some of his earliest recordings with Crazy Horse today on an album called Early Daze. I've always heard that the earliest incarnation of the Horse was more of a collaborative leadership effort between Neil and Danny Whitten. Whitten had serious drug problems and Neil eventually kicked him out of the band during rehearsals for Harvest. He gave him $50 and a plane ticket from San Fran back to LA. Sadly, this sent Whitten onto a bender,and he OD'd the very next day (this was one of the inspirations for "The Needle and the Damage Done"). This tragedy, among others, sent Neil into a tailspin and led to his "Ditch Trilogy" albums after Harvest, which include the melancholy masterpieces Tonight's the Night and On the Beach.
This newest release showcases the duality of these two (Neil and Danny), who are both in lockstep on the guitar and their vocals. There are many songs where Whitten either takes the lead or is equal in the vocal mix to Neil, and it's incredible to hear. You also get some early sketches of future masterpieces like "Helpless" and "Down by the River," as well as the perfect "Cinnamon Girl," and the outstanding deep cut, "Winterlong." This is an excellent artifact of an incredibly rich time creatively for Neil.
Chris Stapleton Radio
Chris Stapleton is one of the latest artists to get their own channel on Sirius XM. It has immediately become one of my favorite channels on there. Beyond the amazing, eclectic music he plays on there (everything from soul, to funk, to classic country and rock, to modern day “outlaws”), the channel also delves into Stapleton’s catalog, his writing process, and his influences. It’s given me a new appreciation for him.
Unlike many of my favorite alt-country and “outlaw” artists, he’s more of a “mainstream” country artist, but that doesn’t diminish his talent. He’s a brilliant songwriter for himself and others, his early band, the Steeldrivers bring the bluegrass/folk blend. He can write a country pop song (“Traveller,” “Parachute,” “Starting Over”). He can also write songs as sad and thoughtful as Isbell (“Mountains of My Mind”, “What Am I Gonna Do”), and as epic and rocking as Skynard (his cover of Petty’s “I Should Have Known It,” and “White Horse” takes me back to peak Bon Jovi's 80's cowboy rock in the best way possible). He can also cover the hell out of country standards - his cover of “Tennessee Whiskey” is probably now THE standard of that song (with all due respect to Mr. Jones).
Favorite Live Albums
The War on Drugs - Live Drugs Again
The War on Drugs’ new live album was my favorite of the year. They had just released a live album a few years back, so I honestly wasn’t sure if the world needed another one this soon, but they proved me wrong. This band continues to find a new level. They may never surpass their “album of the decade” (in my mind at least), Lost in the Dream, but they continue to find new peaks live. The songs from their latest studio effort are incredible live as well, with "I Don't Live Here Anymore" somehow reaching the epic proportions of live staples "Under the Pressure" and "Red Eyes."
My Morning Jacket - MMJ Live Vol. 4: Terminal 5 - NYC - The Tennessee Fire 10/18/10
My Morning Jacket’s debut album is solid, but it sounds like a band in its infancy working with very limited production resources (which it is). There are some great songs on there as they are, and some others that sound like sketches. This live release, recorded just over 20 years after the album was released, is a band in full form and they have fully fleshed out every song in this collection. Songs like “War Begun,” “It’s About Twilight Now,” and “The Dark” now soar (I heard “War Begun” a couple of years back at a Red Rocks show and didn’t even recognize it in its epic jam form). The fact that they tack on some covers from this era that they shared earlier on a demo compilation make this time capsule even sweeter -Elton John’s “Rocket Man,” Erykah Badu’s “Tyrone,” “White Rabbit” and I know my buddy Paul is excited that they included a Rod Stewart cover of “Hot Legs” (WHAT?!?).
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Live from the Ryman, Vol. 2 - The new songs on this one make it worth the ride, as the latest iteration of the 400 Unit is starting to reach E Street levels of proportion. New songs like “King of Oklahoma,” “This Ain’t It,” and “Miles” (whose double-drummed assault is just incredible live), truly shine. A lot of the other selections leave something more to be desired though.
Concert of the Year - Sturgill Simpson, Lexington, KY
I usually don’t do a show of the year, or even rank shows. It’s just too hard. So many shows are tied to bigger experiences and connections with friends, which makes it impossible for me to quantify which experience might have been the “best.” This year, however, there was no doubt. While I was fortunate to share many great shows with many great people, nothing will top the 3 and half hour set we got from Sturgill and his band in Lexington. From their entrance (to the Bulls’ intro song Sirius) to the burn down the house version of “Call to Arms,” this show was an instant all-timer.
I didn’t fully appreciate it though until I was able to listen to it on repeat on nugs.net after purchasing it.* A three-and-a-half-hour career-spanning show with at least 10 covers was impossible to take it all in and comprehend it while it was happening. His devastating cover of "You Don't Miss Your Water" has been on repeat in my brain since this show. Stick with it for epic guitar solos, an epic sax solo, and a send-off at the end that will destroy you.
*I still don’t subscribe to nugs, I’ve considered it many times, but fear that it would hinder my constant search for new music; I’ve also done the math, and purchasing shows I’ve been to is more economical - for now - than a monthly subscription…that and their monthly free shows are usually enough to sate my appetite). Many people don’t know you can purchase any show on nugs for $10-$15 as soon as it’s posted, you just have to go to their desktop site to do so.
Stay tuned for my Top 20 albums of the year - coming soon!
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