My Vinyl Offering (Ken K’s) Top 25 Favorite Albums of 2024
I feel like I say this year after year. Actually, I know I do. 2024 was an outstanding year for new music. From rap to alternative to metal, I listened to many fantastic offerings.
These are my top 25 favorite albums of 2024. Favorite, not best. What gives me the right to claim something as “the best?” After all, I am but a lowly curmudgeon who sits in a dimly lit room rocking a coffee IV.
25] Radical Optimism by Dua Lipa (5/3, Warner) – Listen
24] Mantras by Katie Pruitt (4/5, Rounder Records) – Listen
23] Hit Me Hard and Soft by Billie Eilish (5/17, Darkroom) – Listen
22] Natura Duale by LungBurner (9/13, Electric Desert Records) – Listen
21] New World Depression by $uicideboy$ (6/14, G59) – Listen
20] Prelude to Ecstasy by The Last Dinner Party (2/2, Island) – Listen
19] Luck and Strange by David Gilmour (9/6, Sony) – Listen
18] Songs For A Nervous Planet by Tears for Fears (10/25, Concord) – Listen
17] All Born Screaming by St. Vincent (4/16, Total Pleasure) – Listen
16] Brat by Charlie XCX (6/7, Atlantic) – Listen
15] Sin Querencia by Immortal Bird (10/18, 20 Buck Spin) – Listen
14] Merciless by Body Count (11/22, Century Media Records) – Listen
13] Impossible Light by Uboa (6/28, The Flenser) – Listen
12] Hopiumforthemasses by Ministry (3/1, Nuclear Blast) – Listen
11] The Crying Out of Things by The Body (11/8, Thrill Jockey) – Listen
Maggot Mass – Pharmakon (10/4, Sacred Bones)
Pain. Margaret Chardiet expresses better than most.
Favorite track: Wither and Warp
Raw Blood Singing – Insect Ark (6/7, Debemur Morti Productions)
Insect Ark gets better with every release. Raw Blood Singing is the proof.
Favorite track: Youth Body Swayed
Orchards of a Futile Heaven – The Body & Dis Fig (2/23, Thrill Jockey)
The Body have collaborated with a multitude of artists, but one of the best is Dis Fig.
Favorite track: Dissent, Shame
The FORCE – LL Cool J (9/6, LL Cool J, Inc.)
With a career that spans 4 decades, LL has still got it. Check the rap with Eminem, “Murdergram Deux.”
Favorite track: Spirit of Cyrus
Tarantula Heart – Melvins (4/19, Ipecac Recordings)
Who starts an album with a 19:08 track? The goddamn Melvins, that’s who!
Favorite track: Pain Equals Funny
Favorite track: Pain Equals Funny
1 2 3 4 – Modern English (2/23, 4AD)
I saw Modern English live. They played their masterpiece After the Snow in its entirety. 1 2 3 4 is right up there as a close second.
Favorite track: Exploding
Songs of a Lost World – The Cure (11/1, Fiction)
The Cure’s best work since Disintegration.
Favorite track: Warsong
Ridiculous and Full of Blood – Julie Christmas (6/14, Red Crk)
A veteran of the music scene, Julie Christmas can do no wrong. And the more she sounds like Bjork, the more I love her music.
Favorite track: End of the World
Alligator Bites Never Heal – Doechii (8/30, Top Dawg/Capitol)
Doechii destroys on her third, and in my opinion, best full-length release to date. Nineteen short and sweet tracks without missing a beat.
Favorite track: Changes with every listen, but overall, it has to be Boiled Peanuts
Released on January 26, 2024, via Deathbomb Arc, my number one album of 2024 by a landslide is The Legend of ABM by Angry Blackmen.
The Legend of ABM by Angry Blackmen is an audacious and visceral plunge into the psyche of black masculinity, capitalism, and the dystopian shadows of contemporary America. Quentin Branch and Brian Warren, the duo behind Angry Blackmen, have crafted an album that is both a sonic assault and an introspective journey, making it one of the most compelling entries in the industrial hip-hop genre for the year.
From the onset, with the track “Stanley Kubrick,” the album sets a tone of cinematic grandeur mixed with raw aggression. The production by Formants is a noisy, glitchy landscape that mirrors the chaotic, often hostile environment the duo describes. The beats are not just background noise but characters in the narrative, embodying the tension and despair of the lyrics. Tracks like “FNA” and “GRIND” exemplify this with their bombastic, distortion-heavy sounds, offering a listening experience that’s as unsettling as it is exhilarating.
A reflection of personal strife and a broader commentary on systemic issues.
Lyrically, The Legend of ABM delves into personal narratives of depression, alcoholism, and survival, with Quentin Branch‘s battle with these issues being a central theme. “Dead Men Tell No Lies,” featuring Fatboi Sharif, is particularly poignant, weaving a tale of existential dread with a hauntingly industrial backdrop. The duo’s storytelling is both a reflection of personal strife and a broader commentary on systemic issues, making each track resonate on multiple levels.
What sets this album apart is its accessibility within the noise rap scene. While acts like Dälek or clipping can sometimes lean towards the esoteric, Angry Blackmen maintain a visceral, up-front approach that echoes the urgency of Chicago drill and the lyrical acrobatics of late 2000s Lil Wayne. This makes The Legend of ABM not just an album for fans of experimental hip-hop but for anyone looking for music that confronts the darker facets of life with unapologetic force.
The Legend of ABM is a testament to Angry Blackmen‘s evolution, blending intense, noisy beats with sharp, reflective lyrics. It’s an album that demands to be heard, not just for its sonic innovation but for its bold narrative on the black experience in America.
The Legend of ABM is available on vinyl from Fat Beats.
Label: Deathbomb Arc
Release date: January 26, 2024
