Welcome to my tenth annual blog picking my albums of the year. We have reached the halfway point of the decade which has seen the release of such great music from the independent scene. There were loads of great albums from the bigger / more established acts that are worth a mention and a respectful nod - The Cure, Ride, JAMC, Cast, E.M.F., James, The Black Crowes, Beth Gibbons, Bill Ryder Jones, Paul Molloy, Michael Head, The Lemon Twigs, Empire Of The Sun, Liam Bailey, Fontaines D.C. and Shed Seven’s two number one albums.
But on my tenth annual Album Of The Year blog I will focus on the best albums from the underground scene. All albums mentioned below are worth investing your time and money in and the ranking order is entirely my own opinion at this point in time. Read on to find out which albums I've rated as the best of 2024. And why not put on the embedded spotify or apple playlist whilst you read on featuring one track from each album.
#30 The Filthy Honey - The Filthy Honey
The Filthy Honey is something of an enigma wrapped in a mask - his name is Phill Honey from Oxford and this is his debut album. Electro pop/rock with intelligent lyrics and with 10 songs delivered in 29 minutes and it's a half hour well spent. Favourite songs are the opening trio Those Empty Words, Shoots You Sir!, and The State Of Me.
Social links: None I could find
Bandcamp: THE FILTHY HONEY | Quickfix Recordings (bandcamp.com)
#29 Lossline - Lossline
The third album from Manchester's Lossline is another collection of brilliant songs that generally start slow and quiet, build up and then get world weary again all within the traditional limits of a three minute pop song. Jen Dixon add her vocals to a duet on the bedsit lament of Prepopulated Page. My favourites are the trio of singles released on bandcamp, Date Night, I Can't See Past Monday, and Again - which has some of the greatest guitar riffs of the year.
Bandcamp: Music | Lossline (The album isn't available on bandcamp but can be found on the streams).
#28 The Howlers - What You've Got To Lose To Win It All
The Howlers' independent debut album made number 15 in the UK official charts and contains an impressive number of hit songs. Creating a imaginary world of South of the border indie desert rock to play in, The London band sure have some fun with the concept and I love the inclusion of the mariarchi band trumpets. My favourite songs are El Dorado, Nothing To Lose, and Take It Easy.
Social links Linktree
Bandcamp: What You've Got To Lose To Win It All | The Howlers (bandcamp.com)
#27 The Wesleys - The Wesleys
From Montreal, Quebec come a band known as The Wesleys who appeared on my radar when they released this groovy rock n roll record. The album harks back to the garage rock sound of The Strokes and the sharp guitars cut through the fuzzy feedback. There are nine great indie pop songs here and the whole album wraps up in 31 minutes leaving you wanting more. So play it again! Favourite songs are A Lot To Lose, Make It My Way and Better Believe It.
Social links Linktree
Bandcamp: The Wesleys | The Wesleys (bandcamp.com)
#26 Quivers - Oyster Cuts
The Australian band Quivers never disappoint. There's a mix of musical sytles on the Oyster Cuts album. But whether it's jangly guitars, new wave electro, grunge or a piano ballad there are always wonderful harmonies. My favourites are Never Be Lonely, Apparition and Fake Flowers.
Social links Linktree
Bandcamp: Oyster Cuts | Quivers (bandcamp.com)
#25 Specky Cult - A Different Kind Of Difficult
Second album from North East band is full of wise words and daftness from aging punks with an ear for a catchy chorus. My favourites are the internet overload of Pull The Plug, A Different Kind Of Difficult, and Big Shop which is fun to play when navigating supermarket aisles with your trolley.
Social links (if you can't pull the plug): Twitter Instagram Facebook Bluesky
#24 Wilding - Whatever I Am
As I recall this album was made by a British man who now lives in Melbourne, Australia. The musical influences are Blur circa Modern Life is Rubbish and Ian Dury and the Blockheads on opening track I Am. There are plenty of brilliant songs that will put a smile on your faceas you are transported back to the early Britpop days. My favourite songs here are He's Got Such Nasty Habits, Logical Steve and Here Comes Badger Jones.
Social links Linktree
Bandcamp: Whatever I Am | Wilding | Half A Cow Records (bandcamp.com)
#23 The Spase - Sleeplessness
The Widnes band are a trio of lifelong friends and they have released a wonderful third album in Sleeplessness. This is indie rock with half an eye on pop music. The song Sorry has the heartfelt vibe of a lost 1998 Manic Street Preachers covering R.E.M. I can also hear influences from The La's, The Beatles, and a healthuy dollop of Britpop. Favourite songs are Glue, Sorry, and We Are What We Say Yes To.
Bandcamp Sleeplessness | The Spase (bandcamp.com)
#22 Super 8 - Retro Metro
Super 8 tuned in and dropped out to the 1960's and The Beatles for inspiration on this album. Help era jangle, backbeats, harmonica solos, and super furry harmonies are the order of the day. Trip also gave me a rare interview on the DAFT POM SHOW MAY 2024 Favourite songs here include Keep Doing It (covered in Japenese on his latest EP), Take It From Me, and Every Word Is True.
Bandcamp: Retro Metro | SUPER 8 (bandcamp.com)
#21 The Umbrellas - Fairweather Friend
A San Francisco jangle pop band with dual male and female vocals, the occassional distortion pedal and very tight drumming. Fairweather Friend is their second album, ten short songs that leave you with a C86 smile on your face. Favourite songs Toe The Line, Gone, and P.M.
Social links Linktree
#20 Black Sonic Revolver - For Those In The Know
Growling and sneering Velvet Underground/BRMC style rock n roll from Manchester. For Those In The Know was released in August and has been on high rotation ever since in my headphones. Favourite songs include Thrill Of The Chase, Same As Yesterday, and album closer Another Way
Social links Twitter Instagram Facebook Bluesky
#19 Solar Eyes - Solar Eyes
A great album of grungy psychadelic glam rock songs from a Birmingham duo. It's like the JAMC wrote a space opera whilst off their nuts. Favourite songs include Alcatraz, Deep Trip, and the spacetti western Dreaming Of The Moon.
Social links: Linktree
Bandcamp: Solar Eyes | Solar Eyes (bandcamp.com)
#18 The Junior League - Our Broadcast Day
Fans of 80's R.E.M. will enjoy this fine collection of mature songs from Louisiana artist The Junior League. My favourite tracks are 1973 Nervous Breakdown, Let’s Hear It For The Dead & The Whisky Talking. Singer songwriter Joe Adragna has been releasing albums as the The Junior League since 2006 and Our Broadcast Day is at least his ninth album so there's plenty more to investigate if this catches your ear.
Bandcamp: Our Broadcast Day | The Junior League (bandcamp.com)
#17 The Nature Strip - Domesticated Beast
The Sydney band's fourth power pop album is a blast of fresh air in a stuffy world. The Nature Strip are planning to release this album on vinyl in early 2025 so keep an eye out for that release. For now it's on the streams and available digitally via Bandcamp. My favourite songs here are I Cannot Deny You, Wavelength, and Sixth Sense.
Social links Linktree
Bandcamp: Domesticated Beast | The Nature Strip
#16 Chime School - The Boy Who Ran The Paisley Hotel
The second album from California's Chime School evokes memories of late eighties and early nineties janglepop especially Teenage Fanclub. Whether happy or sad the songs are all warmly recieved and this is a gorgeous record with great songwriting and many a twelve-string guitar. Favourite songs include Give Your Heart Away, Wandering Song, and Desperate Days.
Bandcamp: The Boy Who Ran The Paisley Hotel | Chime School (bandcamp.com)
#15 Laurie Wright - We're Only Warming Up
Laurie Wright's second album kicks open the doors with a barnstorming folk punk rock anthem in the album's title. It's a statement of intent from the talented busking rock star and this album has improved on last year's debut Get On The End Of It. Several lyrics deal with Laurie's past experience of addiction and how he has overcome them with defiant songs. Favourite songs I'd Rather Be The Passenger, Who's Laughing Now, and It Was All Part Of The Plan.
Social links Twitter Instagram Facebook
Website: Laurie Wright | Welcome
#14 Lyon Tide - Asides
Opening with a crack of thunder and an acoustic guitar - Yesterday's Storm is a wonderful introduction to the third Lyon Tide album. It's been two years between the albums but many of the songs have been released as singles over the last twelve months and are now reunited on a strong collection of songs about love and losses. The piano ballad Justify builds to an orchestrtrated finale and then sevaral more robust guitar driven indie pop songs appear. This album arrived in November and at the time of writing my favourite songs are You Are My Movie, Clinging To Satellites and Life Support Machine. But each song has its merits and a summer-time vibe - which is timely for those of us in the southern hemisphere.
Social links: Twitter Instagram Bluesky
Bandcamp: Asides | Lyon Tide
#13 Feverjaw - These Times Of Trouble
Feverjaw's second album arrived three years after their debut All Bets Are Off and it is introduced by the ominous rock of This Will End In Blood. Singles Out of Havoc and Never More Than Now are both classic catchy Feverjaw grunge pop and contain the influences from the early Manics, Pixies and Smashing Pumpkins. Elsewhere Feverjaw use acoustic instruments, a cello, and my favourite song is where they explore the sonic boundaries telling a story in a 9 minute, multi-part song called In Ritual Clockwork. It's their Paranoid Android or Bohemian Rhapsody moment.
Bandcamp: These Times Of Trouble | Feverjaw (bandcamp.com)
#12 Joe Adhemar - Two Magpie Day
The 6th album from singer / songwriter & producer Joe Adhemar opens with an brooding orchestral instrumental followed by trademark Adhemar ivory tickling. The Ian Brown-esque 1934 rages against the current state of world politics and the perils of ignoring the warnings of history. Other topics covered on the album include mental health, fake streamers (we see you), a cheating Argentinian, and the toxic binfire that Twitter has become in 2024. This is a heavy album but one that demands your full attention with your best headphones as you can really hear the production snap, crackle and pop. Favourite songs include 1934, Oxygen Tank, and The Imposter. Joe Adhemar is the special guest on my December 2024 episode of the Daft Pom Show and talks about this new (and notable) album as selected by Bandcamp.
Social Links: Bluesky
Bandcamp: Two Magpie Day | Joe Adhemar
#11 The Stash Collective - The Tonic
Is it funk? jazz? trip hop? acid rock? chillout? reggae? soul? It's a bit of all and (forgive the cliche) a case where the sum is greater than the parts. It's pure groovy madness from Al Borg (of Moonlight Parade) and Rowan Chapman on their second album. My favourite songs here are The Lick, Never Satisfied, and Sunshine (featuring Michelle Luscombe). But play the whole thing and dig it, Man! If you want to hear more of the influences then follow Al's Mixcloud podcast called Kaleidoscope.
Social links: Twitter Instagram
Bandcamp: The Tonic | The Stash Collective (bandcamp.com)
#10 Scott Lavene - Disneyland In Dagenham
The excellent singer songwriter Scott Lavene released his third album this year. He has a knack of taking about his past and everyday mundane situations and making it funny and set to very Wonky Pop TM. There 's a mixture of Ian Dury and Jarvis Cocker humour on display on most songs and there's so many little details to soak up that it rewards repeated listening. My favourites include Sadly I'm Not Steve McQueen, Disneyland in Dagenham and Debbie.
Social links Linktree
Bandcamp: Disneyland In Dagenham | Scott Lavene (bandcamp.com)
#9 October Drift - Blame The Young
An indie rock band on their third album who I somehow missed until this year. In fact until writing this blog I thought this was their debut album. So we've established I'm no authority on the band but they seems to be doing very well without my personal patronage. Great anthemic rock music. My favourites are Tyrannosaurus Wreck, Blame The Young, and Wallflower.
Social links Twitter
Website: octoberdrift.os.fan
#8 Arcade State - Life Is Not Linear
Released under the name Arcade State but the Glasgow band are now known as The Painting. In 2024 emotional rock didn't get more emotional (or more rock) than the Life Is Not Linear album. The lyrics draw you in and the alt rock comes crashing down on you like a tidal wave like a force of nature that sweeps you up in its path and carries you away. Powerful stuff indeed and I haven't even mentioned the vocals yet. Have now. Favourite songs include Nothing But War, Thunderstatement and The Barrens.
#7 Bryan's Magic Tears - Smoke and Mirrors
Imagine a French Kasabian covering Dig Your Own Hole and Screamadelica and your in the psychadelic ballpark. Groovy, hynotic with hints of Jean-Michel Jarre, JAMC, Ride, and The Stone Roses with an acidic house aftertaste. This is the fourth album from Bryan's Magic Tears but it's new to me and the influences mentioned above should excite you to take a chance on this outstanding album. Favourite songs include Stalker, Steam Roller, and Beauty And The Beat.
Social links: Instagram Facebook
Bandcamp: Smoke and Mirrors | BRYAN'S MAGIC TEARS
#6 Small Black Arrows - The British Museum
A Welsh Mancunian duo signed to 42's Records have released their brilliant debut album which interspaces the songs an electronic museum currator audio tourguide and cut up technology juxtaposing the ancient with the modern. (I think that's the first time I've written Juxtaposing - Thanks SFA). The songs are often sad downbeat and beautiful with my standout songs being Voices In The Static, Cherophobia & Trojan Horse.
Social links Twitter Instagram Facebook
Website: The British Museum (LP) OUT NOW (lnk.to)
#5 Hightown Pirates - Welcome To Wilderness Hill
The third album from Simon Mason after his move to Margate continues the Hightown Pirates adventures following on from 2017s Dry & High & 2020s All Of The Above. Welcome To Wilderness Hill is a snapshot of the state of the UK with dry wit, poetic lyrics, and observations on the state of the country set to the Hightown Pirates brand of swinging and swaggering rock n roll. There are songs about immigration, post Brexit, angry men, religious intolerance, futility and Simon's personal reflections on his past. It's a brilliant album which deals with some heavy topics and paints a dark picture of England in the 2020s. The music is wonderful and the biting lyrics usually lighten the mood with a wicked grin. My favourite songs are A Winter's Tale, Roses and Dust.
Social links Linktree
Bandcamp: Welcome to Wilderness Hill. (Album 2024) | Hightown Pirates (bandcamp.com)
#4 Amelia Coburn - Between The Moon and The Milkman
Amelia's Coburn's debut album was produced by Bill Ryder Jones, who has had a preety good year himself. This album includes re-recordings of some singles that have appeared over the last four years alongside plenty of new material. The mixture of folk, pop and rock songs show many facits of Amelia's influences and her wonderful vocals are the main attraction here. It is a very strong album and I'm finding it hard to pick three favourites as I have seven contenders. Nodding Dog has a real Nick Drake - Bryter Layter feel to it . See Saw has a spooky 60's hypnotic spell and Sleepy Town, which is livlier than it suggests showcases Amelia's brilliant songwriting, performance and humour. And don't just take my word for it, Paul Weller has also picked Between The Moon and The Milkman as one of his favourite albums of the year as well!
Social links Linktree
Bandcamp: Between The Moon and The Milkman | Amelia Coburn (bandcamp.com)
#3 The Heavy North - Fire In The Furnace
The Heavy North's live album Fire In The Furnace is the best live album of the decade. It captures the thrilling sound of a great blues rock band at the top of their game performing a setlist that many larger bands would kill for. A hometown gig with choral and orchestral augmentation it elevates things to the next level and the audience of fans can be heard lapping it up and singing along. The band have only released two full studio albums and this 21 track live recording is a magnificent slice of concert history with the strut and swagger of The Rolling Stones embodied in a Twenty First Century Merseyside rock band. They even cover Gimmee Shelter - what more could you ask for?
Social links Twitter Instagram Facebook Bluesky
Website: Home - The Heavy North | Official Website & Online Store
#2 Moonlight Parade - Stranger Times
Moonlight Parade make what apperas to be effectlessly cool melodic music that sinks into your soul and after a few plays you feel like these songs have been with you all your life. That's some neat trick, and I'm sure it takes a great deal of effort to create music that sounds effortless. Every note and sound has it's place and the use of the space in between gives the songs breathing room and let's the mind wander. I'm not sure if that makes sense but it's been hard to describe why the experience of playing these songs are so familiar and nostalgic. Stranger Times is the fourth album from the Worthing band and they haven't put a step wrong here. Get the vinyl from their website link below. Favourite songs include Strange Times, Better Days, and Themes Of The Past.
Social links Twitter Facebook Instagram Bluesky
Website: Moonlight Parade Website
#1 The Shop Window - Daysdream
It's the third album from The Shop Window and they made it a 16 track double album of Janglepop and Shoegaze which they have dubbed the genre Janglegaze. With the Shoppies members spread accross the country and Carl and Katt now working on the Shapes Like People album - is this the final release from The Shop Window? Who can say - either way it's a perfect record and they have dominated my album of the year lists between 2021-2024. At the time of writing there are deals on the vinyl over on bandcamp. Favourite songs include Made In Heaven, Miracles, and It's A High. I've already reviewed the album in detail at the link below if you want a deeper dive, but in summary Daysdream is an amazing record that will stand the test of time. It's probably the best Janglegaze album in the world...ever.
Full Review Old Indie Kid: The Shop Window - Daysdream - Album Review
Bandcamp: Daysdream | The Shop Window (bandcamp.com)
My previous Album Of The Year blogs
Old Indie Kid: Albums of the Year 2020
Old Indie Kid: Albums of the Year 2019
Old Indie Kid: Albums of the Year 2018
Old Indie Kid: Albums of the Year 2017
Old Indie Kid: Albums of the Year 2016
Old Indie Kid: Albums of the Year 2015