January 3, 2025

Good Morning. Hello. How are you? #1406

My favorite music in 2024, quantitatively ranked, no editorializing for the cool kids.

I listened to 543 new albums this year. Well, new to me. Maybe 50-60% were new in 2024. So let’s call it 300.

It’s a pain in the ass to make a best-of list and every year I find myself moving “cool” albums up or some other editorializing, catering to the kool kids.

So this year, we are letting math do it!

As I listen, I star tracks I like. I don’t pay a lot of attention to this, just: if a track moves me in any way, it gets a star.

Every record gets at least two listens.

The records that make this list had to be released in 2024. I was strict about this and there were a few great works in Dec 2023 that got left off, but, then, I never release a best-of list till the end of the year, so if it was any good, it woulda made the 2023 list, except that one wasn’t quantitative, it was qualitative, so maybe not. Here beginneth the fair rankings from this year on out.

There are three awards. If you want “the best of the best,” scroll down to the bottom.

The “Most Bangers” awards:

Minimum of six bangers, thus mostly albums. Ignores the total number of tracks on the record.

1. Abriction: Banshee - 9

2. Charlie XCX: Brat/Brat and it’s Completely Different - 9

3. julie: my anti-aircraft friend - 8

4. julia-sophie: forgive too slow - 8

5. Cassandra Jenkins: My Light, My Destroyer - 8

6. Einsturzende Neubauten: Rampen (apm: alien pop music) - 8

7. Mount Erie: Night Palace - 8

8. ior: ior - 7

9. Fun With Ether: A Dirty Kind of Clean - 7

10. Patrick Watson: Better in the Shade - 7

11. High Vis: Guided Tour - 7

12. Adrienne Lenker: Bright Future - 7

13. Crippling Alcoholism: With Love from a Padded Room - 7

14. FIDLAR: Surviving The Dream - 7

15. ALL HANDS_MAKE LIGHT: "Darling the Dawn" - 6

16. Daughter of the Vine: Mystic Valley Parkway - 6

17. The Cure: Songs of a Lost World - 6

18. Maria False: Artifact - 6

19. Habibi: Dreammachine - 6

20. claire rousay : Sentiment - 6

21. Fucked Up: Someday - 6

22. Griffin House: Flying Upside Down - 6

23. Japandroids: Fate & Alcohol - 6

24. Lo Moon: I Wish You Way More than Luck - 6

25. Mannequin Pussy: I Got Heaven - 6

26. Mo Dotti: Opaque - 6

27. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Wild God - 6

28. Velvet Graves: Damage Control - 6

29. Pileup: Creature - 6

30. Primal Scream: Come Ahead - 6

31. Fazer Daze: Soft Power - 6

32. John Grant: The Art of the Lie - 6

33. Loma: How WIll I Live Without a Body? - 6

34. Sepikka: Ei koskaan rakkaudella - 6

35. The Black Watch: The Morning Papers Have Given Us the Vapours - 6

36. Young Jesus: The Fool - 6

37. Fever Haze: Moonbow - 6

38. Sabrina Carpenter: Short & Sweet - 6

39. Chappell Roan: The Rise and Fall of a a Midwest

    Princess - 6

40. Kacey Musgraves: Deeper Well - 6

41. Dehd: Poetry - 6

42. Beyonce: Cowboy Carter - 6

The “All Killer No Filler” awards.

Most number of starred tracks, divided by total number of tracks. Singles and EPs are, thus, a bit more favored. But, if an album had advance singles that then became part of the album, it is counted only as an album. Unless I messed up, which is entirely possible since, despite at least 2 listens to everything here, a sizable chunk of these artists I have no recollection of. Also, I am convinced at least one of these is probably a fake Spotify-comissioned artist. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ There is an arbitrary cut-off at 50% killer-to-filler.

1. Cindy Lee: Diamond Jubilee received 1 out of 1 for a KTF ratio of 100.00%

2. ALL HANDS_MAKE LIGHT: "Darling the Dawn" - 6 out of 7 for a KTF ratio of 85.71%

3. Torres & Fruit Bats: A Decoration received 5 out of 6 for a KTF ratio of 83.33%

4. Wisp: Pandora received 5 out of 6 for a KTF ratio of 83.33%

5. julie: my anti-aircraft friend received 8 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 80.00%

6. julie-sophie: forgive too slow received 8 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 80.00%

7. Cerebrus Shoal: Homb received 4 out of 5 for a KTF ratio of 80.00%

8. Lucy Gaffney: Pitfalls received 4 out of 5 for a KTF ratio of 80.00%

9. Suki Waterhouse: Supersad received 4 out of 5 for a KTF ratio of 80.00%

10. Tarantel: From Bone to Satellite received 4 out of 5 for a KTF ratio of 80.00%

11. Daughter of the Vine: Mystic Valley Parkway received 6 out of 8 for a KTF ratio of 75.00%

12. The Cure: Songs of a Lost World received 6 out of 8 for a KTF ratio of 75.00%

13. Maria False: Artifact received 6 out of 8 for a KTF ratio of 75.00%

14. Seventh Cloud: Heirloom Locket received 3 out of 4 for a KTF ratio of 75.00%

15. Southmartin's Hard Bargain: Southmartin's Hard Bargain received 5 out of 7 for a KTF ratio of 71.43%

16. ior: ior received 7 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 70.00%

17. Fun With Ether: A Dirty Kind of Clean received 7 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 70.00%

18. Patrick Watson: Better in the Shade received 7 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 70.00%

19. Abriction: Banshee received 9 out of 13 for a KTF ratio of 69.23%

20. Habibi: Dreammachine received 6 out of 9 for a KTF ratio of 66.67%

21. Full Body 2: Infinity Signature received 4 out of 6 for a KTF ratio of 66.67%

22. Herr God & Chloe Gallardo: Grief and Country received 4 out of 6 for a KTF ratio of 66.67%

23. High Vis: Guided Tour received 7 out of 11 for a KTF ratio of 63.64%

24. Charlie Parr: Little Sun received 5 out of 8 for a KTF ratio of 62.50%

25. Mercury Rev: Born Horses received 5 out of 8 for a KTF ratio of 62.50%

26. Shallowater: There is a Well received 5 out of 8 for a KTF ratio of 62.50%

27. Slift: ILION received 5 out of 8 for a KTF ratio of 62.50%

28. Starflyer 59: Lust for Gold received 5 out of 8 for a KTF ratio of 62.50%

29. Whitelands: Night-bound Eyes are Blind to the Day received 5 out of 8 for a KTF ratio of 62.50%

30. Cassandra Jenkins: My Light, My Destroyer received 8 out of 13 for a KTF ratio of 61.54%

31. claire rousay : Sentiment received 6 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 60.00%

32. Fucked Up: Someday received  6 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 60.00%

33. Griffin House: Flying Upside Down received 6 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 60.00%

34. Japandroids: Fate & Alcohol received 6 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 60.00%

35. Lo Moon: I Wish You Way More than Luck received 6 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 60.00%

36. Mannequin Pussy: I Got Heaven received 6 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 60.00%

37. Mo Dotti: Opaque received 6 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 60.00%

38. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Wild God received 6 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 60.00%

39. Velvet Graves: Damage Control received 6 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 60.00%

40. Pileup: Creature received 6 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 60.00%

41. Primal Scream: Come Ahead received 6 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 60.00%

42. Sheherazaad: Qasr received 3 out of 5 for a KTF ratio of 60.00%

43. Adienne Lenker: Bright Future received 7 out of 12 for a KTF ratio of 58.33%

44. Crippling Alcoholism: With Love from a Padded Room received 7 out of 12 for a KTF ratio of 58.33%

45. The Body, Dis Fig: Orchards of a Futile Heaven received 4 out of 7 for a KTF ratio of 57.14%

46. Uboa: Impossible Light received 5 out of 9 for a KTF ratio of 55.56%

47. Wolfgang Press: A 2nd Shape received 5 out of 9 for a KTF ratio of 55.56%

48. Fazer Daze: Soft Power received 6 out of 11 for a KTF ratio of 54.55%

49. John Grant: The Art of the Lie received 6 out of 11 for a KTF ratio of 54.55%

50. Loma: How Will I Live Without a Body? received 6 out of 11 for a KTF ratio of 54.55%

51. Sepikka: Ei koskaan rakkaudella received 6 out of 11 for a KTF ratio of 54.55%

52. The Black Watch: The Morning Papers Have Given Us the Vapours received 6 out of 11 for a KTF ratio of 54.55%

53. Young Jesus: The Fool received 6 out of 11 for a KTF ratio of 54.55%

54. FIDLAR: Surviving The Dream received 7 out of 13 for a KTF ratio of 53.85%

55. Einsturzende Neubauten: Rampen (apm: alien pop music) received 8 out of 15 for a KTF ratio of 53.33%

56. Fever Haze: Moonbow received 6 out of 12 for a KTF ratio of 50.00%

57. Sabrina Carpenter: Short & Sweet received 6 out of 12 for a KTF ratio of 50.00%

58. Chelsea Wolfe: She Reaches Out to She Reaches out to She received 5 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 50.00%

59. Coldplay: Moon Music  received 5 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 50.00%

60. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings: Woodland received 5 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 50.00%

61. Julie Christmas: Ridiculous and Full of Blood received 5 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 50.00%

62. P;ano, Nicholas Krgovich and Kellarissa : ba ba ba received 5 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 50.00%

63. Thou: Umbilical received 5 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 50.00%

64. Wussy: Cincinatti Ohio received 5 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 50.00%

65. H6LLB6ND6R: Side A received 5 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 50.00%

66. The Sheila Divine: I am the Darkness We are the Light received 5 out of 10 for a KTF ratio of 50.00%

67. Cold Cave: Passion Depression received 4 out of 8 for a KTF ratio of 50.00%

68. Oranzi Pazuzu: Muuntauuja received 4 out of 8 for a KTF ratio of 50.00%

69. So Totally: Double Your Relaxation received 4 out of 8 for a KTF ratio of 50.00%

70. Spurv: Brefjaere received 4 out of 8 for a KTF ratio of 50.00%

71. Seefeel: Everything Squared received 3 out of 6 for a KTF ratio of 50.00%

The “Great Tunes, Great Producer” awards

Bands that made both lists, ranked. This looks like a pretty good approximation of my “top ten” (lot of ties) for the year, except the Cindy Lee album has managed to exempt itself. Also I would put the Mannequin Pussy higher and the Nick Cave and Primal Scream a bit lower, but, then, that is kind of the point of the exercise, to remove those biases.

This is also the only list wherein I am saying, for example, if there is a tie (of two) at first, and the third-ranked album gets second place, rather than third. It is inconsistent, I contain multitudes. And I wanted a “top-ten.” Even if it contains twenty albums.

1: julie: my anti-aircraft friend with a total rank of 10

1: julia-sophie: forgive too slow with a total rank of 10

2: ALL HANDS_MAKE LIGHT: "Darling the Dawn" with a total rank of 18

3: Abriction: Banshee with a total rank of 21

4: ior: ior with a total rank of 26

4: Fun With Ether: A Dirty Kind of Clean with a total rank of 26

4: Patrick Watson: Better in the Shane with a total rank of 26

5: Daughter of the Vine: Mystic Valley Parkway with a total rank of 28

5: The Cure: Songs of a Lost World with a total rank of 28

5: Maria False: Artifact with a total rank of 28

6: High Vis: Guided Tour with a total rank of 33

7: Cassandra Jenkins: My Light, My Destroyer with a total rank of 35

8: Habibi: Dreammachine with a total rank of 37

9: Torres & Fruit Bats: A Decoration with a total rank of 47

9: Wisp: Pandora with a total rank of 47

10: claire rousay : Sentiment with a total rank of 48

10: Fucked Up: Someday with a total rank of 48

10: Griffin House: Flying Upside Down with a total rank of 48

10: Japandroids: Fate & Alcohol with a total rank of 48

10: Lo Moon: I Wish You Way More than Luck with a total rank of 48

10: Mannequin Pussy: I Got Heaven with a total rank of 48

10: Mo Dotti: Opaque with a total rank of 48

10: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Wild God with a total rank of 48

10: Velvet Graves: Damage Control with a total rank of 48

10: Pileup: Creature with a total rank of 48

10: Primal Scream: Come Ahead with a total rank of 48

I would do a playlist but cmon man I made you like 300 playlists last year. BUT, the 2024 starred playlist, from whence I calculated these rankings, is below. Put it on shuffle. Can’t go wrong.

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Thanks for reading.

And hey! Maybe buy one of my books!

Good Morning, Hello, How Are You vol 1.

Agency: The definitive guide to starting a consultancy

The Economics of Star Trek

Man Nup: A Groom’s Guide to Heroic Wedding Planning