When it comes to music, 2024 has been pretty stellar so far. Though we’re only now approaching the halfway point for this annual journey around the sun, I felt these records deserved just a bit of added spotlight. Running the gamut from towering metal and blistering desert rock to back-alley noir jazz, modern lysergic pop and twisty-turny avant-garde, colossal synthscapes and the indescribable, it’s a smorgasbord for the years. Dig in!
1. Mdou Moctar – Funeral For Justice
I’ve been on the hype train for this group, led by guitarist/vocalist Mahamadou Souleymane (known professionally as Mdou Moctar) since early 2019, but that train is on a runaway track here in 2024. This most recent LP comes as close as possible to capturing this group’s absolutely blistering live sound. Frenetic but controlled, the high-octane guitar leads are supplemented by a rock-solid rhythm section (Mikey Coltun on bass and Souleymane Ibrahim on drums) that has to be heard to be believed. Ahmoudou Madassane’s rhythm guitar work is the glue that holds everything together, the sand through which Moctar weaves his insane path of blistering, high-flying desert rock. The vocals have taken the next step up as well, elevating the whole listening experience to a sublime trip through the desert on the back of an eagle. Cannot recommend this one enough.
2. High On Fire – Cometh the Storm
One of the very first heavy groups I got into back in the day after hearing 2004’s Blessed Black Wings (produced by the late Steve Albini), High On Fire has been a fixture for me throughout my various metal phases. I’m pleased to report that Cometh the Storm might well be my favorite record the trio (Matt Pike on vocals and guitar, Jeff Matz on bass, and Coady Willis on drums) has ever released, and certainly my personal favorite since Blessed Black Wings. Not that the intervening records were bad, it’s just the production on this one is so out of this world good, the texture so rich, the guitar slowed down and sludgy, with colossal breakdowns and thunderous drums and bass anchoring the whole trio, it’s just a towering inferno of sonic perfection. I have a hard time stopping this one once the first track starts up.
3. The Messthetics – The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis
Having seen this group live twice this year, let’s just get this out of the way up front: you simply need to see this group in person. Featuring Joe Lally and Brendan Canty of Fugazi on bass and drums, respectively, plus guitar wizard Anthony Pirog and jazz master James Brandon Lewis on saxophone, this is some of the funkiest jazz/rock/avant-garde music I’ve heard in a hot minute. From the slinky, nocturnal sway of “Boatly” to the whirlwind blast of “That Thang” and beyond, this quartet has an absolutely intoxicating sound that I just can’t stop listening to. I crave it like oxygen, I need it injected into my blood. Just outstanding.
4. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Of the Last Human Being
This is another group that I discovered about 20 years ago when I was just entering high school. I had never heard anything like it, and I’m still not sure there is another experience to equal SGM. Fusing outsider metal with homemade instruments, theatrical songs with a somewhat unsettling visual component, and presenting themselves as vaudevillian troubadours from a book of short horror stories, SGM has defined their own niche by remaining unclassifiable 20 years later. Fresh off their 13-year hiatus (the members remained busy with other projects), they roared back onto the scene with a new album, film, and full tour, and I finally got to take in the live SGM experience. It was everything I ever hoped it could be. From hushed whispers to full-on sonic bombardment, musical-style horn sections and Primus-style bass, Of the Last Human Being continues the SGM ethos. Every member of the band plays multiple instruments, many of them quite unorthodox and some one-of-a-kind. It’s a truly unforgettable concoction that will leave you speechless.
When it comes to jazz guitar, there is no shortage of talent, especially in this day and age, so for Mary Halvorson to have carved out such a distinctive niche for herself is truly impressive. Her Amaryllis ensemble (Halvorson on guitars, Jacob Garchik on trombone, Nick Dunston on double bass, Tomas Fujiwara on drums, Patricia Brennan on vibraphone, Adam O’Farrill on trumpet, with a guest spot from the one and only Laurie Anderson on violin) returns in terrific form here with Cloudward. Halvorson’s spindly guitar and unconventional composition style create a playground in which the group really runs away with the creativity. Spastic improvisation leads to sparse, delicate intertwining melodies of horns and strings, all anchored with the deft rhythm section providing a murky, amorphous underbelly. Multiple listens are quite rewarding, with new aspects revealed each time. Get this in your earballs, STAT.
6. Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats – Nell’ Ora Blu
Whew, what a left turn this was! For a group known for their towering riffs, bleak imagery, and heavy Black Sabbath worship, Nell’ Ora Blu is QUITE the departure! Recorded as the soundtrack to a fictional Giallo horror film, not only is the record much more stretched-out than your typical Uncle Acid LP, the tunes are quite a bit more meandering and patient as well. Rather than the standard riffage and solos (though those are still present, don’t worry), the tunes here delve into synth-drenched ambient passages, interludes with phone calls that I assume are meant to be dialogue from the (again, fictional) film that the music scores. If you’re looking for your usual Uncle Acid LP, this is not that, but it is a perfect example of how bands can push themselves and create something new and incredible without sacrificing their ethos. Repeat listens to this one really made me realize how warm and enveloping the sound is, particularly in low light with a candle burning, maybe some heavy color saturation going on the TV. Best for late nights spent with substances.
I first saw Crumb in 2019, and knew they would become a regular in my listening rotation. Their newest outing, AMAMA, continues their squishy, psychedelic pop sensibilities, with lead guitarist/vocalist Lila Ramani’s ghostly voice floating delicately in and out of dense, textural swirls from Jesse Brotter (bass, vocals), Bri Aronow (synthesizers, keyboard, saxophone) and Jonathan Gilad (drums). As per usual, the finished product is a delightful mélange of forlorn, wistful melody, sweeping cinematic grandeur, and the vibe of supreme chill that first turned me onto Crumb in the first place. Equally perfect for a rainy day on the bus or a sunny day in the garden, the versatility of a group like Crumb is something to behold, especially to meld it all together in such a cohesive package. Happy to see this group continuing their upward trajectory, they have such a cool sound and I hope for many more years of this type of aural serenity.
Like I said in the beginning, we’re only halfway through the year, and there are sure to be records released in the coming months that will blow my head clean off as well. Check back in towards the end of 2024 to see what tunes I’m obsessed with! Until then, happy listening!
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