(generally, the best five songs not on the other two lists. Either new in 2024, or new to me. 2024 was such a bumper crop of good new music, that this year's list is 100% newly released songs.)
5. Kim Deal - Coast
from "Nobody Loves You More"
4AD, 11/2024
A new Kim Deal solo album. I haven't heard the whole album yet, but I want to. This song was released in advance of the new album, and it's really good.
I believe "Nobody Loves You More" was the last thing Steve Albini worked on before his untimely passing this past May. Albini's sound always surprises me because it's not always harsh noise-rock. He recorded Low and Bedhead, for goodness sakes. This recording has horns! But it clearly sounds really good.
This song was apparently inspired by a bad cover of Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville". Like him or hate him, you have to admit, that song is a vibe. This song is also a vibe-- not the same vibe as Margaritaville, maybe a mirror image.
Now, if somebody could just tell me what "Someone must've checked the WAM" means...
4. The Decemberists - Oh No!
From "As It Ever Was, So It Shall Be Again"
YABB Records, 06/2024
The Decemberists return with this fun ... uhh ... tango? foxtrot? whiskey? I'm not so up on my dance beats. Anyway, this song is certainly Decemberists. You almost need a thesaurus to decode the lyrics, but it's just a lot of fun. The new album is great, and there are several classic classic songs on there. This is one of them.
3. Mary Timony - Untame the Tiger
Title track of the album "Untame the Tiger"
Merge Records 02/2024
Sometimes the simple ones are the best. This song starts with 100 seconds of Mary Timony's usual alternate-tuning guitar playing a typically atmospheric, off-kilter Mary Timony melody. All of a sudden, the drums kick in with a 4/4 beat and the song turns into a simple, catchy I-IV-V pop song. The chorus is instrumental-- just a guitar hook. Super simple, and it works. Reminds me of "Hey Ya!".
2. Jack White - Archbishop Harold Holmes
From "No Name"
Third Man Records, 08/2024
Jack White should write a Broadway show. He's got the patter-song down cold. This stomper is from his new album No Name, which, in my (not very expert) opinion, is the best Jack White material since Get Behind Me Satan back in 2008. This whole album rocks hard, and this rapid-fire song is the best on there.
1. Sunny Day Real Estate - Novum Vetus
From Diary Live at London Bridge Studios
Sub Pop Records 05/2024
I sure didn't expect a new Sunny Day song in 2024. This album is... meh. Diary is a classic. Rerecording Diary produced an inferior copy. But THIS SONG.
So, this song was apparently started (or written) during the How It Feels sessions (circa '98), and it would fit well on that album. Live, it stretched out and breathed, and was a highlight of the show. This song is epic, sweeping, and beautiful. Doesn't overstay its 7 minutes. Long live Sunny Day. They have released 2 songs since 2000, but each song is worth 12 years of wait.
P.S. -- apparently, Novum Vetus rhymes with Diabeetus.
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