Good morning! Welcome to the last discussion thread of 2024! ! Looking for a place to share the music you love with like-minded people? You’re in the right spot.
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On to the music:
For those of you who are new, we kick off every week by sharing what we’ve been playing.
The playlist below is some of what I’ve had in heavy rotation:
Curious what the first playlist of 2024 had on it? I got you covered.Click here.
Now it’s your turn.
What caught your ear this week? Get any records over the holidays? Any upcoming releases or shows you’re excited about?
After seeing them on soooo many Best of 2024 lists, I’ve listened to both MJ Lenderman’s Manning Fireworks and Tiger’s Bood by Waxahatchee this week. Both are great albums!
I'm trying to catch up on my backlist of music to check out, a lot from Substack recommendations. And I still have my Grammy nom list to get to. But an artist I've recently listened to and will go on to buy her CDs is Nubya Garcia. She released her fourth album this year. She's in her own unclassifiable category--an original amalgam of styles and genres. She's now on my automatic buy list. Worth checking out.
Really surprised by how much I enjoyed the Public Service Broadcasting track on your playlist. I feel a little in music limbo at the moment so I enjoyed putting that on. Thank you.
I’ve been playing a lot of my favourites from the year this month. Engines of Honey by Bull, Faith Crisis Pt 1 by Middle Kids and 9 Sad Symphonies by Kate Nash are my stand outs. I’ve been catching up with a lot of good stuff from other people’s year end lists too. I enjoyed Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot by Liquid Mike from Mallie’s top 50 countdown and I’m a bit in love with Woodland by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings which was a late entry into my favourite albums of the year.
It was another week of getting obsessed with songs from Shrinking. Coastline by Hollow Coves and Looking too Closely by Fink were the last two songs in the episode (season finale and it totally wrecked me). Never heard of either band, but have listened to these songs soooo many times this week.
I didn't even start the first season until the start of November. It quickly became a favorite, but I did try to dole out the episodes to prolong the experience.
I'm glad you liked 'em! Old Moon is one of those artists that every once in awhile will just drop a record and the only way you'd ever know is because bandcamp sent you a notification.
I went vinyl hunting over Christmas and came back with Usher, Sade, Queen, Harry Styles and Lynyrd Skynyrd 😂 WTF, I said to myself... but I then quickly changed it to WTFN 😊
I love beat poets like Gil Scott-Heron so I'm always listening for new ones. Kae Tempest has lots to say about corporate consumerism, but I'm not going to let that spoil my Merry Materialmas. https://ytubl.ink/3CfR
A best of 2024 kinda selection... Some great Australian reissues/box sets from The Triffids, Go-Betweens, The Saints and The Scientists plus a new live album from The Stems. Couldn't have been a much better year! Pavement's Cautionary Tales 7" box set was expensive but always landing in my collection.... The rest... well, Lambrini Girls, Itchy and The Nits, Kid Congo, Chimers, Frenzee, Dead Witch... all great new releases. Special mentions to Judy and The Jerks and Chelsea Wolfe for consistently outstanding album releases. I grabbed a very expensive copy of Norma Tanega's album and finally the Hillbillies n Hell comps are always entertaining. Enjoy!
My week was all about holiday music as we decided to keep it rolling until Jan. 1 this year. With most of our holiday traditions wiped out by our move, it felt good to keep the holiday spirit alive with music.
The one exception was Dylan. A former bandmate saw the Dylan movie (he gave it a 👍) which led another former bandmate to point me to the Dylan bootleg series with the multiple takes that show the evolution of Like A Rolling Stone. It's fascinating! Start here and go forward:
Not a Monday is it? Oh well, I'm welcoming in 2025 with The Style Council's 'Walls Come Tumbling Down': 'Lights go out, the systems fall, cause unity is powerful...' Happy New Year, folks :)
For Your Eyes Only - Sheena Easton
The new Royksopp ambient album is a great place to escape for a couple of hours
That sounds cool. Enjoy :)
After seeing them on soooo many Best of 2024 lists, I’ve listened to both MJ Lenderman’s Manning Fireworks and Tiger’s Bood by Waxahatchee this week. Both are great albums!
Having just gotten my Best of 2024 up with over 90 records in it -- https://3albums6oldguys.substack.com/p/oh-my-stars-og-brads-favorites-of -- am still mostly focused on those, including mainly Heems (https://heems.bandcamp.com/album/lafandar) and Naima Bock (https://naimabock.bandcamp.com/album/below-a-massive-dark-land). But also spending a lot of time still with Spiral XP (https://spiralxp.bandcamp.com/album/i-wish-i-was-a-rat) and DC's Flowers for the Dead (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XldPWYK8q8).
Will also say have been focused on a number of releases from across Africa, mainly reissues, but some new stuff as well. The Albarika Store's comp with incredible stuff from Benin (https://albarikastore.bandcamp.com/album/the-albarika-story), a total (and massive) gem from Analog Africa covering DR Congo and Congo-Brazzaville (https://analogafrica.bandcamp.com/album/congo-funk-sound-madness-from-the-shores-of-the-mighty-congo-river-kinshasa-brazzaville-1969-1982-analog-africa-no-38) , and a cool Malian classic from the early 70s called the Rail Band (https://mississippirecords.bandcamp.com/album/rail-band)
A list with names I don't recognize - oh no, more good music incoming. Thanks! Meanwhile...
NEW & SHINY:
* Whirr 'Raw Blue'
POLISHED GEMS:
* Varnaline 'Sweet Life'
* Fire Engines 'Chrome Dawns'
* Hopewell 'The Curved Glass'
* Flaming Lips 'In A Priest Driven Ambulance'
Plus listened to lots of my favorites from 2024 - Making a list & checking it twice.
I'm trying to catch up on my backlist of music to check out, a lot from Substack recommendations. And I still have my Grammy nom list to get to. But an artist I've recently listened to and will go on to buy her CDs is Nubya Garcia. She released her fourth album this year. She's in her own unclassifiable category--an original amalgam of styles and genres. She's now on my automatic buy list. Worth checking out.
her latest album is just great.
Really surprised by how much I enjoyed the Public Service Broadcasting track on your playlist. I feel a little in music limbo at the moment so I enjoyed putting that on. Thank you.
I’ve been playing a lot of my favourites from the year this month. Engines of Honey by Bull, Faith Crisis Pt 1 by Middle Kids and 9 Sad Symphonies by Kate Nash are my stand outs. I’ve been catching up with a lot of good stuff from other people’s year end lists too. I enjoyed Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot by Liquid Mike from Mallie’s top 50 countdown and I’m a bit in love with Woodland by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings which was a late entry into my favourite albums of the year.
https://open.spotify.com/album/1nrQDucPS1W1XLLaPGhmAI?si=HcpzpayXRg2KsyBBcMjaDQ
Woodland made my favorite 2024 list as well.
Ooh! What are your other picks?
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4zNmcmNcsMF8AqSzC7QFk7?si=898d35add8584fef
Nice! Thank you. I don’t think I’ve ever been confronted by a 64 hour playlist before! 😂
You need to look at my other play lists…Many are much longer than this. Yes I am addicted to music.
It's a good vice to have!
I'm glad you liked it! I was one of those kids that used to stare up at the sky and wonder "what if?" Their music really hits that spot with me.
I'm putting together a playlist of "Spanglish' songs - songs w/both Spanish and English in them. Any suggestions?
La Isla Bonita by Madonna
Smooth by Rob Thomas and Santana
Maria Maria by Santana
Nice. Santana is like the king of this.
Yes lol! I’m sure you can find a lot in his catalog!
Anything by La Santa Cecilia
Nice, checking them out next!
Not sure if this qualifies - https://youtu.be/Ll1IEOQ906c?feature=shared
Do they ever blend any English in? I'm looking specifically for songs with both.
The Clash 'Spanish Bombs' and/or 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go' -Valens or Los Lobos 'La Bamba' & 'Hombre Secreto' by The Plugz
Apologies, 'Hombre Secreto' is only Spanish. For some reason I thought it was Spanglish. Oops
NP - keep 'em coming! I appreciate it. Listening to Spanish Bombs now.
Pam Tillis' Mi Vida Loca (which has long been my anthem...)
https://open.spotify.com/track/2ltEaKIjUJNlz3jSezRvUC?si=710ad2616ac24be0
I kind of also want to suggest Carmelita (Warren Zevon/Linda Ronstadt), even though there's not much Spanish in it, per se.
Any reason to include a little Zevon and/or Ronstadt is a good one.
Oh, and here's a Fab track--
https://open.spotify.com/track/2yRHcIxk1tQp2Yb4CiCnxT?si=143bd700d296439b
Los Lobos - Mas Y Mas
It was another week of getting obsessed with songs from Shrinking. Coastline by Hollow Coves and Looking too Closely by Fink were the last two songs in the episode (season finale and it totally wrecked me). Never heard of either band, but have listened to these songs soooo many times this week.
Man, that season finale was something else!
Yes! I had to watch it again today. Still just wrecks me!! Such a fantastic show!
I didn't even start the first season until the start of November. It quickly became a favorite, but I did try to dole out the episodes to prolong the experience.
Good Morning and Happy New Year from the Left Coast.
I am currently overwhelmed with new music from all the substack best of 24 lists.
Here is what has been in my ears this week.
1. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1knJSMzp6SWo8aUh3W2hVo?si=871506caf3a2469c
2. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/71PrDfTT9eNSnK4nHDJCqx?si=944a01a87e224e4e
3. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/74TscZHcNYk646TV6ZiUGL?si=aa7c350cdfb54f2c
Peter Gabriel’s “Biko”
That song often makes me cry; especially when I play it loud, alone, and in a dark room.
Yes. Tears for sure.
Wow - Didn't know Old Moon or Apollo Ghosts but already loving both of them.
I'm glad you liked 'em! Old Moon is one of those artists that every once in awhile will just drop a record and the only way you'd ever know is because bandcamp sent you a notification.
this one is bending my eardrums lately
https://open.spotify.com/track/1wwKY8ICsV9wiCFMpdhPrr?si=7d914e62af954684
I'm paying a bunch of property taxes and insurance as I write this so I've found the appropriate playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX15JKV0q7shD?si=dd290d23cb474f9b
and as the old saying goes....Easy Come, Easy Go https://open.spotify.com/track/0hqXlHVE94CTwXXWRdikbY?si=ed89dabecb884ff5
Just paid mine too, and well, this was relatable.
So cool to see some Isley Brothers on there!
I went vinyl hunting over Christmas and came back with Usher, Sade, Queen, Harry Styles and Lynyrd Skynyrd 😂 WTF, I said to myself... but I then quickly changed it to WTFN 😊
That's a good haul!
I love beat poets like Gil Scott-Heron so I'm always listening for new ones. Kae Tempest has lots to say about corporate consumerism, but I'm not going to let that spoil my Merry Materialmas. https://ytubl.ink/3CfR
Only just realised Childish Gambino released not one, but TWO albums this year. The first, Atavista, had me in a trance on the bus to work.
Kinks and Kristofferson were the highlights this week.
good combo
That's my kninda combo!
A best of 2024 kinda selection... Some great Australian reissues/box sets from The Triffids, Go-Betweens, The Saints and The Scientists plus a new live album from The Stems. Couldn't have been a much better year! Pavement's Cautionary Tales 7" box set was expensive but always landing in my collection.... The rest... well, Lambrini Girls, Itchy and The Nits, Kid Congo, Chimers, Frenzee, Dead Witch... all great new releases. Special mentions to Judy and The Jerks and Chelsea Wolfe for consistently outstanding album releases. I grabbed a very expensive copy of Norma Tanega's album and finally the Hillbillies n Hell comps are always entertaining. Enjoy!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/599AWNid2Bt95jzU7aAioa?si=a7d88e7baa3c47cd
I've spent my time since Christmas relistening to 2024 releases so I could get my Top 25 in order. Read about it here if you're interested: https://open.substack.com/pub/shooflypie/p/favorite-music-2024?r=4iw9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Thanks for sharing this here! For anyone scrolling the comments, this is a killer list.
Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells.
Dream Theater, Metropolis 2: Scenes from a Memory.
Porcupine Tree, Fear of a Blank Planet.
Just another quiet weekend around the house.
My week was all about holiday music as we decided to keep it rolling until Jan. 1 this year. With most of our holiday traditions wiped out by our move, it felt good to keep the holiday spirit alive with music.
The one exception was Dylan. A former bandmate saw the Dylan movie (he gave it a 👍) which led another former bandmate to point me to the Dylan bootleg series with the multiple takes that show the evolution of Like A Rolling Stone. It's fascinating! Start here and go forward:
https://open.spotify.com/track/6zTChNCJcRV83lfcj3glpE?si=zutIRWZsQ2yhw90wud1M6w&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A4Xk3AEGdw9ha1NAMKWtRFJ
Best wishes to all for a happy, healthy, music-filled new year! 💚
Not a Monday is it? Oh well, I'm welcoming in 2025 with The Style Council's 'Walls Come Tumbling Down': 'Lights go out, the systems fall, cause unity is powerful...' Happy New Year, folks :)
Never too late to this party!
Thanks Kevin! :)