On Repeat Record's EPs of the Year

2024 was another great year for the short player

Dec 31, 2024

As with last year’s list, great sounds came from all corners of the globe.

The usual spots are well represented, but so too are places like (checks notes) Philly, Vancouver, BC, and New Jersey. From as far afield as New Zealand and as close as right here in Madison.

And Athens… Ohio, that is.

One of these days, Vancouver, Washington, might make the list.

Unlike my list of Best Of LPs, these are not ranked from bottom to top but instead listed in order of release date. Everything from jangle pop to new wave is represented here. There’s some Ye Ye, too. Doing a direct comparison or ranking felt like it’d be arbitrary at best.

So, with that out of the way, let’s get into it!

Apollo Ghosts- Amethyst (2/23)

Winters up here in flyover country can be bleak. The landscape becomes monochromatic, and the hard light of February just means the air is as lethal as ever. Winters in the Pacific NW have more color but are still dreary nonetheless. Similarly, Adrian Teacher’s lyrics can be heavy—cynical, even—but they’re delivered on a wave of sweet, sweet jangle pop. This digital release came at just the right time for me. At seven tracks, it’s pushing the boundaries of “EP” here, but they clock in at a compact 19 minutes and change. Winter’s here again— grab a copy of this one now so you’ll have it when you need it.

Fleur -Tu Es Un Être Parfait/ Laisse-Moi Faire! 3/22

Shout out to Post Trash for this one. Life is better with a little Yé-Yé in it. Françoise Hardy and France Gall would approve.

RIYL: Swingin’ pop, jazz, RayBans, mopeds.

Cosmit- Still Cosmit (3/26)

Elevator pitch: 3 tracks of white hot, hook-laden garage punk that will remind you of all the bands you used to pay $3 to see back in the day.

The Laughing Chimes- Tomorrow’s 87 (4/26)

Two years ago, Laughing Chimes made the On Repeat 2022 list with their Zoo Avenue EP.

At the time, I described the record as:

… Jangle rock blended with just the right amount of light power pop. Evan and Quinn Seurkamp are the brothers that make up The Laughing Chimes. The two have taken the best parts of those earlier sounds and made something spectacular.
A lot of Zoo Avenue sounds like deep cuts from R.E.M.’s early work when they’d give Mike Mills the mike. They’re actually from Athens, Ohio, but you’d never know it.

Tomorrow’s 87 takes the strengths of that record and uses them as an accelerant. They’ve added some keys and layered vocals and are now a four-piece. 2024 finds the band as infectious as ever. Not for nothing, this is another killer release from Slumberland. At this point, I have to ask: Is it even possible for this label to release a bad record? All evidence currently points to “no.”

At two tracks, the line between EP and single starts to blur; nevertheless…

Velocity Girl- Incidentals (5/3)

If you’ve been here for a while, you know my love for Velocity Girl and that I never miss a chance to talk them up. Last year was a renaissance for the group: a reunion, a handful of shows, and the release of Setting the Night on Fire with Rock and Roll. The EP was the first in a series of releases of alternate tracks, live cuts, and other gems unearthed from the archive. Lead singer Sarah Shannon also released a collection of previously lost tracks. And to the surprise of absolutely no one, both made my 2023 list. What can I say?

Incidentals is the next up in the series. Three tracks here were initially made as part of a 2002 benefit show for former lead singer (and Unrest member) Bridget Cross. Long thought to be lost in the ether, the band rediscovered these and, as they put it, “liked what they heard.” So did I, and I hope you do too.

Nolan Green- Safe (6/28)

Many of you may recognize Nolan as an active member/advocate of the MusicStack community. After years of performing as The Grassy Knoll, Green decided to pivot in style and name. The Grassy Knoll’s sound leaned more toward the industrial and reminded me of bands like Meat Beat Manifesto. On Safe, he’s created a gorgeous soundscape that reveals a little more of itself with each listen. I often play this when writing the newsletter—including the one you’re reading right now.

David Potts- Run (7/5)

For my money, Peter Hook’s Monaco is the most underrated of all the New Order spinoff groups. The sound checked all the right boxes for me, but they never got any real traction. A member of Monaco (and of Peter Hook & The Light), Potts brings that same distinctive sound to his latest EP. Run is four tracks of expertly crafted pop alternating between the urgent and the sublime. The tracks are beautifully constructed and full of layers and smooth shifts in sound/ and energy. Friend of On Repeat Wally Salem got this on my radar in one of the weekly “What Are You Listening To?” discussions, stating, “If you liked Monaco, you’ll like this.” As usual, he was dead on accurate.

Royal Scene- Twenty Summers (7/19)

In my original review, I noted that I'd listen to any band that cites The Replacements, Cheap Trick, and Superdrag as influences. I also described the opener, “Can’t Get Started,” as a track that will immediately have you going through your mental Rolodex of Cheap Trick songs to think of which one it most reminds you of. The band keeps the momentum rolling with some power pop goodness. Plenty more here evokes the ghosts of Mssrs. Westerberg, Zander, and Davis.

I’ve previously discussed records that could only have been made in the Midwest. I’m too old to use the term “vibes” to describe a particular sound, but you know it when you hear it. You’ll hear it here. Twenty Summers is an incredibly Michigan record. It’s also an incredibly good dose of infectious power pop.

hey, I’m outside- Massachusetts (8/15)

Another repeat contender. Technically, the three tracks here are also on the band’s full-length self-titled LP, but I’m including it here on the admittedly shaky ground that it was a separate release. The band might be from New England, but they now play a brand of alt-country that brings to mind Mac De Marco, Wilco, and destinations much further south while also conjuring the spirits of 1991 Seattle. I say “now,” as the band has shifted from the emo-bordering-on-shoegaze sound of tracks like Racecar (also included on the LP) to this.

With its woozy guitars and Patrick Macpherson’s off-kilter twang, this is the sort of sound best played (and heard) on a front porch in the early morning before the sun gets too high and the oppressive humidity kicks in.

Fascinations Grand Chorus- Summer Love (9/12)

I am a sucker for this kind of sound. You got a blend of 60s pop and a modern take on the Wall of Sound? A indie pop/AM Gold crossvoer? I’ll take all of that you got!

Fascinations Grand Chorus is one of the best things to come out of NJ since Yo La Tengo.

For the life of me, I can’t find who first recommnded this record. If it’s you, please say something in the comments- I owe you a huge thanks for making this past fall a little bit brighter.

Office Dog- Doggerland (9/20)

On the other hand, I know exactly how I found this band and record. As the opening act for Nada Surf on their recent tour, I saw them in Milwaukee this past October. At the time, I wasn’t sure about their sound (though I did like the drummer managing to break a stick partway through the first track). In hindsight, I think the sound was slightly off in the club, or I just wasn’t hearing it as intended.

Doggerland’s sound can be summed up thusly: complex, nuanced sounds balanced on top of a simple, industrial-strength base. If brutalist architecture had a sound, Doggerland would be it. That’s not to say that it’s all concrete and steel; even flowers sometimes break through the sidewalks. There are gorgeous notes and noise in equal measure. Frontman Kane Strang’s plaintive vocals leave it all on the field.

As I noted back in October, the fact is that it’s quite good, but it’s also the sort of music that’s really tricky to pull off in a live setting, even if the guy who produced it is also your sound man. In my case, the show wasn’t the right place at the right time. I’d missed the boat the first time but came around to love it- only in this case, it’d taken a week, not years.

34 Trolley- Relaxation (10/4)

Founded by Jarrett Dougherty of Screaming Females (and featuring fellow alum Marissa Paternoster), 34 Trolley hits the same sweet spot between post-punk and infectious groove that Sweeping Promises did last year with their Good Living is Coming For You LP. And there are liberal doses of vibraphone on here because, of course, there are. The title feels like false advertising. With its beats and propulsive rhythms, this record will do anything but calm you down. Thank you to

Ryan Bird

at the fantastic Crow’s Nest for getting this one on my radar.

Man Power-Tell them I Said Something Great (10/25)

One of my 2025 resolutions is to work more House music recs into the newsletter. I often listen to it, but that hasn’t necessarily translated into column inches. In the meantime, allow me to offer up Tell Them I Said Something Great, by Geoff Kirkwood, aka Man Power. I like my house music progressive, with the beats big and bouncy, and this delivers. Speaking of resolutions, if “take up running” or something similar is on your list, grab a copy and put this on your playlists. It’ll take you from the treadmill back to all those hot nights in the club. Or just blast it at home- your neighbors will love it, trust me.

Red Pants- Pale Shadows (10/25)

Another repeat appearance for our friends, Madison-based Red Pants, whose LP Not Quite There Yet was in 2023’s top 10.

…and it almost didn’t happen.

Getting ready for a recording session, Frontman Jason Lambeth went to pull up these tracks on his laptop only to realize, to his horror, that it wouldn’t boot up. At all. Luckily, they eventually got it going and wasted no time in recovering these songs off the hard drive before it could change its mind.

In my initial review, I mentioned that the layered sound that made Not Quite There Yet so good is very much alive in the follow-up EP Pale Shadows. Lambeth and drummer Elsa Nikola set the stage early for an EP full of flavors, old and new. That makes sense, given that the first two tracks were originally slated to appear on the LP but were cut for time/sequencing.

A quick blitz of feedback announces the second track, “Proto Punk.” With its chorus of “I remember the Proto Punk,” the hardest track on the EP is also the catchiest. You’ll remember them, too, as that’ll invariably get stuck in your head.

We downshift a bit with “Underneath the Sun.” Its warm keys will immediately remind you of Yo La Tengo’s “Sudden Organ.”

“Sunset Hill” closes things out. Another instrumental, the guitar effects may remind listeners of Peter Hook’s bass on early New Order work (again, in all the best ways). It’s quiet and contemplative—and perfect for, well, watching autumn sunsets, which I did while first listening to it.

This could’ve been a story with an ugly ending. Luckily for us, it didn’t, and we were gifted another batch of Red Pants’ signature lo-fi indie sound.

Robin Guthrie- Astoria (11/7)

As a part of the Cocteau Twins, Guthrie was responsible for the signature sound we all know when we hear it. On Astoria, Guthrie delivers more of that— the four tracks here are swirling, graceful, warm, and resonant. Nothing comes too quickly, and nothing is undercooked. At the risk of trafficking in cliches, the only thing wrong with Astoria is that it’s too short.

Dazy- I Get Lost (When I Try to Get Found) (12/5)

When it comes to prolificity, few people will ever touch Bob Pollard; he’s set the bar too high. Glenn Donaldson of The Reds, Pinks, and Purples comes close, and not too far behind him is James Goodson, better known to the world as DAZY. I Get Lost (When I Try to Get Found) is one of two EPs the artist dropped on the same day, the other being It’s Only a Secret (If You Repeat It). The truth is, either one of these could’ve been on the list. Both feature his patented brand of high-octane power pop. Imagine a rocket-fueled Beck record, and you’re close. This isn’t the first time Dazy’s shown up in this newsletter (OTHERBODY was the 2023 Reader’s Choice for EP of the year), and it likely won’t be the last.

And that’s a wrap! I hope you enjoyed the end-of-year lists and found a new favorite or two.

Miss one? No problem! I’ve got you covered:

On Repeat Records

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