As we wait with bated breath for the only poll that counts –
the Afterword albums of the year 2024,
consider this as a place to put all those other polls – Folkroots, Quietus, Pitchfork, Mojo, Uncut, etc that could serve as inspiration (or aversion therapy) as you select the 20 that mean the most to you.
Today, Quietus gave us their top 100 poll.
Maybe more polls (and responses) in the comments below.
Goodness me, there are over a dozen more polls here:
https://www.yearendlists.com/category/albums
And here’s a poll of Arabic new albums of 2024 I am testing out right now – some are delightful
https://rateyourmusic.com/charts/top/album/2024/g:arabic-music/incl:live,soundtrack/
That new Arabic albums list looks very promising @salwarpe.
Putting some excellent new artists on the map for me.
Glad that you’ve found some Arabic music that pleases, KFD!
But I feel you’ve gone for the soft options. Here’s a couple that are slightly more in your face. Dive into some Wisswass from Dijit.
Or a bit of Egyptian Mahraganat from DJ Niraha…
Classic NPR: “presented chronologically and unranked”. Their guys ain’t messin’ with no spreadsheets..
Quietus poll – I haven’t heard of over 80 of the artists nominated.
Their pick for number one is tremendous.
I love the glorious perversity of the Quietus and their delight of the arcane and unlistenable. I have a grand total of two of these in my possession, and have heard of maybe six more. Anyone spot Judas Priest in the lower reaches, too?
I haven’t heard the record but I’m absolutely made up for Ex-Easter Island – whether you like their music or not, the way they have taken their own musical direction without compromise over a number of years is really admirable. Suddenly they’re getting articles in the Guardian and being named in some of the more esoteric end of year lists. All power to them.
I’ve been listening for a while, obviously I dig ’em. Norther is tremendous and if I was an end of the year list compiling type of a chap it would easily make my top ten and that’s in a year that is not short of some pretty compelling jazz releases.
The final track is dedicated to Lodestone. They obviously don’t know how wrong he is!
🙂
You’re doing well @Carl. I only know eight of the artists. I must have some homework to do somewhere…..
Yes, the Quietus is desperate not to be obvious. Every year I listen to their Spotify year-end playlist. For about an hour.
It’s always 99 plus whoever is that year’s Charlie XCX, which is not to say there isn’t usually loads of good stuff, if you have the patience to dig..
Nice to see Laura Cannell holding down the coveted no. 56 spot in the Quietus poll. I always enjoy her music.
Holy Tongue Meets Shackleton must be cursing Kendrick Lamar. Up until his surprise album release last week they had the number 43 spot in the bag.
Quietus List:
20 artists I have at least heard of. Familiar with the work of a handful of them. 1 of those I’m highly unlikely to listen to again.
2 albums that I’ve heard. Both of them liked. Mary Halvorson’s and Arooj Aftab’s.
That is all.
Aah – sorry – I forgot to post the thread yesterday. I’m out tonight so will do it tomorrow. Sorry folks – the wait is nearly over….
H’mm, Quietus are terminally hip and wilfully obscure aren’t they. I’ve heard of 8 of their top 100, haven’t listened to any of them. Here’s the Uncut list, which is slightly more accessible for those of us of a more mainstream persuasion. I’ve actually shelled out hard earned pension on some of these.
https://www.yearendlists.com/2024/uncut-80-best-albums-of-2024
Check me out my number one is in the Quietus top 20
It’s Brat, isn’t it.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-2024-1235031987/
I’ve heard of 19 of the artists on the Quietus list, and heard 8 of the albums. I’ve bought half of them. Get me! I’m going to grow me some facial hair and start eating avocado on toast.
I actually did have avocado on toast for lunch the other day (it was quick and easy) and haven’t shaved for a week (laziness), but I have only heard 4 of the albums on the list.
I eat avocado on toast (or avocado toast* as they call it round here) every morning for breakfast when they’re in season, along with my home-made chilli relish. I have a beard (white).
I have heard of 8 artists on the Quietus list. I have heard of *the* Dengie Hundred but never of Dengie Hundred. I saw a nice picture of a blue tit.
*Or smashed avo.
The last time I grew a beard it was ginger, although that was about 1989. Mrs F says ginger beards are grounds for instant divorce. I can’t afford to take the risk, even though it would probably be fairly grey now, if my bonce is anything to go by.
A decidedly white-ish Van Dyke arrangement is currently taking up face space hereabouts but I’ve sported face hair in various configurations since I was a teenbrat. You should take your courage in both hands and get sprouting Fents.
Risky, though. Even my suggestion of doing Movember was vetoed, so I just sponsored someone else.
Cultivate a full-on “Lemmy Lambchops Look” and I’ll donate fifty of your English pounds to the Movember chaps, late or not!
Is my money safe, @fentonsteve – or will you take up the gauntlet? Will you? Will you???
You could say it’s a new work requirement or do as an old mate of mine used to do whenever he brought home something deemed inappropriate and say he’d won it playing cards.
I did once grow extensive sideburns and grew my hair out a bit in order to attend the premier of the first Scooby Doo movie. Mrs F went as Velma, obvs.
Oh. I thought she resembled Daphne more.
The Spanish half of Mrs F is dominant, i.e. she’s short and dark. Whereas the Scottish quarter is dominant in me, i.e. tall, pasty and ginger.
Fred is the Alpha Male of the Mystery gang, so he’d be attending film premiers with Daphne.
I think Quietus fulfils the sort of role that Peel used to do – much of the music he played (like hardcore and landfill indie, monotonous techno) I would never choose to listen to. But I was always glad it was there, because it stopped me from getting stuck into a complacent musical rut.
I wouldn’t like those bands, but other musicians with more of a pop sensibility might. And they could take those sour, bitter, extremely spicy notes and make a tangy but more entertaining sound – still edgy, but with a beat or a melody.
I mean – would you want the Afterword to be (just) comfortable Americana/alt country?
My discovery for the year seems to be Mannequin Pussy – not loved by Quietus, but by Time Out and Pitchfork (in August) – Melody Makers to Quietus’s NME.
Great shout, @salwarpe! Mannequin Pussy are magnificently bonkers!
“Would I want the Afterword to be (just) comfortable Americana/alt country?” Hell no!
Re: Quietus
It’s truly bizarre to aim for obscurity for its own sake in an era when the average Joe wouldn’t be able to name three songs on the White Album.
I mean, you could do… but why bother?
That sounds to me like giving a dog a bad name and beating it. I very much doubt the writers for the Quietus aim for ‘obscurity for its own sake’. People just like different sorts of music.
One could probably make the call of the AW’s fave Alt. Country and Americana artists being “obscure” to those we’ll happily call “civilians” in these parts.
I’m inclined to think that, were I to be bothered to check them out*, a lot of those records in the Quietus list would sound much more Mainstream than Obscure. Only the names and perhaps some of the titles are outside of today’s music biz norm.
*I’m not. I have my own fairly-reliable set of pointers towards novel musical experiences.
“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. ” immediately springs to my mind whenever a high-handed, dismissive attitude is struck. I’m all for sites such as The Quietus, I’m glad they exist as an antidote to the safe, dull, heard it all before, don’t startle the maiden aunts consensus.
They seem nice, KFD…oi’ll give it foive…
I’m very happy stuck in a musical rut, but perhaps that’s because I’m complacent.
Musical rut? Just grin and bear it, Mike.
Here’s the Resident list.
https://www.resident-music.com/collection&path=59050
That expensive book they send out, with all orders at this time of year, hardly makes me feel their margins are tight enough to keep prices “competitive”, mind.
(The Resident list gets published as an annual, the size of a short to medium read paperback.)
An ex-bookbinder writes, it’s printed and bound on cheap as chips stock. With a fair few ads. It probably comes out even.
Ah, my comedy highlight of the year- the Quietus list of imaginary bands and artists. I used to do something similar when I was twelve. Hilarious. Keep it up.
As salwarpe wisely noted, the Quietus list can fulfil the same role that John Peel used to. Since I stopped travelling to work I do not listen to the radio (Riley and Freak Zone on demand were my jam), and no longer get exposed to any new music. Consequently I have heard a grand total of one of the albums on the list (Kendrick) – but having listened to selections from the top twenty I have already earmarked at least half a dozen for further investigation. Not Judas Priest though.
The son-on-law would like you to consider his list. Watch out Quietus.
https://dreamhouseldn.com/pages/the-dreamhouse-top-20-albums-of-the-year-2024
Impressive stuff. A few familiar names among the unknowns. I agree that Kim Deal has made a very good record.
Gosh! He includes my number one. How old is he?
40-something.
Blimey! He has my Number 1 as well (which in fact is the only one of mine in his no doubt worthy list) !
One in there that would have been on my list if I had one.
Here are NPR’s Top 50 albums of the year.
https://www.npr.org/2024/12/02/g-s1-34684/best-albums-2024?utm_source=npr_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20241207&utm_term=9863527&utm_campaign=music&utm_id=10734345&orgid=&utm_att1=
Very eclectic.
Here is the top 25 from online Country Magazine Holler.
Holler’s Top 25
For those who are interested, here are the Top 50 New albums of the Year from the Wire magazine.
Not surprisingly, there’s some pretty esoteric stuff in there…
Has any Afterworder heard the album that made no.1 in the Wire chart, “Giant Beauty” by [Ahmed]?
Is it any good?
https://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/2322-the-wires-records-of-the-year-2024/
Thanks for posting, duco01.
You can hear the number one album here, if you are curious
https://ahmedquartet.bandcamp.com/album/giant-beauty
Lots of fast drumming and honking – an acquired taste, that I am happy not to acquire. Like I need something to keep my tension headache alive and kicking.
At nearly four hours long, it’s atonal and cacophonous but I like it. I doubt I’ll get the full six listens in before I die.
The Quietus New Weird Britain: 2024 in Review by Noel Gardner.
Black Hair Rolled In Dried Blood woz robbed, etc.
https://thequietus.com/tq-charts/columns-of-the-year/new-weird-britain-2024-in-review-by-noel-gardner/
The 20 best new jazz albums of 2024: The Jazzwise Critics Poll
https://www.jazzwise.com/features/article/the-20-best-new-jazz-albums-of-2024-jazzwise-critics-poll
I don’t suppose you could list them, please. I don’t seem to be able to get in.
https://www.jazzwise.com/features/article/the-20-best-new-jazz-albums-of-2024-jazzwise-critics-poll
Actually, I’m not greatly impressed by their selections this year, having listened to them all now.
From Iain A Anderson – formerly Mr fRoots to you.
https://www.podwirelesswords.com/2024/12/podwireless-best-of-2024.html
and The Guardian agree with him in one if its placings.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/dec/16/10-best-folk-albums-of-2024
Jings, now that’s a list that would scare even the Quietus. And I have only heard two of them, the top two, let alone heard of. I know the Rheingans will be on yours, @thecheshirecat , but any of the others?
“Shuddering, scraping moments of terror also yank the ear – brave yourself for the entirety of the terrifying Who Remembers.”
Catchy chorus, mind….
Makes her band, Shovel Collective, all sold-out in their commercial sheen.
I did warn you about t’ Shovel Collective! Yes indeed, she is the only other name there that I recognised. That’s quite a list that makes The Rheingans Sisters the most mainstream.
Just had a nervous check of my Best of 2024 list, which is gradually crystallising, to check that it’s not too Quietesque. Phew! in among the Eurodance, there are at least three albums that others have already voted for.
Jings! Here’s another one. Where are all these Top 20 folk artists getting gigs, if I’ve never heard of them (apart from GW&DR / LM of course).
https://www.treblezine.com/the-20-best-folk-albums-of-2024/
Wasn’t the Rockin’ Magpie an early member of the massive, during the Word days?https://rockingmagpie.wordpress.com/2024/12/16/my-top-20-albums-of-2024/
Always entertaining reviews, mainly americana.
For folk who like cover versions…..
https://www.covermesongs.com/2024/12/the-best-cover-albums-of-2024.html
Many of you will be familiar with the Boomkat site, which sells and writes about an eclectic range of minority-taste musics: electronic, techno, dark ambient, dub techno, drone, jungle, footwork, “extreme”, industrial, grime, wave and house.
Here are their 100 favourite new albums of 2024:
https://boomkat.com/charts/boomkat-end-of-year-charts-2024/2689
I see that at no.54 in Boomkat’s Reissues and Archival chart is “Night Passage” by Alan Lamb.
That’ll be Lamb’s best performance since his 137 not out against New Zealand at Trent Bridge in 1983.
https://boomkat.com/charts/boomkat-end-of-year-charts-2024/2688
Quite possible that nobody will notice this, as this thread has now slipped down to halfway through the third page, but nevertheless:
The BBC’s Poll Of Polls has been published.
There are 25 entries. I have heard (and bought) one of them.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c33d66n7p8ko
On the evidence of them, please, please, please no one suggest a ‘graphic design best of 2024.’
Spoiler alert: It would ever so slightly be likely to be shite.