As has become my style lately, my top ten ballooned way past its intended size. Instead of a top ten, I’ve got a top twenty, but I’m telling you this: I couldn’t willingly leave any of the following albums off my best-of-the-best shortlist. I highly recommend every one of the eighty unbelievable albums on this whole list, but I recommend these top twenty straight from the heart. It’s merely a drop in the ocean compared to all the miraculous music released during 2024, but one guy can only listen to so much of it and still go to work, raise a kid, and occasionally get some sleep. Of all the music I enjoyed, these are very favorites, the albums I fully expect to love and revisit for years to come.
Just like with the rest of the list, these albums are presented in the order I heard them.
• • •
Donato Dozzy – Magda
Spazio Disponibile
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Ariel Kalma, Jeremiah Chiu & Marta Sofia Honer – The Closest Thing to Silence
International Anthem
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Moor Mother – The Great Bailout
Anti-
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Kelly Moran – Moves in the Field
Warp
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Frank & Tony – Ethos
Scissor and Thread
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Cindy Lee – Diamond Jubilee
W.25th
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Claire Rousay – Sentiment
Thrill Jockey
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Skee Mask – Resort
Ilian Tape
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Powers / Rolin Duo – Clearing
Astral Editions
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Fuubutsushi – Meridian
cached.media
Listen and buy on cached.media.
• • •
Total Blue – Total Blue
Music From Memory
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Greg Foat – The Glass Frog
Blue Crystal Records
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Gum.mp3 – Black Life, Red Planet
Gum Studio
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Loidis – One Day
Incienso
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Nala Sinephro – Endlessness
Warp
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Soshi Takeda – Secret Communication
100% Silk
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Ezra Feinberg – Soft Power
Tonal Union
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Lifted – Trellis
Peak Oil
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Jeff Parker ETA IVtet – The Way Out of Easy
International Anthem
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Shinichi Atobe – Discipline
DDS
Listen and buy on Boomkat.
• • •
You have my sincere thanks for reading. I hope you find something here to fall in love with, and that some of these artists find new fans and get some well deserved attention and album sales and people at their shows. I know I missed a lot of great music, as I do every year, and gladly welcome any suggestions!
Optimistic Underground 
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great list, thx david j! lots to dive in..
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like every year, it’s a treat to go through this well thought list and discover fantastic records. Thank you so much!
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Incredible stuff, as always! I’d love to see what else is on the list that didn’t make the cut! And I have some recommendations, too.
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My favourite end of year list, you’ve put me on to so much amazing music David and for that I am eternally grateful
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are these ranked in order or just tiers? is Discipline your favoirte album from last year?
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