Per usual, instead of a December Ska, Punk, and Other Junk column, my Top 24 Albums list takes center stage. Never fear though December releases, see you in January. If you don’t want to wait for the January column, here’s a sneak peek! Make sure you check out the new albums from The Abruptors and The Hub City Stompers! Now that the teasers for coming attractions have rolled, let’s get to the feature presentation – my Top 24 Albums of 2024.
I started the year much more hopeful than I’m ending it.
Looking back on my 24 list, there’s no real consistent theme to be found. Whereas my 2023 list was all about having a security blanket, I spent 2024 listening to music to help me feel something or to help me escape. While ska and punk dominate my list, you’ll see folk, Americana, and hip-hop featured as well. I was open to everything and listened to so much more outside my comfort zone than usual. The albums I feature below are the ones that helped me escape the most. I might not have been a big fan of the year, but I sure was a big fan of the music.
These are my Top 24 Albums of 2024.
24. Sammy Kay – July 1960
July 1960 is Sammy Kay at his most stripped-down and vulnerable. This ten-song album offers more evidence of why Sammy should be considered one of the best storytellers in folk music today. He has the voice of someone who has really lived. It’s weathered, gruff, and leathery – you want to listen to it more intently because you know there’s wisdom in his words. The simple complexity of these tunes delivers whimsical, almost dreamlike feelings.
23. Liquid Mike – Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot
With Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot, Liquid Mike churns out infectious ’90s-inspired power-pop alternative jams that are reminiscent of bands like Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, Weezer, and Mudhoney. Hook-heavy, fuzzy, distorted, and melodic, the songs honor vintage alternative rock. They’re also love letters to the types of people you will find in a city like Marquette. The songwriting is sharp and witty and complements the infectious power pop music that accompanies it.
22. The Write-Ups – S/T
The Write-Ups play a brand of ska music as gritty as their birthright of Flint, MI. They wear their feelings and politics on their sleeves, and it drives the band’s music. Flint is awash in political corruption, and The Write-Ups don’t shy away from any of it, no matter how painful it might be. Musically, they’re like if Woody Guthrie played folk punk ska. There’s a lot of passion, progressiveness, and working-class determination on this album, which is something greatly needed these days.
21. Kill Lincoln – No Normal
Listening to the new album from Washington DC ska punk band Kill Lincoln is like experiencing one of the best live sets of your life. It opens up with an absolute ripper filled with gang vocals and high energy. Like any good show, you need a spot to catch a breather because you don’t want to exhaust the crowd too quickly. So, the band ends it at just under 30 minutes. This record leaves you exhausted, completely fulfilled, and anticipating the next time you can spin it on your turntable. Looking across the band’s discography, it’s the best they’ve ever sounded as well.
20. Frank Turner – Undefeated
Undefeated is Frank Turner’s first time back on an indie label in some time, offering him the freedom to shape this album as he wanted. The result is an album that has a little bit of everything Turner fans love about his music. Plenty of folk punk filled with punk ethos and attitude, as well as some of Frank’s most personal songs to date. A song like “Ceasefire” is a conversation between adult Frank and teenage Frank. It’s a heart-wrenching and beautiful reflection of growing up and reconciling who you are with who you were. There’s some lighter fare to pad the songs where Frank gets introspective, but the existence of both types doesn’t detract from the emotional impact of the more personal songs. All in all, this is a little bit of everything people like about Frank Turner in one album.
19. Rocky Sullivan, Psy.D. – The Chippers
What’s the easiest way to make sure every single ska fan will like your album? Make sure you touch on every wave of ska and each sub-genre. The Chippers literally has a little something for everyone in the ska scene. Whether you’re a traditionalist at heart or like creating ska riffs with your laptop in your bedroom, Rocky Sullivan, Psy.D. has you covered. Fronted by Sean McCabe, who cut his teeth with bands like Bomb The Music Industry and Arrogant Sons of Bitches, Rocky Sullivan, Psy.D. shares several similarities with Jeff Rosenstock’s old bands. Aside from how good the music sounds, the lyrics are also important. This album is filled with relatable songs that double as coping exercises for those who might need a little help.
18. Micah Schnabel – The Clown Watches The Clock
While he got his start with the band Two Cow Garage, Micah Schnabel mainly focuses on his solo career these days. As a singer-songwriter, Schnabel is Kurt Vonnegut, Tim Barry, Woody Guthrie, and Neil Young all wrapped up in a tattooed package. He’s a troubadour with sharp wit and a biting tongue when it comes to his observations about life and the world around us. His music is extremely sociopolitical, poking at the dirty underside of our society in ways most people aren’t comfortable doing.
17. Call Me Malcolm – Echoes & Ghosts
One of the things I like most about Call Me Malcolm is how open and honest lead singer Lucias Malcolm is about his struggles with mental health. His willingness to lay it all out there helps normalize not being okay, actually talking about his feelings, and seeking help. Our society often places stigma and shame on mental health, especially among men, so his music helps so much. It doesn’t hurt that Call Me Malcolm just keeps putting out quality music with each and every album. Echoes & Ghosts is no different.
16. Joe Gittleman – Hold Up
Joe Gittleman has an aura of effortless cool. He’s such an engaging and talented musician and performer. Like a moth to a flame, I’m immediately engrossed and drawn into what he’s doing. It’s easy to say that fans of the BossTones will love Gittleman’s solo album. It feels like a natural progression from the music he created with his former band. Gittleman’s solo album is to the BossTones as Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros are to The Clash. There’s a familiarity there, but in many ways, the solo project is superior to the more well-known band.
15. Middle-Out – S/T
When reviewing the bands in my local Detroit scene, I always look for one or two bands that I think will blow up to the next level. Middle-Out is the band I’m currently watching. Musically, they’re extremely tight. The drums drive the songs forward with a flair for melody and hooks from the guitar and bass. One of the best melodic punk bands making music right now, Middle-Out should be right up your alley if you’re a fan of bands like Face to Face and The Copyrights.
14. Kendrick Lamar – GNX
Gotta love a surprise release with no warning. Kendrick Lamar shocked the world with the release of GNX. He already won 2024 with “Not Like Us” and his utter destruction of Drake earlier in the year. This album is just the cherry on top. Production is tight, progressive, and going to redefine the West Coast sound for years to come. As always, Kendrick’s flow is on point, shifting through multiple inflections, rhyme schemes, and singing. If I had more time to digest this album, it would probably be higher on the list, but even at 14, this is Kendrick’s world … we’re just living in it.
13. Runaway Ricochet – Diminishing Returns
This album will keep you on your toes. Runaway Ricochet is the latest addition to Ska Punk International, and Diminishing Returns might be the label’s most ambitious release yet. Not only is it a double LP, but it’s an album firmly planted within both the prog-rock and ska-punk worlds. Each song has multiple time changes, some reminiscent of improvisational jazz music. Musically, it’s as if Claudio Sanchez from Coheed & Cambria joined RX Bandits and made ska punk. Diminishing Returns has the intricacy and experimentation of both of those bands, with the addition of some pretty catchy up-tempo ska with hooks for days.
12. Alkaline Trio – Blood, Hair & Eyeballs
While I enjoyed Matt Skiba’s contribution to Blink-182, Alkaline Trio is really where I want to hear him. Blood, Hair & Eyeballs feels like a more energized Trio than in the past. It’s almost as if the time away did Skiba some good because this is the best Alkaline Trio has sounded in a long time. With this being Derek Grant’s last album with the band, it’s as if they saved the best for last. When the dust settles, Blood, Hair & Eyeballs will be spoken about as one of Alkaline Trio’s classic albums. It’s that good. Makes me happy to hear this band again.
11. Grim Luck – S/T
Grim Luck came out of nowhere for me and immediately blew me away. The music reminds me of Streetlight Manifesto, The Blue Meanies, and The Arrogant Sons of Bitches heard through the lens of Gogol Bordello. Something this bold demands attention. Within its 47-minute runtime, the band lets every single musician shine. This includes layered and in-depth instrumental interludes where the horn line absolutely rips. Each section is intricate, and the band absolutely nails it. It’s a pirate, gypsy, SKApera, and I’m here for every single bit of it.
10. Danny Rebel & The KGB – We’re All Going To Hell
Montreal’s Danny Rebel & The KGB are more than a ska band. They combine their love of ska with good old-fashioned Motown-esque funk and reggae. No matter how you categorize it, the tunes on We’re All Going to Hell are infectious and danceable. Danny Rebel’s smooth vocals are filled with heart, passion, and soul. That passion seeped into the lyrics as a majority of the album focuses on the different ways humans have messed up the planet. The words suck you in with their message, and the rest of the band keeps you dancing the rest of the night.
9. Arrested Development – Bullets in the Chamber
I think there’s always one album that pops up each year that you don’t expect. For me this year, it was the latest from hip hop collective Arrested Development. The album’s opener “Hello,” serves as a reintroduction of sorts, as well as a reminder that AD never left. Speech and company sounds as good as ever, serving up history lessons, empathetic ideations, and the truth. One of the more refreshing things about the album is that Speech doesn’t need to punch down to get his point across, instead giving us rhymes that put them up there at the top of the mountain of socially conscientious hip-hop groups.
8. OKnice – Talking To My Dogs
With Talking To My Dogs, OKnice continues to showcase why he needs more attention from the national hip-hop scene. For this album, he teams up with Andrew from sleepingdogs to deliver another first-round knockout. Andrew’s beats are absolutely fresh – equal parts emo, shoegaze, boom-bap, and indie hip-hop. I could get buried in the sonic atmosphere he’s created. OKnice has a flow that is slam poetry meets battle rap. He adapts and evolves to any beat he’s given, attacking them with the ability to fit into all possible music accompaniments. I’ve been listening to OKnice since 2021 now, and Talking To My Dogs is his best work yet. This one is special, and I would really love to see it be the one that breaks him out.
7. Laura Jane Grace – Hole In My Head
The songs on Hole In My Head have a certain vigor. Laura seems to be having fun and enjoying making music again, and the whole vibe of the new album reflects that. Her impish and mischievous humor has returned, which I found refreshing. “I’m Not a Cop” “Birds Talk Too,” and “Tacos & Toast” show that playfulness off well. That’s not to say this album is all sunshine and roses. “Keep Your Wheels Straight” touches on depression and doom scrolling. “Dysphoria Hoodie” talks about the comfort she feels from her Adidas Hoodie when any dysphoria creeps in. One of the best things about Grace’s songwriting in general is her fearless ability to tell her truth – good, bad, or ugly.
6. Stuck Lucky – Counting Curses
From the opening machine gun drum and ominous organ of “Bring Out Your Corpses,” I prepared to get my face melted. I’m happy to say that Stuck Lucky didn’t disappoint. While they’ve put out singles and EPs in the recent, Counting Curses is their first full-length album in some time. It was well worth the wait. Stuck Lucky adds a much-needed dimension to the skacore scene. For me, the differentiation they offer comes from their use of keys, as they add a unique touch. While the entire album is solid, the highlights for me are the inclusion of the Soul Radics and Flying Raccoon Suit‘s Jessica Jeansonne on two songs.
5. The Bridge City Sinners – In the Age of Doubt
The Bridge City Sinners play Americana with a twist. It’s bluegrass, folk, blues, and Dixieland jazz all rolled into one. Their music is also laced with dark intentions, sinister undertones, and punk rock. The songs on this album are hauntingly melodic at times but also filled with raw power. Like the musical traditions that shape the band’s sound, In the Age of Doubt is narrative and engaging. Libby Lux and crew weave amazing pieces of art. It’s incredible how seamlessly Libby can transition from an enchanting singing voice to a guttural banshee wail, like during “The Crawl and “Spears and Blades.”
4. Half Past Two – Talk Is Killing Me
Talk Is Killing Me is Half Past Two as you’ve never heard them before. I’m absolutely in love with the band’s new incarnation. The catchy pop sensibilities and undertones are still there, but the tone of the songs changed. It feels like lead singer Tara Hahn let her guard down a bit when working on this album, resulting in songs with a little more raw emotion and edge. Talk Is Killing Me is Hahn at her most vulnerable and honest. In the past, Half Past Two had a glass-half-full mentality. Their songs were positive and optimistic, even when covering difficult topics. However, not everything is going to be sunshine and roses all the time. The freedom to sing about not being okay is refreshing and extremely relatable these days. Talk Is Killing Me is a major step forward for Half Past Two. I can’t wait to see where this path takes them in the future.
3. Eevie Echoes & The Locations – The Cons of Being a Wallflower
Eevie Echoes & The Locations is a special band; one that comes along and changes the game considerably. While they’re on Ska Punk International, I’m always going to consider them a punk act. It helps that Eevie Echoes is empathetic angry, intelligent, emotional, and overflowing with raw power. She has the ability to hold you up or kick your ass in gear, which makes The Cons of Being a Wallflower a 30-minute jolt to your system. Eevie Echoes embodies the best of artists like Laura Jane Grace, Courtney Love, Kurt Cobain, Iggy Pop, Brody Dalle, and Kathleen Hannah. She approaches punk rock from a more genre-diverse landscape. Sometimes, you’ll hear ska. Other times, you’ll hear indie, hardcore, or grunge. The real magic comes from how Eevie puts all of these inspirations together, creating one of the most important punk albums you’ll hear this year. It’s an album filled with pain, but ultimately, it’s also an album filled with love and acceptance of self.
2. OMNIGONE – FERAL
If you’ve been following my writing for the past few years, you know that OMNIGONE holds a special place in my heart. Each of their last two albums made it to my year-end lists, so it was no surprise to me to see FERAL get the same treatment. FERAL harnesses the energy from the last two albums and cranks it up another level entirely. Skacore provides the sonic backbone, but you get lots of hardcore punk as well. Adam Davis and crew don’t shy away from tough topics either. One track talks about loss and how you process grief, while another looks at the societal pressure driving toxic masculinity. While the band typically functions more as a collective with only two permanent members, I adore this configuration of the band. It would be cool if they found a way to make this their primary lineup, because it is the best they’ve ever sounded.
1. The Boy Detective – Exhibition
Southeastern Michigan’s The Boy Detective was my favorite band of 2024, so of course their new album landed in the top spot. Exhibition compiles the band’s previous EP with newly added horn arrangements with their January 2024 release, Art Theft. The Boy Detective blends ska with punk, emo, and hardcore. And, true to the “Art Theft” theme, there are lots of Easter eggs throughout that were “stolen” and placed in each song. It’s a fun little game to play while you’re listening. There’s a lot here about growing up and what it means to be an adult, raising a family while also trying to date your partner, and the feelings when a relationship goes sour. The music is incredibly energetic and matches the energy of their live show. There’s plenty of gang vocal choruses to sing along to, and a very dynamic and powerful horn line. I absolutely love this band now, and I can’t shut up about them.
But Wait, There’s More!
While I typically stick with full-lengths for my Top 24 Albums of 2024 list, that doesn’t mean there aren’t singles and EPs that caught my ear all year. I couldn’t end my year-end wrap-up without mentioning two additional bands, Killer Diller and MUTINY. Both bands are ska but the former excels with their more traditional ska sound, while the latter is a skacore supergroup with flashes of post-core and metal.