I have a complex relationship with country music – I don’t love love it (and it’s likely my least favorite of all popular musical genres). Nevertheless, I grew up listening to country in the 70s (stuff like Waylon, Willie, Rhinestone Cowboys, and “puttin’ more logs on the fire”) while driving around dusty central Utah roads with my dad in his green International pickup. That experience left me with a profound respect for at least the heritage of country music and curiosity about the contemporary direction of the genre – and when that direction becomes altered, nudged, or outright subverted. Contemporary country music (the one that Nashville capitalists control via country music radio) experienced a major kick in the nads this year with the release of Beyonce’s album, Captain Carter, and her collaborator Shaboozey’s Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going, reigniting the debate about the genuine nature of country music and how far it might get pushed past its “authenticity.”
The populist side of country music has also recently faced resistance from within, namely amongst a group of politicized Nashville artists railing against homophobia, racism, and sexism in the genre. Recalling the group of 1970s and 80s artists pushing for independence from the claws of Nashville production standards known as the “Outlaws” (David Allan Coe, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings), this contemporary click includes mainstreamers such as Jason Isbell and Marin Morris. But they’re joined by others like Adeem the Artist, Margo Price, Tyler Childers that have largely remained independent from the capitalist machine that is country radio, unwilling to sideline their ethical priorities and musical integrity. Given the cultural derision within mainstream Nashville, many of these artists become identified by the rubric “Americana”, rather than gaining recognition as country music bonafides. But the supposed authenticity of the music that one hears on country radio is all bullshit really, draped in capitalist wealth and conservative politics. Just as long as an artist tows the line with such forces, they can be “country” or if a non-conforming artist’s songs make enough money (Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and Lil’ Nas X covering “Old Town Road” are explicit examples) they can occasionally hijack the country music charts.
I went out to a bunch of country music concerts in 2024 as a courtesy to my girlfriend, who is obsessed with many of the artists one hears on country radio. Several of these acts are dubbed “bro country,” exemplified by young white beefcakes, usually with one-syllable names, singing punny, formulaic songs about trucks, girls, and alcohol. The bro country artists I saw this year included Mitchell Tenpenny, Jordan Davis, Chayce Beckham, Chase Matthews, Parmalee, and Nate Smith. I also saw a few less mainstream country artists whose music does not appear on country radio but adheres much closer to the traditions of country music (Dylan Earle, Cody Jenks, and Wyatt Flores). The difference between the audiences for this binary of concerts was striking.
A venue I love to visit is the Grizzley Rose – the storied “roadhouse-esque” country music venue in Denver. The place seems timeless, and aside from the massive stadium tours that artists like Jason Aldean and Morgan Wallen can fill up, the Grizzley Rose is the best place to observe the culture of country music audiences. At these radio-friendly “bro-shows,” the majority of audience members are clad in country costume – women wearing blue skirts, white, knee-high cowboy boots and hats. Hyper-masculine country fellas appear in bootcut jeans, light flannel shirts opened down the chest, and tough looking boots. These shows and their spaces are the intersections where representations of white toxic masculinity meet down-home country girl heterosexuality. In other words, dude, “stay out of shitter here unless you can piss at the stall…” 
Meanwhile in 2024, at the High Dive in Denver (a venue that brings in a rotation of punk, metal, and various underground indie acts), underground country artist, Dylan Earle and his opening act Rattlesnake Milk, played a show to a bunch of indie rock fans somehow. The crowd was chill, no sign of boots or massive belt buckles. No mean stares or tough guy toilet expectations. Just a bunch of folks hoping to drink a couple of PBRs and listen to some twangy tunes.
Obviously, I’m biased. Nevertheless, the duality of social environments existing amongst audiences identifying as “country” versus “indie” is consistent and palpable (my empirical evidence from a great deal of observation suggests it is so), regardless of what the music actually sounds like. Another unique and very consistent phenomenon I experienced at the mainstream country “bro-shows” is a segment of each set devoted to the playing of rock hits from the 80s, 90s, and 00s. Sometimes these songs occurred as medleys and some as stand-alones. From all of the mainstream country concerts that I have caught this year, I have heard covered “My Hero” by the Foo Fighters, “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls, “Summer” by Nickelback, even an embarrassing take on Justin Bieber’s “STAY” (at the Grizzley Rose no less) and a lot more. These occurrences never fail to surprise (and annoy) me. The very same audiences decked out in hardcore rural attire massively applaud these musical departures, passionately dancing and singing to Smashmouth and Fleetwood Mac. It’s weird.
“Indie-twang” and the indie side of country music
While country music fans were stomping around to rock tunes at live shows this year, a sizable cohort of indie rock musicians were performing countrified rock music. Much ink has been spilled in various music websites over the last year or two lauding the relatively recent push in indie rock capturing the styles of country music in their tunes (check out last year’s Wednesday, Rat Boys, and Florry albums for the best illustrations from 2023). There is a mastermind afoot who is steadily shepherding the indie twang movement to its current heights. If one searches for the producer of some of the greatest exemplars of indie twang over the last two years, look no further than Brad Cook. Long-time collaborator and manager of acts like Bon Iver, The War on Drugs, Hiss Golden Messenger, Cook was the producer behind great indie twang albums released this and last year including those from Jess Willamson, Waxahatchee, and Hurray for the Riff Raff. As these rock musicians have explored the pleasures of country music, well-established country artists and several lesser knowns have strayed toward music that some might consider “indie.” A considerable number of country albums in 2024 were embedded in sounds departing from the contemporary standards of country radio by delving back into country music’s more classic eras or adopting more complex rock styles.
With these musings in mind, I present a list of 15 albums and their artists that have offered the best, or at least the most interesting for my ears, music playing in the sandboxes of indie twang and “no-bro on the radio” country music in 2024. I hope anyone still reading this (anyone…?) likes it.
The Countdown
#15 Orville Peck – Stampede
I hesitated to include Orville Peck’s 2024 duets album Stampede because there are a few devastating lows in its playlist. Nevertheless, Peck is such a subversive figure in country music and there is enough good material on the album that I figured I would work it in as the lowest ranked release on my list. Besides, I love Peck’s debut album, Pony, so much for its novel Elvis Presley styled gay rockabilly spin on outlaw county music (and its follow up EP, Show Pony) that I suppose I would highly regard Peck for any music he puts out. There are some fascinating pair-ups throughout the album’s fifteen songs with an array of artists who I greatly admire – Willie Nelson, Allison Russell, Mickey Guyton, Nathaniel Rateliff, Margo Price (among others). Alas, not all of the couplings work. There has been positive chatter about Peck teaming up with Willie Nelson to cover the 1981 ode to closeted gay cowboy love in “Cowboys are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other.” Yet, as much as I appreciate the messaging and the pairing with living legend Wilson, the tune falls a little flat. Peck gets back on track with “The Hurtin’ Kind,” a country pop song featuring Midland (whose even more awesome album is higher on the list). Immediately thereafter, the album runs back off the rails with Peck’s kitschy cover of Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting) – boy oh boy… Nevertheless, there are some really good country rock songs here (featuring some super interesting guests). My favorites are the ballady duet “How Far Will We Take it” with Noah Cyrus and the songs at the tail end of the album with Mickey Guyton (“Where Are We Now”) and Nathaniel Rateliff (“Conquer the Heart”). These wacky duets arising throughout Stampede is quite a concept, and I suppose that no one could have pulled this off aside from the Viva Las Vegas cowboy himself.
Favorite Song – “How Far Will We Take it”
#14 Tyler Halverson – Western Amerijuana (Parts 1 & 2)
This young dude named Tyler Halverson from South Dakota released a couple of very cool EPs in 2024, which I’m saying should count as one album. They’re good! The EPs represent Halverson’s first proper releases as a recording artist and collect a few of the singles he’s been releasing since about 2021 (including “’94 Camaro,” “Her,” “Tiffany Blue”). Halverson’s music is clearly influenced by some of the more mainstream country artists from the 80s through the 90s like Garth Brooks, George Strait, and Tim McGraw. The artist refers to his music as “Western Amerijuana” music (Cool! Not sure what it means though. Do we smoke his music?) and chose to name this year’s releases after the punny expression. The EPs could be solid A & B sides of a vinyl release as the vibes of each contrast nicely. Part 1 is the up tempo, party record, whereas the longer running Part 2 tones it down with several acoustic numbers and the sweet ballad “Nobody’s Everything.” Halverson’s best song, the wonderful duet with Carter Faith “Tiffany Blue,” kicks off Part 1, yet “Anybody But You” and “Good Graces” are super fun too. More subdued acoustic sing-alongs like “Clown in a Barrel” and “Delray” are the order of the day in Part 2 but no less compelling. I see that Halverson is on a bar tour through the Western states this winter. I’ll check him out at a brewery near me.
Favorite Song – “Tiffany Blue”
#13 Kelsey Waldon – There’s Always a Song
The opening vocal on Waldon’s 2024 covers album is just that – a showcase for her awesome voice and nothing else, no instrumentation, just the singer belting out the lyric. That first song nicely sets up an olde tyme mood for a set full of haunting and lively sounds of country music’s deepest origins. The short but very sweet There’s Always a Song clocks in at just under a half hour, but it is nearly thirty minutes of vintage covers ranging from old bluegrass songs to classic tunes recorded as early as the 1950s. I’m usually on the fence with covers albums, unless they accomplish what Waldon does here, taking largely obscure songs (at least for my untrained ears for classic bluegrass and folk music) and offering an original spin. Even though I’ve never heard of Bill Monroe, or Jean Ritchie, or the Carter Family, Waldon’s wonderful voice channeling classic female voices from the 60s like Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette exercises their spirits in a compelling manner. The album also brings in some awesome guests – my favorite feature is the spunky “Travelling the Highway Home” with the immortal Margo Price (who seems to appear just about everywhere these days). There’s also Amanda Shires playing guest fiddle on “Uncle Pen,” and fellow Kentuckian S.G. Goodman appearing on “Hello Stranger.” This is really entertaining and informative music for someone who knows virtually nothing about country music before the 1970s.
Favorite Song – “Traveling the Highway Home”
#12 Rosali – Bite Down
Rosali’s fourth album represents my first “indie twang” selection of the list. Given the arrangements on Bite Down, critics have compared the record’s vibes to Neal Young and Crazy Horse and Stevie Nicks. I’ve loved this album though mostly because Rosali Middleman’s wonderful alto voice reminds me so much of Natalie Merchant (and the tunes on the record might be bit reminiscent of 10,000 Maniacs). The best exemplification of the connection to Merchant’s tenure with the Maniacs is the sultry “Hills on Fire” and more energetic “Hopeless.” But the real indie twang vibe happens on opening cut “On Tonight,” bookended by the twangier closer, “May it Be an Offer.” Evidently the twang in Rosali’s indie is heavily influenced by David Nance, the leader and guitarist/bassist of her backing band Mowed Sound (who also released an album in early 2024). Indie twang discussions aside, the magic on this disc happens on the playfully subtle guitar cum Rosali’s hushed vocal on “Hills on Fire.” One of my favorite performances of the year.
Favorite Song – “Hills on Fire”
#11 Kassie Ashton – Made from the Dirt
I confess that pulling Kassie Ashton’s Made from Dirt into this list appears to be drawing from a more traditional Nashville artist seemingly pursuing the typical country career trajectory. Beyond the careerist exterior of hit singles traveling up the charts of country radio arises a song collection with some outlier influences. I caught Cassie Ashton last summer opening for bro-country hunk Nate Smith on the dusty rodeo grounds at the Adams County Fair in eastern, rural Colorado. Surrounded by greasy teens wearing MAGA hats and dirty boots, I was impressed with Ashton’s vibe, which I barely caught over the continuous chat of concertgoers more expectant of the Smith set. Ashton’s performance was persistent and impassioned, anticipating her debut album, Made from Dirt, which had a release date about a month after the show. The album indeed contains some sizzling country pop bangers (“The Stars Know” my favorite of the bunch). Yet, Ashton’s greatness here rests in her sensibility for the more subversive, but highly respected, side of the genre who have been able to skirt Nashville production expectations (Chris Stapleton, Brothers Osborne, and Sturgill Simpson to name a few of her influences). These are artists who understand how to employ a juicy rock riff into a country composition without having to look nervously over their shoulders. With these influences in mind, what sets Ashton’s efforts apart are the ballads on the album. With arrangements drawn more from Stevie Knicks than Lainey Wilson, the softer edges of Made from Dirt found in “Angels Smoke Cigarettes,” “The Straw,” and especially “Juanita” are what propels Ashton’s efforts into a much more interesting reflection of what is possible in Nashville.
Favorite Song – “Juanita”
#10 Cody Jinks – Change the Game
Cody Jinks is real-deal outlaw country for the 2020s – indie country for the genuine players (apologies for my silly attempt at hyperbole). The new album, Change the Game further affixes Jinks’s legacy as a true outlier pioneer, sticking to country music’s classic authenticity, unswayed by the temptations of high profile/profit music contracts and country music radio. I remember being at Red Rocks watching Jinks during his 2019 tour for Rivals listening to him rail on the evils of the country music recording industry and country radio. At the time, I thought it was an amusing interlude, but now I get how much of a risk going “indie” is for country artists, and Jinks has made it. Perhaps it doesn’t surpass Rivals or the classic Adobe Sessions, but Change the Game competes. The lyrics are emotional, emotive, and vulnerable, digging into Jinks’ personal life and his struggles with working in Nashville’s margins. The anthemic title track, “Change the Game” cuts to Jinks’ identity as a country music outlaw. And GOD, the final track “What You Love” with the lyric, “Find out what you love and let it kill you…” absolutely speaks to my soul. Thanks Cody Jinks!!
Favorite song- “Sober Thing”
#9 Zach Bryan – The Great American Bar Scene
Okay, I have finally bought into the Zach Bryan hype. Last year’s self-titled album was certainly great, but its sprawling fifty-four-minute runtime was overwhelming. Clocking in at just over an hour of music, 2024’s The Great American Bar Scene is even longer. I have always admired Bryan’s proclivity to do whatever the hell he wants (record companies and contracts be damned). So, I get it…he’s fucking cool. And making these long-ass albums seems mostly about Bryan waving his middle finger around with a shit eating grin while satiating his creative impulses. After listening to this year’s release a few times, I finally caught on to how creative his work really is (duh, Nate…). The songwriting on The Great American Bar Scene cuts a portrait of a grungy everyday sort of America, recalling the experience of consuming too many drinks while sharing too much information with a stranger in an East Coast urban dive bar. Search no further than the subdued title cut for an exemplification of that authenticity. There are some truly great rock tunes amongst the playlist of 19 songs (that features a poem to kick off the album) including the gut wrenching “Oak Island” with its accompanying trumpet, and the rowdy “American Nights.” At about the midpoint (beginning with his duet with wonderful Canadian singer Noeline Hofmann on “Purple Gas”), Bryan slows down on a run of acoustic soulful tunes. Some might consider this filler (I have), yet again, I suppose the experience is reflective of Bryan’s eagerness to pull his artistic ambitions as far as they can stretch. There are some interesting guest spots as well including none other than The Boss on “Sandpaper” and a John Mayer guitar solo on “Better Days.” I’m truly enjoying this moment of Zach Bryan-love (perhaps fleeting) and eagerly await what he does on his next sixty-minute odyssey (likely coming to a Spotify app near you in a few months).
Favorite Song – “28”
#8 Hurray for the Riff Raff – The Past is Still Alive
Through the lyrical journey of The Past is Still Alive, Alynda Segarra paints a picture of an alternative queer America where transgender punks ride trains through the vastness of the wild west, passing buffalo and Native Americans traversing the plains and deserts as the US of A burns. The album’s cover art featuring Alynda Segarra laying in a metal tub dawning a cowboy hat signals that Hurray for the Riff Raff’s ninth album is less pop-oriented and a bit more country than past efforts (such as the more electrified vibe in 2022’s Life on Earth). Although indeed cloaked in twangy indie folk, Segarra’s lyrics are pessimistically political, perfectly exemplifying much of my post-election frustration and bitter disappointment with America. This sentiment is expressed most effectively in “Colossus of Roads,” where Segarra prophetically says goodbye to America, declaring they “…want to see it dissolve, I can be your poster boy for the great American fall.” My favorite song on the album, “Snake Plant (The Past is Still Alive),” is the least twangy cut on The Past is Still Alive but by far the album’s catchiest rock song. The tune’s lyric “there is a war on the people what can’t you understand” underlies Segarra’s bitter critique of the circumstances of our decadent, dying country. The Past is Still Alive is a poetic, emotional journey, and very likely a prophetic portrait of the chaos that is before us as a corrupt, immoral, misogynist takes control. God Bless America.
Favorite Song – “Snake Plant (The Past is Still Alive)”
#7 Midland – Barely Blue
No doubt about it, on Barely Blue Midland has created a straight up tribute to all things twangy soft rock that the late 70s would like back, forthwith. Is the album the finest exemplar of countrified yacht rock since Eddie Rabbit? Who knows. But the smooth pop vibes a la title cut “Barely Blue” and “Better than a Memory” give Rabbit’s “Suspicions” a serious run for its crossover money. I have loved past Midland albums, but with Barely Blue, the trio shed the hard honky-tonk they are known for in favor of a softer, more melodic sound. The result is something that I find absolutely fucking glorious. Perhaps not Midland’s intent, but Barely Blue captures a moment in country music when the late 70s folded into the early 80s and a few country stars and crossover rock artists were making twangy music soaked in blue eyed soul. The artists of this movement included the aforementioned Eddie Rabbit, Poco, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Dr. Hook, Pure Prairie League, and maybe throw the Eagles in the hat too. For me, Barely Blue captures the vibe most successfully on “Lone Star State of Mind” – a slow burn melancholic ballad about looking back while still moving forward. In a twist of irony near the end of the album, Midland almost covers Procol Harum’s 1967 smash “A Whiter Shade of Pale” in “Halfway to Heaven” by employing a guitar riff nearly identical to the classic organ at the beginning of that iconic song (before kicking into bonafide country tune by the chorus). A seemingly curious move to nearly close an album full of wonderful dad rock-sounding tunes.
Favorite Song – “Lone Star State of Mind”
#6 Wyatt Flores – Welcome to the Plains
After a couple of EPs (including the very good Half Life that was released earlier in the year), Welcome to the Plains is technically Flores’s debut album but showcases the maturity of a weary, road-tested songwriter (in spite of Flores’s young age of 23). An Oklahoma native (and this is indeed an album about living on the plains as exemplified by the rather chaotic but illustrative album art), Flores is the furthest thing from a bro-country artist. The style in which Flores dwells has been dubbed “red dirt,” a mix of folk, rock, and country originating in Oklahoma conjuring edgier lyrics than the punny/party songs about booze and trucks usually employed in radio-friendly country music. Whether or not Welcome to the Plains is a true exemplification of red dirt, Flores’s songwriting certainly checks the “edgy” box, delivering messages about his personal mental health, the pains of growing up in a small town, death of relatives, and of course heartbreak. The insanely catchy mental health check “Oh Susannah” is the song leading my Spotify listens for the year, as I have listened to it about a million times since the album was released in October.
Favorite Song – “Oh Susannah”
# 5 Johnny Blue Skies – Passage Du Desir
Sturgill Simpson is simply the best. I have loved all his projects since he released his “fuck you Nashville” rock album, Sound and Fury. And 2021’s Ballad of Dood and Juanita record might be the weirdest most incredible work that I have ever heard released from a country artist. In short, Sturgill captures just about everything that I love about the renegade country artists I discuss above. On Passage Du Desir, Simpson rechristens his musical identity as Johnny Blue Skies, conjuring up a collection full of good ole 70s country nostalgia deeply embedded in the blues. Simpson throws all of his musical sensibilities into this album though – rock, nostalgic country, bluegrass, and soul. What arises through the grooves is the variety of outlaw country music owing itself to the influences of Nelson and Jennings. Yet, there is a pop progressiveness lurking in the grass here too, nicely illustrated in the rock song “Right Kind of Dream” and the silky country soul tune “If the Sun Never Rises Again.” The absolute masterpiece of Passage Du Desir (and one of the best songs of the year) is the countrified odyssey ballad “Jupiter’s Faerie.” Running way past seven minutes, the song offers some gorgeous arrangements comprised of piano, strings, mellow keys, but it is Simpon’s rough croon through the chorus “I hear there’s faeries out on Jupiter, and there was a time I knew one” that drives the cut to brilliance. The album closes on another epic, “One for the Road” that hinges close to progressive rock, with its spacey, Pink Floyd-esque interlude, making it the perfect coda for this strange, wonderful record.
Favorite Song – “Jupiter’s Faerie”
#4 MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks
I was lucky enough to see MJ Lenderman in concert this year with his awesome band Wednesday (just weeks before Manning Fireworks dropped). Sadly, both of his solo Colorado shows this upcoming winter are already sold out and selling on Stub Hub for hundreds of dollars (I’m sad). My privileged-ass troubles aside, Lenderman released an album in 2024 rivaling the brilliance of Wednesday’s Rat Saw God and offering the perfect response to Waxahatchee’s Tigers Blood. As a member of the aforementioned band and a strong collaborator on Tigers Blood, it is clear that Lenderman creates magic with everything he touches. That musical Midas Touch elicits smoke and flame in Manning Fireworks. The disc is fun, it rocks, it’s cleverly goofy, and brilliantly all over the place. The tunes on Manning Fireworks are at times twangy and countrified (“Wristwatch”), sometimes straight up midwestern-style rock (“She’s Leaving You”), and occasionally a fusion of the two vibes (“Rudolf”). Lenderman showcases his knack for the throwback nostalgic reference coming way out of left field that the majority of his younger audience would likely never grasp. His citation to Quiet Riot’s 80s anthem “Cum on Feel the Noize” (via 1970s Slade) in “Wristwatch” transports me back into that beanbag chair in 1983 listening to my dad’s stereo. Other cool cultural references abound. The wonderful ten-minute spiritual (but far from sonic) tribute to Ozzy Osbourne’s “Bark at the Moon” while playing guitar hero closing the album makes me smile, as much as the reference to John Travolta’s bald head in “Only on my Knees“ incites hilarity (whatever the hell it means). And those are just a couple of the zingers occurring along the way. With all the success of Manning Fireworks as it tops year-end best-of lists, I’m praying that Lenderman sticks it out with his side-hustle Wednesday.
Favorite Song – “She’s Leaving You”
#3 Kacey Musgraves – Deeper Well
As the first moments of the lead cut “Cardinal” kick in on Kacey Musgraves stunning album Deeper Well, I knew that the album would be a favorite go-to throughout the entire year. The song evokes 1960s folk-rock ethereal vibes and sets the tone for some surprising moments. As my second favorite Musgraves album (standing closely behind the masterpiece, Golden Hour), its opening song (“Cardinal”) doesn’t necessarily represent the record sonically, but it does abruptly exemplify the variety that Musgraves demonstrates on the collection’s varied playlist. Deeper Well traverses through folk Americana “To Good to be True,” to something more akin to country vis-à-vis a sick-ass banjo in the chorus and subtle twangy guitar (“Giver/Taker”), to probably the weirdest pop tune Musgraves has ever recorded (“Anime Eyes”). The diversity is strategically restrained though, as are the lyrical topics mostly dance around general themes such as reflexive musings about self-care and death as the music closely skirts around folk rock production. On an amusing note, Deeper Well marks the first American pop album I’ve heard reference the Japanese anime auteur Hideo Miyazaki (see “Animal Eyes”). Wise listeners will turn to Deeper Well’s deluxe version featuring a duet with Leon Bridges on the song “Superbloom” – an instant classic.
Favorite Song: “Anime Eyes”
#2 Morgan Wade – Obsessed
Morgan Wade is like THE bad ass lady of country music. Her look screams “country punk.” Yet her sound has oscillated from pleasant pop country to steel guitar roots music. I first noticed Wade last year, with her excellent album, Psychopath, and this year’s Obsessed marks three super solid full-length albums since her 2021 debut Reckless. The album is richly emotive and personal, as Wade’s gravelly voice sings about her personal life (“Department Store”) and loneliness as a touring musician (“2 A.M. in London”). Obsessed departs sharply from the pop countrified sound from her last albums, reflected in tunes like “80s Movie” and “Domino” from Psychopath, finding a much twangier sound packed with plenty of steel guitar and soft country ballads. An ironic compliment to Wade’s sound, however, is her look. Tatted up from neck to wherever else and often clad with military boots and 80s heavy metal concert shirts, Wade appears like the female front of a contemporary hardcore band. The sounds on Obsessed certainly smooth out Wade’s jagged look. Yet, her music feels like it is pushing against the Nashville mainstream in a fresh way.
Favorite Song: “Time to Love, Time to Kill”
#1 Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood
Having noticed the trend of amazing indie bands releasing countrified albums in 2023 (Wednesday, Ratboys, boygenius), I was highly anticipating what Kathryn Crutchfield would bring as Waxahatchee in 2024. She exceeded all expectations, as Tigers Blood is one of the best albums of the year and probably our most compelling exemplification of “indie twang” to date. Listening to Waxahatchee over the years, I had always placed Crutchfield in the box of intimately acoustic and a bit too subdued to generate much enthusiasm from me. She took a noticeably broader swing with her arrangements in the 2020 release, Saint Cloud, and Tigers Blood further expands that level up. Aside from the twangy, country vibes, this collection is just packed with excellent rock tunes, a couple of which tower to such heights that I’ve had them on a constant loop since the album’s release. The best song of the year, in my opinion, is the beautifully muted duet with MJ Lenderman, “Right Back to It.” With the slinky banjo carrying through the tune and its sweet but catchy chorus, I just can’t quit it. “Crowbar,” “Bored,” and “Evil Spawn” are not too far distant – all of which showcase Crutchfield’s clever lyrical sensibilities and catchy songwriting. I’ve struggled for months to dislodge phrases like “A paradox poetic, you get choked up reading the classics.” from “Crowbar” or “We can roll around in disarray, in the final act of the good ole days” in “Evil Spawn.” At the risk of ending this discussion on a super sour note, given the state of our poor lost country, Crutchfield’s lyric illuminating the chaotic decadence preceding our collective decline feels like a harbinger.
Favorite Song – “Right Back to It”
With the release of the amazing Lenderman and Waxahatchee albums this year (and others), perhaps these 2024 albums have reached the zenith for indie twang, and it is a trend that will gradually fade over the coming months and years (similar to the wave of alt folk rock bands active in the 2010s like Mumford and Sons, the Lumineers, and the Fleet Foxes). It has been a fun journey as indie artists have experimented in the country music lab and artists from other genres have employed country stylings into their tunes. As I write this, I am watching Beyonce’s halftime NFL performance on Netflix featuring a sea of black bodies in white cowboy hats and suits dancing the country two-step. There is something kinda beautiful about the First Lady of Music colonizing Nashville’s domain.
Honorable mentions
Charley Crockett – $10 Cowboy
Sierra Farrell – Trail of Flowers
Maggie Rogers – Don’t Forget Me
Sarah Jarosz – Polaroid Lovers
Miranda Lambert – Postcards from Texas
Mickey Guyton – House on Fire
Lainey Wilson – Whirlwind
Kelsea Ballerini – Patterns
Shaboozey – Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going
Beyoncé – COWBOY CARTER
Just because I can, I offer up my top 50 albums of 2024
#50 Gouge Away – Deep Sage
#49 Los Campesinos – All Hell
#47 Willow – Empathogen
#46 Viva Belgrado – Cancionero de los Cielos
#45 Eliza McLamb – Going Through it
#44 Good Looks – Lived Here For A While
#43 JPEG Mafia – I Lay Down My Life For You
#42 Macseal – Permanent Repeat
#41 Wild Pink – Dulling the Horns
#40 Rosali – Bite Down
#39 Cody Jinks – Change the Game
#38 Nilüfer Yanya – My Method Actor
#37 The Decembrists – As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again
#36 Kamasi Washington – Fearless Movement
#35 Glitterer – Rationale
#34 Nubya Garcia – Odyssey
#33 Gel – Persona
#32 Ravyn Lenea – Bird’s Eye
#31 Zach Bryan – The Great American Bar Scene
#30 Charlie XCX – BRAT
#29 The WAEVE – City Lights
#28 High Vis – Guided Tour
#27 Stay Inside – Ferried Away
#26 Hurray for the Riff Raff – The Past is Still Alive
#25 SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE – You’ll Have to Lose Something
#24 Lip Critic – Hex Dealer
#23 Midland – Barely Blue
#22 Foxing – Foxing
#21 Kali Uchis – Orquídeas
#20 Origami Angel – Feeling Not Found
#19 Wyatt Flores – Welcome to the Plains
#18 R.A.P. Ferreira – the First to Make Contact When We Dap
#17 Empress Of – For Your Consideration
#16 Chat Pile – Cool World
#15 Johnny Blue Skies – Passage Du Desir
#14 Gustaf – Package Pt. 2
#13 MIKE – Pinball
#12 SeeYouSpaceCowboy – Coup de Grâce
#11 Kacey Musgraves – Deeper Well
#10 Tems – Born in the Wild
#9 Dehd – Poetry
#8 Vince Staples – Dark Times
#7 MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks
#6 Madi Diaz – Weird Faith
#5 Infant Island – Obsidian Wreath
#4 Morgan Wade – Obsessed
#3 Blood Incantation – Absolutely Elsewhere
#2 Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood
#1 Magdalena Bay – Imaginal Disk