Syd's Top 10 Releases of the First Half of 2024

Woot woot we’ll get right to it! Like my end of year wrap up, these are not necessarily my most highly rated releases, but the releases I keep coming back to/that have been the most influential in my year so far. In no particular order…

Diamond Jubilee, Cindy Lee

A definite contender for AOTY, I wrote in my May Wrap Up about how life-changing the Cindy Lee show was for me, and I truly have not stopped thinking about it. Brilliant. Novel. Unlike anything out there right now and the guitar is so killer. Full review here. Listen if you enjoy Women, Charlie Megira, or stripped back indie folk. And I highly recommend watching a live video on Youtube!

Way To Be, youbet

Ok I won’t go into depth for this one since I named it Release of the Month in my May post, but yeah I really love this album a lot. So refreshing to see such cool experimentation in the indie rock scene. Full review here. Listen if you enjoy Animal Collective, @, or This is Lorelei.

BRAT, Charli xcx

Another (likely) contender for AOTY for me. It’s been so long since I had to restrain myself from listening to an album on repeat all the time in order to not mess up my Spotify. I only allow myself to listen to this when I’m working out lol, which has made me want to work out every day. So good and has shifted the cultural paradigm irreparably. Full review here and also my Release of the Month for March. Listen if you are gay or gay adjacent.

Live Laugh Love, Chastity Belt

Ok finally getting to some releases that I haven’t talked about on Substack yet. This album came out in March and dominated my plays at the beginning of the year. A great record of indie rock from Chastity Belt (their first in 5 years) w some absolute bangers. “Chemtrails” is still up for song of the year for me. Full review here. Listen if you like Palehound, Girlpool, or just good ol classic indie rock.

Oxford Gardens (EP), Devon Ross

The only EP I’m putting on this list bc I love this EP so frikin much. The first musician to really do the Kim Gordon sound of Sonic Youth successfully for me without sounding derivative. Was obsessed w each of the four songs on this record. So good. Love her voice and she shreds. Also her debut! Full review here. Listen if you like Sonic Youth, Mad Planets, or Horsegirl.

Minotaur, Tex Patrello

Ok you gotta ignore the offputting cover art to get to some great music. An absolutely fantastic album of extremely weird and experimental indie rock. Kinda like the youbet album but also completely its own thing. You probably won’t like if you’re not into experimental music, but if you are, I would highly recommend. I just love when a band can create a sound in 2024 that I haven’t heard before, and Tex Patrello does that so succesfully. Full review here. Listen if you like Animal Collective, @, or feeble little horse.

Challengers (Original Score), Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

Rare and surprising for me to have a score on this list, but here we are. Putting it on not only because it’s a great album of electronic bangers, but also bc, like BRAT, I felt it shifted the cultural paradigm a bit and I haven’t stopped thinking about it. Electrifying. Put it on in the club pls. And don’t come at me for my tennis bias. Full review here. Listen if you like Charli xcx, A.G. Cook, or techno in general.

swanlike (loosies 2020-2023), They Are Gutting a Body of Water

Have been listening non-stop to this album for the last month. I really do believe TAGABOW is at the forefront of the shoegaze x electronic x experimental alt rock scene right now. This is just a compilation of loose songs from 2020-2023, which is really unbelievable given the quality. So glad they released this. And a really diverse compilation. Full review here. Listen if you like Sword II, Blue Smiley, or if you have ADHD.

Box for Buddy, Box for Star, This is Lorelei

Can’t get over how good some of these songs are. It always happens w This is Lorelei for me that, at first listen, I’ll be like this song is meh but w each progressive listen I hear and like more and more until ultimately I’m like this is genius. And the lyrics on this record are so so good. “Where’s Your Love Now” gives me goosebumps every time. Nate Amos is running the alternative indie pop scene right now. So fun and creative and silly but also such good music. Full review here. Listen if you like Water From Your Eyes, Lily Konigsberg, or Babehoven.

Full Body 2 on Audiotree Live, Full Body 2

An insane live performance given how much electronic mind bending stuff is going on in here. Mixing shoegaze w electronics is genius and Full Body 2 is leading the charge in that direction (alongside TAGABOW).

Got all of my fav songs of theirs in one awesome collection. This compilation really got me into them earlier this year. Surprising that an Audiotree Live made it onto this list, but that just goes to show how good this band is. Full review here. Listen if you like shoegaze, TAGABOW, Knifeplay, or Hotline TNT.