THIS IS A JOINT BLOG FROM ANDREW DIAZ AND RYAN CAMERON.

Ask That God by Empire of the Sun

Empire of the Sun’s 2024 album, Ask That God, is funky, groovy and alternative as fuck. They are spoon feeding their fans in a way the MGMT fans severely envy, which as a fan of both groups, thrills me and kills me. The reason Empire of the Sun is operating at this level is because they have a grasp on what their sound is. With songs like Music On The Radio, Revolve and Ask That God, you’ll find yourself unintentionally grooving to the beat. Along with the grooves, Empire of the Sun makes you feel like a main character due to songs like Wild World. While it won’t change the course of your rhythm like the first time you heard the album Walking on a Dream, it will make you truly appreciative of Empire of the Sun’s alternative and funky sound. — RC

Dr. Dog by Dr. Dog

When this album released, Ryan made an apt observation that Dr. Dog’s sound is comparable to the Beatles. Specifically, they mimic the sound of the Beatles 1967 album Magical Mystery Tour, which is slightly psychedelic with punches of elegance. Due to that, much like other Dr. Dog albums, this feels optimal for the spring. Certain musicians make music that transports you somewhere when listening. Dr. Dog places me in the front seat of my car on a cool spring day with the windows down. Few albums are perfect, and I’m not claiming that Dr. Dog is in the pantheon of Remain In Light or Some Girls, but when you listen all the way through, you never consider skipping a song. In todays day and age where attention spans are at an all time low, that’s a miracle. — AD & RC

Futon Sessions (Live Acoustic) by Cadalay

A band I was recently turned onto is the Philly based indie rock group Cadalay. Their sound can be described as fiery. Maybe you could say spunky? Nevertheless, it’s a sound that works when you listen to their 2023 EP, Teenage Escapades. This year however with Futon Sessions (Live Acoustic), Cadalay flexes another muscle. They remove that fiery sound and supplement it with a toe tapping rendition of Darkness of the Day, a song that when it’s not played acoustic sounds like it’d be used in the trailer of a Jeremy Saulnier thriller (compliment). Going acoustic has its risks. What if your vocals aren’t as impressive as you thought? What if the acoustic guitar sound is flat? For Cadalay, that’s not the case on this three track album. Can I request an acoustic version of Beautiful Mind next? — AD

Get Ugly by Trophy Wife

My introduction to Trophy Wife was in 2021 when they opened for Skegss at a show in Boston. What struck me about them was the cohesion amongst the group which starts with McKenzie Iazzetta’s vocals that are remnant of the late Dolores O’Riordan from The Cranberries. Get Ugly hits its peak with the three song run of Beer N TV, Swamp Song and Spit. It’s a section of the album where Trophy Wife flexes their ability to make three different songs that play nicely off one another. Beer N TV relies on the heavy bass from Christian Pace tying it together while the sound in Swamp Song is adjacent to Radiohead’s Paranoid Android. The three song run wraps with Spit, which reminds me of Wolf Alice’s Moaning Lisa Smile due to the brooding guitar riffs. I’d say this is undoubtedly the best project from the rising indie band. — AD

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACHLAVA THE DOCTOR by Action Bronson

At this stage of his career, almost like Dylan playing the the siren whistle or wrench, Action Bronson is experimenting with different beats that accentuate his flow. On JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACHLAVA THE DOCTOR, Bronson incorporates beats that blend sultry R&B joints with accordion riffs and underlying horns. To no ones surprise, it works. He got funky with Cocodrillo Turbo in 2022 when half of his songs started and ended with what sounded like a ’65 Chevy Impala starting up and animal noises spliced throughout. Using these beats, Bronson lets his lyrics marinate further. The non-repetitive beats we are accustomed to hearing serve as a blanket for his bars. When I hear silky horns coupled with rhymes about Christian McCaffrey or Bronson not fucking with chipmunks, I chuckle and appreciate the greatness. — AD

Live at The Greek Theater (Live Performance) by Goose

I had the pleasure of yelling “GOOOOOSE” with hundreds of fans this summer when I saw Goose live in New Haven at the Westville Music Bowl. The American jam band that draws clear inspiration from the greats like Phish and Grateful Dead released my favorite live album of 2024 when they tore down The Greek Theater in Los Angeles. They played fan favorite originals like Dr. Darkness and Hot Tea, but also mixed in interesting covers from Great Blue and The Who. The best cover of them all however, or at least my favorite, was their rendition of Pumped Up Kicks from Foster The People. It’s more upbeat and is groovier than the toned down, semi muffled original, which I do enjoy. — AD

Loss of Life by MGMT

Ryan and I will butt heads about this, but I think MGMT’s Loss of Life is the second best album in their discography and it’s due to the albums duality. MGMT’s never been a band to speed up then slow the pace when they want to lead your emotions. The way they manipulate your emotions is in their distinguished beats. On Loss of Life, when they want you to feel jubilant, they use light snare and quaint keys that you hear in Mother Nature. When they want you perceive a sense of longing, like in Loss of Life and Loss of Life Pt. 2, they utilize a techno beat that makes you feel like an astronaut floating slowly from their ship into the great unknown. As I’m writing and re-listening, the inspiration from David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is apparent. — AD

Magpie by Peach Pit

There’s something so sweet about listening to Peach Pit. Neil Smith’s vocals scratch an essential portion of your brain and Dougal McLean’s synth sound brings a smile to my face. I’ve personally never frolicked, but when I listen to Peach Pit, specifically their newest album Magpie, I have a strong urge to frolic in the yellow flower field from Tim Burton’s 2003 movie Big Fish. It simply feels right. Over the bands almost ten year run, each album they release sounds akin to the album that came before, but with a twist. On Magpie, you pick up on similar guitar riffs that you hear in From 2 to 3. Despite that, they don’t just make carbon copy music. Songs like Yasmina, which is my personal favorite, and Little Dive, which has a bit of a Kinks inspired sound, are innovative in Peach Pit’s discography. — AD

Mahashmashana by Father John Mitsy

Mahashmashana is a culmination of Father John Mitsy’s first five studio albums. Chloë and the Next 20th Century flaunts his ability to make quaint, jazzier folk music. God’s Favorite Customer and Pure Comedy displays his bold song writing. And I Love You, Honeybear and Fear Fun showed how he’s never feared letting his emotions seep into his music. Some how, Mahashmashana takes his vibrant song writing and grandiose sound to make one of 2024’s best albums. Father John Mitsy articulately plucked the best portions of his twenty year career and blended it into a digestible and thought provoking eight song album, with my personal favorites being Mental Health and She Cleans Up, which has twinges of punk folk sound. Is that even a genre? Who knows. It works. — AD

NIGHT SCHOOL by JR Specs

I interviewed JR Specs earlier this year and he cited Kanye West as an influence on his music. Out of all of his albums, that influence is most apparent on NIGHT SCHOOL. There’s skits, similar to The College Dropout and JR lets his vocals shine the way Kanye does on Late Registration. Despite that influence, JR makes this album his own with his deliberate lyrics: I feel like falling behind just became who I am, it’s only fate if you accept it. Last year, he released 100Families and the lyricism in that served as a thank you to his parents for instilling a work ethic. In 2024, that work ethic was further put in motion as NIGHT SCHOOL is about him forging his own path. Whether it’s the keen beats from Soto or a meaningful marketing campaign, JR Specs has always made music with his own unique flare. — AD

Neon Pill by Cage The Elephant

Prior to the release of Neon Pill, it had been five years without a new Cage The Elephant album. Obviously I wanted new Cage to sink my teeth into, but I didn’t hate re-listening to Melophobia and Tell Me I’m Pretty daily. I think there’s two ways to view Neon Pill. If you’re a cynic, this is an album that struggles with its identity. The other option is that Cage wanted to play around with sounds that mimicked The Neighbourhood and Arctic Monkeys. Whatever your take is, it’s not wrong. It’s just a matter of if you liked it or not and I enjoyed playing this through over the year. While it’s a clear step below Social Cues and Melophobia, it’s still solid. — AD

Pacific Highway Music by Skegss

In their first album sans bassist Toby Cregan, Skegss didn’t skip a beat. The Australian surf rock duo of Ben Reed and Jonny Lani dropped Pacific Highway Music this year, and, I mean this as the biggest compliment imaginable, it’s total fan service through and through. That fan service doubles as a nostalgic, laid back sound that you find comfort in. But that comfort doesn’t mean a cozy bed on a winters night. It’s the type of comfort where you and ten of your best friends are sitting in the driveway on Memorial Day Weekend crushing beers, talking movies and telling stories that make you belly laugh. Compared to Rehearsal, Pacific Highway Music is a bit more mellow, but still contains the catchy choruses and enthusiastic guitar you’re accustomed to. — AD

Paradise State of Mind by Foster The People

Foster the People’s album, Paradise State of Mind, was a solid release in 2024. Nothing gets me more stoked than hearing Mark Foster’s vocals descend on your state of mind into the groove zone. I imagine myself awaking in a space shuttle with a monkey as a co-pilot when I listen to this album. It’s another groovy and funky release, but if I had to label it, I’d say it’s in the sub-sub-sub-genre of futuristic space funk. Now, is this album as good as Sacred Hearts Club? No. But it’s good to see Foster The People back in the lab creating music. My favorites from this album are See You In The Afterlife, Take Me Back, Let Go and Paradise State of Mind. It’s definitely a new approach from the group, but in this day of age with all the copy cats, you have to give them props. — RC

To The Ghosts by Cults

Cults release of To the Ghosts was your ordinary album release from the group. I’m a fan of their music, but in terms of versatility, don’t expect any from Cults. When they release an album, there’s at least two or three songs that hit and the rest sound the same. Open Water, Crystal and Cry Baby are fucking awesome. However, the rest of the album is middling. I think they have such a unique sound, but that’s what the group is holding on to. I’d love if they went a different direction and experimented with some different approaches because in terms of vocals, I think the sky is the limit. They have the paint and the canvas, they just don’t know what to do with it and are playing it safe by drawing stick figures. — RC

Under The Rug (Single) by Arcy Drive

Myself and Ryan have a solid rapport recommending music to each other. Sometimes it’s deep cuts from the Velvet Underground or it’s the latest indie band from a city we don’t inhabit. The latter’s the case with Arcy Drive. Earlier this year, a friend played me Arcy Drive’s 2022 album Attic Sessions, and I morphed into a trout chasing a worm: I was hooked. Their ability to mend eight tracks into a 29 minute, coherent song was a great feat. Over many listens of Attic Sessions, I grew as a fan awaiting new music. They then delivered with Under The Rug. Do they reinvent the wheel with it? No. But when you’re a fan getting into their smaller catalog, you’re content. You hope they don’t get overly ambitious too early as it could lead to them abandoning the raw indie sound they posses. — AD

What Could Go Wrong? by Spose

Last but certainly not least is What Could Go Wrong?, the latest album from Spose. Over his career, Spose has crafted albums with true substance in his lyrics. We All Got Lost focuses on the people he sees in his day to day life in Maine who got lost along the way and are still looking to figure their life out. Humans centers around the damage that human beings are doing to society and our planet. Spose looks inward with What Could Go Wrong? as he taps into deep emotions amidst a separation. Some of his lyrics are angry, others are self loathing. Through those poignant bars and punchy beats he raps over is another classic album in the discography of Spizzy Spose, L.L. Bane, Peter Sparker, Ryan Peters. — AD