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Q's Compilations
Vol #159 – December
2024 to January 2025
01) DEHD - Dog Days: DEHD’s fifth album, Poetry was released in May (lead single Mood Ring appeared on Q#154) and they have yet to put a foot wrong. The Chicago trio didn’t reinvent their own wheel on the latest record but they’ve certainly found their sweet spot.
02) Spirit Night - Another War: Keen ears will remember Darker Now from Q#157 and this is another excellent track from Time Won’t Tell. Still waiting on a vinyl copy which should hopefully come in January. One of the finer jangly records this year (and there were a lot). You should also check out 2023’s Bury the Dead if you enjoy this.
03) Oceanator - First Time: I used Get Out on Q#156 from Oceanator’s Everything is Love and Death record that came out in August and is probably the finest Oceanator record to date, almost any song on the record could have made the mix.
04) METZ - Glass Eye: Sadly 2024 saw us bid farewell to METZ, one of the finest bands around since their 2012 debut, and certainly one of the consistently best live acts I’ve ever seen. I was fortunate enough to see them one last time this year, and they went out with a bang releasing Up on Gravity Hill (Q#154 featured Entwined).
06) Good Looks - Can You See Me Tonight: One of my favourite records of the year is Lived Here for a While (standout track It It’s Gone appeared on Q#156). Good Looks know how to own the middle of the road and the guitar solos rip.
07) Why Bonnie - Fake Out: Dotted Line (Q#155) is one of my biggest earworms of the year and her Wish on the Bone album (via the always fabulous Fire Talk Records) is a triumph, which is a nice contrast from the country/Americana tinged debut 90 In November.
08) Nada Surf - Moon Mirror: Now on New West Records, there’s been a Nada Surf shaped hole for a few years (previous record was in 2020 and they hadn’t played New York since 2021) but fortunately Moon Mirror fixed the album problem and they played a great show in October. It would be too easy for me to say it’s my favourite record of 2024, but it’s a serious contender (and I was delighted to see them make the cover of the latest Big Takeover Magazine).
09)
The Reds, Pinks & Purples - Park Statues: I lost count how many releases
Glenn Donaldson released this year, Unwishing Well was the full album
that came out, but this track is from The World Doesn’t Need Another Band,
I probably used songs on more mixes than not.
10) Snarls - With Love: This is the fourth track I’ve used from the band’s second album, With Love (Q#152 Big Fish, Q#154 Heavy Drinker and Q#156 Moon Tides), so that alone should probably speak to how good the record is. Their live show was also one of the best I saw this year and it’s always nice to see a rising band at the top of their game.
11) American Motors - A Half Finished Wall of Glass Blocks: I adore the production on Content, the band’s debut, recorded by J Robbins of Jawbox who himself released a fantastic solo record this year that really should be on this mix. Sometimes the downer records sound the most beautiful and there’s something strangely uplifting about how bleak the album is. Q#158 also featured Colonial Lanes.
12) Porcelain – Obi: If you put a gun to my head, I’d probably say that Porcelain’s self-titled debut was my favourite album of the year (Disgrace was on Q#154). Yes the Unwound influences are super in your face but Unwound are one of my favourite bands, so just plug it into my veins.
13) Thou - Emotional Terrorist: Baton Rouge’s finest returned with Umbilical in May via Sacred Bones, you might remember the pummelling I Feel Nothing When You Cry from Q#155. Sludge metal doesn’t come much better.
14) Frail Body – Monolith: I’m probably asking a lot of many of you by using Porcelain’s post-hardcore, then Thou’s sludge metal and Frail Body’s screamo back-to-back, but the band’s second record, Artificial Bouquet deserves a seat at the table (Refrain appeared on Q#154).
15) Sour Widows – Initiation: Taking things down a notch here with California trio Sour Widows and a track from Revival of a Friend, which is one of the most beautiful albums the year had to offer (I also used Cherish on Q#155), the record hits a lot of slowcore notes that is important to my wellbeing.
16) Quivers – Screensaver: Australian act Quivers signed to Merge records this year to release their third album, Oyster Cuts (Q#155 featured Apparition). There were a few contenders from this album but there was something about the 80s radio ballad vibe of this tune that kept me coming back to it.
17) Wild Pink – Disintegrate: Winner of most improved act for 2024 is Wild Pink, who I’ve enjoyed in the past without any of it sticking, but everything seems to click on Dulling the Horns, maybe it’s the switch to Fire Talk Records!
18) Bnny - Something Blue: Another Fire Talk artist, Bnny’s One Million Love Songs is one of those records that catches you by surprise in how good it is every time you listen to it. Her second record, it’s a much more confident set of songs and seems to have been criminally ignored on all the end of year lists I saw. You can also hear Good Stuff on Q#154.
19) Julian Velard - What if I'm Wrong: Velard’s In the Middle of Something record is basically a concept album of midlife crisis (and certainly makes me feel good I don’t have kids, even though I’m sure he loves his life!). You can also check out Money, I’m in Love With You on Q#155.
20) Macseal - Golden Harbor: Long Island’s Macseal released their second album, Permanent Repeat in July and if you’re an Oso Oso fan then the only thing holding you back might be that they sound a bit too much like Oso Oso!
21) Mdou Moctar - Sousoume Tacheq: Hailing from Agadez, Niger, Mdou Moctar have a guitar hero vibe wrapped up with Tuareg inspiration. Funeral for Justice was released by Matador Records in May (Imouhar was on Q#155).
22) Joyer - Rings a Bell: The band’s third album, Night Songs was released in April and sees them deliver a highly confident record which manages to retain some of their signature slowcore moments, but really expands their range.
23) Horse Jumper of Love – Wink: From one slowcore act to another one, probably the best of the newer wave of the genre for that matter. Horse Jumper of Love released their fifth album, Disaster Trick, in August and you can also hear Today’s Iconoclast on Q#157. I typically like to end a mix on a slow note so why break a habit!
Thanks for listening (or reading, or both?).
As always, Peace and Love - Q
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