I’m about halfway through the next Flower Kings review, and also have a bunch of catchup work, both paying and not, that’s kept me from regular posting this week. So we’re going to keep things brief for this week’s playlist, which is going to highlight tracks from my favorite albums of the year so far. Think of it as a mid-year report, except it’s coming about a month and half too late. And to make up for the lack of commentary, and because there’s so much to love about music in 2024, we’re expanding one time from 1 hours to 2 hours.

Lots of different styles and genres within, so let’s cut the chit-chat and get to it.

• Beyoncé – “American Requiem”
• Ty Segall – “I Hear”
• Brittany Howard – “Power To Undo”
• Gary Clark, Jr. – “What About The Children”
• The Tangent – “A Like In The Darkness”
• American Aquarium – “Crier”
• Osees – “Cassius, Brutus & Judas”
• Asmaa Hamzaoui – “Laǎfou”
• Johnny Blue Skies – “If The Sun Never Rises Again”
• King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – “Field of Vision”
• Nolan Potter – “The Mold That Grows On Harry”
• J Mascis – “Set Me Down”
• Steve Hackett – “Taking You Down”
• LAIR – “Boa-Boa”
• Wand – “Smile”
• Beth Gibbons – “Floating On A Moment”
• DIIV – “In Amber”
• LITE – “Breakout”
• Mdou Moctar – “Funeral For Justice”
• Parannoul – “A Lot Can Happen”
• Black Country Communion – “Stay Free”
• IZZ – “We Are The 3rd”
• The Reds, Pinks, and Purples – “What’s Going On With Ordinary People?”
• Jack White – “Bless Yourself”
• toe – “Who Knows?”
• Willow – “home”
• MONO – “Oath”

I already have a few reviews up for some of the albums in this list under the tag best of 2024. I plan to do more, especially – yes – the Beyoncé. This list doesn’t even cover the metal, or a lot of the prog. So maybe we’ll hit a few more of these in the next few weeks. Until then…

Be safe, and see you next week.