2024: Five Summer Albums
+ Autumn Rotation Playlist
As Summer 2024 comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the albums that defined these sun-soaked months. From perfected sounds and lyrical brilliance to nostalgic rollouts and pure power-pop energy, these records have been on constant rotation. I’m excited to share my top five favorite albums of the season—each a standout in its own right, and of course, beautifully pressed on vinyl. So, let’s dive into the music that made my summer unforgettable.
Charly Bliss - Forever 💙
With Forever, Charly Bliss have truly perfected their sound. Their third album delivers the best lyrics of their career, blending infectious energy with introspective, sharp writing. They’ve moved on from the bubblegrunge sound of their debut Guppy into indie pop territory, which is a move they’ve settled into nicely. A special shoutout to my friend Stephen Stallings for attending their Rough Trade performance last month and snagging me a signed copy. The blue-in-yellow indie exclusive vinyl is not just an aesthetic delight but complements the vibrant album art beautifully— and limited to 1,500 copies.
Favorite Moment:
The “Rose-colored Boy” vibes at 1:20 on “Back There Now”
Favorite Tracks:
Back There Now
Waiting For You
Calling You Out
Charli XCX - BRAT 🍏
Honestly, what can I say about BRAT that hasn't already been said? Charli XCX continues to redefine pop on her terms. I’ve been a fan since Charli’s first record and can confirm say I saw her perform at Bowery Ballroom back in 2012 🤯 I'm spinning the Target-exclusive splatter vinyl, which adds even more flair to this already bold album. Although I don’t think I understand why there isn’t a BRAT green variant. It’s pop with an edge that hits all the right notes. And if Kyle MacLachlan AKA Dougie Jones himself approves, then you know it's a winner.
Favorite Moment:
The Apple Dance
Favorite Tracks:
Apple
So I
Sympathy is a knife
Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk 💿
Magdalena Bay, the duo of Matthew Lewin and Mica Tenenbaum, have always been ahead of their time, and Imaginal Disk is no exception. They’re a modern-day Chairlift with a flair for nostalgia, especially on tracks like “Death & Romance,” where the piano chords during the intro channel Miike Snow. While this is the most recent released record on this list, the singles dominated my playlists all summer. The album rollout was a nostalgic nod to early internet aesthetics, and the visuals were just as captivating as the music itself. Given the album cover features an actual disc, this may be meant for CD rather than vinyl, but I couldn’t resist the opaque blue vinyl (now sold out!) for my collection.
Favorite Moment:
The Pink Floyd vibes when the tempo changes at 3:21 on “Tunnel Vision”
Favorite Tracks:
Death & Romance
Cry for Me
Tunnel Vision
Queen of Jeans - All Again 🎤
Hailing from Philadelphia, Queen of Jeans have crafted something truly special with All Again. Produced by Will Yip, who was behind another one of my favorites last year (PAERISH), this album’s wall of sound is unmatched. The vocals? Some of the best you'll hear all year, particularly on tracks like "Horny Hangover," which give off serious Alvvays vibes. I picked up the sea blue vinyl - limited to 150 copies, which pairs so well with the immersive sound.
Favorite Moment:
The guitar solo in “Bitter Pill” at 2:55
Favorite Tracks:
Bitter Pill
Enough To Go Around
Horny Hangover
Ian St. George - Emergency Index 🎸
From Northampton, MA, Ian St. George delivered what may be the power-pop album of the year with Emergency Index. It's banger after banger, filled with energy and hooks that stick with you long after the record stops spinning. Pick any song and stick it on a playlist between a song by Dinorsaur Jr. or The Lemonheads. Nobody would bat an eye. I grabbed this one via their Bandcamp page on classic black vinyl—a clean and timeless match for such a fresh, vibrant album.
Favorite Moment:
The opening notes of “Everything Goes Wrong”
Favorite Tracks:
Everything Goes Wrong
No One Really Knows
Waste My Time
If five albums aren’t enough, here are some more notable albums that I couldn’t get enough of this summer:
Cassandra Jenkins - My Light, My Destroyer
Fontaines D.C. - Romance
Johnny Blue Skies (Sturgill Simpson) - Passage Du Desir
LAUREL - PALPITATIONS
Little Hag - Now That’s What I Call Little Hag
Spring Silver - Don’t You Think It’s Strange?
talker - I’m Telling You The Truth
Wishy - Triple Seven
Autumn Rotation. 🍂 Playlist
My annual fall playlist is here! Each year I add new & classic songs that provide a fresh soundtrack for the next few months. This year’s playlist includes new tracks by Oceanator, Meernaa, Wunderhorse, MJ Lenderman, Rachel Chinouriri, Wild Pink, Divine Sweater, Fake Fruit & many more.
Sprinkled in are some classic tunes by Bruce Hornsby and the Range, Everything But The Girl, Yo La Tengo, Department of Eagles, Oasis & more.
Follow along as more songs will be be added through November.
I added 10 more songs last month to my annual favorite songs from 2024 playlist.
10 more are coming soon. My overall 2024 playlist below already has nearly 1,000 tracks so give it a follow, put it on shuffle and discover something new!
If you made it this far, thank you for reading. Let me know which albums or songs you played the most this summer in the comments.
That’s all I got!
- Patrick