The Top 10 Indie Rock Albums of 2024

If you do not know what Indie rock means in 2024, then why did you click on this article in the first place? The bands that made the top ten list, are of the more experimental variety, many times bordering on post-punk, but not as fully immersed in the bleakness, though more albums lean into a darker mood than not here, though given the website you are reading this on that should not be a surprise. While indie rock lends itself to hipster culture, these are not intended to be the coolest albums, but the best, fuck what other blogs say,

 After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of the year. 2024. The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway here are the top 10 indie rock albums of 2024

10-Cigarettes After Sex -"X's" 

The hushed androgynous intensity of Greg Gonzalez remains the same in many ways. This album finds the project has matured. There is a grounded melancholy not unlike that of country music, actual country music not the pop version, so I guess if you are too used to city life and do not have the kind of cowboy fantasies Orville Peck invokes then this folk music for closeted gay addicts, perhaps in recovery due to the lovely of self-reflection here.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/07/cigarettes-after-sex-xs.html

 

9-death doula -"Love Spells" 

There is a slight post-punk influence to the moody styling of this Portland band, but also a grungy jangle to what they do and a Mazzy Star-like longing, though their singer projects her alto rather than fading into the haze.  There is a jangle to the guitar, as the vocals unfold with a slithering ghost of a purpose.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/gothtober-death-doula-love-spells.html

 

7-the Dandy Warhols- "Rockmaker" 

 This is on the weird left of Ween, as they stylistically do not take such drastic turns, and in many ways are creating pop music for those who ingest a ton of LSD. This album proves to be written in the same weird vein, but it flows pretty well, and even with the surreal sonic oddity this band can become they are effective songwriters. If you are a fan of this band you already know what you are getting into and will be down for it. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-dandy-warhols-rockmaker.html

6-The Raveonettes- "The Raveonettes Sing on .."

The 9th album from the Danish reverb rockers is comprised of covers. They are covering some of their most obvious influences but doing it in a way that still retains the Twin Peaks-like ambiance that has colored their body of work. If you are a fan then this band this will make perfect sense, and is a must-list. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/07/the-raveonettes-raveonettes-sing.html

5-Soccer Mommy -"Evergreen" 

    Gripping tenderness moves Sophia's fourth album with a compelling flow to the songwriting. The drums help keep it moving, more than leaving her wandering in the atmosphere of her guitar, though a surreal 70s vibe finds flute solos surfacing to provide a more expansive sound. Her singing style's hushed virginal vocal tones incorporate equal emotions and detachment.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/soccer-mommy-evergreen.html

         

4-Pale Waves- "Smitten" 

After leaning too heavily in the pop direction it's good to hear them back placing the focus on guitars and more emotive vocals that border on dream pop but are driven by a carefree 90s jangle. The hooks are here, and the pop tendencies make it an easy listen but it has more depth. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/12/pale-waves-smitten.html

 

3-Fontaines DC - "Romance" 

The one album that was over-produced paid off. The grooves are huge when they hit you with them and the vocals sound great. They have come into their own on this album. The hooks are dialed in where they need to be, and it's an infectious affair. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/08/fontaines-dc-romance.html

 

             

2- Middle Kids- "Faith Crisis pt 1" 

This album really could have taken number one, they were on my pop list as well, until I moved them back here as this is a guitar-driven album when it comes to who is supporting these stellar vocal melodies, this band needs to be as big as HAIM and opening for Taylor Swift. But they are too smart for their own good, and the songs benefit from this at the end of the day. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/01/middle-kids-faith-crisis.html

             

1-DEHD - "Poetry" 

Over the years this band continued to grow on me until with this album everything clicked into pace. Their finely tuned garage pop is hookier than most pop on the radio. Some of the songs feel like long-lost classics from the early days of California garage rock, despite this band not being from California. At times this finds Beach Boys sounds colliding with the Velvet Underground. The hooks kept me listening which secured them at the top spot. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/05/dehd-poetry.html

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The Raveonettes : "The Raveonettes Sing…"

 The 9th album from the Danish reverb rockers is comprised of covers. They are covering some of their most obvious influences but doing it in a way that still retains the Twin Peaks-like ambiance that has colored their body of work. The first song sounds like it's from the '50s and I am not familiar with the Paris Sisters outside of the fact they worked with Phil Spector and this song does stay true to that sound. Things get more interesting when they tackle the Cramps classic "Goo Goo Muck", tone down the punk sensibility the band was known for, and take things in a trippier direction that finds a balance of being true to the original while making sense on an album that leans heavily towards the '50s and '60s in terms of feel. 

8 albums into their career they have solidified their following by this juncture of their career, but you can hear how this album might appeal to fans of Lana Del Ray. Duane Eddy's "The Girl on Death Row" is more sentimental and holds the feel of teenage romanticism. three songs in and it's worth saying there are some incredible guitar tones captured on this album. "All I Have to Do is Dream" is one of the Everly Brother's calling cards so to take on such a classic is a big step that they only meet head-on in the sense they have the vocal melodies down, and it's clear what song this is, but there is a dreamier haze cast over it.  The Shirelles is another band that makes a great deal of sense for them to cover, though they continue to take it down a surreal pill-induced drifting. It does not have the pop drive of the original and feels like it's being played by drug addicts who could nod off at any moment. 

Speaking of drug addicts "Venus in Furs" is another iconic staple, and if you are going to cover the Velvet Underground it might make sense to attempt it but the expectations are going to be higher. They capture the hypnotic feel but set it against a 90s alt-like programmed drum beat. Buddy Holly's "Wishing" gives the band more room to play since it's not as well-known of a song unless you are a Buddy Holly fan. I think they work well with what they were given here. They also have some breathing room with Gram Parson's "The Return of the Grievous Angel". Another song where I am not that familiar with the original, so there is no expectation set so it works well enough for me. You do get to hear some of the guitar lines jammed out a bit which works for them. 

'Shakin All Over" has more of a garage rock feel, though sound they are dialed into retro-perfect in a manner not unlike what the last Twin Temple album sounds like. It's another song where the great guitar tone and playing wins you over. "The Leader of the Pack" is another classic that defines an era of music. They are going up against Twisted Sister's version of the song, which Dee Snider really nailed back on 'Come Out and Play" but if you do not have this point of reference to weigh it against, this one stands alone.  I will give this album a 9.5, most of these songs they made their own. If you are a fan it just makes sense. This was just released on Cleopatra Records

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