2024 Year in Review: Best Music

Today I come to you with my top five albums/music moments from 2024. I love music, listening to it, seeing it live and chatting with friends about it. I am getting older, and some of the new, well loved artists have no bearing on me. I like what I like, I will try some recommendations, but I listen to the stuff that I have always listened to. That's the way it is. I will say, and this isn't part of my top five, I have grown to enjoy Taylor Swift's catalog, I like listening to Olivia Rodrigo and Chappel Roan makes me want to dance. I have to imagine this is due to having a nine year old daughter that is just now getting into music. I just wanted to put that out there. Now, onto the list.

At number 5 I have my first live experience of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. I have heard so many people talk about this group. I have read a ton about this group. I have read about how prolific they are, putting out dozens of records in short periods of time. But I just figured they were a jam band thing that I had outgrown. I was very, very wrong. My buddy had an extra ticket when they were in Saint Louis and offered it to me. I wanted to see what the fuss was all about, so I happily accepted the ticket. It helps that my buddy is such a big fan, but what I saw unfold for the next two and a half hours was rad. They started off with some of their metal music. And from there on out I heard metal, rock, electronic, new wave and even songs that used a gong heavily. I was taken aback at how well, how proficient they played and sang. These dudes are true pros and seeing them live was exceptional. I immediately started listening to as much of their catalog as I could and am still listening to them today. King Gizzard is worth the hype and then some, and my fandom started this past summer when I saw them live.

At number 4 I have Kirk introducing me to Califone. I had no idea who or what this band was when Kirk texted me and asked if I wanted to go to a show of theirs. I told him I hadn't heard of them, but to let me listen and I'd get back to him. He agreed, but told me to answer quickly. I guess the show he was talking about was in a person's basement in town and they were only selling 50 tickets. I went to Spotify and turned the music on right away. I was hooked. Califone is folky with some experimental stuff. I love the lead singer's voice. I like how mellow the music sounds. I also like how loud it can get with only an acoustic guitar. After hearing one song I told Kirk I was in for the show. The show was even better than just listening in my car. I had never seen a show like this before. It was intimate and personal. Califone had two members performing and they were great. The banter in between songs was awesome. We were asked how everything sounded. It felt like we had a say, and that made the night even more fun. I'm still listening to Califone to this day and have even checked out some of the band members' side projects. Now to the albums.

At number 3 I have Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds "Wild God". This record is classic Nick Cave. Cave tells a story with his song lyrics. He paints a picture. I love his voice bringing these stories to life. The Bad Seeds are a perfect backing band for all the things Nick Cave wants to do. When an artist like him and his band comes out with a new record, and it hits as well as this one does, that makes me smile so much. It is nice and refreshing to someone of Cave's ability and longevity still making new, awesome music that reminds us all of what makes them so great.

At number 2 I have Kendrick Lamar's "GNX". I mean, Kendrick cannot miss at the moment. He is on a heater like we've never seen before. He crushed his rap beef this summer. His songs from said beef were played over and over again. His music videos were rad as well. Kendrick Lamar didn't have to do anything else and he would've owned the year in music. But, much to my delight, he gave us a full length record that is as good as most of his stuff. This album has no skippable tracks in my opinion. Kendrick Lamar has a lot to say and I love that he is recording it all for us to hear. I'm stoked that he will be touring this summer with SZA and that they are making a stop in STL. "GNX" has just about everything I enjoy from Kendrick Lamar and I cannot wait to hear these songs live.

And at number 1 for 2024 in music I have Tyler, the Creator's "Chromakopia". This record is damn near perfect. And I mean everything about it. The lead up had me, and everyone else for that matter, super hype. There were theories and posts online about all the early buzz and videos. Releasing a song like "Noid", with one of the best music videos in a long long time was perfect. That made everyone clamor for the record even more. Releasing it on a Monday as opposed to a Friday was genius. The free shows that Tyler, the Creator was doing made it all the more intriguing. By the time the record came out, I would've been happy with pretty much anything. Lucky for me and everyone else, the record is incredible. Tyler, the Creator keeps trying new things and it's working. He's showing us his growth as an artist. His music has gotten better and better. He knows how to produce and rap over perfect beats he's made for himself. His features are second to none. His shows are a blast and look incredible on screen. "Chromakopia" has wonderful relistening ability. This is just a perfect record for my fandom in music.

That's it for my top music of 2024. Come back tomorrow for my top five tv shows of the year. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Seeing Califone Perform Live was an Experience Unlike Any Other

Last night my buddy Kirk invited me to a concert. I haven't been to a show in awhile, so I was pretty stoked to check it out. I listened to some of the band's music prior to the show, which I very much enjoyed. Kirk also let me know that there were only 50 tickets available. The show was in a small venue, so they had to limit the amount of tickets they could sell. All of these things made me even more excited to go.

The band we saw is called Califone. I had not heard of them until last Friday. Their music is cool. It is ambient. I told my dad that the music felt like a warm blanket. I enjoy the singer's voice and like how mellow the music can be from time to time. Seeing them in such a small venue had me very curious to see how it would all work. It worked wonderfully. We saw the show in the basement of someone else's home. When we drove up to the house, we did some street parking and walked to the front door. There was a board in the front that said the band name and how to get in. We walked up, were greeted by a few people and an adorable pug, and they let us in after Kirk gave them his name. We walked downstairs, found a few seats and chatted for a bit. The lead singer walked where everything was set up, tuned his guitar and waited for his drummer. The show was scheduled to start at 8pm, and that is exactly when they started.

From the jump, this was an awesome experience for me. Califone is awesome. Seeing two of the members playing live was rad. The singer/guitar player was amazing. He used a lot of effects from his pedalboard that I liked a lot. He used reverse a ton to help loop the guitar for each song. He also played a good amount of slide guitar, which is something I'm a big fan of. His voice sounded great. Being in a small room, with different acoustics could have caused some issues, but it did not. He sounded great. I also really enjoyed the lyrics. He reminds me a little bit of Bob Dylan. I believe Bob Dylan is the greatest songwriter of all time. Califone's lead singer/songwriter is not far off for me. His lyrics are very poetic. He paints a nice picture, tells a nice story. I found myself listening even harder last night. I wanted to get the full live experience. The percussionist was excellent as well. Kirk mentioned that he played and experimented like not many other percussionists out there. I agree. He was playing synthesizer at one point. He used a violin bow to make noises on his cymbals. He would use different drums that he would attach to his high hat. He played other wood instruments that added a really nice sound. He was dynamite.

All in all this was a wonderful experience for me. The band was awesome. The crowd was there to enjoy the music. No one acted up or acted out of pocket. Everyone that was there was very friendly and respectful. The venue was cool too. It was akin to going to a friend's house to hear a band, except this band was way better than your friend's band. I highly recommend going to a small show like this. This was so damn cool to see where I saw it with who I saw play live. I am forever a fan now, and I will be looking out for more shows like this in the future. What a cool experience. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.