best of 2024 • Nap Eyes • Passageway

I had the last verse of this song written for a long time, along with a bunch of earlier verses that I didn’t like as much that I eventually discarded. One quiet day when I was not doing too much of anything, I started to come up with the lyrics of the earlier verses — just in my head without an instrument or speaking them out loud, which is unusual for me. So the song was generated by this out-of-the-ordinary writing method, but I think this resulted in a song that is pretty different from anything else I’ve written to date. 

https://www.napeyes.com/

These songs are poetic, and not just because the words are poems. Their poetry lies in the music itself: Chapman’s reserved but powerful delivery, their lulling, hypnotic repetitions, the avian chorus of squawking guitars and chirping synths. This marriage of words and music captures something ineffable that lies between thought and expression (to borrow a phrase from Lou Reed), and with it, Nap Eyes have produced a beautiful, literary, aspirational, and inspiring work. post-trash

On the parade ground across the great divide

I saw 1000 candles flickering

And through a peasant’s eyes I saw a green-clad man

Ringing blue bells of offering

Beside him, astride, in neon fuchsia robes

And more beautiful than anything

A woman the sight of whom changed his mind

In a permanent way

Well, as for me, I rode the three miles north

Back to old York town

And lodged my horse in a stable there

Before walking to the castle grounds

Strange to make a parade so far away

Where there were so few others around

But I let the thought drop from my head

And that night my sleep was sound

When I awoke, I knew not the hour

But it seemed all the people had fled

I returned to my room and where the mirror had been

I found a blue doorway instead

Bracing myself against a bone-chilling wind

I wrapped my scarf around my head

And entered down a rainbow crystal pathway

Strangely compelled to follow where it led

Well, ever since then I’ve been in this gem-sea land

Where the night is as warm as the day

People talk on phones and they drive down roads

To places many miles away

As for me, I remain by my edge-of-town home

Watching the ocean’s peaceful sway

I’ve been drifting in and out of a mysterious dream

Of that old-time passageway

Is this what I get for listening to “Iris”

At nine o’clock on a Monday morning

In the shadow of the foreboding sculpture

In the diamond circular saw ring?

Far away, the dawn-bright dew

On some blue fields sparkling

In the deep mind, in the well,

In the heart of things

Hotgirl • In Your Head • 2024

https://lnk.fuga.com/hotgirl_inyourhead

Bursting beyond DIY origins in the bedroom of lead vocalist Ashley Abbedeen - Hotgirl have quickly established themselves as one of the most buzzed about acts on Dublin’s music scene. Bolstered by the angular lead guitar lines of Sophie Boxwell, the booming breakbeats of Nick Stanley and the low-end thump of Jake Hurley (Local Boy) - the quartet’s idiosyncratic take on alternative rock has seen them play at sold-out events in venues such as Dublin’s Olympia Theatre and Brixton’s Windmill, earning them supports with veterans (The Libertines) and contemporaries (Sprints, Pillow Queens, Fat Dog) alike. 

Having spent 2024 honing new material with producer Neil Kennedy (Milk Teeth, Creeper) and playing festivals at home and internationally with their typically raucous live energy; Hotgirl are gearing up for the release of their forthcoming EP out early next year, showcasing the eccentricities that set the band aside from their peers. 

On the EP’s lead single ‘In Your Head’, the group oscillates manically between sweetly melodic verses and hard, explosive hooks before shifting into an entirely new sonic backdrop for the track’s outro section. Detailing its origins, Abbedeen explained:

“This is a song about a boy I loved that really wanted me to write a song about him. I found it hard during our two years together to feel inspired enough to do it in any truly meaningful way, as I was actively suppressing what I thought of our relationship. The truth was that as much as we were in love, we were too dependent on each other to feel good about ourselves and ultimately needed to break up. It took us a long time to realise that the only thing that hurt more than being apart was being together. I am grateful for our relationship as it taught me a lot about myself. Finally giving up on it once and for all and trusting my gut gave me a newfound confidence in myself that had been dormant for way too long”

HotKid • Downtown • 2024

 https://hotkid.ca/

HotKid is the creative vision of Canadian producer, songwriter, and guitarist Shiloh Harrison. For over a decade, Harrison's soothing vocal delivery and knack for writing enduring pop songs have helped HotKid cultivate a cult following around the globe. With four full-length albums and multiple EPs and singles to their name, HotKid’s sound ranges from guitar-driven rock anthems to dreamy, melancholic pop ballads.

My Morning Jacket • Aren’t We One? • 2024

MYMORNINGJACKET.COM

“Music is the invisible architecture holding up the entire universe,” says Jim James.. Music is the great reminder that life, despite its challenges, still brims with so much beauty. Music connects us back to the source -- the heartbeat of existence, the force of love that binds us all, that boundless ocean of cosmic energy.

“In these times of great confusion and shifting energies, let us remember love, equality, and unity. Let us move past the divide-and-conquer mentality holding us back and come together to uplift one another and heal our planet. A rainbow is the greatest example we have of this in life, where all of the diverse colors come together to form something much greater than they ever could have done on their own. No matter what walk of life one may stroll- who doesn’t enjoy the majesty of a rainbow out in nature?! We are all part of that great ever-changing living rainbow called life. 

Let us act with compassion and listen to the heartbeat of the universe, the voice of conscience within our souls, guiding us towards peace, reminding us that we are all one… all part of the same love. 

“Please help support organizations like @doctorswithoutborders, @amnesty, @glbctzn, and others fighting for a better world.

“Most importantly, register to VOTE and exercise your right to choose. Your voice matters. Every vote counts. Don't let your voice go unheard. In the upcoming election we believe in the leadership of @kamalaharris and @timwallz, who are working tirelessly to create a world of fairness, equality, and peace. Visit @headcountorg for information on registering to vote or voting in your area.”

Princess Goes • “Armageddon Suite (Re-Armed)” • 2024

https://onerpm.link/702069617448

"A Bowie influence of futurism, freedom, and reinvention is present in the dozen songs on Princess Goes’ haunting Come of Age."
- FLOOD Magazine

"Princess Goes’ music manages to be both touching and visceral with a collection of mesmerizing songs led by Hall’s arresting voice [...] True to its title, the atmospheric 'Shimmer' features glistening production as Hall’s vocals imbue the song with a dream-like quality."
- UPROXX Indie Mixtape

"Princess Goes are back on the scene with an exceptional album that recalls the heady days of the new wave scene where The Human League, OMD, ABC, Depeche Mode and numerous keyboard leading bands ran rampant in the UK. These guys are totally up to scratch with their own modern take on that scene."
- Louder Than War

"'Blur' showcases a different side to their artistry; it is more ambient and it has a retro ’80s synth-pop new wave vibe to it [...] The bass drum and guitar helps adds to its overall appeal, and the melody ranges from soft to piercing. It has a stirring vibe that will resonate with fans and listeners."
- Digital Journal

Cuff The Duke • Ballad of the Breaking Dawn • 2024

https://linktr.ee/cufftheduke

With a foundation in Canadian roots rock and a penchant for crafting noisy guitar jams, Cuff the Duke's unique blend of genres has consistently escaped the confines of simple classification, earning them an honoured place under the umbrella of "alternative.”

Six albums, a pair of JUNO nods, countless miles clocked on the road, including sharing stages with iconic acts like Blue Rodeo, Hayden, Sloan, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, and Calexico. Then, poof! A ten-year vanishing act, playing only a handful of shows in that time. But like all great tales, theirs has a twist: Cuff the Duke has reemerged from the shadows.

The band's comeback album, "Breaking Dawn" is a deeply personal exploration of frontman Wayne Petti's journey with mental health. Petti, who has spent the past 8 years working as an artist manager for renowned acts like The National, Owen Pallett, Broken Social Scene, and Jennifer Castle, found himself struggling with the idea of balancing his roles as both a manager and an artist.  "I struggled with the idea of working with incredible and inspiring artists in that capacity and still being an artist in my own way. I finally realized that the only thing stopping me was ME. There are no rules about how one can and cannot be creative. I realized that it didn't matter to me how it came out and who listened to it; all that mattered was that I allowed myself to create something just because I finally felt that I needed to.”

Soap&Skin • Mystery Of Love • 2024

“I hear a song,” adds Anja, “and feel there's something else I'd like to add. Then I don't listen to the original. Sometimes not for years. I record the songs from memory.” So she hasn't heard The Doors' "The End" for over seven years now. An old favorite song, a little time capsule. Similar to Shirley Bassey's "Born To Lose".

Other new interpretations are Cat Power's "Maybe Not", David Bowie's "Girl Loves Me", Tom Waits' "Johnsburg, Illinois", Janis Ian's "Stars" and "Pale Blue Eyes" by The Velvet Underground among others. The strongest transformation, however, was certainly the digital bonus track, Plaschg's version of Lana Del Rey's "Gods & Monsters". If Lana Del Rey still wants “fame” and “liquor” and that “slowly” in 2012, Soap&Skin sings: “fame and liquor?”, “that is nothing holy.” And sunny lethargy turns into an experimental and mysterious electro soundscape.

tinyurl.com/tn7vyabn

Anna McClellan • Jam the Phones • 2024

linktr.ee/anna_mcclellan

Kevin Devine • "How Can I Help You?" • 2022

https://lnk.to/nrsnw

"How Can I Help You?" –a thoughtful, drum-backed track, where Devine sensitively asks throughout, "How can I help you push through yourself to me? / How I can help you tell me what you need?" The track closes with this same soft, loving energy as Devine fondly declares, "When I see you gates unguarded / Aphrodite / evidence of God, I’m free inside." Gently knocking at the door of a heart's gilded cage, Devine knows what's possible with the key unlocked; he's been inside the castle of love, covered in roses and liberated -- enlightenment that was fleeting and yet everlasting.