Top 20 Albums of 2024 – Part 2
This was my script. Video down below.
(The Black Keys – “Countdown”)
That’s an oldie from The Black Keys called “Countdown”
Black Keys could be heard during Part 1 of Top 20 Albums of 2024.
(clip) They were #18 with Ohio Players. We are on to Part 2 now as we countdown from 10 to 6. Which also means that there will be a Part 3.
(Countdown video)
At #10 – she is 18 years old and can rip on her Gibson guitar (“Get On Now” clip) Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge – Album is Wine on Venus. The song that I first heard and hooked me was “Tell Me Why U Do That” (clip) Hints of Sly Stone can be heard in that song. But then, her & The Hodge Podge pay tribute to Sly and the Family Stone with the fun cover: “Dance To The Music” (clip) The album’s title track “Wine On Venus” is a track that Bowers said was inspired by her ‘Nana’ who passed at the age of 100. (clip) Grace Bowers influences? She says “It started with seeing Slash on YouTube playing Welcome to the Jungle” (clip) she says. “I got really into ‘80s music – but that changed when I heard B.B. King when I was 13. (clip)
On to #9, this band always makes me think of a movie that was filmed in Delaware (clip) The movie, of course, is Dead Poets Society with the great Robin Williams. The band that officially takes up the #9 slot is Dead Poet (no s) Society (“Running in Circles” clip) – Album is called Fission and it opened me up to a whole new group of bands such as Younger Hunger, Bryce Fox, Jagwar Twin, & Friday Pilots Club (“Spectator”) Back to Dead Poet Society, the song that made me fall for the band wasn’t their most listened to tune – for me, it’s “My Condition” (clip)
Like any of the Vampire Weekend albums for myself, I have to keep listening. (“Gen X-Cops” clip) I don’t want to say that they “grow” on me, because that sounds forced. However, with each new spin, my appreciation grows and I keep wanting to hear more and more. (clip) So yes at #8 is Vampire Weekend: Only God Was Above Us (clip) Love the musical intro to the “Prep-School Gangsters.” Plants seeds, plants seeds. Did you know that the lyrical first word of the album is an “F” bomb – I’m amused by that. They totally did that on purpose.
The number 7 is BRAT (clip) Everything went Brat with Charli XCX this summer – and I’m probably totally messing something up with trying to relate to the younger peeps. BUT – I do know that it’s a great sounding dance pop album (clip) Lots of dancing – reminds me of my shoes sticking to the dance floor. Remember that. Then, if you dropped something – forget about it. It’s gone (clip) Charli XCX had a ton of fans prior to this album. It’s going to keep growing. She’s got the “it” tour for 2025. Easily, the most BRAT.
(Houdini clip)
6) Eminem: The Death of Slim Shady (Houdini clip)
My 15 year old son totally embraced this new album. If it was vinyl, cassette, or CD, he would need another one because he cooked it. (Habits clip) A moment with this album that sticks out to me is when it was just my son and I on the 2 hr ride back from the Jersey shore (Brand New Dance clip) My ears felt like they were bleeding because it was so loud, but it was also oh so glorious. (Renaissance clip) The entire album was cranked the whole way home. Will forever remember that moment and I hope he does too. Music creates these magical memories