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Sli'merre 2 by Young Nudy and Pi'erre Bourne

6.5 - A 10 for anybody who gets to spend their weekend nights hot box slow rolling, a 6.5 for middle-aged men committed to Friday family movie night. -Jt

8.2 - This duo is at their best when they're having fun, and about 2/3 of this album is exactly that - a producer and MC in their prime having so much fun. -b

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Songs of a Lost World by The Cure

10 - A perfectly patient masterpiece delivered by a band that has aged like fine wine. -b

7.7 - My first listen sparked The Cure deep dive into thier ever-changing line up that resulted in The Cure identity crisis that ultimately reinforced that while I love the full sound of The Cure I mostly love the first version of The Cure and all poppy kitty sensibilities that peak throughout the rest of the beautiful drudgery. -Jt

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Scheduled Explosions by 2nd Grade

7.5 - My favorite part about this collection of fuzzed out, beachy, poppy, jangly tunes is that they are delivered in quick installments...LONG LIVE SHORT SONGS! -b

6.9 - While it’s usually filled with revisits to Material Issue, TMBG, Smoking Popes, and Matthew Sweet, there’s a little space in my eternal pit of music need for new sugary teen white boy alt pop rocks. -Jt (they got a bonus .3 for introducing me to the concept of being buried at pepperidge farms)

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PRATTS & PAINS by Royel Otis

7.8 - Royel Otis clogged the eternal pit that I have inside of me that longs for youthy alt-rock with Cure Strokes - Jt

5.9 - the year is 2004 and you're listening to all the new nyc dance rock on the radio and life seems pretty good until you realize that this shallow, empty existence is devoid of anything lasting lol. -b

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Charli xcx - Brad and it's completely different but also still brat

6.4 - I think complaining about how this release exemplifies the gross over-releasing of music to jump the charts is kinda brat… that said, the guests are pretty amazing, and having too much brat in my ears helped me push through some authoritativeness - Jt

7.5 - The rare instance where a remix edition is a wholly new and unique platter of music and this one is jam packed with crazy features that bring interesting angles to the best dance pop album of 2024. -b

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Cutouts by The Smile

8.1 - Utter brilliance as usual: funky riffs, beautiful strings, dark, poetic lyricism and a complex pallet of sounds stirred together in a way that makes you wonder if we've been following along with the greatest musicians of our time. -b

6.7 - I am being driven nuts by this rafter of turkeys just outside of my porch and this tom is just alpha flexing like dick by noisily hard strutting through dry leaves in circles around the hens as I contemplate how perhaps I subconsciously credited the magic of Radiohead to Thom and Johnny, but The Smile makes me think perhaps it’s Ed and Nigel? - Jt

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A 2nd Shape by The Wolfgang Press

5.3 - I mean… the weirdness and 80s vibe feels right, but the whole thing has this odd sensuality to it and weird feeling sensuality isn’t really my thing - Jt

7.9 - Gloomy, gothy post rock slowed to a black snail's pace!! -b

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In Waves by Jamie xx

8.0 - Hit play for an automatic dance party or be inspired to revisit that weird time in the late 90s when I was into the breakbeat that was chunking itself into the pop music. - Jt

8.2 - In Waves utilizes fun little callbacks to different aspects of rave music and churns out dance bangers full of technicolor electronic matter. -b

(the experience was like being dragged behind a car sitting cross-legged on a circular sled with no prostate cushion - there was some fun but largely a pain in the ass) - chres

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this reminds me of 1993 when I felt like Michael Jackson died.

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Games of Power by Home Front

7.2 - I’ve been searching for a punk show to bring my 18 year old nephew to and seeing Home Front’s 80s electro party punk in a London basement seemed like the ideal (not at all realistic) situation. -Jt

6.9 - There's something endearing about this 80s-sounding power rock album, and it might just be the annoying lead singer. -b

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B's End of Year List

What moved me most in a year that felt unfair, unlucky and overall ungood.

Best Album: Red Moon in Venus by Kali Uchis

My entire life was leading up to the moment where at the end of my Spotify wrapped, Kali's special message appeared like my personal ghost of Christmas past.

Best Track: Boyhood by The Japanese House

Boyhood was probably my most played song in 2023, and I remain committed to the theory that God's gift of melody has been bestowed upon The Japanese House.

Best Breakthrough: Caroline Polachek

I am as big a fan of Chairlift and Caroline's first solo album Pang as anyone, but there is no denying the absolute force that accompanied Desire, I Want to Turn Into You.

Best Comeback: DJ Shadow

While he hasn't technically been dormant, 2023's Action Adventure feels like a comeback for the man who we were all addicted to in the late 90s.

Best Trend: Billy Woods and/or anyone recording in Backwoodz Studioz releasing music seemingly every single week with zero misses.

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Jt's Year End Review

Best Album: Panamá 77 by Daniel Villarreal

Ok, for the record, this album came out in 2022, but it was my default for 2023.

Best Track: It Must Change by ANOHNI

A song called, "It Must Change" seemed right.

Best Breakthrough: Lifeguard

I love them. Read my review for more reasons why.

Best Comeback: duh

Best Trend: The kids are shoegazing

While AT40 is going country (hopefully this ends soon), the kids on tiktok are blowing up shoegaze.

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Voice Notes by Yazmin Lacey

8.3 - A loungy mix of soul, funk, jazz, and a little reggae suited for a daytime trip or an intimate nightcap after a good first date. -Jt

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So Far So Good by Meernaa

7.6 - Carly Bond’s smooth vocals propel you through a warm velvety quiet storm lit by a slow moving disco ball.

7.9 - Eyes-closed-honey-syrup slow jams will lift you gently to the clouds. -b

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ANIMALS by Kassa Overall

7.8 - I feel like an experimental hip-hop album with a bunch of featured jazz musicians (that gets better with every listen) is long overdue and I really hope he brings all his guests on tour with him -Jt

7.6 - Rich with soul samples and clever lyricism, ANIMALS is worth hearing if only for its sonic treats and head-bobby nature. -b

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Javelin by Sufjan Stevens

Part of what I love about Sufjan is that his albums make sense, and in a week of listening, I haven't figured out what he's talking about, but it sounds like a return to when he was writing about states and I wish he was telling me about MN history. - Jt

9.0 - I could go on and on about this, Sufjan's new record, and how it might be going this way or that, or is a certain type of musical growth in x and y ways, but at the end of the day, like all Sufjan records, the best way to sum it up in review is with that cry face emoji. -b

9.0 - Serving as a loadstar, Sufjan's albums have marked different periods of my life with befores/afters and while Carrie & Lowell marked a transitional stage in my life with striking brilliance, Javelin serves as more than just an afterglow but a reminder of beauty in the present, notwithstanding sadness. - Tj