By “Tampa” Earl Burton
We’ve come to the close of another year, a year replete with great moments (anyone else still buzzing over Ozzy Osborne’s induction at the Rock Hall this year) and moments of sadness (RIP, Phil Lesh, Paul DiAnno, Toby Keith, David Sanborn, and many others). A constant, however, was the quality of music we received from our favorite artists and bands over the last twelve months. Let’s take a moment to look back at some of the great releases from 2024, and maybe you’ll find something new for your record collection.
First – The Honorable Mentions
I tried to keep this year’s list to only ten selections, but that proved nearly impossible. Thus, I had to create the “Honorable Mention” category to squeeze in a few extra efforts from some of the legends of rock. These albums were outstanding in their own rights but, in a couple of the instances, they will (could?) also serve as a “swan song” for the bands involved (selections are in no particular order):
The Black Crowes, Happiness Bastards
The Cure, Songs of a Lost World
Judas Priest, Invincible Shield
X, Smoke & Fiction
In the case of X, this will serve as a long goodbye for Exene Cervenka and John Doe as they bid adieu after an impressive forty-plus-year career in the business. For the Brothers Robinson, Chris and Rich, the first CD from The Black Crowes in fourteen years was like welcoming an old friend back for a night of whiskey drinking – but you don’t know if you’re going to get it again. The Cure was the surprise out of the bunch, dropping their first album in sixteen years, yet never sounding like they left the scene. And the venerable Judas Priest just keeps rumbling along – but you know that, with the members of the band deep in their seventies, it could end at any time.
NOW we’re moving on to the Main Event. These selections were some of the more outstanding efforts of 2024, bringing sparkling new sounds out for the listeners. We’re going to travel the world with these selections, so hope you got your passport ready (and they are in no particular order)!
The BEST of 2024
This German rock band celebrated their tenth anniversary in style in 2024. They played the largest metal festival in the world, Wacken Open Air in Germany, while releasing their third album to resounding approval. There were several tracks from this album that caught my attention – the title track, “Not Sorry,” and “Jackhammer” were particularly noteworthy – bringing fierceness and power while maintaining a melodic element. The world should hear about this band – and hopefully we will hear more from them in the years to come.
This is the third effort from this band, with some members not even of age to drink yet. They are also a rarity in rock and roll, a family band, who are going the independent route rather than signing with a label. The decade they have spent treading the boards of the boardwalk of the Santa Monica Pier to the stage of Rocklahoma has honed their skills into a crack outfit, with this album highlighted by such tracks as “Carousel,” “Rise Up,” and (in a stand-alone single from this year), “Bad Boys.” I would love to see this band remain at the independent level – not being a part of a label has allowed them to do their thing, their way – but I think to take the next step, a label deal might be necessary.
Tamar Berk, Good Times for a Change
She has been a part of this year-end list for the past four years, and it is because Tamar Berk keeps getting better with time. On her fourth album, Berk has demonstrated a unique ability to simultaneously be light and fun while adding whimsical and insightful observations. With tunes like “Good Impression” (and its flirty, fun Eighties-inspired video), “That’s Not a Lie,” and “Sorrow is Hunting” (an impressive, introspective look at one’s emotions), Berk has come a long way in four short years – here’s hoping she continues to share her continued growth with a growing legion of fans.
The Last Dinner Party, Prelude to Ecstasy
This band cruised around London for more than a year, teasing the music world with their musical creations and visually stunning shows. They FINALLY came out with an album this year and it was an incredibly special effort, capturing the essence of their live efforts onto CD. The catchy “Nothing Matters” and equally poignant “Sinner” demonstrated five young women who got something to say…let’s see where they go in the future!
Long a favorite of mine, it seems that the world finally learned about Monterey, Mexico’s Villareal sisters, better known as The Warning. Daniela, Paulina, and Alejandra have been a part of the rock world since they made their mark with a cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” on YouTube. That has allowed them to travel the world and create their fourth album, Keep Me Fed, which finally seems to have broken the band on the scene (nothing like a ten-year overnight success, huh?). Songs like “S!CK” and “Hell You Call a Dream” bring a lyrical quality that is powered by Daniela’s plaintive vocal prowess. You would be well advised to check out this effort from The Warning and delve into their previous catalog.
Various Artists, Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty and Bad Monkey Original Soundtrack
This is a dual entry because both efforts were way overdue tributes to the genius of the late Tom Petty. Petty Country saw a host of country music legends (including Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson along with Country Music Hall of Famer Marty Stuart) doing interpretations of Petty’s catalog with outstanding results. Don’t think this is just some country twanging, either; Margo Price teams up with former Heartbreaker Mike Campbell for a smoking rendition of “Ways to Be Wicked” and Chris Stapleton and Luke Combs offer powerful renditions of “I Should Have Known It” and “Runnin’ Down a Dream (respectively).
“Bad Monkey” was an Apple+ show that (OK, going off a trailer for this one because I don’t have Apple+) featured Vince Vaughan as a disenchanted former South Florida cop and his interactions with the characters of that area. If you’re going to do something about Florida, of course Petty’s music has to be the soundtrack, and “Bad Monkey” featured such performers as The War on Drugs (“You Wreck Me”), Sharon Van Etten (“I Won’t Back Down”) and Larkin Poe (“Runnin’ Down A Dream”) taking their cracks at Petty classics. There is no word on if there will be a second season for the show, but the “Bad Monkey” soundtrack is well worth having in the collection.
Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs, Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits
Campbell has had a busy 2024, with his work on those two Petty tributes and the latest release from his side project The Dirty Knobs. This is the third release from the band, and it shows that Campbell is still very able to create some well-written music, and the Knobs are ready to ride or die with him. This time around, the Knobs and Campbell tap into a bluesy sound more so than the rollicking tunes they’ve played earlier, with “Hands are Tied” and “Hell or High Water” serving as the bright spots (the guest appearance by Lucinda Williams on “High Water” was a welcome respite).
Mick Mars, The Other Side of Mars
At the start of 2024, the hard rockers Motley Crue unceremoniously kicked out the true heart of the band, guitarist Mick Mars, because (they said) of a medical condition that prevented him from touring. If you thought Mars was just going to curl up in a corner, you would be grossly mistaken. Instead, Mars cranked out The Other Side of Mars, which featured more powerful rock and roll than the insipid effort from the Crue (and Mars’ replacement, John 5), the Canceled EP. If you weren’t immediately captured by Mars’ work on “Right Side of Wrong,” then you needed to check further down the CD where “Killing Breed” and “Loyal to the Lie” await you. Throughout the disc, Mars proves he’s still got the chops to overpower most bands – including his former Crue mates.
Perhaps the most welcome comeback of 2024 was the Seattle grunge rockers Pearl Jam. They came back with their twelfth album, Dark Matter, which simply demonstrated why they are not only Rock & Roll Hall of Famers but also able to put out quality work today. For the first time in twenty-five years, Eddie Vedder & Co. went to the top of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts with the title track off the record, then turned around and did it again with “Wreckage.” The rest of the album is the usual aural journey for Pearl Jam, ranging from harder edges rockers (“React, Respond”) to more somber efforts (“Waiting for Stevie”), but it is a quality effort from a band that could have just mailed it in.
There you have it…the best of 2024! What made your list?
- INNOVIBRATIONS Bringing the Attitude and the Funk with Throwback Tune “Can I Take U Higher?” - January 2, 2025
- Pearl Jam, Petty Tributes Top Best of Rock in 2024 - December 28, 2024
- Were These CDs REALLY That Popular? - October 15, 2024
