Our Favorite New Albums of 2024 So Far! (Part Two of Three)
20 More of R&R's Top Music Picks for 2024!
There’s so much great new music right now! Last week we showcased 20 of our favorite new albums from 2024, but that was just the beginning. We listen to a lot of new music every week . . . far more than we can cover on our podcast (which, by the way, will be returning soon for season three). So below is Part Two with 20 more of our top 60 new album picks from the year thus far. Enjoy!
Click here if you missed Part One. And don’t forget to check back next week for Part Three!
[Editor’s Note & Public Service Announcement: For the sake of convenience and accessibility, we’ve linked to each album on Spotify. But please PLEASE support your favorite musicians if you can afford it. Purchase their albums/merch directly via Bandcamp or their official sites, and pay to see them live in concert so they can afford to keep making the music we all love.]
Our Favorite New Albums of 2024 So Far! (Part Two of Three)
Experiential Orchestra with James Blachly and Curtis Stewart: American Counterpoints
Thrilling new classical release showcasing the work of two remarkable African-American composers, Julia Perry and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson. Favorite Track: “Symphony in One Movement for Violas and String Basses” (composed by Julia Perry)
Ganavya: like the sky I’ve been too quiet
Trained in the Carnatic tradition, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ganavya reinvents South Indian classical music with a highly original album of otherworldly songs in Tamil and English. Favorite Track: “forgive me my”
Gao Hong & Ignacio Lusardi Monteverde: Alondra
Chinese pipa master Gao Hong teams up with renowned Flamenco guitarist Ignacio Lusardi Monteverde in a sublime fusion of strings. Favorite Track: “Song of the Nomads”
Gitane Demone & Paul Roessler: The New Young Kings Of Midnight
An opus! A pure masterpiece from legendary musicians Gitane Demone and Paul Roessler, this contemporary classical orchestral song cycle is exciting, experimental and utterly life-altering. Another strong contender for our favorite album of the year. Favorite track (a heart-wrenching tribute to our dear friend Rozz Williams): “April First”
Gossip: Real Power
Rollicking riot grrrl anthems from singer Beth Ditto and Gossip’s first studio release in 12 years. Favorite Track: “Real Power”
Helado Negro: Phasor
Lush, laidback, dreamy, avant-pop synth grooves. Favorite Track: “Best For You and Me”
James: Yummy
Joyful, life-affirming anthems featuring one of the best indie rock vocalists of his generation (Tim Booth). Favorite Track: “Rogue”
Jihye Lee Orchestra: Infinite Connections
Big band jazz orchestra transforms Korean folk melodies into a cinematic sonic symphony. Favorite Track: “We Are All From the Same Stream”
John Cale: POPtical Illusion
Deeply subversive art rock gems encrusted with sparkling pop art glitter from the iconic 82-year-old co-founder of the Velvet Underground. Favorite Track: “How We See The Light”
Jordi Forniés: Hela Nokto
Multi-talented visual artist/composer/musician Jordi Forniés presents a gentle, contemplative suite of classical nocturnes for piano and cello. Favorite Track: “Drops of Light”
Joseph Tawadros: The Virtue of Signals
A dazzling journey of serene meditations. Egyptian-Australian multi-instrumentalist Joseph Tawadros plays oud and cello in a quartet alongside jazz pianist Matt McMahon, accordionist Gary Daley, and brother James Tawadros on percussion. Favorite Track: “Two Souls”
Judith Hill: Letters from a Black Widow
No longer “20 Feet from Stardom,” Judith Hill takes center stage here, reclaiming both her identity and her creative voice with a cathartic album of funky electric blues bangers. Favorite Track: “Runaway Train”
Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble: Open Me, A Higher Consciousness of Sound and Spirit
Celebrating a half-century of innovative post-bop collaboration, Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble represents the past, the present and the future of spiritual jazz. Favorite Track: “Passion Dance” (composed by McCoy Tyner)
Kankou Kouyaté: N’Darila
Brilliant debut album from a Malian singer-songwriter rooted in the griot tradition of her ancestors while simultaneously finding inspiration in Afro-Cuban & Latin rhythms. Favorite Track: “Maria Lulu Rishi”
Katerina Papadopoulou & Aegean Arc: Aura
Traditional Greek songs from the Aegean Sea blending Byzantine folklore with primeval Dionysian energies. Favorite Track: “Kostantis and the Crab”
Kronos Quartet: Outer Spaceways Incorporated: Kronos Quartet & Friends Meet Sun Ra
Epic exploration of the Afrofuturist world of Sun Ra, courtesy of the world's premiere avant-garde string quartet with a veritable Arkestra of friends, including longtime Sun Ra collaborator and current leader of The Sun Ra Arkestra, Marshall Allen (now 100 years old and a member of the Arkestra since 1957!). Favorite Track: “The Wuz” (feat. Marshall Allen & Laurie Anderson)
Lady Parts: We Are Lady Parts (Music From The Original Series - Seasons 1 & 2)
The feminist Muslim punk band you didn’t know you needed. We're obsessed with the British TV series and in love with the soundtrack. Their song titles say it all: “Ain’t No One Gonna Honour Kill My Sister But Me,” “Bashir With The Good Beard” and “Voldemort Under My Head Scarf.” Favorite Track: “Villain Era”
Lara Downes: Rhapsody in Blue Reimagined
Our favorite classical pianist (and host of NPR’s Amplify With Lara Downes) commissioned Puerto Rican composer/saxophonist Edmar Colón to ingeniously reimagine Gershwin’s seminal rhapsody (which premiered exactly 100 years ago) for the 21st century. Favorite Track: “Rhapsody in Blue Reimagined” (arr. for Orchestra and Percussion Ensemble by Edmar Colón)
Lass: Passeport
We can't get the phenomenal music of Lass out of our heads! Enchantingly catchy and danceable Afropop beats from the Senegalese singer-songwriter's second perfect album in a row. Favorite Track: “Rano”
Laura Jane Grace: Hole In My Head
“Any redemption for a stupid old punk?” In her own words, it's been a long time since she used to play punk rock in basements, but Laura Jane Grace's brutally honest and emotionally raw album combines retro garage band nostalgia with clever, acerbic songwriting of the highest caliber. Favorite Track: “Dysphoria Hoodie”
Click here if you missed Part One. Check back next week for Part Three. And tell us in the comments what new music you’ve been enjoying this year. We’re always searching for new music from all genres to add to our listening queue!