Nab's 2024 Top Ten

Albums

• AMERICAN CULTURE - Hey Brother, It’s Been A While (Convulse Records)
  "What if THE STONE ROSES were fronted by Jim Carroll? What if SPIRITUALIZED and THE REPLACEMENTS wrote music together? What if THE MEAT PUPPETS were a C86 band?"
• BAD BEAT - LP 2024 (Triple B Records)
  Hardcore that is super fun without being funny. Vocalist sounds like Cartman, but in a good way?
• BURNING LORD - Arcane Demolition (Streets of Hate)
  #1 without a doubt. Bass-driven Hardcore from Boston that evokes REST IN PIECES or SHEER TERROR, but evil. Songs about Unions and Warhammer shit. Artwork is incredible
• DESPIZE - Scotland’s Hardcore (Northern Unrest)
  Probably what slamming a Monster Energy drink at 7am feels like
• HIGH VIS - Guided Tour (DAIS Records)
  Post-Punk? Alternative? Hardcore? This is peak subculture mashup, and the greatest thing to come out of England since sausage rolls
• NAILS - Every Bridge Burning (Nuclear Blast Records)
  Going more extreme with every record, now with 100% more Van Halen. Having dinner with Todd Jones was probably one of the highlights of my year somehow
• PUBLIC OPINION - Painted On Smile (Convulse Records)
  I described this as "the intersection of THE HIVES and SHOOK ONES". Very enjoyable, good songs, the ballads are what won me over.
• STAND STILL - Steps Ascending (Daze)
  Full-on Long Island worship will always get me. It’s THE MOVIELIFE and SILENT MAJORITY, I don’t need much else
• STRAW MAN ARMY - Earthworks (La Vida Es Un Mus)
  Avant-garde anarcho-punk if there’s such a thing. Every record is a journey and this one might be my favourite

EPs/Demos

• CANNONBALL - Demo 2024
  Straight Edge
• ONE TRACK MIND - Demo 2024 (Poison Heart)
  So grateful there’s a band doing the late 80’s posi HC sound so tastefully and so close to me
• PRAISE - Coming Up For Air 7" (Revelation Records)
  More Revelation Summer than ever. "What if THE FAITH never broke up?" could be the premise of this record
• THE NEXT LEVEL - Demo 2024 (Scheme Records)
  Opening with a lifted TRUE BLUE part is wild. There’s a couple STRIFE riffs here, whether they want it or not, but thankfully it mostly leans early-INTEGRITY. Great demo

Final words

I think 2024 was an overwhelmingly great year for new music; it was exhausting trying to keep up with all the cool stuff that came out. I also really enjoyed new releases by MIDWIFE, LAUGHING, DEAL WITH GOD, LIZZY MCALPINE, FACE THE PAIN, CLAIRO, HELLSCAPE REGIONAL JUSTICE CENTER…