Welcome to this year’s all-knowing guide to our favorite music of 2024 – that annual feature where our music writers pretend to know everything about every music in the known universe and bestow our holy picks upon the public like manna from heaven.
No, but really. It’s OK. These are just personal favorites, recounted by people who love music and write about it year ‘round. To spell it out for the perpetually perturbed: This is not meant to be a definitive “best of” anything, except for our own opinions at the time they were written. It’s not comprehensive, there are a lot of different sounds out there (thankfully), and if your own favorites weren’t included, it’s not meant to be a slight.
The end of the year is when people like to take stock. Most of you reading this probably have your own forum via social media, we encourage you to list your own favorites of the year and see how it goes with the haters. Also, maybe check out the year-end lists of local music store employees, who spend a lot of time listening to new sounds as part of their job; we always enjoy those. [Editor’s note: This year’s roundup was a casualty of vacation timing, so we weren’t able to include all the music writers. Next year, we plan to start these earlier, as well as mixing in some other takes from local music luminaries.]
Tim Abbondelo’s five favorites From ‘24 (in no order)
1. Shawnis & the Shimmers – “Whip It Out” EP (Adang Record Company)
Lots of bands put out new music and played shows last year, but when I look back at what grabbed my attention locally, I’m more drawn to the unrecorded, ins-and-outs of bands’ general maintenance and upkeep (like lineup changes, or impromptu shows on unlikely bills). The interstitial dialogue, if you will, that isn’t apparent from streaming or the grid. Although, in the case of Shawnis & the Shimmers, it was the band’s abrupt and unceremonious end that got me earlier this fall. S & the Ss gifted us with a pair of fantastic 7” EPs written, recorded and manufactured in Virginia – for two years running. The band successfully walked the tightrope between garage and egg punk, and annoying garage-egg punk. They probably overplayed in town, but served the crucial role of supporting likeminded touring acts, regardless of what day of the week their Richmond stop landed. While a full-length or farewell show would be welcome, this three-track swan song is a keeper, and the final piece to their larger, yet unwritten story.
2. Added Dimensions – “Time Suck/Hellbent” EP (Domestic Departure)
Enter Added Dimensions, the home recording project of Sarah Everton, who returned to Richmond last year, after a productive stretch in Philly with their previous bands Reading Rainbow (later Bleeding Rainbow), Blowdryer and Telepathic. I listened to this EP compulsively in my car despite its appealing turntable design. Anxious post-punk to live with, to brighten the day to day. Then they started playing shows, and I can’t wait to catch one in the coming year.
3. Nick Woods and Styrofoam Winos live at Northside Grille last August
Another expat returned home to Richmond to roost; Nick Woods is back from Music City with a healthy songbook and sterling back catalogue to show for it. This unfavorable Monday night stop initially caught my eye on Styrofoam Winos tour schedule, whose album I was hotly anticipating after hearing it’s lead single, the choogle centric, “Don’t Mind Me”. In any case, this show was captivating for such a dreary and unwelcoming night. I can’t imagine a stiff performance from any of the parties involved, but the proceedings struck the perfect balance between lowkey and high flyin’. Originals, like Woods’ “Family” and the Winos’ “Angel Flies Over” have since become favorites I return to, and while I couldn’t tell you the exact songs, I know Townes Van Zandt and Doc Snock were well represented.
4. Ryan Davis live in a backyard in South Side last April
Davis put out one of my favorite albums of ‘23, “Dancing on the Edge,” with his Roadhouse Band. I’d seen that incarnation in Philly at Jerry’s On Front and was determined to catch Davis’ subsequent solo set in Richmond, even though specifics were short, both on notice and in supply. Unable to land a last-minute show, Davis jumped on a backyard gathering that advertised “Poetry, puppetry, prepostery (sic). BYO booze and chair” at the Yodel Farm. I got lost and arrived just in time for Davis’ set that was nothing short of incredible. To see his solo renditions of material from the album, as he simultaneously performed the would-be-work of many-a-person, alone, in a yard, in the rain, mesmerized me. Their gear, a semi-involved setup involving a drum machine, several pedals, some kind of tape-deck sampler, the requisite guitar and amp, and a combination toy-mouth-piano-sorta-blow-cordion device deal, all stayed tentatively dry beneath a pop-up canopy. But that springtime sprinkle, along with the neighbor’s barking dog, and a passing train accompanying his songs, conspired to set this one apart. And Davis delivered on the “Poetry, puppetry, prepostery (sic)” promised after all.
5. “Scary Cool Sad Goodbye,” a vibes-based newsletter by Meaghan Garvey
My favorite place I discovered on the internet this year, follows actual places IRL, in brilliant, often hilarious, other times chilling travelogues, by one of my consistently favorite music writers in the game (such as it is). You didn’t know you needed to stop whatever you’re doing and buy a train ticket or visit every last far flung supper club in the Midwest until you read Meaghan Garvey, buy a train ticket, or visit every last far flung supper club in the Midwest. Subscribed.
Peter McElhinney’s year in review for 2024
There is no way to render an entire year of music into a single puddle of words. Of the well over 150 performances I saw, sometimes in intimate spaces, sometimes in crowds, what remains is a deep appreciation for the people driven or crazy enough to want to make a mark with their playing, and the community that serves as a supportive matrix for them to, if not always thrive, find the effort worthwhile.
Change is inevitable, it is continuity that is rare.
In the past year, there have been significant departures. Minimum Wage Studios guru Lance Koehler moved to a farm in the valley. Globally renowned jazz/modern classical trumpeter moved to South Carolina, near where onetime community linchpin, drummer Brian Jones is now teaching. Ace guitarist Alan Parker decamped for Los Angeles. There is always an era ending, and another on the rise.
Even a busy perspective is limited. There were m great shows at Reveler, ranging widely across genres from Congolese Loboko, to house-filling sets from Plunky Branch and James Saxsmo Gates to eclectic sets from everyone from Afro-Zen Allstars to Zarove. Players like Daniel Clarke, Brian Caputo, John Winn, and John D’earth elevated every of the kaleidoscopic lineups they were in. Deau Eyes singing with the R4nd4zzo Big Band was one of the great nights of the year. That venue is so idealistic and weird that everything seems to work.
The experimental edge of the Out of Your Heads nexus, which brought in improvisation stars like Tim Berne, Jessica Pavone, and Nicole Mitchell, has established a regular Second Mondays event at ArtSpace that is always worth the time. The brain trust of bassist Adam Hopkins and drummer Scott Clark are a ready-made rhythm section for visiting individual artists.
The woman’s side of the local equation is equally strong. Marlysse Rose Simmons is a powerhouse with Bio Ritmo, and a poet with Miramar. Laura Ann Singh continues to unfold new sides of her vocal talents. Ellen Cockerham Riccio and Rosette Quartet keep producing new ways to surprise, both in collaboration with Singh, and in their most recent “So Hot Right Now” series featuring dance Kevin LaMarr Jones. Gina Biver’s modern compositions add another dimension to the scene. And, on the largest scale, the transformation that Valentina Peleggi brings to the Richmond Symphony with her deep knowledge, humor, and artistic passion. At every scale, music is the product of the people making it. There may be beauty sleeping in the score, but individuals bring it to life.
And this is leaving out Butcher Brown, who continues to go from strength to strength. D.J Willians who has been gone for a decade but still seems like a local. Young players like Rinat Montoya, the BeSides, Shera Shi. The ageless Lady E, who can hold a crowd for ten minutes riffing on “See See Rider.” The middle-aged Mexican outlaws of Los Hermanos Alacranes. Guest artists like Rene Marie, Dave Douglas, the Bad Plus. The elegant Belvedere Series, a jewel of a program. So is the generational collaboration of Curt Sydnor’s “The Fall of Richmond.” I spent at least a score of nights at shows mounted by Peter LeBlanc and enjoyed the genre-bending kaleidoscope of any of Ant the Symbol’s shows.
Looking back invites a memory tsunami. There are inevitably worthwhile things swept under, and what rises to mention is just a glimpse that does little justice. So, here are three moments of clarity.
At the end of her most recent stay, and the end of an elegant night of gamelan music at VCU, Javanese singer composer Peni Candra Rini improvised. The song unfolded without limits, shivering the room with beauty, the melody flowing along with precise, graceful movements of her hands. I had no idea what it was about, and it did not matter. It was transcendent.
I have listened to Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” for so much of my life that thought I knew exactly what to expect. But the visceral power of the Richmond Symphony’s performance was so viscerally exciting that it felt like hearing it for the first time.
In February, VCU keyboardist Magdalena Adamek dueted with with VCU jazz pianist Dimitrije Vasiljević on a series of Chopin pieces. She played straight, he improvised. The playing was lovely, given an additional frisson by the fact the works by the great Polish composer were being lyrically played by two Central European artists far from home. When Adamek played one of her late brother’s favorite pieces- “Mazurka in A Minor, Op. 17, no. 4”- the unspoken undercurrents crested in a wave of quiet, shattering brokenhearted beauty.
Brent Baldwin’s musical memories of 2024
Favorite albums of the year:
Cindy Lee – “Diamond Jubilee” (Superior Viaduct)
Rosali – “Bite Down” (Merge)
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings – “Woodland” (Acony)
Nick Cave – “Wild God” (PIAS)
Chris Cohen – “Paint a Room” (Hardly Art)
Flowertown – “Tourist Language” (Paisley Shirt Records)
MJ Lenderman – “Manning Fireworks” (ANTI-)
Cassie Ramone “Sweetheart” (recorded in Richmond) (CD-R Records)
Bacao Rhythm and Steel Band – “BRSB” (Big Crown Records)
Daisy Rickman – “Howl” (Self-released). Note: I just discovered this one while writing these up, hat tip to Don Harrison, who no doubt would’ve included it on his list.
Favorite live shows (in no particular order)
- Ustad Noor Bakhsh @ Richmond Folk Festival, Sept. 28
- Marisa Anderson w/Tiara and Andrew @ Richmond Music Hall – May 6
- The Feelies @ the Black Cat (Washington, DC). (First set acoustic, second set electric which included a tasteful cover of Wire’s “Mannequin.” See video below) – April 13
- Richard Thompson @ The Tin Pan – April 10
- Guided by Voices with Dazy @ Broadberry – Sept. 6
- Actor Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy play early R.E.M. @ the Black Cat, DC – Feb. 10 (note: they will be performing “Fables of the Reconstruction” and more at Richmond’s The National on March 3).
- Comedian Sarah Sherman @ The National – June 29 (When I interviewed this rising “SNL” star, she asked me to email her some unusual facts or funny things about Richmond. I sent maybe a dozen, and she managed to work most of them into her 2-hour show on the fly, after traveling from Los Angeles to Richmond the day of the show. That was impressive; though her graphic set is not for everyone. I saw some people running for the bar during her eye surgery video.)
- Jenny Don’t and the Spurs, Atomic Mosquitos and The Lonely Teardrops @ Cobra Cabana – June 19
- Kid Congo Powers, The Owners, and Shawnis and the Shimmers @ Fuzzy Cactus, Aug. 9
- La Luz w/Mia Joy @ Richmond Music Hall, Oct. 5
Assorted other musical faves:
Favorite music-related book: “Live from the Underground: A History of College Radio” by Katherine Rye Jewell
Favorite music magazine: Mike McGonigal’s “Maggot Brain” (Third Man Records)
Favorite music-related talk: Eric Isaacson, founder of the excellent label Mississippi Records, presented “A People’s History of American Music” at Studio Two Three on Nov. 4. Afterward, I told him he should write a book; he said he’d need a ghostwriter. Then he took off for New York to deliver a show with 83-year-old former Richmonder Michael Hurley (it’s a travesty that he hasn’t played RVA in many years).
Favorite music-related movies: The generative “Eno” doc which screened at Studio Two Three [and will be livestreamed worldwide on Jan. 24] vrs. the big Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown.” As far as hagiography goes, this Hollywood biopic was decent, if definitely on the greatest hits side … I’m a longtime Dylan fan and the fictional opening scene of a young Dylan, played by Timothée Chalamet, singing “Song to Woody” for Woody Guthrie in a psychiatric hospital in New Jersey was one of the more memorable movie scenes of the year; right up there with Suicide’s “Ghost Rider” being featured in an orgy/party scene in director Ali Abbasi’s excellent movie about Donald Trump, “The Apprentice.” (I’m still waiting to see the Pavement movie, which looks interesting.)
Favorite musical cover in a Hollywood bomb: Actor Joaquin Phoenix singing Daniel Johnston’s “True Love Will Find You In The End” in the Joker sequel’s closing credits.
Favorite women’s choral album discovered in a movie’s credits: Libana’s “A Circle is Cast,” which I bought after hearing them in the closing credits of “Janet Planet” (A24)
Favorite musical drama: Peter Frampton vs. Megadeth after both cancelled their Richmond gigs at Virginia Credit Union Live! for “unforeseen circumstances.”
Favorite local block party: Bamboo’s 50th anniversary party. Was nice to see a big stage out there and local musicians like Prabir and Piranha Rama tearing it up.
Favorite local music discoveries: Valentin Prince (“s/t”) shout out to Plan 9, and the great opening set by Tess Fisher, whose IG is (country_smut), before the Ty Segall solo show. She’s a “hide tanner, sheep whisperer and country/blues artist.” Dazy also played a solid opening set before the GBV show at Broadberry.
Davy Jones – Top Musical Moments of 2024
Favorite albums or performances by a local artist this year.
“Fortune” by Gold Connections
“Gemelo” by Angélica Garcia [Note: though she’s living back out West]
“The Fearless Flyers IV” by The Fearless Flyers
“Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free” by Bonny Light Horseman
“The Burning Bush: A Journey Through the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire” by DJ Harrison and Nigel Hall
There are so many 2024 albums I love made by Richmond residents — by Timothy Bailey & The Humans, Illiterate Light, Nickelus F, Tyler Meacham, Prabir Trio, Charlie Glenn, Justin Golden, Landon Elliott, Holy Roller, Outer World, Cloud M, FM Skyline and more. Too many to list just five. But I was also struck by albums on the fringes of Richmond music — some made by expats and others bolstered by locals collaborating with artists located elsewhere. Rock band Gold Connections is led by Will Marsh, who moved from Richmond to New Orleans to pursue an M.F.A. in creative writing. “Fortune” grabs you with every song. It’s his best yet. Angélica Garcia’s new LP garnered a spot on NPR Music’s 13 “best of the best” albums from 2024 — praise that would have been equally fitting when Garcia dropped “Cha Cha Palace” ahead of her move back to the West Coast, where she grew up. Recently re-minted Richmonder and jazz drumming star Nate Smith re-enlisted with the regimented funk of Vulfpeck offshoot group the Fearless Flyers, turning in another ace performance. The bass contributions of Cameron Ralston, Spacebomb mainstay and creative confidant to M.C. Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger, noticeably elevate several tracks on this year’s stunning Bonny Light Horseman double LP. And DJ Harrison and Nigel Hall’s Earth, Wind & Fire tribute is a wonder — somehow taking music already known to be beautifully lush and finding new shades and layers to explore.
Top five albums of 2014 by any artist.
“Cowboy Carter” by Beyoncé
“Only God Was Above Us” by Vampire Weekend
“Africa Yontii” by Tidiane Thiam
“As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again” by the Decemberists
“Passage Du Desir” by Johnny Blue Skies
On the weekend “Cowboy Carter” came out, my wife, our two kids and I buckled into my Subaru Outback and set off on a week-long road trip: Richmond to Asheville, Asheville to the Great Smoky Mountains, the Great Smoky Mountains to Atlanta and Atlanta to Panama City Beach, where we attended my wife’s cousin’s wedding. That second weekend, when we drove back from Florida, was when “Only God Was Above Us” was released. Those albums became my two overall favorites from 2024, and it got me thinking about other albums from this year that made for happy car memories. I won’t soon forget listening to “Africa Yontii” while th3 four of us drove through Joshua Tree National Park later in the year. Or trolling my daughter while running errands by saying she could pick the next song knowing the run time of “As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again” closing track “Joan in the Garden” was longer than the rest of the car ride. And I took advantage of every possible opportunity to listen to “Scooter Blues” from “Passage Du Desir” while driving with my son. That kid is “scooter my blues away” personified.
Favorite live performances of the year:
André 3000 and serpentwithfeet at the Altria Theater, Nov. 8
Goose at the Anthem, Nov. 13
Sturgill Simpson at Hampton Coliseum, Nov. 15
Bill Frisell Trio at the Tin Pan, Nov. 20
Modern Groove Syndicate and Mekong Express & the Get Fresh Horns at the Camel, Nov. 30
November felt unreal on multiple levels; live music was the most welcome one. There were standout shows throughout the year — I can’t not mention Kendall Street Company at the Camel, Curt Sydnor at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Waxahatchee at the National, Dean Hurley at Gallery5, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard on Brown’s Island, Vampire Weekend at Ting Pavilion, Charlie Glenn at the Camel and the Dead Tongues at Richmond Music Hall, and don’t get me started on the Newport Jazz Festival, the Richmond Folk Festival, Friday Cheers and Daydream Fest — but I’m still trying to wrap my brain around this run of shows in November. I’m not sure I ever will.
Five memorable merch moments from 2024
1. Smuggling a deflated Third Man Records basketball into the Broadberry to get it signed by Hotline TNT’s Will Anderson, who is signed to Third Man and who writes an NBA fanzine called “Association Update” and who chatted with me in this Q&A about his Minnesota Timberwolves fandom.
2. Meeting illustrator Robert Meganck in person at the Richmond Folk Festival merch tent after interviewing him about designing the festival’s poster 20 years after he designed one for the event’s inaugural year. The screen-printed version of this year’s poster now hangs opposite my front door, and its design hangs on my torso whenever I wear the supremely comfy, long-sleeve T-shirt I bought on a return trip to the merch tent.
3. Watching as Timothy Bailey, leader of Timothy Bailey & the Humans, signed my vinyl copy of “New Love Stories” at the conclusion of a truly wonderful album release show not long after I spoke with him and was deeply affected by the intentionality with which he shares his music.
4. Seeing the Dead Tongues live for the first time and snagging an extra copy of “Body of Light / I Am A Cloud” for a friend a handful of years after that friend got me hooked on the Asheville-area Americana band by snagging me a copy of “Unsung Passage,” then finding out that USPS coincidentally deposited that extra copy of “Body of Light / I Am A Cloud” on his doorstep on his actual birthday.
5. Feeding both of the merch wolves inside me by finding reasonably priced bootleg T-shirts on the way out of the aforementioned King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and Sturgill Simpson shows while also splurging on an André 3000 shirt that reads “Listen to Sade.”
