Staff Top Albums 2024
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Top Ten Albums of 2024
(Bryant Liggett) This reviewer listened to 81 different records for the Alternate Root in 2024. That’s 81 albums and somewhere around 800 songs of the roots rock, folk and twang variety. Sometimes records in a collection will get the ten-year test, meaning favorites from a certain year should stick around in the collection for at least a decade. Here are some of my favorites. 01 - Kelsey Waldon - There’s Always a Song Kelsey Waldon gives a Country music history lesson, dipping into Classic, Outlaw, and Alt Country with her beautiful and booming voice along with a hot-shit band. 02 - Swamp Dogg - Blackgrass From West Virginia to 125th Street Jerry Williams Jr. AKA Swamp Dogg assembled some of the best in bluegrass and indie-rock for this festival ready release that’s both genre bending and traditional. 03 - Sour Bridges- Down & Out Austin, Texas Psychedelic Folk, front porch picking parties, train songs, and Alt Country rippers are all present and punchy 04 - Chuck Prophet with Qiensave?- Wake the Dead Chuck Prophet is forever a California Roots Rocker, digging into other California Roots Rock of the Cumbia variety. Uplifting, old, new, and even a bit experimental. 05 – The Deslondes- Roll it Out Five members, five songwriters and five vocalists lends a load of influence to this great release that marches to a drum of sad folk, country soul and roots rock. 06 J.D. Simo and Luther Dickinson- Do the Rump! J.D. Simo and Luther Dickinson drop a loose and laid-back dose of psychedelic and trance heavy blues, a collection that plays out like a live show where a house band delivers a non-stop groove. 07 Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms- Gold in Your Pocket Heavy twang from the Pacific Northwest, Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms lead a dance band that bang out vintage Country with hints of Hillbilly Jazz 08 Fantastic Negrito- Son of a Broken Man George Clinton, Sly Stone, and Captain Beefheart are intentional, or not so intentional, influences on this record that has left- field samples and heavy grooves. 09 Johnny Blue Skies- Passage Du Desir Blue Skies AKA Sturgill Simpson drops a heavy record that bridges the gap between Classic County and vintage Soul. 10 The Heavy Heavy- One of a Kind FM Rock and AM Gold are all over this record that offers up Jangle, Garage Rock, and catchy Pop in a bright and sunny package. It’s killer! |
Top Ten Albums of 2024 (Danny McCloskey) 01 Paul Cauthen – Black on Black 02 The Red Clay Strays – Made by These Moments 03 Old 97s – American Primitive 04 Shemekia Copeland – Blame It on Eve 05 Pony Bradshaw – Thus Spoke the Fool 06 Sierra Ferrell – Trail of Flowers 07 Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood 08 Matt Blake – Cheaper to Fly 09 Shovels & Rope – Something is Working Above My Head 10 Melissa Carper – Borned in Ya THE ALTERNATE ROOT TOP TEN OF THE TOP TEN (2024)
We take all the #1 songs in our weekly Top Ten and squeeze them into a ten songs playlist. The Top Ten of the Top Ten 01 Old 97s – Where the Road Goes 02 Paul Benjaman Band – My Bad Side Wants a Good Time 03 Tough Times Don’t Last – Paul Thorn 04 The Devil Makes Three – Spirits 05 Adrian & Meredith – Klezmer American 06 Paul Cauthen – Hot Damn 07 The Red Clay Strays – Devil in My Ear 08 Moon & Stars feat Sierra Ferrell – The Mavericks 09 Sugaray Rayford – Run for Cover 10 Reckless Kelly – Keep Looking Down the Road |
Top Ten Albums of 2024
(Jeff Munger) 01 Charlie Crockett - $10 Cowboy 02 Matt Blake – Cheaper to Fly 03 The Howdies – Howdies All Around 04 Sam Morrow – On the Ride Here 05 The Heavy Heavy – One of a Kind 06 Kyle Kimbrell – Easy Truths 07 Paul Benjamin Band - My Bad Side Wants a Good Time 08 Katie Mae & The Lubrication – The Sighs and The Strength 09 Skinny Dyck – Easygoing 10 Sophie Gault – Baltic Street Hotel |
