The always-uncompromising, ever-evolving metal band Thou returned this year with their great new record Umbilical, which was their first proper LP in 6 years, and they’ll keep the album’s momentum going when they perform it in full at Philly’s Subterranean Dissonance Fest in February and at Netherlands festival Roadburn in April. Before that though, we asked Thou vocalist Bryan Funck what his favorite albums of 2024 were, and he had a lot to say in return.
Bryan’s list includes a handful of fellow Louisiana bands, including Slowhole (“currently the best ‘heavy’ band in New Orleans by LEAGUES”) and back-in-action shoegazers Belong, a whole section on current hardcore bands, and other items that aren’t albums like comic books and live shows. It’s a very fun read and I have a good feeling that Bryan will end up selling you on something you haven’t checked out before. Head below to see what he had to say.
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Bryan Funck’s (Thou) Favorite Albums (and more) of 2024
SILVER GODLING – Conversations with Henry EP (Sisters in Christ)
My favorite release of 2024 by my favorite person on the planet. The newest Silver Godling EP is a gorgeous, melancholic exploration of vocal loops and ambient/drone. Evocative. Soul-wrenching. A recent live set even had Madeline Midwife in tears. Emily has an impressively extensive back catalog of piano-driven alt dream pop LPs, experimental home-recording EPs, and a variety of collaborations (pan-continental covers series, MJ Guider’s live band, nearly all Thou releases); but for me, Conversations with Henry sits on the top of the heap. It will only to be surpassed by the new neoclassical full length she’s currently finishing up.
BELONG – Realistic IX LP (Kranky Records)
Belong casually released the best post punk/shoe gaze/dark 80s pop/drone record of the year. It shouldn’t be a surprise at all after their wildly amazing 2011 dream pop record Common Era. Combnine the lush catchiness of Common Era with the sharper edges of October Language, and you’ll have a very rough idea about this album. You can read me extensively gush about Realistic IX and the band’s existence in New Orleans’ monthly Anti Gravity Magazine.
SLOWHOLE – Slowhole LP (Howling Mine)
Slowhole is currently the best “heavy” band in New Orleans by LEAGUES. Imagine the grossest aspects of proto grunge like L7, Babes in Toyland, Mudhoney, etc. filtered through Damaged-era punk of Black Flag heavily framed by psychedelia and caked in feedback being played by a gaggle of 90s-spawned goth pokemons who “clearly love” and “actively support” one another in a way that’s deeply reminiscent of early Reversal of Man/In Abandon or that whole early No Idea Gainesville scene in general. This feels like the first true spiritual succession to Documents 7 and 8 by Pg99.
SOLACE live (Blast Off! Vintage)
I’ve known Asia for over 15 years and never knew she was an incredible harpist. I feel at once exhilarated by the discovery similar to seeing Hysterics or Ragana for the first time and also a bit betrayed by the folks keeping this from me for all these years, like my friends never recommending Burns’ Black Hole. “This was here the whole time???” Dreary, dirgey, beautiful music that feels more like rugged folk than stuffy, classical, chamber music. Another jewel on the hidden crown of Salem, Oregon.
PYGMY LUSH live (Dark Days Fest)
I’m “a bit” skeptical of reunion shows or 40-, 50-, 60-something-year-old punk rockers retreading the abandoned achievements of their youth. But seeing Pygmy Lush again after so many years, even in a sterile and pedestrian bloated rock club, was just as emotional and magical as those times in basements and backyards and parking lots. More, please. The biggest tragedy is them waiting so long settle back in, having robbed the world of their potential creative output.
THE HOMIES
So many friends put out incredible releases this year that I would be remiss if I didn’t mention: MJ GUIDER‘s ambient/drone flute EP Youth and Beauty; SUPPLICATE‘s electronic Skulk; another incredible BIG BRAVE full length A Chaos of Flowers, their best yet; MIDWIFE‘s epic melancholia No Depression in Heaven; similar bleakness with MARIASSUNTA‘s Burn a Fire; another wildly experimental LP from THE BODY, this time with DIS FIG (plus one with WHITEHORSE that I didn’t know about!!); the catchiest FULL OF HELL record since their teenage years; another weird and amazing EP from SUNRISE PATRIOT MOTION.
HARDCORE & DIY
Killer new records from Gel and Gouge Away, even a sick nu metal record (in true 90s hardcore fashion) from Knocked Loose. I caught HIRS, ZAO, BLOODMOUTH, and DIPLOID live. I visited Gilman Street, Che Cafe, and Black Lodge. Played a fun show in a deli in Oakland and a thrift store basement in Salem, Oregon. Andre Belly Up is revitalizing the all ages scene in New Orleans, and the ever-reliable Lindsey Baker is slowly inching that way. Mudlark Theatre still thrives. The Iron Rail infoshop is back. For the uninitiated, Davin Bernard’s Marked for Life podcast, though slim in 2024, remains a remarkable resource for finding current hardcore music.
CORBEN REISSUES (Dark Horse)
Dark Horse Comics has been doing an insanely awesome job collecting the incredible works for Richard Corben. Fantasy pulp that bridged the gap between the 70s Underground Comix and early issues of Heavy Metal Magazine. This isn’t Dan Clowes, but it’s really fun, incredible stuff. I think all but the last installment of the Den Saga is currently available. I should also mention that Dark Horse has released a couple more volumes of Gou Tanabe’s Lovecraft adaptations, which are comparably amazing.
PRECIOUS METAL (Image)
It’s like Richard Corben writing a Hayao Miyazaki story filtered through a Moebius lens. That is to say, it’s strikes all the right 70s chords for me and creates something wholly new and fabulous. It’s set in the same world as their Little Bird collaboration and is a sort of prequel, but you can also just grab it as a standalone. Amazing stuff!
MODERN COMICS
It’s absolutely hilarious to me when I hear people complain about modern comics, as if we’re not living in an absolute golden age, glutted on the wealth of imaginative and inventive material. I’ve become absolutely obsessed with Daria Tessler’s works: psychedelic, magickal, just plain WEIRD. For dark indie stuff, Tyler Landry and Chris Gooch are leading the pack. Linnea Sterte is amazing. Gotta mention Caroline Cash’s Pee Pee Poo Poo. Jim Rugg is still out their doing indie comics and a PHENOMENAL job with zines. I’m probably forgetting a bunch of stuff, but all I post about on the Thou instagram anymore is comics, so just go there, I guess.