Cloud Nothings had a busy year. They released their new album Final Summer (their first for Pure Noise), they celebrated the 10th anniversary of Here and Nowhere Else by playing it in full during their extensive tour schedule (which will pick up again in 2025 after a short break), and they contributed a cover of the Misfits’ “Halloween” to their new label’s covers comp Dead Formats Vol. 3. Now, with the year coming to a close, bandleader Dylan Baldi has made us a list of his 10 favorite albums of 2024, with commentary on each pick.
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Dylan Baldi’s (Cloud Nothings) 10 Favorite Albums of 2024
A Country Western – Life on the Lawn
Favorite indie rock-ish band from Philly right now, and there are a lot to choose from. This record sounds like a lot of different things I like all happening at once.
Bondo – Harmonica
Played a couple shows with these guys in California and they blew me away. I liked their last record a lot, but this one might be even better. Really great live band too, heavier than the recordings.
Climax Landers – Zenith No Effects
Really bizarre and often genuinely funny lyrics over pretty classic DIY-style rock instrumentation and songs. Not even really sure why I like this one as much as I do, but I kept coming back to it throughout the year.
Joshua Chuquimia Crampton – Estrella por Estrella
Been a fan of this person for a long time. This is a particularly poignant release. Beautiful and intense electric guitar jams.
Mount Eerie – Night Palace
A classic guy still making classic records. There’s not really any one song I want to listen to individually, gotta take the whole thing in all at once. Nobody else really makes music like this. The drums sound awesome too.
Rafael Toral – Spectral Evolution
Really dynamic and interesting drawn-out guitar/synth record. Reminds me of the heyday of PAN or Touch Records or something. Good for staring at nothing.
Sam Gendel & Sam Wilkes – The Doober
I’m a big Sam Gendel fan—this is my favorite of the stuff he’s put out this year. Weird and idiosyncratic jazz duo record. Sam’s sax tone is like a snake charmer version of Paul Desmond, who also has a deep knowledge of the last 60 years of free jazz and pop music.
Smush – If You Were Here I’d Be Home Now
There is a lot of shoegaze music right now that all sort of blends together for me, but this one really stands out. Great songs and dense production that still has a wide sense of space. Excited to hear what they do next.
Sumac – The Healer
Went through a big metal phase this year, and this record sort of finished it off. Mixes abstract improv with extremely heavy riffs and angry metal man singing. Incredible drumming too.
Sympathy Pain – Swan Dive
Post-rock that makes me feel like I am sad on an overcast Sunday in high school again. Not a feeling I thought I’d want to return to, but it’s nice to know that there are still records that can make me feel that way.