Austin’s Font came up the old fashioned way, spending more time on their live show instead of immediately hitting the studio. Formed in 2022, they gained a reputation pretty quick for their charged performances led by magnetic frontman Thom Waddill, and a sound that hearkened back to the mid-’00s blog rock scene. Soon they were opening for Fontaines D.C., bar italia, and more. Two years later, they released their debut album, Strange Burden, which shows off some strong songwriting and manages to bottle some of that on-stage lightning. Hopefully you caught them live this year or checked out the album (which you can listen to below).
Font have given us their list of 2024 favorites, featuring contributions from all the members, and selections include Jessica Pratt, Dutch Interiors, Parannoul, and more. Check out their list and commentary below.
You can also check out Font’s list of favorite songs that are two minutes or less.
FONT – FAVORITE MUSIC OF 2024
Anthony
Voyeur @ The George Tavern, London UK: Probably my favorite show I’ve been to this year. One of those perfect club gigs where the band and audience are exactly on the same page. Movement, sweat, release, celebration, etc.
Dutch Interior – “My Eyes Hurt Really Bad (Live at Four Star Theater, San Francisco)”: A recording I’ve revisited a ton since it was sent out with their first newsletter. The pace and sparseness of the live arrangement pulls my focus in such a satisfying way.
Jack
Jessica Pratt — Here in the Pitch: When my partner showed me this record we ended up listening on repeat on the floor of our living room for hours, getting lost again and again in its delicate and mesmerizing world.
Magdalena Bay — Imaginal Disk: This record really brought me out of a period of feeling uninspired. It feels like every idea that they had was welcomed and built upon to make a really fun record full of variety and risk.
Jacob
Parannoul — Sky Hundred: I’m always chasing the tummy feeling. This record satisfies that hunger all the way through.
Crate — “Julia”: Certified banger, great first single; I also had the pleasure of seeing it live in New York. They sound exactly like the recording live.
Roman
I Saw The TV Glow (Original Soundtrack): Heat from top to bottom, cohesive but a lot of variety. Caroline Polachek and Yeule songs were both on repeat this year.
Shame @ Pitchfork London: This set was revitalizing for me. Seeing them silhouetted against that backdrop working the crowd song after song gave the show that larger-than-life feeling you can only get in the presence of a great band.
Thom
Steven Leftovers – Intelligent Polymeric Sand: Steven Leftovers is a Dallas band that has been a favorite for years. I really look up to Evan Stack, the songwriter. He’s one of the most prolific and talented songwriters I know. They put out like two records a year. This is their best.
Felt Out and Alessandro Cortini @ Central Presbyterian Church: Felt Out played a continuous medley of their songs and Cortini played the piece he put out this near, NATA INFINITI. I was in the very last pew. Walter and Sowmya (Felt Out) are already two of my favorite musicians in Austin, but I was really moved by the emotional force of their music recontextualized under the vaulted ceilings and before the full pews. And Cortini’s performance was transportive and sublime — NATA INFINITI was on repeat after that for weeks.
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See more 2024 year end lists here.