TapeOp Staff Favorites 2024: Top Albums & Recording Insights

Larry Crane

The fifth solo album by Pink Floyd's guitarist/vocalist is an incredibly strong release full of beautiful, haunting songs and – of course – great guitar solos. Co-produced by David with Charlie Andrew. A masterclass in stately recording!
Read David Gilmour Interview

2. Society of the Silver Cross
Festival of Invocations

The second album by Joe Reineke and Karyn Gold-Reineke's spellbinding, dark, gothic project. Joe founded Orbit Audio in Seattle, WA, and he and Karyn built the newer Temple of the Trees Studio, plus they run Seattle Recording Arts. Look for my interview with them in Tape Op #165.

3. The Cure
Songs of a Lost World

Their fourteenth studio album finally arrives. It's a big, lumbering beast with heavy mood and epic sounds. I love it. Paul Corkett helmed co-production, recording, and mixing, and has worked with The Cure since 1994. Tape Op should interview him!

4. The Black Keys
Ohio Players

The band's twelfth studio album is really fun and goes to a lot of different places. People seemed to not respond to it well, which just baffles me. I really love this album, and have interviewed both Dan and Pat and I like them a lot too!
Read Dan Auerbach Interview
Read Patrick Carney Interview

5. Michael Kiwanuka
Small Changes

It's only Michael's fourth album, and once again it's a masterpiece. Like a few previous albums, it's produced by Danger Mouse and Inflo. Some of my favorite guitar playing! I interviewed him a few years back and he's super nice.

Read Michael Kiwanuka Interview

John Baccigaluppi

1. Claire M Singer
Saor

The record I listened to the most in 2024 was released in late 2023, too late to make this list last year. Saor is a slowly evolving instrumental album that I listen to often in the early morning as the sun comes up.

2. Loma
How Will I Live Without a Body

3. Phosphorescent
Revelator

My two fave LPs actually released in 2024. I interviewed Loma (including Tape Op contributor Jonathan Meiburg) in issue 148 and we have an interview with Tape Op contributor Dave Cerminara on mixing Revelator in issue #161.

4. Lo-Moon
I Wish You Way More Than Luck Full disclosure, I initially listened to I Wish You Way More… because it was partially recorded at my Panoramic House studio during the Pandemic. I had nothing to do with the recording however, and it's the bands very solid songwriting, arrangements and vocalist Matt Lowell's voice that had me coming back for repeated listens, and now it's one of my faves. Super solid production and engineering by the very talented Mike Vernon Davis, and a near perfect mix by Alan Moulder.

5. Various - Also really good

There were so many amazing records released in 2024 that I really like, but that I might not have connected with quite as deeply as the four above, but I suspect a few of these will worm their way into my long term listening list with a bit more time. It's a really good time to be listening to new music.

Adam Kirk
ep2 & 3 Aisha Badru
The Sun Still Rises Arushi Jain
Delight Clark
In Camera Haley Heynderickx
Seed of a Seed Ismay
Desert Pavement Jenny Owen Youngs
Avalanche Joy Oladokun
Observations From a Crowded Room Juana Molina
EXHALO Kali Malone
All Life Long Kim Krans
MIRRORMIRROR Laura Marling
Patterns in Repeat Maria Chiara Argiró
Closer Maya Beiser
Terry Riley: In C Michael Kiwanuka
Small Changes MIZU
Forest Scenes Nils Frahm
Paris Sofi Paez
Silent Stories T Bone Burnett
The Other Side The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis
S/T The Smile
Cutouts Various
Barefoot in Bryophyte

Geoff Stanfield

1. Nala Sinephro
Endlessness

Carribean/Belgian jazz and ambient artist Nala Sinephro knocks it out of the park with Endlessness. It's a cinematic and swirling journey of pedal harp, piano, warped and bubbling modular synths, groovy drums, and horns. It's the perfect album for changing seasons.

2. Mark Guiliana
MARK

Sure, this album has loads of great drumming, but the writing and recording highlights Mark Guiliana's love for a variety of genres beyond jazz. It's cinematic, forceful, and virtuostic at times, but most of all, MARK showcases Guilina's talents as a musician and writer as much as his bonkers skill behind a drumset. Best part is... it's not at all wanky.

3. Alessandro "Asso" Stefana
Alessandro "Asso" Stefana

Italian artist Alessandro Stefana released this self-titled album on Mike Patton's Ipecac Recordings in May 2024, and it has been played at least once a week since. It paints vivid images of the Western desert landscape and is deeply moving on both songwriting and sonic levels.

4. King Gizzard
Flight b741

I love everything about King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. They have a seemingly endless well of creative energy and continue to release cool albums on a frequent schedule. Flight b741 tilts its vibe towards the rock music of the early 1970s. Think Badfinger, The Band, CSN&Y, Elton John, Kiss, early Bowie, Little Feat and more. They do it well, and it always sounds like they are having a helluva good time.

5. Tycho
Infinite Health I always look forward to new music from Scott Hansen, aka Tycho. Infinite Health doesn't sonically reinvent the wheel in terms of Tycho's music, but it sure is a great listen. I find myself throwing it on for drives and walks through the city. If I could pick soundtrack music for my own life documentary, Tycho would feature heavily!

Andy Hong

1. Pacifica
"Silent Affection"

During the Pandemic, Inés and Martina were individually posting homemade videos of themselves covering The Strokes, when a fan on YouTube introduced the two women to each other. Long story short, the two happened to live near each other in Argentina, and after selling out shows in NYC performing as a duo, they returned to Buenos Aires to form a band and produce original music.

2. Hope Tala
"Bad Love God"

I've included Hope Tala in my past year-end faves. Her upcoming album Hope Handwritten will arrive in 2025, but she's released a handful of singles from it already throughout this year, including this one. I love all the rhythms, textures, and sounds on this song.

3. In Inertia
"Sasari"

In Inertia's 2020 album Efflorescence is the music that got me through the Pandemic. The Indonesian band released an EP in 2021 and a few individual songs since, including this song, my favorite of theirs from 2024.

4. Erin Malone - "Worth More" Erin Malone's solo EP Florescence (no relation to In Inertia — I asked) came out in January of this year. Songs from this EP topped my recaps, and "Worth More" is my #1 most-listened-to song of 2024.

5. Slow Shiv
I

I haven't been living in "Music City" long enough to call myself a local, but I can say with confidence that Slow Shiv isn't the kind of music that most people equate with Nashville. When I told my next door neighbor that I don't record country music, she recommended I check out her friend's band. Wow, these guys genuinely rock, and they do it with a sense of humor.

Corey Reidy

2024! What a year! (Or…what? A year?) I have a lot of gratitude for Tape Op as it gives me a reason to dig a little deeper, listen a little closer, and work to find new music versus "the algorithm" feeding me "discoveries". Although there were some mega albums that I quite enjoyed, I will leave it to you to search "Best Albums of 2024" and see some repeated over and over. My hope is that, maybe, I can get a couple of people to check out the hardworking, incredibly creative artists listed below.

Many thanks to John and Larry for taking me on this journey, to Scott for all his help assembling the magazine behind the scenes and to Geoff for keeping our digital content rolling along.

1. Gouge Away
Deep Sage

2. Wishy
Triple Seven

3. Cindy Lee
Diamond Jubilee

4. Unwound
A Single History: 1991-2001

5. JPEGMAFIA
I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU

6. The Messthetics And James Brandon Lewis - Self-Titled

7. Oranssi Pazuzu
Muuntautuja

Samuel Styrsky - Tape Op Online

1. Big Thief
Vampire Empire

2. Mk.gee
Two Star & The Dream Police

3. Cage The Elephant
Neon Pill

4. Adrianne Lenker
Bright Future