The Most Anticipated Albums Of 2024 (Part One)

We’re already into February and I haven’t cracked out this list yet. Let’s fix that, shall we?

In 2024, we’re getting several great albums some several great bands and artists, but out of all the albums that are coming out this year, these are the ones you need to keep your eyes on. Here are the most anticipated albums of 2024, in no particular order.

Brittany Howard

Album: What Now (Island)

Release Date: 2/2

Five years after dropping her solo debut, the former Alabama Shakes frontwoman is back. Howard’s sophomore follow-up — her first with major label Island Records (Demi Lovato, The Last Dinner Party, Sparks) — titled What Now has her returning with a “reinvigorated approach to her rich, rootsy, and emotionally perceptive songwriting,” as Pitchfork bluntly puts it. Co-produced by herself with help from six-time Grammy Award winner Shawn Everett (Alvvays, Miley Cyrus, Weezer), What Now will continue to show the world that Howard is a powerhouse. Just listen to that title track to see why.

Dead Years

Album: Night Thoughts (Dirt Cult)

Release Date: 2/2

German post-punk trio Dead Years were introduced to me via a press release last month. I’m not entirely sure what made me want to tap the link provided to me, and I am forever thankful that I did. The Bielefeld trio’s newest record Night Thoughts effortlessly creates a vibe that hypnotically attracts and embraces the listener. But it’s not just about the music: Dead Years’s lyrics reinforce the melancholy of their sound. They deal with self-doubt, social anxieties, and the daily struggle to find one’s way in an alientating world. Sounding like a combination of Hot Water Music, X, and The Wipers, Night Thoughts might be the album that goes under everyone’s radar this year. And for those that do check out this album, you’re welcome.

meth.

Album: SHAME (Prosthetic)

Release Date: 2/2

Chicago experimentalists meth. came across my radar through ads made by Prosthetic Records (ACxDC, gif from god, Wristmeetrazor) on my Facebook feed. And I was bewildered by the sound I heard. Thus I needed to hear more. Enter SHAME, the band’s second album. Tackling topics like bipolar disorder, addiction, and trauma, SHAME presents these themes over captivating melodies in the styles of grindcore, sludge, and noise. It might be too intense for some, but it’s definitely worth a listen.

The Chisel

Album: What A Fucking Nightmare (Pure Noise)

Releas Date: 2/9

2020 was a wild time. While some doors closed, others opened. For example, British hardcore act Arms Race called it a day at the end of 2019. Just a few months later, former Arms Race frontman turned drummer Nicholas Sarnella (who left the band in 2023) and Chisel’s frontman Callum Graham got tighter to discuss forming a band. From that came The Chisel, a punk act more akin to bands like the Ramones, Leatherface, and Angelic Upstarts. Fast forward to now and the band are set to drop album #2 What A Fucking Nightmare next week. Produced by Jonah Falco (Chubby And The Gang, Fucked Up, Lacquer), as a press release puts it, “the album is a high energy blend of Oi! hooks and hardcore stomp that’s sure to please fans of all things loud and catchy.”

Usher

Album: Coming Home (Mega/gamma.)

Release Date: 2/9

2024 is gonna be a big year for Usher. The R&B superstar will be playing the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show, his residency at the Colosseum at Caesars’ Palace is still going on strong, and for the first time ever, he’s going independent. Coming Home, his first album in six years, has him collaborating with artists like 21 Savage, Burna Boy, Summer Walker, Latto, and Jungkook from BTS. ”We’ve put a lot of thought and creativity into this new album to tell a story that is open to interpretation and that will connect with people in different ways,” Usher said in a press release. “I know this has been a long time coming for my fans and what I’ll say is that all good things come to those who wait. I hope you enjoy it once you hear it.”

Laura Jane Grace

Album: Hole In My Head (Polyvinyl)

Release Date: 2/16

Ever since her band Against Me! went on hiatus back in 2020, frontwoman Laura Jane Grace has been working on her solo content. Since then, she’s dropped an EP, an album under her name, and one under the moniker Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers. And now, her second one under her name will come out later this month via Polyvinyl (American Football, The Get Up Kids, STRFKR). While we may not be getting an Against Me! reunion anytime soon, at least we can still get some amazing folk punk from Laura.

I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME

Album: GLOOM DIVISION (Concord)

Release Date: 2/23

It’s been a long time since we heard from iDKHOW. Their last album dropped in 2020 with Fearless Records (Boys Like Girls, Flat Black, Movements) and everything pretty much went quiet during the pandemic. But in September 2023, iDKHOW finally broke the silence as to why nothing was coming out. First, iDKHOW cut ties with drummer Ryan Seaman, they left Fearless to sign with Concord Records (Elbow, The Offspring, Thirty Seconds To Mars), and that a new album was coming out in 2024. From what’s been unleashed so far, GLOOM DIVISION is gonna be a hit and worth the four year wait. Bring on the Dallon Weekes show, folks, it’s gonna be a proper good time.

Remo Drive

Album: Mercy (Epitaph)

Release Date: 2/23

Four years have passed since indie rock trio Remo Drive dropped their third album A Portrait Of An Ugly Man. During this time, frontman Erik Paulson decided to move from Minnesota to New York’s capital, while his brother/bassist Stephen stayed in Bloomington, which forms the basis for Mercy. This sense of finding your footing in a new place, as well as relationships and making art that others will see and critique make up their fourth album. In a press release from Epitaph Records (Architects, late night drive home, Royale Lynn), “the new album introduces a major sonic departure from records of Remo past. Less indebted to the emo and pop punk that foregrounded the duo’s career, instead Mercy is invested in thorny, baroque indie pop by way of Father John Misty and Fleet Foxes.” Produced by Phil Ek (Built To Spill, Pretty Girls Make Graves, The Shins), the ten-track album has the band at their most vulnerable.

Chance The Rapper

Album: Star Line Gallery (Self-Released)

Release Date: TBA

Everyone deserves a second chance, right? Even Chance The Rapper. Since dropping his long-awaited and loathed debut The Big Day in 2019, CTR has pretty much backed away from music to focus on being a dad and a husband. But rumors have popped up over the years that a follow-up was in the works. Last December, he told his fans on Instagram Live that Star Line Gallery was “coming out next spring!” Guess we’ll have to wait and see if he was being legit. Because it would suck if he fell off.

Nails

Album: TBA (Nuclear Blast)

Releas Date: TBA

Eight years have passed since beloved 2010s powerviolence act Nails dropped an album. And it’s been four years since a new album was announced. Nails is down to its frontman Todd Jones, and things have been quiet ever since album #4 was announced in 2020. But that all changed last November when out of nowhere, news broke that LP4 was real and coming out in 2024. “New Nails LP coming Summer 2024 via Nuclear Blast Records engineered by @KurtBallou,” wrote Nails on Instagram. “Thanks for sticking with us. Info forthcoming. Love you all.” So yeah, LP4 is happening, and it will be produced by Converge’s Kurt Ballou (The Armed, Every Time I Die, Old Man Gloom) and that Nuclear Blast Records (Brand Of Sacrifice, Fuming Mouth, Hatebreed) will release it. Guess we’ll see what summer gives us, eh?

Part two will come out next week!

Prenatt’s Picks: 100 Artists To Check Out In 2020 (Part 9)

Yeah yeah, it’s been some time. A thousand apologies. Got distracted with life, the fear of COVID-19, and Animal Crossing. But we got one more left after this!

Here at Punk Goes Prenatt, for the next 10 weeks, I’ll give you 100 artists that you need to tune your attention to throughout 2020. This list will feature numerous acts from numerous genres.

This is part nine of ten. If you didn’t read the previous list, click here.

Bilmuri

Hometown: Columbus, OH

Out Now: Muri And Friends (Self-Released)

For Fans Of: Belmont, I The Mighty, Royal Coda

In the late 2000s, Johnny Franck and his band Attack Attack! made waves across the scene with their beloved debut album Someday Came Suddenly and their self-titled record in 2010. He then left the group that same year to focus on his relationship with God. And all that time with God caused him to create Bilmuri (yes, based on the actor’s name,) a funky post-hardcore band that will make you head bang while twerking. Soft yet funky, Bilmuri allows Franck to soar higher than ever before. He’s worked with acts and artists like No Dice, Tilian of Dance Gavin Dance (he would later appear on DGD’s new album Afterburner,) Surf Team, Dayseeker, and former Attack Attack! and current Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo (the feature is killer.) So if you like funky rhythms and shitposting, Bilmuri’s for you.

Song to Listen to: “BRUH.MP4”

DREGG

Hometown: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Out Now: Tu Track – Single (Epitaph)

For Fans Of: Hatebreed, Limp Bizkit, System Of A Down

“Imagine Eminem, fronting Mr. Bungle, while sipping absinthe, after an Oscar Wilde binge. Or Hatebreed, covering the Wu-Tang Clan, inside an art installation, curated by Andy Warhol’s ghost.” Just reading that gives you a clear look on what hardcore act DREGG are. The Australian fivesome have the swagger of a rapper, colorful clothes, and disturbing tones. As the band put it, “Privacy is becoming very rare in this modern world, and that drives people to hide who they really are. Each band member’s on-stage persona is an extension of their inner selves—the person the outside world doesn’t allow them to be.” Well that explains the masks and warpaint. They’ve done shows with Alpha Wolf, Hellions, Counterparts, Deez Nuts, and Knocked Loose. DREGG recently signed with American punk label Epitaph Records (The All-American Rejects, Fake Names, Smrtdeath) and dropped a two-track single titled Tu Track back in late April.

Song to Listen to: “HECTIC”

Lilac Queen

Hometown: Wakefield, MA

Out Now: If Only – EP (No Sleep)

For Fans Of: My Bloody Valentine, Swirlies, Title Fight

Named after a song by mewithoutYou, Massachusetts post-shoegaze quintet Lilac Queen might become the next big thing in the genre. Formed in late 2019, Lilac Queen —vocalist/guitarist Lily St. Germain, guitarist/vocalist Doug DeMars, lead guitarist Colin McGovern, bassist Billy Davis and drummer Jesse Porter — are slowly moving up in the music world, having signed to No Sleep Records (Best Ex, Gatherers, Worst Party Ever) in April. As Thisfunktional put it, Lilac Queen’s “wall-of-sound rhythm section juxtaposed with writhing guitar leadwork creates an atmospheric onslaught that does not beg but demands the listener’s attention.” They’ll be performing at The Fest in Gainesville, Fla., later this year alongside Hot Water Music, Broadway Calls, and current Prenatt’s Picks list band Mush.

Song to Listen to: “Ouch”

Wristmeetrazor

Hometown: Washington, D.C.

Out Now: Take Your Shot, Funboy – Single (Prosthetic)

For Fans Of: Ostraca, Portrayal Of Guilt, SeeYouSpaceCowboy

With a name like that they have to be heavy as fuck. D.C.’s Wristmeetrazor (named after the Usurp Synapse song) first began as a solo project for guitarist Jonah Thorne until he found bassist Justin Fornof and drummer Zach Wilbourn (who was replaced by SeeYouSpaceCowboy’s drummer Bryan Prosser in 2018) and added them in. The lineup soon became a quartet with the inclusion of second guitarist Tyler Norris a year later. As the group put it in their own words, “Bore of our own necessity. Wristmeetrazor exists as a monument to the space between sanity and self-destruction. Happiness. Sadness. Life. Death.” They’ve done shows with Terror, Dying Wish, Lowered A.D., Sharptooth, and Exit Strategy. Because of COVID-19, their tour with Trench and Stepping Stone will not be taking place. Support them and buy some merch.

Song to Listen to: “Loathsome”

I Met A Yeti

Hometown: Orlando, FL

Out Now: Camp Yeti – EP (Self-Released)

For Fans Of: Hail The Sun, A Lot Like Birds, Sianvar

Cool name. Orlando based swancore/post-hardcore quintet I Met A Yeti are as fun as their name sounds. And just like a yeti, they’re mysterious and way beyond powerful. They’re one of the most underrated groups in the swancore genre, and that’s a damn shame. Since we’re all under quarantine, check them out. The band have done shows with Strawberry Girls, Tiny Moving Parts, Eidola, I Set My Friends On Fire, and Being As An Ocean. They just wrapped up a tour in March, minus cancelling the final date due to corona.

Song to Listen to: “Blue-Eyes White Yeti”

Manuel The Band

Hometown: Long Beach, CA

Out Now: Room For Complication – EP (Monte Bre)

For Fans Of: Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Train

Hailing from Frank Ocean and Snoop Dogg’s hometown, rock-jazz-Americana group Manuel The Band are making waves in their corner of the country. The band started releasing music in 2018, and it’s been nothing but good vibes for the sextet. So far, they’ve played at the Music Tastes Good festival with New Order, Santigold, and Princess Nokia, dropped one EP and a new song written during quarantine, and were nominated for Best Album at the Independent Music Awards. Seems like it’s finally time for these West Coast boys to take flight and travel the country.

Song to Listen to: “Casual Love”

SadGirl

Hometown: Los Angeles CA

Out Now: Water (Suicide Squeeze)

For Fans Of: The Buttertones, Froth, Surf Curse

Inspired by rock ‘n’ roll from the ’50s and ’60s swing, LA’s surf punks SadGirl have a sound like no other. Their music sounds like the love child of David Bowie and Buddy Holly, which is odd since they first started off doing Nirvana and Sublime covers. Frontman Misha Lindes later shifted that grungy sound to the early rock music he grew up listening to. “For some reason, I always have had some fantasy about what my dad’s childhood was like growing up in early 60s America: big cars, guitar music, and The Beatles on the radio,” Misha told Vice back in 2016, stating that the Crybaby soundtrack “really changed my musical perspective in some way, too.” SadGirl have done shows with The Garden, Chicano Batman, and SWMRS.

Song to Listen to: “Chlorine”

Casa Loma

Hometown: Williamstown, NJ

Out Now: This Is Coping – EP (Pure Noise)

For Fans Of: …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Foxwarren, Nada Surf

Nik Bruzzese is no stranger to the music scene. He’s the frontman for one of the most beloved and influential pop punk bands of the past decade: Man Overboard. But with his solo project Casa Loma, Bruzzese steps into a new, softer, heavily emotional sound, reminiscing of Andy Shauf and Leif Vollebekk (well, Man Overboard had emotional songs, but Casa Loma goes harder than that.) When Transit/Cold Collective member Tim Landers passed away in early 2019, Bruzzese took the news hard. Going into recluse, he created the songs that would make up his debut EP This Is Coping, coming out June 5 on Pure Noise Records (The Amity Affliction, LURK, Same Side.) As a press release points out, “Despite the gravity of the subject matter, Nik is quick to point out that Casa Loma isn’t all doom and gloom. A hopeful optimism permeates the contemplative compositions, with a reassurance to keep going.”

Song to Listen to: “Famaglia”

Bamily

Hometown: London, UK

Out Now: Family With A B – EP (Self-Released)

For Fans Of: Friendly Fires, Phoenix, Two Door Cinema Club

Welcome to the Bamily. English indie darlings Bamily are all about that Bamily life, pun totally intended. Combining indie pop with the powers of EDM, disco, hip-hop, and soul, these lads are in a league of their own. They even DJ during their sets. As SubmitHub puts it, “Opening a world of sample heavy beats over luscious pad sounds and percussion, the band reimagine traditional pop song structures passing melodies between their two lead singers and a hefty backing vocal.” Currently they have over 90.8k monthly listeners on Spotify. Oh, and their cover of Tyler, The Creator’s “EARFQUAKE” slaps hard.

Song to Listen to: “Outro”

Dead Lakes

Hometown: Seattle, WA

Out Now: New Language – EP (SharpTone)

For Fans Of: Awaken I Am, Bring Me The Horizon, PVRIS

Formed in 2017, Seattle’s Dead Lakes blend the worlds of pop and screamo perfectly together. Their label SharpTone Records (Broadside, Kingdom Of Giants, The Wise Man’s Fear) says, “Dead Lakes make music for anyone who feels the sting of broken connections, failed relationships, and challenging circumstances, yet nevertheless will muster the strength and hope to carry onward.” They just might become the new Sleeping With Sirens. Definitely keep these guys on your radar.

Song to Listen to: “SMS Happiness”

Come back next week for the final artists of 2020!

Top 10 Albums Of 2019

Well it’s the end of the year. We’ve seen so many good albums come out throughout these past 12 months. Here at Punk Goes Prenatt, we’ll go over some of the finest albums that the year has given us, ranging in genres from emo to hardcore.

Note: before I continue, let me remind you that this list is my opinion. I haven’t listened to every single album that has come out in the past 12 months, no one has. These are just the albums I enjoyed throughout the year. Obviously your opinion will be different than mine. Maybe you think Lizzo should be #1, or Ariana Grande, or even Vampire Weekend. Now that we got that settled, let’s do this.

These are ten of the best albums to come out in 2019.

10. Glitterer – Looking Through The Shades (Anti-)

Clocking in at merely 14 minutes, Looking Through The Shades, the sophomore album by ex-Title Fight member Ned Russin aka Glitterer, is a bizarre masterpiece that feels almost surreal. To quote my own review, “Looking Through The Shades is like a lucid dream fueled by grungy guitars and dreamy synths.” It sounds like nothing Russin has ever made before, further adding onto the mystic feeling of the record. Fueled by paranoia and the desire for some kind of comfort, Glitterer crafts each song to deal with his state of mind, backed up by grunge (“The Race”) or synth-pop (“1001”). Check this one out when you can.

9. Cory Wells – The Way We Are (Pure Noise Records)

This is one hell of a debut. Singer-songwriter Cory Wells creates this rollercoaster of emotions throughout The Way We Are, singing about heartache (“Broken”) one minute and hatred (“Wildfire”) the next. As I said in my review, “The Way We Are is a genuine masterpiece that was worth the four years it took to create. Wells packs in so much emotion into these 12 songs that it’s amazing that he doesn’t run out of steam by the closing track.” Please don’t sleep on Mr. Wells, I put him on this year’s Prenatt’s Picks list for a reason, folks.

8. The Maine – You Are OK (8123)

My sister got me into the Arizonian quintet The Maine back in 2008 when all they had was an EP called The Way We Walk. Over the years, I lost interest in the band and tried my damndest to get back into liking them (Forever Halloween didn’t work for me.) When I heard they were dropping a new record this year, I tried once again to see if I would like it. I was hooked the second I heard “Numb Without You.” The ten tracks that make up You Are OK are their strongest songs to date. The Maine channel in their inner Killers and create a wonderful pop rock album that needs you to listen to it. Something about these songs just hit me hard. To quote The Alternative‘s review, “Every inhale of breath, every scratchy word uttered, every wade of each sentence’s thought, O’Callaghan always has a way of making it feel like it’s The Maine’s world, and we’re just living in it.” I’m glad to be back in The Maine’s world. Thanks, John O.

7. Aaron West And The Roaring Twenties – Routine Maintenance (Hopeless Records)

When we last heard from Aaron West, he was dealing with a nasty divorce, coping over a miscarriage, his dad dying, and was going through a horrible year. Now with Routine Maintenance, he’s trying to get better and is going through a journey of self-discovery. He’s smoking again after he quit for his ex-wife Diane (“Lead Paint & Salt Air,”) getting the shit kicked out of him at a bar (“Bloodied Up In A Bar Fight,”) learns that his sister’s husband has passed away from sickness (“God & The Billboards,”) and finalizes his divorce (“Just Sign The Papers”). The storytelling that West aka Dan Campbell, frontman for The Wonder Years, tells has improved, and I cannot wait to hear more about what happens to him next. He’s slowly getting better, and all I want to see if West finally be happy.

6. American Football – American Football (Polyvinyl)

At least we didn’t have to wait 17 years for this album. On their third self-titled album, midwestern emo troupe American Football move away from the iconic house featured on the cover of their previous entries and take big steps towards a new horizon. The opening number “Silhouettes” has these haunting chimes and lovely vibraphone before the band come in and sweep us away. They sound more mature in their lyrics (“I blamed my father in my youth/Now as a father, I blame the booze” from “Uncomfortably Numb”) and playing (the 12-string on “I Can’t Feel You”). LP3 shows the world that they no longer need their infamous house to feel cozy and that they’re ready to explore what Earth has in store for them. Oh, and Hayley Williams from Paramore appears on “Uncomfortably Numb” and she flows extremely well with frontman Mike Kinsella’s vocals. That’s another plus.

5. Somos – Prison On A Hill (Tiny Engines)

With the tragic suicide of guitarist Phil Haggerty back in the summer, Somos did the unthinkable to help their deceased comrade: they dropped their third album Prison On A Hill early for one week only where all proceeds would go towards his funeral expenses. I was lucky enough to help and get the record early, and it’s beautiful. Mixing new wave with emo and pop-punk, the Boston group made one of the best underrated albums of the year. Some highlights off the album are the catchy “Farewell To Exile,” the fine emo track “Iron Heel,” and the dance fueled “Absent And Lost.” Prison On A Hill will always serve as a reminder to the wonderful creativity that Haggerty had with his friends. Rest easy, Phil, we’ll miss you.

4. Say Anything – Oliver Appropriate (Dine Alone Records)

What a swan song. Say Anything’s final album Oliver Appropriate is a concept album following the tragic tale of Oliver (based on frontman Max Bemis), a “washed out” frontman who falls in love with a man and begins to question his sexuality. Sadly, he kills the man after he rejects him and ties his body along with himself to a heavy rock and falls into the water. While some elements do sound phoned in, Oliver Appropriate is an interesting bowing out point for the beloved emo act. As I said in my review, “Oliver Appropriate is an incredibly short masterpiece, blending in the past elements found in every single SA album into one incredible magnum opus.”

3. The Get Up Kids – Problems (Polyvinyl)

This is an emo album for grown-ups. On their first album in eight years, the Kansas City legends create one of the most relatable records of the year for the older kids. Problems has the group dealing with growing up (“Lou Barlow”), fake friends (“Fairweather Friends”), being old (“Brakelines”), uncertainty (“Now Or Never”), and isolation (“Satellite”). Think of this album as the mature version of their classic record Something To Write Home About. Give this one a spin if you already haven’t.

2. PUP – Morbid Stuff (Rise Records/Little Dipper)

The name alone lets you know what you’re gonna be hearing about. On their Rise Records (blessthefall, Make Them Suffer, Social Animals,) Canadian punks PUP go to their dark side and unleash something beautiful. Armed with relatable lyrics and sharp wit, the quartet go hard with their subject matter, singing about depression (“Morbid Stuff,”) suicide (“Kids,”) and plain sadness (“Scorpion Hill”). It’s the band’s finest album to date, and I would love to see how they’ll one-up themselves in two years. To quote myself, “Sing-a-longs catchier than an STD, punk stylings that will get crowds moving, and lyrics that those going through problems can easily cling to. It’s not only a solid album by PUP, but it’s a solid punk album.”

Before we get to number one, let’s look at a few honorable mentions in no particular order.

1. Bring Me The Horizon – amo (Columbia Records)

2. Chris Farren – Born Hot (Polyvinyl)

3. .gif from god – approximation_of_a_human (Prosthetic Records)

4. Heart Attack Man – Fake Blood (Triple Crown Records/You Did This Records)

5. Lizzo – Cuz I Love You (Columbia Records)

6. The Menzingers – Hello Exile (Epitaph Records)

7. Prince Daddy & The Hyena – Cosmic Thrill Seekers (Counter Intuitive Records)

8. ROAM – Smile Wide (Hopeless Records)

9. SeeYouSpaceCowboy – The Correlation Between Entrance And Exit Wounds (Pure Noise Records)

10. Varials – In Darkness (Fearless Records)

1. Knocked Loose – A Different Shade Of Blue (Pure Noise Records)

Was there really any other choice? The answer was obvious the second I played “Belleville” and “…And Still I Wander South.” It was also clear in my review. As I said, “Seriously, if you thought Laugh Tracks went hard, then A Different Shade Of Blue goes harder tenfold.” A Different Shade Of Blue grabs ahold of you quite hard to the point that you think you’ll suffocate. The record hits hard every single time, and the additions of Dying Wish’s Emma Boster on “A Serpent’s Touch” and Every Time I Die’s Keith Buckley on “Forget Your Name” make the album even better. This record overall is not just a step forward for the band, but a step forward for hardcore in general. If these guys are the future of hardcore, then the genre has one bright fucking future. Fuck yes.