Category: Music

Most-listened to albums during 2024

In a time where everyone shares their year-in-music as a Spotify Wrapped screenshot on Instagram Stories, only to be glanced through because nobody is really interested, I’ve written this blog post. Besides, I’m not active on Spotify or Instagram.

I’m going to presume you are more interested in discovering album recommendations and that will be the focus here. This is my most-listened to albums of 2024 according to Last.fm, with maybe a few extra thrown in for good measure. Let’s crack on:

10.
This Is Why
by Paramore

Released 2023 • post-punk, new wave
Apple Music – Spotify – MusicBrainz – More

Considering I was into a lot of emo music ‘back in the day’ I didn’t get on board with Paramore until quite late on. Manchester band Dutch Uncles went on tour as support to Paramore when they came to Oslo. One of the band members from Dutch Uncles put me on the guest list and it was only then, after seeing Paramore live, that I figured I should give them a chance. I really like Paramore now and there’s a whole back catalogue to catch up on.

9.
NO THANK YOU
by Little Simz

Released 2022 • hip-hop, neo-soul
Apple Music – Spotify – MusicBrainz – More

Keen readers of the blog will already know that I am a fan of Little Simz and it always makes me happy to get a notification from Last.fm saying that she made it into my Top Artists for the month.

NO THANK YOU was an album that dropped just before I saw Little Simz play live last year and it’s been a favourite of mine since. If I am ever scrolling through my music library and see this artwork, I’m ready to hit play.

8.
AM
by Arctic Monkeys

Released 2013 • indie, rock
Apple Music – Spotify – MusicBrainz – More

When I was an indie-kid bopping around in the music scene in Manchester, Arctic Monkeys were on the scene as a bunch of Sheffield bands broke through. I have always liked Arctic Monkeys. This album is a strong one in the band’s catalogue.

7.
OK Go
by OK Go

Released 2002 • indie, rock
Apple Music – Spotify – MusicBrainz – More

This album I bought in 2002 after hearing the debut single ‘Get Over It‘ on the radio and I really loved the album – but the band fell off my radar a little and I didn’t really listen to anything OK Go produced until they became popular for the viral treadmill thing.

They are a good band with a few good albums, but this will always be my favourite. Clearly. Over 20 years later and it’s still appearing in my Top Albums of the Year.

6.
Collapsed in Sunbeams
by Arlo Parks

Released 2021 • bedroom pop, neo-soul
Bandcamp – MusicBrainz – More

Arlo Parks is great. The music is pretty chill and always a good one to go to when you want some downbeat vibes. The songs are sad, but also happy at the same time.

I think when I first got this album I played it on repeat a lot and it was my most-listened to album of 2022, dropping to 9th place in 2023 and now bumping back up to 6th in 2024.

Do I need to say more than that? It charted in my Top 10 every year since it was released.

5.
LaGuardia
by Stars

Released 2019 • indie pop
Bandcamp – MusicBrainz – More

The song that really sold me on Stars was ‘Your Ex-Lover Is Dead‘ which has all the beauty and whimsy and magic of a romantic story told with all the pomp of ‘Fairytale of New York‘. And weirdly, I bought the single on vinyl when it came out and never listened to it until years later.

Stars have many albums with many great songs and a good way to get into them is to listen to LaGuardia, which is a ‘Best of…’ release.

4.
Florist
by Florist

Released 2022 • ambient, indie-folk
Bandcamp – MusicBrainz – More

Do you have an artist that feels like your “go-to” when you just want to listen to something chill and relaxing as you lounge and potter around the house? For me, this is Florist.

I saw Florist live in Seattle a few years back and it didn’t disappoint. They came to Norway recently, but played in Bergen – a whole 8+ hour train journey away from Oslo.

If asked I probably wouldn’t say this is my favourite album from the artist, so a bit surprised that of all the Florist releases that I own, it turned up before the others in my top albums this year.

3.
Cast of Thousands
by Elbow

Released 2013 • indie, indie rock
Apple Music – Spotify – MusicBrainz – More

Even though it’s not the most quiet and calming album, Cast of Thousands by Elbow is my go-to album when I can’t sleep and I am lay in bed desperately trying to fall asleep.

By no means does this mean it is a boring album; quite the opposite. It’s very intricate and if you listen closely there are many layers of sounds that you might not consider on a first listen.

If this album is appearing in my Top 3, then it means I have had a lot of sleepless nights this past year – but Elbow calms my mind, helps me focus, and takes me to a place where I am able to drift off. And sometimes that is just what you need.

2.
Hyper Opus
by Calling Marian

Released 2023 • techno, electronic
Apple Music – Spotify – MusicBrainz – More

Marian and I met through Tumblr many moons ago. We first followed each other, then started chatting and became online friends, and then I flew to her home town in France to visit her and her family. This was before she made techno music and now she’s a really good DJ working the techno scene in France and has her own record label.

If you are into techno, you should listen to this and everything that Calling Marian released on her Soundcloud and Bandcamp for CVNT Records.

1.
All Hell
by Los Campesinos!

Released 2024 • indie pop, emo
Bandcamp – MusicBrainz – More

Well. No surprise here for me. Los Campesinos! are possibly my favourite band of all and so if they release new music it’s bound to be something special.

If you haven’t really heard the Welsh indie-emo band Los Campesinos! then this release is a good place to start.

It’s new, it’s fresh, it’s All Hell.

So, that’s the list! You made it! Thanks for scrolling all the way down from ten-to-one and checking out my most listened to albums of the past year.

I hope you found something above that you have not heard of before and I hope for a “most played of 2024” list that you weren’t too disappointed that the list contained a grand total of one (1) album released 2024.

If you were looking for albums released in 2024 then here’s two bonus ones for you that didn’t get as much airtime as the ones listed above, but that I did purchase:

Letter To Self
by SPRINTS

Released 2024 • garage punk, alt. rock
Bandcamp – MusicBrainz – More

Beer Baby
by Drunk Mums

Released 2024 • garage rock, punk
Bandcamp – MusicBrainz – More

✌️

Bye!

5 January 2025
Little Simz performing live in Oslo

Back when I lived in the UK, I went to a lot of concerts. Between knowing the assistant to the director of SJM Concerts and taking photographs for NME-rival magazine Artrocker, I would see myself guest listed for several concerts each week. Most of these were in Manchester, but quite often in Leeds, sometimes in Liverpool or other cities in the North West of England.

Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to see some of my most favourite bands play live (Blur, David Bowie, Los Campesinos!, Green Day, Tellison), often for free. And also to watch others that weren’t quite my go-to when I pick up a record, but have been great shows (The Darkness, Paramore, Limp Bizkit, Kanye West, Harry Styles). Shows that were just a bit odd, therefore brilliant maybe? (Daniel Johnston, Lord Mongo, Salty Lips) Or to be able to discover new, smaller artists before they get popular or disappear altogether (Jamie T, Tom Vek, Bromheads Jacket, The Old Romantic Killer Band, Cage the Elephant, Kings of Leon).

There are too many to mention or properly categorise.

Now that I’m old(er), live in Oslo and have a family to look after, I don’t really go out to as many live shows. This entire year, I only made it to 3 concerts and 1 festival; The Wombats, Harry Styles, Day 2 of Øyafestivalen and Little Simz.

I guess that’s okay, but I think in 2023 my intention will be to go to more.

Seeing artists play live can be a great experience. Some concerts are great to go to on your own, others with friends. My music taste is quite broad and it’s sometimes hard to find someone to go and so I don’t mind going on my own. That’s what I did for the Little Simz show.

I’d been in Manchester the entire week and only flown back earlier in the day, but made my way out into a cold and snowy Oslo, queuing alone outside the venue, Rockefeller Music Hall.

The spare ticket? I gave it away for free to two people looking to buy their way into the sold out show. My friend Ben described this as “the most Coxy thing I have heard this week”.

Since I wasn’t feeling super fresh and was quite tired after a 6am start to catch a plane – evident by the fact I got into the venue, bought a beer, but walked away from the bar before they served it – I decided to go up onto the balcony at the venue, where things are a little more sensible and reserved.

This meant that I was prone to grabbing my phone and taking photos + video of what was going on. I don’t usually do this but often see others doing it. I’ve become one of them. But now you get to witness some of what I witnessed:

Little Simz, in my opinion, put on a great show. I like her music anyway but wasn’t sure what to expect from a live performance. And she delivered.

From the music, to crowd banter and audience participation, the slow songs, the hard hitters, to bringing her cousin up on stage to give him credit for his part in all this, to the heartfelt thank yous to the tour crew – who were also handing out water to the crowd to keep the fans hydrated.

There was no faulting it.

Not too long before the show rolled around in the calendar, Little Simz dropped a new album called NO THANK YOU. On stage, she acknowledged that the tour was not for the new album, so there would be no new songs played tonight.

That said, after the official set had ended, the lights stayed down and NO THANK YOU started playing. Little Simz and her co-pilot for the evening came back out on stage and just started dancing as people were leaving the venue – with the remaining crowd just vibing for the next 10 minutes.

It was a proper party atmosphere. Nice.

Little Simz · 18.12.2022
Rockefeller Music Hall (Oslo, Norway)

22 December 2022
Top music from November 2022
Do I regret starting to write a monthly music round-up? A little. Am I going to carry on regardless? Yes. I think so.

Instead of a December 2022 update though there might be an end-of-year wrap up instead. I don’t use Spotify – so no Spotify Wrapped here – but it’ll be a mix of Apple Music Replay + Last.fm reporting.

In the meantime, here is my monthly round-up for November:

Tellison
Last month, I reported out that Tellison were amongst my most-played artists for the month – and that trend continued into November.

This was fuelled by the playing of their two Christmas singles towards the end of the month.

You should definitely go and buy them from Bandcamp as it’s pay-what-you-want and 100% of the cash goes to the mental health charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM).

You get two festive songs and the charity get more funding. Win-win!

Available at Bandcamp

Good Luck It’s Christmas

Snow (Don’t Tell The Truth This Christmas)
Lauran Hibberd

I have no idea how I found out about this release, but it’s pretty fun to listen to. How would I describe it? Maybe bubblegum punk pop? Is that a thing?!

The track ‘How am I still alive?‘ gives me Weezer vibes. In fact, quite a few tracks do. Apple Music tells me it’s Rock.

Anyway, the record by-passed me on it’s release in 2021 and I discovered it towards the end of 2022 and have been playing it a few times each month.

Listen to Goober (EP)

Apple Music · Spotify · Other platforms

Whilst the above mentioned artists were the big two — notable mention must go to the following new releases:

Stormzy – This Is What I Mean

It’s been a minute since Stormzy was uploading Shut Up and other early hits to YouTube. Now he’s a self-confessed pop star. I need to give this new album a few more listens. (Listen)

Anna of the North – Crazy Life

A third studio album from the talented Anna of the North. I happen to know Anna in person from “before she was a pop star” and so I recommend this because Anna is great, but also because you should promote your friends’ stuff. (Listen)

As per usual, if you have anything that you want to recommend to me, leave a note in the comments below!

✌️
20 December 2022
Top music from October 2022

It feels like we are flying through the months as we start to approach the end of 2022. One thing I am looking forward to is the ‘Year in review’ selections from both DIY Magazine and Piccadilly Records.

For years, they’ve been a trustworthy source to discover the year’s best new music. I usually compile the Piccadilly Records Top 100 lists into Apple Music playlists and 2022 will be no exception.

In the meantime, here is my monthly round-up for October:

Ellie Dixon

Back in 2021, I discovered a song called ‘Green Grass‘ on TikTok by Ellie Dixon. I looked her up online and at some point the song ended up in my Apple Music library.

As of 2022, Ellie Dixon is signed to Decca Records (Universal Music Group) and has a growing catalogue of well-produced Singles and EPs.

It’s very catchy British indie twee pop and I’m into it. Ellie Dixon hits a home run as my most-listened to Artist, Album, and Track this month.

Listen to Crikey! It’s My Psyche (EP)

Apple Music · Spotify · Other platforms

Barenaked Ladies

When I was younger, my parents took me to see The Beautiful South in concert. Supporting them were Barenaked Ladies.

They put on a very fun show and I saw them several times since then, and they continued to put on fun shows.

Anyway, they are a guilty pleasure of mine because it’s certainly not cool to like the band that had one hit in the 90s and then wrote the theme to Big Bang Theory.

Listen to Stunt (20th Anniversary Edition)

Apple Music · Spotify · Other platforms

Tellison

One of my favourite bands of all time from the UK’s indie-rock scene. And their debut album never fails to be a good listen.

It’s available to buy on Bandcamp, so you can do that if you want to help maximise the band’s profits.

There’s been quite a few times that I’ve been wearing Tellison merch and got friendly shouts and cheers from fellow fans. Get into it.

Listen to Contact! Contact!

Apple Music · Spotify · Bandcamp · Other platforms

Whilst the above mentioned artists were the big three — notable mention must go to the following new releases:

Dutch Uncles – True Entertainment

This month I was busy wondering whether Dutch Uncles were going to release anything. And they have! There’s a new album on it’s way in 2023 and the first track has been released as an early preview. (Listen)

Murkage Dave – Choose Your Own Adventure

I play a lot of Murkage Dave. This is a new release by said artist, and so it’s been spinning around and around my digital music player throughout October. (Listen)

Okay, that’s all for this month. As you may have noticed, I’m posting an October review at the end of November – which means it’s not too far away to the November update.

Phew! I’m so slow at making internet content, but I hope you enjoy the music recommendations. If you have anything that you want to recommend to me, leave a note in the comments below!

✌️

28 November 2022
Top music from September 2022

Welcome to the monthly music round-up for September — the month in which the weather in Oslo turns to a crisp fresh coldness and the scalves and hats start to appear.

But what’s been blaring from my speakers and down into my earholes? Let’s take a closer look at the Last.fm monthly report.

Games We Play

I can’t quite remember how I first heard of Games We Play, but the pop-punk band signed to Fueled By Ramen (Warner Music Group) in 2022 and released an EP.

It’s upbeat and catchy and angsty and everything I loved about blink-182 when I first heard them. This artist hit No.1 in my Artist charts.

Their online presence is full of holes and abandoned profiles – almost as if they are currently being spun through the industry washer and dryer to give them a clean image.

Listen to Get A Job (EP)

Apple Music · YouTube · Songlink

The Lemons

Want to discover a fun, charming, garage-pop band hailing from Chicago with songs less than two minutes long and available to buy on Bandcamp, you say?

Hello, It’s The Lemons!

This band is fun. This album is fun. It was my most-listened to album for the month. Definitely spend 27 seconds listening to Ice Cream Shop.

Listen to Hello, We’re The Lemons!

Apple Music · Spotify · Bandcamp · Songlink

Florist

I love the lo-fi indie pop sounds of Florist, aka Emily Sprague, and previously saw her play a solo show in 2019 when I was visiting Seattle.

This September, the track Blue Mountain Road from the 2017 album If Blue Could Be Happiness was crowned my most-listened to track.

Listen to If Blue Could Be Happiness

Apple Music · Spotify · Bandcamp · Songlink

Whilst the above mentioned tracks were the big three; Top Artist, Top Album, Top Track — notable mention must go to the following:

Brand New – The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me

When autumn rolls around, so does this album. It placed 3rd in my album charts. I recommend popping on some headphones and cranking this one up. (Listen)

Arlo Parks

A super British musician and poet from South London and my 3rd place artist for the month. The album Collapsed in Sunbeams has been one of my favourite as of recent years. (Listen)

And that’s the lot! See you again next month and if you have any music recommendations, pop them in the comments below 👇

5 October 2022