That’s right punks, we’re not adverse to the idea of a little yearly round up at Punk Rock Philosophy! So if you haven’t been keeping up with our weekly picks throughout the year then make a resolution to sign up to the site so you never miss a notification. And for now, you can be brought up to speed as we select our top singles, albums and bands of the year that was 2024.
Singles of the Year
Every week we have been bringing you our top tracks so narrowing it down to our faves for the year has been a challenge. BUT…we don’t shrink from a challenge so here comes our shortlist…
Overall: The Low Sixes- ‘Turn On The Night‘
Back in the Summer, Canadian punk-infused power pop band The Low Sixes released an epic, rousing and full bodied track that crammed in all the components of a stadium anthem. One of the most played tracks here at Punk Rock Philosophy HQ, the song was taken from the band’s debut LP ‘The Oshawa Tree‘ which was released back in October. In a crowded field, ‘Turn on the Night‘ just squeaks past the other contenders to be our single of the year.
Other top picks:
Little Hag- ‘Suck Out the Pain‘
Asbury Park ‘bitch rockers’ Little Hag make the list with their ravishing and raw single ‘Suck Out the Pain‘ . It’s a bittersweet track, with moments of gentle sweetness building to a guttural melancholy. Every guitar riff communicates a deep longing, giving a real sense of building turmoil. ‘Suck Out the Pain‘ is taken from the band’s album ‘Now That’s What I Call Little Hag’ which was released in August. Listening options HERE.
Cathedral Ceilings- ‘Bill Berry‘
New Jersey power trio Cathedral Ceilings released their fab single ‘Bill Berry’ from their album ‘La La La…Whatever!’ Our review stated it had ” a relentless energy, absolutely packed with melody and pace”. You can stream HERE.
All Feels- ‘Possessed‘
Massachusetts indie-pop band All Feels described their single ‘Possessed‘ as a “coming-of-age bop for the elder millennial crowd — a 90s-inspired reflection on growing older and growing out of the things you once loved, as well as the often unbreakable connections we have to habits we try to shake.” As elder millennials… we did indeed bop to this class track. Check it out HERE.
Decent Criminal- ‘Vertigo‘
Punk Rock Philosophy favourites Decent Criminal came back strong this year with their new single ‘Vertigo‘. The track maintained the band’s form of perfecting the melancholic/sunshine fusion, we described it as “a rousing and crisp melody combined with Tristan Martinez’s vocals that sing of deep emotion and existential ponderances. And it’s catchy as hell“. Check them out HERE.
Albums of the Year
Another difficult shortlist as there were some fantastic albums out in 2024. This is not an exhaustive list but here’s some of our picks…
Overall: The Bad Ups- ‘Life of Sin‘
No doubt this will be topping a lot of end of year lists, it has been a great year for the Philadelphia four piece. ‘Life of Sin‘ is 11 tracks of unadulterated punk rock bad-assery. Coming in at under half an hour the pace is pretty relentless but it never feels rushed. There are nods to the band’s influences throughout the LP where you can hear occasional smatterings of ska, reggae, oi and pop punk. Our verdict was: “Basically, combine all the best parts of the 90s punk and alternative scenes, update them and ensure that every track has a kickass melody behind it and you’ll pretty much have arrived at The Bad Ups sound“. Every listen brings a new favourite track to the fore- whatever your punk poison, we are confident you will love this album. Check out the links at Jump Start Records HERE and check out our full review HERE.
Other top picks:
Uzumaki- ‘Waded‘
A close second to The Bad Ups, London-via-Norfolk’s own Uzumaki released their debut full length album ‘Waded‘ back in September. A follow up to 2023’s ‘Square One‘ EP, the band with the best ear for melody in the business did not disappoint with 12 tracks of 90s indie-infused punk-y gems. Read our review and interview with frontman Alex Cheung HERE.
Sewer Cats- ‘Obnoxious‘
Manchester’s raucous punk upstarts Sewer Cats embraced anger and defiance with their second album ‘Obnoxious‘, released in September. Never ones to shy away from challenging topics, the duo’s album contains well-observed and skilfully delivered commentary on misogyny, hustle culture, politics, toxic masculinity and empowerment. Is it Obnoxious as its name suggests? YES. Is that a good thing? A BIG FAT YES. Channel that Big Pussy Energy and give it a listen. You can read our review and interview with the 2 top cats HERE.
Green Day- ‘Saviors‘
Yes, nestled in amongst the best that new and independent punk has to offer, punk rock behemoths Green Day popped up to release one of the strongest albums they’ve managed in the last 10+ years. A slightly sprawling piece of work with varied sounds, themes and motifs, it doesn’t feel like the band’s most cohesive piece of work but my god does it have some great tracks. Not so much a return to form but more of a reminder that they can still pull quality out of the bag. ‘Goodnight Adeline‘ and title track ‘Saviors‘ are standout listens.
Kickass Bands of 2024
Keep your eyes and ears peeled throughout 2025 because these bands have had some triumphs this past year that mean we can’t wait to see what they do next…
Heartwells
SoCal punks Heartwells have had a great year- their track ‘Coasted‘ is a little blast of punk goodness that has been in consistent rotation here. Their album ‘The New Old School‘ is a collection of glorious punk rock sing-a-longs, bringing some Golden State energy directly to you courtesy of 14 tracks of high octane noise.
Stoke Signals
LA punk outfit Stoke Signals showcase a group of musicians who are passionate about their craft, tightening shit up and not making any compromises when it comes to the raw power of their songs. Their debut LP ‘Make Dying Fun‘ was released in September and considering the band only played their first shows in January, the close knit and tenacious sound they’ve managed is testament to their commitment and talent. 2025 beckons and as they get even more honed and toned, the world should be listening.
Fightmilk
We have been loving the wry humour and catchy melodies of London ‘strop pop’ foursome Fightmilk. So much so, they made our top picks of the week THREE times this year with the singles ‘Summer Bodies‘, ‘Yearning and Pining‘ and personal favourite ‘That Thing You Did‘. Their album ‘No Souvenirs‘ inspired a loyal (and deserved) following – us included- due to its “riotous combination of riffage, pop hooks, angst, heartfelt emotions, wit, and wisdom crashed out with infectious, gleeful abandon“.
The Ratchets
Put your skanking shoes on in 2025 as you’ll be hearing a lot more from New Jersey ska punk band The Ratchets. We picked their track ‘Late Stage Capital‘ as one of our picks of the week back in October but the band have been releasing banger after banger for most of the year. As well as ‘Late Stage Capital‘, the band released ‘Street Manners‘, ‘Swagger with Kindness‘, ‘Hurricane Condition‘ and ‘News on High‘. Phew…they are busy bees. And bees with a strong social conscience as evidenced by their lyrics which call for political awareness, solidarity and of course kindness. We’ll need as much of that as we can get in 2025 so more power to The Ratchets!
And that’s it folks! Hope you have had a great festive period. Thank you for all of your support for Punk Rock Philosophy- stick around and see what we’ve got in store for the year ahead!