Here’s Bill Frater’s picks for the best music releases of 2024. As is frequently the case, my Top 10 ends up being more of a Top 20! Please send me your picks for best music and I’ll post some here. Happy holidays and here’s to a very happy new year!
Best of 2024
1-5
Melissa Carper – Borned In Ya (Mae Music)
Johnny Blue Skies – Passage Du Desir (High Top Mountain Records)
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – Woodland (Acony Music)
Caleb Klauder & Reeb Wilms – Gold In Your Pocket (Free Dirt Records)
Billy Strings – Highway Prayers (Reprise Records)
6-10
Sierra Ferrell – Trail Of Flowers (Rounder Records)
Keegan McInroe – Dusty Passports and Empty Beds (independent)
T Bone Burnett – The Other Side (Verve Label Group)
Laurie Lewis – Trees (Spruce and Maple Music)
Caleb Caudle – Sweet Critters (Missing Piece Records)
10-19
Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood (-Anti Records)
Hayes & the Heathens – Hayes & the Heathens (BOH Records)
Chris Smither – All About the Bones (Signature Sounds Recordings)
Jim Kweskin – Never Too Late (Storysound Records)
Kelly Wills, Brennen Leigh, Melissa Carper – Wonder Women of Country (Bismeaux Records)
The High Hawks – Mother Natures Show (LoHi Records)
Sweet Megg – Bluer Than Blue (Turtle Bay Records)
John Moreland – Visitor (Old Omens Records)
Various Artists – Can’t Steal My Fire: The Songs of David Olney (New West Records)
Coming out early in 2025 … Ringo Starr, Drew and Ellie Holcomb, Paul Thorn, Nefesh Mountain, Patterson Hood, The Devil Makes Three, Chip Taylor, The War and Treaty, Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band and more!
