The Punk Site 2024 Top 40 Countdown: #11 – #20

  • Phinky posted
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On the eve of the countdown of The Punk Site‘s writers and photographers Top 10 releases from 2024 we’re running down through numbers 11 to 20. If you needed a reason for why we do what we do, because it certainly isn’t for the money, then our annual run through of favourites from the year that is almost over is your answer, proof if you ever needed it that the Punk scene isn’t just alive and well, it’s thriving and constantly mutating.

20. IrkedIrked EP (Wong Speed Records)

“Scaring my ears and brain half to death was the first thing that came to mind when dropping play on this EP, but truthfully, its not as scary as not being opened up to such greatness, its more of a short sharp shock of politically charged adrenalin fuelled energy that’s tinged with sartorial humour. This is an EP that’s finished far too quickly sadly, but with songs that you’ll not forget easily.” (Mark Cartwright)

19. FightmilkNo Souvenirs (Fika Recordings / INH Records)

“No ‘difficult third album’ this. No Souvenirs is a near perfect snapshot of a band realising their potential. The future’s bright. Fightmilk are really only just starting.” (Peter Hough)

18. Alkaline TrioBlood, Hair & Eyeballs (Rise Records)

Amongst the first notable releases from 2024 was Alkaline Trio’s Blood, Hair & Eyeballs that saw the band return with their tenth studio album, it was also the last to feature drummer Derek Grant and the first after Matt Skiba‘s tenure with Blink-182 came to an end. The album’s title was taken from a term used by guitarist Skiba’s Mother, who was once an emergency room nurse. It’s a title that is equally appropriate to what the band refer to as the “apocalypse culture” of social media that informed the album.

17. The Lovely EggsEggsistentialism (Self Released)

“The Lovely Eggs are a unique duo in the alternative scene, they can’t be pigeonholed, they can fit in anywhere and nowhere. They are a square peg in a musical world where an algorithm constantly looks to stick bands in a round hole. The Lovely Eggs have been seeking out open minds for seven albums, completely independent and free of constraints, commerciality or expectation, they stand alone, and that’s something that’s worth celebrating.” (Phinky)

16. ShredsStep Back (Engineer Records / Some Dude records)

Sheffield, UK’s Shreds released their debut full length back in April, the album collected the five singles that preceded the album along with nine brand new tracks. The band claim to have been fed intravenously on a steady diet of 80s US Hardcore which should give you an idea of what to expect on their impressive, cathartic and charged debut release.

15. Healthy JunkiesListen To The Mad (Banana Castle Records)

“This is Healthy Junkies best album to date for me, they’ve never disappointed, and I don’t think they ever will.  Its melodic, its thoughtful, its raw and polished all at the same time, and it, without any shadow of a doubt, needs to be in your life!!!!” (Mark Cartwright)

14. Girls In SynthesisSublimation (Self Released)

2024 saw Girls In Synthesis return with their third album, Sublimation. Pushing themselves, they have once again broke into new territories, constructing their own world and bringing forward their interpretation of a dark, twisted and angular pop record, with all the intensity of their previous work. Sublimation once again proves Girls In Synthesis stand alone, and throughout its eleven tracks they dive headfirst into an uneasy, atmospheric and intense world of melody, self-questioning lyrics and combative musical performances.

13. Rum LadI Am Him. He Is Me (Self Released)

“After a tough few years, Rum Lad has decided to bow out, a big loss for punk, as few have made such a genuine impact. Where others claim working-class hardship, Rum Lad lives it, offering authenticity not seen since the much missed Angelic Upstarts frontman Mensi. Despite this being his final release, I Am Him. He Is Me earns my pick for Album of 2024.” (Gary Hough)

12. Our Lives in CinemaEat your Feelings (Self Released)

“With pure love this is an album that’s been written, played, and sung, and just like the love you give to everything good in your life, this album gives almost all to everything bad, with a little set aside for the self aware humour. It’s a set of songs that look squarely into the eyes of its writers, sees all that’s happened or might happen and puts it to some fire breathing guitars and thunderous drums.” (Mark Cartwright)

11. Frank TurnerUndefeated (Xtra Mile Recordings)

2024 saw Frank Turner release his tenth full length, Undefeated. An album that finds the sweet spot between youthful outspokenness and surviving midlife’s challenges, it’s a record that explores both emotionally compelling topics and lighter reflections on those troubles that eventually come to most of us. Who you are versus who you wanted to be in your youth; life-altering love; fading friendships; wistful nostalgia; the mental fallout and political consequences that still linger from the pandemic era; and the more prosaic issue of persistent backache.