Reasons to be Cheerful: All the best music from January 2024
The world of alternative music is an unruly beast, which is why we figured we’d bring you an unruly list to match. The internet has dispersed all of music’s former cliques into a macrocosm; streaming and growing DIY practices have meant that there are over 100,000 released per day, and the monopoly of big labels has ensured that you only hear a very small fraction of them. Thus, it proves all the more important to loudly celebrate talent that remains independent in one form or another.
So, as a proudly entirely independent publication, we’ve assorted you an unranked list of all the music that was great in January 2023. It has been a smorgasbord of delights from around the globe, showcasing hope despite all the hatchets and hurdles; the music industry is more diverse than ever. However, it is also evident that there is more work to be done to eliminate hurdles and levelling the platform.
We singled out the new Bill Ryder-Jones effort Iechyd Da as our record of the month, and there have been some fantastic new tracks, too, thanks to the likes of Short Porch with their debut release, ‘Frank’. There have also been crackers from Etta Marcus and Tapir. And in February, we have the return of Brittany Howard to look forward to, among many other promising delights.
So, without further ado, introducing ‘Reasons to be Cheerful’. It’s like the Oscars, but everyone is a winner, and everything is actually good and selected independently without bias. Check out the delights below, and they’re all wrapped up in a bumper playlist to boot.
All the best music from January 2024:
Mount Matsu by YĪN YĪN: A sweet bit of funk from the Dutch four-piece as they capture the vibe of a bar in downtown Tokyo on a sunny day. Jazz and Japanese psych serenely collide in a danceable balm to the winter.
‘Prove It To You’ by Brittany Howard: What begins a clubland house mix winds up a raucous and soulful slice of avant-pop. She restrains her thunderous vocals to a more laidback pitch that feels like cruising in a car around a city at dusk circa 1998.
Madra by NewDad: A moody slice of post-punk that whirls like a spun-out dancer at the indie disco, channelling their inner Hope Sandoval as QOTSA play. The result is something that is simultaneously heavy and dreamy.
‘Model Village’ by Pete Astor & The Loft: In 2023, Pete Astor delivered the cracking tale of a misunderstood German with ‘Amber Lights’. He’s followed that up with a team-up with The Loft for a melodic story about a tiny village.
Little Rope by Sleater-Kinney: A fuckless effort in the best possible way from the indie stalwarts. For their reunion album, they let it all out in a loud roar of defiance and fun. Resplendent with plenty of catchy singles, too.
‘Télégraph’ by La Femme: French psych legends offer up another enlightening freak-out. It’s an infectious cut that proves this gang will never not be cool.
‘Say You Love Me’ by David Pettersson Eklundh: A debut single from a Scandinavian songwriter who already looks like he might be set for great things. The track is a majestically seamless Laurel Canyon number, delivered with charming sincerity.
Sadness Sets Me Free by Gruff Rhys: After 24 studio albums, you might think Gruff Rhys is running out of ideas. Perhaps he is on this feted terrain, but thankfully, for his 25th, he set sail for the solar system and delivered a piece of music that captures his exonerated journey into the stars, crafting the dreamiest of indie.
‘Best For You and Me’ by Helado Negro: A modulating beat that, for some reason, feels reminiscent of the film HER, is paired like strawberry and cream with Negro’s own hushed yet choppy vocals about the moon, loss and moving on. As beautiful as it is inventive.
Blue Raspberry by Katy Kirby: A folk gem from Katy Kirby that floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee thanks to punchy lyrics of pain paired with lilting melodies that Carole King would be cockahoop about.
‘Never Did Come Back’ by Van Houten: Hard man shoegaze. Like chamomile tea with a shot of Vodka stirred in, the instrumentation here is dainty yet robust and muscular thanks to fantastic guitar work that blends grunge and nu-gaze without one feeling like it compromises the other.
‘Frank’ by Short Porch: One of the premiere new bands of the year, this Brooklyn outfit offers up a murder ballad with warbled vocals that unnervingly asks, “I killed Frank for you, what are you going to do for me?” Groovy and unhinged in equal measure. An instant classic.
Big Sigh by Marika Hackman: On her long-awaited return, Hackman delved into a basement and played every instrument. The result is, of course, very personal, but it is also far bolder and more experimental than that premise promised in the best possible way.
Iechyd Da by Bill Ryder-Jones: A certified masterpiece. Bill Ryder-Jones self-produces a record that sounds like jogging by the sea feels. It’s humble and epic in equal measure, taking personal pain and using cinematic music to defeat it.
The Pilgrim, Their God and the King of My Decrepit Mountain by Tapir: A stirring debut EP from the New Cross-based collective Tapir. Its basis is melodic folk, but there’s all sorts of weirdness going on in between that, as the band beautifully capture the feel of a 20-something rented living room.
‘Sadness as a Gift’ by Adrianne Lenker: Lenker doing Lenker things, really. Once more, she proves to be the adult comfort blanket for the Millennial generation, only this time, she leans slightly heavier on country.
The King of Misery by Daudi Matsiko: The songwriter gets a whole lot from very little on this stunning record. Sparse plucking and measured melodies allow for a dense amount of feeling as Matsiko adroitly weaves through a whole array of emotions and tones.
‘Come Around and Love Me’ by Jalen Ngonda: Technically released in 2023, but available as a vinyl single for the first time this month, which seems like its most fitting format. A sweet bit of ’70s soul, undercut with an Afrobeat rhythm section and a truly stunning vocal performance from the Washington DC native.
Melt the Honey by PACKS: An album that sounds like its title, so the only downside to the pleasantry is that it might attract bears. Whimsical toplines overplay an unpolished approach to shoegaze, creating a meadow-like experience, with just the odd discarded bag of shit from a dog walker jolting you back into reality.
‘Albert Road’ by English Teacher: A refreshing novelty as a band firmly in the ‘hotly anticipated’ crowd haven’t been swayed to try too hard nor falter towards commercialism. ‘Albert Road’ is am honest beauty that feels like it vitally has its own story behind it.
‘Mother’ by Lime Garden: Another solid release from Lime Garden, the band that makes it so hard to avoid Far Out’s banned review word ‘jangly’. It’s a glitchy and blissful piece of indie that feels as though the band casually recorded it still sporting bedhead but looking forward to the day ahead.
‘My Only Love’ by Porij: Making dance music human again, ahead of their debut album, Porij dropped an ethereal pop track infused with smoking area essence, as they sing earnestly of life for the modern musician trying to make it amid a sea of beans.
Wall of Eyes by The Smile: The Radiohead side project returns, and it’s just as craft ale-y as ever, if not even more so than ever before. The Mexican poet Cesar A. Cruz once stated, “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.” And that’s the quote our very own Jordan Potter figured was a fitting tagline for the record.
‘Skin Parade’ by Etta Marcus: Etta Marcus is no stranger to the odd wailing guitar solo, but with ‘Skin Parade,’ she is decidedly Avon soft. A vulnerable anthem that doesn’t prove overbearing, conjuring a breeze from the turntable.
Future Pasts by Konkolo Orchestra: Alexis Malefakis is a multi-instrumentalist who curates the Ethnographic Museum at the University of Zurich. So, he’s clearly well-versed enough a blend of beauty that takes slices from around around the world, the create an Afrobeat majesty that sounds like hot sauce tastes.
Three Bells by Ty Segal: As ever, you want to sit Ty Segal down and explain that with just a little more measure, he could avoid the tag of being one of the best artists to have never produced a classic, but then you’d perhaps be killing the real, prolific, brilliant but messy Ty Segal.
‘One Night / All Night’ by Tame Impala & Justice: It’s a collaboration between Tame Impala and Justice; what do you expect?
You Don’t Have to be Yourself Right Now by 86TVs: A debut EP from the White brothers (formerly of The Maccabees) and their new bandmates. It’s an indie effort as tight as the bond of blood might imply, and Felix’s work on moving film scores has clearly come in handy to expand the scope.
Ilion by Slift: French psychedelia with a gothic edge. Blast it loud enough in the house and ask you to bask in the instrumentation; you may suddenly get the uneasy feeling that your living room is about to be invaded by Vikings.
Charlie by Swimming Bell: Seamless Laurel Canyon folk-rock. You’d be hard-pushed to find a ‘fault’ in the record. As easy as a Sunday stroll. The sort of album you want to thank the creator for.
‘Be Gentle’ by Saint Saviour: Saint Saviour continues her quietly brilliant run of singles. Produced by the aforementioned Bill Ryder-Jones, this track is cut from a similar cloth to his own humble yet huge anthems. A strange and dainty thing of filagreed beauty.
‘Oh Butterfly’ by Haakon Ellingsen: Like a cut from the Magical Mystery Tour, this is easy pop with just the faint air of a bit of pot. The Norwegian artist skims this one like a stone across a fjord.
‘Cosmo’ by Summer Pine: This summery anthem proverbially floats from its Japanese homeland. It has a shimmering sentiment to it, as though the sheet music would be shrouded by a mirage. But it’s undercut by a solid bass to grab onto.
‘Connected Forever’ by Chris Ballew: Chris Ballew has had quite a story. He started off in the Platinum punk band The Presidents of the United States of America before settling down into a career of making music for children. Now, he’s a quirky singer-songwriter, and this is his latest luscious hit.
Hit shuffle on the playlist below and enjoy.
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