Wax Trax Best of ’24

As 2024 comes to a close, we asked our staff to compile their list of the year’s best music and music experiences. Peruse their picks below for their takes on 2024’s best album, single, reissued vinyl, album art, show, Denver venue, and all their lingering, snarky thoughts.

BEST ALBUM of 2024

• Midwife – No Depression In Heaven (Sam Z)
• Lexa Gates – Elite Vessel (Ethan)
• Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Wild God (Molly)
• Magdalena Bay – Imaginal Disk (Delaney)
• Charli XCX – Brat (Sam R)
• Cindy Lee – Diamond Jubilee (Simone)
• Anna Butterss – Mighty Vertebrate (Doug)
• Mk.gee – Two Star and The Dream Police (Nick)
• Clairo – Charm (Cori)
• Pink Lady Monster – Psychic Antennae and a Tinsel Heart (Nico, Duane)
• Nia Archives – Silence is Loud (Jonny)
• The Last Dinner Party – Prelude to Ecstasy (Liz)
• Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us (Cole)

BEST SINGLE of 2024

• Haley Heynderickx – Gemini (Sam Z)
• Kendrick Lamar – Meet The Grahams (Ethan)
• Chat Pile – I Am Dog Now (Molly)
• Spirit of the Beehive – LET THE VIRGIN DRIVE (Delaney)
• Sabrina Carpenter – Please Please Please (Sam R)
• Charli XCX – Von Dutch (Simone)
• Walter Smith III – Misanthrope’s Hymn (Doug)
• Tassles – Kiss Like Candles (Nick)
• Loving – No Mast (Cori)
• Tassles – See Thru The Clouds (Nico)
• Mk.Gee – Rockman (Jonny)
• St. Vincent – Broken Man (Liz)
• Childish Gambino – Lithonia (Cole)
• MJ Lenderman – Wristwatch (Duane)

BEST REISSUED VINYL of 2024

• Elliott Smith – Either/Or (Sam Z)
• Modest Mouse – Good News For People Who Love Bad News (20th Anniversary Edition) (Ethan)
• A$AP Ferg – Trap Lord (Molly)
• SOPHIE – Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides (Delaney)
• Illenium – AWAKE (Sam R)
• The Slits – Cut (Simone)
• Joe Henderson – Power to the People (Doug)
• Various – Virtual Dreams 2: Ambient Explorations in the House & Techno Age, Japan 1993-1999 (Nick)
• Duran Duran – Rio (Cori)
• Various – Alfa/Yen Records 1980 – 1987: Techno Pop And Other Electronic Adventures In Tokyo (Nico)
• Sade – Love Deluxe (Jonny)
• MFDOOM – MM..Food (Cole)
• Nico – Desertshore (Duane)

BEST ALBUM ART of 2024

• Magdalena Bay – Imaginal Disk (Simone, Jonny, Liz)
• Charli XCX – Brat (Nick, Cori, Nico)
• Cindy Lee – Diamond Jubilee (Sam Z, Cole)
• Logic – Ultra 85 (Ethan)
• Chelsea Wolfe – She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She (Molly)
• Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere (Delaney)
• Spirit of the Beehive – You’ll Have To Lose Something (Sam R)
• Anna Butterss – Mighty Vertebrate (Doug)
• Jack White – No Name (Duane)

BEST SHOW YOU SAW in 2024

• Adrianne Lenker on 6/26 – Mission Ballroom (Sam Z)
• Madison Beer on 6/2 – Fillmore Auditorium (Ethan)
• LCD Soundsystem on 10/31 – Shrine Expo Hall (Los Angeles) (Molly)
• of Montreal on 6/12 – The Gothic Theater (Delaney)
• La Femme on 11/18 – The Gothic Theater (Sam R, Simone)
• Marc Ribot/Mary Halvorson on 9/20 – Mercury Cafe (Doug)
• Pink Lady Monster on 9/5 – Squirm Gallery (Nick)
• Mitski/Ethel Cain on 9/17 – Red Rocks (Cori)
• livwutang – Con Amor (Nico)
• Naomi Sharon on 3/26 – Baby’s All Right (Brooklyn) (Jonny)
• Fontaines D.C. on 10/2 – The Gothic Theater (Liz)
• Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals on 10/2 – Red Rocks (Cole)
• Nic Clark Band on 11/4 – Dazzle (Duane)

BEST DENVER VENUE in 2024

• Squirm Gallery (Sam Z, Simone)
• Mission Ballroom (Ethan, Jonny, Liz)
• I’m going to get in trouble if I answer this honestly (Molly)
• The Bluebird Theatre (Delaney, Doug)
• Your Mom’s House (Sam R)
• Hi-Dive (Nick, Nico)
• Meow Wolf (Cori)
• Lost Lake (Cole)
• Wax Trax Sidewalk (Duane)

Any lingering thoughts on music in 2024?

• “STACCCKKKED YEAR for music so many amazing records so many honorable mentions this year slapped.” (Sam Z)
• “EVERYBODY RELEASED AN ALBUM THIS YEAR!! I mean sure, that’s great for us all right now, but what about next year?! I’m really hoping it isn’t just void of any new releases.” (Ethan)
• “Pitchfork totally snubbed the new chat pile, no wonder they had to be bought out by GQ.” (Molly)
• “When looking beyond this glittery banner year for pop, you’ll find true gems in across all other genres.” (Delaney)
• “I want to hear more skronk, bring it back.” (Simone)
• “I’m really blown away by both International Anthem Records (Makaya McCraven, Jeff Parker, Anna Butters, SML) and Blue Note Records (Julian Lage, Aaron Parks, Meshell Ndegeocello, Out Of/Into). Really great year for new jazz music. Lots of impressive reissues as well!” (Doug)
• “I listened to too much old music… I work in the used store.” (Nick)
• “Cancel your Spotify subscription and support artists directly.” (Nico)
• “West Coast hip-hop being back at the top was not on my 2024 bingo card but I’m all for it. Only thing that would’ve made it better was Dr Dre finally dropping his detox album.” (Jonny)
• “Great year for rap, mid for a lot of other genres.” (Cole)

Thanks to all who celebrated this year in music with us — by buying records, attending our events, selling us vinyl, or hanging around the shop and making us laugh. We’re grateful for you, this year in music, and the music yet-to-come in 2025. Until then!