Every year I sit down to pen this article and every year I’m reminded of just how robust and diverse the music scene is on our little corner of the world. Connecticut may be home to a lot of tiny scenes scattered across the state, but when put together the massive amount of talent that exists within its borders is astounding.
Below you will find my top 20 favorite CT albums of 2024. This isn’t a “best of” list necessarily, but one guy’s opinion on the albums you should start with if you’re looking for something new to listen to (or revisit), listed in pseudo-alphabetical order by artist. I hope you find your new favorite album on this list. I’ve also included a bunch of honorable mentions as well.
In years past when I put this list together, both for this site and formerly for the Hartford Courant, I would hold myself to only including full-length albums, mostly as a way to keep the list from becoming unruly. However 2024 saw so many acts releasing absolutely jaw-dropping EPs that I decided to expand the list this year to include some of them. (Minimum 5 songs and/or 25 minutes in length.) Will that be the norm going forward? I guess that depends on next year’s releases.
Thank you, Connecticut musicians for providing so many countless hours of entertainment and sharing your talents with the rest of us. On to the list…
American Thrills – Milestone
One export Connecticut has excelled at for a long time is punk rock in all of its various forms, including the pop-punk/emo variety. American Thrills has been continuing that tradition for a hot minute now, and their newest release Milestone continues building on an already solid and growing discography. Filled with catchy hooks, memorable riffs, and enough sing-a-long sections to fill a car ride across the entire state, American Thrills truly did create a milestone in their recorded output.
https://americanthrills.bandcamp.com/album/milestone
Audio Jane – We Always Make a Mess of Things
There are few bands I have such an unabashed love for than Audio Jane. Their brand of dreamy, atmospheric rock has always reminded me of so many bands I gravitated to in my youth, and yet each release feels so fresh and different from the last. Their newest EP feels lighter and more airy than their most recent output, giving their sound an even more atmospheric vibe, which I honestly didn’t think was possible, but also love without question. I’ve had the privilege of seeing some of these songs played live in 2024 and they are perfect fits for an already memorable live set.
https://audiojane.bandcamp.com/album/we-always-make-a-mess-of-things
Bap Pack – First I Heard…
Bap Pack is not the first local hip-hop super group to emerge from CT, but they are absolutely one of the best. Featuring four of Hartford’s best MCs – Hydro 8Sixty, Klokwize, RapOet, and Tang Sauce – Bap Pack came together not just out of a love of hip-hop but out of a desire to celebrate hip-hop culture and both their home city and state. The end result is an album that feels like its got one foot firmly planted in hip-hop’s golden past and another in its platinum future. Hip-hop might not be the first genre I personally grab for off the shelves, but I spent a lot of time with this record which should speak to its accessibility and messaging.
https://bappack.bandcamp.com/album/first-i-heard-dirty-version
Ceschi – Bring Us The Head of Francisco False (Vol. 1 & 2)
There are few names as recognizable in the history of Connecticut hip-hop as Ceschi Ramos. The double album Bring Us The Head of Francisco False marks the end of an era for Ceschi as he announced that these will be the last of his solo recordings. He honestly could not have picked a better way to go out. This is a roughly 70-minute love letter to hip-hop, the scene, his influences, and at the end of the day himself. (Which is a lesson we should all take, that sometimes we need our own love letters, even one that just recognizes how far we’ve come and how much we struggled to get here.) Wherever the journey takes Ceschi next I’m sure it’s going to be amazing, but for now we have 20 years of phenomenal material to celebrate him and his art, this album being one of the best of the lot.
https://fakefour.bandcamp.com/album/bring-us-the-head-of-francisco-false-part-1
Curse the Son – Delirium
How good is the new album from stoner/doom merchants Curse the Son? Good enough that it made the Top 20 in my annual metal albums list on this very site. Here’s what I had to say on that post: This year saw the return of one of CT’s absolute best metal acts, Curse the Son. For almost two solid decades Curse the Son has been delivering crushing stoner/doom metal of the highest order. Truly one of the most underrated bands in the entirety of the genre, Curse the Son dropped one of their best efforts yet back in September. Delirium contains some of their most memorable riffs and songs, and continues to add to a growing legacy of doom and gloom classics.
https://cursetheson.bandcamp.com/album/delirium
Ginger Bug – My Magnolia
I love when a band can seamlessly blend indie rock with folk rock/Americana aesthetics. Enter Ellington’s Ginger Bug to the conversation. Taking cues from a wide array of influences My Magnolia is a record firmly rooted in the indie rock template, but has enough dirt road beneath the tires to pique the interests of those who care to partake in the Americana pantheon. It’s an album not afraid to wander a little too far only to make it back home with wondrous stories to tell. I made the mistake of missing last year’s album, but the music gods smiled upon me this year when this one showed up in my social media feeds. Definitely a band I’ll be keeping an eye on moving forward.
https://gingerbug.bandcamp.com/album/my-magnolia
Heather McLarney – There To Be Found
Hartford-based songwriter Heather McLarney started teasing her new full-length album at the beginning of the year with the release of a couple stand out singles. By the time the dust had settled in May, McLarney had delivered arguably her best album from a discography that continues to grow more and more impressive. Pulling from indie and alt-rock catalogues, and weaving in a distinct predisposition for pop sensibilities, McLarney has created an album filled with memorable songs you’ll be humming to yourself hours after the record has stopped spinning.
https://heathermclarney.bandcamp.com/album/there-to-be-found
Hell Fairy – Don’t Thank Us, Thank God
Sometimes you just have to look skyward and do what this album title is telling you – thank the music gods you’ve been gifted a new band you hadn’t heard before. Earlier this year some live footage of New Haven’s Hell Fairy obliterating a local stage popped up in my Instagram feed and I honestly couldn’t believe what I was watching. (How had I not seen this band live yet?!?) Hell Fairy are a garage rock band, with extra emphasis on the ‘garage’. They make music that’s a little dirty, a little unkempt, a little cold, and filled with hidden treasures waiting to be uncovered. Not the heaviest album on this year’s list but also not for the faint of heart either.
https://hellfairy.bandcamp.com/album/dont-thank-us-thank-god
Manners – Heavenly Violence
When I first came to CT in the mid-90s one of the styles of music this state was most known for was hardcore. One of the bands that kept me interested in the scene into the 2010s was Manners. Thankfully after an elongated absence Manners has returned with newest full-length Heavenly Violence. Manners plays hardcore the way I like it best – metallic and overtly dark in nature with a mean streak ten miles wide. This is a gritty, violent album that will have you thinking a ‘wall of death’ is about to break out in your living room. Get enough people together to listen to this album and it just might.
https://mannersct.bandcamp.com/album/heavenly-violence
Mercy Choir – Pea Shoots and Prayer Cards
If you’re a regular reader of this year-end list and it seems to you like there’s a Mercy Choir album on here every year…I think that might actually be true. It would be a drastic understatement to say that Mercy Choir mastermind Paul Belbusti is a prolific musician. 2024 alone saw Mercy Choir release two full-length albums, Pea Shoots and Prayer Cards being the second, dropping in May. Filled with Mercy Choir’s patented psychedelic-tinged alt-rock, this album waxes and wanes from lo-fi acoustic odes to material that’s full to the brim in production values and back again. This album also shows off Belbusti’s prowess as a top-notch lyricist, weaving stories of the human condition with aplomb.
https://mercychoir.bandcamp.com/album/pea-shoots-and-prayer-cards
Pat Stone – Between Apathy & Opposition
Americana artist Pat Stone emerged in 2024 without his “Dirty Boots” and with his first solo album. For fans of his previous project there’s a lot to like here, but this record is also less twangy and anyone expecting status quo is going to be left in the dust. Stone deftly spreads his wings on Between Apathy & Opposition, allowing his rock, indie rock, and even pop influences to shine. The end result is one of the better rock n’ roll records to come out of Connecticut in some time.
https://open.spotify.com/album/1XimRkUjMwRSnkeU9a9Hgm
Riley Cotton – The Falling of the Fervor
If asked at the beginning of the year what my most anticipated album from a CT artist was in 2024 the first name that would come to mind was Riley Cotton. Between my love of her last record, knowing some of the exceptional players she was recording with, and seeing the beginnings of some of these songs in the live setting, I had a deep-seated feeling this record was going to be top notch. My intuition was rewarded. Every now and then you hear a record from an artist and think, ‘this is the record that’s going to put them on the map’. That’s the kind of potential harnessed on The Falling of the Fervor. Cotton writes songs that not only tell stories but they relate back to the human experience in a way that tap dances along the very heart strings of humanity. Powerful, introspective lyrics are woven through a patchwork quilt of Americana and alt-country giving this record a simultaneous fresh and familiar feeling. Riley Cotton is an old soul and thankfully for us shares that soul through her music.
https://rileycotton.bandcamp.com/album/falling-of-the-fervor
Rusty Things – Body
One of my favorite developments of 2024 was the full return of New Haven’s Rusty Things. For years this band ruled stages and stereos across the state with their blend of punk and Americana. Body marks their first full album in eight years and that’s a damn long time to wait, but the juice was worth the squeeze. Taking those punk and Americana roots and stretching the definitions of both Rusty Things’ return was not just some re-hash of previous material. This album almost felt like a brand new band had emerged on the scene, and for a band doing it so well for as long as they have that’s a massive compliment to hand out.
https://rustythings.bandcamp.com/album/body-2
Still Rivers – Our Little Life
Still Rivers is husband and wife duo Muddy and Chandra Rivers, the former of which happens to be one-third of one of Connecticut’s best folk/Americana outfits, The Bargain. Filled with stories of ‘their little life’ and the observations of the world spinning (sometimes out of control) around us, Our Little Life is an emotive folk record. Featuring guest appearances from some of Connecticut’s best folk players, including Seth Adam, Stephen Peter Rodgers, and fellow The Bargain members Frank Critelli and Shandy Lawson, Still Rivers has pieced together an album that hits on all folk cylinders.
https://stillrivers.bandcamp.com/album/our-little-life
Tessa Brown – Alchemy, Undone
One of my favorite musical things in life is when an artist I’ve never heard of releases a debut album that completely blows my doors off. A close second would be when that same artist gets on stage and proceeds to blow everyone’s doors off. This year that artist was Tessa Brown. When you listen to Alchemy, Undone you’d swear this was the work of a seasoned vet of both the music business and life itself, yet Brown is not long in the tooth professionally or personally, belying a certain songwriting maturity that’s usually reserved for people old enough to be her parents (or at least much older siblings). Brown’s songwriting is exceptional but her delivery is even better. Armed with a voice that can only be described as angelic, Brown works absolute magic on these six songs. Tessa Brown has a very bright future as a songwriter and a musician and this album is bedrock solid foundation to build off of.
https://open.spotify.com/album/7BwaK7TJDfHlSoQBcCibKZ
The Midnight Anthem – Here’s To The Dreamers
Too many artists shy away from using the country moniker because there are too many pop acts calling themselves “country” today. So I get a little giddy when a country act puts out a record and isn’t afraid to lean into the country label. Family band The Midnight Anthem released their debut album in 2024 after spending several years honing their sound and songs across stages all over the state. Sisters Cat and Sophia Malli and their cousin Grace Cuccia can pull together harmonies the way that only blood relatives can, and each one has their own moment to shine on this record as well. This record is for people who like their jeans ripped, their boots scuffed, and hats with a mesh back.
https://themidnightanthem.bandcamp.com/album/heres-to-the-dreamers
The Moon Shells – Throwing Sparks
I have no idea how, but I almost missed that New Haven’s The Moon Shells released another stellar full-length album in July. The fact that I’ve been a huge fan of this band for several years made my discovery a couple months after its release date sting even more. Better late than never has always been my musical discovery motto (and always will be). Once again drawing from various traditional musical wells from all over the world – Appalachia, the deep south, west Africa, etc. – The Moon Shells have created another album that’s entirely infectious. Whether it’s writing toe-tapping ditties or more introspective folk tunes, this band has the ability to inspire with each release.
https://themoonshells.bandcamp.com/album/throwing-sparks
The Problem With Kids Today – Born To Rock
I love when rock bands just don’t give a shit – not about how they are classified, how they are written about, how their live shows are unabashed parties, and how their recordings are completely unhinged. That kind of punk rock aesthetic is on full-blown display on the debut album from The Problem With Kids Today. This record is as loud, as abrasive, and as fun as their live sets and I would expect nothing less from this band. Released back in February this was one of the first truly great records to come out of Connecticut this year and almost a year after its release it still sounds fresh as ever and warrants multiple return visits.
https://theproblemwithkidstoday.bandcamp.com/album/born-to-rock
The UnAvailables – The UnAvailables
New Haven’s The UnAvailables have been making music together since 1981 and have the photos to prove it. Being a transplant to the state in the mid-90s I’m not going to pretend I know the history of this band, so instead I’ll look to the future with them. In June The UnAvailables dropped a full-length album that perfectly wed punk, indie rock, and college/alt rock. Equal parts catchy and powerful, this album is a perfect bridge from the music of their past to the sounds of the present. Fantastic production and musicianship from start to finish. This is a band I’m hoping to hear more from in the future.
https://theunavailables1.bandcamp.com/album/the-unavailables
VRSA – Saltwater Circadian
The name of this blog probably belies how much I love heavy metal in all its forms. Connecticut has a rich and diverse metal scene, and one band that’s been making waves for quite a while now is stoner/sludge/doom act VRSA. Saltwater Circadian was their first full-length album in nine years and it was fantastic to have them releasing new music again in 2024. As outstanding as their first three releases were it’s not out of the question to state that this may be their strongest effort to date. Firing off progressive doom and stoned out sludge metal, while not afraid to stretch the boundaries of their chosen genres, VRSA delivered one of the heaviest and most unique albums to emerge from Connecticut this year.
https://vrsa.bandcamp.com/album/saltwater-circadian
Honorable Mentions:
Alora Crucible – Oak Lace Apparition
Apathy – Connecticut Casual: Chapter 2
Asher Kai – Eyes of the Lamb
Autumns Eyes – Grimoire of Oak & Shadow
Functional Mushrooms – Sol
Kevin MF King – Hello From The Gutter
Kidnapped – Disgust
Legalized – Stoppin’ By
Mile Marker Zero – Coming of Age
Mister Council – Better Man Chronciles Vol. 2
North County Band – Lay It On The Line
Shirese – Hardly Cricket
The Simulators – The Simulators
