Here we go! Wrapping up the 13th year of I Heart Hamilton with the annual Best Of Playlist – looking back on another year of local music. As I always say, it’s tough to narrow down and rank music – use this as your jumping off point to discovering more Hamilton music, and show your support for local artists!
I do my best to have my eyes and ears on the local music scene – but it’s hard to catch ’em all! Please reach out any time to share your music with me. I’m happy to receive new music to play on my weekly radio show – Fridays 2-3pm on 93.3 CFMU – the show celebrated 11 years and 500 episodes in 2024 🎉 You can also find the show on Instagram @ihearthamilton_CFMU.
I’ve been putting together monthly Playlists since 2011 (here on the blog and Spotify). This year, I decided to switch it up and give myself more time in between months to gather more tracks, and round them up by the seasons in quarterly posts. For another look back on the year, check out these playlists: Winter 2024 – Spring 2024 – Summer 2024 – Autumn 2024
Continuing my annual “Best Of” tradition, I’m charting EPs and LPs. To kick things off, here are some standout tracks for me that were released in 2024:
CIN50 – “Freak Stuff That Normal People Do” [Listen]
Whitness – “Catch Me” [Listen]
Coszmos Quartette – “Peppermint & Lavender” [Listen] (From their new LP Eternal Dawn, which I look forward to hearing!)
The Dirty Nil – “Total Eclipse of the Heart” [Listen] (From the deluxe Free Rein To Passions)
Basement Revolver – “Pull Yourself Together” [Listen] (From the deluxe Embody)
Queen Cee – “Written and Designed” [Listen]
Ariana Fig – “How Do You Want Me?” [Listen]
Eric Brandon – “Try Again Tomorrow” [Listen]
Shealagh Rose – “Radio Silence” [Listen]
Hannah Sloots – “Crying In My Car” [Listen] (From the EP Crying In My Car)
Sean Bienhaus – “Bad Day” [Listen] (From the EP I Didn’t Know How To Leave)
Allegories – “NOSTALGIA KILLS” [Listen]
Dark Mean – “Working Hard” [Listen]
Drew Smith – “Don’t Know What It’s Like” [Listen]
Chet Findlay – “Bluevale” [Listen]
Lost Faculty – “Sweetly” [Listen]
Ellis In Transit – “Suffocating” [Listen]
Ten Minute Detour – “Sound of Thunder” [Listen]
Sarah Bellstedt – “elements” [Listen]
Emma Elena Grace – “Traffic” [Listen]
Isabella Chiarini – “Lose You” [Listen]
World’s Tallest Man Saves Dolphin – “One Last Party” feat. AOIFE [Listen]
The Tisdale – “Electric Shrimp” [Listen]
Spookyguava – “Lies” [Listen]
Buddah Abusah – “Granted” [Listen]
Let’s go!
BONUS TRACK: Caribou – Honey
Released: October
Caribou, a.k.a. Dan Snaith, is originally from Dundas, now based in London, UK (so he gets the bonus track slot!). Every time the artist drops a new collection of bangers, it’s gotta end up on this year-end list! Dan Snaith shared his 11th album (and the 6th under the moniker Caribou), Honey, this autumn. It follows the release of 2020’s great record, Suddenly. Describing the process, the artist has shared: “One thing that hasn’t changed for me from the very beginning is a manic curiosity of seeing what I can make out of sound. Not so much what someone can make out of sound—a ‘professional’ with a host of collaborators and resources at their disposal—but me in my little basement studio. There’s more equipment in here than there used to be, but essentially it’s the same as ever: still chasing that thrill of when something hits really hard, and I find myself jumping up and down or the hairs standing up on my arms in excitement. How lucky am I that that’s never gone away? That the chance of making something new and exciting is still as exhilarating as ever, and as much fun as ever?” (Quote)
10. Golden Feather – Golden Feather
Released: September
Soft rock/yacht rock group Golden Feather shared their debut self-titled LP this year, released with local label Sonic Unyon. It was a long time in the making, as the members have been jamming together for the past fews years, honing their live set, and sharing a couple of EPs (not to mention the robust discography that already exists from the various projects between all these talented musicians). This record is the definitive intro to the band, and the release was complimented nicely with a main stage performance at this year’s Supercrawl. Describing the LP, the group explains that “in these songs, you’ll experience emotions of loss, hope, uncertainty and certainty misplaced, compassion, and ultimately, love. On this album, we truly become a band.”
9. Scott Orr – Miracle Body
Released: October
Singer-songwriter Scott Orr remains such a prolific musician in our local scene. He shared his latest album, Miracle Body, this autumn, which was two and a half years in the making. Scott shared that he feels that there is a sonic and lyrical journey between his albums Worried Mind (2018), Oh Man (2021), and this one, like a trilogy. It is always a pleasure to dive into Scott’s ever-growing discography for just that reason – there is much to discover with every listen.
8. Onglish – Reading Wavs
Released: August
Producer Onglish, a.k.a. Brett Klassen, dropped his third album, the ambient beat tape Reading Wavs, this summer. The album is populated by field recordings of water, rocks, wood, synths, voices, samples, and percussion, and Onglish shares that this instrumental project is a more intimate look into the producer’s life. In super fun collaboration, Onglish put together a guest DJ mix back in August for an episode of I Heart Hamilton on 93.3 CFMU, featuring Hamilton artists who have inspired him, plus songs that he has produced in the local scene.
7. Sarah Good and the Bads – The Drifting
Released: March
Angular dream pop, psych rock power band Sarah Good and the Bads returned this spring with their fourth album, The Drifting, which follows 2019’s The Glorious, Disgorged (making my 2019 Best Of list). This record, which showcases influences ranging from “folk to baroque and metal to flower petal,” keeps them top of mind for me as one of the more unique musical projects in Hamilton. The album was recorded at Boxcar Studios by Matt Montour and Ben Somer, mixed by Sean Pearson, and mastered by Phillip Shaw Bova.
6. Tarek Funk & Onglish – Cherry Tree
Released: December
Tarek Funk (formerly known as Mother Tareka) and Onglish come together on the exciting collaborative project, Cherry Tree. The EP is described as a “lyrical deep dive into Tarek’s mind” containing “reflections on his Syrian-Palestinian identity and the global resilience of working-class people in the face of capitalist colonial neo-feudal systems of governance and oppression.” Onglish, with his 15 years of experience in Hamilton’s music scene, produces a backdrop of grimy Hip Hop beats, supporting Tarek’s every word. More Hamilton talent on the release includes Lee Reed and DJ Rac One. Get Cherry Tree on Bandcamp – all proceeds to Burj Al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon.
5. No Beauty – No Beauty Will Remain
Released: July
No Beauty’s debut album, No Beauty Will Remain, was a no brainer for this list, the moment that I heard it. No Beauty began as a solo project before rounding out with the rest of the band. You may know some of the members of this emerging band through projects Basement Revolver, King Park, and Burs. In their short time as a band, No Beauty showcases such a clear vision and identity. It’s a stellar debut, and I really look forward to catching them live.
4. Duckai – ESP CLUB. SUMMA
Released: June
Duckai is always surprising us with something new, and I love that! Following 2023’s fantastic Future Vision LP (a top spot for me last year), the musician followed up with a great single called “SOOTHE” back in February. That summer, he shared the EP, ESP CLUB. SUMMA. The young artist seems to be consistently creating, evolving, reinventing, and following his own path. That makes him always one to watch for me in our local scene.
3. Math Club – Sleeping In The Sun
Released: July
Math Club, a.k.a. Wade Morrison & friends, added a third album to his discography this summer, titled Sleeping In The Sun. Another artist that I’ve loved hearing the evolution of, dating back to the EP Hunter, released ten years ago. Wade describes this LP as being “about love, loss, and lack of sleep. It’s about getting through the worst of it with a positive attitude.” Definitely the vibes I needed this year. Catch Math Club tonight (December 23) at The Casbah, with Basement Revolver and Judah John, for a final sendoff to the venue.
2. Capitol – Sounds Like A Place
Released: November
Capitol entered into a new chapter as a band in 2024, rolling out new tracks starting mid-year, giving us a taste of their second full length album, Sounds Like A Place, which dropped last month. It was a highly anticipated local release for me this year. The band levels up, expertly crafting this new project from all angles – sonically to visually, it is always so well put together. Their music feels like a soundtrack, so rich and cinematic. A Hamilton live music highlight for me this year was getting to catch the album release show at Mills Hardware on the night of the release, and it was great to collab with the band on an episode of I Heart Hamilton on 93.3 CFMU, where the band shared a guest playlist.
1. ellis – no place that feels like
Released: April
ellis shared her second full length LP, no place that feels like, this spring. I’ve loved her whole discography, from 2018’s EP The Fuzz, 2020‘s debut LP Born Again, and 2021‘s EP nothing is sacred anymore. It’s so rewarding to witness an independent artist who, after up and downs in the industry, has come to a place where they can create fully on her own terms, as she does on this album, and for it to be so beautiful and well-received. Local live music highlights for me this year were being at the album release show at The Casbah in April, and catching the band’s performance front row on Supercrawl’s main stage. In 2025, ellis hits the road for a North American tour with Boston Manor, Farmer’s Wife, and Spaced, including a stop in Toronto on May 4.
On personal note, is has been a tough year. ellis’ “it’ll be alright” leaves a hopeful note for the new year ❤️
the days keep bleeding into the night
and i will keep fumbling towards the light
i will keep holding on for dear life
and it’ll be alright
Thank you for connecting with me online every year and for tuning into the radio show, Fridays 2-3pm ET on 93.3 CFMU. Thank you to all of the musicians who have shared your music and continue to inspire me to cover our local music scene. See you in 2025. ❤️ Kristin
