Curious what notable personalities in the scene think was great this year? So is TGEFM! So we reached out to some of our favorite luminaries ranging from musicians, label personnel, and more for their “Best of 2024” lists. Now, listen: TGEFM is not a taskmistress. Contributors can write these out however they want. So if it doesn’t actually look or read like a list… and sometimes it really is just a list with no other observations! Who cares?
That’s Good Enough For Me is very lucky to have so many great partners in the artist, managements and press worlds. One of those awesome connections is with Clarion Call Media, and Chris Vinyard (Polyvinyl Records, The Rumjacks, Best Friends Forever Festival). Its always great to see who our favorite artists are digging, but we are thrilled Chris was willing to give us a peek behind the curtain into his favorites from his perspective.
Favorite Album: Magdalena Bay – Imaginal Disk
I never understand it when anybody decides to write off an artist/band/writer based on one select experience from their complete body of work. Even if you don’t enjoy one of their albums/pieces/novels, that’s not necessarily going to be the case for everything else they’ve created. Case in point, when Magdelena Bay released their debut LP Mercurial World, on paper they seemed like a duo I’d really be into, but try as I might, that album just didn’t stick with me. All the same, after seeing the raves for their new record Imaginal Disk, I put it on in the car while road tripping down to Atlanta to door knock for the elections and GOTV for Kamala and other Dems (*sigh*). I fell in love with the record’s sound, a mix of Goldfrapp and New Radicals? Sounds crazy but yes please. “Death & Romance” is probably close to my favorite song of the year too, but I’ll save that category for something else I love.
Favorite Song: Junior Varsity “Cross The Street”
Some say that time travel is more or less impossible based on our current understanding of the laws of physics. But I beg to differ. Music can transport you back in time without a space ship or dilithium crystals, and nothing gave me that feeling more this year than Junior Varsity’s “Cross The Street”. To me it’s a perfect bit of danceable indie pop that takes me back in time to mid to late aughts Brooklyn, NY. Its boy/girl vocals are reminiscent of Broken Social Scene, or the upbeat Cheerleading chants of The Go! Team. The lyrics touch on the vulnerability and naiveté I associate with young love pre-dating apps and smart phones. When I hear it, I can close my eyes and transport myself to a Sunday afternoon riding my bike up to Williamsburg from Clinton Hill to join my friends at the amateur “hipster kickball” league in McCarren Park.
Favorite Music Discovery of the Year: Novulent
Shoegaze and TikTok work in weird ways. Certain artists can feel so under the radar yet have 1mm< monthly listeners on a streaming service. A Novulent song popped up on my FYP some time this past spring and I was instantly hooked. There are definitely shades of Deftones here if you need a shorthand for what to expect. I highly recommend them to anybody interested in a heavy, melodic and introspective sound. “Scars” is the song to check out as an entry point.
Favorite TV Show: Andor
As a parent with three kids under the age of 11, I don’t get to binge nearly as much TV as I’d like these days. But on a whim I finally checked it out, and Andor hooked me hard this fall. So I found a way to stay up until 2 am multiple nights in a row so I could make time to swiftly finish out the first season. Andor was released in 2022, but it was new to me. I haven’t really enjoyed any of the new Star Wars “made for TV” shows. It’s probably an unpopular opinion that I wasn’t very impressed with The Mandalorian. But Andor is your answer if you’re like me and had written off any new SW projects. The dialog, the writing, and sequencing of events are all incredible. I also enjoy Director Toby Haynes dedication to creating something new and original in the SW universe, avoiding too many call backs or easter eggs that relate to other storylines within the franchise. I know a show is good when I can’t get enough and start listening to re-watch podcasts. That’s how I felt about Apple TV’s Severance, and it’s where I found myself with Andor too. And the best part about watching the first season now if you haven’t already, is that you only have to wait until April for Season 2 to start!
Favorite overall discovery in 2024: Non-alocholic beer is good now?
Probably the best thing to happen for me this year outside of anything my wife or kids were involved in, has to do with me discovering that I really enjoy non-alcoholic beer. I’m not sure what happened in the last 20 years, but it actually tastes pretty damned good now. And there are tons of options ranging from small brands to N/A versions of mainstream beers like Guinness, which tastes exactly the same w/o alcohol. I definitely drank way too much in my 20s, having kids slowed me down a bunch which was a great added benefit to parenthood, but if I’m being honest, I still wasn’t as healthy as I should be when it came to drinking. I enjoy the taste of beer, I enjoy the muscle memory of cracking one and taking a sip while I light the grill. It just feels good on a hot summer afternoon, watching a band on stage, or while a thunder storm is rolling in late evening. Those habits are hard to break, even when what you’re drinking leaves you feeling bloated and potentially facing a headache the morning after. All I drink at home or shows now is N/A beer, and I feel way healthier and way better about myself. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re looking to give your liver a break you should give it a shot.
Favorite Moment from 2024: Watching the total eclipse of the sun with my family.
It’s really hard to put into words what it’s like to witness a total eclipse. I’ve been so fortunate to have seen two so far in life, and I luckily haven’t really had to travel very far for either. The first time I witnessed one was in Nashville in 2017. It was incredible but I was also busy helping a group of 4 year olds observe it through my telescope at my oldest son’s daycare. So, needless to say, I wasn’t able to lose myself in the moment. Thankfully there was another chance this year on April 8th, and we were lucky enough to have relatives in Little Rock, AR just a half day drive away. This time with just my wife, kids and a few relatives, I could really take it in, and it was a magical experience getting to watch my family see the eclipse through my telescope. I really don’t know what to say other than if you are in a position where you can view a total eclipse of the sun, you should do whatever it takes to make it happen. Drive 8 hours, call out of work, find a way to make it happen. Here’s a photo I took through the lens of my telescope, including the solar prominences visible on that day.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
