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?
Sadlands is a band from Brooklyn/Queens, formed by members of Answering Machine, Choke Up, and Ellen and the Degenerates. The group blends grunge, folk/alternative, and pop punk into uptempo ear worms. With a new LP coming in the new year, Sadlands was kind enough to help close out 2024 by sharing their favorites of the year with TGEFM.
Sam’s Top 5 shows that she’s had the most fun playing this year:
5. Faces Tap Room with Massive Nightmares, Graduation Speech & Sam Johnson – Malden, MA 3-9-24
4. The Broadway with Heavy Lag, Five Hundred Bucks & Rebuilder – Brooklyn, NY 6-21-24 (Harley’s Birthday Show).
3. Low Dive with The Van-Saders & The Star Spangles – Asbury Park, NJ 7-20-24 (Stoked for Summer After-show)
2. How Bazar for The Fest! – Gainesville, FL 10-27-24
1. Starland Ballroom with Streetlight Manifesto – Sayreville, NJ 12-14-24
Harley’s Favorite Songs from this year:
Pretty Out – “Swirling”
Heavy Lag – “Problem Goblin”
Kendrick Lamar – “TV Off”
Spiral Heads – “Haunt My Dreams”
The Drew Thomson Foundation – “Ride the Wave”
Maxwell Stern – “Two Magnets”
Hey I’m Outside – “Frontyard”
Ezra Cohen – “Fire Escape”
Voyeur – “Big Decision”
Spirit of the Beehive – “1/500”
300 USD – “Say No”
Louis’s top 5 games of the year
5. Legend of Zelda: echoes of wisdom
4. Castlevania dominus collection
3. Persona 3 reload
2. Astrobot
1. Silent hill 2 remake
Jess’s Top 5 Old Live Performances I Watched on Repeat on YouTube
5. Genesis “Watcher of The Skies” on The Midnight Special
4. David Bowie “Oh! You Pretty Things” Old Grey Whistle Test
3. Elliott Smith & Jon Brion “Waterloo Sunset” on The Jon Brion show
2. Lou Reed “Waves Of Fear,” La Edad de Oro, Barcelona 1984
1. Steely Dan “Reelin’ In The Years” on The Midnight Special
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/
