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Nominate Your Favorite Track of 2024 (Contest)

Going full mainstream (442m views) but this stood out not only due to it catchiness, but also the range of vocals (for the category), lyrics and interesting backstory to the artist (& just maybe an overarching lack of compelling or remotely inspiring mainstream music content these days).

Benson Boone - Beautiful Things

 
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This is the main theme from the soundtrack of the film "Finding Altamira", by Mark Knopfler and Evelyn Glennie. A simple, haunting melody, easily playable by a beginning guitarist. But it becomes magical when done by Knopfler.

If you are not familiar with Evelyn Glennie, google her. Despite being deaf since childhood, she went on to become an accomplished percussionist, mastering multiple instruments, performing and teaching.

This recording was not released in 2024, and I am not concerned if it loses votes because of that. I posted it because it is worth sharing, and as a thank you to the other contributors in this thead. I discovered a lot of great music here.

 
This is the first time I heard this song and to say I was deeply moved would be an understatement of the year. Unfortunately, we lost our dog the day before yesterday and to come across this song... I just didn't expect it.
I thank you for this.
This song made my eyes leak. I spent half my life in the woods with a few good hounds. I hope they knew how much I appreciated their work and affection.
 
I'm greatly enjoying this thread. For those who like indie-folk, folk, bluegrass or other acoustically driven music I thought I might post up the favourite selections of the year of our panel members. These are all performances on video and all were uploaded to YouTube in the past year. My idea is just to share some of the great stuff happening this year in indie-folk. I'm not submitting this for the contest but just to share the music according to some other people's taste. I have another thread on this forum that tells you about our year end list and links to my blog about it. We have 6 people who score each of 80 top tracks and also indicate their top two favourites. If you like this genre these are all incredible tracks, IMO. Unlike other years no two people had the same favourite track this year. (This is the 12th year doing this.)

Technical note: pause the track when it ends, or you can get two tracks playing at once. Sorry about that. I only saw this after.

Anna's favourite track, overall rank for 2024, #3:
The David Gilmour track at the top of the thread.

Nancy's favourite track, overall rank #9:


John's favourite track, which some panel members did not care for. It's incredibly inventive playing though. Overall rank #24:


Josh's favourite track, overall rank #6:


Andrea's favourite track, overall rank #8:


My own favourite track, overall rank #15:


And finally, I'll throw in this track, no one's absolute favourite, but liked by everyone, overall rank #4:

 
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and you get my third "like" and for 2024 probably the one that makes me feel the best!
edit: and now back to old John Hartford albums, same as every year...
Really interesting artist ! Thank you ! I am discovering him !
 
Your vote(s) are corrupted by your own mind's inability to follow the rules. You need to be a snowflake and be different.
Lol, I'm just gonna leave this here.
 
This is just another version of Opeth, I like it :)
Funny you should mention that... because that's my nomination:

I'm impressed with all of The Last Will and Testament... but paragraph 4 is especially delicious.

Overall just a great concept album and definitely fits the time frame. However, the new albums from BI and Frost* are fantastic as well.
 
First time seeing that visualizer for paragraph 4. That is one of the best tracks off that album, although I am more familiar with S1 and S3 because they were released earlier (my misses is an Opeth fan too and spoiled it early). But also they played those two live a couple months back when I saw them for the, I think, fifth time.

I said I am an Opeth fanboy, and a prog-rock fan. As a side note, Steven Wilson got me into Opeth back in the Still Life era, iirc. Modern day SW turns me off, but modern day Opeth doesn't. I like the proggy darkish slightly heavy rock. I was always way more of a fan of Jethro Tull than Yes or Genesis. I think Opeth has more of the JT influence to my ear.

I still don't know which album is my top favorite of the year. I picked my track above from BI. I may have leaned more towards Ulcerate, but I feel like it was too close to their last in my ears and their last is still my favorite. BTW, if you ever get a chance to see them, you must! Their drummer, Jamie Saint Merat is as unbelievable live as he is on tracks. I am always a sucker for a metal band with an amazing drummer (Dream Theater an exception; too much wank).
 
Blue is a heart tugging song for me too.
Billie's songs were already posted in #102 and #111 (track which I posted some time ago in other thread) and I may seem like adding some fuel to the fire but I have to admit one of my most played song was Blue , for me this is pop at its best, the way it is all blended in such a pleasant flow, catchy melody, bass kicking in, and mainly this voice, intonation and feeling is just flawless. Also I cherish this vocal polyphony, when Billie's "lead" voice is accompanied by "distant" echo voices and then in some point you can hear three (or more?) voice lines overflowing one another, resulting in your head being surrounded by multi-Billie soundstage :) And this "eleviated blues" part :) transforms at ~1:50 into more contemplative, intimate song part. Perfect ending for a brilliant album.

Billie Eilish - BLUE (Official Lyric Video)

"funny trivia" is "portion" of this song seem to be quite "old", waiting patiently for polished album arrangement, there is this 2016 "live demo" available: :)
Billie Eilish - True blue live
 
Blue is a heart tugging song for me too.
And having a solitaire music party right now I've just discovered this official stripped version, for some very analytic "choir of Billies" listening session :) bliss
Billie Eilish - BLUE (Isolated Vocals)
 
My Nomination:

A random little batshit wild track that found its way to me, far too late one night, after listing to a Saliva collab with him. Seems to be the only track he has made to date. - not the personaly most important track I loved this year (that would have been brutalismus 3000 - alleswirdgut) , not the most likely one to win me here anything (like .Lip Critic - the Heart or 2.Venera - Ochre might have done for me), not from some artist I follow for years that would deserve some more recognition ( like · Amnesia Scanner & Freeka Tet - ICAROS , Black Dresses - BAD VEGGIES or Soap&Skin - Girl Loves Me (David Bowie Cover)) but the one I heard the most and cant get over ...so I'm going to nominate it after some pondering.

In this sense: Alles wird gut, mein Hass ist stärker als Blut + i have to pay my dentist too. Wish you all a positive new year.
 
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