BEST OF 2024: ALTERNATIVE DEBUTS

My favorite debut albums and extended plays from alternative, grunge, and rock bands.

Welcome to my Best of 2024 newsletter!

I listened to a lot of new releases this year, and my Spotify playlists are obnoxiously large with my favorites from 2024. But I am going to do my best to pick some standouts, and deliver them to you by genre/vibe.

Today, we’re gonna discuss come great debuts in the alternative arena, leaning toward grunge, punk, garage, and blues rock.

6. Sailor Honeymoon - Sailor Honeymoon (EP)

For Fans Of: alternative | punk | Bikini Kill | The Linda Lindas | The Mysterines

Release Date: April 2024

This is a great EP from South Korean group Sailor Honeymoon, showcasing elements from different eras of punk.

5. PROJECTOR - Now When We Talk It’s Violence

For Fans Of: post-punk | indie rock | Squid | Deeper | Interpol

Release Date: February 2024

A self-produced debut from Brighton that showcases two vocalists and traverses through multiple genres, including indie rock, post-punk, and art-punk.

4. Been Stellar - Scream From New York, NY

For Fans Of: alternative | shoegaze | Radiohead | The Strokes | Interpol

Release Date: June 2024

This band has already received a lot of acclaim for their revival of the mid-00s NYC sound, and has already toured with bands like The 1975, Fontaines DC, Shame, and Beabadoobee.

3. Stimpies - Spent The Night With A Spirit

For Fans Of: surf punk | psych rock | The Thing | The Growlers | Surf Curse

Release Date: March 2024

A 16-track release is a big swing for a debut album, but the Australian band nails it with their surf/psych/blues rock blended wall of sound.

2. Gooseberry - All My Friends Are Cattle

For Fans Of: alternative rock | blues rock | The Thing | Cage The Elephant | The Walkmen | The Blue Stones

Release Date: September 2024

NYC is producing a lot of great rock music at the moment, and I think Gooseberry is a name that I don’t hear on enough lips for their contribution. The track above is an infectious indie rock banger, while the rest of the album leans toward more blues and jangle rock, layered with some 90s nostalgic sound. Looking forward to this band’s growth and hopefully a live show in the near future.

1. SPRINTS - Letter To Self

For Fans Of: alternative rock | garage noise | Pixies | Siouxsie and the Banshees | The Mysterines | The Strokes

Release Date: January 2024

This album was released 5 days into 2024 and it’s still one that I play 11 months later, and that’s what lands it at number one on this list today. This debut album from Dublin comes on the tails of two other great EPs I’ve enjoyed over the past few years, and harnesses a strong garage/noise punk sound. In many ways, this album feels like a protest anthem to the inequities in the world, as well as a platform for declaring your independence and autonomy. I was able to catch this band in Philly this fall, and can also confirm that they absolutely annihilate live. If you need a little bit extra after listening to this album, their new single is a banger and a beacon of light for more greatness to come.

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If you want to check out my full, running list of the Best of 2024 debuts, you can find that playlist here. If you check out any of these artists or have suggestions for me, I’ll meet you in the comment section below.

x Erin

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