Albums That Made 2024 a Great Year for North Texas Music

As 2024 comes to a close, we look back at all the exceptional work from Dallas artists this year. We've already spotlighted our favorite songs this year, the rappers who crushed it this year and the concerts that lit up our 2024, so now let's focus on the great albums released by North Texas locals and legends.

In a year of breaking sophomore slumps, returns to form and full-length debuts, 2024 brought with it a breath of fresh musical air across the array of genres represented in our diverse music scene. Here are the albums (in no particular order) that our writers highlighted over the last year, plus our critics' favorites.

Valenti Funk, Valenti 2

The album was mixed and mastered by MouseQuake, who is known for his work with Nas, Lil Wayne and Pimp C, among other legendary artists. Aside from Mousequake and Valenti, only one other producer is credited on the record: Flava Dave, Valenti’s longtime friend from his marching band days.

The record itself is exactly as promised: diverse and eclectic. It opens with the jazzy and futuristic “The Thinking Intro” before weaving through all kinds of musical influences: '90s R&B on “Say Less,” LGBTQ-inclusive rap on “It Is What It Is” and even French-language coffeehouse jams on “Le Jeune Filles Aux Cheuveux Blancs.” Carly May Gravley

Rosegarden Funeral Party, From the Ashes

The songs on the band’s new album, From the Ashes, which hit streaming services in March, cover the subject matter familiar to Rosegarden fans — break-ups — but there is also a shift in perspective that shows singer and guitarist Leah Lane’s maturing perspective on the greater meaning of relationships.

“‘A Different Kind of Carnage,’” Lane cites as an example, “is one of the first songs that I've written that is about the general subject matter of people in your life that hurt you rather than one specific person that I'm directly referencing. That and ‘The Rain’ take the concept of writing about an ex-partner and zoom out and talk about moving on from the past in general.” David Fletcher

The Old 97’s, American Primitive

Dallas-born band The Old 97’s are celebrating their 30-year-plus run with the release of American Primitive, the band’s first album in nearly four years.

The 13-track LP, released in April 5, marks the first time the group recorded without any pre-production. Sticking with the same lineup that’s been around since the group’s 1992 founding – front man and lead vocalist Rhett Miller, guitarist Ken Bethea, bassist Murry Hammond and drummer Philip Peeples – the band's 13th studio album marks a milestone anniversary for the band and shows how far they have come since their beginnings playing small gigs in Deep Ellum. Samantha Thornfelt

Gollay, The Edge of April

The tension inherent in Rachel Gollay’s latest album, The Edge of April, is right there in the title of its opening song: “Optimistic (Time is Running Out),” dropped — fittingly — at the tail end of March.

Gollay is exceedingly specific about words, tones, moods and intentions. It’s one of the reasons why, despite being an active musician for nearly a decade, she and her bandmates have produced only three full-length records. (April is the follow-up to 2019’s Override, which was preceded, nearly five years earlier, by her debut, 2014’s Built for Love.)

To be clear, that’s not a condemnation so much as an acute craving for more. This studious approach — and a balance between an idea’s first blush and its eventual blossoming — extends to the creation as well. Preston Jones

Black Tie Dynasty, Steady

The road to Black Tie Dynasty’s third album, Steady, which arrived May 10, was anything but.

This year marks two decades since Cory Watson, Blake McWhorter and Brian McCorquodale formed the band in Fort Worth.

It scarcely seems possible to those who lived through that initial, heady burst of fame in the mid-aughts, the mainstream bristling with angular dance anthems and the band’s vaguely British-via-the-Trinity-River sensibility, that Black Tie Dynasty was on the cusp of catapulting into stardom. But even after drifting apart in 2009, sporadically reuniting, pursuing other interests and starting families, Black Tie Dynasty is on the verge of releasing a new record for the first time in 16 years. PJ

Sudie, Doldrums End

This is an album that can simultaneously calm you down and speak to your soul on the first listen.

“Doldrums End was inspired by my own experiences and the universal struggles many people face when dealing with the aftermath of a difficult relationship,” Sudie says. “It captures the journey of navigating the tumultuous path of self-love and self-worth, re-entering the dating world, and facing heartbreak again. However, at its core, it’s about the ultimate discovery of the love we have for ourselves and the beauty we can create through our art.”

It’s an album that can heal you, and according to Sudie, that was the takeaway. Charles Farmer

Wolves Reign, Human Nature

A progressive rock and alternative band, Wolves Reign cites bands like The Mars Volta, Incubus and Deerhunter as inspirations. Their debut album, Human Nature, released last January, hones in on a mix of youthful angst and polished, painful self-awareness.

“Idols,” a standout track on the album, was born out of a phase of questioning by vocalist Eric Lara.

“And we stare at the sun, waiting for its ray to shine / Never thought how it made us so blind / Just as the stone became mechanized, and still refused to move,” shouts Lara with passion on the track’s intro. Alex Gonzalez

200 Stab Wounds, Manual Manic Procedure

Denton has an often overlooked behemoth in multi-instrumentalist Raymond MacDonald, currently an ax wielder in the gore-obsessed band 200 Stab Wounds and a veteran of local acts Frozen Soul, Tribal Gaze, Kombat and Imperial Slaughter, just to name a few.

Formed in Ohio in 2019, 200 Stab Wounds made the most from the pandemic, dropping multiple releases on Maggot Stomp, a label known for leading the hardcore-influenced death metal revival, and garnering quite a rabid fanbase. The band signed with Metal Blade Records and quickly went to work, writing their sophomore album Manual Manic Procedure.

[T]he album's nine-track onslaught of chainsaw guitars, thick groovy bass lines and precision drumming has achieved both critical acclaim from the bastion of metal magazines worldwide and commercial success, appearing on multiple Billboard charts. The record made it to No. 4 on the trade magazine's current hard music albums chart. Nic Huber

Aztec Milk Temple, On Television

Over the summer, neo-grunge band Aztec Milk Temple released its debut album, On Television, on Dallas label Idol Records.

Recorded with Grammy-nominated producer Frenchie Smith and Grammy-winning producer Eric Delegard, the album offers a blend of solid melodies and compositions through thought-provoking lyrics that dissect societal issues through the critical lens of metamodernism. DF

St. Vincent, Todos Nacen Gritando

St. Vincent is a great example of why some phrases stick around long after they’ve graduated to a cliché: In this case, “You can take the girl out of Texas but you can’t take Texas out of the girl” seems freakishly fitting.

Dallas native Annie Clark, the singer behind the Grammy-winning alt-rock solo outfit St. Vincent, embodies all that’s cool in the Lone Star State with Todos Nacen Gritando. The album is a Spanish re-recording of her seventh studio album All Born Screaming, which dropped last April, and a culmination of the lessons she’s learned in her eventful life and milestone-marked career. AG

The Robot Bonfire, Fever Dream

Fever Dream is the band’s best work yet. It’s designed to be listened to all the way through in one sitting, so all the tracks flow from one to the next. At around 30 minutes in length, the album isn’t asking for too much of a time commitment. The production is simply amazing; the drums are crisp from front to back and the guitar and vocal effects are elegant and well-balanced.

Drummer and vocalist Jason Davis’s drums are heavy and upfront on “Ghostly,” and Joh Watkins and Jimmy Huckle’s highs and lows contrast nicely over the top. “Waiting” has a slow buildup with Watkins noodling in the background as J.D. lays down a halftime groove and Huckle shifts chords to match, then breaks into a dreary, headbanging shoegaze chorus.

The album’s closer, “Awakening,” is its most intense song and was almost fully improvised all in one night. Each member shows off impressive range as the instrumental track transitions from one pattern to the next, showing off flares of prog influence along the way. The track’s liveliness represents the band’s emergence from their own Fever Dream and the feeling of finally being back on solid ground. Sean Stroud

Nicole Marxen, Thorns

A highly anticipated, first full-length album release for the gothic queen of Dallas, Nicole Marxen, Thorns is a high-caliber portrayal of the sophisticated music production that comes from Elmwood Studio under the hands of engineer and owner Alex Bhore, a friend of Marxen, who helped pivot her previously electronic style toward a full-band approach. The album has a huge sound, complete with heavy industrial elements made warm and rich by the brilliance of Marxen’s powerful voice soaring throughout the experience. A true artist, Marxen is able to shift through moments that evoke spell-like qualities of witchlike ghostliness and transform them into an unstoppable rage, wielding her words like a sword slicing through stone. “The work spans dreams, disorders, and our own failing attention amidst a crumbling patriarchy,” Marxen says. It shows. Poppy Xander

Dezi 5, Dirty Laundry

After a decade of working in the heart of the Dallas music industry, Dezi 5 released his first full-length album, Dirty Laundry. The dreamy introduction to the album gives way to big dance hits and power anthems, filled with luscious synths, “bring the house down” hooks and a blend of stacked vocals that showcase the raw talent of Dezi as a singer and dynamic entertainer. “This is my journal,” Dezi says. “I’ve never written about love and personal relationships before, but after everything I’ve been through, it’s time to let these experiences come to life in my music.” This is an album whose liner notes will be a mile long, with a killer group of musicians and an incredible sound. Stay tuned for a deeper dive on this one. PX

Daniel Markham, Secret Power

What does one do when faced with the loss of a loved one and the uncertainty and grief that come with it? It’s a question that haunts many, but it’s one that singer-songwriter Daniel Markham found an answer for. “After my Dad passed away at the end of July I’ve been pouring my heart and soul into writing, recording, and mixing these tunes alone with my guitars, a drum machine, two mics and a laptop,” Markham says. The album, Secret Power, has vulnerability, partially due to the simple, heartfelt nature of the musical production, and also to the lyrical content that speaks universally to the confusing journey of processing grief. "All That’s Left of the Pain" acts as a portal to different places like an open prairie sky, hole punched with stars and stillness, giving the heavy subject matter an almost whimsical experience. "All Night Long" feels like trying to outrun the world on horseback during a sunset in reverse. The album is evocative, sentimental and perhaps doing exactly what art is meant to do. PX

Telemetry, Datum

Dark post-punk band Telemetry released their debut EP, Datum, as a tribute piece to '90s alternative, exploring themes of melancholy, identity, loss of love and lust. “Each track is a testament of the human condition and our necessity to prevail in these dire times,” says guitarist and songwriter Saulo Ramon. Influences like The Cure and Bauhaus are easily heard throughout the EP, which was recorded with Grammy winner Jordan Richardson (Son of Stan) in 2021 at Electric Berry Land. PX

Deepnthcut, BUTTERFLY

Clocking in at just shy of 20 minutes, BUTTERFLY is a smooth ride from front to back with no fat or filler. Deepnthcut, or as it says on his I.D., Justin Hoard, moved to North Texas three years ago from Tennessee to pursue music, and has since made a name for himself as a drummer. As it turns out, his penchant for staying in the pocket carries over nicely to
his work as a producer. “Coffee Talk” slowly unravels with nostalgic keys before exploding into a bustling beat, where Hoard opts for rim-clicks and washy cymbals to keep the mix airy and weightless.

“Gentleness” has a gorgeous blend of saxophone and 8-bit synth, and the piano on “Past Midnight” flows perfectly over the choppy staccato triangle and clap track underneath. “The Sun” brings a triumphant theme with it and features Hoard throwing out bars about self-confidence and stopping to smell the roses, with a modest delivery that lands somewhere between Mavi and a post-2018 Earl Sweatshirt.

Hoard is heavily inspired by the late, great J. Dilla, which is reflected in BUTTERFLY’s tasteful but varied beat selection, while his use of vocal samples lands him in the same vein as Nicholas Craven or Kenny Beats’ “LOUIE.” He creates most of the samples himself all at once and pieces them together later, so his creative process tends to be as convoluted as a red-string conspiracy board, but the product's quality speaks for itself. SS

TJ Novak, Live in Deep Ellum

Live albums that are actually worth running back almost feel like a relic of the past, but the dying art’s been brought one step closer to salvation thanks to TJ Novak and his set from Louie’s Piano Bar earlier this year. Mixed by Ryan Michael, the album lays back and grooves like an old Sade record but introduces chaotic elements from jazz groups like The
GJQ and Dr. John to keep things interesting.

Alec Zieff shows off a spirited sax run on “Terrifying Nightmare” and Randy McGill pulls out an extended synth solo on “I Just Wanna Believe in Love Again” before passing the baton to Novak for some wah pedal abuse to finish out the track. Novak is a showstopper on both guitar and vocals. He digs into “I Just Wanna Believe in Love Again,” holding out the lyrics a bit longer to add a certain swagger to his delivery, then eases up for the light and bouncy outro track, “Tenderness.”

The record rocks even when there isn’t someone in the spotlight thanks to its solid rhythm section. Justin Hoard, also known as Deepnthcut, provides plenty of commentary via the drums without crowding the conversation, and Michael Baylock’s bouncin’ bass lines keep the band pushing, especially on the instrumental track, “Racoon.” The casual, dreamy
atmosphere of the tunes cut with the band’s aggressive, dynamic improvisation makes for a record that’s sure to go down as a Dallas classic. SS

Sleepwalker, DEATH RATTLE

Mansfield-based band Sleepwalker nailed the landing with their first studio release. From top to bottom, DEATH RATTLE is heavier than their last EP, LIVE AT GROWL. It features plenty of melodic and prog elements that come off as a nod to bands like Rush or Dream Theater, such as the piano-led transition in the middle of “NO GRAVE” or just the general
use of mallet instruments. Dylan Bess and Brett Bennett open up “NO GRAVE” with screams and liquid-butter tom fills, then the guitars come blaring in like a car alarm while Esteban Rodriquez’s bass urges them forward. The band freely dips in and out of erratic time signatures on “JUMP ON THE WAX,” balancing out the headbang sections with tasteful prog metal interludes. “PUSHING UP DAISIES (SAID)” has the EP’s best drop-ins and most intense chorus, with Hudson Hummer and Bess yelling over Bennet’s fiery fills and vibraphone chords highlighting the top-end to inject a bit of sentiment. SS

ESTHER, INVU

What do you get when you stick three 17-year-olds obsessed with The Strokes and Car Seat Headrest in a room with some instruments? Honestly, the answer may vary, but with any luck it’s something like ESTHER’s debut EP, which somehow encapsulates all the highs and lows of the teenage experience in just six short minutes.

The title track bursts through with radiant guitar riffs from Judah Fullerton and upbeat drumming from Luis Rios, which Enya Antilla’s distorted vocals glide right over with lyrics such as, “And I know that you’re gone and your contract’s through, but would it kill you to say that you miss me too? Even though you erased all the lines you drew, just know in the end I envy you.” “Mystic Thing (Fairies)” is an acoustic ballad of heartbreak and the constantly changing nature of life with a heart-wrenching vocal duet. “Blood-stained body wrapped in wool, the worms crawl through the notches in your spine / Your fire warms someone else’s heart, just give me one more summer to call you mine.” The band shows off an impressive range over the project’s relatively short runtime.

Though they’re still busy with classes, the trio has already put out another banger since their EP named BLYTHEDALE 5:55. With the work ethic they’ve shown so far and the caliber of music they’ve been releasing, ESTHER is definitely a band to keep tabs on going forward. SS

Alex Irish, Twisted Metal

Alex Irish refuses to be boxed in. A survivor of street violence, Irish remains steadfast in her craft, channeling her pain and trauma through rock and Latin-infused sounds. Her latest EP, Twisted Metal, is an offering of the music she’s always wanted to make, influenced by her upbringing in an Afrolatinx household, and her teenage years as a self-described alternative kid. Twisted Metal features a new version of the crowd-favorite song “Psycho.” After releasing an EDM version of the song on her 2022 EP Renacida, Irish found the song therapeutic. “No matter what I do, I can’t escape the psycho / I can’t escape the psycho / This bitch gonna drive me psycho,” she sings over brash guitars, putting her raw anguish on display. Upon first listen, one might guess that “Psycho” is about a relationship gone wrong, but the song was born out of a traumatic event and served as a recovery method for Irish. Alex Gonzalez

Slow Joy, Mi Amigo Slow Joy

Esteban Flores originally came to the area to study at Southwestern University in Waxahachie, but he's been in Dallas for nearly 10 years. The Texas transplant has made music under the moniker Slow Joy since 2020. He started gaining traction online after two singles, “Crawling” and “Soft Slam,” blew up on TikTok in 2022. Last year, Flores released his first EP, Wildflower, and on June 7 he will release his second EP, Mi Amigo Slow Joy, which is a nod to his Mexican heritage. Flores says the new EP shows his growth as an artist, especially since it was his first time working with a big-name producer and recording at a studio away from home. Mi Amigo Slow Joy was produced by Mike Sapone at New Jersey’s Barbershop Studios. Sapone is known for working with other alternative rock bands such as Grouplove. The new EP also differs thematically from the last. Wildflower focused a lot on grief after the loss of Flores' mother, but Mi Amigo Slow Joy touches on a motley mix of things, including relationships, divorce and even capitalism. Mollie Jamison

Amethyst Michelle, Through the Tears

Amethyst Michelle is going to headline Madison Square Garden. No, the Dallas-based indie and alternative rock band is not currently booked to play at the legendary New York arena. But the lead singer (also named Amethyst Michelle) proclaims her intentions with such certainty that you’re inclined to just take her word for it. “It’s really arrogant to say it’s definitely gonna happen,” Michelle says. “But you also have to believe in yourself, so we kind of play around with that fine line [...] I think we are just delusional enough to believe that we can.” The band, with Tanner Jay Kogel on guitar, Patrick Kennedy on bass and Christian Minth on drums, has no reason to doubt its trajectory. Amethyst Michelle’s musical stylings, stage presence and connection to a growing fanbase make the local band feel larger than life. CMG

Henry The Archer, The Garden

Composed of six tracks, The Garden was five years in the making. Henry wrote three songs before the COVID-19 pandemic, but was not able to record. Once the pandemic dwindled, he wrote three more tracks and laid them down in the studio. Songs such as the breezy, guitar-driven “The Garden” recall the stylings of the Beach Boys, and Henry’s gravelly vocals add a punk-rock element. These are the types of sounds Henry heard while growing up. Henry The Archer recorded The Garden at Valve Studios, where artists such as The Polyphonic Spree, Andre 3000 and Ryan Tedder have cut tracks and albums. Valve is one of the few studios with a Neve 8128 In-Line Console, which allowed Henry to optimize the recordings on an intimate level. AG

Yellowbelly, First Rodeo

Since last October, Yellowbelly has been bashing the sourpuss stigma of alt and grunge with their self-proclaimed brand of “y'allternative” rock. Rather than worrying about upholding an image or padding their egos, these guys just want to have fun and play a great show while making the crowd laugh. “If it's funny to us, maybe everybody else might think it's stupid or think it's funny,” guitarist/vocalist Ayden Rodriquez says. “At least we're having a good time doing it.” There's nothing more inherently Texan than embracing Southern culture, and Yellowbelly has done this since its inception. From their recently released and aptly named debut EP, First Rodeo, to their promotional photos that would feel at home on the back of a country record, there's a bit of twang in everything the group does, and it all started with a random idea from Rodriquez. “I thought, ‘How funny would it be if we had a shoegaze band, but with a country band name?’” Rodriquez says. “So, actually that’s what became a lot of our song’s names, our failed band names.” SS

Our Critics' Picks:

Eric Diep
Mo3, Legend
Bashfrotheworld, Mundo
Trapboy Freddy, Detained
BigXThaPlug, Take Care
BigxThaPlug, Rosama, Yung Hood, Meet the 6ixers
4Batz, U Made me a St4r
S3nsi Molly, The Last Laugh
Montana 700, Zillionaire Doe, 70042
Dezi 5, Dirty Laundry

Bryson "Boom" Paul
Jae Stephens, Sell Out
Bashfortheworld, Mundo
BigXThaPlug, Take Care
Rakim Al-Jabbaar, La Farmacy Familia
4Batz, U Made Me A St4r
BigxThaPlug, Rosama, Yung Hood, Meet The 6ixers

Preston Jones
Angel White, Ghost of the West: Volume I
Silver Skylarks, The Number One Set and Sound
Court Hoang, Triptychs, Vol. 1 (Autumn)
St. Vincent, All Born Screaming
Norah Jones, Visions

Simon Pruitt
The Beckleys, PARADISO
South Arcade, 2005
Baby Rose and BADBADNOTGOOD, Slow Burn

Eva Raggio
St. Vincent, All Born Screaming
Leon Bridges, Leon
Dezi 5, Dirty Laundry
Nicole Marxen, Thorns
Bashfortheworld, Mundo