Speaker 1: 0:44

welcome back to another super awesome mix. My name is matt. Sit home alongside my co-host and co-founder of super awesome mix, sam abusalbi sam. How we doing this week doing real well.

Speaker 2: 0:54

Can you believe that we are here? We made it end of 2024, it's uh.

Speaker 1: 1:00

We've gone through so many songs, so many songs and yeah, I mean pretty uneventful year outside of the world of music.

Speaker 2: 1:08

I would say yeah, not a lot happened. You know, real quiet, yeah, but I feel like the world's earned this right. Just a real like easygoing year nothing, yeah, super easygoing yeah, I mean, I don't think anyone's gonna write anything about this year in history books, so you know it's great, it's nice to have, it's nice to finally have a calm year, you know yeah, I've been through a lot, yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:32

I feel like the world, the world earned this, okay, so everybody relax this holiday season okay.

Speaker 2: 1:38

No, but I'll be honest, like as I was going through and picking. So you know, if you aren't aware already by this point, this is our best of mix and the format that we do every year is that I will pick 12 songs, my favorite of all the new music that was released this year and that will be this mix today, and then Matt will pick his and we will record that soon. But you know, as I was going through and picking some of these songs, I had to double and triple check that an album actually did come out this year, because I was like there's no way that's been out for like five years. You know, like, yeah, I was convinced that that it had definitely not come out only this year because of how long time has stretched at parts of this year. So it was. I don't know if you had that experience so far, if you've been working on your mix oh, no, yeah for sure.

Speaker 1: 2:24

There was definitely like well, no, that didn't that album come out two years ago? Like what are you? What are we talking about? And it's like so as as fast as time seems to go by, where we're sitting here going oh my god God, it's already December Then you look at something like this and it's like oh, that seems ancient. Now you know Exactly.

Speaker 2: 2:41

Yeah, yeah, that was easily six years ago and I was like, no, that was February, like that Wild, all right.

Speaker 1: 2:52

So, like Sam said, this is his top 12 and they are in order from 12 to 1. So we're going to count them down here, just like Casey Kasem and Ryan Seacrest have famously done. Since these are all your picks, I will introduce each one. I will name the artist, because it is not 12 songs from the same artist, although there are some artists here that I'm sure you probably could have just picked 12 songs from. So, without further ado, let's get into it. Okay, number 12 on your top 12 list. It is X-Ray Eyes by LCD Sound System.

Speaker 2: 3:28

Yeah, okay, so this barely snuck in and I have to say notable mention the new Kendrick album, which released basically right after I put together this mix. Yeah, so I really just want to say I'm not ignoring it, because there's some excellent tracks on there, but you know what? That's the problem? Kendrick should have released it like a week earlier. We're in touch with his people so this doesn't happen again next year.

Speaker 1: 3:51

It's kind of his fault. Right, it really is, so save your viewer mail, right.

Speaker 2: 3:59

Or listener mail.

Speaker 1: 4:00

Mail, I should say, but the list right now because it's kendrick's fault, it's not our fault. Yeah, it really is, you know but it's fine.

Speaker 2: 4:07

It's fine. I mean, he's got the super bowl coming up, he'll be okay. He'll be okay. Um, so yeah, this one by lcd sound system. The reason it made it all the way to number 12 is and we talked about this when I first introduced it very recently, which is that it really is and this is my new term for it it's a Stockholm Syndrome song. You don't like it at first, but the more you listen to it, the more you're like. I actually really like this and I think I might love this song, but the first four times you hear it, or whatever you're like, why am I listening to this song? I don't like it and then it just it sits with you, so I had to just put it in here. It made it, you know, squeaked in number 12. But it really does. It just kind of I don't know. It reminds me of a Kraftwerk track and I just really like the throwback sound of this, like old electronic style music, and again, it just kind of has stuck with me ever since.

Speaker 1: 4:58

Well, it's Kraftwerk and listening to it again. Right, it's got a little bit of cake in it, I feel like. Right right, yeah, yeah. I was shocked that this ended up on your top 12, because I was like wait, didn't we hate this song? And then I heard it, I started playing and I was like wait, I do like this song. And I was like no, this wasn't the song we hated right no no.

Speaker 1: 5:19

And then I'm like looking back at my notes I was like, no, we both said we kind of hated this at first. So, yeah, I love that Stockholm Syndrome songs. I think that's a mix in our future of songs that man didn't like this at first but really came around on it right.

Speaker 2: 5:35

Yeah, yeah, and I think we might. I would love to know what listeners think or what is on their mix, for that we can kind of poll the audience, so to speak, and get some picks on there too, because I'm certain we all have those songs in our life where first couple of times you don't like it and then you know by the hundredth time you're like this is my jam, you know, turn it up.

Speaker 1: 5:54

Well, it's not like an earworm, it's almost. You know what it is. You know what the perfect band for this is it's a Black Eyed Peas.

Speaker 1: 6:01

Oh my God, yes, yeah they would be one through six on this mix, because you hear those songs even to this day like you go to any. I go to, like you know, a Mavericks game or something and they're playing some random Black Eyed Peas song song and it's just like, do I like this? And then after like 30 seconds you're like, yeah, I'm into this. Here we go, let's go rally in the third quarter. You know like, yeah, they are the classic example of that and that it's. It's a weird genre of music and yet you can't, uh, you can't let it go, can't let it can't let it go yeah, uh, all All right, number 11.

Speaker 1: 6:37

It is Eyes Closed by Imagine Dragons.

Speaker 2: 6:42

Yeah, I have to imagine that Imagine Dragons is also on that list for a lot of people because like their music, probably. I feel like it's probably polarizing in that regard. You either like, yeah, I'm really into it, because I just like, because all of their songs are the same We've said that before right, like they all have basically the same sound, the same like kind of melody, the same lyrical content. So you either like it and you're like cool, I'm here for this, or it's like the worst thing ever, and you're so bored with them because, again, they're all the same.

Speaker 2: 7:11

I'm in the category of just generally liking it and I think, especially this year, because so much of my year was dominated by training and just kind of like getting out there and exercising and pushing myself all the time. I needed a lot of, you know, amp up music, and so I like this one. I like it. It's content. You know the lyrics that I continue to come back to in the song is like you know, I was born, I was raised for this. I could do this with my eyes closed. And then also the other line I really like is they say tomorrow's never promised, which again is you know, it's a good reminder, right like tomorrow is never promised um, so it's just kind of be present, be in the moment, be grateful for what you have um.

Speaker 1: 7:46

So that's why I like this song and why I made it on my best of for the year 2024 tomorrow's never promised, but we do have one more episode this season, so don't I mean don't overlook that, like we'll get to your next mat yeah the uh, you know the, the spotify rap thing that comes out right or no, I think it was apple music sent theirs out like I got an apple music one and, uh, this was my number one song of the year.

Speaker 1: 8:15

This was my, my most played song and I think it's entirely because of my son, who is a massive Imagine Dragons fan.

Speaker 1: 8:22

And we went to see them live actually when they rolled through Dallas this year and it was a great show. There were a ton of kids there and I think that's what's kind of cool is that they can appeal to so many different audiences. It's very like family friendly and a lot of people might take that in a bad way, but it's like I don't care if my kids listen to this, right, Like there's no, there's no bad content in it at all. Right, but it's not so hokey. It's not children's music, right.

Speaker 1: 8:51

It's just kind of good music that's not really into any adult content, I would say, or at least kind of. I don't know, I don't know how to put it exactly, but no, I'm following, yeah, yeah. I mean, but you know, every adult there was like, yeah, I kind of like this song too.

Speaker 2: 9:08

They have a ton of songs.

Speaker 1: 9:09

I'm just like. I like this one.

Speaker 2: 9:11

No, I really like this one yeah, they've got good beats. Same thing with this one, yeah, yeah, I think they just they kind of they tap into something and it works for them and good for them to keep doing it. So I'm here for it.

Speaker 1: 9:24

Well, and it's just kind of the ultimate quote unquote pop band where it's like we're just going to keep coming out with songs and they're going to be super popular and we'll keep touring and that's I don't know the same. Make your career right, like you just keep doing that that same thing really well, and so they definitely do it. It's a nice pick there. All right, a little bit of changing gear here. Number track number three, but number 10 on your top 12.

Speaker 2: 9:53

It is sweetest thing by Kyle. Yeah, this is like a severe like vibe shift. This would not make a good mixtape if it was like a traditional mixtape in that regard, because you go from being like, yeah, I'm going to go, you know, I'm going to go lift a lot of weights, to like oh my God, I'm bawling my eyes out and I'm so sad, and then you go right back to the lifting.

Speaker 1: 10:12

Yeah, your next pick is right back the other direction. Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2: 10:18

Yeah, it's truly an emotional roller coaster. But, yeah, this is probably my most surprising pick of the year in terms of just like a song that I didn't think that would stick with me and that I really, really enjoy. Um, you know, we talked about this originally earlier this year. It's it's a very emotional song and and will make you honestly just want to cry like listening to it. It's like you can just get tears in your eyes listening to it and I think part of that listen to it again.

Speaker 2: 10:40

Recently for this mix, I realized he himself sounds like he's choking up when he's singing it. Like there's, he makes these little sounds that sound like he's about to cry and I think that is communicated. I don't know if that was purposeful, if that's genuine. Either way, it works really well and I just think, like you know, especially when he's talking about you know hey, father, I hope you're all right, I got to hold your hand in my dream last night and the way he's like singing that again just sounding like he's very emotional and welling up, it's just super powerful. So I think it's an amazing song in that regard, especially if you've you know, unfortunately you've suffered loss, loss recently. I think this is a song you can just lose yourself in and and kind of tap into those feelings again. So that's why this made it on best 24. Yeah, um 100.

Speaker 1: 11:25

Agree, like that was something I picked up on this time too, listening to the song it's. It's like it's emotional enough and maybe, maybe I was crying the first time I heard it and that's why I didn't pick up on him almost being in tears. But but this time, yeah to it it was like, yeah, it sounded like he was almost choking up. It's almost like I was listening to a live version and something hit him, you know right, yeah, exactly yeah, it was, uh, anyway it's.

Speaker 1: 11:48

It's a great song, though, and it also falls in this category. This is where I'm kind of appreciative of something like Sirius XM, where there's where there's a zillion channels and all sorts of genres and sub genres and music can get out there just in its own little group, because this is not a song you're going to hear just on conventional radio, you know.

Speaker 1: 12:10

Yeah, but if you're on Sirius, there's probably a handful of channels that this would fall into, and so I think that's kind of cool and something I don't know that. Just a thought that popped into my mind was like I'm glad there's, there's a service out there and obviously there's ways to discover music you can listen to this show, and there's there's algorithms and whatnot, but yeah, anyway, so yeah, great song. Really glad you put it on your uh top 12 because you know, thinking back on it, I I really love this one. But yeah, definitely uh, not one that you want to listen to just kind of in public, I think, because you'll probably right, you might be a bit emotional.

Speaker 1: 12:50

Yes, all right, now switching it up. I mean, this is one you do want to listen to in public. You want, you want to blare this one out your car windows. Ok, number nine in your top 12.

Speaker 2: 13:01

It is Triumph by Bishop Briggs got me fired up and would be on like my pre-run or pre-workout mix.

Speaker 2: 13:07

You know I love the line here, especially listening to it again this time and paying more attention to the lyrics. I started in a guarded place. The more I pushed, the more I gained, and I think that that's like a really good summation of doing something hard and pushing out of your comfort zone. You know, in the beginning you do tend to be a little bit more guarded, you're a little bit more fearful, but the you know you realize quickly that like, the more you push, like you break out of that space and you will you will learn a lot, you'll gain a lot, and I think that you know I myself have done a lot this year that I'm proud of and got getting out of my comfort zone. So that is why I wanted to include it here. But other than that lyric, I just think again it's like it is a very classic AMPA pre-workout style song. You know like you want to go and run really hard having listened to this.

Speaker 1: 14:05

Yeah, I thought this was perfect. Not only is it kind of the classic Sammer build-up song and get you fired up right Like this is kind of in your wheelhouse, but especially this year, as you talked about running the marathon like really fits and a song like this had to be on your top 12, I felt like Because, yeah, as you learn from running a marathon, like you can do hard things, you can triumph. And that reminds me, Sam, isn't there a new season of Super Awesome you coming up?

Speaker 2: 14:33

There is. Yes, it was just recently released. Season three first episode came out and it was all about the marathon and that realization of you know doing hard things and that you can in fact surprise yourself and do the really hard thing you didn't think you could do. So be sure to check that out. Super awesome. You can find it where you are streaming this podcast. You can just pop on over and press play there and let me know what you think.

Speaker 1: 14:59

Nice. All right, so number eight on your top 12, it is Good People by Mumford Sons and Pharrell Williams.

Speaker 2: 15:08

Yeah, I remember this was another kind of like surprising mashup between these two artists, because you don't, I wouldn't put them in the same room normally, right? So it's a great collab, but I think it works really well and part of why I wanted to include it again. Two reasons One is we actually went to a gala gala. I didn't ever know how to pronounce that earlier this year.

Speaker 1: 15:28

It's a gala. It's a gala. It's the Met Gala. I don't know the.

Speaker 2: 15:32

Met Gala. Yeah, you know, let us know listeners, how do you pronounce that word? Um, I went to that event, that fundraising event, and uh, mumford and the Sons actually played. They were one of the artists, you know, that did like a small little mini concert there and it was incredible to listen to them live. They are really good live, which makes sense because I think you know they're a very instrumental band, so like it works well in a live setting.

Speaker 2: 15:57

So that's part of why I picked it. The other part is I just love a good hand clap song. You know, like they just they have they just they tap into something. You can clap along with it in a way. You know, like they just it has this like gospel feel to it. I think that that's what I really key in on with this song and I again, I really love the line. You know the sun is rising. That can be a very personal thing in your life, right, you can feel like the sun is rising in your life and I think that that's a powerful thing, to kind of focus on the positive things that are going well in your life, and hopefully there's a lot of them. So that's why this is on the mix this year.

Speaker 1: 16:39

Love it and I agree this is a really cool collaboration. It doesn't sound like a Mumford and Sons song and I think Pharrell Williams, to his credit, kind of brought their you know, showed you how good a vocalist they can be, you know, like outside of, like what they do. Well, right, I mean we kind of talk about the sort of imagine dragon sound being what it is. The same thing with mumford and sons.

Speaker 1: 16:58

they have a certain sound to what they do yes um and so to take like the vocals out of that and then put it to something very different, I think is really cool. It makes it really memorable as well. Um, so yeah, I mean just just a really cool, cool song here. So I'm glad you included this. Um, all right. Next track it is track six, halfway point here in the mix. But number seven on the countdown it is the devil, I know, by dorothy yeah, this was my.

Speaker 2: 17:29

This is my favorite, like new band discovery of this year. So I had not listened to dor Dorothy prior to 24. And you know, along the way of hunting for new music, heard this track and absolutely love it, as we discussed before. Very much reminds me of like the Pretty Reckless. I'd say like those two sounds are very similar to one another, similar kind of band makeup too. So really really love this one.

Speaker 2: 17:50

Also felt like I couldn't do a best of mix without some kind of a hard rock or like metal track on it. You know so obviously you know I had to throw this on there for that reason. But I really just love, you know, not only the sound here but again the lyrics. You know where she's singing. I won't bend, I won't break. You can beat me down, you can try to cage, but no stone you throw will ever shake my faith. And try to cage, but no stone you throw will ever shake my faith.

Speaker 2: 18:14

And so again, it's just like coming back to that theme of this year for me of I'm. You know there's going to be moments where I felt very beat down, but you know you had. I literally would just remind myself like I've already crossed the finish line. I just need to get to that point. You know like I have faith that I've already done it and this is the work that's required to get me to do it. That was like kind of an ongoing mantra for me, so I really liked that lyrically as well here.

Speaker 1: 18:37

Yeah, we love women who rock on this show and so I mean this, this fits really well. No, I love this one the first time you put it on a mix, just because of you know the themes of it, but also, just like you said, like it's, it's great to hear just a cool rock song.

Speaker 1: 18:54

Rock used to be the music genre growing up and now it's kind of morphed into all these other different genres, and that's not a bad thing, right. But it's always cool when you do find a song that's just squarely in that category, and I think that's what this is for sure. All right, number six on the countdown here. It is Places to Be, by Fred again, anderson, pak and Chica.

Speaker 2: 19:22

So yeah, this one could be paired with the LCD Sound System track, but unlike the LCD Sound System one, this one is an earworm, at least for me. Like you can listen to it and then you will just be repeating. I got places to be like over and over and over and over again in your head for a while. Just both a fun thing and also not a fun thing. Random fact I looked up how to get rid of an earworm this year because at some point something really did get stuck in my head, and one of their tips is to chew gum, because apparently the act of like chewing is just enough of a distraction that your brain kind of loses what it was like repeating in its head. Um, and I tried it, it actually works pretty well. So there you go.

Speaker 1: 20:01

If you need to get rid of an earworm, chew some gum and if you're just coming off a flight while trying to get rid of an earworm, you kind of get a twofer from the gum chewing exactly. So I mean, you know yeah, yeah, I love it.

Speaker 2: 20:16

Yeah, it's not just music and uh, yes, it's also life advice. Okay, like we yeah, there's a lot. You know we have a lot of value. But yeah, I also really love anything that anderson pock shows up on. I I find his voice to be so unique and interesting and very fun to listen to, and so every time he does kind of a feature or is a feature on a track, I'm here for it and I will enjoy it.

Speaker 1: 20:39

Same as this I agree, and it's very much like you know, when you see Pharrell Williams on something I want to hit, play, just to kind of see what they did, right Like it's like I won't even necessarily automatically like it, but I am curious every time I see that name pop up on a certain track and I think there's a lot, a lot of credit to both of those artists that they can, they can inspire that. But, um, yeah, this one I agree with you very much an earworm, something you can kind of say like it kind of fits every day though. Right, it's like I got places to be like like.

Speaker 1: 21:10

You can just keep saying that and yeah it's kind of a fun way to deal with uh, whatever crazy schedule you're dealing with. So yeah, exactly really like this one for the everyday usage part of it. I think that's always fun when you get a song like that. All right, we're into the top five here and number five no surprise that really, these next two bands no really next three right like these, the next three are very much in your wheelhouse. Okay, but number five here it is classical by vampire weekend yeah, no, absolutely.

Speaker 2: 21:45

These are are not surprising picks if you've been a long-time listener of the show. Um, so vampire weekend, you know new album. Um, I I will say I don't think that I will. I haven't found a recent vampire weekend album that I like more than the original ones, like when, when the band was fully together, there was just something about that sound like that makeup of people. That was incredible.

Speaker 2: 22:08

But this one I like more than, uh, the one that was previously released, which I'm blanking on that name. So this is, this was a really good entry and I listened to this album a lot this year and also, in particular, this was one of the albums that I could not believe was released this year. I was certain that it had been out for many years because either maybe because I listened to it a lot, or, you know, I think it came out on the earlier part of 2024, but I really double and triple check that it actually came out this year. But, yeah, I really like this one and I think, you know, vampire Weekend does a good job with lyrics of just kind of being clever, um, and and very like real, you know, and the sentimentality of the song is that that, you know, cruel things over time become classical and we study a lot of history and we can just gloss over huge atrocities and, just, you know, not even connect with any of them, right, because it's just like, well, that just becomes like classical history, you know, like the attack of rome by carthage, you know, like all these things.

Speaker 2: 23:06

It's like that probably was a horrific, scary time, but we're like, yeah, you know, like rome was destroyed, no problem, like what else?

Speaker 1: 23:13

happened that day. It's just a fact that happened and then it's kind of it was a different time, right? We don't do that now right, uh.

Speaker 2: 23:23

So yeah, I think, I think they're. They do a good job with, with things like that, yeah, this was a really cool song.

Speaker 1: 23:28

I also kind of felt like just musically, they did a good job of kind of inter interpolating, like kind of a classical feel was sort of their sound and their music, and so I just loved sonically how it worked.

Speaker 1: 23:43

And you know one line I called out something's going to change and when it does, which classical remains, which you know, like you just brought up it's like, yeah, there's this constant evolution and we're constantly moving forward and we constantly talk about the passage of time and then we look back and the thing that was like horrible in the moment is now just sort of a line in history and so, yeah, it's really uh, really kind of interesting how that happens and so good, good song to just listen to but but also kind of to reflect on, especially as we come to the end of the year. All right now, track uh number four on the countdown. It is beautiful people. Parentheses stay high by the black keys yeah, again, no surprises.

Speaker 2: 24:55

As you said, um love the black keys and you know it's interesting all three of these bands and with the next one included that we're going to talk about all had like a somewhat different sound this year with their album release.

Speaker 2: 25:07

So, you know, vampire weekend in the sense of like again, it's not the original makeup of the band, so everything's been like a little different ever since that breakup, that mini breakup. Black keys here worked a lot with beck um on producing this album and you can hear it because this honestly sounds like a Black Keys song with, like a Beck filter applied right, like that's you probably like. If you're familiar with Beck and I didn't tell you that he helped on this song you would probably be like, wow, this sounds like a Beck song, you know, but it's got some like bluesy rock sound that the Black Keys bring. So I really like it, though I think it worked well and I enjoy when a band will try something different and try something new. You know whether or not it works, it doesn't matter. It generally doesn't matter, to me as a listener at least, but I like when they're trying, you know, experimenting different sounds and stuff. But I think this is just a really catchy fun, highly repeatable, kind of great energy song.

Speaker 1: 26:01

So catchy fun, highly repeatable, kind of great energy song, so that's why it's top, uh, top five for me. Yeah, this was one you you talked about this on the last track, but this was definitely one. I was like, did this come out this year? And I was. I had to look back.

Speaker 1: 26:11

I mean, I think it was like january, it was like very early in the year when this one came out, but then it got a lot of radio play. I I kept hearing it pop up and so I thought that was pretty cool. But yeah, it's a, it's just a good one, it's just a feel good song and yeah, like you said, a little bit different you can. You can definitely hear the Beck influence on it and, yeah, not surprised that it's on here, but I do think it's well-deserved. This isn't just making you know, adding songs that you like. I think it's definitely a top 12 song of the year. Now, number three on the countdown this, I think, is a little bit of a controversial pick. Okay, you started out with a controversial one at number 12. I think this one kind of falls in that category as well. Number three this is the Emptiness Machine by Linkin Park.

Speaker 2: 26:58

Yeah, no, this probably will bring some controversy. This one is probably a it's a personal pick, more than a best of the year, for sure but you know what? It's our podcast and it's my mix I'm putting together, so I'm going to stand by the pick. All right, standing by it. I listened to the whole album. You know.

Speaker 2: 27:20

It's been out now and whenever I first put this song, this was just like the lead off single for it, and I'm not crazy about the album. I will definitely say that there's some other songs on there. I'm like, yeah, this is good, I will come back and listen to it, but in general, it's not like Meteora or Hybrid Theory, where I have listened to that just an infinity number of times all the way through without skipping. So this is unfortunately not that. However, you know, just because we talked about trying new things adding another you know singer here, adding a female voice to the band I think it's great.

Speaker 2: 27:49

I think it works really well, especially in this song. I think this is um, this is a really good track. It kind of sounds the most like the og lincoln Park and again, for me personally, the reason why it's so high on the list is whenever, ever since it came out, it immediately made it to my like morning run, you know amp up mix, because it just has that energy of like yeah, like it gets a little screamy, you want to crank the volume and it'll get your energy up. So that's why, for me, it will always be associated with with this year in that regard.

Speaker 1: 28:21

So that's why, for me, it will always be associated with this year. In that regard, now let me just say I like this song actually. I think the controversy is I actually read up after we talked about it on Our Mix. There were some articles out there that I guess you know hardcore Linkin Park fans, as well as Chester Benningfield's family, were not real happy about them kind of putting the band back together and putting out a new album and having Emily Armstrong in there, and so it was actually something where some people kind of panned it critically because it was.

Speaker 1: 28:50

but I don't think I'm with you, I don't even think it was a departure Like to me. I was like this is actually great because they were able to kind of recreate this sound. I wondered if they used any AI, and they hadn't. And yeah, I think Emily Armstrong deserves a lot of credit for what she brings to the table here. So I mean I actually like this song. The controversy that I was referring to earlier was kind of out there in the ether, if you will, because I think there were some fans who weren't thrilled with this offering from the band.

Speaker 2: 29:21

Yeah, I mean it's not surprising. We had an entire episode on Van Halen right, and I think there's still a lot of controversy and people are split between the two lead singers there. So I get it. It's a big deal when you lose that in a band over time, but I'm open to it.

Speaker 1: 29:38

It'll be interesting to see if Linkin Park decides to record multiple albums, like the way Van Halen did, where it was like there are these two very distinct eras of the band, or if this is kind of a one-off with Emily Armstrong. So yeah, that'll be interesting to see if it develops, because then you really could have a situation like that where there's just two distinct areas. But again, like we said, I think they sound like kind of classic Linkin Park. So if you like that sound, I think you're really going to enjoy that one. And number two we've got Autumn Nocturne by Samara Joy.

Speaker 2: 30:12

Okay, yes, samara Joy. So she is based out of New York, she is a jazzy singer and she is my number two pick for the entire year. Because number one, it was an artist that I had not heard before, which is really fun I love again. You know part of this podcast is being introduced to new music and new artists constantly. I think you know this song ranks really high for me because there's something about her voice and like just the vibe her albums that just immediately transports you and I think really good music can do that. Like you are, you know you feel one way and then you play an album or a song and you are suddenly somewhere completely different and there are just yeah, there's music, there's sound, there's bands. You know that just do that so well and I rank her very high for that Because the second I start to listen to this album and this song, I am no longer where I'm at right.

Speaker 2: 31:08

Instead I'm like in like a jazz club with low lights and like the red velvet couches and you know, like there's like a classic looking bar off in the corner is a smaller stage. She's singing, um, you know, with like the red the, the red curtains behind her, like I just can imagine that so richly when I'm hearing her sing and that's all through, you know, my headphones or speaker um at home, and so I think that there's a lot of power in that. I just think she, she has a very beautiful, inviting voice in that regard and the sound is incredible. So really, really happy that I discovered her this year and she's been an album that I come back to time and time again for kind of my, you know, just wanting to feel a little chill and to be a little be somewhere different in that moment.

Speaker 1: 31:51

Yeah, this one was when you put it on the mix. Originally I was like shocked that this person's like 21 years old, because such a throwback sound. Such a beautiful voice. I mean, her last name is Joy and I feel like that's what she evokes with the way she sings. And hearing it again this time of year, my first thought was when is she coming out with a Christmas album? Because that's what I think.

Speaker 2: 32:13

I want to hear I could see that Her singing some of those Christmas standards.

Speaker 1: 32:17

I think it's going to be awesome. I referenced Nora Jones the first time we talked about her because you know again, when she came around, it was very much this well, this is nothing like anything out there right now, and Nora Jones obviously gained a lot of popularity, so I'm hoping the same for Samara Joy. But yeah, great pick here. I'm really glad to see it rank so highly as well, because this really was something distinguished that came out in 2024. All right, so here we are, the number one pick by Sammer. Okay, number one new music for 2024. And I think, from an artist standpoint, this shouldn't surprise anyone. This is Everything is Romantic by Charli XCX.

Speaker 2: 33:05

Yeah, I know Her album, right, is just blowing up in terms of nods and nominations and accolades and everything, so not a shocking pick. Definitely. I'm part of the crowd that just was obsessed with with the release of brat and I'm proudly part of that that crowd. It's fine. I don't need to be contrarian and be like, no, this was a bad album because it's anything, but it's a very good album.

Speaker 2: 33:29

Um, this in particular, is my favorite track off of the album and the one that I came back to over and over again.

Speaker 2: 33:34

Um, where, you know, if I just wanted to listen to one song off of it, I would pick this one Because I just love how, for me, like you know, I love how layered it is, how it opens up through time and it just kind of adds a little bit and adds a little bit and adds a little bit. And I think that that really shows the power of like her and the producer Cook, that they're just like kind of pop music geniuses. You know, I think they're just really good at producing music. They're just like kind of pop music geniuses, you know, I think they're just really good at producing music and she's like an amazing vocalist and an amazing artist in that regard. So incredible album Certainly going to be, I think you know, a huge contender for a lot of awards going forward, because she kind of broke the system in a lot of ways and it was really exciting to see that. So, yeah, I love, love love this song.

Speaker 1: 34:19

Yeah, great song, great album. I mean obviously one of the big standouts across the world really, um this past year and she got to host and be musical guests on saturday night live recently and she actually did a great job on the hosting side. You know, sometimes it's a little weird when you get the musical artist out there, um, acting beyond just like skit. But she really kind of went for it in a couple of skits and it was. She just did a great job, like to where she just kind of blend and she doesn't have. I think for me it's not like she's so instantly recognizable that she couldn't just blend into the skits and just kind of be another actor in there.

Speaker 1: 34:54

So yeah, one to note that she did a really good job hosting, because not all musicians do a great job when they're in that position. But, yeah, obviously one of the big names of this year and can't fault you for putting her at the top. This is a great song, like I said, so nice work, samer.

Speaker 2: 35:14

Top 12. Thank you so much. Yeah, here we are. End of the year, we did it.

Speaker 1: 35:21

All right. Well, there you have it, another super awesome mix for your collection. But we've got one more. It is my top 12. Okay, so I get to promote myself here at the end of the show. Um, so join us next week. It is our last new episode of 2024 my top 12, but enjoy sam's top 12, and so for sam, this is matt and we'll see you next time.