2024 doesn’t sound like a real year. It sounds like a Jetsons year, yet it is essentially upon us. Right around now is generally a time to reflect on the past, our decisions and experiences from the past 12 months. It can be cathartic to look back, but looking forward is just as important. So as we inch closer to the last few hours of 2023, let’s look ahead to what we can (and hope to) expect from new releases in the new year.

Sleater Kinney – Little Rope (1.19.24)

Most bands don’t make it past a few years, and rarely do they make it to 30. The groups that have stuck around for that long and continue to hold significant cultural influence and cachet is a rather small list, but Sleater Kinney is there at the top. Their eleventh (!!!) studio album Little Rope is due out on January 19th, and precedes a 2024 North American tour. The album is a follow up to 2023’s Path of Wellness.

Katy Kirby – Blue Raspberry (1.26.24)

Katy Kirby’s music feels like seeing an old friend after a long while apart. Her lyrics wave throughout beautifully draped melodies over thoughtful instrumentation. Blue Raspberry, the follow up to her 2021 debut Cool Dry Place, is out on January 24th.

Idles – Tangk (2.16.24)

Things are reaching a fever pitch for IDLES. The Bristol-based five piece have been churning out consistent post-punk inspired engine rock (a term that singer Joe Talbot might agree with) since 2016’s Brutalism. Their live shows feel like standing in front of a speeding freight train, and it’s an experience that must be felt. Their fifth album TANGK is due out on February 16th.

Sheer Mag – Playing Favorites (3.1.24)

Sheer Mag are an absolute tour de force, and what better way to celebrate ten whole years as a band than a new record. With one foot solidly in 70’s garage rock, Sheer Mag makes music for those drunk and sweaty nights at the bar. Their new album, Playing Favorites is out on March 1st.

Bolis Pupul – Letter to Yu (3.8.24)

Bolis Pupul released one of 2022’s best albums, Tropical Dancer, with collaborator Charlotte Adigery. The Soulwax-collaborator will release his debut solo album Letter to Yu on March 8th.

Anticipated

Vitesse X (unconfirmed)
Vitesse X makes ephemeral, alien-sounding ethereal drum n’ bass music for traveling at 2 million miles an hour through the universe. While no album is specifically slated for 2024, her 2022 release Us Ephemeral was filled with pieces of techno, trance and house that created an amalgamation of a beautiful soundscape.

The Marias (unconfirmed)
The first time that I heard The Marías, it was 2018’s Superclean, Vol. 2. I was immediately taken aback at how seamlessly the Los Angeles-based three piece blended multiple styles: from lounge to jazz to R&B. 2021’s Cinema was the perfect encapsulation of this sound. While no official announcement has been made regarding a new album, singer Maria Zardoya has made several public posts to her Instagram account that “LP 2 is finished.”

Slift – Ilion (1.19.24)
French powerhouse fuzz trio Slift are set to release their third full-length album Ilion on January 19th. As recent signees to Sub Pop, the group have made waves for their sludgy and high energy music that blends the furiousness of garage rock with the intensity of metal plus the spacey edge of psychedelic.

Maggie Rogers (unconfirmed):
Maggie Rogers had a great year. After releasing the hugely successful album Surrender, she embarked on a tour with friend and former collaborator Del Water Gap. While no official announcement has been made, Maggie stated in May of 2023 that her third album is finished and has been sent off for mixing.

Mannequin Pussy – I Got Heaven (3.1.24):
Philly punk powerhouse Mannequin Pussy have been steadily amassing a dedicated following for years. Their ferocious take on punk is evident throughout their entire catalog, from 2016’s Romantic to 2019’s Patience. The group is preparing to release their third album, I Got Heaven on March 1st via Epitaph.

Wish List – My Bloody Valentine, Vampire Weekend, Justice, Adrianne Lenker, Deap Vally, Nails, Sia.

Pre-order Tangk by IDLES HERE

Words by Conor Rooney