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These 24 remarkable alternative songs from 2024 are a kind of a soundtrack of the year.

The songs range from post punk to dream pop to alternative country. I’ve been adding to this list of tunes all year from hundreds of album and song downloads. A few of the songs may be a teeny bit obscure. But all of them were written with infectious hooks. They are immediate and super easy to fall in love with.

A quick preface that these aren’t the biggest alternative singles of the year.

In fact, most come from records that WON’T make my Top 20 Albums list for 2024. So Pom Poko’s “Champion” isn’t on this list and none of the one billion songs on Cindy Lee’s Diamond Jubilee are here. Those bands released records that are almost certain to be among my favorite albums. So I’m cherry picking songs that both easy to love but NOT on my favorite albums list. Although the albums list is still an undefined mental catalogue. STOP WITH ALL THE QUESTIONS.

Best alternative songs from 2024: The most insanely catchy

Let’s start with the catchiest alternative songs from 2024. Ready?

I try to make this list pretty eye level. Pop this on the car radio while your dad is trapped with you for a few minutes and he’ll probably admit to liking a few of the songs.

The truth is I don’t remember where I found all these, or how I chanced upon them. But I smile going back to listen to all of them. Music is such a gift. The next time you workout or clean house, I hope you’ll have the best music of the year to accompany you.

1. “Needles, California” – The Escatones (The No Gas, Rough Draft EP)

“Needles, California” sounds like the Violent Femmes played a set at an Oklahoma roadhouse. Or possibly Dee Snider lol. This self-described “demo” by The Escatones is one of those ditties that gets in your brain and will compel you to hit repeat about 1,000 times on your phone. You have been warned!

Buy the No Gas, Rough Draft EP by The Escatones from their Bandcamp page.

2. “Ghosting” – Kevin Robertson (The Call of the Sea)

Kevin Robertson’s “Ghosting” is as delightful a jangle pop song as you’ll hear the entire year. It opens The Call of the Sea with effortless strumming, perfectly innocent backing vocals and the briefest organ solo. I also love the gentle lilt in Robertson’s voice. If you buy just one song in 2024, buy “Ghosting!”

Buy The Call of the Sea from Futureman Records in North America and from our friends at Subjangle presumably everywhere else on Earth.

3. “Wild Days” – Sam Evian (Plunge)

Sam Evian called on some big names to help with his fourth album, Plunge. Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief and El Kempner of Palehound were among the assembled. “Wild Days” is rollicking 70’s power pop that will remind you of Fleetwood Mac or Cheap Trick.

Buy a copy of Plunge or merch from Evian’s Flying Cloud imprint at his website.

4. “It’s a High” – The Shop Window (Daysdream)

I feel like “It’s a High” could have been dropped onto REM’s Green with no one thinking it was out of place. But The Shop Window’s jangly delight includes these lyrics which seem too effusive for Michael Stipe, until he started writing songs like “Everybody Hurts.”

“When I’m seeming down
Your light of day just washes over me
A sun within a cloud

Sign of your love
Washes over
Healing me again
It’s a high“

I strongly recommend jangle pop like The Shop Window! You can buy Daysdream from Bandcamp.

5. “2 Far South” – Kid Chameleon (In Pursuit of the Cedars)

Kid Chameleon is Liam James Marsh of Boston’s fine. fine. with a period. However Marsh is personally based in the UK and writes epic, life-affirming pop like “2 Far South.” The hammering keyboards and vocals are enough by themselves to make “2 Far South” one of the most memorable songs of 2024.

Order In Pursuit of the Cedars from Kid Chameleon’s Bandcamp page.

Best alternative songs from 2024: I’ve heard of those bands!

Okay let’s check in on a few artists you may have heard about from your cool uncle. I’m not suggesting you’ll hear any of these on your CHR morning zoo morning show. Just that these alternative songs from 2024 are by bands pretty well known in alternative circles. And these are STILL pretty catchy tunes.

6. “Mood Ring” – Dehd (Poetry)

Popular Chicago 3-piece Dehd have been releasing great power pop since 2016, Pitchfork’s patronizing review notwithstanding. They don’t disappoint on 2024’s Poetry. No one does these interplayed vocals better than Dehd. This album may actually make my Top 20 now that I think about it (;

Learn about Dehd’s world tour and order a copy of Poetry at their website.

7. “4316” – Isobel Campbell (Bow to Love)

Maybe Isobel Campbell’s name doesn’t immediately jump off the page (screen?) for you. Her place in American rock history should, as one of the founding members of Belle and Sebastian. This song immediately joins the cannon of Campbell’s best with Stuart Murdoch and company.

Take a visit back to 1996, shall we, with the sound of “4316.” So awesome.

Buy a copy of Bow to Love or a reissue of Ballad of the Broken Seas at Campbell’s website.

8. “Last Frontier” – Ride (Interplay)

Ride is one of the most influential bands in my musical upbringing, and released two of the greatest albums of the shoegaze era. I couldn’t quite get there with Interplay but I’ll probably come back in 2025 or 2026 and wish I had included them in my favorite albums list for this year.

Buy a copy of Interplay on CD or vinyl or a Ride bucket hat at the band’s website.

9. “A Moon Behind the Clouds” – Phosphorescent (Revelator)

Phosphorescent’s “Moon Behind the Clouds” has some low key Dave Matthews Band vibes happening. But much of the record has a terrific dusty California country sound. And you cannot deny this hook. Buy Revelator or a Phosphorescent dew rag from Matthew Houck’s website.

10. “Tin Soldier Boy” – Bright Eyes (Five Dice, All Threes)

Hey I thought this was a remarkable return to form by Conor Oberst and company. If it was punctuated by needless 50’s and 60’s TV drops, I was super into Five Dice. This banger at the end of the record is highlighted with gang vocals, a swirling sax and a terrific fist-pumping chorus.

Sing it with me, “5-4-3-2-1!”

Get your copy of Five Dice, some “Tin Soldier Boy” glassware and Bright Eyes fuzzy car dice at the band’s website.

Best Alternative songs from 2024: Some alt country tunes

If you’re not paying attention to alternative country artists in the year 2024 you’re not paying attention. Some of my very favorite work is being done in this vertical and I hope to persuade a few of you who are reading to explore these artists. More than a couple alt country releases will end up on my favorite albums list!

Here are a few of my favorite alternative songs from 2024 from the alt country universe.

11. “Diné Utah Homecoming Queen” – Anika Pyle (Four Corners EP)

Anika Pyle wrote a song for each of the “four corner” states for this EP: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. She composed this song about the first homecoming royalty at Utah’s Southern Utah University in Cedar City.

Buy Pyles’ Four Corners EP at Bandcamp.

12. “Death Valley Honeymoon” – Dustin Kensrue (Desert Dreaming)

Dustin Kensrue has lead a few lives, as leader of nu metal band Thrice, as a deacon at Mars Hill Church, and for the last decade or so as an alternative country artist. Kensrue’s tribute to the desert Southwest is highlighted by this duet that positively beams with Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris energy.

Buy your copy of Desert Dreaming or a Dustin Kensrue bolo tie at Kensrue’s website.

13. “Mock the Hours” – David Nance (David Nance and the Mowed Sound)

One of my favorite things about the alternative country label is that subgenres aren’t too fussy. Omaha’s David Nance is more of a Midwestern rocker and not country in any meaningful way. But this swaggering throwback is so tasty, you won’t care what label I put on it.

Nance and the Mowed Sound BTW are the backing band for Rosali’s Bite Down which you can absolutely expect in my favorite albums list.

Get a copy of David Nance and the Mowed Sound at their Bandcamp page.

14. “One Man Holds the World Hostage” – John Moreland (Visitor)

This mournful ballad by John Moreland is one of the more arresting on Visitor. It may or may not be written about a former American president, I’m not sure. Moreland’s melody, narrative and politics remind me quite a lot of 70’s Canadian folk stalwart Bruce Cockburn.

Buy Visitor and see some of John Moreland’s impressive skull tattoos at his website.

Best Alternative songs from 2024: Turn it up to 11

So much of my current taste falls in the broadly-defined post punk genre, alternative country and jangle pop. But even at age (sigh) 55, I get aggressive with louder bands here and there. These particular alternative songs from 2024 aren’t exactly screamo – a label which I still don’t understand – but they’re more likely to peg a VU meter. If anyone still has a VU meter on their player of choice.

15. “L.I.F.E.” – Lurve (Run, Get Drunk & Fall In Love Again)

Oddly enough, there are a couple of bands called Lurve out there. I wouldn’t think that would be a highly in-demand band name, but there you go. This post-punk single is by the Lurve from Ukraine…just another reason to love them. Get your mosh pit on with “L.I.F.E.”

Support Lurve and give Vladimir Putin the middle finger! Buy a copy of their new record from Bandcamp.

16. “Guzzle Blood” – Les Savy Fav (OUI, LSF)

I honestly don’t have a ton of history with Les Savy Fav. They’re on a couple of “must buy” lists and I may have a LSF compact disc somewhere. But this single from OUI, LSF…the bands first record in 14 years…caught my ears. This is more of a reformed post punk sound than their earlier noise rock days.

I like it so much you get a Youtube link, since I don’t see the audio readily available anywhere else.

Buy your copy of OUI, LSF at Les Savy Fav’s website.

17. “Wish Me Away” – GIFT (Illuminator)

Okay I’ve changed my mind about the ONE SONG you should buy if you only purchase one tune from 2024. Buy “Wish Me Away” by GIFT! Falling somewhere closer to the shoegaze end of the dream pop – shoegaze spectrum, GIFT also has a terrific pop sensibility.

Buy a vinyl copy or compact disc of Illuminator at GIFT’s Bandcamp page.

Best alternative songs from 2024: Honestly all of these tunes rule

Up to this point we’ve had covered: Most insanely catchy songs, bands you may have heard of, alternative country acts and some louder songs. Now a bunch of incredible alternative songs from 2024 that don’t necessarily fit in those arbitrary categories.

The truth is…I’m batching these into groups to navigate Google’s search algorithms.

18. “Going Away” – Beech (Back in December EP)

If you like the definitive style of Sloan‘s 70’s guitar rock/classic rock, you will absolutely love “Going Away.” This morsel by Beech on Belgian label Uhm Yeah Sure is so good I could have put it in my “Most Infectious” category at the beginning of this missive.

Buy the Back in December EP by Beech at Uhm Yeah Sure’s Bandcamp page.

19. “Big Swimmer” – King Hannah (Big Swimmer)

“Big Swimmer” probably ended up on a lot of people’s favorite songs lists for 2024. I haven’t really gravitated to the rest of King Hannah’s album. But I love the arrangement here, Sharon Van Etten’s harmony and what an old soul Hannah Merrick sounds like here.

Buy Big Swimmer by King Hannah at the band’s website.

20. “2 to 3” – Phantom Youth (Phantom Youth)

Munich’s Phantom Youth has been kicking around for a couple of years, culminating in their self-titled debut this year. “2 to 3” layers keyboards and deeply buried, reverbed vocals that sound like MGMT played backward inside a submerged minivan.

Phantom Youth are as quintessentially Spirit Goth as any song you’ll hear from that label, so follow them if you enjoy!

Buy a cassette or digital copy of Phantom Youth at Spirit Goth’s Bandcamp page.

21. “Monopoly” – Yndling (Mood Booster)

Okay one more from Spirit Goth. For the slightest moment, “Monopoly” by Norwegian artist Yndling begins like an unearthed Erasure track. But Silje Espevik’s dewy vocals float in the ether, delicate as gold leaf, transporting “Monopoly” into dream pop of the highest order.

Another winner to download from Spirit Goth’s Bandcamp page.

22. “Someone So Beautiful” – SUNLIT (Sunlit)

Now I’m threading these songs a bit intentionally.

Phantom Youth (above) to Yndling to SUNLIT are nice segues. Joe Moore’s SUNLIT writes sun-dappled (pun intended) love songs that belong in the same sentence as Mazzy Star. Nothing more complicated here than a soundtrack for your Sunday morning.

I somehow managed to go five months without noticing I hadn’t embedded SUNLIT’s song here. Super embarrassed. Go to Bandcamp and buy this terrific album!

23. “Hello” – Girl and Girl (Call a Doctor)

Let’s change up the energy here. It’s hard not to hear Conor Oberst in Kai James’ eccentric vibrato but this isn’t Bright Eyes you’re listening to. Fervent jangle pop set to a propulsive guitar line and backbeat sounds as much like The Strokes as any convenient frame of reference.

You can buy Call a Doctor by Girl and Girl from Subpop.

24. “The Next Day Was Sunday” – The Death of Pop (FLOG)

Some of the compositions on The Death of Pop’s FLOG are mesmerizing dream pop. Take “The Next Day Was Sunday,” for instance. The payoff harmonies in the chorus that hit at :45 seconds into the song are chilling and gorgeous. The best moments on FLOG are among the best I spent with music in 2024.

Order FLOG from The Death of Pop’s Bandcamp page.