Dummy tell us about their favorite albums of 2024

LA band Dummy ascended from the hazy motorik groove of their debut album into “harder, dancier, more psychedelic” territory on their excellent Free Energy which came out back in September. There are still lots of droning organs, Neu!-style beats and ethereal harmonies but there’s so much more going on this time, as the band pull apart and reassemble their sound. Give it a spin below.

We’ve been asking artists for their Best of 2024 lists and Dummy’s features picks from Alex Ewell, Nathan O’Dell, and Joe Trainor, including Jessica Pratt, Denzel Curry, Shop Regulars, Corridor, and more. Check out their picks and commentary below.

DUMMY – FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2024

Shop Regulars – Shop Regulars
Shop Regulars, who are from Portland, OR, make DIY rock music at its most raw and repetitious that tumbles around your speakers with a jubilance that is rare in 2024. The rhythms pound, the guitars stab and clang with melodies that subtly hook you. Imagine Television bashing their instruments with Can’s locked in grooves that creates a hypnotic organism of weirdo rock. -Joe

J Mcfarlane’s Reality Guest – Whoopee
Twerps were one of the best bands of the mid 2010s, who’s record Range Anxiety still holds up with fantastic tunes and guitar work. Unfortunately that band is no more, BUT now we get J Mcfarlane’s Reality Guest, Julia McFarlane’s freak pop that was seemingly quietly released Jan 15th of 2024. The record mixes dubbed out dream pop, bossa nova, trip hop and breakbeats to create a wildly experimental album. In my mind this sounds like a lost Too Pure Records release, sounding at points like Pram, Laika, and Broadcast, but with a modern take. Production is fantastic, with hooks and grooves for days. It’s a brilliant and deeply underrated record filled with so much to dig into. -Joe

Tile – Warmth
Tile’s debut is composed of 2 longform pieces that span each side of the cassette. The songs start off as slow churning dreamy ambient drones with so much sound design to dig into, and over the course of the 12 mins they introduce downtempo beats that evolve the songs. Imagine a stretched version of My Bloody Valentine, or if Windy & Carl put trip hop beats underneath their gorgeous drones. It’s a real winner that you would likely not hear unless you’re tapped into the label Medium Sounds. -Joe

Mope Grooves – Box of Dark Roses
Definitely still processing this record, feels like I’ve barely scratched the surface of this immense piece. Off the bat, it’s some of the most euphoric music, inventive and ingenious at every turn, pushing the limits of musical language and creative possibility. The Mope Grooves project, to me, has always stood outside of music, transcendent-of music. I never met Stevie but I’ll always be a Mope Grooves fan and evangelist. For fans of Raincoats, Xiu Xiu. -Alex

New Issue – Diminished & Transmitting
The soundtrack to so many blissful naps on tour. I’m a sucker for their twisty, hypnotic melodies. There’s a restraint that conveys such an immersive presence with this record – a magic. Avant-garde sensibility. Most songs just feature some combination of organ, guitar, bass, drums, and vocals, a classic formula made to feel new. Endlessly replayable. -Alex

Jessica Pratt – Here in the Pitch
For a long while after this came out, Here in the Pitch was all I could listen to. I think I burned myself out on it, which rarely happens these days, I rarely find a record I connect to on that level. With each new album, it becomes harder to choose a favorite from her outstanding catalogue. And I am a longtime fan, since her debut. But on Here, she refines her songwriting and distills her lyrics to the sharpest they’ve ever been. The result is so complete, it’s hard not to play this record on repeat. -Alex & Joe

Lynn Avery & Cole Pulice – Phantasy & Reality
After releasing a stunning EP in 2022, Lynn Avery and Cole Pulice reunited to release a fantastic collaborative LP this year, out on the always-great Moon Glyph. Expect new age soundscapes, experimental textures, with field recordings interwoven. This particular batch conveys such a floating feeling, somehow attuned to nature in its restraint and carefulness. Cole also contributed to our album that came out this year, so we are indebted forever. I’ll never cease to be inspired by Cole’s improvisational skills, and collaborative spirit, and the magic of their music. -Alex

Corridor – Mimi
Frantic guitar parts, driving drums, lush vocals riding right along with it all…this Corridor release kind of hit a bit early in the year and has kept me finding new elements in the songs with every playback. You can definitely check my bias on this one but production on this release is A++. -Nathan

Korea Town Acid – In Motion
I first heard of KTA through their insane New Jeans OMG remix. This year brings In Motion, a collection of leftfield jungle and electro meticulously executed and keeping the freak present. Propulsive breaks with snappy snares and quirky wubs found throughout. Surely you’ll find yourself boppin’. -Nathan

Denzel Curry – King Of The Mischievous South
I’m always excited for a new release by Denzel Curry. He’s easily one of the most exciting and explosive hip-hop artists for me right now. This mixtape really shines through with production that harkens back to Three6Mafia and that Juicy J feature track has infinite repeatability. -Nathan

See more 2024 year end lists here.

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Dummy play San Diego’s Soda Bar on December 30 with Frankie & The Witch Fingers and have announced spring US dates that run March and April across the West Coast and Southwest. All dates:

Dummy – 2025 Tour Dates
Fri-Mar-28 Salt Lake City, UT Quarters DLC
Sat-Mar-29 Boise, ID Treefort Music Fest
Mon-Mar-31 Anacortes, WA The Unknown
Wed-Apr-02 Seattle, WA Black Lodge
Thu-Apr-03 Portland, OR Polaris
Fri-Apr-04 Eugene, OR John Henry’s
Sat-Apr-05 San Francisco, CA Rickshaw Stop
Sat-Apr-19 Pioneertown, CA Pappy & Harriets
Tue-Apr-22 Phoenix, AZ Linger Longer
Fri-Apr-25 McAllen, TX The Gremlin
Sun-Apr-27 Denton, TX Rubber Gloves
Mon-Apr-28 Oklahoma City, OK Resonant Head
Tue-Apr-29 Lawrence, KS The White Schoolhouse
Wed-Apr-30 Denver, CO Hi-Dive
Thu-May-01 Albuquerque, NM Sister
Fri-May-02 Tucson, AZ Club Congress

3.28-4.5 w/ shower curtain