A lot has changed in the past year. There is now a team of us at SKAgazine. This list is not representative of the whole team. These are the albums Jess loved the most. To hear the team’s top albums, check out our best of 2024 podcast on YouTube or Spotify.
I hope you find something new to enjoy.
Happy Skanking!
#10 ALBUM OF THE YEAR
MUTINY – Self Titled
(February 2024 – Ska Punk International)
I love this supergroup. I love this album. I’m bummed I didn’t get to see them live in 2024, but have high hopes for 2025!
When this was being teased before the release, I was so hype that I made sure to stay up until midnight on a work night to hear it. I remember it being so hard to go to sleep afterwards because how the fuck can you sleep after hearing that? Having the same songs with the same sick breakdowns in both English and Japanese is insane and I want more and more of this. Please deliver.
Favorite Tracks -every single one of them.
#9 ALBUM OF THE YEAR
KILL LINCOLN – NO NORMAL
(September 2024 – Bad Time Records)
I’m a fan of all of the Kill Lincoln albums. This one, no different. Also, no normal. Hah.
I seriously love that no matter which Kill Lincoln album you pick up, you know immediately who it is. Their consistency is on point. They continuously produce a sick album that will be played for many years to come. This band will always be a go-to for me and I’ll never miss them live! Plus, Ume!!
Favorite Tracks – I’m Fine (I Lied), Little Ghosts, Roll Me Away, Never Getting Better
#8 ALBUM OF THE YEAR
HALF PAST TWO – TALK IS KILLING ME
(March 2024 – Bad Time Records)
Talk about a breakthrough album! Half Past Two went with a new producer on this one and it shows! Shorter songs, deeper lyrics, and a feisty vibe that I didn’t realize this so-cal ska band was capable of! They were always talented, fun, and enjoyable to listen to but this? This is letting go! I am so in love with this album and the energy that it puts into the universe. Just Wow!
Favorite Tracks – Never Saw Me, Isolated Days, Talk is Killing Me
#7 ALBUM OF THE YEAR
BACKYARD SUPERHEROES – MASS HYSTERIA
(June 2024 – Jump Up! Records)
Backyard Superheroes are certainly not new to the game, but this album is by far their best. It’s an album about mental health that was bound to benefit both the band playing it and the fans listening to it.
Despite the seriousness of this topic and the lyrics contained in the songs, these Superheroes haven’t changed at all. They are still here to pump us up, get us moving, and have a hell of a good time. I appreciate this album and the number of times I get to see my favorite superheroes live more than you know!
Favorite Tracks – Going Nowhere Fast, Along for the Ride, Mass Hysteria featuring Coolie Ranx
#6 ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Girth Control – Life’s Too Short for Girth Control
(March 2024 – self released)
This album is straight up fun. I can’t listen to it and not have a blast. Not only is it fun though, it’s the most relatable to me. These guys are the real deal. Singing about real life shit that we’ve all been through all while doing it in a way that will remind you to have no regrets and live life to your fullest. I am so stoked to hang out with these guys in real life in 2025. It’s clearly gonna be a party I wouldn’t want to miss! LFG!
Favorite Tracks – I Think I F****d Around, Basement Song (An Ode to the Shred Shack), Wrecked on Triple Sec
#5 ALBUM OF THE YEAR
HUB CITY STOMPERS – DRINKING RAGE
(November 2024 – Jump Start Records)
I was already stoked when it was announced that Hub City Stompers were releasing their next album on Jump Start Records, but hearing the first single Bloodstream got me super excited. What a fucking banger of a song to start off with. I love the collaboration on this album. Hearing Jenny Whiskey belt out Won’t Lose Sleep gives me chills. There are so many sub-genres hit on this one that most any ska fan is sure to love it. You got the dirty Jersey, you got the rocksteady, you got the punk as fuck vibes. I can’t get enough.
Favorite Tracks – Bloodstream, Won’t Lose Sleep, Dive
#4 ALBUM OF THE YEAR
WEFTIN – HURT PEOPLE
(December 2024 – self released)
There is no one else out there quite like Weftin. Not only is he so freaking talented, but he is also the most unique person I know. So, it’s no surprise that Hurt People was not released in your normal fashion. Instead, we were gifted with a new single on the 1st of each month leading up to a full length by 12/1. Each single took me by surprise. No two are alike, but I’m pretty sure he really does like ska because it’s there! He just likes to put his own spin on it and you know what? I get bored easily, so I am absolutely here for it.
Favorite Tracks – Old Flame, Dirty Lil Fingers, Trauma Bomb
#3 ALBUM OF THE YEAR
VOLUNTARY HAZING – ADDICTIVE LITTLE SOUNDS
(July 2024 – self released)
Voluntary Hazing is an up and coming 13 piece ska pop-punk band out of San Jose, CA. I absolutely love how I learned of them. One of our listeners reached out to tell me about his co-workers band, who he is a big fan of. That speaks to me since it’s what SKAgazine is all about in the first place. We are, like him, fans of music that are here to share our love of it with others and help build this community.
We are so glad he thinks like us because this album is on heavy rotation for me now (streaming, but hoping to see it on vinyl soon). Kayla’s voice is amazing. I could listen to it all day long. Yet, I find myself (who is not so talented) singing along at the top of my lungs. Their style is a little more mellow and poppy than what I typically favor but I can’t get enough of it. I’m super excited to see where this band goes. No doubt, they will win over so many!
Favorite Tracks – Neurotic, Professionally Offended, Pretty Boys
#2 ALBUM OF THE YEAR
THE WHAT NOWS?! – NEGLECTED OBJECTIVE
(March 2024 – self released)
My favorite brass instrument is the trumpet. I’m completely obsessed with the trumpet playing on this album. Throw Berg’s captivating voice and a ukulele on top of that and your traditional instruments and you’ve got something different. Something special, even. The whole band is super talented and I love to see them live!
Neglected Objective is a fast, upbeat, yet mesmerizing ska punk album with lyrics that speak to my soul. I love to play this one in the car when I have time to myself with no distraction. It’s a great album to lose yourself in.
Bonus – Emilie Plamondon (Punk Roquette) and Maude Carrier are featured on a track called Lovely Assistant. Emilie is one of my favorite people and I love to listen to her sing. The two of them have such beautiful voices and really rounded this one out.
Favorite Tracks – Shut Up, Broken Down
#1 ALBUM OF THE YEAR
THE BOY DETECTIVE – EXHIBITION
(November 2024 – Punkerton Records)
I learned of The Boy Detective shortly after they released their EP ‘Art Theft’ in January 2024. That album was enough to get these guys into my rotation pretty heavy, but seeing them play live is when I fell so hard for them. There is no comparison to the energy of their set. You are not just seeing and hearing them play, you become a part of the set. It’s an experience that I’d highly recommend.
In November 2024, TBD paired ‘Art Theft’ with their 2021 EP ‘Banned from Bathtub’ album and released a full length on vinyl. Some may say that’s cheating, but not me. Hearing the horns added in to those songs from ‘Banned’ gave them new life. I mean don’t horns make everything better? Maybe it is about the horniness…
Favorite Tracks – Replacement, Scabies, She Only Dates Astronauts
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