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This was hard. I know this is the Hot Half Dozen, but after I went through my recommendations from all of my columns in 2024, I just could not narrow down over 300 songs and albums to 6. So I stretch it to ten. As I perused the picks from the past 12 months, three things stood out. First, it is heavily weighted toward female artist. This is partly by design and partly by taste, and partly by what is put out there every week. I fund the women are much more creative, much more innovative, much more risky, and their music has many more layers than most of what I receive from male artists and bands. There are exceptions; they are in this list.
Second, it is heavily Latin, specifically Mexican. Ok, I live in Mexico, go to concerts in Mexico, go to clubs in Mexico and follow a lot of Mexican bands. But beyond that. There is so much energy and creativity in the Latin music world. My annual trip to FIMgdl, the Latin American music industry convention and 3-day showcase, always rewards me with a dozen bands that are stellar and beyond much of what I see from the US.
Third, as I get older, my taste has broadened, also a result of living in a country where culture, and especially music, is valued, supported, and all around me. From mariachi to post rock to the symphony to all kinds of fusion, you can’t live here and not sample a brimming buffet of sonic treats every day. So, you will find rock and metal and blues on the list, but also pop and corridos, and mariachi. The one thing missing is country, which I love, hence the bonus.
Enjoy. I did.
Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone, single by Zora. I was planning recommending Zora’s latest release Filter (Live), which I still do recommend – when I ran across her rendition of Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone,. I love the song and I love the way she presents it. The California-born Hungarian -American has a deep, resonant voice that is brimming with self-confidence and beautiful approachability – no small feat. She makes Bill Withers’ original simultaneously a dagger to the heart, and an inspiration.
The Blues is Back. Karen Lawrence: Wow! Can this girl rock and play the blues! The 10 songs on this album range from classic blues to gut-wrenching blues rock, to something else all her own. There is nothing like her out there and this is a must have album whether or not you are a blues fan. She nails it and she will nail you. Stream on Spotify and all major platforms.
Asi Hablamos in Tijuana, single by Adriana Rios. Classic Mexico corrido drama. But an anthem to the women of Mexico. Rios grabs you with the urgency of her vocals , the power of her lyrics, and her haunting voice, and moves you with a tango-theater of guitars and violins, and accordion. A masterpiece of musical craftsmanship – or should I say craftswomanship, as she is one of the rising female regional voices that now line the national charts.
Que Mas Quieres, single by The Warning. No wonder the drummer for The Warning was just named Best Drummer in the World by the Drumeo Awards. Each of the three Mexican sisters of this band are the best, and this song proves the band is at the top of the rock world. A smooth mix of alt rock and metal, the three women grab you immediately and then swing you around the dark side of the moon and bring you back again, unharmed but not unchanged.
Live at The Scala Theatre, album by Eric Bibb. Ten grab- your- gut- blues songs by a master. This is a rare treat that you can close your eyes to and just flow with the harmonica, the guitar, and his timeless voice. The songs are new (except for a Leadbelly classic) but feel familiar. I just love this album.
Génesis album by Peso Plumas. No wonder he was one of only two Mexicans to pick up a Grammy this weekend. Fast-paced, high energy, but very sophisticated lyrical/composition. The slide trombone and trumpets in “Luna” are brilliant.
Alarm Clock, single/video by Sheryl Crow. Another triumph of clever, forceful songwriting, legendary musicianship, and lyrics that point right at everyone while telling her story. So much fun.
You Spin Me Round, single by Maggie Szabo. One of Szabo’s best written and best produced songs. Fast, high tempo, but with her voice distant, like she is singing to you from a ways off, or in your mid – and it works so well. The hook – “round, round” is impossible to shake – just go with it.
Brenda por Ella, single by Flor de Toloache and Goya. The modern mariachi mujer minstrels team up with Colombian singer and songwriter Yorgelis Delgado to give us a dreamy, quick moving, gem of a earworm
Paper Planes, single by Kris Angeles. Beautiful, sensitive, insightful, poignant. A song about her father that is a joy to listen to and to hear – and Angelis makes you do both. From the Damn Shame Waste album.
Todas la Naves del Mundo, álbum by Jaramar. One of Mexico’s most renowned singers with over 13 albums and a Latin Grammy brings us a tale of Mexico with music from Conquest-era Spanish ballads to traditional songs from Veracruz and Oaxaca , all with a modern touch and the power of her voice which she can move from opera highs to breathy love lows. Extraordinary.
Desires of the World: Envy, single/video by Militia Vox. The Metal Goddess has done it again. An over the top, can’t stop watching video that puts to work her devilish imagination, terrific visual chops, and most of all, her amazing voice and songwriting skills to happily celebrate the worst in all of us. Classic metal by Vox with the Reap the Light band is so much fun.
BONUS; Texas Hold’ Em by Beyonce’
Banner: Jaramar on stage.
Patrick O’Heffernan
