Words by Andrew Lampela
Andrew Lampela was an employee and eventual co-owner of the 40-year old institution, Haffa’s Records in Athens, Ohio, just outside of the dark woods from which Skeletonwitch emerged. Over his years there he has played in a number of bands ranging from rock to noise to metal and has taken his lifelong knowledge of music into contributing to a number of publications. He writes the periodic Ears of Decay metal column. Here are his top ten albums in no order.
James Blackshaw – Unraveling In Your Hand (self-released)
Holy smokes, did I need this. Blackshaw is my undisputed master go to for progressive, awe-inspiring acoustic guitar world building. I could name you a half dozen of his albums that are desert-island for me, so I’m biased as fuck, but this is one of his best, for sure. Mesmerizing.
Dirty Three – Love Changes Everything (Drag City)
Love Changes Everything landed perfectly this summer. After the rambunctious opener, this album finds the band deep in ruminative piano mode, also turning in a career highlight in a deep, deep discography. Never fear, there’s plenty of Warren’s violin, but I’m a hundred percent Love Changes Everything shattered my feelings even harder with that piano. An absolute lifeline exactly when I needed one. Thanks guys!
Danny Paul Grody – Arc Of Night (Three Lobed)
Danny Paul Grody is on one, for sure. Following last year’s excellent Arc of Day with another set of gorgeous songs in collaboration with percussionist Rich Douthit, the man can do no wrong. Such a unique, repetitive, singular style in the guitar world, Arc Of Night has been one of my deepest pools of calm all year. As the title suggests, this is perfect headphone music for night walks.
Claire Deak – Sotto Voce (Lost Tribe)
I went on a bit of a Necks delve, and finally caught up to last year’s Travel, a clear standout in a deep, deep discography. If opener “Signal” doesn’t do anything for you, well, you got problems. Ghostly, repetitive, driving, cosmic, that track is everything right now. I recommend diving into the whole thing and feasting on the many directions these guys bend the idea of ‘jazz’, and Travel is a perfect starting point.
SW Hedrick – Devotional Drift Vol 1 (self-released)
A guitar-centric Krautrock-ish instrumental album from one of the nicest dudes I know? Fuck yeah. Even if I didn’t know the guy, Devotional Drift Vol 1 is right in my sweet spot. Popol Vuh inspired repetition, a sax here, a Matt Box there, some rippling piano, this is a deeply layered affair, expanding with each listen. Everyone knows he can shred, but compositional complexity and a controlled sense of mood are the focus here. Excellent work, my dude.
Oren Ambarchi / Johan Berthling / Andreas Werliin – Ghosted II (Drag City)
Ostensibly Jazz, this album what I imagine discovering any sort of Fripp/Eno/Belew/Levin/Bruford jams in real time felt like. It sounds like music I’m familiar with, but somehow takes on elements that fire fresh synapses with every listen. Ambarchi has been on a tear recently, at least according to my ears, and both Ghosted albums are definitely at the apex (Shebang still has a stranglehold on top honors). I recommend this on long drives, it’s been working for me. Again, dive in to all of it, criminally overlooked discography.
Powers / Rolin Duo – Clearing (Astral Editions)
You couldn’t throw a rock without hitting a Matt Rolin record that could have landed on this list in 2024, but the true celestial magic, for me, happens on the core Duo records with Jen. Guitar and Hammered Dulcimer float in and out of circular pools of noise and buddy, we are floating. As much as I love their other collaborations this year, there is ecstatic transcendence in these duo sounds that resonates deeply. This is the good shit.
Solar Temple / Dead Neanderthals – Embers Beget The Divine (self-released)
Imagine if you will, Helios Creed convincing Caspar Brotzmann Massacre to do a few My Bloody Valentine covers with OG era Mick Harris for Amphetamine Reptile, but then forgot the covers and just pulverized the air in the room for almost an hour. Not an accurate description, but if any of those words made you tingle, you should check this out. Sometimes you need a cathartic, relentless nerve-frazzling aural beating and this is a very enjoyable ride full of propulsive bass, psych-leaning riffy sheets of guitars, and the awe-inspiring stamina of Rene Aquarius on drums.
Bonnie ‘Pince’ Billy / Nathan Salsburg / Tyler Trotter – Hear The Children Sing The Evidence (No Quarter)
I put off listening to this initially. Lungfish was a hugely formative band in my late teens/early twenties, with Pass And Stow one of my all timers. Don’t know why I was scared? This is Mr. Wizard Fingers Nathan Salsburg at his most minimal-yet-layered, and holy smokes I can’t imagine anyone inhabiting the words of Daniel Higgs with a more perfect resonance than Will Oldham. Two long form meditations that are a zone unto themselves, this is perfection.
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I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Death is Not the End. The mental gymnastics of including 50s Jamaican Doo-Wop (If I Had A Pair Of Wings) or mid-1900s Brazilian Country music (Rivers Of Revenge) were starting to hurt me, but I absolutely crushed these albums all year, probably more than any other records, so here’s a shout out to one of the more fascinatingly eclectic labels going. There’s a ton of cool stuff to check out. The early 1900s Turkish tangos (The Past Is A Wound In My Heart) is fast becoming a morning coffee favorite. Dig in.