That Flash-Cult first End-of-the-Year Issue

What is this thing?

Welcome to "Flash-Cult", swift insights for the advice-averse!

Each month, join us on a journey from the electrifying strums of rock to the soothing melodies of jazz, from the serene waves of ambient to the pulsating rhythms of electronic. No need for long reads—just a quick, fun glimpse and an invite to explore the best tunes we've discovered.

And so, 2024 came and went away and we tried, struggled and fought to run at the same pace of time. It was hard and we miss-stepped just at last mile! So tha'ts how we try to fix our defaillance: special issue, all the bests for this year PLUS some super-advices for last two months.

This won't be a chart, this won't be a "best of", this won't even be a fancy chart: this is us being honest. Time is not linear, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey... stuff. We are in the middle of it, trying not to suffocate in it. That's why we write, that's why we share: to find energies to surf the surface, to resist to the storm of contents and good music, the hurricane of releases that makes very difficult to dedicate your attention (and your memory) to.

Anyway: here's a collection, not of what we liked, but of what we remember the most, what we really listened to. And we hope this would be useful, to act like a filter for you, to avoid you got lost in finding good stuff to listen to.

Hope this year was as good as ours. Well, hope it was softer, honestly. But in any case, hope that we gave you a reason to keep doing what you love or hate, but with the right soundtrack.

See you next year with our best wishes of happy holidays. We'll be there, with some cool new stuff to comment (and new ideas to make true).

Flash-Cult end-of-the-year advices...
because yes.

Our special selection of great music released during 2024.
If you are unable to view the embedded albums with Spotify and Bandcamp, please view the newsletter in your browser.

January

1. Wallace Welsh: I am changing for the better / Dream pop
   Wallace Welsh's new album "I Am Changing For The Better" is a surprisingly strong start to 2024. This Italian indie artist blends dream pop, shoegaze, and guitar pop for a sound reminiscent of The Cure and Day Wave.

2. Loula Yorke: Volta / Downtempo
   Loula Yorke's new album, Volta, is a cyclical and richly textured exploration of electronic music inspired by the ancient concept of the "music of the spheres," featuring layered melodies and organic loops created with a modular synthesizer.

February

1. Be safe: Unwell / Emocore
   Be Safe's deeply personal lyrics and delicate soundtrack create a comforting and immersive musical experience, reflecting their experience and mastery of their craft.

2. Helado Negro: Phasor / Electronic
   Roberto Carlos Lange's "Phasor" is a refreshing and comforting album that blends organic and electronic sounds to create a sonic journey inspired by nature and love.

>> Dive into the Flash-Cult February Digest! <<

March

1. Another Sky: Beach Day / Alt-rock
   Catrin Vincent's powerful vocals and bluesy influences evoke the spirit of '90s Radiohead while forging a unique and captivating sound.

2. Amaro Freitas: Y'Y / Jazz
   Amaro Freitas' "Y'Y" is a transcendent musical journey that boldly fuses avant-garde jazz with indigenous Amazonian influences and polyrhythms, creating a profound narrative of cultural resilience and artistic innovation.

>> Dive into the Flash-Cult March Digest! <<

April

1. Sinkane: We Belong / Black music
   "We Belong" is a harmonious and electrifying blend of the best black musical production from the last 80 years, defying genre classification and inviting everyone to simply follow the beat and dance.

2. [Ahmed]: Wood Blues / Jazz
   The jazz quartet أحمد [Ahmed]'s hour-long improvisational performance of "Oud Blues" at Glasgow's Glue Factory, captured on the album Wood Blues, is a testament to their commitment to both preserving and radically reinterpreting jazz history.

>> Dive into the Flash-Cult April Digest! <<

May

1. Kamasi Washington: Fearless Movement / Jazz
   Kamasi Washington's "Fearless Movement" is a sprawling 90-minute jazz journey that explores themes of dance, mortality, and fatherhood through complex compositions infused with funk, R&B, and hip-hop influences.

2. Billy Eilish: Hit me hard and soft / Alt-pop
   Billie Eilish's latest album surprises by venturing into diverse musical styles that showcase her vocal talent and expressiveness, while departing from her familiar sound in a way that feels both unfamiliar and potentially promising.

>> Dive into the Flash-Cult May Digest! <<

June

1. Charli XCX: Brat / Electro-pop
   This undeniably fun and exceptionally produced electronic pop album transcends personal taste, representing the exciting future of pop music that is already here.

2. Arooj Aftab: Night Reign / Jazz
   Arooj Aftab's "Night Reign" is a haunting and evocative album that weaves together diverse musical influences and poetic lyrics to create a profound exploration of love, loss, and memory.

>> Dive into the Flash-Cult June Digest! <<

July

1. Been Stellar: Scream From New York, NY/ Indie-rock
   Been Stellar evokes the nostalgic spirit of the 90s with their thundering guitars, melancholic melodies, and raw vocals, making it an irresistible listen for anyone who longs for that era.

2. Clairo: Charm / Alternative
   Clairo's Charm is a captivating album that blends soft rock with heartfelt storytelling, evoking nostalgia through vintage instruments and Clairo's soft vocals, creating a dreamy journey through the complexities of human connection.

>> Dive into the Flash-Cult July Digest! <<

August

1. When I'm Called: Jake Xerxes Fussell / Americana
   Folk music with a soul, featuring acoustic guitars and a warm voice singing traditional American melodies, provides melancholic people with emotional warmth through its rhythms and cadences.

2. Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus / Classical | Experimental
   "Opus" is a moving film and album pairing that captures the legendary composer's final performances, offering an intimate portrait of his creativity and mortality intertwined.

>> Dive into the Flash-Cult August Digest! <<

September

1. Brigitte Calls me Baby: The Future Is Our Way Out / Rock and roll
   Crooner's rock and roll sound, with its catchy melodies and swagger, evokes a modern, less stoned version of The Smiths, proving that classic rock and roll remains a timeless and appealing genre.

2. Bright Eyes: Five dice, all three / Folk
   While this album may seem like typical American folk with its storytelling and characteristic sound, Conor Oberst's unique melodic and compositional talent elevates it, making it a perfect album to mark the end of summer.

>> Dive into the Flash-Cult September Digest! <<

October

1. Godspeed You! Black Emperor: No Title As Of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead / Post-rock
   GY!BE's latest album is a tense and angry response to the Palestinian massacre, yet it finds strength and unexpected light in its powerful music, offering a form of expression and consolation beyond words.

2. Félicia Atkinson: Space In An Instrument / Experimental
   Félicia Atkinson's "Space In An Instrument" is a captivating album that blends organic and electronic sounds, creating a multi-layered and immersive soundscape that explores both cosmic and personal spaces.

>> Dive into the Flash-Cult October Digest! <<

And now... a sharped selection from November and December

1. Kendrick Lamar: NGX / Hip Hop
   Kendrick Lamar's "GNX" is a complex and compelling album that sees the rapper address his recent feuds, reflect on his career, and ultimately advocate for love and conflict resolution, all while showcasing his lyrical dexterity and musical innovation.

2. The Cure: Songs of a lost world / Alternative
   The Cure's "Songs Of A Lost World" is a timeless yet time-crushed album that confronts mortality and endings with a melancholic intensity, showcasing Robert Smith's enduring vocals and the band's evolving sound.

3. Alice Hebborn: Saisons / Classical
   Alice Hebborn's "Saisons" is an immersive and expressive album that blends piano and electronic soundscapes to explore humanity's relationship with nature, offering a journey through a dynamic and ultimately optimistic environmental soundscape.

4. Floral Tattoo: The Circus Egotistica; Or, How I Spent Most Of My Life As A Lost Cause / Emocore
   The kind of music you put on in the car when you know you're going to be on a long road trip alone, you don't like it at all, you know you're going to have a terrible experience and you just want to stay awake and sing for two hours and not think about it.

5. Yot club: Rufus / indie-rock
   The future of rock seems to pass through bedroom pop: small productions, well-finished but with a great DIY flavor. loads of guitars, sharp riffs and a certain taste for harmony: a bit like an evening with lifelong friends, drinking and making noise.

6. Visconti: Boy di ferro / indie
   The long-awaited return and a great test. maybe some things sound close to a lot of italian indie from the 10s (above all, Cani and Tutti Fenomeni) but with an extremely personal touch and a great ability to write lyrics. Great for dancing at the aperitif on December 24th.