Top 10s 2024

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Every year, we ask the community’s tastemakers for highlights from the year – favorite albums, songs, artists, shows, and other musical or cultural moments. This year’s Top 10s includes dozens of lists from our volunteers, showgoers, local musicians, and visual artists. The list is big, so we’ve highlighted a few of the most mentions here and added some songs, distractions, videos, and fun stuff along the way. Happy New Year to all of you!

MOST MENTIONED…

Autumn Harry (Community Organizer; visual Artist; Fly Fishing Guide)

Top 10 Songs on Repeat: A mixture of older and newer songs. All these songs/artists supported me through countless hours of thesis writing, mural painting, and driving to/from shows 🙂

• Spell Strike – Provoker
• Woods – Black Marble
• The New – Interpol
• Used To Be – Beach House
• Matty Rue – Soft Kill
• Shake – Dehd
• VCR Romance – Vestron Vulture
• Your Graduation – Modern Baseball
• On The River – Black Belt Eagle Scout
• Say Goodbye – Future Islands

Top 10 Shows

• French Police @ Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco
• Soft Kill @ The Holland Project, Reno
• Black Marble @ The Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
• Future Islands @ The Fox, Oakland
• Sleater Kinney & Belt Eagle Scout @ The Brooklyn Bowl, Las Vegas
• Provoker @ The Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
• War on Drugs and The National @ The Greek Theatre, Berkeley
• Sum 41 @ The Complex, Salt Lake City
• Smashing Pumpkins @ GSR, Reno
• Interpol and The Walkmen @ Kia Forum, Inglewood

Edgar Padilla (aka Gator Agent; visual artist)

2024 was a fantastic year for music and movies! Most of my favorite artists released music that helped shape many memories created this year. I also watched new movies that instantly became part of my top ten. The following lists include things that came out this year, but I still threw in favorites from the past that I revisited in 2024.

Top 10 Albums

• COWBOY CARTER by Beyoncé (2024)
• Eternal sunshine by Ariana Grande (2024)
• Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat by Charli xcx (2024)
• GNX by Kendrick Lamar (2024)
• Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny (2022)
• ORQUÍDEAS by Kali Uchis (2024)
• PLAYA SATURNO by Rauw Alejandro (2023)
• The Substance score by Raffertie (2024)
• Challengers (Original Score) by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (2024)
• RENAISSANCE by Beyoncé (2022)

Top 10 Movies

• The Substance, directed by Coralie Fargeat (2024)
• Challengers, directed by Luca Guadagnino (2024)
• MaXXXine, directed by Ti West (2024)
• Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé (2023)
• Longlegs, directed by Osgood Perkins (2024)
• Wicked, directed by Jon M. Chu (2024)
• Hereditary, directed by Ari Aster (2018)
• Saltburn, directed by Emerald Fennell (2023)
• American Psycho, directed by Mary Harron (2000)
• Black Swan, directed by Darren Aronofsky (2010)

Next Question (RENO BAND)

10 favorite albums from 2024

Kendrick Lamar – GNX: A fun, exciting, less conceptual, and shorter Kendrick album loaded with fun memorable tracks. Jack and Sam bumped it a lot. Basically “Not Like Us” is the album but with some really powerful personal moments too.

Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us: An amazing and captivating VW album that not many people saw coming. It’s got a very unique and intricate instrumental palate that sounds like it combines all the skills the members have gathered over the years. It’s the easiest VW album to take seriously from start to finish and has some of their most consistent and atmospheric production. Jack, Tenzin, and Sam were feeling it.

Charlie Lomonaco – rock mixtape for awkward and sad wolves: We actually found this dude from social media, his album is so rad! Malcolm was into it first appreciating how it “uses guitar effects amazingly well and has very catchy songs.” The rest of the band couldn’t agree more. Check out “Rough Night,” “Just a Friend,” or “Your Might.”

MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks: This was a big one for Tenzin and Jack, an indie folk rock banger that deserves the hype it received. Quite possibly the most replayable 2024 record with its deadpan social commentary and slacker vocals. “Wristwatch” won’t leave your head for days if not weeks.

Mount Eerie – Night Palace: A vast and diverse compilation of transcendent tracks from one of our biggest inspirations. Maybe one of the best in the Mount Eerie catalogue, but regardless of rankings Tenzin and Jack are just happy to live in the shadow of Phil Elverum’s prolific magic.

The Smile – Cutouts: This was a big one for Malcolm (no surprises there, he loves anything Radiohead-related which I guess we’re all a little guilty of), Sam also shouted out their other record from this year, but Cutouts resonated more with Malcolm so we added this one to give him a voice. He’s not wrong though, Thom, Jonny, and Tom Skinner are still a dream team making some of the most intricate and clever art/experimental rock you can find.

Friko – “where we’ve been, where we go from here”: a legendary debut album in Lofi indie rock. So much passion and emotion in the tracklist. Every song is memorable and iconic and made with so much love. If the production was a little better I think it would be one of the best indie rock albums of the decade, which gives me high hopes for whatever they do next. This was one of Jack’s faves.

Blackstallion – Foolish Mind: Serene, familiar, relatable, and gorgeous little project from right here in Northern Nevada. It’s so short and pleasant from start to finish I can’t stop throwing it on. Smooth and comforting vocals and riffs, and a brilliant portrayal of subtlety and restraint. I’m pleased to say a local artist that we had the honor of playing with put out one of the best things I’ve heard all year. Listen to foolish mind, cityslickers, and Chowhound!

Touche amore – spiral in a straight line: This was a big one for Tenzin, some expressive and inspiring post-hardcore with a very cohesive track list that shows Touché Amoré at peak form. Julien Baker’s feature is crazy too!?

Knocked Loose – You won’t go before you’re supposed to: “Knocked Loose returns with their third full-length album and they are as heavy as ever. The mainstream success this album achieved is incredible for the genre and I can only hope this will help smaller heavy bands grow. Also, the Jimmy Kimmel performance was crazy.” -Tenzin (he’s right, listen to him)

Zac Lane Arroyo (freaks & geeks; HP NIGHT STAFF)

#10 – Glixen, Frank Futility, Headstone (November): What a wonderful fall night full of moody and shoegazey vibes. Frank Futility has had an epic 2024, popping up at shows all over Reno and completely reinventing their sound, adding a full band over the course of the year. Glixen is incredible. Congratulations to them for playing Coachella next Spring! Recommended Listening – Forever Soon, Glixen

#9 – Wheatus and Gabrielle Sanchez (March): Ahhh, March storms. Even after Donner Pass was shut down, Wheatus was still able to barely make it on stage to deliver one of the more memorable performances of 2024. With absolutely no setlist, Wheatus played songs the audience was just yelling out. Aren’t we all just a bunch of teenage dirtbags at heart? Recommended Listening – Teenage Dirtbag, Wheatus

#8 – Glitterer, Toner, Draag (September): Ned is an absolute legend. Amazing guitar; high energy, East Coast Emo. I’m just grateful to have been able to witness it. Recommended Listening – Are You Sure? Glitterer

#7 – Halloween Show (October): A change in locations from Ferrari Farms back to Holland left a lot of people wondering what to expect from this year’s Halloween show. An incredible multi-stage layout and interactive events spread throughout Holland and KWNK exceeded everyone’s expectations. A big thank you to all the bands that participated this year! I could write a whole separate top ten list about the costumes everyone showed out in. Recommended Listening – Never Going Back Again, Fleetwood Mac

#6 – Pelada, Clown Club VIP, Radio Ammunition (August): We danced the night away to hyperpop with a special guest appearance from heartthrob Clown Club VIP. Pelada is iconic and makes me feel sexyy yet ready to fight someone at the same time. Recommended Listening – No Hay, Pelada

#5 – Renotendo x Rat Race Records (October): What a special, one-of-a-kind mixed bill featuring Baby Abielle, Elleanor Burke, Faded Shawties, and FKA Fingers. It was a showcase of all different communities coming together in one scene. It’s a snapshot of what makes Holland so special. Recommended Listening – Money Bitch, Elleanor Burke

#4 – Brooke Candy, BBY Africka, Tash Blake (October): In the club, we’re all fam. Brooke Candy brought the club to Reno, for sure.  Recommended Listening – Cum, Brooke Candy

#3 – Mind’s Eye and Friko (May): POV Indie Guy takes you to a show at the Holland Project. Recommended Listening – Andy and I, Mind’s Eye

#2 – Together Pangea and Death Lens @ Cypress (April): Probably my highlight of the continued partnership between Holland and Cypress. Together Pangea are Reno legends. Death Lens would have earned their own spot on this list from their headlining show in July if they didn’t open this show. All I can say is sorry if you missed out. Recommended Listening – Friend of Nothing (Acoustic), Together Pangea

Honorable Mentions 
Bug Bath and Sun Spots Tour Kick-Off (January) 
Mexican Slum Rats, Winona Forever, Israel’s Arcade (September)

#1 – Cosmic Puzzle (July): Probably the epitome of all creative endeavors for Reno in 2024, Cosmic Puzzle was an all-day event that started with a gallery showing at Holland, continued with a bike ride to the Automobile Museum for a shadow-puppet show that could’ve screened at Sundance, followed by an interactive skit that continued the story at the Believe Plaza. Finally, a parade took everyone back to Holland where a rave was set up for everyone to party the rest of the night. This was truly a showcase of everything that the community can achieve. I’m so thankful to have been able to be a part of the experience and thinking back on this event makes me excited for 2025. Recommended Listening – ten, Fred Again…

Rachael McElhiney (solo artist; collaborator on many projects)

Top 10 pets I’ve gotten to spend time with this year! After saying goodbye to my sweet old lady baby Pecan last year, I had wonderful healing moments spending time with these kind souls this year.

• Honorable/Distinguished/Beloved mention: My little Pecan aka “Pipi”. RIP ❤️😇❤️
• Sweet old Charlie! He loved to bark for second breakfasts and extra treats. Brother to the Sextones! RIP 😇
• Beautiful boy Roo. Sits with his feet crossed and is very fluffy
• Baby Reggie, heir to the Sand Gators!
• Huey!! Trying so hard to be good! Son of my dear friend and Subtle Lover’s sister Gabbi.
• Egg, King of the babies, Eggatha Christie Mystery Writer, my roommate
• Chippy, always dressed to the 9’s in his tuxedo, loves to be brushed, son of a famous Reno bass player
• The sweetest and smallest of hippos, Miss Charlie
• Flap Jack, cuddly Colorado captain
• Walter, my nephew, loves early-morning tennis matches
• Cat, Cat-Paw-Chino, my other roommate, loves wet food and asks for more breakfast immediately after regular breakfast.

Binh Cao (music enjoyer, graphic designer)

10 Music-Inspired Highlights of 2024

• sego @ OffBeat Music Festival, Reno: for an event all about music discovery, finding & meeting them was an absolute delight
• Justice @ Life Is Beautiful, Las Vegas: the whole festival was a dance marathon, but they stole the show tbh. thankful for earplugs
• Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us: as a fan of hip-hop & appreciator of Drake’s dance hits: lol, lmao even— what a time to be alive!
• Pissmixer @ Cypress, Reno: one of their best shows, and I’ve been to plenty of their shows
• Alvvays @ Ace of Spades, Sacramento: super cool band at a super rad venue with a few super great friends
• Tropa Magica @ Off The Rails, Downtown Reno: tropa magica loves reno & reno loves tropa magica
• Floral/Rob Ford Explorer/Queam @ Holland Project, Reno: a wonderful evening of math rock & friendship to soothe the election night’s woes
• SOFI TUKKER @ The J Parking Lot, Reno: odd they had it in the parking lot instead of the fancy new stage — god-tier show nonetheless
• DJ Atey Ate + Diskoteka @ Public House, Reno: decadent b2b set from my fav local goats commemorating the timeless bangers from the summer of ’16
• Kali Uchis, The Marías, Clairo, Charli xcx, Flo Milli, 21 Savage, Tyler, Billie, Doechii, Kendrick, Vince Staples, Tems, Chief Keef, Kaytranada, Future, Smino: way too many hot-n-fresh albums to list, but just know we all ate hella well this year

Anthony Santos (volunteer, KWNK DJ, Altered States, Freaks & Geeks)

My first full year living in Reno has been quite an eventful one! Starting out in the AMP program at the Holland back in the Spring, helping out at shows over the Summer and learning to do sound on my own, starting my KWNK show this Fall, playing my first solo show, finishing my solo EP, and starting my band. It’s been a great year, thank you to everyone who made it possible, you are my favorites of the year. Hope you all have a great 2025!

Releases from this year

1. Memoir of A Snail (movie): Highly recommend watching this, one of the most touching films I’ve ever seen, brought me to tears
2. Hayday – Big Well (album): One of my favorite bands this past year, this album inspired me a lot, Big Well and Glen Ellen are so killer
3. Casino Hearts – Lose Your Halo (ep): The soundtrack to my late-night drives, In & Out of Time has the most ethereal vibes
4. I Saw the TV Glow (movie): Have no idea how to describe this movie in any capacity, just one that you have to see for yourself
5. Alien: Romulus (movie): This movie ended up getting quite a bit of hate, but I think it was a super fun experience, and as a huge fan of the game, could not have been happier to see all the references

Just stuff I enjoyed this year

Music:

1. The Babies (band)
2. Mineral (band)
3. Scruffpuppie – Zombie Boy (album)
4. The Kinks – Strangers (song)
5. Horse Jumper of Love – Heartbreak Rules (album)
6. Current Joys – It’s Getting Cold in the City (song)
7. Girlpool – 123 (song)
8. Bos Angeles – Taking Out the Trash (album)
9. Drop Nineteens – Delaware (album)
10. Linda Smith – I So Liked Spring (song)

Movies:

1. Out of the Blue (1980)
2. The Holdovers (2023)
3. Phantom Thread (2017)
4. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
5. Open Your Eyes (1997)
6. Perfect Days (2023)
7. Nashville (1975)
8. One from the Heart (1982)
9. The Deer Hunter (1978)
10. Midnight Cowboy (1969)

J Vineyard (faint shape; SWEETENING)

Here’s my top 10 list for this year in no particular order:

1) Cook Books: Start Here and Vegan Japaneasy – It’s been a good year for cooking at my house. I really dove into both books this year. I’ve been making all kinds of recipes and they rule. I truly think that I could eat ramen every day of my life and not get tired of it, so Vegan Japaneasy helps me branch out into more ramen styles. Start Here helps incorporate more vegetables and protein into my vegetarian diet though it has a lot of meat stuff if you’re into that sort of thing. Start Here explains why things are baked, cut, paired, or even cooked the way that they are. Additionally, it breaks eggs down to a molecular level—it’s worth checking out. 

2) Song: New Sensation by Idles – I am a huge fan of Idles and this song was one that I listened to a lot this year. I love the build but how understated the majority of the song is until that breakdown at the end. The breakdown is simple like most of the song but the gritty bass fills the space with an ominous tone. The end also has upbeat clapping which is a nice juxtaposition with the uneasy feeling brought on by the foreboding instrumentation at the end. 

3) Book: Ask Baba Yaga: Otherworldly Advice for Everyday Troubles – Sometimes when I’m feeling stuck or hopeless, I’ll read my own tarot cards. It just gives me hope that there will be a future and helps me reflect. This book gives me that same feeling. I was in more lows than usual, earlier this year—I bought this book and it broke through my haze. Not completely, but it offered a new perspective. If you want to feel more connected to the earth while reading a silly but touching advice book, check it out!

4) Show: Petal Sisters at Holland Project – I don’t remember when this show was, but I remember it was the debut of their official name. I was blown away. It’s impactful to see musicians get lost in a performance and that’s what I remember about this show—that, and the color green. I remember the room being very green. 

5) Show: Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso Tiny Desk – La Que Puede, Puede, in particular, is a song that I had on repeat from this performance. You should stop reading this immediately to watch the performance and then come on back. It is fun, and energetic, and it was translated so well from electronic to acoustic. I listen to both versions a lot—both the recorded album version and the Tiny Desk live performance. I prefer the Tiny Desk version. It’s been a while since I have been so enthralled by a recorded live performance. The whole performance is amazing but if you only watch one song, watch La Que Puede, Puede. 

6) Streaming Service: Dropout – I have been watching Dropout for years. It started as the old College Humor crew and grew into much more. I originally got it to watch Dimension 20, the D&D actual-play show, but the service is growing into a much bigger and much more interesting streaming service. If you like improv, this streaming service is for you. Check out clips from the shows Game Changer, Smartypants, and Thousandaires. They’re just goofy and fun. 

7) Album: On Time by Noah Linker – There’s a really cool mix of songs on this album, you can feel the growth throughout the record. You get pretty standard rock songs like 360 or Typical Tuesday Night Enjoyer, and then you have songs like Procrastiduction. Led by an intricate bassline, Procrastiduction builds and unfurls into something much more dynamic than I expected. It’s a good album and worth checking out. 

8) Debut band shows – This year offered new bands by the handful! Here are two of my favorite debuts: Grub and Agitprop. Grub is a newer band comprised of some very skilled musicians. I love their sound. I’m bad at labeling music but let’s just say it’s rock. All of the instrument compositions are so interesting, they offer a lot of personal expression while still mixing very well together. In case you were wondering, yes, I consider vocals an instrument. The other, Agitprop, felt like an arena show in Holland Project. The performance composition was on point. You can tell that a lot of time and intention was put into this set. The lights were programmed to the backing tracks, and I was definitely gawking the whole time. I thought the show was going to be good but it exceeded my expectations. The visual of a silhouette encased by well-timed flashing lights and pulsing darkwave tying it all together is something that you shouldn’t miss. Check out Grub and Agitprop if you get the chance. 

9) Co-Op Game: Stardew Valley – Yes, yes, old news. If you want to just relax, this game is great. It’s pretty low stakes, it has pretty good music, and you get to have 8-bit romances with the villagers! Playing online is a good way to connect with people who don’t live in the same city. I play this online with my cousin and let me tell you—I don’t know how I would survive the game without her. The only thing that I like doing is building connections with the villagers. Truly, I’m giving out gifts left and right, twice a week in Stardew time—while my cousin works all day on our farm. Classic. What a chump. A close second in this category for the year was It Takes Two. It’s this wild game about people who are about to get a divorce but their daughter unknowingly traps them in doll bodies where they are forced to reconcile. The daughter is convinced they are absent parents who are unhappy because they had her, all the while the parents look like they’re asleep but are actually solving puzzles as dolls.  It has a lot of games within the games which is my favorite thing. A story in a story. 

10) Artist: Jesse Ware – This story will take a second to explain, so please give me a moment. I’m in a band that played a show with Sculpture Club. I checked out Sculpture Club’s Audio Tree performance a few days before we all played at Holland. In the Audio Tree performance, the host asks for their recommended albums and the bassist says Jesse Ware’s What’s Your Pleasure. I dug into the album and got really into it. Notable songs are Ooh La La, Soul Control, and Step Into My Life. The music video for Step Into My Life is very good. As someone who can’t dance, I really appreciate the work that went into the video. If you like electro-pop, I recommend this. Check it out. 

Luke Rizzotto (Visual Artist)

Shows

Xiu Xiu – 9/20 – Holland, Reno, NV: I love it when you can feel the energy of the performer’s coming right off the stage and infecting you. Xiu Xiu gave an incredible performance that managed to transport me to a number of mindscapes.

Halloween Cover Show – 10/26 – Holland, Reno, NV: This annual show really epitomizes Holland’s and Reno’s collective creativity: the local bands embodying their inspirations, the transformation of Holland into a spooky graveyard, everyone dressed up in their best costumes. This year was one of the best.

Les Percéides – 7/21 – Pit Caribou, Percé, QC: This was my introduction to this Quebecois Psychedelic Rock band. I really love musicians that make use of visuals or VJing, and these guys brought their set to the next level with their psychedelic/glitchy abstract visuals.

• Horse Jumper of Love – 9/23 – Holland, Reno, NV
• Bug Bath EP Release – 1/23 – Holland, Reno, NV
• Minami Deutsch/Spitting Image – 10/29 – Holland, Reno, NV
• Bay Faction – 11/6 – Holland, Reno, NV

Music

FM Skyline – Images: FM Skyline takes you on a journey through the mental images and liminal non-places that make up our imaginations. This album came out almost right after I finished everything I needed to for my degree, so it felt like it was the soundtrack to the final act of this chapter as well as to the first act to the next one.

Bug Bath – World of Fools: Can’t get enough of the bugs! Not only a great EP, but a great time at their release party at the beginning of the year.

猫シ Corp. – Sunday Television: Vaporwave has matured tremendously as a genre in recent years, experimenting wildly and growing in new directions. 猫シ Corp. (said “cat corp”, “cat system corp”, or “nekoshi corp”, depending on who you ask) brings us back to Vaporwave’s early days of sampling, slowing down, and reverbing, while still having fun with the composition, sound quality, and the unintentional poetics of weather channel music and regional commercials.

• vcr-classique – SPECTRUM
• Tyler the Creator – Chromakopia
• Christtt – WWW
• International Telecom – 3 a . m . S i g n a l s
• Knocked Loose – You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To

Movies/TV/Videos

I Saw the TV Glow, dir. Jane Schoenbrun: This movie really captured the boredom and loneliness of growing up in the suburbs, and the transformative powers of art and media, both themselves but also the communities centered around them.

The history of slipping on banana peels, Jon Bois Banana: Anything Jon Bois creates is pretty good. He has an incredible knack for crafting profound narratives out of what at first seem to be just banal goings-on or stale pop culture.

How To Untangle Chaos | Anatomy of a Fall Analysis, Shawn Grenier | The Canvas: The Canvas is a great channel that manages to deeply ponder and discuss everything between high art and popular culture, both historical and contemporary. I had the privilege of watching this movie with Shawn and discussed the complexities of interpersonal relationships that aren’t normally seen, so seeing this video after our in-person discussion was a real treat. Anatomy of a Fall is also a great movie.

The Amazing Digital Circus, dir. Gooseworx: One of the most innovative and creative works of animation in recent years. This gives me hope for future independent animation.

• Celestial, Gator Agent
• S/He is Still Her/e

Art

Sun Tunnels, Nancy Holt: I visited Nancy Holt’s Sun Tunnels in northwest Utah near the Nevada border this summer, and was immediately struck by its harmony with its surrounding landscape. Often, Land Artists used the land itself as a material or canvas, making permanent marks on the land they sought to elevate as art. Sun Tunnels however does not go this route, instead placing 4 large concrete cylinders within the Great Salt Lake Desert, both framing the surrounding mountains and pointing towards celestial events.

ALL POWER ON EARTH COMES FROM THE SUN, curated by Solarpunk Surf Club: I was fortunate to have a piece shown in this exhibition put on by an art/social justice collective based in Lexington, Kentucky. Art from across the country and world came together in this exhibition on the University of Kentucky’s campus that explored the current climate we are in, and importantly, how we as artists can operate in this climate. I found so many parallels between Holland and all the creatives in Reno and what these guys are doing there.

Far Beyond the Walls, curated by Frances Melhop: A heavy but well-done show, but by far the most emotional and resonant gallery for me was the inmate art up for sale on the cafeteria tables. Something about the contrast between the artists who are currently incarcerated and those in the rest of the show who are either now free or work with prisoners, how much you could tell the inmates really enjoyed their time making art, really stuck with me. It was the most effective in getting across what this show says it’s about.

Days Like These, Ashley Brock and Ashley Frost, The Depot: My good friends really transformed a gallery into a beautiful place where you can just be. Cozy, friendly, lots to look at and do. Plus, I gotta plug the little old gallery I curate for. Shows by local artists every month!

• Any Student Show at UNR
• Of the Sol
• HP Billboard Galleries

Moments/Experiences/Etc

Playing Mario Kart while in a frigid blizzard gridlock between Hawthorne and Fallon late at night in January. A nightmare for sure, but also a formative experience and grateful my good friend and I made the most out of it.

Celebrating mine and my cohort’s MFA thesis exhibitions in spring. The 4 of us all put a ton of work into our shows and it was magical getting to share this journey together, concluding with incredible, immersive, and emotional artwork.

Driving along US 50 (“the loneliest road”), quite hard to put fully into words. You can just look out for miles and within the mountains off in the distance and in the vast valleys lush with sagebrush and juniper you can see millions of years.

Spending a month in rural Québec at an artist residency, Le Germinal. I met a ton of mostly francophone artists, musicians, and writers and was introduced to a world of art, poetry, culture, and communities built around these. Very grateful to be able to travel and see so many things in this way.

All of the late nights on the back patio of Corrigan’s after Holland shows, or just because.

Madison Ferguson (VISUAL ARTIST; HP VOLUNTEER)

I am horribly bad at picking favorite/top anything so take the following with a grain of salt. 

TOP GIGS
1. Spy, Candy Apple, Pissmixer, Bug Bath, Lumber @ Cypress (May 24): I remember there being an incredible turnout at a lot of the Cypress shows with Bug Bath. Spy was a blast, the energy was high, and summer was just kicking off. 
2. Soft Kill, Béton Armé, Still Ruins @ Holland (Sep 6): Just a quality show all around. Fog machine during Soft Kill was strong as always.
3. Honorable mention: Bugs vs Dogs @ Cypress (Jan 7)

I actually never made it to this show in time and played pretend at being in love for a few hours with a stranger I had met earlier instead. We got there right after the last set and they bought a t-shirt anyway. 

MUSIC
I’ve been making easy, off-the-cuff playlists every month of songs that stuck out to me more than usual and were new to me or just were playing at a particular moment I’d like to remember. Capping at 10 is hard for me but a necessary constraint, so here’s some music that isn’t necessarily all top of the top for me this year but you get it:

• Seashell Angel Lucky Charm (2024) – Armlock (Album, Alternative/Indie)
• Shirt (2024) – Porches (Album, Rock)
• MJ Lenderman (2019) – MJ Lenderman (Album, Alt-Country/Indie Rock )
• 呼吸 (2001) – Lily Chou-Chou (Album, J-Pop)
• Oasis + Blur (Artists) – I revisited a lot of music from this time period pretty heavily earlier in the year, in my defense, it was before Oasis announced their reunion ok
• Corpses In Their Mouths (1998) – Ian Brown (Song, 90’s Alternative/Indie)
• Gaymo (1996) – 12 RODS (Song, 90’s Indie Rock)
• Touching Screens (2020) – ML Buch (Song, Dream pop)
• Millions (2024) – Kill Eva, Staggr (Song, Hyperpop/WebCore)
• JIVEBOMB (Artist, Baltimore HC Punk, Female Vocalist) – the 2021 demo stood out to me

MOVIE
All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001): There are images from this movie that I think about regularly.

A dreamlike, disconcerting/dark, suburban gothic. Although it’s not a Western film the cinematography scratches some of the early-2000’s nostalgia itch that has so much influence currently. But not necessarily in a fun way, this movie is hard to watch at points (TW). It clocks in at 2.5 hours and feels impossibly long to me. They released a real-life album under the name of the fictional musician in the movie. A cool writeup on the filmmaker here.

“A year before the film’s release in 2000, Iwai created an Internet forum, centered on a fictional musician known as Lily Chou-Chou, that served as the basis for a story of troubled teenagers who find solace on the Internet. Some of the anonymous messages posted in the forum became a part of the film’s story, and the site remains active and open to new comments today.”

THREAT
“You better watch it or I’m gonna come lean on all your furniture and maybe rest my chin on it.”

MAGIC TRICK/TORTURE DEVICE
Showing up alone. Just all-around underrated, in a variety of contexts. As an example, I went to a design conference in SF this last summer and after the first day headed up to an afterparty at a nearby rooftop alone. I could’ve waited for some other people I knew to tell me they were on their way to avoid being by myself, but it opened me up to meeting some incredible people and designers that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise connected with or been approached by. I was introduced to the DJ, who just happened to be one of the main designers on the original iPhone home screen at Apple, which was huge for someone like me who spends a lot of time designing interfaces. 

Matthew Gavrilles (VISUAL artist, shewasabutterflyANDIMJUSTAMOTH, Orrral Fixation, HRT)

Dogs Maze EP (2024) by Pissmixer: Piss crew dropped this right when me and gang were starting to write our shewasabutterfly EP, and I think the writing style influenced all of us a lot in that process. The title track, Dog’s Maze is a unique blend of strange humor and powerful punk sound that makes your face wrinkle up and your hands grab at the air. Thoughts: Punk Rock. Awesome. Stomping.

October 21st, Hong Kong Fuck You, Badfast, Unspeakable Carnge, Buckaroo, Best Friends, @ Serva Pool: This was probably my favorite show of the year, I think it brought together a lot of kids all across the genres and that always makes for a good show, every band was spectacular and the friendship vibes were divine. Thoughts: Mosh. Yeehaw. Bass Guitar. Cardio.

Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child (2002) by Norma Jean: This was probably the album I listened to the most this year, chaotic big sound metalcore with nasty dance sections and breakdowns and some of my favorite lyric work of all time. Thoughts: War. Jesus. Glass.

All Is Lost… All Is Lost… All Is Yet To Be Found (2004) by Tower of Rome: Weird snappy grindcore with shrieky vocals, funky lyrics about all kinds of strange ramblings. influenced a lot of writing for personal projects and side bands. Thoughts: Karate. Gameboy Advance. Revenge.

user seat-safety-switch on tumblr.com: my favorite dystopian fiction-narrative based shitpost blog adequately summarized by their bio “Cars and computers make you stupid.” telling really entertaining strange stories with a pretty visible overarching vibe of critique on late-stage-capitalism and a lack of walkable cities/surviving as a working class creative in a dystopian society. Thoughts: Hoverboards. eBay. 9-5s

Psycholonials by Andrew Hussie (any of Hussie’s projects in general): internet microcelebrity clown girls run from the government and build a clown cult and do civilian militia takeover badassery. Got into this in the beginning of the year and it really stuck with me as a story about change and family and love. Thoughts: Instagram. Horses. Sweet.

La Divina Commedia vol I: Inferno by Dante Alighieri: The OG self-insert fanfic from mr Alighieri. This year was dotted with extensive talks with friends about what circle we’d be condemned to for eternity. Thoughts: Ice Baths. Dante x Virgil. Pits.

Fright Makes Right (2005) by Coughs: One of my favorite experimental noise rock projects, every track on this 16 part album is sassy, loud, fun, weird, annoying, and there’s too many favorites on the album to count. Thoughts: Saxophone. Trash Can. Sass.

Martyr & Cage (diptych) (2019) by Tom Nakashima: I installed this piece over the summer as a part of the exhibition Resilience: a Sansei Sense of Legacy at the Lilley Museum of Art and it’s stood out to me as a piece that’s influenced my work this latter half of the year, exploring more of his work and style and his own influences has opened my mind to some really fantastic contemporary work exploring issues I connect with. Thoughts: Contrast. Form. Grief.

September 7th, Awakebutstillinbed, shortstop, thiscouldneverwork, foilsick @ Holland: This was another favorite show of the year, awakebutstillinbed has been one of my favorite groups for years, and it was a really enjoyable show with all the emo screamo goodness. Thoughts: Friendship. Tears. Benches.

Alana Berglund (HP associate director)

Films + music videos that will actually stay in my rotation after 2024…

Rose Glass – Love Lies Bleeding
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
Julio Torres – Problemista
Osgood Perkins – Longlegs
Zoe Kravitz – Blink Twice (lol)
Kendrick Lamar – squabble up
A$AP Rocky – Taylor Swif
Kim Gordon – Bye Bye
Charli xcx – 360
ClownClubVIP – Nothing Matters (dir. by Gator Agent)

Michael Moberly (NEW dad; community guy; beverage king)

Top Ten Non Edible Social & Emotional Ice Cream Toppings

10. The Way Listening To The Beach Boys Makes You Feel: love them or hate them, listening to The Beach Boys more than likely brings about feelings of USA, Drop Tops, Everybody Surfing Now, and a feeling we all know: Komomo. Nothing makes your whistle wet for chilled & creamed fat like good vibrations.

9. Knowing that in some reality Snoopy is real: a true compliment to Chocolate ice cream is the idea that in one of the countless dimensions Snoopy is real and has cute lil adventures like the Red Baron. 

8. Salt, the concept: being a real salty bitch about something sprinkled on top of cookie dough ice cream is *chefs kiss*.

7. Flexing the fact you have a freezer at the Victorian-era ghost that haunts your house: you want to make that rocky road pop? Try eating it with big yummms and slurps at the Victorian-era ghost that would have lived at least 10 more years had proper refrigeration existed while it was alive. What a chump.

6. Pam Anderson: how sic is it that Pam is back and fuckin doper than ever. That fact should make your French Vanilla 30% more French. Plus watch Barbed Wire again, it’s bad but it’s also very good.

5. Ennui: knowing you are a human in the universe and that you will die and are basically just walking dirt does make bubble gum ice cream taste better. Plus once it melts from you staring into oblivion and not eating it you can have chalky bubble gum that has no flavor. 

4. Using a random accent on accident when you are first meeting someone: have you ever just randomly used an accent when you were sorta nervous making small talk with someone new? That shit is incredible on Chunky Monkey. 

3. Brat: I don’t know how this applies to my list but I feel like it should be on it cuz I feel like eating ice cream with Charli would make the ice cream taste better.

2. New Car Smell: you just cleaned your car and it smells fuckin great and you are kinda hot from cleaning and that ice cream sounds great so you eat it and all that work makes the Oreo blizzard just go down so good.

1. The fact there is a pommel horse in Christian Grey’s home gym in the 50 Shades Darker movie: these dumb mother fuckers spent FIFTY-FIVE MILLION DOLLARS on a movie about boring people having pretty normal regular sex and for some reason, they thought the sexy sex home gym scene needed a section where Christian Grey uses a pommel horse. Who the fuck has a pommel horse? Why the fuck would this rich guy who just likes going down on ladies and is sorta bossy have one on his home gym? This feeling of confusion and rage is a perfect topping for most store-bought strawberry ice cream.

Luke Merlino (PHOTOGRAPHER; MUSICIAN)

There were a lot of amazing shows in Reno this year, and I feel very lucky that I was able to photograph many of them. I’m always grateful for what The Holland Project does for the music and art community throughout the year, which made it very difficult to choose from so many great artists and performances. These are Ten of My Favorite Local Shows of 2024:

1. January 7th – Bugs Vs. Dogs @ Cypress: Started off the year right with this stacked lineup at Cypress.

2. January 27th – Frank Futility, Charity Kiss, Bug Bath, Sun Spots @ Holland: A super fun sold-out show early in the year. Every artist put on a great performance that night.

3. April 14th – Dog Dog, The Alive, Sitting on Stacy @ Holland: A bittersweet ending to Dog Dog’s career.

4. May 3rd – Hibernation Fest @ Fox Cultural Theatre: This was an awesome show and just a great day in general. I had the privilege of working on a music video in Tahoe all day, then heading up to King’s Beach that evening for this amazing show. Super high energy from each of the artists, and it was great to see so many people from Reno come out to support.

5. May 18th – Minds Eye @ Holland: Minds Eye graced us with their sweet indie pop sounds on a beautiful late-spring evening (and I got to meet singer Vince of TikTok fame.) They’ve been on repeat throughout the year since.

6. May 29th – Faetooth @ Holland: A band I wouldn’t have discovered if not for this show. They are putting out some incredible atmospheric death-doom metal, and it translates live just as powerfully as it does in their recordings. They immediately made me a fan.

7. June 14th – Carpool Tunnel @ Holland: They were one of the first Holland shows I went to several years ago, and it’s always a pleasure when they come to town.

8. July 28th – Wisecrack, Bug Bath, Cashier, World’s Worst @ Holland: My first time seeing World’s Worst, and they put on a super tight, high-energy performance that night. They also immediately made me a fan.

Edith Caufield (Sorcerer’s sword; visual artist)

BEST BOOKS I READ/LISTENED TO IN 2024

I read more books this year than in any previous year of my life, and it has both made my life significantly better and made me a bit crazier. I see this as a dual benefit! Here are my top 10, out of the 50+ I imbibed…

”Buile Suibhne”: This early medieval Irish composition describes the life of a king from the north of Ireland who, after insulting a Christian priest, was cursed to go mad. The riotous sound of an ensuing battle drives him insane, and he spends the rest of his life living in trees, on the tops of mountains, and in hidden valleys, listening to the sounds of animals and composing some of the most stirring poetry ever written! A masterpiece of ancient literature, and one that is idiosyncratically personal in its scope.  

“Meeting The Other Crowd” by Eddie Lenihan and Carolyn Eve Green: This collection of Irish fairy stories is monumental, a truly spectacular and strange and disturbing anthology of tales collected by Lenihan over decades in his home of County Clare. Nocturnal journeys into the earth, hubris rewarded with swift death, spectral games of sport, these stories have it all, and the folklorist provides ample social and historical context throughout. This work rivals even Yeats’ best efforts!

“The Essential Dykes To Watch Out For” by Alison Bechdel: You will laugh, you will sigh, you will feel seen, all of that good stuff! This is of course a classic, but warrants rereading and reviewing as time passes. You’ll find yourself thinking, “wow, I thought dapper agender puppyboy dykes were only a thing because of TikTok, but here they are, in this comic from George W. Bush’s first term!” The progressions of history are slow and monumental, and it’s wonderful to see a recognizable group of friends going through it together, in a funny little comic strip!

“Stone Butch Blues” by Leslie Feinberg: Another classic, and another one that will have your mind going crazy over hidden queer histories and the back corners of 20th-century American culture. No, we are not alone, and never have been, truly! Beware, because this book will probably break your heart and make you feel bad, but the experience is worth it, and Leslie’s writing voice will stick with you for years!

“West of Eden: Communes and Utopia in Northern California” ed. by Iain Boal, Janferie Stone, Michael Watts, and Cal Winslow: I’ve been interested in schemes of communal living and utopian visions for a while, and as someone who has lived in a couple different punk houses of varying organization and cleanliness, I have a personal interest in seeing how others have gone about the process of making a life together with their friends and lovers. This collection of essays chronicles multiple threads of history connected to communalism and back-to-the-land homesteading in Northern California, from the very founding of the “Golden State” to today. There are stories here that will open your eyes to vast possibilities – you can just build your own house? There were druidic nerds prowling Mount Tamalpais in the 1800’s?? The Black Panthers had some of the first communes in the Bay Area??? And more, so much more.

“The Practice of the Wild” by Gary Snyder: Snyder was absolutely my favorite author that I first read this year. His blend of eco-centric, dharmic, down-home earthiness appeals to my soul, and his writing sets the mind free. This collection of essays sees him delving deep into the meaning of “wildness,” of the world as it has developed and grown beyond the hands of the human, yet not in opposition to those hands. Indigenous knowledge, Zen koans, backpacking experience, lots and lots! And even though some of his nature-thought seems flung far afield – in the North Cascades, or Japan, perhaps – Snyder has made his home just north of Nevada City, in our own beloved Sierra Nevadas, so much of the insights are spatially as well as spiritually relevant!

“As Long As The River Shall Run: An Ethnohistory of the Pyramid Lake Paiute” by Martha C. Knack and Omer C. Stewart: Everybody who lives in Western Nevada should read this book. Shit, anybody who lives anywhere in the American West should read this book!!! Honest, hard-hitting, truthful reporting and storytelling about the history of the relationship between the Pyramid Lake Paiute and the forces of settler governments, private interests, and ultimately, greed. This is the story of how the Reno area came to exist, of how water has been misused and wasted, and of how the people of the cui-ui have always resisted this, and continue to! This book only chronicles the fight up to 1998, and since then many things have happened. Get involved with River Justice to learn more!

“Hammer and Hoe: Alabama Communists during the Great Depression” by Robin D. G. Kelley: Robin D. G. Kelley’s research here is incredible, and you will learn more than you ever thought possible about radical communist and socialist culture in the Black Belt of the South in the 1930’s. At once grand and personal, sweeping and granular, there’s a lot in this text that feels remarkably relevant to the present day, while still being uniquely of its time. Labor history in America is fascinating, but especially during the years of the Great Depression, when the Communist Party was organizing unemployed and homeless people into unions and storming city halls in the northeast, and dock workers were shutting down all commerce on the West Coast… mind-boggling stuff!! Check it out!

“Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants” by Robin Wall Kimmerer: You have probably seen this book on shelves in lots and lots of bookstores recently, and that’s both because it was republished this year by Milkweed Editions and because it’s REALLY REALLY REALLY GOOD!!! I have never heard these truths about the necessity of human connection to and interaction with plants and animals and the whole Earth explained to succinctly and touchingly. Through personal experience, science, and long-told stories of Indigenous knowledge, the author lets us all know what truly matters, and what matters more and more with each passing moment. Plants can speak, and they speak beautiful through Robin Wall Kimmerer. Learn what it means to boil sugar maple sap in the spring, to call the salmon home with fires, and to collect the abundant fruits of nature – all is a gift, and our duty is gratitude, and more than gratitude.

“The Overstory” by Richard Powers: WARNING: this book WILL MAKE YOU CRY! That’s one if the highest praises I can offer it, and I have many many praises to heap on this Pulitzer-winning novel. Countless lives, woven together by the magic of trees, clash with the same enchantment and violence as a stand of Pacific Coast old growth in a hundred-year storm. Magickal, enlightening, very intimate and human. You’ll wonder where it’s all going, and weep when it gets there. Wonderful!

Clint Wallace (Elephant Rifle; Humaniterrorist Records)

Top Ten Records of 2024

Beak> – >>>>: It’s a pretty safe bet that if a new Beak> album drops, it will be one of the year’s best. This one is no exception. It’s all here: chill motorik grooves, weirdo lo-fi, ancient synthesizers. Bummed this is the last record with Geoff Barrow in the band, but such is life.

Start with this song: “Denim”

Beth Gibbons – Lives Outgrown: Who would have guessed that two of the best records of 2024 would be by members of Portishead? Me, that’s who. I’ve heard this record described as “experimental,” but at its core, it’s just a folk record about aging and finding your place later in life. Some words I would use to describe moments in this record are gorgeous, melancholy, bewildered, reassured, enlightened, pensive, and hopeful. Thank you, thesaurus.com.

Start with this song: “Floating on a Moment”

Big’n – South of Loathsome: A brutal noise-rock band from Chicago regroups to make a new album for the first time since the 1990s and records it in Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio studio. You would be forgiven for thinking I was describing The Jesus Lizard (who also put out a decent comeback record this year), but no, I’m pledging my allegiance to Big’n. This record is what I wanted The Jesus Lizard record to be: heavy, propulsive, completely unhinged, and sometimes terrifying.

Start with this song: “South of Loathsome”

Hannah Francis – Keeper of the Shepherd: Do you know how there are songs that can make you cry with sheer force of energy? Not because they are sad, but because you can’t help but feel small and impermanent as you listen to them? Hannah Francis has been around for a while, but this was the first I heard of her. This record is so powerful and huge for being made within the traditional folk setting. These songs don’t even strike me so much as folk songs. They’re more like hymns sung with all the conviction of a chapel full of true believers. So yeah, when she harmonizes with maybe four other versions of her voice on “Keeper of the Shepherd,” I cry every time.

Start with this song: “Keeper of the Shepherd”

The Hard Quartet – The Hard Quartet: This record was genetically engineered in a lab to have maximum appeal to my tastes because I am a middle-aged man who grew up on 90’s independent music. Malkmus & Sweeney? Rough-around-the-edges guitar rock? The drummer from Venom P Stinger? I’m in. This sounds a little like the later-era Jicks records mixed with Superwolf, which is precisely what it is. 10 out of 10. No notes.

Start with this song: “Rio’s Song”

J.R.C.G. – Grim Iconic…(Sadistic Mantra): Justin and the whole Dreamdecay extended universe have been responsible for some of the most interesting rock music of the last ten years. This one scratches a tribal, meditative, and definitely skronky itch. Dare I say, it sounds like what I imagined a rock record from the future would sound like when I thought about rock records from the future in the past. Good job.

Start with this song: “Dogear”

Julian Lage – Speak to Me: Virtuosic jazz guitar music that doesn’t sound precious or arrogant. All the playing on this record serves the songs, which is nice, but it does make me realize I’m just a hack, and try as I might, I will never be this nimble or competent with my instrument.

Start with this song: “Omission”

Kim Deal – Nobody Loves You More: Kim Deal forever. The Breeders forever. Dayton, Ohio, forever. I love the new textures and approaches she takes here, like horn sections and trash beats and whatnot, but let’s be honest: Kim Deal is one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Even if this record were made with two cans and a string, it would be amazing.

Start with this song: “Are you Mine?”

The Last Dinner Party – Prelude to Ecstasy: I think this was the record I listened to the most in 2024, and I can’t tell you why other than I just really like it. For whatever reason, it captivated me. Ostensibly, this is an above-average chamber-pop record that flirts with grimy rock ‘n roll, but the sum is greater than the parts here. I can’t explain any better than that.

Start with this song: “On Your Side”

Planes Mistaken for Stars – Do You Still Love Me?: It’s hard not to talk about this record without bringing up Gared O’Donnell’s death, so I won’t try. This band has always felt bigger than life to me. Sonically, they are a perfect emotional hard rock band, but the weight and resonance of their music always felt much more significant than just about any other punk or emo band. I love these guys, and I always will. This record deals a lot with death, which is understandable. Gared died before it came out, but at least it came out.  Now we have this document, and by extension, a little piece of him forever.

Here’s a quick story about Gared. One time we were playing with Planes and I was having a rough night. I wasn’t playing well, I was having equipment issues, and I broke a string on both my main and backup guitars by like four songs into the set. I was visibly agitated. Gared let me use his guitar to finish out our set. After we played, I was apologetic and very self-critical. He replied, “It’s just rock ‘n roll, man. It’s not that big of a deal.” I imagine he said shit like that all the time, but it was what I needed to hear at that moment, and it is something I’ve thought about every time I’ve stepped on a stage ever since.

Sophia Nebesky (KWNK DJ)

1. Suntub – ML Buch / Song – Pan over the hill: ML Buch is a crazy genius. Found this album in the summer and did lots of walking to it. Such pretty instrumentation and vocals.  

2. Mistake – lots of hands / Song – Mistake: I love this album and obsessively listened to the title track all year long :’) Mostly an instrumental album but makes me think and feel so much!

3. audio stars – Tommy Fleece / Song – Semester in Japan: Tommy Fleece was one of my top artists this year. Tommy Fleece come to Reno Nevada 2025!!!

4. Melting Moment – poison girlfriend / Song – HARDLY EVER SMILE (without you): The most perfect dreamy album everrr I totally missed out on seeing poison girlfriend live but onee dayyy!!

5. Pisko the crab child is in love (2023) by Makoto Nagahisa: I saw this Sundance short film at the art museum this year and it deserves alll the recognition! it is funny & sweet & the music rocks & the visuals are so beautiful! Very, very inspiring!

6. Fire of Love (2022) by Sara Dosa: This National Geographic documentary is about two volcanologists in the 60s who are in love! So not only the most insane footage of erupting volcanoes but the sweetest, tragic love story. I think about it all the time! <3

7. Fog Lake w/ Foxes in Fiction / Song – Oh My God: This was very full circle for me to see live. I listened to so much Fog Lake this year in a lot of up-and-down moments. Such a sweet show and the power went out to a chappel roan cover.

8. Mitski at The Greek / Song – Working for the Knife: This was such a crazy and theatrical show! Felt super special to see an artist as important as Mitski.

9. A Girl’s Story by Annie Erneaux: My favorite book I read this year. Pretty heartbreaking read but a relatability that was comforting! I love the way this author writes!

10. The Idiot by Elif Bautman: I find a lot of books I like have no real plot and to a certain extent, nothing really happens. But, this book has a lot of self-effacing writing about the weirdness of growing up.

JudE WATSON (Ignoramus; HP Volunteer)

Jude’s Top 11 Things in 2024 in no particular order, no particular category

1. IT’S REAL AND IT STINKS by Heinzelmannchen (EP): Loud, fast, and catchy, this EP itched my brain something special all year. I was so grateful to be able to play with these silly boys this summer.

2. HELLA-WEEN at the Empire, October 12th with Fall Silent, Wrath of Gods, Broken Mouth, Badlands, Third Offense (Show): This show checked a big thing off my bucket list, which was being able to sing something with my dad and his band. He’s the reason I got into music, bands, and the Reno scene and I’ll be forever grateful to him for giving me that opportunity.

3. Throat Rip/Terminator/Uncalled For/Ignoramus at Holland, June 25th (Show): This was the first hardcore show Ignoramus played. I can’t speak for my bandmates but I was super anxious that folks weren’t going to enjoy what we were going to play, but then like 2 songs into our set I saw people grooving with grins on their faces and it clicked that being in a band is probably the coolest thing I’ll ever do and I was glad I could share it with my buds and everybody.  

4. Reno Sunsets (Misc): I had to do a lot of driving from Fernley this summer, and a lot of times I’d get back into the valley right when the sun was setting, and see the sky light up orange and pink like that to be a backdrop for the city, it made me all the more proud to be from here and to be part of such a cool community that I don’t think I could find anywhere else.

5. Ultra, Faded Shawties, Grub, Ignoramus at Urgent Care, July 6th (Show): Yet another highlight of how awesome living and making art in Reno is, encapsulated in a single one-hundred-degree afternoon/evening. Caviar on hot dogs, baby.

6. My partner Cas (Person): Cas has been my biggest hype man all year. I couldn’t be more grateful for them supporting me and keeping my head up when things didn’t look like they’d ever get better.

7. The Spirit of Radio by Rush (Song): Pumps my sh*t up every time, and also reinforces my love of music and what it can do for you.

8. My buddy and drummer Wyatt (Person): Wyatt’s been one of my best friends since 5th grade. We had a falling out in high school and actually didn’t talk to each other for four years, but one day I decided to reach out, and every day since I’m so glad to have him back in my life.

9. Spider-Man: Life Story by Chip Zdarsky (Comic Book): For those of you that aren’t nerds, this is a book where Peter Parker gets bitten by the spider in 1962, then ages like a normal person, so he’s in his late 70s by the 2020s. It stuck with me because it’s in a world where there’s no big timeline reset, no resurrection, just one life of trying to be the best that you can be with the opportunities you’ve been given

10. My best friend Cooper (Person): Talented and super funny, Cooper’s a legend, and his art is some of the best I’ve ever seen. He pours so much passion into every piece he does and it really shows, and since he’s at my apartment so much it’s always so cool to see whatever he’s working on.

11. Chris Chan: A Comprehensive History by Geno Samuel (Podcast): I’m not going to get super into this one but it’s a super fascinating story that I would listen to over and over again all year. It would go on to become the inspiration behind one of my favorite songs I’ve written.

John L’etoile (VISUAL ARTIST)

BOOKS no order

• Consciousness Explained – Daniel C. Dennett
• Thinking Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman
• The Book – Alan Watts
• On Photography – Susan Sontag
• The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying – Sogyal Rinpoche
• Hallucinations – Oliver Sacks
• Simulacra and Simulation – Jean Baudrillard
• Pictures from Home – Larry Sultan
• Drive – Andrew Bush
• No Exit – Jean-Paul Sartre 

SONGS no order

• NEW GRAPHIX – DJmegan23
• Know Who You Are At Every Age – Cocteau Twins
• Nothing Like UUU – Nettspend
• It’s a Shame – The Spinners
• jveux die – snorunt, #####
• It’s My Life – Talk Talk
• Summer Dream – Sergio Mendes
• payme – RADA
• Truisms 4 Dummies – Headache
• What kind of Fool Am I – Sammy Davis Jr.

Emma Speicher (PROMOTOR; JOURNALIST; MUSIC LOVER; HP NIGHT STAFF)

Fav Songs on Repeat! in no particular order

• Fucking It Up – Sex Mex
• Enredados (Misty’s Mix) – Las Nubes
• Me and The Girls – Amyl and the Sniffers
• Mr. Middle – Little’s House
• Cheater – The Framers
• Wozniak – Couch Dog
• Body of Mine – Lambrini Girls
• Anika – massie99
• Magpie – Peach Pit
• Kradle – Killgurls

Fav Shows I’ve Booked! 

• redveil (Quarry Amphitheater)
• Orion Sun (Quarry Amphitheater)
• FKA Fingers/Faded Shawties/Eleanor Burke/Baby Abeille (Renotendo x Rat Race Records, Holland Project)
• Mom Cars/FKA Fingers/Unexplainable Cattle Mutilations (House Show)
• The Velvet Pouch/Next Question/Doolittle Ladybug (House Show) 
• Twistur/Common Girl/UCM (House Show)
• Shauna Dean Cokeland/Jesse Detor/UCM/Orrral Fixation (House Show)
• DJ Feld/Free Champagne/Locust/DJ Cloudzy/Dormroom Capybaras/Huniper/DJ Cartier/Evangeline (Subrosa Space)
• Amprs&nd/Cat Liu/Neumonic/ Mothership Connection/.PH/SoloSonico/LuvShak/SoloSonico/Akira/No Drout (UC Santa Cruz)
• Daisy Circuit/Field Hockey/RatBurger/Slinger/Solo Sonico/Emilio y Pascual/Akira (House Show)

Fav Shows I’ve Attended! 

• Spy/Candy Apple/Pissmixer/Bug Bath (Holland x Cypress)
• 2024 Halloween Cover Show (Holland Project)
• Big Fun/In the Works?/Charity Kiss (Holland Project)
• Pussy Velour/Nudity Jammers (Corrigan’s Lost Highway)
• The Velvet Pouch/Tropa Magica (Holland x Offbeat)
• Alvvays (Club 365)
• FRKSE/Pig Heart Transplant/Clarko/Animated Violence/Bozone/Buckaroo (Holland)
• Powerplant/Bozone/Clarko (Holland)
• Sluttony/Trash Day/Trestles (Catalyst Club)
• Shabang Music Festival (San Luis Obispo)

Fav Interviews I’ve Done! Peach Pit, Sad Park, wilt, Couch Dog, DJ Mandy, Draag, Strawberry Fuzz, Las Nubes, Trestles, and Powerplant.

Megan O’Reilly (CO-owner of pitch black printing)

12 (not 10 because I can’t edit) Times I Got Out of the House in 2024

1. Dinner at Casale’s Halfway Club with Paul & Jamie
2. Dinner at Casale’s Halfway Club with Josh, Chelsea, & Amanda
3. Thursday, Rival Schools, Many Eyes (Ace of Spades)
4. Paul Taylor Dance Co. (Pioneer Center)
5. Kalani Pe’a (Nightingale Concert Hall)
6. Dinner at Casale’s Halfway Club with Jerry & Danielle
7. Dinner at Casale’s Halfway Club with Mary & Patrick
8. Took Casale’s Halfway Club to Ferino Distillery
9. Reno Philharmonic performing Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone (GSR)
10. Dinner at Casale’s Halfway Club with Ben & Carli
11. Norma Jean, Darkest Hour, Cancer Bats (Goldfield – Roseville)
12. Billy Joel & Sting (Allegiant Stadium)

I don’t get out much…

Donovan Williams (DJ ATEY ATE; SPITTING IMAGE)

Monster – Where do I begin? This anime from 2004, has so much going for it. The mood created by the soundtrack, the excellent voice-acting(dub over sub for me), an unsettling cloud of tension and suspense that does not let up for its 70+ episodes. It starts out with a fairly straight-forward moral dilemma and the consequences thereafter, but it eventually blooms into a paranoiac examination of trauma based mind-control, far-right paramilitary groups, post cold war ennui, serial killers and so much more. It starts a little slow, but I finally finished it all the way through and just thinking about it makes the hairs on my neck stiffen. I cannot recommend this series more.

Farewell, My Lovely – I love Noir, but my internet-addled brain has mostly prevented me from enjoying the O.G’s of the genre(slow, B&W, attention span issues, no switchies on the glizzies, etc.). This year, I’ve been really trying to be more intentional with my media consumption, and to that end I have been watching older movies more often. This one’s from the 70’s, but it takes place in the 40’s so in a way it’s the best of both worlds. It’s a boiler-plate detective whodunit, it looks great, and Philip Marlowe is just one of those archetypal characters that should have a million movies. Out of all the noirs I’ve watched this year, this one really cracked the seal for me and helped me appreciate more movies of the ilk.

True Believer – One of my favorite genres of movie are courtroom dramas following a plucky public defender taking on the big bad Man. There is a surprisingly large amount of these movies, and I hadn’t seen this one until recently. It came out in the special time between 87-93 when the old world was still visible but the new world was being born(this is probably always true). Anyways, James Woods gives an unhinged performance and the story has enough meat on it to keep your interest. Also Robert Downey Jr. and Red Foreman from That 70’s show

Tubi – I honestly could have filled this list with just movies, but it feels like a bit of a cop-out. Although I must admit I have been more interested in movies recently than any other artform this year. Tubi is great, their catalog is extensive. From 40’s detective movies to 90’s urban crime movies(now that I think about not so extensive, just a lot of stuff I like). It reminds me of watching cable tv back in the good old days. Most streaming services just offer the illusion of choice, but are actually methodically curated, for what purpose I do not know. But I don’t like it, I do like Tubi though.

Chained Echoes – I’m really interested in video games, I wouldn’t say that I’m a gamer outright. But in recent years I’ve really come to appreciate the unique and totally novel way that video games can tell a story.My favorites continue to be turn-based JRPGs with super Nintendo and PS1 graphics. I end up replaying the classic Final Fantasy titles anytime that I sit down to play a game. Chained Echoes is a newer game that managed to look, sound, and play just like a golden era JRPG, with just enough innovation and personality to be a completely new experience. It really feels like a lost game from 1998 or something. The story isn’t wholly original, but the artwork and music fill in any gaps that the story may have. The soundtrack to this game! I found myself just staying in certain parts just to hear the soundtrack on-loop. I could have just picked the OST honestly, but I feel that game soundtracks are best enjoyed the way they were intended…while you’re playing the game. If you must check the wares, the songs Rohlan Fields and especially Flower Fields of Perpetua have become some of my most beloved songs in recent memory.

The Farm Podcast Mach II w/ Recluse aka Steven Snider – “Explore culture, parapolitics and high weirdness” This podcast does exhaustive deep dives on topics ranging from Elvis Presley’s use of Egyptian symbolism, dog cults of the Eurasian steppe, the World Anti-Communist League(WACL) and it’s ties to private security agencies and just about any other topic you can think of regardless of how innocuous or obtuse it may appear at first blush. The host also curates an old school blogspot. By far the podcast that I’ve listened to the most this year, highly illuminating. 

Pink Pantheress mix to study/chill to – As hard as it is to navigate music on youtube compared to Spotify and the others, the one thing it has that is invaluable to me are use created mixes and playlists that are niche, unique and cant be duplicated by the other guys. There’s a ton I could pick, but I put this one on the most. Pink Pantheress is really special, and slowing it down and throwing more reverb and whatnot just compliments her sound in a way that I thoroughly enjoy.

Ambrose Bierce short stories – A true American Badass. Like dark mode Mark Twain, this dude lived one helluva life. Had to read ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge’ back at TMCC and always been a fan, at least from afar, but I’ve been listening to his horror short-stories, and just amazed at how modern his concept of terror was. The concept of Carcosa (True Detective season 1) was first created by this guy, a Civil War veteran. He was doing cosmic horror decades before Lovecraft, and with a style I find more palatable. Just a mindblowing American, with so much material. 

Nick 13 – I never ever gave Tiger Army a chance until like a year ago. What a fool! This guy has one of the best voices I’ve ever heard. Like Roy Orbison singing AFI songs done by Dwight Yoakam. Really great stuff. I listen to it all the time. He’s got one solo album from like ten years ago and is supposed to come out with another one soon. The less psychobilly stuff from Tiger Army is good, but his solo record is a no-skip masterpiece. I’m so late! 

Speed – A gang called Speed! Flutes, 808’s, airhorns, that’s my type of hardcore. I haven’t been stoked on a hardcore band like this in ten years easily. Number one go-to in the gym and in the whip. Uplifting lyrics, and ridiculous over-the-top breakdowns. Just perfect execution. Everything they’ve released so far I’m about. 

Thomas Selmi (SHOWGOER; ACCIDENTAL HP VOLUNTEER)

Ten Songs:

• Can’t Kill Us All – NØ MAN: Most impactful song of the year. Palestine will be free
• In the House of Angel Flesh – Agriculture: They’re just so good
• Chewing the Scenery – Seeyouspacecowboy…: sasscore band does mallcore
• 絶体絶命☆メテオライト – that same street: Hatsune Miku skramz
• Get In – Hoofless: I saw them play this to open for Chat Pile in 2023. insano
• Bodega Head – State Faults: Ignore the 2-minute long skit at the end
• Funny Man – Chat Pile: Chat Pile skronk
• Suffocate – Knocked Loose & Poppy: Jimmy Kimmel-core
• Bubblegum Dog – MGMT: Best song on an okay album
• Killdozer – Midwife: The Flenser

Ten Albums:

• Brat – Charli xcx: It really is that good
• Artificial Bouquet – Frail Body: You all messed up not seeing them play w/ knoll at alturas on 4th st in 2022. There were like 8 people there
• 13” Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips – Xiu Xiu: 20 yrs in they still got it
• Vida Blue – Mamaleek: Goodbye Coliseum
• Spiral in a Straight Line – Touché Amoré: Bald guys stay up
• There You Are ! – The Civil War in France: This band cannot miss
• Psykos – Bladee & Yung Lean: DRAAAAINNN GAAAANNNGGG
• We Have the Answer – Heavenly Blue: The homies
• corpos de água – sonhos tomam conta: Bossa nova shoegaze
• The G Code – Peelingflesh: Music to give yourself brain damage

Cierra Randall (Worm Shot)

Vitreous Humor – Posthumous: Why Are You so Mean to Me was my favorite song I found this year. I’m a lover of emo-pop and a little sister with a (formerly) mean older brother.

Ee – Ramadan (Retrace in particular): These songs blow my mind. Tried in vain to get this album on CD… the frustration of having it within reach and missing out was one of this year’s greatest and most defining heartbreaks… someday she will be mine

The Breeders – Last Splash: my favorite band ever and one of the most iconic 90’s rock cool person albums. Saw the Breeders in London at a baller underplay this year and took a really nervous picture with Kim Deal. Also covered Do You Love Me Now? with Worm Shot. Also, I’m from Carson City (IYKYK).

Pickin’ On Series – Interstate 8: a sick bluegrass cover of a Modest Mouse song. One of the most beautiful and moving things ever maybe perhaps

Mary Lou Lord – I Figured You Out: masterpiece co-written with Elliot Smith. Mary Lou is a certified cool lady. Lead vocals in Helium (with Juliana Hatfield’s brother), sweet solo career, and lots of vitriol for and from Courtney Love.

Bjork – Isobel (Deodato Mix): Bjork’s first band was called KUKL (Icelandic for sorcery) so sick

Rocket – Versions of You: Rocks as fuck

Cap’n Jazz – Analphabetapolothology: Saw them live this year and got really emotional. This band has had an incredible influence on a lot of the music I love very much.

Ultra Q – Empty Eddy: My mom’s, my dad’s, and my first, second, and fourth most listened-to artist, respectively. This album rocks and the Randalls love it.

Mannequin Pussy – I Got Heaven: One of the only records on this list that came out this year. Brain explodes so good I love this band

Other things I loved this year

• Watching Next Question cover Constant Headache in my backyard (7/5/24)
• The Lake Aloha Trail… more broadly any big hike in Desolation Wilderness
• A Danger Which We Do Not Know – A Philosophical Journey Into Anxiety by David Rondel. Got about ¾ of the way through before leaving it somewhere but loved the ¾ I read. I graduated this year and am feeling ambivalent about it. Reading something fantastic by someone I enjoyed learning from has helped with that transition
• Unrelated, but not finishing books I’m not enjoying. Why bother?
• Using an app blocker that stops me from using anything except my crossword puzzle app until 12:30 every day. I’ve done so many crossword puzzles and I stave off the dread until after I’ve eaten lunch. My mental health is great and so is my vocabulary!
• Jazz Maneuvers with DJ Badge, a good friend and guy who knows about Jazz, Wednesdays and Sundays on KWNK

Manning Gray (FOILSICK; WISECRACK)

top 10 releases of 2024 (in no specific order :p )

• drive home – bay faction
• four winds away – four winds away
• songs we wrote for our friends to sing – poorsport.
• shortstop – shortstop
• terror hits home – deprave
• lorelei – trains
• demo – order of elimination
• split ep – journal & seahorsechoke
• songs to remember you by – stateside
• outside mentality – SLIME NW

Tucker Rash (VISUAL ARTIST; MUSICIAN)

10. bar italia – the tw*ts (Essential Track: sarcoustica)
9. King Krule – SHHHHHHH! (Essential Tracks: Time For Slurp, Whaleshark, It’s All Soup Now)
8. Full of Hell – Coagulated Bliss (Essential Tracks: Transmuting Chemical Burns, Fractured Bonds to Mecca, Coagulated Bliss, Schizoid Rupture)
7. The Garden – Six Desperate Ballads (Essential Tracks: Hell Hole, Open Hearted)
6. Charli xcx – brat + remix albums (Essential Tracks: B2B, 360, Spring Breakers, 365, 360 featuring robyn and yung lean, B2B featuring tinashe)
5. Porches – Shirt (Essential Tracks: Sally, Rag, Itch)
4. Faerybabyy – Lucky Star EP (Essential Tracks: Orange Soda, Rosalia, Be My Lover, My Life’s A Movie)
3. Pretty Sick – Streetwise (Essential Tracks: Violet, Headliner)
2. Horse Jumper of Love – Disaster Trick (Essential Tracks: Snow Angel, Wink, Lip Reader, Wait By The Stairs)
1. Fontaines D.C. – Romance (Essential Tracks: Starburster, Here’s The Thing, Bug, Motorcycle Boy, Sundowner, Favourite)

Honorable Mentions:

• julie – my anti-aircraft friend
• Yung Lean and Bladee – Psykos
• Lucy – Cooper B. Handy’s Album, Vol. 9
• Schwefelgelb – Trigger
• Buerak – Отпуск без конца
• Turkey – Clock Tower

Live Performance of the Year: Oneohtrix Point Never live at The Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, April 15th, 2024. This was a beautiful and intensely metamodern show. It was easily one of the greatest shows I have ever seen.

Alexander Korostinsky (Whatitdo Collective; Mark Sexton Band)

Favorite Albums of 2024

1. Thee Sacred Souls – Got a Story to Tell
2. Clairo – Charm
3. Charif Megarbane – Hamra/Red
4. Jessica Pratt – Here In The Pitch
5. Aaron Frazer – Into The Blue
6. Las Los – Las Los
7. Brainstory – Sounds Good
8. Ghost Funk Orchestra – A Trip To The Moon  
9. Kit Sebastian – New Internationale
10. Liam Bailey – Zero Grace

Favorite Songs of 2024

1. Charif Mefarbane – Pesce Rosso
2.  The Sacred Souls – Losing Side of Love
3. Brainstory – Too Yung
4. Las Los – All Through The Day
5. Clairo – Juna
6. Aaron Frazer – I Don’t Wanna Stay
7. Kelly Finnigan – Let Me Count The Reasons
8. Ella Thompson – Jigsaw
9. The Mesmerizers – Far From The West
10. Chris Cohen – Sunever

Favorite Movies of 2024

1. The Substance
2. Dune: Part Two
3. Monkey Man
4. Boy Kills World
5. The Greatest Night In Pop
6. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
7. Alien Romulus
8. Cuckoo  
9. Megalopolis
10. Lisa Frankenstein

Aden Oster (PHOTOGRAPHER; WOLF PACK DJ)

*No particular order*

Albums/EPs:

• BRAT – Charli xcx
• Mahashmashana – Father John Misty
• Night Killaz Vol. 2 – Snow Strippers
• Dennis – Sega Bodega
• LL – The Hellp
• Amour – Babymorocco
• Club Shy – Shygirl
• What’s Wrong With New York? – The Dare
• I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU – JPEGMAFIA
• Rapstar* – NEW YORK

Songs:

• 365 featuring shygirl – Charli xcx, Shygirl
• EQetamine – EQ (Estratosfera & Qiri), MAJA, OKTE
• I Destroyed Disco – The Dare
• Flop – Bassvictim
• No Comma – Slayyyter
• Keys – MISS LUXURY
• Shake It Like A – Frost Children, Danny Brown
• SHADES ON – daine, Kreayshawn
• summer lungs – Sipper
• Ferrari – MGNA Crrrta

Films (Link to Letterboxd List):

• The Substance – Coralie Fargeat
• Kinds of Kindness – Yorgos Lanthimos
• I Saw the TV Glow – Jane Schoenbrun
• Anora – Sean Baker
• Kneecap – Rich Peppiatt
• A Real Pain – Jesse Eisenberg
• The People’s Joker – Vera Drew
• Dìdi (弟弟) – Sean Wang
• Thelma – Josh Margolin
• Saturday Night – Jason Reitman

Photos (Link to Album):

• 2 Girls 1 D*ck – The Holland Project (December 5, 2024)
• 2hollis – Goldfield Roseville (November 4, 2024)
• Orrral Fixation – Rat Race Records House Show (October 14, 2024)
• Brooke Candy – The Holland Project (October 4, 2024)
• Xiu Xiu – The Holland Project (September 20, 2024)
• Teddy – Brooke Candy Poster (September 19, 2024)
• JPEGMAFIA – Virginia Street Brewhouse (August 19, 2024)
• Spencer – Cosmic Puzzle Fashion Show (July 27, 2024)
• deejay chainwallet – The Lakehouse (July 14, 2024)
• Snow Strippers – Harlow’s (April 30, 2024)
• Baby Abeille – The Holland Project (April 4, 2024)
• Dorian Electra – Ace of Spades (February 26, 2024)
• Frost Children – Ace of Spades (February 26, 2024)
• Primadonis – Potentialist Workshop (February 24, 2024)
• Dicqbeats – The Holland Project (February 10, 2024)

Max Stone (POET; LANDLINE POETRY SERIES)

Poetry & Prose:

• Robert Lowell, Setting the River on Fire: A Study of Genius, Mania, and Character by Kay Redfield Jamison
• So Tough by Jared Stanley
• Gay Heaven is a Dance Floor and But Can’t Relax by Charles Theonia
• An Orange by Ted Dodson
• Mad World, Mad Kings, Mad Composition by Lisa Fishman
• Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stewart
• There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib
• The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
• Martyr by Kaveh Akbar
• Fortress by Brenda Hillman

Words:

• Landline (noun): a telephone line that transmits signals from one station to another directly along a wire without the use of radio waves.
• Estimable (adjective): 1) worthy of esteem. ex: an estimable adversary 2) valuable 3) capable of being estimated.
• Ostentation (noun): a group of peacocks.
• Mania (noun): 1) excitement manifested by mental and physical hyperactivity, disorganization of behavior, and elevation of mood. Specifically: the manic phase of bipolar disorder. 2) excessive or unreasonable enthusiasm.
• T4T (noun): trans for trans: a transgender person interested in other trans people romantically/sexually.
• Penetralium (noun): the innermost, secret, or hidden parts of something.
• Sophistry (noun): subtly deceptive reasoning or argumentation.
• Intertextuality (noun): the complex interrelationship between a text and other texts taken as basic to the creation or interpretation of the text.
• Penelopean (adjective): 1) Involving repetitive or cyclical efforts, often with little apparent progress. 2) Characterized by steadfast loyalty and resilience despite prolonged adversity.
• Androgenic (adjective): 1) relating to the development of male characteristics.

Colors:

• Pale King’s Blue
• Calamine Blue
• Light Porcelain Green
• Glaucous Blue
• Salvia Blue
• Benzol Green
• Peacock Blue
• Pale Lemon Yellow
• Golden Yellow
• Peach Red

Ricardo Rubalcaba-Paredes (Visual Artist; activist; of the sol collective)

Local Mutual Aid, Activism, and Small Businesses

Beverly Harry (@cornmushgirl) and Autumn Harry (@numu_wanderer) are a mother-and-daughter duo and local activists and artists who organize River Justice. River Justice is a river clean-up initiative that calls on the community to help with routine river clean-ups and to learn about the importance of protecting the Truckee River and the larger Truckee River Watershed. What we do upstream affects different Indigenous communities downstream that rely on the watershed. River Justices educate the community about being Water Protectors and advocate for water, air, land, and Indigenous sovereignty. Autumn and Harry always have something going on; follow them on Instagram to learn more about how you can support their collective and individual efforts.

Biggest Little Free Pantry (@biggestlittlefreepantry): A network of free food pantries with locations at 1135 Wilkinson Ave. Reno, 1700 E 2nd St. Reno, 472 East 8th St. Reno, and 638 Elko Ave. Reno. If you or anyone you know ever needs food or wants to donate food and other necessities, stop by one of the food pantries, take what you need, and leave what you can!

Coyote Supply Co (@coyotesupplyco): Queer & Trans BIPOC sustainable shop for BIPOC LGBTQIA+ witches & allies. Visit the shop at  30 Mary St Ste. 11, Reno, NV 89509. 

Family Soup Mutual Aid (@familysoupmutualaid): Family Soup is a mutual aid project providing meals and other necessities to our most impacted community members. Family Soup meets weekly on Tuesdays at 5:00 pm at the Believe Plaza for food distros. Please visit their Instagram to learn how to support Family Soup and help feed our housing-insecure neighbors.

Hampton House Garden Project (@hamptonhousegarden): A community garden project by local activist and musician, Lily Baran, working with other local mutual aid groups to help feed our community. Please check out the initiative on Instagram to learn more about how to get involved and support Lily and the garden.

Laundry to the People (@laundrytothepeople): Provides laundry services to our unhoused neighbors every Friday at noon at Mr. Bubbles laundromat on the corner of Victorian and Rock Blvd. 

My.Commun.it3 (@my.commun.it3): a collective dedicated to connecting community members with mutual aid projects locally and beyond, building resource-sharing networks, and educating and informing communities about mutual aid work and concepts. Visit their Instagram and linktree (linktr.ee/my.commun.itr) to find resources and the community calendar.

Of the Sol (@ofthe.sol): A collective of Black and Brown artists from Reno, NV, mobilizing to cultivate an intersectional safe space for Black, Indigenous, and Artists of Color. If you’d like to join or support the collective, please visit the collective’s Instagram. Of the Sol’s next curated exhibition “Visceral,” opens Wednesday, December 18th at the Holland Project, and the closing reception is Friday, January 10th from 6 – 8 pm.

Reno Community Art Closet (@renocommunityartcloset): A mutual aid project that provides art supplies to the community, specifically aiming to address disparities in access so folx have the means to create. Reach out to the art closet via Instagram to donate or request art supplies.

Sawabe Muhano (@sawabemuhano): A gathering space for the community to reclaim ancestral roots, and relation to the land, and ethically celebrate cultural traditions of well-being. Please check out their Instagram and website to learn more about the services offered. You can also visit the space at 670 Tahoe St, Reno, NV 89509.

D Miller (2 GIRLS 1 D*CK)

top ten favorite things of this wicked year 😀

the substance: this movie is so fucking excellent. soundtrack & acting are so superb. campy excellence like beautiful/sexual/funny it truly has it all. left the theater feeling great about myself too, like i AM THE SUBSTANCE HO ! FUCK THE BALANCE !

Margiela haute couture spring/summer 24: this was a true FASHUN show. there hadn’t been a collection presented like this by the fashion house since 2020 pre pandemic. this show literally felt like a return to home. every time galliano and pat mcgrath come together the timeline is altered in a permanent way. sprinting in corsets ???!!!! theatrical fashion is back.

bambii: thissssss diva. producer/dj bambii is one of the best to do it right now. she blends so many genres in her sets and is truly a pillar of her community like i look up to her. her album “infinity club” released in 23’ is REAL music. canada’s crown jewel i fear. i saw her in sf with my bestie bryce & teddy from dj qtcore and our lives were changed. i was behind the decks while she was playing kelela and it felt like if my life ended right now id be so grateful. like thank you bambii!!

political violence (usa specific): we all know about Luigi Mangione. that’s a young educated king. a woman was recently arrested for threatening some healthcare higher-ups saying “they’re next” & it’s like well yes!!!!!! this country is about to burn under #you-know-who’s presidency. the roaring 20’s are so back, violence is so back, the underground is sooooo back. or at least i hope 🙂

brisket: good fucking food. idk :p im a brisket head for real. everybody go try pine state biscuits brisket. (say that 5x like lmao)

Boy Brother Friend Summer 2024: a UK-based fashion magazine guest directed by known Italian designer & huntress (lolz) Riccardo Tisci. endless inspiration from this magazine. sexual liberation. we all saw the pics of michaela coel & hunter schafer in bed together on twitter. but they’re even better in print btww

George Michael: i just know pinkpantheress loves george. i miss him every day. real fab real gay music. everybody please go listen to fastlove and outside. need a pop star like this immediately.

worlds beyond number: i’m a nerdy girl, the girls don’t know that. this is a dnd actual play podcast starring dnd legends: brennan lee mulligan, aabria iyengar, lou wilson, & erika ishii. good food all around. unique world building and a cast dedicated to telling an excellent story about human/spirit relations. please go listen.

vampires: im a vampire lover. always have been always will be. good fabulous campy vampire media is back on the rise. interview with a vampire is everything. i’m writing this before ive seen nosferatu and flesh of the gods, but they’ve already #changed me. i know good food when it’s placed before me.

peggy by ceechynaa: OI MATE !!! IM PEGGING DAT MAN IN DA BACK OF DA BUS

Brad Bynum (ELEPHANT RIFLE)

10 Things I Loved in 2024

Beth Gibbons: Lives Outgrown (album, 2024): Beautiful solo album from the singer of Portishead.

Shellac: To All Trains (album, 2024): The great recording engineer, musician, and songwriter Steve Albini died this year. To All Trains, the sixth and final album by his band Shellac, came out about a week after he died. And it’s just about everything you might want from a Noise Rock album.

Blood and Black Lace (film, 1964): Highly recommended if you like Italian horror cinema. Or you think you might.

The Washoe County Library: I started working full-time for the Washoe County Library System this year, and I love it. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better group of smart, creative, hard-working, community-minded people. Or an institution further removed from the corrosive influence of capitalism. That said, to all the people who voted against WC-1, the ballot question that would have insured continued Washoe County Library System funding for the next three decades, and to all those who didn’t bother to vote at all during this election for any reason whatsoever, I would like to extend a hearty “fuck you.”

Link Wray: Link Wray (album, 1971): Fantastic country/blues/rock album I got really into this year. Definitely recommended if you like the Stones or whatever. Also, we need to talk more about Link Wray. His 1958 single “Rumble” was banned for being obscene. Dude wrote an instrumental song that was banned for being obscene. How cool is that?

The Hard Quartet: The Hard Quartet (album, 2024): Featuring members of Pavement, Chavez, and Dirty Three, this is probably the new album I listened to the most in 2024. Recommended if you like any of those bands. Or good songs.

Alice Coltrane: Journey in Satchidananda (album, 1971): I love the sound of Portuguese. I’ve never studied it, but whenever I hear it spoken, I get really excited. Here’s the reason: It kinda sounds like Spanish and it kinda sounds like French, so whenever I hear it spoken, it sounds like a magic trick, like a single voice speaking two languages at the same time. Alice Coltrane’s music makes me feel a similar way. The combination of intense hard bop jazz with really gorgeous harp arpeggios and tanpura drones is like musical magic. Or maybe magical music. (Just to clarify: there’s no Portuguese on this album. That was just a tangent.)

The Cure: Songs of a Lost World (album, 2024): Sometimes a work of art can perfectly fit a moment. For me, this album will forever encapsulate the feeling of November, 2024. The feeling of despair following the election mixed with a yearning for connection and hope. Those are strange, bittersweet emotions that Robert Smith seems better able to express and articulate than just about anyone.

Possession (film, 1981): I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this movie all year.

My Family: We’re living in terrible times. Horrific images pour in daily from Gaza, Ukraine, and elsewhere. Climate change continues unabated. Halfway through writing this piece, I heard about another school shooting. Democracies are destabilizing all around the world. Global wealth inequality is so bad that one incredibly shitty person has more money than many countries. The results of this year’s election mean things are only going to get worse. In times like these, it’s important to hold the ones you love close. I’m fortunate enough to have wonderful friends and family members. Find your people. Hold your people. Love your people. Tell them you love them. I love you, fam.

Devon Blunden (OffBeat Fest, formerly-and-futurely KWNK’s “Phogna Bologna” show)

MY TOPPEST TOP THINGS OF 2024

Streaming Music: Taking a cue from our ol’ pal Lauren Hober, I peeked at my own Spotify Wrapped and discovered that my psyche spends most of its existence swirling around in a galaxy anchored by two powerful suns — called Melvins and Björk.

Shows:

• St. Vincent @ the Masonic (SF) — Annie Clark is a total rock star and absolute babe to the Nth power
• Doechii’s Tiny Desk Concert from like last week. Been watching it on repeat. (then immediately diving into Missy / Busta rabbit holes.)
• Spoon Benders at Schellraiser Fest in McGill, NV and again at Lo Bar. Total rippers.
• Slothrust at Holland Project (“I like cats, do you like cats? Of course you do, you sassy motherfucker!”)
• True Loves @ Cypress (Groovy!)
• Schellraiser Fest — especially Ladytron (holy moly), The Besnard Lakes (been wanting that since I was 18… so… half my life ago), and Plague Vendor (ha! So silly.)
• ALL of OffBeat Fest (because duh). But especially Møtrik, Family Worship Center, Glamour Muscle, Spencer and Co., and even more especially-especially Roselit Bone closing down Black Rabbit and utterly mesmerizing the speechless crowd
• Judas Priest at GSR for our anniversary… with my Aunt Rachael… and a few hundred furries
• Outburst from Someone in the Audience at a Show: “Can you guys, like, please play moooore music? You’re really, really goooood!” – During Roselit Bone at Black Rabbit 

Albums:

• St. Vincent – ”All Born Screaming” 
• Björk – “Oral (Olof Dreijer Remix)”
• Melvins – “Tarantula Heart”
• Sleater-Kinney – “Little Rope”
• New Age Healers – “The Spin Out”
• SLIFT – ”Ilion”
• Amyl and the Sniffers – ”Cartoon Darkness”
• Goat – “GOAT”
• Glass Beams – ”Mahal EP”
• GUM & Ambrose Kenny-Smith – “Ill Times”
• Ibibio Sound Machine – “Pull the Rope”
• Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 – ”Heavier Yet (Lays the Crownless Head)”
• La Luz – ”News of the Universe”
• London Afrobeat Collective – “Esengo”
• Earworm to Constantly Sing Around the House at Random Times with Your Wife: “Orange Cat” by Thundercat for Yo Gabba Gabba Land (tight vid, too)

Places (tie):

1. New Orleans. Robin and I finally went on our honeymoon this past Spring Break. Structured every day around what/where we were going to eat, and what music we were going to go see. Walked very many miles per day. Guzzled lots and got utterly ROCKED. I’m still exhausted.
1. North Shore of Oahu. Scooters and swims and shrimps and fresh ahi every damn day, baby. So much fun our bodies didn’t even allow us to realize that the real reason we were so damn tired was that we were actually getting COVID from my sister.

Sky (tie:)

1. Aurora Borealis at Pyramid Lake while nippin’ Turk in the back of the truck
1. Perseid meteor shower while nippin’ Turk in a hot spring tub

Honorable Mention: Also that one big-ass moon a little while back

Movies: Furiosa. The Piano Lesson. The Fall Guy. 

TV Shows: Conan O’Brien Must Go. Our Flag Means Death. Outer Range. Only Murders in the Building. Shrinking. The Old Man. Baskets and Last Man On Earth (I know I’m late to the party.) That scene from Knuckles that has Downtown Reno in it.

Billboard in Reno: This one.

Unnecessary Costco Wish List Item: This one, for sure.

Sandwich: Roast Beef Po’ Boy w/ extra gravy from Quartermaster Deli, NOLA (“GRAVY SAMMITCH,” KITTY-CATS!)

Jimboy’s Tacos Drive-Thru: E. 2nd St location (undefeated in my book since 2015)

Beefy’s Burger of the Month: Lobster Burger (still serving through 12/31!)

Depa Tutuwa (VISUAL ARTIST)

Hey, I’m Depa Tutuwa. As an artist, and I’m sure most of you can relate and understand, everything I consume inspires me. From the music to the films to the shows to even what I enjoy eating because as artists (and just people) we get what fuels us in many different ways. Thanks to the Holland Project Team for asking me to participate this year. Here are my Top Tens for 2024!

Top Ten Songs (No Particular Order):

• “THE FEELING” by Rudimental, 1991, PNAU, AR/CO: This is a drum n’ bass track guaranteed to flip a switch in your brain when it’s sad. I speak from experience. Just throw it on, baby.
• “NEW” by Clipz, Chy Cartier: Drum n’ bass as well, Chy is a great vocalist and the beat works extremely well with her style and pacing. This will put a pep in ya step.
• “Joy Is A Crime” by Soft Kill: Post-Punk leaning more towards the punk in this track. Higher energy with a message to match. Play this loud and scream along, it’s like free therapy and gentle reminder.
• “SAY YEAH” by CASSIMM, Mahalia Fontaine: House music is a gift. I don’t care if you’re a grindcore bby, an emo angel, or deeply into yacht rock. House music is for ALL of us because it’s one purpose is to unite us on the dance floor to get down whether that dance floor is in a warehouse, in the desert, or in someone’s kitchen. Toss this track on and let it absolutely send you somewhere you didn’t even know you needed to go, and let it all out on the dance floor, honey. We’re all in this together. Just “Say Yeah” 🙂
• “Friday Morning” by Khruangbin: I don’t even know how to categorize this track or describe it. It sounds like the Peanuts on Christmas morning except it could be anytime. It sounds special and nostalgic and has this inherent ability to calm a mind gone rampant. A slow beat, sweet piano, and quiet choir. Excellent for grocery shopping. Breathe in, breathe out.
• “Left Against” by Still Ruins: Reno was lucky enough to host these boys back in September at the Holland Project and I’m so grateful. This is my favorite track off of their debut EP “S/T”.
• “Alive” by Chase & Status, Jacob Banks: Chase & Status are peak drum n’ bass classics that don’t really need an introduction. They’re absolute legends and masters of their genre and style. This an older track and a slower one too compared to their newer tracks with a faster BPM. This track is beautiful, introspective. Look up the video on YouTube and watch while you listen and see what goes on, on Native Land every day. I’m grateful they used their music and status to show a story of Native reality not much talk about.
• Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso: Tiny Desk Concert: I meeeeean, c’mon. This performance was addicting. The vibe, the style, the freedom. True modern Spanish subculture and fashion on Tiny display. They SERVED, we ATE. On repeat! ON REPEAT.
• “Dial Tone” by Wild Nothing: A song new to me this year but when I heard it, it felt like an old homie. Like I had known it my whole life. Wild Nothing has been around but I’m happy this was my real first introduction that made an impression on me. I hope it does the same for you.
• “Therapy” by Duke Dumont: This track is extremely reminiscent of 1990s House music despite being released in 2020. The powerhouse vocals with lyrics that cut right through any heartache and force you to hold their hand because it’s all gonna be okay. The beat with breaks into the strong holding notes. A perfect House track.

Top Ten Films (No Particular Order):

• The Bikeriders (2024)
• In The Land of Saints and Sinners (2024)
• Dinner in America (2024)
• Gypsy 83 (2001)
• Nobody (2021)
• I Saw The TV Glow (2024)
• Maxxxine (2024)
• DUNE: Part Two (2024)
• The Birdcage (1996)
• Same Time, Next Year (1978)

Top Ten TV Shows (No Particular Order):

• Reservation Dogs
• Somebody Feed Phil
• House of the Dragon
• The Penguin
• F*CK That’s Delicious
• What We Do In The Shadows
• Great British Bake Off
• Broad City
• Parks and Recreation
• The Boys

Top Ten Local Spots To Nom (No Particular Order):

• Kenji’s – Ayyyyye! Just get anything. The whole menu is delicious but you gotta try the musubi! Trust.
• Aladdin’s – You can’t go wrong with anything you get here. The kindest staff! I always get the falafel plate and baklava. You literally can’t have a bad vibe after that meal.
• Rubicon Deli – Fave sandwich spot, they got the best tuna sandwich around and the Dutch bread is insane.
• The Fix – Hometown Heroes, let’s be real
• LA Bakery – In Carson, but stellar food and baked goods a plenty.
• Thai Lotus – Top Tier curry and beats any I’ve had even in other states to be honest. My favorite is the pumpkin curry!
• HONEY BAKERY – There really isn’t much to say except a staple in any locals’ diet who knows how to eat properly. I will not debate this. Made-To-Order sesame balls?? We are spoiled by this spot. Get the garlic shrimp rolls. Trust me, babe.
• Bawarchi – My favorite location is in Sparks but the best foooood.
• TeaLeaf – THE BEST BBQ PORK BANH MI IN TOWN.
• R Town – Pizza hardly gets better than it does at R Town and the fact that the owner is such a gem only solidifies that. The lunch plate is a steal! Hard to pass up a slice and PINBALL. <3

Metal Jeff (Visual Artist)

1. Pale Jay “Low End Love Songs” – Pale Jay became one of my favorite artists basically as soon as I heard his music last year. This year he put out a new album and it’s equally as amazing. The songwriting, the compositions, and his voice are so great. He also put out a single with The Ironsides earlier this year and I almost put them on this list, too. I also love how all of his music videos are single shot as a theme.

2. Ulver “Liminal Animals” – Ulver is my favorite band and of course I’m always excited when they release new music. This record is very much a continuation of the last two “synth pop” albums (they’ve had an ever evolving sound since then end of their black metal trilogie). But what I love about this one is it also harkens back to an older sound like “Perdition City” and other soundtracks they’ve done.  It was also hilarious seeing they’d made a statement on instagram along the lines of the art for this album is the closest thing to black metal they’ll come to again and that people need to “get the fuck over it”.

3. Witch Club Satan “Witch Club Satan” – I stumbled on this band through Apple Music. There’s a LOT of metal to sift through in the music world so it’s hard for me to find things I dig, and these women did it for me. A Norwegian black metal three piece that have an amazing sound and equally amazing visuals that I’d love to experience in person.

4. Sierra Ferrell “Trail Of Flowers” – It’s hard to beat such wonderful Americana. I love Sierra’s sound and storytelling. When I first found out about her I was eventually super saddened to learn she played in Reno with CW Stoneking and I had missed it haha.

5. Ginger Root “SHINBANGUMI” – Ginger Root was something that took me by surprise when I found his music and was instantly stoked on it. He put out a new record this year and it’s more of his ongoing unique…pop? Hard to place but it’s great. I love that his experience from film school has completely integrated his visuals with his music. He has a vision and I love it. Fully immersed in 80s and Japanese throwback.

6. Múr “Heimsslit” music video – This video randomly showed up in my YouTube feed and somehow I decided to watch it even though I’d never heard of the band. An absolutely beautiful video with fantastic visuals. The song has a great dose of heavy that I crave along with some black metal and almost a bit of shoegaze. I really love a well thought and cinematic music video that gets a little weird.

7. Caroline Harrison – Caroline and I have been instagram friends for several years but I’m constantly blown away by her work. I’m huge on texture and her pen work and watercolors and gauche itch the scratch just right! Her art is far more metal than mine, and more beautiful, too. You have to follow her! @carolinedraws

8. Cosmo’s Snackbar – I always love seeing my friends have a successful independent business. I also fucking LOVE pizza. And Cosmo’s is just the best. My friends and I pretty much went every Monday through the summer and it was never a disappointment. I literally want to eat there right now. As I write this, and as you read this.

9. Chrome Coffeeworks – another friend’s new business. A truly unique and chill coffee spot. You know DJ Elzo for his skills on the turntables but he also developed a passion for coffee and it truly shows. Chrome is a great place to hang and enjoy quality drinks and snacks (via Beloved Bakery and Midnight Coffee!).

10. Yashica Mat124g – I have a decent little collection of film cameras. I usually snag ones I find interesting when browsing through antique stores, mostly as long as I can still shoot with them. But for a couple years this was a goal camera. In the summer I checked eBay and found one for a solid price and it’s in incredible condition, especially for being from the 70s. I love shooting with it and I can’t wait to continue exploring with this great TLR.

Noah Conway (Vakker; SORCERER’S SWORD)

Amarok – Resilience: Amarok are the masters of funeral doom that’s TOTALLY crushing yet beautiful and majestic – seeing them play at the Holland Project this July was absolutely my favorite show of the year. Incredible melodies that will completely hypnotize you – FFO Mournful Congregation, Asunder, Mizmor

Brii – Camaradagem Póstuma: The enigmatic Caio Lemos is behind some of the best music of the past few years (Kaatayra, Vauruva, Vestigo) – BRII is no exception. A completely unique marriage of electronic & industrial black metal that’s dense, lush & haunting.

Demon Bitch – Master of the Games: 100% TRUE UNCOMPROMISING HEAVY METAL!!! So classic that it’s completely fresh – Demon Bitch’s return from the dead packs in more blazing riffs and ripping solos then most bands do in their entire career. HIGHLY recommended for fans of Mercyful Fate, Fates Warning, Queensryche etc, etc.

Hjemskot – Om vinteren, på en sort trone: True Norwegian black metal played the correct way… frigid riffs, scorned vocals, crushing blast beats combine into a truly powerful debut. Hjemskot is absolutely my favorite of the SONORUS NIGHT collective, but their 2024 roster (Mysterium, Unholy Craft, Illvilje) is absolutely impressive in it’s entirety. FFO Gorgoroth, Darkthrone, Theodore Kittelsen

Hexen House –  Retributiones Maleficarum Mallei: If you’ve seen HEXEN HOUSE live then this record needs no introduction – chaos evil witching arcane HELL, with riffs so cursed they will never leave your head. HIGHLY recommended for all fans of technical, intricate and spiraling black metal.

Iron Firmament – Cascadian Tactics: A darker, rawer, triumphant twist on the Cascadian black metal sound. The WEREGILD collective has consistently been releasing absolutely excellent material this year, and CASCADIAN TACTICS is narrowly my favorite due to the absolutely blazing riffs in “Blue Ichor and Primordial Dust”.

Keres – Eidolon Abraxas: Airy and psychedelic black metal – some absolutely stunning guitar harmonies on this one.

Nahtrunar – Hrima: Gorgeous atmospheric black metal with string arrangements, in reverence to nature & the forests, etc.

Bereft Raven – Following the Splendorous Voice of the Black Corvus: Medieval vampyric black metal flawlessly done in the old french tradition, overflowing with evil riffs and scorching vocals.

Regenum Tenebrarum / Hertogenwald – Sinitres Fagnes split: Archaic and primitive black metal – Regenum Teneabrarum’s side stays relatively traditional, yet is flawlessly executed with awesome riffs. Hertogenwald’s side is eerie, dissonant, has this ancient atmosphere that I really love – check the ending of “Murmures dans les landes culminantes”

Gina Waller (aka gina rose; Musician; INSTRUCTOR AT g.i.r.l.s. rock reno)

Here are my top 10 for 2024 😘

Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechii – I love how Doechii described this album as not only a way of pushing back against her record label and standing up for her creative independence but also as an expression of her struggles with grief, anger, identity, and addiction. No one in hip-hop is doing it like Doechii!

Holland Halloween Show 2024 – I loved performing as Stevie Nicks in Fleetwood Mac. It was such a fantasy of mine for a long time and we had such a fun time on that giant outdoor stage!

Seed of a Seed by Haley Heynderickx – I’ve been waiting for Haley to release another album for like six years because she is one of my favorite songwriters. She did not disappoint. I hope we can get her at Holland one day!

Fitzgerald & Pass…Again by Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass – I’ve been listening to Ella since I was a kid and she really inspired the way I sing and express emotion through music. The album is just vocals and guitar, and it’s simplicity and rawness is really amazing.

Eden’s Island by Eden Ahbez – Eden Ahbez’s creativity in songwriting/composing really knows no bounds. This album really put me at ease during dark times this year.

Zanele Muholi: Eye Me – I saw this exhibit at the MOMA in San Francisco this fall. I fell in love immediately with Zanele’s work. Their photography and art is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. 

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown (book) – A huge thank you to my therapist for recommending Brené Brown to me. For anyone living with trauma/shame, this book is incredibly insightful and empowering.

Here in the Pitch by Jessica Pratt – I got to see Jessica twice this year and meet her at the San Francisco Amoeba! I’ve listened to this album more times than I can count honestly, it’s a masterpiece.

Iguana Death Cult and Clarko at Lo Bar Social – This show was absolutely insane, I haven’t danced that hard in god knows how long.

Into the Realm by Castle Rat – This band is like watching a live-action Frank Frazetta film but with accompanying doom metal. So iconic. 

Nathaniel Benjamin

Albums released in 2024

Oranssi Pazuzu – Muuntautuja. Psychedelic, groovy black metal. I love this stuff, easy to dance to.

REZN – Burden. Also groovy, but at a stoner metal pace. Spacey atmosphere.

Zamilska – United Kingdom of Anxiety. Idk what to call this. I think it’s electronic music but kinda haunted, sometimes dancy, always weird.

Trenpaneringsritualen – The Totality of Death (A). I just discovered this guy this year and then he released a pair of new albums. The sound is noisy industrial with an evil undertone. He incorporates a bunch of metallic and deep percussion that create something really unique. 

Pharmakon – Maggot Mass. Similar vibe to Trenpaneringsritualen, but more electronic. If there were a 31-minute long timelapse of a machine decomposing, this would be the soundtrack.

Steve Moore – Eye of Horus. This guy is one of the 2 members of Zombi and I love all his albums. There’s a specific vibe that I first found in Cowboy Bebop in the episode with Pierrot le Fou. There’s this scene where this guy is being experimented on and there’s this synth arpeggio playing the background. The song is on the OST and I eventually figured out its pulled from a Pink Floyd Song called “On the Run”. Anyway, I think of that specific vibe as an anchor for all Steve Moore’s music. 

Zombi – Direct Inject. Prog rock legends. The music these dudes make reminds me of Carl Sagan’s series Cosmos, sitting in a little orb of a spaceship, touring the galaxy. Sessuale II even offers some deluxe, loungy saxaphone, harkening back to the sound of Blade Runner/Vangelis, a new move for them which I also love.

Svrm – Мовчання і смерть. Released 3 EPs this year and they’re all primo atmospheric black metal, relentlessly driving forth into the Ukrainian winter.

Darkspace – Dark Space II. This one is a single, but it’s 47 minutes long. Darkspace is also black metal, but in space this time, mixing in synth and drum machine. This band is another one who make me feel like I’m touring the galaxy, but this time as a frozen corpse on a spaceship that ceased functioning eons ago.

Gnod & MC Sissi – Inner Fucking Peace. Collab album, I hadn’t heard MC Sissi before listening to this, but she does vocals over Gnod’s ruminating, pattern-based songs. Psychedelic music for cerebral journeys.

Live shows: 

Minami Deutsch and Spitting Image on October 29th At Holland. Both sets were amazing and left my ears ringing for days with the echo of a blissful moment and cells well spent. Watching members of a band improvise and play off each other, shifting roles, contracting/expanding, riding together on a wave of sound makes me so genuinely, radiantly happy.

Movies:
Exhuma. Korean folk horror. Korean exorcisms are probably the most intense thing there is and this movie has that + a big scary guy that I’ll never forget. Some horror movies push you past fear and dread to where you pop out the other side of the spectrum and reach something like bliss. I can remember at least one part of this movie that got me there. Enjoy!

Bela Romero (renotendo.ds)

10 things I enjoyed in 2024 🙂 (no particular order, kind of a mess)

SHOWS
1. Frank Futility, Teethe, Horse Jumper of Love @ Holland 9/23 – I’m so happy I got to see Teethe and Horse Jumper of Love, as i’ve been a fan of them for a while! such a legendary set.
2. Faded Shawties, Doolittle Ladybug, Dead Bird @ West Street 2/16 – you never forget your first… and this was the very first show I ever threw together! it honestly just came to me in a vision and I didn’t expect it to have gone so well. thx so much to every single one of you who were involved in it and to everyone who showed up, you all inspired me to put on more stuff!!11!1!!1!!
3. Urgent Care 10/05 – this show was so good that I cannot fathom to type about it, gotta send a voice message.
4. Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto 11/23 – left me with deep shivers for days afterward. Literally one of my favorite pieces of all time!

LOCAL RELEASES
5. someday, not today – thiscouldneverwork – this release changed my life. I added this to so many of my playlists, my favorite track off it being lobotomy. these are some of the most inspiring musicians in Reno to me
6. Skinhead Suicide – Meat Blanket – epic song from epic people

SONGS (heavily dependent on my mood/time I’m writing this. indecisive and like a lot of stuff :/)
7. Joga – Bjork – bjork being on this list is probably no surprise to anyone. this one do be a favorite no matter what mood (honorable mention of Petal Sisters and Bijou’s performance at the halloween show 2024…)
8. Little Fury Things – Dinosaur Jr. – i was BLESSED to hear this song live when Dinosaur Jr. opened for Weezer a few months back. i actually used to not like Dinosaur Jr. much, but after a couple listens, they became a favorite of mine!
9. F**king With The Altimeter – Brainiac – literally just love how weird this one is.

and finally…

10. Hanging out with my good friends/etc <3 this year has been full of fun times and I’d like to give a hug to all my friends and everyone i’ve shared laughs with! so many other cool things happened that i wish i could fit. i also got into so many new things!! happy to have this scene in my life and keep supporting each other and local music!

with luv,
Bela xoxo

… and this is the end! See you next year!

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