Cartilage Free Captain

Bryan Gil was one of the outgoing summer transfers that needed to happen one way or another because he was absolutely not in Ange Postecoglou’s plans for the season. He ended up going to Girona on loan, reportedly with a purchase option of €15m if he were to impress enough by the end of the season.

Now, according to Spanish daily AS, he might have done just that. AS is reporting (via SportWitness) that Gil has done well enough that Girona is already considering triggering his purchase option. That’s unlikely to happen this month as Girona has plenty of time to make that decision, but Gil has sufficiently impressed them and they, perhaps surprisingly, have the cash to make the deal.

Gil has been a regular starter for Girona, with two goals and three assists in just over 1000 minutes so far this season. He’s not setting the world on fire (npxG+xa/90 of 0.39) but he’s been a plus add for Girona, who are currently a respectable eighth in the La Liga table.

Tottenham Hotspur’s defensive line took another hit this past weekend when Destiny Udogie limped off the pitch with what appeared to be a hamstring injury during Spurs’ 2-2 draw against Wolves. There was no questioning the fact that Destiny was, uh, destined for a spell on the sidelines; the only question was for how long.

Now we maybe know. According to Tom Barclay (of the S-n, which I will not link to), Udogie is set to miss two months.

Now, the S-n is a reprehensible newspaper, but Tom Barclay is a pretty reliable journalist, at least regarding Tottenham news so I’m inclined to believe it. Two months out also jives with the recovery timeline outlined by, uh, more unofficial sources on the InterWebz, and it tracks with the recovery time for Richarlison and Micky van de Ven who are also dealing with similar injuries. So I’m inclined to believe it.

It does put Spurs in a bit of a pickle. Ben Davies still hasn’t returned to training after re-aggravating an injury of his own, so Tottenham’s fullbacks are currently Pedro Porro, Djed Spence, and Sergio Reguilon. We’ll see whether Spurs are able to bolster their left back ranks in the January window — it’s reportedly a high priority — but at least Spurs do have SOME cover at that position.

But it’s another long term injury in a season that has been, frankly, plagued by them. It sucks. Hopefully Destiny can heal ahead of schedule (pre-Destination?), and if not — see you in March.

good morning and welcome to the second hoddle of 2025!

It’s time to put down some resolutions on the year - and no, I don’t mean our own.

I’m talking about Tottenham Hotspur resolutions.

Every new year gives each person a chance to start a new project, improve an aspect of their life or try something new. Why can’t the same be said of Tottenham?

With that in mind, I jotted down two or three resolutions I would like Spurs to have for the year:

Reduce long-term injuries: Spurs have been bereft with injuries in the last 12 months. Heck, even before then with Micky Van de Ven’s injury in 2023. I know there are some things that are outside Ange Postecoglou’s control, but I’d really like fewer injuries and fewer games missed. I’m looking forward to the time when we place youngsters on the bench not out of necessity, but out of luxury.

Win a trophy: I mean, obviously, right? We’re in the semifinals of the EFL Cup and look poised to advane to the knockouts in the Europa League, so there’s two chances right off the bat. Big Ange said he usually wins trophies in his second year. Let’s hope he delivers.

Get more experience in the squad: This team is still too young. Ange Postecoglou hinted at a potential change in transfer strategy, as reported by the London Evening Standard:

“Moving forward, we probably need to err on the side of getting a little bit more experience, just to help the group, because we’ve got very few at that kind of sweet spot in terms of ages.

So maybe there’s hope we’ll get more experienced players to balance out our young core. He didn’t offer much in the way of if it’ll happen in January or the summer, but it’s still a good resolution to have as we strengthen the squad and move forward.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Water, by Lo Moon

And now for your links:

A reshare via The Athletic ($$): How Dejan Kulusevski became Tottenham’s best player

In what turned out to be a slight bummer of a match, Tottenham Hotspur took a 2-1 lead at home over Wolves deep into the match before conceding a late equalizer from Jorgen Strand Larsen that resulted in a 2-2 draw and two vital dropped points. It was a great opportunity for Spurs to pick up what has been a rare win lately, but to no avail. Spurs are still deeply injured and exhausted, though they get a couple extra days to recuperate before hosting Newcastle this weekend.

When thinking about what theme to use for this match, I happened across several websites that discussed actual wolf rankings. Wolves utilize a surprisingly sophisticated and robust societal ranking system that should be familiar to humans, but was still fascinating to read and learn about. It’s not super complicated — it’s a dominance society — but there is a surprising amount of jostling and ranking amidst the middle of the pack. Seems pretty appropriate after a match against Wolverhampton Wanderers, right? Inside you are two Wolves and unfortunately they both scored against Spurs.

So for this theme, there are no takes — this is just a straight hierarchical ranking of wolf society. Here are your Tottenham Hotspur player ratings to the theme of wolf rankings. Researching this subject was fascinating and fun. Wolves rule.

You’d assume that the Alpha would be the biggest, baddest wolf in the pack, but that’s not always true. It’s multi-factorial, and includes not only dominance, but also age and experience. The top of the pack is usually the dominant breeding couple, and they rule jointly, making decisions about hunting, movement, organization, etc. But the hierarchy can be challenged and it’s not unusual for alpha couples to be dethroned by others within the pack.

No Tottenham players in this category

It’s obvious, but the Beta wolf is the top lieutenant of the alpha, its second in command and potentially king (or queen) in waiting. There may be both a male or female Beta

Dejan Kulusevski (Community — 4.0): Was a big part of everything good Spurs was doing offensively, and got the assist for Johnson’s goal. He gave everything in that match.

Wolf society is centered around breeding and production of offspring, and very little is as important as the next generation of wolves. So the pups, especially the pups of the alpha couple, are often revered until they age and establish themselves within the social hierarchy. The alphas may even allow the youngest members of the pack to eat first, before the rest of the pack.

Archie Gray (Community — 3.5): Once again proved to be the most level-headed and assured Spurs defender on the day. This kid is special.

Destiny Udogie (Community — 3.0): Finally looked like he was rounding into something close to form before injuring his hamstring. Bummer.

Rodrigo Bentancur (Community — 3.5): Scored off of a corner, a unicorn for Spurs this season. Absolutely one of his better performances but docked a half star for picking up a yellow that will suspend him against Newcastle.

Brennan Johnson (Community — 3.5): OK so I was a little harsh on BJ after the initial viewing. Scored a goal and won the penalty that was saved, but still disappeared completely from the match for large stretches of time.

“Soldiers” are the mid-range societal hunters in the pack — they help the alphas to capture and kill food and are (usually) loyal foot soldiers. They may or may not be related to the alpha couple. But the middle of the pack is fluid and there’s often a lot of jostling for position. Occasionally one of the soldiers will attempt to take out the alpha and establish his/her own dominance, leading the pack and claiming breeding rights with the alpha of the other gender.

Pedro Porro (Community — 3.0): Not bad. A little lax defensively but proved to be a threat, especially from his crossing.

Radu Dragusin (Community — 3.0): Decent match. Had a thumping header at goal saved but could’ve done better positionally on a couple of occasions.

Dominic Solanke (Community — 3.0): Once again proving to be a workhorse in the front line, but isn’t getting chances to score like earlier in the season. Came close once, pressed like a beast, but still — you expect more from your CF, right?

Sergio Reguilon (Community — 2.5): He was fine? Sure. He was fine.

Pape Sarr (Community — 3.0): Had a couple of fun looking forward runs with the ball that ultimately didn’t matter. Maybe could’ve been more impactful a little earlier?

James Maddison (Community — 2.5): No real complaints about Maddison, though he didn’t have the creative impact one would’ve hoped.

Ange Postecoglou (Community — 2.5): I suppose I’m grading on a curve here considering [gestures at everything], but I thought he more or less did everything correctly.

There’s an unusual deference within wolf culture to age and wisdom, and middle-ranking older wolves serve a vital role as teachers and protectors of the pups. While the alphas and soldiers go hunting, other wolves are left behind to guard the youngsters and also educate them on how to exist within wolf society. They are not high on the chain but they serve a very important role in fostering both community within the pack and ensuring the pack stays healthy and intact.

Fraser Forster (Community — 2.5): IDK man, I’m not sure even Vicario could save either Wolves goal. Forster wasn’t necessarily the problem but he most certainly isn’t the solution.

Yves Bissouma (Community — 2.5): I’m kinda done with this guy, ngl.

Timo Werner (Community — 2.0): Had one dangerous cross and otherwise wasn’t much of a factor.

There always has to be someone at the bottom of the pack hierarchy, but in wolf society the Omega (or Omega couple) plays a vital role in the health of the pack. Yes, they’re picked on and dominated by the rest of the pack, but they can also insert themselves in the middle of intra-pack disputes as a circuit breaker to defuse potentially volatile situations. They’ve been described as “court jesters” — abused by everyone above them and yet still revered by the pack as a whole.

Son Heung-Min (Community — 2.0): Another sub-par match where Sonny played every minute and looked absolutely knackered. Had a penalty saved by going low and left, his preferred PK shot, and Jose Sa had clearly done his homework. He needs a long rest.

The lone wolf is an archetype among humans -- the wolf who leaves the pack for whatever reason. That could be because it was ostracized or kicked out of the pack, or left voluntarily for breeding purposes, or a shortage of food. They may attempt to join another pack, often starting off in the low-middle of the hierarchy, or establish a new one as an alpha. But being a lone wolf is a tenuous existence, and a dangerous one.

No Tottenham players were as bad as being a lone wolf.

good morning!

And welcome to the first hoddle of 2025! It’s too bad the first Premier League fixture of the new year includes Arsenal, but maybe they’ll put in a stinker against Brentford.

January 1 also gives us ice hockey fans one of the recent traditions in North American sports: the Winter Classic.

Every year two teams play in an outdoor stadium (usually cold-weather sites) such as Fenway Park, Citi Field or Gillette Stadium. The event becomes a spectacle and is one of my favourite things to watch.

My biggest gripe, though, has to be the exclusion of the San Jose Sharks in any of these. I understand the Sharks play in California, but they’ve earned a spot by now. How the heck can last year’s edition feature the league’s two newest teams (the Las Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken) but no Sharks? Or Winnipeg Jets, for that matter.

This year’s edition will feature a return of two teams more suited to a Winter Classic than Vegas or Seattle: the St Louis Blues vs the Chicago Blackhwaks. (It’s worth noting, however, that this’ll be the Blues’ second Winter Classic in four years).

This year’s edition is also on December 31 at 5pm ET. So by the time you read this you’ll probably already know what happened. I have no idea why it’s on New Year’s Eve.

My only guess would be that the television networks thought America would be more interested in watching Arizona State versus Texas in the Peach Bowl (they’re probably right).

Fitzie’s track of the day: Rock ‘N Roll High School, by the Ramones

And now for your links:

NHL with a preview of this year’s Winter Classic

The rise and fall of North Korea women’s football

This week marks the first time in a month that Tottenham Hotspur hasn’t played two matches in any given week. It’s also the last time that’ll happen until mid-February. That’s obviously less than ideal considering Tottenham’s squad is ravaged by injuries to the extent that they have at times had ten first team players unavailable for selection.

But there is hope on the horizon. Alasdair Gold posted an update on Tottenham Hotspur’s injury situation today and while there’s not a ton of immediate aid coming, there are timelines for a number of injured players’ returns.

Let’s start with Wilson Odobert. One of Tottenham’s newest signings, we barely got to know him before he went down with a long term hamstring injury that included surgery. Today he posted a cryptic image on his Instagram stories showing him wearing football boots.

Now before we get too excited, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s returning to full training. More likely it “merely” means that he’s returning to outdoor training on turf. But that’s a significant milestone! Gold writes that Odobert’s return is sometime “in 2025” which is extremely vague, but also appropriate when rehabbing an injury like the one he just had.

The other positive update is Richarlison, which Gold states could be fit enough to make the bench for the Newcastle match this weekend. Richy has been treated with caution as he rehabs from a hamstring injury picked up while assisting Dominic Solanke’s goal against Aston Villa on November 3. If Richy does make the bench I wouldn’t expect him to get anything other than a brief run-out as a late game sub, if he plays at all... but still, progress!

Here’s a quick summary of Tottenham’s other injured players, according to Gold:

Mikey Moore — Likely to return to full training on Wednesday, but is not expected to be fit in time for Newcastle

Guglielmo Vicario — Still recovering from foot surgery, likely out at least a further month, possibly more

Cuti Romero — No significant update, but if initial reports hold could return by mid-January

Micky van de Ven — Similar timetable as Romero as Micky recuperates from another hamstring injury

Ben Davies — Re-aggravated his existing injury a couple weeks back, but eying a return in early January

Destiny Udogie — Injured his hamstring against Wolves, with no date set for return. This is a complete guess, but I wouldn’t expect him back for six weeks or so.

Tottenham are also expected to bolster their squad with some additions in the January transfer window; hopefully some of them will come early so they can help with squad rotation before Spurs’ injured players return.

good morning and welcome to the FINAL HODDLE OF THE YEAR !!!!!

Let’s end the year by wrapping up our countdown of Fitzie’s Top Songs of 2024.

I have to say, looking at this list, it’s really tough to rank them 10 through 1. But that’s the task that I’ve assigned myself and I’m not going to shy away from it. So let’s get to it.

Where the hell did Sports Team come from? I’m not sure, but they delivered an absolute banger in Condensation.

Fitzie’s track of the day, part one: Condensation, by Sports Team

This is everything you’d want from St Vincent. After returning to 70s sultry rock, St Vincent is back with a more experimental collection of songs. The best of which is Broken Man.

Fitzie’s track of the day, part two: Broken Man, by St Vincent

Not every Track of the Day grabs Menno’s attention so much that he has to comment on it and declare his newfound love for the artist. This country-rock romper is that good and deserves its place in Fitzie’s top 10.

Fitzie’s track of the day, part three: Sunshine Getaway, by JD McPherson

TLDP is one of my favourite groups out there right now. I adore their baroque pop sound. And The Feminine Urge shows TLDP at their very best.

Fitzie’s track of the day, part four: The Feminine Urge, by The Last Dinner Party

Sometimes you listen to a song and you know it’s important. This might not be my favourite song this year (it’s close), but I think it’ll have the greatest impact. The lyrics ween between nonsensical and deep, and the momentum builds and builds.

Fitzie’s track of the day, part five: Starburster, by Fontaines DC

Haunting lyrics carry this one all the way to No. 5. I’ve played this song many times this year, and it always feels fresh. It’s got this electronic beat, an almost ghostly vocal performance from SVE that is always incredible to listen to.

Fitzie’s track of the day, part six: Afterlife, by Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory

That’s the Jack White we know. The only thing better than listening to this for the first time on the radio was listening to it at The Atlantis in DC.

Fitzie’s track of the day, part seven: That’s How I’m Feeling, by Jack White

How do you choose just one Yard Act song? They released one of my favourite records this year in Where’s My Utopia? It was hard to select just one song from their record to place in the list.

The best song on that album is Blackpool Illuminations, which almost defies the sarcastic reckoning the band faces with its newfound critical acclaim. After some cheeky songs like Dream Job and We Make Hits, we get an honestly reflective song that harkens back to a tourist attraction in the coastal town.

Or is it all a joke that only Yard Act are in on? Pull up the lyrics and listen to an incredible piece of writing.

Fitzie’s track of the day, part eight: Blackpool Illuminations, by Yard Act

The Linda Lindas burst onto the scene a couple years ago with Oh! They return this year with something far more sophisticated in All In My Head.

Not just in the subject matter, but in their musicianship as well. Hard to believe they’re just teenagers still.

(If anyone has a spare ticket and wants to bring a hoddler-in-chief to The Linda Lindas’ gig at the Black Cat on April 18, let fitzie know.)

Fitzie’s track of the day, part nine: All In My Head, by The Linda Lindas

There were huge expectations for The Cure’s long-awaited album Songs of a Lost World this year. And they delivered. There’s some exceptional songs here including Drone No Drone, I Can Never Say Goodbye and Love’s A Fragile Thing.

Safe to say The Cure dominated this year for me. They delivered my favourite record and my favourite song. No one does goth, melancholic rock better than them.

Fitzie’s track of the day, part ten: Alone, by The Cure

And now for your links:

NME: Robert Smith on why he dislikes 4:13 Dream

The Los Angeles Times ($$): The Linda Lindas grow up while reaching stadium-level status

The Guardian reviews a Jack White concert

Six years after Tottenham Hotspur came within a whisker of signing a young Jack Grealish, are Spurs finally about to get their man? Well, maybe. Possibly. Likely not, but let’s write about it anyway.

Daily Mail northern football correspondent Jack Gaughan writes for the “newspaper” (and I use the term loosely) in a piece dedicated to Manchester City’s January transfer plans that Grealish is a player who could leave City in the upcoming window, and that both Spurs and Newcastle are “monitoring” the situation.

Now, admittedly that’s some pretty thin gruel on which to base a transfer rumor, but Jack Grealish isn’t playing a ton of football at City right now and he could be a player that could add some significant spice to Ange Postecoglou’s roster. That said, City are going through a crisis of their own and Pep Guardiola said he doesn’t expect any players will leave the club next month. I guess we’ll find out. Grealish is no longer the young, exciting Villa player that Spurs nearly signed in the summer of 2018, but he’s still a quality creative passing midfielder that could really help Spurs, if they can find a way to get him in.

I find it hard to believe that Grealish, now 29, would be considered a long-term option for Spurs, but would I take him on loan? I absolutely, 100% would. So file this rumor as one that fits in the “LOL but I want this to happen” category.

Alasdair Gold has also been writing about Tottenham’s potential plans in January, and while Spurs have locked down almost all transfer-related leaks under Johan Lange, Gold says Spurs are looking at potentially bringing in as many as four players this month, looking at central defenders, a left back, a central midfielder, and potentially an attacker. Spurs are also said to be “considering” options at keeper for a long-term backup and competition for Guglielmo Vicario when he returns to the side.

The January window opens tomorrow with the start of the 2025 calendar year, and with the understanding that Ange Postecoglou desperately needs new players to fortify his exhausted and injury-ravaged squad, if only to get the club to the end of the season where the rebuild can continue. There’s been briefing from the club through various intermediaries that suggests Postecoglou has the full backing of the Tottenham leadership and the players are still firmly behind his managerial tenure, but as results continue to stagnate there’s already murmurs that results need to improve in the second half of the season.

That’s one reason why this window, typically not one in which Spurs do a ton of business, could prove to be incredibly important, not just for Tottenham’s season but also for Postecoglou’s future.

We might have mentioned it a few times on here, but the second annual Pop-Tarts Bowl took place this weekend between the University of Miami and Iowa State University. I am now convinced that the Pop-Tarts Bowl, which is the antithesis of the stuffy, tradition-laden pomp of historic bowls like the Rose and Fiesta Bowls, is exactly what college football needs. It was a great game, too — Iowa State won by a single point and their quarterback captain got to choose which of three Pop-Tart flavor mascots got dumped into a giant toaster to be cooked and subsequently devoured by the winning team (it was Frosted Cinnamon Roll, for the record. RIP.)

Let’s be honest for a second — Pop-Tarts are terrible for you and I don’t recommend people actually consume them, but they are delicious in moderation and are an iconic American pop culture food item. I don’t buy them frequently, but I’ve also tasted a fair few in my years as an American food consumer. So that, in conjunction with the recently completed Bowl, makes them a solid candidate for a player ratings theme.

Once again the rampant schedule of Tottenham Hotspur’s fixtures has caught up to me and I’m behind on posting player ratings, so let’s just crank this one out. Spurs lost away at Nottingham Forest and it sucked. Here are your player ratings to the theme of Pop-Tarts flavors, because why the hell not.

If I were basic, I’d go with frosted strawberry, or maybe frosted cherry or blueberry as my top choice. All three are solid, dependable, top tier toaster pastries. But for my money, I’m going with frosted raspberry. It’s made with actual dried raspberries, for starters, and provides a zing that you just don’t get with the other fruity Pop-Tarts. The sweetness of the frosting also goes a long way towards counterbalancing the tartness of the fruit filling. This is the platonic ideal, at least for me, of Pop-Tartery.

No Tottenham players were in this category.

If you’re not going for a fruit Pop-Tart, you should be going for a chocolate one and there aren’t many that are as good as the s’mores flavor. A graham cracker pastry and a fudge/marshmallow filling is just a classic flavor profile, which is what elevates it above the likes of Hot Fudge Sundae and even Marshmallow Hot Cocoa. This is a top tier garbage toaster pastry.

No Tottenham players in this category.

Iowa State did pretty good here — frosted cinnamon roll is an excellent choice for a winning Pop-Tart flavor, especially if you’re looking for a non-fruit option, and especially when compared to the other two options - Frosted Hot Fudge Sundae and Frosted Wild Berry. You might personally prefer a different choice, but I find it hard to fault going with a spiced option, and the Cinnamon Roll variant is a slight elevation from the original and classic Brown Sugar Cinnamon pastry.

Archie Gray (Community — 3.0): He was fine. Love this kid and his attitude, even acknowledging he’s not really a CB.

Lucas Bergvall (Community — 3.0): A late sub and showed some real spirit in possession, albeit in a losing effort. He’s continuing to show his adaptation to the Premier League level.

It’s basically a combination of Frosted Strawberry and Frosted Raspberry with a 90s-themed “wild” colored frosting. It’s... fine, but weirdly there’s just too much going on here to elevate it, and the berry combination just comes across as muddled. It’s palatable as far as Pop-Tarts go, but nothing especially noteworthy.

Radu Dragusin (Community — 2.5): He was ok, right up to the point where he injured his ankle. He is what he is at this point and we know both the things he does well (tackles/interceptions) and his weaknesses (passing, positional awareness). Do love his long ball from deep, though.

Fraser Forster (Community — 2.5): Definitely not the problem in this match (but also remains as not the solution either).

Pape Sarr (Community — 2.5): Spurs don’t really have many good options as an outlet, but Sarr served that purpose admirably in this one, even in what was a pretty poor team performance.

Dejan Kulusevski (Community — 2.5): Boy did he try in this one. Set up Johnson for at least one chance but a stout Forest defense negated a lot of his efforts.

Credit where due, if you were looking for a Pop-Tart that tastes exactly like those cheap frosted birthday sheetcakes you can get at the local supermarket, then this is a Pop-Tart you will enjoy because they absolutely nail that flavor profile. As for me, I think they’re disgusting and I don’t understand the nostalgia for this particular chemical flavor profile.

Djed Spence (Community — 2.5): Played pretty well on balance, but hard to overlook the two stupid yellows that ruled him out of the Wolves match, one for dissent and the other for a reckless challenge.

Rodrigo Bentancur (Community — 2.5): His first league match back after a seven game suspension and it wasn’t great, Bob!

Brennan Johnson (Community — 2.5): If Johnson isn’t scoring, he also isn’t doing a whole lot to help the team. Forced Sels into a couple of good saves and probably should’ve scored when the ball squirted right to his feet at close range. Otherwise a passenger in this one.

Ange Postecoglou (Community — 2.0): I’m at the point where I have no idea where to rank Ange anymore due to all the context behind the injury crisis, the fixture schedule, and the overall performances.

I’m not sure who asked for this flavor, but as an avowed hater of artificial banana flavoring this one goes straight in the bin for me.

Destiny Udogie (Community — 2.5): Anthony Elanga is a fast dude, one of the fastest in the league, but it still hurt watching Destiny get beat on that opening Wolves goal. Udogie looks a little bereft of confidence at the moment, which I suppose is to be expected.

Dominic Solanke (Community — 2.5): A lot of his complete absence from this match can be attributed to Forest’s defense... but not all. A poor showing at a time when we needed him to step up.

Son Heung-Min (Community — 2.0): I find it hard to disentangle Son’s recent slump from the number of minutes we’ve forced him to play, but this was a poor, poor match from Spurs’ captain.

James Maddison (Community — 2.5): Really didn’t have much of an impact.

I suppose I understand why these things exist... no, scratch that, I don’t. The argument for an unfrosted Pop-Tart is that the frosting makes the Pop-Tart too sweet, but if you don’t like things that sweet, what the hell are you doing eating a Pop-Tart to begin with? These things are sugar bombs, that’s the entire point. Taking the frosting away just makes it a pointless unhealthy toaster pastry, and I will not have it. Go all in or go home.

No Tottenham Hotspur players were as bad as an unfrosted Pop-Tart.

Tom Carroll Memorial Non-Rating

good morning!

We’re in the final days of the year, which means it’s time to do some reflecting. As promised in my Wrapped a few weeks ago, it’s time to look at my favourite song of 2024.

This year was sneaky good to me. There weren’t as many albums that I felt like I had to get, but there’s a good number of songs that I absolutely love. So much so that I’m doing a Top 20 Countdown.

This list will obviously be subjective to my own tastes and will not feature some artists like Charlie XCX. Doesn’t mean she isn’t great. Just means it’s not my taste. With that out of the way, let’s get to the countdown.

A late entry because I thought another song by another artist was from 2024. Turns out that song was from 2011. So this one, which would’ve been an honourable mention, now makes the list.

This is an interesting group but I’m digging em. I like the electro-synth pop elements to it, and that makes this an interesting inclusion.

I’m a sucker for a classic rocker song. This fits the bill exceptionally well.

This is the first song that really hit me this year. It’s insanely catchy with a wonderful hook filled with a dark humour that’s classic Decemberists.

The only jazz entry on this list, but it’s a great one.

MJ Lenderman got a lot of love this year from reviewers and fellow musicians like. I really dig this one. It gives me mellower Pavement vibes.

Ah, how I missed the sound of Vampire Weekend. Classical is one of two singles released ahead of their 2024 record Only God Was Above Us.

Wow. What a song. I wasn’t expecting anything like this from Nick Cave when he released his later album.

Glad to see Beabadoobee got some love this year! They’ve been indie darlings for a couple years now and pulled out a wonderful soft rock song for 2024.

I mean, it’s summer in a song. A lovely, funk and disco pop song. It’s never boring to listen to. Throw on your shades, roll down the windows and turn the volume up baby !!

Fitzie’s track of the day: Espresso, by Sabrina Carpenter

And now for your links:

The Atlantic: ‘Nick Cave’s revised rules for men’

Pitchfork’s Top 100 songs of 2024