BOX OF RECORDS: The Best Of Big Stir Records 2024
It's “For Your Consideration” season! As critics, DJs, playlisters and fans begin to cobble together their Year's Best Music lists, we're happy to assist by presenting BOX OF RECORDS: THE BEST OF BIG STIR RECORDS 2024. A seventeen-track look back at highlights from our eleven album releases, plus all the standalone singles from the past year (some previewing records yet to come in 2025), it's a celebration of the biggest and most enchantingly eclectic year yet for BSR and our partners at SpyderPop Records. The new collection can be found streaming everywhere as of December 6 and is available as a free download at the Big Stir website and Bandcamp page.
BOX OF RECORDS (named in tribute to this year's hit album BOX OF LETTERS from BSR mainstays SPARKLE*JETS U.K.) spans a dazzling expanse of both geography and time. From Detroit (THE INCURABLES), Akron (LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS) and Vermont (HUNGRYTOWN) in the US to Manchester (THE SPEED OF SOUND) and Hull (THE GOLD NEEDLES) in the UK, with Kharkiv, Ukraine (ROY CRANK) and of course the label's home state of California represented, the collection is also notable for presenting new music from artists who got their start at many points throughout rock history. Celebrated '60s hitmakers THE CYRKLE, '70s legends 20/20, GRAHAM PARKER, and Flashcubes spinoffs THE HALF-CUBES, '80s noir-wave heroes THE JACK RUBIES, and the whole '90's Hollywood Geek Rock scene documented by the GENERATION BLUE project all contribute new or never-before-heard tracks.
The California contingent truly shines, with THE ARMOIRES, BLAKE JONES & THE TRIKE SHOP and the aforementioned SJUK all releasing their biggest hits and most acclaimed albums yet over the past twelve months. The sounds range from pop-punk to chamber pop to postpunk, with plenty of power pop and jangle rock in the mix... it's all in line with Big Stir Records' mission to present new directions in the time-tested melodic rock mold, from artists at the top of their craft. We've done the crate-diving for you, and we invite you to look back on the 2024 release slate from Big Stir and Spyderpop, and, yes, consider including a track or two on your Year's Best list.
The track list (and source albums, available on CD and in many cases Vinyl) follows:
1. THE INCURABLES: Someday (from the album INSIDE OUT & BACKWARDS, released January 19 2024, CD/Digital)
2. THE JACK RUBIES: I'll Give You More (from the album CLOCKS ARE OUT OF TIME, released February 16 2024, CD/Digital)
3. DOLPH CHANEY: Californiagain (single released February 23, 2024 in support of the 2023 album MUG)
4. THE ELECTROMAGNATES: Airwave Hello (standalone single released March 1, 2024)
5. THE CYRKLE: We Can Find It (from the album REVIVAL, released March 22 2024, CD/Digital)
6. RIDEL HIGH: Self Destructive (from the album/book compilation GENERATION BLUE, released April 26 2024, Vinyl/Digital)
7. THE SPEED OF SOUND: West Wind (from the triple album A CORNUCOPIA, released May 24 2o24, Vinyl/CD/Digital)
8. GRAHAM PARKER & THE GOLDTOPS: Back To Schooldays, Live (B-side from the single “Last Stretch Of The Road” released June 7, 2024. A-side from the album LAST CHANCE TO LEARN THE TWIST released in 2023)
9. HUNGRYTOWN: Tuesday Sun (from the album CIRCUS FOR SALE, released June 21 2o24, Vinyl/CD/Digital)
10. sparkle*jets u.k.: Box Of Letters (from the album BOX OF LETTERS, released July 19 2o24, Vinyl/CD/Digital)
11. BLAKE JONES & THE TRIKE SHOP: Record Cover Girl (from the album AND STILL... released August 16 2o24, Vinyl/CD/Digital)
12. ROY CRANK: Don't Kill That World I'm Living In (from the Benefit Single SONGS FOR UKRAINIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY, released August 24 2024 and also available on Roy's independently released album THE TINY PICS)
13. THE HALF-CUBES: Precious To Me (from the album POP TREASURES, released September 13 2024, CD/Digital)
14. THE ARMOIRES: Ridley & Me After The Apocalypse (from the album OCTOBERLAND, released October 11 2o24, Vinyl/CD/Digital)
15. 20/20: Back To California (standalone single released October 25 2024, from the forthcoming SpyderPop Records album BACK TO CALIFORNIA, out January 2025)
16. THE GOLD NEEDLES: I Don't Know About That (standalone single released November 1 2024, from a forthcoming album)
17. LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS: No More Goodbyes (from the album HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS BY TELEPHONE, released November 8 2024, CD/Digital)
