1. The Cactus Blossoms, "Every Time I Think About You." The divine sibling harmonies are a given by now. On their vintage neo-twang band's fourth album, Page Burkum and Jack Torrey step up as songwriters with heartbreakers like "Go On" that match their singing's elegant blueness. Their stage-worn group also steps out with a jeans-tight '70s vibe in fun groovers such as "There She Goes." Next local gig: every Monday in January at the Turf Club, St. Paul.


2. Scrunchies, "Colossal." It was a no-duh choice for longtime Twin Cities punk screamer Laura Larson (ex-Kitten Forever, Baby Guts) to make a record with Nirvana and Pixies studio collaborator Steve Albini. That it happened a few months before his unexpected death seems less important than how well it was timed to her having a strong band and batch of songs ready for the occasion.

3. The Shackletons, "Formerly the Albatross." Producer John Fields (Soul Asylum, Semisonic) cleaned up the hardworking Campbell brothers' hardscrabble sound without taming their Replacements-y wildness or frontman Colin Campbell's manic style. Half the songs, including "Caller Number 10″ and "Drugs in the Car," sound hard-wired enough to be encore fodder at their already renowned live shows. Next gig: Jan. 31, the Green Room, Mpls.

4. Charlie Parr, "Little Sun." For a guy who looks like he's been wearing the same flannel shirt and Converses for 20 years, the acoustic folk/blues stalwart is surprisingly adept at changing up his musical dressing from record to record. Here, he collaborated with producer Tucker Martine (The Decemberists, Neko Case) and a jubilant, Band-like backing unit but still kept his story-driven songwriting and goose bump-inducing picking out front. Next gig: Every Sunday in January, Turf Club.


5. Papa Mbye, "Parcelles 16." While he prominently explored Afrobeat and reggae influences to great effect with his live band in 2024, the Senegalese transplant channels Kanye West, Frank Ocean and other modern American hip-hop influences in this electronically candescent and thematically dramatic seven-song studio collection.


6. Molly Brandt, "American Saga." The windswept-voiced, Iowa-reared country-rocker filled her breakout album with stories and imagery from all over the spectrum of Americana lore. Some of the characters are fictional (the reconciling rich kid in "Daughter of the Oil Tycoon"), and some unfortunately are not (the prefabricated womanizer in "Mr. Texas"). Next gig: Feb. 15, Big Turn Fest, Red Wing.


7. Carnage the Executioner, "Transformation to Terrell X." Remember the '80s? Twin Cities hip-hop vet Terrell Woods can't forget them, from the Saturday morning cartoon shows and classic Def Jam beats that help make this throwback concept record so fun to the absent father and latchkey childhood that made him the man he is. Next gig: Feb. 15, MacPhail Center for Music, Mpls.


8. Humbird, "Right On." Not quite as big-screen-dramatic as a certain other Minnesotan songwriter's conversion from acoustic folk to electric rock, Siri Undlin's third album as Humbird amplifies her cinematic writing style and old-hippie aesthetic.


9. Christy Costello, "From the Dark." After a decade of serving her friends' bands as a talent booker and backup musician, the former Pink Mink and Ouija Radio rocker took center stage again with added exuberance and sharpened pop/punk hook-writing skills. Next gig: Jan. 31, First Avenue's Best New Bands of 2024, Mpls.


10. Riotgrrrldarko, "Kiss the Ring." Bray'Jana Coleman's debut collection as a "Brat"-y, smack-talking, feminism-preaching Minneapolis rapper is the weirdest and most lo-fi of all the records on this list, and ultimately the most fun.

[More: What were the top albums of 2024? Our critics list their favorites.]