100 Favorite Albums of 2025: 25-1

We did, the home stretch. Proud of everyone for getting through what was, well, yet another difficult year. Regardless where you’re reading this from, it’s probably been difficult there, and I empathize with you. Luckily, music always has our backs. I’m almost always drawn to the heavier, faster, darker bands, and that’s especially true in years like this. You’ll find a lot of that in my top 25 – but not exclusively. I’m jetlagged from a flight and you’re tired of reading top lists, so let’s just get on with it.

#25. PinkPantheress – Fancy That

Without intending to, I listened to a lot more electronic and dance music this year than normal. Sometimes, I need an album that’s just fast and fun. This seriously scratched that itch, a 9-song, 20-minute mini-album that drops big beats relentlessly, alongside PinkPantheress’s bouncy vocals. Whiplash pop music mixed with UK rave music. I don’t make a lot of concessions to “England” but they really got the electronic music scene on lock. This hearkens back to the 90s club scene but also sounds completely 2025. Good music to turn your brain off and dance to. 

#24. Billy Woods – Golliwog

Another perennial favorite of mine, his presence on this list shouldn’t be surprising at all. It’s also one of the most acclaimed albums of the year in general. The indie rap hotshot has already released a number of great records both solo and as a member of Armand Hammer, but this is his magnum opus. A tough record about a tough life, an autobiography the artist’s fascinating life and his experiences in NYC. Sure, that album’s been done a million times, but if it’s earnest then it’s justifiable. This is not only earnest, it’s raw, nervous, and at times still redacted, as if Woods immediately regrets telling the listener something. 

#23. Smerz – Big city life

It’s rare in today’s music melting pot that you hear something that sounds totally new. This sounds totally new. The best I can surmise Smerz is that they are trip-hop indie, with a little extra -hop, and some jazz. Short, funky blasts that sound like the coolest thing this side of Jon Spencer. I’ve already deep-dived their previous albums – their two prior full-lengths are ones where they serve as a backing band for an indie-pop singer, and an avant-garde choir. This band is hitting originality on all fronts. 

#22. Sudan Archives – THE BPM 

I was already extremely partial to Sudan Archives, a one-woman showcase that blends indie, R&B and electro music into one. But for her third album, she roped in a significant amount of house influence, and it’s her best album to date. This is blistering and unapologetic dance music. It’s got the fast tempos and big beats that the title implies, and the heart and personality of her other albums. It’s one of the most outwardly fun albums on this list, best played after midnight. 

#21. Paris Texas – They Left Me With A Gun

You may be noticing a trend in the rap that I like the most; intense but vibrant indie-rap is my go-to. Thankfully Denzel Curry didn’t release anything this year or it would’ve been overload. The new Paris Texas release is just an EP, and I’m always hesitant on ranking EP’s against LP’s, but when something is this good it’s worth it. A quick, nonstop collection of fast rhythms and big beats, and all without the boisterousness of top 40 rap.

#20. Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos

The biggest album in my top 100 by far. I pity the people who don’t listen to music in languages they don’t speak. I don’t understand a word of this album and, as a pasty white man in Boston, I’m not exactly the target audience. But Bad Bunny has such an inherent skill at taking reggaeton – a genre where the biggest critique is repetition – and making every song feel important and special. Reggaeton, rap, R&B, pop, there’s a touch of everything popular here. And even at 62 minutes, it doesn’t feel overstuffed or tedious. Put this on at a party – any party – and you’ll get everyone moving in no time. Can’t wait to once turn on the Super Bowl at halftime. Eat shit, Stephen Miller.

#19. Ela Minus – DIA

I went into this one totally blind, having heard one song from it many weeks prior. Obviously, I was floored. I was expecting some light-electro indie, and probably “just another indie album” like the influx I’ve already heard this year. It’s electro-indie, for sure, but it’s very experimental and not afraid to take risks. Pop songs are meshed with ambient drone, and enough dense electronica to make Dave Gahan smile. It’s a truly unpredictable album and had me clapping my hands like a seal. 

#18. Songs By Jonas – The “Everything Is Wrong” Album

I know nothing about this artist, but this was a whirlwind of bedroom emo and experimental noise. Most songs are short and acoustic, and make clever use of double-tracking to make it sound like a full band instead of one person. But there’s plenty of fuzz and glitch, too – it’s wildly unpredictable. There’s a litany of songs here that worked more than I thought they would from the start. I can’t wait to dig into this catalog more. This one kind of slipped through the cracks – it just missed the cutoff for my mid-year post, and I never got a chance to go back to it. 2026 gives me a great chance to listen to the other songs by Jonas.

#17. Wednesday – Bleeds

I have to chalk this one up as a major disappointment. The Asheville Americana rockers are coming off their album Rat Saw God – my pick for #1 in 2023 and subsequently, my pick for Album of the Decade So Far. Truthfully, nothing would live up to that behemoth, but this is still damn good. We’ve got the most country the band has ever sounded in lead single “Elderberry Wine,” and we have some of their heaviest, grungiest songs to date as well, like the leadoff song posted below. It’s an expansion of their capabilities, and there are plenty of all-time gems here. It takes a few listens to get into, as it is not as immediately striking as Rat, but it’s still unstoppable. They’re the best band in America right now. Surely someone has shown Neil Young this album, right? 

#16. Jehnny Beth – You Heartbreaker, You

I’ll be honest, I just tossed this on at work. I remain a diehard fan of the two Savages records, but Beth’s first solo album left me a tad lukewarm. This demolished my expectations. It’s a ripping rock record, not out of league of the post-hardcore/post-punk albums with Savages that put her on the map. Nearly every song grabs you by the throat with boundless energy and urgent emotions, often resembling a cry for help. It’s abrasive, but never uncomfortably so. It isn’t the most melodic album, opting instead more for pummeling songs that don’t sacrifice honesty. Beth has never been afraid to put her real self across her art, and this is real. This barely feels like art, more like raw human feelings on display. 

#15. ameokama – i will be clouds in the morning and rain in the evening

The first a few regional Boston* discs to make the list, this is another entry in the “wildly unpredictable” canon. But instead of sticking in the world of electro-indie, this cements itself in black metal. ameokama, who also previously sang for the metal group A Constant Knowledge of Death and just last month joined Crippling Alcoholism, explores every boundary of black metal and pushes past them. She’s confrontational at points, atmospheric at others. The defining focus of this album is existing as something you can get lost in. You know how Deafheaven went from black metal to ambient? Imagine all of that across one album (ahem, more on them later). There’s still time for some doom and shoegaze elements too, because it simply can’t stay contained. 

*- She dropped this album and promptly moved away, but it counts as a Boston album.

#14. Little Simz – Lotus

It’s always a safe assumption that Little Simz will make my lists whenever she releases something, but Lotus is excellent even on a grading curve. After the monumental, unexpected success of her album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, she stepped away a bit and released some cold, confrontational albums. But Lotus is plain old fun. The UK rapper sounds like she’s having a blast, with big beats and bouncy rhythms. It’s a different and somewhat relieving direction, as it sounds like Simz has learned to leverage her platform (a guest appearance on last year’s Coldplay album hinted at this too). As expected, there’s a lot of quick, flowing ideas and most of them work very well. 

#13. mclusky – the world is still here and so are we

And thank your god for that. Often, I want artists to stretch their own boundaries and explore new territory, especially if they are coming back from a break. But would we want mclusky to give us anything they haven’t given us before? Hell no. The band’s first album in 21 years picks up exactly where they left off, and why shouldn’t it? The things they satirized so heavily in the early 2000’s have only gotten worse! This is full of short, heavy post-hardcore songs that could easily get mistaken as punk. And as expected, the lyrics range from corny and silly to deeply political and courageously specific. I was a huge fan of Future Of The Left, Andy Falkous’ band he formed after mclusky’s initial break-up, but this album scratches a slightly different itch. It’s loose, aggressive, and straight to the point.

I normally post studio versions here, but mclusky live > mclusky studio. Here’s how the song is really meant to sound:

#12. The Croaks – Menagerie

Another favorite Boston band, possibly my actual favorite. Self-described as “wench rock,” this is some Ren Faire indie. A 4-track EP of songs with full minstrel influence, even though some of them go off the rails into punk territory. There’s nothing like this out there anywhere, as far as I can tell. It’s a gimmick, maybe, but it is music that really hooks you in quickly, too. Longtime fans will recognize 2-3 of these songs from live sets, which are always a blast. As far as bassist/vocalist Alli Fuchs goes, more on her later.

#11. TAKAAT – Is Noise, Vol. 1 & Is Noise, Vol. 2

Remember when I said I always debate whether to include EP’s? This is the same boat. But let me say that this is the exact type of thing I’m into. These two 4-tracks represent the first music released by the band, but you may be familiar with them already – it’s African indie-rocker Mdou Moctar’s backing band, without Moctar himself. These songs mix African rhythms with dense, heavy noise production to make something wholly unique and separate from the artist they’re associated with. I saw these guys play a very early show and they managed to stretch the initial four songs into an hour-long set, it was face-melting stuff. I can’t wait for more. 

#10. Agriculture – The Spiritual Sound

Agriculture were already promising themselves to be one of the most exciting and unique bands in all of metal. But their second record blows everything out of the water. The band’s black metalish music is riveting, intense, not for the faint of heart. Black metal is kind of tough to mess up – a wall of guitars and some screaming can do wonders if done well. But The Spiritual Sound is not a relentless nor repetitive record. There are a ton of fresh ideas and genre twists, all sewed into traditional black metal heaviness. This feels the same as Deafheaven did in 2013, unparalleled and exciting within a genre that has hardly evolved over three decades. This record has a maximum audience, but for those it appeals to, it is a stone-cold masterpiece. Challenge your senses. 

#9. UNIVERSITY – McCartney, It’ll Be OK & YES

Two-fer. Deal with it. At the time of writing, I don’t know anything about this band, nothing at all. The covers of their album and singles invoke the same artwork as Dinosaur Jr.’s You’re Living All Over Me, and my brain makes a false connection between the two bands. But not that false – this is probably what the Dino guys would sound like if they were young today. It’s alternative, but it takes frequent detours into straight noise. Obscenely loud, this is one of the boldest debut albums I’ve ever heard. So rarely does a band come out of the gate with a unique sound. These folks are not afraid to put a wall of guitars and screaming in the middle of an indie song, and not afraid to stretch a tune to 11 minutes as they do on their follow-up EP YES. The only thing that’s predictable here, besides the unpredictability, is that it will be chaotic. Not for the faint of heart. 

#8. Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power

The kings reclaim the throne. Deafheaven’s Sunbather is arguably the best metal album of the last 20 years, whether you like it or not, and they’ve been on a tear ever since then. But where each subsequent album has explored a different facet of their sound, Lonely People With Power combines everything into one. It’s their best since Sunbather. Pulverizing black metal, blissful ambient, riffs, beautiful lyrics completely lost through guttural screaming, and occasionally just…rock music? Also these are shorter songs than normal, which gives the band more branches to show themselves off. It’s like a Greatest Hits of all new tracks. Bring earplugs. 

#7. nurse joy – can i say something…?

Not the first nor the last Boston band to grace this section of the list. I caught nurse joy by chance at a festival last year when I had downtime, and their midday set in a cramped Rockwell was a damn party. Their debut and final full-length is a dance-punk whirlwind, a bunch of raucous loose anthems that transcend genre but never stray too far from being -punk. It’s fun as hell. In some ways it sounds like a record pulled from 2007 or so, but the basement sweatiness of it can only exist in 2025. Thankfully, I got to see nurse joy three more times before they split up in September.

#6. Backxwash – Only Dust Remains

Another shoo-in, every Backxwash album I’ve listened to has made my best-of lists. There was never any doubt here. The Zambian-Canadian rapper is freed from her now-concluded trilogy of dark, religious albums, but Dust isn’t a whole lot different. We do see some varied and more experimental sides of her, making this her most well-rounded album to date. But it’s also dark, heavy, conscious and sometimes just plain nasty. This isn’t something for everyone, it’s deliberately off-putting at points; but it’s yet another triumph in a catalog full of them. 

#5. Deftones – private music

It seems that the kids these days have become nostalgic for the 2000s, a time they just missed out on. It’s bewildering – that era was worse in almost every way. But one thing the kids have gifted on us is a Deftones revival. I saw Deftones for the first (and so far only) time in 2022, at Agganis Arena, a midsize venue mostly housed by BU sports teams. This January, they played TD Garden. Other luminaries who play TD Garden? Kendrick Lamar, Charli XCX, the Boston Celtics. Now, in order to maintain this sudden second career, they had to stick the landing on their new album. They did so with room to spare – this is their best album since their original late-90s heyday. Blisteringly heavy, riff-filled, and equal parts melodic and noisy. It’s been obvious that the band members are starting to move in different directions, but this album captures them blending these differing ambitions beautifully. Deftones should’ve been a “legacy band.” Instead, they’re leaders of a whole new metal revolution.

#4. Laura Stevenson – Late Great

Laura Stevenson’s classic “Master Of Art” is my all-time favorite song. She’s got one of the best singing voice I’ve ever heard. It’s not necessarily a given that she shows up on these lists, but it’s likely – and Late Great is her best album in a long while. Touching, gorgeous indie songs that can stretch into “fun” or “haunting” territory real quick. Stevenson is excellent at making tunes that are drawn-out and dense, and following it up with something minimalistic and catchy. While her music is never exactly uplifting or optimistic, Late Great was spurned by divorce, which only adds extra gravity to the always emotional music. Everything is all under the guise of Stevenson’s beautiful vocals. She’s one of my favorite artists and she’s back even stronger than she has been in many years.

#3. Paper Lady – Idle Fate

The final local release on this list, this album is nuts. Another debut full-length, this one is somewhere in the realm of heavy alternative/shoegaze, even just rock music. These tunes are dense and unpredictable, sometimes putting everything upfront and other times opting for a slow-burning bruiser. Their live show is feral even as the songs are patient. If you’ve been missing some heavy alternative, then have no fear, Paper Lady is here. The band features Croaks bassist/vocalist Alli Fuchs as a frontwoman, and she puts everything forward. Without fact-checking, I believe billy woods is the only other person to make two separate appearances in my top 100. I hope you like guitars.

#2. Bartees Strange – Horror

I’ve been a fan of Bartees for a while, but I never predicted that he would put out a record this good. Horror does indeed dig into the macabre, adding yet another element to his already-stewing melting pot. The indie/rock/rapper delivers a chaotic album of high-speed rap, pretty R&B and catchy indie songs. It’s fun, wildly so, and delivers from start to finish. It’s easy to see an influence of TV On The Radio here, although the more macabre parts come from elsewhere darker. Some of these songs absolutely boom, but not all of them do, it’s a very well-rounded affair. Fun as hell. Pair with a follow-up EP he released in October, Shy Bairns Get Nowt, which sees Bartees dig deeper into specific genres like rap and blues. 

#1. Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory – Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory

Time to get the tissues out. I mentioned my all-time favorite song already, but SVE’s “Seventeen” is close behind it, and the song guaranteed to make me to weep immediately. SVE’s first album crediting her backing band is her best in a long while. It’s apparent that the band were more involved in the songwriting, as these tunes are more complex and more instrumental. Guitars are largely ditched for synthesizers, itself a big change for her traditionally folk-inspired indie (and usually a kiss of death for me). But her gorgeous voice still prevails and makes these songs vulnerable, shakeable. Remarkably beautiful indie record. I wasn’t sure on this at #1, I had Bartees there most of the year. You’ll notice the two swapped spots from the midyear post. This isn’t necessarily an Earth-shattering #1, but I think it’s one that will have staying power. I can see myself coming back to this one ins forthcoming years.

And that’s a wrap. May we wish for a 2026 as plentiful musically as 2025 was. I’m sure it will be. As always, I hope these posts or even this top 25 can give you one new gem to discover. Or at least it validated your own personal opinions. This wraps up my year-end 2025 coverage, although I may post a little about films watched in 2025 too.

I always highlight some releases that didn’t quite make the cut, so here’s five more in no order: Liam Peroyea – Burn | Freckle – Freckle | Valerie June – Owls, Omens and Oracles | Golomb – The Beat Goes On | AFI – Silver Bleeds the Black Sun

100 Favorite Albums of 2025: 50-26

What a year for music, just like every other year. Here at PGMR we (I) love to celebrate as many albums as I physically have time for, hence a top 100 list curated and written entirely by one person with little time. We’ll continue with the third quadrant of the list shortly, but I am a little bit of a hater, so let’s briefly discuss some of the disappointments and duds. Truthfully, I’m doing this to dispel anticipation about the placement of one big album – Turnstile’s Never Enough. I very much enjoy Turnstile, and I will champion them as the faces of a thrilling and necessary hardcore revival. But, the album itself was a sleeper, full of either template hardcore or experimentations that half-worked. It currently sits at #238 on the list of 315 albums I’ve ranked – which doesn’t include 66 albums I didn’t get around to ranking.

In dead last is Arcade Fire, who again proved that it was Will Butler providing the good songwriting, not Win. Sure, Win’s allegations played a role in the ranking too. Taylor Swift shit out a potentially AI-abetted album that even the Swifties didn’t like, finding herself in my bottom 5 for a second year in a row. I can wager it a disappointment – an artist at this peak should be brilliant, and I’m not a Taylor hater. Lorde promised an album better than Solar Power, which was only marginally true. Maybe the biggest disappointment was David Byrne, whose follow-up to his rebirth American Utopia was a base-level alternative album with lyrics that sounded like second grade poetry. Finally, Car Seat Headrest’s first album in five years was so focused on the concept that it didn’t really have songs – though they still scraped themselves into my Best Songs List, ironically.

Alright, enough hating. Most music is good, so let’s talk about 25 great ones!

#50. Armand Hammer – Mercy

I mean, it’s Armand Hammer. Billy Woods and Elucid are unbelievable rappers when they’re working solo. Together, they’re unstoppable. Mercy is their second album done in full with production from The Alchemist, which isn’t just a name. He concocts some unique and gonzo backing beats for the two rappers. Their music is always experimental, without being too far out of the realm of conventionality. Their lyrics are always the strong suit: personal and political, more poetic than truly lyrical, and not without some fun too. It’s not a rap album for everyone, but for people who like things outside the norm, it’s a banger. In case you’re wondering, yes, more on Billy Woods later.

#49. Pile – Sunshine and Balance Beams

Pile! Pile! Pile! Boston’s best band is back, and they’re screaming again. Pile have always been great, but it’s been a while since they’ve been this energized. Their ninth album is dense and loud, some challenging rock music. They’ve mostly shed away the indie influences, opting for a sound I can only describe as cool dad. It hits, hard, and it’s super rewarding for the patient. This is just excellent songwriting, buried under guitars and Rick Maguire going nuts at the front and center. If someone tells you rock is dead, show them Pile. 

#48. Deep Sea Diver – Billboard Heart

With no ceiling on the number of people who can make music in an online world, there’s a massive bloat of indie bands. It’s fine, I’d rather too many similar bands than not enough, but alternative radio has become somewhat sterile. I put this record on expecting “yet another” pleasant, digestible indie record – but this kicks ass. It has the makings of today’s template indie, with catchy hooks and pleasant vocals, but they dial the guitars up in particularly every song. This feels more reminiscent of 90’s indie-rock, while still maintaining a distance from it. Loud, fun, catchy rock and roll music – an unbreakable formula.

#47. MIKE/Tony Seltzer – Pinball II

Pinball, the first collaborative album between MIKE and Tony Seltzer, was a shoo-in on last year’s list. It’s one of the best rap albums in years, full stop. It’s natural for successful rap collabs to do a sequel, but I wasn’t expecting a follow-up this quickly. The magic is still there, this is almost as good as the tentpole. It’s an effortless, low-key rap album that’s a ton of fun even through relatively minimalist songs. MIKE is one of our best lyricists, and his excellent cadence doesn’t hurt. When most of the rap that I like is on the bombastic side, it’s nice to enjoy a low-stakes one occasionally. 

#46. Deerhoof – Noble and Godlike in Ruin

Chances are, if you’re reading this, then you already know Deerhoof’s whole deal. They’re a legacy indie group by now, and one that’s never go to slip into any sort of complacent sound. I mean, this album is their 20th and it sees them making a concept record about Frankenstein that ropes noise and free jaz into their indie sound. They’ve always had their finger on the pulse, and I caught this unabashedly political album before they wiped all of their music off Spotify – among the first bands to do so in a growing wave. It’s one of the more challenging, and rewarding albums I listened to all year, a victory lap for a band already installed in the Indie Rock Hall Of Fame. 

#45. Ty Segall – Possession

For a while, Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees were neck-and-neck in the race to see who could release the most albums. Then, COVID hit, and both Segall and John Dwyer lost their minds. Both used the isolation downtime to explore more experimental, head-scratching paths. But Segall also slowed down, way down. This album, which is I believe his 16th solo album (which does not include dozens of other releases), is pretty back-to-basics. He already came back down to Earth on 2024’s all-timer Three Bells, but he sounds the most at peace here. These are pleasant, easily digestible psych-rock songs. It’s a far cry from the instrumental percussion he was doing just last year – this is just a nice album! He’s done acoustic, pared-down albums before, but he’s never sounded this content. If it’s a victory lap for Segall, it’s well-earned; he’s spent two decades exploring the spectrum of bruising garage rock to experimental pop. He has a lot to be content about. And it proves that sometimes, joyous complacency actually doesn’t hurt your songwriting. 

#44. Hayley Williams – Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party

Normally, when a frontperson releases a solo album, I want it to be something that’s a different direction from their primary band. But not every band is Paramore, who have probably a dozen skippable songs across their whole catalog. Williams’ solo career is taking off, separately, and this behemoth record is filled with both songs that sound like Paramore, and some new directions interspersed. It’s a daunting record for an artist so easy on the ears, but practically every song is brilliant or at least completely pleasurable. Hayley is quietly building one of the most solidified collections in American songwriting, and there are a lot of quiet surprises here. 

#43. Ho9909 – Tomorrow We Escape

Something you’ll find out about me through this post is I generally prefer hip-hop that is loud and full, whether it’s abrasive shit like Death Grips or just big beats like Cardi B. Ho99o9 is the former, some kind of moderately unquantifiable punk, experimental, horrorcore mix. It’s very loud and heavy, often adapting punk rock music for a hip-hop landscape. This is probably music that a lot of people will write off – and some horrorcore can be written off – but it’s really genius stuff. It’s loud enough to thrash but there’s so much mental anguish too. It’s depressing, downbeat music, and endlessly fascinating. 

#42. Black Country, New Road – Forever Howlong

There’s countless examples in music history of a key member leaving a group. What do you do next? Do you split up? Replace them? Use it as an opportunity to change your sound? Well, when singer Isaac Wood left the experimental indie group, the band tried something new: just have everyone else sing. The band’s pre-existing bassist, pianist and string player all sing lead on this album. Oh, and they mostly changed their sound, too. They largely ditched the heavier and more experimental elements in favor of melodic, baroque indie. At nearly an hour, it sounds like an exhausting concept, but it really never tires. It’s definitely more conventional than their previous albums – on a grading curve – and might not appeal to the same fans. It really isn’t similar to their excellent first two releases at all, but the songwriting juice is just as strong. Give it a chance!

#41. The Men – Buyer Beware

I’m a simple man; at the end of the day, I just love some whiplash garage rock. Doesn’t have to be good, just has to be fast and loud. Luckily, The Men are also good, and they’ve delivered another back-to-basics album after last year’s excellent New York. This is the band’s 100th or so album, incredible that they are still so locked-in. This band has done some more experimental or slower works, but they’re at their best with no-frills old-school rock. 

#40. Beach Bunny – Tunnel Vision

It’s no secret that I’m a huge Beach Bunny fan. Their mix of fun, fuzzy punk and squeaky-clean vocals and lyrics makes for a super unique band, even if there are tons of similar acts out there. I don’t even really care for power-pop most of the time, I want to shake power-pop artists and tell them to either quiet down or make it louder. But Beach Bunny have a spunk that many others don’t. Their third album doesn’t change the formula, thankfully, it just locks in and delivers some whipping indie-punk tunes with a saccharine touch. Fun fact: my partner and I’s song is “Cloud 9.” 

#39. The Armed – The Future Is Here And Everything Needs To Be Destroyed 

This is the entry point to the upper echelon of this list, the all-time great albums. Every time I think I have a handle on the Armed, they do something new. The collective has neither a solidified line-up nor genre, and have in the past worked pop music into their explosive noise/post-hardcore/metal albums. Destroyed, however, is a cacophonous onslaught of sound, fiery guitar mixed in with horns mixed in with many various voices. They’ve never felt more like a collective, with seemingly every song having a different singer. Some tunes do resemble traditional post-hardcore songs, other songs delve far into untraceable noise. It reminds me of Liturgy and their efforts to make something as loud and confusing as possible. This isn’t for everyone, but it’s real damn exciting. 

#38. Obongjayar – Paradise Now

Obongjayar is Nigerian, grew up in England, and raised himself on American hip-hop. His music was bound to be a melting pot even if he didn’t want it to be, but he so clearly does. Paradise Now, the singer’s sophomore record, is just completely unpredictable, bouncing wildly between rap, indie, soul, spoken word and electronic, and never goes a beat that feels forced. It’s largely very fun, if only because you’re listening to an artist absolutely cook for 42 minutes, but also because some of these songs are big and boisterous. You should understand by now that I tend to prefer music that keeps one on their feet, and this does just that for 15 songs. There’s exactly one guest feature on the song “Talk Olympics,” which features British rapper Little Simz – more on her later. 

#37. Ada Rook – UNKILLABLE ANGEL & 59 NIGHTS & naiad

Triple threat! Ada Rook had a busy 2025, releasing two full-length albums and one EP. The noise artist is generally a shoo-in for my list, her music really hits me hard. It’s abrasive and intense, but usually manages to stay within the confines of traditional songwriting. Rook’s music is filled with genuine anguish, mixed with a desire to entertain. I don’t know how to classify it – industrial, or maybe hardcore punk, or maybe just noise – but it’s music I come back to regularly. Nights might be the achievement here, but all three are pretty equally great. If you like to upset your ears, go with Ada Rook. 

#36. Water From Your Eyes – It’s a Beautiful Place

Only a few days before writing this blurb, I learned that I didn’t know as much about this band as I thought. The blog I write for, Allston Pudding, hosted the experimental indie group’s show in Boston, and I kept telling people “I didn’t really like their first album, but I love this one!” Only to learn that “their first” and “this one” were in fact their sixth and seventh records. They’re starting to become more established, and they’re tapping into the zeitgeist. This record is littered with loud guitar and hypnotic rhythms, and the music is dense and unpredictable. It’s part of a growing trend in rock to make music as chaotic as this, look at heavier groups like Knocked Loose and Callous Daoboys. It finds the center between melody and experiment. It’s suave and fresh. It’s just big, loud, raucous fun. 

#35. Porridge Radio – The Machine Starts To Sing

2025 kicked off with some bummer news. I got to see Porridge Radio play their first and last ever Boston show, as they announced an impending break-up just as it seemed they were gathering steam. I have historically been a big fan and supporter, so it was melancholic to see that their final offering was just as good as the albums before it. This is only four songs and 15 minutes, but they left us with a final piece of brilliance. The moody, jangly indie has never been better and Dana Margolin’s vocals sound as hypnotic as ever. This is the closest to The Cranberries they ever sounded, which is a compliment. Best to go out on top. 

#34. Greg Freeman – Burnover

Tell your dads that there’s a new musician they might like. Freeman is what I imagine The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle would sound like it if it were made today. Freeman is officially listed as an alt-country musician, but he’s got a bluesy, lounge vibe to him, backed by a full band with a vibrant energy. He’s a raconteur at heart, these songs are full of characters and personal oddities. He’s got Neil Young lyrics in a 2016 Sturgill Simpson sound. It’s fun music that’s easy to listen to, but has a million little things going on at the same time. If he doesn’t blow up, the world isn’t just. 

#33. Big Thief – Double Infinity

The best band in the country are back. The indie band’s sixth album is scaled down in comparison to the gigantic Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You and the double-dip of albums we got in 2019. This album feels smaller in scale and scope, but the band balances it out by being bigger in sound. These are the closest to….rock? songs that the band has done to date. While quiet rhythms and holes in the sound have always been prominent in their music, these songs feel fuller and bigger. Might the good folks in Big Thief actually be happy? The lyrics aren’t as emotionally destitute as normal, and the music is livelier. It’s no complacency though, as these are still just perfectly-written tunes. 

#32. Model/Actriz – Pirouette

Coming in at #32, the second Model/Actriz album is a bit of a step down from their debut. It’s still one of the best albums I heard all year. The band’s first album was a mix of staccato dance music and existential industrial. It was somehow heavy and funky all at once. Pirouette sees the band embracing the poppier side more, shaving away some of the heaviness in favor of clearer vocals and more fluid rhythms. To level the weights though, the lyrics get crazily personal. There’s a section in “Cinderella” – my favorite song of the year – where singer Cole Haden sums up years of therapy sessions in one verse, and you absolutely cannot avoid it as the instrumentation dips away. This album challenges you to face your biggest regrets while dancing involuntarily. Feels bad man. I can see this one climbing up this list on further listens, even now I feel this is too low.

#31. Lambrini Girls – Who Let The Dogs Out

A riotous, raucous debut from England that was set to be the punk breakthrough of 2025 before Bob Vylan got censored for truth. Dogs hearkens back to riot grrrl in spirit, blending it with the punk of 2025. It’s a load of fun, and also viciously satirical and angry. Songs like “Company Culture” and “Filthy Rich Nepo Baby” have specific targets behind them. Some of it feels a little like 2010’s-era Tumblr feminism, but when the songs are this good, that doesn’t matter. 2025 saw a lot of punk upstarts and breakthroughs, which has to be a sign of a global vibe shift.

#30. SPELLLING – Portrait of My Heart

Spellling is one of those artists that’s been on my radar for years, but I had never really checked out. Glad I finally amended that! I had Spellling pegged as an indie-R&B singer in my head, and while that’s accurate, she’s very rock too. The songs on Heart pull from equally from Motown and Subpop, diving headfirst into sultry R&B or double-bass drums on a whim. The only constant factor is energy, the rest is entirely unpredictable. Really had fun listening to this. Three L’s in the name but none to be found on the record. 

#29. clipping. – Dead Channel Sky

On the flipside of Spellling is artists I’ve loved for years. The experimental rap group clipping. are a personal favorite, and their fifth album delivers on all fronts. The band’s abrasive music mixed with Daveed Diggs’ lightspeed rapping make for consistently thrilling tunes. There isn’t necessarily anything new here, but the formula still works – heavy, fast rap songs that very rhythmic but still shun any radio-friendly elements. Second-straight present-tense verb artist, which is a huge coincidence.

#28. Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Death Hilarious

I found myself surprisingly disappointed with Pigsx7’s previous album, 2023’s Land of Sleeper. They remained one of my favorite metal bands, but I was worried that their continued trajectory from doom metal into psychedelic rock would render them boring. Alas! Their fifth album is just as good as albums 1-3. Heavy riffs and dense songs abound. There’s classic, doom-y Pigs (“The Wyrm”) and there’s entirely new ideas (“Glib Tongued” which features El-P of all people). This band is about as much fun as you can have in metal. Plus, it’s fun to tell people what band you’re listening to. I saw these guys over the summer, and it was a hell of a live show.

#27. Baths – Gut

I hadn’t kept up with Baths after his first two records, both electro-indie albums that presented two sides of a coin; the debut was fun and bubbly, the sophomore record much gloomier. I wasn’t sure what to expect with Gut, but I really wasn’t expecting a Perfume Genius record. This is a set of vulnerable, pretty, shaken and queer indie songs, written in the same manner as Michael Hadreas does. You can make the argument that the album’s front half is too similar, but there’s a lot of open space for this kind of thing. It’s gorgeous, I was floored. Grab the tissues. And surprisingly, this was necessary, as Perfume Genius himself released his first ho-hum record since his earliest days and missed the cut here. 

#26. DARKSIDE – Nothing

This one caught me way off-guard. I only really knew on Darkside song prior to this, “Liberty Bell,” and I really love it. But the band’s atmospheric, electro-indie is akin to a handful of other bands that I appreciate but don’t really like. The same goes for Nicholas Jaar’s solo music. But this album is just a blast. These songs are light and vibe-y, but they’re still funky and fun. I listened to this on a morning commute and it really set my brain in a righted mood for a workday. Definitely an album I’d revisit, and I rarely do that. Summer music!

My favorite part of the year is writing these, my least favorite is compiling everything into blog form. Thanks for reading! The grand conclusion is tomorrow, and promises some Welsh punk, some jazz-indie, two punishingly heavy black metal albums, African rock, and four regional Boston releases.

Five more albums I regret having to cut off the list: Lonnie Holley – Tonky | Preoccupations – Ill At Ease | Gelli Haha – Switcheroo | Pulp – More | Fleshwater – 2000: In Search Of The Endless Sky

100 Favorite Albums of 2025: 75-51

The list rolls on. You can check my coverage yesterday for list positions 100-76. Tomorrow I’ll discuss some duds, but for today, let’s crunch some numbers. As of the time I’m scheduling this, I listened to 399 releases from 2025, which includes LPs , EPs and live albums (not expanded editions or anthologies). I’m traveling over the holidays and coincidentally added one (1) to my playlist planelist, so I should end the year on an even 400.

383 of those were tossed into a ranked playlist, although 66 still remain unranked. 1,384 songs ended up in a general playlist of 2025 songs I liked, and 63 ended up on the longlist of favorites. My playlist of 2025 releases to listen to? It still sits at 134 albums. There’s so much music out there. Here’s 25 more of my favorites.

#75. Anamanaguchi – Anyway

Another surprising indie story, albeit less so than Panchiko. The old Brooklyn heads probably remember Anamanaguchi, the chiptune band from the early ‘10’s. Well after a long break, they’re back, but as a heavy indie band. They’ve ditched the Game Boys for guitars, and recorded a banger album in the American Football house. Imagine telling that previous sentence to someone over 50. Anyways, there are no growing pains, they just nail a heavy indie sound perfectly. No one saw this album coming. 

#74. Tiberius – Troubadour

Boston legends! There’s a handful of local albums on here. Like so many great bands, Tiberius started out as a solo project, for singer Tiberius Wright. What started as a solo country project has quickly morphed into a sort of heavy-indie-but-with-twang thing. I had high hopes for their third album, as an already established fan, but it over-delivered. These songs are fully engrossing, and while most build into surprisingly dense and loud places, some stay on a softer level. This is really a headphones album, one to put on and just get lost in. 

#73. cupcakKe – The BakKery

cupcakKe is usually a shoo-in for this list, and we’re glad to have her back. As just one man trying to keep a tally on 1000 artists, I unfortunately completely missed her comeback album last year (and will listen to it soon). So this was like a long awaited comeback for me (cumback?). Nothing’s changed – these are rap songs that are so hypersexualized that they easily transcend the comedy line. You have to know what you get with songs like “Moan-a Lisa.” And it’s not a gimmick, cupcakKe is a genuinely great rapper and clever lyricist, which blurs the line between genuine and parody. These songs aren’t just funny, they’re bouncy and memorable. Best song title of 2025: “One Of My Bedbugs Ate My Pussy.” Sorry, mom. 

#72. Margo Price – Hard Headed Woman

I don’t like most modern country, but the reason why I can never discredit a genre is because of people like Margo Price. I’m a longtime fan by this point, and Woman delivers what she does best: short, gleeful bursts of high-energy country. There’s no frills and few surprises, just a bunch of fun country tunes and soulful ballads. She’s always had a great voice and an ear for melody, with a lot of personality to boot. I would stop short of calling it true outlaw country – a subgenre I do love – but she’s far more Sturgill than Toby. It’s a real fun record folks, yeehaw. “Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down” is the perseverance anthem of 2025. 

#71. Rico Nasty – LETHAL

Listen, I’m a sucker for music that’s fast and loud. That just goes across genres. I like thrash metal more than doom, bubblegum pop more than ballads, Vampire Weekend more than Sufjan Stevens. Rico Nasty tries her hand at a rap-rock album, and it rules. I was already a fan of Nasty’s high-intensity rap before this, and adding some rock elements only increases my personal potential of loving it. It’s a ruthless record that stretches boundaries, as it really does incorporate some of her softer elements too. But those are nice additions to the real attraction, boisterous and big rap-rock tunes. The label she’s on now? Fueled By Ramen.

#70. Modern Life Is War – Life On The Moon

I raised myself on street punk. Modern Life Is War, the legendary hardcore punk group, aren’t really in the same umbrella, but it scratched the itch. The band’s first album in 12 years is not really any less aggressive than before, a collection of urgent, angry but inherently melodic tunes. It’s not just 1234 and moshing to one chord, these are well-developed songs. They just also happen to be crunchy and angsty. Brings me back to my youth!

#69. Sasami – Blood On the Silver Screen

Sasami is nothing if not unpredictable. She’s an alternative musician at her core, which made her sophomore album Squeeze all the more surprising in 2022 – it was made in preparation to tour as an opening artist for a metal band. SIlver Screen overcorrects, with Sasami embracing her poppiest side. There are flares of guitars, but it’s largely poppy love songs, with occasional french horn. Also, it allowed me to get the best photos I’ve ever taken. 

#68. Scowl – Are We All Angels

Scowl have been one of the bands at the forefront of the unexpected hardcore revival, which makes this album all the more shocking. Not far into their careers at all, Scowl have matured their sound, stretching songs out and softening them. It’s similar to Mannequin Pussy’s 2024 album of the year candidate I Got Heaven, which saw the punk band embrace indie. This is still a little more hard-edged, but it’s less outwardly hardcore. I don’t actually think I like it as much as their previous releases, but that speaks more to how much I love Scowl. In a year where bands have expanded hardcore in multiple directions, this is the genre moving tenderly. 

#67. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – IC-02 Bogota

This is a bit of a weird entry, especially considering that UMO released some more “standard” music this year too. This is the second release in a series of instrumental albums, following an equally great Hanoi release in 2018. UMO have always balanced traditional pop songwriting with experimental noodling, sometimes moving way in either direction. This is the latter, a collection of songs – some quite lengthy – that work as melodic, fun jams. It’s the type of thing one can imagine being played at a festival, but not at a regular show. Much like many other artists on this list, UMO also released a follow-up EP. But it was, uh, fine. 

#66. Pissgrave – Malignant Worthlessness

I was iffy on the inclusion here – Pissgrave have stoked controversy in the past, and not in the good way. But when an album is this good, it deserves it. This is extreme death metal at its very peak, a relentless onslaught of riffs, scowls and graphic violence. In terms of pure, unfiltered metal, it’s maybe the best of the year. The only ones surpassing it are deeply ambitious releases, this is no-nonsense brutality. 

#65. Alien Boy – You Wanna Fade?

The shoegaze revival is here to stay, and Alien Boy are proof of it. Quite frankly, there’s multiple proofs of it across this list. Alien Boy have been around for a hot minute, but had a minor breakthrough in 2025 (at least from my vantage point, as a new fan). Their music is heavy, melodic and patient, with great vocal melodies mixed against walls of guitars. Like most revival bands, it isn’t strictly shoegaze, but something that ropes old school into more traditional alternative music. 

#64. Ursula – I Don’t Like Anything

Sometimes I have a lot to say about albums on this list. Other times, I can’t muster much beyond “this is some good ass hardcore.” Well, this is some good ass hardcore. In an era where hardcore is suddenly being thrust into the spotlight, mostly by bands trying to advance the genre, it’s great to have some good, new base-level standards. That’s not an insult, I’ve listened to more new ‘traditional’ hardcore in 2025 than I have any other year…ever? The revival needs the old style to bolster the new. 

#63. Danny Brown – Stardust

As Brown’s struggles with drug addiction worsened, he lost his identity some; he was stuck in a paradox where it was killing him, but fueling his creativity. Now clean, Brown has grabbed a new identity, surrounding himself with hyperpop musicians he has influenced over the years. He’s always had the nerdy, electronic element to his music; it’s just as easy to imagine Brown reblogging nightcore remixes as it is to imagine him in a club. He’s finally fully embraced it, eschewing traditional rap for EDM- and hyperpop-tinged hip-hop with guest spots reserved for artists with names like underscores and femtanyl. It’s his most eclectic work and, perhaps, his most unpredictable. The elder statesman accepts the understudies. Brown is best when he’s being insane, and this whole record is bonkers. He’s found a new identity, and it suits him well.

#62. The Swell Season – Forward

The score (soundtrack?) to Once is one of my most pivotal albums. It kept me going during a very tough mental health period in high school. Then a few years later, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová released a snoozer of a follow-up and broke up their romantic relationship, and I kind of stopped thinking about it all. I didn’t miss anything – Forward is their first release since 2009, and it almost recaptures the magic. The slicker production and additional musicians lose the sort of spontaneous feel of Once, but the songwriting is just as gorgeous. The two continue to harmonize or grab full songs beautifully. There’s a lot of surprises here, from songs that build unexpectedly to late-album tracks that still try to prove a point. It’s beautiful folk music, and it’s still kinda weepy. Not that this matters, but as a fun tidbit: this was the very last album I listened to before I decided to close off my lists officially. I really didn’t expect it to be this great.

#61. Algernon Cadwallader – Trying Not to Have a Thought

This might just be the most unexpected record of 2025. Cadwallader were basically The Beatles of short-lived mid-10’s emo bands. If you weren’t in the loop, yes, that was a specific thing – bands that only existed for ~2 years, put out one album, and then would shuffle members with other bands to make new ones. Snowing were my favorite, but Algernon were the kings. They hung around longer than most, but still split in 2012. They’re back, and they sound exactly like they would if they had stayed together and ignored all other musical trends. It’s the same kind of emo, but poppier, more patient, and a little slower. To be honest, that’s usually the kiss of death for me, but it works incredibly well here. 

#60. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Phantom Island

It appears that the quantity-over-quality days in the Gizz factory have ended. The band spent the early COVID years releasing tons of albums, many of which were decent but nothing more. Phantom Island is the only album the band released this year, similar to 2024’s sole offering Flight b741. This album was recorded in the same sessions and follows the same boogie, roots rock inspiration of Flight – except this release was recorded with an orchestra. It’s not faultless, but it’s one of their most fun records. Sometimes, Gizz are best when they don’t overcomplicate things and just jam out. Of course, “not overcomplicating” still involves an orchestra, because this is Gizz after all. Who knows what 2026 holds for Gizz, maybe we’ll get one groove record. Or maybe we’ll get five nu-metal albums. 

#59. Editrix – The Big E

Editrix are just cool, that’s all. The local post-punk group have released their best album, a work that’s wildly unpredictable and always fun. The name of the game is curveballs, with constant shifts in tempo, tone, and volume. Sometimes melody is sacrificed, other times not. These songs are very fun though, and when the melodies do shine through they just add some real spice. If you’re into the more fun, adventurous post-punk revival bands like Cheekface, then save room for Editrix. 

#58. Rosalia – LUX

If you’re reading a year-end list then chances are you’ve already got thoughts on this one. Rosalia has quietly become a global powerhouse, and albums like LUX easily highlight why. Her voice is operatic, and yet more than half the time she opts for a more sultry way of singing. Some of these songs are pop ballads, some are nightmarish indie, some are borderline a capella. It works best as a collection, different ideas battle each other. Rosalia is simply unafraid to take chances here, and nearly all of them pay off. This isn’t really a traditional pop album; it’s something much more than that. 

#57. The Beths – Straight Line Was A Lie

I have an interesting relationship with the Beths. I cite them as a band I love, and two songs on their first album – “Future Me Hates Me” and “Not Running” – I place among my top 30 or so all-time favorite songs. Yet, I wasn’t completely wowed by their first three albums. I love all of them, but I never go back to more than a few songs. I think that’s changed. The Aussie indie rockers have put out what is easily their most ambitious and adventurous record, one that isn’t afraid to go all out punk, or melancholic coffeehouse. The band doesn’t really leave their comfort zone but expand it, taking the ideas of their previous songs to further conclusions. It’s a well-balanced, emotional indie record. 

#56. Leikeli47 – Lei Keli ft. 47/ For Promotional Use Only

No, no, that’s the actual album title. A quick new release from Leikeli47, one of our nation’s more fun rappers, is also the first where we get the “real” Leikeli. She’s never really done any public appearances and has never divulged her real name – and only recently started performing without a full face covering for the first time. The aura complements the bouncy nature of the music well, adding intrigue to very straightforward tunes. It’s just very fun, big and loud. Sometimes we need that. 

#55. Pink Siifu – BLACK’!ANTIQUE

This is an artist I was not familiar with prior to 2025, and haven’t listened to anything beyond this album (yet). The formatting of title lives up to what this album sounds like – maximalist, dense rap. It’s dumbfounding, there’s always one too many things going on. I had to work to make my brain focus on any central melodies in some songs. It’s experimental to a fault, and ambitious as all hell. I’ve never really heard anything like this and I immediately wanted to dig deeper, even if it often made my tinnitus upset. And it isn’t a gimmick, there’s powerful and insightful music here, it’s just that some of it is hidden under a veil of misfiring noise. 

#54. Hallelujah the Hills – DECK

I went back and forth on how exactly to approach writing about HtH, a criminally-undiscovered Boston indie group who just celebrated their 20th anniversary. DECK is not one album, it’s four; the band released albums in 2025, all 13 tracks, with every card in a deck covered in the titles. It’s a cool concept, and obviously a hefty one, however I don’t think they’re all equal. “Clubs” was my favorite, and this placement represents where it would stand solo. But they’re all brilliant and if you like one, you’ll like the whole suite. All four albums hearken back to the days of Death Cab and Decemberists, indie bands that have some quirk, but don’t lean too much into the cutesy humility. These are patient, adult songs that happen to have some seriously catchy rhythms. The band isn’t afraid to let loose on the volume too, though they’re usually fairly restrained. If you’ve been missing the days of OG Los Campesinos!, then here’s four full albums to dig through. 

#53. L.S. Dunes – Violet

You may not be familiar with this group, but you are familiar with the members. L.S. Dunes ropes in musicians from Thursday, Coheed + Cambria, My Chemical Romance, and singer Anthony Green, who has a resume too long to reduce to a single band reference. It’s what you expect, hard-hitting but passionate and patient emo. These are well-crafted songs, and the balance between ideas is stronger than on their debut. It starts heavy before trailing off into more experimental territory, staying within the bounds of the members’ respective bands, but only barely. And of course, after all these years, Green still has one of the best voices in all of rock. 

#52. Ingrown – Idaho

The unexpected revival of hardcore music has seen bands take a formally isolated genre and blend it elsewhere. Turnstile and Mannequin Pussy rope hardcore into indie, while Knocked Loose is melting it in metalcore. But with this comes a need for good ass traditional hardcore, and that’s where Ingrown comes in – no gimmick, no filter. This is punishing, whiplash hardcore. 11 songs, 19 minutes of music. It’s well-produced and energetic, this is not a band resting on sound. Even with the brief runtime these songs are unpredictable. Oh, and it ends on a country song, too. They are from Idaho after all. 

#51. HEALTH – Conflict DLC

For the second straight album, industrial legends HEALTH have snuck one out in December behind the release of many best-of lists. This, alongside time, sleepiness, and overburdening ambitions, is why I don’t put my own lists until the last possible days. HEALTH are almost guaranteed entrants on this list, I love most of their albums. DLC is actually considered a continuation of their 2023 album Rat Wars, although I think it’s also a slight improvement. The album is top-heavy, opening with some blistering, thrilling industrial-metal, while the back half dips into some more electronic elements. As always, one of the highlights is how singer Jake Duzsik’s soft, vulnerable voice bashes against the relentless, pounding music. It’s what separates HEALTH from their peers. Not music for everyone, but boy is it fun. 

And that’s a wrap, on part 2. Part 3 comes tomorrow, and features the breakout punk band of the year, a trio of alternative rap heaters, the final release from a jangly British group, and a solo work from the quintessential millennial frontwoman.

As always, here’s five records that just missed the cut, in no order: The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow | Hunx and His Punx – Walk Out On This World | Home Is Where – Hunting Season | Cheekface – Middle Spoon | Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out

100 Favorite Albums of 2025: 100-76

Another year, another onslaught of albums I listened to once and feebly attempted to put into an order in early December. If you’ve stumbled on this page, or are even a fan of this blog I suppose, I’ve tried to give a little extra weight to some lesser-known artists here. This list is not devoid of superstars – PinkPantheress, Rosalia and Bad Bunny are undeniable locks – but I listened to so, so many albums from smaller artists here that I decided to bump acts like Pulp and The Weeknd, whose great albums both hovered around the #100 cusp. I don’t write for people who want their opinions vindicated, I write for people who are always hungry for new ones. 

I’ve also made a decision this year to combine multiple releases from an artist into one entry, because it happened so many times. There was a litany of follow-up EP’s and surprise second LP’s and what not, I didn’t want to cram the list with repeated artists. That said, let’s dig into it! 

#100. Greentea Peng – TELL DEM IT’S SUNNY

Every list has to start somewhere. Truthfully, I knocked a few higher-ranking ones off to favor Peng, a new discovery for me this year. Peng is a British singer who does a version of neo-soul that doesn’t so much check every box as it does write new ones to check. Kind of R&B, kind of indie, kind of rap, she’s a difficult one to pin down. The only thing that’s really consistent on the album is the level of fun, as she weaves through traditional soul and more experimental tunes. It’s sunny indeed.

#99. Geese – Getting Killed

I’m still not fully onboard the Geese train but I think I get it. If you told me one indie band was going to break out in 2025 and had me guess 100 bands, I would not have guessed Geese. The band does an extremely loose, jangly kind of indie that, when coupled with Cameron Winter’s abrasive and Dylanesque vocals, results in something supremely unpredictable and off-kilter. These songs range from melodic to fully insane, in a similar vein to black midi but less dense. I still don’t like “Taxes,” but some of the other tracks here did surprise me in a positive way. One of the most unique bands – and even if I’m not their biggest supporter, I’m so glad they blew up. People demand original music, and that’s what this is. 

#98. Horsegirl – Phonetics On and On

The pushback against sanitized music has been in full force in 2025, with a rebound in hardcore and punk on the center stage. But we’re getting a lot more jangly, unconventional indie as well. Horsegirl’s sophomore album is actually more varied than their debut, roping in some traditional, well-produced indie songs as well as offbeat, noodly ones. “Switch Over” was the lead single and best cut, and it sounds ripped from a Pavement album. Although I think I slightly preferred their debut, this is a nice advancement of their songwriting, and it’s unpredictable in the best ways. If you got into Geese this year, save space for a fellow barnyard band. 

#97. Julien Baker/TORRES – Send A Prayer My Way

This is match made in my personal heaven. I’m not a big fan of Baker’s solo music, even though I recognize she’s an insanely talented musician, but collaborations often bring out the best in her. I am a huge fan of TORRES, so my base level interest was high. I expected gay country, I got gay country. This is a soft, fun, low-stakes y’allternative album. The pair deliver exactly what you expect, and thankfully, it seems to have served as an elevated platform for the perpetually-underrated TORRES. Yeehaw! (Shehaw?) 

#96. Amaarae – BLACK STAR

When it comes to genres I don’t listen to as much like R&B, I tend to latch on to individual artists that really stick out to me. Amaarae is one of those, I’ve been a fan for a few years now. She doesn’t really have a base-level genre; her previous, R&B-heavy album Fountain Baby is what drew me to her initially. But this album is much more dance and pop inspired, and it’s chock full of bangers. It’s a very fun album, Amaarae lets her identity shine in a collection of big, bouncing tunes. Sometimes, it’s good to just start grooving on the subway. 

#95. Mizmor/Hell – Alluvion

Rifffffffs. I first discovered Mizmor through the collaborative album he did with Thou, Myopia, in 2022. Now, subsequently, I’ve used him to discover Hell (the artist). The Mizmor albums I’ve listened to have been marked by abject dread; punishingly slow riffs and dark ambient music that signify a black world of anguish far scarier than any black metal could produce. Hell provides some screaming to, you know, really set the mood. It isn’t actually the darkest area that this can be, because there’s a focus on real writing too. But still – four songs, 40 minutes, and one of the songs is only 4 minutes long. You do the math. 

#94. Viagra Boys – viagr aboys

Surprisingly, I’ve often struggled to click with Viagra Boys. Their post-punk aggression mixed with their spoken, humorous lyrics seem like something made for me. I mean, I’m a huge IDLES fan, and what are they besides a funnier IDLES? But this was the first album of theirs I really connected with; it’s loud, boisterous, funny as hell and still feels urgent. The theme here is the importance of comedy amidst rage. It helps that there’s more bangers here than previous albums, which is the band’s strong suit. There’s just a lot of crunchy guitar and genuinely funny lyrics here. 

#93. baan – neumann

Later on you’ll see some examples of bands who are taking the traditional shoegaze formula and messing around with it. This, by contrast, is just some really heavy shoegaze. They also don’t really stick to the formula, as their music approaches doom metal through its sludge and riffs, but it’s the inverse of bands warping shoegaze through indie. This is really gnarly stuff, and basically every song hits a higher high than I was expecting it to. Kill your ears. 

#92. Laveda – Love, Darla

This one took me by surprise! I was introduced to Laveda in the summer when I saw them open for Sunflower Bean, and I wasn’t super impressed by the live show. Each member had a different energy and the music felt ho-hum. In the studio though, they kick ass. This is one of the closest things to traditional ‘grunge’ that we have today (no, I don’t like using the G word). These are feedback-heavy songs of youthful angst. It maybe doesn’t have the manic energy of Hole, but I still think that’s the closest comparison. This was consistently better and gnarlier than I expected. The dream of the 90’s is still alive. 

#91. Orcutt Shelley Miller – Orcutt Shelley Miller

The band name and album title pull no punches. This is the debut record from the trio of Bill Orcutt (from Hairy Pussy), Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth) and Ethan Miller (Comets On Fire). While I’m not familiar with Miller’s work, and not very familiar with Orcutt’s, I am a lifelong Sonic Youth fan. This is less noise-influenced and more free jazz, meaning that it is still difficult music but not as abrasive. It’s thrilling far more often than not, and each song hits a bigger climax than you may expect. These are three experimental veterans who are just completely locked in. 

#90. Poliça – Dreams Go

This is not a band that I’m super knowledgeable on, but I’ve been a fan for a few years after stumbling onto their set at Riot Fest when I had time to kill. They were an odd booking, as their general indie-pop sound doesn’t mesh perfectly with the festival’s more punk namesakes. Their seventh album doesn’t take any grand swings, opting for a collection of electronica-pop songs that are just fun and well-produced. These songs are catchy, but still have their feet planted firmly in art pop. There is a lot of depth to these songs and they’re much better to get absorbed in as opposed to them getting stuck in your head. It’s pretty music, and most songs work very well. 

#89. Orbit Culture – Death Above Life

I’ve written about Orbit Culture in past years and I’ll say the exact same thing here: I love offbeat, experimental metal, but I think that in order to appreciate music like that, you need to understand the more conventional music that those bands launch off of. Orbit Culture are about as conventional as they come, a radio standard death metal band. While I’m ultimately ambivalent about a lot of death metal, something about these guys just sticks out to me. Their fifth album brings riffs, screams, and some blast beats added in for a touch. It’s nothing a metal fan hasn’t heard before, but it’s about as good as it comes. This album is missing that one big song, but it’s still consistent enough to make the list. 

#88. Pacing – songs

It’s a great title for one of the most unassuming musicians out there. Pacing, aka Katie McTigue, bounces between true bedroom pop and short, louder pop songs in the vein of Guided By Voices. songs finds marriage between both, but is more the latter. It’s a short album of short songs, some quick ideas on everyday things. The tracks are like little gumdrops, all very sweet and small. The first two songs here are “expired yogurt song” and “parking ticket song.” These are slices of life, small inspirations into normal frustrations. 

#87. Japanese Breakfast – For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)

Former list-topper Japanese Breakfast are still on a global victory tour after a prolonged mainstream breakthrough. It follows in the footsteps of 2021’s Jubilee, a collection of indie-pop songs that are just absolutely pleasant. These songs aren’t necessarily joyous, but they all have an infectious energy that is never plastic or plastered. The vibes are natural. This is a bit of a step-down from Jubilee, but, again, that album topped this list. Jbrekkie can do no wrong, and this is just another omelette in one of the most digestible catalogs in all of indie. 

#86. Saba/No ID – From the Private Collection of Saba and No ID

Saba is low-key one of the best rappers in America right now, and even a more low-key collaborative album can prove it. Private Collection mimics the title, as this album never feels like a grandiose statement and more like two guys just locking in and grooving. It’s a jazzy album, and Saba’s flow remains impeccable throughout. Saba isn’t exactly unknown, but he should be much bigger than he is. 

#85. yeule – Evangelic Girl Is A Gun

Every year sees a lot of new discoveries for me, and even after two listens I still don’t really know much about yeule. I haven’t heard yeule’s previous three albums, but the internet tells me they are more glitch and dream-pop oriented, and that Gun represents a new direction. This is a collection of artsy pop songs, each one following a traditional pop songwriting structure while always threatening to diverge into something more chaotic. It’s fun, even if the songs are about personal struggles. It’s an abstract work, while maintaining graspable rhythms. It’s unsurprising to learn that they’re also a painter – listening to this feels like watching someone paint.

#84. Hannah Francis – Nestled in Tangles

Chalk this one up to word of mouth. I saw multiple writers and publications hype this one up, and I’m glad I saved space for it. This is a pretty brilliant little folk album, with a lot of creativity and patience in its songwriting. These are mostly longer, more drawn-out songs, with great vocals and a lot of brass accompaniment. A handful of these songs have horns, but not so many that it feels like a gimmick. Tangles is easy on the ears, a soft but not minimalist collection that is easy on the ears and sounds just like the twisting trees displayed on the cover. 

#83. Wooll – Thistle

I go back to day one with Wooll. I was lucky enough to premiere their debut album, as well as their sophomore record Thistle. Lovely people and lovely musicians, this is an indie dreamscape. Where Unwind was very dreamy in a fun way, this shows a few cracks into more of a nightmare. I would still count this as something close to dream-pop, but it’s denser and darker than Unwind, working as a nice complement. I can sum it up like this: it’s just really nice music to listen to. It’s pleasant on the ears, and the songs are catchy without being saccharine. They’re original while sounding familiar, and it’s something to go back to many times. 

#82. Kevin Abstract – Blush

There may not be a more fitting moniker for any artist out there than Kevin Abstract. The rapper, who made his name in the prolific and experimental group Brockhampton, has always been one to push the boundaries of hip-hop. While “experimental hip-hop” is usually mostly synonymous with “abrasive,” Abstract always weaves in artistic elements. It’s always some combination of graceful, profound, R&B, alternative, hard rock, etc. On Blush, he instead curates a selection of songs. Almost every track here contains a litany of guests – and the ones that don’t are mostly credited to other artists. Danny Brown, Dominic Fike and Quadeca get their own individual songs, among others. It’s not dissimilar to what Brockhampton did, except that that was a group with about 100 guys in it. For a solo album, it is conceptually, well, abstract. And it works, it’s a constant change of pace with a million different tones, all working together as one. 

#81. Sunset Rollercoaster – QUIT QUIETLY

Sometimes band names make sense. Like a lot of acts on this list, Taiwan’s Sunset Rollercoaster were an entirely new discovery to me this year, and it’s just delightful. I normally don’t necessarily like “happy” music, as I often find it either hollow or forced. I think pigeonholing this as “happy music” is also rudimentary, but this is really feel-good stuff. Jazzy, poppy indie that’s always interesting and just unique enough to be both familiar and new. It’s a breezy, clever work. If a lot of albums on this list are poison, this is antidote. 

#80. Miya Folick – Erotica Veronica

There were a handful of albums on this list that I really liked immediately, only for them to fade from memory (and a few fell off the list completely). Folk singer Miya Folick’s third album had the opposite effect. I listened to it on a morning commute, thought it was great but not on par with her previous effort, and then just…kept thinking about it. It’s a deceivingly great folk-rock album, with a lot of subtle beauty and outwardly great rhythms. It is humble music, yet grabs your attention for the whole runtime. Folick is still getting grounded and already has a lot of buzz – watch for her almost-inevitable elevation.

#79. Suzie True – How I Learned to Love What’s Gone

Chalk this one up to “it’s just me music.” I love Suzie True, and I loved their new album! The band’s squeaky clean but fiercely energetic power-pop scratches an itch that I get frequently. The band is in the same league as Beach Bunny, writing taut, power chord-driven ditties that maybe don’t qualify as “punk music” but sound real damn close. They definitely slow things down more on this go-around, opting for a broader spectrum, but it all works. A short, fun little pop-rock album.

#78. Disiniblud – Disiniblud

On a similar note to Sunset Rollercoaster, this is one of the more intriguing and lighter albums on the list. Disiniblud is a new group, a collaboration between Rachika Nayar and Nina Keith, two experimental artists that I was unfamiliar with individually. I don’t check out a lot of experimental music, but this was an absolute pleasure. It finds the border between melodic and ambient, with a lot of mid-song gear-switching. The songs are all unique, warm and cared-for. There are familiar melodies and sonic deviations, resulting in a wholly unpredictable album that never gets grating in the way that some experimental works do. This won’t have a wide audience necessarily, but it’s extremely satisfying.

#77. Panchiko – Ginkgo

Call it a comeback. One of the wilder stories in music history, Panchiko released one demo and crashed out in obscurity in 2001. 15 years later, some random person with clout got that demo trending, and now they’re global stars. Their second album is a beautiful collection of dream pop and slowcore, music I am not usually attracted to. Each song is unique, though, and each one is treated with explicit care. This is maybe the most tender album I listened to this year, like a warm hug. It never retreads ideas, yet is one complete whole. I really expected a collection of repetition, but I ended up wowed on every track.

#76. Jeff Tweedy – Twilight Override

There’s two kinds of people out there – people who recognize that Jeff Tweedy is one of the all-time great American songwriters, and people who haven’t awakened yet. Even in 2025 there isn’t nearly enough respect put on his name. Tweedy has been cruising since 1990, as the frontman for Uncle Tupelo (1990-1994) and Wilco (1994-present), but his solo career has been lowkey and quiet. This album is full of songs that are hushed folk-rock tunes, and I mean full of them – it’s 3 discs, 111 minutes and 30 songs long. In criticism, plenty of the songs on discs 2 and 3 feel inconsequential. But Tweedy’s whole concept is about the importance of creativity, so why not include everything? Besides, it’s always pleasant to hear him strum away. This one might only be for the Tweedy heads, but I urge everyone to cherry pick some tunes out of this. 

Part 1 is done! I hope you found some gems, there’s some real nuggets in this section. Join me tomorrow for part 2, where you’ll see a behemoth of a project from a Boston indie group, some industrial metal, one of the biggest pop albums of the year, multiple hardcore releases and possibly the best emo reunion album ever made.

Here’s five albums that just missed the cut but still want to shout out: Die Spitz – Something to Consume | Jane Remover – revengeseekerz | Anika – Abyss | Lorna Shore – I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me | Tunde Adebimpe – Thee Black Boltz

My Favorite Songs of 2025

Songs! We love songs, don’t we folks? Gotta give it up for songs. 2025 was the year I finally stopped telling myself that I love a lot of genres equally. While I hold plenty of space in my heart for pop, metal and rap, I ultimately connect with far more alternative and punk than anything else. As such, this list is extremely indie-heavy, and if you know some of these songs then you probably know most of them. If not, be prepared to discover a number of alternative gems – with a few other bangers tossed in. I’ve finally faced an issue I’ve thankfully never had come up before – 3 potential songs off of one album in this list. And it happened twice. So please know that both Lucius and Water From Your Eyes had a third song lopped off in favor of diversity.

Also, I want to give a little space to three songs that maybe should’ve made the cut, alongside my runners-up listed below. 

1. Despite being one of my absolute favorite artists, I somehow missed that Courtney Barnett dropped two new songs until about early December. “Stay In Your Lane” may have made the list. Ah well.

2. I didn’t listen to Ragana and Drowse’s collaborative metal album Ash Souvenir until late December, so I didn’t get enough time with the opening track “In Eternal Woods, Pts. 1-3” and it may have made the list. Ah well.

3. Spoon’s “Chateau Blues” is one that absolutely would’ve made the list, but I just forgot to add it to the longlist. They don’t need my help anyways. Ah well. 

    All of that said, here’s 50 songs I truly loved. Ready?

    #50. Wunderhorse – “The Rope”

    We’re kicking off with, predictably, an indie rock song. This one is different from the next 40 or whatever indie songs plaguing this playlist, though; this sounds like classic rock. The singer’s voice, the production and the way this song slowly builds around a repeated chorus all make it sound like any one from a litany of 70’s bands that had < 3 hits. I’m thinking Steppenwolf, who had a little grit mixed into pop songwriting. It’s nothing revelatory, but I really didn’t hear any other songs like it this year. Play it for your dad!

    #49. Ho99o9 – “Escape”

    This is probably the most guilty pleasure song on this list. Horrorcore isn’t really good, but Ho99o9 is. This is a dark, heavy song that blends hip-hop and industrial rock. Like a lot of great depressing music, this works wonder with some simple, flat notes. The chorus is both catchy and instantly saddening, you can feel the strong emotions on this one. It’s very interesting and dense, and a lot more creative than it sounds on immediate impact. Not for everyone, but it’s one to let wash over you.

    #48. Laveda – “Care”

    I didn’t expect this! My first experience was Laveda was seeing them open for Sunflower Bean in the spring. I came away thinking they were…decent, if not disjointed. But I try to fit in any new music that might interest me, so I gave their third album Love, Darla a chance. It’s great! Especially the opening track, a 5+ minute winding odyssey of feedback and 90’s angst. After a prolonged, fuzzy intro, a Hole-like rock song emerges, with singer Ali Genevich’s angry singing of “I DON’T CARE” cutting through the tinnitus-inducing guitars. It’s a thrilling song, and could seat to replace Bully as the band closest to the grunge heyday. It’s like Babes in Toyland are back in the room with us! 

    #47. Witch Post – “The Wolf”

    This one really grew on me. Witch Post is the new duo of established indie artists Alaska Reid and Dylan Fraser, and they’ve produced one damn fine rock song. The rest of the tracks on their debut EP are softer indie, but this one is centered around a crunchy guitar riff and big chorus. It’s old school indie-rock. There’s no wheel reinvention, but it’s an earworm. This one has fluctuated wildly on the list – it originally didn’t make the cut, then rocketed it up to ~20, and now it’s a lock at #47. 

    #46. Viagra Boys – “You N33d Me”

    Often, an artist’s best song is one where they reveal more of themselves, give in to vulnerability and show a human instead of a performance. Then there’s post-punk group Viagra Boys, who are, as the name implies, a deeply unserious band. An album cut from their great release Viagr Aboys [sic], Sebastian Murphy’s always-reliable lyrics are front and center. The song sees him drinking considerably and trying to woo a woman with random facts about WWII. He does go off-course lyrically and start to offer actual fun tidbits. Like a lot of VB songs, it’s a satirical take on masculinity, and it’s a hoot. The crunchy music and spoken lyrics exist in the same space as IDLES, just a much funnier version. We do n33d Viagra Boys. 

    #45. Tropical Fuck Storm – “Irukandji Syndrome”

    Last year’s list saw a surprise entry from Arab Strap, a band I had never really heard and was initially unsure of. TFS aren’t as intense as Arab Strap, but they follow in the same post-punk intensity. This song is driven by intergender vocals, with Gareth Liddiard cementing some solemn, spoken word vocals and Fiona Kitschin and Erica Dunn complementing it with higher pitched bursts of vocal energy. The whole thing sounds ominous, but it’s got an itch to it too. TFS is always trying to do something new, I think they’ve landed on something here.

    #44. SPELLLING – “Satisfaction”

    This is definitely the most random entry on this list. It’s one of the few songs here that wasn’t a single, and it’s arguably an interlude. It’s also the shortest song on pop-ish singer SPELLLING’s excellent album by a good 30 seconds. But it’s a song designed for me. It starts with a nasally, a capella vocal rhythm that quickly gives way to a rock background. A genuinely good riff guides the song for a bit before it stops dead, giving way to crunchy chords and double drums. The song crosses from pop to rock to metal in barely two minutes. It’s cool! 

    #43. Laura Stevenson – “#1”

    Laura Stevenson is responsible for my all-time favorite song, and I maintain that she has one of the best voices in indie if not all of music. This new record is, unfortunately, even more personal than normal, as it is a divorce album; these songs are among her softest and most vulnerable. She has a way of creating songs that really build operatically, none more so than #1, a raw and delicate ballad that gets big but still sounds very unstable and sheltered. Prettiest voice you’ll ever hear. #43 on the list, #1 in my heart. 

    #42. Cardinals – “Big Empty Heart”

    Cardinals are one of my favorite new bands of the past few years, but they only sometimes invoke their Irish heritage. The indie band lay into it on “Big Empty Heart,” a first taste of an upcoming debut album. The song has dense, draining guitar, all positioned behind some accordion. Musically, it sounds vaguely Irish, and the forlorn tone of the song adds a lot to it. It’s very dreary, but still a joy to listen to. It could easily overstay its welcome, but it’s pretty short.

    #41. The Weather Station – “Neon Signs” 

    I’m finding this one a little difficult to write about because there are other songs on this list that do the same thing as this, even better. The Weather Station are a very warm indie band, and “Neon Signs” mixes a great vocal rhythm with patient music that feels like a nice hug. The sound is full, but never dense – it’s a good mix of catchy and interesting. The song sticks around for a while, with a very prolonged outro that feels like watching someone walk away. It’s a really pleasant indie song. 

    #40. Deftones – “milk of the madonna” 

    I mean, it’s Deftones. You either like them or you don’t. The beauty of Deftones is that all of the members share a vision for the band, but they all have different directions on how to get there. This leads Deftones albums to be a litany of ideas, from dense onslaughts of nu-metal, to slow burners, to songs with real riffs. This is the former. “madonna” is an aural assault, nearly as dense as a black metal song. Chino Moreno comes through the fold at times with his own neat vocal rhythm, other times he disappears into the mix. It’s a fascinating little song, and something that only Deftones could make interesting. 

    #39. Magdalena Bay – “Second Sleep”

    Mag Bay lost their minds in 2025. They’ve been riding the highs of their genuinely excellent 2024 smash hit Imaginal Disk, and they spent the last quarter of 2025 quietly releasing an EP’s worth of songs in 2-track batches. They all rock, but this one really stuck out to me. It’s art-pop, with an excellent vocal rhythm and melancholic lyrics. It’s mixed with dense and unpredictable music, in the Mag Bay way. It’s high art, it feels proper, even coming from an indie duo. This is an easy one to get lost in. 

    #38. The Croaks – “The Ballad of Tenderblood”

    I am so entrenched in the local Boston music scene, I’m not sure I can pick a favorite local band – some other nominees will show up later on this list, but it might be The Croaks. Their blend of acoustic indie with, like, Ren Faire melodies and aesthetics is like nothing else out there. They are self-described as “wench rock.” This song is a ton of fun, and features the best vocal performance on any Croaks song to date. It’s a little odyssey with tons of tempo changes, but all done in an unassuming way. I’ve known this one for a while from live shows, it sounds so good on tape! 

    #37. Austra – “Siren Song”

    This was a big year for electro-indie for me. It’s normally not my go-to – and still isn’t – but there are a number of bangers peppering this list. Austra was a late discovery and, if it had had more time to settle in my brain, could’ve ended up higher on this list. “Siren” is a super catchy song that takes familiar elements and makes unique rhythms out of it. This is, simply, a banger. Sometimes the songs on this list aren’t designed for wide audiences. This one should be a chart-topper. 

    #36. Perennial – “Baby, Are You Abstract?”

    Local heroes Perennial have spent 2025 running a victory lap after their excellent 2024 LP Art History broke them into a bigger stratosphere. The deluxe edition of that album features this new one tucked at the very bottom, and it’s their most mod song yet. Like a lot of the best Perennial songs, it’s stupidly simple: two lines repeated over a simple, jangly rhythm, all over in 2 minutes flat. It’s energetic and danceable in a way that only they know how to pull off. Turn the speakers up for this one, it’s some dance-punk madness. 

    #35. feeble little horse – “This Is Real”

    feeble little horse ranked very highly on this list in 2023 with “Steamroller,” a lyrically vulnerable but musically heavy indie rock song that sounded like a leftover from the Dinosaur Jr. days. Their follow-up is a standalone song that, quite frankly, sounds like an entirely different band. The guitars are even heavier, the tender vocals are replaced by screams and there’s some breakbeats thrown in. I’m not sure if this still classifies as alternative. If you’re like me and you just like thrilling, loud songs, this is for you. It follows with the band UNIVERSITY – check my album list – who are doing “indie” music that’s abrasive and unpredictable. More of this trend, please. 

    #34. Mark Pritchard/Thom Yorke – “This Conversation Is Missing Your Voice”

    I don’t know Mark Pritchard, and I’m pretty over Thom Yorke’s wishy-washy non-politics. I didn’t care for their collaborative electro-indie album as much as most critics seemed to. But, no Yorke album is devoid of brilliance, and I found it in “Voice.” To be honest, I mostly love this song because of the hypnotic, instantly engrossing backbeat from Pritchard. I could listen to an instrumental version all day. It’s a simple beat rhythm, but something about it always grabs my attention and sticks in my head for a day. Of course, Yorke’s vocals elevate everything – I consider him the best rock singer in history for a reason. This is one of the catchiest songs of the year; there was a period where I just couldn’t stop listening to it. 

    #33. Kilbourne – “Loon Call”

    I can’t say I listen to much hard techno – not much at all. I don’t really recall how Kilbourne’s album If Not To Give A Fantasy even ended up on my list. But I do like techno like this, and “Loon Call” takes a small idea and makes it brilliant. What is nominally a normal techno song gets enhanced by, well, loon calls. The inclusion of a bird call as a “sample” adds a musically fluid element in the same way a record scratch would. It’s a cool twist, blending the concepts of techno and field music, which are inherently incongruous. I’m not sure if the loon call idea is actually a well-known one and I’m oblivious, but I heard Skrillex use it on his album too – can’t be a coincidence. 

    #32. Blondshell – “23’s A Baby”

    Blondshell is an interesting entry this year, because I was surprisingly disappointed in her sophomore album If You Asked For A Picture, and the album’s best songs were singles that made this list last year. Still, one snuck through. “Baby” is premium Blondshell, a guitar-focused indie rock that doesn’t hide any melancholy. This time, it’s outward, criticizing someone for having a baby at 23. Sure, the lyrics are cringe-y above all else, but the vocal melody sells this. Blondshell manages to rope a great vocal delivery out of a very short line, and smartly repeats it throughout the tune. It’s just a great indie-rock song. 

    #31. Disiniblud – “Give-upping”

    This is a fascinating opening statement. Disiniblud is a new duo that brings together Rachika Nayar and Nina Keith, themselves two experimental artists I was not familiar with. Experimental music isn’t exactly known for warmth, but there’s something uniquely relaxing about this one. Their debut album’s opening track starts soft, with barely anything to grasp on to. A melody slowly forms before a burst of static erupts into a full song. It’s a cathartic piece, and not really like any other song on this list. Give your ears a treat. 

    #30. Billy Nomates – “The Test”

    I’ve always been partial to indie-rock singer Nomates, whose music is always melodious but sometimes endearingly corny. “The Test” is one of her more earnest songs, however, cemented by the combination of introspective lyrics and a one-note synth rhythm that propels the chorus like a soft siren. It’s a very simple song, ultimately, but all of the pieces fit. Her singing voice is always intriguing, and there’s a DIY glory to her songs. This is no different on “The Test,” an earworm despite the minimalist music. Check this one out on headphones, those small synth blips hit well in the back of the brain. 

    #29. Ela Minus – “BROKEN”

    Early in the year, I found myself kind of hard-up for new tunes. I was checking out a number of electronic artists I wouldn’t necessarily have listened to (like Kilbourne!). Ela Minus was on that list, and I fell in love. Minus scratches an itch, with electronic music that straddles the barrier between experimental and conventional. This is a ballad, with haunting vocals and a calm melody mixed with some more engrossing experimental elements. It’s sad, but it’s a pleasure to listen to. 

    #28. Ada Rook – “RAT KID LIFESTYLE”

    If these lists are not obvious enough, I like a lot of maximalist music. Few go more maximalist than Ada Rook, who dabbles in a mixture of industrial, hyperpop and glitch. I don’t think you can really classify this song as anything, her pained screaming also implies metal while the electronic elements imply some EDM. There’s a lot going on at once, if you’re into this sort of thing. You’re probably not, it’s abrasive and overwhelming to a fault. It feels like the coke kicking in off the bathroom sink. I’m a longtime fan of Rook, though, and it’s great she’s still out here delivering us insanity like this.

    #27. Lucius – “Gold Rush”

    I truly fell in love with three separate Lucius songs this year, and this is the one that initially stuck out to me. It’s the most fun song on their new record, a very playful indie tune with a jangly guitar lick and delightful vocal rhythms. The star of any Lucius song is the vocals, and they are fantastic here – not just melodic but strong. They shake off the fun elements for a stronger chorus, before getting playful again. It’s one of the most well-constructed indie tunes of the year. 

    #26. Margo Price – “Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down”

    The resilience anthem of 2025. The title is swiped from a 1990 Kris Kristofferson song, itself a statement on how prolonged the battles in America are. But as a standalone song, it isn’t just an optimistic, necessary statement. It’s also a quick, energetic and bouncy country song. This is what Price does best – no-frills, simple earworms. ICE, AI companies, pedo politicians – don’t let the bastards get you down. Don’t worry about keeping the statement in your head, the cadence will get stuck there anyways. 

    #25. Deep Sea Diver – “What Do I Know”

    I’ve just about hit my limit on new, interchangeable indie bands. When my primary source for new music – SiriusXMU – started promoting this band, I thought, “oh, another indie band.” But I was hooked by the end of the song. This is a good, old-fashioned guitar ditty. It’s got riffs, great vocal melodies, and a ton of energy. You can tell that this band is trying to make a statement, and they succeed. This is good ol’ fashioned rock and roll music. Sometimes a song is just big fun!

    #24. Alien Boy – “I Broke My World”

    The shoegaze revival is alive and well. Alien Boy is a band I was not familiar with before this song crossed by my way, but it appears they’ve been around for a bit. This song has a simply formula, some heavy and forceful guitar and a great chorus about a lost love. It’s heavy and melodic, following in the same footsteps as other revival bands who incorporate shoegaze’s relentless elements with more traditional songwriting. Take away the guitars, and you’ve still god a decent pop song here.

    #23. Nourished By Time – “BABY BABY”

    Sometimes a song is just hot. Nourished By Time, aka R&B singer Marcus Brown, speeds the BPM way up for this one. I’ve said elsewhere, probably in this post, that I tend to prefer faster, louder songs across genres. Naturally, I took an immediate liking to this one, designed to make people sweat out a pint in a club. Rhythmic and entrancing, this late single is centered around Brown’s rapid-fire vocal delivery and fascinating lyrics. Be prepared to dance. 

    #22. Mandy, Indiana – “Magazine” 

    I’m never sure what to do about songs off of upcoming albums. Part of me wants to save them until the following year, as I prefer to think of albums as a whole. But factually, if a song is released in one year, it’s eligible for my list that year only. Anyways, one of my favorite up-and-coming indie bands Mandy, Indiana, have a record coming out in February and the first taste is absolute dynamite. They’re an experimental, somewhat abrasive indie band, and they lean into it here. This fluctuates wildly between melodic meanderings and nerve-shredding bursts of noise. It’s a panic attack in song form, which means I love it wholly. This is a Band To Watch.

    #21. Pulp – “Spike Island”

    I’m not the most knowledgeable Pulp fan, but I know there’s three elements to the good Pulp songs – a length that stretches into tedious territory, some tongue-in-cheek satirical lyrics and Jarvis Cocker singing like he’s dying of thirst. “Spike Island,” the lead single of the band’s first album in TWENTY-FOUR years, doesn’t really have the satirical lyrics, but it’s got everything else. This song rests solely on Cocker’s vocal performance, which is predictably great. His voice is simultaneously powerful and fractured, like the last gasps of a hero. Although Cocker’s Wikipedia page is suspiciously vague, I’ve calculated him to be 62. He’s still throwing his voice and body around like a man half his age. The band is locked in too, providing a great backdrop, even if it isn’t the most interesting song musically. In an era where kids are revisiting practically every 90’s and 00’s genre, we’ve got the return of two of the biggest Britpop bands. Thankfully, Pulp have new music and thankfully, Oasis do not. 

    #20. Water From Your Eyes – “Life Signs”


    I had trouble getting into the previous Water From Your Eyes album in 2023 when all my pals seemed to rave over it. I still gave the first single off their new record a chance, only to encounter the best guitar bridge of the whole year. This is a truly winding song, jumping from quiet and melodic to classic rock guitar crunch in no time. It’s unpredictable, and it’s all fun throughout. Sometimes, I love being proven wrong. 

    #19. Babe Rainbow – “What is ashwagandha” 

    Look, for some of these songs I can go very in-depth on what works and why, and other times there’s little reasoning besides “it’s really fun.” This is the latter. This sunny indie song harkens back to the days of, say, Givers and early Los Campesinos! in the vocal-heavy earworm aspect. It actually sounds close to a SAULT song in the way it balances smooth vocals and patient but existent energy, though it might just be that the singers sound similar. Looking for something fun? Try Babe Rainbow!

    #18. Sudan Archives – “MY TYPE”

    I was already way on board with Sudan Archives, aka singer and violinist Brittney Denise Parks. Her natural blend of R&B, world and alternative was something up my alley. But her third album – fittingly titled The BPM – adds elements of dance and hyperpop into the mix. The album is a melting pot of big, hyperspeed tunes, and one of the lead singles comes out on top for me. “MY TYPE” is one of the more honest and smooth songs vocally, but coupled with a rhythm that is no less rhythmic and hypnotic. It’s a jam, and I can see it getting equal playtime on R&B radio and in a club at 2am. 

    #17. mclusky – “unpopular parts of a pig”

    It’s not like Andy Falkous has been lurking in the shadows, but god have mclusky not missed a step. The band’s first album in TWENTY-ONE years (!) picks up where the last one left off, championed by “unpopular parts of a pig,” a ferocious bit of post-hardcore with a punk chord progression that predictably does not hit the 2:30 mark. The band is locked the hell in on this one, with Falkous’s sneering sounds as urgent and legit as it did in 2004. He saves room for a little of his signature playful spoken word, too, but only a touch. Every time I listen to this I want to burn my own house down. 

    #16. Bartees Strange – “Wants Needs”

    Listen, this is just a really melodic indie-rock song. Sometimes that’s all it takes. Strange hit new heights on his album Horror, check my final album post for more, it’s an all-timer. The lead single and standout is this mostly straightforward rock song, centered on a great rhythm that brings harmony to vocals and guitar. There’s a lot going on in the background of this song, especially during an extended bridge, but if you stripped it all away except for vocals and guitar, you’d still have a great song. I can see this one working extremely well as an acoustic, one-person ditty. 

    #15. Wet Leg – “catch these fists”

    While I always encourage bands to try new things, it is telling that the best song on Wet Leg’s sophomore record is the one that sounds the most ripped from their debut. A bouncy but rollicking indie tune with fun rhythms and threatening lyrics – this is pure, diluted Wet Leg. The band is adept at making songs with simple, dancey melodies that nevertheless make you feel just a little uneasy. 

    #14. Hallelujah the Hills/Ezra Furman – “Rebuilding Year”

    Hallelujah the Hills released 52 songs this year, but the very best one is because of an Ezra Furman assist. That’s not to discredit the other 51, many of which are brilliant, but Furman’s raw vocals and poetic lyrics rocket this one onto the list. Hills do a mid-00’s indie heyday type of thing, like Illinoise-era Sufjan, and Furman slots in perfectly. Furman sings earnestly from someone going through a rebuilding year. The idea of taking a rebuilding year – which to me, is a sports team spending one season training new upstarts rather than chasing a title – and applying it to a personal life is a brilliant little poetic one. Furman’s apologies in the lyrics sound honest, too, which gives this tune an incredible amount of pathos. This is one of the most emotionally affecting songs on the list so, be prepared. 

    #13. Car Seat Headrest – “The Catastrophe (Good Luck With That, Man)”

    Will Toledo doesn’t necessarily have a “formula” for his band, but there’s one thing he’s always done well – longish to long indie rock songs with excellent rhythms and a real sense of story. The band’s first album in five years was a huge swing-and-miss, because it lacked one of those important elements: rhythm. It’s a concept album that is so heavy on lore that they mostly forgot to write songs. But the lead single is spared, and it’s one of the most thrilling rock songs of the year. It is a story, and it is longish, and it has rhythms for days. This was a sleeper for me, I liked it initially but it kept creeping up on me until I found it persistently getting stuck in my head. This is old school Car Seat Headrest, and there’s no one else doing it like this. 

    #12. Water From Your Eyes – “Nights in Armor”

    This is for sure one of the more maximalist songs on this list. The opening of this greets you with three different things to a point that is almost overwhelming. But quickly the hypnotic guitar lick really takes over and it becomes a jangly indie-rock tune. It’s a supremely unpredictable tune, there’s a quick breakdown before the prodigal riff comes back alone and the song continues to swell around it. There’s barely anything to grasp onto here, and yet I keep finding myself humming the riff all day. After much consideration, I’m declaring this the best tune on the excellent WFYE album.

    #11. DARKSIDE – “S.N.C.”

    I hadn’t listened to much Darkside before checking out their album this year even though I love their song “Liberty Bell.” The band includes electronic artist Nicolás Jaar, whose work I appreciate from a distance without necessarily enjoying. But I approach most albums with an open mind, and the whole thing floored me. The standout is “S.N.C.,” a song that starts off with a groove but deceptively saves the real funk for the halfway point. It’s airy, but it’s a straight up dance song too. About halfway in, an old school synthesizer funk rhythm erupts, that sounds ripped from – dare I say it – Stevie Wonder. It keeps the pace up for an exhausting couple minutes, too. Try not to dance challenge. 

    #10. Big Thief – “Incomprehensible”

    If Big Thief releases an album, there’s a 100% chance that at least one song will find its way onto this list. The Best Band In Music is back with a set of tunes that are at least comparatively happier than anything else they’ve ever done. It’s still all melancholic, of course, but not as tragic. There are smidges of hope in this song, as Adrianne Lenker takes stock of her life at 33, noting that she’s nothing in the grand scheme of things but also recognizing how many new experiences there are to come. Couple that with some of the liveliest music in their catalog and you’ve got yet another folksy, indie winner. 

    #9. Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory – “Afterlife”

    Similar to Big Thief, any new Sharon Van Etten is a guaranteed lock to be on my list. Her new album is a top 5 on the year (watch this space). Sometimes, her songs come out of the gate as weepers. This one really sneaks up on you. It starts innocently enough and really saves its power for the chorus. It’s all SVE’s vocals. This is a painfully slow song, emotionally tortured. She simply has one of the most gorgeous voices I’ve ever heard, and she’s extremely adept at making incredibly melancholic songs with tragic vocal lines. I could say this is “more of the same,” but is that a bad thing? Try to listen to this one without weeping.

    #8. Monobloc – “Line Of Feeling”

    What’s with this post-punk revival that’s going on right now? It hasn’t gotten the attention that the shoegaze and nu-metal revivals have gotten, but there’s a ton of great post-punk bands out there right now. Monobloc is a very new one, with only a single EP out so far. The band is from NYC – something I only just found out, as they seem spiritually British. But it also checks out, because they really sound reminiscent of Interpol. This is a simple song, a three-note guitar lick and spoken-sung vocals make up the chorus. But something about it just really engrosses me every time I hear it, the same effect Interpol has. It is music that simultaneously feels emotionally cold while also sounds like a warm blanket wrapping around you. More of this band, please.

    #7. The Convenience – “Western Pepsi Cola Town”

    I’m a simple man. You put some guitars playing a fun rhythm very fast, and I’ll probably like it. This song sounds a lot like Parquet Courts. This song sounds a lot like Parquet Courts, with a guitar rhythm that’s only three chords, very fast, and very fun. The dual guitar work allows for some good licks to get thrown in too. This is another group I was unfamiliar with prior to 2025, but damn if I couldn’t ever get this one out of my head. Great if you like simple, punchy guitar rock. 

    #6. Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory – “Idiot Box”

    Unsurprisingly, there is a double dose of SVE. For her new album, she collaborated on songwriting with her tourmates for the first time. It shows best on “Idiot Box,” the closest thing to a “rock song” she’s done in a while. Her band is locked in, and it provides a different backing for her powerful vocals, as opposed to the traditional sparse music of her previous albums (and “Afterlife”). Good guitar licks and full drums complement the predictably great vocals. It’s a Sharon Van Etten song, but she takes a bit of a backseat in favor of musical melodies, too. It’s not as feel-bad as some of her other best songs.

    #5. Smerz – “Roll the dice”

    This song is oozing with coolness. Just listening to this feels like sunglasses and a leather jacket. A simple beat is matched with quiet but intricately spoken vocals in something that borders on hip-hop. Then a loud, jazzy piano line comes in, produced in a way that it dominates over everything else. This little tune is a melting pot, technically indie but effortlessly jazz and rap, too. Quite frankly, it’s too cool to really be indie. And the whole thing is over in two minutes. 

    #4. nurse joy – “without witness”

    It was released in 2025, sure, but I first heard this song when I stumbled on nurse joy in the middle of the day at a festival in Somerville, MA in the summer of 2024. I was floored by the band immediately, and gobbled up their debut album when it was dropped in March. It’s a dance-punk odyssey, centered around a simply guitar rhythm and soothing synth line. But it all builds up to a raucous, screamed finale that has me punching the ceiling. There’s a lot of moving parts in this song, it’s sneakily complex. I’m lucky to have seen them play three more times since I stumbled on them, as the last time I saw them was their final gig. Long live nurse joy.

    #3. Porridge Radio – “Don’t Want to Dance”

    Is it best to go out on top? I was a very, very big fan of the British post-punk/indie group Porridge Radio, so I was distressed to learn that they would wrap up operations in 2025. It seemed like they were just picking up steam in America, only to bow out. I was happy to catch their first and last ever Boston show in January. They released one final EP in 2025, anchored by “Don’t Want to Dance,” possibly the best song they ever released. It incorporates everything great about the band – downtrodden lyrics that turn into a last-call singalong, coupled with music that feels very off-the-cuff and rough vocals. The band always sounded a little like The Cranberries, here it’s a lot. It would be great any time, but as a final song it sounds particularly haunting.

    #2. Lucius – “Old Tape”

    Yes, more Lucius. Like a few other songs on this list, this was not the first song on this album to really grab me. But once it did, I realized it’s going to be a personal all-timer. The chorus of this one is just huge, with some of the best vocals of the year and some instantly relatable lyrics. It’s a tune about briefly opening yourself up to playing the ‘old tapes’ from your brain for a loved one before shutting it all back down again. It’s a little bit country, a little bit pop, a little bit rock, a sort of genre-less exploration with some simple ideas done effectively well. Also Fred Armisen is in this video if that’s a thing you’re into, I guess.

    #1. Model/Actriz – “Cinderella”

    Oh boy. I talked heavily about the first M/A album and at least one song in my year-end coverage in 2023; it remains one of my favorite debut albums of the past few years. Their follow-up saw them shed some of the heavier elements in favor of something that edges on dancey-indie, in the most uncomfortable sense. The lyrics to this song are some of the rawest of any song all year, they are years of therapy sessions reduced to five minutes of music. You can choose to ignore them and enjoy the kinetic, frantic music and just dance to it. Or, you can lean into them, and realize this is what the inside of people’s brains sound like all the time. It’s an intensely personal song, and it sounds extremely cutting-edge. I liked it the first time I heard it, but it quietly crept further and further up this list until it dawned on me one day that it was a #1 lock.

    And that’s a wrap on 2025 songs! Check back on this blog in the coming days for my top 100 (!) favorite albums of the year. Many of these acts will be represented, some will not, and some didn’t release an album. I hope every person that reads this discovers at least one song they didn’t know and now like, that makes it all worth it.

    As is tradition, here’s a quick list of the songs that didn’t quite make the cut, in no order: ameokama – “izanami” | Yaeji & E Wata – “Pondeggi” | Modern Life Is War – “First Song On The Moon” | Wolf Alice – “Bloom Baby Bloom” | Tiberius – “Redwood” | Ada Rook – “Brackish”

    And, since I mentioned it: Lucius – “Final Days” | Water From Your Eyes – “Playing Classics”

    Masked Ambition: A Piece on Eddington

    I’m hijacking my own music blog to talk about another one of my loves, film. Specifically, we need to talk about Eddington. I’m an Ari Aster fanboy; Hereditary is my favorite horror movie, Midsommar is not too far behind it. I liked Beau Is Afraid, though it was too ambitious and faulty. I saw the early reviews of Eddington – walk-outs at Cannes, half-star reviews saying it was offensive and unnecessary – and I swallowed my tongue. I don’t think we needed a movie about 2020 in 2025, even with the best possible filmmaker to do it. It seems that a lot of people agreed with this. But this movie isn’t about 2020, not at all. It’s a masterpiece, and I feel compelled to discuss why I loved it so much and haven’t stopped thinking about it since I walked out of the theater. In a different year it would probably be my favorite release, unfortunately it came out in the wake of Sinners. It is a film meant to be misunderstood, but even my film friends seem to have missed the mark on this one. So let’s get into it. Significant spoilers abound, by the way.

    The 2020 stuff in this movie doesn’t really work! My biggest criticisms of this are the ones that drove a lot of people off at face value. The direct references to George Floyd were too exploitative. The mask bits were funny depending on context, but not inherently. It did feel like Aster was doing some prodding, like “hey, do you remember how funny people looked in masks? Remember social distancing?” and look, we’ve got another 5 years minimum before we can do that. But I think all of this was designed to shake off anyone who wasn’t going to like the difficulty of the film anyways. This is a film about tech. I felt that was obvious, but it seems people got too tripped up on the cultural references in the first hour.

    None of the characters in this have a lot of depth – this is another criticism I’ve seen lobbied, and it’s the most unfair. They don’t have depth for a reason. The entire crux of this film is that tech companies have waged a secret war on the American people and won. This entire film is social media feeds, YouTube conspiracies, viral moments and influencers. The key figure in this movie isn’t town conservative sheriff Joe (Joaquin Phoenix) or liberal mayor Ted (Pedro Pascal), it’s the young man who adopts left-wing views to woo a hot girl, then adopts right-wing views when he sees a money trail. Almost the entire movie is predicated on one joke about Kyle Rittenhouse, a joke that probably isn’t worth it but is still an incredible payoff. Social media and tech in general eradicated his ability to have comprehension and morals – something that is true for every character here. These people are not deep because everything they do is performative. Joe is an anti-vaxxer, but he secretly gets tested for COVID. Ted is the lovable liberal, but he verbally abuses his kid and ignores his own COVID restrictions.

    This film starts and ends with data centers. They pop up occasionally in the narrative, but the film is literally bookended with them. Everything is encompassed within the idea of an Eddington data center. We know how evil and resource-burning data centers are, but look at how both politicians end up opening their arms to them. Ted, the otherwise liberal, is firmly in the camp of building a data center. Joe is against it, but by the film’s end, he’s mayor and the data center is there, opened by a fellow conservative. Both men – one willing, one unwilling – become pawns for the unseen tech conglomerates that are invading to destroy their resources. But both men don’t put it as a top campaign priority, even though it would change the entire structure of the town. Tech always sneaks by in the background. Instead, COVID and BLM take center stage. BLM doesn’t happen without social media. Neither does the COVID antivax movement. It’s a little unfair to say that tech engineered these movements, but they’ve engineered the individuals. Without tech giants, Kyle Rittenhouse is just some dumb racist kid.

    None of the characters in Eddington are critical to the story. Social media has turned many of us into performative yellers. Not everyone, of course, there are tons of people out there doing tons of genuine good and, well, genuine evil. But so many of us posters, doomscrollers and content consumers have become hollowed out. I yell at people all day in my social media trench about AI, transphobia, and other evils. But what do I actually do? I stock my community fridge, I donate to Palestinian families, I flip off Cybertrucks. But I’m not out there in the streets. And I think I still do more than a lot of us chronically online people. This is not a criticism of anyone – we all fell for the tech trap. The best, most succinct description I’ve seen of Eddington is “every character is a victim.” Everyone in this movie is doomed, because the data center is going to wipe out the town. Racial politics won’t matter when everyone is dying of thirst at an equal rate. The tech companies are getting us to pick sides and fight while they take over. Or, took over. The town of Eddington was doomed even if the center wasn’t built.

    So, the first hour of Eddington establishes this mission statement. I say again, the first hour of this is murky. Aster is a cynical filmmaker, sometimes fatally, but he very importantly pulls back a little here. Having a mission statement of “everyone is empty because of social media and both sides are crazy!” is too misanthropic even for him. Unfortunately, this is where a lot of people got tripped up. This is not a centrist film, it is a very, very left-wing one. Look at the fate of the characters and what it says about politics.

    Ted is a standard-fare liberal. He wears a suit, he’s charming, he’s always around. Liberal voters often value someone who looks and talks nice rather than someone who is a policy wonk. Ted has mastered this, despite the fact that he’s a wealthy tech pawn who yells at his son and breaks his own rules. That doesn’t matter – libs love him. And, at the end of the day, he’s still a good man. At a campaign event at his house, he’s confronted by Joe, and ends up slapping him before Joe storms off.

    Joe is a “good conservative.” He’s not outwardly racist, he stands for his own convictions, etc. None of this is true, of course, but the people of Eddington don’t realize it. And like all “good conservatives,” he snaps at the slightest pushback. Not 24 hours goes by after getting slapped by Ted before he shoots and kills Ted in Ted’s home. He kills a homeless man, too. He’s a weak, desperate man. Later in the movie, he gets stabbed hard in the back of the head. The viewer rightly assumes he’s dead. He’s not. Similar to Lockjaw in One Battle After Another, he’s a conservative who just always survives. It’s not so much satire as it is just truth. We lost Michael Brooks at 36. We lost Henry Kissinger at 100. Conservatives just always survive, because only the good die young.

    There was a lot of criticism over making Joe the central character, which is another fault of comprehension. In my estimation, this itself is a satire on American news media. Ted is the more popular politician, by a huge margin. But he’s almost an afterthought in this film because it’s all about the shiny, new conservative with the same talking points as the other ones. As Bari Weiss takes over CBS News and the New York Times gives page space to Richard Hanania, we are constantly drowning in mass media praising conservatives while not affording the same space to anyone left of center. If this movie were a real news story, Joe and Ted would not be given the same amount of space. This is a direct result of – you guessed it – major tech companies.

    Every character in this is a victim. Every person gives their life away to tech without even realizing it. No one suffers more than Louise, Joe’s suffering wife who gives herself away to a mystical, dangerous conspiracy theorist who she sees on TikTok or YouTube. Is Austin Butler’s viral theorist a victim too? Well, yes, because his worst indulgences should never be made public like this, and it’s harming him too. Joe is emboldened by tech, but he goes viral for his incidents during protests. At the film’s climax, he’s attacked by “Antifa” (which are really conservative plants), and the directing literally turns into a first-person shooter video game. If that is not a metaphor for how tech has absorbed us (and not even the other way around), then what is? For a film that takes place deep in the desert, everyone here is too connected to screens.

    At the end of the movie, none of this mattered. Ted was killed, Joe was paralyzed, and the town erupted into left-v-right chaos. And yet, the data center is opened, and in a few years, Eddington will be obliterated. We are supposed to see ourselves as the people of Eddington. This is not a film about 2020, it’s one about 2025, and 2030, and 2035. Every person is a pawn in an invisible game of chess, and so are we. So am I, for writing on my blog. So are you, for reading it. I’m obviously political myself and trying to influence you, just like anyone else. Eddington is not a perfect film, it’s too exploitative in parts and muddies its own point a little too much. But it’s also the best satire about our current times, far more so than the much more beloved One Battle, which did little but frustrate me by being a surface-level story that just mentions politics. I truly hope that this piece opens even one set of eyes to Eddington and that, in 10 years’ time, we’ll view this as the most prescient movie of the mid-20’s. Now go stream it on HBO and discuss it on Twitter.

    Post-Grad Music Reviews is, understandably, a music blog. If you’re interested in occasional reviews, interviews, and best-of lists that dig deep into the vinyl vaults, feel free to give me a follow! I only post on occasion and exclusively for fun. Find me on bluesky or instagram under the username amcnal!

    Don’t be surprised if I use this blog more for film analysis in 2026!

    25 For ’25: Best Albums Of The Year (So Far)

    It’s early July…..it’s mid-July, which means it’s time to gush about the best stuff of the year so far. I’m behind my normal numbers, but I’ve still listened to 169 new releases (counting EP’s and live albums). Since I have a tendency to overload myself at the end of the year, I’m limiting my midyear post to just 25 albums. It’s a mix of perennial favorites and new surprises, and hopefully you’ll find something new and wonderful too! If your favorite isn’t here, well there’s currently 130 on my list to listen to as well. I’m sure I’ll write my favorite 1000 at the end of the year or something tedious. Let’s go!

    25. The Men – Buyer Beware

    I’m a simple man; at the end of the day, I just love some whiplash garage rock. Doesn’t have to be good, just has to be fast and loud. Luckily, The Men are also good, and they’ve delivered another back-to-basics album after last year’s excellent New York. This is the band’s 100th or so album, incredible that they are still so locked-in. This band has done some more experimental or slower works, but they’re at their best with no-frills old-school rock. 

    24. Beach Bunny – Tunnel Vision

    No secret that I’m a huge Beach Bunny fan. Their mix of fun, fuzzy punk and squeaky-clean vocals and lyrics makes for a super unique band, even if there are tons of similar acts out there. Their third album doesn’t change the formula, thankfully, it just locks in and delivers some whipping indie-punk tunes with a saccharine touch. Fun fact: my partner and I’s song is “Cloud 9.” 

    23. Model/Actriz – Pirouette

    The first Model/Actriz album was like nothing I’ve heard before – electro-noise that counts as dance music, but for an indie crowd, with music based largely on staccato notes, and lyrics and vocals that are raw and often frighteningly vulnerable. Their sophomore album digs more into the dance side, more melodic and less noisy, to almost equally good outcomes. The lyrics are more of a focus here, and they’re a lot clearer – this album is a therapy session, and it feels uncomfortable to dance to it. But damn do you have to.

    22. Lambrini Girls – Who Let The Dogs Out

    A riotous, raucous debut from England that was set to be the punk breakthrough of 2025 before Bob Vylan got censored for truth. Dogs hearkens back to riot grrrl in spirit, blending it with the punk of 2025. It’s a load of fun, and also viciously satirical and angry. Songs like “Company Culture” and “Filthy Rich Nepo Baby” have specific targets behind them. Some of it feels a little like 2010’s-era Tumblr feminism, but when the songs are this good that doesn’t matter.

    21. SPELLLING – Portrait of My Heart

    This has already been a solid year of me checking out artist I’ve heard of but never heard. I had Spellling pegged as an indie-R&B singer in my head, and while that’s accurate, she’s very rock too. The songs on Heart pull from equally from Motown and Subpop, diving headfirst into sultry R&B or double-bass drums on a whim. The only constant factor is energy, the rest is entirely unpredictable. Really had fun listening to this. Three L’s in the name but none to be found on the record. 

    20. clipping. – Dead Channel Sky

    On the flipside is artists I’ve loved for years. The experimental rap group clipping. are a personal favorite, and their fifth album delivers on all fronts. The band’s abrasive music mixed with Daveed Diggs’ lightspeed rapping make for consistently thrilling tunes. There isn’t necessarily anything new here, but the formula still works – heavy, fast rap songs that very rhythmic but still shun any radio-friendly elements. 

    19. Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Death Hilarious

    I found myself surprisingly disappointed with Pigsx7’s previous album, 2023’s Land of Sleeper. They remained one of my favorite metal bands, but I was worried that their continued trajectory from doom metal into psychedelic rock would render them boring. Alas! Their fifth album is just as good as albums 1-3. Heavy riffs and dense songs abound. There’s classic, doom-y Pigs (“The Wyrm”) and there’s entirely new ideas (“Glib Tongued” which features El-P of all people). This band is about as much fun as you can have in metal. Oh by the way, covered them.

    18. Baths – Gut

    I hadn’t kept up with Baths after his first two records, both electro-indie albums that presented two sides of a coin; the debut was fun and bubbly, the sophomore record much gloomier. I wasn’t sure what to expect with Gut, but I really wasn’t expecting a Perfume Genius record. This is a set of vulnerable, pretty, shaken and queer indie songs, written in the same manner as Michael Hadreas does. You can make the argument that the album’s front half is too similar, but there’s a lot of open space for this kind of thing. It’s gorgeous, I was floored. Grab the tissues. And as for Perfume Genius himself, well I haven’t worked up the willpower to listen to his new one yet. Expect it on the EOY list. 

    17. DARKSIDE – Nothing

    This one caught me way off-guard. I only really knew on Darkside song prior to this, “Liberty Bell,” and I really love it. But the band’s atmospheric, electro-indie is akin to a handful of other bands that I appreciate but don’t really like. The same goes for Nicholas Jaar’s solo music. But this album is just a blast. These songs are light and vibe-y, but they’re still funky and fun. I listened to this on a morning commute and it really set my brain in a righted mood for a workday. Definitely an album I’d revisit, and I rarely do that. Summer music!

    16. Billy Woods – Golliwog

    Another perennial favorite of mine, his presence on this list shouldn’t be surprising at all. It’s also one of the most acclaimed albums of the year in general. The indie rap hotshot has already released a number of great records both solo and as a member of Armand Hammer, but this is his magnum opus. A tough record about a tough life, an autobiography the artist’s fascinating life and his experiences in NYC. Sure, that album’s been done a million times, but if it’s earnest then it’s justifiable. This is not only earnest, it’s raw, nervous, and at times still redacted, as if Woods immediately regrets telling the listener something. 

    15. Smerz – Big city life

    It’s rare in today’s music melting pot that you hear something that sounds totally new. This sounds totally new. The best I can surmise Smerz is that they are trip-hop indie, with a little extra -hop, and some jazz. Short, funky blasts that sound like the coolest thing this side of Jon Spencer. I’ve already deep-dived their previous albums – their two prior full-lengths are ones where they serve as a backing band for an indie-pop singer, and an avant-garde choir. This band is hitting originality on all fronts. 

    14. Paris Texas – They Left Me With A Gun

    You may be noticing a trend in the rap that I like the most. Intense but vibrant indie-rap is my go-to; if Denzel Curry drops anything this year then it’s gonna be a heyday. The new PT release is just an EP, and I’m always hesitant on ranking EP’s against LP’s, but when something is this good it’s worth it. A quick, nonstop collection of fast rhythms and big beats, and all without the boisterousness of top 40 rap. 

    13. Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos

    I pity the people who don’t listen to music in languages they don’t speak. I don’t understand a word of this album and, as a pasty white man in Boston, I’m not exactly the target audience. But Bad Bunny has such an inherent skill at taking reggaeton – a genre that comes off as exceedingly repetitive to a pasty White – and making every song feel important and special. Reggaeton, rap, R&B, pop, there’s a touch of everything popular here. And even at 62 minutes, it doesn’t feel overstuffed or tedious. Put this on at a party – any party – and you’ll get everyone moving in no time. 

    12. Ela Minus – DIA

    I went into this one totally blind, having heard one song from it many weeks prior. Obviously, I was floored. I was expecting some light-electro indie, and probably “just another indie album” like the influx I’ve already heard this year. It’s electro-indie, for sure, but it’s very experimental and not afraid to take risks. Pop songs are meshed with ambient drone, and enough dense electronica to make Dave Gahan smile. It’s a truly unpredictable album and had me clapping my hands like a seal. 

    11. ameokama – i will be clouds in the morning and rain in the evening

    The first of three regional Boston* discs to make the list, this is another entry in the “wildly unpredictable” canon. But instead of sticking in the world of electro-indie, this cements itself in black metal. ameokama, who is also the singer for metal group A Constant Knowledge of Death, explores every boundary of black metal, and pushes past them. They’re confrontational at points, atmospheric at others. The defining focus of this album is existing as something you can get lost in. You know how Deafheaven went from black metal to ambient? Imagine all of that across one album (more on them later). There’s still time for some doom and shoegaze elements too, because it simply can’t stay contained. 

    *- ameokama dropped this album and promptly moved away, but it counts as a Boston album.

    10. Little Simz – Lotus

    It’s always a safe assumption that Little Simz will make my lists whenever she releases something, but Lotus is excellent even on a grading curve. After the monumental, unexpected success of her album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, she stepped away a bit and released some cold, confrontational albums. But Lotus is plain old fun. The UK rapper sounds like she’s having a blast, with big beats and bouncy rhythms. It’s a different and somewhat relieving direction, as it sounds like Simz has learned to leverage her platform (a guest appearance on last year’s Coldplay album hinted at this too). As expected, there’s a lot of quick, flowing ideas and most of them work very well. 

    9. mclusky – the world is still here and so are we

    And thank your god for that. mclusky could release an album of fart noises and I’d find a way to justify putting in on my list, but luckily I don’t have to. The band’s first album in 21 years picks up exactly where they left off, and why shouldn’t it? The things they satirized so heavily in the early 2000’s have only gotten worse! This is full of short, heavy post-hardcore songs that could easily get mistaken as punk. And as expected, the lyrics range from corny and silly to deeply political and courageously specific. I was a huge fan of Future Of The Left, Andy Falkous’ band he formed after mclusky’s initial break-up, but this album scratches a slightly different itch. 

    8. TAKAAT – Is Noise, Vol. 1

    Remember when I said I always debate whether to include EP’s? This is the same boat. But let me say that this is the exact type of thing I’m into. This 4-track is the first music released by the band, but you may be familiar with them already – it’s Mdou Moctar’s backing band, without Moctar himself. These four songs mix African rhythms with dense, heavy noise production to make something wholly unique and separate from the artist they’re associated with. I saw these guys play a very early show and they managed to stretch these four songs into an hour-long set, it was face-melting stuff. I can’t wait for more. 

    7. Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power

    The kings reclaim the throne. Deafheaven’s Sunbather is arguably the best metal album of the last 20 years, whether you like it or not, and they’ve been on a tear ever since then. But where each subsequent album has explored a different facet of their sound, Lonely People With Power combines everything into one. It’s their best since Sunbather. Pulverizing black metal, blissful ambient, riffs, beautiful lyrics completely lost through guttural screaming, and occasionally just…rock music? Also these are shorter songs than normal, which gives the band more branches to show themselves off. It’s like a Greatest Hits of all new tracks. Bring earplugs. 

    6. nurse joy – can i say something…?

    The second local act to make the list – yes, there’s still another one here. I caught nurse joy by chance at a festival last year when I had downtime, and their set in a cramped Rockwell was a damn party. Their debut full-length is a dance-punk whirlwind, a bunch of raucous loose anthems that transcend genre but never stray too far from being -punk. It’s fun as hell. I’ve seen them twice more since last summer, always a fun show. 

    5. Backxwash – Only Dust Remains

    Another shoo-in, every Backxwash album I’ve listened to has made my best-of lists. There was never any doubt here. The Zambian-Canadian rapper is freed from her now-concluded trilogy of dark, religious albums, but Dust isn’t a whole lot different. We do see some different and more experimental sides of her, making this her most well-rounded album to date. But it’s also dark, heavy, conscious and sometimes just plain nasty. This isn’t something for everyone, it’s deliberately off-putting at points; but it’s yet another triumph in a catalog full of them. 

    4. Laura Stevenson – Late Great

    Laura Stevenson’s classic “Master Of Art” is my all-time favorite song. She’s got one of the best singing voice I’ve ever heard. It’s not necessarily a given that she shows up on these lists, but it’s likely – and Late Great is her best album in a long while. Touching, gorgeous indie songs that can stretch into “fun” or “haunting” territory real quick. Stevenson is excellent at making songs that are drawn-out and dense, and following it up with something minimalistic and catchy. Everything is all under the guise of Stevenson’s beautiful vocals. She’s one of my favorite artists and she’s back even stronger than she has been in many years.

    3. Paper Lady – Idle Fate

    The third and final local release on this list, this album is nuts. Another debut full-length, this one is somewhere in the realm of heavy alternative/shoegaze, even just rock music. These tunes are dense and unpredictable, sometimes putting everything upfront and other times opting for a slow-burning bruiser. Their live show is feral even as the songs are patient. If you’ve been missing some heavy alternative, then have no fear, Paper Lady is here. 

    2. Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory – Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory

    Time to get the tissues out. I mentioned my favorite song, but SVE’s “Seventeen” is close behind it, and the song guaranteed to make me to weep. SVE’s first album crediting her backing band is her best in a long while. It’s apparent that the band were more involved in the songwriting, as these tunes are denser and more instrumental. Guitars are largely ditched for synthesizers, itself a big change for her traditionally folk-inspired indie (and usually a kiss of death for me). But her gorgeous voice still prevails and makes these songs vulnerable, shakeable. Remarkably beautiful indie record. 

    1. Bartees Strange – Horror

    I’ve been a fan of Bartees for a while, but I never predicted that he would put out a record this good. Horror does indeed dig into the macabre, adding yet another element to his already-stewing melting pot. The indie/rock/rapper delivers a chaotic album of high-speed rap, pretty R&B and catchy indie songs. It’s fun, wildly so, and delivers from start to finish. It’s easy to see an influence of TV On The Radio here, although the more macabre parts come from elsewhere. Some of these songs absolutely boom, but not all of them do, it’s a very well-rounded affair. Fun as hell. 

    Note: While compiling and writing this list, I did listen to two more releases that would probably slip in somewhere here, so let me do two little flashes. You had to know this wouldn’t actually stay at 25:

    Songs By Jonas – “The “Everything Is Wrong” Album” – I know nothing about this artist, but this was a whirlwind of bedroom emo and experimental noise. Most songs are short and acoustic,  and make clever use of double-tracking to make it sound like a full band instead of one person. But there’s plenty of fuzz and glitch, too – it’s wildly unpredictable.

    The Croaks – Menagerie – Another favorite local band (and one that features Paper Lady frontwoman Alli on bass), this is some Ren Faire indie. A 4-track EP of songs with full minstrel influence, even though some of them go off the rails into punk territory. Seen them live multiple times, one of the most fun bands you’ll find in Boston. 

    Liam Peroyea – “Burn”

    Key Tracks: “Out Of Time,” “Won’t Find The Answers”

    I continue to get mountains of submissions for this blog even though I have mostly shifted focus to journeys through discographies and rankings, when I have time to pay it any attention at all. But every now and then, a pitch catches my eye. That’s exactly what happened when I was sent Burn, the debut album from rookie indie singer Liam Peroyea. While I never like to describe an artist based on unchangeable characteristics, it’s also what caught my attention – Peroyea is only 13 years old. And Burn sounds wise well beyond those years.

    Burn is a quick album, ten tracks and 24 minutes, but it accomplishes a lot, especially as a showcase. The biggest songs here are ones that edge closely to rock songs. “Won’t Find the Answers” is the most full-fledged tune here, the only song with percussion. The penultimate track “Icarus” follows suit, marrying a wonderful vocal rhythm with a more full-band feel.

    But many of these songs are not striving to be rock songs. The key to this album is sparseness. In both production and songwriting, the album’s other eight songs are all odes that have a lingering emptiness to them. Maybe the best example of this is “Out Of Time,” the first song with lyrics. It is a vocal-forward song, and Peroyea has some truly affective vocals throughout the album. It’s got guitar and some interesting rhythms, but there are fits of silence in between ideas that make for a particularly haunting listen. The same goes for “Castles,” maybe the best vocal track on the album, with Peroyea (who is, again, 13 years old) singing “You don’t know the meaning of love ‘til you lost it” over a nice piano rhythm. His vocals sound pained, like those of an older man who’s tasting his own medicine.

    The album gets even sparser during the instrumental songs, too, and there are four of them. “Shattered” opens the album with a cool dual-guitar piece, with help from Callan Simpson. “Lost” and “Sojourn” are both acoustic instrumentals, the latter of which has some handclapping that offsets the tone of the scarcer tunes. And there’s an aptly-named interlude, “Interlude,” that is just lush piano.

    The production on this album is even more disarming than the sparsely-constructed tunes. It may be the result of circumstance, but these songs sound like they’re being transmitted from a few rooms over. The recordings are fuzzy and dense, in a way that highlights the use of silence within the songs and the power of Peroyea’s voice. They’re reminiscent of early John Darnielle recordings, done alone over a boombox – with the power of making you feel like you know he’s recording alone. These songs do not sound like they were recorded in a studio, and that factor makes the album more mystical. This is loose, quiet music with a number of abrupt, varying ideas.

    The combination of piano and guitar make for a well-rounded debut album here. There is a lot of great songwriting here, and no idea sticks around too long. Every year is overstuffed with indie these days, but you should carve out a half hour to spend with Burn, especially if you’re into the more heartfelt, raw folksy side of indie. Keep the fire lit!

    You can stream the album here on Spotify:

    ~By Andrew McNally

    101 Favorite Albums of 2024: 24-1

    Well, we did it. We made through another year. I’m proud of you, I’m proud of us. If you’ve been through these lists with a magnifying glass, then thank you. If you’ve just clicked on this one to see a top 10, I still appreciate the time. This has been an extraordinarily fruitful year for new music, and narrowing this list down to 101 was so difficult. Narrowing out a top 24 was brutal, I mean brat didn’t even make the cut.

    Curiously, this year was unbelievable for new albums, but I personally felt that it was missing that album. There was not an obvious #1 for me, no dominant album, no Rat Saw God shoo-in. Even now as I’m writing, I’m not confident that my #1 pick is actually my #1. Maybe it’s on me for not spending enough time with most of these albums, but I don’t know that there’s any here I’ll be revisiting for years. However only time will tell for that. All 24 of these albums are near-perfect barnburners regardless.

    Nearly all of these write-ups are copied directly from other previous posts on this blog. I’m editing them but please keep that in mind in case there’s a nonsensical reference or anything. Alright – final 24.

    #24. Adrianne Lenker – Bright Future

    The hot streak continues. You may know Lenker best as the singer of Big Thief, a band seemingly incapable of writing a song even slightly mediocre. Well, she’s racked up more than enough songs to make a runoff solo album. Donned with just an acoustic guitar, Lenker delivers another set of heart-wrenching ditties, as well as a solo version of Big Thief’s “Vampire Empire,” one of my favorite tunes from 2023. Simple and devastating, it’s what you expect from indie’s best songwriter. Also, she released a Bandcamp-only accompany EP with all proceeds going to Gazan relief efforts, which is a nice 180 from what I had heard about her previous politics (possibly hearsay!). 

    #23. ScHoolboy Q – Blue Lips

    2024 has been a year for form-returning albums. St. Vincent and Vampire Weekend improved on their respective weakest releases, and the same goes for ScHoolboy. His previous album, 2019’s Crash Talk, was a change of pace, as the rapper opted for much shorter tracks. Rather than his normal 5+ minute journeys, the album was full of 2-minute bursts. It was also a change of pace in quality, as everything felt incomplete or off-hand. Blue Lips is a welcome return, technically “more of the same” for a rapper who always wears his heart on his sleeve, but the formula still pays dividends. Emotional, funny, raw and absolute banging: this is what you want from a ScHoolboy album. And there aren’t even any 5+ minute songs – there’s just a lot more energy and effort put in here. 

    #22. JPEGMAFIA – I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU

    I’m sorry that I’m the flavor of caucasian who loves Peggy specifically but I am, and this is his finest set since Veteran. It’s also the most manic thing he’s ever released, closer to hyperpop than anything else. It’s absurdly beat-heavy, dense, and thrilling. Peggy even gets somewhat lost in the front half, in songs that focus heavily on the bass beats. He shines through on the more measured back half, with some songs that get much more earnest. His guests on this album are Vince Staples and Denzel Curry, two guys known just as much for their intense and mainstream-eschewing rap. So you know what you’re gonna get – paranoid and catchy music that’s too abrasive to play on the family speakers. One of my favorites of the year. I think Knocked Loose still has the best album with a cross on the cover, though.

    #21. Jack White – No Name

    I sometimes forget how much I love Jack White. Across his works with the Stripes, the Raconteurs, the Dead Weather and solo, there’s only four albums I would say I dislike. He’s always been an impatient songwriter, but his records have had measured levels of ambition. No Name might be his most down-to-earth set since the middle of the White Stripes run – just a good ol’ collection of no-frills blues rock. It’s the most White Stripes album since, to be honest, Get Behind Me Satan. There’s some of that garage-punk energy, a lot of bluesy riffs, and just compact songwriting everywhere. Some of the back half gets a little repetitive, there is a bit of an itch for some of Jack’s more ambitious stuff to be had. But overall, this is just a slambang rock record. “It’s Rough On Rats” into “Archbishop Harold Holmes” into the manic “Bombing Out” will go down as one of the best three-song runs of any 2024 album. And the closer “Terminal Archenemy Endling” – maybe the only patient song on the album – may be better than all of them. Another critical strike against the tedious and harmful “Rock is dead!!” crowd. 

    #20. Uniform – American Standard

    These next three albums get pretty abrasive. Uniform’s first few albums were solid but I kept waiting for a breakout release. 2020’s Shame was that record, a mix of industrial guitars and guttural post-hardcore that seemed to come out of the same catacombs that were on the cover. The band’s newest album is impossibly even bleaker, complete with a smog-heavy cover of industrial, rural anywhere. The band also sounds even bleaker, and stretches themselves way out of a comfort zone. That comfort zone is reasonably-lengthed songs. Side A of this record is one, 21-minute song. Side B is only three songs. By stretching their songs out, the band can hammer home the innate misery of their music. This is angry, humorless stuff, just the absolute depths of unhappiness. Uniform is not an easy band to classify musically, even harder here because they stretch into doom-metal for the first time. But this isn’t really metal, and not really post-hardcore. It exists in it’s own dimension, a hell dimension of some sort. This is not something that’s appealing to most people, but I love this band and they crushed my highest expectations. I also finally saw them earlier this month alongside our #101 entry Pharmakon – one of the best live bands I’ve seen in a long while.

    #19. Knocked Loose – You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To

    Knocked Loose are one of those bands that I absolutely love but never know how to write about. The metal group doesn’t exist within the bounds of any specific subgenre, but they aren’t so radical as to define a new one, either. What they do is absolutely rip, and their third album rips even harder than their first two. They’re technically metalcore, a genre I usually don’t pay much attention to due to sheer repetition between bands. But Knocked Loose infuse metalcore with elements of hardcore punk and death metal, emitting short and brutal transmissions that always make sure to be on the fun side of things. The songs on this album (especially the first half) don’t so much start and end as they do operate as one puzzling suite. There’s an assist from Poppy that should go down as one of the best guest verses of the year, too. This is absolute fire start to finish. The band were already big prior to this album, but made a lot of waves recently as they appeared (with Poppy) on Slim Jim Kimmel’s late-night show and pissed off a lot of very vulnerable older folks.

    #18. The Body – The Crying Out Of Things

    The Body’s second album of 2024 is also their second to make this list. I love this band dearly, and this instantly became one of my favorite albums of theirs. These two guys always take their template sound, which is already intensely unique because of Chip King’s squawked vocals, and tweak it differently for each album. This time around, they’ve largely diluted their already flimsy song structures and added a lot of chopped elements into the vocals. It’s more directly synthy than most of their albums, while still unrelentingly heavy. It comes off a tad like Merzbow but with more restraint. It’s an album for metalheads even though it is not metal, it’s just noise music. But for anyone who likes dark, extreme or just heavy music, or a singer that sounds like a chicken, prioritize this one. One of the best from one of the best. 

    #17. Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood

    After three unrelentingly heavy records, here’s an overcorrection. My expectations were set pretty high, given that “Right Back To It” was already my favorite song of the year before this was released. I’m also just a lifelong Waxahatchee fan, although she’s not someone who I listen to often. The rest of the record isn’t 100% consistent, but it often hits. While the lead single is her most straight-up country song yet, the rest of the album is familiar indie-folk, with occasional bursts of guitar. These tunes are very sweet, very casual and just extremely well-developed. Katie’s voice is as good as always, but this album is more about summer-y vibes anyways. These are songs for aimless car rides with the windows down, songs for drinking a beer on the front lawn. And yet, I can tell this is a record I’ll come back to during all seasons. As expected, one of the best of the year. 

    #16. Torres – What an enormous room

    Okay so I actually spun this one twice back in January in preparation of (finally!) seeing her live, but I gave it a proper headphones whirl in April. The indie singer has been bubbling under the radar for a good decade now, and I’m hoping this propels her forward. It might be her best album yet, a culmination of all the ideas she’s put forward till now. It’s got threatening guitar jams, tender ballads and poppy synth tunes. She continues to blend sexual and religious references like a more deranged Sufjan Stevens. There’s more individual ideas here than on previous Torres records, but she makes them all coalesce. Something for everyone, at least in the indie world. The third spin of this will certainly not be my last. 

    #15. Denzel Curry – King of the Mischievous South Part 2

    Hot damn. I accidentally slept on this one for a while despite loving basically everything Curry has done so far. Curry has made a name for himself making rap that’s intense without straying too far from genre conventions. This is more of a down-to-basics hip-hop mixtape that shows he can knock something a little more “normal” out of the park too. As a mixtape it is looser and more low-stakes than an album would be, but he puts in no less effort. Bombastic to the core. It’s a quick affair, maybe even a little too short. But Curry can practically do no wrong to this reviewer. Not a magnum opus or mission statement, just excellent, high-energy hip-hop.

    Note: I listened to and reviewed the mixtape, not the subsequent album that featured mostly the same songs in a different order with a few more tracks. I don’t really understand what the deal was there?

    #14. St. Vincent – All Born Screaming

    St. Vincent’s now ten-year-old self-titled will always be my favorite release of hers; it’s a top ten favorite album of mine. For me, she’ll never top it – but this comes damn close. I was really not into her last album, Daddy’s Home, a set of mostly tepid ballads centered around a tone-deaf concept, and her trajectory into duller rock was a familiar one across the indie landscape. So shocking, then, when she dropped a record of heavy, industrial-inspired tunes instead. While the album fluctuates between crushing songs like “Flea” and softer ones like “Reckless,” the influence of heavier, offbeat alternative is clear throughout. Cate Le Bon steps in for a crucial assistance on the lengthy, flowing final track, and it’s a fitting welcome. I could write and probably will write something about how Jack Antonoff is ruining pop music – this record proves that artists can shake the stink of him off and still be alright. 

    #13. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Wild God

    I’ve mentioned a few times that this flash review exercise has mostly become me showing my own ass, and here I must do it again: I am not very familiar with the Nick Cave catalog. I’ve listened to (and loved) his earliest and most recent records, but there’s 20 years in the middle I haven’t heard. In my limited experience though, I’ve realized the best Nick Cave songs are ones where there’s just minimal piano or static noise and Cave talking lyrics. He does that a lot here. There’s also songs that have full-band with choir backups, and they’re just as stunning. It’s unbelievable that Cave still stuns this much, but every track on this album works well. Most of them work tremendously well. Cave is one of music’s premier storytellers, and this is another legendary release. It’s one of the best albums of the year. No question. I’m in awe. 

    #12. Foxing – Foxing

    I’m floored. This is a gamechanger. I wasn’t familiar with Foxing before their year-end-list-dominating record Nearer My God in 2018, so that album’s radical left turn in sound was lost on me (although I adored the record nonetheless). This is another shift, into something heavier and darker. This record is unclassifiable, a mix of indie, emo and hardcore that often deteriorates into walls of harsh noise. Yet it is still indie rock. It’s got the harsh vulnerability and self-loathing of the 90’s emo scene that spawned Foxing, with added dissonance, anger and confusion. It has lighter moments for sure, and touches of everyday life, and these separate the more intense moments into individual spirals. It’s still an exhausting affair, and maybe even a touch too long at 56 minutes. But for those of us with depression, we’ve got a new magnum opus.

    #11. MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks

    Let’s not mince words – this was my most anticipated record of 2024. The first single off this album, “Rudolph” was one of my favorite songs of 2023. The second single, “She’s Leaving You,” is easily making my 2024 list. Lenderman’s primary band, Wednesday, handily won my Album of the Year mark in 2023. I set my sights ridiculously high for this one. Lenderman’s solo music bridges the gap between Neil Young and Kurt Vile; it’s off-the-cuff guitar playing and talk-sung vocals, with intricate and specific lyrics that detail American loneliness and wasted youths. Lenderman’s previous album focused on the grungier side of those artists, and this one is heavier on the Americana side. There’s enough Southern gothic here to make Flannery O’Connor happy but, predictably, there’s a lot of humor and just unpredictable references that make these stories entertaining. I don’t think Neil Young ever sang about Ferraris, Guitar Hero or the Cars film franchise. I always love specificity in lyrics even if it makes the songs less applicable – to me, it shows personality and care. Lenderman is always all about that. Only complaint here is that the energetic/somber balance is off in favor of the latter, but it’s a minor complaint. This guy is just on a different level from everyone else.

    #10. Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us

    Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut will always be one of my favorite albums, but the aura of “rich (mostly) white boys repurpose African music” aged like milk almost immediately. In the years since, the band has taken different approaches to incorporate maturity into their works. Their fourth album, Father Of The Bride, is easily their worst, a set of adult-alternative yawners only one step above CVS radio. For this album, they overcorrected, releasing what is actually their most manic and experimental set to date. Every song on this album has crafted, unpredictable elements, and many of them are absurdly high-energy. Fifteen years after their debut, this is the record that builds upon that album the most – even going so far as to sample “Mansard Roof.” The lyrics remain a mix of serious and tongue-in-cheek. Even though I really dug the singles I heard in advance, I didn’t expect something this remarkably engaged from them. One of the highlights of the year so far.

    #9. Melt-Banana – 3+5

    Japan’s Melt-Banana served as my intro to noise music. They were the first, and for a long time only, noise band I really heard and digested; I’ve been a huge fan for almost 20 years now. Although the duo has gotten older and quainter, their hyper-aggressive punk is no less gnarly. Their first album in 11 years is short, and the songs are neither the experimental seconds-long chunks of Cactuses Come In Flocks nor the longer, more developed tracks of Cell-Scape. They’re the closest thing to true punk songs the band has done, and they absolutely rip. Every song rocks, and nearly all have the expected 1000BPM. Easily one of my favorite albums of the year, the duo was going to have to work hard to not make that cut. Also, I finally got to see them this spring – best show I’ve seen all year.

    #8. Kal Marks – Wasteland Baby

    Kal Marks are one of my favorite Boston bands, and yet this album still obliterated my expectations. The Kal Marks wheelhouse is midtempo post-hardcore that’s very bass-y in both music and vocals. Generally, their songs are ones that are heavy and divisive, but not exactly inaccessible. Here, they branch out a bit, introducing some poppier elements and some more optimistic lyrics. There’s plenty of just heavy shit, too, though; it’s a well-rounded record. Quite frankly, it’s one of the best heavy albums I’ve heard all year, local bias or not. Nearly every song floored me in some way. If you’re into a variety of post-hardcore bands like METZ or Protomartyr, then add this one to your list. They’ve done it again. This record hangs with the A-listers. Favorite local release of the year. Finally, a good album with the name “Wasteland Baby.”

    #7. Mount Eerie – Night Palace

    The best film I’ve watched this year for the first time is Lawrence of Arabia. I knew going in that I was going to love it, but the 3+ hour runtime looked daunting even for someone who loves long movies. The eleventh Mount Eerie album is 26 songs and 81 minutes long, extremely daunting for an artist who deals in gloom. But like Lawrence, I had trouble even pausing this once I got into it. The album is an amalgam of everything Phil Elverum has done to date. There’s short, ripping rock songs, drone tracks, gothic folk and a touch of metal. It’s like a greatest hits for a guy who has always stayed on the fringe. And when you follow the trajectory of Elverum’s last decade, it all makes sense. He’s had a child, with a wife who passed shortly after, married and quickly divorced Michelle Williams, and has gotten into meditation. These tumultuous ups and downs are all over this record, which changes on a dime so many times you’d have enough cash to buy the double vinyl. It’s purely one of the best albums of the year.

    #6. Mannequin Pussy – I Got Heaven

    This album had a lot to live up to. Mannequin Pussy are one of the only bands where I generally love every song they’ve put out. Ferocious, unpredictable and catchy, they’re a punk band that doesn’t really seem to think they’re a punk band. And on their fourth album, they do branch out a lot more. I don’t think the 100% streak continues, however, the best songs here are the best they’ve ever done. It’s a ripper of a record, and one that has more ideas and, *ahem,* patience than previous releases. Missy Dabice gives her best-yet vocal performance on “Sometimes,” a song that stretches closer to indie than anything else. But there’s still punk bruisers everywhere, too. Tremendous stuff.

    #5. The Last Dinner Party – Prelude to Ecstasy

    It’s been a long time since an indie debut was this hotly anticipated, the fervor was nearly at 08 Vampire Weekend levels. What I’m saying is, if you’re interested in this type of thing, then you’ve probably heard it already. But! It so lives up to the hype. This is a set of well-balanced, bombastic indie tunes with a lot of spunk and even more intelligence. These ladies have a tinge of chamber pop in their songs, with a lot of raucous elements. It’s a unique blend that calls back to the early riotous live shows – but not recorded material – of Arcade Fire. In fashion, this band allegedly has wild and destructive shows themselves. Also a small tic, but I love when a band doesn’t just chuck the singles at the front of the album but places them in where they make sense sequentially. The second single and my favorite track, “Sinner,” comes near the end!

    #4. Ty Segall – Three Bells

    It’s probably no secret that I’m a Ty Segall fanboy across all his projects, but I do generally prefer his barebones garage punk stuff more – Slaughterhouse, Freedom’s Goblin, Pre Strike Sweep. Some of his more recent, more experimental releases have been a bit above my head (First Taste in particular). So I approached this one with apprehension – only to find that this album ties the knot between Freedom’s Goblin and Manipulator, a great whale sized album that is lighter and more varied in tone, but doesn’t stray too far from Ty’s garage roots, too. It’s maybe his most well-rounded album yet, lengthy but varied where every song feels important and unique. It’s experimental and exciting, but warmer than an average Segall release all the same.

    #3. SPRINTS – Letter To Self

    Live music can be transcendent. Legend has it that Stu MacKenzie was inspired to start a band (King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard) while at a Tame Impala show. Sprints was birthed by a couple people at a Savages gig – one of the best live bands, and most dearly missed bands of the last 15 years. They realized they could simply make the music they want to hear, and years later, we’ve got their debut. It sounds like Savages. That couldn’t be more of a compliment for me. Loud, noisy, melodic and just restrained enough to fall under indie. It should be clear from this post that I love music that’s boisterous and stressful, and this band nailed it from moment one. This was the very first album I listened to this year, and it withstood hundreds of challengers.

    #2. Pissed Jeans – Half Divorced

    In direct opposition to a lot of albums in this post, and the norm in general, Pissed Jeans have gotten louder and more immature. This is the leanest and meanest version of Pissed Jeans we’ve ever seen. The post-hardcore band has always treated its aggressive music as a pseudo-joke, as they satirize specific topics like middle managers and guys who have humiliation fetishes. There’s some of that here, specifically in screeds against used underwear sales and guys who disturb you when you’re on break. But there’s also a general, visceral anger here. These songs are way shorter than normal, most under two minutes, just ferocious punk blasts from a band that normally stretches things out. The best song is still tongue-in-cheek; “Everywhere is Bad,” a parody of songs where singers get easy clout by listing cities, instead decrying every city, planet, galaxy, and dimension. Sure, they rag on Boston, Portland and Austin, but they also rag on Proxima B and nonexistence. It’s goofy while being menacing. The chaos balance feels like 2024 in a nutshell. It’s one of their best albums, and one of the most riveting and overlooked releases of the year.

    #1. Kim Gordon – The Collective

    Haha what the hell. The beautiful thing about listening to the solo projects from Sonic Youth members was seeing what influences they individually brought to the table – Thurston Moore brought the noise guitars, Lee Ranaldo brought the classic rock vibes, and Kim supplied the most experimental elements. On her second solo record (mind you, she is SEVENTY-ONE years old), she creates something entirely new and diabolical. This is noise-trap. It’s a noise-rock record centered around hip-hop beats, but not in any kind of Death Grips way. It sounds like something that isn’t supposed to be heard. Some of these songs were intended for Playboi Carti, but somehow ended up in her lap. And that’s really the only way to describe them. I’ve never heard anything like this, even from Kim. She’s back and she’s still the coolest person around.

    And that does it! Another year in the books. I hope you enjoyed this and found some new music through it, or at least gave me a pageclick out of support. I am not planning on keeping my flash reviews going into 2025 – it was a one-year project. It was fun, it was exhausting. I’ll think of new ways to use this blog in the future. See you next December!

    Because I can never help myself, here’s five albums that just missed the cut: Never Broke Again – Compliments of Grave Digger Mountain (trap), Melvins – Tarantula (doom/alt-metal), MGMT – Loss Of Life (indie), Undeath – More Insane (death metal), Wishy – Triple Seven (alternative rock). To be honest, Wishy should’ve made the list. I regret this.

    101 Favorite Albums of 2024: 49-25

    Tired of me yet? I hope not, because we’re only halfway through my favorite albums of 2024! As stated, there was an insurmountable amount of excellent new music this year, even more so than other years. There’s tons of probably excellent albums still on my list, unlistened to. This top 101 is only a small sampling of the excellent music released this year. I hope you find something on this list that’s appealing to you, and that you fall down a rabbit hole because of it. I rated everything I listened to this year, and this portion of the list is in the healthy 8/10 to 8.5/10 range.

    Nearly all of these write-ups are copied directly from other previous posts on this blog. I’m editing them but please keep that in mind in case there’s a nonsensical reference or anything.

    #49. Tyla – TYLA

    This one came to me via recommendation, and I’m indebted because I loved this. I’m normally hit-and-miss on R&B, but this was pretty much all hit for me. It’s worth noting that I chose to listen to this on an evening where it was very nearly 100 degrees, and this is hot weather music. It expertly blends many different pop music influences, roping afrobeats and R&B into African pop. It’s also very sultry music, as sweaty as this heat-stroked listener was. This has the makings of a third or fourth album from a big-name artist who is priming themselves for an arena tour – not a debut from a hot but still underground artist. It’s an extremely impressive debut, one of the best of the year. She’s gonna be huge in no time.

    #48. Perennial – Art History

    I have had the absolute pleasure of interviewing two members of this band, two people as bubbly as the music is. I’m a massive sucker for mid-00’s dance-punk, a la The Hives and Be Your Own Pet, and that’s exactly what Perennial does. Their third album continues the trend, just a bunch of quick little blasts of melodic punk. No song sticks around long – the record is 12 songs and 21 minutes. Most of them are sonic blasts, high-energy party songs, with a couple more experimental tracks (or segments) thrown in to break the pattern. Clean guitars, dual vocals and nonstop ferocious energy will make you feel like you’re in a club in 2005 seeing a great short-lived band with a terribly long and stupid name all over again. This is punk for everyone, get to this one immediately. Long live Perennial. 

    #47. Julie Christmas – Ridiculous And Full Of Blood

    I almost made it all the way through the year without knowing that Julie Christmas put out her first record in a decade. This utterly deranged lady used to sing for a band that is quietly one of my favorites, Made Out Of Babies. Her third solo record follows in that band’s footsteps exactly, with a number of intimidating and turbulent post-hardcore songs. Her screamy vocals sound exactly the same as they did a decade ago, she hasn’t lost the touch. These songs are loud, relentless and quite frankly, a bit unsettling. Her vocals have always had the urgency of someone who needs to go to the hospital. The music is boisterous, but always stays restrained enough to really let Christmas shine vocally. It’s intense stuff – and not on enough radars. 

    #46. Yard Act – Where’s My Utopia?

    I somehow completely missed Yard Act’s first album, but their 2023 standalone single “The Trench Coat Museum” completely roped me in. Their second album regrettably doesn’t feature the song, but it follows in the same trend – tongue-in-cheek music that blends post-punk through indie. It’s one of a hundred great post-punk albums this year, and maybe the best of the lot. The band is a lot heavier and faster than, say, Cheekface, but with the same humor and spoken-word vocals. “We Make Hits” is one of the best songs of the year, a meta song about selling out in the face of global destruction that sounds ripped from the LCD Soundsystem playbook. The band never stays quiet or complacent, adding riotous elements to practically every song. Even the lengthy “Blackpool Illuminations” seems to be a self-reflective ballad, before it turns into James Smith arguing with himself through two mics like an old Jim Gaffigan bit. It’s riveting stuff. Maybe it’s a little difficult, but I can see it having a broad appeal.

    #45. Los Campesinos! – All Hell

    I feel like I’ve grown up with Los Campesinos! Truthfully, I have. You look at the bouncy, quirky and goofy indie they were doing in 2009 and compare it to this record. I’ve been around since day one, and it’s so great to see the band come back to take a victory lap like this. This is the most mature they’ve ever sounded, a healthy mix of bombastic songs and quiet burners, an expected mix of lyrics that are both tongue-in-cheek and brutally emotional. The band has always been openly left-wing, but they’re unfiltered here, to great success. They’ve shaken off the directly catchy, vocals-and-bells rhythms of yesteryear in favor of indie that’s patient and introspective. That’s been the case for a while, but even more so here. The band sounds both calmer and angrier, an effect of maturity. But don’t think that it’s all a serious affair, we’ve still got songs like “Adult Acne Stigmata,” “Hell In A Handjob” and “The Coin-Op Guillotine.” Yet another winner from one of the strongest catalogs out there. 

    #44. Tyler, The Creator – CHROMAKOPIA

    Few artists have grown and changed like Tyler. This is so flagrantly not the same man who made Goblin. I couldn’t shake the feeling that Tyler is the musical equivalent of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, in that he always manages to play off the zeitgeist. In 2011, he was making homophobic jokes and brash public statements. In 2024 he’s vulnerable and telling stories about trauma. Sure, chalk it up to maturity, but I think it’s more calculated than that. Tyler innately knows what gets people going. In fairness, I totally shunned Tyler because of his lyrics until Flower Boy, never gave him a fair shot. I still haven’t listened to his older music. But I loved Call Me and I pretty much love this. He’s a full-on raconteur now, embodying characters that blur the line of reality (including a first-person from a female POV). Most of these songs are self-reflective and depressing, but not in the paranoid way that a lot of other rappers have adapted. These are just songs about pointing out your failures and flaws. It’s one of the most earnest records of the year, even as Tyler sings in character. But also, some of them are just funky and funny, too. It’s well-rounded! 

    #43. Porridge Radio – Clouds In The Sky There Will Always Be There For Me 

    Another winner from one of the most unique acts in indie music. The British trio makes indie music that is at home with bands like Built to Spill, but might make listeners a little uncomfortable. Singer Dana Margolin has a gritty voice resembling Francis Quinlan from Hop Along, but with a backing band that’s filtered through the looseness of Hole. The whole album is off-the-cuff and extremely raw. It could even be more Tom Waits than anything. The music this band makes is wholly unique, and it’s fair to say that some normal indie fans will be turned off by it. But I’ve them hot on them for a few years now, and this is a real standout. 

    #42. The Messthetics/James Brandon Lewis – The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis

    I love jazz, but I simply never keep up with any new jazz. The description for this hooked me, though, due to who the Messthetics are – they’re the rhythm section of goddamned Fugazi. And this album is exactly what you get when you take a bunch of punk veterans who have transitioned into jazz. It’s hot, often very free-form and improvised but never so much so that the songs lose structure. Most of the tracks are uptempo, aided by the full-album collaboration with saxophonist James Brandon Lewis. This album is, just to put it simply, hot and undiluted fun. A hearty recommendation to anyone, even folks who don’t spin jazz. 

    #41. Latrell James – Running In Place

    If I had to pick a word to describe this album, it would be: vibrant. The local (Boston) rapper’s new album is quick and diverse, a bunch of short songs that range from muddied to sweet. Mostly, the album is very fun. Pristine production is a key factor here, making the brightest songs pop with effortless energy. No idea sticks around too long, making every song seem like a fleeting thought in a complicated mind. There’s some easy, brilliant stuff happening here. 

    #40. Gouge Away – Deep Sage

    I love Gouge Away, some good ferocious hardcore with melodic punk woven in. There’s tons of bands that sound like Gouge Away, and yet they’ve always had something distinct I can never put my finger on. It might be Christina Michelle’s profoundly intense vocals, or the fact that the band always seems to straddle the hardcore and post-hardcore line – two genres similar in name only. Their newest release takes a slightly softer approach, with more patient songwriting and more downtime across the record. It’s still mighty, it’s just more vulnerable as ever, too. I’m not sure if the enhanced formula works quite as well as the original one, but I think further listens will truly determine that. It might just be that this album is more of a grower than previous ones. Either way, it’s still one of my favorites of the year. The grading curve is high. 

    #39. Magdalena Bay – Imaginal Disk

    I was hesitant to even put this on my radar because the year is so clogged with excellent indie and the record is so long that I wasn’t sure I’d get around to it. But rave reviews of both professional and personal manners convinced me – and it’s fun as hell. A loaded but never bloated indie-pop record, this one is not afraid to take chances. One song might be bouncy, standard indie-pop a la Charly Bliss, the next might be jazzy indie. The duo jump into 70’s ballads and drone guitar on a whim. A curated tracklist means the more ambitious tunes elevate the more standard tunes, so they all bounce off each other rather than seem like hits-and-filler. It’s nearly an hour and yet there isn’t a skippable moment. I’m not sure if I ever heard their debut album, but this sophomore release feels like a true mission statement. Don’t sleep on this one. 

    #38. The Cure – Songs of a Lost World

    I’ve never been the biggest Cure fan, mildly appreciating their hits but never digging much further in. I’ve stated this elsewhere, but a lot of new wave and 80’s alternative bands are ones I’ve only recently gotten into, Cure included. This album is not close to my base knowledge of the band, but/and it is extraordinary. Every song is agonizing slow, often several minutes until we hear Robert Smith’s gorgeously pained vocals. This is a personal and grim album, even by Cure standards, but it isn’t totally bleak. It’s the musical equivalent of grieving, with the sparks and pains of the ups and downs. It’s all midtempo, which is almost always a death knell for me – but it all works. Every song is excellent. The Cure could’ve hung it up or kept touring on legacy status, but their first album in sixteen years is an instant bonafide classic. Occasionally, the biggest bands really do put out the best music.

    #37. Geordie Greep – The New Sound

    Geordie Greep has lost his goddamn mind. The former frontman for black midi is on his own after the band’s sudden break-up. The indie band was already bizarre, but now Greep is in full control and he’s unrestrained. The core of this album still sounds like black midi, with rapid-fire songs filled with staccato and unpredictable rhythms and a lot of talk-singing, to where the end result feels like musical vertigo. But he’s also added Latin elements, jazz, blues, bongos, a lot of paranoid oomph, and just even more unpredictability. Oh and there’s the genuinely moving cover of a 40’s pop song that closes it all out. It’s an impressive solo debut, especially for one as wildly ambitious as it is. If you liked black midi, as I often did, then you’ll like this. 

    #36. Avalanche Kaito – Talitakum

    I have no clue where I pulled this one from, and I wonder if I stumbled on it while forgetting the name of Hiatus Kaiyote (who put out a great record this year). I put this one on completely blind, and my god, I loved it. It combines two things I love – noise music and African music – into one. Traditional African rhythms are deployed courtesy of singer Kaito Winse, while he’s backed by a noisy duo from Belgium. The result is a downright thrilling and unpredictable album that stays on the fun side of experimentation without sacrificing energy. This is the type of thing designed exactly for me, and I can’t wait to dig into their previous albums. It’s tough to talk about highly experimental music like this, but if it sounds up your alley, then it probably is. Definitely one of the better releases this year.

    #35. BRICKLAYER – BRICKLAYER

    Haha this rocks, what a surprise. Another local winner, and one I’ve stumbled onto while knowing absolutely nothing about the people behind it. This quick little debut (I think?) album comes rife with indie-punk jams, guitar-heavy and fun as can be. The band describes their own music as danceable thrash, which is pretty accurate. It’s not out of league with, say, The Hives. These songs are quick, many of them raucous but clean and bouncy. Can’t wait to hear them on a stage at some point. “Gay Breakfast” is already one of my favorite songs of the year. Editor’s note: This band has already, unfortunately, broken up.

    #34. Full Of Hell – Coagulated Bliss

    If you asked me to list my favorite metal bands, I’d list a couple of heavy-hitters before spouting Full Of Hell right out. The extreme metal band has been pushing the sonic limits of metal and noise for years now, in between more experimental collaborative albums. But their latest solo (?) album takes a half-step back. Sure, these songs are still ostensibly grindcore, often clocking in at under 120 seconds, but there’s elements of hard rock and classic heavy metal thrown in. There are breaks, and more development to (some) songs. I mean look at the cover – their previous non-collaborative albums all feature dismal black and white art, but this one is vibrant. It represents a minor but maybe necessary shift in their music. This record fits in with the others, but has enough going to stand out, too. Plus, there’s plenty of classically abrasive bruisers. Great stuff from an always excellent band. People going in thinking “metal” may mean something like Sabaton are going to be shocked and disappointed, but for those that like the experimental noise, this is the one to beat. 

    #33. Xiu Xiu – 13″ Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips

    Let this be a lesson to all musicians out there – you can just call your albums anything you want. The experimental band’s fourteenth (!) album tones things down a little bit, but still brings in a lot of competing ideas and emotions. It’s riveting at times, other times just funny or horny. It’s always fun, even if it challenges your preconceived notions of song structure. If you must toss Xiu Xiu into a genre, it’s alternative, but only some songs really resemble anything indie. I can’t say I’m an expert in their music, but I will be soon. This is the third album of theirs I’ve heard, and the third I’ve adored. 

    #32. girl in red – I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!

    I’ll admit that I went into this one with low expectations – girl in red’s debut album was a bold mix of indie and trap influences, but something about it really didn’t grab me personally. Obviously I was alone, as it immediately launched her into a stratosphere rarely seen by indie artists. Well I’m aboard now, because this sophomore album is a blast start to finish. These songs are abrupt, and mostly very energizing and manic. When they’re not, they’re sweet and earnest. It’s a mix of stuff more chaotic and varied than her debut, and all the better for it. At only 27 minutes, the only real downside is that it could’ve used some more.

    #31. Lily Seabird – Alas,

    Another local indie artist I know little at all about. Shout out to Allston Pudding radio for introducing me to this one (hey Andrew, when does it air? Every Monday 4-6pm and Tuesday 10-noon EST!). This album has all the makings of a quaint little affair, but some of these songs get deep and heavy. The heavier songs start to take on a 90’s fuzzy quality, even shoegaze-y at points. But not all the time, often Lily keeps things softer. Everything works, there isn’t too much of a good thing. Every song feels introspective, some feel vulnerable while some feel distant and cold. This is earnest music, and that something so well-developed and well-produced can come from an upcoming indie solo artist like this is just impressive. To be blunt, I loved this. 

    #30. Cindy Lee – Diamond Jubilee 

    I realize the placement of this one is actually low compared to most other blogs and publications. This album – originally only available in physical formats and YouTube – is quietly dominating the year-end list game. The expansive indie album from the drag queen persona of former Women frontman Patrick Flegel is a throw-everything-at-the-wall release. It’s an eclectic mix of psychedelic pop, 60’s R&B, indie rock, garage music, and about 100 other things. The album embodies the old school feeling of dumpster diving through the $1 bin at a vinyl shop and finding some forgotten Motown gems. The album intentionally doesn’t flow, so that one idea sounds different from the previous one, yet all fits within one wide umbrella of 60’s influences. Detractors will say the length is a problem – and to be honest, I agree. At 32 songs and 122 minutes, it’s too much; every song is neat, but the ones where Lee is really cooking make some of the more meandering, noodly ones feel a bit unnecessary. However, this one is a massive achievement, and simply unlike anything else released this year. Or, possibly, ever.

    #29. Charli XCX – BRAT

    The other album dominating the year-end list game. For years, Charli XCX has been in sole possession of a sweet spot in pop music. She’s consistently made music poppy enough for wide appeal, but weird enough to avoid Top 40 weight and arena tours. It’s allowed her to keep getting blank checks to make big-budget weirdness, with time to exist in the fashion and modeling worlds. Put simply: she’s the coolest artist around. So I was disappointed in her 2023 album Crash which, despite the literal car crash cover, was her most conventional album since her rudimentary debut. I was afraid to address it at the time, solely because I was worried that that path would continue. It didn’t. BRAT is completely wild. This is hyperpop at its finest: boppy and melodic, but extremely unpredictable and glitchy everywhere. No, not on the level 100 Gecs or anything, but still chaotic. Save a couple of more tender songs, these are jams.

    Charli has spent years branding herself as a cold, partying brat with an impressive clique – “Mean girls” backs this up. But despite this image, Charli is very upfront with her emotions on this record. There’s songs of self-doubt and gender questionings. These are vulnerable songs, sung loudly, but still masked behind boisterous music. The lyrics are there for dissecting, but they’re easy to miss as well. That I picked up on all of this in one listen is itself impressive – I normally don’t pay attention to lyrics much on the first go-around. This is such a complete portrait of an artist who knows her personal strengths and weaknesses. I don’t really listen to full records multiple times unless they’re instant favorites, but I will for this one. It demands it. Maybe it’ll be a favorite anyways. One of the best pop records of 2024, easily.

    #28. Salt Cathedral – Before It’s Gone

    I heard one of the songs from this album on the radio many moons ago and kept a mental note to check back for an album. Finally, it’s here, and it’s glorious. There’s nothing particularly inventive happening here, yet it all feels original. I know little about this duo, but what they make is beautiful. This is atmospheric indie, almost gospel-like. There’s always rhythms, but some are fainter than others. Some exist only on a breeze and a vocal lick, others bring in hand drums and conventional pop songwriting. Add in some authentic and balanced lyrics, and you’ve got a multi-influenced gem of a record. This is pop music for people who don’t like pop music. Real winner!

    #27. Amyl & the Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness

    I’m a simple man, if a song has fast guitars and Amy Taylor yelling some curse words at me in a thick Australian accent, then I like that song. I absolutely adore Amyl & the Sniffers, and their third album is chock full of drunk-punk goodies. These songs are exactly what you expect and exactly what they need to be – a collection of fast and loose punk songs that are sometimes about vulnerability, and sometimes about hammering down some beers. While the band ventured out into more exploratory terrain on the second album, they double back down into fun punk here. Uncoincidentally, I like this record more than their second one (their debut remains an all-time favorite, though). Put it on and destroy your own house.

    #26. Father John Misty – Mahashmashana

    If you look closely, Papa John’s has slowly deconstructed his character. For years, the indie-folk god was making constant headlines with ridiculous and provocative statements, simply for his own amusement. But he’s been quite as of late, and this album might be an indicator. His sixth album (under this moniker) is probably his most “adult” one yet, though his music has always had an older-crowd appeal to it. He’s still making some wild swings lyrically, but generally he’s more honed in on ennui and personal troubles. He’s also stretched his songs out even further, with multiple 6+ minute epics here. Most of the songs are measured and seem to have a Highway 61 influence, of full-band folk that grabs an unchanging rhythm to match poetic meanderings. It’s also maybe his best album yet, and certainly features his best individual songs (check my favorite songs of 2024 post for more). Folksy, earnest and consistently catchy, this one has broad appeal. 

    #25. The Bridge City Sinners – In The Age Of Doubt

    Give a quick shoutout to water. A couple years ago I was at Riot Fest in Chicago when I took a break to refill my water at the sole water station on festival grounds. Right next door is the smallest stage, where the Bridge City Sinners were playing and readers, I was hooked immediately. Bands shouldn’t still be finding new ways to combine genres, but here we’ve got hardcore bluegrass. The band – and I was already a huge fan by the time the plane wheels touched back down in Boston – sings about heavenly bodies and beasts and mythical creatures, complete with occasional gnarly screaming, all done through acoustic Appalachian instruments. I imagine there’s other bands out there like this, and they’re not far removed from psychobilly, but I don’t know of anything in this alley. Their new album is as great as their previous ones. This is certainly one of the more niche entries on this list, but I will make it my mission to get them their widest audience.

    This was really a struggle, some of these deserve a top 25 spot and would surely get it in a quieter year. I’m not even confident in my own list placement. But! Check back tomorrow for the finale, 25 absolutely enormous, unavoidable and truly wonderful records.

    Since I can never help myself, here’s another five records I wanted to include: Folterkammer – Weibermacht (operatic black metal), The Smile – Wall of Eyes (Radiohead offshoot prog-indie), J. Mascis – What Do We Do Now (guitar indie from an all-time legend), Laura Jane Grace – Hole In My Head (punk from an all-time legend), Thee Oh Sees – SORCS 80 (a thought experiment where Jon Dwyer recorded garage rock with no guitars).