Tag Archives for feeble little horse

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”

    100 Best Albums of 2023: 25-1

    Jump to: Songs | 100-76 | 75-51 | 50-26

    I hope you’ve been doing a drumroll for four days, because it’s time: here’s my 25 perfectly ordered, objectively correct favorite albums of 2023. This has been a year of pleasant surprises, massive disappointments, and huge handful of wonderful discoveries. There are a couple big name artists on this list, and probably few surprises, but this final edition is mostly under-the-radar albums that I found myself returning over and over again. Happy new year’s folks, and here’s to another great year of music in 2024.

    #25. Fucked Up – One Day

    This album is suspiciously basic. Fucked Up have made careers out of universe-spanning, deeply complex and dense conceptual albums. Their last release was actually a four-disc, four-song “album” that was part of their ongoing Year of the ____ series. This album is back to basics hardcore, something they haven’t done in over a decade. It also proves that they can still put out one of the most brutal and blisteringly-intense albums of the year even with their ambition reined in 1000%. This album isn’t as good as, say, Dose Your Dreams or David Comes to Life, but its placement is a testament to how unbelievably good those heady, lengthy albums really are. The run this band has been on is unprecedented.

    RIYL: Converge, Titus Andronicus, feeling angry every moment you’re awake

    #24. Throat Locust – Dragged Through Glass

    I’ve been going back and forth on the inclusion of this one, as it is just a 3-track demo EP. But if we’re calling it an EP, then it’s eligible for the list. There’s also little to say other than “it’s good ass death metal.” This is very standard death metal, with immaculate production and a confidence of a band that’s been doing it for decades. And they’re named after my favorite TAD song to boot. Metalheads, get this on your radar now. You heard it here first!

    RIYL: Cannibal Corpse, Bolt Thrower, you know, death metal

    #23. boygenius – the record

    The first boygenius EP was near perfection, taking three of the brightest and best indie talents and tossing them all together. The full-length, initially a surprise but now a wildly popular release, only builds on it. There’s more diversity in the songs here, as some songs like “Satanist” and “$20” are closer to rock than you’d expect. Others, like “Not Strong Enough,” sound exactly like you’d expect a Julian Baker/Phoebe Bridgers/Lucy Dacus song to sound like. Soft, sensitive and sad. What makes boygenius work so well is that they clearly came together as friends first and musicians second. The interplay between the members is more natural than most supergroups. This could still be a one-off, but I hope we get more from the Traveling She’llburys. 

    RIYL: Big Thief, Snail Mail, either being or loving a sad girl

    #22. Noname – Sundial

    For some reason Noname seems to have dropped off the radar. This came out in August but I only noticed in November. The reason could be, of course, her utter refusal to play by the rules of the industry. The rap icon has always worn her heart on her sleeve, unabashedly political and earnest in a way even the “political” musicians shy away from. In one key song here, she connects the dots on how superstars contribute to the country’s insultingly overinflated defense budget, namechecking Kendrick and Beyonce (and herself) for playing Coachella. On top of the refreshingly honest politics, there’s just great rhythms and raps here. These songs are quick, full and fun. It’s a short but intense rap record from someone choosing to stand alone.

    RIYL: Flatbush Zombies, Clipping., getting nauseated at whatever the hell “hologram Tupac” was

    #21. Black Country, New Road – Live At Bush Hall

    Under normal circumstances, I would never consider a live album for a year end list, as they are collections of previous material, usually at least somewhat the artist’s best. But Black Country are never ones for normal circumstances. After dropping their first two albums in quick succession, their singer dipped. Rather than break up or hold tryouts for a replacement, they brought in a handful of guest singers and recorded a live album of entirely new material. And because this is Black Country, these songs are everything from smooth and jazzy to manic and unpredictable. The band loves to stretch themselves in every direction, ostensibly under the “alternative” banner but touching many different points. The use of multiple singers and a live setting lends a particular vibrancy to these tracks. On the DL, I didn’t care for their second album – and this one is a marked improvement! There’s something for everyone here.

    RIYL: black midi, the Hold Steady, going to a classy party you’re dreading but having a surprisingly good time

    #20. feeble little horse – Girl with Fish

    This is the exact byproduct when you take 90’s fuzzed out alternative and channel it through today’s DIY bedroom movement. At only 26 minutes, this album looks slight. But jump in and you get a number of intricately-layered, crunchy and introspective alternative songs. They may be brief, but they are not underdeveloped. There is a painful earnestness to the vocals and lyrics of this record, which can often get buried (intentionally?) under the ceaseless distorted guitars. If you’re a sucker for 90’s grunge-adjacent sad rock, like me, then grab this one right away.

    RIYL: Pavement, Hotline TNT, reading your old journal entries

    #19. Young Fathers – Heavy Heavy

    The British funk scene is strong right now, all things considered, and the biggest standout of 2023 was Young Fathers. The group has always embraced their funky ways, but “Heavy Heavy” is a downright party. It’s a short album, and the tracks don’t stick around too long, which only adds to the ambiance. Songs come and go, occasionally feeling incomplete, like wandering through a party listening to parts of conversations. But one thing is for sure: it’s impossible to not have fun listening to this.

    RIYL: Sudan Archives, Four Tet, making friends with everyone at the party (i don’t know what this one is like)

    #18. Boris/Uniform – Brand New Disease

    The collaborative album from Boris and Uniform brings exactly what you would expect and, perhaps more importantly, a lot of things you wouldn’t. Japanese noise institution Boris have frequently left their comfort zone, releasing straightforward rock or even jazzier albums. But NY noise upstarts Uniform – who have graced my lists before – generally stay in one noisy, angry lane. This album is bookended by harsh, bitter and grinding songs that you wouldn’t want to play at a party. But in the album’s middle is some more meandering, introspective tunes. Frankly, I wasn’t expecting it. The whole end result is a well-rounded album that doesn’t feel constrained to the walls of noise music, but takes time to revel in them gleefully nonetheless.

    RIYL: The Body, Melt Banana, thinking about an interaction that made you angry and getting angry about it again

    #17. Genesis Owusu – STRUGGLER

    Oh man I love this one. I had the lucky opportunity to cover Genesis twice this year and let me say, this man puts on one of the most thrilling live shows you’ll ever see. The tracks on STRUGGLER are very funky, very synthy, very jazzy and still shaped around conventional rock songs. Everything feels very simple, and yet it is a mindmeld of genre fusion. And it is done completely effortlessly. For a man with very little experience under his belt, Owusu has supreme confidence in the power of his tunes. That this is also a concept album – about still finding reasons to love and cherish in the midst of an apocalypse – only adds to the strength. I have said it before: get this man on your radar.

    RIYL: Talking Heads, Parliament, dancing as the bombs fall

    #16. The Hirs Collective – We’re Still Here

    The metal band that made their name doing albums full of 90-100 songs that are all <1:30 made a bold decision: do something a little more normal. The album clocks in at 31 minutes, less than half the length of some of their bolder works, but features their strongest production and most well-written songs to date. The band ropes in elements of grindcore and black metal into a ceaseless aural pounding. As always, they’re joined by huge name guests, like Melt Banana, Shirley Manson and Soul Glo, among others. How hard does this band go? They did a two-month tour behind the album and didn’t take a single night off.

    RIYL: G.L.O.S.S., The Locust, slamdancing until you get so sweaty that your mohawk collapses

    #15. 100 Gecs – 10,000 gecs

    Listening to the first 100 gecs album was a humbling experience, because it was the first time I felt too old for an album. I didn’t entirely “get” it, and thought it was wildly hit-and-miss. For whatever reason though, their sophomore album clicked. From ska songs about frogs to genuine nu-metal, this album revels in everything that is uncool, thus making it cool again. These two kids have firm control over the zeitgeist, bringing old influences into brand-new hyperpop madness. Find me an album released this year more unique than this.

    RIYL: Fire-Toolz, Machine Girl, every song on every machine at an arcade playing at the same time

    #14. Oozing Wound – We Cater to Cowards

    Oozing Wound have long been one of my favorite metal bands, with a distinct blend of rough thrash and tongue-in-cheek, pessimistic vocals. Well, this album is different, as the band takes more of a grunge approach. The tracks are slower and even rougher, with less of a focus on vocals/lyrics. And I’m a massive grunge-head, so I think I like this one *even more* than their previous albums. The new direction blindsided me, but once I adjusted I welcomed it wholeheartedly.

    RIYL: Soundgarden, TAD, committing vehicular manslaughter

    #13. JPEGMAFIA/Danny Brown – Scaring the Hoes

    Peggy and Danny have always been masters of the same thing – rap that exists on the fringe of the mainstream, balancing the precision of radio sweetness with the ambition of pure avant-garde, and both men have allowed their solo work to swing in both directions. On their collaborative album, they simply both do what they do best: wild raps with huge beats, over the top comedy and intensely catchy rhythms. There’s a certain sense of derangement here, comedically apocalyptic. It’s fun as hell. It was only a matter of time before these two linked up, and it produced some of the finest work of both men. Check out the bonus EP they put out, which is just as great as the album. 

    RIYL: Run the Jewels, Denzel Curry, the Alfred Molina scene from Boogie Nights

    #12. Pile – All Fiction

    I’m all in on bands messing around with genres and experimenting, but sometimes you just need some good old-fashioned rock, too. Pile does get sympathy points for being a Boston group, but their newest earns a high spot solely on songwriting. This album is full of dense and conceptual alt-rock, often lingering towards post-hardcore rather than indie. The band favors complexity over melody, which makes for a general lack of earworms, but a tremendous amount of curiosity. This is a rare mix that demands immediate replays – and not because the songs are stuck in your head. Tremendously original stuff.

    RIYL: Pissed Jeans, Big Ups, knowing that you have better music taste than someone else

    #11. Mandy, Indiana – i’ve seen a way

    There seems to be a growing trend in music to blend genres beyond the normal definitions. Now this has always happened, of course, but there are always new avenues to explore. Mandy, Indiana – hailing from Europe – are a moody but fun group that tosses elements of dark synth and noise rock into indie. The final concoction is one of the best debut albums of the year, and one of the most eclectic albums in general. Recorded in a cave, you’ve got noisy guitars, foreboding synths and lyrics all in French. And yet it’s groovy. I can’t figure it out, maybe you can. I found them on indie radio, but I also didn’t bat an eye when one of their songs was remixed by Clipping. It’s all over the place, in serenely unpredictable chaos. 

    RIYL: Sonic Youth, Savages, the general feeling of confusion

    #10. Jeff Rosenstock – HELLMODE

    My favorite musician, so it’s almost guaranteed he’d rank highly here. Rosenstock made his name doing immature, lonely and inebriated ska-punk songs, so with each passing year, he finds his muses further and further away. This is his prettiest record, with a number of songs softer and/or poppier than fans are used to. This is maturity, and while his lifelong themes of jealousy, loneliness and occasional fun are still present, they’re now more nuanced and diluted. But it’s also still distinctly punk – 90-second bruiser “Head” is one of the wildest songs he’s ever done. Rosenstock may have changed a lot over the years, but he’ll never be different. Perfect sound, whatever.

    RIYL: Against Me!, PUP, hangovers

    #9. Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want to Turn Into You

    This one got super hyped, and for good reason. Polachek took her decent previous albums and elevated every single good element, giving us an unexpected classic on impact. Polachek has been pivotal in the mainstream development of hyperpop, and this may be the first album to successfully dilute hyperpop to a broader audience while still keeping it interesting. Really, it’s just a fantastic pop album, one that bangs start to finish. It’s all bangers, all songs that are fun and wildly unique. It rocks. Chances are, you know that already.

    RIYL: SOPHIE, FKA Twigs, basement raves

    #8. Margo Price – Strays

    With a release date of January 13th, this is the earliest entry on the list, and it sat at #1 for quite a while. Of course, a country album was always going to be a longshot to be the chart-topper here at PGMR, but I do love a good one when I hear it. Price fine-tuned every track on this album so they are all distinct and memorable songs, and most of them are bangers; there’s no getting bogged down in repetitive weepers here. Throw in some guest spots from decidedly non-country artists (Lucius, Sharon Van Etten, and Mike Campbell, guitarist for Tom Petty), and you’ve got an absolutely delightful stew of songs that really sneak up on you. The album doesn’t feel memorable at first, until you realize your feet have been tapping the whole time, and you toss it on repeat.

    RIYL: Nikki Lane, Jason Isbell, havin’ a cold one on a hot night

    #7. Jessie Ware – That! Feels Good!

    With an album title like this, you kinda know what you’re getting into. Jessie Ware’s fifth album doesn’t reinvent the wheel, because it doesn’t need to. It’s the biggest party of the year, an album chock-full of disco-pop bangers crafted solely to make you, well, feel good. If you gave these songs to a different artist, you could very well end up with overly-produced plastic slop. But with Ware, we’re gifted by her outstanding vocals and healthy touches of soul music. These songs feel startlingly original and earnest within the confines of a genre that often disavows that. It’s simply the most fun album released all year.

    RIYL: Lady Gaga, Rina Sawayama, playing that funky music, white boy

    #6. Bully – Lucky For You

    After the year opened with a string of disappointing albums from artists I adore, I was delighted that Alicia Bognanno released her best album yet. This compact album follows in the ways of her previous three albums, of indie rock heavily influenced by grunge and, more specifically, grunge-adjacent 90’s icons like Dino Jr. and Pavement. These songs, largely inspired by the passing of Bognanno’s dog, are despondent and jealous, and her snarl has never sounded better. Crisp production matches her best songwriting yet. A late-album pinch hit by Soccer Mommy is great, but it’s not needed – the whole album is already a distorted, melodic and depressive home run. It’s gonna make you feel like shit, but it’s so catchy that you won’t even care.

    RIYL: Screaming Females, Hole, obsessively checking your ex’s social media to see that yes, they’re still doing better than you 

    #5. Kelela – Raven

    Something about me, possibly evident from this list, is that I always tend towards the bangers. Nine times out of ten, I’ll choose the louder and faster songs, whether that’s hardcore or bubblegum pop. Well, this is that tenth time. The R&B singer’s sophomore album is so minimalist and so fluid that it serves as one long 62 minute song cut into fifteen tracks. The album rarely moves at anything louder than a whisper, resulting in something that’s both calming and haunting at the same time, somehow. And even though there is fundamentally very little going on here, it grabs you from the opening moments and doesn’t let go. The album never wavers or falters, staying remarkably consistent across all fifteen songs. It is smooth and addictive, with positive lyrics about inclusivity within the dance music scene. It’s soft and feel-good, admittedly a nice antidote to many albums on this list.

    RIYL: The Fugees, FKA Twigs, sitting inside and watching the rain

    #4. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation

    Yeah, yeah, more Gizz. I’m fully initiated into the cult of Gizz. This album is about as ridiculous as the title implies, and they aren’t doing any favors to the naysaying crowd that for some reason thinks this band is to be taken seriously. This album – their second true metal album after Infest the Rat’s Nest – covers an extremely familiar Gizz topic: the apocalypse. In this one, the world is destroyed, and the survivors begin to praise a new god, in the form of a Gila Monster. Unlike their first metal album, which mind you was also about the apocalypse, this one is dense and slow. They’ve ditched the thrash influences that permeated both their previous metal album and some of the psych albums in favor of an old school hard rock album. It sounds similar to last year’s good-not-great album Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava, in that everything feels very dense and murky. There’s a full production to this. It’s the opposite of Rat’s Nest, which wasn’t even recorded with the full band. It isn’t exactly the newest ground they’re treading in this one, but there isn’t another Gizz album like it, either.

    RIYL: Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, cool little lizards

    #3. Model/Actriz – Dogsbody

    Bands often come out of the gate hot, but this is one hell of a debut album. This band occupies the same sort of paranoid noise hellspace that Daughters vacated (because there is no jail that Alexis Marshall is worthy of being buried under). These are songs that have a certain paranoia to them, but one drawn through patient melodies. It’s not really post-hardcore, but it’s even less anything else. It’s extremely noisy and crazy while remaining even-tempoed, like the anxiety of realizing you’re bombing at an important job interview. This music is straight up stressful. Fun for the whole family!

    RIYL: Daughters, black midi, accidentally perjuring yourself in a court of law

    #2. Liturgy – 93696

    If you’ve ever seen movies like Come and See or Ikiru or even Requiem For A Dream then you’ve probably described them as “absolutely incredible and I never wanna watch it again.” Well that same logic applies here. Liturgy, a paradoxically religious black metal band, have dropped some classic albums during their run; but the last couple have been weak, and I didn’t think they had the juice left. Well, 93696 proves otherwise, taking everything they’ve done in their career from heady and complex metal to maximalist harsh noise, and throwing it all into one 82-minute long album. It’s too much for one listen – it is two discs – as it is just too heavy, too daunting. I haven’t relistened to this one yet, and I may never. But my brain, which often forgets songs and albums the second they end, remembers this one start to finish. Thank you for reading this list, this is the single heaviest album on it.

    RIYL: Deafheaven, Thou, suffering from religious trauma

    #1. Wednesday – Rat Saw God

    Instant classic. You may have seen my songs list, where this band took up three spots – and the guitarist took another with a solo track. This album is proving as a worthy breakthrough for the North Carolina group, which defies all classifications while remaining grounded in a grim reality. The band was already making waves in the indie underworld for their blending of country, americana and grunge into something resembling early Wilco, Drive-by Truckers, or – strictly contextually – Neil Young. Songs like “Chosen to Deserve” have a lot of country flair, while “Bull Believer” is straight grunge, the heaviest song the band has recorded to date. Lyrically, singer Karly Hartzman explores all of the lonely alleyways of America; these are songs of teenage alcoholism, domestic disturbances, loveless marriages and days spent just passing the time. There’s a specific type of American loneliness that runs rampant on this album, something that isn’t necessarily sad but just exists. It’s more flyover state, but all Americans feel it. Ten years from now, we’ll be holding this in the same regard that we hold Sonic Youth in now. 

    RIYL: Neko Case, Drive-By Truckers, visiting your hometown and realizing all your childhood friends are in jail 

    Thank you for reading this or, at least, thank you for scrolling to the bottom. As always, there were tons of other records I wanted to write about but didn’t have the space. Just to highlight a couple, those are: Dryad – The Abyssal Pain, an awe-inspiring metal album that blends tons of subgenres into one; The Armed – Perfect Saviors, a once-pop-metal band turned indie in an album that’s suspiciously conventional; Purling Hiss – Drag on Girard, one that initially made the list but didn’t stick in my brain enough – think a rougher Dino Jr.; The Croaks – Croakus Pokus, a wickedly fun local band that mixes all types of folk from folk-punk to straight medieval music; Death Valley Girls – Islands in the Sky, a punk group I absolutely adore that is reluctantly growing up and moving towards indie – maybe their weakest album, and still almost made the cut.

    My wrists hurt. See you next year!

    35 Songs I Loved This Year

    Jump to: Fav albums 100-76 | 75-51 | 50-26 | 25-1

    Hello and welcome to another edition of excessively long year-end coverage courtesy of me, someone who has had too much time on their hands lately. 2023 was a great year for music, yet again. My Spotify playlist where I dump all new songs I like is up to 563 (!!) tunes as of the time of writing. And while a condensed version of songs I loved is at 77 entries, I decided to cap it at 35 for my own sanity. I have a lot of album posts coming up.

    These are 35 songs, from 30 artists, that I really enjoyed. I didn’t put a great deal of thought into these since there were so many to choose from, and I’ve left this list alphabetical. Also, I should note, much of the new music I discovered this year was thanks to the Sirius indie station I listened to on my commutes, so both my songs and albums lists are heavily indie-skewed this year.

    100 Gecs – “Frog on the Floor”

    I mean how else could this start? One of Gen Z’s most shining bands is out here reflecting their generation in shedding away any sort of musical norms. Is this a pop band dropping a ska song in the middle of the album? Yes. Is this just a song about a frog? Yes. Is it catchy as hell? Yes. I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t one of my most-played songs this year, despite really sounding like a children’s song. Hell it’s basically made by children. 

    KEY FROG PUN: I heard he was telling croaks at the party.

    Arlo Parks – “Devotion”

    The sophomore Arlo Parks album was excellent, but it did see the alt-R&B singer move away from jazzy indie in favor of more rote pop beats. So it makes this song – which starts off as a sultry coital anthem before doing a hard reset into straight rock – all the more out of place. Catch a Deftones namedrop early as a hint of what’s to come. Loud and catchy R&B rock; it’s simple, yet unique.

    KEY NAMEDROP: Shaking to Deftones, glitter in my bones

    Big Thief – “Vampire Empire”

    Even in a year where indie titans Big Thief have only released two songs, they make the list. The Best Band In Music is known primarily for disastrously sad songs, so this seemingly genuine love ode feels extra suspicious. But whether there’s a flipside to this one or not, it’s one of the band’s most inventive tracks yet, with some of Adrienne Lenker’s best-ever vocals. 

    KEY LYRIC: I wanted to be your woman, I wanted to be your man / I wanted to be the one that you could understand

    Bully – “Days Move Slow” & “Lose You”

    There’s a few instances on this list where I couldn’t narrow it down to one song per artist, and they always relate anyways (except one instance). Alicia Bognanno’s grunge-flavored indie has always been filled with a certain sense of ennui, but on her best-yet album, it comes with a purpose. The album is dedicated to Alicia’s late dog, Mezzi, and these two tracks about the impermanence of life – and the impermanence of grief – represent some genuine and complex emotion. Some assistance from Soccer Mommy bolsters the latter track, but they’re equally great.

    KEY GOOD BOY: RIP Mezzi, the best boy

    Cherry Glazerr – “Ready For You”

    Cherry Glazerr have always been an indie group of the guns-a-blazing type, edging closer to straight rock than anything else. The second single off their new album is their best track yet, with heavy melodies and Clementine Creevy’s best-ever vocals. Her powerful vocal rhythm dominates this song and adds a hefty layer of confidence into the lyrics. Although the lyrics are actually quite vulnerable, they sound vaguely threatening under the guitars and vocals. Side note: catch this band live if you have the opportunity.

    KEY I’M THE JOKER: Wish I could meet you with my eyes / I’m sick inside my twisted mind

    Clark D – “It’s a Stickup!”

    I didn’t listen to much rap this year, just wasn’t in the mood really! But this song by local rapper Clark D fell into my lap at the end of the year and hot damn is it one of the most fun tracks of 2023. An absolutely manic and tongue-in-cheek track with the highest possible energy. It’s a banger to the max, and doesn’t even stretch to 2:30. Add in a wild verse from kei and you’ve got a monster song. He cleaned up at the Boston Music Awards and proved that this song translates very, very well to a live setting.

    KEY SCREAM IT: BITCH YOU GETTIN’ ROBBED

    Death Cab For Cutie – “An Arrow in the Wall”

    It’s been 15 years since I said “hey I really like this new Death Cab song,” and naturally this is the one that sounds the least like Death Cab. The Postal Service tour must have had a positive effect on Ben Gibbard’s primary indie group, as they trade in their guitars for a gloomy, minimalist beat. There’s a sense of foreboding in this that is totally foreign to DCFC, and it’s a welcome change.

    KEY LYRIC: This machine was built to be broken

    Faye Webster – “But Not Kiss”

    Faye Webster exists in the same tragic indie-folk sad girl scene as, say, Phoebe Bridgers, but she’s always had a comical innocence to her music. That’s stripped away on this cold, baroque tune centered on a pounding, two-chord piano line and a simple but powerful “yeah yeah” in the chorus. It’s simple, but good luck getting it out of your head.

    KEY LYRIC: I want to sleep in your arms………..but not kiss

    feeble little horse – “Steamroller”

    I’ve obviously been listening to mainly indie here this year, but there aren’t many indie bands like this anymore. These young upstarts are channeling the likes of Dino Jr. and Pixies in the way they layer their stuff under fountains of distortion. Underneath all the peels is a paranoid and apologetic tune about personal space, but it’s okay if you never make it that deep. Just enjoy the experience.

    KEY RELATABLE PARANOIA: I’m the only one who sees me naked

    Genesis Owusu – “Leaving the Light”

    This list isn’t ordered at all (hopefully you’ve figured that out by now), but if it was, this would be #1. This absolute banger is my favorite song of the year, as it stands. It isn’t a particularly unique or wheel re-inventing song, but it is a paranoid dancehall banger. Owusu’s album STRUGGLER, which will be found on my albums list, is an album that is about a paradoxical concept – humans surviving an apocalypse. The song’s lyrics are simultaneously paranoid and prideful, and the music is blood-pumping synthy funk. It’s extremely easy to overlook the fact that the song is intended to be violent and depressing! The biggest party of the year is, in fact, the apocalypse.

    KEY EARNED BOAST: Crush me with your holy hell, I feel no damage

    The Hives – “The Bomb”

    God bless the Hives. Their first album in 11 years sees the dance-punk legends stretching out a bit, crafting some songs that aren’t quite as high-energy as before. Logical – they’re in their mid-40’s now, even if Pelle Almqvist did split himself open and soldier on recently. But the Hives blueprint still works. “The Bomb” is a barely-two-minute track with a BPM of 1000 and the most ridiculous lyrics of the year. There isn’t a point to songs like this, it’s just extremely high-energy, goofy fun. And if the Hives can still do it this well, then they’re never going to lose it.

    KEY PELLE ALMQVIST: What do you wanna do? Get down! What don’t you wanna do? Get up! What don’t you wanna not don’t do? Not get down! What don’t you wanna not don’t wanna not do? Not get up! 

    Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit – “Deathwish”

    I’m a big fan of everything Isbell has done, but there’s something specific that permeates all of my favorite tracks of his – vocal melodies. This song, the first track off his country band’s “Weathervanes” album, starts immediately with a lengthy but simple and effective vocal rhythm. It’s something that runs through the course of the whole song, very repetitive but never tiring. Isbell’s songs are often lyrically despondent, but not necessarily sad songs – this one feels downtrodden immediately, which only adds to the effectiveness. This is downright hopelessness.

    KEY EXTREMELY RELATABLE OPENING LINE TO YOUR ALBUM: Have you ever loved a woman with a deathwish? 

    Jenny Lewis – “Psychos”

    I love dirtbag Jenny Lewis. Twenty years ago, she was singing youthful and introspective indie ballads about love and loneliness. Now, she recognizes that her era has passed, and is singing offhand country-folk songs like this one with vaguely problematic lyrics like a cool aunt. To be clear, the lyrics of this song are not good, but the 11pm-on-a-weeknight-in-a-bar vibe of this song is excellent. And, her voice has improved significantly since the Rilo Kiley days. I hate to say it, but she’s a lot cooler now than before. 

    KEY RELATABLE NONSENSE: This shit is crazy town

    Jungle – “Back on ‘74”

    I get that I have a broader spectrum of music than most people, but one of my hardest beliefs around music is that I can’t trust anyone who doesn’t like funk. The band’s latest hit, their biggest in both America and their native UK, is a smooth and sultry vocal song ripped out of the 70’s. The nostalgic lyrics touch on past innocence and lost opportunities, but it’s more than acceptable to shut the thoughts out and just enjoy the fluid melodies. This is a banger, after all. I believe this song has gotten big on The Tik Tok website, so here’s to a whole new generation getting into soul music. Oh, and if you’re only going to watch one video on this list, make it this one.

    KEY CRY-DANCE: Never gonna cry anymore, where did it all go?

    JW Francis – “Swooning”

    Some of the artists on this list are ones I’m extremely knowledgeable on. This is not one of them. I know absolutely nothing about this guy, but I do know that this is one of the most well-constructed songs of the year. At its core, it is a simple indie song about struggling to find the words to tell someone you’ve fallen for them deeply. But there is a lot going on – a rumbling guitar rhythm backs a sweet synth, there’s a guitar freakout, there’s a riff that mimics a butterfly, and there’s a late-song octave change. For people who like to analyze individual elements of songs, this one is a goldmine. Really fun stuff.

    KEY LYRIC THAT REFLECTS THE MUSIC: Oh my, I’m swooning / I think we hit the right chord, new tuning

    King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – “Gila Monster”

    The second proper Gizz metal album is unlike the first, which was loose thrash. This album is dense, slow and heavy. But much like “Infest the Rat’s Nest,” it centers on an apocalypse and the animals that take over afterwards. In this one, we’re praising the new king, a Gila Monster, whose adorable face graces the album cover. This one is raw and catchy, bolstered by Ambrose taking over for vocals at the bridge and pumping things into a new gear. 

    KEY SCREAMABLE CHORUS: Gila! Gila! Gila!    Gila! Monster!

    King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – “Set”

    I couldn’t keep these together. The second Gizz album of 2023, “The Silver Cord,” is an electronics one, cashing in their Kraftwerk tickets. Like “Gila” this one is just fun as hell. And like “Gila,” it kicks into high gear off a bridge where Ambrose loses his mind. There’s five different things going on at once musically, which doesn’t even address the cryptic lyrics about ancient Egypt. Everything here is manic. I didn’t think I would like electronic Gizz this much, but I was wrong.

    KEY NONSENSE: Eighty years of conflict, crocodile dog birth, Lucifer inverted, slender usurper, piece of work

    Lifeguard – “Alarm”

    My, where did this one come from? One of the most rousing rock songs of the year comes out of these upstarts, literal children who are channeling the best days of Pixies and Bikini Kill. The song is intensity above all, but it remains extremely catchy too. It’s an absolute bruiser, and it makes the band sound both as youthful as they are, and far more experienced than it. Although I’ve heard this one on indie rock radio, I’d hesitantly call it punk.

    KEY VAGUE BUT SCREAMABLE CHORUS: Switch! Switch! Trip or take me!

    Lil Uzi Vert – “Nakamura”

    Almost no one has a better entrance theme in the world of professional wrestling than Shinsuke Nakamura, so much so that he had to add Japanese lyrics to it to try and quell American audiences from singing it throughout his matches. It was also begging to be sampled. Well Uzi was of course the man to do it. That wildly memorable violin line serves as the foundation of this song, with Uzi rapping over it. This was an easy slam-dunk for any artist, and a shoo-in for this list.

    KEY GO WATCH IT RIGHT NOW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn from NXT Takeover: Dallas

    Little Dragon – “Slugs of Love”

    There isn’t much to say about this one other than it’s just one of the most fun bangers of the year. There’s a sax hit just seconds into the song that lets you know it’s gonna be a fun one. The music is fast and funky, the vocals are upbeat, and the lyrics are chaotically funny and sexual. Try getting this one out of your head.

    KEY NO THANKS: Have a feast at the table / slugs of love 

    M83 – “Amnesia”

    Easily one of my favorite songs of the year; I absolutely did not think that Anthony Gonzalez had songs like this one left him. The slow synth build-up feels ominous, building to one of the biggest cinematic choruses you’ll ever hear. It’s Kaela Sinclair’s short but powerful lines during the chorus that really make this one stand out. The song sounds like a late night drive through a crowded but sleepy city on a warm night. It’s got a fullness to it that feels free and warm, even with a touch of dread thrown in. It might be the best song of 2023.

    KEY PHRASE I’VE BEEN SHOUTING IN MY CAR: Four minutes with you

    Mandy, Indiana – “Pinking Shears”

    One of the best new bands of 2023 is also one of the most confounding. Quite possibly the shortest song on this list, this Mandy, Indiana track mixes mechanical percussion, heavy synths and buried vocals into one burst of sound that is very catchy while still dense and wholly unique. Oh, and it’s all in French. The end result isn’t really classifiable, and it sounded out of place on indie rock radio. It isn’t quite my favorite song of the year, but it might be the new one I’ve listened to the most times.

    PHRASE CLÉ: Je suis fatiguée, tu sais parce que je suis fatiguée

    MJ Lenderman – “Rudolph”

    It wasn’t enough for the band Wednesday to drop an all-timer album on us, the guitarist had to drop this excellent solo track too. A crisis of faith plagues the speaker, professing his love to someone from within the walls of a seminary. Throw in some self-doubt, Rudolph the Reindeer and a Pixar reference, and you get a rollicking spellbinder. As with his other solo songs, this is an americana-grunge tune, with rough guitar and loose vocals.

    KEY LYRIC: I wouldn’t be in the seminary if I could be with you. 

    Model/Actriz – “Donkey Show”

    The opening track from my favorite debut album of 2023 is a manic mess. The group starts hauntingly soft, with just a little synth line that sounds like a bug crawling around, until the rest of the band kicks in heavily. The song wastes no time in getting intense – singer Cole Haden sounds like a man who has just realized he is in deep trouble. On the first few listens of this song, I thought “wow this is heavy.” After a few more, I thought, “this is also….groovy.” It’s not like anything I’ve heard before. The song sounds comparable to “City Song” by Daughters, but it swaps out 50% of the paranoia in favor of funk. You can absolutely dance to this, but it might only happen in the nightclub from Blade. 

    KEY TROUBLING VAGUENESS: All night, me and my wretched device

    The New Pornographers – “Really Really Light”

    There’s hardly anything new about the pornographers, who admittedly wear out the formula a bit on their ninth album. But the opening track is an absolute delight of breezy indie. The lyrics are both poetic and empty, singing about nothingness. The fading guitar lick that runs the song sounds like wind entering your car windows on an empty Midwestern highway. There’s a certain listlessness to this song, like everything about it exists only to kill time, but it’s a pleasant feeling. A distinct balance that only a band this deep into the game can pull off. 

    KEY BOREDOM: We sit around and talk about the weather / My heart just like a feather / really, really light

    Orbit Culture – “Vultures Of North” & “Descent”

    Sometimes you just need some good death metal. Orbit Culture’s newest album is a victory lap and a breakthrough, with a bunch of great songs that do a lot with a little. These two songs feature rhythms that are, quite frankly, very simple! But they’re super fun and incredibly catchy while still being heavy and brooding. The growled vocals are top notch and the production is stellar. The metalheads probably have this band on radar already, but here’s a note in case you don’t.

    KEY BROODING: The descent into madness is all I see, and it’s all I’ve seen

    Palehound – “Eye on the Bat”

    How much fun can one song be? Local legends Palehound hit an absolute home run (pun intended) on their latest album’s title track. The song kicks off with a fun and complex acoustic guitar line, with bright and cheery vocals and one quick slide guitar hit thrown in too. Although the song is ostensibly about how grueling a tour can be, the lyrics cherry-pick some nostalgic moments too. This feels like a song we’ll still be listening to in a decade. Spin it a couple times:

    KEY SAME: Black Sabbath as the sun goes down ‘cause I like heavy metal / We’re the only people for miles around and we’re headbanging to Paranoid.

    The Rolling Stones & Lady Gaga – “Sweet Sounds of Heaven”

    I’m not gonna sit here and pretend that the new Stones album is anything really worth listening to, but you’re doing yourself a disservice if you skip this one. This 7+ minute track is possibly the best Stones song since…the 80’s? Gaga brings the best out of the Stones, who face down mortality on this apocalyptic track. Her background vocals provide a moving aura that earnestly feels akin to “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” There is also a vulnerability here that we don’t see from Mick much, though it’s still wrapped in ego too. 

    KEY LYRIC: No, I’m not goin’ to Hell, in some dusty motel / And I’m not goin’ down in the dirt.

    Sleep Token – “The Summoning”

    One of the first new songs I heard in 2023 ended up being one of the best, a heady and highly conceptual song that acts as metal, but dissuades any real classification. A simple and pounding riff comes and goes as huge choruses rise and fall, as the song meanders between radio rock and straight metal. The whole thing has this aura that there’s a great bridge coming, but where it ends up going is unpredictable – an extended ambient segment followed by a poppy, jazzy coda. The song messes around with genres and expectations, with supreme confidence.

    KEY RADICAL TONAL SHIFT: Oh, and my love, did I mistake you for a sign from God?

    Slowdive – “Alife”

    This is aural Xanax. We should be so thankful that Slowdive reunited back in ~2015 because the niche they left behind had been imitated by countless bands, but never perfected. While many of their shoegaze contemporaries like My Bloody Valentine and Ride often searched for bliss and clarity in sheer volume, Slowdive did it in minimalism. “Alife” recaptures the stunning and cathartic aura of their original 90’s work. Everything is so slight that it feels improvised, but it’s all so polished that it could’ve only been done by perfectionists.

    KEY LYRIC: Two lives are hard lives with you. 

    Slow Pulp – “Cramps”

    Slow Pulp is an indie-pop group that would usually not get mistaken for doing anything heavy or edgy, but the first single off their newest album is just that. The song, which yes is about period cramps, comes complete with fuzzy guitar and full-to-the-brim vocals. It’s an extremely fun song, reminiscent of a more 90’s indie pedalboard sound, and helps the band expand their sound some. It’s a simple song, but I spun it a whole bunch this year.

    KEY I AM NEVER JEALOUS OF PEOPLE WITH PERIODS: I play out the same scene, bleeding on my new sheets / I wanna bake out on the concrete

    Wednesday – “Bull Believer,” “Chosen to Deserve,” “Quarry”

    One of these things is not like the others! I couldn’t help but include three songs by the Band of the Year in here. For those unfamiliar, Wednesday deliver a brand of americana-infused indie with a healthy amount of heavy guitar, in a total package that feels similar to Neil Young on paper, though not in practice. “Chosen to Deserve” and “Quarry” are country-fried indie tunes that tell tales of American loneliness; the former is a first-person tale of two bored people forcing a relationship, the latter is a walk down a poor street deep in the suburbs. “Bull Believer,” meanwhile, is a 8+ minute dose of heavy grunge that culminates in minutes of screaming. You simply won’t believe it’s from the same album. 

    KEY STORYTELLING TIME: Somebody called the cops on Mandy and her boyfriend / When they busted in they found that her house was a front for a mob thing / Pulled guns and cocaine from the drywall wrapped in newspaper / We gathered in the tall grass and watched unblinking as they cuffed ’em and hauled ’em away

    There were of course many, many other songs I wanted to write about for this list. Real quick, here’s five that just missed the cut: 26Fix – “Stonekiller” (electronic/indie), Full Body 2 – “wonder limit” (shoegaze/hyperpop), The Kills – “New York” (guitar indie), Nation of Language – “Sole Obsession” (electronic/indie/new wave), Slaughter to Prevail – “Viking” (deathcore)

    Check back in tomorrow when I start my official countdown of *cough* my 100 favorite albums of 2023!