Tag Archives for Scowl

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 Best Albums of 2023: 75-51

Jump to: Songs | 100-76 | 50-26 | 25-1

Hello and welcome to day two of counting down a needlessly high amount of records! Catch up on the first 25 records if you haven’t already. Otherwise, let’s roll.

#75. Scowl – Psychic Dance Routine

Scowl sounds practically identical to the band Gouge Away – which is fine by me, as the latter band left a void by taking a hiatus (though they themselves returned with a new song this year). This is aggressive and abrasive hardcore, but without sacrificing melody. Despite only being 10 minutes long, this EP leaves room for experimentation and temptation within brutal hardcore. This group does not have a proper full-length out yet; when they do, the throne is theirs to take.

RIYL: Gouge Away, Birds In Row, getting your nose broken

#74. Ratboys – The Window

To call Ratboys “exciting” is a slight stretch, but it is cool how the band makes songs that are so familiar and digestible and yet don’t really follow any proper genre conventions. They’re ostensibly an indie band, but they’ve always infused their songs with enough raw energy to be punk (and have toured with proper punk bands). Their new album tosses in more roots rock elements, too, which only complicates things. And yet the songs are so smooth, so catchy, and mostly extremely fun. Good for the whole family!

RIYL: PUP, Beach Bunny, rocking out but safely

#73. Antony and the Johnsons – My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross

ANOHNI makes beautiful music, this is not news to anyone familiar with her work. Her heartbreaking lyrics are always matched by her unique, lounge throwback crooning voice. She reunited her old band and their first album in 13 years is a dreary, soulful affair. The experimental indie vibes of ANOHNI’s solo albums are mostly gone, replaced by more straightforward soul. It suits her voice well, which was fit for 50’s sounding ballads. With a photo of Marsha P. Johnson on the album’s cover, you know we’re not getting any less political.

RIYL: Perfume Genius, Zola Jesus

#72. Carly Rae Jepsen – The Loveliest Time

Another banger album from the best pop singer on the scene now. Ever since the days of E*MO*TION, the best pop album of the last decade, Jepsen has had a brilliant niche for herself. Her music is straightforward pop, and her vocals are breezy and smooth in a way that hints at a youthful innocence. But her lyrics always give nuance – usually in the form of mixed emotions or counterintuitive responses to social situations. It’s just as true here, as Jepsen acts a barely-veiled raconteur for human complexity. As always, this is a two parter – this album is a sequel to 2022’s The Loneliest Time. We gotta love someone who always gives us some extra.

RIYL: Tove Lo, Jessie J, solo dance parties

#71. Dream Wife – Social Lubrication

Yeah okay, you only name your album something like Social Lubrication in certain spaces. Dream Wife are a chaotically fun band, who fuse punk and pop together in a way that is distinctly not pop-punk, but two forces working against each other. Toss in some indie elements too, and you’ve got a super unique blend. The band’s bluntly feminist lyrics are a plus, often as tongue-in-cheek as they are serious. I mean the lead single is “Hot (Don’t Date A Musician).” Thrilling, unique and urgent – this is the future of punk. 

RIYL: Hinds, The Menstrual Cramps, fucking up an abuser

#70. Kenny Mason – 6

Rappers have been blending rock into their music for decades now, but few do it in the way Kenny Mason does. Across his brief album 6, he uses rock influences sparingly. Sometimes, it’s straight rap, sometimes there’s hints, other times it goes full on shoegaze. Unpredictability is the key player here, leaving the listener guessing as to where Mason might go next. The flares of horror influence give this album a proper morose mood, too. Rock influences are used to deepen the grim tone, not to make bangers. And yet, it’s exciting.

RIYL: clipping., Brockhampton, pretending not to like nu-metal but secretly enjoying it

#69. Danny Brown – Quaranta

After the raucous insanity of his classic album Atrocity Exhibition, I found his more centralized follow-up album to be disappointing. After a few years away, Brown bounced back big, dropping two albums in 2023. The first was a collaborative album with JPEGMAFIA – more on that later – and the second is an album that works to recapture some of the old, wild magic. Brown is newly sober, and that change permeates this record. Quaranta follows the same darkly funny, manic rapping from years past, but leveled out a bit. It’s a more mature side of Danny, which he seeks out while still being one of the most exciting musicians in the country.

RIYL: Run the Jewels, Vince Staples, limbering up for the pit

#68. Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter – SAVED!

You may know Kristin Hayter more as Lingua Ignota, a now finished noise project where she matched her operatic vocals with harsh screaming and disturbing lyrics of self-hatred and religious paranoia. She’s now operating under this moniker, delving further into the religious aspects of the music. This album has plenty of fire and brimstone moments, but it ultimately lies closer to a Southern gothic sound than a noise one – think Ethel Cain or, I guess, Flannery O’Connor. The result is music that is more accessible than the stuff with Lingua Ignota, but would still send people screaming. 

RIYL: Ethel Cain, Xiu Xiu, demonic possession

#67. AJJ – Disposable Everything

For a number of reasons, I’ve taken myself off the AJJ train over the last decade. But, an opportunity to cover one of their shows came up, and I figured I might as well for old times sake. Turns out, it was in support of their best album in a long, long time. The band had struggled for a while to meld their older songs, which were hyper-fast folk-punk with shocking lyrics, with a more mature sound. They finally nailed it here, as they embrace some of their older ways (short songs, raw lyrics) with more nuanced melodies and discussion topics. It’s quick, diverse, adult, and all still distinctly AJJ.

RIYL: Defiance Ohio, Mountain Goats, finally taking a shower

#66. Nickel Creek – Celebrants

I don’t think anyone expected a new Nickel Creek album in 2023. Their first album in 9 years was released with little announcement and little fanfare. The bluegrass legends came firing back with a damn near perfect bluegrass release. I don’t really go for music like this much, but threw it on just as something new to listen to. It’s a hefty album, and yet every track feels vital, as if the band has secretly been saving all of these songs up for the last decade. This album is just naturally fun, with insanely talented musicians confidently steering it. 

RIYL: Alison Krauss, Willie Nelson, doing square dances? idk anything about this way of life sorry

#65. Anjimile – The King

A formerly local artist, Anjimile’s music has always been emotional and raw. Their newest triples down on it, analyzing life as a black nonbinary artist in America (hint: it’s not great!). It’s a beautiful and impactful folk record, with some of the most powerful songs of the year. That it’s also an intricate release musically makes the album that much better. These songs are bleak, and they sound bleak, but they also sound a lot fuller than you may expect from such morose folk. 

RIYL: Vagabon, Bartees Strange

#64. Kali Uchis – Red Moon In Venus

This is just good ass R&B! I’d never really listened to Uchis prior to this, so it was a pleasant surprise. She blends English- and Spanish-language lyrics together in a super-fun neosoul record, a perfect summer soundtrack. Everything here feels refreshing, and the fifteen tracks ensure that no idea sticks around too long. Not much else to say: it’s fun as hell.

RIYL: SZA, Frank Ocean, block parties

#63. Nation of Language – Strange Disciple

I discovered this band by chance just after I had a moment where the music of Tears For Fears finally ‘clicked’ for me. Having the poppier side of new wave, which I had always maligned, finally make sense to me opened up a world of new music. These folks do exactly that, and they’re very good songwriters. Their synthy-indie pop could get boring quickly, but they put care into making every song unique and excellent. These tracks are smooth, rhythmic and built with just a touch of tenderness. I anticipate getting even more into them in the future.

RIYL: Tears For Fears, Erasure, putting your hair up in a way that’s going to look very dumb in a few years

#62. Feist – Multitudes

There were a handful of welcome returns this year, few more welcome than indie goddess Feist. Her first album in six years doesn’t see any real change from her previous albums, and why should it? The Feist template of nuanced and mature folk-rock songs with pretty rhythms, haunting vocals and complex emotions is still running strong. She hasn’t missed a beat, as Multitudes is another notch in an excellent catalog. 

RIYL: Cat Power, Sharon Van Etten, getting one drink at a show and taking the next day off work

#61. Janelle Monáe – The Age of Pleasure

I mean, it’s Janelle. What do I need to say here? This is far from her best work, and it’s still among the best albums of the year. Smooth, breezy and sultry, there’s fewer distinct bangers here and more of a prolonged vibe. And that vibe is, well, coital. There’s only two tracks over 3 minutes, highlighting just how flowing and digestible this album is, like a sweaty summer day. The fact that people were expecting grand political statements by Janelle’s return to music is incredibly funny, as we instead got a rousing sex playlist.

RIYL: Prince, Tinashe, [redacted]

#60. Lonnie Holley – Oh Me Oh My

You may or may not know the name Lonnie Holley as a visual artist with a career spanning back decades. At a spry 73 years old, he’s released his third piece of audio art, and that’s exactly what it is. This is abstract, experimental music, full of songs that couple a political angriness with a religious wholesomeness. It’s a complete persona, the positive and negative. A lot of experimental music falls victim to an ironic repetitiveness, but this album will always keep you guessing. There are some heavy assists, too: Bon Iver, Sharon Van Etten and Michael Stipe all show up, among others. 

RIYL: Kara Jackson, William Basinski, achieving a complete and total clarity about the world

#59. Blondshell – Blondshell

Feels a little weird to call this a debut given that Blondshell, aka Sabrina Teitelbaum, had previously released pop music under a different moniker. But those songs went nowhere, and she’s done a hard reboot with a set of fuzzy, guitar-based indie. Many albums on this list try to reinvent the wheel; Blondshell revels in the already-established. These are just great, punchy indie tunes that hearken back to a 90’s sound. Poppy, noisy, and innately rhythmic, this is indie rock at its finest. 

RIYL: Momma, Snail Mail, pleasantly liking some of the songs your teen kid is playing

#58. Lil Uzi Vert – Pink Tape

What a victory lap. Uzi is one of the last stars of the cursed mumble rap scene, but he’s on top of the world. And this album sees him throwing all of his ambitions and excesses at the wall and seeing what sticks. There’s no idea too ridiculous – in fact, the two best songs are a song that samples Shinsuke Nakamura’s entrance music, and a full cover of “Chop Suey!” At 87 minutes, I will concede that it could’ve been edited down a lot, but a vast majority of the songs here are fun bangers that don’t overstay their welcome. It may be a slog to get through – but it’s rewarding.

RIYL: Young Thug, Playboi Carti, the party of the century

#57. Spanish Love Songs – No Joy

This band has a natural knack for writing grown-up, despondent tunes that feel like a much-matured version of pop-punk. These songs are a little too indie to be punk, a little too prickly to be indie, and way too adult to be pop-punk. They owe more to the irreverent raconteurs in the Hold Steady than anything else, yet most often get namedropped alongside bands like the Menzingers. It’s a patient and engaging album. The characters across the songs feel earnest and real. There’s simply a lot to relate to here.

RIYL: The Menzingers, the Gaslight Anthem, having the stark realization that you’ve lived enough to relate to Springsteen lyrics

#56. Geld – Currency // Castration

I’ve written about it earlier in the list and I’ll write about it again later, so let’s keep this brief – hardcore bands are currently pushing themselves to the absolute limit. This quick release (22 minutes) stands firmly on the trifold border of hardcore punk, thrash metal and harsh noise. It’s a limited audience record, but for those who find it, it’s wildly great.

RIYL: Knocked Loose, Mammoth Grinder, listen I’m running out of hardcore jokes here. Uhh uhh smashing a PBR can against your head

#55. Depeche Mode – Memento Mori

There isn’t much I can say about MM that I haven’t already said in my Depeche Chronicles series from earlier this year. This collection was born out of tragedy, of the loss of Andy Fletcher. And although some of these songs were already in progress when he passed, his ghost haunts the album. The two remaining members face their own mortality up and down, with a number of diverse and intricate tunes that nonetheless revel in the morose. It’s one of their better albums! And while they may face their own mortality, they didn’t let it get to them – embarking at their age on a massive, arena tour.

RIYL: Gary Numan, The Cure, calculating how much you’ve spent on black eyeliner in the last 35 years

#54. LURK – Natural Causes

There’s a lot of punk on this list, and most of it is similar in the way the groups push the boundaries of labels and sheer sonic terror. LURK, though, is closer to traditional hardcore punk. I only found this band because a coworker’s group played a gig with them, but I’ve spun this one a couple times now. It’s just an EP, so nice and brief, but the band packs a lot into it. Some songs are noisy and abrasive, some are focused more on melody. Despite only being 20 minutes, it’s a diverse effort within the realms of punk. Really left me wanting more.

RIYL: Rise Against, Knocked Loose, idk i’m totally out of hardcore jokes here 

#53. PJ Harvey – I Inside the Old Year Dying

PJ Harvey remains unpredictable. She’s one of the few artists with a perfect batting record when it comes to albums, but it’s fair to say that her previous work, 2016’s Hope Six Demolition Project, was one of her weaker efforts. This album, she’s decided to take things back to medieval times. Not actually, but the album is based on an epic poem and is littered with biblical and Shakespearean references, and the near-constant minimalist feel gives it more of a chamber aura. It isn’t like anything Harvey has done before, chalked up at least a bit to the improvisation on the album. It’s not her most accessible work, and it took me a few tracks to vibe with it. But there’s a mesmerizing core to this album, even in the moments where there is very little happening.

RIYL: Nick Cave, Patti Smith, reading a book in the woods

#52. Kesha – Gag Order

Kesha’s initial turn towards earnestness still felt a bit forced, even in spite of the implosions happening within her career and personal life. Now, these years later, she’s never sounded more sincere. This album is brutally emotional, and sees Kesha offer her best-ever vocals and her most vulnerable lyrics. It’s also probably her most diverse album musically, refusing to pigeonhole her into one sound. Kesha – or Ke$ha, even – had always been as much a character as an artist. That character is finally, fully, shed. This is a deeply and darkly human album, and easily her most impressive work to date.

RIYL: Britney, Christina, gonna be honest it feels very wrong to do a joke response to this one

#51. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – The Silver Cord

Immediately upon release, this record – the band’s 25th (!!) – proved to be one of their most divisive among fans. A lot of the band’s guitar purist fans don’t like the electronic/krautrock direction the Aussies have decided to go in. And that’s fine, the sheer point of Gizz is that you’re not going to like everything they do (for me, it’s the boogie stuff). I was expecting to be bored, honestly, but this one is pure fun. The band channels Kraftwerk into some songs that are both metrical and exciting, particularly the urgent songs “Set” and “Gilgamesh.” There’s a ton of lyrics about ancient gods and what not – it’s still Gizz after all. And of course, there’s the album’s gimmick – the record comes in two versions, one running about 30 minutes and one running about 90 minutes, where every song is “extended,” stretching past 10 minutes. The extended “Theia” goes 21 minutes. Both versions are excellent, and work together to service all electronic fans. 

RIYL: Kraftwerk, Can, when Dylan went electric 

Thanks for reading! Tomorrow we soldier on with entries 50-26. The albums will only get better (or worse, this is all personal tastes). Up tomorrow, we’ve got some local metal, shoegaze legends, electronica legends, one of the biggest albums of 2023, a band with a song called “Lana Del Rey,” an artist who parodies Lana Del Rey, and Lana Del Rey Stay tuned!