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
Post-Grad Music Reviews 