GL.25.01: ILANA BERGSTROM
GL.25.02: Isabel Vermaak
GL.25.03: Jem Stirling
GL.25.04: Nora Tang
GL.25.05: Tony Schoenberg
GL.25.06: Mario Sanders
GL.25.07: Darrin Shillair
GL.25.08: Scott Lawson
***
Ilana’s Songs of the Year: 2025
In 2025 I went to 27 concerts and three music festivals in six different countries. I got to rock out with bands I've adored since childhood and bands I didn't love until this year. One show was on a boat. One show encouraged us to let out a particularly timely primal scream. I went to shows with longtime friends, and I made brand new ones between sets as well. Not every show was a winner, and some of them even gave me minor injuries, but saying yes to live music was always the right decision.
One thing I learned this year is that it's never too late to really fall in love with a new band or music genre. Even if you think that you've lost interest or feel like you’ve already seen the best of the best, there's always room for a little surprise. Keep your ears open, get out of the house, and see what kind of fun shakes out.
This year I’m sharing my 20 favorite songs from 2025 and self-inflicting a “only-one-track-per-artist” rule, and I've added an asterisk next to all of the artists I was lucky enough to see in concert this year, too. Let’s go!
1. “Pictures of You” - Alien Boy
If I owned a physical record of You Wanna Fade? - and believe me, I’ve looked for it everywhere - it would be worn out by now. Fully stacked from start to finish with anthems like “Changes” and the gorgeously mellow title track ”You Wanna Fade,” Oregon indie rockers Alien Boy make awesome music. “Pictures of You” is my favorite song of the year because of its sweetness, the longing, the build-up, and the perfect pay-off at 1:53. For me it was love at first listen, and I hope that you’ll feel the same way, too.
2. “BIRDS” - Turnstile*
It’s impossible for me to talk about Turnstile without sounding absolutely insane. “Turnstile changed my brain chemistry.” [Eye roll.] “The first time I saw them at Primavera Sound, I laughed, I cried, I actually threw up.” (That’s really gross.) “I can’t move my right arm because I went to two Turnstile shows in five days.” (Ilana, aren’t you way too old for mosh pits?)
It’s now difficult for me to understand why I didn’t click with Turnstile until this year. In the months leading up to PS, I knew the band had lots of hype so I started listening to them at the gym. At first I thought they were mostly Very Loud; maybe the kind of band I needed to see in concert in order to get the full picture? And then I heard “BIRDS” and something changed. Maybe it was the workout endorphins. Maybe it was the drums. And the guitar. And the chorus. And everything, really. Instead of thinking Turnstile was a band I should see, I knew that Turnstile was a band I desperately NEEDED to see in Barcelona.
The only problem? PS announced Turnstile’s set time: 3:05 am on day 3 of the festival. That's right, Spain does not mess around! My attitude changed once again: I'd be lucky if I could stay awake late enough to see maaaaybe one or two Turnstile songs before I passed out.
But miracles happen, and not only did I make it to the end of the set, Aaron and I experienced it with some really special people. I’m totally hooked on Turnstile’s energy now, and I feel extra fortunate that I got to see them two more times later this year. If you get the chance to go to a Turnstile show, you’re gonna need Ibuprofen for a couple of days afterward but I promise you'll be glad you went.
3. "Shadow Of A Man" - Lady Gaga*
Lady Gaga blew everyone away this year with MAYHEM. Tracks 1-11 are unskippable. Gaga’s SNL performances killed. The livestreams from Coachella and Rio had me completely mesmerized from my sofa. And her drummer Tosh? Holy shit, he’s an animal!
"Shadow Of A Man" may not be the most well-known track off this album, but all the biggest Gaga fans I know agree that this song is some serious pop perfection. It makes me run faster, dance on my bike while cycling around town, and it will forever remind me of sunny springtime walks with Ginger.
4. "Little By Little (Live from London, 2 August '25)" - Oasis* (feat. Ilana & Aaron)
Surprise surprise! Yes, it's US - me and Aaron - making our Burn Your Hits debut, singing our hearts out with the Gallagher bros and all our best mates at Wembley Stadium on August 2, 2025. Getting to see Oasis for the first time in Cardiff was a dream come true, but I must give Aaron full credit for insisting we go back to the U.K. for a second show in London because that's where the extra magic happened. With old friends and new in the worst seats of the house, beers were flying and everyone felt like family. No wonder Oasis released this live track; our drunken voices were so beautiful!
5. "It's a Mirror" - Perfume Genius*
Before we saw Perfume Genius this November I would've told you I love this song because of its rich complexity and tonal warmth. But after going to that show I just need to say that it was the loudest concert I've been to in recent memory. Shockingly, undeniably, ridiculously loud. I'm not going to give away any spoilers here, so believe me: bring ear plugs!
6. "B A D I D E A" - Militarie Gun
Ooh ooh THIS is how you start an album! (Well, the opening track PLUS this one.) Energetic and propulsive, "B A D I D E A" grabs your attention and sets the tone for my favorite Militarie Gun album yet.
7. "Young Offenders" - Spiritual Cramp*
Spiritual Cramp is back with another solid album that makes me homesick for the Bay. Maybe their next album will be named something like “Fog, Hills & Burritos” just to really rub it in.
I can’t listen to this song without thinking the lyrics are: Expensive clothes explosive farts
8. "Plastic Box" - JADE
This is the best Carly Rae Jepsen song I've heard in years! (Complimentary.)
9. "AAAHH MEN!" - Doja Cat
Doja Cat was not playing around with the release of "Jealous Type" - another song I love and therefore hated removing from this playlist - but I had to replace it with "AAAHH MEN!" because the Knight Rider theme sample is TOO GOOD. It’s also the best thing that’s been on SNL so far this season. I dare you to listen to it without singing a little Busta Rhymes "Ohhhhhhhhhhhh" along with it.
10. "Sports Car" - Tate McRae
This song is peak very-sexy-baby core and I don't have much else to say about it.
11. "KFC Santería" - Cain Culto (feat. Sudan Archives)
I had a lot of questions for Aaron when he showed me a Cain Culto music video for the first time. Namely, how in the world does he find this stuff?
12. "Sugar On My Tongue" - Tyler, The Creator
Has a song ever been bouncier?
13. "Stay All Summer" - Momma*
2025-Me loves Momma. I can only imagine how much 1995-Me would have worshipped Momma. Welcome to My Blue Sky was another AOTY.
14. "Light Night Mountains All That" - Ratboys*
Ratboys songs really come alive at their concerts, and I think this might be their best one yet! (Yes, that was my best attempt at a Ratboys joke.)
15. "Eatin' Big Time" - Tyler Childers
Shoutout to Shay for bringing fellow Beyhive member Tyler Childers to my attention. Another rad opening track!
16. "Hallways" - PUP*
I wrote these blurbs out of order, and this was the one I saved for last because, frankly, it makes me really emo. One of the reasons why PUP is such a great punk band is that their songs have range. From ridiculous to aggro to tender to this one which is downright weepy, they do it all. But naming this album Who Will Look After The Dogs? Like, come on, man.
Although we didn’t know it at the time, we spent most of Ginger’s last week in Paris because we were there for a PUP show in May. It was Aaron’s and my 300th concert together, another fan randomly gave us his paper ticket (so retro!) as a souvenir, and we had such a great night. Don’t underestimate a Parisian punk show; it was a wild one! But these good memories are mixed with sadness of what was yet to come.
Please give PUP a listen, and give your dogs a big hug for me.
17. "Taxes" - Geese
Have you heard the good news about Geese? You definitely have if you looked at Aaron's 2025 songs list or if you’ve read ANYTHING written by literally ANY indie music critic this year. But if you’re new to this band, you’re in luck because Getting Killed is an incredible album all the way through. This is the kind of music that’s gonna scare all the right people.
18. "Diet Pepsi (Live at Sirius XMU)" - Blondshell
Ben Platt who? THIS is the best "Diet Pepsi" cover of the year!
19. "How It's Done" - HUNTR/X
I hadn't even heard of KPop Demon Hunters until the end of August when it was reported as Netflix's Most Watched Movie Ever. Some might say/sing that I was A little late to the party (la-la-la-la), so I decided to play it on a dreary Dutch Saturday morning. By the end of the weekend I was a full evangelist, telling everyone that they needed to watch it or, at the very least, listen to the soundtrack. Not that into K-pop? Me neither! Don't watch animated films unless you're half asleep on an airplane? Right, me too! But the movie is legitimately good and some of the songs are true BANGERS. "How It's Done" is the first song we hear HUNTR/X sing in the movie, and my attention? It was GRABBED. This song has everything: a “Black Widow” clap-along pre-chorus, a HEAVY drop, and these lyrics:
Heels, nails, blade, mascara
Fit check for my napalm era
Need to beat my face, make it cute and savage
Mirror, mirror on my phone, who's the baddest?
Then the Us, hello? audio phone effect? UH, HELLO??!!! THIS RULES and my four-year old niece vehemently agrees.
20. "Your Idol" - Saja Boys
Sorry, we are not done talking about KPop Demon Hunters! By the end of the movie - which I've only watched once, by the way - I assumed I was firmly Team HUNRT/X because of the whole "needing the save the Honmoon" thing, but then the Saja Boys performed "Your Idol" and I think my jaw hit the ground. The boys look SICK dancing in their gat, the "Dies Irae" latin chanting is creepy in the best way, plus everyone knows that the villain songs in kids' movies can be the most fun for adult listeners. I was glad the girls saved the world in the end, but I'm praying for more of this musical excellence in the sequel. (There’s gonna be a sequel, right? RIGHT?!!)
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