GL.25.15: Caseysimone Ballestas
GL.25.20: KEVIN WYCKOFF
GL.25.21: Sidney Southerland
GL.25.22: Jazzmen Williams
GL.25.23: Megan Swidler
GL.25.24: Carl Anderson
GL.25.25: Matt Jasinski
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2025 was the year I abandoned the delusion that I grew up on a small Irish peat farm.
It was also the year I fell head-over-heals for the songwriting of Cameron Winter - how original of me.
I’m an “albums” guy not a “songs” guy so this process is always interesting for me. The list is pretty all-over-the-place genre-wise from indie-rock, to doom metal, to soothing folk, to avant-classical microhouse. Maybe you’ll find your new favorite artist?! Thanks for reading/listening.
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35. Titanic - “Lágrima del sol”
Guatemalan cellist and vocalist Mabe Fratti returns to her post-rock-ish side-project to follow-up their awesome debut, Vidrio. Here, in the opening track, Spanish mantras, screeching distorted cello, handclaps and jazz drums tumble into a bright & lush art pop colored banger. Super fun band walking in the footsteps of Talk Talk.
34. Pile - “Born at Night”
Pile have been on a weird journey from crunchy post-hardcore band towards murky, artsy slowcore and seeming to be drifting backwards with their latest, Sunshine and Balance Beams. Frontman Rick Maguire’s voice - always Pile’s #1 asset - balances dour crooning and furious snarling. This slow-build lead single rips through its progression adding churning strings that launch into the propulsive end section. “If there’s no room for cowards now, then who the fuck are you?”.
33. Greet Death - “Emptiness Is Everywhere”
On their first album in six years, Michigan band Greet Death blend indie rock, slowcore, shoegaze, and thick doom metal guitars in a series of heavy, melancholic songs. Their two lead singers duet on this track, showing off all the band’s strongest elements. Chorus-laden jangly guitars work through the pensive song structure with lyrics about watching your loved ones age & the inevitability of change, before launching into a placid wall of doom guitars. Achingly sad, melancholic & beautiful.
32. Park Jiha - “Grounding”
I don’t know who Park Jiha is and I have never heard of her instrument, the yanggeum - a Korean form of hammered dulcimer. Across her latest avant-garde record, All Living Things, she fuses these gorgeous tones with harmonious meditative sounds from western drone music. A genre called ‘fusion gugak’, it’s haunting and mysterious feeling anchored in sounds of the past but very much music of the future. Worth a listen!
31. Alien Boy - “I Broke My World”
Aaron and Ilana turned me on to Portland alternative-emo band Alien Boy this year & I’m better for it. A pleasing blend of power pop structures & choruses, with emo brattiness and heavily layered Smashing Pumpkins-esque guitars. It feels very hand-made and the songwriting is compelling enough throughout the record to make it one of my favorites this year. This earworm of a single, with its huge chorus, is my fav track.
30. Blake Mills & Pino Palladino - “Somnambulista”
Master record producer and solo guitarist Blake Mills dropped his second full-length collaboration with Welsh avant-jazz fretless bassist Pino Pallandio this year. It’s a freaky chamber jazz record pulling in pieces of American folk music, funk, and psychedelia. This track here is a real sonic journey of emotional states with off-kilter bass lines, Thundercat-style doo-wop vocal explorations, and pitch warped saxophone from Sam Gendel. Sounds super cool.
29. Momma - “Last Kiss”
Wasn’t familiar with Momma prior to 2025. I love the thick, soaring 90s guitar tones and dual half-whispered vocals. For this to work for me, the riffs have to go hard, and here they sure do. Dense compressed distortion walls and dissonant pinch harmonics compete for air space. A lovely balance of lightness and heaviness colors this track. When the big mean riff drops two minutes in, you can tell Momma aint fucking around.
28. Squid - “Crispy Skin”
Post-rock / post-punk weirdos Squid’s third wasn’t my favorite of theirs, but the lead single here brings all their best elements. Propulsive rhythm section, sinister yelpy vocals, scrambled synths, blaring horns, and fulfilling breakdown and freakout passages. I never have any idea what they’re talking about -“I couldn't eat another thing, no more pages and pages of crispy skin. Am I the bad one? Yep, yes I am” - but I am very much along for the ride.
27. Greg Freeman - “Sawmill”
Greg Freeman plays slacker alt-country rock that sits between Pavement, Neil Young, Modest Mouse and Cymbals Eat Guitars. The songs take unexpected turns and feel distinctly American. This, the penultimate track on his latest Burnover, is a slow burn that unfurls into a widescreen droning scene of pitch-bent guitars, distant woodwinds, and muffled spoken word. It’s an oddly shaped little tune, but sits really nicely in the more upbeat tracklist.
26. Foxwarren - “Dance”
Mellow Saskatchewanian indie chamber folk icon Andy Shauf returns to his hometown early-days side project for a second excellently written record, 2. The opening track here is a sublimely pretty and weightless tune with vintage string & flute samples giving it a timeless feel. Shauf’s characteristically sedate voice lulls you in. If you’ve enjoyed any of Andy’s solo work, this is certainly worth your time.
25. Men I Trust - “Ring of Past (2025)”
Canadian dream-pop groove merchants Men I Trust showed up with two fully fleshed out records in 2025 - the folky Equus asinus and the funky Equus caballus. Both great, this track comes from the funky side, highlighting their impeccably bouncy plucked bass tones and ethereal sophisti-pop synths. Songs that effectively make you both want to dance and feel introspective are a rare thing. Hard not to love.
24. Forth Wanderers - “To Know Me/To Love Me”
I was very happy to hear that New Jersey indie/emo group Forth Wanderers would return after seven years since their phenomenal self-titled sophomore album. Singer Ava Trilling has one of the most compelling voices in modern indie rock (in a similar bucket as Hop Along’s Frances Quinlan). It’s powerful, hazy, crunchy, and deeply forlorn, cutting through the jangly & grungy minor key passages. It’s the sound of a band grappling with its own uncertain existence, facing maturity and still sounding really good in the process.
23. Richard Dawson - “Knot”
Post-modern Irish faux-hermit folk troubadour Richard Dawson exists in a musical space on his own. The storyteller went without a concept for his latest record, End of the Middle, opting instead for a more straightforward set of seemingly mundane character explorations. The beauty is in the details on “Knot”, a tale of a man attending a wedding amidst a mental health crisis. He finds the aesthetic choices gaudy and cliche, describing them in wonderful detail: “"I do, I do": Words like tiny fish tossed about in a swell of fierce confetti and the echoing of pre-recorded bells. You hook your arm in mine and reel me gently back towards myself… but I feel nothing.” - hating it and hating himself. Afterwards he decides to leave his partner. A fierce storm of oboe and distorted acoustic guitar ensues.
22. Rival Consoles - “Known Shape”
I have long admired British IDM / microhouse producer Rival Consoles’ work, though this year’s Landscape from Memory is the first I really loved. My favorite track from it here is atmospheric and tactile. Pitter-patter of finely tuned syncopated percussion drives the track forward, warbled synth pads & tasty staccato hits make this a hypnotizing headphone listen. Seeing it performed live in the Amsterdam Zoo Planetarium for ADE with brain-melting psychedelic visuals was a musical highlight of 2025.
21. Tropical Fuck Storm - “Teeth Marché”
I was sad when noisy Australian art-rock / punk blues group The Drones broke up, but it seems maniac frontman and guitarist Gareth Liddiard had something else to get off his chest. TFS bring a gonzo paranoia to a wide blend of noisy rock styles. The record is bleary-eyed psychosis edging into winking silliness about the impending collapse of society; it is ragingly mad and deadly serious. This track hands vocal duties to rhythm guitarist Erica Dunn & smothers an afrobeat-adjacent rhythm in wild flailing guitar leads. “Can you recover? You can't recover. Teeth marks.”
20. Max Cooper - “My Choices Are Not My Own” (feat. Tawiah)
North Ireland wizard producer Max Cooper blends IDM, minimal techno, and ambient music with symphonic recordings and soul music to create a sonic world of his own. This gorgeous track is led by a chaotic, precise breakbeat and piles on layers of soul singer Tawiah’s voice. The weighty track explores determinism and futility. It’s an incredibly pretty listen. One of the best pieces of electronic music I heard in 2025.
19. Wednesday - “Elderberry Wine”
The new Wednesday album continues their cool blend of slacker indie rock, country, and grunge stylings. Frontwoman Karly Hartzman’s witty and dark observational lyrics bring their songs an extra depth. “Elderberry Wine” finds them at their most alt-country, with pedal steel and tender fingerpicking from MJ Lenderman. It’s the most straight-up ‘pretty’ song they’ve released. It’s the uneasy truce to ‘all just get along’
18. BRUIT ≤ - “DATA” [not on Spotify - link]
French apocalyptic post-rock ensemble BRUIT ≤ (“noise” in French) are the modern evolution of Godspeed. Loudly panicked about the state of global surveillance and corporate manipulation, the ensemble pulverizes their way through anxious synths, layered brass, siren guitars, and skittering jazzy drums overlaid with dystopic vocal samples of Mark Zuckerberg talking about ‘users’ and ‘databases’ before erupting into a massive cinematic sound wall. It’s abjectly bleak and fully conscious in the level of terror it presents. It’s stunning.
17. The Weather Station - “Window”
A breezy rush of drums, flutes & pianos and we’re off. This winding folk-pop tune feels alive with curiosity and the mysteries of life. It’s a tight 2:41 with frontwoman Tamara Lindeman’s hushed voice singing of her heart racing to leap out an open window onto the breeze. Quite nice.
16. Perfume Genius - “It’s A Mirror”
Mike Hadreas just keeps churning out gorgeous, hook laden art pop bangers as Perfume Genius. “It’s A Mirror” is right in the vein of his other ‘big’ tracks, with a bit of a queer americana biker gang aesthetic. His regular producer Blake Mills (see track #30) creates a lush and tactile sonic space. The guitars sound so good and the layers of ornamentation as the song builds gives real weight to the sound as his cracking, warbled voice reaches through. If you close-listen, there’s all sorts of cool sonic details in the background that really elevate the final product.
15. Joan Shelley - “For When You Can’t Sleep”
I adore Joan Shelley. She has one of those pure voices with just the softest affectation. One of the most common artists I get a “wait, who's this?” reaction to. Her blissful country-folk tunes have gentle fingerpicking and lullaby harmonies in the vein of Gillian Welch. This is music for a slow foggy autumn morning with a cup of tea. Her songs feel so effortless - “balms against despair” as Pitchfork wrote. With so much anxiety & melancholy on this list, here’s a bit of ‘maybe things will work out after all’.
14. The Antlers - “Carnage”
Everything Antlers lives in the shadow of 2008’s cancer & death themed magnum opus Hospice. That said, this year’s Blight is certainly worth your time. Lead single “Carnage” brings weight and devastation through Peter Silberman’s powerful aching voice and yearning distorted guitar leads. The plodding organ, brushed drums and wandering piano serve as a backdrop creating a sense of heightened urgency and unease. Their best new track in over a decade.
13. Bon Iver - “Everything Is Peaceful Love”
I fall in and out of love with Bon Iver. Some of his explorations just don’t work for me. That was not the case on this year’s beautiful return-to-form, SABLE, fABLE. I love the melody on the chorus here, with pop soul vibes and trash can glitch beats. It’s a big warm hug of a song that balances pure pop with experimentation at a level that very few other artists can match.
12. Cass McCombs - “I Never Dream About Trains”
American master-songwriter Cass McCombs has a knack for penning emotionally penetrating songs that come from the most unexpected angles. In my favorite off his latest, Interior Live Oak, he sings to a lost love about all the specific memories he doesn’t dream about - Pescadero beaches under the moon, busting out of jail, heading south to Mexico … repeatedly stating “You know I never lie in my songs, and I never dream about trains”. He seems to lie a lot in this song, suggesting he really does dream about trains? Obtuse & haunting, this one has really stuck with me.
11. james K - “Blinkmoth (July mix)”
NYC downtempo producer james K blew-up this year with her lush, hypnotic album Friend. On Blinkmoth she sings like Dido crossed with Cocteau Twins over a blissed out trip-hop beat. It’s a quiet foggy storm of a tune that drifts in and out of focus. It’s pretty heavy on ‘vibes’, but that’s ok when the vibes are this good.
10. Youth Lagoon - “Gumshoe (Dracula From Arkansas)”
I am loving this second wave resurgence of Youth Lagoon - was mixed on his earliest records but these last two Trevor has really honed in his songwriting. Sentimental and bittersweet indie pop with earworm hooks and warm production comprise this fantastic little tune. His hushed child-like voice sings abstractly about his upbringing with home videotape samples & pretty guitar runs playing off each other.
9. Erika de Casier - “Miss”
I was unfamiliar with this Danish / Portuguese downtempo R&B artist until seeing glowing reviews of her latest record, Lifetime. This, the opening track, really sets the tone. I am obsessed with the subtle bass work on this song. How it fades-in low in the mix and a little behind the trip-hop beat. The faint, whispered vocals enhance the disorienting experience that you’re trapped inside this half-remembered banger.
8. Japanese Breakfast - “Mega Circuit”
This album snuck up on me late in the year. This one sounds remarkably like Perfume Genius’ “It’s A Mirror” (#16), likely because Blake Mills (#30) also produced it. I love Blake Mills - I think he adds as much to this song as the band if I’m being honest. This tune is a galloping piece of chamber pop with country-western guitars, slammed shuffling drums, and Indonesian gamelan. The legato melody and harmonies give it a serenity and sly mysteriousness that is hard to put down.
7. Djrum - “Waxcap”
Classically trained pianist & mind-meldingly intricate IDM/UK-bass producer Djrum dropped his best record this year, Under Tangled Silence. This awesome track balances nocturnal polyrhythmic breakbeat grooves with gorgeous swelling synths and avant-garde piano passages. It’s so unique, aqueous, and overflowing with life - every time I listen I wonder how someone makes something like this. By far my favorite electronic composition of 2025.
6. Model/Actriz - “Cinderella”
Noisy and industrial NYC dance-punk group Model/Actriz upped the ante with their sophomore album, Pirhouette. The aggressively queer and earnest lead single balances staccato muted guitars, dance beats, and gorgeous throbbing swells of bass noise. Few bands balance raw power with delicate melody as well as this one. The lyrics, “Okay, I'll share this - when I was five, I remember clearly my want to have a Cinderella birthday party. And when the moment came and I changed my mind - I was quiet, alone, and devastated” show such strength in vulnerability.
5. Water From Your Eyes - “Life Signs”
This band mashes sounds that shouldn’t make sense together. Blistering slide guitars, dissociative androgynous spoken-word vocals, glitch beats… the wild shifts in tone are disarming but really pull you in on repeat listens. The commitment to melody holds the teetering song structure together - and then it buries you with that completely unhinged guitar solo in the wrong key. It’s deadpan, but self-aware in its silliness. A great fuckin song.
4. Great Grandpa - “Junior”
The first half of 2025 for me was dominated by Great Grandpa’s excellent new record, Patience, Moonbeam. Somewhere between Pinegrove & Bright Eyes, the group draws up feelings of half-remembered youthful summer nights in the countryside, faded relationships, and finding warmth and gratitude for having had those times. Plus it all ends with a group singalong.
3. Geese - “Getting Killed”
I saw Geese open for Spoon at the Fillmore in 2022 and we actually left to go to the upstairs bar, they were so sloppy. Ha! It was tough to pick a track off this year’s phenomenal Getting Killed - I rotate through so many of them. I picked the title track with its Rolling Stones-y intro with gospel vocals & amazing hard pivot. It’s a great example of a band who’s gotten so tight that they know how to loosen up. Precise sloppiness. “I’m getting out of this gumball machine”. The stunning coda is woozy fingerpicked guitars, bustling latin percussion, with frontman Cameron Winter croaking out “I’m getting killed by a pretty good life” … then queue the gospel singers. A truly killer track.
2. caroline - “Total euphoria”
Click tracks are a thing of the past on this raw, freeform “deconstructed Broken Social Scene” track that is the tidiest mess of a song I can recall. All eight players weave in and out of time creating this glorious avant-folk “euphoria”. It’s an explosion of raw musical synergy that can only be conjured by a group that has established deep musical intuition with one another. The vocal parts actually serve as the backbone here, which is fascinating. As the off-kilter drums, guitars, horns and everything else crash and weave, I am left experiencing one of the most unique and exhilarating tunes in recent memory. Flaming heart emoji.
1. Cameron Winter - “Drinking Age”
Not sure I remember the last song that made me actually cry like this one does. I also don’t think I’ve had a favorite song of the year quite like this one - a dour piano ballad. Cameron sings both as an emerging ‘old soul’ but also as a snidely winking 22 year old savant. Turning 21, feeling “old” for the first time, confronting adulthood as some sort of implied “fixed, conclusion state”, taking a hard look inward and admitting your flaws, realizing the outer-world ‘cocoon’ you were raised-in never really existed. “Everything is lying.” The warbled legato, highlight phrase of the tune “Today I met who I'm gonna be… from now on… and he's a piece of shit” is immediately one of my favorite bits of any song ever. Acceptance, disillusionment, self-loathing, and a half-smirk. It cracked the Cameron Winter universe open for me & I’m grateful for it. The Jimmy Kimmel version slaps.
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