Welcome back reader. Every year around this time, I go through a fuck-ton of music that I've noted through the 12 previous months, and try and boil it down to a list that I present here for no reason at all. Of note: of all the years I've done this list, I think this one has the least amount of crossover with the best-of lists I see from the well known music and culture magazines and blogs. That either means I'm cooler than them, or getting less cool each passing year. I don't give a shit about it either way.
Of note: there are many places to check out the alleged best in pop music. This isn't one of them. My tastes lean toward indie rock, alt-rock, shoegaze, dream pop, art rock, and the many sub-sub genres betwixt and between. Most of my picks are on respected small labels; others are self-released. None in this year's list are on major labels, though that wouldn't preclude a great song from making the list. It just usually works out that way.
Bleary Eyed
The Convenience
Fib
Alex G
Goon
Hand Habits
Japanese Breakfast
Jouska
Pile
Runo Plum
Prewn
Retail Drugs
Sex Week
SLEEP CLUB
Spill Tab
Teethe
Terraplana
They Are Gutting A Body Of Water
Triathalon
Twen
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Wishy
Wombo
Worthitpurchase
Yeule
Finally, this list is presented in alphabetical order by artist/band, because I don't rank music. That's a silly thing to do.
Bleary Eyed
Easy (Born Losers)
Bleary Eyed is a shoegaze/dream pop band out of Philadelphia that I’ve been following for a few years. Their new album Easy is probably their strongest yet both in terms of songwriting and excellent production. Within its indie rock/dream pop vibe, it’s got the grungy riffs, complex synth textures, and atmospheric soundscapes that get my musical dick hard.
Key tracks: “Heaven Year” “Susan” “Stars” “Jersey Shore”
The Convenience
Like Cartoon Vampires (Winspear)
Hailing from New Orleans, The Convenience are an art rock/indie pop duo of Nick Corson and Duncan Troast. I wasn't a big fan of their 2021 debut album; this one floats my boat. This album — and the follow-up single “Angel” — are tasty treats for anyone into the tight, urgent, and concise sounds of the post-punk genre. Great vibe.
Key tracks: “I Got Exactly What I Wanted” “Western Pepsi Cola Town” “Target Offer” “Angel”
Fib
Heavy Lifting (Julia’s War Recordings)
Fib is an art rock/indie rock/post-punk band out of Philadelphia (which, as you’re already seeing, was probably my favorite city in the world for new music in 2025). If you’re a fan of bands like Palm and Television — and I surely am — you’ll like Fib. They don’t sacrifice musicianship for the simplicity of their genre, either. Great guitars!
Key tracks: “PS” “You Ruined Everything” “Right out the Window”
Alex G
Headlights (RCA Records)
I generally don’t label any artist or band — or the music they put out — as my favorite at any given moment. That said, the only artist on this list I actually went and saw live this year was Alex G, the singer-songwriter out of Philly (yup). He's been an outstanding artist for years, and I’ve enjoyed his stuff going back to when he was some kid in a bedroom popping out albums on Bandcamp. Now he’s a well-known guy; the same week we saw him at the Greek Theater in LA, he was the musical guest on Kimmel. But Headlights deserves the kudos; it’s adventurous and great post-genre music. The fact that the attendees of his show ranged in age from 12-70 tells me that Alex G is music for people who like interesting shit in their lives. Count me in.
Key tracks: “Afterlife” “June Guitar” “Real Thing” “Oranges” “Headlights” “Beam Me Up” “Far and Wide”
Goon
Dream 3 (Born Losers Records)
LA-based Goon has made my list every year for the past few years, and it’s because they’re fucking great and keep getting better. Frontman and main creative force Kenny Becker just seems to get more and more focused as he matures, and the resulting third LP is chock full of artful psych-shoegaze which is inherently listenable while never getting boring. If you’re a fan of bands like Elliott Smith, Radiohead, or Nirvana, I’ll bet you find something enjoyable on this album.
Key tracks: “Closer To” “Patsy’s Twin” “Apple Patch” “This Morning Six Rabbits Were Born” “Fruit Cup”
Hand Habits
Blue Reminder (Fat Possum Records)
I am an unabashed fanboy of Meg Duffy, the LA musician who creates and performs music as Hand Habits. I first became aware of them as a side musician to many artists whom I also respected, and their guitar playing is fucking phenomenal. But as a singer and songwriter, Duffy is at their best. This folky, experimental album is at time soft, at times crunchy, both sparse and heavy, cold and emotional. It’s fucking great, is what it is.
Key tracks: “Wheel of Change” “Dead Rat” “Jasmine Blossoms” “Blue Reminder”
Japanese Breakfast
For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) (Dead Oceans)
J Brekkie — aka Michelle Zauner — has built quite the multi-faceted career. Her 2021 book "Crying in H Mart: A Memoir" was a best-seller. I've been impressed by her on various food channel shows. And yes, of course, her work as Japanese Breakfast has been outstanding, and remains so with her fourth album. I'll also state that you don't have to be a woman to understand and appreciate her emotive singing, music production, and poignant lyrics.
Key tracks: “Honey Water” “Orlando In Love” Mega Circuit”
Jouska
How Did I Wind Up Here? (Koke Plate)
This is the second album for Oslo, Norway-based artist Marit Othilie Thorvik. It's got a lot going on... electronic pop, trip-hop, and shoegaze influences are abundant. This artful alt-pop collection explores themes of grief, guilt, and shame. I find it both enjoyable and cathartic.
Key tracks: "California” “Should Have Seen It Coming”
Pile
Sunshine and Balance Beams (Cooper Records)
Okay, I'll just say that I fucking love Pile. This Boston-based band's sound harkens back to the real post-hardcore era of the late '70s and early '80s... sparse and intense. This is their ninth album and, frankly, my favorite of anything they've ever done. The band started as Rick Maguire solo project in 2007, and there's something about his voice — very present, very earnest — that makes you sit up and take notice.
Key tracks: “Deep Clay” “Born At Night” “Bouncing In Blue” “Uneasy”
Runo Plum
Patching (Winspear)
This Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter has released a batch of EP's and singles, but this is her first full-length... and it was worth the wait. Written after a big breakup, it is packed with emotional turmoil and turbulent feelings. The resulting soft-edged, introspective, indie rock is superb... as is the production by Lutalo Jones.
Key tracks: “Lemon Garland” “Sickness” “Alley Cat” “Pond”
Prewn
System (Exploding In Sound)
Prewn is Northampton, MA-based singer-songwriter Izzy Hagerup, and System is her second album. Gritty and melodic, I liked it at first listen. If you like rawness, experimentalism, and vibe, you'll probably like it too.
Key tracks: “System” “Cavity”
Retail Drugs
Reckless Driving (Angel Tapes)
Again, outstanding vibe from this Brooklyn-based band and its frontman Jacob Brooks. Grungy, lo-fi, and raw, the albums has a vibe of hitting "record" on a tape machine and playing... probably because that's exactly what this band did. I get off on realness.
Key tracks: “manny” “little dog” “just the thing” “Anti-Lonely”
Sex Week
Upper Mezzanine (Grand Jury Music)
I like Sex Week, another Brooklyn-based band. I like their atmospheric indie rock sound. I like the melancholy mixed with warmth and emotional depth. This EP is the second for art pop duo Richard Orofino and Pearl Dickson after last year's self-titled collection, and I'll be on the lookout for more as it comes.
Key tracks: “Coat” “Coach” “Lone Wolf” “Moneyman”
SLEEP CLUB
(Self Released)
Ahhhh... grungy shoegaze puts me in my element. Sleep Club is the solo project of Boulder, CO-based Matt Jones of The High Lines, and while he's put out a batch of great singles this year, they don't seem to have as yet coalesced into an album. That's fine; a rose by any other name smells as sweet. This is good shit. Matt claims that recording music is his answer to horrible insomnia. I wish him well in getting better rest, even if it means missing out on these cool tunes.
Key tracks: “When I Close My Eyes” “Skyline” “People On TV” “Take These Hands, Show Me How To Feel” “Bellows” "The Water Runs Cold”
Spill Tab
ANGIE (Because Music)
I've been a fan of Spill Tab — aka singer-songwriter Claire Chicha — for quite some time based on previous singles and multiple EPs. This is her first full-length, and it runs the gamut from noisy lo-fi to swampy psych-pop, and it's both interesting and inherently listenable to the point that I didn't feel the slightest bt bad about adding her to this list.
Key tracks: “Angie” “Assis”
Teethe
Magic Of The Sale (Winspear)
I'm a slowcore guy, at least when I'm in a certain mood. And that mood goes back to bands like Low, Codeine, Red House Painters, Duster, and many others. So I have a background for Teethe, the Texas-based band who put out their excellent second album in 2025. Of note: some of the guests on this album include Xandy Chelmis of Wednesday and Charlie Martin of Hovvdy. I was pleasantly surprised to find this out well after I'd started in as a Teethe fan. It meant I liked them without the awareness of these other fine artists' involvement.
Key tracks: “Hate Goodbyes” “Holy Water”
Terraplana
natural (Balaclava Records)
Hailing from Curitiba, Brazil — making them one of the few non-US based entry on my list this year — Terraplana is killer indie rock and shoegaze with a mix of lo-fi. This album is packed with great sonic textures and the outstanding vibe of bassist/vocalist Stephani Heuczuk. I have yet to hear anything from them that I don't like, and I'm a picky fucker.
Key tracks: "charlie” “hear a whisper (feat. Winter)” “amanhecer”
They Are Gutting A Body Of Water
LOTTO (ATO Records)
Holy fuck, I absolutely love this Philadelphia-based shoegaze band. And I'm sorry to say that I slept on them for their three previous albums since their debut in 2017. I plan to rectify that with some retroactive backwards discography experiences soon enough. LOTTO offers dense and raw layers of guitar and bass betwixt sections of quiet-loud-quiet, and TAGABOW — which started as the solo project of vocalist/guitarist Doug Dulgarian before blossoming into a full four piece — is everything I like in the world of alternative sounds.
Key tracks: “american food” “trainers”
Triathalon
Funeral Music (Lex Records)
I've liked this New York-based lo-fi shoegaze band for a good while. I liked their previous outing (2022's Spin), and I'm happy to say I like this one as well. Is it dark? Yes. Is it vibey and fuzzed-out? Yes and yes. If you want some atmosphere as your soundtrack for insightful moments or late-night drives, you could do a lot worse than Funeral Music.
Key tracks: “RIP” “Chevy” “Salt”
Twen
Fate Euphoric (Self Released)
Who the fuck is Twen? It took a little bit of searching to learn more about this Nashville-based duo, but I will tell you that it took me roughly 0.3 seconds to decide that "Godlike" was going to be one of my favorite songs of the year. I hear a lot of genre and era crossing in these songs, ranging from '60s garage rock to '80s college radio to '00s alt-pop. Catchy, fun, energetic, at times hooky as fuck, I really enjoy these people.
Key tracks: “Godlike” “Tumbleweed” “The Center”
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
CURSE (Jagjaguwar)
Of all the bands on this year's list, I am most intimately acquainted with UMO. I got into this Portland-based band led by frontman/guitarist Ruban Nielson all the way back to the self-titled debut in 2011, and have seen them at such diverse locations as the Troubadour and at Payy & Harriet's. CURSE is an EP that's the first release of new songs from Unknown Mortal Orchestra since their very impressive album V in 2023, and I truly enjoyed the new outing's theme that reflects the cursed times in which we live, with song titles pulled from Italian horror films of the 1970s and 1980s.
Key tracks: “BOYS WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WOLVES” “ONE HUNDRED BATS”
Wishy
Planet Popstar (Winspear)
I enjoyed last year's full-length from Wishy, an Indianapolis-based dream pop/shoegaze/indie rock band, and their new EP Planet Popstar lives up to its name with a bright and upbeat vibe. Normally I'm into more melancholic music that occasionally makes me want to jump off a bridge, but Wishy's new stuff is more of an optimistic shot of '90s/'00s alt rock from a more innocent time.
Key tracks: “Fly” “Over and Over”
Wombo
Danger in Fives (Fire Talk)
I truly enjoy this quirky little Louisville-based trio. Call it whatever you want... art-pop, post-punk, psych rock, it doesn't really matter. I love the tightness and urgency of the songwriting and production. I love Sydney Chadwick's voice, and her bass playing too. Danger in Fives is a collection of bangers without a mediocre song on it. Well done.
Key tracks: “Danger in Fives” “Neon Bug” “Common Things” “Garden Spies” “S.T. Tilted”
Worthitpurchase
Worthitpurchase (Self Released)
This was a new discovery for me in 2025. Based here in the LA area, Worthitpurchase is a dup who does experimental electro-pop that is somehow still organic. The album is extraordinarily well produced for an alleged lo-fi project, which is no surprise; Nicole Rowe and Omar Akrouche were both staff engineers at Tiny Telephone, where (like many of us in the world of music production and audio engineering) worked on their own music in between projects for other artists.
Key tracks: “Something New” “Sideways” “Lakeshore”
Yeule
Evangelic Girl is a Gun (Ninja Tune Records)
I never know what to make of Yeule, the musical project of Singaporean songwriter and producer Nat Ćmiel. I don't love everything Yeule does, but it's always interesting as fuck. It's kinda pop (but not), it's sometimes trip-hop (but not really). I can say that this album kept surprising me, which is nice in a world of blandness and derivative sounds.
Key tracks: “Skullcrusher” “Evangelic Girl is a Gun” “Dudu” “The Girl Who Sold Her Face”
Honorable Mentions
“The Mauves” by Bistro Plate
“Long Gone” by Ford Chastain
“Summer Sweat” by Hannah Cohen
“Silver and Red” by Helena Deland
“Bigger Pieces” by Helena Deland
“Shining” by Mac Demarco
“Home” by Mac Demarco
“Asking” by Finnish Postcard
“Atom” by Finnish Postcard & Short Frenzy
“Cathode Ray” by Folk Bitch Trio
“Go on, move your body” by Jana Horn
“Julie” by Horsegirl
“Final Generations” by Raisa K
“Affectionately” by Raisa K
“777” by L.A. WITCH
“The Lines” by L.A. WITCH
“I Figured” by Lutalo
“Shadow Answers the Wall” by Lutalo
“Ostinato” by Masako Ohta, Matthias Lindermayr
“Open Sky” by The Ophelias
“Just Because” by Peaer
“Mind Loaded” by Blood Orange (ft. Caroline Polachek, Lorde, and Mustafa)
“The Train (King's Cross)” by Blood Orange ft. Caroline Polachek
“On The Beach” by Caroline Polachek
“Maelstrom” by Skullcrusher
“Stay” by Sea Lemon
“Blue Moon” by Sea Lemon
“These Days” by Small Forward
“I Only Feel Love When It's Missing” by Small Forward
“I Don't Want To Talk To You” by Snoozer
“What You Need” by Jay Som
“D.H.” by Jay Som
“catch these fists” by Wet Leg
“CPR” by Wet Leg
“Like Lovers Do” by Winter
“Existentialism” by Winter
“Speed Freak” by Youth Lagoon
“Seersucker” by Youth Lagoon
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