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[marinaandthenimons]

Marina’s Top 8 Albums of 2025

With the benefit of hindsight, it has become increasingly clear that 2024 was an all-timer year for music – hot new interesting pop stars, big defining moments for already famous acts, and a ton of really great music. Much like the year itself, pretty much everyone agrees that by comparison the music in 2025… sucks. And looking at the pop charts, it’s hard to disagree, but that only represents a tiny fraction of music that comes out a year. Look hard enough, and there’s always good stuff coming from somewhere. So, in my little corner of music land (indie rock/pop with a bit of adventuring into other genres) did I also think music this year was bad?

Uhh, yes? Kind of?

Okay, no, obviously there’s still good stuff out there, but overall, I definitely felt less connected to my favorite picks this year. Even when I found individual tracks I liked, whole albums tended to fall flat for me, artists I previously loved put out projects I didn’t enjoy as much as I expected to, and making this list was a lot harder this year than it was last year. But even so, there are still some albums I really loved, and I’d really love to talk about why! So, without further ado, my list of top 8 (+1) albums of 2025:

8. Middle Spoon – Cheekface

Geez, these guys don’t stop. On their third album in three years, heirs to the TMBG geek rock throne Cheekface unloads another batch of wiry, stressed-out indie rock for the late-twenties nerd in your life. If anything, this album might be even better than last year. The sonic variation is very welcome, although some genre experiments work better than others- Cheekface + ska on “Don’t Dream is a combination so perfect you wonder how they haven’t done it already, but Cheekface + hard rap on “Military Gum” is not my favorite, even if the guest verse from McKinley Dixon is pretty good. The lyrics that speak directly to my soul are still there too, especially on “Art House” and “Hard Mode”. So why was last year’s Cheekface album #2 while this one is #8? Part of that is that the repeated dial tone on “Wind Is Gone” is so annoying that I actively avoid the song, part of it is that I think the grooves on the last album were tighter, but mostly it’s that even with the style switch-ups I’ve started to notice that most good Cheekface songs are just about as good as any other good Cheekface song, meaning your favorite Cheekface album is bound to be the one you listened to first.

7. From The Pyre – The Last Dinner Party

This is a pretty good album, but a little bit of an indictment of 2025 that it’s on the list at all. Let me explain. The Last Dinner Party is back again, barely a year after their debut, with a sophomore album once again full of gothic theater kid indie rock. Last year’s album made my honorable mentions but not the main list. This one is… pretty much as good? Maybe? I still haven’t decided which of the two I like more, but one thing I know for sure is that this one had the better singles. “This is the Killer Speaking” is an upbeat bouncy number with an instantly catchy chorus (and the way they say “killer” reminds me of Wendy Williams which makes me giggle) and the soaring vocals on “The Scythe” could totally bring me to tears in the right headspace. There are also just a lot of great vocal flourishes in this one. The inflection on “Babe, you know it ain’t fair” in Second Best is probably my favorite 2 seconds of music in 2025. This is another case of the album tracks being a bit on the forgettable side, though. Another good album from TLDP, still waiting for the great album I know they have in them.

6. Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party – Hayley Williams

Indie rock royalty Hayley Williams is back to prove it really is good bein’ all alone. With a 20-song track list that clocks in at over an hour, this project is pretty dense and I’m still working through it so I can’t say for sure where I’ll land on all of the songs, but it only needed one song to make this list, and that song was “Good Old Days”. This laid-back sequel (did you know songs could have sequels?) to “Hard Times”, one of my favorite songs of all time, is packed with clever references to Hayley’s career and the music that inspires her, and the groove on it is just so good. I put my favorite tracks from this year into a playlist (see below) and this is the one I found myself singing along to. There are other highlights from the album, too. The crunchy vocal textures on “Ice in my OJ” catch my ear every time and “Parachute” is a great anthemic closer* (*until the last couple tracks were added). Some songs still haven’t made an impression on me yet, but the ones that have are excellent.

5. EURO-COUNTRY – CMAT

CMAT you will always be famous to me! And now it seems she’s suddenly famous to a bunch of other people too. CMAT’s musical style tends to swing between theatrical power ballads and jaunty acoustic guitar country numbers. Comparisons to Chappell Roan are overplayed, but if you liked “Guilty Pleasure” or “California” off of Midwest Princess, you’d probably love CMAT too. She may not be average-American famous yet (and she was already average-Irish famous) but her star has definitely risen this year, thanks to EURO-COUNTRY. This album definitely leans more into the power-ballad side of her range, with the title track and “Jamie Oliver Petrol Station” soaring to new heights of lush, layered production. Meanwhile, “Iceberg” provides a softer, more stripped back counterpoint and feels more in line with CMAT’s previous sad-girl country songs. But, as always, her greatest strength is that she’s really, really funny and songs like “Take a Sexy Picture of Me” and “Lord Let that Tesla Crash” are perfect vehicles to deliver her unique combination of wry, self-deprecating humor and heartrending emotion, wrapped in clever lyrics. I’m always happy to have more CMAT and I can’t wait to see where she goes next, but this album falls lower on this list because there are a few total throwaway songs (Truly, who is returning to “Ready”?) and I just don’t understand why this is the one that finally broke her through. It’s good! I just don’t find myself coming back anything on here as much as I did “Have Fun!” or “I Want to be a Cowboy, Baby.” Then again, it’s already growing on me. It started this list at #8 but another listen convinced me it deserved to be higher. And ultimately, I’m just excited to see her finally get the recognition she deserves.

4. Lovesick – The Happy Fits

Probably the pick I’m least proud of on this list. It’s not lost on me that over half of these albums are male-led indie rock bands and of those I think this is probably the least unique. But damn it, it’s also the most hype. Lovesick works best when it’s an explosion. “Everything You Do”, “Black Hole”, and “Wild in Love” make me want to start running and never stop. The production is catchy and fun and touches like the Broadway vamps on “Everything You Do” and the cello on “Black Hole” keep them interesting. Another standout for me, “Sarah’s Song” sounds like a song to close out a Muppet movie and I mean that as a compliment. Unfortunately, like any explosion, this one must fade out eventually, and the softer songs like “Wrong about Me” lose me somewhat, but when this album is at its peak it shines brighter than anything else this year.

3. viagr aboys – Viagra Boys

Sometimes all you want to do is listen to bad music by bad people, and Viagra Boys are proudly bad people. No one does sleazy punk rock better than the boys at shrimptech and on viagr aboys they’re back to deliver another dose of disgusting ooze. I picked a few favorite singles off the last two albums, but this is the first one since debut record Street Worms I’ve kept looping all the way through. There are still a few meh songs for me, but most are good to great. And you can’t beat these guys for originality. A song about being jealous of a bog mummy’s good looks? Never heard that one before. A track about going to the vet from the perspective of a dog? Yeah, it’s on here. “You N33d Me”, a love song about how a WWII history buff will complete you is the standout for me and includes the best lyrics of the year- “I can drink about 15 beers or maybe 25 // That depends on the can”. Ultimately, though, what puts this album above the last couple for me is that, for the first time, the boys strip back the act a little and put out some tracks with real feelings behind them. “Medicine for Horses” and “River King” are both lovely little ballads that manage to convey a surprising depth of emotion. Get you a dirtbag who can do both!

2. Boys These Days – Sports Team

This album won’t be your favorite of all time, it won’t change your life. But it may be the most fun you have listening to an album in 2025. I know it was for me. Like my #3 pick of last year- Yard Act, Sports Team are yet another British post-punk indie rock band tearing down the artifices of modern life. What these guys have that the others don’t is they’re not afraid to get incredibly cheesy. The saxophone on opening track “I’m in Love (Subaru)” sounds straight out of “Careless Whisper” and it makes me smile every time. “Bang Bang Bang” might not actually have anything deep to say about US gun culture, but it makes you feel like you’re shooting plastic bbs at a cardboard deer at the county fair and who doesn’t love that? But more than anything, I just love a catchy hook, and this album is packed with them. “Moving Together”, “Boys These Days”, and “Bonnie” haven’t left my head since this album came out in February. Don’t take it too seriously and you’ll have a great time.

1. Shish – Portugal. The Man

Arigato Shiiiiiiiiiish! I had already heard of Portugal. The man. You almost certainly have too. Remember “Feel it Still?” That toothless alt-rock earworm from 2017 that was absolutely inescapable for like 18 months? Yeah, those guys. Real indieheads will know Portugal. The man had a long, successful career as underground rockers before they broke into the mainstream, but pretty much no one expected anything else from them after “Feel it Still” wore out its welcome. I actually really liked that song and even I was pretty sick of it by the time it finally went out of circulation. So, imagine my surprise when they dropped lead single “Denali” and the opening guitar vamps sound straight out of a Metallica album (in the best way). The whole song is incredible, layering hooks on top of hooks and pulling it all together with lyrics that will stick in your head for weeks. And they didn’t slack off on the rest of the album either. Every song is complex and packed with ideas, running the gamut from incredible guitar shredding on “Knik” to the shimmery strings on “Tanana”. If you ever don’t like a bit, wait twenty seconds and another one will probably kick in. If anything, there’s an argument that it’s a little overstuffed and not all of it will work for everyone (“Pittman Ralliers” really isn’t for me, sorry), but in a year where full albums have bored me, this one keeps me engaged the whole way through and coming back for more.

+1 (Favorite album I listened to this year that didn't come out this year) SHINBANGUMI – Ginger Root

This is my favorite album of the year. Sorry 2025, you weren’t even the best at being 2025! SHINBANGUMI came out last year, but it wasn’t on my radar until I ran across a clip from one of the music videos halfway through this year. Since then, I’ve listened to Ginger Root’s entire back catalog, watched SHINBANGUMI The Movie five times, and been to three live shows. Ginger Root is the project of Cameron Lew, a guy you’ll most often see wearing either a grey business suit, or full anime girl cosplay, and his music sounds how you’d expect based on that description. It’s jazzy indie rock with strong Japanese city pop influences, both sonically and visually, it’s a little geeky, a little weeb-y, and so much fun. This is the album I’ve been looking for, the one I love all the way through, the one you can put on in the background and vibe out to or have front and center and dance along with. It’s fun, it’s fresh, it’s unique. The beat on “No Problems” and “Giddy Up” gets me moving every time, the grooves on “Kaze” and “There Was a Time” are immaculate. The rest of the Ginger Root catalog is great too, “Weather” and “Friends” have been particularly sticky in my brain these last few months. Ginger Root is going on hiatus for 2026, but I’ll be there when he come back, excited to hear what’s next!

Also, because it’s my list and I can do what I want, my honorable mention for this slot is No Name from Jack White. Best hard rock in years. Owned the first four months of my 2025.

And some Honorable Mentions:

Straight Line Was A Lie – The Beths: This was the hardest cut for me. The first half of the album is suuuuch good electric guitar rock with lyrics that speak directly to my soul. Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell you what the second half of album sounds like at all because it just does not stick in my head.

Getting Killed – Geese: Previous album 3D Country is my favorite album of the decade (so far) so believe me when I say I wanted to love this one. And y’all, I just do not get it. Feels utterly devoid of hooks and while I can appreciate that lead singer Cameron Winter has found a unique and special vocal style that seems to be working for him, I just really need him to remember he can sing more than one pitch per song. But if you’re at all interested in the “state” of indie rock this is essential listening.

The Crux – Djo: If the kid from Stranger Things wants to keep making pastiches of his favorite rock stars of yesteryear for the rest of his career, I’ll keep listening. But throwbacks only ever get you so far.

New Threats From The Soul – Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band: This is a new album for me and I’m still working through it, but I think it’ll grow on me. Strong contender for my country pick of the year. Why are the songs so damn long, though?

A Matter of Time – Laufey: If you already like Laufey, this is more Laufey. If you don’t, this may not have much to offer you. The closer is crazy good.

The Human Fear – Franz Ferdinand: I’m a pretty big FF fan and this was alright! Won’t rearrange my favorites list or anything but worth putting on.

For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) – Japanese Breakfast: Kinda forgettable tbh but gets points for being my favorite concert I went to this year. Going back, it’s some lovely minor key indie rock with truly gorgeous strings, but, yeah, still doesn’t really stick.

All the Magdalena Bay double singles: One of the best bands from last year also makes some of the best music from this year! If this were an album, it would definitely make the list. Absolute essential listening if you love dreamy psychedelic pop. PLEASE Matt and Mica, I am BEGGING you to put these all on one CD release!

HERE’S the playlist with my top picks of the year. If you’re on Spotify, you can listen to the list HERE.

[marinaandthenimons]

Marina's Top 8 Albums of 2024

I listened to a ton of new music this year and I want to talk about it! So I wrote up a self-indulgent, comically long-winded list of my top 8 (+1) new albums I listened to this year. Check it out!

8. One Hand Clapping - Paul McCartney and Wings

The specific position of One Hand Clapping on this list has more to do with the fact that I'm not sure it really "counts" or not. One Hand Clapping was technically released for the first time this year but it was actually recorded in 1974, around the height of Paul McCartney's career as a solo artist (imo) and the peak of Wings' popularity. I've been on the verge of a Paul McCartney phase for a while now and this album was the perfect entry point to his discography. These are live in-studio recordings of classic McCartney, Wings, and even a few Beatles tracks but not like you've heard them before. The recordings are fresh and vital, dynamic and brimming with personality. You feel like the musicians are right there in the room with you, which depending on the track feels like Paul sitting next to you strumming a guitar or like a full orchestra playing right in your ear. I can't recommend it enough, even if you've never listened to McCartney's solo work. The energy is infectious!

7. The Long Way - Nicolette and the Nobodies

It might be recency bias that put this pick on the list, I did only start listening to it this week (after seeing it on music publication Exclaim's top 50 albums list). But I usually know if I'm going to like a new album in the first listen and I was locked into this one from the first few seconds. I don't listen to a whole ton of country but when I do, my favorite style is what I would (possibly erroneously) call "honky-tonk". This year The Long Way is the album that scratched that itch. From the first slamming piano chords on opener "Better Days" to the swinging chorus on "Rodeo" to the comfortably meandering title track "The Long Way" this album grabbed my attention, held it the entire (long) way and left me wishing I knew how to line dance. Of the artists on this list, Nicolette and the Nobodies seem to have been least successful in finding their audience so far (only 800 monthly listeners on spotify at time of writing?? a crime) but I really hope they stick with it. They've got something special here and I'd love to hear more from them.

6. Where We've Been, Where We Go From Here - Friko

My favorite album of 2023 was 3D Country by Geese, partly because it sounded like the future of rock music- at once familiar and new, packed with creative hooks and instantly addictive. Where We've Been, Where We Go from Here by Friko isn't quite there yet but it's definitely thinking some of the same thoughts. These kids are just starting out but they've already got a great sense for a memorable musical line. I love the way lyrics from the opening track fade back in at the end of the penultimate track, tying the album into a cohesive whole. I admire the singer's faith in his ability to hold the audience's attention with the stripped-back acoustic "For Ella". And the chorus on "Get Numb to it" just rips. Of all the indie rock I listened to this year, this is the album that stuck. I look forward to hearing where they go from here.

5. The Moon is in the Wrong Place - Shannon and the Clams

The Moon is in the Wrong Place is about grief. Very specifically, it's about grieving the lead singer's fiancé, who died very suddenly shortly before their wedding. This is not a secret, it's actually printed on a hype sticker affixed to the physical releases of the album (a little weird but okay), but the first time I listened to the album I did not know about this background. Without the context I thought the album was okay but a little disjointed and confusing. With the context, however, it transforms into a tragic spiral of foreboding to regret to cerebration to despair to remembrance. The track list jumps between songs set before and after the loss, mirroring the non-linear process of grief itself, gradually all melting together until we land at acceptance. And through it all Shannon still manages to deliver captivating songs in her signature fuzzy psychedelic garage rock style. It's beautiful, enchanting, cathartic, and definitely worth a listen.

4. Imaginal Disk - Magdalena Bay

When Brat came out this year I thought it was super overrated and my opinion hasn't really improved since then. I chalked it up to me not really being into pop as genre. So my first impression of listening to Imaginal Disk was that it was just another pop album I wasn't going to get. But then near the end of the track list I started getting sucked into the rich, layered production and decided it was probably worth another listen. And then another listen. And then another. And somewhere along the way it became one of my top albums of the year. It's a hazy, cosmic, extraterrestrial party packed with synths and some of the best dance beats of the year. Is it even possible to stay still on the drop on "That's My Floor" or the bang-bangs in "The Ballad of Matt and Mica"? It's a musically complex album that rewards multiple listens while also just being a whole lot of fun.

3. Where's My Utopia? - Yard Act

I think "Dream Job" might just be a perfect song. Sure, music is subjective, but there are some songs almost everyone agrees are all-timers. Mr. Brightside, Sweet Caroline, and now... Dream Job (why yes, I am white. How could you tell?). It's funky, it's smart, it's an undeniably crowd-pleaser. I don't think there's anyone I wouldn't recommend it to. I'm not sure I'd say that for the rest of Yard Act's Where's My Utopia, but the sheer number of times I listed to this album alone earns it a place on this list. Yard Act's mixed media approach to music, reminiscent of The Gorillaz, delivered with a smarmy attitude which evokes post-punk contemporaries like Viagra Boys, works better on some tracks than others. I love the way they pile hooks on top of hooks in songs like "The Undertow" but find it a bit overwhelming on tracks like "Grifter's Grief". I also really love album closer "Vineyard for the North", which proves that Yard Act stripped of all their tricks and bits can still write a great song. Of all my picks on this list, I think this album is the least consistent but god damn those highs are so so high.

2. It's Sorted - Cheekface

Comparisons to other heady nerd rock bands like They Might Be Giants and Cake are inevitable... and warranted. I saw someone describe Cheekface as a band made entirely of twitter drafts (but like, back when twitter was fun not twitter now) and that is also pretty accurate. But what you might miss from these comparisons alone is that grooves on It's Sorted also totally rip ass! Yes, "Grad School" and "Life in a Bag" feel like they're staring directly into my soul but they're also fantastic jams you can't help but sing and dance along to. I wore out every track on this album, and also the album that preceded it. Cheekface has a new fan.

1. All Hell - Los Campesinos!

Okay, okay. If you know anything about my music preferences, this pick might seem like kind of a cop-out. Obviously a new album (the first in 7 years!) from my favorite active band was going to place highly on this list, but I swear I was fully prepared to give this record a middle spot if I wasn't totally in love with it. Unfortunately, it really is just that good! Los Camp! are still very much themselves on All Hell. Every song is packed with their nervous energy and lead singer Gareth's wordy lyrics continue to lament adventures in love, politics, football, and vomiting. There's a lot for long-time fans to appreciate, but I also thing this might be one of their most accessible albums to date. You don't have to be a groupie to vibe to the opening guitar rift on "Holy Smoke (2005)" or the sugar-sweet lyrics to the chorus of "Moonstruck" (I have not been able to look at a full moon since this album came out without thinking "I am moooooonstruck/ it's a welcome fate"). And one reason I love about Los Camp! is that they are so good at evolving their sound in a way that feels organic. Each subsequent new album has introduced interesting new musical ideas while still making something that fells like it slots into the rest of their discography. All Hell continues this trend, and never more so than on "Long Throes", a sweeping orchestral scream of frustration at the state of modern (British) society and my #1 song of the year. The way the song loops and dips is utterly unique in Los Camp! discography and instantly demands you sing along. All Hell is everything I wanted from a new Los Camp! album and more. You can catch me at every single LA gig they are willing to play from now until one of us dies. LC!4LYF!!!

Btw, best lyrics of the year for me are from "Holy Smoke (2005)" - "Don't get me wrong I love my friends' kids, sure they'll grow to be good leftists Bet they'll make their parents proud and make the best of what they're left with But they don't buy the beers I drink, and they don't drink the beers I buy No children and no profession, walking dead at 37"

+1 Secret to Life - Fizz

One more! I wanted to give a shout out to my favorite album of this year that didn't come out this year. Secret to Life by Fizz came out in 2023 but somehow I completely overlooked it. I'm so glad I got ot rectify that mistake in 2024! If I were to make a band with my friends, Secret to Life is the kind of music I see us making. It's a little all over the place: sometimes a little goofy, sometimes heartrendingly earnest, sometimes just the right amount of sleazy, but always a lot of fun. This is a band made up of people who clearly just love creating music together... and also are obviously in their mid twenties. They're just like me fr. Fizz has already broken up to return to solo projects but I hope they find their way back together again someday.

Aaaand some honorable mentions:

Prelude to Ecstasy - The Last Dinner Party: Another great debut! Lots of dark academia riot grrl goodness. Looking forward to hearing more from them.

I Saw the TV Glow Soundtrack: Would have made the list if Imaginal Disk didn't also do everything I loved about this album while also having some of the best dance tracks of the year.

As it Ever Was, So it Will Be Again - The Decemberists: An epic, sprawling masterpiece that somehow manages to weave together folk, prog, samba, and indie rock into a fairly cohesive album. I liked it when it came out, but after the election it was pretty much the only thing I wanted to listen to for like a week. If you liked The Crane Wife but haven't checked out much else from The Decemberists, this one will probably work for you too.

Mountainhead - Everything Everything: I reaaaally wanted to love this one, but after about half a dozen plays, I had to admit it just wasn't that interesting to me. The singles and opening track are still bangers though.

GLOOM DIVISION - I Don't Know How But They Found Me: IDKHow is one of my favorite bands of the last few years so I thought this would be an automatic add to the list. I honestly can't tell you why it isn't. The songs are pretty good, I loved seeing them in concert, and yet I just don't really seem to come back to it. Still, if you like early P!atd and you haven't checked out IDKHow yet, you should! It's good.

Big Ideas - Remi Wolf: Didn't love enough of this record for it to make the main list, but it's still the best funk album I listened to this year. "Toro" is an all-timer.

The Past is Still Alive - Hurray for the Riff Raff: Folksy indie americana rock seems to be catnip for music critics. Most music publications' year end lists were packed with Waxahatchee and Adrianne Lenker and Kacey Musgraves and I found them all extremely boring. I think I need to admit this type of music is just not something I enjoy. This one did kind of work for me, though. Hurray for the Riff Raff actually infuses some energy into their songs and in a genre so focused on the micro I find their willingness to zoom out and talk about things outside of their immediate emotional state refreshing. Cool name, too.

And if you somehow made it to the end of this ridiculously long post (I love you) and want to check out any of the albums I mentioned, I put together a spotify playlist of my fave songs from each record, plus a few extra great tracks from this year. Check it out!

Let me know if you loved any of these albums or have any favorites from this year you'd like to share! I love discovering new music, and I guess technically there's still time for this list to change :D

Thanks for reading!