It has grown increasingly difficult to make sense of the world. Sometimes I wonder what the point is of making lists of favorite albums when shit is getting crazier and crazier, but maybe it's just a coping mechanism. At the very least, listening to music can take your mind off everything for a little while.
I'm in the 13th year of doing my radio show Stuck In Thee Garage for BFF.fm, something I put a decent amount of time into preparing each week. All the artists mentioned here were highlighted on the show throughout the year.
And without further ado, here are my top 15 albums of 2025:
15. The Hives - The Hives Forever Forever the Hives: The Hives do one thing and they do it well: Play undeniably catchy garage rock anthems. The Swedish lunatics returned with a relentlessly fun and triumphant collection of smartass rock rippers. Co-produced by Mike D of the Beastie Boys, the album is more of what you’d expect from the Hives. Take frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist’s first line in album opener “Enough is Enough”: “Everyone’s a little fuckin’ bitch/And I’m gettin’ sick and tired of it.” The video shows Almqvist as a boxer, first knocking out his opponent, then the referee and assorted audience members. One of the great live bands going, the Hives are still kicking ass and throwing haymakers. Choice kutz: Enough is Enough, Paint a Picture, Legalize Living.
14. Turnstile - Never Enough: After breaking through to the rock mainstream with their third album, 2021’s Glow On, Baltimore act Turnstile continues to expand their sound. They started off as a hardcore act, but have increasingly incorporated elements of alt-rock, pop and funk into their sound, and as a result, some early fans are ripping them as sellouts. That's dumb. On Never Enough, the band continues that evolution, working in flourishes like flute solos and lighter, airy sounds like on “I Care,” which sounds like a modern-day version of The Police. But Turnstile, which recorded this album as a foursome after the departure of guitarist Brady Ebert (later replaced by Meg Mills), never forgets the slamming riffs that they’re known for. Singer Brendan Yates maneuvers through the lighter and heavier material with aplomb, while drummer Daniel Fang can go from jackhammer precision to more economic, Stewart Copeland-esque fills with ease. Choice kutz: I Care, Dreaming, Birds, Dull.
13. Dax Riggs - 7 Songs for Spiders: Dax Riggs got his start in the sludge metal act Acid Bath in the 90s, then later played with Agents of Oblivion and Deadboy & the Elephantmen. I heard a little of the latter on Henry Rollins’ radio show about 15 years ago but haven’t been aware of Riggs’ work for the last decade plus. Until earlier this year, when Rollins began playing songs from this album and I was hooked. Deep swamp rock grooves and gothic themes as Riggs sings fuzz-laden laments about god and the devil and whatever’s in between. It’s captivating stuff. Choice kutz: Sunshine Felt the Darkness Smile, Deceiver, Graveyard Soul.
12. The Convenience - Like Cartoon Vampires: On the New Orleans duo’s second album, they went in a completely different direction. The first Convenience effort was in more of a funk/disco vein, but this one goes right for the post-punk with songs that echo the Fall and Spoon, as well as Britpop and VU. Influences are one thing, but Nick Corson and Duncan Troast are able to take them and create compelling new sounds. "I Got Exactly What I Wanted" would not be out of place on the next Spoon release, but the 10-minute album closer "Fake the Feeling" takes things to an entirely different and interesting place. Extremely listenable and rewarding. Choice kutz: I Got Exactly What I Wanted, Dub Vultures, Western Pepsi Cola Town.
11. Jeff Tweedy - Twilight Override: Tweedy has gotten extremely prolific in the last 20 years, between regular Wilco releases, work with the Minus Five, various collaborations and his own solo work. He’s sort of a somewhat less productive Bob Pollard; nobody can keep up with that guy’s output, but there’s definitely a lot of Tweedy material to wade through and it’s pretty much uniformly good to great. You kind of take for granted what you’re going to get, but on this triple album, he delivers 30 songs, nearly 2 hours of music, and it really struck me as exceptional from the first listen. It’s a wide-ranging collection of all the genres he dabbles in: alt-country, roots rock, post-punk, ballads, a little bit of skronk. Put it on if you’ve got a long drive or a lot of work to do and you won’t be disappointed. Choice kutz: Lou Reed Was My Babysitter, Forever Never Ends, Betrayed.
10. Tunde Adebimpe - Thee Black Boltz: TV On the Radio toured again but didn't release any new material. The same can’t be said for the band’s frontman Tunde Adebimpe, who rolled out his debut solo album after a long period of musical inactivity. His elastic voice carries this sharp collection of diverse tracks that span everything from electro bangers to fizzy pop confections to slow jams. The dark genius of his TVOTR compatriot Dave Sitek is missed, but Adebimpe and his current collaborators keep things interesting. Choice kutz: Magnetic, God Knows, Pinstack.
9. The Men - Buyer Beware: NYC’s The Men have explored many sounds and approaches over the last 17 years and I fully admit that I lost track of them for a while there. I stumbled upon their latest (their 15th!) release last spring and was blown away by the energy and rawness. Clearly nodding to their early influences, the band lets it rip with odes to Fun House-era Stooges, Motorhead, psych folk, garage rock and more. It’s a lot of fun and might be the album I’ve listened to the most this year. Choice kutz: Tombstone, Pony, Black Heart Blue.
8. Bob Mould - Here We Go Crazy: Mould’s 15th solo album and first since 2020’s pissed-off Blue Hearts, Here We Go Crazy finds the elder statesman of punk mixing and matching angry bangers with more reflective, shimmering tunes. Backed once again by the killer rhythm section of Jon Wurster and Jason Narducy, Mould is able to shift gears from song to song, lashing out at injustice while also pondering his current existence. There’s plenty to be outraged about these days, but Mould doesn’t get overly caught up in that mood. Choice kutz: Here We Go Crazy, Neanderthal, When Your Heart is Broken, Fur Mink Augurs.
7. Mclusky - The World is Still Here and So Are We: The first new album in 21 years from the Welsh trio is appropriately sarcastic and pummeling, same as it ever was. Andy “Falco” Falkous and his compatriots played Cambridge in 2024 and gave us a preview of the forthcoming album, but the full release really delivered on that promise. There’s no sentimentality here as Falco goes after various social and political targets: Corporate fatcats, the British media, the genocide in Palestine, social media gadflies. Refreshingly angry. The band is returning to Boston in April and Falco's always writing, so maybe new material will be presented then. Choice kutz: The Digger You Deep, People Person, Cops and Coppers.
6. Wednesday - Bleeds: Wednesday is the handiwork of singer Karly Hartzman and has been around since 2017, but the Asheville, NC, act has gotten more attention of late thanks to guitarist MJ Lenderman, whose solo career suddenly blew up in 2024. Complicating things was the fact that Hartzman and Lenderman were a couple for six years until their breakup in March ‘24. Earlier this year, Lenderman said he was stepping away from touring with the band, although he plays on the latest album Bleeds and plans to continue to record with the group. All that said, this is Hartzman’s show and it’s an impressive combination of alt-country, shoegaze, punk rippers and bluegrass. She’s a great storyteller, singing about characters who get in bar brawls, get addicted to sinus medicine and go on killing sprees. It’s also tempting to try and figure out which songs are about Lenderman (possibly “Elderberry Wine”?). Whatever the case, it’s an exhilarating and very diverse collection of songs. Choice kutz: Townies, Wound Up Here (By Holdin On), Pick Up That Knife, Bitter Everyday.
5. Shame - Cutthroat: Shame has been bringing the post-punk for over a decade now and the quality level has been high all along. On their fourth album, the South London act reverted to the more energetic sound of their earlier releases, as evidenced by the opening title track, which just grabs you by the throat as singer Charlie Steen sings, “Motherfucker, I was born to die.” They definitely sound like they absorbed some of the swagger of their tourmates Viagra Boys. That said, Shame mix things up with songs like “Quiet Life” and “Lampiao,” about a Brazilian bandit from the early 1900s. Choice kutz: “Cutthroat,” “Nothing Better,” “After Party.”
4. Hallelujah the Hills - DECK: Super ambitious passion project from Ryan Walsh that paid off in a big way for the fans. Crowdfunded via Patreon, the project was several years in the making and spans four albums (one for each suit in a standard playing card deck) and 52 songs (one for each card in a standard deck). We were able to follow along as new songs were debuted, but experiencing the full DECK in its entirety was something else entirely. All killer, no filler. Chock full of great songs and cameos from the likes of Ezra Furman, Sadie Dupuis, Clint Conley, Craig Finn, Patrick Stickles, Cassie Berman and more. I was lucky enough to see the album release show at Deep Cuts in Medford; it was inspiring and impressive. Choice kutz: Rebuilding Year, Crush All Night, I Do My Own Stunts, Here Goes Nothing.
3. PUP - Who Will Look After the Dogs?: Toronto pop-punk stalwarts display maturity on their fifth release, no longer singing about drinking and driving but tackling adult issues like depression and relationship trauma. There’s still some of the rippers we know and love, but the band also shows some restraint while losing none of their emotional power. One of these days I will finally see them live. Over a decade into the career, PUP is just getting better. Choice kutz: Paranoid, Hallways, Get Dumber, Olive Garden.
2. Sloan - Based on the Best Seller: Sloan has been a going concern since 1991 and unlike many acts who reach that stage of their career, they’re still bringing the heat. On their 14th album, the Toronto-based (by way of Halifax) group delivers a diverse collection of styles courtesy of their four singer-songwriters: Punny Beatlesesque pop rock from bassist Chris Murphy, hard rock swagger from lead guitarist Patrick Pentland, uber-catchy power pop ditties from guitarist Jay Ferguson and psych-rock weirdness from drummer-guitarist Andrew Scott. The quartet isn’t touring the U.S. this time around thanks to the current political situation down here–Scott’s ripper “No Damn Fears” includes the verse “Blind rage with a side of smiling/The people treated like flies/ICE raids and the death flag flying/We should be tearing them down”--which is about as political as Sloan has ever gotten. But they are touring across their homeland right now and sounding as good as ever. It helps that they’re not dependent on one or two songwriters to keep delivering the good stuff; they’ve got four battling for space on every album (which is why they did the double album Commonwealth in 2014 on which each member had a side of their songs). They keep kicking ass, so what’s not to like? Choice kutz: “No Damn Fears,” “Dream Destroyer,” “Live Forever,” “Capitol Cooler.”
1. Geese - Getting Killed: The Brooklyn quartet broke through in a big way with their third album of off-kilter, chaotic bangers. Led by enigmatic frontman Cameron Winter, the band embraces its weirdness in a cool and exciting way. I was hesitant to make Getting Killed my top pick because they’ve been embraced by the hipsters, but there’s no denying the greatness of this album. Winter released a solo album, Heavy Metal, a year ago, which sort of set the stage for this release. Geese has the ability to sound tight, ramshackle and then tight again all within the same song. Winter’s vocals can be an acquired taste–sometimes he can sound like the late Karl Wallinger of World Party and others like an injured wolf–but he’s unpredictable and compelling. One minute he’s screaming “There’s a bomb in my car!” on “Trinidad,” the next he’s crooning “I should burn in hell/But I don’t deserve this” on “Taxes.” Just an endlessly interesting album. Choice kutz: “Trinidad,” “Taxes,” “Husbands.”
Honorable mentions
Snocaps - Snocaps
Viagra Boys - Viagr Aboys
Pulp - More
Car Seat Headrest - The Scholars
Charm School - Debt Forever
Horsegirl - Phonetics On and On
Superchunk - Songs in the Key of Yikes
Wet Leg - Moisturizer
Water From Your Eyes - It’s a Beautiful Place
This is Lorelei - Holo Boy
Black Helicopter - Balancing Act
(T-T)b - Beautiful Extension Cord
Osees - Abomination Revealed at Last
Pile - Sunshine and Balance Beams
Absolute Losers - In the Crowd
The Beths - Straight Line Was a Lie
Bass Drum of Death - Six
Tony Molina - On This Day
Guerilla Toss - You’re Weird Now
Sharp Pins - Balloon Balloon Balloon
The Telephone Numbers - Scarecrow II
They Are Gutting a Body of Water - Lotto
Militarie Gun - God Save the Gun
Snooper - Worldwide
Kestrels - Better Wonder
Lifeguard - Ripped and Torn
Hotline TNT - Raspberry Moon
The Tubs - Cotton Crown
The Bug Club - Very Human Features
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - Carpe Diem, Moonman
Destroyer - Dan’s Boogie
Escape-ism - Charge of the Love Brigade
Dean Wareham - That’s the Price of Loving Me
FACS - Wish Defense
Patterson Hood - Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams
Kinski - Stumbledown Terrace
Hunger Anthem - Lift
CIVIC - Chrome Dipped
SAVAK - Squawk!
Ty Segall - Possession
Frankie and the Witch Fingers - Trash Classic
Stereolab - Instant Holograms on Metal Film
Thalia Zedek Band - The Boat Outside Your Window
TVOD - Party Time
Momma - Welcome to My Blue Sky
Preoccupations - Ill at Ease
Lunchbox - Evolver (2025 Vinyl Edition)
Cameron Keiber - Nurser
Throwing Muses - Moonlight Concessions
Cameron Winter - Heavy Metal (came out in late 2024)
Box sets/reissues:
Husker Du - 1985: The Perfect Year
The Replacements - Let It Be
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