favorite music of 2025

really good year for music. going to list off the projects that stuck with me here in roughly ascending order:

psykotic by OsamaSon:
not the most consistent collection, but the sheer insanity of some of the beats on display here deserves mentioning.

K1 by kmoe:
a really solid debut from kmoe, i find myself wishing for more variety from the project, but it's a tight, well-produced 10 songs with compelling vocal performances, excited to see what they do next.

SISTER by Frost Children:
an excellent dance record from the sibling duo. great builds and drops, but i think the softer moments here are also really successful and touching, the title track is really beautiful. stoked i caught this live!

Love Is a Dog From Hell by forty winks:
had the privilege of being in the sweaty Pittsburgh basement this EP was debuted in (RIP hammerhouse). really fun squealy distorted guitars and shoegazey walls of sound with some lovely vocals.

Apiary by gingerbee:
really unique and interesting pallete of sounds here. a very specific concoction of pretty, almost idyllic instrumentals with chiptune elements and screamo vocals. can't wait to see them with a 17-piece orchestra in March.

Warbrained by quannnic:
a strong improvement over their last record, which i enjoyed, but this specific blend of shoegaze, emo and grunge sounds feels much more inspired and memorable. loving the disonnance and increased vocal range here.

Stardust by Danny Brown:
a stacked roster of hyperpop darling producers and a newly sober Danny Brown. "The End" might be one of the best moments of his career. caught this tour in Chicago.

I Love My Computer by Ninajirachi:
a love letter to the computer as an instrument. really captures the feeling of growing up online and discovering electronic music. catchy, touching, and danceable. glad this record got so much attention this year.

Getting Killed by Geese:
Cameron is a great lyricist, and that voice is one-of-a-kind, but i'm most taken by the instrumental work here. the drumming and bass playing is just really really stellar, moments like the cacophony of "Trinidad" and the blissful crescendo of "Taxes" are moved along with a very deft hand.

Indie rock by Jane Remover:
leave it to Jane Remover to drop one of the best rage mixtapes of the year and delete it within an hour. their production knows no equal in my eyes. "Lucky strike" is something else.

Hornet Disaster by Weatherday:
fantastically crunchy, noisy emo on display here. a real exercise in embracing imperfection. everything sounds like it was recorded with a webcam mic and the vocals are rarely even trying to stay on key, and it's great.

choke enough by Oklou:
subtlety is the name of the game with this one. sparse, ghostly, often drumless instrumentals accompanied by super evocative and beautiful vocals. enchanting.

Ghostholding by venturing:
dreamy lo-fi indie rock. almost slacker rock at times. the lyrics and tunes here along with Jane's significantly broader vocal range compared to Census Designated create this very singular melancholy atmosphere that just hits me right in the feels. i even like the controversional syncopated drum beat on "No sleep".

♡ by Jane Remover:
if we aren't ever getting the 18-track pop album, this is a pretty stellar consolation prize. the two properly "new" tracks are great, incorporating some Jersey Club DNA. the updated versions of "Magic I Want U" and "How To Teleport" are also fantastic. the new verse on the latter is such an earworm. just a really addictive, snappy EP with sweet, personal lyrics. six tracks of glitchy, dreamy bliss.

Unmusique by Lucy Bedroque:
i've been repping Lucy for quite a while now, and i'm so impressed with this tape. he just slides on these super distorted and wild beats with a great and distinctive delivery. filled with great sticky flows and refrains that lodged themselves in my brain sometime back in May and have yet to let go. slower moments like "Cat's Eye" and "Yes, You May" are just as good, too.

Revengeseekerz by Jane Remover:
without a doubt, my album of the year. i could write a whole dissertation on this album, but i'll try to keep it reasonable. everything about this project is such a full circle moment. it feels like every project from all their aliases violently crashing into each other. there's this full-throated reclamation of a sound they once sought to distance themselves from, but it's still so new and exciting. their command over these unruly maximalist mixes is endlessly impressive, and their pop sensibilites manage to shine through with just how catchy everything is while being no less abrasive and insane for it. if anything was a 10/10 for me this year, it's this.

-12/27/25