The Best Albums of 2025, So Far

Celebrate New Bands for Old Heads' one year anniversary with my most listened to albums of the first half of 2025. Also: giveaways and listening parties return!

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I started this newsletter almost exactly one year ago today.

The first thing I told you in my second ever post was just how much top ten lists — or any best of lists, really — stress me the fuck out. Great timing, since the midpoint of the year is when everyone is bursting at the seams to shove their ranked lists down your throat.

My stance hasn’t changed in the last year, but my approach to today’s list (such as it is) has. Just a touch.

This isn’t so much a “best of 2025” list as it is a “records I listened to the most in 2025” list.

I never recommend anything that I don’t genuinely love, but I usually focus much more on what I think you will like¹, rather than what I’m actually spinning the most often.

Have I earned the right to make a “subjective” recommendation list? Unclear.

Are all lists subjective anyway? Yeah, of course.

But I really felt like being a bit more true to my actual listening habits this time around, which means there might be a little less genre-hopping than usual.

My tastes run the gamut, but a few genres always seem to float to the top: post-punk, riot grrrl, garage, and glam chief among them.

Don’t worry; I won’t repeat this exercise for my massive end of year albumpalooza. But for this, the day of my quinceañera first anniversary, please humor my whims.

Don’t forget, you can keep track of my favorites throughout the year on this playlist²:

The Best Albums of 2025, So Far

With all the caveats I explained above, below you’ll find a baker’s dozen of new records that have earned my repeated listens so far this year.

Reminder, these are numbered for your reference and convenience only. Albums are listed alphabetically by artist.

1. BRKN LOVE - The Program

Oh the drama of it all. Welcome back to 2003.

For (former?) fans of: Muse, The Mars Volta
Standout track: Diamonds

2. The Convenience - Like Cartoon Vampires

There’s no such thing as a New Bands for Old Heads list without any post-punk. Here’s the latest standout.

For (former?) fans of: Gang of Four, Iggy Pop, The Clash
Standout track: Western Pepsi Cola Town³

3. Deep Sea Diver - Billboard Heart

Is it glam rock? Is it garage rock? Is it synth-pop? Is it art rock? What do I know.

For (former?) fans of: PJ Harvey, St. Vincent⁴
Standout track: What Do I Know

4. McKinley Dixon - Magic, Alive!

Jazz and hip-hop, the most heavenly combination, unite for a half hour of musical storytelling.

For (former?) fans of: Kendrick Lamar, Stevie Wonder, André 3000, Mos Def
Standout track: Sugar Water

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~Penfriend Listening Party~

If you like Poe or Juliana Hatfield, I can almost guarantee you’ll like Penfriend. Join us for an upcoming listening party to find out.

Penfriend - House of Stories

• When: Sunday August 3rd at 2pm Eastern

• Where: The New Bands for Old Heads Discord Server

• What: Q&A with

  Laura Kidd 💌 Penfriend
  + live chat
  

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5. Low Healer - hold music (EP)

I thought I accidentally put on a lost Le Tigre demo when I heard the opening track. It just got better from there.

For (former?) fans of: all things Kathleen Hanna, from Bikini Kill to Julie Ruin, but filtered through a Nirvana sieve
Standout track: Home

6. Pastel - Souls in Motion

Everyone will tell you this is a shoegaze record, but all I hear is Madchester leaning into Britpop.

For (former?) fans of: Oasis, The Stone Roses, The Charlatans, all the closing credits in ‘90s teen movies
Standout track: Deeper Than Holy

7. Ribbon Skirt - Bite Down

Though they may not rise above the growing pile of ‘90s-alt-pastiche bands for some, I’m completely hooked.

For (former?) fans of: Pixies, Sonic Youth, Liz Phair
Standout track: Wrong Planet

8. SHAGGO - Chores

If you missed our listening party with SHAGGO early in June, treat yourself to this debut studded with riot grrrl influences.

For (former?) fans of: Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney, The Shaggs
Standout track: My House

9. Smerz - Big city life

A bare bones, bare-ass, bare knuckled exploration of young womanhood.

For (former?) fans of: Tune-Yards, The Blow, recession sleaze
Standout track: You got time and I got money

10. Teen Mortgage - Devil Ultrasonic Dream

God bless a solid, sub-30 minute punk record. This has been on repeat Chez NBfOH for a solid week. Try this if you’re sick of hearing about Turnstile.

For (former?) fans of: ‘80s satanic panic, surf rock, Unwritten Law
Standout track: Disappear

11. Um, Jennifer? - Um Comma Jennifer Question Mark

This buzzy-as-fuck new band is annoyingly, undeniably infectious.

For (former?) fans of: Pavement, Weezer, Moldy Peaches, basement shows
Standout track: Cut Me Open

12. The Velveteers - A Million Knives

Teenage me would have lost her fucking mind over this album. It’s a weird and perfect blend of garage, nu-metal, and glam rock.

For (former?) fans of: The Black Keys, The Ramones, T. Rex, Garbage
Standout track: Suck the Cherry

13. Viagra Boys - viagr aboys

“Go a single post without mentioning Viagra Boys, challenge level 1000.” Failed.

For (former?) fans of: Butthole Surfers, Devo, The Dandy Warhols
Standout track: Uno II

Giveaway: Panda Bear - Sinister Grift

I’m going to be doing extra giveaways throughout July as a kind of anniversary celebration, and to catch up for lost time. Here’s this week’s:

Domino Records is generously giving away a copy of Panda Bear’s excellent new release, Sinister Grift.

The perfect album for anyone with a Brian Wilson shaped hole in their heart.

Paid subscribers are automatically entered.

Eyes on your inboxes before July 13th.

In case you missed it…

New Music DNA - Pt. 3: Dragging Stat Significant’s Daniel Parris Out of His 2000s Rut

1. Also very subjective obviously, but I take a lot of squishy factors into consideration:

1. What has obvious old school influences?

2. What selection of records provides a representative cross section of the kind of independent music being released right now?

3. What albums are you less likely to have heard of from other sources?

…and so on.

2. Paid subscribers also have access to a massive, 9+ hour collaborative playlist of all of our favorite tracks from the first half of 2025. More to come.

3. Anyone who doesn’t agree on the Iggy Pop comparison, just listen to Lust for Life after listening to this track.

4. Bandleader Jessica Dobson cites Nine Inch Nails as a primary influence for this record, which I can sort of appreciate retrospectively but won’t feel overt.