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!
I hadn't heard of them until this record, despite them being around for something like a decade, and I'm supposed to be "with it"! (Still old, though). It's impossible to keep up, even when it's your job to keep up!
i've shared rodeo boys, spellling, heartworms, and beach bunny (and deep sea diver here of course)! the new momma is a huge leap forward from the last one. i haven't listened to wooze in a while now that you mention it... but you definitely got me into roseblood!!
I appreciate this list, but I also just want to note that I’m not a skimmer and I love your commentary and clever comparisons. Comparing a band’s sound to the songs playing during the end credits of every 90s teen movie, for example. That gave me a visceral knowing.
However, based on the comments I’m thinking Deep Sea Diver will be my next listen.
This is a cool list and I’ll check out the albums. And thanks for reminding me about… albums! I’d been getting pretty good about discovering individual songs but I haven’t listened much to whole albums, even though that is what we used to do!
I’m pretty good about listening to albums by older bands I know when they release new albums so it is a bit of a double standard. I can say Pulp, Brian Eno and Stereolab for example, have some great new albums but I already knew I wanted to hear them before they came out!
pulp and stereolab had some pretty damn great albums! i probably should have added pulp to this list, if I'm honest. but you guys all know it already anyway. and yes, albums! that's all I talk about here pretty much! I'm a full album extoller.
Happy anniversary!! Deep Sea Diver is also on my mid-year list (if I’m ever able to finish it and get it sent out), as well as McKinley Dixon. As always, you have so many I missed that I look forward to catching up on. [Side note: your round-up has given me a little permission to give myself a break from writing as much as I usually do for each album, as you have proved you can write a good hook succinctly.]
between us (and everyone else reading), i have to tell myself all the time that it's ok to chill out sometimes with these writeups. i perseverate so much and the result is that people just skim for the headline and skip the "fluff" anyway. not great for a creative writer, but that can be saved for another piece.
Saving it for another piece is good advice. I may just have to let go of the level of writing that I want to do for a while and save it for when I’m more physically able to do it.
Excellent list! I also have that Mckinley Dixon record on my mid year favs . The Smerz album rules too. I'm gonna give some of these other ones a listen for sure. :)
there are so many others i felt bad not mentioning... but i gave myself that permission not to be the perfect curator this time around ;) more recs always welcome though!
Oh, totally! I just feel like there's so much new music being released right now to the point where truly great stuff easily ends up falling between the cracks. Your list intrigued because there were records I wasn't aware of that seem right up my alley (mostly Um, Jennifer? and SHAGGO).
Here's my list if you're are interested in a few more recs:
great recs! love gelli haha; will hopefully be doing a giveaway of that record soon as well. deradoorian & spellling almost made this list too, and you reminded me i haven't listened to U.S. girls yet somehow
I'm old and clueless. I live in Seattle and had never heard of Deep Sea Diver. They're great.
I hadn't heard of them until this record, despite them being around for something like a decade, and I'm supposed to be "with it"! (Still old, though). It's impossible to keep up, even when it's your job to keep up!
The debut is great, but this is their best yet. Call it the DSD album I've been waiting for since 2012!
Yep, new music for my old head!
New Bands for Sherman's Old Head has a certain ring to it.
My head is enormous, jukebox-sized.
perfect
, here's mine: (nobody asked, but I'm an over-sharer!)
● Deep Sea Diver - Billboard Heart.
Big guitars, energetic, great!
● Roseblood - S/T.
Girl groupy, dreamy, Janet Weiss.
● Press Club - To All The Ones That I Love
Catchy, gazey, Pat Benetar-y.
● Momma - Welcome To My Blue Sky
Fuzzy, grungy, harmonies.
● Wooze - S/T
Arty, dancy, alternative.
● The Backfires - This Is Not An Exit
High energy, alt rock, earworms.
● Beach Bunny - Tunnel Vision
Punky, poppy, fun.
● Cloth - Pink Silence
Lush, layered, beautiful.
● Heartworms - Glutton For Punishment ⁶
Atmospheric, post punk, gothic.
● Spellling - Portrait Of My Heart
Power chords, synths, soaring vocals.
● Rodeo Boys - Junior
Punk rawk, melodic, dynamic.
I also love that Ribbon Skirt.
i've shared rodeo boys, spellling, heartworms, and beach bunny (and deep sea diver here of course)! the new momma is a huge leap forward from the last one. i haven't listened to wooze in a while now that you mention it... but you definitely got me into roseblood!!
Killer list! Especially been loving the Ribbon Skirt and Smerz records
tough to narrow these things down!
Happy anniversary! Great to see Deep Sea Diver here - also on my list. Don't miss'em live if you can help it. I also love The Convenience album!
many thanks!!!
The Velveteers for me.
This, my favourite 2025 album so far, sounds like pop music, but it's far better. For people who used to like the top 10.
https://emilycbrowning.bandcamp.com/album/primary
ah damn, a july release i missed! thanks for the tip
Just as I hit my my hazy mid-summer music slump, here's an infusion of exactly what I needed. We are up! and then some
ahhh hurrah! please report back with your favorites
Wow… impressive. Listen to #3/4 & 6 and all great albums at first listen…..never heard of those bands btw 🙄
Impossible nowadays staying on top of all the music coming out… impossible..😔
it truly is impossible!
Pastel Pastel Pastel. I played someone one of the songs and told them it was a new Oasis track for the reunion and they completely bought it.
If I stay on what I’ve listened to most it’s also probably James Marriott from me. He’s a good guy.
ha I love that strategy, especially if used on somebody who refuses to listen to new music unless tricked
Yay for Velveteers!
I appreciate this list, but I also just want to note that I’m not a skimmer and I love your commentary and clever comparisons. Comparing a band’s sound to the songs playing during the end credits of every 90s teen movie, for example. That gave me a visceral knowing.
However, based on the comments I’m thinking Deep Sea Diver will be my next listen.
thank you so much for being the one person who doesn't skim ❤️ I will now know who I'm writing for when I write
This is a cool list and I’ll check out the albums. And thanks for reminding me about… albums! I’d been getting pretty good about discovering individual songs but I haven’t listened much to whole albums, even though that is what we used to do!
I’m pretty good about listening to albums by older bands I know when they release new albums so it is a bit of a double standard. I can say Pulp, Brian Eno and Stereolab for example, have some great new albums but I already knew I wanted to hear them before they came out!
pulp and stereolab had some pretty damn great albums! i probably should have added pulp to this list, if I'm honest. but you guys all know it already anyway. and yes, albums! that's all I talk about here pretty much! I'm a full album extoller.
Happy anniversary!! Deep Sea Diver is also on my mid-year list (if I’m ever able to finish it and get it sent out), as well as McKinley Dixon. As always, you have so many I missed that I look forward to catching up on. [Side note: your round-up has given me a little permission to give myself a break from writing as much as I usually do for each album, as you have proved you can write a good hook succinctly.]
between us (and everyone else reading), i have to tell myself all the time that it's ok to chill out sometimes with these writeups. i perseverate so much and the result is that people just skim for the headline and skip the "fluff" anyway. not great for a creative writer, but that can be saved for another piece.
Saving it for another piece is good advice. I may just have to let go of the level of writing that I want to do for a while and save it for when I’m more physically able to do it.
Excellent list! I also have that Mckinley Dixon record on my mid year favs . The Smerz album rules too. I'm gonna give some of these other ones a listen for sure. :)
there are so many others i felt bad not mentioning... but i gave myself that permission not to be the perfect curator this time around ;) more recs always welcome though!
Oh, totally! I just feel like there's so much new music being released right now to the point where truly great stuff easily ends up falling between the cracks. Your list intrigued because there were records I wasn't aware of that seem right up my alley (mostly Um, Jennifer? and SHAGGO).
Here's my list if you're are interested in a few more recs:
https://open.substack.com/pub/symbioticreviews/p/favorite-albums-of-2025-so-far?r=1dq37w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
great recs! love gelli haha; will hopefully be doing a giveaway of that record soon as well. deradoorian & spellling almost made this list too, and you reminded me i haven't listened to U.S. girls yet somehow
Thanks! You know it’s been a stellar year so far when banger albums are going into the “honorable mentions” category. :)
How the hell did I miss the memo on Teen Mortgage and the Velveteers?! You give me the best homework assignments! 🖤
i missed teen mortgage until another reader recommended them about a week ago! makes me feel better about repeating recommendations sometimes.
‘“Go a single post without mentioning Viagra Boys, challenge level 1000.” Failed.’
I’ve also been failing this big time, don’t worry
i mean it's so good though
I want to say that “loose change” by deep sea diver is most definitely a Gilmore Girls song.