The Best Albums of July 2025

And we'll remember this when we are old and ancient, though the specifics might be vague.

Jul 28, 2025

∙ Paid

July, July, July… it never seemed so strange.

This month has been a doozy, capped off by a wild interaction with one of the many sketchy pay-for-play music curator directory hubs. You know the type — they claim to be helping musicians get the exposure they need, but really they’re selling off curator info en masse (and sans consent) to struggling artists who don’t have two pennies to scrape together in the first place. (See also: playlist submission sites.1)

I’ll spare you the entire pot of tea (those curious can go spy on my Instagram stories), but I think this is a good time to remind everyone, especially working musicians, that you shouldn’t have to pay up front to get your music heard. I know it sucks out there, and it’s the game you were told you have to play. But these fuckers are preying on you, pure and simple. And they’re preying on us, too. I never consented to be on these directories, or to have my information sold off. They don’t ask us first if we’re cool with it. It might be legal, but that doesn’t make it ethical.

But you know who does a fantastic job of providing a completely free resource of playlist curators and music critics who would be happy to hear from you?

Shanté

, that’s who.

The Music Directory

is a place that actually gives a shit about the music community, and you should subscribe post haste.

Oh, and if you’ve been missing it, I’m overdue for another installment of Known Unknowns, so submit your music if you’ve been sitting on it!

submit yr music

And now I’m off my soapbox, so let’s get to the reason you’re here!

The Best Albums of July 2025

Oddly, July felt a bit slow for good new releases. That makes curation a bit easier, but it also makes me a slightly suspicious that I missed something. Or quite a lot of somethings. I’m sure you’ll set me straight.

As usual, I don’t play favorites amongst my favorites, so

Albums are listed alphabetically.

Share New Bands for Old Heads

1. 81355 - Bad Dogs

I think I have turn in all of my ‘90s kid credentials, because it never registered that this midwest hip-hop group’s name was just l33t speak for “Bless.” Whoops. There’ll be a lot of talk about how this is a “genre-bending” album, and it is, but ultimately it’s just very pretty. If you’ve wondered or doubted whether hip-hop can be ethereal, this is proof positive that it can. (Standout track: Guitar)

2. Natalie Bergman - My Home is Not in This World

Though I’ll admit to favoring Side A pretty heavily, this record is so beautifully steeped in vintage nostalgia that it’s well worth staying late just for the mood. Bergman takes the best of every ‘60s and ‘70s it-girl and makes them her own. In the video for my favorite track, you can see and hear nods to yet more iconic ‘60s music: yé-yé, Motown, spaghetti westerns, the Rolling Stones. (Standout track: Gunslinger)

3. BIG SPECIAL - NATIONAL AVERAGE.

I laugh when I think back to the excuse I gave a friend back in college for why I wasn’t super into the Hold Steady: “I just don’t really like the whole talk-singing thing.” JUST IMAGINE. My middle-aged post-punk loving ass could never. I can’t in good conscience recommend this band to a Brit (surely it’s too… on the nose?), but for everyone else, if you want a noisy mix of grime, garage, funk, and processing your feelings with sarcasm instead of anger, you’ll love this surprise new release. (Standout track: SHOP MUSIC.)