Cameron Winter and Geese have officially entered the mainstream. If you’ve followed any music discourse from this past year, these 23-year-olds from Brooklyn have been inescapable. Some are hailing them as the first great Gen Z rock band and one of the most important acts of our time. That’s a tall order... so, do they live up to the hype? I’d say so. The follow-up to 2023's “3D Country” couldn’t be more of a departure from the previous record’s ... read more

The Flying Cloud Recordings family has quickly become the source of some of my favorite records as of late. Producer and multi-instrumentalist Sam Evian’s 2024 release, “Plunge”, boasted one of my favorite songs of last year with “Jacket”. Meanwhile, his production work on Liam Kazar’s “Pilot Light” and María Zardoya of The Marías’ Not For Radio project “Melt” has made its way into my top 50 records this year as ... read more

Ever since 2021's “CR78”, Maddie Jay’s brand of hypnotic synth pop has made a home for itself on my Instagram feed. Jay, who is also the bassist for Remi Wolf’s live band, has been releasing great single after great single over the last year, resulting in the release of “I Can Change Your Mind” in early 2025. These songs have proved their staying power and have helped define my year in music. Atmospheric, modular soundscapes lay the bed for ... read more

The Bon Iver of “SABLE fABLE” is both in-line and completely unrecognizable from the Bon Iver of “For Emma, Forever Ago”. Over the years, Justin Vernon has transitioned from the sound of solitary isolation to one that’s only possible through the community he has built around him. With every release, this has become increasingly apparent, culminating in the supposed final release from the band. The “SABLE EP” acts as the prologue of this project, ... read more

It’s due time that Djo got his flowers. Actor and multi-instrumentalist Joe Keery (yes, the Stranger Things guy) has been in my listening rotation since his days with Chicago psych rock band Post Animal, and his 2019 solo debut “Twenty Twenty” has had more of an influence on my sound as an artist than maybe any other record. So, fast-forward to the end of 2025, and Stranger Things has ended, “End of Beginning” is the biggest song in the world right now, and ... read more

If there was one record from this year that I’m the target audience of, it’s this one. Lofi indie pop that sounds like it was recorded on a Tascam cassette recorder (in the best way) and about as much 70's soft rock influence as you can get for a release from the 2020's. It’s equal parts Paul McCartney, Nick Drake, and Bread, while still maintaining its own identity. Easy acoustic work, playful piano stabs, fuzzy synth warbles, and vocals so laid back it sounds like ... read more

Speaking of dancing, this record will make you MOVE. Tyler has been on a roll since 2017's “Flower Boy”, releasing some of the most profound music of his career since. “DON’T TAP THE GLASS” continues with the trend of high quality, but Tyler just sounds like he’s having FUN here. This tight, 28-minute record has some of my favorite Tyler hooks, synth work, and grooves yet, and just feels like a party the whole time. Don’t overlook this one and ... read more

“2" is the sound of old Hollywood meeting old-school sample chops. The sophomore effort from singer-songwriter Andy Shauf and his band of childhood friends melds his boyish charm and their folk-rock sound with the beauty of 20th century film orchestration. The end result is almost hodgepodged, distinctly singular, but still manages to feel right at home for Foxwarren. This is also the most a Shauf project has wanted to make me dance, and to quote the man himself, “All I really ... read more

Biting in moments, introspective in others, “Lotus” is proof that Simz is one of the best in the game right now. The UK rapper extraordinaire details the feelings of betrayal and rebuilding oneself with no holds barred. To quote Simz herself from her 2019 record “GREY Area”, “I said it with my chest, and I don’t care who I offend, uh-huh”. This thing also boasts one of the strongest feature lists of the year, including the ranks of Moses Sumney, Sampha, ... read more

Effortless confidence is the best way I can describe Olivia Dean and this record. Her brand of easy-listening, R&B-tinged pop has managed to evade me until now, but I’m glad that “The Art of Loving” was able to serve as an introduction. Her voice, along with her songwriting, exudes a warmth that manages to feel modern and timeless simultaneously. While Dean may not be reinventing the wheel here, sometimes the wheel doesn’t need reinventing. Sometimes we just need to ... read more

The kings of prep-school indie have returned once again with their singular blend of afropop, classical music, and rock on “Only God Was Above Us”. While their previous record, “Father of The Bride” was a venturous but flawed double album, “OGWAU” is a tight 10 tracks that cuts any fat that may have been there. Opener “Ice Cream Piano” sets the theme for the record, as frontman Ezra Koenig tells dreary truths of inescapable war and conflict, and ... read more

Nearly 20 years into their career, MGMT has proven once again that the creative well is not running dry. “Loss Of Life” is a dense and rewarding listen, clicking more and more with each revisit. It’s nostalgic, cathartic, and hypnotic. “Mother Nature” and “Bubblegum Dog” serve as odes to 90’s alt rock anthems while finding the band coming to terms with the good and bad of world around them. Meanwhile, Dancing In Babylon (feat. Christine and the ... read more

Indie-darling Claire Cottrill returned this summer with her third and aptly-titled studio album, “Charm.” If “Immunity” was Clairo’s indie pop record and “Sling” was her 70’s singer-songwriter record, “Charm” is the blending of the two worlds, and it feels perfect. The hooks and immediacy of her debut meeting the retro soundscape and production style of her sophomore record were bound to cross paths and have done so effortlessly. ... read more

What a year for Charli. Her music first caught my ear back in 2019 with her self-titled record and I’ve been a fan ever since. She’s been in a league of her own for a while, but I could tell something special was brewing with the release of lead single “Von dutch”. It’s brash, gives no regard to what’s going on around it, and knows it’s good. With subsequent single after single, there are no missteps. From front to back, album cover to cultural impact, ... read more

Picking up right where 2021’s “Mercurial World” left off, experimental synth pop power duo Magdalena Bay reach stratospheric heights on “Imaginal Disk”. This record is an inter-dimensional dance party during your ascension to the stars, filled with synthesizer flutters and swells, Mica Tenenbaum’s hushed but heavenly voice, and the tightest drum and bass combo of the year. MAN, I need these drums on all my songs… The sci-fi narrative of the record ... read more

Big Thief frontwoman and songstress extraordinaire Adrianne Lenker is no stranger to the intimate, ornate, and honest nature of folk music. But with “Bright Future”, there’s a rawness and simplicity that is more prominent than ever. Opener “Real House” walks through vignettes of formative moments of fear and sadness while backed by hauntingly beautiful and sparse piano parts. Dwelling on those feelings further, “Sadness As A Gift” reflects on the ... read more

Welcome to the technicolor world of "SHINBANGUMI". Vintage rock meets city pop meets Vulfpeck’s brand of funk, this full-length release from Ginger Root follows up a strong string of EPs and refines the Ginger Root formula. Warbled electric pianos, chiming synth plucks, fuzzy bass lines, and the telephone-filter vocals from mastermind Cameron Lew solidify the record’s sonic footprint, while making for some of his best songs to date. Highlights such as the three song run of ... read more

Bold, braggadocious, and unbelievably funny, this hip-hop duo from State College, PA is here to get down and crack jokes while doing it. Joey Valence & Brae are ushering the wit and charm of the Beastie Boys for the digital age, pulling samples from Nintendo games like it’s nothing while playing off each other’s charisma. Trading one liner after one liner, this is one giant joyride with two emcees who are having just as fun as the listeners. Club-crafted bangers like “THE ... read more

“Any Light” by Loving sounds as if it was ripped straight from the early 70’s Laurel Canyon scene. Lush beds of acoustic strumming, soaring strings and slide guitars, and subdued singing lay the groundwork for some of the prettiest folk pop I’ve ever heard. The opener and titular track is a warm welcome, encapsulating love at first sight and serves as the perfect entry point for the album. The light and intimate nature of Loving carries on through the whole project, with ... read more

The king of glitchy blissful electronic music has returned 3 years after “Nurture” with a newfound emo pop persona. Blending his signature sound with 2010’s indie and rock elements, Porter Robinson finds himself grappling with his rise to fame in his teens once again on “SMILE! :D”. Now 10 years past the release of his debut record, he’s questioning what that means for him as an artist and a person as he enters his 30’s. While his last effort was ... read more