Favorite Songs of 2025 - Songs 1-11

If I may be so bold, the following 11 songs may make for a festive New Year's Eve playlist. Hope you enjoy them!

1.    Spangled by Fust.

"They tore down the hospital 

Out on route 11.

I'm not sure what happened 

Seems like repossession.

And I'm not one to try to get 

All the way to Heaven.

But I can't even mention 

The last place it was relevant.

Now I can't even mention 

The last room I may have been in it, so

Give my love to Amy 

Give my love to Kevin.

They tore down the hospital

And I'm left floating 

In room 305."

 

Since I first heard "Spangled" and then many of Fust's other songs from the excellent "Big Ugly" album it was destined for the top of this year's List. And, no, not because of the Kevin reference above. Fust frontman Aaron Dowdy is a Ph.D. candidate in literature at Duke. His father's family has deep roots in Southern West Virginia (hence both Big Ugly, which references an area in Lincoln County, WV and many of the songs on the album which contain West-by-God themes). He's originally from Appalachian Virginia having lived in Bristol, VA. And Fust's alt-country sound seems to be where I lean (although not exclusively) these days. Also check out "Gateleg" (with perhaps my favorite lyrics of the year: "I still remember you walking down the mountain with that gateleg you built her; 'Cause you remembered that the car was propped up on cinders at Jerry's lot; He can't put it back together but, boy, he can take it apart"), "Goat House Blues," "Jody," and "Mountain Language" from Big Ugly.

2.    Little Acts Of Violence by Ray Bull.

"I'm in a theater

Your voice is coming through the speakers

I always knew you were a singer

I never stopped to ask you nicely

Do you like me?

Do you like it when I talk back baby?"

Doesn't sound like the happiest of family lives for Ray Bull (Aaron Graham and Tucker Elkins). But there's something about this song, as divorced from my life as the lyrics may be, that both attracted me to it in the first place and had me listening all 2025 long.

3.    Nothing I Need by Lord Huron.

"I fell asleep, and when I woke up, she was there

With her long black hair and her ice-cold stare.

She made me wish that I had never let her go

I threw away our love on the g**damn road

But I see her face everywhere I go."

 

Once again falling just short of the top spot, Lord Huron are back on The List with this tale of regretted love lost. "Nothing I Need," however, is their ninth song on one version or another of The List. Also recommended as worth a listen from "The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1" are "Watch Me Go" and "Used to Know." Yes, the Lord's name is used in vain therein. Repeatedly.

4.    Dancing in the Club by This Is Lorelei - MJ Lenderman Version.

"I lay down in that street

My favorite city's artery

And I stared into the moon

Like it was staring back at me."

Yet another lost love/hangdog loser song. But this one featuring This Is Lorelei and MJ Lenderman (whom we saw in April with Jeff and Deborah). You can listen to the original version (without Lenderman or his voice) here, but I much prefer this one. Language warning for this one, kiddos.

5.    Bury Me by Jason Isbell.

"Well, I ain't no cowboy, but I can ride.

And I ain't no outlaw, but I've been inside.

And there were bars of steel, boys, and there were bars to sing

And there were bars with swingin' doors for all the time between."

About as pure country as any song that's ever appeared here. I was surprised to find that Isbell has actually bested Lord Huron's List frequency with ten appearances, including his (with the 400 Unit's) most excellent cover of Metallica's "Sad But True."

6.    The Catastrophe (Good Luck With That, Man) by Car Seat Headrest.

"Signs point in every direction

Advertising a one-night heaven

Got no clue what's driving us

Blind as hell and burning up with your love."

 

Back after a long (eight year) break, Car Seat Headrest reappear with "The Catastrophe," a song from their concept album/rock opera "The Scholars." Welcome back boys (and, no, I have no idea why Will Toledo is wearing a mask while singing in the video). Bonus lyrics: "Is my love true? Are you still afraid of me? Can you make it work? Is this kind of dumb? Does it put the ram in the ramalamadingdong?

7.    Red by Jesse Welles.

"There's a deep swamp and I'll drain it

For my people are in danger

Who would've ever thought the Deep State

Were the National Park rangers?"

I try to avoid most things political these days. But this one is just too on-point to ignore.

8.    Royal by Goose.

"Dancin' on a two top singing

Heart beating in his hand

Twisted up bad

Like a wet bar rag

Back on the road again."

 

I was somewhat incredulous when Goose, essentially a jam band, made The List in 2023 because of my long held loathing of ... well, basically any jam band. Yet here they are back with "Royal" a song about a road-weary musician. I suspect Rick Mitarotonda's voice has a lot to do with that.

9.    Pablo Picasso by Matt Nathanson.

"You strung a wire, higher across the sky

Made me forget my name and my fear of heights

Didn't have to ask me when I ran that thing twice

Like I was born with wings."

Yes! An actual love song. And from an artist who generally seems to prefer reminisces of love lost. Good on you, Mr. Nathanson. And if you are for some reason in need of an(other) example of disillusionment (in love and more broadly) check out "Whitney Houston's National Anthem" recorded with the Indigo Girls (featuring this great couplet: "Your brother used to come around the house; He knows better than to pull that bullsh!t now"). Language warning for both, as you might have guessed at least for the latter.

10.    Well I Know You're Shy by Horsegirl.

"What happened out there?

I wish it was me

What happened out there?

Well, I know you're shy

If you listen to me, you'll know

I wanna say, 'Hi,' in your window."

Just a fun, catchy, bouncy song from Chicago's own Horsegirl. "La-di, da-di, di, di."

11.    Stone Cold Killer by Proton Pool Party.

"All of the roads lead to home

Where you lay I will

Show you the song I was working on.

The weeks go on.

We don’t talk as much because

You got off on the wrong stop."

 

Probably the most obscure song on this year's List, with 162 views on YouTube as I compose. Another Irish band, another song about ... not love lost but clearly teetering on the brink. 

Hope you enjoyed this year's (timely!) effort. Stayed tuned for more new music in 2026.

Favorite Songs of 2025 - Songs 12-22

I'm trying folks, honest! Here are the oft-ignored middle kids (but no Middle Kids) of this year's List.

12.    The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy by James McMurtry.

"The black dog and the wanderin' boy

Come around every night.

The wanderin' boy never gets any older

The black dog doesn't bite.

He just sits on the floor at the corner of the bed

Watchin' for the things that haunt.

They oughta both go away when I take my meds ...

But they don't."

Now officially a frequent List denizen, this is McMurtry's third appearance. How can you not love someone who paints such a vivid story in under five minutes? "Hey, somebody lied to me!" 

13.    Forever by The Tisburys.

"When the day’s lost and the night’s won

And the lights are home and nobody’s on

Are your bags packed? Is your life hacked?

Can you pull the strings coming from your back?"

The Tisburys seem to be trying to find those little victories. Good for them. This sounds very much like a '90's alternative/pop song (thinking Gin Blossoms), which is right in my musical wheelhouse.

14.    It's Alright by Cecilia Castleman.

"I don't need your money

I don't need your time

So I bought a ticket

I bought a ticket to ride, and I don't know why

But it sure feels right."

My spouse used to make fun of my loathing of the genre that I referred to as "angry white woman with guitar." But, to be clear, it was an acoustic guitar. And Ms. Castleman does not appear to be going away mad. Just going away.

15.    I'll Be Okay by Michigander.

"I'm knocked down and I'm still out

So if you see me on the ground it's okay

But I'm not okay right now."

Glad to hear that Michigander (a.k.a. Jason Singer) is working through his issues. He moved to Nashville and released his first album this year, so I'm gonna say that he will be okay.

16.    Armies of the Lord by The Mountain Goats.

"Trying to pantomime surprise

After we buried you at sunrise

With nothing you'd predicted coming true

Just doing what we'd promised we would do."

Another artist that it surprises me has never made The List until now. The Mountain Goats' latest work, "Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan," is a concept album about a shipwreck and its (dwindling) survivors. It is likely the song released the latest in 2025 to make this year's List. Bonus: Lin-Manuel Miranda sings backup vocals on this song and three others on the album.    

17.    Cadillac by Colin Miller.

"Nascar crash on the big screen

Shirtless in July heat

And I'm helpless

Helpless, helpless."

Miller is from the Asheville, NC artist colony which has spawned, amongst others, the group Wednesday and last year's List topper MJ Lenderman. Cadillac is about the death of Gary King, the owner of the land on which Miller, Lenderman, Wednesday's Karly Hartzman, and other artists (musical and otherwise) were welcome to live and work on their craft.

18.    Sally, When the Wine Runs Out by ROLE MODEL.

"Heard through the grapevine

She can be a diva

Cold like Minnesota

Hotter than a fever."

The aforementioned popular artist in this year's List (9.4 million views of the "official video" on YouTube), this is one of those "guilty pleasure" songs that appear here every once in a while. I cannot defend its artistic merit, nor do I feel compelled to. Oh, yeah, and that appearance by someone whom the internets tell me is Charli XCX at 2:30 of the video? It's a whole 'nother thing. 

19.    Chateau Blues by Spoon.

"Well, you got it all?

But your lonely chateau blues

You got it all

Got the lonely chateau blues."

Proof, once again, that you can have it all and not have anything at all.

20.    Straight Line Was A Lie by The Beths.

"I thought I was getting better but I'm back to where I started

And the straight line was a circle

Yeah, the straight line was a lie."

The fourth appearance for New Zealand's The Beths on The List. They put me in mind of The Go-Gos or The Bangles with better musicianship. And, of course, New Zealand accents. Also check out Metal from their latest album (also called "Straight Line Was A Lie").

21.    Season of Charade by Birdtalker.

"Now the money's gone

But the dream lives on

Guess I'll keep slaving at the game show

Spin the wheel

Aw, but nothing's real (nothing is real)

Answer the answer with a question."

I think Birdtalker is on to a lot of us. Would be included in The List for the Jeopardy reference alone ...

22.    Float by Jay Som (featuring Jim Adkins).

"Is this the way it's supposed to be?

Measuring your misery

Pouring out what's left of me

Without you."

Go with the flow seems to be the message of this effort by Jay Som a.k.a. Melina Mae Duterte. I had to google who Jim Adkins was. Turns out, someone I should know: the lead singer of Jimmy Eat World.

Favorite Songs of 2025 - Songs 23-33

We're back again with The List - who knows if successfully completed by year's end, but giving it the old college try. This year's List is somewhere between eclectic and confusing, as always, featuring some recent denizens, some new artists, some old favorites who have never made the list, and a few who may have actually made their way into the category of popular music. As always, anyone in the last group included in The List is purely accidental.

23.    Lou Reed Was My Babysitter by Jeff Tweedy.

"I wanna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake until my shoes untie

'Cause rock 'n' roll ain't ever gonna die

Not as long as you and I are alive.

'Cause rock 'n' roll is dead

But the dead don't die."

Exhibit A in the category of "old favorites who have never made The List." In fact, neither Tweedy nor his band Wilco ever have, although I've listened to them for years. I'm sure there are two people out there (to whom I am related) who can also relate to the song title. And bonus points for Tweedy doing a great Lou Reed impersonation. 

24.    Honkeytonk by Oldstar.

"I knew I’d make a fool of myself

If I walked on to your side of the band

So I packed up and left

Haunted by the thought of you in someone else’s arms."

Not a song of lost love, but instead love never realized. Oldstar are a NYC band playing "country rock from Florida for everyone" according to their Spotify bio. Seems about right. Couldn't find a video of just Honkeytonk, but the song begins at 9:09 in the video above. Or you can listen to two other of their songs beforehand as well.

25.     Down to be Wrong by HAIM.

"Down to be wrong, don't need to be right

I left you the keys, I left on the lights

I locked myself out of the house

I'm on the next flight, you can't talk me out of it, yeah."

A second appearance on The List for the Haim Sisters. This one's a break-up song, completely lacking in remorse.

26.    Ankles by Lucy Dacus.

"If it's the thought that counts

Let's think it through."

To be honest, I was a little disappointed by this latest effort "Forever Is a Feeling" from Lucy Dacus (my "teacher's pet" according to my friend Philbert). But I like this song a lot, and the above couplet is among my favorites of the entire year.

27.    Twist and Turn by Cardinals.

"Wrong and right

Ah all your life.

Get those wrongs and right them, baby

Learn to tell your lies."

Another fairly depressing song (sorry about that!), but this one from Irish band Cardinals, which along with the upbeat tempo somehow makes it easier to take. That and the seemingly cathartic ending where they seem on their way to redemption. 

28.    The Forks of Cypress by Patterson Hood and Waxahatchee.

"Wait until morning and I will meet you there

Even when it's storming there's sunlight in your hair

I'll bask in your splendor and your scent upon the air

Past the Forks of Cypress."

A Southern tale of forbidden love by Drive-by Truckers' Patterson Hood, made all the more haunting by Waxahatchee/Katie Crutchfield's backing vocals.

29.    Snowflakes by Dropkick.

"We complicate the words that we hear

Thinking that it wasn't clear."

Most of the British Isles are now covered, with this effort from Edinburgh-based Dropkick. Some power pop to relieve the depression of most of the above songs (Jeff Tweedy excepted).

30.    Inept Apollo by Nation of Language.

"How many miles ago?

A dream that fell

Lamented in the morning glow

Embraced and left alone

How many miles ago?"

Nation of Language is one of those bands (synth pop? semi-shoe gaze?) that I would have told you I would never like. And yet here they are, for the second year in a row, on The List. AI tells me that this song "explores themes of artistic self-doubt, imposter syndrome, finding solace in creative work amidst life's difficulties, and the struggle with love and loss." I will take our soon-to-be computer overlords' word for it. 

31.    Last Night I Held Your Hand by Somebody's Child.

"And I thought my youth was over

Now I'd die for you

Now I feel myself get older

But not when I'm with you."

Ireland strikes again on The List with Somebody's Child. A song about reflecting on lost youth (from 30-something front man Cian Godfrey ... spare me says this 60-something listener), or perhaps a Mrs. Robinson-esque relationship?  

32.    What's Fair by Blondshell.

"Maybe it was not the right time

Maybe it was not the right wine

Maybe it was in the water

Maybe God turned a blind eye."

Sounds as though Blondshell, a.k.a. Sabrina Teitelbaum is working through some issues with her mom. Language warning for this one, if that's still necessary these days ...

33.    Hard to Love by Dehd.

"Won't catch me goin' on about where the good men gone

Give me someone rough and tumble, someone hard to love."

Dehd's Emily Kempf seems to be looking for a bad boy. 

Favorite Songs of 2024 - Songs 1-11

Overcoming a number of obstacles, at long last here are my 11 favorite songs of 2024.

1.    She's Leaving You by MJ Lenderman.

"You can put your clothes back on,

She's leaving you.

No time to apologize

For the things you do.

Go rent a Ferrari

And sing the blues.

Believe that Clapton was the second coming."

So this was going to be the year that we finally had a repeat artist with the "best song" on the List. From likely my favorite band ever, and certainly since the inception of the List. With a new album out and a song on it (actually several) that I loved. 

Then along came MJ Lenderman and kicked that plan right in the butt. The Ashville, NC native is a critical darling following his release of "Manning Fireworks" (along with his previously mentioned duet with Katie Crutchfield "Right Back to It" and his work in the band Wednesday). While I might pump the brakes a little on comparisons to The Boss, Manning Fireworks in general and "She's Leaving You" in particular are chock-full of great lyrics and excellent musicianship. Also highly recommended from the album are "Wristwatch" (with likely my favorite lyrics of 2024: "I've got a houseboat docked at the Himbo Dome; And a wristwatch that's a pocket knife and a megaphone; And a wristwatch that tells me I'm on my own") and the eponymous "Manning Fireworks." By all means, have a listen.

2.    Burial Ground by The Decemberists (with James Mercer).

"This world's 

All wrong

So let's go where we belong

Pack up the stereo

Meet at the burial ground."

The aforementioned favorite band, and favorite song from their latest album "As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again." The addition of James Mercer (of The Shins fame) clinched the deal. Until it didn't. At the very least, also check out the salsa beat and horns on "Oh No!" from this excellent latest effort from our Portland friends.

The Decemberists in Durham in 2024.

3.    Weak In Your Light by Nation of Language.

"Funblin' friend and foe, we're in rotten light

Starin' down the simple somethin' that'll shape my whole life.

Breathin' and burnin' beleaguered and overthrown

I can feel myself come undone ... yet there's more ..."

Spotify tells me that this was my most-listened to song of 2024. Which makes sense, seeing that it came out in 2023 and was on my playlist from the start of the year. Not to mention that I really like it. I was curious to see if lead singer Ian Richard Devaney's voice was heavily overdubbed (as I suspected) or was really as pure live as on the recorded version. After viewing the above video, count me as convinced: he has a great voice.

4.    Ice Cream Piano by Vampire Weekend.

"Armistice, we never tried it

You're the soldier, I'm police.

Listen baby, we can't deny it:

You don't want to win this war

'Cause you don't want the peace."

Doesn't exactly sound like a healthy relationship, but love how we get there musically and lyrically. More songs to recommend from "Only God Was Above Us" than any other album released in 2024, including "Prep School Gangsters," "Capricorn," "Classical," and "Mary Boone" in addition to my favorite, Ice Cream Piano.

5.    Ain't No Love in Oklahoma by Luke Combs.

"I keep chasin' that same old devil

Down the same old dead end highway.

Riding that storm runnin' through my veins

Like a shot down, tail spun airplane."

Yup, a movie song. And a CMA Awards video. Deal with it. And rock out while you do.

6.    Snake Plant (The Past Is Still Alive) by Hurray For The Riff Raff.

"Tattoo with a needle and thread

Most of our old friends are dead

So, test your drugs, remember Narcan

There's a war on the people, what don't you understand?"

Just a guess that Hurray For The Riff Raff will not darken the CMA Awards' door anytime soon. But hey, that's what we're here for - variety! HFTRR's lead singer, Alynda Segarra, however, would certainly fit in well with the likes of Boxcar Willie.

7.    Sick Sweet by Wishy.

"Well it's a sick sweet life

and I'm gambling it all tonight

With every shade of me flying

like freaks on a free ride."

The kind of song this List was built on: straight ahead power pop. Wishy are apparently from Indianapolis, which is completely consistent with the previous sentence.

8.    Rewind by Rosali.

"I'm a gold light made of rhythm and space

She's a soft wind, you'll meet her someday.

I feel my whole life blowing away

Wanna be with you someday."

A pretty love song with some excellent horns. The video, however, is rather ... inscrutable.

9.     Fair Shake by Hanover.

"There's courage at my window

and doubt at my door

But it's the way you keep me guessing

that makes me so sure."

Another solid power pop song that puts me in mind of '90's groups like Matchbox 20, or even '70's rock like BTO. Apparently, Hanover have yet to be discovered by ... just about anyone but me, judging by the number of views of this song on YouTube.

10.    Sunshine Getaway by JD McPherson.

"Oh neighbor, drag me out of the state I'm in

I need a tropical breeze over sun-kissed skin.

In the crystal blue seas where the palm trees sway

I'm stuck in the middle of the USA."

Sounds like our rockabilly friend JD needs a ... getaway.

11.    Dreams by Hana Vu.

"And every night is beautiful

And every song's your favorite one

And no it doesn't hurt to be alive

And love doesn't fade away

And everyone stays the same

And no it doesn't hurt to be alive."

A lovely, wishful song about the way things will never be. The song I heard latest in 2024 to make the List. On a t.v. show of all places ("High Potential" which I highly recommend).

That's it, at long last. I should say something about trying to be more diligent in posting the 2025 List, but it seems like it would be a hollow promise at this point. Hope you enjoyed it nonetheless!