Happy holidays from Team Sisson, and congratulations on receiving Chris Schuck's 24th Annual Surprise Birthday Bash for Jesus. As always, we've picked and exquisitely sequenced tracks from 23 of our favorite albums of 2025 for your listening pleasure. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do. Let's begin.
1. Celeste - "On With The Show"
Album: Woman of Faces
We kick things off with one of my favorite voices of 2025. Celeste’s vocals may be an acquired taste for some, but I love her raspy warble. Back in December 2024 she released the single “Everyday” in anticipation of her upcoming sophomore album following 2021’s Not You Muse. “Everyday” was in heavy rotation all year, but when the album Woman of Faces was finally released in November, it was not on it! Not a problem. Here’s what the Guardian said about Woman of Faces: “If you had to pinpoint a flaw, it’s that the album’s near-uniform pacing and tone make it a challenge to consume in one sitting. .... That said, every song is individually stunning – excerpted on a playlist, they would stop you dead in your tracks.” I totally agree. There are several standout track including “This Is Who I Am,” which is the theme song to a British show called “The Day of the Jackal.” Speaking of which…….on with the show.
2. Prewn - "System"
Album: System
I'm low key embarrassed to say Prewn was an algorithm find for me. I can't remember exactly, but I think I was listening to the new Haley Heynderickx album and when it was over Spotify played something from Prewn's 2023 Through The Window and I was like.....I'm listening! Some quick recon revealed she had a record out this year and oh my stars, it's so good! Y'all know I'm a sucker for cello in contemporary music so it checked that box, but it's also sweeping and grimy and rough around the edges, all of which are boxes I happily checked as well. Prewn is the stage name of Izzy Hagerup who is originally from Glen Ellyn, IL (Finley's? You guys know her?).
3. Water From Your Eyes - "Nights in Armor"
Album: It's a Beautiful Place
Water From Your Eyes is the Brooklyn by way of Chicago duo Rachel Brown and Nate Amos. You might also know Nate Amos as the guy behind This Is Lorelei. In fact, I saw an article a couple weeks ago proclaiming him as a "generational songwriter." Pretty high praise, but I guess I like what I've heard so far. It's a Beautiful Place came out in late August and we added "Nights in Armor" to our playlist on Sept 3, but I have no idea where we first heard it. I'm guessing this was another KEXP find. BTW, this year I listened to KEXP in my office pretty much every day. I listen at a low volume though so often it's just like a groove or a high hat or something I can barely percept that makes me stop and take note of what's playing. I gotta tell you though, that station is just absolutely killing it I have even started contributing since I listen so much. I love the Bridge here in town, but if I'm streaming in 2025, it's KEXP. Ok, enough of that. Please check out Water From Your Eyes. I actually saw them at #1 on a Best Albums of 2025 list so it's not just me telling you. Jeff Tweedy also put them on his Best of 2025 list. More high praise!
Also check out: "Playing Classics"
4. Heartworms - "Jacked"
Album: Glutton For Punishment
One of the fringe benefits of the withering away of traditional music press (i.e. Rolling Stone, Pitchfork) is there seems to be less and less groupthink about what is good and what is not. Without the tastemakers guiding us, we're all more free to make our own decisions. It seems to me this year's Best of 2025 lists are the most diverse I can remember. Sure there are a few artists you see more than others (Geese, Rosalia, etc.) but there doesn't seem to be any consensus on what we were all supposed to like this year. All that being said, I'm floored and legit disappointed I haven't seen Glutton for Punishment on more Best of lists. For me this is either the best or second best album of the year. I really want you guys to listen front to back and tell me I'm wrong. There is no filler in here. Here's the popmatters review tagline: "Heartworms’ Glutton For Punishment is a highly intelligent, essentially perfect album. At 37 minutes long, it’s a precision-cut diamond." Heartworms is a one-woman show, that woman being Jojo Orme from North London. She's known for a fascination with military history which led her to volunteer at the RAF museum in London and explains her style, album artwork and even some song titles ("Extraordinary Wings," "Warplane") and lyrics.
5. Errol Eats Everything - "Eye Said What Eye Said"
Album: Errol Eats Everything
For most of these songs, I listen to the album, like it, pick one or two standouts and add them to my running best of the year list. Then sometimes after that I don't go back to the album until I'm putting the end of the year list together. This was one of those and boy was I depriving myself. This thing slaps from front to back! Old school hip-hop beats, peppered with samples of John Henrik Clarke speeches...there's no filler on here. From what I gather Errol (last name unknown) was born in Jamaica, moved to Toronto when he was two, played college football in North Dakota, then moved around eventually winding up in New York working a corporate job. When he was passed up for a promotion by a less qualified person he decided to do his own thing and if that thing was make a killer album, he has succeeded. Also, an oddity I enjoy, is both the album, and a song on the album are called Errol Eats Everything. It's one of my favorite tracks so definitely check it out.
Also check out: "Round N Round," "Mind"
6. Stephen Wilson Jr. - "I'm A Song"
Album: søn of dad (deluxe)
I can't remember how I first came across this one, but I can tell you when that happened the first thing I did was text Josh Mankin, aka the biggest Seinfeld fan in my life. The only thing better would be if the album was titled The Lopper, or Headso, or The Denogginizer! I really didn't expect much but whoooo boy am I glad I gave it a listen. Turns out søn of dad was released way back in 2023, but got a re-release this year with some outtakes and two tracks recorded on "Live at the Print Shop" which apparently is a YouTube live concert series. One of those live tracks was "I'm a Song." If you watch the video he says his dad told him in one of their final conversations this was his favorite song. He said "this is one of those why don't you just sing it conversations and I told him no I don't do that.....so I'm gonna do that." We're led to believe this is the first time he's ever played "I'm A Song" in public and man I hope that's true. My favorite YouTube comment is “So I’m gonna do that” and then proceeds to drop the best country song ever. Hard to argue. Now, if you want something that was fully released this year, he did drop a four song EP with covers of some of my favorite 90's alt rock songs called Blankets. His cover of "Something In The Way" is so unbelievably good!!! As I'm poking around for info I just found out he did the National Anthem at the NFL Draft in Indy last year. I just found out about this guy but he's already a Team Sisson favorite. Corey and I are going to see him April 17th at The Midland. Hope some of y'all can join us!
Also check out: "Cuckoo," "Year to Be Young 1994"
7. Sword II - "Halogen"
Album: Electric Hour
This was a November release that I believe we first heard about on All Songs Considered. They were playing/gushed over "Even if it's Just a Dream" which is just fantastic. These guys are from Atlanta which apparently has a pretty vibrant music scene that I to this point have been unaware of. The NPR crew was framing them as a shoegaze band, and that's certainly true, but I think there's a lot more in here. From the Post Trash review: "Electric Hour is definitively Sword II’s most cohesive project to date, something that has solidified their identity as an underground force to be reckoned with. The sequencing and pacing is especially striking; an ebbing and flowing tide of pop, grunge, and edgy shoegaze. It’s an alternation that the band explores seemingly at will and is something that I could listen to forever without getting tired of. Through stripping back their sound, Sword II have full control over their resilient, variegated version of rock. They emerge into the present with a singular, science-fiction-esque, “easy to listen to uneasiness” that so subtly and succinctly captures the paranoid scrutiny of society today, while offering pathways towards collective resilience." My thoughts exactly.
8. Balu Brigada - "Backseat"
Album: Portal
Unlike most of these I remember specifically where I was when I first heard Portal. It was a beautiful late summer Friday afternoon at Rec Park here in Raymore. All of Isaac's flag football coaches were at practice so there was no need for me to jump in so I had an hour to kill and hit Indieheads on Reddit to see what the chatter was on new releases that day and there was a post about Balu Brigada. I popped it on and it hooked me immediately so I listened to the whole thing front to back. So catchy. So groovy. For some reason, from that day until the time I'm typing this I thought these guys were from the Bay Area but it turns out they hail from New Zealand! I was so close! I think this is the first New Zealand act we've featured since Flight of the Conchords back in 2008, but Birthday Bash real ones can correct me if I'm wrong. I will point out, the video for "Backseat" consists of the boys driving around the desert in an open top Jeep (or the NZ equivalent) in the FRONT seat. Whatever. The groove is too good to criticize. So take my picture! My picture picture!
9. Yugen Blakrok - "Being Here"
Album: The Illusion of Being
When you do this sort of thing, you develop a deep bench of bands you come to love over the years, and if you're not careful, these lists can just turn into a bunch of the same artists over and over again. We have always tried, and largely failed to keep our list as free of previous Bash participants as possible. THIS year however we almost achieved the impossible, with a list featuring only one returning artist, that artist being the South African phenomenon Yugen Blakrok. As I'm sure you recall, we brought you "Mars Attacks" back in 2019. Fast forward to the back half of this year, we were disappointed with the amount of hip-hop on our list and went searching for what we might have missed and that's when we came across The Illusion of Being. As Tim Robinson said in the Dan Flashes sketch on ITYSL, Yugen's producer, Kanif the Jhatmaster creates beats that are MY EXACT STYLE! Bass heavy, slow, creepy synths. Just perfection. Despite what I said earlier, don't be surprised if you see another Yugen track on a future Bash. Especially if the pattern is complicated! Here she is performing three songs from The Illusion of Being live.
Also check out: "Osiris Awakens"
10. Jolie Laide - "Holly"
Album: Creatures
My #1 album of the year is a dead heat between the Heartworms record and Creatures. If you judge by my Spotify wrapped though it’s not even close. I think I might have listened to Creatures more than any other creature on this planet this year. As I write this, “Old Collapser” only has 1963 plays on Spotify. I’m pretty sure I’m responsible for 500 of those. I submitted “Old Collapser” to my Music League (RIP) for a round with the theme your favorite song right now. Sadly, but unsurprisingly given <2000 plays worldwide I think it came in last place. In case it’s ringing a bell, Jolie Laide is a French phrase meaning “pretty-ugly” or a “good-looking ugly woman.” The band formed in the mid 2000s when Nina Nastasia and The Cape May were both recording at Steve Albini’s studio. The Cape May ended up filling in as her backing band for a tour soon after. Then many years later in 2020 they reconnected through some tough circumstances and eventually combined forces as Jole Laide. It looks like they played the Calgary folk festival July 24th so I just missed them by a week when I was stranded in Calgary overnight while my plane waited on a part to arrive. Hope to see them tour the US this year.
Also check out: "Creatures"
11. Milkweed - "Exile of the Sons of Uisliu"
Album: Remscéla
Now things are getting weird! Remscéla came in #16 on the Quietus Albums of the Year 2025 list. Here's how they describe the band; "Milkweed make recognisably folk music of the type you might hear played at a folk club, but dragged through all sorts of post-production mangles so the vocalist’s Appalachian-sounding lilt – tackling lyrics which don’t really use meters as such, leading to occurrences of extreme syllable crammage – and her bandmate’s acoustic accompaniment is forced to reckon with wow, flutter, flotsam and jetsam." It's haunting and ancient sounding and at the same time refreshingly unique. We considered Milkweed's Folklore 1979 for the 2024 Bash, particularly the track "My Father's Sheep is Dead." Be careful searching for them as there's an Americana band from Binghamton, NY also calling themselves Milkweed.
Also check out: "How Conchobor was Begotten"
Album: bones
These guys and gals have been kicking around since 2013. We've been on the periphery of RKS fandom for a long time, but never really pulled the trigger until we heard "Dang" this September. What a super catchy tune! Like it? The rest of bones is chock full of tunes just like it! Now, as soon as I realized I was in love with this record I texted the only other person I know to be a RKS fan and he responded with something like they're different now. I did a little Binging and found out there was a pretty major change with the lead singer vis a vis gender identity. I know that makes people uncomfortable so I won't get into it, but if you have them rocking in your headphones it really doesn't matter does it? BTW, you may have been thrown by my use of the word "Binging." Have you guys noticed how bad google sucks these days? I've recently realized I get better search results with Bing so I'm trying to use it more. Anyway, RKS is playing Starlight Theater July 27th. That's going to be a hot show! I may just have to sweat it out with them though. Here's them covering "Sugar, We're Goin Down" at Red Rocks. I bring this up to say, the Song Exploder episode about this song was one of my faves all year.
Also check out: "Tropics," "100 Summers"
13. Lambrini Girls - "You're No From Around Here"
Album: Who Let The Dogs Out
I’m not sure where I first heard the Lambrini Girls, but it might have been on Sound Opinions. Both Jim and Greg had Who Let the Dogs Out on their Best of 2025 lists. This was one where I really struggled to pick which song to include. You really can’t go wrong though. They keep up the frenetic energy and DGAF attitude throughout. This is one of the few Bash selections that I’ve seen pop up somewhat regularly on Best of 2025 lists. If anyone local is interested, they’re playing the Granada in Lawrence on May 5th. Cory and I had an adventure trying to get to the Granada a couple of months ago to see the final Murder By Death show. We eventually made it, said goodbye to MBD and even met Zentz after for a beer. That drive home was brutal though. As Roger Murtaugh once said, well you know.
Also check out: "Company Culture," "Big Dick Energy"
14. Courting - "After You"
Album: Lust for Life, Or: 'How To Thread The Needle And Come Out The Other Side To Tell The Story'
Guys, I tried and tried to take Liverpool's Courting off the final Bash playlist this year. I added "Pause at You" to my Best of 2025 list in March and liked it but didn't love it all year. Toward the end of the year I pivoted to "After You" and kind of the same thing. I really like it, but I wasn't ga ga for it. I don't know though, something about this record just makes me feel good. Like it feels like this is the kind of thing I was hearing on CMJ samplers back in the late 90's when I was first getting into less mainstream music. This comparison makes no sense but it reminds me of Jonathan Fire Eater for some reason. Obviously I gravitated to the more guitar heavy tracks, but this record rewards those who appreciate variety. It starts with a nice string intro and rolls into a Chemical Brothers style track that shifts into more of what the record will sound like at the 2 minute mark. As I listen while I'm writing this I'm actually starting to fall in love with this record! I will tell you, in the end it came down to a Courting song or something from The Wytches (probably "Black Ice") as the final addition to the list.
Also check out: "Stealth Rollback"
15. McKinley Dixon - "Magic, Alive!"
Album: Magic, Alive!
Y'all know we love horns around here right? This record is just a joy to listen to. Full stop. Rapping over live jazz is tough to pull off but it's done so well on Magic, Alive! We also love a good concept record which this is. The theme is three kids mourning a friend who passed and trying to come up with ways to bring him back to life through some magic. This was another one we struggled to pick which song to include. You almost got "Crooked Stick" featuring Ghais Guevera who also released an excellent album this year (Goyard Ibn Said) that was in contention for the Bash (check out "The Old Guard Is Dead"). If you don't take my word for it, here's another dad who loves Magic, Alive!
Also check out: "Run, Run, Run Pt. II," "Recitatif (feat. Teller Bank$)"
16. Chartreuse - "More"
Album: Bless You & Be Well
Ok, I've said my two favorite records of 2025 were Heartworms and Jolie Laide. #3 is almost certainly Bless You & Be Well. I was mesmerized by the making of documentary that showed the band traversing all across Europe to record this masterpiece. I've watched a lot of these docs but for some reason this one resonates as the best I've ever seen. Maybe it's the earnestness they all have, the single minded focus on creating the best possible sounding music, with absolutely no guarantee of anyone listening or caring. Well I for one have listened, and I care. This album is incredible and I hope you all give it a chance.
Also check out: "Sequence of Voices"
17 Sam Barber - "Dust and Smoke"
Album: Music for the Soul
Album: Music for the Soul
Lot more twang on this year's Bash right? Well, just two tracks, but that's two more than usual. This one will have to count as our local artist for this year. If the internet is to be believed, Mr. Barber hails from Frohna, MO which appears to be a river town just north of Cape Girardeau, population 245. My hometown's population has hovered around the 400 mark for 30 years so I can sort of relate to that environment. I can tell you though, nobody that has come out of Henry County in the past 20 years has made a record as good as Music for the Soul. I believe he has since relocated to Montana. This is probably the closest thing to modern radio country music we've ever considered for the Bash. Not sure if he gets radio play but I believe he's a bit of a TikTok star so some of you may already be familiar.
Also check out: "Man of the Year," "Music for the Soul"
18. The Murder Capital - "Moonshot"
Album: Blindness
It wouldn’t be the Bash without some Irish guitar rock right? While the two main contenders for the Bash this year were “Moonshot” and “Words Lost Meaning,” the album does take some interesting turns into softer, more melancholy territory in the second half. We like it. Hope you do too.
Also check out: "Words Lost Meaning"
19. La Dispute - "Man with Hands and Ankles Bound"
Album: No One Was Driving The Car
Grand Rapids, MI favorites La Dispute have been screaming into mics and turning it up to 11 for a long time now but we just discovered them this year. We're certainly fans of other speak singing over aggressive guitar acts so we were hopeful and ultimately rewarded with a full listen of No One Was Driving The Car. In fact I remember listening to the full album three times back to back to back while cutting back some vegetation on our expansive property (no, it was just a stubborn, fast growing bush next to our heat pump). We initially wanted to bring you "The Field," but had to trim time so you got the also excellent MwHaAB. If you like what you hear though I do recommend a full listen. There's a lot of great stuff on here. And isn't it refreshing to hear an American rock band? These guys are playing the Granada in Lawrence April 18th if anyone is interested.
Also check out: "Sibling Fistfight at Mom's Fiftieth / The Un-sound"
20. Atmosphere - "Locusts"
Album: Jestures
Minnesota hip-hop makes its return to the Bash! For a while there we featured a Land of 10,000 Lakes rapper on our list nearly every year, from Brother Ali to Dessa to Sims, etc. During that stretch though we never gave Atmosphere their props. Slug and Ant have been making killer music for three decades now, and with Jestures they don't seem to be slowing down at all.
21. MSPAINT - "Angel"
Album: No Separation EP
Dude, as the kids say, MSPAINT hits different. One of the comments that stuck with me on the "Angel" video on YouTube was "So proud that one of the coolest punk bands these days is from Mississippi. Heck yeah." Actually I think it was in that moment I realized 1) this band is from Mississippi, and 2) MSPAINT is a clever way of expressing that fact. If you're a college football fan you spent a lot of time thinking about the Magnolia State, but I can't recall off the top of my head a lot of artists outside the blues genre that have made it big from there. Not saying MSPAINT has "made it big" yet, but a nod from the Birthday Bash opens a lot of doors!
Also check out: "Drift"
22. Haley Heynderickx, Max Garcia Conover - "Boars"
Album: What of Our Nature
Last one in! “Boars” caught my ear when I was listening to KEXP in my office just a few weeks ago. I usually listen and a pretty low volume, and this is a pretty low volume song, but something about it caught my attention. I predict this will be the earworm you keep humming after you listen to my list. The album is great too. Check it out!
Also check out: "Fluorescent Light"
23. Sorry - "Waxwing"
Album: COSPLAY
My favorite thing about doing this Birthday Bash thing and constantly trying to find new stuff to listen to is when I come across something I get obsessed with. Usually that obsession only lasts 4-7 days, but it burns white hot and I listen to the same record over and over again. Those are the ones I'm walking my dog and thinking about what I'm going to write about them. Often those obsessed over records end up not making the final cut though, maybe because by the end of the year I've become sick of them. COSPLAY was the last of those records this year. Maybe you're only hearing it right now because it came out in November and I haven't had a chance to get sick of it. If so, lucky you! We had Sorry on the maybe pile in 2023 with "Screaming In The Rain Again," but I was not expecting to love COSPLAY as much as I do. The first half of the record is very good, but the second half is simply sublime! Tracks 7-10 are all on my Best of 2025 list. I really struggled with which killer track to include, but with a 23 track Bash in the end it came down to run time.
