Our Top 10 Lists have been named in honor of late Blog Director and DJ Clarence Ewing, who pioneered and published this annual feature for nearly a decade.
Our next list is from Drew Rogers. Please note, Drew's list is unranked.
At least the music was decent this year. But it's a low bar.
10. Nested In Tangles by Hannah Frances (Fire Talk)
Deeper and richer than her first album, which was wonderful. Marvelously expressed emotional terrain woven with horn, strings, acoustic guitar, wind, field recordings, and Hannah's dazzling vocal dexterity.
Listen: Bandcamp
9. Yummy by The Mysteries of Life (self-released)
Magical, positive, uplifting, peaceful, and necessary. It floats like fireflies. The perfect calming aural space needed in a shouty, angry, chaotic year.
Listen: Bandcamp
8. Shooting Star by Golden Apples (Black Hole Vinyl)
Excitingly eccentric. Boils over with inspired tunes, experiments, ideas, and tunes that will follow you around and beyour friend. Listen and be freeeee.
Listen: Bandcamp
7. Good Buddy by Fontine (Birthday Cake)
Like a good buddy, it just makes me smile.
Listen: Bandcamp
6. Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow by Sorrows (Big Stir)
Trapped in amber since 1981 and newly released for our 2025 ears. But for the "wisdom" of record execs f*cking with something they should have left alone, this set of seven originals and three covers recorded on one night is finally unleashed 40-some years late. And not a moment too soon. We need it now.
Listen: Bandcamp
5. The Night Has Eyes by The Spells (Garganta Press)
Lost gem. Everyone reading this should buy it, and encourage this kind of female garage punk misbehavior. Packs a serious punch. Hey, Finom... we located your parents.
Listen: Bandcamp
4. Word On the Street by Elle Barbara's Black Space (House of Barbara)
Written, composed, arranged, produced by Elle Barbara over an 9-year arc and through overwhelming challenges that would have broken a lesser being. Radically independent vision from a fearless artist.
Listen: Bandcamp
3. A Trick of the Light by Eli Winter (Three Lobed)
A slow-cooked stew of primitive folk, acoustic, rock, improvisation, jazz, experimental and electronic influences into a sonic tagine of delicacies “in service of emotion.” Have I evoked all the senses with that statement? So does the music. It even smells good.
Listen: Bandcamp
2. Fused by Bailter Space (Matador)
Live recording from 1991. Long-form versions of their songs. If more alternative shoegaze noise rock were like this, you could count me in for it.
Listen: Bandcamp
1. Pilot Light by Liam Kazar (Congrats)
I love you. I love this album more.
Listen: Bandcamp