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 Steven Grady.
10. Untitled Album by SYCOT MOTION (Soundpoint)
Chicago's prolific drummer/producer David Suycott (Stabbing Westward, Fila Brazillia, XMarsX, Machines of Loving Grace, the temporarily hidden, The Joy Thieves) has contributed to several industrial bands over the past several decades in each capacity (or both). This essentially instrumental EP further cements Suycott's place as a musical force to be reckoned with in 2025.
Listen: Bandcamp
9. A Danger To Ourselves by Lucrecia Dalt (RVNG Intl.)
Experimental Colombian musician Lucrecia Dalt is back with her seventh LP, A Danger to Ourselves. Her sound approach, as heard on previous LPs, includes modular synthesizer combined with plenty of digitally manipulated samples. This longplayer distinguishes itself from Dalt's previous releases in that she integrates themes of her personal life with her music. This is due in large part to longtime Japan guitar whiz David Sylvian, Dalt's partner and co-producer of this record. Percussion instruments, both analog and digital, are played often with the pitch altered to create a hollow effect. Dalt provides both Spanish and English vocals, spoken and sung, with no shortage of singing backup assistance, including Juana Molina, Amor Muere's Camille Mandoki, and Eliana Joy.
Listen: Bandcamp
8. The Water Wheel by Kennebec (Rainwatch)
Kennebec is the musical outlet of Portland composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Eric Phillips. He draws from an eclectic array of influences including left field ambient/electronic music, folk, hip-hop, indie rock and soundtracks to create his own unique style of cinematic music. Kennebec has collaborated with other artists like Sudan Archives, Samuel T. Herring, and Alfa Mist, and also composes music for films and video games. The Water Wheel is an ambient and wide-ranging album with about half the songs instrumental. Phillips gets worthy assistance from vocal guests Aléa Lorén & Co., and rapper MESSIAH! along with violinist Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Brazilian-Bahraini fluglehornist Yazz Ahmed, and Boston harpist Charles Overton.
Listen: Bandcamp
7. Blindness by The Murder Capital (Human Seasons)
Dublin-based post-punkers The Murder Capital has gone international...in more ways than one. The band members each literally have moved to new locales across Ireland and parts of Europe. Never a band to shy away from a renowned producer (Grammy winner John Congleton produces, who also produced their second LP, Gigi's Recovery), lead singer James McGovern, et al. traveled to Los Angeles to record their third LP, Blindness. This effort is as raw and uncompromising as many similar styled bands' first releases. The well-balanced longplayer confirms that The Murder Capital certainly is coming into its own as a post-punk mainstay.
Listen: Bandcamp
6. Southern Minnesota Discomfort: TG Live by The Thirsty Giants (self-released)
In 2022, The Thirsty Giants grew out of Mankato, Minnesota basement jam sessions between a then-teenaged Holden Perron (guitar, vocals) and his father, David (drums). While that may conjure images of Partridge Family wholesomeness, the music they were attempting to play couldn’t be any further from that. It started as loud, aggressive, and knuckleheaded stabs at punk classics by the likes of Black Flag, The Stooges, Velvet Underground, Ramones, Butthole Surfers, Crass, and others before Holden quickly started to write original songs. Hunter Thiesen (bass, vocals), a recent college graduate and fellow punk music fan who lived in the neighborhood, later joined the group. Southern Minnesota Discomfort: TG Live is a compilation of mostly originals performed live on December 21, 2024 at Patrick's in St. Peter, MN. While the music has evolved somewhat over the past few years, it remains loud, aggressive, and yes, fairly knuckleheaded at its core.
Listen: Bandcamp
5. R Is for Rocket by Rocket (Transgressive/Canvasback)
Rocket lifts off from its launching pad in Los Angeles with its "loud, anthemic, bombastic and beautiful" debut LP. R Is For Rocket has a very electric and contemporary guitar sound, that ranges from full and clean, to stopping just short of nasty and dirty. Bass player and lead singer Althea Tuttle has a distinctively full and sensual delivery which is easy on the ears without unnecessary strain or stress. Many of the early tracks have lots of juicy time signature changes. This album is an intergalactic adventure with soaring duel axe work and steady timekeeping by drummer, Cooper Ladomade. Pure energy.
Listen: Bandcamp
4. Kicking the Tires On the Clown Car by The Drip Edges (self-released)
Memphis-based singer/songwriter Jeremy Scott (formerly of Reigning Sound, Toy Trucks, Harlan T. Bobo, Dan Montgomery) got right back to the studio fresh off his first solo record, 2022's Bear Grease. That LP featured drummer Graham Burks, Jr. who joins Scott along with a supporting cast of Mitchell Manley on bass and Noel Clark on guitar for this debut EP. Included is one of the coolest cover songs of 2025, that being The Tokens' 1971 "Animal."
Listen: Bandcamp
3. Maintenant Jamais by Population II (Bonsound)
Population II is French for "another notably creative Canadian trio." It's definitely unique 21st Century space rock, the band apparently having traveled to yet uncharted sonic galaxies through and through. All the tracks' vocals are in French. It might be a stretch to dub this band the French-Canadian answer to early Pink Floyd (this band gets arguably a bit more raucous) but it may be traveling to an even farther destination.
Listen: Bandcamp
2. Adventus by Kevin Brown Quintet (Jeru Jazz)
Canadian born guitarist Kevin Brown is a busy freelance performer and educator in the Chicagoland area. He and his quintet have arrived just in time for the holiday season with a most refreshing collection of modern jazz arrangements of traditional Christmas selections, Adventus. This collection of music seeks to recreate space for reflection and preparation of the season by revisiting specific historical music that has been traditionally used during the period of Advent. The answer to the question, "Can Christmas sound hip?" is a resounding, "Yes!" The album is replete with solo heavy instrumentals where Brown encourages each performer to show his wares fairly evenly. This album virtually reinvents holiday music.
Listen: Bandcamp
1. The Resurrection Game by Emma Swift (Tiny Ghost)
Australian native and current Nashville resident Emma Swift worked briefly as a DJ in Sydney before relocating to the U.S. in 2013. She started a recording career soon afterwards and joined longtime partner Robyn Hitchcock on many of his solo tours. Following 2020's Blonde on the Tracks, a collection of Bob Dylan covers, Swift recorded all but two tracks of The Resurrection Game at the Isle of Wight's Chale Abbey Studios. It was here where she supplemented her band with a string quartet. In her own words, "It's a confessional folky-singer-songwriter album with opulent strings." The album is comprised entirely of heartfelt ballads made distinctive with Swift's bright, breathy, and honest vocals. An absolute sonic treasure.
Listen: Bandcamp