Our 2025 lists were named in honor of CHIRP DJ and blog director Clarence Ewing, who passed away earlier this year.
Happy New Year to all! With 2025 officially in the rear view mirror, it's time to look back at all of the great music that came out over the last 12 months.
Certainly, the Geese phenomenon took our writers and listeners by storm, with Getting Killed topping the CHIRP charts this year. This author is happy to report the presence of several local artists on our list as well, representing a range of genres and experiences.
We hope the records presented here and throughout this series will inspire you to listen to some of the great music you might have heard of, and maybe explore some you haven’t. And now, 2026 is knocking on the door – the beat goes on. From all of us at CHIRP Radio, thanks for listening, and Happy New Year!
#1 Getting Killed by Geese (Partisan)
Listen: Bandcamp
A lot has been made of the overwhelming spectacle of Brooklyn band Geese's sudden breakthrough frenzy, and its elusive, shaggy frontman Cameron Winter. Talk of "sailor in a big green coat" Halloween costumes and rumblings of the next Bob Dylan meteoric rise, á la sold-out Carnegie Hall show. Of course, the fragmented discourse is certainly for good reason. The seamless duality between the quiet hesitancy of each verse on Winter's solo album versus the swaggering confidence of the frontman's Jim Morrison-esque delivery on Geese's Getting Killed is a sight to behold. Lyrically dense with glittering guitars and satisfyingly belted choruses, it has the DNA of classic rock royalty, but tests the boundaries at each beat and rhythmic shift—notes are held just a little longer, the beat's slowed down slightly, and each cathartic song climax ends as abruptly as it started. Perhaps the most fascinating part of the Geese phenomenon is how popular a largely inaccessible album has become. Not even a minute into the album, there's guttural, abrupt yells: "THERE'S A BOMB IN MY CAR," Winter screams. It's these dramatic, weird gambles that make for the most memorable release of a year, heartened by an unexpected mainstream embrace. –
#2 Phonetics On and On by Horsegirl (Matador)
Listen: Bandcamp
Rather than go bigger after their acclaimed 2022 debut Versions of Modern Performance,these three young Chicagoans (who all went to New York City for college) pared everything down. Citing influences such as Young Marble Giants, The Velvet Underground, and Faust, this is a collection of minimalist music with the lyrics that are sometimes mantras, with low key grooves and delicate melodies that are just so easy to sink into. It takes a great deal of confidence to make music like this, and aided by producer Cate Le Bon, this trio made an album I kept going back to. —
#3 Percepticide: The Death of Reality by Pixel Grip (self-released)
Listen: Bandcamp
This Chicago-based dark wave trio creates a hypnotic and unsettling soundtrack for the "death of reality" on their latest release. Percepticide blends the euphoria of club music with industrial grit, using pounding beats and eerie synths to explore themes of overstimulation and the blurring lines of modern existence. The album is a thrilling ride that feels like a dangerous night out, captivating listeners with its mix of high-energy beats and a menacing, shadowy atmosphere that refuses to let go. –
#4 Bleeds by Wednesday (Dead Oceans)
Listen: Bandcamp
My AOTY pick is the sixth album from these Asheville countrygazers. Bleeds is an excellent blend of grunge, shoegaze, and alt-country that provides an equal balance of noise and twang. This is the first album following frontwoman Karly Hartzman and guitarist MJ Lenderman’s breakup last year, which fortunately did not impact their amazing musical chemistry. Every track on here is worth exploring, but if you’re craving some straight-up alt-country fare, give “Elderberry Wine” a spin. For something a bit more psychedelic, check out “Phish Pepsi." Finally, for a noisy slacker rock vibe with a bit of a twang, you can’t go wrong with “Townies,” “Candy Breath,” or “Pick Up That Knife.” — Eric Wiersema
#5 LUX by Rosalía (Domino)
Listen: Rosalía webstore
Rosalía's fourth studio album LUX has lyrics in 14 languages, written and produced by Rosalía, draws inspiration from a myriad of sources including Joan of Arc, and was recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra. There are guest appearances by Bjork, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Yves Tumor. Oh, its also a "pop album." To say this is the top album of 2025 is not giving it enough credit. This is an album that needs multiple listenings. One could rhapsodize about the beauty and innovation of this album of the year. But why bother? It is an absolutely beautiful achievement and solidifies Rosalía as queen of pop. —
#6 Moisturizer by Wet Leg (Domino)
Listen: Bandcamp
Wet Leg blew me away, again! Their self-titled debut was fully packed with bangers, and for the follow-up they also delivered bangers, but different. Click through to discover slightly (barely) less poppy indie rock. The band lineup has expanded to include their touring musicians, and the impact on Wet Leg's songcraft is evident in the tastier grooves they bring. Wrestling with fame, a healthy dose of humor, and a fantastic queer sensibility are all to be found in the lyrics. Giddy up! —
#7 Balloon Balloon Balloon by Sharp Pins (K/Perennial)
Listen: Bandcamp
Like a time capsule from the 1960's unearthed and slapped directly into your earholes, Kai Slater's purported side project from Lifeguard went a long way toward taking over the planet in 2025. Armed with 12-string guitars, heart, and as many melodic ideas as you can imagine, Sharp Pins made their own Alien Lanes with Balloon (3x), using production and sheer will to gracefully leap from Beatles to Byrds to Zombies to Another Sunny Day. Astounding pop that, while avoiding the hypnagogic label, sounds vintage and classic. —
#8 The BPM by Sudan Archives (Stones Throw)
Listen: Bandcamp
Sudan Archives AKA Brittney Parks continues blending her violin prowess with 80s dance club beats, R&B and traditional African music on her third release. The result reminds me of nostalgia classics like La Bouche, Snap!, or En Vogue and takes me back to my childhood, rollerblading carefree in the summertime. Ahhhh. Bliss. You can dance to this record, you could go to Rollerhaven (or Fleetwood, if you grew up in Chicago) and vibe with your friends. It’s infectious. It’s a good mood booster. She’s confident and sexy as hell on the record and puts on a great live show too. —
#9 Who Let The Dogs Out by Lambrini Girls (City Slang)
Listen: Bandcamp
The Brighton UK duo started 2025 as they meant to go on—loud, brash, angry, and not giving a fuck. One of my absolute favorites for the year. Nearly every track a classic, even the ones we couldn't play on the air. —
#10 Nested In Tangles by Hannah Frances (Fire Talk)
Listen: Bandcamp
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. — Drew Rogers