The Un-Herd Music Top 30 of 2025
1. Sick Things Too Beaucoup
Before walking away and dismissing this album (and myself) as a rockist 70s throwback (as if that's a bad thing), give a listen to the way the lead guitar delivers melodic hooks that rival the already hook-filled vocal lines. Then crank it up and plan on staying.
2. Geese Getting Killed
These
guys are now popular enough to have graduated out of the Un-Herd garage, but
I’ll keep listening as long as they continue to find the new in the old, or the
old in the new, or the new old in the old new. Impressively unpredictable.
3. The Lucky Shots Clearly Opaque
A band that takes me back to the days of outfits like the Jags, the Only Ones, and the A’s,
when each week seemed to deliver a new slab of power pop perfection.
4. Yukon Blonde Friendship & Rock 'n' Roll
They stripped all the modern production bells and whistles away and
somehow managed to find even more melody, harmonies, and hooks while starkers in the
studio.
5.
Fortitude Valley Part of the Problem, Baby
One of those small miracles that may or may not ever be replicated. Jangly, buzzy, too aggressive for twee and perfectly so.
6.
Dom Mariani Apple of Life
Attaches itself to the sparkling power pop of his days with the Someloves more than the garage psyche of the Stems (not that both aren’t welcome)... so almost the mighty DM3. A
masterclass.
7.
The Gnomes Introducing... the Gnomes
If “Meet the Beatles” time traveled to 1977 London amid the
punk explosion and avoided becoming Eddie and the Hot Rods, it might have sounded like this.
8.
The Honeydogs Algebra for Broken Hearts
Tagged
as alt.country in the late 90s, the Honeydogs are far more expansive than that, bouncing among any number of genres as if the White Album was their spirit animal.
9.
Gyasi Here Comes the Good Part
Embraces 70s glam well beyond the typical terrace stompers (though that's here too) to incorporate high drama and dark cabaret. Somewhere, Jobriath is smiling.
10.
The Saints Long March Through the Jazz Age
It
all started with the feral bash n’ howl of “(I’m) Stranded” and ended almost 50
years later with this thoughtful summation of fading existence. Alright,
Mr. Bailey, c’mon alright.
11. Amanda Shires Nobody's Girl
12. Peppermint Kicks Pop Rocks in My Chewing Gum
13. The Criticals The Criticals
14. Jellybricks Dreaming in Stereo
15. The Wellingtons Baby Moon
16. Smackbeat Little Letters
17. Loose Lips Last Laugh
18. The Prize In The Red
19. Sloan Based on the Best Seller
20. Lawn God Made the Highway
21. Maura Weaver Strange Devotion
22. Miles Kane Sunlight in the Shadows
23. Black Eyed Sons Cowboys in Pinstriped Suits
24. Creem Circus Get. Switched. On!
25. Ricky Byrd NYC Made
26. Supersuckers Liquor, Women, Drugs, and Killing
27. Los Pepes Out of the Void
28. Glad Machine All The Pretty Things
29. Alex Orange Drink Future 86 LP
30. Imani Coppola Shepherd's Pie
1.
Sick Things Serafina
2. The Lucky Sh0ts Great to be Alive
3. Yukon B1onde Waiting on a Call
4. The Je11ybricks Sound of a Broken Heart
5. The Peppermint Kicks Too Sweet (Oh Yeah!)
6. Fortitude Va11ey Sunshine State
7. Geese Cobra
8. Amanda Shires Maybe I
9. 1mani Coppo1a Gimmie a Kiss
10. The We11ingtons Sad Today
11. D0m Mariani Jealous Love
12. Maura Weaver Coop Imagination
13. The Critica1s Mother of Style
14. The Gn0mes Play With You
15. B1ack Eyed Sons Savoir Faire
16. Creem Circus Edge of the Morning
17. Gyasi Star
18. Lawn Davie
19. Supersuckers Volunteer
20. The Prize Looking for a Reason
21. Ricky Byrd Glamdemic Blues
22. The H0neydogs Captain
23. Mi1es Kane Electric Flower
24. The Saints Will You Still Be There
