Here we go again – as the tradition of PopDiggers has demanded since 2015: A presentation of my twenty favorites among newly recorded albums released in 2025. Each album is commented on and at least one selected track is featured as a taster along with information about the artist in question. Most artists have been around for a while and some have occasionally appeared on previous years’ lists, but prepare to meet some debutants and perhaps also other new acquaintances. Hopefully, this relatively diverse selection means that all readers can find unexpected listening advices, no matter what kind of new music you happen to like – as long as it swings.
20. The Men – Buyer Beware
The walk through the list for 2025 starts on the wild side of New York City (Brooklyn) with The Men‘s tenth album Buyer Beware. It’s the second time these rockers are favourites on this list; previous time was in 2023.
The Men flex their muscles and step on the gas on Buyer Beware right from the start with Pony. (Which owes, intentionally or unintentionally, a lot to Benjamin Booker’s single Violent Shiver from his self-titled debut album (2014).) Regardless, The Men also show a somewhat softer side in Charm, but overall the noisy material dominates the album, making it listenable only to those with hardened ears. Nothing Wrong with that.
19. The Minus 5 – Oar On, Penelope!
Originally a side project of Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows), The Minus 5 has now been around for more than thirty years – often with Peter Buck (R.E.M.) as his sideman while the rest of the musicians vary from album to album. On Oar On, Penelope!, they are joined by Linda Pitmon (The Baseball Project and Zuzu’s Petals, for instance), Debbie Peterson (Bangles) and Patterson Hood (Drive-By-Truckers), among others.
Just like all that The Minus 5 has made so far, Oar On, Penelope! is music for its own sake. For fun. This is said without being derogatory in any way, as The Minus 5 belongs to the minority that has the ability to cheer up the listener with smart and most enjoyable pop, like Blow In My Bag. The video to Let The Rope Hold, Cassie Lee shows how firmly rooted they are in musical culture and its history by displaying a number of albums that everyone should consider owning.
The last time Minus 5 was included on this list was in 2017.
18. Tyler Childers – Snipe Hunter
The forecast looks promising that Snipe Hunter will eventually reach platinum status just like Purgatory. Tyler Childers is thus becoming a major player on the country music scene.
For Snipe Hunter, versatile Tyler Childers has called in Rick Rubin as producer. Rubin’s broad experience from different genres allows him to incorporate a variety of influences, which gives Snipe Hunter an exciting unpredictability. Even the accompanying videos continue to feel experimental – and this time occasionally focused on oral obsession (Eatin’ Big Time and Bitin’ List).
The number of views on YouTube is in line with the sales statistics, the songs on Snipe Hunter seem to have more views than the 19 other albums on this list combined. One Goliath among a swarm of Davids. A sad state of affairs, indeed. Not that I begrudge the success of Tyler Childers, but because of how uneven recognition is spread. In this case, it is partly due to the strong position this kind of country music has, especially in the United States.
17. Bloodshot Bill – So Fed Up!
So Fed Up! was – as most of Bloodshot Bill’s records – recorded at Sin Studios, his home recording studio in Montréal, Quebec, Canada. One of the advantages of being a one-man band is that you don’t have to compromise with anyone. Bloodshot Bill has put this freedom into practice and has been able to make a bunch of records the last 25 years that are very personal and almost unparalleled in character.
Since Bloodshot Bill points to Charlie Feathers, Hasil Adkins and Link Wray as his main inspirations, one can draw conclusions about what he sounds like from that. In other words: non-pretentious stripped down rockabilly style type of thing music. Have a listen to Talk To You and Emilina to remove any doubts.
PopDiggers is pleased to have recently listed Bloodshot Bill in our SinglesGoingSteady series. There’s more to read about him in that article.
16. Tommy Womack – Live A Little
It is up to music scholars to determine whether Tommy Womack picked the title of his album from a line in The Temptation To Exist by his compadre, the late Todd Snider (from the album High, Lonesome and Then Some, 2025, bubbling under this list). Anyway, they work in the same area, geographically and musically; albeit Tommy Womack’s stoner ambition is abandoned since many years – Speed, Weed & Alcohol can be said to be a sober irony underlining this.
On Live A Little, Tommy Womack takes on the role of observer who doesn’t back down from disturbing issues. He gets his message across without making much judgment and he always keeps the dialogue open with the listener, often with a twinkle in his eye. One of the calm but heartfelt statements, Just Another Shooting, was written after the March 27, 2023, deadly shooting at Covenant School in his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee.
Eric “Roscoe” Ambel (from The Del Lords and others) produces, plays guitar and keyboards on the album, which helps to give the sound an extra edge.
15. The Dogmatics – Nowheresville
Although the core of The Dogmatics has been around since the early ‘80s, Nowheresville is only their third 12-inch album. Approximately thirty years after the release of their first two albums, The Dogmatics made a “comeback” with She’s The One, released by RUM BAR Records in 2019, which was aptly noted by PopDiggers (This post includes a brief history of The Dogmatics, but you can top it with a short Dogumentary from 2022 – or the long version if you got the time to spare.)
Since then, Rum Bar Records has released an almost comprehensive anthology (EST 81, one single (2021) and one EP, Drop That Needle (2022), in which they pay respect to their favourite bands. (Considering the title, oddly enough only released on CD…)
Anyhow, two songs from these most recent releases return on Nowheresville, but the other ten tracks have not been previously released. Nowheresville follows the trajectory predicted by what well-aged garage punks can accomplish while also becoming a little soft-hearted over time, as in I Can’t Get Over You and Rainy Nights. Fittingly, The Dogmatics close the album with Ball Me Out, originally recorded by their fellow Bostonians predecessors, DMZ in the ‘70s. By the way, don’t forget that Crypt Records releases DMZ’s The Lost Studio Sessions 1978 early 2026.
14. The Untamed Youth – Git Up & Go
Despite the name, The Untamed Youth has been on the record scene since the 1980s on top labels like Norton Records and Estrus Records, but this new album Git Up & Go is available on Hi-Tide Recordings; an indie label that – according to themselves – is dedicated to “surf, lounge and exotica”. Well, perhaps the term surf would be most appropriate of these three in this case. But this record contains much more than just surf music. Here, The Untamed Youth combine joy of playing, skill and playfulness that allows them to summon a spectrum of different styles while keeping the music accessible and classically rooted. Not dissimilar to the easy way NRBQ operates.
Much of The Untamed Youth revolves around multi-instrumentalist Deke Dickerson with Steve Mace (bass) and Steve Reger (organ) as steady companions throughout the years. They’ve worked in the music industry approaching different styles in a timeless way for so long that it’s not surprising that Chris Montez (Party Going Down The Street) and Tony Andreason (of The Trashmen) (a cover of I’m On Fire; first recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis in 1964) make guest appearances on Git Up & Go.
Another cover that highlights the diversity and spirit of The Untamed Youth is how they treat What Do I Get (original by The Buzzcocks, 1978) in a Buddy Holly/Bobby Fuller fashion.
13. The Lemonheads – Love Chant
It’s been a while (19 years!, damn it) since the latest album with original songs appeared. Albums made up of covers may be good, but the songwriting ability that Evan Dando possesses, which has lain dormant for far too long, qualify to something greater – so, finally, here we have Love Chant.
At first, I thought the 2024 single Fear Of Living backed with a cover of Seven Out – originally by Eugene Kelly (The Vaselines) – acted as a precursor to this album, but neither song is included on Love Chant. Instead, we get an album featuring eleven new songs – with lots of hooks (as the cover also suggests). Love Chant is a classic Lemonhead-sounding album. Just try 58 Second Song or the unabashed riff borrowing from Wild Thing. Guests include J Mascis, Juliana Hatfield and Nick Saloman.
Also, check out Evan Dando’s 2025 memoir, Rumors of My Demise, and the deluxe 2LP reissue of the gem Car Button Cloth (2025), originally released in 1996.
12. The Unknowns – Looking From The Outside
Looking From The Outside contains twelve songs in 27 minutes. It’s cool and as it should be with this type of music, namely a punky form of classic garage rock added with inventive hooks that give the sound a bit of pop flavor and a touch of unpredictability keeping the listeners on their toes. The Unknowns share two members with The Chats, which gives a closer hint as to what kind of music to expect. Another clue is that both bands hail from the east coast of Australia – or should I say Saints-land.
With their third album – their best yet – The Unknowns find a good balance between noise and melody and thus, in a way, find home. These two energy kicks are prime examples of I mean: All Grown Up and Ain’t What U Want.
11. Jeff Tweedy – Twilight Override
Who would have thought that a triple LP would end up on a PopDiggers-list of highly recommended albums? Not me, anyway. Until now, that is. At first, the large volume (30) of songs on Twilight Override may act as a threshold, but you don’t have to consume them all in one go. Even though Twilight Override feels like a homogeneous album, it might be wise to divide it into smaller parts.
Anyone who has followed Jeff Tweedy’s career – from Uncle Tupelo to Wilco to producing other artists – is prepared for a surprise every time he releases something new. Twilight Override does not contradict that statement. This time the volume is lowered and the tempo is almost pedestrian, giving the listener an intimate and nearly meditative sensation.
Two audio clips can prove my point: Lou Reed Was My Babysitter with some Velvet touch or Forever Never Ends, about a dizzy youthful mishap in which he manages to rhyme “Peppermint Schnapps” with “Well, here come the cops”. With Twilight Override, Jeff Tweedy solidifies his position as one of the greatest American songwriters.
10. The Bottle Ups – Back Off Craterface
A big surprise. And a pleasant one, too. Forty years after Boppalina Goes West, the latest 12” from The Bottle Ups, Back Off Craterface shows up! That forty-year span is perhaps a modified truth, as one half of this album’s original members, Robert Johnson, had been quite busy with Punchdrunks and other constellations since 1989.
Robert Johnson (guitar), Göran Sahlin (bass) and Gordon Presley (Robert’s son: drums) form the core of today’s Bottle Ups. Link Wray’s spirit is deeply intertwined with all these gritty instrumentals, which, for instance, Lucha Libre shows. Even though Pelle Almqvist emits a couple of howls in Put Away That Knife I’m Link Wray, Back Off Craterface has to be considered as an instrumental album. Savage Surf is the only cover (taken from the album Twist Again With The Low Numbers; 1978).
The not so pleasant surprise is that Back Off Craterface is rare as hen’s teeth; only 100 (yup, you read that right) copies were made. Send your appeal to Repressers Inc. today.
09. Miss Georgia Peach – Class Out The Ass
Class Out The Ass, released by RUM BAR Records, starts with a fabulous cover of Norman Wade’s hidden country gem Shut Up And Drink Your Beer that sets the standard for the album. What we have here is exuberant country with a distinct rock’n’roll feel, aimed straight at your center of knowing better. Only two originals, but the excellent interpretations of other artists’ songs more than make up for this potential shortcoming. Miss Georgia Peach’s own everyday and heartfelt Dusty still makes me long for more originals.
Another reason the album is so good is that members from Nine Pound Hammer and Nashville Pussy join in. And of course also the production by Travis Ramin, who also plays stylishly drums – and occasionally finds an excuse to go berserk, like in Bang Bang. (Check out SinglesGoingSteady#02 for more great stuff with Travis Ramin involvement.) Another great cover song choice on Class Out The Ass that has to be mentioned is The Lazy Cowgirls’ timeless Somewhere Down The Line.
08. Walter Daniels And The Del Valle Trustees – Work Release
Although Work Release is only Walter Daniels And The Del Valle Trustees’ second album, Walter Daniels has a long history of playing in a variety of different lineups from 1994 onwards – Jack O’Fire and South Filthy are just two of them. The electrical energy and garage factor are significantly higher in a good way on Work Release compared to their 2021 debut, which was also jointly released by Chaputa! Records (Portugal) and Ghost Highway Recordings (Spain).
If one word would sum up Work Release, it would be “gritty”; “punk blues” might be another. Harmonica Man Walter Daniels wallows in storytelling about all sorts of societal dark side stuff, with a slight emphasis on prison songs – a bluesy cover of Johnny Paycheck’s 11 Months And 29 Days is one example of them. No wonder the cool album cover by Chris “Sick” Moore shows the stylized band members chained together.
Work Release contains a wide range of songs. Take Demon Bacon Ball for instance, in which the acceleration in the chorus reminds of a Jack Oblivion composition. It’s no mystery as they’ve recorded together on several occasions. The spice and final track of Work Release is a cover of The Sonics’ seminal Strychnine. Need I say more?
07. Smoked Salmon – Smoked Salmon
It’s not entirely wrong to say that Smoked Salmon is some sort of loosely knit global artist collective led by Kim Salmon; formerly of the Australian The Beasts Of Bourbon and The Scientists to name some of the most known bands he has been in over the past almost 50 years.
Kim Salmon has never made his music easily accessible for the listener. It twists, turns and signals a lot of friction in an avant-garde fashion that requires an open ear from the listener. Smoked Salmon’s debut album doesn’t deviate from that path. It has been in the works for some time as two singles (How Did They Ever Manage? and Hell In A Handbasket) were released prior to the album.
Sometimes Smoked Salmon intrudes on Sonic Youth territory like in Don’t and sometimes Kim Salmon unleashes his Iggy Pop (Maybe). It’s a versatile and rewarding album to sink your teeth into.
06. Dark Thoughts – Highway To The End
The closest description I can come up with in one sentence is that Highway To The End is just like The Ramones have been resurrected with modern day energy and momentum. Then you know we’re talking about fast, short retro punk rock-esque songs with lots of hooks in them.
Highway To The End is over before you know it. Dark Thoughts rushes through eleven songs in less than 17 minutes with only the acoustic intro in Please Don’t Be Lonesome as a breathing space. (An album running on 45 rpm, yes. A LP, no.)
Highway To The End is the fourth album by Dark Thoughts and five years has passed since the latest one – the same-styled Must Be Nice (2020). This three-piece band hails from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Shirks (in blessed remembrance) is their closest relative that I can think of in a hurry.
Hi Ho let’s go all uninitiated to check out the audacity of Dark Thoughts in these two outbursts: So Alone and Slept Til 2.
05. Blowers – Blowmania
Melbourne-based Blowers have flown under my radar until now. But it’s never too late to set things right. It turned out that this new acquaintance had two albums out before Blowmania, and all three were pleasant surprises. Dependable Portuguese label Chaputa! Records – mentioned earlier on this list at # 08 – is behind all of them; Blowmania in cooperation with Australian Trash Cult Records.
File under category “garage rock”; sub category “chaos, party and mayhem” – which the cover art by Luiz Berger sums up nicely. It’s music without any brakes or safety nets. Charmingly enough, Blowers deliver it all with tongue in cheek, which means Blowmania also brings a smile to your face, just like a good cartoon.
Wasted On My Own and Tony’s In Hospital Again kick off this intense eleven-song party that, fittingly, lasts less than half an hour. Blowers belongs to those kinds of bands that I would love to see live.
04. Tav Falco – Desire On Ice
Renaissance-like Tav Falco has invited many notorious musicians to his new album, Desire On Ice. By the way, you can’t call it completely new because it mainly contains interpretations of previously released material. Not that it matters too much because the originals have been thoroughly reworked.
Already in the Prologue, Kid Congo Powers’ spoken word introduces this album just like the listener is about to watch a movie. Tav Falco’s ambition to give Desire On Ice cinematic qualities shines through in the staging as it is carefully put together by Mario Monterosso into a cohesive whole. Which must have been a challenge because of the number of guest musicians and recording studios around the world, although the main tracks were laid down at Sam Phillips Recording Service in Memphis in early 2024.
We get to meet musicians from different episodes of The Panther Burns era such as Rene Coman, Jim Sclavunos and Ross Johnson, but also names such as Jon Spencer, Ann Magnuson, Eddie Angel, Bobby Gillespie and Chris Spedding, to mention a few, appear to pay tribute to Tav.
Crying For More is one of the original songs on Desire On Ice, while Cuban Rebel Girl was first recorded back in 1986.
Desire On Ice is an exciting album to delve into, or as Memphis writer Robert Gordon puts it in the liner notes:
Tav Falco, who has been making records against all the odds for nearly half a century, presides, triumphant. A sleight of hand master, he defies the eye, bends the ear, melts your mind. This is your brain on Panther Burn ash.
For fans of Tav Falco – like me – check out this interview I did with him a couple of years ago.
03. Bass Drum Of Death – Six
The last times Bass Drum Of Death was on PopDiggers’ list was in 2023, that time at position # 01 with their fifth studio album Say I Won’t and at # 10 in 2018 with Just Business. Inbetween Say I Won’t and this one, Six, Live … And Let Die was released last year.
The common thread in Bass Drum Of Death is founder John Barrett (guitar and vocals), but the rest of the lineup on Six is the same as on Say I Won’t: Jim Barett (bass, guitar and backing vocals) and Ian Kirkpatrick (drums and percussion).
Regarding influences, John Barrett says in an interview for Glide Magazine a bit surprisingly that: “The big ones on this record were The Stooges, ZZ Top, and the Raveonettes, and bands that I’ve loved forever, like The Spits.”
Although Six goes back to basics, it simultaneously shows some glam rock tendencies (Do Nothing) and a taste of The Jesus And Mary Chain (Like A Knife). But Pick ‘Em Up And Put ‘Em Down is first choice as an ear-opener for newcomers.
02. Gino And The Goons – Gino And The Goons
If I get it right, Gino And The Goons is the first record on which Gino Bambino plays all the instruments. Fourteen songs were recorded in late 2023 at the regular place, Sunwray Studios (Tampa, Florida). Vocal overdubs were added the year after. Nine of these songs correspond to Gino And The Goons. It runs at 45 rpm in less than half an hour just like it should.
Gino And The Goons have been spreading the message of true rock’n’roll since 2013. To date, they have released eight studio albums (two of which are split) and eleven singles/EPs (one of which is a split).
It’s all about attitude and how Gino And The Goons approach rock’n’roll. Without a doubt or detours they get straight to the point and can in that manner convey the essence of good time music. Consequently, My Guitar Almost Killed Me speaks for itself, just like Dance Of The Goons.
Gino And The Goons is on top label Slovenly Recordings and is mastered by master Tim “Crypt” Warren, maybe most recognized for his ground breaking Back From The Grave compilation series.
Oh, yes, mustn’t forget the five other songs from this session. You’ll find them – perhaps a little unnecessarily difficult to access – on a split with the British band Chinese Junk.
01. Twisted Teens – Blame The Clown
Twisted Teens is yet another lesson that needs to be re-done. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn about them until I prepared to see them live this year. If I had been familiar with their self-titled debut album when it came out, it would be on my album list for 2024 for sure.
Based in New Orleans, Louisiana, Twisted Teens are centered around Caspian Hollywell and Razor Ramon Santos. Blame The Clown is their second album. Caspian has transferred his earlier influences of folk punk in Blackbird Raum to Twisted Teens while also letting them mix with the swamps of Louisiana, making the music feverish with a touch of mystery. The sad undertone and intensity are accentuated by the steel guitar and the murky production, which together give unexpected associations to The Gun Club.
Here are two examples of how unusual Twisted Teens sound on Blame The Clown; Is It Real? and Wild Connection.
I had the opportunity to talk with Razor Ramone when Twisted Teens performed in Copenhagen this August. He told me that he originally played guitar, but since New Orleans was overflowing with guitarists, he learned to master the steel guitar during the Covid-pandemic lock down and thereby got a chance to bring his newfound skills into a different context.
Can’t wait until their brand new six-song EU EP will be released non-digitally.
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