Music 2025

 

Another year. Another batch of albums. As I considered my favorites from the year, there was no clear front-runner though my top albums certainly had the most consistent listens. In line with the last few years, a bunch of woman musicians on my list. Some oldies, some new-comers. 

In other music news, I was able to attend my first proper Record Store Day this April at LUNA Music here in Indy with my pals, Lance & Morgan. Early morning, freezing in line, picked up 5-6 vinyls. Would do again. 

My playlist of best songs of the year.

A few concerts of note. Of course plenty of others throughout the year though these are the standouts. 

• Concert 1: caught Beyonce on her Cowboy Carter tour in Chicago. Show was delayed by thunderstorms though she hit the stage a few hours later and played her full 3+ hour set. It was a marathon though incredible, of course.
• Concert 2: Kendrick & SZA in Detroit. A joint headline show by two heavy-weights. I'm a big fan of this concert approach. Alternating sets with collabs sprinkled in. 

Best music moments on TV/film that I can think of.

• Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music opener
• Kendrick Lamar half-time show
• Sinners Dance with the Devil scene

Enough chatter. List time. It's 2025 so 25 albums. Top 10 albums followed by 15 honorable mentions.

10. Addison Rae - Addison
2024 gave us Diet Pepsi but 2025 gave us the full throwback-but-confidently-current pop girlie album of the summer. 

9. Lily Allen - West End Girl
I've never paid attention to Lily Allen but a whole album takedown of ex David Harbour?! A guy I don't have much connection to but he seems fine? A song titled Pussy Palace?! An uninspired SNL performance?! I listened to this album a lot in the last few months of the year. 

8. Bon Iver - SABLE fABLE
Welcome back to my ears, Justin. You sound good and you patented a color.

7. Lucy Dacus - Forever is a Feeling
Lucy's back with more smartly written melodies. Home Video is an all-timer album for me and while Forever hasn't hit that level for me, the album is consistently good with some stand out tracks. Lost Time fed into a friend's wedding vows, the collab with Hozier is solid. Lucy has mainstream recognition these days though thankfully her sound remains grounded and uniquely her own. 

Editor note: Original post mistakenly cited Best Guess instead of Lost Time as part of friend's wedding vows.

6. HAIM - I quit
Relationships dropped and I was ready for HAIM summer. While the album as a whole doesn't quite match the single and thus dominate the summer, it holds it's own. The Haim sisters are collectively single during the writing and producing of this album and they've got thoughts. Keep it coming, ladies. 

5. Hayley Williams - Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party
Well Spencer played album closer Parachute for me and well I was instantly hooked on this album. While I've been somewhat agnostic to the Paramore / Haley back-catalog, this album got me. Hooks and emotion throughout. I'm here for it. 

4. Sabrina Carpenter - Man's Best Friend
We weren't done listening to Short n' Sweet but Sabrina decided to drop another whole-ass album. Explores new sounds, has some Abba moments, whip-smart lyrics. Why not drop another one in 2026?

3. Audrey Hobert - Who's the Clown? 
Well Audrey is friends with Gracie Abrams and, well, they sort of sound similar (complimentary). A little catchy, highly listenable. Audrey is the quirky one though.

2. Annie DiRusso - Super Pedestrian 
Back in Town, Legs, and Good Ass Movie are great songs on an album of really good songs. Except for Derek Jeter, that one's rough on the ears. 

1.  Olivia Dean - The Art of Loving
Olivia, my love. Welcome to the fold. I was turned on to Olivia's Messy album last year and I listened the heck out of it. I had high expectations for this release and my girl delivered. Man I Need is a near perfect single. Most listened to artist of the year for good reason. Appropriate to play in any setting. Carries on the Adele ethos while sounding distinctly herself. Get on the Olivia bandwagon if not already. 

Honorable Mention (listed alphabetical)

• Phil Cook - Appalachia Borealis
• Indigo De Souza - Precipice
• Gordi - Plasticine
• Alex G - Headlights
• Saya Gray - SAYA 
• Lady Gaga - Mayhem
• Valerie June - Owls, Omens, and Oracles
• Liquid Mike - Hell is an Airport
• Lorde - Virgin
• Momma - Welcome to My Blue Sky
• Taylor Swift - The Life of a Showgirl 
• Tame Impala - Deadbeat
• Wednesday - Bleeds 
• Wet Leg - Moisturizer
• Wishy - Planet Popstar (EP)

Television 2025

 

Lots of television, always behind. My end-of-year list will always be skewed as there's nearly as much on the to-watch list as on the watched list. 

My top 10 list includes a lot of new shows. There were some exciting new concepts and well-executed tried-and-true genres. Some returning faithfuls (Abbott, White Lotus, Only Murders) have been good installments and fit in my top 25 though perhaps not at their peak. 

I'm including 25 shows. I'll list my top 10 shows, ranked 10-1. I'll list my 25-11 shows as Honorable Mentions, listed alphabetically. And of course I'll include a Highly Anticipated list. The list includes shows that primarily aired in 2025. I'm loose on which seasons are included, sometimes including multiple seasons if they aired spring/fall. 

10. The Traitors (season 3)

This reality competition show has hit its stride. Full drama, full competition, full fashion. I'm here for it all. Can't wait for season 4, Allen. 

9. I Love LA (season 1)

I'm all in. Rachel Sennott has been one of the it-girls for the last five years and honestly happy she has the tv series outlet to get all her ideas out. Is it the internet gen-z Girls? Sure. And that's great. The whole cast is stellar and I'm looking forward to precisely three more seasons. 

8. Adolescence (mini-series)

The level of craftsmanship on this mini-series! The continuous shots on each episode. The performances! The writing and unique take on the (hard) subject matter. Television is eating itself with too much mid glut and there's space for a project like this so it's not all bad. 

7. Nobody Wants This (season 2)

Is this series good? Not necessarily. Is it highly watchable? You bet ya. The Brody x Bell chemistry is fantastic. The show is already recycling some plot lines from season 1 but the romance dynamic persists and the ensemble supporting cast are getting their moments as well. 

6. Overcompensating (season 1)

Comedies are back, baby! Millennial-core, gay, jokes on jokes, and higher ed orientation references. This show was created with me in mind. I don't buy the central premise of the college freshman being afraid to be out in 2025 but I'm still along for the ride. Hailee is a contender for funniest character of the year.

5. The Rehearsal (season 2)

Nathan is a little bit of a cliché for white men of a certain age. BUT, for good reason. Season 1 was good. Had its moments, caused some controversy and buzz. Season 2? It goes places television hasn't been before. If anyone could win a "commitment to the bit" competition, it would be Fielder. 

4. Task (season 1)

Another Pennsylvania-based crime show with flawed, grounded characters?! Sign me up. I was locked in each episode. Stan for Maeve forever and always.  

3. Dying for Sex (mini-series)

Well obviously Michelle is brilliant in everything she does. But add Jenny and Rob in supporting roles?! A woman pursuing sexual pleasure for the first time in her life as she's terminally ill, this show could go off the rails at so many points. The show gets the tone perfectly right, balancing sadness and laughs with finesse. 

2. Adults (season 1)

Ok now comedies are legitimately back! Gen-z Friends set in Queens. I wanna hang with this crew for 5 more seasons. Shenanigans. Romance. And more!

1. The Pitt (season 1)

Not really a sucker for medical shows, I was locked in for the doctor speak for all fifteen episodes. I think I went into some sort of fugue state and could just watch indefinitely. Bring on season 2. 

Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically)

• Abbott Elementary (season 4 & 5)
• Bob's Burgers (season 15 & 16)
• Celebrity Jeopardy (season 1)
• The Chair Company (season 1)
• English Teacher (season 2)
• Hacks (season 2)
• Heated Rivalry (season 1)
• The Last of Us (season 2)
• The Lowdown (season 1)
• Only Murders in the Building (season 5)
• SNL 50: Beyond Saturday Night (documentary mini-series)
• Severance (season 2)
• The Studio (season 1)
• Too Much (season 1)
• The White Lotus (season 3)

Highly Anticipated

• Andor (season 2)
• The Bear (season 4)
• Black Mirror (season 7)
• Boots (season 1)
• The Diplomat (season 3)
• Industry (season 3)
• Loot (season 3)
• Love on the Spectrum (season 3)
• Mo (season 2)
• Platonic (season 2)
• Pluribus (season 1)
• Running Point (season 1)
• Slow Horses (season 5)

Movies 2025

 

Another good year for movies with the top-tier movies ranging a number of genres. Drama, whodunnit, horror, action, dark comedy. Some veteran directors gave us their best while a few newer auteurs made my top-10 list. In theory, I'm a staunch opponent of 2+ hour movies though sometimes I watch a 2.5 hour movie and don't notice the time at all so, perhaps, my issue is with pacing. If you're telling a long story, you better edit the hell out of it and keep the momentum going. All that to say: a few 2+ hour movies in my top 5. One more note on this go-around of movies: it was Pedro summer, Ethan fall, and Josh winter. 

AMC A-List continues to be good to me. 100+ movies viewed in theaters. There's nothing like sneaking away to a theater on a random Tuesday evening to watch some B-level movie. Spencer got me an A-List hat that has yet to be noticed but there's still time. 

Here's my list. 25 movies. Top 10 list followed by 15 Honorable Mentions listed alphabetically to fill out the 25. For my running list of all 2025 movies, in order of favorite to least-favorite, check my Letterboxd list.

10. Marty Supreme
Frenetic, Timothée at his best, Safdie doing his thing. The movie meanders in the best way. 

9. Superman
A summer blockbuster that was fun! I miss having fun at the movies in the summer! 

8. Zootopia 2
Well I had so much fun returning to the Zootopia world. A fresh story, a few new characters. A couple call-backs without feeling like they were relying on the success of the original. Some simple allegories to societal structures. I'm ready for part three in another nine years.

7. Materialists
Celine Song is back with this mis-advertised romantic drama. The subtleties of her movies are what get me. Even with these A-list actors, the progression of story, the back-and-forth of the relationships, the well-roundedness of the characters all work. Not as strong as Past Lives but guarantees Song has more to say. 

6. Sentimental Value
I felt like I knew the characters so well. A movie that knows itself. In no particular hurry. 

5. Sorry, Baby
Stellar script, solid performances, hard subject matter dealt with nuance, grace, and humor. Plus a kitty is involved. 

4. Weapons
Original IP movies are back! (1/3) Horror is dependable at the box office though this one really payed off via word of mouth popularity. This movie has a distinct and campy baddie. It's funny with a unique story and a good pay-off. Loved it. 

3. Wake Up Dead Man
What is there to say about the Knives Out franchise? Just perfection. New murder, new cast, new setting. Yet somehow just as good as the last two. Solid mystery and a barrage of stellar performances. 

2. Sinners
Original IP movies are back! (2/3) Leave it to Ryan Coogler to make a highly accessible vampire story centering music and race. This was a cinematic experience done right. And of course, that music medley scene half-way through will go down in the record-book 

1. One Battle After Another
Original IP movies are back! (3/3) I'm prejudiced against long movies yet this is a the second year in a row my top movie is a long drama that nails it. Immersive, well-edited, a journey. I wasn't bored once. Themes are timely. Some shots will go down in movie history as all-timers. 

Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically)

• 28 Years Later
• Anaconda 
• Black Bag
• Blue Moon
• Deaf President Now! 
• Frankenstein
• Friendship
• K-Pop Demon Hunters
• Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music
• The Naked Gun
• The Secret Agent
• Splitsville
• Together
• Warfare
• Wicked: For Good

Highly Anticipated (listed alphabetically)

• Come See Me in the Good Light
• Dust Bunny
• Is This Thing On?
• It Was Just an Accident 
• No Other Choice
• The Perfect Neighbor
• Plainclothes
• Sirát 
• The Testament of Ann Lee

Best Albums of 2017

Another year for some stellar albums. In my listening sphere, there were a few artists coming back after brief hiatuses with LCD Soundsystem and The xx. A few promising newbies with Sampha and Maggie Rogers. And a few fantastic rap albums with Vince Staples and Kendrick Lamar. Some other old favorites dropped off my radar a little bit with Fleet Foxes and Arcade Fire. And a number of other old favorites put out good but not great albums that landed on the honorable mentions list. Here's what I listened to and enjoyed the most this year. Happy listening all.

Sidebar: I made a Spotify playlist of some of my favorite tracks from the year. Lots of cross over with my top 10 list (and HMs) but not exclusively. Here's the link.

10. Manchester Orchestra - A Black Mile to the Surface
Ten years ago, I was loving Manchester Orchestra's I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child album. I was moderately into their follow-up but then dropped off with the band in the subsequent years, mostly due to a harder sound that I'm not into as much. When A Black Mile to the Surface released to very positive reviews, I checked out the album and was taken back to my 2007 self. They don't sound stale, they sound like what they're best at. Emotional rock. Soft lyrics followed by crashing guitars and drums. I'm in.

9. LCD Soundsystem - American Dream
Ok, I'm not really into bands "retiring" to then return shortly later. That's just a long space between albums. Otherwise, I'm into the new music for the most part. I skip a few tracks but tonite, how do you sleep?, and emotional haircut are stellar. I was also able to see them live in Philly and they did not disappoint.

8. The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding
These guys know how to create a mood. Driving in the car or turned up while making dinner, The War on Drugs make you feel comfortable. I'm into it. I'll keep listening to it. A few more keyboards this time around but same reliable atmosphere created for me.

7. Sampha - Process
This dude has produced for Drake, Solange, and Kanye. He rolls with some big names. But then, on his first album, he does his own thing sans features. Some incredible beats throughout the album. Then (No One Knows Me) Like the Piano is a contender for best ballad of the year. I listened to this album a lot this year.

6. Beck - Colors
This album was a long time coming. I was such a sucker for the Wow single released in 2016 and anxiously awaited more of the same with the album release. While the remainder of the album is unique from the standout off-kilter single, there are a bunch of great, feel good pop jams.

5. Sylvan Esso - What Now
High expectations for this one. Their debut s/t album was my favorite album of 2014 and it wasn't certain they were continuing with the project. So last year when rumors of a new album and the following singles popped up, I was very pleased. While the single Radio is a little on the head (still very catchy), The Glow and Die Young are fantastic pop singles. Overall these two are stellar at creating pop songs that have more depth than pure bubble gum.

4. Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory
Big Fish Theory is more to the point than the debut double album. From my standpoint, that was a good move as it's pretty great front to back. Standout tracks Big Fish, 745, and BagBak are all fantastic. Caught him live at the 9:30 Club in D.C. and the show was lit. Love it. Keep 'em coming, Vince.

3. The xx - I See You 
Post second album Coexist, I thought I might retire the band as finely tuned electronic song writers who I could live without. But then I See You opens with a bang and doesn't let go. Happy to have them back and being alright with going upbeat now and again.

2. Maggie Rogers - Now That the Light Is Fading
Maggie made music news when in an NYU music course with visitor Pharrell, her track Alaska brought tears to his eyes. The video is online. So that was when I first heard of Maggie Rogers. But then I listened to the EP and was into it. And then I kept listening to it. Over and over. Though short with but five tracks, they are sweet.

1. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
The day this album dropped, I was traveling for most of the day via car and plane. I think I listened to the album five times. It's hard hitting. It has a few slow jams. It's got some great features. It's Kendrick at his best. To Pimp a Butterfly may be an album for the ages but DAMN. is Kendrick firing on all cylinders. DNA. and HUMBLE. reflect the hard hitting. LOVE. is so smooth. Literally all the songs do their thing. Thanks for doing your thing, Kendrick.


Honorable Mentions (10 more, listed alphabetically)
Broken Social Scene - Hug of Thunder
Dirty Projectors - s/t
A Ghost Story (Original Soundtrack)
Haim - Something to Tell You
Ibeyi - Ash
The National - Sleep Well Beast
The New Pornographers - Whiteout Conditions
Phoenix - Ti Amo
Spoon - Hot Thoughts
Taylor Swift - Reputation

Best Movies of 2017

Well with a general crap year there's nothing quite like the catharsis, inspiration, and creative exploration of the movies. My favorites ranged from coming of age to horror. There's been some incredibly moving and poignant stories told from all sorts of genres. Here are my favorite movies of the year plus honorable mentions and highly anticipated listed at the bottom.

 

10. It Comes at Night
This slow burner horror film relied more heavily on what we imagine is out there than what is actually out there. And like any good horror movie (in my opinion), it reflects on how the monster inside each one of us is as dangerous as any sort of zombie or boogey man.

9. The Lego Batman Movie
The joke density is crazy high on this one. I was happy to be along for the ride. Haven't gotten around to see Ninjango (too soon?) but my multiple viewings of The Lego Batman Movie were a fun ride.

8. Call Me by Your Name

A coming of age story in which there's no villain. A 17 year old boy who falls for a man presumably in his late 20s. It's charming and lovely and sad. Set in beautiful northern Italy in an idyllic spot which doesn't reflect many people's actual experience but the emotions are real and the movie is executed expertly. Also some Sufjan songs throughout.

7. Thor: Ragnarok
This was a fun action movie in which I laughed a lot. So basically exactly what I'm looking for when going to a super hero movie. Director Taika Waititi did an expert job with the film and his comedic and international perspective showed in just the right ways.

6. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
I am loving the new Star Wars movies. They're daring and unique and hold onto the excitement and adventure of the originals. The Last Jedi wasn't afraid to explore who Rey and Finn and Kylo are. And the few new characters were great add on. The visuals were on point. The funny asides served their purpose and the porgs weren't super annoying. Not mad that the Star Wars universe is expanding.

5. Coco
One of Pixar's more beautiful movies. The visuals were fairly incredible. The themes of the movie were relatively standard though the whole context in which it was set was unique. I just loved how specific and sweet and inspiring the story was. From a cultural standpoint, it celebrated the customs and intricacies without appropriating them. Hooray for Miguel, I'll be remembering this one.

4. Dunkirk
Wow, this movie was a spectacle. Three stories woven together to tell a snapshot story of the battle of Dunkirk. With Nolan at the helm, I was fearing a heavy, drawn-out thinker movie but was pleased that it was lean, human, and to the point. Oh, and Harry Styles in a real movie. Why not?

3. Lady Bird
Gosh I loved everything about this one. Greta Gerwig had an excellent debut as director. Saoirse Ronan continues to be fantastic in everything that she's in. Another coming of age movie. About a girl who thinks she's bigger than her home but really mostly just doesn't quite fit. She likes boys and has a few friends and listens to Dave Matthews Band (it's set in the early 2000's). I laughed so many times in the movie and felt for so many of the characters. Greta, keep 'em coming!

2. The Big Sick
A rom-com. Heavy on the comedy and fairly romantic. The story of how Kumail and his wife actually met. Wouldn't have guessed that Ray Romano would play a supporting role in one of my favorite movies of the year but the movie has tons of heart and is so funny and deals with issues of race in authentic ways.

1. Get Out

Jordan Peele as director. With a comedian giving direction, he knows how to keep the movie moving and doesn't run into pacing issues. He also clearly knows his horror stuff. And then he flips most of the tropes when the themes of race get tied into the horror. Again, Peele's time on Key and Peele keeps the themes from coming across as inauthentic or preachy. He knows how to make a point and then move on. This movie is scary, funny, and well executed. It's also chock full of metaphors and themes that are so relevant to the black experience today. I loved hearing what others picked up from the movie. And while it's easy to pick apart and discuss as a think piece generator, it's just a plain great movie. Go see this movie and keep watching it.

Honorable Mentions (10 more, listed alphabetically)

Baby Driver; The Shape of Water; The Disaster Artist; A Ghost Story; The Killing of a Sacred Deer; The Lego Batman Movie; Logan Lucky; Spider-Man: Homecoming; Whose Streets?; Wonder Woman

Highly Anticipated (10 more, listed alphabetically)

Blade Runner 2049; Brigsby Bear; Darkest Hour; I, Tonya; Ingrid Goes West; It; Logan; Mudbound; Phantom Thread; The Post