Tis the season for year-end best-of lists, and The Record Exchange is pleased to bring you our 2025 Staff Picks!
Today’s 2025 Top 10 is from Thomas, and he shared some words about each pick.
Visit our staff picks display across from the main counter or the staff picks page in our online shop to preview and purchase titles!
WATER FROM YOUR EYES
It’s a Beautiful Place
Water From Your Eyes delivers another astounding album, mixing together elements of post-punk, quirky electronica, upbeat house music and more. There’s not another album from this year that sounds quite like this one. A quick 30-minute album that transports you to a new place, one with heavy, fuzzy walls of guitar and drum machines. A little all over the place, but somehow it all comes together beautifully. Some favorites include “Blood on the Dollar,” “Spaceship” and “Life Signs.”
THEY ARE GUTTING A BODY OF WATER
LOTTO
They Are Gutting a Body of Water put out my favorite shoegaze album this year with LOTTO. T.A.G.A.B.O.W. incorporate dark, heady riffs that blow you out of your seat within the first couple seconds of hitting play. Very hazy, like walking through a dense fog of guitar feedback and power chords. They also put on one of my favorite live shows this year, bringing their unique show atmosphere to Boise’s Shrine Basement. Some favorite tracks include “The Chase,” “Sour Diesel” and “RL Stine.” Definitely a band worth seeing if they play in your town.
HOTLINE TNT
Raspberry Moon
Hotline TNT is back with another excellent album. Following up their last album Cartwheel (another favorite of mine that year), the TNT crew are louder and more explosive than ever. With hints of noisy, My Bloody Valentine-meets-slacker-rock guitar riffs, intermixed with dreamy and ethereal vocals, this album is one of the best shoegaze albums to come out this year, further cementing Hotline TNT as one of the modern torch bearers of shoegaze. Some favorite tracks include “Was I Wrong?,” “Letter to Heaven” and “Where U Been?”
LITTLE SIMZ
Lotus
U.K. rapper Little Simz returns with my favorite hip-hop album of the year. Soulful instrumentation and witty rhymes and vocal delivery make for a fun and light sounding record. Simz verses include her talking to a cop about how she doesn’t want to go to prison, as well as classic British delicacies such as tea and crumpets. Her vocal delivery pokes fun at some of these stereotypes, and brings a fun bit of whimsy to otherwise dreary topics. It also features great performances from personal favorites Yussef Dayes, Michael Kiwanuka, Sampha and more. Definitely a highlight if you’re looking for great conscious hip-hop from this year. Highlight tracks include “Free,” “Lotus” and “Only.”
SNÕÕPER
Worldwide
Snõõper are back with another eclectic bundle of tracks that keep you headbanging and dancing. Keeping it short and punchy, with most tracks under two and a half minutes, these songs sound like what happens if you got spun around in a circle a hundred times and then screeched to a halt (but in a good way). Also includes a fun, Devo-esque cover of the Beatles “Come Together.” “Company Car” is a bop that is impossible to get out of your head. Other highlights include “Star 6 9” and the title track. A fun album if you don’t have a lot of time on your hands.
WET LEG
moisturizer
Wet Leg’s mingling of rock, punk and dance makes for one of the more fun albums to come out this year. Singer Rhian Teasdale sings about same-sex relationships and getting hit on by creepy guys at the club, while the band jams through quirky guitar riffs and catchy hooks that just make you want to dance. Overall, just an upbeat, high energy and fun album from the band. Highlights for me are “mangetout,” “CPR” and “catch these fists.”
WEDNESDAY
Bleeds
Wednesday’s unique amalgam of y’all-ternative (country + alternative, shoutout Ava for that one) and classic rock makes them one of the more unique bands out there today. This album can go quickly from soft, croony tracks like “Elderberry Wine” to full-blown freakout on tracks like “Wasp.” Also filled with some of the best one liner’s this year, this album is just a fun listen from start to finish.
UPCHUCK
I’m Nice Now
Upchuck are back with another ripper of an album. Produced once again by garage rock revivalist idol Ty Segall, I’m Nice Now is a great blend of hardcore punk, garage rock and fuzzy riffs, as well as adding catchy grooves and singable hooks throughout. Best listened to as loud as possible, or when you are angry at the system.
GEESE
Getting Killed
The newest full-length from Brooklyn band Geese is pure chaos at times, and simply beautiful at others. While I was hesitant at first, their fusion of art-punk, krautrock and manic energy makes this album one of the more thrilling and divisive listens this year had to offer. The track “Taxes” slowly builds until it suddenly bursts open beautifully. Hints of Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys sneak through on “Au Pays de Cocaine,” while Cameron Winter’s vocal performance is a unique, love-it-or-hate-it style that reminds me of a baritone Thom Yorke (and I love it). Don’t sleep on the tiny details this album serves up either; listen with headphones, trust me (also produced by Kenneth Blume, aka Kenny Beats). “100 Horses,” “Bow Down,” “Husbands” and “Taxes” are highlight tracks for me. Excited to see them at Treefort 2026. (Who remembers when they played in store in 2021?)
JOANNE ROBERTSON
Blurrr
Joanne Robertson’s newest album is a nice blend of ghostly acoustic folk, slowcore and ambient atmospheres, drawing you into her dense and hazy world. Robertson’s voice is like that of a spirit in an abandoned house with her ethereal vocal delivery. Along with the creaking noises of her guitar, this album is like a warm and cozy blanket, perfect for dissociating during the darkest depths of the wintertime (thank you Zach for the recommendation).
FAVORITE REISSUES:
Pink Floyd – Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII
Reissue of the year goes to Pink Floyd, with a great remaster of both the 1972 film and remix of the music, as well as an official release on physical media (finally!). A must for any Pink Floyd fan.
Lotti Golden – Motor-Cycle
Motor-Cycle is a great mix of real-life-inspired free-form lyricism, with classic Motown instrumentation and a dash of Velvet Underground-style sonic templates. An awesome reissue of this 1969 debut album.
LSD and the Search for God – LSD and the Search for God
A fabulous reissue of mid-2000s cult shoegaze band LSD and the Search for God, just in time for their upcoming performance at Treefort 2026! (See you there?)
Salem 66 – Salt
Salem 66 were a Boston all-female college rock band from the early ‘80s. This reissue of some of their best songs makes for an all-around great rock compilation from an underrated all-female band. Definitely worth digging into. For fans of the Replacements, R.E.M., the Wipers, the Velvet Underground and Nico.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Squid – Cowards
Another excellent album from U.K. post-punk/art rock band Squid, with songs about paranoia, late-stage capitalism and being friends with serial killers. Definitely worth a listen. For fans of Radiohead and Black Country, New Road.
W.I.T.C.H. – Sogolo
W.I.T.C.H. return with another batch of funky tunes, keeping the spirit of Zamrock alive in the year of our lord 2025. Worth listening if you’re into world music or fuzzy ‘60s psychedelia a la Jimi Hendrix.
Mdou Moctar – Tears of Injustice
Mdou Moctar reimagines his fiery 2024 protest album Funeral for Justice into a softer, more traditional Tuareg-style acoustic album that reflects the pain felt by those wronged by the system they protest. An excellent companion piece.
Frankie and the Witch Fingers – Trash Classic
Frankie and the Witch Fingers put out another barn burner with Trash Classic, taking their hyper garage-punk style and incorporating synthesizers and some electronic elements. Best observed in a packed and sweaty Shrine Basement.
Open Mike Eagle – Neighborhood Gods Unlimited
Open Mike Eagle’s new album is a great collection of mesmerizing, hazy beats and classic bars from one of the funniest rappers out there. Shoutout Video Dave too (iykyk).
Freddie Gibbs and the Alchemist – Alfredo II
Freddie Gibbs returns with the Alchemist for part 2 of their acclaimed album Alfredo. While it doesn’t quite hit some of the same highs for me as the original, there are still plenty of great highlights on here, with Alchemist’s beats and Freddie’s raps sounding as fresh as ever.
Panda Bear – Sinister Grift
Panda Bear’s new album is a bright and sunny collage of dub, electronica and neo-psych. Perfect for a walk outside or summer night car rides.
Adrian Quesada – Boleros Psicodélicos II
If you like the Panda Bear album, this new album from Black Pumas’ Adrian Quesada might be up your alley, except substitute the dub and electronica styles for cumbia and soul. An excellent mix of Latin, soul and world music. For fans of Hermanos Gutiérrez and Khruangbin.
Various Artists – Jazz Dispensary Presents Dream a Dream With Studio G: Cratedigger’s Archive (1970-2009)
This one would’ve made my list if not for the fact that these aren’t really “new” songs but rather a compilation of TV cue music from the 1970s to 2000s, performed by some of the best studio musicians you and I have never heard of (similar to the famous Wrecking Crew of the 1960s). This could be the new soundtrack to your life, Truman-show style.
Ty Segall – Possession
Ty Segall keeps the DIY spirit of garage rock alive with his new solo album Possession. The classic Ty Segall Manipulator-era sound you know and love, with some interesting expansions on his songwriting.
The Velveteers – A Million Knives
The Velveteers’ serve us up a special brew of garage rock, stoner riffs and punk attitude on their new album. Consisting of two drummers and a female/femme-presenting guitarist/vocalist, this album is just great garage punk, sung from a unique perspective we don’t normally get in this genre.
Youth Lagoon – Rarely Do I Dream
Youth Lagoon returns with another dreamy album of classic bedroom pop. Featuring a multitude of textures and sounds (home movies, electronica, acoustic piano), Youth Lagoon hits it out of the park once again. Great for gray winter days.