2025 was a year that saw immense change in all areas throughout the world, but it was also a year that saw incredible, noteworthy, and impressive releases from artists and bands, bringing together people from multiple countries and communities to dance and sing together. Music is one of those miraculous things that can bind us all together, regardless of where we’re from. The writers of Start-Track live all over the globe, and here are their favorite releases of 2025 – make sure to check out a few of them (or all of them!).
Kinda Grizzly is an Anglo-Australian record label, collective, and blog, and their favorite album of the year is 99-25 by The Lonely Suns. They said about it, “We’re a little biased as this record was put out by our friends at Black Rainbow Collective – but the amount of blood, sweat, and tears that went into the creation of this album was really astounding. Dan from the band has been writing music from the period covered in the title, and songs from that entire era appear here. Each one is stupendous, but it really works best when consumed as a whole. An amazing work of art – anchored by effort and driven by passion.”
Their favorite EP of the year is Far Out by Julian Wa, and they said that “a Start Track release, we’ve been waiting for more Wa basically since the day after the last one came out. Back with a band (and a bang!) and a much fuller sound, the new EP doesn’t disappoint. Touching on folk, psych, garage, and indie, it’s a world away from his previous releases, and equally enjoyable.”
Joshua Cotrim, a (very talented) Brazilian shoegaze/emo artist releasing under the name Midnight Soup Opera, said that his favorite album of the year is In Rainbows by Radiohead and that “this album means everything to me. It makes me feel things that I can’t even explain. It is filled with so much emotion, I feel so heard and understood. Besides, it is a kind of symbol for my father and me as it marked our relationship very much, so that makes it extra special. It’s been a decade since I started listening to this band, and I couldn’t get tired of this record ever since then.”
His favorite single of the year is Summer’s Gone by Placebo because “Placebo is another band that means the world to me. Their album Without You I’m Nothing is my favorite, and Summer’s Gone is currently my favorite track!”
Ella Lipp is an extraordinary writer, and her favorite album of the year is Slugfeastby Slugfeast by Slugfeast, and she said, “This album was the first that I reviewed that I genuinely couldn’t stop looping. While I love most music I come across to review (I pick them for a reason, after all), Slugfeast managed to immediately capture my attention with their sound, which is right up my alley, and drew me to the world they create with their music. I feel like the band’s strongest suit is how they manage to evoke a lot of strong emotions in their songs, which is probably the biggest reason why I love this album so much.”
Her favorite single was Dirty Puddle by aoihre because it was the most unique single I reviewed this year. The blend of shoegaze and EDM elements, as well as a couple of moments where the song changes direction pleasantly surprised me. Plus, it sounds really sweet overall.”
Will Sisskind is a member of the band Paris Buns and is based out of Boston, Massachusetts, and their favorite album of the year is MAD! by Sparks, saying that “Sparks show they’ve still got the ability to make music that bucks tradition and sounds as sophisticated and fun as anything they’ve released over the past six decades. The Mael brothers’ latest record is unpredictable upon the first listen and enjoyable every successive listen afterwards. MAD! spits in the face of conformity, daring the listener to try and categorize them. After all, Sparks have spent their entire career avoiding a shoebox; they certainly aren’t going to jump headfirst into one now.”
Their favorite single of the year is VÆB by RÓA, and they said that “this was Iceland’s entry into the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest. I was immediately hooked on this ridiculous pop track by these two young Icelandic brothers from the jump. I even gave money to the EBU to support them. They were just so much fun, and the song was all about pushing through life’s challenges with people you love by your side, and everything about the song and performance was so wholesome. When they got through to the finals, their excitement was contagious. And even though they only got 22nd place in the finals, when they received their result, they acted like they had won the whole damn contest. The whole arena did, too. And so did I. God bless you, VÆB. God bless Iceland. Martin Österdahl sucks.”
Jacob Simons is a songwriter and recording artist based out of Louisville, Colorado, and from 2021 to 2025, he served as the primary vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and de facto leader of the progressive folk-rock collective Moon Orchids. His favorite album of the year is All That Fall by Dick Texas, saying that “I have known Valerie Salerno since our noise-rock salad days in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and I have always regarded her as a truly singular musician. Her debut LP under the Dick Texas moniker is one of the most inspired and original statements I have heard in a long time. It is exceedingly refreshing and only leaves me greedily wanting more. Were I to come up with some clever blurb to describe it, I might say that it sounds like Hope Sandoval by way of Albert Ayler sitting in with Howlin’ Wolf’s band circa 1968. Very highly recommended.”
His favorite EP of the year is When You Love Somebodyby Flutter, saying that it’s got “hooks galore! An absurdly sharp and sardonic record—they’re gloriously ramshackle as a live unit, too.”
Lando Flakes is a long-time and very talented writer for Start-Track, and his favorite album is HYPERYOUTH by Joey Valance and Brae, saying that “during a year where I’ve felt burnt out, nihilistic, and frustrated about nearly everything in my life, this album served as a stern reminder about the plethora of feelings that are inherent to living. HYPERYOUTH has a moment for everything and feels like it truly captures the unspeakable essence of being. Grand words for an album that features the line, ‘who’s over there with a big ol’ butt?’, but that’s kinda the point, I think. This album is playful, energetic, grimy, cathartic, and honest. See U Dance is a club banger, Bust Down is a pop classic, and Live Right is a universal anthem that will play forever in my head. All in all, it’s not a perfect album, but it coloured the best parts of my year and helped reinvigorate my love for music at a time when I felt jaded with seriousness.”
His favorite EP of the year is Cool Until It’s Not by Trash Man, and he said that, “in a similar fashion to my favourite album of the year, this EP is a delightful listen that contains a variety of emotions during the course of its surprisingly short runtime. That runtime is also a bonus in my mind due to the level of replayability that these songs achieve. It feels like a sincere exhibit of a modern musician that I can’t help but resonate with.”
Cassie Toby is a Boston-based tinkerer and occasionally a musician/artist, and her favorite album of the year is Sunk Cost Fallacy by Fox Stevenson, saying that “I think this is Fox’s best work to date. To me, what makes it special is the emotional core of the music– self-growth, accountability, and vulnerability- blended with intricate and catchy electronic pop music. There’s something primal in the way it resonates with me, with a wide range of sounds and themes across its fourteen tracks. It’s been on repeat in my car rides ever since its release in late July, and easily earns my album of the year.”
Her favorite single of the year is Insides by Sam Krones, and she said that “it completely changed the emotional landscape of my year. It’s hauntingly beautiful, intimate, authentic, and very well written. Like a moth to flame, I kept coming back to it over and over again. Eventually, it led me down a rabbit hole of similarly beautiful music that shaped my fall and early winter.”
Madi Briggs (disc0mbob/disc0mblogs on social media) is a very talented Start-Track writer, and her favorite album of the year is Tuesday Paper Club by Brògeal, and she said that she “ended up getting involved in the Brògeal community and meeting loads of great people from it.”
Her favorite single of the year is How It Starts by Waverley, saying that “this was the song that helped me get into music journalism as I wrote my first ever review on it, which led me to write for Discovery Music Scotland and then the rest of the magazines.”
Valor is a Kansas City-based writer and contributor to many projects, including the Black Rainbow Collective zine. Their favorite album of the year is Infinity Guise by Summerbruise, and they said that “this album is more than just a continuation of the incredible songwriting and tonality of their previous album, but it’s also a large step up for Summerbruise as multiple other people from other bands were able to contribute and flesh out the album, making it truly out-of-this-world. Summerbruise knocked it out of the park yet again!”
Their favorite single of the year is Shooting Star by Sean Solomon, and they said that “this indie track has a lot to love, blending catchy choruses with gorgeous storytelling.”
Before the year and this post are over, I (Valor) wanted to include a few important things. Firstly, theSTIFF project, featuring Start-Track fundraiser shows in Kansas City, London, and Bratislava, takes place on January 3rd, and please visit the Start-Track Instagram page for more information! So many incredible bands and artists from each city are contributing to the shows to make them super cool, fun, and magical, and it’s so awesome that there are so many people willing to help out with these fundraisers. Secondly, I want to extend infinite gratitude to Filip, the head of Start-Track, who has been supporting DIY music via Start-Track for fifteen years. That’s longer than a lot of people have been alive! Without him and without Start-Track, there would be a lot less visibility and traction for DIY artists who deserve to have their work seen. And finally, I want to also extend gratitude towards Kinda Grizzly and Black Rainbow Collective for helping create the STIFF project, encouraging members of all of our communities to give back to a group that works so hard to make sure that important art is seen by everyone who can possibly see it.
To support us and/or Black Rainbow Collective, find our Instagram pages for more information.
Written by Valor
