My year in music
alt text
Screenshot of a Google Keep list showing the concerts I attended in 2025, including Pelican and Russian Circles, Subhumans and Fea, Soul Coughing, Napalm Death and Melvins, Die Spitz, Saba, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Neko Case and Des Demonas, and a benefit for Stray Rescue of Saint Louis.
This seems as good of a place as any to park my personal 2025 music wrap-up. Nine shows doesn't feel like a ton (because it's not), but I honestly enjoyed each of them quite a bit. I'm either easy to please or my discernment is well-honed, probably a bit of both.
I'm gonna throw some album favorites here too but I got wordy with them, big surprise. Out of respect for everyone's scrolling thumbs I'm going to bury them under the fold, starting with the fourth comment. Click on through if you feel like checking them out.
I'm gonna throw some album favorites here too but I got wordy with them, big surprise. Out of respect for everyone's scrolling thumbs I'm going to bury them under the fold, starting with the fourth comment. Click on through if you feel like checking them out.
Fans of his excellent Tiny Desk Concert (https://mltshp.com/p/1R763) may be interested to know that he added the audio as Disc 2 of a recently released deluxe version of Showbiz!
-
Die Spitz (Austin, TX) – “Something To Consume” – I feel like they’ve been covered pretty well here this year. I got to see them play (mostly) the older stuff in May; am very to excited to go see them play (mostly) the newer stuff in March. Revisit their KEXP Performance here: https://mltshp.com/p/1RDAV
-
Blight Future (STL) – “Succession Species” – This technically came out in ’24 but they’re celebrating the release of the vinyl in Jan ’26 so I’m calling it a 2025 album. Fun, fast, erratic hardcore with m/f/m gang vocals. They’re my favorite local thing going right now and I hope they have a big year coming. “In These Trying Times” is a good sample https://www.youtube.com/watch...
-
Saba and No ID (Chicago) – “From the Private Collection of Saba and No ID” – One of Chicago’s best young rappers teamed up with the Godfather of Chicago Hip-Hop and the result was fantastic. I hope this wasn’t a one-time pairing. Sample track: “She Called It” https://www.youtube.com/watch...
(I've read rumors there's a new PIVOT GANG album coming in '26 for anyone that's been waiting)
-
Citric Dummies (Minneapolis) – “Split With Turnstile” – Another great buzzy, frenetic, hook-laden album from this Minnesota-trio. Twin Cities keep putting out great shit. It’s a shorty, just listen to the full thing: https://mltshp.com/p/1RCZC
-
Jim Legaxcy (London, ENG) – “black british music” – Mixtape rooted in hip-hop/R&B but it draws inspiration and samples from a deep well. I feel like this would be perfect for a busy commute on public transport, shuffling through chaotic crowds while a cool vibe swims through your ears. Unfortunately, that’s not my life, so I’ve been using it as a dog-walking album. Fans of the FIFA franchise will especially enjoy the video for “06 Wayne Rooney”, which is a straight-up pop banger, but a great one: https://www.youtube.com/watch...
-
Wednesday (Asheville, NC) – “Bleeds” – Ask @nikkuneko, he’ll tell you about them. I really like “…Wound Up Here (By Holdin On)" in particular: https://www.youtube.com/watch...
-
Little Simz (London, ENG) – “Lotus” (but whole discography, really) – Simz is great, might be the best going. And I don’t mean “best female” or “best Brit” or anything like that. Just objectively the best. I revisit this Atelier des Lumieres, Paris concert quite often: https://mltshp.com/p/1R9ME
-
Clipse & Pharrell Williams (Virginia Beach) – “Let God Sort Em Out” – I don’t listen to much Coke Rap and I’m not, generally speaking, much of a Pharrell fan, but this pairing has always been great and the comeback album delivered as promised. Go ahead and give ‘em the Grammy they very obviously want. It’s well deserved. The deep little bassroll on “All Things Considered” hits so nice: https://www.youtube.com/watch...
Squint (STL) – Drag EP – Most recent release from this local quartet who lay gruff, hardcore-style vocals over melodic, hooky, fuzz-pop, almost like The Bronx if they have an Archers of Loaf influence. Sounds weird, but it works. I need to get to one of their shows soon; based on the clips I’ve seen they draw a fun crowd. Here’s the official video for “Overslept”, which features The Arch! https://www.youtube.com/watch...
-
Kenny Mason (ATL) – Pup Pack: 1st Shift EP – I don’t listen to much from ATL’s melodic trap scene, but there’s something about Kenny that just clicks for me. Part of it is the alternative guitar he works into a lot of his production (prominent on the closer “Burn It Up” https://www.youtube.com/watch... ), part of it is I just really like his flow, especially when he really gets going (a little more evident on “A1” – (https://www.youtube.com/watch... ). If you like either/both of those, def go back and listen to last year’s “Angel Eyes”.
- Lizzo f/ Lil Jon – “STFU” - https://www.youtube.com/watch... – Whole deluxe album (“MY FACE STILL HURTS FROM SMILING”) is a solid bop from start-to-finish, but this track in particular is just so much fun. She’s a pop-rap genius.
- Tia Corrine f/ JID – “Backyard” - https://www.youtube.com/watch... – If you’re gonna be deliberately provocative, go all in (Very NSFW)
Cheers, MLTSHP. Best place around to share this stuff, IMO.