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Sleaford Mods: The Demise of Planet X
New album: The caustic wit of Nottingham’s Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn return with a 13th LP of brilliantly abrasive, dark humoured hip-hop and catchy beats, addressing the rubbish state of the world, as well as local, personal and social irritations through slick nostalgic cultural reference, some expanded sounds, and an eclectic set of guests
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Part Two favourite albums of 2025 collage
Welcome to the second part of Song Bar favourite albums of 2025. There is also a first part and a third part this week. There is no countdown nor describing these necessarily as “best” albums of the year, but they are chosen by their quality, originality and reader popularity
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First selection of 25 favourite albums in no particular order …
Welcome to the first part of Song Bar favourite albums of 2025. There will also be a second and third part this week. There is no countdown nor describing these necessarily as “best” albums of the year, but they are chosen by their quality, originality and reader popularity
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Witch Fever: FEVEREATEN
New album: Halloween timing comes perfectly for the Manchester quartet in this second LP, following 2022’s Congregation, of scorching, explosive, dark, seething goth-grunge, post-punk, post-rock, metal and hardcore, capturing religious-themed trauma in a personal and allegorical context, fuelled by rage and defiance
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Brògeal: Tuesday Paper Club
New album: Raw yet refined, raucous yet emotional, following two EPs, a stirring, boisterous melodic debut LP by the Falkirk band, who bring a strong, Scottish flavour to the folk-punk style and energy reminiscent of the Pogues, but also sounds reminiscent of the indie jangled guitars of Teenage Fanclub, Stone Roses and The Smiths
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Snõõper: Worldwide
New album: Following 2023’s debut Super Snõõper, the Nashville electro-punk band fronted by Blair Tramel and Connor Cummins bring a super-charged, pacy, energy boosting release of relentless, clever fun, produced by John Congleton
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Agriculture: The Spiritual Sound
New album: Strap yourselves in, but not merely for sheer cacophonous volume, but also surprises. The self-described Los Angeles “ecstatic black metal” band’s second album certainly brings a devilishly voluminous noise, but also huge dynamism with some surprisingly gentler moments
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Upchuck: I'm Nice Now
New album: A blistering new release of razor-sharp rage fuelled by social injustice by the punk and psychedelic rockers from Atlanta, Georgia, spearheaded by the charismatic vocalist KT, with thunderous drums and scalding guitars, and recorded at Sonic Ranch Studio in Texas with producer Ty Segall with a pacy, raw, rasping sound
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SPRINTS: All That Is Over
New album: Following last year’s blistering debut, Letter To Self, this follow-up by the Dublin post-punk quartet comes with title to to reflect dysfunctional, uncertain times, and an expanded musical dynamic, and fierce and reflective songs ranging from politics to philosopher to the personal
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Nova Twins: Parasites & Butterflies
New album: Following 2022’s acclaimed Supernova album, south-east London’s Amy Love and Georgia South return with a third LP of banging boundary-pushing hybrid goth-rock-nu-metal-punk-hip-hop with feisty punch-the-air anthems as well as themes addressing mental health, confidence, negativity and the music industry
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The Hives Forever Forever The Hives!
New album: Subtlety, for some, is overrated. With another shamelessly, if also ironically self-aggrandising hyperbolic title, the Swedish band return with their classic, full-on, full-fat-fun, witty, explosive, screamingly entertaining catchy, punk and garage rock packed with shouty bangers
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Gina Birch’s second solo album, Trouble
New album: The veteran Raincoats co-founder, bass player, songwriter, film-maker and feminist artist’s second solo album is a passionate, political and personal release, outspoken, but also eccentric and eclectically introspective, mixing post-punk, dub, pop and experimental rock
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NODEGA: Rot in Helvetica
New album: A thinly disguised iteration of the New York post-punk band Bodega fronted by songwriters Ben Hozie and Nikki Belfiglio, the same quintet go full punk and hardcore on this articulately angry, pacy, attention-grabbing burst of eight, raucous yet catchy and also clever songs in just 18 minutes, satirically pulling no punches about society’s various ills
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Panic Shack
New album: A refreshing, fast, witty, perky, cheeky, and raw post-punk debut by the band from Cardiff, packed with energy, humour, filth and feisty fun, covering subjects from body shaming to partying, dodgy men, and a joyous celebration of good nights out and friendship
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Ezra Furman: Goodbye Small Head
New album: The acclaimed punk, indie-rock and other genre-spanning Chicago-born artist returns with a 10th LP, one of her very best to date – sharply poetic in lyric and melody, delivered with visceral power, themed on different forms of losing control, with emotions variously wild, exciting, and frightening, joined by their wonderful longtime band and here a small string ensemble
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McLusky: The World Is Still Here And So Are We – their first LP for over two decades
New album: A very welcome smash-and-grab return of rapier wit and voluminous, muscular, sinewy sound by the legendary cult post-hardcore Cardiff/Newcastle/Bristol trio of Andrew ‘Falco’ Falcous and co, their first studio LP since 2004’s The Difference Between Me and You Is That I'm Not on Fire
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Model/Actriz: Pirouette
New album: Following 2023’s Dogsbody, a second LP of strikingly innovative experimental, staccato, percussive post-punk by one of the most exciting bands around – the Brookyn-based quartet of vocalist Cole Haden, guitarist Jack Wetmore, bassist Aaron Shapiro, and drummer Ruben Radlauer
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Viagra Boys: viagr aboys
New album: A mischievously rewritten self-title comes with this witty, infectiously catchy, devilishly energised new release by the raucously fun Swedish punk band from Stockholm, one which satirically lampoons the stupidity of day-to-day modern existence
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HotWax: Hot Shock
New album: One of the hottest young bands around, a blisteringly entertaining debut by the Hastings rock/punk trio, with snarling vocals, stormy guitars, bass and explosive drumming by Tallulah Sim-Savage, Lola Sam and Alfie Sayers
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Lambrini Girls: Who Let The Dogs Out
New album: This feisty, humorous, angry, intelligent, kick-ass debut by the Brighton queer-punk band fronted by duo Lily Macieira and Phoebe Lunny is an explosion of artful, acerbic attitude and energy, and produced by Gilla Band’s Daniel Fox
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