Big Thief

We’re back! Every year at about this time, we rank the songs we’ve heard — who’s kidding anyone, we’re using the “Royal We” here, as this is Dave’s ranking of the songs, according to Dave — and 2025 provided some…certified bangers.

This year, we’ve expanded the list to include 20 songs. And today we’ll present 20 through 14; 13 on down arrives next week.

20. Bel Air Lip Bombs, “Hey You”

Folks, it’s a complete standout of a music year when a song like this one, from a band like this band, gets stuck with the 20th slot in my rankings.

But that was the year that this was. (Yes, the previous sentence is grammatically correct.)

Off the album “Again,” there’s a breezy rock-meets-pop sound to this band. Others in my orbit may rate this higher on their lists, but…it charts as 20 for us.

Sidebar — Band I Discovered in 2025: Aloha

Long-time pal on X (f/k/a Twitter) is a chap called “Sisyphus Goals” and he and I have bonded over music for…several years now.

Imagine my surprise when he shared this band and I said: “Who?” They’re a band that has been around long enough to have a MySpace page. Here’s their Wikipedia entry.

Aloha is the name of the band. Here’s “All the Wars.”

And here’s “It Won’t Be Long.”

Also, here’s “We Get Down.” What a fun find this band was.

And, Sisyphus suggested this song in his tweet…”Let Your Head Hang Low.”

19. Unknown Mortal Orchestra, “Boys with the Characteristics of Wolves”

Fair warning: this is a weird, AI-produced video that begins with an interlude thing that is different from the actual song.

Alas, Unknown Mortal Orchestra makes the Top 20 list with a pretty catchy tune.

18. Strange Neighbors, “Hate Me Less”

This song was fun enough that it entered my world very early in the year, and it stayed on the list, and it managed to keep on the list through many repeats.

They’re from NYC and big enough to have their own really interesting web page — but not yet big enough to have a Wikipedia entry.

17. Big Thief, “Words”

I’m a big fan of Adrianne Lenker, the front-woman of the band Big Thief (who also does some solo work from time to time). “Words” is off the album Double Infinity, which just arrived a couple months ago.

Lenker’s voice is haunting, soulful, and kinda fits the mood lately. Great song.

16. Witch Post, “The Wolf”

I’m a big fan of bands that can move seamlessly between a male and a female singer; Witch Post is such a collaboration, as Dylan Fraser and Alaska Reid teamed up from two separate continents, as detailed in this article from a magazine/website called Dork.

(Note to self: revisit Dork often.)

“The Wolf” is getting The Airplay on SiriusXMU AND on Alt Nation, so they must be doing something right.

15. Preoccupations, “Focus”

The first of two artists to hold multiple slots on my countdown, Canadian act Preoccupations has figured out two things: (1) song construction and (2) video production.

This video is a sad and jarring walk down memory lane for anyone who either remembers the People’s Temple Guyana Massacre has watched any of the myriad documentaries on cult behavior.

But a fun song nonetheless.

14. Rainbow Kitten Surprise, “Dang”

A fun rock band with a pretty sizeable following, Rainbow Kitten Surprise bandmates met when they were students at Appalachian State University. You can read more about the band on their Wikipedia page.

This is a catchy song that I first heard on Alt Nation a few months back, and I continue hearing it. SO….you can hear it, too.

Next round comes next week. Enjoy the tunes!