Our team of writers and contributors have diverse tastes. It would appear there wasn’t much in terms of true consensus among us (beyond the number one pick) and little overlap when it came to our year end picks. While the main "Year in Review" feature was picked almost entirely by the Post-Trash editors, we wanted to give all of our contributors a chance to pick their favorites, regardless if the records were covered on our site or not. Everyone was invited to pick their personal top 20 of the year and points were assigned based on rank. An album picked at #1 was given 20 points while an album selected at #20 was awarded a single point and so on. Our contributors' tastes range outside that of our editors, but we wanted to give everyone a chance to share what moved them in 2025. With 15 of our writers submitting their votes, we had 234 different records nominated (which means there weren’t too many repeats) and only our top record received a collected score of sixty or higher.
We're happy to present "Post-Trash's Staff Picks: The Best of 2025" as voted by the entire team (with individual contributor lists below). There were a ton of ties throughout, so editors provided the tie breakers. We hope you enjoy. As always, be sure to support the artists you love. Buy some music.
alex hanse:
1. Mark Fell - Psychic Resynthesis
2. Google Earth - for Mac OS X 10.11
3. The Necks - Disquiet
4. Titanic - Hagen
5. Dijon - Baby
6. Rafael Toral - Traveling Light
7. Bruiser and Bicycle - Deep Country
8. Eiko Ishibashi and Jim O’Rourke - Tusk
9. James K - Friend
10. Friendship - Caveman Wakes Up
11. Kali Malone + Drew McDowall - Magnetism
12. Hannah Frances - Nested in Tangles
13. Jens Kuross - Crooked Songs
14. Zach Phillips - True Music
15. Klein - Sleep With A Cane
16. Erika de Casier - Lifetime
17. Pink Must - Pink Must
18. Chuquimamani-Condori - Edits
19. Shallowater - God’s Gonna Give You A Million Dollars
20. Peace Thru Strength - Peace Thru Strength, Vol. 3
attila peter:
1. The New Eves - The New Eve Is Rising
2. Quinton Barnes - Black Noise
3. Adeline Hotel - Watch the Sunflowers
4. Tuxis Giant - You Won't Remember This
5. Lovely Assistant - Fuck Love
6. Geese - Getting Killed
7. Hannah Frances - Nested in Tangles
8. Tune-Yards - Better Dreaming
9. Anna Tivel - Animal Poem
10. The Saxophones - No Time for Poetry
11. Iona Zajac - Bang
12. McKinley Dixon - Magic, Alive!
13. Mamalarky - Hex Key
14. Laveda - Love, Darla
15. Prewn - System
16. Bug Teeth - Micrographia
17. Laney Jones - Laney Jones and the Spirits
18. Sunny War - Armageddon in a Summer Dress
19. Flora Hibberd - Swirl
20. Squid - Cowards
b. snapp:
1. Shannon Wright - Reservoir of Love
2. Open Head - What Is Success
3. Horsegirl - Phonetics On and On
4. The Moles - Composition Book
5. Prism Shores - Out From Underneath
6. Exploding Flowers - Watermelon/Peacock
7. Gus Englehorn - The Hornbook
8. Friendship - Caveman Wakes Up
9. Fust - Big Ugly
10. Mess Esque - Jay Marie, Comfort Me
11. Mint Mile - andwhichstray
12. Pile - Sunshine and Balance Beams
13. The Necks - Disquiet
14. Milkweed - Remscéla
15. Jens Kuross - Crooked Songs
16. Orcutt Shelley Miller - Orcutt Shelley Miller
17. Lawn - God Made the Highway
18. The Bug Club - Very Human Features
19. Destroyer - Dan’s Boogie
20. Fib - Heavy Lifting
benji heywood:
1. Greet Death - Die in Love
2. billy woods - Golliwog
3. La Dispute - No One Was Driving the Car
4. Jeff Tweedy - Twilight Override
5. Rosalia - LUX
6. Vega Trails - Sierra Tracks
7. Slow Mass - Low on Foot
8. Guck - Gucked Up
9. Agriculture - The Spiritual Sound
10. Geese - Getting Killed
11. Eiko Ishabashi - Antigone
12. Activity - A Thousand years in Another Way
13. Paco Cathcart - Down on Them
14. Goon - Dream 3
15. Pile - Sunshine and Balance Beams
16. Little Simz - Lotus
17. Qasim Naqvi - Endling
18. Cloakroom - Last Leg of the Human Table
19. Clifford - Golden Caravan
20. Open Head - What Is Success
CHARLIE BAILEY:
1. Dean Blunt, Elias Rønnenfelt, Vegyn - lucre
2. ear - The Most Dear and The Future
3. Smerz - Big City Life
4. They Are Gutting A Body Of Water - LOTTO
5. Mechatok - Wide Awake
6. MIKE - Showbiz!
7. billy woods - GOLLIWOG
8. haloplus+ - Musicality
9. Teethe - Magic of the Sale
10. Rooster - Rooster Slipped
11. Agriculture - The Spiritual Sound
12. Science Man - Monarch Joy
13. Ninajirachi - I Love My Computer
14. Joanne Robertson - Blurrr
15. Worldpeace DMT - The Velvet Underground and Rowan
16. Marjorie W.C. Sinclair - Beimax Chessclub
17. Bassvictim - Forever
18. Nation - Nation 2
19. emma aibara - u:phobia
20. Joyer - On The Other End Of The Line...
Chris polley:
1. Greet Death - Die in Love
2. Jerskin Fendrix - Once Upon a Time...in Shropshire
3. Lust for Youth & Croatian Armor - All Worlds
4. Subsonic Eye - Singapore Dreaming
5. Algernon Cadwallader - Trying Not to Have a Thought
6. Youth Lagoon - Rarely Do I Dream
7. Graham Hunt - Timeless World Forever
8. Parking Lot - Angel Food
9. Sport - In Waves
10. Hayden Pedigo - I'll Be Waving as You Drive Away
11. Globlin - Globlin
12. Tulpa - Monster of the Week
13. Kinski - Stumbledown Terrace
14. Swimming - Old
15. Yawners - SUPERBUCLE
16. Cassandra Jenkins - My Light, My Massage Parlor
17. Frankie & the Witch Fingers - Trash Classic
18. Anamanaguchi - Anyway
19. Goon - Dream 3
20. Ninajirachi - I Love My Computer
Christopher j. lee:
1. Hüsker Dü - 1985: The Miracle Year
1. The Replacements - Let It Be (Deluxe Edition) (TIE)
2. Earl Sweatshirt - Live Laugh Love
3. Destroyer - Dan's Boogie
4. Les Rallizes Dénudés - 屋根裏 YaneUra Sept. '80
5. Nishaiar - Enkbera
6. Prison - Downstate
7. Stereolab - Instant Holograms on Metal Film
8. Lee Ranaldo and Michael Vallera - Early New York Silver
9. Dijon - Baby
10. Dean Wareham - That's the Price of Loving Me
11. Ed Kuepper & Jim White - After the Flood
12. Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist - Alfredo 2
13. Edith Frost - In Space
14. Wednesday - Bleeds
15. W.I.T.C.H. - Sogolo
16. The Lemonheads - Love Chant
17. Guerilla Toss - You're Weird Now
18. You Ishihara - Passivité (Deluxe Edition)
19. Pavement - Pavements (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
19. Yo La Tengo - Old Joy (Official Soundtrack) (TIE)
20. Geese, Getting Killed
20. Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska '82: Expanded Edition (TIE)
DAN GOLDIN * :
1. Grace Rogers - Mad Dogs
2. Pile - Sunshine & Balance Beams
3. Hedonist - Scapulimancy
4. mclusky - The World Is Still Here And So Are We
5. Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele 2
6. Tropical Fuck Storm - Fairyland Codex
7. Viagra Boys - Viagr Aboys
8. Artificial Go - Musical Chairs
9. Water From Your Eyes - It’s A Beautiful Place
10. Bimbo - Bimbo à Deux
11. Horsegirl - Phonetics On & On
12. Gabe ‘Nandez & Preservation - Sortilège
13. Ossuary - Abhorrent Worship
14. Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out
15. Corpus Offal - Corpus Offal
16. Pyrex - Body
17. Caustic Wound - Grinding Mechanism of Torment
18. Editrix - The Big E
19. Juana Molina - DOGA
20. Maneka - bathes & listens
EMMANUEL CASTILLO:
1. algernon cadwallader - trying not to have a thought
2. mclusky - the world is still here and so are we
3. ganser - animal hospital
4. swiz - complete discography
5. husker du - 1985: the miracle year
6. dijon - baby
7. billy woods - golliwog
8. they are gutting a body of water - lotto
9. gumm - beneath the wheel
10. home is where - hunting season
11. kinsella and pulse - open ing night
12. guided by voices - thick rich and delicious
13. pulp - more
14. wednesday - bleeds
15. tyler, the creator - dont tap the glass
16. danny brown - stardust
17. mitski - the land: the live album
18. ethel cain - perverts
19. black eyes - hostile design
20. maneka - bathes and listens
ivy skarda:
1. Erika de Casier - Lifetime
2. Jane Remover - Revengeseekerz
3. Geese - Getting Killed
4. Ninajirachi - I Love My Computer
5. Wednesday - Bleeds
6. Oklou - choke enough
7. Earl Sweatshirt - Live Laugh Love
8. Rochelle Jordan - Through the Wall
9. Dijon - Baby
10. PinkPantheress - Fancy That
11. Horsegirl - Phonetics On and On
12. Joanne Robertson - Blurrr
13. Maria Somerville - Luster
14. Colin Miller - Losin’
15. Nourished by Time - The Passionate Ones
16. Lucy Bedroque - Unmusique
17. venturing - Ghostholding
18. Hotline TNT - Raspberry Moon
19. FKA twigs - EUSEXUA
20. kuru - Stay true forever
Jess MAKLER:
1. Asher White - 8 Tips for Full Catastrophe Living
2. FKA Twigs - Eusexua
3. Destroyer - Dan’s Boogie
4. Little Simz - Lotus
5. Deerhoof - Noble & Godlike in Ruin
6. Ezra Furman - Goodbye Small Head
7. Geese - Getting Killed
8. Nourished By Time - Passionate Ones
9. Horsegirl - Phonetics On and On
10. Cate Le Bon - Michelangelo Dying
11. Sudan Archives - THE BPM
12. Automatic - Is It Now?
13. billy woods - GOLLIWOG
14. Japanese Breakfast - For Melancholy Brunettes and Sad Women
15. Pile - Sunshine and Balance Beams
16. SORRY - COSPLAY
17. James K - Friend
18. Wednesday - Bleeds
19. No Joy - Bugland
20. Prewn - System
john glab:
1. Forest Spirit, Sun on Your Back - winnowing
2. They Are Gutting a Body of Water - LOTTO
3. james K - Friend
4. PinkPantheress - Fancy That
5. Hunx and His Punx - Walk Out On This World
6. Skrillex - FUCK YOU SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!!<3
7. Bassvictim - Forever
8. LSDXOXO - DGTL ANML
9. Crippling Alcoholism - Camgirl
10. Solvent OS - Panacea
11. Oneohtrix Point Never - Tranquilizer
12. Open Mike Eagle - Neighborhood Gods Unlimited
13. Jobber - Jobber to the Stars
14. Faerybaby - Jabbermouth
15. Freeman 713 - Weapons: Fully Reloaded
16. Oklou - choke enough
17. Godot - Fever Songs
18. Pat and the Pissers - How It’s Done
19. Downhill2k01 - Pinealweb
20. Bruiser Wolf - POTLUCK
KURT ORZECK:
1. Deafheaven - Lonely People With Power
2. Orbit Culture - Death Above Life
3. Agriculture - Spiritual Sound
4. mclusky - The World Is Still Here and So Are We
5. Messa - Spin
6. Ossuary - Requiem for the Sun
7. Halo Effect - March of the Unheard
8. For Your Health - This Bitter Garden
9. The Armed - Future Is Here and Everything Needs to Be Destroyed
10. Vildhjarta + Där Skogen Sjunger Under Evighetens Granar
11. Wode - Uncrossing the Keys
12. Floating - Hesitating Lights
13. Jason Isbell - Foxes in the Snow
14. Glare - Sunset Funeral
15. Havukruunu - Tavastland
16. Greet Death - Die in Love
17. Harakiri for the Sky - Scorched Earth
18. Saor - Amidst the Ruins
19. Chat Pile and Hayden Pedigo - In the Earth Again
20. Mors Principium Est - Darkness Invisible
patrick pilch:
1. Credit - The Last Few Years
2. Stress Positions - Human Zoo
3. Horsegirl - Phonetics on and on
4. Hiver - Offers
5. Good Flying Birds - Talulah’s Tape
6. Fantasy of a Broken Heart - Chaos Practitioner
7. Papo2oo4 - Papaholic, Vol. 1
8. Friendship - Caveman Wakes Up
9. Che - Rest in Bass
10. YHWH Nailgun - 45 Pounds
11. Sword II - Electric Hour
12. Yhapojj - T.L.Y.
13. TAGABOW - LOTTO
14. Talulah Paisley - Fool
15. Nino Paid - Love me as I am
16. nabeel - ghayoom - غيوم
17. SML - How You Been
18. Uniflora - More gums than teeth
19. MR. PISS - MR. PISS
20. Forty Winks - Love is a dog from hell
ROHAN PRESS:
1. Dead Gowns - It’s Summer, I Love You, and I’m Surrounded by Snow
2. Friendship - Caveman Wakes Up
3. Greg Freeman - Burnover
4. Free Range - Lost & Found
5. Lily Seabird - Trash Mountain
6. Colin Miller - Losin’
7. h. pruz - Red sky at morning
8. Sleeper’s Bell - Clover
9. Wednesday - Bleeds
10. Cate Le Bon - Michelangelo Dying
11. Water From Your Eyes - It’s a Beautiful Place
12. oldstar - Of the Highway
13. Sister. - Two Birds
14. Thomas Dollbaum - Drive All Night
15. Spring Onion - Seated Figure
16. Peter Horses - Xbox Verizon
17. Walker Rider - Fair
18. Zach Romeo - Little Action
19. Motocrossed - Motocrossed
20. Hut - Hut
* The Top 20 list taken into consideration for the staff pick total included bands from Dan’s own label (Exploding In Sound). In the interest of not ranking the label’s own releases, the list submitted here contains their favorite albums without inclusion of any EIS artists.