Stinkweeds Best of 2025

There’s a shift happening.

In our 38 years of sharing music with the valley’s music lovers, we’ve had a front row seat for the trends, the rebirths, the innovations in music and what the music appreciators want more of. This year, we’re noticing that buzz in the air that comes with a new era of music excitement. While these shifts can be heavily influenced by social and political factors, technology is always a very strong force. This year has shown that technology is bringing on a new era for music and art that has us questioning what counts as art or even what counts as an “artist.” A lot of folks are feeling some anxiety about these changes and those worries are certainly warranted. But, if you look back at music history, technology always has a give and a take. While those technological changes often serve to make music more profitable and commodifiable, there’s always a very interesting push back.

Some of the most innovative eras in music are often born from a swing away from the norms and over commercialized art. A lot of the new music we’re hearing shows a shift towards music that is wholly human and created from a place only found in shared experiences and emotions. We’ve all been through a lot over the past few years and we’ve been waiting with bated breath for art and music to offer the response to the call for “what it all means,” the way that only art and music can. We’re witnessing those shifts in the music we’re hearing, with the familiarity that draws us in, blended with the innovation and emotion that makes it truly human.

And that’s what Stinkweeds is in the business of. Your humanity, individuality and taste is what inspires us to make this shop a place you’re willing to walk into and spend some time. We can’t express enough how grateful we are that you continue to share in this experience at our little store. We look forward to continuing this old tradition of sharing the truly human experience of art, culture, music and conversation with all of you.

Here's our favorite 40 records of the year. It's not every one of our favorites, but it spans a wide gamut of musical taste - mirroring our staff's diversity and unwillingness to conform to the status quo. We hope you discover something new.

-The Stinkweeds Staff (Kimber, Dario, Zach, Jake, Ash, Mary, Ty, and Drew)

See our customer's favorite records here. 

Check out ALL of our weekly staff picks, compiled into one playlist. 

Listen to the Best Of 2025 playlist: YouTube, Apple, Spotify

- - - -

Annahstasia - Tether (Drink Sum Water)

chosen by: dario

Ata Kak - Batakari (Analog Tapes From Africa)

"the most fun record to come out in 2025 and it happens to be music from Ghana"

chosen by: ash

Automatic - Is it Now? (Stones Throw)

"an epic new album from the all girl new-wave/art-rock girl trio from LA"

chosen by: ash, zach

Babe Rainbow - Slipper Imp and Shakaerator (pdoom)

chosen by: ty

Big Freedia - Pressing Onward (Queen Diva)

chosen by: drew

Big Thief - Double Infinity (4AD)

"best live band working today - don't miss a chance to see big thief"

chosen by: kimber, ash, mary, zach

Black Country, New Road - Forever Howlong (Ninja Tune)

chosen by: ty, zach

The Budos Band - VII (Diamond West)

chosen by: ty

Caroline - Caroline 2 (Rough Trade)

"ffo: Caroline Polachek, Black Country New Road, Akron Family, injury reserve"

chosen by: jake

Chat Pile & Hayden Pedigo - In The Earth Again (The Flenser / Computer Students)

chosen by: drew, jake

Dalek & Charles Hayward - HAYWARDxDALEK (Relapse)

chosen by: drew

Jerskin Fendrix - Once Upon a Time in Shropshire (untitled recs)

"ffo: black midi, Daniel Rossen, Joanna Newsom, AG Cook"

chosen by: jake

Foxwarren - 2 (Anti-)

chosen by: mary, dario

Ben LeMar Gay - Yowzers (International Anthem)

chosen by: dario, zach

Geckos - Geckos (Org Music)

chosen by: kimber

Geese - Getting Killed (Partisan)

"quite possibly the album of the year - hard to ignore the impact this album had. extraordinary depth"

chosen by: dario, zach, jake

Gelli Haha - Switcheroo (Innovative Leisure)

chosen by: dario, zach

Steve Gunn - Music For Writers (Three Lobed)

chosen by: kimber, zach

HEALTH - Conflict DLC (Loma Vista)

chosen by: drew

JPW & Dadweed - Amassed like a Rat King (Fort Lowell)

chosen by: mary

Max Knouse - Chipmunk'd Away (Jealous Butcher)

chosen by: dario

Lambrini Girls - Who Let The Dogs Out (City Slang)

"The punk album to sum up the collective rage and frustration of politics in 2025"

chosen by: ash

Cass McCombs - Interior Live Oak (Domino)

chosen by: mary

Mess Esque - Jay Marie, Comfort Me (Drag City)

chosen by: dario, zach

Model / Actriz - Pirouette T(rue Panther)

"FFO- Xiu Xiu, Swans, Smerz, Sophie"

chosen by: jake

Nourished By Time - The Passionate Ones (XL)

"moody, evocative dance music for the soul"

chosen by: zach

Okonski - Entrance Music (Colemine)

"accessible, cinematic, alluring, tranquil jazz, for everyone"

chosen by: zach

Panda Bear - Sinister Grift (Domino)

"best panda bear album, hell, any of the AnCo boys, in years - endlessly listenable"

chosen by: zach

Say She She - Cut & Rewind (Drink Sum Water)

chosen by: ty

SML - How You Been (International Anthem)

"two of our staffers travelled to across the country for the chance to see this band live - possibly the most interesting band working"

chosen by: dario, jake, zach

Alan Sparhawk w/ Trampled By Turtles - S/T (Sub Pop)

"FFO: low, smog, Sufjan stevens, phil elverum "

chosen by: jake, zach

Surprise Chef - Superb (Big Crown)

"Illest beats of 2025 for sure..."

chosen by: ash, ty

Suzzallo - The Quiet Year (Suzzallo)

"best rock record of the year - cathartic and visceral"

chosen by: zach

Tame Impala  - Deadbeat (Columbia)

"f the haters - this record rules and if you don't like you don't know how to have fun"

chosen by: mary, zach

Tortoise - Touch (International Anthem / Nonesuch)

chosen by: kimber

Various - Edna Martinez Presents Pico: Sounds System Culture from the Colombian Caribbean (Strut Records)

"the Afro-Latin Colombian dance record of the year"

chosen by: ash

Sharon Van Etten - & The Attachment Theory (Jagjaguwar)

chosen by: kimber

Wednesday - Bleeds (Dead Oceans)

chosen by: zach, mary

Billy Woods - Golliwog (backwoodz studioz)

chosen by: drew, zach

YHWH Nailgun - 45 Pounds (AD 93)

"FFO: Death Grips, Ornette Coleman, Animal Collective, Hella"

chosen by: jake