Tuesday Tunes: The 25 best songs of 2025

Listed below are my 25 favorite songs of 2025. Hope you get a chance to listen and enjoy them. Nine (9) of the 25 songs are by bands from Ireland and 20 of the 25 songs are by women or bands with female lead singers.

*Three songs from the list below are tremendous in their advocacy. “True Believer” raises important questions about racism and religious hypocrisy, particularly in the American South, “Lesbian of the Year” celebrates one’s ability to truly be themselves, and “Love of Country” is a remarkable track that decries nationalism across the globe. All three songs remind us of how important music is in championing causes that promote peace, love, and understanding among all residents of the Earth.

Peace!

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Cliffords from their video shoot for the song “Marsh”

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In conjunction with release of the song “Love of Country,” by the band The Murder Capital, from Dublin, Ireland they released the following statement:

“‘Love Of Country’ is a song about the dark side of patriotism and nationalism, and what they become when they are warped and weaponised. Across the world, we are seeing hatred of ‘other’ spreading like a disease. No claiming of land today is more barbaric than the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.

In the face of, and beyond such clear acts of evil, it is more vital than ever to cherish the richness of our diverse communities and the power of human connection. We must stand firm against the rise of nationalist ideologies and speak up for those whose worlds are being torn apart by hatred and violence.

We are, and always will be made stronger by our compassion.”

The band also noted they are donating all funds from sale of a special 7 inch edition of the single (which has sold out) and digital downloads on bandcamp.com to the organization Medical Aid for Palestinians.

#bands #cliffords #deepSeaDiver #eccaVandal #florenceRoad #fontaines #fun #hayleyWilliams #lateNightDriveHome #momma #music #newdad #rock #singles #songs #theBeaches #theMurderCapital #tracks #tunes #wolfAlice #yungblud

Favorite new album cover art of 2025

A new category for this year is favorite album cover art. Figured since there will be a grammy for this, this blog’s two cents worth should be thrown into the mix. So here are my favorites from 2025. Hope you enjoy these images. So often, like music itself, album art is a personal choice in style and focus. Peace and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

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All Washed Up by Cheap Trick:

Who cares if they’ve been around for a half-century, this whimsical album cover says it all both in its title and the hilarious image. Each of the four washing machines is personalized to epitomize each the four (4) band members from guitarist and lyricist Rick Nielsen’s checker-flagged fashions to a soapy “Z” for lead singer Robin Zander in the second machine onward. Hey, and the new music is pretty damn good too. Well done!

As I Watch My Life Online by Late Night Drive Home:

In our dystopianesque world of digital addictions or constant doom-scrolling, texting, and video posting, this album cover says it all…as do the tracks on the album. When you get to the point when you are scrolling online in the shower…something’s truly amiss.

Fall Back EP by Florence Road:

Love the surreal and hypnotic feel of this cover art. It is memorizing without being dark or sinister — just the four band members crossing the Irish countryside with an abstract background image mixing shades of sky, clouds, and fog in a unique and comforting pattern.

Billboard Heart by Deep Sea Diver:

A shimmering wall of red filaments floating effortlessly above a coastline against a blue sky horizon. Like a billboard, the filaments would be hard to miss and the red links it to our hearts.

Salt of the Lee EP by Cliffords:

For a band coming from the seacoast city of Cork, Ireland, this image of a seafarers’ weather vane is a perfect reflection of home and the essence of this historic city.

Altar by NewDad:

The gothic-style house on the cover was built during the recording of the band’s Safe EP from early 2025 and continued/completed construction during the creation of the Altar album and the videos for each song. Given the Altar album includes several songs reflecting the band’s homesickness after moving from Galway, Ireland to London, the cover may also reflect an image of their home town.

Welcome To My Blue Sky by Momma:

A cover that reflects the linkages between the two female founders of the band and their importance to one another. Simple, yet still symbolic.

#albumArt #albumCovers #albums #art #cds #cheapTrick #cliffords #deepSeaDiver #design #eps #florenceRoad #fun #ireland #lateNightDriveHome #momma #music #newdad #reviews #style

Best new albums from the first half of 2025

Listed below are my favorite albums released during the first half of 2025. Each contains excellent indie/alternative music, but thus far Momma’s release stands out above the others. Arriving during the next quarter is the most anticipated new album (for me) in 2025 – Wolf Alice’s new release: The Clearing. If the first two singles area any indication, it will likely be a challenger for the top spot. Stay tuned. Peace!

2. Billboard Heart – Deep Sea Diver

3. As I Watch My Life Online – Late Night Drive Home

4. Salt of the Lee EP – Cliffords

5. If You Asked For A Picture – Blondshell

6. Happy To Be Here EP – Dexter & The Moonrocks

7. Planet Popstar EP – Wishy

8. Fall Back EP – Florence Road

#albums #Blondshell #Cliffords #DeepSeaDiver #FlorenceRoad #fun #LateNightDriveHome #Momma #music #Wishy #WolfAlice

A playlist of the internet age: “As I Watch My Life Online”

Indie rockers Late Night Drive Home from the El Paso area of Texas and New Mexico just released their first full-length album entitle As I Watch My Life Online on June 27th. This remarkable 13 track record blends many elements of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pink Floyd, The Strokes, and The Cars to document society’s increasing addiction to the internet.

What sets this album and band apart are how the melodies, lyrics, and rhythms change their pace and tempo at the speed of a mouse click. Just when you think you’ve figured out a song, it reboots into overdrive, switches formats, or becomes the latest version of a downloaded app that diverts from the original. This is not a bad thing, though I would have preferred the second half of “Terabyte” remain closer to the first half.

“It’s not that dangerous
It’s just self expression
It’s just my depression
It’s just my addiction
It’s just my religion
And a mix of all the tension
It’s cultural analysis
For those with short attention”

“As I Watch My Life Online” – lyrics by Late Night Drive Home

What makes As I Watch Myself Online really standout is amount the introspection the band puts into it. The lyrics are not written as an ode to the digital age nor as superficial candy-coating, but they explore the many impacts (both good and bad) and contradictions the internet has created in our everyday lives.

“Be careful what you say
Be careful what you say
We don’t care what you say
You’re an addict either way”

“As I Watch My Life Online” – lyrics by Late Night Drive Home

Favorite tracks from this album include:

“American Church”

“Day Two” – so Strokesque!

“Opening A Door”

“If I Fall (Would You Crawl Under My Skin)”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqbtKgTjl4I&list=RDiqbtKgTjl4I&start_radio=1

“Last Seen Online” – The Cars would be very proud!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tO43E_SI-w&list=RD0tO43E_SI-w&start_radio=1

“Uncensored on the Internet”

“Deadstar”

“Modern Entertainment”

“As I Watch My Life Online”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktIlcVZoez0&list=RDktIlcVZoez0&start_radio=1

“Terabyte”

If you get the opportunity, be sure to check out this record on you favorite streaming or video service. It’s not often that I get geeked about concept albums, but “As I Watch My Life Online” is so reflective of modern human life in the uber-digital age, it deserves many well-earned accolades.

Peace!

#albums #digital #ElPaso #fun #internet #internetAge #LateNightDriveHome #lyrics #music #PinkFloyd #records #RedHotChiliPeppers #songs #TheCars #TheStrokes #tracks #tunes #videos

25 favorite songs 🎼 released so far in 2025

Listed below are my 25 favorite alternative/indie rock songs released to date in 2025. Ten separate artists are represented on the list with two from Ireland (Cliffords and Florence Road), one from the UK (Wolf Alice), and the rest from the states with such diverse locations as Abilene, Texas (Dexter & the Moonrocks); Carmel, Indiana (Wishy); New York City (Momma, Been Stellar, and Blondshell); El Paso, Texas (Late Night Night Drive Home); and Seattle (Deep Sea Diver).

For the first time in quite awhile, there were no artists from Canada on the list, but there is still half a year to go until the best tracks of the year are announced. The songs listed below are presented in order of preference at the current time. When you get a chance, be sure to check some of them out on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, YouTube, Pandora, SoundCloud, or wherever you enjoy listening to great music. Peace!

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“My Favourite Monster” – Cliffords – Gonna be very hard to knock this amazing tune from the top spot.

“Take Me With You” – Momma – incredibly beautiful. Personally would have preferred one more verse to make it perfect.

“Let Me Go” – Deep Sea Diver

“Tiny Threads” – Deep Sea Diver

“The Sofa” – Wolf Alice – love it – just now coming out so it may move up with more listens

“I Want You (Fever)” – Momma

“Breakaway” – Been Stellar

“American Church” – Late Night Drive Home – such a cool and unique song

“Ritalin” – Dexter & The Moonrocks – can you say, music video of the year!

“How to Breathe” – Momma

“Toy” Blondshell

“Goodnight” – Florence Road

“Day 2” – Late Night Drive Home – very very Strokesque!

“Stay All Summer” – Momma

“What Do I Know?” –  Deep Sea Diver

“Shovel” – Deep Sea Diver

“Happy To Be Here” – Dexter & The Moonrocks

“Planet Popstar” – Wishy

“Bottle Blonde” – Momma

“Bittersweet” – Cliffords

“Caterpillar” – Florence Road

“Bloom Baby Bloom” – Wolf Alice

“Ohio All The Time” – Momma

“Chaser” – Wishy

“Heavy” – Florence Road

#BeenStellar #Blondshell #Cliffords #DeepSeaDiver #DexterTheMoonrocks #entertainment #FlorenceRoad #fun #LateNightDriveHome #Momma #music #songs #tracks #tunes #Wishy #WolfAlice

late night drive home shares a dose of dance-floor reality on "day 2". #latenightdrivehome @latenight_drive

https://slrmagazine.com/2025/06/23/late-night-drive-home-shares-a-dose-of-dance-floor-reality-on-day-2/