OG Brian's Best of 2025 So Far

(and Our 50th Post)

OG Brian here. The rest of the world may be burning (literally, in some cases), but it’s a momentous time in 6OG HQ. It’s our 50^th post!

Like most great events in our collapsing nation’s history, we first got the idea to start this Substack over a few drinks. Actually, it was Brad who initially came up with the idea and the name and found us a home on WordPress (showing WordPress to a member of Gen Z is like hauling out a Smith-Corona typewriter). After Brad migrated us over to Substack, we’ve gradually built a small-but-growing dedicated subscriber base and joined a vibrant community of music writers, and we are extremely grateful for both.

During the time we’ve been writing, I’ve learned a few things. I learned that my mosh pit days are long gone (that was more of a confirmation, really). I learned that there are actually pockets of the Internet that are not toxic. I learned that Brad has his ear to the ground on new music, Marc has an understanding of music that I could and will never attain, and Charles has an appreciation for metal that I don’t share but genuinely admire and respect (actually I knew all these things before we started writing, but I wanted to give some shout outs). Finally, I learned that, for me, writing about music is not just about what’s good and what’s not. It’s more about identifying meaningful aspects of songs and connecting with them on a personal level, either through memories of significant past experiences, commentary on current social concerns, or pithy comments about a baseball team.

As we’ve referenced before, all of us have jobs that do not involve writing about music. We don’t write to pay the bills. We do this because we love it and because it keeps us sane in a world that, almost by the minute, is increasingly less so. And we are thrilled that there are people out there that are interested in reading what we have to say about the music we love and, on occasion, about the music that we don’t. As Craig Finn sang, “We couldn’t have even done this if it wasn’t for you.” Thank you.

With that said, here (in no particular order, and with an accompanying playlist) are some of my favorite albums of the first half of 2025, a time when we all gotta Stay Positive.

Fust – Big Ugly: I wrote about how much I love this album back in April, and everything I said then still stands. Fust’s brand of Americana is a poetic delight and exactly what is needed at a time when no one is really sure what “American” actually means (for context, as I write this, a former reality TV star is preparing to send tanks and thousands of soldiers down Constitution Avenue roughly five miles from my house before a concert that, I can only assume, will heavily feature Lee Greenwood and Kid Rock). If you need a reminder that there is nuance in America, listen to Big Ugly.

The Tubs – Cotton Crown: Just wrote about this one two weeks ago, so the album (which I recently purchased on vinyl) is still very much fresh in my mind. The lyrics are personal, and the music is electric. The Tubs played one of the best sets I’ve seen in 2025, and as they tour North America for the first time, I’m getting a genuine kick out of seeing people discover this band.

Friendship – Caveman Wakes Up: What is it about Philly? As someone born and raised in New York and a fan of the Mets (first place!) and the Knicks (fuck!!!) I’m conditioned to be, at best, Philly-skeptical. But every year, a band from Philly comes along and releases an album that just blows me away. This year, it’s Friendship, formerly with Dear Life Records (also home to Fust) and now with Merge. Their music combines indie rock, country, and a touch of lo-fi. Looking forward to seeing them when they come to DC in July with opener 2^nd Grade, one of my favorites from last year and the power pop project of Friendship guitarist Peter Gill.

The Tisburys – A Still Life Revisited: We keep missing each other. They played the Quarry House Tavern this past March, and I couldn’t go. I wanted to write about their new album, but it never fit our schedule, be it publication or work or otherwise. It’s not you, Tisburys, it’s me. But now I finally get my chance, and I can say that this album rules. The Tisburys play straight-up indie rock with a hint of power pop and a dash of folk rock. An absolute blast. And yes, they too are from Philly. Props to the City of Brotherly Love. You guys are tush pushin’ your way to indie rock dominance.

Bill Fox – Resonance: We here at 3A6OG have made clear our fandom of Indiecast, the podcast hosted by music critics Steven Hyden and Ian Cohen, and their Recommendation Corner segment often highlights new releases that pique our respective interests. The 2025 recommendation that jumped out and stayed with me so far this year was Bill Fox’s latest release, Resonance, his first in 13 years. Fox was the lead singer of the ‘80s power pop trio The Mice, and after they broke up he released several solo albums in the ‘90s, stopped recording, then returned in 2012. His latest, Resonance, combines British Invasion-style folk-rock, lo-fi, power pop, and Midwestern pub rock. Think of a mix of Dylan/Big Star/GBV/Wilco/Daniel Johnston/Elliott Smith/Paul Westerberg. Pretty remarkable.

Chime Oblivion – s/t: “Punk rock supergroup” is a cliché. Also frequently cited, albeit less so, is “John Dwyer side project.” Admittedly I’m a sucker for both. Dwyer, the driving force behind the Osees’ catalog, teamed with drummer David Barbarossa (of Adam & the Ants and Bow Wow Wow) to form Chime Oblivion, with Dwyer primarily on bass and H.L. Nelly (of Naked Lights and FKA Smiley) on vocals. As is typical with Dwyer projects, Chime Oblivion veers between genres, with influences ranging from garage rock, to proto-punk, to no-wave, to synth.

Wishy – Planet Popstar (EP): Wishy’s Triple Seven was one of my favorites from 2024 and their show at DC’s Songbyrd was also one of the best I saw last year. Now they’ve released a six-song EP containing outtakes from Triple Seven. These bonus songs are a real treat, just enough to whet a fan’s appetite until the next Wishy LP.

Prism Shores – Out From Underneath: The jangle-pop revolution continues! Wait, no. The shoegaze revolution continues! Wait… no… hold on, I got that wrong again. The garage rock revolution continues! No, still not right. I’ll get it. In truth, this Montreal-based quartet manages to combine elements of all three genres and mashes it up into their own sound. One of the earlier releases of 2025, Out From Underneath has stuck with me and been one of the year’s best discoveries. (Brian; cover photo by Casey Ryan Vock for ParklifeDC))