We’ve almost (but not quite) exhausted all the new releases for 2025, but there are always new tunes floating around for the Five Songs You Must Hear list. Alt-rock lullabies? Santa crossed with AC/DC? Something fun to dance to? It’s all here.
1. City and Colour, Save Your Scissors
Sometimes Lullaby (Dine Alone)
RIYL: Altered states of music
You might have seen this one if you were out shopping on the Black Friday edition of Record Store Day. Dallas Green goes about as far as he can from the screamo energy of Alexisonfire to re-release of his twenty year-old Sometimes album with all the songs re-imagined as lullabies. How sweet is that? It’s a nice way to ease the wee ones to sleep.
2. Geese, Cobra
Getting Killed (Partisan)
RIYL: Reunions
The hype around this Brooklyn band’s fourth album may remind you of the same kind of buzz we saw when The Strokes first appeared. Is this the beginning of a renewed indie rock revival like we saw in the very late 90s? That’s the scene that also gave us The White Stripes, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, The Hives, and LCD Soundsystem. We’ll see, I guess.
3. Just Mustard, Endless Deathless
We Were Just Here (Partisan)
RIYL: Whatever’s happening in Ireland right now
Ireland currently has the hottest alt-rock scene on the planet right now. Just Mustard, an experimental band from Dundalk is turning heads with this song that veers from big shoegaze noise to gentle dream pop within a few bars. It’s definitely worth exploring their whole album.
4. Robyn, Dopamine
Single (Konichiwa Records)
RIYL: Hormones
If you like alt-pop with a Daft Punk sort of vibe, this new single from Sweden’s Robyn—the first bit of new music in seven years—might have you bopping around the house. An album is set for release in early 2026.
5. Mantill, Rock Around Christmas
Single (Independent)
Recommended If You Like: Untraditional Christmas songs
I hold back on recommending any Christmas songs (if I recommend any at all) until December begins. I’ve found this untraditional take from Dr. Paul, a Rusisan-born Phoenix-raised pediatrician (seriously!) who operates musically under the name Mantill. Much of what he does is in Russian, but not always—like this song.
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