Sugarcube is back + some records I liked this year
Hello out there. It’s been a while since I’ve posted here, but I’m going to start trying to show up again with some sort of regularity. 2025 has been a weird year, and I have dealt with that by running a lot, playing possibly too much chess, and following my creative energy around wherever it wanted to lead, which is how we got back here.
I have some ideas for what’s going to go here. I’ve been DJing more lately, so there will be more writing on dance music. Some recorded mixes once I can get all the cables hooked up in the right places. And in the new year, sharing some of the music I’ve been working on and hopefully producing the physical zine I’ve been planning for years.
To ease back into it, I thought I’d share a few records I liked this year. There's still a lot of music in the backlog that I need to work through, but here are 10 of my favorite albums from 2025, in no particular order.
SML, How You Been
Jazz/Experimental
Skronky, danceable, improvised magic. The LA jazz scene has been on a tear recently, and this might be the best thing to come out of it so far.
Lawrence English, Even The Horizon Knows Its Bounds
Ambient
Continuing the long tradition of really good ambient music designed for specific spaces. The list of collaborators alone (Claire Rousay, Jim O’Rourke, and Chuck Johnson, to name a few) lets you know you’re in for a good time.
Barker, Stochastic Drift
Techno/Ambient/Electronic
Sam Barker is ostensibly a techno producer, but that doesn’t really cut it to describe Stochastic Drift. Rhythmically-complex, emotive electronic music that defies categorization.
Cass McCombs, Interior Live Oak
Folk/Rock/Country
Somehow Cass McCombs keeps getting better. The whole thing is great, but “I Never Dream About Trains” is the best bit of songwriting I heard all year.
Gelli Haha, Switcheroo
Alt-pop/Electronic
A relentlessly fun slice of quirky disco-pop, and my favorite summer running soundtrack.
Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band, New Threats From The Soul
Americana/Country
This record gave the world something which I am sure is totally new: a 303 bassline credibly inserted into a 9-minute alt-country song. That would be enough for me, but it’s just one little treat on an album full of them.
Wil Bolton, South Of The Lake
Ambient
Field recordings, gentle chimes, and a lovely sense of space: what more does a good ambient record need?
Djrum, Under Tangled Silence
Electronic
It simply rocks that Felix Manuel can play piano this beautifully and also program completely mind-bending drums. It’s even cooler that he can combine them in a way that feels completely natural.
Big Thief, Double Infinity
Rock
Loose, ragged, alive. It might be a bit of a lighter work than some of their past records, but it doesn’t suffer for it. And when Laraaji is involved, you can’t lose.
Kali Malone + Drew McDowall, Magnetism
Electronic/Drone
A real treat for sound design and music theory dorks (Karplus-Strong synthesis! Just intonation!) but easily appreciated by anyone who likes their drone equal parts beautiful and unsettling.
That's all for now, see you in 2026!