Lars Gotrich

[to the tune of "Wonderful Christmastime"]

Soup and salad
Unlimited breadsticks wow

(OLIVE GARDEN, HIRE ME NOW)

I think that's right. Like I said, no judgement, just feels like MORE this year than previous, including from the two bigger indie sites (Stereogum and Aquarium Drunkard... I know the latter paywalled the list as of last year, still...)

2025: The Year That Year-End Lists Went Behind a Paywall

(not judging! just noticing!)

The 25 Best Songs Of 2025 From the breakout Brooklyn band Geese to the Puerto Rican star and soon-to-be Super Bowl halftime performer Bad Bunny and dozens in between, NPR Music shares its picks for the best songs of 2025.

I wrote about Hayley Williams' modern Southern Gothic masterpiece.

www.npr.org/nx-s1-5616663

Movie you’ve watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Stars (Wars nor Trek), LOTR, or Marvel, Disney Animated or Pixar.

I listened to this album yesterday with the kiddo and we air guitar’d so hard.

GET IT OUT

I honestly don’t know why I bother to buy metal on vinyl. My family doesn’t like metal and it sounds better in the car anyway ;)

Remembering Death Metal Pioneer Chuck Schuldiner Ten years after Schuldiner's passing, members of Cynic, Cormorant, Exhumed, Charred Walls of the Damned, Baroness and more write about their favorite Death songs.

Years ago, I put together a Chuck Schuldiner tribute @npr.org where I asked musicians to write about their favorite Death song. Matt Harvey from Exhumed wrote a freaking treatise on “Left to Die” that I’ve never forgotten

www.npr.org/sections/all...

Goddam “Left to Die” rules so much.

In my car, sitting outside my house, listening to ‘Leprosy’ by Death on compact disc, the only correct format and location to listen to death metal.

Apparently I wishlisted this at some point! Guess I gotta listen.

This is a wild one! I wanna spend more time with it.

One of my favorites of the year!

Love this one. Love Jules.

Send me your favorite guitar albums of 2025 that sounded nothing like a guitar.

“Go tell it on the mountain
Cuz that’s what it’s about, baby!”

My kid not knowing the lyrics to Christmas song is the best

SIMPLY! HAVING!

lol I was actually consulted on this story

Hahaha that must be it

My phone just autocorrected Caetano (as in Caetano Veloso) to Acetaminophen 🤔

An incredibly hard-to-parse philosophical treatise on the nature of noise... but about a pop album lol

Yeah, buddy

Radio Nocturna Vol 2: Voces del pasado, by APRS 7 track album

Embrace winter’s sadness with flowery riffs; listen to wimpy black metal. flowingdownward.bandcamp.com/album/radio-...

I refrained from making a clapping band reference bc I don't need clapping band's PR person yelling at me again.

Still don't get Geese.

I always miss Tiny Mix Tapes, but especially during year-end list szn.

Gotta get the morning crowd in on this wild sludge.

Attn @mathrawk.bsky.social especially!

WhaRvEy milK, by Harvey Milk 6 track album

Bless Chunklet for keeping the noise rock howl of Harvey Milk alive. This one’s a WREK ripper from when the band was barely even a band. Sounds nasty.

chunklet.bandcamp.com/album/wharve...