“I like music” was a key part of my personality in my late teens and early twenties. I’m not proud of that but it’s true. I’ve grown out of a lot of the follies of my youth but one thing remains: I listen to a lot of music.

MC DJ CZ: the playlist is where I list the albums I like. Here’s what I’m digging so far in 2025.

Here are some recaps from past years: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.

January

  • DÍA by Ela Minus. God I love Minus’s work. Deep, dark, bouncy. I dunno.
  • WOOF. by Fat Dog. One of 2024’s best albums – shame I missed it at the time. “King of the Slugs” is an absolutely killer track.
  • Letter To Self by SPRINTS. The punk I need right now.
  • KANINNA – EP by Miss Kaninna. “Blak Britney” goes hard.

February

  • The Fall of Math by 65daysofstatic. Sometimes you need to go back to old favourites.
  • Rhinestones by HTRK. As above. (Also: “Sunlight Feels like Bee Stings” is a delightful song name.)
  • Lucid Dreams by Chihei Hatakeyama. New music from Hatakeyama is cause for (reflective, dreamy) celebration.
  • The Worst of Itchy and the Nits by Itchy and the Nits. Look, I listened to this band because of their name. And it worked out. Bright, fun Aussie punk.
  • 100 Years by Hugo Race & Michelangelo Russo. Gorgeous and shadowy blues with a mix of electronica and ambient. I’m enamoured.