The nominees are! And yes, one of these things is not like the others!
Hi, I’m Hungry-Man-Sized Casey Kasem and welcome to another music listicle, but not a Top Ten because I didn’t buy that many!
As part of my annual series of chronically late year-in-review entries, I remain one of six people nationwide who still prefers compact discs to digital downloads. My hangups about vinyl would require a separate essay unto themselves, though I finally waded into some of that last year. My new-album splurges are rare because: (a) it’s increasingly tougher for new music to catch my ear as I grow older and more finicky; and (b) my favorite yesteryear acts died, stopped recording, or swiveled in directions away from me. That usually means missing out on what majorities loves, thus further dropping me down the bottomless wishing well into total irrelevance as chronicled on this very website, thirteen years and counting.
In 2025 I got six brand new studio albums, omitting any pre-2025 finds or gifts. It can be fun to walk past the cool-collectors’ vinyl bins to the way-back by the T-shirt rack and pick through what passes for in-person CD sections today, though I’m seeing diminishing returns as those get smaller and dustier, sometimes not even alphabetized. More often than not, More and more, I’m resorting to online disc-shopping because all of Indy’s coolest stores are on other sides of town faraway from us, and the stores we stumble across in our road trips aren’t stocking new stuff I like. Or maybe it’s all selling out before I come in? I wouldn’t know, but I feel like these artists would be much bigger today if that were the case.
Nevertheless, on with the countdown!
Midlife Crisis Crossover! 