Curious what notable personalities in the scene think was great this year? So is TGEFM! So we reached out to some of our favorite luminaries ranging from musicians, label personnel, and more for their “Best of 2025” lists. Now, listen: TGEFM is not a taskmistress. Contributors can write these out however they want. So if it doesn’t actually look or read like a list… and sometimes it really is just a list with no other observations! Who cares?
Kevin Day created Part-Time PR over a decade ago. In that time he has represented some awesome acts like The Kilograms, The Carolyn, Sammy Kay and Banquets. In addition to his work with Part-Time PR, Kevin also performs with Errth and Graduation Speech. As both an artist and an artist representative, Kevin has proven he has his finger firmly on the pulse of the music scene and was kind enough to share his favorites of 2025 with us here.
Part-Time PR Linktree
Five Hundred Bucks – Pest Sounds: Pest Sounds should be the biggest punk adjacent album of 2025 and Five Hundred Bucks should absolutely be on the tip of everyone’s tongues. Jeff and the crew are so incredibly talented and have such an ear for hooks that they make it seem effortless. Top-tier songwriting from a group of guys that have been grinding it out in the DIY scene for years. It’s pop-punk, it’s rock n’ roll, it’s got an attitude. I haven’t stopped playing this album since it was released. Most of all, I’m happy that I’ve gotten to be closer friends with them over the last couple of years.
The Casket Lottery – Feel the Teeth: Whenever The Casket Lottery releases new music, I isten. This is a band that I heard back in high school and their impact on me was immediate. Feel the Teeth is a grower and something that continues to reveal itself upon each listen. It’s not a light album by any stretch and feels like the other side of the coin to Short Songs for End Times. A meditation on a world that is collapsing.
Oh the Humanity – Ground to Dust: Back in 2021, I got to do the PR campaign for Oh Humanity’s self-titled album and Ground to Dust builds on everything from that and delivers tenfold. This time around, the band worked with Trevor Reilly (A Wilhelm Scream) to produce and engineer, and it’s a match made in heaven. Technical and melodic skate punk-hardcore with a heavy political message. I only see this band growing in popularity and continuing to put out top-notch music.
The Miller Lowlifes – Pinch Hitters: This was a total surprise for me. I’ve been absent from Fest for a bit, but my bandmates in ERRTH have not, and they said, “You don’t know about The Miller Lowlifes?” Pinch Hitters is a punk album in the best way and just makes me so happy when I listen to it. It scratches an itch that I’ve missed since Monikers’ released Wake Up. There’s a raw energy to it, tons of melodies, and for whatever reason, it makes me think about being younger and swapping music with friends.
Horace Pinker – Now and the Future: Welcome back Horace Pinker! Aspiga was lucky enough to play a few shows with them back in the day, including a Chicago show which felt extra special. After 30+ years together, their discography is full of gems and Now and the Future stands toe to toe with some of their best work.Melodic-punk done right and is there a band that can do better vocal harmonies?
84 Tigers – Nothing Ends: Sometimes a band can see a vision all the way through and Nothing Ends is exactly that. Every aspect of this album is firing on all cylinders. I’m not sure how to describe it, but sometimes you’re lucky enough to be in a band where things just click into place, and it’s almost a shared brain. There’s this secret under current that pushes ideas in the practice space, and you eventually don’t even need to communicate, you just all know what to do. Nothing Ends feels like the physical manifestation of that. The Reed brothers and Jono are just on a totally different plane with this album, and we’re so lucky to get to listen to it.
Devon Williams – Passing Thing / Futility: Some of you might know Devon from his work with Osker, but he has released a TON of great music under his name and this two-song single was on repeat all year for me. The production pulled me right in because it sounds so minimal but really gives the songs their heartbeat. The lyrics really stand out as well, a beautiful meditation on growing older and life at home. The thing with Devon is that I’m never really sure when his last release is going to be, so when something new comes out it feels like a gift.
And of course, I’ve got to shine a little light on all of the artists that I worked with this year at Part-Time PR.
ERRTH – ERRTH
The Kilograms – Beliefs & Thieves
Night Windows – Nonsense
The Blackburns – “Video Den”
You Vandal – this is where people come to die
The Carolyn – Pyramid Scheme of Grief
Banquets – Petty Relics
Amusement / Carnivorous Flower / ERRTH / FeverSleep – Split
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
Thanks for having me!
Kevin Day thank you for everything!