Guest “Best of 2025”: The Chugs

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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?

The Chugs are hands down the best band of all time based on references to Hamm’s Beer… Actually, the Minnesota-loving Indiana-based outfit are some of the best beer-punks going, now that I mention it. Thanks to the Eternal Brewtopia six-pack and Here Lies The Chugs EP, The Chugs won over many of us at TGEFM HQ… so of course we wanted to hear from the dudes about their best of lists this year, and here you have it!

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Sam:

1. Best movie from 1995 that I just realized features Hamm’s Beer: JACK-O
   
2. Best Shark Vacuum with Ultra Cleaning Power Fins and a Self-Cleaning Brush Roll: Mine

3. Best Pool: Brian’s

4. Best Price for a Double Cheeseburger in Evansville, Indiana with almost ZERO wait time:
   $4.50 at Old Tyme Deli

5. Best 15 albums to drink Hamm’s Beer to:
   

Cheap-Skate, Remember You Will Die
Deadguy, Near-Death Travel Services
The Blasting Company, The Crooked Moon: Sword and Seal
Pretty Mouth, Love Sick
Max Keuhn, All For Nothing
Prissy Whip, R.I.P MF
Heavy Heavy Low Low, Pain Olympics
Citric Dummies, Split With Turnstile
Sondre Lerche, Sea of Sighs
Great Grandpa, Patience, Moonbeam
Keddies Resort, American Spirit
The Armed, The Future is Here and Everything Needs to Be Destroyed
Cruelster, Make Them Wonder Why
My Wife’s An Angel, Yeah, I Bet
Imploders, Targeted for Termination
Yowie, Taking Umbrage

6. Best road trip: Camp Punx 2025 BABAY! They even got the Vandals to close for us!

7. Best Copy and Paste from Brian’s List: Me

8. Best list to include a mention of Keddies Resort: Brian’s

9. Best thing Brian has done besides work: Make his list

Scott:

1. Best SNES game: The Legend of Zelda – A link to the Past
2. Best Hidden Gem on the NES: Felix the Cat
3. Best Resident Evil game: Resident Evil 2 on PS1
4. Best time: 11:30am
5. Best guitar that I’ll never own: Fender American Professional II Jazzmaster (that one with the sunburst color)
6. Best pool that Brian and I built and Sam was too busy or whatever it is he made up to get out of helping us: Brian’s
7. Best new puppy at Brian’s house: Dipper
8. Top 10 Things Kevin McCallister said
   1. “I’m upstairs, dummy.”
   2. “Is this toothbrush approved by the American Dental Association?”
   3. “Buzz, your girlfriend… woof.”
   4. “I made my family disappear.”
   5. “I don’t care if I live or die.”
   6. “You guys give up? Or are you thirsty for more?”
   7. “This is it. Don’t get scared now.”
   8. “Keep the change, ya filthy animal.”
   9. “I’m not afraid anymore.”
   10. “A lovely cheese pizza, just for me.”
9. Best breakfast beverage: Hamm’s Beer
10. Best punk album that I like a lot: Millencolin – Pennybridge Pioneers
11. Best show with the character Fraiser: Fraiser (I’ll also accept X-Men: The Last Stand)
12. Best time to grab any of our microphones while we’re in the middle of a song and sing it, instead of us singing it: Fucking ANYTIME, baby!!
13. Best friends: Brian and Sam (studio audience goes “aaaawwwww” and we all kiss) 

Brian:

Best truck: 2012 GMC Canyon, Jet Silver, HOT BLACK camper shell. Runs like a wet dream.
Best road trip: Camp Punx 2025 BABAY! They even got the Vandals to close for us!
Best new little puppy dog that was born and then moved into my house!: Dipper
Best craft beer: Hamm’s
Best band to release 2 albums in 2025: Keddies Resort
Best baseball position of 2025: 2nd Reliever
Best cold temperature: 0 Kelvin 
Best breasts: My local Schnucks grocer (shout out!)
Best beer inspired by a band inspired by the actual best beer: Garage Dog Brewing: SUMMER GUY!

Best list I’m currently working on instead of my job: I’m unsure and a little busy with real work.