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?
Coco from Winona Fighter spent 2025 moving fast, feeling everything and somehow finding time to take it all in. Between relentless touring, a scene-defining record release, milestone moments and a year that delivered no shortage of standout music, movies and pop culture highs, her best of list reads like a victory lap without losing its heart. There’s genuine fandom here, records that lived on repeat or calling out the shows that reminded her why this all matters in the first place. It’s equal parts gratitude, chaos and joy, grounded in the reality of a band hitting new levels while still geeking out like lifelong fans. This is Coco’s 2025; fueled by love for the road and the people who make it worth staying on.
ALBUM – NEVER ENOUGH by Turnstile and Baby by Dijon have both been on heavy rotation for me since they released. 2025 was a great year for music in general.
SONG – “It Smells Like Fudge Axe” in Here by Hot Mulligan
TV SHOW – The Chair Company or THE PITT
POP CULTURE MOMENT – LADY GAGA COACHELLA AND COME BACK IN GENERAL. I LOVE GAGA.
SHOW (we played) – Although I could make a list of favorites we sold out our first show in London… and we were headlining. What a milestone for our little punk band.
SHOW (we didn’t play) – Either seeing Third Eye Blind at Let’s Go Fest or Stray From The Path at Slam Dunk.
GEAR RELEASE – The Epstein Fuzz Pedal from Acorn IYKYK
MEMORY – being on the road with two of my favorite people in the whole world.
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/