The Trash Gentlemen List - Vol. 2 - Best of 2025
After the success of The Trash Gentlemen List Vol 1, we are back with more music to share! With 2025 wrapping up, we thought it would be appropriate to share some of our top picks for the year. You’d think that this would be a straightforward process, yet mere moments into our song sharing session; we found ourselves making changes to the list. These changes were mostly in the form of additions, seeing as this playlist is 20 tracks long. Some tracks were just too good to pass up, and even then, we still had to shortlist to its current form. The whole process was more difficult than expected, but it was nothing that your trusty playlist curators couldn’t handle. We hope you maybe find a new favourite you missed this year or maybe you see some of the same things from your list and you can think “Fuck yeah, I know I have good taste because the Trash Gentlemen stamped this one.”
The Trash Gentlemen List - Vol. 2 on apple music
Father
Jim Legxacy – black british music
Since focusing on more UK-based music, Jim Legxacy has also been popping up more than once. This genre-bending artist dropped black british music and the reception has been great. “Father,” one of the singles for the album, stands out as a front runner. With an afrobeat feel in the beat, Legxacy comes through with some strong verse timing, while keeping the verse contents quite basic. When it comes to music you can groove to, the UK’s Jim Legxacy is smart addition to any playlist. It was also great to see that he sold-out his small North American tour. Hopefully we’ll see a larger tour come our way next year?
Everyone I Love Is Depressed
Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals – A City Drowned in God's Black Tears
Looking back, I don't think it's a particularly regular occurrence that my favourite song of the year comes from my favourite album of the year but 2025 hasn't been a normal music year. I've been fucking obsessed with this record since it came across my feed on release day. (Shout-out to big F.D Signifier for putting me on game here.) It really feels kind of wrong to pull a single track off of this because A City Drowned in God's Black Tears should be listened to, nay, should be experienced, as a complete whole. But this is about the best projects of 2025 and ain't none better than this. So here we are with "Everyone I Love Is Depressed." If the world was a just and good place, this song would be banging out of speakers at every party and club in the English-speaking world. But, I guess if the world was actually just and good, this album might not even exist. Also, I'm sorry, but "Sat with Stevie and I snatched his visions" is the coldest line I heard all year. Ennals' pen is sharp as hell all over this album and it's downright lethal here. But like the rest of the album, he's lowkey funny as fuck in amongst the rage. Sonically, this isn't particularly indicative of what the rest of the album sounds like, but no track on there sounds like another. Beginning-to-end Infinity Knives is taking us on a musical journey that never lets us get too comfortable. Or really, comfortable at all. It brings back the feeling that I had on that scary passenger bus I took through mountains in Morocco - like, the driver clearly knows what he's doing but there's an illusion of recklessness and that, combined with my unknowing of the surroundings, makes for an exhilarating, unforgettable experience. It sticks with you. I've listened to this album more times than I can count and it keeps delivering the feeling I had the first time I heard it. The mark of a towering, powerful piece of art. If you haven't listened to A City Drowned in God's Black Tears, you need to get yourself together and sort that shit out asap.
NEVER ENOUGH
Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH
This year has been perfect for Turnstile. With the release of NEVER ENOUGH, the band has become a top-tier headliner on many festivals, both this year and next year. When this album dropped, I decided to watch the visual album as it was playing at The Roxy Theatre, and while the album is good alone, you need to check it out with the visualizer at least once. Songs like the title track, “NEVER ENOUGH,” where it already feels like heaven with the production, get a whole additional feeling of bliss with the visuals behind it. For those looking for that gritty guitar sound with a twist, check out Turnstile.
Cat Guy
Propagandhi – At Peace
I love a song with a punch-line and “Cat Guy” has my favourite punch-line of 2025. I also love an attention-grabbing opening line and I didn't encounter anything on the level of “If baby Hitler and your family dog, were both found drowning in a lake...”. Another thing I love is Propagandhi. In fact, they are one of only four or five punk bands I’d say that about. Punk has very rarely been in my regular rotation but Propagandhi is always lingering around and you can be damned sure At Peace, their first album since 2017’s kick-ass Victory Lap, has been a part of the listening diet since it hit in May. I could pick any song of this album and be happy with it being here on this list. But “Cat Guy” is probably the funniest song on the album. I’m a cat guy who never learned to swim, so that really resonated with me. Like the rest of the album, “Cat Guy” just fucking rocks.
Nil by Mouth
Armand Hammer & The Alchemist – Mercy
Since the release of 2021’s Haram, I had been counting down the days until Armand Hammer collaborated with The Alchemist again. Four years later, we get Mercy and while I would argue that Haram still finds a spot above this record for me, that doesn’t take away from the pure craftmanship this album holds. For this album, I selected the track “Nil by Mouth” because it’s haunting production, mixed with Billy Woods and E L U C I D S’ 4D wordplay makes for a very strong track. Specifically with the wordplay, I’ve been loving how the duo nails down meaning. Whether it be the use of double entendres, the grittiness of the references used, or a combination of many different elements, Armand Hammer really solidifies themselves as a force to be reckoned with.
HNIC
Leikeli47 – Lei Keli feat. 47 / For Promotional Use Only
It's a great feeling when a project reminds me that when all the chips are down, there's one truth I can always rely on- I just like rapping. I like bars. Leikeli took off the balaclava for this one and just did what she always does - rap her fucking ass off. Even if I was very confused by the title of this album when I first saw it, this shit delivered from beginning to end. It's heavy, deep and dense. "HNIC" is an absolute beast of a tune to end a genuinely electric project. I didn't even know the album had been released - shows how much attention I'm paying to things in 2025. But thankfully for my silly ass, this is one of those demonstrable successes of the listening algorithm, because this track dropped into my ears after some other album finished. We may be trying to break the algorithm a bit with these playlists, but it can't be denied that it hits every now and then. (I wish for the life of me that I could remember what I was listening to...) Plus, I'm an absolute sucker for a "Pusherman" sample, so there's also that.
Tubi
Bruiser Wolf & Harry Fraud – MADE BY DOPE
Let this be on record; the last two years have been The Year of the Wolf. Bruiser Wolf is on a generational run currently, and with this year’s release of MADE BY DOPE, I don’t see him slowing down any time soon. The Bruiser Brigade affiliate got down to work with NYC’s Harry Fraud to create this masterpiece, which included the opening track, “TUBI.” Bruiser Wolf’s self-awareness on this track is strong, because his life truly is a movie made for the big screen. While the subject matter of Wolf’s verse tends to go down a familiar path to other songs, it’s the imagery and references that keeps me coming back for more. What will next year hold for this Detroit star? I can’t wait to find out.
REMEMBER, REMEMBER
Ledbyher – Single
The spotlight on United Kingdom based music has always been around, but something about the past year has been refreshing. A lot of different names have been circulating since I decided to focus on learning more about what music is releasing across the pond, and two names were clear winners in my playlists. The first is Ledbyher, a London based artist who has been on the rise. The first single I heard of hers was “REMEMBER, REMEMBER,” which I remembered enjoying because it sounded like Goth Money Records had started to influence the sound in the UK. However, since that initial claim, I’ve since realized that Ledbyher is in a league of her own. Excited to see more from her in 2026.
M.T.B.T.T.F.
Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out
Such a perfectly crafted album is Let God Sort Em Out that I come away from seemingly every listen with a new favourite track. “M.T.B.T.T.F.” is on here because it was my favourite track from the album on listening/list construction day. 2025 is the year I had to confront and accept official Unc Status when it comes to music, especially rap. This was partly because I’m officially in my 40s and partly because I love Let God Sort Em Out so much. A lot of people far smarter and more eloquent than me have written about this album and Malice being the MVP MC this year, so I don’t really have anything more to add the conversation. If you’re a rap fan, I’m sure this album was on your list and if you’re not a rap fan…Well, I was going to say this track might make you one, but realistically it probably won’t. Like the rest of the album, and the cocaine the Clipse is rapping about, this is that pure shit. Straight goods.
The Great Dino Escape
Silly Goose - Keys to the City
Thanks to the lads over on the P.O.D.Kast, I found and fell in love with Silly Goose sometime last year, around the release of their completely awesome Bad Behavior EP. (Typing that word without a 'u' as a Canadian is killing me right now...) I was frothing at the mouth for a new full-length by the time Keys to the City was announced earlier this year and the boys from Atlanta didn't disappoint. Another album that I could have picked anything from – the title track/first single and “Give Me My Money” would have been chart-topping hits in the golden age of nu-metal – I went with “The Great Dino Escape” simply because of the pure joy I got the first time I listened to this record. It's rap-rock, it's dinosaurs, it's action and excitement. What's not to love!? I've yelled about Silly Goose to my friends and family for a while now and Keys to the City only gave me a reason to yell even louder. I won't rest until the world is sprinkled with Silly G Flavour. (Feels good to use that 'u' here.) Is 2026 the year I finally nail down an interview with Silly Goose? It better fucking well be.
Need To Know
Tommy Holohan – Single
This past year, I’ve been paying close attention to Ireland’s electronic dance music scene. One name that caught my attention was Dublin’s Tommy Holohan. After seeing one of his sets in Vancouver this past February, Tommy has since released some new music including a single entitled “Need To Know.” The production skills on this track are next level, and I found the build ups to be clockwork to this track's success. The vocals were a nice choice as well, and it really ties the whole single together with a bow. If you’re looking for those peak pre-game tracks before hitting the club, check out Tommy Holohan.
we still wanna dance
Theo Croker & D’LEAU - Dream Manifest
There were a ton of strong contenders for Jazz albums this year, but Theo Croker stood out. The American trumpet player put together a masterpiece in the form of Dream Manifest, and it included this smooth dance track entitled “we still wanna dance.” With production from D’LEAU, Theo’s trumpet is featured throughout the track and has these repetitve grooves that give it this house vibe. Theo’s tone is pure honey on this and many other tracks from the album. Fingers crossed that Theo Croker makes his way to Western Canada sooner rather than later.
We're Outside, Rejoice!
McKinley Dixon - Magic, Alive!
One my favourite things to do in life is to put some rap on my headphones and just walk. There's nowhere to go, usually, but there's always rap to listen to. This is valuable time to get closer to the raps. It's a time to bond and let the music make its way into my veins. No album in 2025 got more of that precious walking time than McKinley Dixon's Magic, Alive!. The record is a deeply playful and thoughtful meditation on loss, and the ways we attempt to mitigate that loss and reconnect with the lost ones. Sometimes we need magic; the unknown, the things that require faith beyond our eyes. Sometimes we just need to go outside and experience all that is beautiful about the world we are alive in. The live jazz that propels the album gives the record a very classic feel, while Dixon's strong, precise raps bring it forward in time, almost overshooting our now into the future. Magic, Alive! is an album that needs to be listened to as a whole, so taking a song out of it feels kind of wrong. But as I can't put the whole album on this list, you get to enjoy “We Outside, Rejoice!” because it's the only song that I've really listened to on its own, outside of the whole. The time for you to love McKinley Dixon is now.
EN EFF feat. Black Thought
De La Soul – Cabin in the Sky
As mentioned earlier, 2025 was the year I settled into official Unc Status and Mass Appeal really cemented 2025 as the Year of the Unc with their Legend Has It series. Unsurprisingly, the series was a resounding success with lovers of hip-hop's more classic form, with great releases from Slick Rick (Despite the horrible stink of the out-of-touch Landlord song), Nas & DJ Premier (Despite the horrible stink of the out-of-touch crypto gangtsa song), and Mobb Deep (No stink), among others. For me though, none of the projects included are as vibrant and necessary as De La Soul's Cabin the Sky. The whole album is achingly beautiful for a rap album, a beautiful ode to their fallen friend. One of the more contemplative songs on the record, “EN EFF” is a lilting, heavenly rap song, gorgeous in its simplicity. Over drums and a soft, pulling horn, Pos and guest Black Thought, inarguably two of the best to ever pick up a mic, rap long-form bars meditating on the outsides perceptions that forge images of Blackness. Two verses, no hook, rapping about growing up and finding a place – this might be the most unc-coded song on the most unc-coded record from the most unc-coded year of rap in recent memory.
Can't Buy A House
Gun Street Ghouls – Forever! For Now…
I often feel disconnected from my local music scene. But there's always one band who keeps my attention and keeps me in. Gun Street Ghouls is currently that band for me. As such, this was obviously my most anticipated release out of our hometown Victoria in 2025. Ever since I saw Gun Street Ghouls play at Garden City Grooves festival a couple years back and they played “Can’t Buy A House” I have been eagerly anticipated a recorded version that I could listen to again and again. And again and again and again. It’s silky, smooth and taps deeply into the economic and social angst of being a millennial or younger, living in the Fall of Capitalism. And like many people in these disaffected age brackets, “Can’t Buy A House” finds a way to laugh in the face of doom and crippling anxiety. A top-notch rock track. We raise a glass (of water, probably) in hopes that 2026 is the year Gun Street Ghouls bless the world with a full-length.
RATHER LIE
Playboi Carti & The Weeknd – MUSIC
There were 3 different times in the middle of the night where I thought that this album would never be released. Alas, staying awake paid off because in the early hours of the morning, Playboi Carti released MUSIC. Ultimately, Carti released a solid record and this partially due to some of the great features. Like The Weeknd’s Chorus on “RATHER LIE,” mixed with Carti’s vocal versatility made for a very strong song. I guess success cannot be rushed, and with how many times this album got delayed, I’m sure that everything had to be just right for as strong as a reception as this album has had.
LOOK @ GOD feat. LaRussell
Ray Vaughn – The Good, The Bad, The Dollar Menu
Ray Vaughn may have lost his battle against Joey Bada$$ in 2025 (I'm still on the fence, but this is what consensus around me says) but Vaughn had the better album – not to take anything away from Joey because Lonely At The Top was a great album. So really, who won and lost? The Good, The Bad, The Dollar Menu is a monster of a rap album; an absolute statement of arrival. Beats throughout hit equal parts smooth and hard, giving the album a gritty breeziness that cut through a lot of noise I heard this year. “LOOK @ GOD” just goes so rough and heavy, with a huge, swelling bassline and Ray Vaughn growling his way through his bars. And as an added treat, the song features arguably the best feature in the game right now, LaRussell coming through with a completely delightful verse, that counterbalances Vaughn's bars pretty fucking perfectly. You can pump this on the headphones, in the gym, driving a stretch of highway, in the club – honestly, a damn-near perfect rap song.
Modern Lust
Oneohtrix Point Never – Tranquilizer
Daniel Lopatin has had a busy year. Not only was he preparing the score for Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, but he also added onto his Oneohtrix Point Never repertoire with Tranquilizer. For weeks, this album has been on repeat for me, especially “Modern Lust.” When listening to the track, you get this steady groove to start things out, only for a change to take place in the middle. During this change, we experience a beautiful atmospheric sound. For how busy Daniel must be, this album came out so well, and it further justifies how strong of a year that Warp Records has had.
It's A Good Life feat. Samara Cyn
Kota the Friend - NO RAP ON SUNDAY
It's a rare thing to find an album that you immediately know is going to be with you as you grow and move through life. This is one of those rare albums for me. I don't think there's an album that came out in 2025 that provided with more pure comfort, than NO RAP ON SUNDAY. There's an infectious calmness that runs through the album. I genuinely feel better after I listen to it. This is an album about steady growth, not quick fixes. It's about settling into yourself, not putting on airs. I thought about choosing the opening/title track, but I think the closer, “It's A Good Life” is on equal footing and putting it here gives us a chance to have Samara Cyn on the list. Both rappers contemplating the small things in life, the things that bring that comfort I mentioned earlier, and both doing it with varied flows over the soft, sleepy beat. This is probably my favourite album-closing track of 2025. Listen to it. Let it wash its warmth over you.
The End feat. Cynthoni
Danny Brown, ta Ukrainka & Zheani – Stardust
If you followed Danny Brown for the past 14 years, then you’d agree that Danny entering the hyperpop world is not the strangest sight. Stardust was the logical next step for the Detroit rapper, and along with hyperpop, we also get a pleasant surprise in the form of a Drum & Bass track. “The End” is formatted as a three-movement song, with the first two movements being different styles of Drum & Bass, and the final movement being a spoken word piece. For the first movement, we get this flowy piano weaving in and out between a solid drum track. For lyrics, Danny is self-reflecting on his experience with addiction and how it affected relationships with both him and others. Prior to the track finishing, we get these choruses in Ukrainian and a verse in Polish from ta Ukrainka, which were amazing additions to the song. The second movement goes into a more frantic Drum & Bass sound. Danny has bounced back since the last lyrics, sharing that you can’t give up in this world and you must keep moving forward doing the best you can. Zheani’s parts during this movement were nice additions and moved us right into the final spoken word piece. Ultimately, another day, another great Danny Brown album for Warp Records.