Here we go! Wrapping up the 14th year of I Heart Hamilton with the annual Best Of Playlist – looking back on another year of local music. As I always say, it’s tough to narrow down and rank music – use this as your jumping off point to discover more Hamilton music, and show your support for local artists!
I do my best to have my eyes and ears on the local music scene – please reach out any time to share your music with me. I’m happy to receive new music to play on my weekly radio show – Fridays 2-3pm on 93.3 CFMU – the show celebrated 12 years this year! You can also find the show on Instagram @ihearthamilton_CFMU.
I’ve been putting together monthly Playlists since 2011 (here on the blog and Spotify). Last year, I decided to switch it up and give myself more time in between months to gather more tracks, and round them up by the seasons in quarterly posts. For another look back on the year, check out these playlists: Winter 2025 – Spring 2025 – Summer 2025 – Autumn 2025 (and of course the Local Holiday Playlist that grows each year!)
Continuing my annual “Best Of” tradition, I’m charting EPs and LPs. To kick things off, here are some standout tracks and honourable mentions that were released in 2025:
The Beans – “SHOO DOO”
The Beans – “Every Time That I Try” (from the EP Live at The Casbah ’22)
Arkells – “Money” feat. Portugal. The Man
Ellis – “Little Kid”
Lost Faculty – “Temper”
Danny Miles – “All We Do Is Party!”
A Days Wait – “deadAlive”
Sean Bienhaus – “Blue”
King Ludd – “Trouble”
Spookyguava – “OBVIOUS”
Eric Brandon – “Need Me to Be”
Eric Brandon – “Dad” (from the EP From Acardy)
Math Club, Eric Brandon – “Gimme a ‘D’ (So What?)”
StereoRuss – “It’s Alright” with Mother Tareka, Izzi Ahmed
Bernadette Connors – “White Magnolia”
Neil Haverty – “Some Days”
Allegories – “Stay Out of the Basement”
Scott Orr – “Geometry”
Ariana Fig – “Weather App”
Jesse Adams – “Love You Like I Do” (from the EP Love You Like I Do)
Ryan Sykes – “Cry On”
Dynasty – “Hope”
LTtheMonk – “Parker Posey”
The Commune – “Corrina”
Here we go!
BONUS: Coszmos Quartette – Eternal Dawn
Released: January
Kicking off the list in the bonus track spot this year, it’s the dreamy CQ with their album Eternal Dawn. It was lovely to get this beautiful collection, their first full album since 2016. The physical release dropped at the end of 2024, and we got the digital release in January 2025.
10. The Isosceles Project – Bear The Torch
Released: October
2025 marked the return of The Isosceles Project, with their first new release since 2012. A welcomed homecoming for fans of their heavy psychedelic instrumental prog rock.
9. Terra Lightfoot – Home Front
Released: October
Singer-songwriter Terra Lightfoot returned to a quieter and more intimate sound with her latest album, nicely timed with the autumn season. The cozy sound reflects a return to stillness, space, and nature.
8. Drew Smith – Leaf By Leaf
Released: April
One recurring similarity between some of this year’s entries is the long-awaited return of a band or artist. That’s true here for Drew Smith, whose last album was 2012’s The Secret Languages. Once again, gorgeously-composed soundscapes with a cinematic quality.
7. Superstar Crush – Way Too Much
Released: August
One of the best local debuts of the year is Superstar Crush’s first LP. The band came out swinging with their EP Crushed To Meet You in 2024, and have already leveled up in an impressive way with their first full length offering. Trading off vocals and spotlighting different instrumentation, it’s a dynamic listen that keeps you on your toes.
6. Alex Whorms – Daylight Chasing Dusk
Released: September
Daylight Chasing Dusk marks the fourth EP from singer-songwriter, musician, and composer Alex Whorms, and it features some of my favourite songwriting and visuals yet from the artist.
5. Buddah Abusah – 90-2
Released: June
Rapper, producer, and audio engineer Buddah Abusah continues to hone his craft and live show with every new release. Also awesome to see him as part of 2025’s Supercrawl and 905 Fest lineups. You can also check out 90-2 (Instrumentals) out now.
4. Lisa SQ – Reel Me In
Released: November
Lisa SQ first made this Best Of list in 2019 with her debut EP, and since then, has continued to develop her discography and sound, all leading the path to this year’s debut full length release. The years have made for an introspective snapshot of her life, and the artist shares that “each song can be linked to a moment of personal growth.”
3. Chore – Owego Park
Released: September‘
Another return to the scene this year – Chore (formed in Dunnville but with deep roots here in Hamilton and on local label Sonic Unyon). Oswego Park marks their first release in two decades. The post-hardcore/grunge/rock band took eight years overall on this record, and share that they know this is their best work yet.
2. CIN50 – LORE (now i feel like i’m dreaming)
Released: July
Creative collective andthenyoudie is the team behind venue andthenyou and their own independent label, releasing music by The Beans, and now new project CIN50. They describe their debut release, LORE (now i feel like i’m dreaming), as “a cinematic, genre-bending dive into the heart of after-hours culture.” Gabriel Marcelo and Paulo Leon are always about bringing one-of-a-kind musical experiences. This EP was in high rotation for me this year.
1. The Dirty Nil – The Lash
Released: July
Long live The Nil! With their fifth album, The Lash, the band let it rip, as they always do, with more confidence and self-assuredness in their identity as a band more than ever. Later in the year, the band dropped the LP Live At The Dine Alone Store, showcasing many songs off the record, plus a few more gems from their catalogue.
