Spin that Ish launched in 2025 as a way for the KAXE Music Team — Malachy Koons, Dan Gannon (aka DJ Dang) and me, Music Director Kari Hedlund — to get together and just talk music, specifically about our personal favorite releases from the previous month. It's been loose and freewheeling, sometimes ridiculous and often times hilarious. This year we've touched on so much music while also dabbling into dreams, witchcraft, comedy and more. If you've missed this segment so far, find past episodes here.
As we dig into our favorites of the year for the final episode of 2025, you can also hear us conquer technology, stress over our choices, ponder what Lou Reed would really be like as a babysitter, and Malachy tries his hand at singing.
And a staff bonus! Area Voices Producer and Morning Show Host, Andrew Dziengel sent us his top three albums from 2025. Read more below.
Kari's Top 5 Albums
5. Sunny War - Armageddon in a Summer Dress
4. Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory – Self-Titled
3. Big Thief - Double Infinity
2. Little Simz - Lotus
1. Geese - Getting Killed
Kari's Top 5 Songs
5. Taylor Rae - "Undertone" The Void
4. Brandi Carlile - "You Without Me" Returning To Myself
3. jasmine.4.t - "Guy Fawkes Dissociation" You Are the Morning
2. Bartees Strange - "Ain't Nobody Making Me High" Shy Bairns Get Nowt EP
1. Deep Sea Diver - "Shovel" Impossible Dream
Malachy's Top 5 Albums
5. room3 - Bill's Garden
4. Little Simz - Lotus
3. Florence Adooni - A.O.E.I.U. (An Ordinary Exercise in Unity)
2. Geese - Getting Killed
1. Annahstasia - Tether
Malachy's Top 5 Songs
5. Esther Rose - "Want" Want
4. WITCH - "Machiriso" SOGOLO
3. Friendship - "Free Association" Caveman Wakes Up
2. Brittany Davis - "Change Me" Black Thunder
1. S.G. Goodman - "Snapping Turtle" Planting By the Signs
DJ Dang's Top 5 Albums
5. Woodblind Meets Teague Alexy - Self-Titled
4. Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson - What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow
3. Jon Batiste - Big Money
2. Geese - Getting Killed
1. Little Simz - Lotus
DJ Dang's Top 5 Songs
5. Adrian Quesada - "No Juego ft. Angelica García" Boleros Psicodélicos II
4. Jeff Tweedy - "Lou Reed Was My Babysitter" Twilight Override
3. Kris Delmhorst - "Wolves" Ghosts in the Garden
2. Genesis Owusu - "PIRATE RADIO" Single
1. Valerie June - "Joy, Joy!" Owls, Omens and Oracles
Andrew Dziengel's Top 3 Albums
Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band - New Threats from the Soul
Now this album is extremely an “Andrew” album. Melancholy sounding alt-country sound? Check. Funny lyrics that turn insightful? Check. Okay singer? Check. I first saw Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band open for MJ Lenderman last year, and they blew me away. I bought their last album as soon as the concert was over (Wish I would have gotten a shirt too, but oh well). So, imagine my excitement when they announced a new album for 2025. After two singles, it was safe to say it was going to be my album of the year. I’m a sucker for this kind of music, and Ryan Davis does it so well.
Pulp - More
You never know how an album after a long hiatus will turn out - the first album in twenty-four years doesn’t usually turn out well. When Brit-pop legends Pulp released their first single “Spike Island” I became cautiously optimistic. The band sounds great, Jarvis Cocker’s voice is still good, and most importantly, it has hooks! When the album finally came out, I could breathe a sigh of relief. Pulp was back. It is by far my most listened to album in 2025, and when I saw them in concert this year, none of the new songs sound out of place with their classics. Warms my heart to see one of my bands come back and create another great album for their discography.
Annahstasia - Tether
Annahstasia was a new artist for me. Malachy Koons played her song “Villain” on a Headwaters show and I was like “Who is this!?” The range of her voice is amazing, and you can’t help but believe every word she says. Her voice pierces at you and when she’s singing heartbreaking lyrics, it drags you down into that heartbreak. The standout on the album for me is the last song “Believer” with her almost shouting “I get lonely/Ooh, can I be lonely/Can I be lonely/Can I be lonely here with you?” Well, music doesn’t get much better than that.
What did you listen to in 2025? Join the music conversation! Text us at 218-326-1234 or send us an email.
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KAXE's weekly list of concerts near you features Ted Feyder, Reggie Ducote, Tiny Town, and Acoustic Fest. -
MusicTune in throughout the holiday season for a year-end Spin that Ish, top album countdown, Dave Simonett guest DJ and more from the KAXE Music Team. -
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