64: The Best Punk Records of 2025

64: The Best Punk Records of 2025

Author: see/saw December 24, 2025 Duration: 1:32:22

This is it! During our holiday travels to visit family, the two of us found two hours to sit in front of microphones and discuss our respective top three favorite punk records of the year. No spoilers in case you’re don’t want those, but click through the links for Evan’s top three and Nina’s top three.


A note to listeners that there's a longer unabridged version of this episode available on see-saw.fun and Mixcloud. The file for this full episode was too big for the podcast hosting service, so apologies for that!


Remember to grab a copy of see/saw’s physical newsprint broadsheet featuring the top 54 punk + rock'n'roll records of 2025. It includes writing from Evan, Nina, and other greats. Consider buying any and all beloved sickos a gift subscription to see/saw!


Thanks to Baby Tyler Band for use of our theme song “Needs” off their self-titled album. Thanks to Waylon Thornton for the bumpers. Thanks to Tyler Nickell for the podcast’s artwork. Find Nina Corcoran on InstagramBluesky, and Twitter; find see/saw on Instagram and Bluesky.


Have a question you’d like to hear addressed on the show? Want to talk about a new record we didn’t discuss? Want to send a HARD PIVOT or NO AMERICANS bumper? Join us on the see/saw Discord or email us: see-saw@see-saw.fun.


Punk This Week is made possible by see/saw subscribers; please consider a subscription if you enjoy this podcast. You’ll learn about way more punk records than we can pack into the pod!



Evan Minsker and Nina Corcoran, whose writing you might know from Pitchfork and Rolling Stone, host Punk This Week. Every week, they bring their deep knowledge and genuine enthusiasm to a curated rundown of what’s new and noisy. The core of each episode is a focused, thoughtful dive into two standout records, where they unpack the sounds, the context, and what makes them compelling. But the conversation doesn’t stop there-they also touch on four more releases, making for a packed and efficient survey. You’ll hear about international finds from the gritty, heavy underground alongside emerging artists who are starting to break through to wider stages. This isn’t just a review show; it’s a guided tour through punk’s constant evolution, blending sharp commentary with a historian’s eye for how today’s music fits into a larger story. For anyone who wants to stay connected to the genre’s relentless pulse without sifting through everything themselves, this podcast is an essential, time-saving listen. It’s like having two incredibly well-informed friends point you directly to the week’s most vital riffs and rebellions.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 89

Punk This Week
Podcast Episodes
36: No Americans [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:26
In this episode of Punk This Week, Evan and Nina celebrate America’s downfall with an episode featuring zero U.S. artists. Stick around to the end to hear the world premiere of the “No Americans” bumper.In addition to ne…
35: MSPAINT + SEXFACES [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:21
We spend a good chunk of time talking about some now-removed seafood mousse artwork (which you can see here and here for reference) and have to stop ourselves from going long on Ink Master. We discuss the new ones from M…
34: Stress Positions + Artificial Go [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:56
Nina found herself at an All-American Rejects house show in Chicago this past weekend, a tale that absolutely includes some snack chat. Then our duo ponders a wild week that included the stellar new EP from Chicago’s Str…
33: Frizbee + Cortada [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:44
At the end of this episode, Nina throws down the gauntlet, challenging listeners for a new bumper. Before that, we discussed a new tape from the now-defunct Indianapolis band Frizbee and a full-length from Portugal’s Cor…
32: Um, Jennifer? + The Vacant Lot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:55
On the other side of some technical difficulties, Evan and Nina ponder a possible new path for punk. What is Quiznos-core? Join us for a chat about Um, Jennifer?’s fantastic debut album and the decades-belated return of…
31: Kaleidoscope + Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:34
Do you know about Life? We do! This week, Evan and Nina bring a highlight from the Chicago screamo project’s unceasing recent output and a stellar, intense, radical new high watermark for New York City’s Kaleidoscope. We…
Introducing see/saw jukebox, a Bonus Podcast! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:06
see/saw jukebox is a new monthly bonus podcast from Punk This Week hosts Nina Corcoran and Evan Minsker, available exclusively to paid see/saw subscribers! In each episode, Nina and Evan are joined by a guest, and all th…
30: Chime Oblivion + Makin’ Out [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:40
Following an intense session of whittling down which records from this stacked release week would get discussed, Evan and Nina plugged in microphones to ponder the essentials: cartoon killer tomatoes, movie concessions,…
29: Fugitive Bubble + Teo Wise [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:07
After two weeks off, Evan and Nina get back to snack talk, read a snacks manifesto from Science Man, discuss the recent see/saw year 1 parties (skip to the 20-minute mark if you wanna get into record talk), and discuss n…
28: Water Margin + Dorothy Fuzz [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:09
Did Evan and Nina record during snack time again? Tune in to find out. It’s an episode from an unbelievable week in punk music, so we dig out our six absolute favorites—record by Water Margin, Dorothy Fuzz, Placid, NYLON…