Happy New Year one and all and welcome back for a big 2026 at The SubModern Report! As always, the charts for the first week of the year are kinda wonky with about a third of our reporters still enjoying their holiday break, a bunch more still recapping last year, and there just wasn't that much new music out there yet (that'll change this week). That said, our first #1's of the year are CONFLICT DLC from HEALTH on the album chart and "Say It On" by J Mascis (of Dinosaur Jr.) on the singles chart. Congrats to both!

Continuing on the singles chart, Cardinals are at #2 with "Barbed Wire", the latest offering from their forthcoming debut record Masquerade. That's followed by The Temper Trap with "Giving Up Air" at #3. At this point, the rest of the top ten is just all tied at #4 with seven tracks from the aforementioned HEALTH, as well as Lifeguard, Lime Garden, Shellshaker, Snocaps, Thrillhouse, and Westside Cowboy.

Now on the albums chart after #1, we go straight to the big ties, starting at #2 with 2025 faves from The Belair Lip Bombs, Geese, and Snocaps, as well as Juliana Hatfield's very-recently released Lightning Might Strike. After that, there are seven albums tied at #6, from Dry Cleaning, Kid Kapichi, Melody's Echo Chamber, Nothing, Prostitute, Twin Shadow, and Wet Leg.

If you think that's a lot of ties, just take a look at the top twenty-five of each chart HERE... YIKES!

As I alluded earlier, we're hitting the ground running with a ton of new releases for the new year, which you can get a look at on the Available For Airplay list, including singles by Angel Du$t, Buck Meek, Cate Le Bon, Father John Misty, Iron & Wine, JJerome87 (a.k.a. Joe Newman of Alt-J), Last Dinosaurs, and Robyn, as well as albums (or EPs) from The Cribs, Dry Cleaning, Jenny On Holiday, Theo Bleak, This Is Lorelei, Yukimi, and more.

And that'll do it for week one, but I do have one bit of unfinished 2025 business. I still have to list my top songs for you (I'm sure you've been dying to know). So without further ado, I'll leave you with that. Catch you next week!

Josh's Top Songs of 2025

1. Deep Sea Diver "SHOVEL"
2. Petey USA "The Milkman"
3. Nine Inch Nails "As Alive As You Need Me To Be"
4. Momma "I Want You (Fever)"
5. Wet Leg "CPR"
6. Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers "BALCONY"
7. Indigo De Souza "Heartthrob"
8. Rocket "Take Your Aim"
9. Tunde Adebimpe "Ate The Moon"
10. Guerilla Toss "Psychosis is just a Number"
11. Garbage "There's No Future In Optimism"
12. Alex Lahey "Don't Wanna Know"
13. OK Go "Take Me With You"
14. Franz Ferdinand "Night Or Day"
15. Annie DiRusso "Back In Town"

~ Josh T. Landow