Gold Soundz: Best of June 2025
Highlighting the best music releases from June 2025
With six months of music behind us, we’re officially at the half-way mark of 2025 and June delivered some of the best new tunes we’ve heard so far this year. Once again, picking the best of the month meant some tough omissions, but there should be something for everyone here. Even without a confirmed song of the summer (yet), there are still a ton of great jams that you could easily have on repeat as you ride around town with the windows down or blast this while you dance away on some hot sand. Whether you’re embracing the meteoric rise of Turnstile, getting down with Nourished by Time’s ode to Baltimore club sounds, grooving to the slinky disco return of Pulp, bumping to the timeless boogie of David Byrne, vibing with Lorde as she rediscovers her love for dance music, or getting hyped to Four Tet’s rave-ready remix of Mazzy Star, it’s sure to be a hot one and the songs are here to help you break that sweat.
Album of the Month
TURNSTILE | NEVER ENOUGH
At about 4:00 AM the day after Turnstile released their new album NEVER ENOUGH, the band were in the middle of their set at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound and despite the extremely late set time, the crowd was primed and ready. It was the final day of the festival and, effectively, the last major set of the weekend. Standing on the precipice of the next stage in their career, Turnstile gazed out over the massive crowd, taking in each second as they turned into the biggest rock band in the world right in front of our eyes. Four years after their breakout album GLOW ON, the hardcore band from Baltimore released their long awaited follow-up and with its release, we collectively ushered in Turnstile Summer. While Turnstile is a hardcore band, NEVER ENOUGH isn’t a hardcore record. Yes, there are intense and heavy moments, but there are equal parts ambient textures and near-pop melodies that make them transcend the scene they’ve become the face of and, in turn, they’ve skyrocketed to heights beyond any of their wildest dreams. Rising a perfect wave of hardcore screams, blast beats, and punishing riffs, we’re also dealt cosmic dream-pop moods and IDM breakdowns. Turnstile have capitalized on their big break and have used the moment to explore their other musical passions while still remaining loyal to the sounds that have defined their careers. While the album itself may shift towards something more mainstream, seeing them live is a solid reminder of their past and how it still incorporates itself into their modern version as well. Perfectly paced, the lighter moments allow you to catch your breath before the band heaves you back into the pit, but even when it feels like it might totally collapse, the band reels it back in. On the surface, they may seem intimidating, but when given the chance, it’s nearly impossible to deny the magnetism of this band and their ability to pull people into their brilliant and singular style. May Turnstile Summer reign supreme.
EP of the Month
UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA | CURSE EP
Earlier this year, Unknown Mortal Orchestra released a record full of heady instrumental tracks that went deep on krautrock jams, electric jazz freakouts, and other nuances that made it best enjoyed on headphones. While a lot of the music released by Unknown Mortal Orchestra would certainly have some kind of psychedelic tag applied to it, that album ventured more into the experimental side of things so when the band dropped CURSE this month, things felt a little bit more on track for those expecting poppier songs from the group. There still might not be a straightforward single from the bunch here, you’re far more likely to play these tunes and have others nod along in enjoyment. There are fuzzy power riffs and padded drums that give this a more intimate feel, perhaps another headphone sonic pleasure, but this one isn’t as introspective as their instrumental tunes. The elastic guitar work bends to the melodies while dry drums add just enough texture to keep things interesting, and of course there’s a bit of funky bass thrown in on top to round things out.
Reissue of the Month
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN | Tracks II: The Lost Albums
It’s hard to believe that with a discography so deep and rich as the boss’, there’d somehow be full-length records that he kept shelved and buried in his vaults. It’s harder to believe that there could be seven albums that were recorded between 1983 and 2018 just waiting to be heard, and it’s a total shock to learn they’re really as good as you hoped. Beginning with the end of Springsteen’s glory days and stretching until just before COVID hit, this is quite the timespan in his career and while some of his actually released studio records during this time don’t add to his legacy, much of Tracks II showcases the side of Springsteen devoted fans have obsessed over for decades. Recording sessions from the Streets of Philadelphia are prime-era tunes that are sure to blow away his biggest fans, but even for the casual listener, these feel like more than b-sides of throwaway songs. You could easily play these for anyone and convince them they were obscure albums from various decades that must’ve been forgotten, not brand new recordings that sound as good as anything he put out during some of his more questionable years. In fact, that is what makes this whole box set so astonishing. In the same way you can question some of his peers as to why they kept these recordings locked up while some of their worst material made it to record stores may never be fully explained, but being able to devour these songs now, and in such a way, is something to be celebrated and enjoyed to the fullest.
Don’t Miss:
ANNAHSTASIA | Tether
HAIM | I quit
HOTLINE TNT | Raspberry Moon
LORDE | Virgin
LIFEGUARD | Ripped and Torn
Concerts (in review)
PRIMAVERA SOUND FESTIVAL in Barcelona, Spain // 06.05-07.25
RINGO STARR AND HIS ALL STARR BAND at Radio City Music Hall // 06.13.25
ASTRID SONNE at Baby’s All Right // 06.15.25
FIEVEL IS GLAUQUE at Night Club 101 // 06.30.25