Favorites of 2025

Every December I sit down and look at the data from the previous 12 months.  The shows we went to, the songs we jammed to on repeat, the albums we loved.  I cross reference with the entire Galleywinter team and develop our list of favorites from the previous year. 

And every year I’m reminded why Galleywinter still exists.

It’s not because the algorithm needs our opinions. It’s not because somebody in Nashville is waiting on our stamp of approval. It’s because, for nearly three decades, this scene has been held together by real people trading playlists and burned CDs, arguing in our forums and comment sections and driving four hours on a Tuesday night because somebody said: “You’ve got to hear this kid.”

2025 was one of those years where the roads were full and the stories were plenty. Comebacks, breakouts, long shots, long careers and the kind of songs that stick with you. 

So here it is, our annual tradition. Not a ranking. Not a competition. Just a celebration of the artists, albums, songs, and moments that made this year memorable for us. And hopefully you as well.

Share it with friends. Find something new to love. Turn it up.

-Brad

Favorite Albums

Turnpike Troubadours – The Price of Admission

Turnpike came back swinging again. Evan Felker’s uncanny ability to paint entire universes in four minute increments is solidly on display here. Like with any record of this scope, it will take many, many listens to fully grasp all the details and peel back all of the layers.  The lyrics are poignant, the production understated and the stories layered, intertwined and deep. It’s like any form of good art.  Be it a book or a film project.  Sometimes you have to read it more than once or pause and rewind to catch what you missed in a scene.  Felker and the gang have created a universe that requires your full attention.  Even obsessives will miss little clues upon the first several listens.  Turnpike songs and albums usually don’t become fully appreciated until they’re lived in.  The Troubadours have given you a lot to work through with this one.  You will find a piece of yourself, someone you love or something you believe in with each track.

Parker McCollum – Parker McCollum

A reminder that huge stages don’t have to sand down sharp edges. Parker leans into vulnerability and polish without losing the ache that built his following from barrooms to arenas. It’s introspective without being soft. Bold without being showy. And it proves that Parker McCollum climbed the highest mountains of country music but never got above his raising and his heart has remained in Texas all along. This is the kind of record you make when you stop trying to please everyone and start trying to please the 15-year-old version of yourself again. Parker just might’ve pulled it off.

John Baumann – Guy on a Rock Baumann sharpened his storytelling to a razor’s edge, delivering an album that falls squarely in his canon and feels like a man taking stock from the edge of the world.  Humor, heartbreak, and  clarity all tangled together.

Presley Haile – Off to Find a Sunny Day EP

A bright, vulnerable burst of songwriting and vocal mastery that marked Presley’s arrival as more than a promising up and comer. This EP feels like the first chapter of a long, warm career. The title track and “Mountain Daughter” got early burn on The Ranch to create the buzz, the ace cover of “Someday Soon” drew some TikTok buzz (that Presley never chased herself) and the result was a collection of songs that couldn’t be ignored.  Presley Haile is one of the most engaging and original artists to come down the road in a long time and this record is a testament that she’s here to stay.

James McMurtry – The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy McMurtry doesn’t miss. A meditation on aging, living, regret and grizzled satisfaction that hits you hard no matter your age. This one is another masterclass in quiet devastation and observational detail.  As with most of McMurtry’s greatest, this one has sprinkles of what feel like his diary cracked open and laid bare next to his heart, and also just enough this must be fiction detail to make you press rewind to make sure you heard it right the first time.  This features the kind of writing that stops time, spins you around and drops you right back where you started. 

Bleu Edmondson – To the End EP The comeback no one expected, yet somehow exactly what we all needed. Bleu sounds refreshed, dangerous, and fully dialed back into the poetic grit that made him a legend. There are echoes of Bleu’s vintage Springsteen meets Ingram verve with a wink to maturity and his current life.  Produced by Wade Bowen, this collection hits all the right sonic notes and continues Edmondson’s solid foundation of lyrical mastery.

Charley Crockett – Dollar a Day

Effortlessly timeless. Crockett keeps making new music at a frantic rate that feels like it already exists in a dusty jukebox somewhere between 1970s Luckenbach and an early 1990’s Austin street corner.

Dalton Domino – Arizona

Dalton channels growth, recovery, and  hope into a record that hits with both scars and sunlight. A storyteller rebuilding in real time. This record feels like the group of songs Domino has been building to his entire career.  He had to go through the hard times to get here and now he’s set it to song.

Lance Roark – Bad Reputation

Roark’s raw vocal and no BS approach cuts through the noise instantly. Some of that is due to Roark’s mentor RC Edwards guiding his path, but in all honesty its mostly due to Roark’s ear and talent. This record is a shot of adrenaline for folks who still believe songs should make you feel something first. The next great Red Dirt songwriter is right under your noses.

Favorite Songs

Turnpike Troubadours – “On the Red River”

A spiritual gut check disguised as a country song. Felker at his finest. Simple phrasing, massive emotional weight. Grief for a departed father channeled through the eyes of a child on that departed father’s shoulders many years prior.  A heart wrencher. 

William Clark Green – “Where the Wild Things Are”

WCG’s sweet spot remains nostalgia. Be it about a coke infused circus train or, more importantly relationships.  Here he pairs melody with a sense of place that feels lived in as he trades the energy of the barroom for satisfaction of parenthood.  

Hank Weaver – “Lonely is My Only Friend Tonight”

Weaver, along with his Cheatham Street compatriots Cameron Allbright and Ashton Naylor, are barnstorming Texas and beyond on the backs of songs like this. A country throwback torch song filtered through the cigarette smoke of a south Texas dive bar.

James McMurtry – “South Texas Lawman”

It was difficult to narrow down just one song from the masterful McMurtry album, but we’ll go with this one. A slow burn of narrative perfection. McMurtry sketches a whole world with a few chords and a steady hand.  You know everything about the protagonist by the first verse.  But, you don’t know how his story will end until the very end.  Compelling.  And also a good example of McMurtry talking about himself through the character in the song. “I can’t stand getting old, it don’t fit me.”

Dalron Domino - “Wasn’t Her Own”

Domino treads into the ache of watching a family member fade away to dementia and all of the emotions that brings in a delicate, yet cutting manner. This song will stay with you.

https://youtu.be/iQbBlsE1wJ0?si=MFmPPk3cyevZICa5

The Droptines – “Old Tricks”

Rough, raw, real. A barroom confession in the style of RRB’s “Speak of the Devil” but varnished in the Concan-rock infused way that only The Droptines can deliver. “She’ll probably do for a night, at least it’s someone new.” Devastatingly honest and raw. Soaring melodic guitars and a hint of banjo give the tune some heft.

Presley Haile – “Second Time”

Delicate but devastating. Presley captures the feeling of giving someone another chance (or wanting to) and fearing the cost.

Nyles – “Simple Little Love Song”

Catchy and melodic, while being deceptively earnest.  Nyles proves, yet again, that sometimes simplicity really is the flex. He remains one of the most underrated and versatile songwriters and performers in Texas. This maintains Nyles' Stones infused honky tonk bonafides. This is the biggest earworm of the year.

Cameron Allbright – “How Many Sorrys”

A beautifully uncomfortable look inward. Vulnerability done right. That’s becoming one of Allbright’s hallmarks and this song is another salvo that reaffirms he is one of the rising stars of this (or any) scene.

Bleu Edmondson – “King of the Dark”

Bleu revisits the shadows with sharper songwriting than ever, proof he’s still able to brood with the best of them all while being observant and melodical.

Randy Rogers Band – “Same Place Twice”

Another instant classic, right off the RRB assembly line. Rogers and company deliver another hook heavy, highway ready track that feels like a familiar coat. 

Mason Lively – “Texas Song”

A  love letter to Lone Star identity that doesn’t lean on clichés. Warm, melodic, and instantly memorable.

Favorite Live Acts

Reed Brothers

A runaway freight train of harmonies, energy, and heart. It’s like our own version of Tedeschi-Trucks, but with brothers. Every show feels like a family reunion crossed with a revival.

Josh Weathers

Weathers remains the most naturally talented artist in Texas (and beyond). He’s continued to lean into his country influences, while starting to dance a little bit with the soul music that first put him on the map.  In any genre, acoustic or full band, Josh Weathers continues to lift vibes, souls, moods, longnecks and hearts every single night. He won Entertainer of the Year at an industry event and then raised over a million for Texas flood victims two days after the tragedy. No stage or moment is too big for Josh Weathers.

Charley Crockett

Pure showmanship. Crockett blends vintage cool with modern swagger.  The energy from his busking days remains and a sold out arena tour with Leon Bridges confirmed that that charisma is still undefeated.

Shelby Stone

A rising force whose live presence keeps getting bigger, bolder, and more magnetic. She leaves no stage unclaimed. The biggest rock star we have at the moment.

Cross Canadian Ragweed

The legends returned with muscle memory fully intact. A hiatus turned into a mini-stadium tour.  Refreshed, reinvigorated and rockin’. Live and loud at the Wormy Dog style, but in a football stadium. Ragweed reminded everyone why they changed this scene in the first place.

The Red Clay Strays

A band in full ascendancy. Tight, hungry, confident and capable of blowing any performance into the stratosphere. 2025 was the year they transitioned to headliner status in full and now have shows booked at Madison Square Garden and Bridgestone. 

Tanner Usrey

Authenticity meets arena power. Usrey’s voice alone can tilt the earth’s axis.  Add in the twin guitar attack of his band and you’re playing with fire. The good kind. 

William Beckmann

Smooth, classic, and effortless. A modern crooner with Del Rio, Texas dust on his boots. Sinatra meets Radney Foster.  Beckmann is going to hit you with songs in two languages and make you want to follow his bus to the next show.

Treaty Oak Revival

The rowdy beer tossing grabs headlines, but a Treaty Oak show is an adventure in the same vein a Koe Wetzel show was in 2017 or a Ragweed show in 2005. It's raucous, unpredictable and the energy is off the charts. Is it for everyone? No. But, if you buy the ticket and take the ride, you'll want to ride it again and again.

Hudson Westbrook

An honest, raw voice who delivers truth in the style of Parker McCollum, but with his own spin on it.  This kid is headed to the top of the mountain. People come to hear “House Again” and then belt out his Taylor Swift cover louder than the PA.

Favorite Songwriters

Race Ricketts

A writer wise beyond his years, Race keeps delivering songs that cut deep, make you smile and make you think.

James McMurtry

Still the gold standard for gritty storytelling that is also poetic and intelligent.  McMurtry paints with a fine brush and tells universal stories through the lens of very specific characters.  

Courtney Patton

CP continues to write songs that rip your heart out on record as she processes grief, loss, love and life through her heart and into the pen.

Ben Danaher

A craftsman of emotional detail. Never flashy unless needed, but always brutally honest.

Dalton Domino

Domino’s pen is fearless. He writes like someone who’s survived some things and learned from all of them. Because he has.

Evan Felker

The modern poet laureate of the plains. Felker’s imagery and restraint remain unmatched. His recent efforts stretched beyond Lorrie and into new characters, themes and vibes all without losing any of his punch.

John Baumann

Baumann keeps stacking thoughtful, layered songs without ever repeating himself. A true original.

Leon Majcen

Raised on the Gulf and seasoned by miles of open road, Majcen’s songs feature a thoughtful lyricism that hits with force.

Kat Hasty

A firebrand storyteller who writes with equal parts grit and grace.

FAVORITE DISCOVERIES

Each of these artists brought something new to the table without losing the roots that make this scene special. They stand out in different ways but are all names you need to pay attention to, if you’re not already.

Ian Koucourek

Ashton Naylor

Kristen Foreman

Tristan Graves

Coby Rotan and the Naturals

Graham St. Clair Band

Walker and the White Lines

Favorite Artists

Turnpike Troubadours 

Turnpike spent this year reminding everyone why they’re the top dogs of modern Red Dirt. They didn’t reinvent anything, they just returned with sharpened edges, deepened stories, and delivered music that hit like a memory you didn’t know you still carried. In a scene full of noise and TikTok chasers, Turnpike remain at the top by doing what only they can do. Writing songs that feel carved out of real lives and proving once again they’re the standard the rest of us measure other artists against.

Cody Canada 

Cody Canada is the living, breathing through line of this whole Texas/Red Dirt scene. Flags planted in both. There at the inception. Dominating 30 years in. The reunion of Ragweed, and doing things on his own or with Departed, he leads and excels with it all. This year he played with the fire and freedom of a man who still has something to say. Cody didn’t just tour, he reconnected a generation of fans to their roots and introduced a new wave of kids to that ragged, righteous spirit that helped build this scene in the first place. It's why we compared him to Willie Nelson and meant it.

Presley Haile 

Presley Haile broke through this year with the kind of clarity and confidence that makes you sit up a little straighter and realize you're witnessing history. Her songwriting is vibrant and unafraid, her voice warm and bright and her presence on stage feels like watching potential turn into arrival in real time. Presley isn’t “one to watch” anymore. She's here. She’s one to follow, celebrate, and believe in as she continues carving out her lane.

James McMurtry 

James McMurtry doesn’t chase trends, and he damn sure doesn’t care about the spotlight. But this year, the spotlight found him anyway. He delivered songs with his trademark sharp edge. Just as he has done on every album. But, something about this year found him singing about his dad's death and his own mortality in an unflinching, unsparing, yet tender manner. Each song and show spilled out the truth. McMurtry continues to be the literary backbone of American songwriting, proving once more that nobody dissects character, place, or the quiet desperation of everyday life quite like he does.

Shelby Stone 

Shelby Stone spent this year proving she’s not just another name on a bill or playlist, she’s a full force presence with something real to say. Her songs are honest in that disarming way that sneaks up on you, cuts deep, and somehow feels comforting all at once. With every show Shelby kept building momentum the old fashioned way. She’s carving her spot in this scene with authenticity and a voice that stays with you long after the last note fades.

Treaty Oak Revival

Treaty Oak Revival had the kind of year that proves what happens when a band refuses to compromise who they are. They didn’t chase trends or polish off the rough edges; they doubled down on their Blink 182 meets Randy Rogers Band energy that first put them on the map. While others try to fit into a lane, TOR paved their own rock n' roll highway and took it worldwide. Is it country? No. Is it entertaining? Yes. Are they having a moment? Absolutely.

If 2025 taught us anything, it’s that this scene is unstoppable. It reinvents, it respawns, it doesn't quit.

So here’s to the ones writing the songs, the ones singing them, the ones blasting them through busted Bluetooth speakers on the back patio and the ones dragging their friends to shows saying, “Trust me, you’re gonna love this band.”

See y’all out there in 2026!