Greg Katz of Cheekface’s Favorite Songs of 2025

Cheekface (photo by Sonny Malhotra)

As 2025 winds down, we’ve been asking artists about their favorite music of the year. Greg Katz, vocalist and guitarist of Cheekface, made us a list of his favorite songs of 2025, and you can read that and his commentary below.

Cheekface released their fifth album, Middle Spoon, back in February. It features McKinley Dixon, Jeff Rosenstock, JER, and Catbite’s Brittany Luna and Tim Hildebrand, and you can stream it below.

GREG KATZ OF CHEEKFACE’S FAVORITE SONGS OF 2025

I’m a songs guy more than an albums guy, and my favorite song this year is “The Way You Tune it Out” by JER. This one landed on me like a 10 story piano the day it came out and really just never relinquished its grip around my neck. Like, it was weeks on repeat and I still put it on all the time. The political message is so finely tuned, the energy rages so relentlessly, and it is so, so, SO catchy. It’s true to what JER is great at, but also widens their lane in a way that makes complete sense. Their whole Death of the Heart album is deep, especially as you get to the back half, but this song in particular hits it right on the screws in such an immediate way. JER’s been a leading light among DIY bands for quite a while and this song completely captures why.

Some other songs I loved the shit out of in 2025:
The Beths – “Straight Line Was a Lie”
La Reezy – “HARDHEAD”
Suzie True – “Every Dog”
Why Dogs Why – “Clunkers”
McKinley Dixon – “We’re Outside, Rejoice!”
Sean Solomon – “Shooting Star”
Pile – “Born at Night”
yungatita – “Airplane Ears”
Pacing – “Parking Ticket Song”
PUNK CRUSH – “Ugly”
Jobber – “Pillman’s Got a Gun”
Jess Kallen – “Buzzzcut”
Runnner – “Claritin”
Guppy – “Back to the Thing”

Cheekface are playing a pair of belated Emphatically No. “record release parties” for the album’s fifth birthday in the new year, in Chicago (Schubas on January 15) and NYC (Elsewhere Zone One on January 17). Those are their only upcoming dates at the moment.

CHEEKFACE: 2026 TOUR DATES
Jan 15 Chicago, IL Schubas #^
Jan 17 Brooklyn, NY Elsewhere Zone One *

# with Sean Solomon
^ with OK Cool
* with Jobber