Since 2008 I’ve put together a holiday-time video tribute to the year’s band breakups. It’s a sad endeavor really, but there is a bright side. Sometimes it takes a decade or more of inactivity for a band to really maximize its fanbase. Ask American Football, Slint, Neutral Milk Hotel, OutKast, the Replacements, or any of the other newly reunited groups I saw in concert this year. None of those comebacks would’ve been possible if the groups didn’t break up in the first place. My point is that Crystal Castles made the right call if they have any interest in a triumphant headline set at BURGERAMA 2025 (3/28-30, on the moon). In this year’s comp you’ll see emerging acts that combusted too soon (Smith Westerns), classic groups that are calling it quits for a second time (Guided By Voices), and legends that I could’ve sworn were broken up already (Roxy Music).

Thanks as always to Matt Neatock for the production help. Hug your favorite band extra tight tonight.