Welcome to the 2025 Thrushie Awards! Parklife DC will name the best local band of the year with your input. Parklife DC will honor DC bands and venues with our annual Thrushie Awards program, named for our mascot, DC’s own state bird — the Wood Thrush.
A best local DC band must perform in the continuum of indie rock clubs that we cover around the metro area, and they must have released new music in the past year.
As always, our Thrushie Awards are inspired by our mission to review live music concerts and spotlight bands and concert halls covered by Parklife DC. Voting for Thrushies runs through Friday, Dec. 12, at midnight, and you get to vote for your favorite DC band.
Write-in candidates are welcome. See below for a brief bio on each band.
1. Ekko Astral (DC – punk)
A ferocious DC punk outfit defining “dystopiacore,” Ekko Astral recently dropped new music — “horseglue” (Oct. 22) on Topshelf Records. They headlined the Liberation Weekend at Black Cat, and they remain one of the city’s most explosive, must-see live bands.
2. SHAED (DC – indie-pop)
The chart-rising DC trio returned this year with new remixes — multiple “Everybody Knows I’m High” remix singles. The band returned to live dates, continuing to deliver sleek, emotional electro-pop.
3. Night Hawk (DC – indie / folk-rock)
Fresh off their acclaimed 2025 debut album (Before We Begin, released Aug. 7), Night Hawk blend soaring indie-rock and folk textures and have quickly become one of DC’s buzziest live acts.
4. Aidan Leclaire Band (DC/NoVA – alt-rock)
With a powerful 2025 album — Hail to the Dogs (dropped June 27) — and a growing reputation across DC and Northern Virginia, Aidan Leclaire’s band brings polished, anthemic alt-rock to energetic club shows.
5. Goldbug Revival (DC – indie folk / Americana)
This DC-based indie-folk collective released new music throughout 2025, first debuting the single “Sonora” on March 21 and releasing double-album Night One. They offer lush harmonies and expansive storytelling backed by steady live performances.
6. Color Palette (DC – dream-pop)
Color Palette returned this year with shimmering new dream-pop that pairs cinematic synths with intimate vocals, making them a staple of DC’s indie electronic scene. Check out Jay Nemeyer and company’s latest single, “Nights Alone” (released July 4).
7. American Television (DC – punk)
Longtime DC punk stalwarts American Television released a new EP in 2025, delivering hooky, high-energy anthems built for sweaty basement shows and festival stages alike. “You Are Not Alone” is the title track from that EP — released on Sept. 19 via Smartpunk Records.
8. MEND (DC – emo/pop-punk)
DC’s emo-punk upstarts MEND dropped new music this year and have become reliable fixtures on local bills with their heartfelt hooks and electric stage presence. Not long ago, they released their latest single “Garden.”
9. Oh He Dead (DC – soul)
A beloved DC soul-pop powerhouse with new 2025 releases, Oh He Dead light up every stage they play and remain one of the most crowd-moving bands in the region. They dropped new single “Waste My Time” in January.
