Michael J. O’Connor has been plodding through the indie music world for 25 years. With a voice that is both soaring and torn-up, bold and forthright lyrics, and a gift for melody, he has drawn comparisons to Elliott Smith, Kurt Vile, Big Thief, and Grandaddy. Playing all the instruments on record and always pushing beyond the typical guy-with-a-guitar live experience, he has been equally at home playing on street corners and at nursing homes as he has at venues and festivals like The Red Devil Lounge, 924 Gilman Street, The Unnamed Festival Project, and SXSW. O’Connor’s 20-song compilation album “The Best of the Bad Years (2005-2025)” showcases the breadth of his arrangements, lyrics, and musicianship over the years as well as what is still to come as long as the tape keeps rolling and the road stays open.