My twins were born at the end of July so my music intake has taken a huge hit, which is why most of my favorites are from the first half. I think this is my list, but I'm sure there are many albums I missed out from August until now. 1. Moving Mountains - Pruning of the Lower Limbs 2. the Starting Line - Eternal Youth 3. saturdays at your place - these things happen 4. Pet Symmetry - Big Symmetry 5. Slow Joy - A Joy So Slow At Times I Don't Think It's Coming 6. the Neighbourhood - ((((Ultrasound)))) 7. L.S. Dunes - Violet 8. Michigander - Michigander 9. Pup - Who Will Look After the Dogs? 10. the Lumineers - Automatic
Main reason I’m a member of the forum is discovering new bands on the end of the year lists. So happy that I now get to sit and listen to a million emo albums every year to pick the best (IMHO) and influence others!
I felt the itch to write for the first time in a while so I wrote some burbs (some better, some worse) for my top 10: 1. Rosalía – LUX (Art Pop) Before LUX, the Barcelonan singer Rosalía had put out three wildly different albums, all of which would be at home on any list of the greatest albums of the last 25 years. Although her first album - an acoustic alt-Flamenco album - was great, I became a fan when she released her second album, El Mal Querer. On that album, she takes her Flamenco influences and unleashes them onto R&B. It’s an album that takes something global and makes it local. It’s a beautiful record and exactly my niche, as someone who loves European Hip Hop and R&B. The third album, Motomami, on the other hand is a quintessential global record, not as in lowest common denominator, but as in broadly influenced and sourced. Although rooted in reggaeton, it’s a musical mosaic, in the lineage of Paul’s Boutique and - to keep it European - peak M.I.A. Expectations for LUX thus were high. When she put out the first single, I was impressed by the ambition, but also worried that, this time, she sacrificed listenability. I was so wrong that, if I were as Catholic as her, I would go to confession. LUX is an enveloping classical music–inspired (and London Symphony Orchestra-assisted), multilingual art pop album inspired by, among other things, Hildegard von Bingen, that somehow still goes down like crema catalana. It’s a triumph. She remains so far ahead of everyone else that when she says - as she did in a recent interview with the New York Times - that she is just a vessel for divine intervention (insert Tupac reference here), I am inclined to believe her. 2. Momma – Welcome to My Blue Sky (Indie) I only found this band recently, and was immediately attracted by the combination of sweet, slightly bored-sounding bedroom-pop vocals and absolutely gnarly guitars. Their new album did not disappoint. Listening to it for the first time while driving around with my wife on one of the year’s first warm-ish days was one of my highlights of the year. 3. verifiziert – bulletholes (2024) / arizona 2012 (Indie Pop/Rap, Austria) When I listen to verifiziert - the Austrian artist whose music hovers somewhere between indie pop and soundcloud rap, peak-Tumblr and Wiener Schmäh - I am stuck between two thoughts: that me liking this as much as I do shows how cool I still am… or maybe that I was never cool enough for this. Either way, I know it is, well, really fucking cool. 4. Haim – I Quit (Indie) I never really gave Haim a chance because the whole thing seemed gimmicky to me. For some reason I tuned in this time though, only to find out I was very wrong. I was especially taken by the 90s Janet Jackson vibes that are present on this album. Why did nobody tell me Danielle Haim could sing like that? 5. Luke Bell – The King Is Back (Country) Luke Bell tragically took his own life in 2022, leaving behind a small but remarkable discography of three albums. Whatever else remained has now been gathered on The King Is Back, a bittersweet reminder of what made him so special. A final classic country record from someone who understood the motto “three chords and the truth” instinctively. 6. Vel Nine – A Beautiful Day To Die (Rap) If I would tell you that Vel Nine (previously known as Vel the Wonder, which was a better name, but she did not ask me), an underground rapper from California with around 69,000 monthly listeners on Spotify put out the illest rap album of 2025, you would probably, maybe justifiably, not believe me, but as usual when it comes to Hip Hop, I know better than you. 7. Less Than Jake – Uncharted (2024) (Pop-Punk/Ska) At this point, close to 30 years after Hell Rockview, this veteran ska punk band still does not miss. It is hard to imagine that they will ever be too old to do this. I’ll certainly never be too old to listen. “It's been a lifetime since I felt stable”. Same. 8. Pachyman – Another Place (Dub/Reggae) Pachyman, the Puerto Rico-born, Los Angeles-based dub/reggae producer not only looks a little like Bill Evans, but, much like Bill Evans did, also puts out incredibly smooth instrumental records. I desperately needed all the relaxation I could get this year, so it is no wonder that I gravitated towards this album. 9. De La Soul – Cabin In The Sky (Rap) In 2023, Andre 3000 said that, with 48 years, he might be too old to rap. Since then, rappers in their 50s - last year, among others, Common & Pete Rock and LL Cool J & Q-Tip, and this year De La Soul - have been putting out some of the best, if not the best rap albums of their respective years. Could this partly be because rap music is having a crisis of creativity this decade? Maybe, but even if that is the case, this album - both a celebration of life and a loving remembrance of Trugoy the Dove - is still another truly great rap album by these Native Tongue legends. 10. Fred Hersch – The Surrounding Green (Jazz) I have listened to a lot of Jazz this year. A LOT. Most of it has been from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Consequently, in this year’s Wrapped, Spotify assigned me a listening age of 83. I have however also listened to plenty of new Jazz albums, and this one stood out the most. A beautiful, intimate, understated record.
1. Lights - A6 2. Hayley Williams - Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party 3. Rosalia - Lux 4. The Starting Line - Eternal Youth 5. Deftones - Private Music 6. FKA Twigs - Eusexua 7. Momma - Welcome to My Blue Sky 8. Turnstile - Never Enough 9. Ace Enders - Posture Syndrome 10. Winona Fighter - My Apologies to the Chef 11. Doja Cat - Vie 12. Sydney Sprague - Peak Experience 13. Underoath - The Place After This One 14. Have Mercy - the loneliest place I've ever been 15. Motion City Soundtrack - The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World Favorite EP: Georgia Maq - God's Favorite
No order jim legxacy - black british music (2025) dijon - baby sabrina carpenter - man’s best friend saturdays at your place - these things happen geese - getting killed rosalía - lux the tubs - cotton crown moving mountains - pruning of the lower limbs turnstile - never enough alien boy - you wanna fade? colin miller - losin’ bon iver - sable, fable the casper fight scene - s/t
1. Colin miller- Losin’ 2. Park National - you have to keep searching 3. Truman Sinclair- American recordings 4. Great grandpa - patience, moonbeam 5. Anxious- Bambi 6. Arms Length- There’s a Whole World Out There 7. Bon Iver- sable, Fable 8. Ethel Cain- willoughby tucker I will always love you 9. Dijon - Baby 10. Have mercy- the loneliest place I’ve ever been 11. Youth lagoon- rarely do I dream 12. Samia- bloodless 13. Perry USA- the yips 14. Toro y Moi- unerthed- hole erth unplugged 15. Big Thief- double infinity
1. Geese - Getting Killed 2. CMAT - Euro-Country 3. Jade Bird - Who Wants To Talk About Love? 4. Folk Bitch Trio - Now Would Be A Good Time 5. Julien Baker & Torres - Send A Prayer My Way 6. Wednesday - Bleeds 7. Samia - Bloodless 8. Momma - Welcome To My Blue Sky 9. Great Grandpa, Patience, Moonbeam 10. Big Thief - Double Infinity 11. The Ophelias - Spring Grove 12. Snocaps - Snocaps 13. Horsegirl - Phonetics On and On 14. Eliza McLamb - Good Story 15. The Beths - Straight Line Was A Lie 16. Leith Ross - I Can See the Future 17. Ethel Cain - Willoughby Tucker, I Will Always Love You 18. Jay Som - Belong 19. Dove Ellis - Blizzard 20. Mini Trees - Slow It Down Honorable mentions: Audrey Hobert - Who’s The Clown? Jensen McRae - I Don’t Know How But They Found Me Sharpie Smile - The Staircase Addison Rae - Addison Eleni Drake - CHUCK First Day Back - Forward Runo Plum - Patching Sudan Archives - The BPM
UPDATED (and final): Top 10: Deftones - Private Music Town Portal - Grindwork Deafheaven - Lonely People With Power Pelican - Flickering Resonance Greet Death - Die in Love Cloakroom - Last Leg of the Human Table BRUIT ≤ - The Age of Ephemerality Psychonaut - World Maker Bask - The Turning Snooze - I Know How You Will Die
I’ve listened to it twice according to last.fm and just completely forgot it existed apparently. Need to revisit asap.
1. AFI - Silver Bleeds the Black Sun... 2. Deafheaven - Lonely People with Power 3. Thrice - Horizons/West 4. Coheed and Cambria - Vaxis 3: The Father of Make Believe 5. Ghost - Skeleta 6. Deftones - private music 7. Turnstile - NEVER ENOUGH 8. The Horrors - Night Life 9. Amorphis - Borderland 10. Greet Death - Die in Love
The Starting Line – Eternal Youth Guck – Gucked Up Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power Chat Pile and Hayden Pedigo – In The Earth Again Deftones – Private Music Tropical Fuck Storm – Fairyland Codex Haru Nemuri – Ekkolaptomenos The Beths – The Straight Line Was a Lie Purity Ring – Purity Ring These New Puritans – Crooked Wing Probably my 10 favorite albums of the year, in no particular order.
1. Deafheaven - Lonely People With Power 2. Greyhaven - Keep It Quiet 3. Doomsday - Never Known Peace 4. Deftones - Private Music 5. Thrice - Horizons/West 6. Age of Apocalypse - In Oblivion 7. Combust - Belly of the Beast 8. Skinhead - It's a Beautiful Day, What a Beautiful Day 9. Callous Daoboys - I Don't Want to See You in Heaven 10. Thus Spoke Zarathustra - I'm Done With Self Care, It's Time For Others' Harm Honorable Mentions: 11. Anxious - Bambi 12. Hotline TNT - Raspberry Moon 13. Mongrel - Baptized in the Gutter
Pretty rad year. Maruja - Pain To Power McKinley Dixon - Magic, Alive! Deafheaven - Lonely People With Power Ethel Cain - Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You The Callous Daoboys - I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven La Dispute - No One Was Driving the Car BACKxWASH - Only Dust Remains ROSALÍA - LUX Turnstile - Never Enough Divorce - Drive To Goldenhammer Little Simz - Lotus Coheed and Cambria - The Father of Make Believe Deftones - Private Music Samia - Bloodless Bad Bunny - DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS Agriculture - The Spiritual Sound Black Country, New Road - FOREVER HOWLONG Oklou - choke enough Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out Weatherday - Hornet Disaster Sam Fender - People Watching Wednesday - Bleeds Lily Allen - West End Girl Geese - Getting Killed Caroline - caroline 2