Nobody started this thread yet?
What’s your favorites?
I’m still working on my top 5. Pulp, SG Goodman, Florry, Colin Miller, Billy Woods all in the mix.
Some lists for inspiration in this thread 
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AOTY so far has been DjRUM (turnstile is growing one by the day though)
Gig of the year has been Have A Nice Life at St Luke’s a few weeks ago but I’ve got a lot to look forward to in the second half of the year.
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My favourite albums from this year so far are probably these ones -
FACS
Japanese Breakfast
Abul Mogard
Cole Pulice
Throwing Muses
My favourite’s the Japanese Breakfast record.
Gig of the year so far must be Sturgill Simpson at the Barrowlands, my wife is a big fan and I got us tickets and yep, that was a hell of a show, played about three hours which for most bands would be a slog but this actually flew by.
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Favourite gig was NIN at Coop live, still banging on about it to anyone who’ll listen.
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Lots of good albums so far this year but nothing really sticks out heads and shoulders above the rest but I have done a spotify playlist of a track from my favourite 5 albums of '25 so far
Gig of the year would undoubtedly be Fortress Festival, but as that’s a two day affair I would say my favourite specific gig so far would be Ultha supported by Ante-Inferno in April.
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Albums
Barker - Stochastic Drift
Ichiko Aoba - Luminescent Creatures
Le Motel - Odd Numbers / Số Lẻ
Los Thuthanaka - Los Thuthanaka
Nazar - Demilitarize
(Le Motel I only listened to after recommends on here, and I love it so much).
Tracks
DJ Koze and Marley Waters - Brushcutter
Jim Legxacy - father
Lucrecia Dalt – cosa rara (ft. David Sylvian)
Elaine Howley - Hold Me in a New Way
Stereolab - Melodie is a Wound
Favourite gig Chat Pile at Leeds Irish Centre
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Jenny Hval my favourite album with honourable mention to Stereolab.
So far my favorite album of the year is:
These New Puritans - Crooked Wing
Favorite song:
CMAT - Take a sexy picture
The standout albums for me have been Horsegirl and Craig Finn, but some honorable mentions to Blondshell and ExVoid/Tubs records.
It’s been a bit of a disappointing 2025 in that albums I was looking forward to like Lucy Dacus or Torres/Baker really haven’t clicked like I’d hoped. Still got high hopes for Wednesday and the Beths though.
Top 5 LPs may contain some of these
Florry
Friendship
Florist
Colin Miller
Valerie June
S G Goodman
Lily Seabird
Tobacco City
Tracks
Really like that new David Byrne one
Orlando in Love - Japanese Breakfast
Barn Nursery - hey, nothing
Fucked Up Bumper - Conor Lynch
Graze - she’s green
Corner - Quinn Cicala
Nothing! (I Wanna Do) - Pacing
waiting - Gorgeous Bully
Dry Out in June - Labrador
Memorial - Humour
Only been to 3 gigs, so you can have all of them
Snapped Ankles @ Boileroom, Guildford
PUP @ Engine Rooms, Southampton
MJ Lenderman @ Chalk, Brighton
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Favourite Album: Caroline 2
Favourite Gig: Caroline @ Brudenell
Other albums of note: Lily Seabird, DjRUM, Florist
Jamie Oliver Petrol Station
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ALBUMS
Pale Blue Eyes - New Place
Maria Somerville - Luster
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Soft New Magic Dream
Cuneiform Tabs - Age
The Tubs - Cotton Crown
HMs
Penelope Trappes
Horsegirl
Romance
Nightcollectors
Mogwai
Stereolab
GIGS
Maria Somerville + JABU @ ICA
Pale Blue Eyes @ Islington Assembly Hall
Spiritualized @ Primavera Sound
Penelope Trappes @ Alphabet Brighton
MAQUINA @ Strongroom Bar
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Album-wise it’s a toss up between Djrum’s Under Tangled Silence, Emma-Jean Thackray’s Weirdo and Horsegirl’s Phonetics On and On. Leaning towards Weirdo.
Gig-wise - got to be MJ Lenderman at Chalk
Albums looking like
Momma - Welcome to My Blue Sky
Friendship - Caveman Wakes Up
Richard Dawson - End of the Middle
Brown Horse - All the Right Weaknesses
Press Club - To All the Ones That I Love
doesn’t feel like a standout top 5, but I really like how my longer 10-20 list looks. So maybe will be a year of just lots of really good stuff rather than any all-timers
Songs - not on fav albums as that’s redundant
Gigs I’m thinking
Neil Young - Waldbühne, Berlin
Bikini Body w/ Buffet Lunch - Leith Cricket Club, Edinburgh
Richard Dawson - St Luke’s, Glasgow
NIN - Coop Live, Manchester
WH Lung - Mash House, Edinburgh
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Just came across Caroline the other week. Really digging them
My top albums are uncannily similar to Fantano’s so far. There may some influence from his channel there, such as for the Honningbarna albums, but mostly these were albums I was anticipating highly anyway.
Big shout outs for McKinley Dixon, Model/Actriz, TFS, Deafheaven and Billy Woods.
As for gigs…Mary Wallopers at The Octagon Sheffield is probably the highlight so far…got high hopes for Agriculture, Model/Actriz and Deafheaven coming up though
Albums
Rainy Miller - Joseph, What Have You Done?
Intensely emotional and beautiful. If there is something from Rainy, Space Afrika out in a year it’s going to be up there for me.
DJ Deathdefy - A Hopeful Monster
Insane outside art avant-pop should be huge, one day. Incredible performer as well. Like Talking Heads produced by Dance Mania.
Sloughed - Cords
Harsh noise made from samples of conversations. I just find it deeply satisfying to listen to.
STALKING - House of Downpour
I can only really describe it as a grubby basement dance party that’s probably gone a bit wrong but the music sounds good. Distorted drum machines. It’s more noise than dance party but also more dance party than noise.
Pale World - Abstractions of Dead Dreamers
Really harsh noise from one of the best around. Spliced with samples and downright depressing ambient sections.
Singles
BALF & QUIET HUSBAND - Сигма Бой
Me and Richie Culver in noise mode. His bit is one of the best noise bits I’ve heard from him. Both really techno inspired. About being a dad with loads of toxic masculinity coming from all angles.
Jim Legxacy - Father
So catchy. Sound of the summer. Hopefully a mixtape is coming soon. Best UK pop star for ages.
Wren Adobe - 16:37 Constant
Best recording of an air conditioning unit I’ve heard all year.
Quiet Husband - Raging Habits II
Banging techno you could probably play in a club and you wouldn’t even have to try that hard to do it.
Gig
All day rave in the I dunno 50 odd capacity venue with Rainy Miller, Quiet Husband, Wes Baggaley, DJ Deathdefy @ Disgraceland in Middlesbrough. Massively inspiring, loads of fun. At least four collabs and counting have been emerging from it.
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Gigs
Model/Actriz @ Outbreak, Manchester
Danny Brown @ Outbreak, Manchester
Chat Pile @ Leeds Irish Centre
Moonchild Sanelly @ Yes, Manchester
DITZ @ Yes, Manchester
Albums
Shanti Celeste - Romance
DITZ - Never Exhale
Backxwash - Only Dust Remains
Model/Actriz - Pirouette
SHERELLE - With A Vengeance
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Favourite albums of 2025 so far:
- Landfill by Young Knives
- Always Been by Craig Finn
- More by Pulp
Favourite songs of 2025 so far:
- Idiot Box by Sharon Van Etten
- At Dawn by Pit Pony
- People of Substance by Craig Finn
Favourite gigs of 2025 so far:
- Henge in Cardiff
- The Magic Numbers in Cardiff
- Bright Eyes in Bristol
Most anticipated albums coming in the second half of this year:
- Bright Nights by Allo Darlin’ (due 11th July)
- Euro-Country by CMAT (due 29th August)
- Bronto by The Hidden Cameras (due 12th September)
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