Eric Funk
KRKQ – Mountain Chill

This was one of those years where “chill” stopped behaving like a genre and started acting more like a emotional direction. Neo-soul, post-rock, ambient, left-field electronics, it all worked together. Artists leaned into warmth without getting sleepy, and experimentation without going over the top. There were bits of nostalgia in the corners, but mostly I feel like something new is building. If you want the full deep dive, my Top 25 is up on our station site.

Blood Orange – Essex Honey
Eric Hilton – Midnight Ragas
Adrian Quesada – Boleros Psicodélicos II
Kaytranada – AIN’T NO DAMN WAY!
Emma-Jean Thackray – Weirdo
Kieran Hebden + William Tyler – 41 Longfield Street Late 80s
Ólafur Arnalds, Talos – Signs
Sudan Archives – The BPM
Bitter:Sweet – Baby Is Back
Saint Etienne – International

Sylvia London
KUGS FM Bellingham

Releases were on fire this year!!

Men I Trust “Equus Caballus”
Japanese Breakfast “For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)
Horsegirl “Phonetics On and On”
Oracle Sisters “Divinations”
FKA Twigs “EUSEXA”
Lucy Dacus “Forever Is A Feeling”
PinkPantheress “Fancy That”
Momma “Welcome to My Blue Sky”
Oklou “choke enough”
Deep Sea Diver “Billboard Heart”

DJ Baconfat
WTJU/Fantastic Expedition

Various Artists “Maybe I’m Dreaming”
Various Artists “Lost Coast: Some Visionary Music From California, 1980–1992”
Tortoise “Touch”
The Tubs “Cotton Crown”
Rose City Band “Sol Y Sombra”
Glyders “Forever”
Snocaps “Snocaps”
Wednesday “Bleeds”
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy “The Purple Bird”
Matthew Young “Undercurrents”

Joan Geronimo
WFCF 88.5 fm Flagler College Radio

I focus on the Ladies of Jazz and this has been a wonderful year for our girls.

Diva Jazz Orchestra “A Celebration of Maurice Hines, Tappin Thru Life”
DeeDee Bridgewater “Elemental”
Ledisi “for Dinah”
Kandace Springs “Lady in Satin”
Deborah Silver, The Count Basie Orchestra “Basie Rocks”
Eugenie Jones “Eugenie”
Catherine Russell, Sean Mason “My Ideal”
Linda Dactyl “Full Steam Ahead”
Kristen R Bromley Quartet “Wes 101”
Gillian Margot and Geoffrey Keizer “Gillian Margot and Geoffrey Keizer”

Douglas DuPont
KDUR Music Director

Terrorbird and Tiger Bomb joining forces to become TB² was the third best thing to happen to me this year.

Wednesday – Bleeds
Geese – Getting Killed
Home Is Where – Hunting Season
Agriculture – The Spiritual Sound
Porq – & BEANS
L.A. WITCH – DOGGOD
Ken Pomeroy – Cruel Joke
Rachel Brooke – Sings Sad Songs
Viagra Boys – viagr aboys
Blackbraid – Blackbraid III

Mike McKenna
KPFA/ Living In The Now

Amazing year, especially for indie and self released artists. Lots and LOTS of new music that sounds retro or from a bygone era, but fresh. I think this might be one of the things that defines this decade. Self Released, smaller labels, and back to an organic sound. It’s even hit mainstream pop with songs like Die With A Smile & others. Less autotune, more raw talent.

Say She She – Cut & Rewind
Slick Rick – Victory
De La Soul – Cabin In The Sky
Young Gun & Silver Fox – Pleasure
Mobb Deep – Infinite
Sault – 10
Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out
Kali Uchis – Sincerely P.S.
Rochelle Jordan – Through The Wall
Leon Thomas – Pholks

Austin Harvey
CHIRP Radio (WCXP-LP 107.1 Chicago)

Sharp Pins – Balloon Balloon Balloon
Good Flying Birds – Talulah’s Tape
Nourished by Time – The Passionate Ones
Suede (aka The London Suede) – Antidepressants
Joanne Robertson – Blurrr
Los Thuthanaka – Los Thuthanaka
Sudan Archives – The BPM
caroline – caroline 2
The Laughing Chimes – Whispers in the Speech Machine
Prostitute – Attempted Martyr

Bill Pemberton
WTJU/Rock Music Director

Dax Riggs “7 Songs For Spiders”
Dead Pioneers “PO$T AMERICAN”
SPRINTS “All That Is Over”
Upchuck “I’m Nice Now”
Automatic “Is It Now?”
L.A. Witch “DOGGOD”
Jetstream Pony “Bowerbirds and Blue Things”
Snõõper “Worldwide”
Billy Nomates “Metalhorse”
Lathe of Heaven “Aurora”

Daniel Hudson
ICE Radio

2025 has enjoyed a powerful movement of new, progressive styles this year. Plenty of artists who have been experimenting with their sound have started to find their groove, and there have also been plenty of interesting new names popping up in the sphere. I’ve been enjoying a lot of music different from my typical fancy, and I am truly excited to see where this momentum leads us in the next half of the decade.Particularly, I’ve found myself fascinated with new blends of genres and styles. Danny Brown’s “Stardust” and Flume & JPEGMAFIA’s “We Live in a Society” are good examples. Furthermore, I’ve been interested in Bad Self Portraits and Wednesday!

The Ocean Is Fake (Flume & JPEGMAFIA)
Tonight (PinkPantheress)
ORDINARY LOSS (HEALTH)
Community (JID)
Blind Side Sonny (Coheed and Cambria)
Perfect Soul (Spiritbox)
Mesmerized (Wisp)
Ring Ring Ring (Tyler, the Creator)
The Subway (Chappell Roan)
Dracula (Tame Impala)

Bud Johnson
Syndicated radio /”Acoustic Accents”

Sierra Hull “A Tip Toe High Wire”
I’m With Her “Wild and Clear and Blue”
Alison Krauss & Union Station “Arcadia”
Alison Brown & Steve Martin “Safe, Sensible and Sane”
Leslie Jordon “The Agonist”
Watchhouse “Rituals”
Ken Pomeroy “Cruel Joke”
Heather Maloney “Exploding Star”
Jason Isbell “Foxes In The Snow”
Molly Tuttle “So Long Little Miss Sunshine”

Iza Rogers
WRUR

EUSEXUA Afterglow – FKA twigs
Unmusique – Lucy Bedroque
SHISH – Portugal. The Man
Getting Killed – Geese
Belong – Jay Som
Revengeseekerz – Jane Remover
LUX – ROSALIA
My sunny oath! – Jahnah Camille
Destinee – Aya Nakamura
ALIAS is ME – Shygirl

the homebucket
KGAR

New music rules!!!!

Deafheaven “Loney People With Power” (Roadrunner)
Midnight “Steel, Rust And Disgust” (Metal Blade)
Imperial Triumphant “Goldstar” (Century Media)
Drain “…Is Your Friend” (Epitaph)
Slaughter To Prevail “Grizzly” (Sumerian)
Scowl “Are We All Angels” (Dead Oceans)
Soulfly “Chama” (Napalm)
Testament “Para Bellum” (Nuclear Blast)
Lacuna Coil “Sleepless Empire” (Century Media)
Jinjer “Duel” (Napalm)

Rob Sloane
Music Director, WBGU-FM, Bowling Green, OH, and host of “Spirits in the Material World”

This may be the year that we left the sad, quiet music of the pandemic in the rearview and returned to noisy, boisterous rock. So many great albums this year, it’s hard to get down to ten. Special mentions go out to releases from Sharp Pins (TWO great albums!), The Hives, Arc de Soleil, Glare, Press Club, Far Caspian, Jeffrey Runnings, The High Water Marks, Dear Boy, and Young Gun Silver Fox!

Wednesday “Bleeds”
SPRINTS “All That Is Over”
bar italia “Some Like It Hot”
Stereolab “Instant Holograms on Metal Film”
Mei Semones “Animaru”
Sea Lemon “Diving for a Prize”
Phoebe Rings “Aseurai”
Wet Leg “Moisturizer”
Geese “Getting Killed”
Rex Tycoon “No Limit 2 Luv”

Marcus Rosario
KALW Public Media

There’s always so much amazing music coming out all the time that never makes it to our inboxes and a lot of it lives outside the algorithms. This year especially reminded me how vital platforms like Bandcamp are for discovering music on your own terms and supporting artists in a way streaming never really has.

Stereolab “Instant Holograms On Metal Film”
Peki Momés “Peki Momés”
Phoebe Rings “Aseurai”
Mei Semones “Animaru”
Djrum “Under Tangled Silence”
Derya Y וld וr וm & Grup Şimşek “Yarın Yoksa”
Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange “INSPIRE//RADICALISE”
Cola Boyy “Quit to Play Chess”
Guedra Guedra “MUTANT”
Dana and Alden “Speedo”

Jeff Szczesniak
WDWN-FM

Turnstile – Never Enough
The Beths – Straight Line Was a Lie
Stereolab – Instant Holograms on Metal Film
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Phantom Island
Blut Aus Nord – Ethereal Horizons
Sea Lemon – Diving For A Prize
Jay Som – Belong
Decryptal – Simulacre
Florist – Jellywish
Ancient Death – Ego Dissolution

Jordan Howard
The Syndicate

It was VERY hard to narrow down to ten…

Viagra Boys – “viagr aboys”
Sextile – “yes, please.”
Alex G – “Headlights”
Wednesday – “Bleeds”
Momma – “Welcome to My Blue Sky”
NewDad – “Altar”
Ho99o9 – “Tomorrow We Escape”
Lambrini Girls – “Who Let The Dogs Out”
Talon – “Codes”
Die Spitz – “Something To Consume”

Russ Slaten
KRUA 88.1 FM, Anchorage, AK, kruaradio.org

Top 10 Heavy Albums of the Year

LORNA SHORE ‘I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me’
BLACKBRAID ‘Blackbraid III’
CRYPTOPSY ‘An Insatiable Violence’
DORMANT ORDEAL ‘Tooth and Nail’
SAOR ‘Amidst the Ruins’
CORONER ‘Dissonance Theory’
HATE ‘Bellum Regiis’
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME ‘The Blue Nowhere’
DEAFHEAVEN ‘Lonely People with Power’
AN ABSTRACT ILLUSION ‘The Sleeping City’

Jenn Misko
The Band Mom

I’m never really ready to close the book on a list like this and feel very uncertain that it won’t change next week, but for now here’s what captured my listening time & my joy the most! (I don’t think these are in any particular order).

Tunde Adebimpe “Thee Black Boltz”
Superchunk “Songs In The Key Of Yikes”
Lucy Dacus “Forever Is A Feeling”
The Beths “Straight Line Was A Lie”
Matt Berninger “Get Sunk”
Pickle Darling “Bots”
Jesse Welles “Middle”
Japanese Breakfast “For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)”
Black Moth Super Rainbow “Soft New Magic Dream”
Turnstile “Never Enough”

Mark Michaelis
WGDR/Acoustic Harmony

So much great new Folk & Americana music again in 2025, it’s so hard to narrow this down to a “top 10” list!

John Gorka – unentitled
Salt House – Scarrow
Mary Chapin Carpenter – Personal History
Darryl Purpose – Connected
Jory Nash – The Light Still Shines On The Main
Heather Maloney – Exploding Star
Ken Pomeroy – Cruel Joke
Tom Prasada-Rao – Beautiful You: The Songs of Tom Prasada-Rao
Cosy Sheridan – The Breathing Room
Anne Hills – Every Town

Adrian Lugo
sync soundsystem | WEFT Champaign

Hey, radio friends.W e all made it through another year. Let’s take a pause – breath – celebrate. 2025, huh? Well, not my best year, but I learned a shiton. I will leave this year better than I istarted it. But for real, 2025 kicked my ass. It left some bruises, but they’re fading. However, the lessons learned remained. So, I’m calling that a win. As always, music was at the epicenter of it all. It was the light that illuminated my breakthroughs, the glue that held me together during my breakdowns, and the comforting presence of an old friend. As my (inner)worldview has grown so have my musical tastes. This has helped bring back the joy and excitement of new musical discoveries. Pressing play and feeling seen and heard like never before. All from music I didn’t even know existed. But it can’t eber be unheard or forgotten; it’s a part of me now. I’m lucky enough to be able to share that with the universe via broadcasted radio frequencies and ones and zeros floating in the digital ether. Thank you to all those that are a part of that cycle. From the tireless promo folks peddling the new-new, to the intrepid DJs/MDS filtering the static, and the beloved listeners contributing time and money keeping it all flowing. Here’s my list, in no order. Till ext year — adrian

aiya Blaney – A Room With A Door That Close
Nine Inch Nails – TRON: Ares
Niia – V
Mindchatter – Giving Up On Words
OFF DAY – DAY ONE
Instupendo X Rip Squad – Ripstupendo
The Altons – Heartache in Room 14
Various – The Cure – Mixes Of A Lost World
Adrian Quesada – Boleros Psicodélicos II
Tuawki & The Magic Hours – Made Of Steel: A Tropical Tribute to the Songs of Daft Punk

Gia
The Syndicate

Blondshell – If You Asked For A Picture
Cottonwood Firing Squad – horrible and wonderful and figuring it out
Alex G – Headlights
quinnie – paper doll
Portugal. The Man – SHISH
Ear – The Most Dear and The Future
Lorde – Virgin
Rachael Jenkins – The Valley
Militarie Gun – GOD SAVE THE GUN
Die Spitz – Something To Consume

Joe McGinnis
The Syndicate

Hayden Pedigo “I’ll Be Waving As You Drive Away”
Panda Bear “Sinister Grift”
Alex G “Headlights”
Lucy Dacus “Forever Is A Feeling”
Jensen McRae “I Don’t Know How But They Found Me!”
FKA Twigs – EUSEXUA
oklou – “choke enough”
Cutouts – “Snakeskin”
Aly & AJ – “Silver Deliverer”
TURNSTILE – “NEVER ENOUGH”

Marco Rojas
The Syndicate

AJ Tracey – Don’t Die Before You’re Dead
Central Cee – CAN’T RUSH GREATNESS
Sega Bodega – I Created The Universe So That Life Could Create a Language So
Complex, Just To Say How Much I Love You
Viagra Boys – Viagr Aboys
Bad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
Nancy & The Jam Fancys – Swan Songs
$uicideboy$ – Thy Kingdom Come
Die Spitz – Something To Consume
Jim Legxacy – Black British Music
Deafheaven – Lonely People with Power

Ellen King-Rodgers
KGLT-FM

Great year for World Music!

Adrian Quesada “Boleros Psicodelicos”
Yasmine Hamdam “I Remember I Forget”
Okan “Okantomi”
Orchestra Gold “Dakan”
El Mato’ A Un Policia Motorizada” 20th Anniversary
Lido Pimienta “La Belleza”
Silvan Estrada “Venetian Suaves Lluvias”
Eljuri “Asi Es El Mundo”
Tommy Wa “Somewhere Only We Go”
Cochemea “Ancestros Futuros”

Haden Buzzell
WMEB 91.9 FM Orono, Maine

Not as many standout albums but at least we have Geese

Geese – Getting Killed
Jane Remover – Revengeseekerz
Jim Legxacy – Black British Music (2025)
Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer
Greg Freeman – Burnover
Nourished by Time – The Passionate Ones
Loopcinema – LOOP:GLAMOUR
Wednesday – Bleeds
billy woods – GOLLIWOG
Pulp – More

Dave Blevins
WODU Studios

Reviewing what I wrote last year for this – wow what a difference a year makes as I am healing and doing much better. Just like Mike D (Beastie Boys) said “I’ve been through many times in which I thought I might lose it, the only thing that saved me has always been music”. 2025 had some certified classics and it was hard to narrow this down without mentioning a few singles. Favorite singles/songs from this year: Fontaines D.C. – “It’s Amazing To Be Young”, Double Wish – “Seatbelt (Deeper Ecstasy)”, Ela Minus – “Broken”, Natalie Bergman – “Gunslinger”, Water From Your Eyes- “Nights In Armor” and so many more. It should be noted that Fishbone returned with a new lineup and released one of the most important politically charged albums of the year and their best since the early 1990s, “Last Call in America (ft. George Clinton)” is the soundtrack what is happening in the U.S.A. Lastly, huge shout out to the On-Air Director at WODU and all of the new DJs!

The Beths – “Straight Line Was A Lie”
Wednesday – “Bleeds”
Wet Leg – “moisturizer”
Viagra Boys – “viagr aboys”
Turnstile – “NEVER ENOUGH”
Fishbone – “Stockholm Syndrome”
FKA twigs – “EUSEXUA”
Momma – “Welcome To My Blue Sky”
Lambrini Girls – “Who Let The Dogs Out?”
Youth Lagoon – “Rarely Do I Dream”

Steve Hahn
KBZR-FM

I’m loving the Music!

Queenie “New Moult”
Twen “Fate Euphoric”
Weakened Friends “Feels Like Hell”
Phabies “The Curse of Caring”
The Vices “Before It Might Be Gone”
Wilby “Center of Affection”
Hannah Frances “Nested in Tangles”
Sydney Sprague “Peak Experience”
Stella and the Very Messed “Big Familiar”
Goldie Boutillier “Goldie Boutillier Presents…”

Michelle Krupkin
KXLU / Melody Fair on KXLU

So much to choose from! A great variety of releases, glad to keep discovering.

Gruff Rhys “Dim Probs”
The Last Dinner Party “From The Pyre”
Kuunatic “Wheels of Ömon”
Stereolab “Instant Holograms On Metal Film”
Cate Le Bon “Michaelangelo Dying”
Black Country, New Road “Forever Howlong”
Jonathan Personne “Nouveau Monde”
Şatellites “Aylar”
Twin Village (Село Близнюків) “Actually, Nothing Happened” (Власне, Нічого і Не
Відбулося)
Hilary Woods “Night CRIÚ”

Josh T. Landow
Y-Not Radio

Deep Sea Diver – Billboard Heart
Tunde Adebimpe – Thee Black Boltz
Wet Leg – moisturizer
Rocket – R Is for Rocket
Petey USA – The Yips
Momma – Welcome to My Blue Sky
Franz Ferdinand – The Human Fear
OK Go – And the Adjacent Possible
Garbage – Let All That We Imagine Be The Light
Teen Jesus and The Jean Teasers – Glory