It’s that time of year again. We asked the WMUH staff to come up with their five favorite things they heard from this past year. Here’s what they came up with.
Click on a name to see a list and comments.
Harry (Station Manager) – The Living Room Sessions
The Favors (FINNEAS and Ashe) – The Dream
Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
Benson Boone – American Heart
Jensen McRae – I Don’t Know How But They Found Me!
Del Water Gap – Chasing the Chimera
Lindsay (Program Director) – Out the Roof
Twenty One Pilots – Breach
Tate McRae – So Close to What
Lady Gaga – Mayhem
Addison Rae – Addison
Doja Cat – Vie
Rebecca (Music Director) – Story Sessions
Taylor Swift – Life of a Showgirl
Jonas Brothers – Greetings from Your Hometown
Tate McRae – So Close to What
Sadie Jean – Early Twenties Torture
Eliza McLamb – Good Story
Izzy (Communications Director) – Bizzy with Izzy
Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
ROLE MODEL – Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye)
Lorde – Virgin
Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE
The Beatles – Anthology 4
Miranda – Strings Attached
The Lumineers – Automatic
Djo – The Crux
Laufey – A Matter of Time
The Favors – The Dream
Dodie – Not for Lack of Trying
Grace – The Electric Graveyard
Agriculture – The Spiritual Sound
Chat Pile and Hayden Pedigo – In the Earth Again
Dax Riggs – Seven Songs for Spiders
Hell – Submersus
Primitive Man – Observance
Maggie – Maggie on the Mic
Big Thief – Happy with You
Chappell Roan – The Subway
Lucy Dacus – Best Guess
Sabrina Carpenter – Nobody’s Son
Taylor Swift – Opalite
Brenya – The Night Shift
Jensen McRae – I Don’t Know How But They Found Me!
Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE
Gigi Perez – At the Beach, in Every Life
Kevin Atwater – Achilles
Beeson – Ritual
Ian – Left Bank Radio
(chronologically)
Japanese Breakfast – For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)
Black Country, New Road – Forever Howlong
Little Simz – Lotus
Wet Leg – moisturizer
Jeff Tweedy – Twilight Override
Andrea – Home Sick
Inhaler – Open Wide
Twenty One Pilots – Breach
Ichiko Aoba – Luminescent Creatures
NewDad – Altar
Poor Creature – All Smiles Tonight
Marley – Melodies with Marley
Wednesday – Bleeds
Blondshell – If You Asked for a Picture
Big Thief – Double Infinity
Daffo – Where the Earth Bends
Florence + The Machine – Everybody Scream
Ell – Harsh Augmented Reality
MADMADMAD – Run
Red Rum Club – Vanilla
bbno$ – gigolo
Father of Peace – No Complaints
Dead Dads Club – Goosebumps
Gia (Social Media Cordinator) – Ego Death
Hayley Williams – Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party
Oli XL – Lick The Lens – Pt.1
Freddie Gibbs, The Alchemist – Alfredo 2
They Are Gutting a Body of Water – LOTTO
FKA twigs – EUSEXUA Afterglow
Jenna – Jammin’ with Jenna
Eliza McLamb – Good Story
Djo – The Crux
Momma – Welcome to My Blue Sky
Snocaps – Snocaps
Mer – From IST to EST
Tate McRae – So Close to What
Sabrina Carpenter – Short n Sweet
The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow
Playboi Carti – MUSIC
Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend
Al – The Pity Party
Cheerleader Roadkill – Uncle Jimmy
Eel Men – Honeymoon
Pup – Hallways
Civic – The Hogg
Retirement Party – Sixth Sense
Kevin – Prognosis Positive
5. Moon Letters – This Dark Earth
This bad out of Seattle is not your father’s progressive rock, but it’s as progressive rock just the same with a 16 plus epic to close the album. The music is very unique, technical music that really defies comparisons to other bands. The future of progressive rock just got more interesting.
4. Soft Ffog – Focus
I got a lot of Norwegian instrumental rock this year and all of it is great. This one was just a hair better than the rest. More progressive, less jazzy. The album is a love letter to instrumental progressive rock from the 1970s with bands like Focus and Camel. A pure joy to listen to.
3. Cardiacs – LSD
First studio album in 26 years and 5 years after their leader Tim Smith’s passing. Tim had a massive stroke in 2008 that left him unable to move for his remaining years. His brother Jim and friend of WMUH Kavus Torabi took Tim’s demos and did the Cardiacs legacy justice. This avant garde record is intense and insane. Not for the faint of heart maybe, but for those willing to try to get it, a rewarding experience.
2. Motorpsycho – Motorpsycho
What is Motorpsycho? Apparently whatever they feel like at the moment. They can be prog, space rock, Krautrock, alternative rock, and sometimes even a little grunge. But in the end, it sounds like Motorpsycho. This is like their 28th record and somehow they still manage deliver 11 songs over 80 minutes and never sound redundant. The best band out there today.
1. Steven Wilson – The Overview
A concept album about a phenomenon that astronauts experience a cognitive shift when they go into space. This was supposed to be Steven Wilson’s return to prog rock, but it’s not The Raven part 2. It’s way more interesting and unique than rehashing the past. This is not just a collection of songs. It’s a piece of music that needs to be heard in its entirety. XTC’s Andy Patridge contributes song lyrics that are pure poetry. A must listen.
Troy – Monday Mornings with Marlena, Harcore Hootenanny
A Poptastic 2025
5: Laufey – A Matter Of Time
4: Sabrina – Carpenter Man’s Best Friend
3: The Beths – Straight Line Was A Lie
2: Rosalia – Lux
1: Jason Isbell – Foxes In The Snow
Sheck – The Dugeon
Century – Sign Of the Storm
Helms Deep – Chasing the Dragon
Meridian – Meridian
Misfire – Product Of the Environment
Speedclaw – Stardust
DJ Downtown – Take It Downtown
The Beths – Straight Line Was A Lie
Men I Trust – Equus Asinus/Caballus
Tennis – Face Down In The Garden
girlpuppy – Sweetness
Laufey – A Matter of Time
Zack Matthews – Organized Noise
Voices From The Lake – Voices From The Lake II
Sandwell District – End Beginnings
Herbert & Momoko – Clay
F7 – Lost In Flower
Alex Kassian / Spooky / Placid Angles – Orange Coloured Liquid
Chris Bickert – Midday Melodies
In no particular order…
Superchunk – Songs In The Key Of Yikes
Bob Mould – Here We Go Crazy
Horsegirl – Phonetics On And On And On
Frankie & The Witch Fingers – Trash Classic
Momma – Welcome To My Blue Sky
Runner Up: Plosivs – Yell At Cloud
Paul (General Manager) – Sine Qua Non, Listen Local
alphabetically…
Horsegirl – Phonetics On and On
pôt-pot – Warsaw 480km
Snocaps – Snocaps
Water From Your Eyes – It’s A Beautiful Place
Wednesday – Bleeds
1 Comment
It seems like many DJs are pretty pleased with their own efforts. They’re exuding confidence in themselves. That’s good.