To Hartcliff Hill from Penistone.

Lux Interior's Christmas Mixtape #HolidaySounds youtube.com/playlist?lis...

After much deliberation, here’s my top 10 live acts from 2025, whittled down from 72 gigs and days at festivals.

F*ck my HAT! Geese nailing Marquee Moon. 😱💥 Emily Green nailing Lloyd’s guitar parts… astounding. Woah. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLrz...

Milestone achieved. Many, many years until the next one!

In case you missed it, @heycolossus.bsky.social dropped a 10 minute video featuring their live gigs in London last year, as well as the recording sessions for the new LP, Heaven Is Wild, in Christmas Day. The album is out at the start of the new year, I believe. youtu.be/0l4bfNn828A

Another near certainty for a top five finish; Daniel Avery’s excellent Tremor. His shoegaze album, with a whole host of excellent collabs. #5albums25

This will make my #5albums25 top 5, but will it occupy the number one spot? Still not 100% certain to be honest. Just Mustard’s We Were Just Here.

Another fine #5albums25 contender; Pale Blue Eyes’ New Place, their third, sees their motorik shoegaze-y sound evolve once again. Bonus points for the new place in question being Sheffield.

I’ve grown to really love the strangeness of Caroline’s sophomore album. Another strong contender for #5albums25. Best track - Total euphoria.

WE WERE MADE PREY. is definitely one of my favourites from 2025; two great live performances from @kathrynjoseph11.bsky.social too at @krankenhausfest.bsky.social and in support of @mogwai.scot. A #5albums25 contender for sure.

So here’s the long list #5albums25

It’s beginning to feel a lot like… 🎄

Excellent review from @privateeyenews.bsky.social

Lovely long Sunday run from the centre of Leeds along the Aire. Nearly, but not quite made @rspb.bsky.social St. Aidans.

A rather overlooked part of the Thom Yorke/Radiohead canon, in our house at least. A fine album nonetheless, and now a #5debutalbums1014 contender.

A movie you have seen more than 7 times with a gif.

Another strong contender for a top five place in the #5debutalbums1014 voting. King Creosote and Jon Hopkins beautiful, poignant Diamond Mine.

Daniel Avery’s Drone Logic. Very much in contention for a #5debutalbums1014 top five place.

Also, I’m guessing this isn’t going to count as Lana Del Rey’s debut? @richards7370.bsky.social

Important #5debutalbums1014 question. Are we treating this as the Parquet Courts’ debut album? There was definitely an album prior to this but it was tape only I think and only pressed to vinyl after this one.

I seem to own plenty of 2010 debuts; not sure how many are likely to make the #5debutalbums1014 top five though. Definitely some I need to revisit.

Best cartoon of the week for movie nerds.

Some albums are hugely evocative of a particular time and place; this will always be Bradford in the 1980s. #5debutalbums8084

Another possible top five finisher. The Cramps’ debut album, Songs The Lord Taught Us. So many of their finest moments: TV Set, Garbageman, Sunglasses After Dark. #5debutalbums8084

Currently reading Cathi Unsworth’s fabulous Season Of The Witch; a handy reminder of what a fantastic album Killing Joke’s eponymous debut was. #5debutalbums8084

1981 was also pretty decent for debut albums; I’m assuming that the Birthday Party and Byrne/Eno albums both count? #5debutalbums8084

Blimey, this is just 1980! #5debutalbums8084

Still one slot up for grabs in the #5debutalbums0004 vote. Will one of this final batch of albums fill it?

One or two more late possibilities for #5debutalbums0004. First up, this beauty from 65daysofstatic.

Good advice from Sheffield’s Dog & Partridge.

2004 is not without it’s charms, though I’m pretty certain that Sluts of Trust won’t make the cut, despite thier two Festive 50 appearances. Arcade Fire, Newsome and TVotR on the other hand… #5debutalbums0004

Another one that won’t make the #5debutalbums0004 final five but is well worthy of revisiting. Colder’s Again is a lovely mix of dub, krautrock, synth-pop and post-punk. Very French, very cool.

Haven’t listened to this in an age; forgot how good it was. Meanwhile, Back In Communist Russia’s Indian Ink; sonically somewhere between Arab Strap and Mogwai, with Emily Gray’s bleak, darkly sexual sprechgesang. Like nothing else. #5debutalbums0004

2003 was another relatively thin year for debut albums, for me at least. A few on there that I’ve not listened too in a long while. Looking forward to revisiting them. #5debutalbums0004

Probably not a top 5 finisher, but I thoroughly enjoyed singing along to this during the work commute. The Hold Steady’s Almost Killed Me. #5debutalbums0004

Always pleasing to see the return of Lidl’s Oktoberfest box - an absolute bargain at £24.99.

A joy to see Cassels’ final gig in Oxford last night. Also loved that they rejected convention and played their final LP, Tracked In Mud from start to finish.

Thoroughly enjoyed the This Is What You Get exhibition at Oxford’s @ashmoleanmuseum.bsky.social yesterday.

I always felt Saloon were a little overlooked. (This Is) What We Call Progress is a lovely debut album, in the style of Broadcast and Stereolab. #5debutalbums0004

A fine debut from the much missed Broken Family Band. #5debutalbums0004

I seem to have bought fewer debut albums in 2002. A couple of contenders, some lost classics and a couple of pretty forgettable albums here. I’ll let you decide which is which. #5debutalbums0004

Another fine debut from 2001; Rival Schools’ fantastic United By Fate. A fine slice of post-hardcore emo (whatever that means). #5debutalbums0004

This may well make my #5debutalbums0004 top five. Life Without Buildings’ stunning debut and only album, Any Other City still sounds startling and unique.

Another fine north-west debut from 2001. Elbow’s Asleep In The Back arrived fully formed, beautiful and strange. #5debutalbums0004

2001 is also going to be tough to pick one or two debut albums from. #5debutalbums0004

Another #5debutalbums0004 contender. The Cedar Room alone makes it worthy of consideration. Doves at their finest.

Finally caught up with the Meet Me In The Bathroom Film tonight. Thoroughly enjoyable - the Yeah Yeah Yeahs footage is particularly fabulous.

This is going to be tough. This is JUST 2000! #5debutalbums0004

I’m guessing this counts as their debut album proper? Broadcast’s sublime The Noise Made By People #5debutalbums0004