Albums of the Year 2025

JOVM turns 16 this year. And for first handful of years, my Best of List was an annual tradition until about 2014 or so. Between 2014 and 2020, it became sporadic and then it stopped. I haven’t done one of these in several years. There was a part of me that wondered if it really mattered much. And then life happened. 

So here we are in 2026. And with the year starting in earnest, let’s check out my best of 2025. 

1. Big Fish Fyra liter stoft
2. Tan Cologne Unknown Beyond
3. Moondaddy Dove Tapes
4. Sessa Pequena Vertigem de Amor
5. Preservation Brass & Preservation Hall Jazz Band For Fat Man
6. Silk Daisys S/T
7. The Circling Sun Orbits
8. Gabriel da Rosa Cacofonia
9. Yoo Doo Right, Population II & Nolan Potter Yoo II avec Nolan Potter
10. bat zoo The Upward Bird EP
11. Public Circuit Modern Church
12. L’Eclair Cloud Drifter
13. Gloin All of your anger is actually shame (and I bet that makes you angry)
14. CIVIC Chrome Dipped
15. Population II Maintenant Jamais
16. White Birches A New Reign
17. Anish Kumar and Hagop Tchaparian Kino EP
18. Friendship Commanders BEAR 
19. The Besnard Lakes The Besnard Lakes are the Ghost Nation
20. SHOLTO The Sirens
21. S.C.A.B. Somebody In New York Loves You!
22. Pierpont & Hegeleson Of Time
23. RORO and snapir Colors Left
24. St. Panther Strange World 
25. Nation of Language Dance Called Memory
26. Quad90 S/T
27. Slumbering Sun Starmony
28. Tunde Adebimpe Thee Black Boltz 
29. Quad90 S/T
30. Die Spitz Something To Consume
31. debdepan LOVERS & OTHERS EP

__
The Joy of Violent Movement is a completely independent and completely D.I.Y. media outlet. Over the course of this site’s 15+ year history, I’ve used my fiercely independent stance to cover music with an eclectic and global perspective that a lot of other publications just don’t have — and will likely never have. 

To that end, I could use your support to continue to keep bringing you my unique global perspective on music. There are a number of ways that you can support this work. 

I’ve been told that some people would prefer to make a one-time donation because it’s easy and less of an obligation. So, if you’re able to make a one-time donation, there’s a donation box below.

Anything you can give is very much appreciated. It can and does make a real difference, y’all. 

I know that a lot of folks are struggling to make ends meet in an uncertain and tumultuous economic climate. So there are other, non-financial ways in which you can support this work. 

You can follow me on the following social platforms:

X/Twitter: @yankee32879 and @joyofviolent 

Instagram: @william_ruben_helms

Threads: @william_ruben_helms

Bluesky: @williamrubenhelms.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement

As always, if there are posts that you dig, share them with your friends. The more eyeballs on my work, the better.