Daily Newsletter, October 31, 2025

A rolling list of our favorite albums of the year, updated somewhat frequently.

Husband and wife duo Rachel Nakawatase and Ryan Betschart blend their doom with dreampop, noise, ambient and shoegaze elements, exploding the confines of linear perspective into new forms of sonic space

Exploring rock and pop's rich B-side tradition, we take a look at the single flips that stand tall against their A-side promo singles.

A look at Captain Beefheart and how he turned his backing band into a real life cult to make his landmark album 'Trout Mask Replica'.

MTV, once a phenomenon with the “video replaces radio” slogan, is now facing a crushing reality on how streaming has replaced video stars.

Home » Music Blogs » Hot Picks 30/10/25 – The Best New Releases Photo: Ava Valianti – Ashley Plante 2025 Today we bring to you our hottest finds of the week. We have curated a list of the best releases from our musical travels this week and are putting them all in one place for your […]

September 25, 1995. After school, the walk into town to Our Price. I might have been wearing my grey silver sixth form suit three chest sizes too big, black charity shop silk shirt and orange and brown spotted tie. I did five walks into town for Pulp around that time, to buy ‘Common People’, ‘Disco […]

Lily Lyons soars on her debut album 'Re-Open the World' with introspective, feminine vignettes, but this doesn't mean it's entirely original. Read more here.

The best new songs right now include Rosalia's "Berghain," Lily Allen's "P*ssy Palace," monte booker and Mereba's "b 2 b," Dave's "No Weapons," and more.

It’s a week of surprises as we update our running list of the year’s best music, with a mix of songs that refuse to be any one thing. Plus, singer Brandi Carlile drops a stunning, stadium-sized rock anthem.NPR Music editor Sheldon Pearce joins host Robin Hilton.Featured artists and songs:1. Brandi Carlile: “Church & State,” from ‘Returning to Myself’2. Hannah Frances: “The Space Between (feat. Daniel Rossen),” from ‘Nested in Tangles’3. Kelly Moran: “Don’t Trust Mirrors,” from ‘Don’t Trust Mirrors’4. Blood Orange: “The Last of England,” from ‘Essex Honey’5. Magdalena Bay: “Second Sleep” (single)Weekly reset: A family of bears rummage through a forest on an autumn afternoon.Enjoy the show? Share it with a friend and leave us a review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]