Best of 2025: DJ Picks

This year gave us lots of new music from established artists, rising stars and local musicians! Check out favorite albums from KRCL DJs and discover something new to add to your collection.

Brian Kelm host of Red, White & Blues, Mondays 7-10pm 2025 - Top 15 Blues CD's (in chronological order by date) 
Tune in Monday, December 29 to hear them all!
Tommy Castro – Closer To The Bone (Alligator 2-7-25)
Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Young Fashioned Ways (Thirty Tigers 3-21-25)
Matt Schofield – Many Moons, Vol. 1 (Number 7 Records 3-21-25)
Janiva Magness – Back For Me (Blue Elan 3-28-25)
Tony Holiday – Keep Your Head Up (Forty Below 4-18-25)
Larry McCray – Heartbreak City (KTBA Records 4-18-25)
Charlie Musselwhite – Look Out Highway (Forty Below 5-16-25)
Terry Hanck – Grease To Gravy (Little Village 6-13-25)
D.K. Harrell – Talkin’ Heavy (Alligator 6-20-25)
Buddy Guy – Ain’t Done With The Blues. (RCA/Silvertone 7-30-25)
Monster Mike Welch – Keep Living Til I Die (Self released 8-8-25)
Chambers Deslaurier – Our Time To Ride (Forty Below Records 8-22-25)
Sean MacDonald – Have Mercy! (Little Village Foundation 10-3-25)
Roomful of Blues – Steppin’ Out! (Alligator 10-10-25)
Mike Bourne Band – Kansas City O’Clock (Overton Music 10-31-25)

Courtney Blair host of Afternoon Delight and Thursday Mornings on KRCL Top 25 in alpha order:
Blood Orange: Essex Honey
Deep Sea Diver: Billboard Heart
Erika de Casier: Lifetime
Hatchie: Liquorice
Japanese Breakfast: For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)
Kae Tempest: Self Titled
Lady Wray: Cover Girl
Lambrini Girls: Who Let the Dogs Out
Momma: Welcome to My Blue Sky
Nation of Language: Dance Called Memory
Neko Case: Neon Grey Midnight Green
NewDad: Altar
Perfume Genius: Glory
Rocket: R is for Rocket
Say She She: Cut & Rewind
Saya Gray: SAYA
Sea Lemon: Diving For a Prize
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory: S/T
Sharp Pins: Balloon Balloon Balloon
Snocaps: Snocaps
Stereolab: Instant Holograms On Metal Film
Sudan Archives: The BPM
Viagra Boys: viagr aboys
Wet Leg: Moisturizer
Yndling: Time Time Time (I'm in the Palm of Your Hand)

Ebay’s Top 25 Albums of 2025 (Listed in Alphabetical Order – Top 10 in BOLD):

Big Thief / Double Infinity
Bon Iver / Fable, Sable
Chronixx / Exile
Deep Sea Diver / Billboard Heart
De La Soul / Cabin in the Sky
Jeff Tweedy / Twilight Override
Jon Batiste / Big Money
Hannah Cohen / Earthstar Mountain
Loaded Honey / Love Made Trees
Lukas Nelson / American Romance
Maribou State / Hallucinating Love
Matt Berninger / Get Sunk
Mavis Staples / Sad and Beautiful World
My Morning Jacket / Is
Omar / Brighter the Days
Panda Bear / Sinister Grift
Sault / 10
Say She She / Cut & Rewind
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory / Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory
Silvana Estrada / Vendran Suaves Lluvias
Snocaps / Snocaps
The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble / Gemini
Tunde Adebimpe / Thee Black Boltz
Whitney / Small Talk
Yukimi / For You

Eric Nelson Host of Wednesday Mornings on KRCL
Slick Rick - Victory
Say She She - Cut & Rewind
Bartees Strange - Horror
Nas & DJ Premier - Light-Years
Destroyer - Dan’s Boogie
Tunde Adebimpe - Thee Black Bolts
Tennis - Face Down at the Garden
Wet Leg - Moisterizer
De La Soul - Cabin in the Sky
Cuco - Ridin’
Twin Shadow - Cadet
Nali - Night Under the Moon
The Roots - Come Alive Too: DYWM30 At the Blue Note

Eugenie host of Middays on KRCL and Women Who Rock - Top WWR Albums:
Say She She / Cut & Rewind * Favorite of 2025 *
Amber Mark / Pretty Idea
Big Thief / Double Infinity
Brandi Carlile / Returning to Myself 
Boyfriend / In the Garden
Debra Fotheringham / Valley of Annihilation (local)
Deep Sea Diver / Billboard Heart
Neko Case / Neon Grey Middnight Green
Lucius / Lucius
Madison Cunningham / Ace
Madison McFerrin / Scorpio
Mavis Staples / Sad and Beautiful World
Olivia Dean / The Art of Loving
Samantha Fish / Paper Doll
Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory / Self-titled
Snocaps / Snocaps
Talia Keys / From the Ashes (local)
Tanika Charles / Reasons to Stay
Wet Leg / Moisturizer
Yukimi / For You

Gavin Dahl host of Bubbling Up Top 10 Albums - alphabetical
Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek / Yarin Yoksa
Gramatik / Aequoreus
Kokoroko / Tuff Times Never Last
Magic City Hippies / Enemies
Maribou State / Hallucinating Love
Nightmares on Wax / Echo45 Sound System
Parcels / LOVED
RIO KOSTA / Unicorn
Teddy Roxpin & Smile High / The Obstacle Is the Path
The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble / Gemini

Gavin Top 25 Albums - the rest...
Adam Ben Ezra / Heavy Drops
Aesop Rock / Black Hole Superette & I Heard It’s A Mess There Too
Brother Ali & Ant / Satisfied Soul
Headnodic + Jazz Mafia
Jacob Banks / Yonder
Kalya Scintilla / Tales from the Path, Pt. 1 & Pt. 2
Kase + Father Sky / Sets
Lady Wray / Cover Girl
Little Simz / Lotus
Mereba / The Breeze Grew A Fire
Moses Yoofee Trio / MYT
Pachyman / Another Place
RUMTUM / Glue of Everything
SAULT / 10
The Budos Band / VII

Ma Black host of Nova FM and Friday Mornings "ON THE RADAR 2025"
Common Saints "Idol Eyes" - UK
Lilo Sanchez feat. Ruben Blades. "Tiburon de Charco" - PANAMA
Midnight Generation "Don't Wait Up" - MEXICO
Gizmo Varillas " Follow the Sun" SPAIN-BRITAIN
FARHOT "MARS" Kabul, AFGANISTAN
Gustavo Santaolalla "El Viaje" YouTube - (Encuentro en el Estudio) Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA
Adia Victoria "South Gotta Change" South Carolina, USA
St. Beauty "Holographic Lover" Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Bumpy "Cosy Comfy" Proud Noongar woman. AUSTRALIA
The Souljazz Orchestra "Kossa Kossa" - Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA

Matt Lovejoy host of Bluegrass Express and Tuesday Mornings on KRCL
1. Billy Strings & Bryan Sutton - Live at The American Legion Post 82
2. Alison Krauss & Union Station - Arcadia
3. Lukas Nelson - American Romance
4. Brandi Carlile - Returning To Myself
5. Margo Price - Hard Headed Woman
6. Jon Batiste - Big Money
7. Colter Wall - Memories & Empties
8. Sierra Hull - A Tip Toe Highwire
9. S.G. Goodman - Planting By The Signs
10. Charley Crockett - Dollar A Day
11. David Byrne - Who Is The Sky
12. Big Richard - Girl Dinner
13. East Nash Grass - All God's Children
14. The Wood Brothers - Puff of Smoke
15. Jeff Tweedy - Twilight Override
16. Mavis Staples - Sad And Beautiful World
17. Say She She - Cut & Rewind
18. Greensky Bluegrass - XXV
19. Molly Tuttle - So Long Little Miss Sunshine
20. Hayes Carll - We're Only Human
21. Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment - Sharon Van Etten
22. The Devil Makes Three - Spirits
23. Shelby Means - Shelby Means
24. Rodney Crowell - Airline Highway
25. Larkin Poe - Bloom

Michelle Tanner host of Night Train, Mondays 10pm-Midnight 
Molly Tuttle – So Long Little Miss Sunshine
Lukas Nelson – American Romance
Alison Kraiuss & Union Station - Arcadia
Sierra Hull – A Tiptoe High Wire
Billy Strings, Bryan Sutton – Live at the Legion
I’m With Her – Wild and Clear and Blue
S.G. Goodman – Planting by the Signs
Jon Batiste – The New Americana Collection
Margo Price – Hard Headed Woman
Hayes Carll – We’re Only Human
Ken Pomeroy – Cruel Joke
Say She She – Cut & Rewind
AJ Lee & Blue Summit – Cover to Cover V1
East Nash Grass – All God’s Children

Ricky Vigil Co-host of Rude Awakening, Wednesdays 10pm-Midnight
Turnstile - Never Enough
Viagra Boys - Viagr Aboys
The Taxpayers - Circle Breaker
Clipping - Dead Channel Sky
Cheekface - Middle Spoon
Snooper - Worldwide
Tropa Mágica - Para Bailar y Tripiar
Militarie Gun - God Save the Gun
Spiritual Cramp - Rude
Teen Mortgage - Devil Ultrasonic Dream

Shannalee Host of Saturday Breakfast Jam and Monday Mornings on KRCL
Rachael Jenkins- The Valley (Local Release)
Hurtado- Cavalier EP- (Local Release)
Olivia Dean- The Art of Loving
Andrew Goldring- Valley of Choice (Formerly Local)
Amanda Shires- Nobody's Girl
Trousdale- Growing Pains
Samia- Bloodless
Jason Isbell- Foxes in the Snow
The Marcus King Band- Darling Blue
Brandi Carlile- Returning to Myself

Valene MC host of Afternoons on KRCL
Samantha Crain - Gumshoe
Nicole Wray - Cover Girl
LOV - Sister Era
Portugal. The Man - Shish
bLAck pARty - The Last Dance
David Byrne - Who Is the Sky?
Wednesday - Bleeds
Durand Jones & The Indications - Flowers
Loaded Honey - Love Made Trees
The Altons - Heartache in Room 14
Lukas Nelson - American Romance
Poliça - Dreams Go
Marcus King - Darling Blue
Say She She - Cut & Rewind
Mae Powell - Making Room for the Light
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram - Hard Road
El Michels Affair  - 24 Hr Sports
GoldFord - Space of the Heart
Frankie Cosmos  - Different Talking

Paul Hefti substitute host of Across the Tracks and Saturday Sagebrush Serenade
1. Jason Isbell – FOXES IN THE SNOW
2. Muscadine Bloodline - …AND WHAT WAS LEFT BEHIND
3. Willie Nelson – OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL WORLD
4. Tim Grimm – BONES OF TREES
5. The Honeydogs – ALGEBRA FOR BROKEN HEARTS
6. Clover County – FINER THINGS
7. Robert Plant – SAVING GRACE
8. John Fogerty – LEGACY: THE CCR YEARS (John’s Version)
9. Margo Price – HARD-HEADED WOMAN
10. Lukas Nelson – AMERICAN ROMANCE
11. Ben Nichols – IN THE HEART OF THE MOUNTAIN
12. Alan Sparhawk – WITH TRAMPLED BY TURTLES
13. James McMurtry – THE BLACK DOG & THE WANDERING BOY
14. Jeff Tweedy – TWILIGHT OVERRIDE
15. Daniel Donato – HORIZONS
16. Kathleen Edwards – BILLIONAIRE
17. Wesley Hanna – MAGNOLIA
18. Tyler Childers – SNIPE HUNTER
19. William Prince – FURTHER FROM THE COUNTRY
20. Secret Monkey Weekend – LEMON DROP HAMMER
21. Case Oats – LAST MISSOURI EXIT
22. Alex Williams – SPACE BRAINS
23. Micky & The Motorcars – MICKY & THE MOTORCARS
24. Charley Crockett – LONESOME DRIFTER
25. Matt Berringer – GET SUNK
26. West Texas Exiles – 8000 DAYS
27. David Byrne – WHO I REALLY AM
28. Waylon Jennings – SONGBIRD
29. Van Morrison – REMEMBERING NOW
30. Julien Baker & TORRES – SEND A PRAYER MY WAY
31. Pink Stones - THANK THE LORD… IT’S THE PINK STONES
32. Mike Delevante – THE RAIN NEVER CAME
33. Otis Gibbs – THE TRUST OF CROWS
34. Nicki Bluhm – RANCHO DELUXE
35. Paul Kelly – SEVENTY
36. Pulp – MORE
37. Shawn Camp – THE GHOST OF SIS DRAPER
38. Robbie Fulks – NOW THEN
39. Lee Edwards - INTEPRETING HEART SOUNDS, Vol 1
40. The North Sound – WHAT IT TAKES
41. Will Hoge – SWEET MISERY
42. Jim Keller – END OF THE WORLD
43. Paul Cebar – PAUL CEBAR
44. Sloan – BASED ON THE BEST SELLER
45. Lance Roark – BAD REPUTATION
46. The Salt Collective – A BRIEF HISTORY OF BLINDNESS
47. Gary Louris – DARK COUNTRY
48. Ringo Starr – LOOK UP
49. Willie Nelson – WORKIN‘ MAN: WILLIE SINGS MERLE
50. Ward Hayden & The Outliers – LITTLE BY LITTLE