Monolith Cocktail Blog

Choice Highlights From The Last Year

I said I wasn’t going to do it this year. And this may be the last. But here is the first part of a comprehensive revue listing of choice albums (some extended EPs too) from 2025 that we returned to the most, enjoyed or rated highly. See it as a sort of random highlights package if you will.

As usual a most diverse mix of releases, listed alphabetically – numerical orderings make no sense to me unless it is down to a vote, otherwise what qualifies the placing of an album? What makes the 25th place album better than the 26th and so on…

Whilst there is the odd smattering of Hip-Hop releases here and there, our resident selector and expert Matt Oliver has compiled a special 25 for 25 revue of his own, which will go out next week.

Without further ado….the first half of that selected works revue:

A.

A Journey Of Giraffes ‘Emperor Deco’ (Somewherecold Records) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Alien Eyelid ‘Vinegar Hill’ (Tall Texan) 
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

Allen, Marshall ‘New Dawn’ (Week-End Records) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Armstrong ‘Handicrafts’
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

Audio Obscura ‘As Long As Gravity Persists On Holding Me to This Earth’
Review by Dominic Valvona

Aus ‘Eau’ (Flau)
Review by Dominic Valvona

B..

Balloonist, The ‘Dreamland’ (Wayside & Woodland) 
Review/Piece by Dominic Valvona

Barman, MC Paul ‘Tectonic Texts’
Picked by Dominic Valvona

Bedd ‘Do Not Be Afraid’
Review by Dominic Valvona

Bird, Jeff ‘Ordo Virtutum: Jeff Bird Plays Hildegard von Bingen, Vol 2’
(Six Degrees Records) Review by Dominic Valvona

Blanco Teta ‘‘La Debacle las Divas’ (Bongo Joe) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Bordellos (with Dee Claw)/Neon Kittens, The ‘Half Man Half Kitten’
(Cruel Nature Records) Review by Dominic Valvona

Braxton, Anthony ‘Quartet (England) 1985’ (Burning Ambulance)
Picked by Dominic Valvona

Brody, Jonah ‘Brotherhood’ (IL Records) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Brother Ali ‘Satisfied Soul’ (Mello Music Group)
Picked by Dominic Valvona

Burning Books ‘Taller Than God’ (Ingrown Records)
Reviewed by Dominic Valvona

C…

Cindy ‘Saw It All Demos’ (Paisley Shirt Records)
Reviewed by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea here

Craig, Kai ‘A Time Once Forgotten’ (Whirlwind Recordings) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Crayola Lectern ‘Disasternoon’ (Onomatopoeia) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Cross, Theon ‘Affirmations: Live at Blue Note New York’ (New Soil) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Cubillos, Julian ‘S-T’ (Ruination Record Co.) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Cumsleg Borenail ‘10mg Citalopram’ (Cruel Nature Recordings) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Joel Cusumano ‘Waxworld’ (Dandyboy Records) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

D….

Dammann Sextet, Christopher ‘If I Could Time Travel I Would Mend Your Broken Heart aka Why Did The Protests Stop’ (Out of Your Head Records) Review by Dominic Valvona

Darko The Super ‘Then I Turned Into A Perfect Smile’
Picked by Dominic Valvona

Dyr Faser ‘Falling Stereos’
Picked by Dominic Valvona

E…..

Eamon The Destroyer ‘The Maker’s Quilt’ (Bearsuit Records) 
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea 

Expose ‘ETC’ (Qunidi)
Reviewed by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea here

F……

Farrugia, Robert ‘Natura Maltija’ (Phantom Limb/Kewn Records)
Reviewed by Dominic Valvona  here

Fir Cone Children ‘Gearshifting’ (Blackjack Illuminist Records)  
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

Fortunato Durutti Marinetti ‘Bitter Sweet, Sweet Bitter’ (Quindi Records/We Are Time) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

G…….

Goldman, Ike ‘Kiki Goldman In How I Learned To Sing For Statler And Waldorf’
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

Good Ones, The ‘Rwanda Sings With Strings’(Glitterbeat Records) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

H……..

Haas & Brian g Skol, Andy ‘The Honeybee Twist’
Review by Dominic Valvona

Howard, John ‘For Those that Wander By’(Think Like A Key) 
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

I………

Ishibashi, Eiko ‘Antigone’ (Drag City)
Picked by Dominic Valvona

iyatraQuartet ‘Wild Green’
Review by Dominic Valvona

J……….

Jay, Tony ‘Faithless’
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

Johanna, John ‘New Moon Pangs’(Faith & Industry) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

K………..

Kheir , Amira ‘Black Diamonds’(Sterns Music/Contro Culture Music) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Khodja, Freh ‘Ken Andi Habib’(WEWANTSOUNDS) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Kweli, Talib & J Rawls ‘The Confidence Of Knowing’
Picked by DV

L…………

Lassy Trio, Timo ‘Live In Helsinki’ (We Jazz)
Picked by Dominic Valvona

Last Of The Lovely Days, The ‘No Public House Talk’(Gare du Nord) 
Review by Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea

Lt. Headtrip & Steel Tipped Dove ‘Hostile Engineering’ (Fused Arrow Records) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

LIUN + The Science Fiction Band ‘Does It Make You Love Your Life?’
(Heartcore Records) Review by Dominic Valvona

Locks, Damon ‘List Of Demands’ (International Anthem)
Reviewed by Dominic Valvona here

M………….

Mikesell, Emily & Kate Campbell Strauss ‘Give Way’ (Ears & Eyes Records)
Reviewed by Dominic Valvona here

Mirrored Daughters ‘S/T’ (Fike Recordings) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

Mohanna, Nickolas ‘Speakers Rotations’ (AKP Recordings) 
Review by Dominic Valvona

If you’ve enjoyed following and reading the Monolith Cocktail in 2025, and if you can, then please show your appreciation by donating to our Ko-Fi account. The micro donation site has been vital in keeping us afloat this year.

For the last 15 years both me and the MC team have featured and supported music, musicians and labels we love across genres from around the world: ones that we think you’ll want to know about. No content on the site is paid for or sponsored, and we only feature artists we have genuine respect for /love or interest in. If you enjoy our reviews (and we often write long, thoughtful ones), found a new artist you admire or if we have featured you or artists you represent and would like to say thanks or show support, than you can now buy us a coffee or donate via https://ko-fi.com/monolithcocktail