The December has been light on list-making around these parts. I did make a list of memorable merch table moments for Style Weekly, but I haven’t made any top albums lists and I’m not sure I could if I tried. Two reasons: 1. There are way more than 10 albums that deserve a spot in my personal Top 10, and 2. Cameron Winter’s “Heavy Metal” doesn’t belong to 2024 or 2025 yet it looms so large in my world that it kind of breaks the whole exercise. I’m hoping I can write at length at some point about listening to that album repeatedly while waylaid in San Antonio for a week in January. A story for another day.

Nevertheless, as I’ve done since 2023, I put together a few more comprehensive lists: one of articles I wrote this year, one of shows I saw, and one of albums released in 2025 (excluding reissues but including compilations) that I added to my record collection since last New Year’s.

Speaking of which, I hope everyone has a safe and fun New Year’s Eve tonight. Before the holiday season fully concludes, I’ll put in one last plug for downloading “Circle Back Season,” a new song about this time of year featuring the trombonist pictured above. (Video here for context.) All proceeds from the song will go to Feed More.

See y’all in 2026 ❤

Articles I Wrote in 2025

Flower Power: With new album “Entre Tus Flores,” Miramar gives listeners countless reasons to love the bolero.
Style Weekly, January 7, 2025

Offline and Onstage: Richmond singer-songwriter Tyler Meacham talks about her new listening room series, Anyfolk.
Style Weekly, January 14, 2025

Fortune Favors the Gold: Ex-Richmond rock band Gold Connections to play Bandito’s with bold new album in tow.
Style Weekly, February 5, 2025

A Sweet Soundtrack: Tre. Charles to perform a special show on Valentine’s Day at the Byrd Theatre.
Style Weekly, February 12, 2025

Solid Gold Support: Series of concerts to raise funds for ailing local musician Justin Golden.
Style Weekly, February 16, 2025

Like Father, Like Songwriter: Chris Leggett and his dad to release albums a month apart, both backed by Americana outfit the Copper Line.
Style Weekly, March 5, 2025

Riding the Wave: Pete Curry gains vaporwave renown as FM Skyline and co-authors new album, “Music 2.”
Style Weekly, March 14, 2025

Young composer pens symphonic tribute to Arthur Ashe
Richmond Free Press, March 20, 2025

Natural Flow: Jake Adams of Dhemo talks about this week’s release of “Chasing Smiles.”
Style Weekly, April 3, 2025

Leading with Sincerity: Trusted accompanist Caroline Vain steps forward with a debut EP.
Style Weekly, April 9, 2025

Reaching Out: Before headlining baseball stadiums, Lumineers touring member Stelth Ulvang plays an intimate show at Révéler.
Style Weekly, April 15, 2025

Cheers to 40 Years: There are plenty reasons to toast Friday Cheers at Brown’s Island this season.
Style Weekly, April 29, 2025

Turning Point: Richmond singer Mackenzie Roark deletes social media and dials up her band’s sound on new album, “Ghost of Rock and Roll.”
Style Weekly, June 4, 2025

Edge of Daybreak shines again with new music, film
Richmond Free Press, June 19, 2025

Harmony at Work: Lost Office Collaborative and the Giving Notes Project provide space (and sounds) for collaboration.
Style Weekly, June 20, 2025

Celebrating Bill Withers’ music, message through song and service
Richmond Free Press, June 26, 2025

Late Bloomer: Recorded four years ago, Andy Jenkins’ sophomore album is ready for its flowers.
Style Weekly, July 15, 2025

Leafing Through Time: With a new album and 30 years of experience, Carbon Leaf sets off into the future and the past.
Style Weekly, July 30, 2025

Riding the Wave: Virginia’s own Alexander Mack brings freedom and flow to the Richmond Jazz and Music Festival.
Style Weekly, August 5, 2025

Friend of the Festival: Local sax standout Charles Owens recounts his history with the Richmond Jazz and Music Festival
Richmond Magazine, August 5, 2025

That One Song: “Sing to Me” by Brookhouse | Check out the genre-spanning project led by Alex Foster…
Style Weekly, August 13, 2025

Video Premiere: “Steady” by Holy River | The Richmond-based folk duo shares hard-earned advice…
Style Weekly, August 19, 2025

Sights and Sounds: Blank Verse Records offers artists — musical and visual — an opportunity to shine.
Style Weekly, September 4, 2025

Secret Garden of Sound: The third Iron Blossom Festival overcame inclement weather…
Style Weekly, September 24, 2025

Lifted Expectations: Local rock band Paint On It made swift work of its third and final album…
Style Weekly, September 30, 2025

A Unique Beat: Dogo du Togo blazes a musical trail from West Africa to the Richmond Folk Festival.
Style Weekly, October 7, 2025

Mountain of Sound: Hotspit returns from recording in Asheville with a massive-sounding album in tow.
Style Weekly, November 13, 2025

Top 40 Under 40: Introducing The Class Of 2025
Style Weekly, December 8, 2025

That One Song: “Reckless Love” by Jack Stepanian
Style Weekly, December 16, 2025

The Room Where It Happened: FaceTiming with Valentin Prince…
Style Weekly, December 23, 2025

A Year to Remember: Style contributors weigh in on their favorite musical moments of 2025.
Style Weekly, December 26, 2025

Shows I Saw in 2025

January
?

February
2/7/25 Kendall Street Company @ The Broadberry
2/12/25 Darius Jones @ The Harnett Museum
2/21/25 Hot 8 Brass Band @ Richmond Music Hall

March
3/10/25 Bright Eyes @ The National
3/22/25 The premiere of Joe Jaxson’s “Born in the Iron Grip” @ The Carpenter Theatre

April
4/1/25 Shinyribs @ The Neighborhood Theater in Charlotte, NC
4/4/25 Phil Cook @ Spacebomb
4/15/25 Billy Strings @ John Paul Jones Arena
4/18/25 Stelth Ulvang Al Olender @ Révéler
4/23/25 Julien Baker + Torres @ The National

May
5/2/25 Chaparelle @ Friday Cheers
5/4/25 Gillian Welch + David Rawlings @ The National
5/9/25 Bully and Rikki Rakki @ Friday Cheers
5/17/25 Mikela Davis @ RiverRock
5/19/25 MJ Lenderman and This Is Lorelei @ The National
5/21/25 Natalie Prass @ Spacebomb
5/23/25 Dogpark, Weekend Plans and Caroline Vain @ Friday Cheers
5/26/25 Daydream Fest @ Main Line Brewing

June
6/6/25 Kashus Culpepper and Ramona & the Holy Smokes @ Friday Cheers
6/6/25 Mackenzie Roark & the Hotpants @ Get Tight Lounge
6/7/25 Justin Golden and mead the dear @ The Camel
6/10/25 Dispatch, John Butler and G. Love @ Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront
6/13/25 La Lom and Afro Zen Allstars @ Friday Cheers
6/14/25 Fonville/Fribush/Hunter @ Révéler
6/14/25 Illiterate Light @ The National
6/26/25 Nate Smith Trio @ Spacebomb
6/27/25 Say She She and Big Fancy @ Friday Cheers

July
7/18/25 Andy Jenkins @ Spacebomb

August
8/1/25 Newport Jazz Festival @ Fort Adams State Park
8/9/25 Opin @ Records & Relics
8/29/25 Alison Krauss & Union Station and Willie Watson @ Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront

September
9/8/25 Laura Ann Singh Fracas Quintet @ Artspace
9/9/25 Sierra Ferrell Nikki Lane @ Brown’s Island
9/16/25 Hotspit @ The Carpenter Theatre
9/17/25 Yasmin Williams @ The Tin Pan
9/19/25 Phish @ The Hampton Coliseum
9/20/25 Iron Blossom Festival @ The Midtown Green
9/22/25 Tyler Childers and Of A Dell @ John Paul Jones Arena
9/27/25 Sonny Landreth & Cindy Cashdollar @ The Tin Pan

October
10/2/25 Goose @ Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront
10/3/25 Goose @ Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront
10/11/25 Richmond Folk Festival @ Brown’s Island
10/12/25 Charlie Hunter Trio @ Richmond Music Hall
10/25/25 Jeff Tweedy and Liam Kazar @ Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
10/30/25 Laura Ann Singh Fracas Quintet @ Révéler

November
11/15/25 Jonathan Russell, The Wayward Leaves and The Folly @ The Bellwether Garage

December
12/10/25 Avery Fogarty @ Plan 9
12/13/25 Redd Volkaert @ Get Tight Lounge
12/20/25 DJ Williams Projekt and Grateful Jed @ Smartmouth Brewing

2025 Albums I Acquired

Alex G — Headlights
Ichiko Aoba — Luminescent Creatures
Ichiko Aoba — Single Collection 2020-2024
Julien Baker & Torres — Send A Prayer My Way
Big Thief — Double Infinity
Blue Lake — The Animal
Blue Lake — Weft
Bon Iver — Sable, Fable
Butcher Brown — Letters from the Atlantic
Jefre Cantu-Ledesma — Gift Songs
Chaparelle — Western Pleasure
Bobby Charles — Bearsville Studio Sessions
Tyler Childers — Snipe Hunter
The Circling Sun — Orbits
Nels Cline — Consentrik Quartet
Phil Cook — Appalachia Borealis
The Counting Crows  — Butter Miracle – The Complete Sweets!
Lucy Dacus — Forever Is a Feeling
Mikaela Davis — Play Dead | The Relix Sessions
Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band — New Threats from the Soul
Dead Gowns — It’s Summer, I Love You, and I’m Surrounded by Snow
Alabaster DePlume — A Blade Because A Blade Is Whole
Dijon — Baby
McKinley Dixon — Magic, Alive!
Daniel Donato — Horizons
The Fearless Flyers — V
FM Skyline + Equip — Music 2
Bill Fox — Resonance
Ben Lamar Gay — Yowzers
Geese — Getting Killed
S.G. Goodman — Planting By the Signs
Goose — Chain Yer Dragon
Goose — Everything Must Go
Jonny Greenwood — One Battle After Another (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Steve Gunn — Daylight Daylight
Gunn-Truscinski Duo — Flam
Ella Hanshaw — Ella Hanshaw’s Black Book
Hiatus Kaiyote — The Smooth Sounds of Tres Leches, LHCC Mart Vol. 1
Hiromi’s Sonicwonder — Out There
Lonnie Holley — Tonky
Hot 8 Brass Band — Big Tuba
Hotline TNT — Raspberry Moon
Charlie Hunter — Different Strokes For Different Folks
Jason Isbell — Foxes in the Snow
Andy Jenkins — Since Always
Karly Hartzman and MJ Lenderman — Live At Third Man Records
Liam Kazar — Pilot Light
Kendall Street Company – Singles Going Heady: 2024
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard — Live at Brown’s Island, Richmond 08/28/24
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard — Phantom Island
Alison Krauss — Arcadia
LaMP — One of Us
Hamilton Leithauser — This Side of the Island
Little Wings — Live in New York
The Lumineers — Automatic
Makaya McCraven — Off The Record
James McMurtry — The Black Dog And The Wandering Boy
Sam Moss — Swimming
Natural Information Society — Perseverance Flow
Old & In the Way — Live At Sonoma State: November 4th, 1973
Opin — Embrace the Grift
Buck Owens — The Exciting Sounds of Buck Owens And His Buckaroos Live From Richmond, Virginia, 1964
Panda Bear — Sinister Grift
Pino Palladino and Blake Mills — That Wasn’t A Dream
Palmyra — Live From The Jefferson Theater
Misha Panfilov Septet — Skyways
Misha Panfilov — To Blue From Grey In May
Gnonnas Pedro & His Dadjes Band — Roi De L’Agbadja Moderne
Mark Pritchard & Thom Yorke — Tall Tales
Radiohead — Hail To The Thief (Live Recordings 2003-2009)
Mackenzie Roark & the Hotpants — Ghost of Rock and Roll
Rosalía — Lux
Joan Shelley — Real Warmth
Shinyribs — Leaving Time
Laura Ann Singh — Mean Reds
The Smile — Don’t Get Me Started / The Slip
SML — How You Been
Mavis Staples — Sad and Beautiful World
Billy Strings and Bryan Sutton — Live At The Legion
Jeff Tweedy — Twilight Override
Uhlmann Johnson Wilkes — Uhlmann Johnson Wilkes
Various — Edna Martinez Presents Picó: Sound System Culture From The Colombian Caribbean
Wednesday — Bleeds
Eli Winter — A Trick Of The Light
Sven Wunder — Daybreak
Youth Lagoon — Rarely Do I Dream