A lot of good music issued this year, including Joe Farnsworth's 'The Big Room,' which had the feel of a stone-cold Blue Note classic without being an exercise in nostalgia. All-star band on it, including Jeremy Pelt, Emmet Cohen, Joel Ross and Sarah Hanahan, who is an amazing player!
Patricia Brennan's newest was huge for me too and two great Monk tribute albums by Xhosa Cole and Dayna Stephens that approached the great man's work in very different ways.
John Splithoff's 'Far From Here' was prime Yacht rock for the 21st century. Tyreek McDole's debut was also tremendous - a jazz vocalist to keep an eye out for.
Female singer-songwriters were also big for me this year: Hannah Cohen, Taylor Rae, Lucy Dacus, Emily Hines, Jessica Risker, Lili Anel, etc.
Reed Turchi's 'World on Fire' was back to basics blues and folk that was addictive listening.
SF Jazz Collective's 'Collective Imagery' was another very interesting album merging art and music. Had my favourite cut of all this year, Warren Wolf's magnificent, multi-part 'The Files.'
An absolutely bizarre film starring Tim Robinson as a suburban Dad willing to alienate all those closest to him – wife, son, coworkers – in a desperate attempt to earn the friendship of the coolest guy in the neighborhood, played by Paul Rudd playing, essentially, himself.
A truly excellent and hilarious exploration of narcissism that has about half the audience enthralled and the other half appalled.
Three great 2025 albums: The Hives- The Hives Forever, Forever the Hives; Alice Cooper- The Revenge of Alice Cooper; Styx- Circling From Above. Three LPs that prove rock isn't dead and that great music can be made without Autotune (if there was any used in the three, I was unable to detect it). Alice Cooper's is the best of the three. It's so rare to be able to make an album this deep into a career that exhibits energy, fun, creativity, and hooks. The old band sure put their best foot forward.
Movies: "One Battle After Another." I’d call this movie a “must-see” and say it is much better to see it in a theater. It reminded me a lot of “Inherent Vice,” which was also adapted from a Pynchon novel. In terms of today’s political environment, it takes on autocracy and white supremacy head on. I find that incredibly courageous. Moving performances. Likely several (!) Oscar nominations (Sean Penn, Chase Infiniti, music, cinematography). Loads of violence. Inside jokes about Steely Dan (loved those). And some essential truths. What’s not to like?
TV: Slow Horses
A lot of good music issued this year, including Joe Farnsworth's 'The Big Room,' which had the feel of a stone-cold Blue Note classic without being an exercise in nostalgia. All-star band on it, including Jeremy Pelt, Emmet Cohen, Joel Ross and Sarah Hanahan, who is an amazing player!
Patricia Brennan's newest was huge for me too and two great Monk tribute albums by Xhosa Cole and Dayna Stephens that approached the great man's work in very different ways.
John Splithoff's 'Far From Here' was prime Yacht rock for the 21st century. Tyreek McDole's debut was also tremendous - a jazz vocalist to keep an eye out for.
Female singer-songwriters were also big for me this year: Hannah Cohen, Taylor Rae, Lucy Dacus, Emily Hines, Jessica Risker, Lili Anel, etc.
Reed Turchi's 'World on Fire' was back to basics blues and folk that was addictive listening.
SF Jazz Collective's 'Collective Imagery' was another very interesting album merging art and music. Had my favourite cut of all this year, Warren Wolf's magnificent, multi-part 'The Files.'
' Thank you for sharing this list!
Thanks for great recs!!
TV Series: The Pitt
My books of the year, as Homer Simpson would say, "So far!"
The Pursuit of Happiness by Jeffrey Rosen
Flannery O'Connor and the Church Made Visible by Ralph Wood
Roger Scruton Intellectual Biography by Mark Dooley
The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (sixth read)
John Newton by Jonathan Aitken (reread)
The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius
Selected Lives by Plutarch (Princeton ed.)
American Nietzsche by Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen
The Last Crusader by George Grant
How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman
Mere Christian Hermeneutics by Kevin Vanhoozer
Age of Revolutions by Fareed Zacharia
Jesus Through Medieval Eyes by Grace Hamman
Unto the Ages of Ages by Sebastian Morello
Blaise Pascal by Graham Tomlin
The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry
Movie: Weapons
Best Movie: Friendship
An absolutely bizarre film starring Tim Robinson as a suburban Dad willing to alienate all those closest to him – wife, son, coworkers – in a desperate attempt to earn the friendship of the coolest guy in the neighborhood, played by Paul Rudd playing, essentially, himself.
A truly excellent and hilarious exploration of narcissism that has about half the audience enthralled and the other half appalled.
Cinema: Eddington, One Battle After Another, Weapons, Materialists, No Other Choice and Superman, Bugonia
Music: Geese "Getting Killed"
Comics: DC's Absolute Batman (specifically), the Absolute Universe (Generally).
TV Series: "Andor"
Book - The Revolt of the Masses by José Ortega y Gasset
TV series: Pluribus
Three great 2025 albums: The Hives- The Hives Forever, Forever the Hives; Alice Cooper- The Revenge of Alice Cooper; Styx- Circling From Above. Three LPs that prove rock isn't dead and that great music can be made without Autotune (if there was any used in the three, I was unable to detect it). Alice Cooper's is the best of the three. It's so rare to be able to make an album this deep into a career that exhibits energy, fun, creativity, and hooks. The old band sure put their best foot forward.
Book (non-fiction): Enshittification by Cory Doctorow.
Book (fiction): King Sorrow by Joe Hill. Scratches that itch for large horror tomes ala King + Straub.
Audiobook: The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. Like a dark medieval version of Suicide Squad, and perfectly performed by Steven Pacey.
Music: exploring Japanese Jazz artists
Film: del Toro’s Frankenstein. See it on a big screen if still possible.
Book and TV: Slow Horses. Read the books, watch the show. Both are excellent!
One more:
Manga: Blue Giant, about young Jazz musicians in Japan. Adapted into a fine anime film with a great score by Hiromi (on Netflix)
Any recommendations for Japanese jazz artists?
I’ve only recently started exploring, but so far I like:
The aforementioned Hiromi Oehara is amazing, working across different styles.
Toshiko Akiyoshi, great pianist.
Some records I like:
Ryo Fukui’s Scenery
Hozen Yamamoto’s Beautiful Bamboo Flute
Akira Miyazawa’s Yamame
I’d love to hear some other recs!
Movies: "One Battle After Another." I’d call this movie a “must-see” and say it is much better to see it in a theater. It reminded me a lot of “Inherent Vice,” which was also adapted from a Pynchon novel. In terms of today’s political environment, it takes on autocracy and white supremacy head on. I find that incredibly courageous. Moving performances. Likely several (!) Oscar nominations (Sean Penn, Chase Infiniti, music, cinematography). Loads of violence. Inside jokes about Steely Dan (loved those). And some essential truths. What’s not to like?
Film The Pheonician Scheme, Telepathic Letters. Books The Tremelo Diaries, Currie, The Last Dream, Almodovar.
Naked Gun with Liam Neeson.
Make Comedy Great Again!
Also really enjoyed Weapons.
Best Movie : The Life of Chuck,
Best Series : Severance,
Best Album : Djesse Vol. 4: Jacob Collier
Most important book : Nobody’s Girl: Virginia Giuffre
2 new non-fiction books about tech, America, and ChIna:
"Apple in China," by Patrick McGee
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/15/books/review/apple-in-china-patrick-mcgee.html
"Breakneck," by Dan Wang.
https://www.wired.com/story/dan-wang-china-breakneck-book-interview/
And why you are being held hostage everywhere you turn:
"Enshittification" by Cory Doctorow:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/05/books/review/cory-doctorow-enshittification.html