At the beginning of December, this edition of Radio Something featured some—but not all—of my favorite music of the year. Following is the playlist:

Artist / Song / Release / Release Date / Label
Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter / Winter's Empty Pages / Forever / I've Been Being Born / 2025 / Ideologic Organ
Lamomali / Il neige à Bamako / Lamomali Totem / 2025 / Wagram Music / 3ème Bureau
Le Vent du Nord / Par-dessus le pont / Par-dessus le pont / 2025 / La Compagnie du Nord

Mavis Staples / Beautiful Strangers / Beautiful Strangers / 2025 / Anti/Epitaph
Lonnie Holley / Protest With Love / Protest With Love / 2025 / Jagjaguwar
Meklit / Geefata / A Piece of Infinity / 2025 / Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Valerie June / Joy, Joy! / Joy , Joy! / 2025 / Concord Records

WITCH / Queenless King / Queenless King / 2025 / Desert Daze Sound
Wreckless Eric / Lifeline / Lifeline / 2025 / Tapete Records
Throwing Muses / Summer of Love / Summer of Love / 2025 / Fire Records
Juana Molina / uno es árbol / DOGA / 2025 / RGS Music
Julieta Venegas / Tiempos Dorados / Tiempos Dorados / 2025 / Altafonte under exclusive license from Lolein Music / S.A. de C.V

ROSALÍA / Divinize / LUX / 2025 / SME
SMG / Mirror Side / S.M.G. / Vol. 2 / 2025 / Love All Day
Tune-Yards / How Big Is The Rainbow / How Big Is The Rainbow / 2025 / 4AD
David Byrne / Everybody Laughs / Everybody Laughs / 2025 / Matador
Martha Wainwright / Laurel & Hardy / Ground Floor / 2004 / Zoe Records

Holly Cole / The Exciting Life / Dark Moon / 2025 / Rumpus Records
Aimee Mann / Rainy Days and Mondays (from The Chair Company) / Rainy Days and Mondays (from The Chair Company) / 2025 / WaterTower Music
Ballaké Sissoko / Grana Od Bora (with Ballaké Sissoko / Vincent Segal / Emile Parisien & Vincent Peirani) / Grana Od Bora (with Ballaké Sissoko / Vincent Segal / Emile Parisien & Vincent Peirani) / 2025 / No Format!

Sages comme des sauvages / Bouton D'Or / La Lutte est belle! (Chants de révolte d'hier et d'aujourd'hui) / 2025 / Contrepied Productions
Les Ogres De Barback / Mon fils / ne fais jamais la guerre / Mon fils / ne fais jamais la guerre / 2025 / Irfan / le label
Minibus / Père Noël et Santa Claus / Père Noël et Santa Claus / 2025 / Irfan / le label

CocoRosie / Pushing Daisies / Pushing Daisies / 2025 / Joyful Noise Recordings
Pauanne / Maailman mielet villitsee / Joku Raja Rakkaudessakin / 2025 / Nordic Notes
Rachael & Vilray / My Key to Gramercy Park / My Key to Gramercy Park / 2025 / Concord Jazz
Sara Serpa / Music Makes Me Who I Am / Encounters and Collisions / 2024 / Biophilia Records
Saya Gray / PUDDLE ( OF ME ) / SAYA / 2024 / Dirty Hit
Lege-Cy / SWISSRA / BGD / 2025 / Takwene

Meklit / Abebayehosh / Abebayehosh / 2025 / Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Rumbo Tumba / De pecho al fuego / De pecho al fuego / 2025 / Independent
Mavis Staples / Human Mind / Human Mind / 2025 / Anti/Epitaph
SMG / Auilix's Place / S.M.G. / Vol. 2 / 2025 / Love All Day