Listening diary: week 44, 2025

I spent last Saturday at the Gob Nation all-dayer at the Tuffnell Park Dome, and loved it. Spike’s self-titled EP is one of my favourites of 2025, and her live show suggest there’s even better songs to come; my favourite discovery of the days was trash-punk duo Grazia.

People rarely talk about Greatest Hits albums in the age of the playlist, but Warren Zevon’s makes an incredible case for his singularity: these songs are packed with highly detailed Cold War intrigue, they’re full of pathos, and they’re incredibly funny.

I’ve only explored a fraction of the Sun City Girls extended universe, but I love the new Sir Richard Bishop album and its hack-and-slash approach to acoustic folk. The urgency and vitality here is infectious.

I have a long and slightly tangled history with Depeche Mode and only recently realised that they might be my favourite band. The new concert film M is a wonder to behold, a stunning document of an act that have always been interesting to listen to but have never been more interesting to look at too. The new song, played over the end credits, continues Memento Mori’s hot streak.