{"id":16579,"date":"2026-01-04T14:40:41","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T13:40:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bolachas.org\/?p=16579"},"modified":"2026-01-04T14:40:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T13:40:44","slug":"bolachas-2025-recap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bolachas.org\/?p=16579","title":{"rendered":"Bolachas 2025 Recap"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Concerts:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Hold Steady at the 100 Club, March 9, 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I must confess that this exercise becomes less and less interesting, for a very simple reason. Every March I travel to London to see the Hold Steady, usually for multiple nights. Since Steve Albini left us and Shellac stopped touring, there isn’t a better live band in the world, and there isn’t a better community to share those shows with. So why bother? Well, perhaps because I have no other way of letting you know that their Sunday evening show at the legendary 100 Club, where they performed Separation Sunday<\/em> in its entirety for the occasion of its 20th anniversary, was the best rock show I’ve seen in my life. Here’s the rest of the top ten:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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  1. The Hold Steady<\/strong> (100 Club \/ Electric Ballroom, London)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. MJ Lenderman<\/strong> (two nights at Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam; Primavera Sound, Barcelona; Festival Vodafone Paredes de Coura)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Wilco<\/strong> (Openluchttheater Rivierenhof, Antwerp)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Les Savy Fav<\/strong> (Left of the Dial festival, Rotterdam)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Ichiko Aoba<\/strong> (TivoliVredenburg Grote Zaal, Utrecht)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band<\/strong> (three (!) nights at Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam, two of them opening for Lenderman)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. envy<\/strong> performing A Dead Sinking Story<\/em> (Roadburn festival, Tilburg)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Spiritualized<\/strong> performing Pure Phase<\/em> (Primavera Sound, Barcelona)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Chat Pile<\/strong> (Primavera Sound, Barcelona; Roadburn festival, Tilburg)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Water Damage<\/strong> (OCCII, Amsterdam)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Honorable mentions: Vampire Weekend<\/strong>‘s headlining show at Paredes de Coura, and Cass McCombs<\/strong>‘ barebones secret show on the first day of the festival; Destroyer<\/strong>‘s band in fine form both at Primavera Sound’s side programme and as a surprise band at Le Guess Who?; Prewn<\/strong>‘s solo shows at Left of the Dial festival (what an amazing showcase festival, by the way); The Fiery Furnaces<\/strong>‘ reunion set at LGW; pg.99<\/strong> and MAQUINA.<\/strong> tearing down the Koepelhal and the Engine Room at Roadburn (the latter also at Utrecht’s ACU); Wendy Eisenberg<\/strong>‘s band’s mesmerizing set at The Hague’s Rewire festival; a beautiful Karate<\/strong> set at the same venue on a nice summer evening; Sturgill Simpson<\/strong> playing a three hour set at Paradiso; Blood Incantation<\/strong> and their obelisk at TivoliVredenburg’s Ronda; Ratboys<\/strong> previewing their forthcoming album in the basement of the venue where the Take Root festival takes place in Groningen, right before another beautiful The Weather Station<\/strong> show; high voltage rock sets by Momma<\/strong>, High Vis<\/strong>, Gouge Away<\/strong>, The Jesus Lizard<\/strong>, and Turnstile<\/strong> at Primavera Sound, and an ecstatic closing set by Danny L Harle<\/strong>. An atypical year (at least for me) where most of my highlights came from festivals as opposed to club shows, and a testament to how much better festival productions and audiences have become. Or I was just lucky enough to attend some of the best festivals the continent has to offer in 2025: in cronological order, Rewire, Roadburn, Primavera Sound, Paredes de Coura, Left of the Dial, Take Root, Le Guess Who?. Hoping to repeat most of them in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Records:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    1. Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band<\/strong> New Threats from the Soul<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Six albums later \u2014 four of them with the excellent State Champion<\/a> \u2014 Ryan Davis finally gets the recognition he deserves with the superlative New Threats from the Soul<\/em>. Seven sprawling tracks that can only be among the top of the crop of 2025, especially if you’re the kind of person who enjoys 1) great melodies 2) better lyricism 3) non-chorusy song structures 4) americana-infused indie rock 5) indie rock-infused americana 6) an unexpected goddamn breakbeat 7) going “Oh, that’s Will Oldham’s\/Catherine Irwin’s\/Myriam Gendron’s voice in the background!”, and more. New Threats from the Soul<\/em> is not only my favorite album of 2025, it’s probably my favorite of the decade so far. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      2. Craig Finn<\/strong> Always Been<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      There might be a problem with me<\/em> whenever anything Craig Finn releases, either solo or with the Hold Steady, does not end up near the top of that year’s list. Although it’s not my favorite solo album by him \u2014 his mid-to-late 2010s trilogy is an insane run \u2014 Always Been<\/em> only misses the top position to an absolute masterpiece. Usual producer Josh Kaufman gets to have a well-deserved break as Finn puts the War on Drugs’ Adam Granduciel in charge, and the result is 1) as Springsteenian as you’d expect in a few songs, but also 2) still distinctly Finnian, his storytelling getting better and better with time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      3. Wednesday<\/strong> Bleeds<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      To be completely honest, after being burned out by the few lackluster live shows I’ve seen in the past couple of years, I was not expecting Wednesday’s new album to feature this high on this list. But there’s no denying: there are very few people writing as well as Hartzman these days, at least in genres I care about. The world’s #1 Drive-By Truckers tribute band has been outdoing their masters for three straight albums now, and that’s no small feat. Plus, “Elderberry Wine” was my favorite song of 2025. Can’t wait to be slightly disappointed by another slew of live shows, then forgiving everything the next time I put any of their records on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      4. Oklou<\/strong> choke enough<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      There’s always an odd one out on my guitar-heavy choices, and discovering Oklou’s work has been a highlight of my year. I was oblivious to the French musician’s existence until I came across Danny L Harle’s remix of “Harvest Sky”<\/a>, and I’m very glad I did. Marylou Mayniel’s classical training shines through every single track off choke enough<\/em>, a minimalist electronic pop album that ends up having some of my favorite melodies of 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      5. Superchunk<\/strong> Songs in the Key of Yikes<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Not sure if “return to form” is the right expression here \u2014 when have Superchunk not<\/em> been in form? But Songs in the Key of Yikes<\/em> feels like an achievement a couple of notches above their merely “good” recent albums, and definitely their catchiest since 2010’s Majesty Shredding<\/em> (which is probably the best album Superchunk has put out in the last 30 years, if you don’t mind the hot take). And what a treat to hear Rosali<\/a> featuring on highlight “Bruised Lung”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      1. Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band<\/strong> New Threats From the Soul<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Craig Finn<\/strong> Always Been<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Wednesday<\/strong> Bleeds<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      4. Oklou<\/strong> choke enough<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      5. Superchunk<\/strong> Songs in the Key of Yikes<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      6. Pile<\/strong> Sunshine and Balance Beams<\/em><\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n
      7. Tyler Childers<\/strong> Snipe Hunter<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      8. The Beths<\/strong> Straight Line Was a Lie<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      9. Greet Death<\/strong> Die In Love<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      10. Ichiko Aoba<\/strong> Luminescent Creatures<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      11. The Mars Volta<\/strong> Lucro sucio; los ojos del vac\u00edo<\/em><\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n
      12. Destroyer<\/strong> Dan\u2019s Boogie<\/em><\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n
      13. Water Damage<\/strong> Instruments<\/em><\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n
      14. Jerry David DeCicca<\/strong> Cardiac Country<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      15. YHWH Nailgun<\/strong> 45 Pounds<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      16. FACS<\/strong> Wish Defense<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      17. Prewn<\/strong> System<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      18. Geese<\/strong> Getting Killed<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      19. Sam Amidon<\/strong> Salt River<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      20. Turnstile<\/strong> Never Enough<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      21. PUP<\/strong> Who Will Look After the Dogs?<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      22. Greg Freeman<\/strong> Burnover<\/a> <\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      23. Circuit Des Yeux<\/strong> Halo On the Inside<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      24. Pulp<\/strong> More<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      25. Carson McHone<\/strong> Pentimento<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        And, with no particular order, here’s the rest of the top 50:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Alan Sparhawk<\/strong> With Trampled By Turtles<\/em>
        Bad Bunny<\/strong> DeB\u00cd TiRAR M\u00e1S FOToS<\/em>
        Bonnie “Prince” Billy<\/strong> The Purple Bird<\/em>
        caroline<\/strong> caroline 2<\/em>
        Cass McCombs<\/strong> Interior Live Oak<\/em>
        Charif Megarbane<\/strong> Hawalat<\/em>
        Chat Pile & Hayden Pedigo<\/strong> In the Earth Again<\/em>
        Dean Johnson<\/strong> I Hope We Can Still Be Friends<\/em>
        Derya Y\u0131ld\u0131r\u0131m & Grup \u015eim\u015fek<\/strong> Yar\u0131n Yoksa<\/em>
        Dutch Interior<\/strong> Moneyball<\/em>
        Esther Rose<\/strong> Want<\/em>
        Florry<\/strong> Sounds Like…<\/em>
        Friendship<\/strong> Caveman Wakes Up<\/em>
        Hannah Cohen<\/strong> Earthstar Mountain<\/em>
        Hayden Pedigo<\/strong> I’ll Be Waving As You Drive Away<\/em>
        Hetta<\/strong> Acetate<\/em>
        Horsegirl<\/strong> Phonetics On and On<\/em>
        Immen<\/strong> Nimmen<\/em>
        Jonathan Richman<\/strong> Only Frozen Sky Anyway<\/em>
        Kassi Valazza<\/strong> From Newman Street<\/em>
        Leon Majcen<\/strong> Making a Livin’ (Not a Killin’)<\/em>
        Maruja<\/strong> Pain to Power<\/em>
        Shallowater<\/strong> God’s Gonna Give You A Million Dollars<\/em>
        Snocaps<\/strong> Snocaps<\/em>
        The Weather Station<\/strong> Humanhood<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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