Happy new year everyone! We’ve got lots of exciting plans for 2026, but before we look to the future it’s time to take a look back at a few of our favourite things from the last 12 months.
Over the next week or show we’ll be sharing selections from several members of the Joyzine team, and today it’s the turn of Andrew Wood and Hayley Foster Da Silva.
Andrew Wood
Favourite Album of 2025 – MF Tomlinson – Die to Wake Up from a Dream
Gorgeous arrangements. Masterful songwriting and singing. Sublime and epic, and a worthy follow up to 2023’s We Are Still Wild Horses.
MF Tomlinson: Website / Instagram / Bandcamp
Gig – Pulp – Co-op Live, Manchester June 21st
Jarvis Cocker, ever the consummate professional presented a show of songs both old and new, without pandering to the nostalgia brigade, with highlights coming from their new album More
Pulp: Website / Facebook / Instagram
Festival – Morecambe Poetry Festival
Has grown into a fabulous mixture of talent. A must see smorgasboard of entertainment, from the sublime to the ridiculous
Morecambe Poetry Festival: Facebook
Musical Moment of the Year
It has to be the release of the long awaited Cardiacs album LSD, which was lovingly finished by family and friends after Tim Smith’s death in 2020. The release was accompanied by 3 live listening parties around the country. (Read Andrew’s review of the album here)
Cardiacs: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp
Film – Becoming Led Zeppelin
Tells the story of the beginnings of the band with rare and fascinating footage exploring the the blues and folk influences sparking an explosion of deft sound and flash that bestrode the early 70’s like a rampant beast. Definitely one to buy on DVD and watch again and again.
Favourite Book – Lanark by Alasdair Grey
Although released in 1981 I have just discovered the fabulous Lanark by Alasdair Grey, which bears some similarities to Wyndham Lewis’s The Human Age Trilogy. A surreal trawl through life, politics, art and madness
Alasdair Grey: Website
Theatre – Ideal
Graham Duff and Johnny Vegas brought the stoner comedy TV classic successfully to the stage. Highly recommended.
Ideal: Website / Facebook / Instagram / BlueSky
Art exhibition – Marina Abramović – Balkan Erotic Epic
Marina Marina Abramović brought her show Balkan Erotic Epic to Manchester and it was everything you imagined it would be. Thought provoking, erotic, silly, political and fun.
Marina Abramović: Balkan Erotic Epic
TV – Alice In Borderland
The third (and possibly last) series of Alice In Borderland was released this year, which once again focuses on the relationship of Arisu and Usagi, and this time they face a series of Joker trials, continuing the card theme of the previous two series. The show is Japanese, a precursor to similarly themed South Korean show Squid Game…with games and relentless violence, but more surreal and with, at the heart of it, quite a heartstopping love story.
Podcast – Vitriola
I’m not a big fan of podcasts, especially those about music, as the music is often left out and all you’re left with is 2 people talking about it. However I have to mention the wonderful Robin Ince, who is unafraid to stand by his principles and address issues that affect us all, so I’m happy to recommend Vitriola, a music podcast he hosts along with his friend Michael Legge.
Hayley Foster Da Silva
New Musical Discovery of 2025 – Loose Articles
This is a hard one, as there are so many good bands I’ve discovered this year, but I will try to spread them across the categories as it’s been a class year for music as far as I’m concerned. So for favourite new musical discovery I am nominating LOOSE ARTICLES. I caught them at LOUD WOMEN FEST and I was blown away by their chaotic free spirited party punk.
Read Hayley’s LOUD WOMEN FEST review
Loose Articles: Website / Facebook / Instagram
Album- Panic Shack (self titled)
Cardiff based band brought out their self titled debut album this year and it was on repeat play for me so much, Panic Shack made it to my most listened to bands of 2025 list. Dances moves, lyrics laden with humour and feminism, this was a kicking debut.
Read Hayley’s review of the album
Panic Shack: Instagram | Facebook | Bandcamp | Tiktok
EP- Twat Union- Don’t Look it in the Eye
Another amazing band I’ve discovered this year. Twat Union’s EP makes me laugh, dance and cringe in equal measure as there’s songs about UTI’s, vibrators and red flags all make an appearance. They are equally as fun live with plenty of props (yes including a vibrator). I’m excited to hear more from Twat Union in 2026.
Twat Union: Instagram/Facebook
Gig – SPRINTS at The Troxy
I went to a grand total of 21 gigs this year, so another tough one. Another new band discovery for me this year, I completely fell in love with them at this gig.
Festival – Rebellion
I’ve been wanting to go for years and it did not disappoint. Four days of amazing bands and a friendly atmosphere made for a highlight of the year for me. Discovered so many new bands as well as seeing some favourites such as Millie Manders and The Shut Up, and timeless classic bands like Girlschool. I’m already counting down the days to next year’s festival.
Rebellion Festival – Website / Facebook / Instagram
Book – The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
My day job is in a library, so as you might expect, I am a huge reader as well as a music lover. I’ve read lots of great books this year, but I have chosen ‘The Gilded Ones’ by Namina Forna for this one. It’s the first of a fantasy trilogy with a distinctive feminist flavour. When the main character Deka is branded ‘unpure’ when he blood runs gold instead of red in a ceremonial rite of passage for teenagers, it leads her onto a heroic destiny.
Namina Forna: Website / Facebook
Theatre – Clueless: The Musical
Clueless is one of my favourite 90s films so I was excited to see the modern musical version. 90s music filled the theatre before the show started. Then the musical itself stuck true to the film storyline, but with added 90s flavoured songs with a good dose of humour. Highly recommended!
TV Programme – Riot Women (BBC)
Amazing series about menopausal women who start a punk band. Storyline was brilliant as music proves a lifeline for this dysfunctional bunch of women, and Hole’s ‘Violet’ being sung at karaoke. Brilliant!
Riot Women: iPlayer
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