01.13

2026

WVFS Best of 2025!

V89 DJs voted, and here are the long awaited results:

Click here for V89’s Spotify playlist of our top 50 records of the year <3

  1. Wednesday – Bleeds (Dead Oceans)
  2. Geese – Getting Killed (Partisan / PIAS)
  3. Nourished by Time – The Passionate Ones (Ninja Tune)
  4. Black Country, New Road – Forever Howlong (XL)
  5. Oklou – choke enough (True Panther)
  6. Yasmine Hamdan – I remember I forget (Hamdanistan / Kwaidan)
  7. Anna von Hausswolff – ICONOCLASTS (YEAR0001)
  8. Blood Orange – Essex Honey (RCA)
  9. Ethel Cain – Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You (Daughters of Cain)
  10. Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer (NLV)
  11. They Are Gutting A Body of Water – LOTTO (Julia’s War)
  12. YHWH Nailgun – 45 Pounds (AD 93 / Many Hats)
  13. ROSALÍA – LUX (Columbia)
  14. Adrianne Lenker – Live at Revolution Hall (4AD)
  15. FKA twigs – Eusexua (Young / Atlantic)
  16. Cameron Winter – Heavy Metal (Partisan)
  17. MIKE – Showbiz! (10k)
  18. Songhoy Blues – Héritage (PIAS / Transgressive)
  19. Brown Horse – All The Right Weaknesses (Loose Music)
  20. Youth Lagoon – Rarely Do I Dream (Fat Possum)
  21. Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE (Jagjaguwar)
  22. Big Thief – Double Infinity (4AD)
  23. Flock of Dimes – The Life You Save (Sub Pop)
  24. Huremic – Seeking Darkness (Self Released)
  25. Cuneiform Tabs – Age (Superior Viaduct)
  26. Oneohtrix Point Never – Tranquilizer (Warp)
  27. Eldritch Anisette – Complete Fairytales (Numero Group)
  28. Die Spitz – Something to Consume (Third Man)
  29. Asian Glow – 11100011 (Self Released)
  30. Upchuck – I’m Nice Now (Domino)
  31. Neko Case – Neon Grey Midnight (Anti-)
  32. yeule – Evangelic Girl is a Gun (Ninja Tune)
  33. Maruja – Tír na nÓg (Music For Nations)
  34. lots of hands – into a pretty room (Fire Talk)
  35. Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out (Roc Nation)
  36. Benjamin Booker – LOWER (Fire Next Time)
  37. Lifeguard – Ripped and Torn (Matador)
  38. Horsegirl – Phonetics On and On (Matador)
  39. Big Blood – Electric Voyeur (dontrustheruin)
  40. Ela Minus – DÍA (Domino)
  41. terraplana – natural (Balaclava)
  42. Natalia Lafourcade – Cancionera (Sony Music)
  43. Florry – Sounds Like… (Dear Life)
  44. billy woods – GOLLIWOG (Backwoodz Studioz)
  45. Various Artists – Speedgasm Vol. I (Fegefeuer Collective)
  46. Snocaps – Snocaps (Anti-)
  47. Glixen – Quiet Pleasures (Self Released)
  48. Erika de Casier – Lifetime (Independent Jeep)
  49. Jane Remover – Revengeseekerz (deadAir)
  50. Alex G – Headlights (RCA)

Our DJs were also tasked with voting for album superlatives, including best picks for each genre, favorite events from throughout the year, and our coveted “DJ of the Year” award! Check them out below:

Best Blues: Songhoy Blues – Héritage (PIAS / Transgressive)

Best Compilation: Various Artists – Eccentric Modern Soul (Numero Group)

Best Debut: Cameron Winter – Heavy Metal (Partisan)

Best Electronic: Oklou – choke enough (True Panther)

Best EP: Maruja – Tír na nÓg (Music For Nations)

Best Experimental: Huremic – Seeking Darkness (Self Released)

Best Folk: Adrianne Lenker – Live at Revolution Hall (4AD)

Best Hip Hop: MIKE – Showbiz! (10k)

Best Jazz: Ebo Taylor – Jazz Is Dead 022 (Jazz Is Dead)

Best Latin: ROSALÍA – LUX (Columbia)

Best Local: Ethel Cain – Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You (Daughters of Cain)

Best Metal: Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power (Roadrunner)

Best Punk: Upchuck – I’m Nice Now (Domino)

Best Reggae: Pachyman – Another Place (ATO)

Best Reissue: Orbital – Orbital 2 (The Brown Album Expanded) (London Records)

Best Sonic Safari: Charif Megarbane – Habibi Funk 030: Hawalat (Habibi Funk)

Best Soul/Funk/RnB: Nourished by Time – The Passionate Ones (XL)

Best Soundtrack: Nine Inch Nails – Tron: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Interscope)

Best World: Yasmine Hamdan – I remember I forget (Hamdanistan / Kwaidan)

Best 7 inch: Eartheater & Shygirl – Shark Brain / Dolphin (Chemical X)

Most Annoying: Gus Baldwin and The Sketch – The Sketch (Permanent Teeth)

Most Disappointing: Japanese Breakfast – For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) (Dead Oceans)

Best Comeback: Stereolab – Instant Holograms on Metal Film (Warp)

Best Album Art: Jane Remover – Revengeseekerz (deadAir)

Worst Band Name: Psychedelic Porn Crumpets

Best Label: Matador

Best Specialty Show: Legacies

Best Region for Music: Northeast U.S. (Philly, NYC)

Best Local Show: Her New Knife with Not Milk and Love Hut at Real Cool Time Underground 12-4-2025

Best In-Studio: Her New Knife

V89 Alumni Shoutouts: Pool Kids – Easier Said Than Done (Epitaph), Her New Knife – chrome is lullaby:re (Julia’s War)

DJ of the Year: DJ Eli