M. Bruce’s 2025 in Review
By WTJU Rock
Los Thuthanaka by Los Thuthanaka (self-release)
I’m not writing this list in any order but I have to say this one is my favorite of the bunch. I had been waiting to hear someone use Andean club rhythms like Salay and Caporal in an alternative, boundary-pushing way. So, when I stumbled upon this through Bandcamp, my wish came true! A sibling duo of DJ and guitarist, Los Thuthanaka blend Andean rhythms, DJ noise, and processed guitar into a disorienting (or rather reorienting) mind-melt. After two ambient, deeply indigenous tracks, the Andean club beats start dropping, and the onslaught doesn’t let up. I call this album a futuristic Indigenous sonic reconquest, and I, for one, am rolling out the red carpet for it!
Wind, Again by Sary Moussa (Other People Records)
The electronic artist from Beirut includes the sounds of extended jazz technique and Arabic instruments to create noisy but harmonic ambient electronic tracks that keep a consistent, but measured, momentum. Music you can tune in and tune out to. (I reserve the right to end that sentence with a preposition!)
Tender / Wading by M. Sage (RVNG Intl.)
Thanks to DJTJC (Electronic Explorations, 1 a.m. Saturdays) for introducing M. Bruce to M. Sage! A gentler ambient, these tracks use found sound, piano, clarinet, and synths to make for a relaxing headspace.
Rarely Do I Dream by Youth Lagoon (Fat Possum Records)
I’m late coming to know Youth Lagoon, but this album has really drawn me in. Dense arrangements, sonic textures, and catchy beats, yet so quiet. Vocals that barely croak out tender melodies with sentimental but authentic lyrics. The fact that this music is made by the gnarliest tattooed-looking dude from Idaho just seals the deal!
Noble and Godlike in Ruin by Deerhoof (Joyful Noise Recordings)
Among releases from my favorite established artists, this was my favorite. This is Deerhoof at its angriest, and for good reason! Bringing the noise and chaos of their live show into the studio even more so on this album, plus disorientingly off-kilter Latin and African rhythms, beef up their sound in order to rage against the decline of western civilization–but, still in their trademark cute and silly way. Add a blistering climate-anxiety track showcasing Saul Williams? All of that makes for another great record from a great band.
Instant Holograms On Metal Film by Stereolab (Duophonic Ultra High Frequency Disks Limited)
Yes, call it a comeback. And how! I came of age as a Stereolab superfan, and not just early Stereolab–I eagerly anticipated every album after Dots and Loops. But by Chemical Chords, it felt as though they had run out of steam, and eventually they turned to some great solo/side projects instead. But after scoring tickets from the Teej for their Charlottesville show in 2022, I was eager to hear their new album. And they more than delivered! While I expected solid late-Stereolab studio wizardry, I was happily surprised to hear a cohesive synthesis of their earlier and later sounds, kraut-y guitar drones coexisting with loungy synth melodies. And Laetitia Sadier’s prophetic lyrics are a much needed clarion call in 2025, indeed.
Bonus: Attempted Martyr by Prostitute (Mute Records physical release forthcoming)
And now for something completely different! Technically released at the very end of 2024, Dearborn, Michigan, noise rockers mix guitars, drums, samples, overdriven vocals, and Arab sounds to create extremely confrontational, yet deeply emotional music. I’m still too scared to play it on the Teej! But I truly believe that the writing on this record comes from a cathartic place, using the violence of the concept album’s protagonist as a vessel for the singer to express his emotional experience, and confront the violence perpetrated by his country and his world.
Continue to hear all this great music–and more– on WTJU Charlottesville, 91.1FM, and online at wtju.net!
M-Bruce is currently a WTJU Rock Sub DJ!
