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Sue the Walnut
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It's Christmas Eve and time for my last Advent Album, (and Album of the Year!) Altogether Stranger by Lael Neale.

Lo-Fi neo-60s songsmithery. Gorgeous and strangely edgy. Utterly bewitching.

All good things will come to pass.

#albumoftheyear
#adventalbums

Happy Holidays!!
December 24, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Christmas Eve Eve - the penultimate day of Advent. Out-of-offices are on across the board.

Accompanying this day of Christmas crazy is The Bad Fire by Mogwai.

Relaxing and uplifting, the best aural companion.

#albumsoftheyear
#adventalbums
December 23, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Monday of a Christmas week - what kind of day is that? A day of lots of driving to lunch with my lovely daughter and swap gifts, is what.

And my accompaniment was today's Advent Album, Imaginary Reflections by @dreamcoasterband.bsky.social

Gorgeous wall-of-sound dream pop.

#albumsoftheyear
December 22, 2025 at 10:03 PM
The #WinterSolstice.
The album I'm choosing for this mystical day is Unfolding by #JessicaMoss.

It's atmospheric strings-laden modern classical.
I saw Moss open for Swans last month and it was beautiful and intense.

Later, I'll be symbolically burning away what I want to leave behind me. #newyear
December 21, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Another chill record for this 20th of December: Dim Probs by @gruffrhys.bsky.social

Gentle but interesting indie - a big Advent cwtch and perfect for these crazy days. ❤️

#albumsoftheyear
#adventalbums
December 20, 2025 at 2:57 PM
My choice of Advent Album is Sinister Grift by Panda Bear. It's a glorious dose of Portuguese sunshine!

As a bonus, I'm also including Funeral Folk by Maria W Horn and Sara Parkman. It's a doomy take on Swedish folk music. It's actually my favourite album of the year but it came out in 2023.
❤️
December 19, 2025 at 4:47 PM
One week left of Advent. Are you ready?

Today's album choice is The Pattern Speaks by @sklossduo.bsky.social

Heavy rock, Heavy metal.
So heavy it broke my headphones.
December 18, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Reposted by Sue the Walnut
Fun for all the family. Bring your own shovels.
December 17, 2025 at 8:16 PM
17th of December and yet another of too many days apparently without sunshine.
Today's Advent Album is Landfill by @young-knives.bsky.social .

Challenging, vulnerable, and dissonant, but compelling and very often surprisingly catchy.
I absolutely love it.

#albumsoftheyear
#adventalbums
December 17, 2025 at 8:53 PM
My Advent Album for 16 December is National Average by #BigSpecial.

Shouty modern magpie music.
Home to one of my favourite lines from a song this year:

"The Night will free us!
The Day is Judas.
I'd spill blood to stay in bed;
I'D SPILL BLOOD TO STAY IN BED."

#albumsoftheyear
#adventalbums
December 16, 2025 at 8:25 PM
The Ides of December and near perpetual darkness prompt me to choose Songs From The Free House by Smote as today's Advent Album.

Doom metal with flute. Tremendous.

If you like this, #Smote put another album, Clyppan, out at the beginning of the year and it's also very good.

#albumsoftheyear
December 15, 2025 at 9:18 PM
On a pre-Christmas Sunday where it feels like (but probably isn't) a break from festive havoc, my 14th Advent Album is Phonetics On And On by Horsegirl.

The very definition of #Lo-Fi Indie.

#albumsoftheyear
#adventalbums
December 14, 2025 at 1:51 PM
In honour of my friends who are off to see #Stereolab tonight in Oxford, today's Advent Album is their new album Instant Holograms on Metal Film.

Harmonic and otherworldly but jaunty electronica.
Also excellent for a sunny winter post-beer festival day.

#albumsoftheyear
#adventalbums
December 13, 2025 at 5:40 PM
It's not a year if #TySegall hasn't put out a top-24-worthy album.
Whilst there's a lot of 2025 that can get in the bin, Ty's newest album Possession reassures us that a year has definitely happened.

Perfect psych rock. The 70s done properly with the benefit of hindsight.

#albumsoftheyear
December 11, 2025 at 8:28 PM
10 December - long day, but enjoying Advent Album Ghost Palace by #TheBurningHell.

Quirky indie. A bit Handsome Family, moments of Modern Lovers.
Somehow, the title track reminds me of the deeply weird film #CarnivalofSouls. But that's probably just me.

#albumsoftheyear
#adventalbums
December 10, 2025 at 10:29 PM
December 9th and the party continues with Who Let The Dogs Out by @lambrinigirls.bsky.social !!
(Extra party because my brand new business has banked its first sales today!)

Prepare for propulsive #rrriotGirrl punk.

Absolutely Epic live.

#albumsoftheyear
#adventalbums
December 9, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Monday the 8th of December:

Advent Album of the day is GOOD FOR THE SOUL by #GANS.
(And no, I'm not shouting at you, but they might be)

A little Snapped Ankles, lashings of AK/DK. Hard to describe, but fantastic live - they get the whole joint genuinely Jumping!

#albumsoftheyear
#adventalbums
December 8, 2025 at 9:43 PM
December 7th is a rainy grey day here. The Scots have the excellent word #dreich for this kind of weather, which is partly why my choice of album today is Sunwise by #Scottish artist Brighde Chaimbeul.
Modern classical mixed with Scottish folk; the wildness of a Hebridean island.

#albumsoftheyear
December 7, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Out of the traps early on the 6th day of Advent with Viagr Aboys by Viagra Boys.

Sleazy, funky killer rock.
(And see them live if they come to your town!)

#albumsoftheyear
#adventalbums
#viagraboys
December 6, 2025 at 12:56 PM
My choice of Album for this 5th day of Advent is Better Dreaming by @tuneyards.bsky.social .

Strident and beautiful voice, trenchant lyrics, big production. Exactly what we came here for!

#albumsoftheyear
#adventalbums
December 5, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Advent Album 4 was going to be something else today, but it's raining and I've developed a wretched cold so pulled forward this gorgeous, ominous, and expansive Icelandic opus:

Turnar by Hekla.

The sound of glaciers mourning and angry about the state of the world.

#albumsoftheyear
December 4, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Advent Album 3 December has to be Selective Memory by Jesca Hoop.
Not only is it a lovely album ("alt folk" I saw it described as), but I got to see her touring it right here at @thetinmusicandarts.bsky.social in Coventry, tonight!

And she was wearing classic Vivienne Westwood shoes.❤️

#jescahoop
December 3, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Advent day 2 is heavier and more modern than yesterday.
It's Something Soft by M(h)aol.
Love love love this, and not just because their cover is a) a brutalist building and b) there's a cat.

Think Dry Cleaning crossed with Girl/Gilla Band.

#adventalbums
December 2, 2025 at 9:43 PM
It's time for the Walnut Advent album picks of 2025!!
(In no particular order, my favourite/ most played albums of 2025.)

I'm starting with Scottish duo The Cords, and their self-titled debut album. Wonderful Jingly Jangly indie pop that'll get you bouncing around the kitchen like it's 1987 again.
December 1, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Absolutely gutted. He's (well, was) my favourite living playwright.
Enjoy your Arcadia, Sir Tom.

BBC News - Playwright Sir Tom Stoppard dies at 88
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Playwright Sir Tom Stoppard dies at 88
www.bbc.com
November 29, 2025 at 5:13 PM