The rumors are true, KRUI likes music! 2025 was a crazy year all around, and even crazier, we here at KRUI actually listened to lots of albums this year. We’ve picked out eleven of our favorite albums from this year to share, and explore together.
It’s December 29, 2025, and if you can believe it, we here at KRUI actually listened to music throughout the whole year! From pop superstars, to indie legends, to the fresh Bandcamp up-and-comers, we’ve picked out nine of our favorite songs released this past year to share and explore together.
Cursive and a duo AJJ regale us with the pride, waste, and consuming everything until the very end, finishing out their 2025 tour at The Raccoon Motel in Davenport.
Spanning 7 venues across 7 days, Transitions, the New Years Eve celebration by AURIS PRESENTS, in downtown Chicago has cultivated a lineup of the biggest names spinning records and electronica today. From December 26 – January 1st, Chicagoland will be ablaze as it welcomes the likes of 70 artists and a 21-hour marathon to ring in the new year at Outset. Here are the highlights coming this week to Chicago.
An overtime thriller, a stadium on edge, and a Bears team pushed to its limit. From the moment the clock hit zero to the final snap in OT, this one had everything. And it might say more about this team than just a win.
Stockholm cloud rap sensation Bladee performed in Minneapolis for the first time ever on November 10th, 2025. During his set, he played many of his own beloved songs and collaborations he’s made with members of his rap collective, Drain Gang.
Read about Wye Oak’s performance at the Englert for Mission Creek here. (image via buzzbands.la)
Built to Spill continue to epitomize the ambitious underdog spirit of late ‘90s indie rock almost 20 years later. (photo via wnymedia.net)
The American shoegaze bands of the late 80s and early 90s took the sound of their British and Irish progenitors and infused it with a creative energy that was entirely their own. (image via user Morganfitzp on commons.wikimedia.org)
Blitzen Trapper returns to Iowa City this Friday with their brand of nostalgic, psychedelia-tinged indie folk. (image via tophatlounge.com)
Fans of emo and pop-punk won’t want to miss the upcoming performance by this heart-on-sleeve group. (image via stereogum.com)
Missed out on Noname’s February concert at the IMU? Her upcoming show at the Englert will give show-goers a second chance to see this introspective and inventive rapper perform live in Iowa City. (image via nytimes.com)
Kweku Collins may not be a chart-topping hip-hop star yet, but during last night’s performance at the Mill, he definitely acted the part. (image via pitchfork.com)
The local electronica musician made a bold transformation from shy grad student to club DJ during his performance at the Witching Hour Festival. image via philiprabalais.com
