KALW Music continues to be your home for music discovery! There’s so much great music from all the corners of the world, but we also love sharing what’s coming out from the amazing artists of the Bay Area. The KALW Music team has curated a list of our Bay Area releases of 2025. Let us put you on…
Somber but beautiful, Witness is an expansion of the album, 2 Suitcases, a story about a couple fleeing the Lebanese Civil War. Amongst the lush string, you hear the powerful words of the couple and how the civil war changed their lives. It’s a powerful piece of music and storytelling.
Infectiously clever. Wildly sincere. Pacing has this talent of taking all that it means to be human (whether joyful or mundane) and turning it into a song that feels light, upbeat, and relatable. This release was a sweet one, with all the undertones of being earnest.
Another feel-good album that features a vibrant blend of blues, funk, soul, and Americana. The songwriting and instrumentation is rich, while still feeling down to earth and intimate. The guitar licks are humble, but filled with emotion. There’s twang and groove in all the right places.
Something In The Air features all that we loved about the 70s sound except it’s performed by a modern band. It’s a groovy feel-good album, sporting strong horns, funky bass lines, bouncy keys, and catchy vocal melodies that carry a positive message.
An incredibly fun and creative collection of tracks. God Bless the USA is a modern take on the blues, experimenting with different sounds, textures, and instrumentation without deviating too far from that Americana flavor.
There’s no doubt the Bay’s got its own flavor when it comes to hip hop and this album has definitely got tracks with that signature Bay sound. A few highlights of the record: “Black Man”, “ Meet Me on Harbor (ft. Black C)”, “100 Bags (ft. Don Toliver)”, and “Until Night Comes (ft. Wiz Khalifa & Richie Rich).”
In this collection featuring ambient strings and overtones, Fullman collaborates with The Living Earth to create a live installation that showcases the artist’s legendary mastery of the long string instrument. Disarming, resonant, and alluring.
Laurie Lewis “O California” (Spruce and Maple)
Nothing gets closer to home than Laurie Lewis’ O California! The album narratives center around California life and features a signature bluegrass, Americana sound. With her powerful voice, Lewis sings about places in nature and each other’s hearts.
The Lucky Losers “Arrive” (Self Released)
Listeners will nod their head in resonance to this record’s intriguing mix of gospel, blues, soul, and Americana as Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz sing about the struggles we face in the modern day. It’s an album full of sincerity.
Pamela Z “Simultaneous” (Other Minds Records)
Audiophiles will love this. It’s a piece of sonic art. The piece explores the synchronicities of experience and thought through voice and sound, and how the culmination of these elements can come together like music.
Welcome Strawberry “desperate flower” (Cherub Dream Records)
Shoegaze has always been around, but it seemed to have a significant resurgence in the last few years. With it comes an emergence of fresh bands. One of these is Welcome Strawberry. If you’re into classic shoegaze this is the release for you. It’s dreamy and lush, with a touch of warble that will make the Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine fans swoon.
Theresa Wong “Journey to the Cave of Guanyin” (Room40)
This one is a sonic experience. The cello is the star instrument here, with Wong creating these deep resonant frequencies--sometimes lush, other times sporadic. Listening to this is meditative album will intrigue anyone who is keen on observing and noticing.
Various Artists “Julia Belle: The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project Volume 2” (Self Released)
It’s no doubt John Hartford left a mark on American roots music. The legacy of the multifaceted artist is continued in this compilation, Julia Belle: The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project Volume 2. Like in the first volume, an array of bluegrass musicians came to perform some of Hartford’s classic tunes. What’s unique about the second volume is that the artists featured are all women!
AJ Lee & Blue Summit “Cover to Cover V1” (Self-Released)
Another fresh take on the Bluegrass genre. The band has reimagined classic tunes,and not just the bluegrass ones. The creative renditions add rich harmonies, acoustic elements, and an Americana twist to songs like Neil Diamond’s “I’m a Believer” and Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald’s “Who Walks in When I Walk Out.”
Brown Angel - Pure Brown Energy (Dark Entries)
The first thing that comes to mind when hearing this EP is: Miami bass! It’s quite nostalgic, using the electronic elements and latin rhythms that are signature to classic Miami bass and old-school high energy. But it’s also fresh, featuring darker themes and electro-goth elements. It will absolutely get you moving.
Telegraph Quartet “Edge of the Storm” (Azica Records)
This haunting album features works from Grażyna Bacewicz, Benjamin Britten, and Mieczysław Weinberg, composers who lived through turbulent times.Full of staccato and dissonances, Edge of the Storm is also very lush and beautiful mirroring the turblance. experienced by the composers.
SUPERWORLD - Surefire (Lauren Records)
If you are a fan of DIY, particularly in the South Bay, this was a long-awaited release. And it did not disappoint. The EP is full of energy, electrifying riffs, tasteful melodies, driving rhythms, and powerfully emotional vocals. If you were a fan of Leer’s “Spring Break No Parents,” this EP will make you smile.