2025 brought us a lot of great local music here in our corner of NYC. I know, because I wrote about it all year. That said, in the spirit of community > competition, we thought that we would do something a bit different than your typical Top Albums of 2025 at the bandNada offices.
We decided to focus on the physical and visual components of art put out by our scene this year. This could be merch, album art, or anything else. The only thing we couldn’t focus on was the music alone - and it makes sense. Us artists put a lot of work into presentation when the music means a lot to us. It’s high time that those components are given their time in the spotlight.
We also want to hear from you (comments or otherwise): how has physical art - a companion to the audio - affected you this year in a way you want to share with others?
This is our staff pick of such things, along with that of our friend Sam from Bands Do BK.
Patrick Porter (bandNada, A Very Special Episode, The Planes):
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My favorite piece of non-music art created by a musician in 2025 is Sorry Darling’s Soup Crewneck Sweatshirt. It’s comfy. It’s warm. It’s fashion. At first glance, onlookers might think they’re looking at a sweatshirt decorated with the likeness of some generic Campbell’s-style soup can, but nope, it’s band merch. 10/10.
Sam Sumpter (Bands Do BK):
Jelly Kelly is one of my favorite bands, and frontman Keith Kelly—perhaps the coolest person on the planet—is also an incredible multimedia artist whose floral-burst paintings I loved so much that I commissioned one of my own.
Also, a collection of very rad oil paintings by Lucas Price (of TV Moms) is currently on display at Main Drag Music. ‘Torch the Amplifier’ is “portraits of contemporary artists, rockers, influencers; from New York City and beyond,” and you can scope out the exhibit during regular store hours or attend the opening reception on January 2nd, which also features four bands and an open bar. RSVP here
Kasey Porter (bandNada, A Very Special Episode):
My favorite art of the year may seem self-serving but I promise it’s not!
The video we (A Very Special Episode) put out this year for the song “Def Bones” is mostly made out of incredibly crafted miniatures designed and crafted by my bandmate and partner Patrick. I had nothing to do with this and was truly in awe of what he accomplished in our back office. His visual style is somehow both cute and scary in a way that I really love.
Rob Lanterman (bandNada, Onesie, Shrug Dealer, dog who likes peanut butter):
Without a doubt, 2025 was the year of Alice Danger. I’ve already written about the festivities surrounding her “Nothing Is Ready” EP released earlier this year, but I want to shine more light on the zine she made to go along with that release.
Hand-drawn by her friend Oscar Gonzalo Sepulveda and dedicated to her late friend Kris, this was given out for free at her wedding/release show. It features penciled caricatures of her, written-out lyrics, and some accompanied drawings of imagery used in her songs. Notably, it also has a QR code on the back that takes you to her streaming links, but the zine is a standout because it helps bring these songs to life.
When done thoughtfully, physical components to music can substantially improve the listening experience. It can connect you to an artist in a way that I, for one, long for in the digital age, where the “market” is oversaturated. Don’t get me wrong - everything Alice does is brazenly personal, but I think this zine propels it to even another level. It is uniquely vulnerable, and that’s somewhat missing in a world where artists are constantly encouraged to bastardize their authentic identities in pursuit of clicks and views. It’s art for expression’s sake, and I’m here for it.
Ultimately, I hope that this kind of personalization is something more of us put time toward in 2026. I’m begging of you - when you plan your next release, ask yourself: WWADD?
Jon Daily (bandNada, EWEL, The Black Black, Kissed By An Animal):
I absolutely love album artwork. I find it so important to the experience of music, and I especially love an illustrated scene that tells a story and gives a visual insight to the music. There was a lot of really good album art released this past year from New York City bands. Here are a few that I loved in particular.
better living - 5th Wave Disaster - art by Ashton Doukas
Big Head - Bad Luck - art by Vincent Stracquadanio
Bummer Camp - Stuck in a Dream - art by Ilana Friedman
Moon Sand Land - Table Tennis - art by Evan Parness
Alice Danger - Nothing is Ready - art by Alice Danger
Shadow Monster - Dog - art by Gillian Visco
