We’re super excited to unveil our annual Piccadilly Records Compilation, a deep dive into the sounds that defined our year. And for the first time ever the vinyl has been joined by a CD edition including nine bonus tracks.
But let’s begin with the vinyl compilation.
Featuring twelve tracks from artists in our EOY Top 20, here’s a brief track-by-track synopsis.
A1 Rude Films “Death Hex”
From the album ‘Rude Films’ - No.2 in the Piccadilly Top 100
Kicking off this year’s vinyl compilation, Rude Films strike hard and heavy with “Death Hex”; a devastating, monolithic opener that fuses Mogwai’s loud/quiet dynamics with soaring vocal harmonies.
A2 Geese “Taxes”
From the album ‘Getting Killed’ - No.4 in the Piccadilly Top 100
Currently creating a seismic stir with their new album, “Taxes” embarks on an epic odyssey through shifting moods and styles - perfectly encapsulating the album’s essence.
A3 Momma “I Want You (Fever)’
From the album ‘Welcome To My Blue Sky’ - No.6 in the Piccadilly Top 100
Brooklyn’s Momma keep the tempo high with a breezy indie-pop anthem - packed with driving guitar hooks and soaring melodic vocals that The Breeders would’ve nailed in their prime.
A4 Big Thief “Los Angeles”
From the album ‘Double Infinity’ - No.3 in the Piccadilly Top 100
Taking the tempo down a notch, Big Thief's understated brilliance comes to the fore with “Los Angeles”. A warm folky sound that wraps itself around Adrianne Lenker’s unmistakable vocals. Intimate, classy and timeless!
A5 Emma-Jean Thackray “Staring At the Wall”
From the album ‘Weirdo’ - No.10 in the Piccadilly Top 100
The jazz infused “Staring At The Wall” combines minimal keys and sparse synthesized beats with raw and emotional vocals. A deeply personal track born from a period of loss and introspection.
A6 Pulp “Spike Island”
From the album ‘More’ - No.5 in the Piccadilly Top 100
Big hitters Pulp close out Side A in euphoric style. “Spike Island” is Pulp at their best; an anthemic and evocative track recalling the near mythical Stone Roses gig in 1990.
B1 Lael Neale “Wild Waters”
From the album ‘Altogether Stranger’ - No.7 in the Piccadilly Top 100
Lael Neale’s sparkling “Wild Waters” heads up Side B with its synthetic handclaps, motorik pulse, and sugar-sweet vocals. Echoes of Spacemen 3 and VU drift through her minimalist drone-pop landscape.
B2 Nightbus “Ascension”
From the album ‘Passenger’ - No.8 in the Piccadilly Top 100
Flowing on with an electro-pop pulse Nightbus’ “Ascension” simply glides and glistens in a weightless blissed out space, moving along like prime time New Order, detached but beautiful.
B3 Andy Bell “I’m In Love…”
From the album ‘Pinball Wanderer’ - No.14 in the Piccadilly Top 100
Andy Bell sustains the shimmering dream-pop soundscape on his cover of “I’m In Love With A German Film Star”; an epic, ethereal kosmische collaboration with Dot Allison and Neu!’s Michael Rother.
B4 Sydney Minsky Sargeant “I Don't Wanna” ***
From the album ‘Lunga’ - No.11 in the Piccadilly Top 100
Sidestepping his Working Men’s Club project, Sydney delivers an LP of languid alt-folk. With its gentle acoustic guitars and subtle flowing synths, “I Don’t Wanna” offers a perfect snapshot of the album.
B5 Kokoroko “Never Lost”
From the album ‘Tuff Times Never Last’ - No.20 in the Piccadilly Top 100
The mood remains mellow with Kokoroko’s sublime “Never Lost”, a beautifully lilting piece of soulful jazz. Vibrant harmonies shimmer throughout, radiating like golden sunshine for the ears.
B6 Antony Szmierek “The Great Pyramid Of Stockport”
From the album ‘Service Station At The End Of The Universe’ - No.1 in the Piccadilly Top 100
The compilation closes on a high with the bombastic ode to “The Great Pyramid Of Stockport”. Our Album of the Year hero delivers his poetic lyrical flow over a backdrop of thumping dance beats, swirling synths, and intricate guitar licks.
*** A vinyl only track.
The CD edition of Piccadilly Records Compilation 2025 features nine bonus tracks hand-picked from our Collections, Singles, and Genre charts; though it loses the vinyl only Sydney Minsky Sargeant track. With 20 tracks in total and a reworked sequence the CD runs to a glorious 80 minutes in total.
Here’s a brief review of the bonus tracks:
Mancunian outfit
Westside Cowboy have been making serious waves across the country with their off-kilter slacker indie-rock, and “I’ve Never Met Anyone…” is a killer cut from their debut EP, definitely ones to watch in 2026!
Having earned early support from Andrew Weatherall and, more recently, Richard Fearless, Andrew Innes and David Holmes, Belfast’s
Deeply Armed affirm their credentials with “The Healing”, a propulsive kosmische psyche-dance mantra charged with hypnotic energy.
Ghost Assembly turn up the intensity with thumping synth stabs on the glorious acid chugger “Resist!”, whilst
Alex Kassian follows up last year’s epic “A Reference To E2-E4…” with another monumental rework in the form of Spooky’s "Orange Coloured Liquid”.
Blurring the boundaries between Balearic, kosmische, disco and psych;
Psychederek woo us again with the blissed-out 80s Ibiza vibe of “Thinkin' Bout U”. Whilst Piccadilly staffer Barry, under his
Apta guise, provides a beautifully warm slice of electronica with “The Depths” before we drift into the deep, meditative jazz of “Love Theme From Your Life” courtesy of LA’s
Phi-Psonics.
Ellen Beth Abdi lays down the majestically soulful “Sad Chord” and finally
Christian (The Earlies) Madden & The Enemy Chorus’ gloriously funky “Twice As Thick” is the standout pick from Two Piers ‘Soul Psychédélique (The Sounds Of Psychedelic Soul & Funk 1967-2024)’, our Collection of the Year!
TRACK LISTING
VINYL TRACKLISTING:
A1 Rude Films “Death Hex”
A2 Geese “Taxes”
A3 Momma “I Want You (Fever)’
A4 Big Thief “Los Angeles”
A5 Emma-Jean Thackray “Staring At The Wall”
A6 Pulp “Spike Island”
B1 Lael Neale “Wild Waters”
B2 Nightbus “Ascension”
B3 Andy Bell “I’m In Love…”
B4 Sydney Minsky Sargeant “I Don't Wanna” ***
B5 Kokoroko “Never Lost”
B6 Antony Szmierek “The Great Pyramid Of Stockport”
*** A Vinyl Only Track.
CD TRACKLISTING:
1. Rude Films “Death Hex”
2. Geese “Taxes”
3. Momma “I Want You (Fever)”
4. Westside Cowboy “I've Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Really Love (Until I Met You)”
5. Big Thief “Los Angeles”
6. Pulp “Spike Island”
7. Lael Neale “Wild Waters”
8. Nightbus “Ascension”
9. Andy Bell “I’m In Love…”
10. Deeply Armed “The Healing”
11. Ghost Assembly “Resist! (Radio Edit)”
12. Alex Kassian X Spooky “Orange Coloured Liquid (Part I)”
13. Psychederek “Thinkin' Bout U”
14. Apta “The Depths”
15. Phi-Psonics “Love Theme From Your Life”
16. Ellen Beth Abdi “Sad Chord”
17. Emma-Jean Thackray “Staring At The Wall”
18. Kokoroko “Never Lost”
19. Christian Madden & The Enemy Chorus “Twice As Thick”
20. Antony Szmierek “The Great Pyramid Of Stockport”
