Albums We Love, Sounds From Brazil, and Year-End Glow

Last Saturday, we ventured out to the Swedish Cottage in Central Park to see Samba Cinderella, a marionette adaptation of the classic fairy tale with a Brazilian twist. The lively samba music made the warm but chilly day more enjoyable. The puppets are adorable, and it’s heartwarming to see how much dedication the puppeteers put into their craft.

Samba and bossa nova are well-known genres from Brazil, but what about today’s artists who align more with the glamglare vibe?

Recently, we featured São Paulo artist Sessa on the site, but submissions and pitches from Brazil are generally rare. So, we did some research and found four more songs by Brazilian artists. All are in Portuguese, which may be why they are not as well-known here.

It’s time for our year-end list! Over the years, we’ve used many different formats for sharing our favorite music, reflecting changing listening habits. In 2025, we’re returning to the classic top ten albums to highlight a renewed focus on full-length records. We had a great selection to choose from, making it difficult to narrow all that fantastic music down to just ten artists.

Ranking them from one to ten is impossible. Which album is the best largely depends on the current mood.

So here we go:

• Art D’Ecco - Serene Demon: Glam-slick art-pop that balances theatrical darkness with undeniable hooks.
• Dear Boy - Celebrator: Lush, shimmering indie rock steeped in nostalgia, melody, and flawless craftsmanship.
• Ela Minus - Día: Minimalist electronic poetry—intimate, pulsing, and defiantly human.
• Erika De Casier - Lifetime: Silky, understated R&B where every detail is polished and whisper-intense.
• Hilang Child - Gratitude Journal: Dream-folk meets widescreen pop in a beautifully reflective, slow-burning record.
• Neggy Gemmy - She Came From Nowhere: Hypercolor electronic pop that flips between euphoria and existential gleam.
• Robin Kester - Dark Sky Reserve: Atmospheric, cinematic indie—quietly haunting, beautifully arranged, impossible to shake.
• Rosa Anschütz - Sabbatical: A magnetic blend of avant-pop and techno pulse, delivered with icy elegance.
• Wyldest - The Universe Is Loading: Cosmic dream-pop that turns uncertainty into a warm, luminous embrace.
• Yndling - Time Time Time (In The Palm of my Hand): A lush breakup chronicle where shoegaze haze meets trip-hop tenderness.

Listen to a song from each album on our playlist on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Music.

Five Songs: Brazil

Listen to glamglare five songs on Spotify, Apple Music, or below on YouTube.

Dive into Brazilian indie music with this week’s five songs. Aside from Sessa, who we featured with “Nome De Deus,” we do not know much about the other artists. But listening to this music piqued our interest, in particular since we are learning Portuguese on Duolingo.

Enjoy music from:

• Sessa (São Paulo) - “Vale a Pena”
• Flora Matos (Brasília) - “Piloto”
• ÀIYÉ (Rio de Janeiro) - “Pulmão”
• Céu (São Paulo) - “Gerando na Alta”
• Tuyo (Curitiba) - “Pro Mundo Ouvrir”

Song Pick of the Day

Listen to/watch all seven songs on YouTube. Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify for the 50 latest Song Pick of the Day features, or subscribe here to receive them in your mailbox in real-time. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.

• Cinematic shadows and a voice that glows — Ula’s “Corridors” sets the tone beautifully.
• Robber Robber’s new single “Talkback” hits with raw urgency — a soundtrack for every perfect quip you only think of afterward.
• Shadow puppets, honest words, and a melody born in the heat — Tessa Rose Jackson’s “By Morning” stays with you long after the last note.
• Art School Girlfriend’s new single “The Peaks” turns a moment of sharp vulnerability into something expansive and deeply immersive. It’s the latest preview from her upcoming album Lean In, out next spring.
• A submerged world of steel and bloom — Ladytron’s “Kingdom Undersea” invites you in with an irresistible pull.
• Soft glow in the grey areas: Berlin duo Nick & June return with “You Are the Voice That’s Hunting My Soul for a Show,” a dreamy blend of acoustic and electronic warmth.
• Hazy, tender, and emotionally precise — Wintur’s “Turn a Page” stays with you.

A Little Feast, a Lot of Joy — and Nine Photos to Show It

Nine photos of a feast for the palate and the senses — enjoyed with lovely friends.

A small sneak peek into our kitchen, where part of the magic happened (and continued the next day with the “leftovers,” including my traditional turkey bánh mì — a ritual I happily repeat every year).

Photo number eight was taken on 14th Street; its giant “SANDWICH” sign felt too perfect not to include. And the last photo marks our official holiday kickoff — with more decoration to come.

Enjoy this little glimpse — and here’s to a holiday season filled with good food, cozy light, and fabulous company.