- Details
- Written by: Edwin Garland
- Hits: 1686
I thought this was quiet year but, looking back at It, there were many more than 10 gems that stand out for me. So it’s a round-up - with only a slight concession to numbers.
I do see myself as a hermit compared to most people who go to gigs every week and constantly buy albums. But 2025 was a bustling and explosive year for me with some real highlights.
“South by South West” in Sydney was chaotic, a lottery dip and well worth a look for some superb bands. From Chinese metal art house to the best indie pop this side of Half a Cow Records, I recommend checking it out next year.
For personal musical highlights, I was honoured to be part of Ernie Oppenheimer’s post- punk album, “The Institutionalist”. Playing a gig at Geoff Datson’s hootenanny with someone I believe in one is one of the best blues-swamp guitar players, Bones of The Deadly Hume, was a hoot. There will eventually be a YouTube clip.
Finally, there was a little doco that I was involved with about the photography of Bryan Cook. There will a book out early next year, “Spirits of the Hopetoun” will feature his photos with some magnificent research and interviews by Dr Greg Ferris and Dr Liz Giuffre.
- Details
- Written by: Al Creed
- Hits: 870
Lisa Gough Photography
1. LACHLAN X MORRIS – “ILLUSIONAIRES”
If you don’t know about Novocastrian pop genius, Lachlan X Morris’s work, then you need to get off your ass and give his latest album, “Illusionaires”, a spin and subsequent purchase.
In my mind, Lachlan is one of those artists that you wonder, “how is this guy not world renowned and a household name?” He also surrounds himself with a cast of superb musicians whose abilities are equally the perfect vehicle for driving his musical offings into your worn-out earholes, making them feel fresh and resonant.
- Details
- Written by: Keith Claringbold
- Hits: 1204
GIGS
The Schizophonics at the Factory Floor in Sydney
And no, Craig, I can’t name three songs and it doesn’t matter one iota.
The Fadeaways at Marrickville Bowlo, Sydney
Great fun.
Barry Adamson-Factory Theatre, Sydney.
It was a looooooong time since I last saw Barry, playing bass for Magazine in 1980. He was great then and is great now.
- Details
- Written by: Mike Foxall
- Hits: 1147
2025 TOP 10 THINGS OF A ROCK & ROLL NATURE - BY FOX
1. TRANSISTORS - “EVERYTHING WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN” LP
My favourite album of the year was by this Kiwi trio I've never heard before. Turns out it is a reunion album of sorts, with the band being previously active in the late 00s / early 2010s. It’s up tempo punk / power pop with great melodies played with intent and aggression. The unexpected bonus to this discovery was my mate Troy accessing his internal Dewey Decimal System and gifting me a test pressing of their 2007 debut album “Shortwave” plucked from his vast wax museum. It’s also killer!
- Details
- Written by: Simon Li
- Hits: 538
1. "20 Years in the Crypt - Embedded on tour with Dead Moon" (documentary)
2. Fanny - "The Right to Rock" (documentary)
3. Karen Dalton - "In My Own Time" (documentary)
4, "Without Getting Killed or Caught" (Guy Clark documentary)
5. Margo Price - "Hard Headed Woman" (digital album)
6. Neko Case - "Neon Grey Midnight Green" (digital album)
7. Die Spitz - "Something to Consume" (digital album)
8. The Prize - "In the Red" (digital album)
9. The Mezcaltones "Big Hat, No Cattle" Album Launch at Marrickville Bowling Club, Sydney
10. Toody Cole and her band - PBS FM "Studio 5 Live"
RIP James Baker, Clem Burke, Sly Stone, Rex Bell, Steve Cropper, Ace Frehley, Garth Hudson, Todd Snider, David Johansen, Ozzy Osbourne, Jimmy Cliff, Raul Malo
- Details
- Written by: TheDean
- Hits: 1500
Alex Green photo.
Ginger Butcher, Baker and the Candlestick Maker
10. Nunchukka Superfly - “If You Go Down, I Go Down Too” LP Launch. Marrickville Bowlo, 29th August
We had the pleasure of seeing Ray and Blackie quite a bit this year. Live and on the big screen. The only artist we got to absorb more than these two champs were our Rock n Rock Bloodbrothers The Strike-Outs.
- Details
- Written by: Sean The Bastard
- Hits: 1404
In no particular order heres my Top Ten highlights of 2025
Hard-Ons
There’s just no stopping the Hard-Ons. I was fortunate enough to play three gigs in three days with them recently and they just don’t stop. A band who’s been around this long could be excused for dialing it in from time to time but they never do. They’re still putting out music of a consistently high standard (their collab with Jerry A recently being up with their best) and their live shows never disappoint. And they still manage to be top blokes.
- Details
- Written by: Mark Roxburgh
- Hits: 1325
I missed the 2024 deadline for a Top 10 because I struggled to recall 10 things musically that gave me a lift. I came up with five and gave up. I saw a bunch of live stuff that really gave me the shits so that doesn’t count. Says more about me than the music scene.
Although I could put together a list of 10 excellent music things this year, I thought I’d take a different tack and go all academic on you because the thing that has been most on my mind this year is all the bands hating on Spotify and jumping off it. Partly because of its piss poor payment to, and chronic exploitation of, musicians.
Spotify isn’t alone in this. Although at the bottom end of pay per streams they are in stellar company with YouTube Music, Apple, Amazon and Deezer. But the main reasons artists are boycotting Spotify is because of Daniel Ek’s investment in Helsing, a German AI drone defence company. Purportedly established to boost the defence of European Democracies in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- Details
- Written by: Ursula Collie Medew
- Hits: 2380
-three
The. moment "Punk Grandma" placed number in the 4ZZZ Hot 100
1. “Punk Grandma” being voted number 3 in the 2024 4ZZZ Hot 100!
The countdown was held in The Triffid and our song was in the running. It was great fun for Mick and me to hang out with fellow local musicians and friends!!
2. Playing live
Mick Medew and Ursula will have played 16 times this year, 14 times as the four-piece and twice as the duo. Shows for the 4 were in Newcastle, Sydney, Gold Coast (supporting The Johnnys), The Triffid (supporting The Painters and Dockers where Jeremy Oxley got up and sang “Happy Man” with them), a 30th birthday in Goodna, twice at Banshees in Ipswich, instore at Sonic Sherpa, at the Lovejoy reunion at The Junk Bar, two gigs with The Boondall Boys, and our single launch at The Cave Inn (where we had a pizza named after the band for November).
More Articles …
- 2025 Top Tens: Colin Gray of Vicious Kitten Records
- 2025 Top Tens: Simon Vines of The Strike-Outs
- 2025 Top Tens: Adam Vines of Wollongong band The Sugar Beats and Sydney band The Strike-Outs
- 2025 Top Tens: Author and Molly Fet Circuit and Smallpox Confidential frontman Robert Brokenmouth
- 2025 Top Tens: Ex-Lime Spiders and Grooveyard member, and solo artist Richard Lawson
- 2025 Top Tens: Garry Gray of the Sacred Cowboys
Page 2 of 35
Send us stuff to review
PO Box 334
Oatley NSW
2223 Australia
Get in touch: barman@i94bar.com
The Living Eye
Tumbleed & The New Christs
JAN
16 - The Marlin, Ulladulla, NSW
+ Cool Jumper
17 - Avalon Beach RSL,
Avalon, NSW
"King Street Crawl
Summer Edition"
- Jan 25
Too many venues to mention
in Newtown, NSW
Mach Pelican
“A Secret Session”
Single Launch
+ Loose Lips + Elvis II
The Last Chance Bar, Melbourne
- Jan 31
Tickets
Dave Favours & The Roadside Ashes
Service Station Chcken Tour
JAN
17 – MoshPit Bar, Sydney, NSW
+ Bahne Super-Flex + Sam Shinazzi
18 – The Junkyard, Maitland, NSW
+ Tim Easton (USA)
20 – The Tamworth Hotel, Tamsworth, NSW
“The Tops Day Out” festival
30 – Link & Pin, Woy Woy, NSW
+ The Dunhill Blues
31 – The Oak Tighes Hill,Newcastle, NSW
+ Crank Williams and Patsy Decline
FEB
27 – The Main Bar, Ballarat, VIC
28 – Union Hotel, Brunswick, VIC
MAR
1 – Bendigo Hotel, Brunswick, VIC
The Gnomes
Dive! Dive! Dive!
Rock ‘n’ Roll Dive Bar Tour
JAN
16 - The Lansdowne, Sydney
+ Marilyn Maria + Aria Nova
17 - Dicey's, Wollongong
+ Kryver + Jordan Kenny + Harold & The Bishops
18 - Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
w/ Viagra Boys
23 - The Gem, Collingwood (8pm)
+ W.O.M.B.A.T. + Sargent Baker
30 - Last Chance Rock'n'roll Bar, Melbourne (8pm)
+ Winsky + Riviera
31 - Trash Cult, Bendigo (7pm)
+ Clydesdale
FEB
14 - Shotkickers, Thornbury (8pm)
+ Public House + Special Guests
20 - The Tote Front Bar, Collingwood (6pm)
+ Champ Ruby
21 - Kindred Bandroom, Footscray (8pm)
+ Stimpies + special guests
The Sugar Beats
+ Plastic Section
Golden Barley, Enmore
- Feb 20
TsuShiMaMiRe (JP)
Australian Tour
FEB
19 - Shotkickers, Melbourne, VIC
20 – Trash Cult, Bendigo, VIC
22– Young St Tavern, Frankston, VIC
27 - Shadows, Canberra, ACT
28 – Moshpit, Sydney, NSW
The Jackets (CH)
Australian Tour
FEB
25 – Shotkickers, Thornbury, VIC
26 - Vineyard, St Kilda, VIC
27 – Marrickville Bowlo, Sydney, NSW
28 - The Bendi, Collingwood, VIC
MAR
1 -– Trash Cult, Bendigo, VIC
2 – The Last Chance, Melbourne, VIC
Tickets
Cosmic Psychos
"I Really Like Beer Tour"
JAN
1 — Edge Hill Tavern, Cairns, QLD
2 — Dalrymple Hotel, Townsville, QLD
3 — Magnums, Airlie Beach, QLD
4 — Metropolitan Hotel, Mackay, QLD
7 — Harvey Road Tavern, Gladstone, QLD
8 — Grand Hotel, Childers, QLD
9 — Mo’s Desert Clubhouse, Gold Coast, QLD
10 — Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga, NSW
11 — Bellingen Brewery, Bellingen, NSW
14 — Moonshiners Honky Tonk Bar, Tamworth, NSW
15 — Finnian's Tavern, Port Macquarie, NSW
16 — Avalon RSL, Avalon, NSW
17 — The Marlin, Ulladulla, NSW
18 — Beer Deluxe, Albury NSW
22 — Tanswells Hotel, Beechworth, VIC
23 — Sooki Lounge, Belgrave, VIC
24 — Westonport Hotel, San Remo, VIC
25 — Social Club, Balnarring, VIC
26 — Volta, Ballarat, VIC
29 — Whalers Hotel, Warrnambool, VIC
30 — Torquay Hotel, Torquay, VIC
31 — Riverview Hotel, Tarwin Lower, VIC
FEB
12 — Royal Oak, Launceston, TAS
13 — Forth Pub, Devonport, TAS
14 — Altar, Hobart, TAS
Fresh Reviews
-
Humble Jim and his Family Dog deliver a classic
07 January 2026
-
"10 More" will make you believe to your soul
06 January 2026
-
Chow down on "Service Station Chicken" and taste the Aussie pub difference
21 December 2025
-
Dom's new country-inflected gem has pop at its core
20 December 2025
-
Ex-Trash Brat Brian McCarty's soulful letter from the Motor City
18 December 2025