Fresh Finds: Class Of 2025 – Aussie Acts To Add To Your Playlist

Joe Dolan, Journalist

Joe Dolan

In 2016, I was studying professional writing when an email dropped into my inbox with an opportunity to intern with a budding street press magazine (those were a thing back then). By the end of the eight-or-so-week course I was hooked - and for some bizarre reason,The Musicdecided to keep me around.

Since then I’ve gone on to review countless live gigs, albums, standup sets, theatre shows and gotten to interview some bone fide legends along the way too. Nowadays, I even perform and work on the occasional show myself, but I still like to find time to get out amongst the action whenever I can.

If it weren’t forThe Music, I can genuinely say my life would be totally different. Definitely more boring, to say the least.

Reviews / Live
Live Review: James Blake, Mark Pritchard
"The trio's ability to replicate their recorded sound live is so astounding that it becomes borderline questionable."
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Fat White Family, Whipper
"Their onstage antics are like Spinal Tap on biker meth, but their music is true punk."
Reviews / Live
Live Review: The Goon Sax, Degas
"It is not a spontaneous or perhaps even surprising performance, but is a beautiful one nonetheless."
Features / Arts
Sounds Tasty
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Tex Perkins & Charlie Owen
"While Perkins plays a chiselled jester, Owen sits back with guitar in hand, endearingly shaking his head with a chuckle."
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Alex Gow & Dan Kelly, Emma Russack
"Watching Gow and Kelly on stage together is like a high school talent show gone right."
Reviews / Live
Live Review: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Pieces Of Gil Scott-Heron
"Jones's earnest and clearly genuine affection for the late Scott-Heron is an ultimate reminder of the musician's transcendental genius."
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Henry Wagons, Leah Senior, Gena Rose Bruce
"His sincerity and self-referential nature - declaring himself a "hairy idiot tossbag" - is what saves him."
Reviews / Album
Album Review: Pretty City - Colorize
"This album cries out to be played in full."
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Sex On Toast, Lazertits, Beautiful Beasts
"The ten-piece funk/soul brothers make their way to the stage, brazen in full white and looking like a clan of cruise-ship entertainers."
Reviews / Album
Album Review: Damien Binder - A New World
"'A New World' takes classic indie-acoustic styles of old and blends them with a hefty dose of Britpop flair."
Reviews / Album
Album Review: Fiona Joy - Signature - Synchronicity
a well-formed, if a little repetitive, compositional success
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