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

Steve Bell, Journalist

Steve Bell

Many, many moons ago Steve Bell was unassumingly writing a small fanzine for the inner-city Brisbane record store where he worked when on one otherwise normal day he was poached into the cutthroat world of street press, embarking on an eye-opening journey interviewing bands and banging on about music for the street press publication Time Off. It's an association that's now existed for well over 20 years - including a decade full-time as the print editor for Time Off/The Music - and one which still provides him with immense enjoyment and satisfaction, even though in recent times it's nestled alongside other music-related vocations such as co-owning a record store and indie label, radio broadcasting and navigating the podcast world.

Reviews / Live
Live Review: Low, Mike Noga
"In the live realm their music seems to mesh with your very being."
Features / Music
Record Store Day: What's It All About?
"These changes provided greater and cheaper access to music, but also acted to devalue its acquisition as an experience."
Features / Music
How Parquet Courts Learnt That They Have To Be Vulnerable
"Being vulnerable in public — whether live on stage or just putting your music out into the public arena is… different."
Reviews / Album
Album Review: Weezer - Weezer (White Album)
"While nothing scales their mid-'90s heights, tunes like the offbeat King Of The World remind why this band remains so beloved. "
Features / Music
Tinpan Orange
Tinpan Orange On Creating "A Separate World"
"We didn't want to reinvent ourselves too much, we just wanted to be honest."
Reviews / Album
Album Review: Parquet Courts - Human Performance
"Intelligent introspection of deceptive depth and considerable charm."
Reviews / Album
Album Review: Various - The Glory Days Of Aussie Pub Rock Vol 1
"A great overview of a glorious time in Australian music, one unlikely to be ever replicated."
Reviews / Arts
Danny Bhoy: Please Untick This Box
"He's such a naturally likeable character — with that impish charm, a hint of the mischievous rogue."
Features / Music
Meet Brisbane's Children Of Rock'N'Roll
"He didn't overthink it as much as I did — he just had a natural knack of saying exactly what he wanted to say and not be self-conscious."
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Bluesfest 2016
"Words can never do justice to this level of surrealism and absurdity."
News / Music
The National, Tweedy & More Keep The Bluesfest Party Alive On Day 2
"I’ve wanted to see Jeff Tweedy perform solo forever and that half-hour made this entire weekend worthwhile already."
Reviews / Arts
Tom Gleeson: Great
"Gleeson's ability to intelligently poke fun at those around him — and himself in the process — makes 'Great' so warm."