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.

Features / Music
Warren Ellis Made A Last Minute Decision Not To Attend EODM Show At Bataclan
"It was very strange to be sitting in a kind of circus with everybody on their iPhones, huddled over their phones trying to work out what was going on."
News / Music
20 Years Ago: Did Hubris Bring Down One Of The Great Festival Line-ups?
In 1995, then-fledgling promoter Stephen Pavlovic took on the Big Day Out with a killer roster of acts - and almost lost everything in the process
Features / Music
The Music 2015 Writers' Poll: Steve Bell
Features / Music
On Why Their Disparate Worlds Are Converging At A Rapid Pace
"It kinda does some good stuff for us to have two different entities - it gives us a little more freedom to experiment and try different things."
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Custard, Gentle Ben & His Sensitive Side, Love Signs
"They do Brisbane proud (as ever)."
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Father John Misty, Cameron Avery
"The Ideal Husband finds Tillman writhing on the ground with the mic inserted into the crotch of his strides."
Features / Music
Why Violent Femmes Are Writing New Material, If Only For Their Own Sanity
"The longer a band sticks around the more reduced their profile becomes — it's like they're trying to turn everybody into a one-hit wonder."
Features / Music
Bringing With Her The Old, The New, And The Long Guitar Solo
"When I come down to Australia I lean heavily upon the first couple of albums because that's the golden time of my music down there."
Features / Music
Lanie Lane
Lanie Lane Chose A Nomadic Life Over A Musical Career, And Found Love Along The Way
"That's my main mission; everything I do is just about unlimiting myself in every way. "
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Mullum Music Festival
"All that remains is to mark off next year’s dates in the calendar so we can start counting down the days ‘til we do it all again."
Reviews / Album
Album Review: Various Smudge - The Manilow Tribute Album
"The result showcases both the strength of the album and the high regard this great band is still held in by their peers."
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Ron Sexsmith
"This must be what it’s like when a Canadian watches Paul Kelly."