Bye bye ’25 and another brilliant year for new music
We have come to the end of another tour around the sun. in-house guru David Kowalski sums up another great year for new music both locally and abroad.
For my LAST article of the YEAR, I thought I’d take some time to reflect on some of what’s happened this year, with a few personal highlights thrown in for good measure.
on vinyl
New and big albums released Taylor Swift, pet impala And Camp Cope They released their final concert at the Sydney Opera House on vinyl. punk pop band After a fashion They tried to play the charts by moving as many copies of their new album as possible through Bandcamp and social media channels to reach number one on the ARIA Charts. They faked it. four Despite their best efforts, they are at number one in the main album charts, number one in the Australian charts and number two in the physical media charts, which is still an achievement.
I loved the new albums of two different bands from outside Melbourne. reunited Ice Cream HandsOfficially reunited in 2020 and released their first album in years in 2021. There Is No Weapon But Love. In 2025, they released a brand new album, available only on vinyl, CD, and digital download (no Spotify or Apple Music, unfortunately). Giant Fox Pineapple Tree. The new album features some of the best songs of recent years, including the new single Back On The Road. Inside the lush artwork are 11 tracks of melodic beauty and warm production. Chuck Jenkins’ songwriting is as sharp as ever and the album is a gem from start to finish.
Luckily, the other album that came my way was the one released in October 2025. ‘I Cook Books‘ by inner city funk players 3 Cooking on the Stove. This is their first album in several years, as various members have been involved in other projects in the meantime. I start with the title track, an infectious beat that leads to an album of music that is as danceable as it is layered with detail for music lovers like me to review. It’s not entirely instrumental, with some guest vocals from Stella Angelico and Natalie Shade, among others. Totally worth checking out.
in the movie
I loved the new Spinal Tap movie. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. It was one of those unique experiences where me and the friend I went with were the only two people in the entire theatre. Although I thought the lead cast’s improvisational skills were diminished somewhat, I still felt this was a worthy follow-up to the 1984 original. I’m so sorry to hear this death the director of the movie Rob Reiner and his wife, Michelle, in the hands of their 32-year-old daughter. sonNick. I think this was a tragic way to end the career of one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century. My mind was blown when I realized the six-fingered man was inside. Princess Bride (also directed by Reiner) was actually Nigel Tufnell (Christopher Guest) From Spinal Tap!
May they rest in peace and thank you for the good times.
on stage
We had a lot of big bands and tours hitting our shores this year. Lady Gaga with metallicaTo home grown heroes AC/DC and a concert that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago – Oasis.
However, my favorite concert of the year was that of the band NSW Central Coast Little Oddities. They were promoting their new EP Monster and the night I was there I played on the little Canberra stage like it was a football stadium. The band was tight, energetic, and musically on point, with rich four-part vocal harmonies that only siblings and relatives can produce. They recently played a hometown show Drifter Pier It was a night to remember on Gosford beach, with a brass section added to fill out the sound, and by all accounts. We hope they have a great 2026.
in the video
I loved the video of Nick Vultureman posing as a filmmaker and songwriter Nick Vulture. ‘He was released in May’Times Aren’t Changing Anytime Soon‘ was one of the visual and audio events of the year for me. The video features some very clever CGI (or maybe AI??) footage of what it’s like to live next to Skippy or see him walking down the hall. Wynyard Station on my way to work in the morning. Musically, it was like the answer song of the 21st century. Bob Dylan ‘masterpiece’Times They ChangedBut from 1963 onwards, in this tumultuous age of sociopolitical madness, it takes a darker, more modern turn.
I want to thank everyone who read one of my articles this year and everyone who read this, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2026, where all the success will come your way.
Until next time…
LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S SPECIALLY CREATED PLAYLIST BELOW:
David Kowalski is an author, musician, educator, audio engineer, and podcaster. His podcasts ‘The Sound and the Fury Podcast’ and ‘Audio Cumulus’ are available to listen to only HERE. You can follow David on Twitter/X @sound_fury_pod.
