We have arrived at the end of another lap around the sun. In-house guru David Kowalski recaps another brilliant year for new music, both locally and abroad.
FOR MY LAST article of the year, I thought I would take a moment to reflect on some of what has happened this year, with a few personal highlights thrown in for good measure.
On vinyl
There were big new album releases by Taylor Swift, Tame Impala and Camp Cope released their final concert at the Sydney Opera House on vinyl. Punk pop band Soso tried to game the charts by moving as many possible copies of their new album via their Bandcamp and social media channels in order to reach number one on the ARIA Charts. They made number four on the main albums charts, number one on the Australian charts and number two on the physical media charts for all their efforts, which is still an achievement.
I loved the new albums by two very different bands out of Melbourne. The reunited Icecream Hands, who officially reunited in 2020 and issued their first album in years in 2021 with No Weapon But Love. In 2025, they issued a brand new album on vinyl, CD and digital download only (no Spotify or Apple Music, unfortunately) entitled Giant Fox Pineapple Tree. The new record features some of their best songs in years, including the new single Back On The Road. Within the lush artwork, there are 11 tracks of melodic beauty and warm production. Chuck Jenkins’s songwriting is as sharp as ever, and the album is a gem from start to finish.
The other album that fortunately crossed my path was the October 2025 release of 'Cookin’ The Books' by inner city funksters Cookin’ On 3 Burners. It is their first album in a number of years, as various members have taken on other projects in the interim. Kicking off with the title track, which is an infectious groove that gives way to an album of music that is as danceable as it is layered with detail for the music nerds like me to dissect. It’s not totally instrumental, with some guest vocals from Stella Angelico and Natalie Shade, among others. Totally worth checking out.
On film
I loved the new Spinal Tap movie, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. It was one of those unique experiences where myself and the friend I went with were the only two people in the entire theatre. While I thought the improvisation skills of the principal cast had waned somewhat, I felt it was still a worthy sequel to the original 1984 film. I am beyond sad to hear of the death of the film’s director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michelle at the hands of their 32-year-old son, Nick. I think it was a tragic way to end a career of one of the great filmmakers of the 20th century. My mind was blown when I realised that the six-fingered man in The Princess Bride (also directed by Reiner) was actually Nigel Tufnell (Christopher Guest) from Spinal Tap!
May they rest in peace and thanks for the good times.
On stage
We had loads of huge bands and tours landing on our shores this year, from Lady Gaga to Metallica, to homegrown heroes AC/DC and, a gig that was unthinkable only a couple of years ago — Oasis.
That said, my favourite gig of the year was by NSW Central Coast band Little Quirks. They were promoting their new EP The Beast and on the night I was there, played the small Canberra stage like it was a football stadium. The band were tight, energetic and musically on point, with rich four-part vocal harmonies that only siblings and relatives can produce. They recently played a home-town show at Drifter’s Wharf on the Gosford waterfront, with an added brass section to fill out the sound, and by all accounts, it was a night to remember. Here’s hoping they have a fantastic 2026.
On video
I loved the video of Nick Vultureman, in his guise as filmmaker and songwriter Nick Vulture. His release in May of 'The Times Aren’t Changing Anytime Soon' was one of the visual and audio highlights of the year for me. The video features some very clever CGI (or maybe AI??) images of what it must be like living next door to Skippy, or seeing him walking through the concourse at Wynyard Station on the way to work in the morning. Musically it was something of a 21st-century answer song to the Bob Dylan masterpiece 'The Times They Are A’Changin'' from 1963, however, it takes a darker more modern turn, in this hurly-burly age of sociopolitical madness.
I would like to thank everyone who has read one of my articles this year, and to all reading this one, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, with every success coming your way in 2026.
Until next time…
LISTEN TO THIS WEEK'S SPECIALLY CURATED PLAYLIST BELOW:
David Kowalski is a writer, musician, educator, sound engineer and podcaster. His podcasts 'The Sound and the Fury Podcast' and 'Audio Cumulus' can be heard exclusively HERE. You can follow David on Twitter/X @sound_fury_pod.
