Legendary Japanese–Australian punk trio Mach Pelican are returning with their first new release in nearly two decades in January. Local label Cheersquad is releasing a vinyl single, “Remember It?” b/w “Summer Sun”.

Recorded by Paul Maybury (Rocket Science) at the renowned Secret Location Sound Recorders in Melbourne, the tracks are said to capture everything fans love about Mach Pelican: high-speed energy, pop-soaked melodies, and those unmistakably catchy hooks.

The single will be released on January 30 in three limited vinyl variants — translucent red, translucent blue and classic black — in runs of 100 copies each, plus a worldwide digital release.

Pre-orders are open here.

Mach Pelican have been gigging, mostly in and around Melbourne, and will host a single launch party on Saturday, January 31 at The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar in their adopted home city, Special guests will be Loose Lips and Elvis II.

Swiss psych-garage punk trio The Jackets are finally bringing their long-awaited Australian tour to life in February and March..

Hailing from Bern, Switzerland, The Jackets are known for their ferocious blend of fuzz-soaked garage rock, raw punk energy and warped psychedelia. Frontwoman Jackie Brutsche commands the stage with a fearless, high-voltage live performance, while the band’s no-frills approach has earned them cult status across Europe, the UK, Japan and the USA

The Jackets have released five full-length albums and three vinyl singles, collaborating with labels such as Voodoo Rhythm Records (Switzerland), Chaputa! Records (Portugal), and Soundflat Records (Germany). Along the way, they’ve worked with influential musicians and producers like Reverend Beat-Man (The Monsters), King Khan (The Shrines/KK & BBQ), and Jim Diamond (White Stripes/Dirtbombs).

Another Japanese rock band is landing in Australia. This time it’s TsuShiMaMiRe making their Down Under debut, hitting Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney in February.

Known worldwide for their explosive live performances, razor-sharp musicianship and fearless genre-blending sound, TsuShiMaMiRe have spent more than two decades carving out a fiercely loyal cult following across Japan, North America and Europe.

In no particular order heres my Top Ten highlights of 2025

Hard-Ons
There’s just no stopping the Hard-Ons.   I was fortunate enough to play three gigs in three days with them recently and they just don’t stop. A band who’s been around this long could be excused for dialing it in from time to time but they never do. They’re still putting out music of a consistently high standard (their collab with Jerry A recently being up with their best) and their live shows never disappoint.  And they still manage to be top blokes.

 Service Station Chicken - Dave Favours & The Roadside Ashes (Stanley Records)

Dave Favours & The Roadside Ashes make country music for people who don’t like country music. That’s a truism, not a slur.

The point is that the players’ background in underground Oz rock and roll, circa late 1980s rolling into the ‘90s, is apparent in their playing. You play enough sticky carpet dives where patrons demand to be impressed and you become a harder player. At least that's how it was before streaming. These Roadside Ashes have a work ethic honed over some years.

Spain-based, Canadian-born, Australian-raised guitar legend Chris Masuak (Radio Birdman, The Hitmen, Screaming Tribesmen, New Christs) was going to be promoting his new album “Chris Masuak’s Dog Soldier” with a tour Down Under in November, but a recurring illness required an emergency operation.

What illness? It's referred to in Chris' book, “Faith and Practice in Bedlam” (High Voltage Publishing – edited by this writer). I'm not going to explain it: find the reference and read up. Fucking horrible, is all I'm gonna say. Makes me squirm to even think of having an operation there.

Anyway. I listened to the album, thought it was damn good, and fired off some questions to Chris. 

Apple of Life - Dom Mariani (Alive Naturalsound)

From the tumbling drums and Spector-lite touches of opener “Breakaway” to the keening country pop of single “Jangleland”, this album is classic Dom Mariani.

In a long career spanning The Stems, Majestic Kelp, the Someloves, Datura 4 and DM3, the man has never stumbled. “Apple of Life” adds another sparkling gem to the back catalogue.

Mariani’s travels have taken myriad twists and turns but strong songwriting has always been the axis on which his journey turns. So it is with “Apple of Life”, which mines the usual seams of powerpop and rock but this time adding strong country touches. Glimpses of ‘70s pop and New Wave peek through and gives the record its own distinctive edge.  

Faith & Fumes – Brian McCarty (Electric Lab Recordings)

So there I was at some Indiana Sunday night punk rock juice bar, circa ‘87-ish, half blinded by strobe lights and taking liberal pulls from my handy flask. I was probably wearing some kinda gloomy trench coat, a NY Dolls T-shirt from High Street in Columbus (either from Mothra or Magnolia Thunderpussy), ripped jeans with band logos sharpied on them, combat boots, lots of hair spray and bad Cure kid makeup.

I'd just gotten outta juvie, where they'd stuck me in solitary for a month, for lippin' off to the kind of creep who thought that juvenile corrections seemed like a worthy calling, and that month alone made me even weirder and more stubbornly determined to escape the never ending abuse and behavior modification bootcamping of those plantation states.

The band on stage were doing some kinda crazy, confetti colored, frenzied clash between Hanoi Rocks and the NY Dolls with bubble gummy Ramones choruses and atomic energy. The songs I think I remember from back then were about defending free speech, freedom of the press, choosing one's own preferred lifestyle, and fighting the P.M.R.C. and Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority ("Smut") and struggling to find a redemptive romance while being stuck working low wage blue collar jobs ("Gasboy"). I think they were already playing "Downtown Nowhere" that night, too, which became a big favorite among our small group of peers. Always adored, "You Threw Me Away", as well. I could instantly relate to everything they were doing.