2. TRICKY WOO “IM NOT A MAN I’M A COASTLINE” DOCUMENTARY
After first being teased four years ago I was delighted to see this doco finally get released. Tricky Woo are a touchstone band for me. Almost universally unheard of, (I don’t think I’ve ever met a fan in the wild though I recommend them to anyone who will listen) they produced some of the most top tier garage / retro  rock and roll  in the late ‘90s and into the ‘00s yet somehow were overlooked in that decade when everyone else started doing it.

This doco is little more than a bunch of talking heads articulating the above but it was soothing to have my own view validated. The doc mostly focuses on the “Sometimes I Cry” album (understandably as it’s a perfect record) and there are some cool “Original tapes in the studio with faders being moved up and down” footage from it which is absolute catnip for me.

3. THE UNKNOWNS - “LOOKING FROM THE OUTSIDE” LP
The new record from my favourite current Australian band who boast the sort of  tight, frenetic rhythm section our country seems to produce at will. The album is another belter stacked with ripping tunes, coupled with Josh’s urgent, heartfelt vocals sealing the deal. “Thunder In My Head” is my song of the year.

4. PLEASANTS / THE GHOULIES / GEE TEE - LIVE AT MARRICKVILLE BOWLO, NSW, ON JULY 25
I went to this gig primarily to see WA. band Pleasants who I have developed an obsession with over the past few years. They were all I’d hoped for - short, hook laden songs played at breakneck speed. Gee Tee were awesome too. The whole night was a fantastic  ADHD-addled egg punk party. Very cool seeing what the kids are up to.

5. FLY - “…OR DIE” LP
Fantastic debut LP by this Melbourne act that blew me away  at River Rocks a couple of years ago. Absolutely balls to the wall NWOBHM fuelled mayhem with studded wrist band fists in the air riffs, face melting solos and vocals straight out of an insane asylum. They wear their influences on their sleeve but if you have ever loved Tank, Motörhead or similar this album is for you. I just discovered The Neptune Power Federation will be sharing a stage with them at MuskelRock Festival in Sweden next year. Ripper!!

6. FRUIT TONES - “EASY PEELERS” LP
Super fun garage punk album with plenty of swing and a vague New York Dolls-y vibe, including veering into country and 50s rock and roll lanes. It’s still very spunky and youthful though and they generally sound like they are having a great time which is a trait I can never get enough of. I’m kicking myself that I missed them when they played in Oz last November.

7. HARD-ONS “MOST AUSTRALIAN BAND EVER”  DOCO
Unlike the subject of the tricky Woo documentary, this is the band EVERYONE has heard about. Well at least on my social media feed, which admittedly is probably a bit of a bubble. However I viewed this at a pub in Bathurst, as far away from the Australian underground punk scene as you can probably get and there was still a healthy crowd in attendance, a great testament to the Hard-Ons lasting appeal.

The doco itself was wonderful - A really sweet celebration of friendship and ordinary lives in the Australian suburbs where a fascination/obsession with rock and roll spawned a band with an absolute iron will to keep playing no matter what. Obstacles and hardships are par for the course and lesser men falter and move into real estate but these guy’s absolute commitment to their art is inspiring and life affirming and beautifully presented by Jonathan Sequeira.

8. THE ZOO BOMBS / THE UNKNOWNS / LIQUID ZOO - LIVE AT THE CROWBAR MAY 25
Back in the 90s The Zoo Bombs wrote one of my favourite songs of the decade in “Doo Bee”. I didn’t know a heap more about them but the lure of hearing that song live was enough to drag me along. They were great! A fun garage and funk mashup and they played my song for me! Also on the bill were personal faves The Unknowns who killed it as usual and a band I’d not seen before called Liquid Zoo. These kids were a delightful surprise - upbeat swagger-based rock and roll with attitude for days. They closed with a cover of the Romantics’ "What I Like About You”. Approved!!

9. PUBLIC HOUSE - "TWIST THE KNIFE” 7”
One of a slew of singles released by Public House (brilliant band name) this year with Wolfgang Buckley’s distinctive strung out, raspy vocals providing this correspondent with a much needed hit in lieu of any new Stiff Richards stuff.

10. M.O.T.O “KILL MOTO” LP (2002)
From the “New to me” files…. Sometime this year I wandered into the amazing Rowdys record store in Melbourne and caught the last song of this album. I almost bought it on the spot but held fire to stream some more later and suddenly I had a new favourite old band! M.O.T.O (Masters Of The Obvious) have been kicking around evading detection from me since the very early '80s and putting out stuff ever since. It runs the gamut of garage,  pop/rock, solo acoustic to super gnarly low-fi FOUR-track noise punk. This album has a little of all those styles represented and now I do own the LP, I can’t stop playing it.

MY FAVE SONGS OF THE YEAR PLAYLIST