_{Colin Gray (right) with Kim Salmon.}

It’s been another productive year at Vicious Kitten Records with new album releases by Kevin K & The Bowery Kats, Pillbox NYC and (next month) the new album by Melbourne outfit Girl Monstar, who have reformed and recorded a new album after a 30 year hiatus!

Before I get to my top 10, I want to acknowledge the efforts of two cats who are responsible for the incredible sound and artwork on the Vicious Kitten releases – being sound wiz Ernie O at his Urban Fringe Compound, and the best graphic artist in the biz, Mark Rubenstein. I cannot recommend these two guys enough. If you need creative design/art for your project in 2026, Mark is your man. In terms of rock ‘n’ roll highpoints for the year just gone, it’s challenging to narrow it down to 10, but here goes……..

1. Chris Masuak’s Dog Soldier - "Chris Masuak’s Dog Soldier"
Chris Klondike Masuak returned in 2025 with renewed fire in the belly and creative juices overflowing to deliver one of THE rock albums of the year. Masuak has released many killer solo albums – but this is arguably his magnum opus. That’s not a statement I make lightly either, given the high calibre of material on 2019's "Address To The Nation" and 2016's "Brujita" albums in particular. I’ve stated many times that as a solo artist the rock 'n' roll he is crafting stands on its on merit and is on par with the output of any of his previous bands. Dog Soldier goes one better. The songs are killer, the playing is first rate, the sound is sonically superb thanks to mastering guru Ernie O and the album artwork is terrific. This is the complete rock ‘n’ roll package and one of THE Australian albums of 2025. Check it here.

2. Anne McCue & The Cubists – "Wholly Roller Coaster"
Once championed by the likes of Lucinda Williams and Nancy Wilson, Nashville based Australian singer/songwriter/guitarist Anne McCue has released several great albums of inspired blues-oriented roots rock over recent years, but in 2025 she has gone one better with the release of "Wholly Roller Coaster". This is an album of stunning psych pop with a nod to "Sgt Peppers..." and swirling surrealism that stands as of the best releases of the year for mine. An amalgam of kaleidoscopic pop and lyrical themes that focus on the wonder of life, this is one you need to hear. It’s out on vinyl too.  Check it here.

3. Smoked Salmon – "Smoked Salmon"
I can’t recall if this was released late last year or early 2025, yet Kim Salmon did a run of shows in March this year to support the album’s release and live, particularly with Claire Birchall doing a lot of the lifting, it was another musical high point for the year. "Hey Hey Narcissus", "Hell In A Handbasket" and the killer "How Did They Ever Manage" are just three highpoints from an outstanding album, with the enigmatic Kim Salmon again coming up with the goods. Check it here.

4. Peter Simpson – "Good Times Gone Bad"
A conventional mainstream music profile counts for a lot. It means you can release an album and an established fanbase will both hear and or purchase it. Media marketing also creates awareness and means it may reach new ears and sales. Despite a rock pedigree extending back some four decades, (including the Dubrovniks), Sydney based singer-songwriter Peter Simpson is neither a household name or part of the mainstream. In 2025, he did however, release an album of stellar garage rock that should, in a just world, elevate his musical profile to that aforementioned mainstream status – it’s that good. Littered with strong hooks and catchy melodies, this is one of THE Oz releases of 2025 and one you need to hear.  Check it here.

5. The Naked Lunch – "Wish You Well"
The Naked Lunch released a stupendous album of supreme power pop in 2023 called "Real Gone". They have a new six track CD out called 'Wish You Well' that goes one better. A ton of hooks, pop sensibilities and killer riffs. This is their third release since 2020 and if you haven't yet got on board - you need to! With a lineup whose pedigree includes Steve Beves (Melting Skyscrapers), Tony 'The Kid’ Roberston of The Hitmen/New Christs/Hitmen DTK, Tony Jukic of Hitmen DTK and Murray Shephard of the Screaming Tribesmen, Fun Things and Hitmen DTK – you know there is musical muscle behind the material – and what great material it is. "Wishing Well" and "Sammy’s Made My Day" are just two of my faves, yet the entire six tracks are killer. Check it here. 

6. Pilots Of Baalbek + The Undermines, Dissent Bar, Canberra 12 July 2025
A night of incendiary Rock Action on a freezing Canberra winter night from the two best bands in the nation’s capital. Pilots of Baalbek have two great albums out and a style that fuses retro vibes with modern power resulting in a sound that is quite their own. Their last album, "By The Seat Of Our Pants", is essential, and its on LP as well. The Undermines slayed all with their legitimate stamp of high energy rock that draws from the Motor City to the New Christs and then some. They released a four-track EP this year called "Holy Fool" and its essential. Check out the Pilots here, and the Undermines here.

7. Hollywood Brats – "Hung Like Stallions"
There have been some notable rock ‘n’ rollers important to me pass on this year - including David Johansen, Rick Derringer, Honest John Plain of The Boys and Andrew Mattheson of the Hollywood Brats. Although the Brats only released the one album before splintering off to The Boys and London SS in the mid-'70s, both that album and legit-star frontman Andrew Matthewson laid the blueprint that so many would follow. There's a cool label out of Norway called Big Dipper Records doing their best to reissue and release new material from some of Norway’s best – and this year they released an album of previously unreleased material by the Hollywood Brats called "Hung Like Stallions" and it has all the swagger and raunch ‘n’ roll that defined the Brats. 100% recommended.

8. Ricky Byrd - "NYC Made"
Most well known as guitar-slinger for Joan Jett and the Blackhearts for a decade (until '91), Ricky Byrd released his fourth solo album this year and its his most interesting, most personal album to date. A proud Bronx native raised in Queens and a lifelong Yankees fan, Byrd pays homage to the soundtrack of his youth with this album, with influences from the Raspberries to The Who to The Stones to The Yardbirds and Sam Cooke. It’s a rock-solid album with plenty of memorable and catchy tunes, including ‘Transistor Radio Childhood’, and the Mott The Hoople-like ‘Glamdemic’ Blues’. Great record this one! Check it here 

9. Richard Davies and the Dissidents - "High Times & Misdemeanours"
The sophomore album from Richard Davies is stunning. He is one of a handful or UK artists I consider essential listening. Slyder Smith is another, so too the incredible Marc Valentine if you dig contemporary power pop done right with a nod to the past. Both these guys have new singles out that are worth checking out. Anyway, Davies cut his teeth with underrated London alt-country/ Americana outfit The Snakes and released his debut album in 2020. His new album betters it, and channels Southside Johnny & The Ashbury Jukes, Tom Petty and Ian Hunter to great effect. He is one hell of a singer-songwriter with High Times & Misdemeanours one hell of an album. The powerful cover of Divinyls' "Human On The Inside" reason enough alone to check it out.

10. Tyla J. Pallas - Gilding the Lily
The brand-new album from Tyla (the Dogs D'amour) was released in in 2025 and it’s a monster, with 18 tracks and a range of styles – from pirate ballads to romantic hobo tunes to gritty and raw blooze numbers characterised by whiskey-soaked vocals and a ton of heart – there’s a legitimacy and originality to Tyla that makes him unique. He is still a cult fave in the UK, yet hopefully (optimistically even) Gilding The Lily may see him tour beyond Blighty and out to this old colony one day. We live in hope! Check it here.

Here’s my top 10 live shows from 2025, in chronological order: 

1.  The Schizophonics: La La La’s, Wollongong & Factory Theatre, Marrickville – January  
I was fortunate enough to catch The Schizophonics twice in January. A cracking rock band fronted by an over medicated hyperactive octopus, Pat Beers. They had the entire audience smiling their whole set both nights. Most excellent! 

2.  The D4: Mary’s Underground, Sydney – February 
I’ve dug the The D4 since their first album, 20 odd years ago, so there was no way I was missing their first Sydney show in yonks. Gotta admit to being a bit nervous though, would thThis Woy Woy line-up is Outtaspaceey still have it? Would they be a good as I remember?? Yeah they fuckin were!! Ripping set! Killer Rock n roll with all the hits! Dion thrashed his geetar at the end ensuring no encore, perfect! 

3. Sun Ra Archestra: Factory Theatre, Marrickville – March 
Sun Ra’s free jazz is soothing for me, so this show was a must. A 20-odd ensemble of musicians playing spaced out free jazz in psychedelic outfits - memorising! The 70-year-old band leader doing backflips at the end was the icing on top. 

There's been so many killer bands/releases/shows/etc this year that I've loved which makes it damn hard to narrow it down to 10 highlights. Cos I don't really bother with digital or streaming when it comes to my music addiction, this is the 10 (mostly) physical music things that have kept me coming back for more in 2025 - in no particular order.

Blast Module – “Demo 1” EP
I heard some snippets of these tracks online early this year and they snagged my attention immediately. Their debut EP came out in May and its been on heavy rotation ever since. “Demo 1” is a total high energy synth punk burner from top to bottom. Riffs, hooks and melodies all wrapped up in 8 bit video game goodness. I've managed to catch these guys live a couple of times during the year and they deliver the goods on stage too. Check out their track Helenova for a taste.

Swami John Reis – “Time to Let You Down” LP
Any time the Swami puts out new music I'm on board. It’s ridiculous that this one guy has been at the centre of so many great bands. I'm not complaining - I'm in awe.

The new “solo” album is maybe a touch more punk than the last few records and it completely rocks. Fast and furious downstroke rockers front to back. Its a great pick me up record that’s been on the turntable repeatedly. I havent heard the new Plosivs album yet but I'm sure that'll be getting lotsa spin time, too. 

Top Ten Sydney Tunnels and Bridges

What? Tunnels and bridges not rock'n'roll enough for ya? So, sue me. 

The Molly Fet Circuit were in Sydney for a couple of gigs recently and I could not believe how much the place has changed; I was here last only a year or so before covid - not sure how long it'd been for musician Shaun C. Duncan (Die Like a God, Council of Elders, Iron Phallus), but quite a bit longer I think.

Our friend Nathan Iowa (Shark Arm) was extremely helpful, driving us hither and yon - to the point where I realised that, without his help, we would've been either frequently lost or forking out hundreds in cab fares. Never mind anything else, we might not have even found the fucking gigs.

Top Ten Filthy Rock and Roll Songs

1. "Blitzkreig Bop" - Ramones

2. "Shake Appeal" - Iggy and the Stooges 

3. "Dirty Robber "- The Sonics

4. "New Rose" - The Damned

5. "Communication Breakdown" - Led Zeppelin 

6. "Oh Carol" - Rolling Stones

7. "Revolution" - The Beatles

8. "Lucille" - Little Richard

9. "Eruption" - Van Halen

10. "Let There Be Roc" - AC/DC

Find Richard Lawson here.

_{Julian Wu photo}

The Barman has sent out the call for Top Tens. I have ditched my Imperial Wardrobe to deliver a stripped-down Metallic KO Top 10. Lean on words and mean on content – old, new, stolen, and blue – five live and five vinyl – here we go for the tip of the iceberg of my musical stuff of 2025. Time won’t permit my top 500.

This is seriously in no order - just random awesome things in a pretty bloody awesome year

1. Davey Lane - Finally, A Party Record
Excellent pop! Not scared to touch Yacht and Soft rock either

2. Rubber Necker - Bad Behavior album and one of their gigs at the Duke in Enmore
The show as wild "somehow held together" post rock. Whoooo!

3. Cammy Cautious and the Wrestlers
Only saw em once and CAN NOT FORGET IT!! Took me head clean off

4. Some awesome aussie books Radio Birdman - "Retaliate First" by Murray Englehart and "Orstralia A Punk History" by Tristan Clark. Loved 'em .. got John Foy's book next up.

_{"The stars, baby, the stars": Tex Perkins with Dave Graney at The Beasts' "Black Milk" show in Melbourne. Amber Schmidt photo}

Dave Graney Top 12 for 2025

1. Dave Graney and the Soft n Sexy Sound 30^th Anniversary Sound tour.
This was so enjoyable for me. So great to play the music and crack the codes to the album. Extremely challenging to perform it and to present it to people. Very tense to start it each time we did it on the 21 date tour. It had peaks and it flowed. It started from silence and ended on a long fadeout.

You asked... we'll deliver!

2025 Top Tens coming soon.

1. Big Bongin’ Baby
Gutterball Pete is perhaps the only person currently alive who can vomit during the middle of a guitar solo and not fluff a single note. He’s a character – an amalgam of Nikki Sudden, Ronnie Wood and Peter Perrett in style and grace. The affectionately –named Bongers have played around town for over 25 years and like the Saints, failed the Academy of Music’s Battle of the Bands.

2. The Double – "Dawn of the Double" LP (In the Red ITR-295)
Drummer Jim White and guitarist Emmett Kelly playing Bo Diddley for three quarters of an hour in E over two sides of an LP. This is probably too avant for the fans of rock ‘n’ roll and too in the pocket for the rockist set. I don’t think rockists know what that term even means but I’ll leave it in here anyway.

3. Kitchen’s Floor – "Battle of Brisbane" (bruit direct disques ‎ Br-d 19)
Whether they’re blissfully unaware or overtly conscious of the fact they’re carrying this anger and sense of punk that goes back to Brisbane’s day one is probably pointless and not worth fretting about right now.

_{Doc Temple (centre) with Chickenstones}

What's my Top Ten? Now, there's a question best reserved for someone young enough to still have a memory that lasts longer than a week. But as there is scant actual non-payola industry reference around, fuck it. I will try.

First off, I have had a number of recordings thrown at me this year as I rather often do a radio show co-host replacement thing (when one of the usual hosts is off doing what parallel universe shit they do.) This does not, however, make me any wiser or more influential than anyone else. 

Some picks were not committed to Pro Tool hard drives this last year but took many, many months of work to do so, thence, they deserve some spotlight,  but I subscribe to the Bob Short model of 'Do I have Ten?'. Maybe, maybe not. Being numerically dyslexic, I shall offer thoughts, not numbers:

_{Penny and her trademark Ikinger Pennycastor.  Carbie Warbie photo}

1. Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds at The Caravan Club, Melbourne - Wow!!! What a band!!! It was like being given a music lesson!

2. Radio Birdman, Max Watts, Melbourne. A really diverse and powerful set of new and old classics.

3.  James McCann and the New Vindictives - James McCann’s new band is truly awesome - punk meets well crafted songwriting with a good strong dose of youthful & invigorating mayhem. I have been guesting as vocalist and guitarist at their live shows singing a Spencer P. Jones song and another I co-wrote with James for their soon to be released album.