Gillian Welch and David Rawlings have put in a very early claim for the best show of 2025. It's only January but their show on Friday night at the Sydney Opera House will be very hard to beat. This was the second night of three and it was as perfect as you could possibly hope for. Their first tour in ages was hotly anticipated and they delivered in spades. They divide their shows into two sets. About an hour each before the encore. I loved everything minute. Welch is a supreme songwriter and conveys beauty and emotion just perfectly. She plays rhythm on her trusty Gibson acoustic. Whilst David Rawlings astounds with his incredible lead guitar on his 1930s Epiphone. Sometimes Welch breaks out the banjo. But that's it. Just the two of them. Alone on stage, in perfect unison. No frills, just the best of songs and melodies. I think they did switch out the set list a little, which meant 'Wayside/Back in Time' was left out. But that was my only complaint, a minor one at that. The rest was just a stream of greatness. And I was ecstatic that they pulled out a very early song in 'Caleb Meyer' at the end of the first set. And all of the songs they played from 2024's excellent 'Woodland' were great. Especially 'Empty Trainload of Sky' and 'Hashtag'. Then in the second set 'Revelator' and 'Six White Horses' soared like wild beasts. The encore was perfect. 'Look at Miss Ohio' had grown men crying (me), whilst 'I'll Fly Away' was a perfect singalong. But wait, they came back for more and closed with the country classic 'Jackson'. An awesome way to end an awesome show.

Set List

Elvis Presley Blues

Midnight Train

Empty Trainload of Sky

Cumberland Gap

North Country

The Bells And The Birds

Howdy Howdy

Ruby

The Way It Will Be

Caleb Meyer

Lawman

What We Had

Hashtag

Hard Times

Midnight Bones

The Way It Goes

Six White Horses

Revelator

Red Clay Halo

Look at Miss Ohio

I'll Fly Away

Everything Is Free

Jackson

So many great songs in 2024 and it's always nearly impossible to single them out. But I made a list so here we go. Ultimately it was the MJ Lenderman song in 'Wristwatch' that I returned to over and over. I just loved it so much. The lyrics, the guitar, the melody. It truly had it all. Song epic songs pushed it hard though. Especially towards the end of the year. 'Screamland' by Father John Misty was a song I truly fell in love with. And 'Six Deaf Rats' by The Hard Quartet felt like a song that was truly written for me. And 'Mary Boone' by Vampire Weekend came very close as well. My favourite song from my favourite album of 2024 made a very strong case. A great year for music with many great songs.

1. Wristwatch-MJ Lenderman

2. Mary Boone-Vampire Weekend

3. Screamland-Father John Misty

4. Six Deaf Rats-The Hard Quartet

5. Slow Pain-Rosali

6. Empty Trainload of Sky-Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

7. Foxglove-Haley Heynderickx

8. Revelator-Phosphorescent

9. Right Back To It-Waxahatchee

10. Void-Ty Segall

11. Crimes of the Heart-Waxahatchee

12. Sadness As a Gift-Adrianne Lenker

13. On Tonight-Rosali

14. Non-Metaphorical Decolonization-Mount Eerie

15. Classical-Vampire Weekend

16. Planetarium-Blitzen Trapper

17. New Air-Ben Seretan

18. On My Knees-MJ Lenderman

19. A Hole In the Ground-Porridge Radio

20. Hashtag-Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

21. To Get It Right-Phosphorescent

22. Broom of Wind-Mount Eerie

23. Everyone Out-DIIV

24. Crashing Through-Friko

25. Rio's Song-The Hard Quartet

26. Joan in the Garden-The Decemberists

27. Old Scratch Blues-Jack White

28. My Room-Ty Segall

29. Mahashmashana-Father John Misty

30. The Circus Egotistica and the Girl Who Cried Bad Wolf-Floral Tattoo

31. Earthling-Osees

32. Conversion-Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

33. Babys In a Thundercloud-Godspeed You! Black Emperor

34. Friend of a Friend-The Smile

35. Love Changes Everything I-Dirty Three

36. Cliche Town-Sunset Rubdown

37. Ride Around-Goat Girl

38. Gemini-Haley Heynderickx

39. Water Underground-Real Estate

40. Renegade-The Hard Quartet

41. Joker Lips-MJ Lenderman

42. Cubic Zirconia-Katy Kirby

43. Vampire Empire-Adrianne Lenker

44. Rewind-Rosali

45. Zero Sum-The Smile

46. Hope-Vampire Weekend

48. Love Takes Miles-Cameron Winter

48. Free-Ben Seretan

49. Sick of the Blues-Porridge Radio

50. Hammer-Hana Vu

51. Hangman-Wand

52. Say It Like You Mean It-Sleater-Kinney

53. The Bell-Ty Segall

54. Play It Down-Goat Girl

55. I Got the Fear-Torres

56. All In Good Time-Iron & Wine

57. Squabble Up-Kendrick Lamar

58. Lose-Boeckner

59. For Ella-Friko

60. Soul-net-DIIV

61. Bye Bye-Kim Gordon

62. Alpharetta-Local Natives

63. Cheap Fantastical Takedown-Blitzen Trapper

64. Bored-Waxahatchee

65. Real House-Adrianne Lenker

66. Bite Down-Rosali

67. Party at Monster Lake-Strand of Oaks

68. Marigold-Why?

69. Care-Hana Vu

70. Move-Meatbodies

71. Termination Officer-Osees

72. Capricorn-Vampire Weekend

73. That's How I'm Feeling-Jack White

74. Speyside-Bon Iver

75. The Rolling Stones-Cameron Winter

76. Spaghetti-Beyonce

77. Two Brothers-Young Jesus

78. Andy-Jake Xerses Fussell

79. What Do We Do Now-J Mascis

80. Untidy Creature-Sleater-Kinney

81. Final Summer-Cloud Nothings

82. Buffalo-Hurray for the Riff Raff

83. Clock Rats-Charles Moothart

84. Greyhound-Foxing

85. Postcard-Bedbug

86. Eight Tired Starlings-Nap Eyes

87. Sister Christian-Current Joys

88. Return To Life-Boeckner

89. What Occurs-Islands

90. Vines-Cameron Winter

91. Child of Mine-Laura Marling

92. Get Still-Alan Sparhawk

93. Head-Claire Rousay

94. Where's Your Love Now-This Is Lorelei

95. The Fences of Stonehenge-Wild Pink

96. Mourir Demain-Corridor

97. If It's Gone-Good Looks

98. Hot Sun-Wilco

99. TV Off-Kendrick Lamar

100. Rugby Child-Amen Dunes

I think 2024 was a great year for music. So much to love and get excited by. But this exists outside the commercial side, which I think has never been lower in terms of quality. But the spirit of Indie, whatever that means these days, lives on. Some great music from veterans and some from newer acts. I try to listen to each new album released weekly and there is always something worth discovering. In 2024 it was a band that I guess is now considered a veteran one that I believe delivered the best album of the year. Vampire Weekend take their time with their records but the results speak for themselves. Their new album was immaculate and just bursting with beautiful melodies. My perennial favourite in Ty Segall released another stellar record, whilst wonderful artists like Rosali, Adrianne Lenker and Waxahatchee gave us superb gems. True icons such as Gillian Welch and Mount Eerie showed time is not sIlowing them down at all. Then MJ Lenderman returned with a new album, proving himself to be one of the most talented new talents on the planet. Very excited to see him again in March.

1. Only God Was Above Us-Vampire Weekend

2. Three Bells-Ty Segall

3. Manning Fireworks-MJ Lenderman

4. Bite Down-Rosali

5. Night Palace-Mount Eerie

6. The Hard Quartet-The Hard Quartet

7. Woodland-Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

8. Bright Future-Adrianne Lenker

9. Revelator-Phosphorescent

10. Tigers Blood-Waxahatchee

11. Mahashmashana-Father John Misty

12. Below the Waste-Goat Girl

13. No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead-Godspeed You! Black Emperor

14. Clouds in the Sky They Will Always Be There For Me-Porridge Radio

15. Love Changes Everything-Dirty Three

16. Allora-Ben Seretan

17. Romanticism-Hana Vu

18. Seed of a Seed-Haley Heynderickx

19. Heavy Metal-Cameron Winter

20. Always Happy to Explode-Sunset Rubdown

21. 100’s of 1000’s Millions of Billions-Blitzen Trapper

22. Boeckner!-Boeckner

23. Wall of Eyes-The Smile

24. Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here-Friko

25. Frog in Boiling Water-DIIV

26. Flora Ocean Tiger Bloom-Meatbodies

27. Wild God-Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

28. Little Rope-Sleater-Kinney

29. No Name-Jack White

30. The Collective-Kim Gordon

31. Blue Raspberry-Katy Kirby

32. Cutouts-The Smile

33. The Fool-Young Jesus

34. The Well I Fell Into-Why?

35. East My Love-Current Joys

36. When I’m Called-Jake Xerxes Fussell

37. Light Verse-Iron & Wine

38. Black Holes Don’t Choke-Charles Moothart

39. Cowboy Carter-Beyonce

40. The Neon Gate-Nap Eyes

41. No More Apocalypse Father-We Are Winter's Blue and Radiant Children

42. What Occurs-Islands

43. Final Summer-Cloud Nothings

44. Sorcs 80-Osees

45. Love Rudiments-Ty Segall

46. Daniel-Real Estate

47. The Avett Brothers-The Avett Brothers

48. What an Enormous Room-Torres

49. GNX-Kendrick Lamar

50. Miracle Focus-Strand of Oaks

 

The Hard Quartet are my idea of a supergroup. An Indie Rock supergroup. Last year when the project was announced I was quite excited, but even I couldn't predict just how good it would turn out. Their debut album self titled album was very, very good. But with that sort of talent assembled what would you expect. Of course Pavement legend Stephen Malkmus heads the band. But throw in Jim White, Emmett Kelly and Matt Sweeney and you have a true collection of supreme talent. Their Australian tour was the first time they have toured as a band. They played three shows in the US last year, so Saturday night in Sydney was only the fifth time they have played live together. It doesn't show though, they are very tight and together. The set was just the album. So about an hour in length. Malkmus does most of the lead singing, but Sweeney sneaks in there too. His songs are more country tinged, adding a nice counter balance to the angular and twisty songs of Malkmus. Emmett Kelly is an exceptional guitarist whilst Australia's own Jim White is just an incredible drummer. They are the heart of the band I believe. I don't know what the future holds for The Hard Quartet, but for now I am just happy they exist.

   

Set List
Earth Hater
Rio’s Song
Our Hometown Boy
Renegade
Heel Highway
Killed By Death
Hey
It Suits You
Six Deaf Rats
Action for Military Boys
Jacked Existence
North of the Border
Gripping the Riptide
Thug Dynasty 
Chrome Mess

My first show of 2025 was a special one indeed. Friday night at the Factory Theatre was a double banger that brought together two great American acts that I guess could be grouped in the Americana category. The lead act was Phosphorescent. This was the band's first visit in over ten years so it was so great to welcome them back again. The small tour of Australia is off the back of 2024's excellent album in Revelator. The band played several songs off that record and they went down a treat. But it was older tunes that went down the best. 'Terror in the Canyons (The Woundest Master) into 'The Quotidian Beasts' was an absolute treat. I loved the epically beautiful 'Wolves' and of course the masterpiece in 'Song for Zula' was beautiful indeed. In the encore Matthew Houck went solo for two songs and showed what a beautiful singer he is. He also seems to be a beautiful soul, connecting and thanking the audience on many occasions. Then the band, who were truly excellent joined him again for the rousing closer in 'Ride On/Right On'. Hopefully it won't take another decade for this excellent band to return to these shores.

The opening act was just as exceptional. It was none other than the great Will Sheff. Sheff is carving out a solo career but is better known as the lead singer of the great Okkervil River, a band very close to my heart. Sheff is a remarkable songwriter and he gave us eight beautiful songs, mainly those he wrote for the band. 'A Stone' was its incredible self of course, whilst a stripped back 'No Key, No Plan' was a sonic wonder. Sheff now has a shaggy beard and plays with a beaten up acoustic, but his music is just as beautiful as ever. Hopefully he will be back again soon too.

Set List
C’est La Vie No.2
Revelator 
Impossible House
Wide As Heaven
Terror in the Canyons (The Wounded Master)
The Quotidian Beasts
New Birth in New England 
There From Here
The World is Ending
Tell Me Baby (Have You Had Enough)
Wolves
Song for Zula

Endless (solo)
Joe Tex, These Taming Blues (solo)
Ride On/Right On

I believe 2024 was an excellent year for film. I saw at least one film a week, often two. My list of favourite films is based on 2024 Australian release dates. And my favourite films came out early in the year, with Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest staying on top all year. They were both remarkable films. Smart and intelligent, exquisitely acted and directed. They were both films that stayed long in my memory. Films like All Of Us Strangers and The Holdovers were other films I totally admired early in the year. The 2024 Academy Awards were dominated by Oppenheimer and rightly so. My favourite film of 2023 and I believe a five star masterpiece.

I think easily the best blockbuster film of the year was Dune Part Two, but overall it's always the smaller films that dominate my list. Probably the best of these was A Real Pain, a film I truly loved. Be interesting to see how it fares in the upcoming awards season. Same with Anora, another admirable film. There are plenty of films opening soon too that I am looking forward to. Such as Conclave, The Brutalist, We Live in Time, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, A Complete Unknown, Queer and September 5.

1. Anatomy of a Fall
2. The Zone of Interest
3. All Of Us Strangers
4. The Holdovers
5. Dune Part Two
6. The Iron Claw
7. About Dry Grasses
8. A Real Pain
9. His Three Daughters
10. Green Border

2024 felt like another great year for live music. I might not get to as many shows as I did in the past but what I did see was very good. Festivals seem to really struggle in 2024 due to many factors. Splendour in the Grass went by the wayside and Laneway Festival is a shadow of its former self. But Vivid still brings out interesting acts and Volume managed to have a second year at the Art Gallery of NSW. But my absolute favourite show of the year was towards the end of the year in London. I managed to see Vampire Weekend on their world tour whilst I was in the great city and they were incredible as expected. I also managed to see TV on the Radio in London too. Another great highlight of the year was seeing Wednesday for the very first time in Sydney. MJ Lenderman supported and he was great. I also saw him do a solo show in Melbourne. Can't wait to see him again in 2025.

1. Vampire Weekend @ Brixton Academy, London
2. Wednesday @ Factory Theatre
3. TV on the Radio @ Islington Assembly Hall, London
4. Explosions in the Sky @ Sydney Opera House
5. Wilco @ Enmore Theatre
6. Dirty Three @ Enmore Theatre
7. Wilco @ Sydney Opera House
8. Waxahatchee @ Sydney Opera House
9. The Hold Steady @ Stay Gold, Melbourne
10. The National & Fleet Foxes @ Aware Super Theatre  

My time in London in early December was given another bonus when the great TV On The Radio announced a three night run in Islington. The seminal New York band had sort of been on hiatus but there was a frenzy when they announced shows in New York, Los Angeles and London. It worked out perfectly for me that I was able to snare a ticket for their third show in London. So, on a Thursday night I ventured along to a small and intimate venue in the beautiful suburb of Islington for a spectacular night of music. The night was a great reminder of just how great this band are. Trust me, they have lost nothing at all. It felt like a night of celebration and great joy. They tore through a great selection of their catalogue, providing much joy and happiness to the lucky few that were there. Hopefully there will be more shows in 2025 and who knows, maybe new music.

Set List
Young Liars
Golden Age
Dreams
Halfway Home
Love Dog
Could You
Wolf Like Me
Repetition
Province
DLZ
Dancing Choose
Satellite

Ambulance

Trouble
Staring at the Sun

Vampire Weekend are just a very special group. I’ve been very fortunate to see them a few times over the years and they are consistently great. I made long term plans to be in the U.K. and London in December and when I saw they were playing shows I quickly bought a ticket. I was even more excited as their new album in ‘Only God Was Above Us’ is my favourite album of 2024. So on a Tuesday night I ventured to Brixton to see them play at the historic Brixton Academy. As expected it was a great show. They played plenty from their latest album and naturally they all sounded great. The band now consists of the three original members, but live they flesh the band out to eight for a full and rich sound. For a band with such a rich and varied catalogue set lists are just nominally great. My absolute favourites of the night were ‘White Sky’ and ‘Diane Young’. But honestly it was all great. The band also have a new tradition on this tour of taking requests in the encore. But not their songs. It’s all a bit chaotic but also a lot of fun. The night ended perfectly when they finally closed with one of their own in ‘Ya Hey’. I love this band so much and it was pure pleasure to see them yet again. 

Set List
Oxford Comma
Campus
Boston (Ladies of Cambridge)
Ice Cream Piano
Classical 
Connect
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
White Sky
This Life
Sympathy
New Dorp New York
Pravda
How Long?
Capricorn
Gen-X Cops
Diane Young
A-Punk
Prep-School Gangsters
Obvious Bicycle
Mary Boone
Harmony Hall
Hope

Thunder Road (Bruce Springsteen cover)
Jealous Guy (John Lennon cover)
Sultans of Swing (Dire Straits cover)
The Boys Are Back in Town (Thin Lizzy cover)
Guns of Brixton (The Clash cover)
Both Sides, Now (Joni Mitchell cover)
Dancing in the Moonlight (Toploader cover)
Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? (Rod Stewart cover)
The Israelites (Desmond Dekker cover)
Big Shot (Billy Joel cover)
Total Eclipse of the Heart (Bonnie Tyler cover)
Twist and Shout (The Top Notes cover)
La Bamba
Worship You
Ya Hey