'NORTHSIDE KID' by Elsy Wameyo

 

 

 A single released on 7 November 2025.

First time for everything.

So, yes, first time I feature hip-hop style artist on Stream.

Must admit inspiration to listen to this song came via conversation with my nephew in New Zealand, who works for the Sniffers music in Auckland. 

Elsy Wameyo is featured on their site, which is pure coincidence, as I came across this song via the usual Spotify Friday new release tables after a conversation with said nephew.

This is a great song from the Kenyan born, now Australian based artist.

Sniffers have this to say about her 2022 single River Nile.

'Sucker Punch' by Betty Taylor

 

 

A single released 5 November 2025.

An all girl group, this time from the 'Sunny' Sunshine Coast, which is about an hour and half north of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia.

Yep, more Aussies.

This group has been around since about 2022, so new, right.

Catchy song, with a great Indie sound, and interesting lyrics.

'People Change' by St. Lucia

 

 

A single released 31 October 2025.

Now for something different, in that it's not the usual Indie/Indie Rock music, although one of the artists comes from a part of the world I am connected to.

Spotify shows I first 'liked' a song of theirs way back in May 2016 and, yes I have listened them over all these years.

A song of hope that people really will.

"St. Lucia is the synth-pop project of South African-born musician Jean-Philip Grobler, evolving from a solo studio vision into a touring band known for lush, 80s-inspired pop across five albums from 2013–2025. The project began in Brooklyn in 2011 after Grobler’s path from Johannesburg to Liverpool’s LIPA and then New York, later relocating to Germany with collaborator and spouse Patti Beranek."

Via Wikipedia, with much more on their web site St. Lucia

'Deep End' by Geowulf

 

Released on the EP 'Twinkly Depression' on 24 October 2025.

Star Kendrick's part of original duo of her and Toma Banjanin are from the Sunshine Coast town of Noosa in Queensland, Australia - she now performs solo.

I have been following her since the Saltwater single was released in 2018.

Interesting song with the lyrics as a dialogue between her and a past lover, relating how the new boyfriend compares, in a way lots us can relate to.

And I aways thought her voice was really cool.

Reflection song time.

'Baited' by Coast Arcade

 

From their album also called Coast Arcade released 17 October 2025

Kiwi indie-rock group, from Auckland, or specifically Tāmaki Makaurau, on the country’s North Island, according to NZBands website.

Must confess, have not heard their music before, although their first single on Spotify dates from June 2022, so there is an excuse.

This new 2025 album has ten titles, for which I have am favoring this song Baited, even if now I am listening to the June 2022 release "Tattoo" is going to push me to go back through their catalogue.

My usual rant: Spotify, and just about everyone else, makes it so hard to discover new music from New Zealand, and even from the much larger Australian music scene. 

Since the demise of everynoise.com over two years ago it's a real struggle to pull country specific genres out of the Spotify 'noise' that are their New Music Friday releases. Sure it's got better, only lots of great songs and artists slip though the cracks.

Here is a link to a recreated post from a now defunct blog that I posted about the end of everynoise.com back in February 2023:

No New Songs - The Demise of everynoise.com

'Burnout' by Girl Tones

 

 

 A single released October 3, 2025.

Well, it's listed as a single on Spotify, although it appears with 3 other songs listed as released on the same day.

Anyway, Girl Tones is a girl band, or rather a girl duet, from a small town in Kentucky in the United States.

Watch the video; it's so refreshing to see two female rock musicians performing as they are - it gets very, very boring to watch 'stars' made up like plastic dolls.

This is a great rock single, snappy and unpretentious, just like Kenzie and Laila, the Girl Tones musicians.

And if you live in the UK, they are playing at The Victoria Dalston in East London (451 Queensbridge Road, Dalston, London) on Thursday 13 November.