Our Picks

Various Artists: Tally Ho! Flying Nun's Greatest Bits

2012 is really starting to look good! Starting it off with this must have collection for any serious pop music fan! Flying Nun has been slowly releasing all the classic individual releases of your favorite New Zealand bands. With Tally Ho! you get a little bit of each artists and then some! I consider myself somewhat of an expert of a certain period of Flying Nun from 1981 to 1991, however I was surprised by great bands I never heard before included in this selection. There are so many awesome pop songs on here . "Randolphs Going Home" by Shayne Carter and Peter Jefferies (a single only release) is worth the price of admission alone! The newer bands are pretty good too like the Shocking Pinks. Easily one of the most important pop music releases of this year or, yeah ill say it, ANY YEAR! -Bill Jeffery
 
Misfits: Series 1 & 2 (Blu-Ray)
Available in the store.

A freak electrical storm hits London and five ASBO twenty-somethings are struck by lightening and… receive super powers. No, not "Heroes." I'm talking about a much, much better show: Misfits. This show is funnier, wittier, and all around more entertaining than the aforementioned show. As season 1 evolves, we learn about the different powers each person has received. It's sharp, funny, and dark; there's bad language, murder, and drugs and alcohol bingeing. The Brits again have given us an awesome show. - Allison
 
Vetiver - The Errant Charm (Captured Tracks)

This Record made a lot of names pop into my head here are the two I thought made the most sense Roxy Music, Katy Lied era Steely Dan.I am talking tight production trop-i-cal type percussion and over all a mellow vibe.Second half of the record giving me some serious Fleetwood Mac Rumors style jams. All around good record for the days spent laying around the beach with your significant other or spending all day inside day dreaming about it. - Nathaniel
 
Beach Fossils - What A Pleasure EP (Captured Tracks)


This record is by far my top runner for best record of the year category(already I know).It has a Summery, melancholy feel with plenty of jangle and some C-86 style whisper male vocals. Little bit of electronic drums makes for the perfect mix of Nu wave and Indie pop. Pick-it-up! - NPC
 
David Kilgour And The Heavy 8's - Left By Soft (Merge)

They don't Make them any better than David Kilgour. His Work with the Clean is amazing . When he's not making great Clean albums, (like last years Mister Pop) hes with his other band the Heavy 8's. Left By Soft is the best one by this band yet . The minute "Way Down Here" kicks in,you know your in for a unforgettable ride that never stops grooving. All of his songs are steady waves of riffs that stay with you . Songs like "Steel Arrow" could have easily come off his first brilliant solo album Here Come The Cars from 1991 . This is the Album of the year as far as im concerned. Give it a listen!
- Bill
 
Kiss - Gene Simmons

The Kiss solo albums. I decided to revisit them recently and really only want to focus(for now at least!) on Genes. In 1978 Kiss came up with this grandiose idea to put out "solo" albums. The egos of these guys were already that out of control they believed kids would shell out the money to buy all four LP's at the same time. They were right (with me in any case!) I was so excited! the only real "hit" from any of these albums was Aces "New York Groove". Out of all four Gene Simmons was the most ambitious . Paul, Ace, and Peter got there various session musicians and friends, Gene asked help from the top! Starting with Beatles!..He didnt "get" any of the Fab Four instead he recruited the services of members of the very popular Beatles cover band, Beatlemania that were a big hit in the States at the time. If you close your eyes, it really sounds like John and Paul harmonizing! (or at least Badfinger!) here are the other "guests": Bob Seger (barely audible background vocals) Joe Perry (he definitely left his mark on "Tunnel Of Love") Helen Reddy! (she was HUGE in 1978! she helps out with "True Confessions" that sounds like Rocky Horror Picture show vocals) Donna Summer contributing R& B vocals "Burning Up With Fever",Rick Neilson (my personal favorite ,"See You In Your Dreams Tonight") Cher (the oddest "guest". Dating Gene at the time, she pretended to "nag" him over the phone on "Living With Sin")

Over all this is a great 1970's-ive-got-too-much-money album that helped remind kids why they were reacting with punk rock in the first place! Yes Gene Simmons is a douche bag nowadays with his stupid reality show, but here on this album he really tried to make some great music and in my opinion, succeeds! especially with "See You In Your Dreams", "Always Near You", and "Man Of 1000 Faces" . Give this a
listen and tell me i'm wrong! -Bill
 
Left Banke- Walk Away Renee / Pretty Ballerina (Sundazed)

Thank God for re-issues! Long out of print, long overdue, Sundazed saves the day once again ! If you like your pop-rock with strings from the 60's look no further. Baroque-rock at its best! this includes one of the most famous yearning love songs of all time, "Walk Away Renee" Great harmonies, great riffs...a must have for fans of smart songs with great vocals.. -Bill
 
 
Wolf People - Steeple
(Jagjaguar)

Contemporary psychedelic at its best! There has been lots of talk about psychedelic returning, however some peoples definition of psychedelic differs from mine.. To me this band sounds like they used the original equipment from the 60's. Steeple has a strong Buffalo Springfield presence .Pretty Things SF Sorrow comes to mind as well...(there is a couple of tracks that have flute that reminds me of the very first Tull record) This is one great record no matter what era its from.
 
The Order Of Myths

The Order of Myths earned an Independent Spirit Award for Austin-based director Margaret Brown. If you liked Brown’s Townes Van Zandt doc Be Here To Love Me, check out this jaw-dropping doc about the oldest Mardi Gras celebration in the U.S.A. The fact that Mobile, AL still hosts segregated Mardi Gras parades & festivities is only the beginning of the story. -PF


s Buried (Blu-Ray)

I was a little skeptical that a movie that takes place entirely in a coffin
(no cutaways or flashbacks) would be very entertaining but it turns out there was no cause for concern. Excellent performance by Ryan Reynolds (never thought I'd say that) that had me bordering on an anxiety attack the WHOLE time. One word: Tension! This movie has it x100. Check it out! - Tracy


The Parking Lot Movie

Some movie titles are misleading (Naked Lunch, Chinatown). Not The Parking Lot Movie. The title couldn’t be more accurate. It’s about a parking lot in Virginia & its current and former attendants. That’s it. And it’s the best doc I’ve seen this year. If you can make it through the first 10 minutes, you will not be able to turn it off. -PF

Bonus: A tremendously satisfying “where-are-they-now” end sequence.
 
Lindstrom & Christabelle-Real Life Is No Cool (Feedelity)

Lindstrom has outdone himself.. An awesome nod to the 80’s music that is so ever-present in this decade 30 years removed from the original source. As a producer he obviously pays attention to other producers’ work. From Malcolm McLaren (RIP) and Quincy Jones to Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis and Trevor Horn (and even some Vince Clarke/Gareth Jones type stuff too), Lindstrom lets his 80s flag fly and lets Christabelle (who goes by Solale on a previous collab with the L-man) pick up the female vocal end of things. She has no problem evoking many of the hot chanteuse-y performances of some of the 80s greatest lead ladies. Subtle in its reverence (it never gets cheesy or pretentious and remains its own monster throughout), “Real Life Is No Cool” is so cool. Doesn’t matter how many times you say “Is not!”. - Corby
 
Kim Salmon & The Surrealists - Grand Unifying Theory(BTXQ)

Thank you Kim Salmon !! for keeping your promise of bloody primal rock and roll that we've come to know you for! This album fits right on in there as part of the proud cannon of awesomeness both the Scientists and Beasts Of Bourbon that damaged our ears this whole time! and as with other Kim Salmon records, there is moments of damaged avant-ness brought to the table...If you are not familiar with any of these bands or Kim, think first 2 Stooges...Next to the Birthday Party era Nick Cave, Kim Salmon is Australia's best music export ever! -Bill
 
Hammock - Chasing After Shadows...Living With The Ghosts (HCKX)

Hammock consists of Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson,Christian alt-rockers who decided to turn their attentions towards an ambient/post-rock project instead of their normal 9-5 gig. While their previous release, 2008’s Jónsi-influenced Maybe They Will Sing For Us Tomorrow, eschewed percussion and vocals for a more ethereal, amorphous release, Chasing After Shadows…Living With The Ghosts brings those elements in to add a bit of form to the record, making it more a spiritual successor of their 2006 release, Raising Your Voice…Trying To Stop An Echo. If you’re a fan of ambient music à la Stars of the Lid (Wiltzie & McBride are both thanked in the credits of this release), pick this up. If you’re a fan of the Church, you may also be interested, as Tim Powles helped produce and mix the album. -Matt
 
Caspian - Tertia
(The Mylene Sheath)

Post Rock fans rejoice! Caspian has just released their 2nd full-length on Mylene Sheath, and if you’re any sort of fan of “Crescendo-Core,” chances are you should pick this album up immediately. Tertia ebbs and flows between sublime lulls, both melancholic and hopeful, and the raucous, driving immediacy of their pummeling attacks, which are the group’s strength. And with the CD’s price tag as low as it is, who could resist? If you like Mogwai, Daturah, Mono, Explosions In The Sky, This Will Destroy You, etc., then get on this.
 

 
Herbaliser - Herbal Tonic
(Ninja Tune)

A collection of their best stuff from these heavyweights in the trip-hop field. Part of the core roster of Ninja Tune's later years, The Herbaliser brought it all together with elements of everything the label had represented. Wikipedia calls it "jazz rap" and even has a hyperlink leading you to a page where someone tries to convince you that a genre called "jazz rap" even existed. Were I a contributor to that fine site, I believe I would throw a "citation needed" link right next to that. Digressing, this is a great intro to some of the better music made in the late 90's/early 00's or a good reintroduction if you "grew out" of that phase of your musical tastes and now feel you may have been a bit hasty in that decision. - Corby
 
Solar Bears - She Was Colored In (Planet Mu)

Amazing new album from Mu-Ziq's Planet Mu Records. Not really what you might expect from this label, She Was Colored In hovers between the nebulous worlds of Electro, Prog, Krautrock, Soundtracks and maybe even a little Pink Floyd. Slightly reminiscent of Air's Virgin Suicides; it sounds like all the coolest instrumental parts of different non-instrumental albums put together on one record for your enjoyment and edification. Awfully nice of someone to do this just for you. Their 12" Ep Inner Sunshine is just as good if not better than the full length - Corby