Hey, what’s that on the catalogue? Oh my, it’s seven new CDs. What a treat huh?
Pearl Jam have been around for so long that there once was a time when I was too young to buy any of their albums. Their first album was called Ten and this, Backspacer, is their tenth album - might this mean they’ve come full circle and this is their last? Who knows, but they’re still doing the grunge rock, sprinkled with emotive ballad thing anyway.
Muse are a band who’ve always aimed for epic, and on The Resistance they’ve outdone themselves in that department. These are songs that only stadiums can contain, everything is an overblown symphony of massive guitar solos and pomp. So, you know, quite exciting and all that.
The Underground 2009 is a Ministry of Sound compilation, full of underground dance hits from the year past. Spread over a genrous 3 CDs are the likes of Armand Van Helden, Dizzee Rascal, Roots Manuva and others including the intriguingly named Zombie Disco Squad.
Sean Kingston found chart success a couple of years ago with his dancehall and reggae flavoured hip hop, most unavoidably with mega-hit Beautiful Girls. On second album proper, Tomorrow, he looks for a repeat performance with more of the same polished, catchy, dancefloor and radio ready tunes.
Underground rapper Kid Cudi has delivered his much anticipated debut album Man on the moon : end of the day to critical acclaim and now it’s arrived here. It’s a highly conceptual affair, featuring five acts in which Cudi and guests including Kanye West, MGMT and Ratatat lay down some of the most futuristic hip hop imaginable.
I reviewed a Tokio Hotel album just a few weeks ago, if you picked it up and were all like “man, I just can’t get enough German Emo, this rules”, then I have some good news, Humanoid is it. It’s Tokio Hotel’s second English language release and it finds them adding sci-fi imagery and a slightly maturing sound to spice things up.
Paramore became platinum selling stars after the release and subsequent success of Riot!, but it caused division amongst band members and they came close to breaking up. This tumult seems to have made Paramore stronger and tighter, because Brand New Eyes is their best set of songs yet.
Doom is a masked rapper famous for being mysterious prolific and really, really good. He used to be known as MF Doom (and various other aliases), but dropped the MF, much like Diddy dropped the P from P. Diddy. Anyway, Born Like This is his latest. If you enjoy your hip hop old school and clever give this a listen, then delve deeper into his catalogue.
Gin Wigmore is a local singer in the Amy Winehouse / Macy Gray mold of funny voiced songstresses. Her EP Gin: Extended Play went gold here this June and now arrives on our shelves. You’ve probably seen her videos and heard her on the radio, but if not pick this up if you like folksy pop.
Sticking with the local content, Ulcerate are New Zealand’s premier death metal oufit and they bring Everything is Fire to the table. It’s been lauded in the international growly vocals and pounding double kick pedalled drums community for being cerebral and forward thinking, though fans of loud noises will enjoy also.
Liam Finn pops back with Champagne in seashells, a wee five tracker recorded with Eliza Jane. It’s a nice follow up to I’ll be lightning and makes me look forward to his next full-length. More tasty pop-rock treats from our beardy pal.
German emo kids Tokio Hotel’s English language debut Scream serves up the sort of melodramatic rock now expected by the genre, the twist being that they (at the time of recording anyway) were all eligible for YA library cards. If your boat is floated by MCR etc. pick this up, as you’ll likely enjoy greatly.
Jack White is a prolific man. If his bandmates aren’t ready to release any new material he simply forms a new band and presses on. Dead Weather being active band number three, with The White Stripes and The Raconteurs being the other two. Dead Weather is somewhat of a departure for White, who is banging the drums instead of strumming the guitar on this record. On Horehound, the bands debut, he shares vocal duties with Allison Mosshart (of the Kills), with Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age) and Jack Lawrence (Raconteurs and Greenhornes) rounding out the group. If you’ve ever enjoyed any of the above bands, or even just Rock music in general give Horehound a listen.
The Gossip emerged out of the Nu-Rave scene spearheaded by The Klaxons in 2006 with Standing In The Way Of Control and now return with their new long-player Music For Men. Lead by outspoken front-woman Beth Ditto, it’s more of the same adventurously aggressive, neon-coloured electro-pop.
Metalheads rejoice! A whopping two-thirds of the new CDs this week feature loud guitars and shouty vocals. Beatles fans and Tiki Taane fans can also rejoice, but not quite as much.
Master of Puppetsis considered by many as Metallica’s masterpiece and one of the, if not the greatest metal album of all time. Your parents may not consider it a masterpiece if you play it loud enough, and really, isn’t that the point?
Metallica’s next album …And Justice For All, realeased in 1988 (so too old to have a YA card anymore) saw them break-through on MTV with the video for One. My first memory of Metallica was seeing One on Beavis and Butthead, which means I’m far too old to have a YA card anymore.
Metallica, or the Black Album as it is is commonly referred to due to the black cover, was the one that made Metallica into proper mainstream stars. It includes quite a few big hits like Enter Sandman and slow-dance favourite (at least if you go to bogan schools) Nothing Else Matters.
Before he was a tragic figure on a reality show Ozzy Osbourne cranked out a few top-notch metal albums, the fantastically titled Blizzard Of Ozz being the first of his solo efforts. A cornerstone of 80’s metal.
Diary Of A Madman came next for Ozzy Osbourne in 1981. Building on his previous success, this classic album turned Ozzy into a star. Biting the heads off bats and other craziness would follow…
AC/DC are another classic metal band who operated in the 80s. Highway To Hell was their best record to date and also their most well recieved to date. Includes the classic single Highway To Hell.
A couple of Beatles compilations have turned up, 1962-1966 and 1967-1970, also known as the Red and Blue albums respectively. These are pretty much the definitive Beatles compilations to seek out if you don’t feel like picking up the million or so albums they made.
Flux / Tiki by Tiki Taane has turned up. It’s a remix job for the Past, present, future album and includes a song called David Lange You Da Bomb!, which confused me initially until I realised that David Lange probably was our most rockin’ PM.
Metallica are one of the biggest and longest tenured bands in metal and it all started here on Kill ‘Em All, their 1983 debut record. It’s also probably their fastest and rawest album, if you enjoyed the more recent Death Magnetic then this is right up your alley.
Sticking with metal for a while longer, there is a new Iron Maiden compilation out. Somewhere back in time : the best of 1980-1989 arguably finds the band at their peak. Includes Run to the Hills, Number of the Beast and other headbanging classics.
The Datsuns recently released album number four, Headstunts, and now it’s joined the YA collection. If you’ve ever enjoyed The Datsuns in the past, or are a fan of The White Stripes, The Libertines etc. then pick this one up.
Sate Of Mind are a local drum and bass group who’ve been making waves recently with Faster Than Light. It also comes with a bonus disc of remixes, so, bonus.
Transformers : revenge of the fallen : the album is the soundtrack to the newly released Transformers movie. Green Day, Nickleback, Linkin Park and other similar bands are featured.
Lastly, Hannah Montana : the movie also has a soundtrack that’s been added to the collection. If you’re a fan of Miley’s go out and pick this one up post haste.
12 new CDs this week, so here is a marathon post and a marathon playlist. Phew. 
If you’re a fan of MGMT and their work, have a listen to Empire Of The Sun’s really ace Walking On A Dream. Also they wear really silly costumes, which is always a nice bonus. 
The Rakes’ third album Klang is here. If you enjoy Interpol, The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand and all that sort of thing, then The Rakes are right up your alley. 
Punk Popsters Plain White T’s Big Bad World has arrived. I think they have a new one coming shortly, so get caught up with this beforehand… If you want to that is. 
Released in 1973 Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon is one of those albums that always pops up in top 100 all time lists. Come get it from here if you can’t find it amongst your parents collection.
More CDs and playlist after the jump…
4 New CDs have arrived. If your fancy is tickled by any of them they can be found, as always, in the YA area.
Ex Libertines and Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty has re-emerged as a solo artist called Peter Doherty. The addition of the ‘r’ is supposed to make us take him seriously as a mature artist and on Grace/Wastelands he does indeed come off as serious and mature . . . at least comparitively so. A very good, if somewhat subdued, album.
An album that is sure to be playing in cafes for the next 3 years is the new Fat Freddys Drop CD, Dr. Boondigga and the big BW. Who is this Dr. Boondigga? And what is a big BW? Answers inside, maybe.
Flying the flag for New Zealand rock are Midnight Youth with The Brave Don’t Run. This is their debut and it could be the start of big things for them.
And lastly, a fantastic compilation called Simply The Best New Wave. 34 tracks across two discs and every one of them is a gem. Includes The Modern Lovers, The Cure, New Order, Blondie and other classic artists. HGHLY RCCD.
The new music is coming in thick and fast these days. I’ve seldom seen it thicker or faster.
Keri Hilson is described by allmusic.com as a dynamic singer songwriter. These dynamic skills have been used to write songs for the likes of Usher, Ludacris and Kelly Rowland, and now on her own album In A Perfect World.
Destroy all lines : dance floor anthems is a compilation for all you cats out there who like dancing to anthemic hits on floors. If that’s you then you’re in luck, because it’s a whopping two-disc affair.
Remember Rihanna’s Good Girl Gone Bad? Yes, of course you do. Well, now I’d like to introduce you to Good Girl Gone Bad: The Remixes. A good stop-gap between Rihanna albums proper.
Platinum emo-poppers Paramore have a new live album entitled The Final Riot. All your favorite Paramore tunes being sung along to by an arena full of kids. Close your eyes and pretend you’re there.
Local Hip-Hopper Savage is back in time for New Zealand Music Month with Savage Island. I can only assume that this is a concept album based on some sort of Survivor type show hosted by Savage. At least I hope so …
21st Century Breakdown is the new, soon-to-be inescapably huge album from Green Day. It’s divided into three acts because they’re so big and important they transcend the regular album format. Golly!
We have 6 new CDs, but more exciting than that (for me anyway) is the return of embedded playlists! This time we’re using deezer.com; it’s cool, stylish and most importantly it works with our firewalls. Anyway, on with the new music…
Evermore return with album number two, Truth of the world : welcome to the show. It’s a very grandiose title, perhaps befitting the ambitious sounds within.
Another New Zealand CD is Optimus Gryme’s Eclipse LP. Do you think Optimus Gryme is a rival of The Decepticonz? Do we have a local rap war on our hands ala West Coast vs East Coast circa mid-nineties US? Stay tuned, kids.
J. Dilla was a much beloved hip hop producer before his untimely passing in 2006. Dillanthology is a greatest hits of sorts featuring Common, Erykah Badu, Busta Rhymes and more.
The-Dream is one of those big, multi-platinum R&B types from the US. His album Love VS Money features other big, multi-platinum R&B types, such as Kanye West and Mariah Carey. If you are a fan of big, multi-platinum R&B types you know what to do.
Alter Ego is a new mixtape from Kanye West. On it are remixes, live versions and other little goodies not seen on albums prev. A Kanye completist’s dream.
Hip Hop: the 2009 collection has a rather self-explanatory title. Hip Hop from 1992-2009 spread across 2 discs. Includes Akon, LL Cool J, Rihanna and a whole lot more.
The first new CD is Crusty Demons: Unleash Hell 2009. It seems they’ve soundtracked the unleashing of said hell with “34 adrenalin fueled rock hits from 1994-2007″ that are all keeping in line with their brand of motorcycle trickery. Includes System Of A Down, Korn, Fall Out Boy and other similar acts.
Brandy’s fifth album Human came out last year, but it’s new to the library. It’s more chart-friendly R&B from the consistent songstress. For fans of Beyonce etc.
Local lads Kora have just popped out with a live EP called Kora! Kora! Kora! : Cabaret Voltaire sessions. If you liked these songs on the albums, you’ll want the live versions too.
All of these and lots more are now available for issuing. Sorry, no playlist again 
Three new CDs this week. If you want them, now you can issue them. Yay!
First is Old Skool Summer Jams, a 2 disc compilation of classic hip-hop and R&B tracks with a summery feel from 1988-2002. Included are The Fresh Prince, Naughty By Nature, TLC, Coolio and a bunch of other stuff to help squeeze the remaining fun out of the pretty much over summer.
Sound Of The Overground is another compilation, this time from 2004-2008. It’s a mix designed for dancing to and includes tracks by Ladyhawke (whom I adore), Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears and many more.
We also have Lily Allen’s new album It’s Not Me, It’s You. Expect more of her tongue in cheek pop cheekiness and hit after hit. I just listened to it and it’s ace. We also have her previous one here if you haven’t already listened.
Miley Cyrus, the wildly popular daughter of Billy-Ray Cyrus (remember him? possibly not, but he was responsible for the world going line-dance crazy for a brief period in the 90’s) and star of Hannah Montana has gone platinum. So here is Breakout: Platinum Edition.
Tha 411 3 bills itself as “18 monster new tracks from the global urban directory”. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then good, because we have a cup of tea for you. Includes Nelly, Usher, Alicia Keys, Bow Wow and other similar Top 40 bothering songsters.
And finally, local hip-hoppers The Fast Crew return with Truth, Lies and Red Tape. You might remember them from 2004, when they released Set The Record Straight.
Another week, another pile of new music to issue. Here we go …
The Black Kids debut album Partie Traumatic is a CD to party (partie) to. Hopefully not traumatically. I’ve seen pictures and only two of them are black, how wackily misleading.
Craig David has a greatest hits album out, called Greatest Hits. Included are all the hits that he deems his greatest.
Remember Cher’s song Life After Love, where she had that crazy autotune effect on her voice in the chorus? T-Pain has done it for two whole albums now and the latest is called Thr33 Ringz. I expect this will be wildy popular, so listen to it here first.
Britney Spears has somehow found the time to make a new album called Circus and it seems like her return to form may be continuing. Includes all manner of dancey pop.
Kanye West tries the autotuned singing thing on his new one entitled 808s & Heartbreak. People seem to either love this or hate it with no middle ground. Personally I’m in the former camp, try it out and see where you stand.
Akon is back with Freedom. What’s up with all the funny voiced R&B this week? If you’re an Akon fan you’ll enjoy this a lot.
Panic At The Disco have a live album out called Live In Chicago. If you’ve enjoyed their studio albums, but have never managed to get to a concert you could close your eyes and pretend. All the hits are included.
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The YA music collection has some new CDs. Six of them in fact. Here they are …
First is Beyonce’s new album I Am… Sasha Fierce, which sees her alter ego Sasha Fierce get one of the two discs all to herself. It reminds me of the time Outkast split Speakerboxxx/The Love Below in half, only a bit weirder.
The Flying Club Cup by Beirut is next for a bit of meaningful-core indie folk. These guys were critical darlings in 2007 and for good reason, a wee gem says I.
Hilary Duff is back with The Best Of Hilary Duff. Now you can listen to all her best songs all at once, without changing discs. This copy even comes with some exclusive bonus tracks for the Australian/NZ release.
Have you guys heard of High School Musical? Apparently it’s quite a big deal. Anyway, we have High School Musical 3 – Senior Year and judging by the way they’re jumping about on the cover in graduation robes it looks as though it might be the last one. hop aboard now I guess.
On Day & Age The Killers ask the question; are we human or are we dancers? I think I’m a dancer. This the the fourth release from the Las Vegas foursome and it finds them shooting for even more chart success.
We Started Nothing by The Ting Tings is the last on the pile. They were at the Big Day Out the other week, did anyone see them? They make indie-pop to dance to.
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