In swings the tide by Anika Moa.
It's classy, easy listening, with a mix of Pop/Country I guess it is... definitely easy on the ears, and most definitely one to listen to even in 2008! (Ethel)

Lady's bridge, Richard Hawley.
Some critics apparently don't think this is equal to his earlier work but I disagree - the title track alone raises the bar for Hawley's simple excellence in song writing. It's catchy, earnest, soulful... Blending crooner ballads with rockabilly rambles, this man is far removed from the blips and beats that characterise modern music and he's all the more important for it. (Thomas)

La cucaracha, by Ween.
The masters of piss-take 'n' pastiche return with another album of disturbingly great music. These songs are supposed to be jokes, so how come they're as good, or better, than your favourite 'serious' bands? Highlights include 'Object' (sample lyrics: You're just a piece of meat/And I am the Butcher) and the closing track 'Your Party' with its outrageously cheesy sax, while 'Shamemaker' is a must for anyone who finds the 'nu-punk-lite' of Emo bands such as Linkin Park and Good Charlotte laughable. As with any Ween album, some tracks rock, and others are unbearable, yet somehow every track shines with its own perverse merit. (Thomas)

Sweet soul music : "The best of Stax" - tracks from 1960-1974
A choice selection of soul tracks from names like Otis Redding & Isaac Hayes. Two whole discs of continuous soul grooves! (Rowan)

Graduation, Kanye West.
A very worthy follow up to 2005's Late Registration. I think every track on this CD is great, although the particular standouts for me are 'Champion' and 'Good Life'. Excellent party music! (Rowan)

Cease to begin, Band of Horses.
My pick for album of the year, gorgeous shimmering indie harmonics, overly sentimental falsetto lyrics and chunky rootsy riffing, all wrapped up with a touch of southern swagger. (Craig, Neil)

Mirrored, Battles.
Indefinably experimental mish-mash of virtually every musical genre processed though effects pedals and avant electronics. Easily the most refreshingingly 'new' sound from 2007. Long may they continue. (Craig)

Given to the rising, Neurosis.
Enormous powerhouse riffing and dense quasi-mystical lyrics from the granddads of the alt-metal set. 22 years into their career and still releasing thought provoking and very very heavy albums. (Craig)

Conqueror, Jesu.
Beautiful sweeping shoegaze and (sort of) metal from a man more renowned for the abrasive and confrontational. A stunning album, densely layered with effects and melancholy, sometimes indecipherable, lyrics. A beautiful headphones album. (Craig)

Ashes against the grain, by Agalloch.
Incredible mix of death/black/experimental/folk/progressive and good old heavy metal. Incredibly refreshing take on the avant end of the black metal spectrum. (Craig)

Rainbow, Boris.
Utterly brilliant neo-psychedelic collaboration between Boris and Ghosts Michio Kurihara. Japanese experimental rock at its absolute finest. (Craig)

Hibernaculum, by Earth.
Dylan Carson's welcome return from a lengthy heroin induced layoff. A reworking of some of Earth's previous material in his new found countrified drone style, comes with a worthy tour DVD as well. (Craig)

Pilgrimage, Om.
Immensely satisfying psychedelic guitar free album from former Sleep members. Bass and drums mix to create a mystical tribal and trance inducing workout, with chanted lyrics and pulsing undertones. It's impossible not to dance too. (Craig)

Orchestra of wolves, Gallows.
Just when you thought the ridiculousness of Emo had killed off punk rock the Gallows came screaming in with this album too remind us just how important a solid punk album can be. Furious mix of old-skool hardcore underpinned by the essential DIY ethic. (Craig)

Ire works, Dillinger Escape Plan.
More manic mathcore genius from DEP. Crushingly heavy mix up of screamo, hardcore, post-punk with precision jazz breaks. Inheritors of Faith No More's (heavier) crown perhaps? (Craig)

In rainbows, Radiohead.
A lot of the attention went to how they choose to release this album, but at the end of the day it's the music that counts, and this is definitely is their most accessible & focused album for a while. Moving through a myriad of different styles, yet still cohesive as a whole, with repeat listening bringing out something new each time. (Mark, Bridget)

Robyn, Robyn.
After early success, the travails of the music biz. relegate her to just being 'Famous in Sweden'. Fast forward to 2007 and his quirky singer makes an 'international' comeback. Result: 'Pop' music now listenable for people over 20. (Mark)

Magic, Bruce Springsteen.
Can an album be an upper and a downer at the same time? Possibly this one, as Bruce rediscovers his inner 'pop' song, filtered through a heavy dose of wistful nostalgia. Further listening brings the dark undercurrents of the politically charged lyrics to the surface. (Mark)

The queen alone, Carla Thomas.
The best work of this underrated Memphis Soul Queen equals anything cut by the 'Queen of Soul' Aretha Franklin. The fall of Stax Records derailed her career but this 1969 album is one of her best. This 2007 re-issue contains 5 bonus tracks from the same session. (Mark)

Raising sand, Robert Plant.
At first what seemed like an unlikely pairing turned out to be my CD of the year. Their voices worked beautifully together. (Julie)

Neon bible, Arcade Fire.
Track 7, on Neon Fire, 'The Well and the Lighthouse' starts with a light pop-rock strum and drums which quickly enlivens with the introduction of Win Butler's brassy, passionate vocals. Then, the female vocalist joins in a swirl of voices, the guitar pounds at twice the speed and a haunting overlay of shrill guitar surrounds everything. The song peters out finally like an extinguished fire. Every track on 'Neon Bible' is as ambitious, as willing to push towards surprising starts, middles and endings. Brilliant, adventurous and aggressively melodic! (Monty)

Boxer, National.
An album of dark and poetic indie rock. Although perhaps not as stunning as 2005's Alligator, 'Boxer' is still a fine album from a talented band. (Richard)

Let's stay friends, Les Savy Fav.
The fifth full-length release from this New York post-punk band. It features a more polished sound than their previous albums, but still manages to balance the angular aggression they are known for, with an increasing pop element. (Richard)

The stage names, Okkervil River.
A great album of country-tinged indie rock from this Texan band. Although less dark and ambitious than 'Black Sheep Boy', 'The Stage Names' is a rewarding album full of captivating tunes and inspired lyrics. (Richard)

Hissing fauna, are you the destroyer?, Of Montreal.
An album of electronic-tinged psychedelic pop, with intense, personal lyrics, courtesy of Kevin Barnes' troubled relationship. (Richard)

New magnetic wonder, Apples in Stereo.
Robert Schneider and co. have produced another epic album of sunny psychedelic pop, laden with hooks, catchy riffs and interesting sound snippets. (Richard)

We also liked:

• Beyond, Dinosaur Jr. (Richard)
• The shepherd's dog, Iron & Wine. (Richard, Neil)
• Hvarf ; Heim, Sigur Ros. (Bridget)
• White chalk, Apples in P.J. Harvey. (Kymberly)
• Outside the dream syndicate alive, Tony Conrad. (Neil)
• The western lands, Gravenhurst. (Neil)
• The piper at the gates of dawn, Pink Floyd. (Neil)
• Widow city, Fiery Furnaces. (Neil)
• Two sevens clash : the 30th anniversary edition, Culture. (Neil)
• Tio bitar, Dungen. (Neil)
• Funf, Clinic. (Neil)
• Our love to admire, Interpol. (Jason)
• Myths of the near future, Klaxons. (Jason)
• Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever, Cribs. (Jason)
• Sound of silver, LCD Soundsystem. (Jason)

Robyn by Robyn.
Swedish singer Robyn had a big international hit in 1997 as a teen with the album 'Robyn is Here' & the song 'Show me love', which she co-wrote with Max Martin (who then moved on to helm the career of some girl called Britney Spears). However her next 2 albums, while being big hits in Scandinavia & Europe, were never released outside Sweden. Various US record deals came and went, due apparently to demands that she record more single oriented material and 'compromise' her music. She formed her own label in 2005 releasing her 4th album the eponymous 'Robyn', and while setting up a UK base for her label, UK DJs latched onto the song 'With every heartbeat' (which subsequently went to #1) leading to a major label international release. Running the stylistic gamut from electro dance pop, to ballads, funk, tongue in cheek 'raps', R&B, and string laden dance grooves, 'Robyn' is the ultra-hip album you get the feeling Gwen Stefani, Fergie, and especially Britney would kill to have made. 'With Every Heartbeat' has a truly amazing string section, 'Should've Known' deserves an award for best use of the F-word in a pop song, and as an extra bonus the UK version comes with a decidedly coy version of the Prince 'classic' 'Jack-U-Off'. (Mark)

Black holes and revelations, Muse.
One of the best albums of 2006, and, in my opinion, the English trio's best album so far. Muse's fourth studio album, 'Black Holes and Revelations', is at once their most serious and most light-hearted album. Tracks such as 'Take a Bow' call for urgent political regime change in Western governments. Yet Muse also show their lighter side in the romantic Starlight, and Ennio Morricone influenced, Western tour de force that is the final track, 'Knights of Cydonia'. As an aside, Cydonia is the geographical area on Mars where, when photographed from space, there appeared to be the sculpture of a giant human face. Muse also demonstrates their trademark killer guitar riffs on 'Assassin', and 'Supermassive Black Hole'. 'Black Holes and Revelations' also sees singer/songwriter/guitarist Matthew Bellamy at his most experimental, adding trumpets, synthesiser, and violin, to their regular guitar, bass, drums and piano set. After two sell-out shows at London's Wembley Stadium, Muse will be performing concerts in Auckland and Christchurch at the end of November. I recommend to anyone who is a fan of bombastic prog-rock to make Muse their next discovery. (Susannah)

The Universal masters collection, by Motley Crue.
Everything you'll ever need to know about getting through life's tribulations can be found on this album. If it's Friday night and you're in the mood for a fight, if you have a motorbike, a switchblade, grease in your hair and you feel alright, you're still going to need girls, girls, girls to make you feel tight. Never date a woman whose name was Cindy but changed it to sin, especially if she has an alligator top hat and bag to match. Smoking cigarettes in the men's toilet is apparently very cool, shouting at the devil is supposedly a good idea also and who could forget that skydiving naked from an aeroplane and ladies with bodies from outer space is all you'll ever need to kick-start your heart. Ok, in truth its complete rubbish, but wonderful rubbish nonetheless. (Craig)

Passing stranger, Scott Matthews.
It's a rare album that truly sounds original these days, but this debut by Brit singer Scott Matthews may well be an exception. Comparisons to Jeff Buckley/Nick Drake abounded when it came out, but they do him a disservice as this is a truly eclectic & original piece of work. Embracing everything from folk, to swampy New Orleans rock, Eastern rhythms, French café music, and singer-songwriter rock, this album is truly interesting from start to finish, and he's definitely a name to watch. Recommended. (Mark)

Proof of youth, by Go! Team.
This album is firecracker dance ace-ness from start to finish. Although it is pretty much the same sort of thing as their last album, it still is the ultimate in party fun - hey if it ain't broke, why fix it? Basically all their songs sound like a 70s action hero TV theme songs. First you think, 'Wow this sounds like Motown rock n roll!' Then you think, why are there 20 girls rapping about 'doing it right'? And why is there a hip hop beat with a 60s girl group singing the melody? With song titles like 'Fake ID' and 'Flashlight Fight' this is a perfect album for cranking your summer dance parties up a notch. And for dancing around in your kitchen by yourself. Which I don't do. (Carmel)

The ties that blind by Mouth of the Architect.
Mouth of the Architect are one of those new bread of post-rock/post hardcore bands that have been trying to build upon the solid foundation that bands such as Neurosis and Isis have set. 'The Ties That Blind' is as almost exclusively instrumental album that ranges from dirge like guitar workouts through to ambient textured passages. Highly reminiscent of early Neurosis, though by no means derivative because of it, the album drifts along and much like the latest Om album has a very hypnotic quality to it. With guest vocals from Brett Hinds of the mighty Mastodon and a densely layered production it is well worth listening to if you're looking for something refreshing in the post-rock world. (Craig)

Thirteen tales of love and revenge, the Pierces.
The Pierces are 2 Alabama born sisters. After an alternative folk/rock debut on Sony that was well received critically but didn't sell, they delivered a second much more shiny pop album before decamped for the indies to make the kind of music they wanted. Their album 'Thirteen tales of love & revenge' is an eclectic mix of lounge pop, country, gypsy folk, & new wave, full of the great harmonies that only siblings can achieve. (Mark)

Ordo ad chao, Mayhem.
You don't get any blacker than this metal album. Mayhem have a history replete with scandal, unwise affiliations and a fair amount of gratuitous violence. 'Ordo ad chao' has everything you want in a black metal album; it has awful production values, there's wafer thin guitars, muddy drums, no bass to speak of and although the lyrics are completely indecipherable you know they are very naughty indeed. It's brilliant, claustrophobic, paranoia inducing and bleak as a Norwegian winter. Although Mayhem are never going to become the superstars of the extreme metal set that Cradle of Filth or Dimmu Borgir have become I'd still suggest that this and Impaled Nazarene's 'Pro patria Finlandia' would be a more worthwhile listen, if only because they are just so damn earnest about the whole eviler than thou thing. (Craig)

These four walls by Shawn Colvin.
Given the precarious state of the music business it's almost hard to believe that Shawn Colvin has been making music for over 20 years, and not just putting out average albums with the occasional hyped 'comeback', but making a consistent body of work that builds on itself making each new album her best yet. With only 2 new albums in the last 11 years it's probably no surprise that she hasn't scaled the commercial heights she deserves, but this CD, her first for the new 'Nonesuch' label, is as good as anything she has done before. Working once again with producer/songwriter John Leventhal she once again delivers a stellar set of songs, melodic & finely crafted, yet lacking in any unnecessary flourishes, and as always her lyrics are able to tell stories of the ups and downs of life & relationships in fresh new ways. Highly recommended. (Mark)

Private line, by Gerald LeVert.
Gerald LeVert was the son of Eddie LeVert, lead singer of 70's-00's soul legends The O'Jays. LeVert formed the trio 'LeVert' with his brother Sean & friend Marc Gordon while still in high school, enjoying a string of successful albums, before going solo with this effort in 1991; which incorporated his gruff 70's style soul vocals with more contemporary production. A string of successful albums followed, and he utilised his song-writing and production talent with numerous contemporary R&B artists, as well as Soul icons such as Barry White, Teddy Pendergrass & The O'Jays. Tragically he died late last year aged only 40 from accidentally mixing pain medication, prescribed after a shoulder operation, with over the counter cold medication. (Mark)

Armchair apocrypha, by Andrew Bird.
Very good, he tours NZ in February. (Ann + Richard)

All night session! : 1-3, by Hampton Hawes.
While drug addiction and a prison sentence did nothing to help his career, pianist Hampton Hawes (1928-1977) made a series of uniformly excellent albums for the Los Angeles based Contemporary label. Originally released as 3 LPs, the material on this collection was recorded in the space of a single night in late 1956 with his trio and guitarist Jim Hall. This set has the consistency and energy of a live recording without the distraction of noisy club patrons and the studio sound quality is excellent. While he had formidable technique, Hawes was also an exceptional blues player, an aspect of his playing which is featured often in this collection. Forget jazz adaptations of Radiohead and Coldplay songs, this is what jazz piano playing is all about. (Robert)

Magic by Bruce Springsteen.
After a downbeat solo album and tour, followed by a folkie tribute album and another lengthy tour, many fans wondered if Bruce had lost his 'Rock' edge completely, or if he would ever make another record with the E-Street Band. The new album, 'Magic', answers both those questions. The 'Seeger Sessions' apparently didn't resonate much with some of his hardcore fan base, but if anything emerged from that album & the resulting tour, it was a sense of 'fun' that has been absent from his work for a long time. So 'Magic' is indeed the E-Street band reunion many wanted and also some of the most straight ahead pop/rock songs he's written in a long while. In fact the whole album, while still having a few contemporary themed 'political' songs, initially sounds like it could have been recorded at the 'River' sessions in the early 80's, when he was fusing pop, rockabilly, bar-rock, and power-pop into a unique sound. However repeated listens dim the initial impact a bit, as the meticulously crafted sound seems a little too rigid for a band like the E-Streeters, and as the lyrics sink in (some quite sombre) so do all the political metaphors, as well as a sense of nostalgic sadness that makes 'Girls in their Summer clothes' not as much fun as it once could have been. The innocence of the music made on albums such as 'The River' is gone and can never really be recaptured, but the 'Boss' is back, and how bad can that be? (Mark)

A storm in heaven, the Verve.
Before the Verve were a pop or popular band they were steeped in psychedelic credibility. Their early EP's were ingrained with traits of the 'Dead' and the 'Floyd' and their concerts would frequently extend out as they indulged in lengthy guitar jams while lead singer 'Mad' Richard Ashcroft would twirl around the stage calling down the spirits in a full blown hippie frenzy. Then they went and blew it all. However, we're still left with their debut album which is packed full of gorgeous shoe-gaze guitar gems and sounding not the least bit dated. Beautiful. (Craig)

Twilley ; Scuba divers, by Dwight Twilley.
Dwight Twilley remains one of the great overlooked American pop/Power-pop icons. The Dwight Twilley Band shot to sudden fame in the late 70's with the single 'I'm on fire', a blend a Beatles-esque pop and Memphis rockabilly. Then a string of bad luck plagued the group, leaving the follow-up single and album to be released 18 months later. Despite strong reviews the album sunk followed soon after by the label itself. Relocating to another label Twilley went solo, and this reissue collects 1979's 'Twilley' & 1982's 'Scuba Divers'. Full of melodic tracks with his gorgeous double-tracked vocals, some of which feature dramatic strings like the brilliant 'Out of My hands', these two albums are chock full of neglected pop gems ('Somebody to love', 'I think it's that girl'). Twilley's bad luck with record labels would continue, but after a long hiatus he began to make a comeback on independent labels in the late 90's & early 00's. Recommended. (Mark)

This is easy : the best of Marshall Crenshaw, Marshall Crenshaw.
Another unrecognized American pop craftsman is Marshall Crenshaw. His self titled 1982 debut scored rave reviews, mining a blend of 50's Rock n Roll & guitar power-pop/rock, but botched production on his 2nd album stalled his career - and despite several more strong albums for Warner Brothers he never achieved the level of recognition he deserved, eventually shifting to small Indie label Razor & Tie. 'This is Easy' is a compilation by the Rhino label that collects his best work from 1981-1996, and includes a slew of infectious pop gems like 'Someday, Someway', 'You're my favourite waste of time' as well as his only real 'hit', 'Whenever you're on my mind'. (Mark)

The western lands, by Gravenhurst.
The third album by English band Gravenhurst sees them expanding their sound and perfecting their eerie mix of folk, pop and psychedelia. As usual, the lyrics are dark and mysterious, but the tunes are gorgeous and this may well be their best album yet. Roll on the next one. (Neil)

Made of bricks by Kate Nash.
Tagged as a bit of a Lilly Allen clone, Kate Nash's 'Made of Bricks' is an album that reveals a bit more to it after a few plays. 'Foundations' was a hit and is probably the best track with its spoken-sung narration of a collapsing relationship, but the rest of the album is more diverse than you'd think. (Mark)

The piper at the gates of dawn, by Pink Floyd.
Forget the turgid Sergeant Pepper; this is the real soundtrack to London's swinging sixties. A 3-CD deluxe re-issue of the Floyd's debut classic with mono and stereo versions, as well as early singles and rare cuts, this shows off the outrageous genius that was Syd Barrett - he wrote, sung and played guitar on the record. In fact he WAS The Pink Floyd at the time. As much as the rest of the band would like to forget this album, they would never be this fresh and exciting ever again. (Neil)

Ashes against the grain, Agalloch.
Album number three for America's most important black Metal band. Some beautiful piano and acoustic interludes break up this churning avant-metal masterpiece. Lots of new doom influences show up here with plenty of the expansive and atmospheric laden songs they are renowned for. Black metal is leading the charge these days for drawing in diverse influences and grinding them out in an inspired fashion and Agalloch are certainly leading contenders for anyone looking for something heavy with a welcome dash of the light. Perfect for playing really really loud via your headphones. (Craig)

The hair the tv the baby & the band by Imperial Teen.
Formed as a side project by Faith No More keyboardist Roddy Bottum, Imperial Teen's debut, 1996's 'Seasick', was great pop-punk, full of spiky guitar lines and droll boy/girl vocals. After a couple more albums they went on a lengthy hiatus, the reasons for which form the title of their first new CD in 5 years. Thankfully nothing much has changed in their sound, though they have mellowed a bit, with the 60's pop influences a bit more readily apparent than before. Full of catchy, sometimes arch, tunes, they aren't afraid to take sly digs at their mature post-punk parent selves. (Mark)

Sound of silver, by LCD Soundsystem.
With faintly new wave-ish Human League-type vocals (sometimes in chorus) and a hip way with a throwaway line LCD Soundsystem build their songs like walls, a brick here, a guitar there, some piano, takeaway the piano, add a cow horn, disco-funk guitar, bring in the high-hat... Imagine isolating the best parts of Lou Reed, the Train spotting soundtrack and an eighties-blip computer programme. Do not doubt substance, though. 'New York I love you but you're bringing me down' loves the place it so despises, 'All my Friends' covers nothing less than the next ten years of your life and takes ten hip-grinding minutes to get there. Magnetically playable, anthemic and intoxicating. (Monty)

Live on Sunset Strip, the Raspberries.
The Raspberries were a band that seemingly got lost amongst the musical excesses that typified early-mid 1970s rock, almost single-handily inventing the genre that would come to be known as 'Power pop' & gathering along the way hardcore fans such as Bruce Springsteen & John Lennon. The Cleveland quarter formed in 1970, led by singer/songwriter Eric Carmen. They hit big almost at once with the million selling 'Go all the way' that fused the seemingly disparate influences of The Who & The Beach Boys. Three more critically acclaimed albums followed but lack of commercial success and inter band tensions led them to split acrimoniously after only 5 years together. Carmen moved onto to a moderately successful solo career, where he let loose his penchant for over the top ballads ('All by myself') and the other members drifted in and out of various other bands. Rumours of a reunion circulated around the end of the 90's, but never came to fruition... until suddenly it all came together. This lavish CD/DVD set documents the 2005 reunion gig at L.A's 'House of Blues' and it doesn't sound like a day has gone by - the guitars jangle, the harmonies are rougher but still as sweet, the drums pound, and it's 1972 all over again.... (Mark)

Fun, by Daniel Johnston.
Daniel Johnston had just secured a record deal with Atlantic Records on the back of Kurt Cobain revealing a 'Yip Jump Music' T-shirt beneath his open flannelled shirt and the resulting CD, the result of all that money and marketing, was a commercial failure. You can hear the resulting crispness of production, the addition of strings or horns, a synthesiser, to enhance Johnston's plonk on piano or Neanderthal-strum on guitar. Like any Daniel Johnston CD the resulting songs are a variety; oddity's, occasional lucid profundity, simple love songs that cut to the quick. I know Daniel Johnston's earlier and later work and 'Fun;' represents a kind of last hurrah. There is a level of self-analysis, of recognition that disappears into repetition in the later.There are also some of his loveliest ballads, ditties really, like 'Love Contorted', 'Love Will See You through' and 'Crazy Love' remind one of the early, less difficult Johnston and the lyrics are that strange mix of the surreal, the little-thought-out and the strange: 'and I know if you saw me now, your mind would be contorted, but I love you....' (Monty)

Phantom Limb, Pig Destroyer.
Going by band name alone you can probably guess Pig Destroyer aren't the new hit pop band on the block. They play fast sharp and dirty grindcore and they play it incredibly well. This Washington D.C based band are fast becoming legendary in underground Metal circles and Phantom Limb, the follow up to their underground classic album Terrifyer, is a marvellous romp down the hardcore/grindcore road. Terrific shards of distorted guitar backed by some superbly heavy percussion and of course those classic indecipherable guttural vocals means Phantom Limb is both wickedly punishing and an excellent example of the grindcore genre. Well on their way to becoming worthy successors to Napalm Death. (Craig)

In the clear, by Ivy.
Ivy are an ultra cool indie pop band consisting of Andy Chase, French singer Dominique Durand and a bloke called Adam Schlesinger (from the 'Fountains of Wayne'). 'In the clear' their latest (and 4th) album is another disc full of lush lounge, bouncy guitar pop, melodic tunes and Durand's gorgeously breathy vocals. Should appeal to anyone who likes Saint Etienne and Stereolab. (Mark)

Three easy pieces by Tom Buffalo.
Rated by some as the great lost rock band of the 90's Buffalo Tom return after a 9 year layoff with this CD. While other lesser bands rose to fame Buffalo Tom never seemed to make the big commercial breakthrough they should have, despite a series of solid and often excellent albums. 'Three Easy Pieces' finds Bill Janovitz's voice still is fine form and the interplay with bassist Chris Colburn & drummer Tom Maginnis still as tight as ever. Not so much a follow on form their last album, the slicker 'Smitten', but rather a return to the rougher rock sound of their earlier albums. Great melodic songs from a band that still rocks, even if from a more mellow perspective - and who will hopefully finally gain the recognition they deserve. (Mark)

Cansei de Ser Sexy, by CSS.
This self-titled album translates as 'Tired of Being Sexy', from the Portuguese. The band comprises a bunch of young, hip arty Brazilian girls and one electro producer dude, and the music is electro-rock, too dirty to be called pop. They're kind of a modern equivalent of Blondie, the same vague cynicism and pop-culture cool; and their front woman is a spunky, chunky chica who calls herself 'Lovefoxxx'. The lyrics are obscene and rocking, especially on 'Art Bitch' which, you know, is a totally relevant song for this age of prolific 1st-year Fine Arts students. I listen to this a lot, but if I'm honest, I much prefer the local version - Cortina's Control Freaks Rule The World - New Zealand's little-known best album. (Thomas)

Ever since, Lesley Gore.
Yes the Lesley Gore, of 'It's my Party' fame. Gore was the most successful exponent of the 60's girl-group sound, and while she's remembered mostly for lightweight songs such as 'It's my Party' the material she recorded in the 60's for Mercury was surprisingly varied and included a lot of material she wrote herself. After she left Mercury she recorded a couple of singer-songwriter albums of original material and then drifted into retirement. Fast forward 30 years and she has released a new CD with hip indie multi-instrumentalist Blake Morgan on his 'Engine Company' label. Her voice was always distinctive, even more so with age, but it's the instrumentation that's so compelling, an acoustic, almost 'jazz' feel, like the outré hip Patricia Barber but without the pretentious 'deconstructionism' that she brings to everything. Sinewy double bass lines weave in and out of girl group backing vocals, sparse brushwork and piano lines. Factor in a great set of songs; mature (and sometimes coy) takes on love and relationships, and you have a great return. Highlights include the title track, the arch 'Not the first' (as in 'you're not the first/to think you'll be the last'), 'Out here on my own' & very post modern take on her 60's classic 'You don't own me'. (Mark)

Orbus terrarum by Orb.
The Orb were once leading lights in the 90's ambient house revolution. The Orb's most successful albums were released in the early to mid 90's and they were as much Can, Tangerine Dream, and innumerable numbers of pioneering electronic twiddlers, as they were Chicago or London house. The resulting albums were often wonderfully chilled out and curiously sublime. Orbus Terrarum is perhaps not the best place to start if looking for a definitive 'ambient' Orb album but it is an excellent album for those looking for heady nostalgic reminders of the time when they could manage to stay up all night, or if you want to get analytical about it all, then it's a great historical reminder of mid 90's electronica when samples, beats, synth and dub mixed it up to produce sounds which were at the time undeniably fresh and innovative. (Craig)

We can create, by Maps.
Melodic songs, walls of guitars, droning synths.... worth checking out for anyone who's a fan of My Bloody Valentine and Mercury Rev. (Mark)

Outside the dream syndicate alive by Tony Conrad.
Feeling sad and depressed? Thinking too much? Try putting on this recent live album by drone artist Tony Conrad and the legendary German band Faust and cranking it up to 11. It'll either push you over the edge, or heal those psychic wounds completely. Either way, you won't be bothered by actual thoughts. A single 50-minute track that eats its way through your brain and body with relentless otherworldly violin and pounding rhythms and leaves you exhausted and exhilarated. (Neil)

Death cult Armageddon, Dimmu Borgir.
Norway's black metal kings continued their brutal assault on the senses with this 2003 offering. Paired with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, the corpse-painted ones presented a powerful, scary and strangely beautiful piece of work. (Neil)

Undisputed attitude by Slayer.
In which Slayer rips through 14 punk covers from yesteryear. No surprises that Slayer sound very much like themselves here, they haven't deviated to far from their thrash rootsh/dh/death metal style, with covers of the Stooges, Minor Threat, DI and T.S.O.L it's a trip back through Slayers influences from the early 80's hardcore years, and of course to the debt that all good punk and metal bands owe the Stooges. There's a couple of brief original numbers thrown in that don't sound out of place and the album zips past in less time than it takes to make a decent cuppa. Perfect album for the Sunday afternoon vacuuming. (Craig)

New magnetic wonder by Apples in Stereo.
The first album in five years from this quirky indie-pop group. 'Can You Feel It?' sets the sound for the rest of the album, catchy pop with a slight experimental edge. Much like fellow Elephant 6 Collective members, Olivia Tremor Control, the band alternates between songs and sound fragments. Highlights include 'Energy' and 'Sunndal Song'. (Richard)

McLuskyism, by McLusky.
A great compilation of the now-defunct Welsh band's singles, covering all three of their albums. This collection ranges from the pop perfection of 'She Will Only Bring You Happiness', to the mean post-punk of 'That Man Will Not Hang', with tongue firmly in cheek throughout. It's a great overview of an underrated band. (Richard)

Mirrored, The Battles.
The Battles first full length album is a wonderfully bizarre cut and paste mix of Progressive Rock, Math-Rock, IDM, Krautrock and sample wizardry. Battles features, amongst others, ex members of Tomahawk, Helmet, and Don Caballero so while one might realistically expect a guitar heavy workout Mirrored is anything but. It's kind of impossible to compare or pigeonhole Battles they are often contradictory and wildly experimental within a song, but at a stretch I'd have to go with a mix of Can, Aphex Twin and Fantomas. Battles are truly innovative and the album is often bewilderingly complex however the production offers superb clarity and with its vintage keyboard blips, futuristic samples and dinky guitar wig-outs Mirrored sounds totally fresh, utterly brand new and completely unique. Highly recommended. (Craig)

Variations on a theme by Om.
Om are two chaps who used to make up the rhythm section of the now defunct Sleep, a legendary stoner metal band from the early 90s. Om, who only consist of the bass and drum kit of Al Cisneros and Chris Haikus, have released two albums thick with chugging minimalist rock. Om are certainly heavy like their previous band but these days they are completely swaddled in a psychedelic blanket and Variations on a Theme offers up a drone heavy and trance inducing soundtrack. Shamelessly referencing great monolithic stoner bands from the past Om tumble and sway lazily through three tracks in forty minutes all of which are well worth a listen, especially for those of us inclined to daydream. Also new to the library, and again a great album, is the split OM/Current 93 release Inerrant Rays of the Infallible Sun (Blackship Shrinebuilder). Building on OM's underground acclaim and sharing an E.P. with one of their more obvious influences this is a great album to introduce you to two bands working to produce wonderfully shamanistic sounds. (Craig)

Excellent Italian greyhound, by Shellac.
Seven years since their last release and Shellac turn out another great album. Steve Albini's production is once again outstanding; his engineering captures the nuances and gritty realism of his own rock band superbly. In all honesty Shellac haven't turned out anything 'new' here and this album wouldn't sound out of place had it been released a decade ago, but Albini's guitar, Weston's bass and Trainer's drumming are faultless and they have still managed to turn out a highly impressive chunk of (post) rock. Shellac have never been accused of a lack of pretension and they might seem be a touch elitist, but they are a great band because of their fierce independence and if you want your rock interesting challenging and direct then Excellent Italian Greyhound is great choice. (Craig)

Cross, by Justice.
This is the debut by Berlin based DJ/producer Justice. He is riding a huge wave of hype at the moment, but it's for good reason: this is the fun dancetacular cd of the year! With D.A.N.C.E a hit on indie club dance floors in Wellington right now, and pretty much every other track being played on the radio daily, he has brought fresh chanty dance tracks to the electro pop genre. A bit like the 'Go! Team', but with more synths, here is a CD to have to take your party up about 10 notches. (Carmel)

The very best of The Doors, Doors.
Talk about guilty pleasures. This takes me right back to summer in the fourth form. I'm not so fond of the campy, marching beat numbers like 'Touch Me' (thankfully this comp. doesn't include 'Land Ho!'), but there's just so much awesomeness throughout - atogether now... "They got the years but we got the numbers, gonna win yeah we're taking over, COME ON!!!". (Thomas)

Still Bill, by Bill Withers.
I suppose most people remember Bill for songs like 'Lovely Day' and 'Ain't no Sunshine,' but that only illustrates the dangers inherent in placing faith to strongly in Greatest-Hits packages. 'Who is he (and what is he to you)?' is a downright dangerous song about infidelity and 'I don't want you on my mind' tells of the futility in trying to forget love, because '...I believe it shows a sign of weakness'. These strong, sensual tracks cover a full, frank range of loves strange, coded, mystifying attributes.

In all, 'Still Bill' feels like a portrait of love, good and bad, as important for its time as albums like Brian Wilson's 'Pet Sounds' and Marvin Gaye's 'Let's get it on' were for theirs. (Monty)

Brett Anderson by Brett Anderson.
Suede were one of the biggest Brit-pop bands of the 90's, even the very definition of 'Brit-pop' itself. With guitarist Bernard Butler, Anderson cemented a writing partnership that made the first 2 Suede albums still sound unique. In-fighting led Butler to leave after Dog Man Star, but Anderson continued on and their 3rd album Coming Up was a comeback of sorts. 2 more albums followed before they called it quits, as some would say, after having written every conceivable song about fashion, depression and drugs. Anderson & Butler reunited for an underwhelming reunion as The Tear in 2005 but the magic was gone. This marks Anderson's debut as a solo artist and it's not bad. The trouble with hanging around so long in the music biz is that fans want you to be the same person & make the same music that you did at 25 when you're 35 and Anderson clearly struggles with this at points in the album, as some songs are marred by an over-earnestness. Still he mostly succeeds in carving out a more mature sound, and he still has that great voice. (Mark)

Easy tiger, Ryan Adams.
After releasing three albums in 2005, Ryan Adams returns with Easy Tiger, his most commercially-accessible album since 2001's Gold. Though billed as a solo-album, Easy Tiger includes the support of Adams' backing band The Cardinals. The presence of the Cardinals is evident, especially on the tracks 'Tears of Gold' and 'Pearls on a String' which have a rich country vibe reminiscent of Adams' excellent 2005 "country record" Jacksonville City Nights. While Easy Tiger's "polished" sound signals a mainstream approach which may discourage die-hard Adams purists, the raw emotion of album closer 'I Taught Myself How to Grow Old' is a reminder of the heart-felt expression that Adams is so good at. (Anna)

Black Mountain by Black Mountain.
The first track on this album sounds like it was a left over from Stephen McBeans 'other' band Pink Mountaintops, but for the rest of the album Black Mountain play a sort of fuzzed out stoner rock with a heavy 70's vibe, man. Some nice retro riffing and keyboard action combined with duel vocals talents of Stephen McBean and Amber Webber results in an album brimming with heady neo-stoner psychedelic. Imagine a mix of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath as played by any number of mid 80's alt-rock bands and your almost there. There's no mistaking or hiding their influences but, like the recent Wolfmother release, they are original enough and quirky enough to stand out from the retro fuzz pack. (Craig)

High priest ; Black list by Alex Chilton.
Alex Chilton wrote some of the best loved songs of the 70's in the Indie-influential 'Big Star' and although he never has generated the same kind of following he still writes great tongue-in-cheek Rock'n'Roll. These straight-faced, low-key pop songs evoke romance (Take it Off), the lighter side of madness (Rubber Room) and the illicit joys of under-age relationships (Jailbait). Who else could write a song about the Dali Lama '...doing things like Astral Projection...' and almost get away with it?

There is a once over lightly feeling; a kind of unfinished, unashamed rawness a lifetime away from Big Star. (Monty)

You must believe in Spring, by Bill Evans.
By the middle 1960s Bill Evans was acknowledged by music critics as the most influential jazz pianist after Bud Powell, a position which has remained unchallenged to this day. At the time this was recorded in 1977, he had lost his brother and former partner to suicide, and a close friend had died unexpectedly. His marriage was falling apart and he was using cocaine which would contribute heavily to his own death in 1980. It's not surprising that these combined events took their toll on Evans and with this album he dedicated a track to each of the people who were no longer in his life resulting in one of the saddest but stunningly beautiful albums of his career.

The fact it was not released until after his own death adds to the sense of melancholy at what a substantial loss he was to the jazz world (and music in general). (Robert)

The singles, Spacemen 3.
Consisting of their three mid-1980s EPs, this is a fine collection that encompasses extended guitar workouts, shimmering electronica, and laidback druggy dreamscapes. If you've just discovered Rugby's finest, or you want to check out the roots of Spiritualized, this is an excellent place to start. (Neil)

Are you listening by Dolores O'Riordan.
The first solo album from the Cranberries lead singer was a while in the making, as the last Cranberries album was around 2001. Thankfully the musical and lyrical clumsy-ness of the last few Cranberries albums is gone, replaced with a more driving guitar/keyboard sound/drums sound, which recalls the more indie-rock aspects of their work. Mostly good songs, highlighted by a couple of great moments (Ordinary Day, Loser) make it a solid debut. It may fail to draw you in on the first listen but it's worth giving it another chance. (Mark)

Frank, by Amy Winehouse.
I've been right into listening to Amy Winehouse lately. Both "Frank" and "Back to Black". Man, that girl has a voice! She's a good song-writer too. A bit worrying that she's finding that the combination of: too young, too much talent, and too much pressure of showbiz, might be taking their toll though. Hope she comes through ok so that we keep on getting more great stuff from her. (Ellie)

Arkology, by Lee "Scratch" Perry.
Arkology is a 3 CD set of Lee Perry dubs and originals assembled by Island Records highlighting what many consider his finest period. Although nobody has ever been too sure of "Scratch's" sanity this release confirms his genius. With plenty of bass heavy dubs of late 70's classic tracks recorded with the likes of Max Romeo, Junior Murvin, Heptones and The Upsetters this 3 Cd set is the perfect stepping stone into the often wildly inconsistent recorded works of Lee Perry. If this 3 Cd set sounds a bit daunting then new to the Library catalogue is The Upsetter Selection made all the more attractive by the fact this jukebox set was complied by Lee Perry himself. Again a brilliant selection of tracks with the added attraction of representing works recorded from the late 60's through to 2002. Both fantastic albums. (Craig)

A river ain't too much to love, by Smog.
Billy Callahan's voice seems to be getting deeper, stronger and more effortless. Whether this has affected his musical style, brought his voice to the fore made the lyrics more prominent is a moot point, but a considered Callahan has evolved, one less likely to rely on a smart line and one more willing to develop an idea over an entire song.

Some of these songs are like finely developed Short Stories. 'Drinking at the Dam' is a nostalgic glimpse into a wasted youth, 'Let Me See the Colts' sees a man waking the owner of a stud because '...there's nothing as still as sleeping horses...' and the protagonist of 'The Well' pursues a thrown bottle into the woods until he finds a well, and a small epiphany. (Monty)

Tio bitar, by Dungen.
A guitar freak-out in the late 60s/early 70s mould kick-starts this brand new offering from Sweden's finest pych/folk combo. The ten pieces ("tito bitar"), all sung in Swedish, bring the past firmly into the present and create a new psychedelia for the 21st century. (Neil)

The deep blue, by Charlotte Hatherley.
The second solo album form ex Ash guitarist Hatherley shows her expanding her horizon from the proto punk of Ash to a broader wash of sound. Choppy rhythms and melodic songwriting create a palette of sound ranging from guitar pop to the dreamy vocals reminiscent of the Cocteau twins. (Mark)

Icky thump, the White Stripes.
It starts off impressively with Icky Thump as the first track, and progresses along, with some great highs and a few not too memorable lows, although it is all fairly listenable, and better than their last album. You Don't Know What Love Is, is a real power pop ballad, reminiscent of the 70s, a few good hard blues tunes, particularly the longest track 300 mph Torrential Downpour Blues, just loved it. Also Rag and Bone was a real blast, (my favourite) and the quiet A martyr For My Love For You. Maybe I'm too old or have heard too much, maybe it's just too hard now to be very original, but Little Cream Soda has the heavy overtones of Rammstein mixed with the electronics of Hot Chip. Scary. Can not help feeling that maybe Led Zeppelin has done it all before and Jack White although developing a great guitar style is no Jimmy Page, but at times does sound very like Robert Plant. Strange. All in all not too bad and some of it will live on. (Linda)

23 by Blonde Redhead.
An 'art-pop' band consisting of two Italian twins on drums & guitar and a Japanese singer, their previous albums have a more 'noise-rock' sound, influenced by 'Sonic Youth' & 'My Bloody Valentine'. Their latest album sees them move more toward the 'dreampop' aesthetic of defunct UK act 'Lush'. Ethereal vocals & swirling guitars. For fans of 'The Cocteau Twins' & late period 'Mercury Rev'. (Mark)

Beyond by Dinosaur Jr.
A big return to form for the surprisingly reformed Boston band. Strong melodies, solid rhythms and the trademark searing guitar from frontman J Mascis. Against all the odds, Dinosaur Jr. have delivered an album to rate alongside the best of their 1980s work. (Neil)

Monotheist, by Celtic Frost.
Generally I'm not the sort of chap who is easily frightened, that said, Monotheist, the latest album from Celtic Frost gives me the creeps. Celtic Frost were pioneers of 'avant guarde' heavy metal, with their unique blend of doom, thrash and black metal they released a number of completely unorthodox yet utterly brilliant metal albums. It must also be noted that they have released some absolute garbage. It was no surprise then that 13 years after their last release their 2006 'comeback' album was nervously awaited by fans. But never fear (not yet anyway) Monotheist is a right royal trip through every grunting, churning and shrieking cliché that makes heavy metal the glorious institution it is. Heavy on the doom and with one of the darkest and grittiest guitar tones in recent memory Monotheist's overwhelmingly nerve shredding production is combined with some intensely gothic lyrical themes making for the listening equivalent of a Sunday night triple horror feature. Highly recommended for the squeamish. (Craig)

The reminder by Feist.
This is an excellent fourth album from Feist, sometime member of Broken Social Scene. Feist achieved international solo success with her peppy dance around the room hit 'Mushaboom' [think it was on a car ad in the UK incidentally] from her otherwise cry-into-your-coffee Let it Die. The Reminder is soulful, quirky, full of interesting melodies sung with her fine, yet at times, husky voice. Listen out for her bright arrangement of Nina Simone's Sealion Woman. (Carmel)

Memory almost full by Paul McCartney.
The titles digital allusion aside, this isn't the bitter 'divorce' album that everyone expected. Rather it's an album by a guy who wrote a song called 'When I'm 64', who is now 64 himself, taking a look back on his life and coming to the conclusion that, given the various ups & downs, it wasn't half bad. Playing nearly every instrument the album marks a return to the 'art' rock of his first 2 solo albums, 'McCartney' & 'McCartney II'. A look at mortality, it's not the ponderous concept album that has befallen other 'elder statesmen' of rock when they tackle the same material, rather jaunty melodic & whimsical. (Mark)

Commercial album, by the Residents.
The 25th anniversary edition of this landmark album is beautifully packaged with a full set of lyrics. The 40 one-minute songs reveal a wealth of ideas and a strong sense of menace, and being so short, never outstay their welcome. As fresh-sounding now as in 1980. (Neil)

Songs for Silverman, by Ben Folds.
I love the enthusiasm of Ben Folds music, the range and bounce with his piano playing, his voice like a lost Beach Boy. The music on 'Songs for Silverman' is punchy and Lynday Jamieson on drums flies through fills and solos whilst Folds improvises. You To Thank chonks along at a hyperactive pace, and Folds angst-ridden lyrics never quite get as pathetic as they might thanks to prankster-Folds' love for a well placed swear word. Included is a lovely Booklet of Folds' photographs: the first is an introspective self portrait, the last three of son, daughter and wife. (Monty)

The boy with no name, by Travis.
After the lackluster '12 Memories' Travis return to form after a 4 year absence, with a sound that is more similar to 'The Man Who' & 'The Invisible Band'. Having overcome personal & professional ups & downs, they seem comfortable just being who they are instead of making any grand statements, just making a more mature music that contemplates their place in life. (Mark)

Dying to say this to you by Sounds.
Question: Could a Scandinavian band with a hot platinum blonde singer, mining a musical niche somewhere between the new wave sound of Missing Persons & The Cars, and the Brit Pop of Elastica & Kenickie be any thing other than brilliant? The Answer: No, no they couldn't. (Mark)

Conqueror by Jesu.
Jesu main man Justin Broderick may be more famous for his stints in extreme music legends Napalm Death and Godflesh but his finest work is exhibited in the two albums and EP he has recorded under his Jesu moniker. Although Conqueror may share the 'heaviness' of his previous band releases its subtlety means it is almost a complete opposite to his previous overwhelmingly metal inspired catalogue. Here Broderick finds inspiration not only from his own drone masterworks but also from late 80's early 90's 'shoe-gaze' bands such as My Bloody Valentine to create an album dense in emotive and musical complexity. Heavy and distorted drone chords are mixed with minimal hushed vocals, stark drum beats and low bass end rumbles to create an album which is richly emotionally rewarding and primed for repeated listens. (Craig)

Big by Macy Gray.
Back when Macy Gray's first album 'On how life is' came out in 1999 she was hailed as the next great soul saviour, with an amazingly unusual voice, and a best selling single that went on to win a Grammy. But the following album, 2001's 'The Id' played up the more 'crazy' style of her musical persona and didn't fare as well, and her 3rd release 'The trouble with being myself' was prophetic, given the album failed to register commercially. The trouble with her uniquely raspy vocals was that they needed the right context to operate in, and her 2 previous albums were patchy affairs full of contrived songwriting and heavy handed production. 'Big' reels in a slew of producers and writers like will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), Ron Fair & Justin Timberlake yet for all the outside input comes off as her most cohesive album yet, and a surprisingly good return to form. Most of the songs hit a mid-tempo groove, and her rough voice is counterbalanced with smooth backup singing on several tracks to good effect as her general 'sound' moves away from the hip-hop/70's funk stylings of her last couple of CDs to a more 'old school' feel. Recommended if you thought she'd lost the plot a while back. (Mark)

Robbers & cowards, by Cold War Kids.
Full length debut from L.A indie Quartet. Quirky songwriting is somewhat overshadowed by lead singer Nathan Willett's voice, and the songs get a little samey in places, but still worth a look in if you're a indie-rock fan. (Mark)

Crashing the ether by Tommy Keene.
Hailed as one of the founding fathers of the 'power-pop' sound, Tommy Keene has been around since the 80's, making one great guitar album after another, influencing everyone from 'The Replacements'' Paul Westerberg, 'Guided by Voices'' Robert Pollard, to the alternative pop of 'The Posies', and the radio friendly rock of 'The Gin Blossoms'. His major label debut 'Songs from the Film' seemed poised to break him into the mainstream, but it never happened, though far lesser artists achieved success mining the musical niche he created. His latest album is a return to the sound of crashing, chiming guitars, melodic songs, and big drums that characterise the best elements of his previous work. (Mark)

Hibernaculum by Earth.
Earth is the work of Dylan Carson, who for many years was more famous for being the chap who brought Kurt Cobain the shotgun which ended his life. Earth was the consummate doom/drone band, releasing bewilderingly heavy albums in the early 90's, before burning out in a drug and crime fuelled haze. However, after a decade or so of heroin addiction newly clean Dylan Carson resurrected Earth and returned in 2005 with the spectacular Hex: Or Printing in the Infernal Method an album, which though holding onto definite drone elements, rode out in a new direction, namely country. Earth's new style, exhibited perfectly on Hibernaculum, retains the repetitive style of drone but draws heavily from instrumental country, movie soundtracks and features some of the most spectacularly hypnotic riffs heard in a long time. Backed by his band fresh and firing from a long tour for Hex this CD also comes with a 60 minute documentary of the tour which provides a fascinating insight into the life and mind of a genuine underground legend, welcome back! (Craig)

Traffic and weather, by Fountains of Wayne.
Another solid album from F.O.W. Lacks a stand out single like 'Stacey's Mom', but no one else cops vocal riffs from Billy Joel or writes songs about losers trying to hook up with the girl behind the counter at the DMV. (Mark)

In Colour, by the Concretes.
This is a great new album from Stockholm's best twee pop band. Nothing too deep but loads of catchy sugar coated tunes. Fans of Camera Obscura, Aberfeldy and Belle & Sebastian will love it! (Carmel)

Under the skin, by Lindsey Buckingham.
Low key solo album from Fleetwood Mac guru. A slow burner that sounds a bit samey at first, as all the songs feature sparse production, hushed vocals, and the acoustic guitar work reminiscent of the last Mac album 'Say you will', but gradually grows on you as the individual melodies sink in. (Mark)

High heeled, by the Livids.
High heeled is a great, short (only 7 tracks), rock album from a group that actually retired in 1997, after producing 1 EP and 2 full length albums. Luckily they met up again in London and after several gigs ended up back in NZ in 2005 and were based in Wellington. Although they originated from Knowledge City, Palmerston North, the original lyrics from each song are not mind-bendingly complicated, or deep and meaningful. From the simple yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ah, ah, ah chorus on the first song, Wakahitu to Doo Doo, (another chorus in the song of the same title) to Champagne ("stars in your eyes, it's no surprise"), nothing too taxing, simple, easy, but great rock that stays on the brain. The bands they say that have influenced them are too many to list, but they seem to me to be more like the early Stones, but with more rhythmic depth and better vocals. High Heeled is a favourite at the moment, makes you want to party. (Linda)

Out of the woods by Tracey Thorn.
Only her 2nd solo album, after 1982's 'A Distant Shore', and her first in 25 years and her first move back into the recording studio since 1999 finds Tracey Thorn (the lead singer from 'Everything but the Girl') not veering too much from the signature sound of her band. Some songs are more acoustic and downbeat and others have string backing, exploring subjects like motherhood and love; but a lot employ the club beats, drum n bass elements, and programming that characterise the last few EBTG albums. A great return. (Mark)

Introducing Joss Stone by Joss Stone.
In interviews Stone said that this album is her creative and artistic breakthrough, and that her previous records were driven by record company executives. The album is produced by Raphael Saadiq, who lends the songs a lot of groove, but however a lot of them don't really go anywhere. There are some good tracks here, like the Motown-esque 'Girl, they won't believe it'. A collaboration with rapper Common on 'Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now' is OK, but Lauren Hill doesn't add anything to a banal song about music called 'Music'. The problem lies in the overproduction to some extent, but the real problem reflected is that contemporary urban/R&B songwriting is so homogenous and bland, so that there is nothing as 'artistically' good as the best tracks from 'The Soul Sessions', or even as good as the few good tracks from 'Mind, body & Soul' (like the catchy 'Don't cha wanna Ride'). So overall it's an OK album, just not the great album she's someday going to make. (Mark)

No, you c'mon by Lambchop.
The flip-side to accompanying CD 'Aw C'mon' finds Lambchop's typically allusive, cryptic lyrics immersed in Glen Campbell, strings, chomping piano and bright, poundy instrumentals. 'The Problem' is an ironic title for one of Wagner's least pessimistic takes on the chance of love yet, whilst 'Shang a Dang Dang' reiterating chug-title infectiously rants. 'The Gusher', another instrumental slows to a crawl and playfully uses the 'Mary Tyler Moore' theme song, 'we're gonna make it after all'. This is Lambchop at it's lightest, in fact a million light years from previous downer-but-still-excellent release 'Is a Woman'. Wagner, on the inner sleeve opines optimistic. 'YOU ARE IMPORTANT BE GOOD TO EACH OTHER.' L (Monty)

Yours to keep, by Albert Hammond Jr.
The last Strokes album was a bit of a mess and with side projects de rigueur these days it wouldn't have been much of a surprise to find lead singer Julian Casablancas popping up somewhere else. What is a surprise is that it's guitarist Albert Hammond Jr who makes the first move and an even bigger surprise is how good it is. Not as radically different from his original band as say Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha's solo album was from his, Hammond possesses a keen sense of song craft and melody, a great voice, and of course the guitar chops that make the Strokes rhythm section so good. A few guitar riffs pop up that recall the odd Strokes song here and there, but all the songs have a bittersweet California power pop vibe influenced by everyone from the Beach Boys 'Cartoon Music for Superheroes' to the Pixies '101', but all of them stand on their own; and it's certainly a better album than 'First Impressions of Earth' was. Recommended. (Mark)

Ben Kweller by Ben Kweller.
Power pop new kid Kweller returns with a self titles 3rd album that is a bit more studied than his previous releases 2002's 'Sha Sha' & 2004's 'On My Way'. Kweller plays everything himself this time around & the songs are all solid and more reflective, with equal weight given to pretty ballads as to up-tempo power pop numbers. Overall a solid album, if a little insular, but it lacks a killer track, like the ode to solitude of 'My Apartment' from 'On My Way'. (Mark)

Boys and girls in America by Hold Steady.
Hailed by various diverse sources as one of the best bands in America, Hold Steady are the anti-indie band indie band; who apparently don't hold much stock in the posing and posturing that marks most 'indie' music. Singer songwriter Craig Finn has developed a cult following for his clever lyrics with their recurring characters and sly literary allusions (this album takes its name from a line in Kerouac's 'On the Road'). Finn has a definitely unique voice and it's hard to describe what they sound like - somewhere between the fun & wordplay of early Springsteen, Paul Westerberg & The Replacements, and the insular lifestyles depicted in the songs of Granddaddy. Scattered with great throwaway lines like 'she was a damn good kisser and she wasn't that strict of a Christian/She was a real good dancer but she wasn't much of a girlfriend' Hold Steady seemed poised on the brink of the type of major breakthrough that REM's 'Document' was. (Mark)

Sunnysuperspeedgraphic, the LP by Ben Folds.
In between his 1st solo album & his second, Folds toured briefly with Ben Kweller & Ben Lee releasing an internet only EP 'The Bens' to commemorate it. He decided he liked the idea so recorded 3 more EPs, initially only available though his website or i-tunes. The original EPs, each recorded in only a couple of days, sound a lot looser and more diverse than his previous work and so he decided to compile some of the tracks together, tinkering with some to iron out any rough edges. Folds is either someone you find just a little too ironic and clever or you tend to like most of what he does, so this CD won't really change anyone's opinion of him, but it does contain some really good songs - many of which are arguably better than those on his second album 'Songs for Silverman'. Highlights include covers of the Cure's 'In Between days's & The Darkness's' 'Get your hands off my woman', 'Bruised', and 'Learn to live with what you are'. The best moment though, is reserved for his cover version of Dr. Dre's hardcore rap song 'Bitches ain't s**t' which he 'reinterprets' as a sensitive piano ballad, making for a truly surreal listen that you will either find incredibly offensive or truly hilarious. (Mark)

Blink the brightest by Tracy Bonham.
Bonham scored a lot of good press in the late 90's with her debut album 'The Burden's of Being Upright', an edgy rock album resembling early Liz Phair, or P.J Harvey. She then took 5 years to deliver another album which had a different sound altogether, and which passed almost unnoticed. 'Blink the brightest' is another 5 years on and another creative leap forward, full of great indie guitar riffs, varied styles from laid back folk, to ornate pop ballads and experimental. Stand out tracks include 'Eyes', 'Something Beautiful', and the great rant 'And the world has the nerve to keep turning'. For anyone who wishes Liz Phair hadn't sold out to do X-Box ads, and Aimee Mann hadn't become so monotonous. (Mark)

Visitations by Clinic.
Liverpool band Clinic's fourth album is another mixture of primitive stomping garage rock and choppy fuzzed-out menacing paranoia with obtuse clenched-teeth vocals that give away little. But all in a good way - this is a monster, tripped-out work that gets better with each spin. (Neil)

Oh no by OK Go.
If you ever wondered what happed to the 'New Wave' sound of the 80s you can find it on an OK Go CD. Mixing the pop punk aesthetic of the Pixies and the euro rhythms of The Cars this is another album full of catchy hooky tracks produced by Tore Johansson (Franz Ferdinand). A little too samey in places but the good tunes make it worth while. (Mark)

It's never been like that by Phoenix.
Euro-guitar/pop album from cool French band Phoenix. Better than their previous album, but not as good as their instantly classic debut 'United' - which is definitely the only post French-House California soft-rock album you'll ever hear. (Mark)

Portrait of a legend 1951-1964 by Sam Cooke.
Considered by many to be the greatest Soul singer ever, and some say the greatest singer full stop this is (over 30 years after his death) only the second compilation to chronicle his entire career, and the only one in digitally re-mastered sound. The collection traces his career from the early gospel work of the Soul Stirrers' to the anthem 'A change is gonna come', cut just prior to his tragic (and mysterious) death in a violent altercation at a motel one night. While some of it may sound tame today, no one was doing anything like it at the time, and it's easy to hear how his voice influenced scores of singers who came after him. The CD also has some great packaging, including a comprehensive track by track annotation describing how the songs came to be written & recorded. (Mark)

The calling by Mary Chapin Carpenter.
Tagged early as a 'country' singer Mary Chapin Carpenter really had more in common with artists that would follow her, like Shawn Colvin and Sheryl Crow, in that she was essentially a singer-songwriter with an acoustic/folk leaning. She moves further away form a country sound with this album, with louder guitars and a more varied set of songs - from the overtly political, commentaries on Hurricane Katrina victims & shout outs to her friends the Dixie Chicks. (Mark)

The Early Years by The Early Years.
New British band The Early Years consist of two guitarists and a drummer, and their debut album is a bewitching mixture of effects-laden psychedelic rock and delicate but spacey ballads. Borrowing from Spacemen 3, Neu And the Velvet Underground, they point the way to a new and exciting music for the 21st century. (Neil)

These days by Vince Gill.
Gill is one of the most in demand guitarist and vocalists in Country music and has appeared and played on something like 500 sessions, with a who's-who of country & rock artists. But he never broke through commercially until the 90's when he signed with MCA, and went on to become the biggest male country star in America, racking up a string of hit singles, CMA awards & 14 Grammys. His albums have always been an amalgamation of bluegrass, country-rock, 'pop' oriented ballads, and R&B influences, so in 2006 he decided to take a leaf out of the Beatles' book and release 3 albums in a year, each highlighting a different aspect of his musical style. He took the idea to the head of his label who suggested he head back to the studio and record enough material for another disc, and then release it all as a Box set. The result is a 4 disc set, with each disc having an individual musical theme, from a bluegrass set, to set of moody ballads, a traditional country and western CD, and a more 'rockin' set. What could just be a cunning marketing ploy turns into one of the best releases of last year, a quality musical journey through someone's divergent influences as, unlike Ryan Adams, Gill cuts 43 songs solid songs with hardly any filler (all of which he either wrote or co-wrote) which stand out as the best work of his career. (Mark)

Garden ruin by Calexico. (Richard)
Writer's block by Peter Bjorn and John. (Carmel)
Hello love by Be Good Tanyas and Firecracker by Wailin' Jennys. (Marilyn)
Fruits by Ryan Prebble. "Quite good. You should have a listen to it." (Alistair)
Let's get out of this country by Camera Obscura. (Jason)
Rabbit Fur Coat by Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins. (Fiona)
American songbook by Phil Woods. (Robert)
Thornography by Cradle of filth, Black ships ate the sky by Current 93, Faust IV by Faust, Volume 1 by Demi Whores, Everything all the time by Band of Horses, The trials of Van Occupanther by Midlake, Flying Nun : 25 years, Serene velocity: a Stereolab anthology, Avatar by Comets on Fire, The best of Fabienne Delsol & The Bristols by Fabienne Delsol and Personality : one was a spider, one was a bird by The Sleepy Jackson. (Neil)
Th' 2006 reunion tour live by Th' Dudes and Love by The Beatles. (Gordon)

Lost songs of Lennon & McCartney.
A core group of musicians with revolving singers (Buffalo Tom's Bill Janovitz, B52's Kate Pierson, & Graham Parker) interpret 17 songs Lennon & McCartney wrote but never recorded. Lesser songs for sure, but the charming and low-key arrangements don't imitate the Beatles sound slavishly, adding a freshness to these old songs. (Mark)

Tourist by St. Germain.
Just love it!! (Maxine)

French Toast live at Chez Nous by French Toast.
I first saw this group, French toast, playing at Maria Pia's in Thorndon, and thought they were great. Their CD 'French toast live at Chez Nous' is very easy listening music, and I think the lead singer does some of the great French hit standards really well. A lovely CD to relax to. (Chris Q)

Nixon by Lambchop.
Beautiful music and angry words (I think it's quite an old recording but it's still fantastic). (Ellie B.)

Rumble doll by Patti Scialfa.
Scialfa, who signed a recording deal with Columbia records in 1984, didn't get around to recording this album until 1993 due to touring commitments after becoming a member of the E-Street Band. What finally emerged was this low key effort produced by Mike Campbell (of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers). Her vibrato laden voice sounds at times markedly similar to Ronnie Spector (lead singer of premiere 60s girl group 'The Ronettes') and the style of music that ruled the radio waves as she grew up. Campbell's production updates the girl group sound to contemporary New York and this underrated CD has many fine tracks. Stand outs include the title track, 'Spanish dancer' & 'If only I could be with you'. (Mark)

Be Your Own Pet by Be Your Own Pet.
Nashville teenage garage punks play two-minute adrenaline rush blasts of angst, joy and attitude and make it all sound so much fun. As the hardcore anthem put it: You're only young once - Don't f*** it up! (Neil)