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CDs From The Vault – 2006: Part 2

March 27, 2023April 14, 2023 Mark

Here is Part 2 of our ‘CDs from The Vault: 2006’ post. You can catch up with Part 1 here.

The eraser / Yorke, Thom
More depressing noodlings from Radiohead front man on the subjects of anxiety, paranoia, war, & the death of Dr. David Kelly in the spirit of the electronica of Kid A. Not as fleshed out as Radiohead tracks, leaving some of the tracks sounding like rough demos. Still it gives Yorke a chance to show how much of an instrument his voice can be. (Mark)

The trials of Van Occupanther / Midlake
The Texan band’s second album moves deeper into 1970s territory with this gorgeous collection of songs. Sweet harmonies, varied instrumentation and weird 19th century lyrics make it an exciting and rewarding listening. (Neil P.)

Highway companion / Petty, Tom
His first album since 2002’s patchy ‘The Last DJ’ and first solo album since 1994’s ‘Wildflowers’ sees a welcome return to form. Teaming with producer Jeff Lynne and Heartbreaker Mike Campbell he delivers a stripped down acoustic based set that is closer in style to 1989’s ‘Full Moon Fever’. Petty’s classic rock style was never groundbreaking, but on this effortless album he seems to know he’s no longer got anything left to prove, and the album is filled with the kind of melodic catchy guitar driven songs that no one seems to make anymore. (Mark)

Faust IV [2 CD] / Faust
The German band’s 1973 album is re-mastered and re-released with a bonus disc of Peel sessions and alternate takes. The sound is an improvement on the original release and the result is a collection of idiosyncratic pieces that make up what is truly one of the great albums of the seventies. (Neil P.)

Don’t you know who I think I was? : the best of The Replacements / Replacements
Anyone hearing The Replacements for the first time might just conclude that they sound like a lot of other bands, when the truth is that most other bands sound like The Replacements. For the first time a compilation gathers their work from indie & major labels, showcasing just how influential Paul Westerberg’s song-writing is. Their album ‘Let it be’ is regarded as one of the first grunge albums, & the song ‘Achin’ to be’ credited with heralding the whole Americana movement. An obvious influence on bands as diverse as Wilco, Nirvana, Green Day & Ryan Adams. Essential listening for any true ‘rock’ fan. (Mark)

Continue reading “CDs From The Vault – 2006: Part 2” →

CDs From The Vault – 2006: Part 1

March 26, 2023April 14, 2023 Mark

Our music review archives go back 20 years now. In that time various library staff members have reviewed a huge range of material, across every genre in our collection and, since we used to have multiple copies of titles, we still hold a lot of these items in out off-site storage facility.

Due to a catalogue upgrade the links from our old, archived HTML Music & Film web-pages no longer worked, so they became unavailable to browse some time ago. However, since from February 1st of this year we are running a one year trial where all CDs will be free to borrow, we thought it was a good time to go back and revisit some of these old reviews for a new series called ‘CDs From The Vault’.

Chaos and creation in the backyard / McCartney, Paul
Nothing shows how difficult the legacy of having been in a hugely influential band is than Paul McCartney’s solo career. From the uneven output of Wings in the 70s, to treacly pop duets in the 80s & coasting in the 90s, he made a renaissance in the late 1997 with ‘Flaming Pie, but it’s this low key effort with Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich that equates to some of his best work. Low key, reflective, & intimate with McCartney playing nearly all the instruments himself, it’s reminiscent of his first solo effort ‘McCartney’ & nearly all of the songs could have easily appeared on any late period Beatles album. Well worth a look. (Mark)

Milo goes to college / Descendents
Fueled by “rejection, food, coffee, girls, fishing and food,” the Descendents sprang up during the halcyon days of the Los Angeles punk scene. This is their 2nd album from 1982, a 15-songs-in-22-minutes blast of adolescent angst, despair and joy. (Neil P.)

I am the cosmos / Bell, Chris
Co-founder of Big Star, one of the most influential cult bands in rock, the troubled Bell left that band after their first album (1972’s “#1 Record”) and spent the next 6 years struggling with depression & drifting in and out of music, before dying in a car accident late one night. Various tracks were recorded during this period, but the only thing released commercially was the single ‘I am the Cosmos’. 15 years after his death Rykodisc compiled all his unreleased demos into one album, a melodic & lyrically poignant masterpiece that only hinted at the depths of his talent. Highlights include the epic Badfinger-meets-Pink Floyd downer of the title track, the aching beautiful ‘You & your sister’ (which features Big Star bandmate Alex Chilton on backing vocals), the spiritual ‘Look up’, & ‘Speed of sound’. A lost classic. (Mark)

Continue reading “CDs From The Vault – 2006: Part 1” →

CDs From The Vault – 2005: Part 2

March 15, 2023March 15, 2023 Mark

Here is Part 2 of our ‘CDs from The Vault: 2005’ post. You can catch up with Part 1 here.

Somebody’s miracle / Phair, Liz
Indie-rock queen Liz Phair polarized fans with her self titled 2003 pop opus. Not just pop, it was teen-pop and collaborations with The Matrix left her sounding like Avril Lavigne’s newly divorced big sister. While some found it fun & refreshing, others found it a horrific sell-out. Her new album, a step back from that effort, heads straight into ‘adult contemporary’ territory. Now she wants to be Sheryl Crow, but the songs suffer from a polished overproduction which, while it suits artists like Crow, doesn’t really match up with Phair’s voice or lyrics. At least on some tracks she sounds like herself (‘Leap of innocence’, ‘Stars & planets’ & ‘Table for one’), but others just tend to merge into each other. Worth checking out though if you hated her last album. (Mark L.)

Dreaming wide awake / Wright, Lizz
This person can sing. She respects the words, and lets us hear them. Slight touch of Cassandra Wilson and Oleta Adams, but better. Mixed bunch of songs from old standards to her own creations. Interesting smooth arrangements of upbeat oldie ‘I’m Confessin”, Neil Young’s ‘Old Man’, and late 60s anthem of peace love & brotherhood etc., ‘Get Together’ that really work. Bill Frisell plays on 3 tracks. (Chris F.)

Careless love / Peyroux, Madeleine
Born in Georgia in 1975, raised in Paris, and sings in an easy, 30s swing style, often in French, with hints of Billie Holiday & Jolie Holland. Previous CD Got you on my mind was with multi-instrumentalist William Gallison, inventor of the Moonwatch. Excellent driving music for those who need soothing rather than winding up. (Chris F.) [New Deluxe Edition here]

Rock swings / Anka, Paul
Anka, a noted singer songwriter (for everyone from Buddy Holly to Sinatra & Tom Jones) reconfigures ‘contemporary standards’ to a swing context. What could have be an appalling gimmick for the most part works as Anka sounds totally committed to the idea and, together with his lead arranger, turns everything from Oasis’ ‘Wonderwall’ to Billy Idol’s ‘Eyes without a face’ into brassy swing anthems, or crooneresque ballads with surprising ease. Not everything works, as the subtlety of ‘Tears in Heaven’ is lost in the transfer, and ‘Smells like teen spirit’… well he may not have known who Kurt Cobain was but he sure belts the hell out of the song (though probably not in a good way). The rest is great though. Bon Jovi’s ‘It’s my life’ is delivered with a swagger that sounds like its taken straight from one of Sinatra’s 50s Capitol LPs, and who doesn’t want to hear a swing version of Van Halen’s ‘Jump’…(Mark L.)

Continue reading “CDs From The Vault – 2005: Part 2” →

CDs From The Vault – 2005: Part 1

March 12, 2023April 14, 2023 Mark

Blueberry boat / Fiery Furnaces
Coming hard on the heels of their debut, this album is an 80-minute epic. Far more dense than their first, Blueberry boat is an astonishingly ambitious work, forever twisting and changing, with each track consisting of several parts. Not easy to digest in one sitting, the album definitely rewards repeated listenings. (Neil P.)

Complete discography / Minor Threat
Exactly what it says, this is a re-issue of the complete recorded output of the Washington, D.C. hardcore punk band from the early 1980s. They kick-started the straight-edge movement, released a bunch of fast, furious and to-the-point songs and then broke up the band while barely into their 20s. (Neil P.)

Tepid peppermint wonderland : a retrospective / Brian Jonestown Massacre
A two-disc collection of some of the highlights of this prolific Californian band’s output over the last 10 years. Almost 40 songs, from both singles and albums and including several unreleased tracks, are represented and illustrate the range of material Anton Newcombe and his many colleagues have produced on their long strange trip. (Neil P.)

Truly she is none other / Golightly, Holly
Ninth solo album from the former Thee Headcoatees guitarist and singer. She appeared most recently on the latest White Stripes album, and here she continues her idiosyncratic foray into mostly-acoustic Nancy Sinatra-type pop with attitude. And she’s in Wellington on 10th March! (Neil P.)

Open the iron gate, 1973-1977 / Romeo, Max
Leaving behind his earlier career singing smutty novelty songs, Max Romeo reappeared in the the mid-70s with this fantastic collection of religious and political reggae. Most of the tunes are twinned with their dub versions and are produced by Lee Perry. Angry and eloquent, these tracks are 70s reggae at its best. (Neil P.)

Continue reading “CDs From The Vault – 2005: Part 1” →

CDs From The Vault: 2003-2004

February 21, 2023 Mark

Our music review archives go back 20 years now. In that time various Library Staff members have reviewed a huge range of material, across every genre in our collection and, since we used to have multiple copies of titles, we still hold a lot of these items in out off-site storage facility.

Due to a catalogue upgrade the links from our old HTML Music & Film web-pages no longer worked, so they became unavailable to browse some time ago. However, since from February 1st of this year we are running a one year trial where all CDs will be free to borrow, we thought it was a good time to go back and revisit some of these old reviews for a new series called ‘CDs From The Vault’.

Chain gang of love / Raveonettes
This long-awaited full length album from the Danish duo stretches the promise of their debut EP with a brilliant array of new material (this time in the happier key of B flat major, while never straying too far from their Jesus and Mary Chain roots. (Neil P.)

Under the influence : Ian Brown
The second in the series of stars-make-their-own-compilation-CDs, this is a timeless selection by the onetime Stone Rose. Hip hop, reggae, soul, gospel (and a token white number!) make up a mouth-watering melange of classics, some of which you’ll never hear anywhere else. (Neil P.)

La revancha del tango / Gotan Project
The Gotan guys blend the sexy syncopations of tango with the dark, echoing textures of dub and the beats of house and nu jazz to create a sound that is at once timeless and extremely modern, familiar and completely original, and basically just so darn all-around hip that it’ll infuse your squalid little urban apartment with all the allure of a smoke-filled Parisian jazz club. (Robert)

Paradigm shift / Sheehan, Rhian
Wellington musician Rhian Sheehan presents his first downbeat album, an easy-listening, attractive blend of acoustic instruments & electronic computer wizardry. These are very individual soundscapes, with sound effects, samples and melodies all beautifully melded together. Lotus Hartley (Nomad) sings – and somehow you will not be surprised to read on the leaflet that Jeremy Geor ( 50Hz) was involved in this whole slick local production. Rhian Sheehan trained as a guitarist – there are also a couple of his own pure & lovely acoustic guitar tracks on this album. If you like this you might also like two other local albums: Haunted out-takes by Aucklander Sola Rosa (and his previous album Solarized). (Pauline)

Tallahassee / Mountain Goats (Musical group)
Another in the “lo-fi” genre, a friend put me on to this. If you’re a fan of Bonnie “Prince” Billy, or Smog, then check this out. (Fiona)

Continue reading “CDs From The Vault: 2003-2004” →

Staff Picks: The Best CDs & Vinyl of 2022

February 1, 2023July 21, 2023 Mark

I’m Mark, the Music & Film Specialist at Wellington City Libraries. Every month this year my colleague Neil and I reviewed some new material for the music collection at Te Awe Brandon Street Library. The podcast below is a roundup of some the albums we enjoyed listening to most over the course of the year. Some of these titles featured on various critics’ Best of 2022 lists, but others are just albums that struck us as being unique and interesting. Click on the image links to reserve any of these items from the catalogue. Following on from our picks is a selection of titles that other staff members rated as their favourite listens of 2022.

Mark’s Picks: