Overseas is a great country. They've got loads of people living there, several continents and they win most of the medals at the Olympics. But the only other country in the world, Australia, which we live in, also has a range of good stuff. And good music. Here's a range of some of the local talent you can pick up at the moment.
Of course, as with all such lists, we're including New Zealand as part of Australia. We do this for their benifit of course. Some might say that we get a whole lot of benifit on this, but we also take a hit when we claim Russell Crowe, so it's pretty fair.
So after that unconstitutional preamble, here goes.
Let's start with the man who's more wild roses than Rose Tattoo and more Warracknabeal than Batmobile.
I'm talking about Nick Cave. We've got several Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds albums, all at $10 each. As well as the excellent "Best Of" we have Henry's Dream, The Good Sun, and Murder Ballads.
Here's a clip with Kylie in it. That means it's good before you even hear what she's singing, but then once she starts it still good. You really can't lose with her.
Next up is Crowded House. Born and raised at Uluru, Neil carried on from Split Enz to capture the imagination of his homeland. Neil called it quits on the band in 1996 but reformed it again in 2006. We have The Very Very Best of Crowded House. It's $10 and includes classics like Weather With You, It's Only Natural, and Distant Sun, from the first phase of the band's career as well as some excellent songs released since they were reunited such as this one...Don't Stop Now..
50 Years of Australian Rock & Roll Volume 2 is a 3 disc collection featuring 63 tracks of Aussie goodness.
It's got The Twilights, The Church, The Whitlams, Something For Kate, Rogue Traders, The Triffids. So many artists, all lined up in green and gold ready to please. Even Wendy Matthews - who was born in Canada, but anyhoo, we'll take her if America doesn't want to claim her first. They had their opportunity.
What do you get when you combine Christmas with the Best Christmas?
You get Bestmas of course, (and even enough left overs for a bonus Christmas).
Once you've got your head around that one, you can get your hands around some
of the new stuff we've got in for you.
The legendary Cold Chisel are on tour right now, supported at most shows by the equally legendary and singularly charming You Am I.
"All For You" the best of Cold Chisel ($20) was released last month.
It's a 'best of' with a difference, because the songs were chosen by 10,000 fans who responded to an online call for favourites.
These fan chosen tracks appear here along with 2 new Chisel songs.
These songs feel like part of the collected memory of Australia and are a reminder of how much our popular music says about who we are.
...and I mentioned You Am I there...if you're quick, we have a couple of their older albums in stock. We've got Deliverance, #4 Record (which features Heavy Heart) and Hourly Daily which is rightly considered one of the best Australian albums ever.
If you're getting along to see Cold Chisel at a show where You Am I are supporting, get there early so you don't miss 'em. I would go on about EVEN too. They supported Chisel in Newcastle and as well as Naylor's consistent nack for the creating classic pop songs of the kind you find while record shopping in your dreams (c'mon, you've had that dream haven't you), the band turn a club show in to a townhall stomp and a stadium in to a loungeroom. Whatever's necessary. Nothing to sell here. Just love 'em!
Collins Place has been decorated ready for Christmas. I know, it probably seems like we just did this, but it's almost been a year since Christmas and it's time to remember what it feels like to give someone some cool stuff. If you give them cool stuff, then you're the cool guy who gave 'em cool stuff? So in a way, you both benefit. The stuffer of the stocking and the stuffee.
We always work to bring you the best deals possible on new albums, and there's some crackers in now
and Lou Reed & Metallica. A new 2CD collaboration from yer Uncle Lou and the Metal Monsters.
It's called Lulu, it's got a scary looking mannequin bust on the cover and it's $20. Get it before it gets you!
Gotye- Still got a clutch of his earlier albums in stock for $15 a pop along with his latest, Making Mirrors for $20.
Florence and The Machine: Her latest album Ceremonials is in stock at $20.
Tom Waits: Here's a little speculation. Tom must have fixed all the screen doors, drunk all the whiskey and murdered all the chickens. Because right after that on his to do list for the last 7 years would have been "record and release new album".
It's here and it's called Bad As Me ($20)
Justice: Their latest album is called Audio,Video, Disco. If you know them, you'll know what to do.
$15.
The "Essential" range of CDs we told you about a few weeks ago are in stock. They are newly compiled Best Of compilations of a range of artists. We have Deep Purple, Jethro Tull, Talking Heads, Human League, Blondie, Ultravox,Hot Chocolate,Roxy Music, Spandau Ballet,Crowded House...and more!
It's a big list and each CD is only $10. Jam packenpah'd with the expected faves and a little of the unexpected too, to put a surprise in your stocking.
We are constantly receiving shipments of both CDs and DVDs; searching for the best deals on great titles. There's always something new to check out in the store.
Our range of music includes CDs and DVDs of everything from Lilly Allen to Leonard Cohen, Kylie to K.D Lang, and Bon Jovi to Bocelli. We also have a great range of soundtracks, dance and pop compilations and nostalgia. Even kids stuff and 50s rock n roll.
When it comes to DVDs we have a wide selection of world movies, classic films and newer release movies. Plus classic blockbusters like Revenge Of The Nerds often for less than the price of a popcorn at the movies.
We've got the debut solo album from Noel Gallagher in stock.
The project is called Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds ($20) and Noel has made a more subtle album than the rock 'n' roll exploits of his former band mates in Beady Eye.
This album will appeal to those who loved The Importance Of Being Idle a later single by Oasis.
Noel is using his falsetto voice more on this album and sounding a bit more Kinks than Slade and it works well for him. He's also getting in to dance music (really) and AKA...What A Life! is full of the momentum we come to expect from that genre rather than the "wall of love" Oasis became known for.
Here's a little history for ya mostly off the top of my heart and wikipedia, so excuse any errors on who drummed where. Comments are always welcome ;)
Back in the Mid-90s Oasis were everywhere. They brought some melody to the malaise and some aspiration rather than the perspiration evident in Teen Spirit by Nirvana
We've got Nevermind on CD $10 and the Classic Albums DVD covering the recording for $10 as well.
But back to Oasis. They didn't hate themselves and want to die. They wanted to Live Forever.
This track was from Definitely Maybe ($10),wasreleased in 1994 and the group shot to stardom.
The making of the album is covered on the Definitely Maybe DVD ($10) which includes live versions and promo clips as well as interviews with the band. It also includes the whole album as audio! Win!!!
Just around the time the band were due to perform Some Might Say on TV, drummer Tony McCarroll was sacked and replaced with Alan White. Before he was replaced, McCarroll got to feature on Live By The Sea ($10) a DVD that includes some lesser know B-Sides performed solo acoustic by Noel on stage as well as their classic take on I Am The Walrus.
This line-up of Guigsy, Bonehead, Liam, Noel and Alan went on to record (What's The Story) Morning Glory featuring Some Might Say. America and everywhere else took notice. This is the line-up you heard on Wonderwall, Don't Look Back In Anger and Roll With It.
As they did their world tours there'd be gigs without Guigs and a clip without him too (Wonderwall), shows without Noel, and Unplugged without Liam (except he was there, but having fun watching). There was Matt Deighton on guitar for a bit live. Noel often had to do gigs on lead vocal when Liam wasn't available.
But they always ended up re-grouping.
This line-up recorded the third album, Be Here Now, which despite Noel's opinion to the contrary, did include some great songs including Stand By Me, and Don't Go Away.
This line-up persisted through to the recording of Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants. Bonehead and Guigs departed the band while the album was being recorded and appear on the finished album.
Noel played the guitars and bass on that record which was released in 2000.
The album was promoted and toured with Andy Bell (Ride) on bass and Gem Archer (Heavy Stereo) on rhythm guitar. Bell played bass in Oasis, but had previously played guitar in Ride.
This line-up continued on stage and albums. Bell/Archer/Gallagher/Gallagher/White recorded Heathen Chemistry.
When it came time to record Don't Believe The Truth ($10), Ringo Starr's son (and modern day Who drummer) Zak Starkey was recruited for on-stage and studio work (he played on every track except the Velvets/Dylan inspired Mucky Fingers but he was never an official member of the band).
The 'final' album was Dig Out Your Soul ($10) with Chris Sharrock (The La's,Robbie Williams) on drums.
The album featured this track Falling Down
The song later remixed by The Amorphous Androgynous. Noel has recorded an album with them as well! Stay tuned for that one.
Noel has indicated in interviews that he's open to re-connecting with his former band mates. But for now we have Noel Gallagher and we have Beady Eye (the band consisting of all of the final line-up of Oasis bar Noel).
Whatever the combination and setting of these sons, the Gallagher's consistently produce material that encourages a belief in the power of a song to take you somewhere. And somewhere better.
