See You Round Like A Record Baby

I've always been a vinyl fan, and nowadays, when most of my music acquisitions are digital, I'm finding that when I do pick up music in hard copy the format is more likely than not a record. There are really lovely releases about, and in this episode I highlight I few that I've recently picked up.

The Transistors recently released an 11 track 45rpm 12" LP, Shortwave, on green vinyl with hand printed covers. The band take their influence from 70s punk rock and sound a bit like some of the very early American hardcore groups that were drawing on the same sources. With 11 songs in 21 minutes they don't mess about about - the LP is heaps of fun. On the video page you can see a clip of The Transistors playing a roof top gig in their hometown of Christchurch, a gig that ended in a fine and a facebook protest page. You can also hear a live-to-air rado performance from The Transistors on RDU here.

The Tape Man is a mysterious figure who takes to the stage with his face covered in duct tape. (How is duct tape like The Force? It's dark on one side, light on the other and binds the universe together) His music is instrumental reverb drenched surf guitar. Tape Man (he seems to have dropped "The Mysterious" from his name) has just released a four track 7" EP Songs of the Tape Man that remains true to the sound of his earlier releases although the side A has a dirtier, more distorted sound than we've heard before.

Bratty teen no-wave pop band Moron Says What have followed up an excellent CD EP Pop Up with a split 7" with Finnish band Dinosauruxia single on tasty pink vinyl. The single has one song from Pop Up and two new tracks. Too be honest it sounds like it was recorded in a cardboard box but the band have an infectious catchy charm, reflecting their youth and enthusiasm. If you buy the single from Under The Radar you'll also get the songs as mp3s. There's a good background interview with Moron Says What at Artrocker.

Auckland three-piece Frayden have released a really impressive vinyl LP called Ghost Crash. They play grungy guitar pop that The Herald's Scott Kara described as "dirty and grubby . . . yet deliciously catchy thanks to their love of melody and the fact they're not afraid of a little jangle. "

Body Corporate's album Howlaround has actually been out for quite a while but I realised that I hadn't featured it despite it being one my favourite albums of recent years. Body Corporate have a big textured dual guitar based sound, the kind of all encompassing dynamic soundscape that I love so much. The album is beautifully packaged with detailed artwork that can only be truly appreciated in it's 12" format, and it sounds fantastic, mixed by Dale Cotton (HDU, Toy Love, Collapsing Cities etc) and mastered by Bob Weston of Shellac. For fans of Bailter Space, HDU, Jakob etc this is recommended as a must have kiwi album. There's video for the song 'Bubblegum' on the video page.

In these days of record shop retrenchment it can be difficult to track down vinyl releases but Slow Boat Records in Wellington usually has a good selection and there are a number of websites that have set up vinyl stores - Under The Radar, Cheese on Toast and Smoke CDs.


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Like an illuminated ping-pong ball, that's the only way I can describe it.

In late 1978 / early 1979 there were a series of sighting of mysterious moving lights over the Kaikoura Range that many believed were extra-terrestrial craft. However, unlike many flying saucer sightings, these unexplained objects were seen by credible witnesses and were caught on film by a TV crew. There were even unexplained radar readings that coincided with their appearance. The event caught the imagination of the country and the world (you can see an American news report on the sightings here).

The Kaikoura lights were behind the title of the 1991 Flying Nun compilation Pink Flying Saucers Over the Southern Alps and 28 years after the event The Mysterious Tape Man recorded a track, 'Kaikoura U.F.O.' on his EP The Tape Man Goes to Outer Space.

The Kaikoura "U.F.O.s" were also the subject of the A-side of a single released by Napier band Five Year Mission in 1985. This outfit were as influenced by Sci-Fi TV as they were by punk and sometimes played live in Star Trek uniforms. Both sides of the single can be downloaded at the NZ Punk Archive.

Another sci-fi obsessed band were 1990's Gisborne group TK 421. They're one of those bands that seems lost to history with nothing about them at all available on the net. I remember seeing them play live once. When I requested a song from the EP they stopped and demanded to know how I knew their songs. They couldn't actually believe someone would buy their EP, "Crappy", which included both the track 'U.F.O.' included on the podcast and, probably their best song, 'Godzilla vs Tokyo'.

The podcast concludes with a track from one of my favourite bands of all-time, The 3-Ds. It is, of course 'Outer Space' (clip available on the video page).

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Shopping Spree

Ever since I had kids my record shopping has slowed down. But every once in a while I go on a bit of a splurge. A recent trip to Wellington gave me the opportunity to check out the record stores and pick up a couple of new releases and some I had missed from the last year or two. I always like going to Slow Boat Records in Wellington. While they may not have the same amount of stock as the big shops like Real Groovy, what they do have is well selected and the staff know their stuff. Shops like that are getting harder to find.

So what did I buy? Well first up was a surf guitar instrumental release from The Mysterious Tape Man called Tape Man Goes To Outer Space. I'm a fan of surf guitar and I love the 50s science fiction theme that runs through this EP. I selected Kaikoura U.F.O. for the podcast because I have a thing for songs named after NZ towns and locations (check out a place name special I recorded a while back). There's a TV news interview with The Tape Man on the video page and a good print interview here.

Next up is a song from a new EP by Let's Planet. They have been around since the the mid 1980s and have been sporadically releasing material since 1990. The Bounce E.P. remains true to Let's Planet form - catchy, engaging indie-pop.

Autographed Picture of Jesus is a standout track from the the self titled debut by The Warren Love Band. Love writes great country tunes and this 2006 album was nominated for the country music Tui in 2007. Warren was robbed, with the award going to a less than stellar release from The Topp Twins.

Hailing from Wellington, Hot Swiss Mistress make indie pop with an alternative guitar edge. The track I feature is from their EP the Falling Stars. You can also check out a nice live performance recorded for National Radio (stream).

And to finish, probably my best find, a new release from Kerretta. This is the kind of epic guitar soundscape I love so much. A Death in The Future is released on 7" single by Midium records. They're touring around the country with Jakob at the moment in support of the single and on the strength of this will be well worth seeing.

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