September, going on October

Well, after a week of teaser Spring weather, it has gone back to being a tad grey and cold. The good news is - we have gone crazy on the "making sure we have lots of great new (and old) music you will love" instore! We just received a huge selection of LPs from the US - alongside classic, must-have titles from The Band, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Isaac Hayes, Violent Femmes, The Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam etc etc, we have chosen a raft of 'next tier' albums of quality - think Baby Huey, The Black Keys, The White Stripes, The Strokes, Belle & Sebastian, Bo Diddley, Blondie and so on. Seriously - there is some magnificent music out on the SB racks at the moment - get amongst it! And - dare I say it - it's probably not too soon to start vaguely thinking about Christmas (and getting something for yourself, while you're at it...) In the brand spankin' new department, there is the terrific new album "Wise Up Ghost" from Elvis Costello And The Roots - an intriguing pairing, and maybe the best thing EC has done since his last great record (I reckon), "Brutal Youth", which has also finally been reissued on LP! There are new records from No Age, Nine Inch Nails, Sting, Lloyd Cole, Mark Lanegan, Goldfrapp, The Naked & Famous, Bob Dylan ("The Bootleg Series, Vol 10 - Another Self Portrait" - surprisingly good!). There are also spectacular reissues of iconic "grunge" era staples - The Breeders "Last Splash" (3LPs, 4 10" EPs, in an amazing box), and Nirvana's much-analysed final album "In Utero", here given the deluxe remixed/ remastered treatment and a raft of B-sides, outtakes and rarities - ah, the sweet smell of nostalgia. There is also the upcoming (Friday) release of the much-touted debut from chart-topping Auckland teen Lorde - it might be awesome?! And - upcoming shows from Cody ChesnuTT (I saw him last time he toured, in Auckland - it was incredible!), Nik Kershaw, Lightning Bolt and, umm Belinda Carlisle. Reasons to be cheerful, etc... Hope to see you all soon - probably time to start planning a bit of a pre-Xmas instore, huh...?! Kepp warm, be safe The Slow Boat Crew