Music

What we're reading and listening to: Mitski, Hobbs & McBride

Each week our amazing staff bring you a sample of the books or music they're immersed in.

Emma Davison is listening to The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We by Mitski

I have been a bit slow on the reading front this week but on a musical note, I have been loving Mitski’s album The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We which came out just last month, a great album for all the sad girls out there, and…

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Record Store Day 2022

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of Record Store Day, we are offering 15% off vinyl* for the month of April at Readings Carlton, Hawthorn and St Kilda!

Shopping in-store? Get 15% off all full-priced, in-stock vinyl during the month of April.

*This offer is not valid on special orders, items on hold or Record Store Day exclusives.

Shopping online? To ensure our online customers don’t miss out on the fun, we’re offering 15% off 15 of our best…

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The best classical albums of 2020

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books and music of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 classical albums of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.

(You can find all our best picks for books and music here.)

Elgar: Violin Concerto by Nicola Benedetti, Petr Limonov, London Philharmonic Orchestra & Vladimir Jurowski

Scottish-Italian violinist Nicola Benedetti thrills and delights with this recording of Edward Elgar’s 1910 Violin Concerto…

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The best pop albums of 2020

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books and music of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 pop albums of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.

(You can find all our best picks for books and music here.)

Gold Record by Bill Callahan

Bill Callahan is a storyteller, and Gold Record demonstrates his musical yarn-spinning at its very best. In his trademark low, Johnny Cash-esque voice, Callahan transports…

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The 10 bestselling albums at Readings in 2019

Here are our 10 bestselling albums from the past year.

(We’ve also compiled our 100 bestselling books of 2019 and our 10 bestselling DVDs of 2019.)

Our bestselling albums of last year include releases from some of our favourite Australian musicians, including Gurrumul, Nick Cave, Archie Roach and Paul Kelly – who appears here twice! The first collaboration from two of Australia’s finest classical musicians, Slava and Sharon Grigoryan, also proved popular with customers, and we’re pleased to report…

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The best pop albums of 2019

by Ellen Cregan

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books, albums, films and TV shows of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 pop albums of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.

(You can find all our best picks for books, music & DVDs of 2019 here.)

Designer by Aldous Harding

At first glance, this could be labelled an album of background music, but it’s so much more than that. The…

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The best classical albums of 2019

by Alexandra Mathew

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books, albums, films and TV shows of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 classical albums of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.

(You can find all our best picks for books, music & DVDs of 2019 here.)

Mari by Mari Samuelsen

Mari – Norwegian violinist Mari Samuelsen’s first solo recording for Deutsche Grammophon – is described by the artist as an…

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Receive 20% off vinyl in October

Readings is offering 20% off all full-priced vinyl for the month of October.

Handpicked by our music specialists, our vinyl collection includes old favourites and exciting new releases, rediscovered esoterica and popular icons.

For some of our St Kilda music buyer Declan’s recent picks, click here and for what our staff are listening to, click here.

If you’re building your own collection from scratch, you might also find inspiration by browsing our essential picks, and of course, you’re…

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Staff recommend Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander voices

Our staff share their favourite books by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors, including prize-winning fiction, biography, essays, non-fiction, memoir and books for kids of all ages, from babies through to teens.

Today is Indigenous Literacy Day and Readings will be donating 10% of our book sales to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF), on top of our ongoing support. The ILF does amazing work to foster literacy in remote communities around Australia and close the gap on literacy and numeracy…

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Special offers at Readings in September

It’s a bumper crop of special offers that we have for you this September – from a huge sale on classical music and Lonely Planet books, to our brand-new Kids’ Book Subscription service.

CLASSICAL MUSIC SALE

The Readings classical music sale is on again, with discounts of up to 60% on CDs, classical box-sets and DVDs. This year’s sale includes recordings from Australia’s own ABC Classics label as well as DG, Decca, Signum Classics, Sony Classical, Brilliant Classics and DVDs…

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What's Declan from St Kilda listening to?

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The world is populated by so much good music and so many talented musicians – if you’re trying to broaden your tastes, it can be impossible to know where to start. Luckily, we have a team of very knowledgeable and very insightful music buyers who can help you out.

We had a chat with Declan Murphy, the music buyer at our St Kilda store, to see what artists he’s been enjoying lately. Read on for his recommendations.

Doves…

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Our top music selections of the year so far

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We’re at the halfway point through the year (if you can believe it), so we had a chat to some of our wonderful music staff about the new releases they’ve really enjoyed and would most recommend so far this year.

Alexandra Mathew, classical music specialist, Readings Carlton and Readings State Library

Marina Thibeault and Marie-Ève Scarfone – Elles

To coincide with International Women’s Day 2019, French-Canadian violist Marina Thibeault released an album featuring chamber music by some of the most…

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The 10 bestselling CDs at Readings in 2018

Here are our 10 bestselling CDs from the past year.

(We’ve also compiled our 100 bestselling books of 2018 and our 10 bestselling DVDs of 2018.)

A range of talented artists feature in our bestselling music from 2018. Homegrown favourites include acclaimed songwriter Paul Kelly, operatic soprano Greta Bradman and Indigenous Australian musician Gurrumul. International stars include Norwegian jazz pianist Tord Gustavsen, Chinese American cellist Yo-Yo Ma and American multi-instrumentalist Ry Cooder.

Two film soundtracks also feature in the…

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The best pop CDs of 2018

by Ellen Cregan

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books, albums, films and TV shows of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 pop CDs of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.

(You can find all our best picks for books, CDs & DVDs of 2018 here.)

Wide Awake! by Parquet Courts

With Wide Awake!, New York’s Parquet Courts have given us a lively punk masterpiece that is just as…

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The best classical CDs of 2018

by Alexandra Mathew

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books, albums, films and TV shows of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 classical CDs of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.

(You can find all our best picks for books, CDs & DVDs of 2018 here.)

re:member by Ólafur Arnalds

In re:member, Ólafur Arnalds blends ambient and contemporary classical music, aided by self-playing piano software. The result is inventive…

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Our fabulous classical box-set sale is back

The Readings classical music sale is on again!

With discounts of up to 50% on CDs and classical box-sets. This year’s sale includes recordings of Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Einaudi, Schubert, Vivaldi, Wagner, Weiss, john Cage, Arvo Part and Philip Glass and featuring artists such as Vladimir Askenazy, Isabelle Faust , Kiri Te Kanawa, Matthias Goerne, Paul Lewis, The Jerusalem Quartet and the Takacs Quartet.

The sale is available in all Readings shops (except Readings Kids and the State Library)…

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Our annual jazz CD sale returns

Readings’ annual jazz CD sale has returned in preparation for the 2018 Melbourne International Jazz Festival.

From 1–10 June, Melbourne will come alive with Australia’s largest jazz festival, entertaining aficionados and newcomers alike. Celebrating 20 years of extraordinary jazz, this year’s program includes intimate club gigs, club sessions, artist workshops, and daily free concerts. Find the full program and book tickets here.

And while you’re waiting, come visit Readings and stock up on some fantastic CDs.

Our jazz CD…

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20% off vinyl this April

Record Store Day is officially on Saturday 21 April, but Readings is celebrating all month long, with 20% off vinyl.

Handpicked by our music specialists, our vinyl collection includes old favourites alongside exciting new releases. Discover new releases here, or find out what our staff are listening to here.

If you’re building your own collection from scratch, you might also find inspiration by browsing our essential picks, and of course, you’re always very welcome to come on…

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The 10 bestselling CDs at Readings in 2017

Here are our 10 bestselling CDs from the past year.

(We’ve also compiled our 100 bestselling books of 2017 and our 10 bestselling DVDs of 2017.)

We’re delighted to see some amazing Aussie talent included in our list of bestselling CDs of last year. This includes local guitar virtuosos Slava and Leonard Grigoryan with Songs Without Words, iconic folk band The Waifs with Ironbark, and staff favourite Paul Kelly with Life is Fine.

The legacy of…

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Recommended music for summer road trips

Planning a long drive over the holidays? Here are 10 albums to listen to along the way.

Soul of a Woman by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings

Influential rhythm and blue singer Sharon Jones died nearly a year ago, but it’s only now that we can we hear her final creation. Soul of a Woman captures a singer and a band at the peak of their power – together, they stretch the limits of their soulful sound in all directions…

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The best pop CDs of 2017

by Kelsey Oldham

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books, albums, films and TV shows of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 pop CDs of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.

(You can find all our best picks for books, CDs & DVDs of 2017 here.)

Jen Cloher by Jen Cloher

Australian music goddess Jen Cloher’s newest LP is an impeccable set of tight, heartfelt rock ’n’ roll songs. The…

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The best classical CDs of 2017

by Judi Mitchell

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books, albums, films and TV shows of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 classical CDs of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.

(You can find all our best picks for books, CDs & DVDs of 2017 here.)

J.S. Bach: Cello Suites Vol.II by Slava Grigoryan

Following the extraordinary success of the multiple-award-winning – including a 2017 ARIA Award for Best Classical…

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Gerard Elson on the importance of The Damage Report

by Gerard Elson

You have to admit, it’s a crazy idea.

Beginning February 25, 2016, Zo Damage, Melburnian gig photographer extraordinaire, would photograph at least one live band per calendar entry over the next year. For obvious reasons, the endeavour came to be known as the 365 Day Project. Four days later, when Damage and her Canon EOS-1 were primely positioned at a Golden Girls gig at the Northcote Social Club to capture a gallery-worthy shot of the band’s lead singer, Jocelyn Richardson…

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Celebrate Ausmusic Month at Readings St Kilda

To celebrate Ausmusic Month, we’ve arranged a host of fantastic Australian artists to perform live every Saturday in November. Each performance kicks off at 2pm at our St Kilda shop and is free to attend. So drop by and enjoy some local talent in an intimate setting.

Below is our schedule for who’s playing each week.

Saturday 4 November: Justin Bernasconi

Justin Bernasconi’s music straddles styles and sounds from the Delta Blues, Appalachian Bluegrass, English Folk and all stops in…

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Classical music recommendations & our fabulous box-set sale

STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS

Richard Strauss by Louise Alder and Joseph Middleton

‘Recently, while perusing the shelves at Readings, I was thrilled to discover young British soprano Louise Alder’s debut Strauss recording. My excitement was twofold: I recognised her as an acquaintance from my year studying at the Royal College in London and could not wait to hear her beautiful voice once again; and I adore Richard Strauss’s lieder and could easily spend all day listening to it. Alder, accompanied by Joseph…

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This month's recommendations for classical music fans

RECOMMENDED NEW CLASSICAL MUSIC

Medtner: Piano Concerto No. 1 / Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 by Jayson Gillham, MSO and Benjamin Northey

‘I love discovering new (but old and forgotten) composers and their long-neglected compositions. Everyone knows Rachmaninoff, his famous piano concertos (the second of which is on this album) and symphonic works. However, one of his closest friends, Nikolai Medtner, was also a composer. The pair often dedicated pieces to each other. Rachmaninoff’s music is stupendously famous and consistently…

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Vale Dr G Yunupingu

Indigenous musician Dr G Yunupingu has died in Royal Darwin Hospital at age 46, following a long battle with illness. The late artist’s stirring, soulful music has made an impact on so many of us within the Readings community, and we are deeply saddened by his passing.

Blind from birth, the Yolngu man from the Gumatj clan grew up in the remote community of Galiwin'ku on Elcho Island. He received his first guitar at the age of six, and as…

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This month's recommendations for classical music fans

Suite Cubed: Bach and Beyond by Umberto Clerici

‘Cellist Umberto Clerici wondered how eighteenth-century audiences listened to J.S. Bach’s cello suites, and what they heard and recognised in the music. Although Bach’s solo cello suites are variations of dance forms, he did not write them for dancing. Audiences perhaps experienced an emotional connection to the ‘stylisations’ of each dance, and (perhaps) therefore a physical connection. Contemporary audiences hear, experience and feel that music in a different way – our familiarity…

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Join us for two free bookshop gigs at Readings St Kilda

Stop by our St Kilda shop this month to enjoy two FREE in-store performances from some of our favourite musicians.

On Saturday 8 July, local talent Dave Graney and Clare Moore will be joined by Stu Thomas to play songs from their new album, Let’s Get Tight.

Let’s Get Tight was recorded and mixed at Graney and Moore’s studio in the hills of Melbourne, the Ponderosa. Graney sings, plays electric and acoustic guitars, bass and some keys. Moore plays…

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Vinyl picks of the month

by Declan Murphy

St Kilda Music Buyer Declan Murphy shares his high-rotation vinyl obsessions of this month.

Wrecking Crew (soundtrack)

Here is the soundtrack to the truly fab 2015 documentary of the same name. In the tradition of Standing in the Shadows of Motown’s tribute to the Funk Brothers, The Wrecking Crew focused on the eponymous collective of West Coast session musicians who played on a bewildering amount of influential records throughout the 60s. From Spector to Sinatra, from the Beach Boys to…

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This month's recommendations for classical music fans

RECOMMENDED NEW CLASSICAL MUSIC

Chaconnes and Fantasias: Music of Britten and Purcell by Emerson String Quartet

‘At first glance, you might think Purcell and Britten have nothing in common bar their English origin. However, when you dig deeper you find that Britten was somewhat of a fanboy of Purcell and frequently looked to his predecessor (by over 200 years) for inspiration. With this in mind, the American Emerson String Quartet paired these two composers and their most closely aligned works…

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Staff music picks, free events & pre-order new Radiohead

PRE-ORDER OKNOTOK 1997-2017

Radiohead’s landmark album, OK Computer, is set to be rereleased in a special 20th anniversary pack on Friday 23 June, and our music and DVD manager Dave Clarke is extremely excited.

He writes: ‘The year is 1997. I have just turned 29, I am obsessed with something called Saturn Return’s, and with an album by English alternative rock group Radiohead. That album is OK Computer, and it became my constant companion while considering major life…

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Three classical albums we're loving in May

Songs Without Words

by the Grigoryan Brothers

If you say the words ‘Grigoryan brothers’ to most classical music fans, they’ll smile and nod knowingly. Renowned for their musicianship since they were teenagers, they’ve released five albums together: pretty much all of them have been nominated for awards. They’re played all the time on ABC Classic FM, and in people’s homes around the world. Slava Grigoryan’s most recent album featured beautiful arrangements of the Bach Cello Suites that I still listen…

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Eight Australian albums to check out in April

We recommend eight Australian albums to plug in your ears this month.

We’re very pleased to share that our St Kilda shop will be hosting FREE bookshop gigs with two of the artists listed here. Come along to hear Charm of Finches on Wednesday 5 April and Rough River on Thursday 13 April.

Staring at the Starry Ceiling by Charm of Finches

Staring at the Starry Ceiling is the debut album of indie folk band, Charm of Finches, which is…

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Staff music picks, upcoming bookshops gigs and 20% off vinyl

20% OFF VINYL THROUGHOUT APRIL

Record Store Day is officially on Saturday 22 April, but Readings is celebrating all month long with 20% off vinyl.

Handpicked by our passionate music team, our vinyl collection includes old favourites alongside terrific new releases. Come visit us in-store to chat with our specialists in person and complete your own collection.

The sale runs from 1 to 30 April 2017 at all Readings shops (except Readings Kids and Readings Malvern). The offer only applies…

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Three classical albums we're loving this month

J.S. Bach: Trios by Yo-Yo Ma, Chris Thile and Edgar Meyer (available 7 April)

For many people, the name Yo-Yo Ma immediately brings to mind the Bach Cello Suites and Ma’s bestselling album; the album that has defined many a young cellist’s ideas about the performance of the works. However, many discerning listeners also think ‘innovation’ when they hear or see his name, given the many different styles in which he performs and records on a regular basis. What I…

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Staff music picks of the month

We’re excited to have two terrific musicians dropping by our Carlton shop on Friday, 10 March.

At 12.30pm, Canadian folk-pop singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright will chat with rock journalist Michael Dwyer. This special lunchtime event is free, but places are strictly limited. Find out more here.

At 6.30pm, singer and songwriter Rob Snarski will share tales from his new book, You’re Not Rob Snarski, and discuss his lifelong passion for music. This event is also free, and you can…

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Three classical albums we're loving this month

Elena Kats-Chernin: Unsent Love Letters – Meditations On Erik Satie by Tamara-Anna Cislowska

‘Many years after Erik Satie’s death in 1925, friends gained access to his small and cluttered apartment where they found two grand pianos stacked on top of each other, a chair, a table, seven velvet suits, and hoards of unsent love letters. An apparently eccentric man, Satie lived a life of contradictions: he was an introvert but a compelling performer; he lived in squalor but dressed immaculately…

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The 20 bestselling CDs at Readings in 2016

Here are our 20 bestselling CDs from the past year.

(We’ve also compiled our 100 bestselling books of 2016 and our 20 bestselling DVDs of 2016.)

Our top 20 albums of 2016 include releases from some of the biggest names in music: Van Morrison, Radiohead, Joan Baez and the Rolling Stones; as well as local legends Paul Kelly, Nick Cave and Archie Roach. 2015’s number one bestselling album, 25 by Adele, continued to enjoy strong sales, while Readings favourite…

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St Kilda music picks for summer road trips

by Amy Vuleta

The official first day of summer is tomorrow! In preparation, Readings St Kilda Shop Manager Amy Vuleta shares her best album picks to pack for a hot Aussie road trip.

Hunky Dory by David Bowie

Kicking off with hits like ‘Changes’ and ‘Oh! you pretty things’, I challenge you not to have the best time cruising along the highway, just getting right into the best damn seat-dancing those passing trucks and caravans have ever seen. I promise you’ll know all…

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Our best books, CDs & DVDs of 2016

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books, albums, films and TV shows of the past 12 months. Here’s a round up of all the blog posts featuring our best books, CDs & DVDs of 2016:

The Best Fiction Books of 2016

The Best Non-Fiction Books of 2016

The Best Crime Books of 2016

The Best Cookbooks of 2016

The Best Art & Design Books of 2016

The Best Picture Books of 2016

The Best Junior Fiction Books of

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The best classical CDs of 2016

by Alexandra Mathew

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books, albums, films and TV shows of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 classical CDs of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.

(You can find all our best picks for books, CDs & DVDs of 2016 here.)

Arias by Pumeza Matshikiza

South African soprano Pumeza Matshikiza is one to watch. Her first album Voice of Hope provided only a taster of…

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The best pop CDs of 2016

by Amy Vuleta

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books, albums, films and TV shows of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 pop CDs of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.

(You can find all our best picks for books, CDs & DVDs of 2016 here.)

Lemonade by Beyoncé

Lemonade, another visual concept album, is as fierce and sexy as we’ve come to expect from the queen of pop/the…

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Entries now open for the Melbourne Prize for Music 2016 and Awards

The annual Melbourne Prize runs on a three-year awards cycle, alternating between books, music and urban sculpture and this year sees the focus return once again to music.

Valued at more than $130,000 in total, the Melbourne Prize for Music 2016 and Awards is one of the most valuable music prizes in Australia, providing significant opportunities for Victorian musicians across all music genres and career stages. This year’s judges include six esteemed music sector professionals: Professor Paul Grabowsky AO, Patrick…

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Vale Prince

Here some of our staff reflect on how the work of Prince impacted on their lives.

“Happiness is the memory I have of Prince. I was in my late teens and early twenties when he was in the peak of his popularity. Just as Bowie has dominated the 70s, Prince dominated the 80s – ever changing styles and sounds, but always with his fun, sexy, confident signature.

I was 19 when Sign o’ The Times was released in 1987. A…

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A record that made me sit up and take notice

Tomorrow is Record Store Day and to celebrate we’re offering 20% off vinyl throughout April. Find out more here. Here, our music specialists (and vinyl enthusiasts) each share a record that made them sit up and take notice.

Live at Max’s Kansas City by The Velvet Underground

This reissue captures the final, brilliant moments of the Velvets; by this stage they’d cast off the atonal experiments of the first two records and were writing straight up, smart pop songs…

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Vale David Bowie

This week, many of our staff were devastated to learn of David Bowie’s passing. Some of them reflect on how his work impacted on their lives.

When I was 13 I was involved in a punch up defending Bowie’s claim to the title of ‘greatest pop icon of our time’. My opponent had declared that said title belonged to Prince. I won the argument but lost the fight.

A master of reinvention and polymath of popular culture, Bowie also recognised…

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The 25 bestselling CDs at Readings in 2015

Here are our 25 bestselling albums from the past year.

Our top 25 albums of 2015 include some terrific Australian releases, from established favourites such as The Waifs and Paul Kelly, to beguiling new voices such as Indie rocker Courtney Barnett. The 25th anniversary edition of Archie Roach’s 1990 album Charcoal Lane (featuring previously unreleased recordings and new interpretations of the original material) was another popular local release, as was Gurrumul’s The Gospel Album, which our reviewer described as…

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A soundtrack to this year's best fiction

by Bronte Coates

Pair…

Preparation for the Next Life

by Atticus Lish

With… Carrie and Lowell by Sufjan Stevens

Because… With its exquisitely crafted, stripped-back prose that leaves utter devastation in its wake, Atticus Lish’s story about the relationship between Zou Lei, an illegal Chinese immigrant and Brad Skinner, an Iraq War veteran, is a stunning debut. The book goes perfectly with Sufjan Stevens’ latest album, which is sparsely instrumental and equally heartbreaking; its songs were inspired by the death of Stevens’ mother…

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The best pop CDs of 2015

by Fiona Hardy

Here are our top ten pop CDs of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff. Displayed in no particular order.

I Love You, Honeybear by Father John Misty

J. Tillman’s newest album has emotion writ large enough to fill every corner of the room, and broad, gorgeous music to match. Shot through with his merry-peculiar tales, shucked off his shoulders like a jacket with pockets full of stories for us to sort through, aided by his ethereal voice, fuzzed-out synths…

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