Surf Girl

For those who prefer to own their music on vinyl, here is an eclectic and gorgeously packaged selection of American girl group artefacts from the 60s. The album opens with Whirlwind by producer Gary Paxton protégées the Rev-Lons, the trio’s final recording but also their best, and closes with He’s All Right With Me by the Mirettes (the Ikettes incognito). Other highlights include the Supremes-style Cupid’s Got A Hold On Me by the Belles; the Sweethearts’ recording of Beauty Is Just Skin Deep, a song originally intended for the Ikettes; and Summertime Is Surfin’ Time by the Surf Bunnies – three more terrific instances of the West Coast girl group sound. But not all the tracks here emanate from that part of the USA – viz Mr Everything by New York-based Little Eva Harris and little-heard examples from the Pets, Tren-Teens and Lovettes, all from New Jersey. Felice Taylor – here with her unissued-at-the-time Sing Me A Love Song – graces the eye-popping jacket, which houses a colourful inner sleeve featuring a 3,000-word track commentary and an array of illustrations. Compilation and notes by Mick Patrick.

A new radio show for the musically curious: post rock, avantgarde, old time radio, contemporary classical and some fun stuff. Every week a new installment, a new experiment, a new musical statement. This week's highlights: Bang Gang, Chk Chk Chk, Clinic, Depeche Mode, Gonzales, Interpol, Julio Cortazar, Lella Costa, mewithoutYou, Nick Cave, Smashing Pumpkins, Time.Space.Repeat…

GospelbeacH is Tom Sanford (drums), Brent Rademaker (vocals, guitar), Jason Soda (vocals, guitar), Neal Casal (vocals, guitar), and Kip Boardman (vocals, bass), with guest appearance by Nelson Bragg (vocal harmonies), and Ben Knight (guitar).The five members of GospelbeacH possess a prestigious collective resume that includes membership in Beachwood Sparks, Further, The Tyde, the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, and Everest.

The Beach Boys' third and fifth albums make a good pairing on one CD, different as they are in content and origins. Surfer Girl was the album on which the group's and Brian Wilson's sound blossomed, and it did so on several levels. The title track was the first song that Brian ever wrote, and it's lucky that he saved it for this stage in their history, for it features surprising elegant and lush harmonies.

This is the story of Christopher Wilder: the surf-loving son of a decorated naval war hero born in the suburbs of Sydney, who became the most wanted man in America - a psychopathic serial killer who slaughtered more than sixteen young women in the USA and is the prime suspect in the infamous Australian Wanda Beach murders.