7 Hot Platters From the Local Record Store

Tommy Gun Records, run by local legends Adam and Kirsty, is a must-visit for any record buff coming to Hobart.

In response to Terry Barr’s At The Record Store, you know what makes the perfect record store? Something old, something new, something electro, and something blues.

Fortunately, Tommy Gun Records ticks all those boxes.

Located in Elizabeth Street in the heart of Hobart, Tommy Gun strikes the perfect balance with an extensive range of new vinyl, an excellent second-hand section, and a good cross-section of merch, including t-shirts, slip mats, posters, and turntables.

Rock, metal, reggae, jazz, alternative, and Americana; The real problem is getting out the door without blowing the budget.

The vibe is friendly and engaging, with the discs laid out in spacious, accessible racks that are never overcrowded. Also, Adam and Kirsty are always spinning some fabulous tunes that have inspired an occasional stretch to the monthly budget.

Their Instagram feed is a constant source of inspiration. I’ve noticed it can be a crowd scene when a choice consignment of second-hand records comes in.

Speaking of Instagram, their crate flip videos are particularly popular with punters.

They all offer a lot of support to the local Tasmanian talent, too. Stocking their recordings, posting their posters, and giving them a shout-out on social media.

Shuffling through my record crate, here are the first seven Tommy Gun purchases I came across.

Manhole (second hand) — Grace Slick

As a huge fan of Jefferson Airplane — particularly Grace Slick — this one had been on the wishlist for quite a while.

A theatrical concept album of sorts, it was never destined to be a chart-topper, yet the sprawling title track, featuring many of the Jefferson alumni, is a welcome addition to the collection.

As you might expect, Paul Kantner pops up for a guest vocal, though guest doesn’t entirely feel like the right word. As a companion piece to Blows Against the Empire, it has more of a foot in the psychedelic past than in the stadium rock future.

Brief Replies (second hand) — Ten Wheel Drive featuring Genya Ravan

Genya Ravan, a talented and idiosyncratic singer, certainly does better with the band Ten Wheel Drive than with the solo records I’ve heard.

I’ve seen copies of this without the “featuring Genya Ravan,” suggesting this is a re-release by a record label hoping to generate some momentum.

The music, a kind of brassy, psychedelic folk blues, jumps around a little too much to coalesce, but the punchy Pulse shows off her bluesy vocals to good effect.

Live in Stuttgart (new) — Can

A triple live album on orange vinyl? Sounds like the seventies to me.

That the tapes from several Can’s live shows are starting to appear on vinyl is a treat. This particular recording dates from around the “Soon Over Babaluma” period and thus features just the four foundational musicians following the departure of Damo Suzuki.

While Irmin Schmidt and Michael Karoli had a stab at vocals on Soon Over Babaluma, Live in Stuttgart is entirely instrumental.

The unimaginative track titles, “Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier, Fünf” belie the fact that this is essentially one long jam. That said, it demonstrates what a fluid and elastic jam band Can were.

The instruments intertwine and flow, one riff seamlessly evolving into the next. While some of the compositions echo Future Days and Soon Over Babaluma, the whole connects as a spacious psychedelic funk journey.

Radio City (new) — Big Star

From this list, this is the only one that is a second copy, the first having departed in the great vinyl selloff of the early 21st Century.

My favorites are power pop classics O My Soul, Way Out West, Mod Lang, and September Gurls with its ringing Byrds-like twang. Radio City sits perfectly between to power pop sheen of #1 and the desperate disintegration of Sister Lovers.

Olias of Sunhillow (second hand) — Jon Anderson

As close to the edge of being a classic period Yes album without being an actual Yes album.

It doesn’t quite cohere as a Yes album in its entirety, but each of the tracks could easily have been slotted into any Yes album of the 70s without too much of an eyebrow being raised.

As usual, any guess as to what it’s all about is beyond me, which is to say it’s classic Jon Anderson.

An enjoyable listen from start to finish. Somewhat shorter on the caterwauling instrumentals, it’s potentially more accessible to the average listener, although his vocals remain an acquired taste.

The Warning Birds (new) — Ewah & The Vision Of Paradise

This is an example of a local band I’d never heard of. I was in the store one day, and this atmospheric rock was drifting effortlessly out of the speakers.

Hmmm, I never heard this before, and I like it. After a quick chat with Kirsty, I was on my with a copy tucked under my arm.

Scanning through their Instagram, I can see that it was the biggest seller for the month in which it was released. With things getting tougher every day for local bands, venues closing, and the burgeoning digital age, I find the support Tommy Gun gives to bands like Ewah & The Visions of Paradise very admirable.

Check them out on Bandcamp:

Bandstand (second hand) — Family

A band that had long been on my radar but had never heard. Roger Chapman (vocals / Mike Batt’s Tarot Suite) and John Wetton (bass / King Crimson, Bryan Ferry) were certainly familiar names.

No frills prog with some folkish touches, My Friend the Sun is a favourite.

A solid listen all the way through.

…and that’s a wrap!

Thanks again to Adam and Kirsty for being such a wonderful place for the hours I’ve spent combing the racks. May there be many more hours to come.