You guys seem to be the natural guys to ask about Aussie/NZ stuff. I hate to get all paladisiac on you guys but I just noticed that Hot Records signed up with Emusic.

Here's what they've made available so far. Any thing that I should definitely look to get? I own a couple of Celibate Rifle albums but that's it.

I heartily recommend Ed Kuepper's Character Assassination. It's filled with low-key singer/songwriter gems that take some patience to slip into one's consciousness. It also features the only version of "Ring of Fire" that I can honestly say I like.

It's been a few years since I sat down and listened to Ed's post-Saints outfit The Laughing Clowns, but I still feel confident this best-of album will be worth a download. It's jazz-influenced post-punk, occasionally wandering off into the atonal ether but usually anchored by Ed's odd sense of R&B simplicity. At the very least, it's interesting.

I'm more familiar with the Flying Nun related stuff, so I'm afraid I'm of no help.

Ed Kuepper's got a *ton* of stuff there...I suspect a lot of it is going to be somewhat experimental--a lot of jazz injection, like Radcliffe stated. I saw a few titles that I've got, I'll try to dig them out tomorrow--I don't listen to them that often, again a lot of experimental stuff that doesn't bear frequent spins. The outtakes and best of comps will be the way to start.

He did release one entirely pop/rock album in the US on Capitol--back in '85 or so, and it's tremendous. I don't know if any of those tracks appear on his Aussie releases.