It hasn't, it would be fair to say, been the greatest year for Tauranga music – as far as the recording front goes, it has been pretty much all quiet.

Which is a shame, because come Christmas, which is just over a week away, I like to give local albums to people.

In fact, most people I know get music from me, preferably Tauranga music, or failing that, Kiwi music of some sort. This year the pickings have been relatively slim.

There have, however, been five local releases. I say this with trepidation because each year when I run down Bay albums I invariably miss someone and cause grave offence.

My apologies in advance, blame the rapid mouldering of my memory combined with too many premature egg-nogs. All these albums (except where noted) should be available in most music shops.

First cab off the rank this year was Balladeer from Swamp Thing, the remarkable duo formed by singer/guitarist Grant Haua and ex-John Butler drummer Mike Barker.

A stunning collection of high-energy blues-rock, this transcends its blues roots to become a fully-fledged commercial rock album, solely driven by acoustic guitar and a battery of imaginative and surprisingly melodic percussion.

The band has since been in Australia supporting Tim Finn on his latest tour. I suspect they are going to be big and they deserve it.

Hard rockers Enercia released a four-track EP, Change, which led to them being signed internationally by DO IT Records.

The five-piece band includes two guys still at the BOP Polytechnic and have added a second guitarist since their debut EP High Stakes and Desperate Measures.

They've also played and toured with the likes of I Am Giant and Dane Rumble. Check them out further on their YouTube channel.
Nine Mile Stone released a long-awaited and very ambitious album, All Roads Lead Home, a complex meditation on mortality and living wrapped in long symphonic songs and accomplished harmonies.

The band has largely shaken off previous Pink Floyd influences to create its own recognisable sound. The other two albums have bluesy connections: kings of maximum rhythm & blues Brilleaux released a new album and didn't really tell anyone about it.

It's Live At The Masonic (in Auckland) and features 10 blistering hi-energy songs, a mix of originals (three previously unreleased) and classic English R&B.

It's a great punky workout for the band, really capturing the spirit of how they sound live, and can be obtained through their website.

The new Kokomo album, already receiving good notices around the country, It All Comes Round, mixes originals with old American tunes and a sprinkling of Kiwi blues this sees the band returning to their formative days as an acoustic blues trio. The Kokomo boys think it their best album yet. You can catch them live at Mills Reef on January 3.

My favourite album at the moment is Oh My God, Charlie Darwin by an American outfit called The Low Anthem.

They come from the lo-fi end of indie rock, influenced by Neil Young and Tom Waits.

The opening song Charlie Darwin is the most beautiful thing I've heard all year, a plaintive hymn with soaring ethereal harmonies set over simple acoustic guitar. They also do Pogues-like stomps, but those ballads.

Another artist I've become enamoured with is Bill Callahan. He's got a veritable plethora of albums out, but not all under his own name.

He used to record as Smog or – for reasons that seem at the least obscure – [Smog].

I heard a song of his on Kim Hill's Saturday morning show on National and was completely entranced.

It was from an album called A River Ain't Too Much To Love, which is a stone cold masterpiece. After that I started buying up his other albums and have eight or nine.

This year's offering is called Apocalypse and is a fine piece of work, backed by a small eclectic electric band.

Bill Callahan has rich deep voice which seems to carry the wisdom of ages and he leaves more room between his lyrics than anyone I've heard.

It gives you time to think about them, a rare and surprisingly transformative experience.