I've been stuck in a bit of a listening rut, lately - I've run out of enthusiasm for re-ripping more of my CD collection (I had it almost all done last year, until the external drive died...), often just heading to the simple pleasures of one of the Githead releases. I have, though, picked up a few things recently:

• Ripe - Galaxies and Stars : I missed their launch gig for this new EP, having to wake up painfully early the next day to fly interstate, but Darren tells me it was a suitably excellent return for a band a few of us loved in their time. As such, I picked up the EP without a second thought - it certainly helps one turn back the clock a bit. Good stuff.

• Tugboat - Two Schools of Thought: somewhere in the middle of a busy couple of weeks setting up another new office in a new (for me) part of town, I finally found this one - I loved their previous (from 2001!) album All Day, so this is a long-awaited treat. It sounds great so far.

• David Chesworth Ensemble - Music to See Through : I should've picked this up back when I bought 50 Synthesizer Greats, but didn't.

• The Meat Purveyors - Pain By Numbers: It was cheap, and they always seem to have good tracks on all the Bloodshot compilations, so...

Also, while unsuccessfully trying to find out where Safeway moved their stock of St John's Wort tea, I made the rather startling discovery that you can buy tea powder now (well, tea-with-milk powder). Wonders never cease.