You'd be a fool to buy into the argument that Adele Adkins is just another packaged Brit School graduate with a great set of lungs.

The highly charged electro-pop that's pumped out by Fenech-Soler is relatively unknown here, but in the band's British homeland it's a floor-filling festival favourite.

Enough to make you spew Not even Kiwi talent can save the Oz "event" movie that is Panic at Rock Island, says Deborah Hill Cone.

Even though 2011 is still new, I suspect this debut novel from US author Susan Henderson will be one of my standout reads of the year.

Rhoda Janzen's memoir may be light on laughs, but it's heavy on affection.

Rating: 3.5/5

Rating: 3/5

Rating: 4/5

Rating: 4/5. Verdict: The old gang is back, and conjuring up their very best in a new way

Rating: 3/5. Verdict: Sounding older and wiser, survivor Allman finds meaning in old blues

It's easy to see, while watching her character's descent into madness, why Portman scooped the Best Actress Golden Globe award and an Oscar nomination for her role in this psychological thriller.

The chief problem with The Hopes and Dreams of Gazza Snell is Gazza. As played by William McInnes, he's meant to be bit of a dag who needs to grow up, despite being a husband and father of two running his own business.

Rating: 3/5. Verdict: Portland folkies' sixth album is solid, but lacks true grit

A conventional and heartwarming film, this is the true story of the great horse Secretariat, who made history in 1973 as the first horse in 25 years to win America's coveted Triple Crown.

Rocketing up the New York Times Bestseller list, this book has been praised for its intricate plot, its scope and daring, and its bold and sweeping narrative.

There are some genuinely entertaining moments in this homage to advertising's "golden age", no question. The odd bit of craziness, too, though nothing particularly lewd, salacious or revealing.

Carl Nixon's first two books signalled a writer worth watching. His new work, Settlers' Creek, is a Pandora's box.

How much you'll enjoy this novel from American actor and comedian Steve Martin will depend on how engaged you are with recent art history.

Wanda Jackson dazzled Kiwi crowds when she played here last year and she's about to do it again, this time with a new album, The Party Ain't Over.

Unfinished business is the theme of the new novel from best-selling author Kim Edwards.

It's official then, this week dubstep well and truly went mainstream in New Zealand with this 44-track collection.

This moves from haunting samba on Jorge Ben's Lalari-Olara, to the cool and wild wig-outs of Zimbo Trio's Zimbo Samba and Sergio Mendes' Primitivo, through to the sparkling delights of Roberto Menescal's Inverno.

Cocker Happy? Yes they were. There cannot be anyone who does raw emotion like the lad from Sheffield - Joe Cocker.

Christian Bale took the Golden Globe for best supporting actor (drama) for his role in this deeply enjoyable boxing drama, and must be a shoo-in for the Oscar, too. But he's no support act: this is his film from start to finish.

This collection is a tribute to the best tracks premiered on the London DJ's influential radio show over the years - so kind of like a greatest hits collection, if you like.

This reissued remixed album was originally Iggy's first post-Stooges studio effort in 1974. Though it wasn't released until three years later, after the Bowie-mentored The Idiot and Lust for Life.

Rating: 3/5. Verdict: Howard and Vaughn struggle to find the right mix of comedy and drama

Rating: 4/5. Verdict: History with character