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When you can’t remember the last time you added new music to your collection, and find yourself ignorant of the hot new act, it’s time for a refresher course.

Rather than revisit eighth grade and Rick Dees and The Weekly Top 40, I sought out local experts and shoppers at Bull Moose Music on Congress Street in Portsmouth (www.bullmoose.com) to find out what’s selling, and get a little guidance.

MULTIMEDIA Video:  What’s hot and what’s not at Bull Moose Music

Last Thursday afternoon, the shop was busy and the piped-in pop punk (The Lillingtons’ “Death By Television” LP (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lillingtons) an instant mood-elevator.

Racks upon racks of CDs with handwritten dividers awaited perusal. Thirty-one year-old manager Jayson Kohl was my first target. He’s strictly into ‘60s and ‘70s psychedelic music, which explained his shirt (see the accompanying video) but meant he wasn’t going to be much help with newer artists. Nevertheless, this man is well-versed in his preferred genre. At home in Eliot, Maine, he’s got more than 3,000 CDs and 5,000 pieces of vinyl and only uses Internet downloading to trade MP3 versions of rare recordings with European friends. In our conversations, the word “addiction” was uttered repeatedly.

But what if you’re interested in music from this millennium? Jayson pointed out some of this season’s top sellers, including Beck, Madeleine Peyroux (who just played The Music Hall), the new Who, My Chemical Romance.

And if you’re into John Mayer and Coldplay (i.e. you’re “sensitive”) but looking for something (slightly) new, experience up-and-comer Mat Kearney (www.matkearney.com), whose sound is reminiscent of both.

Are you a metalhead who’s never been to Bull Moose? What are you waiting for? Jayson tells me metal is flowering at the moment, to use an incongruous verb. Elf metal (yes, elf metal), death metal, thrash metal, folk metal (yes, folk metal), the niches keep getting smaller and interest keeps growing. And staff sees an ongoing interest in the jazz and underground hip-hop collections, so they are kept well-stocked.

Since I’d gotten the word from Jayson, I harassed some customers:

Hard rock aficionado Adam Redman, 30, of Berwick, Maine, was there to pick up Cold’s “Year of the Spider.” The last CD Adam bought was Stone Sour’s “Come What (Ever) May.” As an aside, if you like Stone Sour, you probably already know the Iowa band will be in Portland, Maine, this Friday, Nov. 17 as part of Night One of WCYY’s Holiday Bizarre (www.wcyy.com).

Mac Ritchey, 35, of Hampton Falls, is about as far from hard rock as you’re going to get. When Mac comes to Bull Moose, he makes a beeline for the world music section, under the windows in the front of the store’s second room. Last Thursday, he was on a specific mission in search of the latest offering from the Bulgarian Women’s Choir (www.bulgarianwomenschoir.com). (He heard them perform at his college and they were “amazing.”)

I asked Mac if he downloads music from the Internet to save on CDs and he was rather indignant. Apparently if you’ve got a trained ear, the sound quality of an MP3 is terrible. Who knew? Everyone but me, I guess. I love to download pop singles from artists whose entire albums I’ll never buy – Rhianna, Shakira, Beyonce – all those one-named ladies. But for music that’s less ubiquitous, go to Bull Moose. Ask for some recommendations. The staff is full of self-described geeks (I’d call them traditionalists) who are really, really into music. Don’t be scared – you won’t be judged on your taste. But do be cautious – they might try to turn you into one of their own.

Charts courtesy of Bull Moose Music (includes ties for ranking).

Top 15 (National) (Oct. 30 – Nov. 5 2006) New Hampshire stores

1 - Deftones / Saturday Night Wrist
2 - Who / Endless Wire
3 - My Chemical Romance / Black Parade
4 - Legend, John / Once Again
5 - Peyroux, Madeleine / Half The Perfect World
6 - Killers / Sam's Town
7 - Beck / Information
7 - Birdman & Lil' Wayne / Like Father Like Son
7 - Isis / In The Absence Of Truth
7 - Meat Loaf / Bat Out Of Hell Iii
11 - Evanescence / Open Door
12 - Bright Eyes / Noise Floor (Rarities 1998-2005
12 - Lady Sovereign / Public Warning
14 - Mayer, John / Continuum
15 - Converge / No Heroes

Top 15 (Local - So. ME and NH) (Oct 30 - Nov 5)

1 - Headstart /Our House
2 - Dominic And The Lucid / Waging The Wage
3 - Dead Season / Rise
4 - James, Samuel / Return Of Sugar Smallhouse
5 - Cambiata / Into The Night
6 - As Fast As / Open Letter To The Damned
6 - Kilpatrick, Pete / Louder Than The Storm
8 - Atwood, Moses / Atwood, Moses
9 - Blakeslee, Dan / Halloween Special
9 - Marley, Bob / 30,000 Shows Later
9 - Va-Greetings From Area Code 207 / Vol. 6 - Greetings From Area C
12 - Lost On Liftoff / Lost On Liftoff
12 - Marley, Bob / Uptacamp
12 - Paranoid Social Club / Paranoid Social Club
15 - Hour Past / Vacant Smile