IMNZ: NZ Music Month is on!
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The latest news from Independent Music New Zealand.
One of the best months of the year has arrived - May - NZ Music Month, which is being celebrated all around the country in every way, shape and form.
The latest news from Independent Music New Zealand.
One of the best months of the year has arrived - May - NZ Music Month, which is being celebrated all around the country in every way, shape and form.
The team at NZ Music Month HQ can still remember back to the year 2000 when it all kicked off. There was plenty of great music being made but not enough people got to hear it, see it, or have it on their shelves. It's bloody marvellous to see how far things have come.
With Kiwi music of so many different kinds blasting through our airwaves, soaring off stages, and rumbling out of ludicrously lowered cars at the lights these days it is hard to fathom why things weren't like this earlier. Well, along with the vast amount of talented musicians responsible for all the great songs, and the hardworking folks who support them professionally and personally, we'd like to think that NZ Music Month has played a part.
We want to help you get to great gigs, make new musical discoveries, and get excited about your faves from the past. With a bunch of new releases looming over the horizon, hundreds of gigs around the country, and media of all kinds gearing up to get behind NZ Music Month you won't be able to miss it.
Everyone here is quietly confident that May will be off to its biggest and best start yet. NZ Music Month will also be spreading the word about everything else that's going on around Aotearoa, so stay tuned for our personal picks throughout May and dig deep into our comprehensive gig guide to find gems that tickle your fancy.
Make sure you check out what your local library is doing too - libraries in Auckland, Wellington, New Plymouth, Christchurch and Dunedin all have great New Zealand music events happening.
Check out the NZ Music Month website for gigs, new releases and general NZ music goss: http://www.nzmusicmonth.co.nz/
And don't forget to check out the eer-populasr t-shirt range available from Hallensteins...
Catch you out there...
Announcing National Recording Studios Open Day
NZ Music Month will see the return of National Recording Studios Open Day. Between midday and 4pm on Saturday May 28 a variety of professional audio studios around the country will open their front doors to anyone interested in taking a good look inside. Owners, engineers and staff will be on hand to answer any questions about the studio and the recording, mixing and record mastering processes.
Trialled last year, the open day concept proved a roaring success, and participating studios will again range from the high-end and long established likes of Auckland's York Street to Palmerston North's vibrant and incredibly low cost community facility known as The Stomach. Each studio will offer its own programme of information and entertainment.
Visit the NZ Musician website for more information: Read more...
International and Industry Action
FMG (Frequency Media Group) has some exciting news - they're launching a new label and also, after a year filled with rumour, breakbeats and intrigue, Unknown Mortal Orchestra – the new project of The Mint Chicks'Ruban Nielson – are set to release their debut album on June 21st on Seeing Records via Frequency Media Group. UMO first appeared around a year ago, more a song than a set, more an idea than an identity. Songs filtered around via email then blogs, but there were no images, no bios, no lists of band members with prior projects prominent. There wasn't even a live show - which just served to focus attention on the music. And while New Zealanders who heard it instantly suspected a Mint Chicks connection, overseas the slate remained blank. In time it became more solid, and conventional in a sense. A 7” was released on a UK label named The Sounds of Sweet Nothing, which sold out in a heartbeat. Tour dates were announced, and while the crowds were small, all who bore witness lapped up the now-three piece's sound. On June 21st this thing will be blown wide open. Nielson, along with teen wunderkind Julian on Drums and production savant Jake on bass, will give Unknown Mortal Orchestra's self-titled debut to the world, via Fat Possum, in the US and Seeing Records in New Zealand. Seeing Records is the brain child of Julian Carswell, ex tour manager of CSS and the Mint Chicks, and UMO will be its debut release. The label is part of Frequency Media Group, and will retain a boutique quality. Unknown Mortal Orchestra's self-titled album will be available from all good record stores and online from June 21. Please see http://unknownmortalorchestra.com/ for more information.
IMNZers Jackie Bristow, and Tami Neilson and Lauren Thompson, are in the running for this year's Country Music awards. The finalists for the RIANZ Best Country Music Album 2011 have been announced, and they are The Brendon Ham Band for ‘The Live Demos', Donna Dean for ‘What Am I Gonna Do?'and Jackie Bristow for ‘Freedom'. Also announced are the finalists for the APRA Best Country Song Award for 2011: they are Jackie Bristow for ‘Freedom', Donna Dean for ‘What Am I Gonna Do?' and Tami Neilson and Lauren Thomson for ‘No Good for my Soul'. Both awards are to be presented on Thursday June 2 at the New Zealand Country Music Awards in Gore. Gore's Gold Guitar week is in its 37th year and attracts more than 5,000 country music fans during the festival. For more information visit: http://www.goldguitars.co.nz
This May, Dunedin-ites are invited to take a fresh look at the city's fabled musical past through the music of Flying Nun – with someone who helped write the legend. Otago Access Radio station manager Lesley Paris has teamed up with the New Zealand Film Archive to guide viewers through an afternoon programme of classic homegrown music videos from seminal New Zealand label Flying Nun. Devised for NZ Music Month, The Flying Nun Music Video Special will be held 3pm May 14 in the auditorium at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, for about 90 minutes. Admission is free. Lesley will host a stroll through some of her favourite videos to explain how they influenced her notable career in music both as a performer and industry player, from diverse genres and artists including the likes of the The Clean, The Doublehappys and The 3Ds. Formerly the station manager for Radio One, Lesley Paris worked at the legendary music label Flying Nun from 1989. She also drummed for prominent 80s band Look Blue Go Purple as well as The Puddle, formed by George D Henderson and Ross Jackson, which also boasted Dunedin music luminaries such as Peter Gutteridge, Martin Phillipps and Shayne Carter among others. http://www.filmarchive.org.nz
New release fanfare
Cause albums, charity records whatever you wish to call them are often fraught affairs. The Grand Gesture is always the hardest to manage, and the participants while good intentioned often suffer when they find themselves in an Irony free zone.The motley band of Lyttelton musicians who have gathered under the moniker “The Harbour Union” hope that, in their case at least, the concept will work, at least on a small, local and community orientated scale, which considering the independent nature of the artists present is one very close to their hearts. From schools to business to rent payers and workers lots of folks are struggling around their way, and not ones to ask for something for nothing the strummers, singers and writers who make up the Harbour Union figured they'd trade that which they make (songs) for donations of the financial kind. So that's what they did, they made a record of, for, and about their community, the profits and proceeds of which will find their way back to lyttelton and to the folks who need it. Simple. Thirteen new or reimagined songs from a collective featuring some of the harbour basin's best known, and best kept secrets. http://www.christchurchmusic.org.nz/artists/2011/harbour-union-featured-artist-may-2011
The sophomore album from NZ Alt Country band The DeSotos, Your Highway For Tonight, reflects an eclectic mix of moods and styles. Tracks include ‘Hearts In One Place', the theme music to TVNZ's North, and ‘In The Harbour', Paul Gurney's epic tale of the sinking of the Wahine. Centred in the Americana / country blues genres, this is a true listening album in the best possible sense, and looks likely to be an important New Zealand release this year. Catch them live in Auckland on Thursday 16th June at The Thirsty Dog. http://www.thedesotos.com/
2011 has been deemed 'the year of rock'by some, and leading the pack is Luger Boa with their new album New Hot Nights. Jimmy Christmas'Luger Boa needs no introduction; their rock n roll has been heard across the airwaves since the band's inception and before that with Jimmy's previous band the D4. New Hot Nights is the 2nd album for Luger Boa, adding to Christmas' musical career which has seen him play major stages all over the world, sign to major record labels in all territories, rub shoulders with the rock n roll elite, and develop a knack for crafting hit singles. In their short existence the band have played to countless thousands across the country alongside the like of Shihad, The Mint Chicks, The Living End, Airbourne, The Charlatans and HLAH, from packed clubs to arenas, as main support for the Kings Of Leon. The first single taken from New Hot Nights 'Lazy'is already a certified radio hit, and second salvo 'Paralyzed'is already racing up the charts. And, there is much more to come from the album, recorded in Auckland and Melbourne, and mixed by Mark Needham in LA, and Andy Baldwin in NYC.
Lil' Chief Records is proud to present the debut album by Princess Chelsea - Lil'Golden Book. It's been nearly three years in the making and features a 15 page Little Golden Booklet designed by bandmate Brad Fafejta. Early reviews have been positive with the Sunday Star Times naming it 'album of the week'and aptly describing it as 'when cute meets creepy'. Graham Reid has called it 'mischievous and sharp'and the NZ Herald has likened it to "growing pains in the happiest place on earth". Lil'Chief will be looking to expand it's horizons in the coming months pressing some of your favorite Lil'Chief albums on vinyl. Lil'Golden Book will be our first vinyl release and will be released later in the year on pink vinyl! http://blog.lilchiefrecords.com/2011/05/princess-chelseas-debut-album-out-today.html
Warm and inviting, Fou Nature's upbeat and positive lyrics reach across and embrace Auckland's diverse cultures - spreading good vibes and a zest for life. "We believe happy people make a difference" says Asey Lio, main songwriter of Fou Nature after the release of their first single 'Ooh Ooh Song'. "Having our songs played on Mai FM, Kiwi FM, Niu FM, Fresh TV, C4 and Juice TV has been a huge buzz" Asey says; also commenting that 'Ooh Ooh Song' has been voted the Number 1 single on an American music site. "We love writing songs but most of all we love playing live and watching the spirits of the audience lift. It really is something quite magical to watch." http://www.myspace.com/founature
It has been one of the most talked about events of the month and tomorrow Shayne Carter unleashes his Last Train To Brockville show at Bodega in Wellington before taking it to the Kings Arms next Saturday. The show has posed some big questions. Like, shouldn't it be a bus to Brockville? Well, Dunedin was the second city in the world to adopt the cable car (after San Francisco) and the Roslyn Kaikorai line was the city's first line opened in 1881. The last train to Brockville ran on October 25, 1951. The answer to the other burning question, “what songs will be played?” was hinted at in Shayne's fascinating piece on publicaddress.net this week http://publicaddress.net/hardnews/still-sounds-good/ and is answered in full by the tracklisting just announced for the limited edition CD that can be pre-ordered for just $13 with tickets to the shows. From Bored Games to Dimmer, this 14 track Flying Nun CD should be enough to get you excited about these shows. Tickets and CD pre-orders available now and selling fast from: http://www.undertheradar.co.nz
On the live front
On Sunday May 22, a benefit show will be held at the King's Arms with all proceeds going to help the Christchurch music scene. It's called The Sugarloaf Shakedown. Just because.* Anyway. Most importantly, the acts playing will be The Bats, Lawrence Arabia, Street Chant, Drab Doo-Riffs, Dictaphone Blues and Princess Chelsea. Between bands, Matthew Crawley, the Nudie Suits and the Hories will DJ their hearts out. Food will be available on the day from Ripe Deli, with profits also going to the cause. Doors open at 3pm, bands on the hour from 4pm. Jeff Fulton, manager of CHART – The Christchurch Music Industry Trust - fully supports the Sugarloaf Shakedown “Its been a tough time with the loss of so many music venues and this sort of support will go someway in assisting grassroots initiatives like Gapfiller and Good Vibrations to continue to stage shows for the city's musicians”. Paul Kean of the Bats says… “Add Paul's quote.” Buy tickets
*Sugarloaf is a prominent peak on the Port Hills, with a large aerial on top.
Antagonist A.D are set to return to our roads and stages this winter to tour their latest release, Old Bones Make New Blooms (1157). On tour with the Antagonist A.D are Wellington melodic punk act The Outsiders. Only a band for two and a half years, The Outsiders have toured the US, Europe, UK, Australia and New Zealand constantly supporting heavyweights such as Nofx, Strung Out, Dead To Me, Strike Anywhere, The Flatliners, Against Me! and countless others. The band has played everything from squats in East Germany to major music festivals such as The Fest 9 in Florida and No Sleep Till Auckland, the band have been featured in AMP Magazine and Blank TV (US).
Their debut EP was released in 2008, followed by The Words Will Write Themselves album in 2010 on Isaac/Universal. Mid-2011 will see the release of the band's second EP on Deadboy Records (New Zealand) and extensive touring of NZ, Australia, Europe and the US will follow. http://www.elevenfiftyseven.com/
Fat Freddy's Drop has announced a third Auckland show at The Mercury Theatre in May. With their Friday and Saturday night shows sold out, the band has added Sunday 22 May to their glowing succession. Fat Freddy's Drop also play The Front Room in their hometown of Wellington on Queen's Birthday weekend before heading to Europe for a six week tour. Freddy's also return to the UK again in September 2011 to headline the inaugural Alex James Presents Harvest food festival hosted by the Blur bassist turned country squire and cheese-maker on his Oxfordshire farm. They also headline the sister festival Harvest at Jimmy's that has been running in Suffolk since 2009. Notable foodies at Harvest will include Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Yotam Ottolenghi and Richard Corrigan. As the Guardian noted, ‘it is more than likely that Alex James's award-winning cheeses - such as Blue Monday named after his favourite New Order song - will also feature'. http://www.fatfreddysdrop.com/gig-guide/
Around the World
The Foo Fighters'recent benefit shows in Brisbane and Auckland generated more a million dollars for the victims of the Queensland floods and Christchurch earthquake, according to audited figures released today. In New Zealand, the band's Auckland charity concert raised NZ$354,903 for the New Zealand Government Christchurch Earthquake Appeal while their Brisbane charity concert raised AUD$770,717 for the Queensland Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal. In their recent interview with TMN, Foos drummer Taylor Hawkins said he really hoped to do more benefit shows for worthy causes in the future. "I want to do more... I think it's gotta become important," he said. "I don't think we've done enough in the last 15 years of being a band and I feel like we could do so much more. http://www.themusicnetwork.com/music-news/artists/2011/05/03/foo-fighters-raise-over-1-million-for-flood-quake-victims/