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The latest news from Independent Music New Zealand.

The latest news from Independent Music New Zealand.

We're into week two of NZ Music Month now, and alongside the excellent albums and super shows that we are showered with, attention also turns to how to get by in the ever-changing music industry. There is a day of industry seminars being held at the Auckland Museum on May 28 which will be well worth investigating if you are involved in the music biz - or want to be.

We'll shortly be announcing some Wellington sessions too.

2011 Official Music Month Summit

After the outstanding success of last years inaugural one day Music Month Summit, the NZ Music Commission, NZ Music Managers'Forum and IMNZ are proud to present the summits return this year.

SUMMIT THEME – HOW TO MAKE MONEY IN MUSIC
Date: Saturday 28th May
Venue: Auckland Museum, Domain Dr, Parnell
Time : 10am to 4.30pm

SEMINAR ONE: 10am – 11am
Sponsored by RIANZ
Thinking outside the box - how to make money from selling your music (when everyone seems to be downloading it)
Speakers:

• Adam Holt - MD Universal Music
• Jan Hellriegel - GM Native Tongue Publishing NZ
• Ben Howe - MD Arch Hill Recordings/ IMNZ
• Mark Rogers - Mark Rogers PR

SEMINAR  TWO: 11.15am – 12.15am
Sponsored by the New Zealand Music Commission
Touring and Merchandise – is this the new frontier in making money in music?
Speakers:

• Brent Eccles - Brent Eccles Entertainment
• Savina Kim - Solid Entertainment
• Waiere Iti - Independent Tour Manager

SEMINAR THREE: 1.00pm – 2.00pm
Sponsored by APRA
APRA Songwriter Speaks – it all starts with a great song…..!
Speakers:

• Jon Toogood -  Shihad, The Adults
• Nick D -  Making Tracks, DJ

SEMINAR FOUR: 2.15pm – 3.15pm
Sponsored by Independent Music NZ and NZ MMF
Real Life Experience - How artists are surviving in today's environment
Speakers:

• Nicole Duckworth – Fat Freddys Drop, The Drop

SEMINAR FIVE: 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Sponsored by NZ on Air
International – is it true that if you want to make the big bucks you have to go overseas?  Spotlight on Australia.
Speakers:

• Graham Ashton - Footstomp Music
• Brett Murrihy - Artist Voice
• William McAlistair - Nova Radio

The Britomart Block Benefit

The Britomart Block Benefit is a fun-run relay event where teams of 3-5 tag-team around the ‘block'at Britomart for a great cause – the Red Cross Christchurch Earthquake Appeal.

The ‘block'is actually several blocks – a course around the central precinct with a distance of around 735 metres. Team members can run (walk, hop etc) as many or as few laps as they like.

The emphasis is on having a fun day out while still raising as much money as possible – though with several Nike-sponsored pro athletes participating, there'll definitely be people out there running for pride!

As far as the rest of us are concerned, how fast or how far you get yourself around the course is entirely up to you.

Keen to get involved? Here's what to do.

• Step 1

  Go to the official Britomart Block Benefit Facebook page and click ‘Like'at the top. You'll be kept in the loop with all the event information straight to your Wall. (You'll need a Facebook account to do this. If you're not a Facebook member, you can still visit www.facebook.com/blockbenefit regularly for updates.)

• Step 2

  Get a team of between three and five people together and decide on a team name. You'll each need to register individually at FundraiseOnline (see Step 3) – but make sure you include your team name so the Block Benefit team can correctly allocate team numbers.

• Step 3

  Get each member of your team to go to the FundraiseOnline website and set up their own fundraising page. They'll then need to send out this link to their own networks to start raising individual sponsorship amounts.

  There are more detailed step-by-step registration and fundraising guidelines here.

• Step 4

  Stay tuned to Facebook for more information.

  Once your team is registered at FundraiseOnline, you'll be allocated one of two start/transition points on the course – see the map (above right) for details.

  Stay tuned here for details of a Britomart Car Park Block Benefit parking special too!

• Step 5

  Show up on Sunday 29 May and have an amazing day! There'll be all kinds of entertainment, spot prizes, a charity auction and the chance to rub shoulders with some of New Zealand's top athletes.

  More of an armchair supporter? You can still support the Britomart Block Benefit by making a donation – or forwarding this info to a more energetic friend and sponsoring their team!

International and Industry Action

The Topp Twins film, Untouchable Girls now has a North American theatrical release through Argot Pictures (USA) and Kinosmith in Canada, where it has attracted glowing reviews (read here). The film opens at Cinema Village, New York, on May 13, then Landmark Theatre, San Francisco,  & Shattuck on May 20, as well as other cities across the States.

Established Kiwi musicians will hit the streets this May, busking to raise funds for child cancer. The nationwide campaign, The Big Busk will take place on Friday 20 May between 11am and 2pm in all major cities throughout NZ.

Already confirmed performers include Greg Johnson, Jason Kerrison, Barnaby Weir, Luger Boa, Avalanche City, Black River Drive, Iva Lamkum, Lydia Cole, Jonny Love, Lisa Crawley, Massad and The Twitch.

Registrations are still open for those looking to be involved. Buskers can sign up by emailing Ana Christmas thebigbusk@childcancer.org.nz or clicking HERE. Donations to support the performers can also be made online HERE   All money raised will go directly to supporting children and their families on their child cancer journey. http://www.childcancer.org.nz 

Some of the country's best known musicians are getting behind the Rise Up Christchurch - Te Kotahitanga Telethon on 22 May. Annabel Fay, OpShop, Annie Crummer/Will Crummer, Young Sid, Luger Boa and The Checks are among the Kiwi artists already confirmed for gigs in New Zealand and overseas, as are Dane Rumble, Kids of 88, Anika Moa and Six60. Others will be announced soon. The musos will be joined by some mighty TV talent including cast members from hit shows such as Outrageous Fortune, Go Girls, Shortland Street, Spartacus and The Almighty Johnsons. The organisers have also announced the three main New Zealand venues for the 12-hour telethon which is being broadcast by M?ori TV on Sunday 22 May from 9am to 9pm. In Christchurch the venue is the city's CBS Canterbury Arena, one of New Zealand's largest purpose-built indoor sports and entertainment venues, only ten minutes from Christchurch central city. The Wellington telethon activities will be broadcast from The Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa. In Auckland, the venue is the Trusts Stadium Arena in Henderson. On the day, venues are free to get in but visitors will be asked to make a donation at the door. The 12-hour global telethon for Christchurch is planned for Sunday 22 May – exactly three months on from the city's devastating earthquake. Read more...

The finalists for the 2011 NZ Music Managers awards have been announced. The awards will be presented on Tuesday May 17th in Auckland and will be celebrating exceptional artist management and presenting awards to ‘Manager of the Year', ‘Upcoming Manager of the Year', ‘Regional Manager of the Year'for North Island and South Island, ‘Self Managed Artist of the Year'and ‘Industry Champion'. Artists whose managers have been named as finalists include IMNZers Luger Boa, Shapeshifter, Ladi6, Riki Gooch, TrinityRoots, Maisey Rika, Homebrew, Collapsing Cities, The Phoenix Foundation, Black Seeds, Batucada Sound Machine, Concord Dawn and many more. Watch this space for the winners! For more information go to http://www.mmf.co.nz

New release fanfare

Hardcore rap vets Red Eye Society are an enigma; earning the respect of their followers through heavy unapologetic music with credibility to back it up, they live the life others tweet about without need for a Facebook page or a censored appearance on prime time music television.  As their second and final studio album ‘Absolute Epoch'hits the stores, R.E.S pulls no punches.  They don't do interviews, they don't do press shots, they definitely don't do radio singles. They make honest, hard-hitting, hip hop laced in their native Onehunga slang and relayed over sinister production. Far from gangster rap, R.E.S push the boundaries of their art form while capturing their audience with an appealing authenticity. From troublesome youth, to jail time, to fatherhood, to relationship breakdowns; their colourful pasts have given J-One and Tek a wide pallette of experiences to draw on in their lyrics. The group first gained the attention of the music industry after appearing live on the True School Hip Hop Show (95 Bfm) in 2001. A recording of the show was quick to spread on the internet and find its way back to the ears of Andy Murnane & Brotha D, who went on to sign the group to legendary local hip hop label Dawnraid Entertainment. Following the release of their self-titled debut album in 2005 the group signed to self proclaimed weird rap label Breakin Wreckwordz, contributing to the acclaimed ‘It's a Monster'compilation.  Local hip hop mogul DJ Sir-vere recently described Tek as “The best rapper in NZ, hands down!”  Red Eye Society have completed several National tours and performed at festivals such as Big Day Out and Homebake Festival in Australia.
http://www.breakinwreckwordz.blogspot.com/

Rhian Sheehan's new release “Seven Tales of the North Wind” is the follow up to his much-acclaimed “Standing In Silence”. The EP comprises of 7 dreamy ambient tales that explore the emotions of nostalgia and memory, of the past as it informs the present – a magical swirling of warm organic and textural layers. Already at album number 6, Rhian Sheehan's music has featured on many TV and cinematic outings, the strength of his work is unquestionable, another fine ambient outing. http://www.loop.co.nz

Restoration is one of New Zealand's most experienced and accomplished baroque ensembles made up of Bronwen Pugh and Graham McPhail (baroque violins) and Robert Petre (harpsichord). Rameau Pieces De Clavecin En Concerts was recorded in Futuna Chapel, Wellington which is regarded as New Zealand's finest example of indigenous modernist architecture. In 1741, the Pièces de clavecin en concerts represented the height of the avant-garde. Restoration's 2010 recording presents a new interpretation – new not just in the rarely-heard version for harpsichord and two violins, but with approaches to sound balance, tempi and rhythm that recreate the original impact of these familiar masterworks. Read more...

On the live front

Parachute Band has hit the ground running after the Parachute Festival, making their way around North America on their Love Without Measure tour. This month the band will play 4 shows of the New Zealand leg of the tour, where they will be joined by special guest Luke Thompson. The boys will be hitting Tauranga on May 13th, Palmerston North on May 14th, Rotorua on May 20th and Whangarei on May 21st before heading to the UK and Europe in June. Tickets to the local shows are available from iticketexpress.co.nz. Between travels, the guys are working on new material for their next recording. And hip hop acts Rapture Ruckus have just returned to the U.S fresh from some shows across the ditch. The boys headlined Toowoomba's Easterfest, drawing around 10,000 punters at their mainstage set on Friday evening. Rapture Ruckus also headlined Western Australia's Strawberry Jam Festival. Back in the U.S, the boys are staring down the barrel of a few busy months of shows, including a slot in the Outta Space Love Tour with the Group 1 Crew in September. Group 1 recently won two Dove Awards for Best Rap/Hip Hop Album and Best Rap/Hip Hop song of the year. All up, it looks like Rapture Ruckus will be playing over 70 shows in the next 6 months. Let the good times and the open road roll!

The rock-infused country blues band that is the DeSotos are delighted to announce touring dates to support the release of their new album, Your Highway For Tonight, which we featured last week. The tour kicks off in Wellington on June 9 and wraps in Auckland on June 16 - on the way, they'll perform on TV One's Good Morning show on June 10. Join them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/thedesotos) to get all the latest info on the first single or go to www.facebook.com/yourhighwayfortonight to listen to some tracks...

Eight-piece reggae group 1814, who are musically inspired by living around the beautiful Whangaroa Harbour, have been performing on the local music scene for two years, playing with acts such as Katchafire, Conerstone Roots, House Of Shem, Three Houses Down and Che Fu. Now, they're setting out on a solid tour: 1814 will be playing in support of international reggae band Third World in Tauranga, Auckland, Wellington and Napier around the end of the month. Read more...
 
Following on from Greg Johnson's Small Towns & Ball Gowns Tour announcement and local artist support competition five weeks ago, the wait is over and the local support artists for all nine shows have been confirmed.

Musicians in each of the nine regions were invited to submit a track via Johnson's website with entries closing at the end of April; the winning entry given an opening support slot at the show, the opportunity to sell merchandise, show tickets and a performance fee. The local artist supports are confirmed as Whangarei – Andy Richards, Pukekohe – Tim Walker, Nelson – Weave, Riverton – Emma Rankin, Queenstown – Mel Parsons, Matakana – Charlotte Silverstone, Tauranga – Chellya, Havelock North – Siamese Charades and Wellington – Phoebe Hurst.  http://www.gregjohnsonmusic.com.

Around the World  

With Amazon and now Google having rolled out cloud-based music hosting services without the consent of music labels, CNET reports that the labels are reportedly now looking for Apple to become the driving force to bring those companies back to the negotiating table for broader licensing deals. Since neither company was either able or willing to obtain licenses from the four major labels, neither of them could deliver the same range of options that Apple will be able to offer with its upcoming cloud service, according to multiple music industry sources.

Exactly what those options are, the sources wouldn't say. Nonetheless, the hope in the music industry is that Apple's music service will make the competing offerings look shabby by comparison and force Amazon and Google to pay the licensing rates the labels are asking. The major labels are reportedly hoping that Apple plans to unveil its licensed version of cloud-based music hosting at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) set for early next month, moving quickly to market with what many hope will be a superior offering before Amazon and Google's services can become entrenched. Read more...