Luckless by LUCKLESS

Luckless presents a haunting collection of well considered and beautifully crafted songs on their long-awaited debut album that seemingly just keep giving upon repeated listens. There are moments here that recall that feeling of missing someone so much it actually hurts; and then there moments that feel like she is / you are totally invincible. Often, within breaths of each-other – and I think that’s what first drew me to Luckless – I’ve been a long time fan – the… [More...]

Beneath The Crystal Palace by DICTAPHONE BLUES

What a rambunctious little tickler this record turned out to be – the sophomore release by Auckland-based Dictaphone Blues, and their debut on a major label (thru EMI).
Of course,there’s the alternative radio single Cliche which is downright rollocking as it belts along with until it turns itself onto its head with a chorus that sits in break, which I’m sure many of you are already familiar with. It’s followed by the glam-stomp-n-sway of What Happened To Our Love with… [More...]

Autumn by THE GOLDEN AWESOME

It seems like forever since I’ve been waiting to get my grubby lil mits and ears on to this record – seemingly ever since I even heard it was going to exist, I’ve longed to have and to hold it – for as soon as I had heard my very first recordings of this Wellington troupe, it was in my heart that they were to be the most perfectly named band to grace my CD shelves – in that they… [More...]

A New Hat And A Haircut by TOMMY ILL

I guess there is no surprises that I totally dig the new album from Wellington “indie rapper” Tommy Ill, ‘cos, you know, I am a total hipster right? Cos, y’know, Tommy Ill isn’t a real rapper anyway – so y’know white middle class indie kids like me don’t need to feel threatened by his rhymes. Y’know, cos he raps about his stories, his realities and doens’t try and pretend to be a gangster. Yeah, ‘cos hip hop is all about… [More...]

Lesser Flamingo by SHERPA

Innocence and wide-eyed wonder seem to collide with sparks and, dare I say, some feathers, head on into some hedonistic party on Auckland five-piece Sherpa’s debut long player. Sweet charming melodies crash into wonderful psychedelic whirls which spin at such velocity, I actually got dizzy the second time I listened to It’s All Good, G.
Opening with the frenetic Turner – a veritable roller coaster of a track – especially with it’s insanely amazing climax (tissues may be required). They… [More...]

Whale Rocket by COOL RAINBOWS

Cool Rainbows is the project of Djeisan Suskov, who used to front Trees Climbing Trees. Evidently, he’s been wondrously faffing about in the studio for what seems a mighty long time to finally unleash this record on Lil’ Chief Records.
Opening with the single Southern Summer Sun, something that, perhaps there is some irony in not being that prevalent this year. The opening bars sounding a little like an imagined clockwork toy train approaching the crest of a gentle incline… [More...]

SPOOK THE HORSES – Brighter

It becomes evident that as I am bombarded by a glorious sonic assault in the opening two minutes; then soothed by gentle guitar caresses for a further two before being used to do something a bit dirty by some hard dark audio crunches for another three minutes before lying in a heady sonic afterglow – that I am in for an equally harrowing / stimulating / satisfying hour over the course of this six track album from Wellington’s Spook The… [More...]

OPPOSITE SEX – Opposite Sex

Where pop and anti-pop collide is when absurdity reaches logical conclusions, and , it seems, Dunedin’s Opposite Sex sit comfortably in that space while the rest of use fidget in our lop-sided seats. Opposite Sex seems to be the ‘discovery’ of The Puddle’s Ian Henderson who recorded this album at his Fishrider Studio before releasing it on his label – evidently enamored by the band’s propensity to subvert pop, not unlike his own tendencies, in unexpected directions.
Apparently all three… [More...]

Deadly Summer Sway by The Checks

I’ve been struggling to review this, the third album, from The Checks for fear, I think, of being labelled a sycophant. I remember taking the morning off my day-job, back when I still had one at a government department, to attend a bFM Breakfast Christmas Party at the Odeon (RIP) hosted by Mr Hugh Sundae – I was excited because I knew it would be the first time i was to see this band, that my, then, new friend, Matthew… [More...]

Free All The Monsters by The Bats

The Bats are back with yet another album – their eighth; and there’s still no sign of any derailment. I guess what happens to a lot of older bands (these guys have been together twenty-nine years – thats longer than a lot of the people reading this have been alive; possibly even collectively (okay, I exaggerate now)) is that they try to “keep up with the kids” and it invariably ends up being wince-enducingly bad; like an embarrassing uncle in… [More...]

Free Rein by The Unfaithful Ways

It could be argued that this album nearly didn’t make it – buried in an earthquake stricken red-stickered building; it was literally months of waiting before a text-message announced the hard-drive’s rescue by a couple of structural engineers. Perhaps a story more befitting of an insane drum and bass outfit than the sublime alt-country stylings of Christchuch’s The Unfaithful Ways. But these guys are all about beguiling – sounding weary and heart-hardened through a life of lost love and heartbreak… [More...]

Tiger Belly by Tourettes

Tourettes returns with a new album – released, this time, on Round Trip Mars, and with all music written, arranged and produced by Saan Barratt (of The Vietnam War and Dirtbags). To me, and I honestly don’t know how Dom (Dominic Hoey is his other name) will take this, when / if he reads this, Tourettes is not so muchs a rapper or hip hop artist as he is he’s a folk musician and poet. At least, I mean, he’s… [More...]

Vipassana by Wilberforces

Transformed from four to two pieces – now trimmed back to vocalist/guitarist Thom Burton and drummer Chris Varnham; Wilberforces are beguiling of their diminished number with this, their sophomore album and follow up to much under-appreciated 2009 un-sung classic Haunted.
Vipassana equal parts aggression and heart. It’s angry because they actually give a fuck about shit; yet amongst the anger there’s a sense here, of hope, that somehow, despite the odds being stacked against us/them – somehow, a difference can… [More...]

Panther and the Zoo – More Fun

Graham Panther (real name; he’s a super-hero action figure on days off from the band) took his time to assemble his Zoo of friends to help complete the long awaited debut album; at first after the demise of Phony Bone he would play a few solo shows before he was recruited to tour internationally with The Ruby Suns groping “around unfamiliar buttons, knobs and pads” – as he puts it – while main Zoo animal/collaborator Hayden Eastmond-Mein also globe-trotted with… [More...]

Constellations by O’Lovely

From Siouxsie and the Banshees to St Etienne to Cocteau Twins – the long awaited debut album from ex-Christchurchers O’Lovely draws these comparisons, for me, but combines them in a truly dream-like gaze that spirals and swirls gorgeously. Laura-Lee’s vocals sit wonderfully mid mix among the gentle audio throb of the opening track Distant Mind – her voice as much an instrument of their sound as anything.
The bass-line in Blind Minded lops along while the guitar glitters – and… [More...]

Etheria by Punches

When Kelly Sherrod re-located from Auckland to Nashville a few years back, it’d have been reasonable to expect that Punches 2006 EP was the bright flame that was to burn short. But, apparently that TV ad years ago that featuring the likes of Che Fu transferring musical sketches to band-mates over this brand new thing called the internet predicted something great – the continued friendship and artistic coupling of Kelly and (fellow Dimmer player (and solo artist under his own… [More...]

Band of Brothers Vol One by Hollie Smith and Mara TK

Hollie Smith is embarking on a series of collaborative projects; we’re told, with this work with Mara TK of Electric Wire Hustle being the first of an undisclosed number – but y’know, how long is a piece of string, right?
Opening like a long white clouded mist on a mountain side morning – the trickle of a creek passing by; Smith’s vocals are wonderfully ethereal through the prologue-esque opening track – a distinctive, bold and haunting statement of intent –… [More...]

In Circles by She’s So Rad

When i first pushed play on my CD player to listen to She’s So Rad – for the first 12 or so bars I thought I had accidently loaded a secret track from the new Horrors record – and I was really excited. Then I realised that no such secret track existed and that, rather, I had indeed correctly loaded the latest project from Jeremy Toy. It was the most pleasant surprise I had had in a long time –… [More...]

Happy Heartbreak by The Sami Sisters

The long-time coming debut album from Madeline, Priya and Anji Sami is a collection of love songs brimming with charm, hooks and harmonies that melt icebergs. As a polar freeze descends on our fair islands this week, The Sami Sisters, a radiator and my extra-thick hoodie have been warming my proverbial cockles (Yes, there are proverbs about my cockles; but, seriously don’t ask) this week.

The subject of heart-break has rarely sounded so joyous – immediately grabbing attention, the album… [More...]

Hollow by Cut Off Your Hands

Hollow is the long awaited second serving from Cut Off Your Hands. There’s a multitude of reasons why there is a cliche in music reviewing circles of the difficult second album – I mean obviously the cliche is rooted in truth – that many, many acts struggle to follow up an exciting, interesting and vibrant debut with a record that makes the grade. But the reasons why that might be are, I imagine, complex and multi-facetted. Cut Off Your Hands… [More...]

The Adults – album review

Nothing To Lose, starring Ladi 6 on lead vocals is a fantastic song and a worthy lead single for this ‘super-group’ lead by Jon Toogood. Propelled by a tribal rhythm and a pulsating sonic bed – Ladi 6′s vocals have a sense of urgency and desperation about them that fit the songs apparent subject matter perfectly; a well timed guitar solo at the appropriate two-third point is followed by a juxtaposing fragility as the instrumentation fades to a singular pulse.… [More...]

Glory Glory by Wet Wings

Glory Glory opens like the trickling stream finding it’s way to a secluded clearing and summer-time water-hole where you and your special friend eagerly relief yourselves of clothing and the hot sticky summer heat. You spin in each-others arms as an ethereal summer-ghost voice gently coo’s at you from the pool-side shadows. Wet Wings is ex-Black Market Art Darian and new musical partner Lucy; both formely from Christchurch but now residing in Wellington.
By the time you reach Stockholm (the… [More...]

The Vietnam War – The Vietnam War

I’ve been waiting for this longer than I knew. When Lubin’s voice sings, ever so sweetly “Oh fire, in a high window” at just about a minute into the self-entitled debut from The Vietnam War – all the anticipation ever held in the world culminates and disperses within one single glorious moment. It’s like everything you have ever wanted for, wished for, longed for – is captured right there, in that moment. With just that one chorus The Vietnam War… [More...]

Solar Lights Don’t Work At Night by God Bows To Math

The brand new four track EP from Auckland’s God Bows To Math kicks off with a lurching, stumbling rhythm of Go Team Punx while a guitar spins like a siren-call – you better pull over ‘cos by the minute thirty mark they squawk and rumble; a nervous verse anticipates the carnage of a forthcoming chorus. It’s exciting.
Things certainly get no less brutal as the beats of The Unbearable Lightness of Being Sober are hammered home and into your skulls… [More...]

Liam Finn – FOMO

This is Liam Finn’s sophomore solo album – and of course, unlike a bucket-load of other sophomores, Liam is well past that ‘difficult’ second album stage; miles past – a world away. And, yet conversely it’s a record, in many ways, that reflects a large concentration of experience into a relatively short period of time. The album was made over our New Zealand summer in Liam’s beach house, after a somewhat whirlwind of a few years of world travel.
First… [More...]

Nocturnes by Joe Blossom

There’s something grand about this record from Wellington’s Joe Blossum, the latest project from Sean O’Brien. The size of this record beguiles and transcends it’s apparent modest roots – it was recorded by James Goldsmith at Te Horo Beach, and a garage on Marjoribanks Street in Wellington, with three early tracks laid down by Lee Prebble at Surgery Studios. But it sounds like something Bryan Ferry and David Bowie collaborating would have done spending thousands and thousands of pounds on… [More...]

Some Were Meant For The Sea by Tiny Ruins

Tiny Ruins is the composing and performing moniker of West Auckland’s Hollie Fullbrook – and the release of her luscious and languid debut on Australia’s Spunk Records comes a after a year of collaborating and performing internationally.
The story goes that, aged 11, her visiting Granddad encouraged her to pick up a guitar and from 14 years old on, she’s been writing songs. Listening to this collection, now, there’s a wisdom and worldliness that some would say beguiles her youth;… [More...]

Princess Chelsea – Lil’ Golden Book

Let us, then, turn our attention to Princess Chelsea – mainstream media has dipped it’s toes into her metaphorical pool; it’s NZ Music Month, after all. And hey, she’s a bit freaky huh? But she’s also pretty. So we can palate her weirdness huh? She’s like Katy Perry. Except not shit. And, as least as far as I know, no-one has stiletto’d another fan in the face at one of her shows. Yet. Bound to happen though, let’s be honest.… [More...]