Tracks & Winter Reading

Posted 1:21pm Sunday 17th July 2016

The semester break is when I like to catch up on my reading and my listening, and usually I combine these activities. So, for this week I’ve put together a summary of my winter reading list and some of the music that has accompanied it. TiO (Zayn) & A selection of poems in The Male Read more...

Calling to the Universe - Hex

Posted 12:42pm Sunday 29th May 2016

Wellington based Hex are essentially my dream band. The trio recently released their album Calling to the Universe and from my first listen I found myself completely submerged by quicksand vocals and slippery guitars. Hex are Liz Mathews on drums, Kiki Van Newtown on bass, and GG Van Newtown on Read more...

Going on tour

Posted 1:25pm Sunday 8th May 2016

I had never felt so tired, so totally physically and emotionally spent, and yet I know that I will do it over and over again When I was thirteen and watching the My Chemical Romance documentary for the sixtieth time I thought that touring with your band looked like the nicest possible time. What Read more...

Teenage Fans

Posted 12:34pm Sunday 1st May 2016

Yesterday I sat thinking about my thesis as I listened to Sandy Hsu’s “Teenage Girls” on repeat. It’s a tender song, but rough around the edges, recorded in a bathroom with some lo-fi piece of recording equipment that manages to capture Hsu’s crystal voice but muffle Read more...

Mind of Mine - Zayn Malik

Posted 12:53pm Sunday 24th April 2016

When Zayn started releasing singles post-One Direction I was worried that it was going to take him an album and a bit to get into the swing of things. I wasn’t overly impressed by ‘Pillowtalk’, although it is a catchy tune I don’t think it is all that cohesive, and Read more...

Behaving Yourself At Gigs

Posted 12:43pm Sunday 17th April 2016

The Dunedin music scene is now living in a post-Chick’s Hotel wasteland. We’ve lost our best venue, the venue where there were gigs worth going to, and it’s going to take a while to get back on our feet. But, when we do, we’re going to have to have gigs in Read more...

I’ll Forget 17 — Lontalius

Posted 12:05pm Sunday 10th April 2016

Lontalius (Eddie Johnston) uses repetition in all the right ways. I’ve been waiting on his album I’ll Forget 17 since its debut single “All I Wanna Say” came out in 2015. Each time Johnston sings “all I have to offer is my love, it’s not enough” I find Read more...

Made in the A.M. – One Direction

Posted 1:06pm Sunday 3rd April 2016

In 2015, in the aftermath of loss, scandal and uncertainty, British boybanders One Direction came out with their fifth studio album, Made in the A.M. The start of 2015 saw Zayn Malik leave the group, claiming creative differences, and the announcement of an indefinite hiatus for the remaining four Read more...

New Track: “Your Best American Girl” - Mitski

Posted 2:23pm Sunday 20th March 2016

I’ve come to know Mitski as the princess of propulsive sadness, and her new track, “Your Best American Girl” doesn’t disappoint. Like most of her songs, it’s a slow burn running into a scorching, explosive chorus. Mitski slips us into the body of the song with a soft, Read more...

Sleater-Kinney: Live At The Powerstation

Posted 2:43pm Sunday 13th March 2016

When Sleater-Kinney made their way onto the stage and launched into the opening riff of “Price Tag” (the opening track off the 2015 album No Cities to Love) my breath was caught, part way between a scream and a strangled sob. I found myself crumpling, my bottom lip trembling and my face Read more...