Music

Download of the week: Arthur Ahbez - Gold (NZ)

Posted 4:35pm Sunday 9th March 2014 by Adrian Ng

Psychedelic folk from Auckland based, acoustic guitar virtuoso Arthur Ahbez. From haunting ballads to vast, acid tempered instrumentals; Gold is available for free download, for a limited time at arthurahbez.bandcamp.com Read more...

New this week

Posted 4:35pm Sunday 9th March 2014 by Adrian Ng

It’s issue three now, and though we’ve been extremely lucky in terms of sourcing content, submissions are always welcome. So if you’re a musician wanting your music to be heard or a band wanting a little bit of press, please don’t be shy. Even if you just want to talk about music, hanging out Read more...

Modern Baseball - You're Gonna Miss It All

Posted 4:44pm Sunday 2nd March 2014 by Peter McCall

Grade: B + If this record had come out seven years ago, it would’ve been a solid fixture in my CD collection; wedged right between A Lesson in Crime and From Under the Cork Tree. With the angst of emo’s old generation like Sunny Day Real Estate and Built to Spill, and the pop-punk energy of Read more...

St. Vincent - St. Vincent

Posted 4:44pm Sunday 2nd March 2014 by Adrian Ng

Grade: A When an album is self-titled it usually signals an attempt at a self-defining statement. The cover of St. Vincent’s fourth album depicts Annie Clark perched atop a pink throne; deadpan, confident and menacing. With her hair now dyed a blonde-grey and styled in eccentric fashion, she Read more...

Download of the week: Perfect Hair Forever - VOID (NZ)

Posted 4:44pm Sunday 2nd March 2014 by Adrian Ng

Infectious, bedroom pop punk from Auckland. Perfect Hair Forever produce adrenaline pumping, angst-ridden songs, coupled with a lo-fi sheen. Released late last year, VOID is available for free download at crystalmagic.bandcamp.com/album/void Read more...

Artist Profile: Clap Clap Riot

Posted 4:44pm Sunday 2nd March 2014 by Adrian Ng

As part of their four-date New Zealand tour, Auckland based indie-rock band Clap Clap Riot play Chick’s Hotel on 15 March. Stephen Heard and Dave Rowland talk briefly to Adrian Ng about the band’s new album Nobody/Everybody, touring life, and Rock N’ Roll. Did you all come from quite a Read more...

New this week

Posted 4:44pm Sunday 2nd March 2014 by Adrian Ng

For how long exactly is an album, or track, considered new? Keeping up can become quite a time consuming task, though nonetheless a rewarding one. Media is so readily available now; we have the ability to consume at a very high rate. For me, it’s hard to not get carried away on an endless wave of Read more...

Download of the week: Kane Strang (NZ)

Posted 6:57pm Sunday 23rd February 2014 by Adrian Ng

Based in Dunedin, Kane Stang is the city’s resident songwriting genius. When he is not drunkenly stammering in manic rock band Dinosaur Sanctuary, he is writing clever, interestingly crafted, psych-pop songs. Released last year, A Pebble and a Paper Crane is available for free download at Read more...

New this week

Posted 6:57pm Sunday 23rd February 2014 by Adrian Ng

Welcome to the 2014 Critic music section. I’m Adrian Ng, a songwriter and producer based in Dunedin. What qualifies me to write about music, let alone curate a section around it? Not much, really. I’ve realised that when it comes to music, the person you should pay the most attention to is yourself; Read more...

Artist Profile: Brown

Posted 6:57pm Sunday 23rd February 2014 by Adrian Ng

Brown are a four-piece alternative pop band based in Auckland and Dunedin. From confrontations with boy racers to recording an acapella covers cassette, Michael Cathro, AKA Skinny, talks to Critic’s Adrian Ng about his approach as a songwriter, his memories of Dunedin life, and also gives us an Read more...