Music

Nevernudes – Cereal EP

Posted 4:12am Monday 5th September 2011 by Richard Ley-Hamilton

After experiencing the Nevernudes’ First EP back in late 2009, I stared at my iTunes, somewhat unconvinced. Their abrasive and darkened delivery was quite discouraging, especially to my conventional-music-adoring ears, and left the idea of a second listen seem fairly daunting. However, Read more...

Wugazi – 13 Chambers

Posted 4:11am Monday 5th September 2011 by Sam Valentine

    In the post-Dangermouse era, where the Beatles met Jay-Z and created history in the process, the rap/rock mash-up has been a mixture of occasional high peaks, and diminishing returns. For every triumph of introduction and re-imagination (The Grey Album), there have been Read more...

Liam Finn w/ The Drab Doo-Riffs

Posted 11:38pm Monday 22nd August 2011 by Sam Valentine

Thursday August 11 - ReFuel, Dunedin Fresh from releasing the awaited follow up to 2008’s treasured I’ll Be Lightning, it was a typically energised and affable Liam Finn who appeared onstage to celebrate the release of FOMO last Thursday night. With his new material simultaneously Read more...

THE HORRORS: SKYING

Posted 4:04am Monday 15th August 2011 by Basti Menkes

From the gimmicky, narcotic goth implosions of their debut album Strange House, to the stylish post-punk/shoegazing of their sophomore Primary Colours, The Horrors have demonstrated that their metamorphosis is an ongoing affair. Guitars have gone from screeching to fuzzy, drums from driving to Read more...

Battles – Gloss Drop

Posted 5:09am Monday 8th August 2011 by Basti Menkes

It's 3 a.m. I'm 11 years old, sleep-deprived, watching C4. 'Battles – Atlas' appears onscreen. “What the fuck, Atlas? That Kiwi band who wrote that annoying song ‘Crawl’?! Wait. Ohhh, I see. What a stupid band name.” The thumping drums, alien keyboards and ultra-distorted vocals amuse me for a Read more...

Fair Ohs: Everything is Dancing

Posted 5:04am Thursday 4th August 2011 by Sam Valentine

Providing a down to earth, stylized and heavily Californian take on the choppy afro-rhythms and chiming guitars recently made popular by Vampire Weekend and Abe Vigoda, most listeners would be surprised to discover that rather than polo shirt-wearing upper class rich kids, Fair Ohs are simply three Read more...

Arctic Monkeys: Suck It and See

Posted 3:39am Thursday 28th July 2011 by Richard Ley-Hamilton

If only given a few listens, Suck It and See could be easily misconstrued as an album swept along the tide of 60’s revivalism. Furthermore, those who have paid little attention to the Arctic Monkeys’ continual musical evolution might find the lack of a punk ethos on this album weighty Read more...

An Open Letter of Support

Posted 3:22am Thursday 28th July 2011 by David Large

Former Critic Editor & Radio One News Chap David Large Puts His Views In Writing As the sting goes, I've fucked off to Sydney but I still listen to Radio One, 91FM. It's the station that offered an alternative soundtrack during my years at the University of Otago. It’s the station that Read more...

Full Moon Fiasco (Wel), Thought Creature (Wel), Killmore Girls (Dud) and Axe Handal (Dud)

Posted 4:49am Monday 25th July 2011 by Spencer Hall

Matinee Show at Re:Fuel, Sunday July 10. This was the first matinee show I've been to at Re:Fuel since the all-age metal gigs they used to have back when I was in highschool. Kicking things off was Axe Handal, drummer Rory MacMurdo (TFF, Brüer Grinder) with his laptop bandmate. Read more...

An Open Letter of support

Posted 4:47am Monday 25th July 2011 by Dudley Benson

from New Zealand musician Dudley Benson regarding the future of Radio One 91FM As an independent artist originally from Christchurch, having been based in Auckland for the last five years and now living in Dunedin, I have spent a significant amount of time and energy working with and listening Read more...