Music

Pixies Live

Posted 4:43am Monday 23rd August 2010 by Dave Local

CBS Canterbury Arena, Christchurch 3 August 2010    The Pixies are, unashamedly, my favourite band of all time. My formative musical experiences are intricately tied to their mixture of alternating screams and breathy grunts. But this is some twenty years later, and a band that Read more...

Something Quartet - preview

Posted 5:01am Tuesday 10th August 2010 by Logan Valentine

This week I had the pleasure of hearing the track ‘Toilet Doorhandles’, an advance release from the Something Quartet’s forthcoming album. Just to fill you in, the Something Quartet are usually a Septet who squash half of Dunedin’s music scene into a band. Bugs is the lead music director of the Read more...

The Twitch - Time For Change

Posted 5:00am Tuesday 10th August 2010 by Raymond Sawkins

Rangi Records / Border Music (4.5/5) Well, if you know anything about The Twitch, you will know they are experts at putting maximum attitude into everything they wave their wand at. This piece of pure Rock ‘n’ Roll magic is no exception. Just looking at the cover will Read more...

Dropkick Murphys - Live on Lansdowne

Posted 4:13am Monday 2nd August 2010 by Caleb Wicks

4/5 Live on Lansdowne is the second live album from Celtic Punk group Dropkick Murphys, second live album. It consists of an entirely new set from their original St. Patricks Day live album, which came out back in 2002. Live CDs make me apprehensive: generally, they sound like shit because Read more...

Sleigh Bells - Treats

Posted 4:10am Monday 2nd August 2010 by Sam Valentine

NEET Recordings 4/5 After gaining some serious indie hype late last year with their bedroom-recorded demos, noise pop duo Sleigh Bells has finally delivered with debut effort Treats. Comprising short, well-written pop drenched in boom box distortion, Treats proves to be an exciting and Read more...

Die! Die! Die! - Form

Posted 4:07am Monday 2nd August 2010 by Sam Valentine

Flying Nun Records 4.5/5 Building on the more melodic moments on their previous work, with Form semi-Dunedin trio Die! Die! Die! has created a work of true mastery. This new album features a notable shift in production values from the cold and distant Promises Promises; Form moves the band Read more...

Glass Vaults - Glass EP

Posted 12:47am Monday 26th July 2010 by Daniel Alexander

Sonorous Circle 4/5 I had listened to the first track from Wellington duo Glass Vaults’ (Richard Larsen and Rowan Pierce) debut EP a number of times in the past few weeks, for no apparent reason, but I had yet to progress onto the rest of the album. My loss. The opening track 'They Read more...

Ash and the Matadors - The Mansion Tapes

Posted 12:45am Monday 26th July 2010 by Bevan Mead

Self Released (2.5/5) With the Matadors' opening moments of unconstrained leads and tasteful guitar fuzz you can’t help but reminisce on the ear-bleeding country of grunge-era Dinosaur Jr. Opening track ‘The Ballad of Cobh’ not only shines above the rest with valid hooks Read more...

FATANGRYMAN - S/T

Posted 12:42am Monday 26th July 2010 by Joe Can’t

Muzai Records 4.5/5 As much as I went off at Nick Fulton for his blog post (einsteinmusicjournal.co.nz), I do actually agree that Fatangryman are, at times, a bit unimpressive as a live act. Their apparent lack of technical ability occasionally mars what could be excellent songs and it's as Read more...

ARTISAN GUNS

Posted 12:43am Monday 19th July 2010 by Sam Valentine

Formed in its members’ final years of high school, Auckland quartet Artisan Guns has achieved much in its short existence. Now with two EP’s behind them (their debut effort Bird & Bone and the excellent new Hearts), the band has also been recently nominated for an APRA Silver Scroll award. Critic Read more...