Music

Caribou - Swim

Posted 3:11pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Simon Wallace

Merge 2010 (4/5)     Diving headfirst into a wash of haze and colour, Caribou's new album Swim envelops the listener instantly. Dan Snaith seems more focused musically than he has since his debut as Manitoba at the turn of the century, as he steers the opening track Read more...

Supermodel

Posted 3:10pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Ellis Bell May

“I'm definitely at one with myself when I'm singing,” says Mark Hanify, the lead singer of orthodox Wellington rock band Supermodel. “I'm in the moment, it's like when you're in deep meditation; it's the same kind of feeling. You're in that higher level of awareness, and because I'm Read more...

The Return of the Super Sharp Shooter

Posted 2:18pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Martyn Pepperell

In 2006, DJ Zinc (Government name: Benjamin Pettit), one of the true legends of jump-up jungle drum and bass, found himself heading towards a crossroads of sorts. “With drum and bass, around 2006, it became hard to find music that sounded cutting edge,” he says, speaking down the Read more...

The Chills (Live at the Empire)

Posted 2:17pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Sarah Baillie

he recently reopened Empire tavern on Princes Street has “special memories” for Martin Phillips of The Chills, as it is one of the regular venues the band played at during the heyday of Flying Nun bands in Dunedin. The only remaining member of The Chills’ original line-up, Martin Read more...

Bleeding Through

Posted 1:09pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Walker McMurdo

Bleeding Through Rise Records (3/5) Bleeding Through’s brand new self-titled record combines the best aspects of tough-guy hardcore and polished, melodic heavy metal. Riffs vary beyond the traditional “chugga chug chug” fare, and guitar solos are well-timed and dynamic. Read more...

Groove Armada Black Light

Posted 1:07pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Simon Wallace

Cooking Vinyl (3/5) As impeccably-timed as much of their back catalogue, Groove Armada’s sixth full length, Black Light, sees the duo channeling mid-‘80s synth-pop reference points to make the inevitable ‘dark’ album. Currently operating sans-frontman, the Read more...

HOMEGROWN - February 20, 2010 Wellington

Posted 3:21am Tuesday 18th May 2010 by Tim Suggate

4/5 Glazed eyes, smiles, and high-fives all round. Midway through their bone-jarring set, Laughtan Kora stops and asks the Homegrown crowd, “How good it is to live in this beautiful country called Aotearoa?” And he’s right, our little nation in the middle of the South Read more...

Sacha Vee EP (Independent)

Posted 3:20am Tuesday 18th May 2010 by Dave Eley

4/5 Dutch/West Indian neo-soul artist Sacha Vee is a distinctive vocalist who is making waves in the New Zealand music scene. Alongside soulful collaborations with Pacific Heights, Oval Office, and P-Bass Expressway, she has been focusing on her own original sound. 2009 saw the release of her Read more...

The Brian Jonestown Massacre Who killed Sgt Pepper?( A Records)

Posted 3:19am Tuesday 18th May 2010 by James Barlien

4/5 Who killed Sgt. Pepper? by The Brian Jonestown Massacre is a breathtaking album, and despite what may have been said of Anton Newcombe in the past, he has undeniable talent.    The album is a step forward from their previous work, as shown by the opening track ‘Tempo Read more...

Various Artists Womad New Zealand: Sounds Of the Planet 2010 (Shock Records)

Posted 3:17am Tuesday 18th May 2010 by Phoebe Harrop

3/5 If WOMAD were a person, it would probably be a pot-smoking, prayer-chanting, bongo-playing hermaphrodite with knee-length dreads and no shoes. It’s no surprise, then, that this year’s WOMAD compilation is about as eclectic as it’s possible to be, encompassing all reaches Read more...