Newsletter Issue #319: 30 Jan 2011
Welcome back!
A lot has happened since the final 2010 muzic.net.nz newsletter went out in early December. The muzic.net.nz team has been very busy behind the scenes; adding new reviews, features and an astronomical 68 musicians and bands to our artist pages!
Along with the usual dose of Summer festivals, there has also been heaps of tour announcements... An Emerald City with The Checks, Her Make Believe Band, Made In China with Osmium, Ulcerate, Darky Roots, Sora Shima and LA Dispute to name a few.
A brand new muzic.net.nz Facebook page has also been created... all muzic.net.nz updates will now be made on this page. If you want to ask me anything regarding muzic.net.nz, you can still message me here.
The last few weeks has also seen some winners of competitions, new photos and the creation of the 2011 Music Industry Dates forum.
2011 is shaping up to be huge. Following on from the site update completed last year, we have plans to create even more new features this year. There will also be more reviews and interviews added to the site during 2011 than any other year. The best thing about all of this, is that we get to share it with you.
Shihad sung it, I will not live and die without a sound, and neither will muzic.net.nz.
Rock on.
Lisa and the muzic.net.nz team.
Her Make Believe Band
While Wellington, Raglan and Auckland are pretty traditional places to play on a NZ tour, one band who is stepping off the beaten concert track this summer is Her Make Believe Band. They’ll play not only these centres, but many more on their 14-date national tour, including Greymouth, Geraldine, Lyttelton, Picton and Onewhero.
Her Make Believe Band is a London-born band, led by New Zealanders Cy Winstanley and Vanessa McGowan, who play a masterful blend of Americana fused with jazz, soul and pop.
“We’re really excited about playing all these shows this summer,” says Vanessa McGowan, “and really thrilled to be performing throughout the country again.”
Last year’s tour in support of debut album 'AM Radio' was the bands’ first in NZ, and resulted in widespread acclaim and a number of sell-out shows.
A special feature on this tour will be Auckland based banjo, fiddle, guitar and vocalist Dave Khan who is a prominent fixture on the Auckland scene and has played with Don McGlashan, Hello Sailor, Auckland Philharmonia, Tami Nielson and Charlie Ash.
The tour will also see the debut of original songs by HMBB bassist and vocalist Vanessa McGowan.
The tour was originally planned as a joint one with The Bads, however a family illness has seen The Bads regretfully pull out of the tour.
Don’t miss your chance to see Her Make Believe Band and Dave Khan play this February – no doubt they’ll be playing in a town near you!
For full tour dates and ticketing information please go to www.hermakebelieveband.com/tourinformation.htm
Her Make Believe Band Website Links
Muzic.net.nz Page
Official Website
Amplifier Page
MySpace Page
Timothy Armstrong
Thanks to Timothy for answering these questions:
What can we expect to see from you over the next year?
Another album......Or two, Plus a trip to Europe to promote the album.
What advice would you like to give to other aspiring musicians?
Just start, pondering is good, but for me it can also become procrastination. I just start the song.
Who are your favourite NZ musicians/bands, and why?
Grayson Gilmour, Gatherer (now Melbourne). You can just tell they really think about what they are doing. Both Artists write complex songs that are great after the first listen but even better after the 10th listen.
What will your next release be?
Another album called 'Digits' - Trying to focus on working with sampless for that one. Lots of found sounds and heavy on rhythmical content.
How do you come up with your lyrics?
Usually the music I come up with will make me feel a certain way, and I guess I just start singing about whatever I'm feeling (and quickly note down the good lines). Other times I'll come up with a line while thinking about situations I've been in or conversations I have had and the rest of the lyrics grow from that.
Who would you most like to support live?
Sufjan Stevens :)
How do you believe you fit into the NZ music industry?
Either as a round disc in its CD player, or as an MP3 in its hard drive.
What can you never leave home without?
A little electric microphone I made that plugs into my Ipod for recording anywhere, anytime.
How do you describe your music?
Acoustic Arrangements. Intricate Instrumentation. Melancholic Melodies.
What is your favourite NZ venue?
Most enjoyable show I have played was at the Wine Cellar, AK, with Kimbra. It just had a great vibe, couches and cushions etc...
What is the best part of being a musician?
Being able to do what you love with company AND when you are alone.
What NZ musicians or bands would you like to see more of, and why?
Gatherer, because I love them. They make you feel every different emotion at once. But mostly just Joy.
What is in your CD collection at home?
The Books, Sufjan Stevens, Explosions In The Sky, As Tall As Lions, Circa Survive, The Mars Volta, Radiohead...
What is your most embarrassing on tour/gig moment?
Releasing my B and E strings are totally out of tune only when I get to the bridge of a song, (the only place in the song those strings are played) by that time you really can't just start over.
What is your favourite place in NZ to be?
Piha Beach. Mmmmm Yes.
What inspired you to become a musician?
Street Spirit, Radiohead - When I heard that song coming from my sisters room when I was 16 I stole the CD and my dad's old guitar and learnt the song that night. All my previous ambitions changed.
What is the best gig you have ever performed at, and why?
Most recently at a show with Timothy Blackman and Jeremy Mason, the place was packed and the entire audience was so quiet and attentive. They were there for the music. It was special.
How do you keep in contact with your fans?
I usually just go round to her place and watch movies :)
What rumour would you like to start about yourself?
That I have 6 fingers on my left hand.
Website Links
Muzic.net.nz Page
Official Website
Facebook Page
NZ Music News
Grace Jones, Tony Joe White and many more join the Grassroots Festival line up
In a summer that has seen more international and local talent perform for New Zealand than ever before, the inaugural GrassRoots Festival closes our Summer 2011 with a must see 2 day line up on Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th April at the stunning Puhinui Reserve.
This two-day festival will bring together some of the world’s most renowned artists as well as a raft of local acts across a multitude of genres whilst still having its core ethos firmly grounded in blues and roots based music. Thirty artists on two stages over the two days will launch GrassRoots – The New Zealand Blues and Roots All Music Festival 2011.
Chugg Entertainment are thrilled to announce that joining the already incredible line-up are the phenomenal Grace Jones (USA), Tony Joe White (USA), Imogen Heap (UK), Lulo Reinhardt (GER), Felice Brothers (USA), Eugene Hideaway Bridges (USA),Flip Grater(NZ),Hammond Gamble(NZ),Shona Laing(NZ), Doug Jerebine & Billy T.K. SR (NZ), Heart Attack Alley (NZ),Julia Deans(NZ), Darcy Perry (NZ), Caitlin Smith (NZ), Riverhead Slide (NZ),The Warratahs(NZ),The Bads(NZ) andThe Thomas Oliver Band(NZ).
Artists announced earlier include the fabulous BB King (USA), Elvis Costello & The Imposters (USA), Ben Harper and Relentless7 (USA), Rodrigo Y Gabriela (Mexico), Eric Bibb (USA), Paul Ubana Jones(NZ), Ruthie Foster (USA), Cairo Knife Fight (NZ), Ticket (NZ), Don McGlashan(NZ) and Sola Rosa (NZ).
New Single and Video for Ammp
AMMP enter 2011 with an explosive track and video tailing the exploits of the last man on earth called Sgt Mayhem. The eighth single to come off the debut album coming out this March 2011. With more good news that their song Ironman will be used for a TV and Radio campaign for the Olympics 2012 and more singles to come, the year looks like a big one for the Wellington Four piece. Directed by David St George and the song was mixed by Chris Van De Geer (Stellar*) and mastered by Simon Holloway (Dane Rumble).
Anna Coddington Announces Release of New Album ‘Cat & Bird’
In celebration of her new album Cat & Bird due for release on February 21, Anna Coddington is hitting the road on a nationwide tour throughout February and March. She will be supported at the shows by Mike Hall (Nightchoir) and DJ KillaManRaro.
Cat & Bird combines a quirky pop style with elements of acoustic balladry for a collection of guitar driven indie songs and stories. Recorded between Roundhead Studios and her home studio in Auckland, Anna co-produced the album with guitarist/boyfriend Ned Ngatae.
While a lot has changed in her life and songwriting approach since the release of her 2008 debut album The Lake, Anna’s beautiful voice and melodies remain a constant, making the progression both a powerful and pleasant one. There is a shift toward louder guitars and bigger dynamics this time around, and an emphasis on the sound of a band surrounding the songs.
Where The Lake collected moments from Anna’s life to date and were presented acoustic guitar in hand, Cat & Bird shines with the talents of Anna’s band, who will also join her on tour: drummer Riki Gooch (Eru Dangerspiel, Trinity Roots), bass player Mike Hall and keyboardist/vocalist extraordinaire LA Mitchell.
Sounds Aotearoa Explodes To The Next Level!
The combined knowledge of Malcolm Haynes, Ben Mendelson and Dubi Lenz is an unquestioned industry tour de force and delegates will get the opportunity to rack their brains at Sounds of Aotearoa, as the latest confirmation in an exceptional line-up.
Malcolm Haynes has been in the industry for over 30 years, and currently heads up the phenomenal Dance Village at Glastonbury, which across its seven venues has housed artists such as Fat Boy Slim, Chemical Brothers, Crystal Castles and Klaxons. In 2010 he added the co-ordination of the Uptown Area ¨C which includes five venues, a fun fair, and various food and non-food stalls - of The Big Chill Festival to his impressive roster, cementing his reputation as an industry heavy-hitter.
Not only has Ben Mendelson been charged with launching the 'World Music' genre as a whole, but he has forged a career producing the most celebrated artists in it both for the label - Globestyle - he launched and for the myriad of international labels who seek out his services. These skills culminated in WOMEX, which Mendelson founded in 1994. The biggest and most prestigious trade show in the world, WOMEX 2010 housed 2, 440 delegates from 94 countries, 59 showcase acts on six stages and over 20 conference sessions and films screenings.
As artistic director of the Red Sea Jazz Festival, Dubi Lenz brings an in-depth comprehension of worldwide music with management skills, teaching qualifications and the ability to form and promote cultural liaison. He is a university lecturer, a world music radio show host, press and TV journalist and tourist guide for music enthusiasts going to South America, West Africa and the Caribbean. Dubi was chairman of the Forum of Worldwide Music Festivals in Europe (EFWMF) for 2003 , 2004; member of the music department of the Israeli ministry of culture and recipient of the Chevalier (Knight) Medallion of the Order of Arts and Letters from the French government. Dubi Lenz has been confirmed courtesy of the Israeli Embassy.
House Of Shem To Release New Album Island Vibration On February 14th
Local reggae pioneers House Of Shem are set to release their sophomore album Island Vibration on February 14th. The album features current radio single ‘Sweet Love’. In support of the release of the album House Of Shem will be heading out on tour throughout New Zealand in March and April.
House of Shem hail from Aotearoa, New Zealand and like many legendary reggae groups this band is built around the classic harmony trio format. At the helm is Carl Perkins, a man with over thirty years experience writing and playing reggae music. As a former member of ‘Herbs’, ‘Mana’ and ‘The Twelve Tribes Of Israel’ amongst others, Carl’s musical credentials are impeccable.
Joining Carl are two of his sons Te Omeka and Isaiah who not only provide harmonies and play keyboards, they are both lead vocalist and composers in their own right. It is this blood link and family bond that renders the sum of their combined voices as something really extraordinary. Each of the three has their own distinct song writing style and voice, effectively giving the band three lead singers. The harmonies are sublime and the precision of their ensemble performance is phenomenal. For their new album Island Vibration the Perkins family also worked with up and coming artist Karl Thomas, who provides another unique voice for the band.
Other NZ Music News
Gig and Tour News
Artist News
Muzic.net.nz News
New Artists
The following musicians were added to the muzic.net.nz website during the last two months:
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Info about filling out the add artist form
Reviews and Interviews
These reviews were added to the site since December, check them out at the links below:
- Sleeping Dogs - 'Myth Reducer' Album Review
- Let The People Speak Compilation album 2010
- Hellborne - Self Titled Album Review
- The Dylan Storey Band - The Power of Suggestion album review
- Detonate Festival 31/12/2010 New years Taranaki
- Recloose 'Early Works' Album Review
- The Midnights - 'Outside' Album Review
- Timothy Armstrong - 'Portraits' Album Review
- Big Day Out 2011 Review # 1
- Big Day Out 2011 Review # 2
- AmosAnon - TheLachrymist Album Review
- The Karrados - A Means to an End
You can check out every single interview and review in our Articles Page.
Tour Features
Every feature we have ever had on the site can be viewed here.
Information about muzic.net.nz newsletters
The next muzic.net.nz newsletter is going out on 13 February.
There is space available for features from 13 February onwards.
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If you would like to advertise anything to do with NZ music in our newsletter and/or gig mail out, email Lisa. It is 100% FREE to feature or advertise in our newsletter and gig mail outs!
Our next gig mail out is going out on 6 February.
- The muzic.net.nz team
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