Welcome to March everyone! How quick are these months going? Blink and you’ll miss it kind of fast. March is when the summer music festivals start dying down, and before you know it, the cooler crisp days of Autumn are beckoning from around the corner, but that doesn’t mean it comes to a complete halt.

I recently came back from a luscious two week break on the Gold Coast, where one of the biggest music festivals, Soundwave is happening as we speak. Since 2014, Westfest has taken over with an insanely great line up from a diverse range of rock and metal acts. On Tuesday (3rd March) bogans of all ages will come alive, thunderously stomping their way towards Mount Smart Stadium, a sea of black t-shirts, young and old, like moths to a flame. A beautiful sight to see, music fans all coming together as one.

In this month’s newsletter we find out the latest from Diamond Doll, and introduce you to Palmerston North’s heavy groovy metal band, Government Pest, along with plenty of other features and articles to sink your teeth into.

- Kerry Monaghan

Government Pest is a heavy groovy metal band from Palmerston North. Kristov recorded the album Hostile Takeover with Rob from Project: Blood doing vocals in 2003 under the name Government Pest. Goverment Pest was then brought back to life in 2014 with Kristov playing guitar and doing vocals, Murray Shaw playing bass, and Aaron Sanko playing drums. They have played in bands such as Hellborne, Wall of Silents and Neckstretchers plus the still active Turbostill.

We played their first show on Friday 31st October 2014 at the Slavefest Halloween Party. Our second show was on Friday 20th February at The Royal in Palmerston North with Cephalopod, Hexanine, Deadset and Defetus.

In March we will hit the road to play in Wellington on Friday 27th March at Valhalla with Heterodox and Ovus, followed by travelling Whanganui on Saturday 28th March to play at the Riverside Bar with Heterodox and Midnight Switch. We're also planning to record a new album later in 2015.

Government Pest is Kristov Raven (guitar, vocals),  Murray Shaw (bass) and Aaron Sanko (drums).

Website Links

Muzic.net.nz Page 
Amplifier Page 
Facebook Page 
Youtube Page

Government Pest Live, Halloween 2014 (photo gallery)

Diamond Doll's latest release Dumb was recorded at our good mate Nick Blow’s studio Sister Lung Productions. To date, Nick has recorded all of our material, and has a good feel for what we want to achieve. We know he delivers the goods... you only have to check out some of his recent work on our mates' (Jakob) new album Sines.

Now that we've released Dumb, we're planning on hooking up a few out of town gigs this year. So instead of planning a tour for our single release, we're aiming to suss out a few well organized events to get more exposure. So far the guys from Caveman Events have put us on the bill for the Altitude O Week Rock Party 2015 on March 6. This will be our second gig this year and we're fully amped to be returning to Hamilton and playing with some other solid acts – check out more details on this Facebook event page.

We've already started writing new material this year, and have the goal of beginning to record – hopefully an album – at the end of the year. So keep an eye out for news from us by checking out our brand spanking new website or catch you guys at one of our gigs!

Diamond Doll is Tyley (vocals), Kane (guitar), Ben (bass) and Livid (drums).

Website Links

Muzic.net.nz Page 
Official Website 
Facebook Page 
Twitter Page 
Youtube Page

Single Review: Dumb

Eden Bar is a live music venue located 5 minutes from Auckland city centre at 250 Dominion Road, Mt Eden.

The bar began hosting gigs in mid 2013 when Daniel Weetman of The Black Seeds stepped in for a year managing events and organising weekly Friday night shows. The PA had a full upgrade and the old stage was extended to hold bands of up to 8 or 9 members and as a lot of reggae acts coming in to play.  

Since then a long list of bands of all genres have played on the Eden Bar stage:

Hip-Hop gigs including King Homeboy (NZ beatbox champion), 1 out Rap battle competitions, Shoutin' Preachin', Sons of Moms.
Rockabilly / Bluegrass nights with the legendary Bernie Griffen and The Grifters, Swampland, Dick Dynamite & the Doppelgangers.
Reggae / Ska nights have featured Vega, Chatchy, Roofdog, Atsushi and The Moisties and Yebiisu to name a few. 

The venue offers free hireage to promoters, a package deal which includes a soundperson and in-house PA system (full mic up) allowing bands keep their gigs profitable.

The layout consists of a large main band room, 2 outside/smoking areas as well as games area with several pool tables and pinball machines where you can enjoy the live music from afar.

The venue capacity is 150 people. 

For more info or to make a booking:

Email: [email protected] 

Phone: (027) 350 7544 

Facebook Page: Eden Bar

Tadpole was a New Zealand Rock band from Auckland fronted by female vocalist Renée Brennan. The band formed in June, 1994, and, after numerous line-up changes, disbanded in late 2006. Between the band's beginning and 1999, Tadpole went through so many line-up changes that there soon ended up being no original members left in the band. At one point, Tadpole was almost a girl band as there were three female members. However, vocalist Renée Brennan and drummer/manager Dean Lawton have been stable members of the band since the late 1990s, just prior to their New Zealand rise to fame.

During that time, the singles Blind (Radio release only, 1998), For Me (single release, 1999) and Backdoor (also a single release, 1999), were released. The song Backdoor was about a gig played in Christchurch where the venue wasn't big enough, and a lot of people were stuck outside in the cold. They couldn't get in the front door, but a few lucky individuals got in through the backdoor. Their debut album The Buddhafinger, was released in New Zealand mid-2000, and proved to be a huge hit, debuting at #2 on the Official New Zealand Top 40 Album chart. The Buddhafinger had a distinctive pop/punkish slant to it, and featured part-time vinyl scratcher, DJ Kritiki (Kevin May), on most tracks. The 2000 line-up officially consisted of Renée Brennan (vocals), Dean Lawton (drums), Chris Yong (guitar), Paul Matthews (bass) and DJ Kritikl. DJ Kritikl would leave the line-up late in 2000, and the band reverted to a 4-piece In February 2003 came a large upheaval to the band.

Citing musical differences, both guitarist Chris Yong and bassist Shannon Brown left. Both would go into other bands, Redline and 48May respectively. Chris Yong left Tadpole early 2003 and formed Redline in late 2003 with his brother Richard who had returned from his OE in the UK. Redline’s video for Time After Time was nominated for best independent music video at the 2005 Juice TV Music Awards. Redline also performed at the inaugural Metal Day Out Festival in 2006 and supported Evanescence on their NZ tour in 2007, and also toured with Disturbed twice in 2006 and 2008.

Redline independently released Trapped Inside in 2008, produced and engineered by Paul Matthews (Blindspott, Stylus, OpShop) Mixed by Kenny Macdonald (former producer for Texas and the Proclaimers) and mastered by well known alternative Swedish producer, Pelle Henricsson (Poison The Well, Refused) at Tonteknik Recordings.

Chris went on to form Static Era in 2010. They have performed with I Am Giant and Anvil (US) headlined at Music in Parks and toured with Vanishing Point (AUS). The Start was released in 2012 and Dare To Fail in 2013.

Chris' professional day job career spans nearly a decade in online and digital working across both private and public sectors with a strong emphasis on analytics, SEO, social media management and online marketing. Chris stood as a political candidate in the 2014 NZ General Election championing the benefits of technology and a strong digital future.

Announcing The Finalists For The Taite Music Prize 2015

Independent Music NZ is very pleased to announce that the finalists for the Taite Music Prize 2015 have now been confirmed. 

Named after the late Dylan Taite, one of the country's most highly respected music journalists, this will be the sixth year for the award. The Taite Music Prize's purpose is to recognise outstanding creativity for an entire collection of music contained on one album. The winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000, to be spent as they wish. The cash prize is kindly supplied by the Founding Partner Recorded Music NZ. 

The winner will also receive free recording time at Red Bull Studio Auckland and a year’s supply of Red Bull product. 

This year’s ten finalists, from a lengthy list of 65 nominations submitted by record labels both independent and major from across the country, are: 

@peace – @peace and the Plutonian Noise Symphony (Young, Gifted and Broke)
Aldous Harding - Aldous Harding (Lyttleton Records/Flying Out)
Delaney Davidson – Swim Down Low (Outside Inside)
Electric Wire Hustle – Love Can Prevail (EWH Ltd. / Okayplayer Records)
Grayson Gilmour – Infinite Life! (Flying Nun Records)
Jakob - Sines (Shoot The Freak)
Kimbra – The Golden Echo (Warner Brother Records)
Tiny Ruins – Brightly Painted One (Arch Hill Recordings/Spunk Records)
Mulholland – Stop & Start Again (Mulholland)
Tami Neilson – Dynamite (Neilson Records)

Full Article

Seminar for Musicians and Music Teachers

Ryan Kershaw has a seminar coming up to help musicians and music teachers on 'organisations and being organised'.

It's an excellent opportunity for you to meet with other musicians and music teachers, as well as a great chance to network for organisation and music club leaders. Guest speakers include Christy Whelan - chairman for Independent Music New Zealand (IMNZ), Matt Ealand - Auckland director of Smokefreerockquest and Tim Carson - head of music at Dilworth School and Website administrator for Music Education New Zealand Aotearoa.

There will also be a bonus session held on time management - staying productive while avoiding feeling overwhelmed

Limited seats available so email Ryan directly at [email protected] to reserve your seats. 

Full Article

MMF Music Awards 2015 - Nominations Open

Nominations are now open for the MMF Music Managers Awards! 

The MMF Music Managers Awards celebrate the behind the scenes superstars of the New Zealand music industry. The managers who help some of New Zealand's favourite artists and bands achieve fantastic results both at home and internationally.

Full Article

Jazz Tui finalists announced

The three recordings up for 2015 Best Jazz Album of the Year all feature multiple artists making for a collaborative, eclectic mix of finalists comprising some of New Zealand’s top jazz musicians.

Acts making the grade this year are Auckland-based DOG for Dog, rehearsal band turn jazz group The Jac for Nerve and solo artist Jonathan Crayford with the help of two additional musicians forming a trio for Dark Light.

Full Article

Marchwood Blues Picnic 2015

Over the last eight years the Marchwood Blues Picnic has become an institution in New Zealand’s outdoor entertainment calendar, with many international and local Blues musicians performing on their stage.

Peter Archer and Carol Murphy hold the event on their 22 acre Avocado orchard near Tauranga in a fantastic environment with great views from the venue.

On March 7^th, this year’s line-up will be headlined by non-other than the legendary Tony Joe White playing his swamp blues.

Also appearing is Darren Watson a great blues artist from Wellington, the fabulous Auckland band The Flaming Mudcats, local up and coming star Josh Durning will open the show followed by Black Velvet fronted by Tara Watson.
To finish the night will be the host’s Peter Archer Blues Band to rock the show to its finish.

Full Article

Tahuna Breaks Release Live Album And DVD On March 13

Tahuna Breaks will mark their 10 year anniversary with the release of a live album - Tahuna Breaks Live 10 - on March 13. Recorded late last year at the one off show celebrating the milestone, the album features 10 live hits from previously released albums including Reflections, Casually Acquainted, Voodoo, Giddy Up and more, as well as the live concert film on DVD.

Tahuna Breaks have always encompassed a rich diversity of musical genres and styles. With live configurations of between six and ten members of the group’s lie act is energetic, raw and large and is influenced by artists as carried as James Brown to Daft Punk.

The band is well known for being unafraid to mix genres and have honed their sound on the live stage that encompasses funk, disco, soul live electronics and roots.

Full Article

Ophelia Release Second EP - Invisible - March 13

Following their first EP Face The Sea released in November 2013, Auckland based electronic duo Ophelia are releasing their second EP Invisible on March 13^th 2015.

The record features 5 tracks including recent single releases Eden and Play With Me and showcases a matured and considered style of writing. The duo continue to experiment with different soundscapes and writing processes, with a deeper focus on Alex’s story-telling song writing style and Pat’s beat-driven production. Ophelia draw on influences ranging from EDM, orchestral works and folk music, to paintings, stories and news articles.

Recorded in Opus studio and Depot Sound and mixed at Roundhead studio with Jordan Stone (Wilco, The Datsuns), Invisible was mastered at 301 by Ben Faggans (Flume, Rufus) and features guitars from Fabian Aravales on the final track Next Door.

Full Article

TrinityRoots release new single El Kaptain and announce brand new album Citizen

The Wellington-based Platinum-selling trio TrinityRoots follow up 2004's Home, Land, and Sea with their highly anticipated third studio album Citizen. A progression from their previous two albums; musically& lyrically, they have expanded their palette of colours and painted an informed snap-shot of present day NZ.
 
With the departure of Jean Pompey, Warren Maxwell (vocals, guitar) and Rio Hemopo (bass) are joined by new drummer Ben Wood (Newtown Rocksteady, Hikoikoi, Amiria Grenell, French For Rabbits). Citizen was recorded in the new Surgery Studio with legendary producer Lee Prebble (The Black Seeds, The Pheonix Foundation, Flight of the Conchords).
 
Citizen will be released Friday March 13th, and the trio will celebrate with performances at the WOMAD festival in Taranaki, 13-15 March.

Full Article

Heterodox March 2015 Tour

This March Caveman Events proudly presents Heterodox. These vibrant, musically broad mavericks will be embarking on their first ever, full-fledged headlining tour around the North Island of New Zealand. The band will be bringing their debut release Elixir of Lethe to the stage in its entirety, along with all new material set to raise the bar ever higher for the group.

Natives to the small of town Hastings - Hawkes Bay, the band consists of guitarist and vocalist - Luke Burns, Bass and back-up vocals – Floyd Pepper, and Drumming from Jared Green. The line-up was finalised during 2012 and since then, the lads have been consecutively realising their musical vision among their diverse musical taste, and widespread inspirations. Blending a vibe of classic rock with a modern flair of fuzzy doom, Heterodox have been dubbed “a non-stop onslaught of superb riffs that still make this band very hard to categorize.” – Steve Howe of The Sludgelord. The alternative rockers have had the chance to share the stage with some of New Zealand’s premier acts such as Jakob, Beastwars, Decortica and 8 Foot Sativa.

Heterodox released their debut record Elixir of Lethe during the winter of 2014. The album was produced by the revered Nick Blow with mastering handled by Brett Stanton. Elixir of Lethe garnered an immensely beloved reaction within the alternative music scene in New Zealand.

Full Article

Antagonist A.D Sign to UNFD and Announce Album Details

UNFD are proud to announce their newest signing to the label, New Zealand's Antagonist A.D. The band will release their fourth album and UNFD debut Haunt Me As I Roam on March 27.

Last night, the first single from Haunt Me As I Roam - For Anyone Who Hurts - was premiered on Triple J's Short Fast Loud, and today the band has launched their incredible video for the track.

Antagonist A.D are used to doing things the tough way, and Haunt Me As I Roam is a perfect demonstration of the hardships they've faced and subsequently overcome.

While they're used to forging their own path - New Zealand might be a beautiful place but as one of the most isolated countries in the world it's a nightmare for hardcore bands who want to take their message worldwide - Haunt Me As I Roam breaks new ground for Antagonist A.D.

Full Article

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You can read all the latest NZ music news here.

New Artists

The following musicians and bands have been added to the muzic.net.nz website in the past month:

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New Reviews

Thy Assassin - Album Review: A World Left Behind
Written by Terry

Gig Review: Music Is Dead @ The Kings Arms, Auckland 13/02/2015
Written by Andrew

Album Review: Church House Campfire By Dlar Madwar & Borough Kings
Written by James

Jimmy Bonar - Album Review: Working Class
Written by Andrew

Gig Review: Primacy @ Bar Eden, Auckland 7/02/2015
Written by Rodrigo

Running Stitch - EP Review: It's On
Written by Andrew

Cairo Knife Fight - EP Review: The Isolator EP
Written by Peter

State Of Mind - EP Review: Until The World Ends
Written by Alistar

Late 80s Mercedes - Album Review: Diamonds
Written by Andrew

All of our reviews can be read here.
Email [email protected] if you would like us to review your music.

New Photos

Into The East
Salmonella Dub
The Winery Tour 2015
Photos by Bradley

Primacy
Dead Teach The Living
Photos by Lou

Marlon Williams
Photos by Stella

All of our photo galleries can all be viewed here.
Email [email protected] if you would like us to photograph you.

NZ Blokes Interviews

Lead Us Forth, These Four Walls and I Am Giant

Thanks to Francis and the wonderful team at NZ Blokes, you can check out Francis' latest interviews with NZ bands and musicians via muzic.net.nz at the links below:

NZ Blokes Interview with Lead Us Forth - Part 1
NZ Blokes Interview with Lead Us Forth - Part 2
NZ Blokes Interview with These Four Walls - Part 1
NZ Blokes Interview with These Four Walls - Part 2
NZ Blokes Interview with I Am Giant

Tour Features

All muzic.net.nz tour features can be viewed here
Email [email protected] if you would like us to create a tour feature for you.

The next muzic.net.nz newsletter is going out on Sunday 5 April 2015.

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